In Progress Forsaken [R]

Gonna go ahead and post a story here, I need to get more active here anyway.

I'm going to be very truthful about this. I have no limits to chapter length, so some will be rather long, the highest being 49 pages. It's dark (even though we're all used to dark stories), and it has, and I mean HAS, a religious feel to it. It's stronger in some areas, but trust me, it's there. Included are religious philosophies and/or doctrines you may or may not believe in, and I hope to not offend anyone. I do not intend to do so, nor am I shoving any form of belief down your throats. If you end up feeling this way, please let me know.

For this reason, I shall warn you if there are talks of anything religious before a chapter if you want me to. I may not have to, however, as I'll include scripture verses or song/hymn lyrics before the start of the chapter, which may tell you what you may expect in the upcoming chapter, or to help guide it through. If it's against the rules, let me know and I'll remove them.

This is of the romance genre, so the pairing is Mewshipping, Mewtwo and Mew. There will be other pairings in here, but some are less obvious than others, so I won't list them unless asked to.

The rating is no higher than PG-15 at the moment, but it will be in the R-rating range as the story progresses (thus it's in the title so you'll know it'll head in that direction). It's rated for language, peril, violence with possibly some gore (knowing my writing style), and attempted suicide. Sexual themes will be more prominent later on.

This is posted on FanFiction.net, but being half-way done, it's not yet completed. I think within a couple month's time, both here and there be updated at the same time with the same chapter, but it depends on how quickly I finish the remaining chapters while updating here.

Now, without further ado, I give you "Forsaken". I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Pokémon (c) Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo, and GAME FREAK. Song lyrics are also copyrighted to their respected owners.

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*~*~*

“WHAT! A world war?!”

Startled by the sudden outburst, Suicune bowed her head, her once-flowing mane drooped over her arched back. “Y-Yes, sir. Sinnoh was bombed by Orre, and the other regions are getting ready to come defend it. It's more likely than not to be a... world war...” The legendary North Wind grew silent, stricken with sorrow and aging before the Guardian's eyes. The ribbon tail refused to undulate about the legs, it instead lay trailing on the ground. Her crest laid upon her forehead lost its shine and was now a dull, melancholy green. Her delicate fur was suddenly noticed to be smudged with dust clinging to her in clumps. Black and blue surrounded her dull eyes, indicating her lack of sleep. She was pitiful, unworthy to stand before someone whom she was once equally revered to.

Ho-oh nodded at his creation before craning his neck to the red-violet sky. It was still daytime, past noon, but it was cloudy—rain was probable. Though he looked forward to rainstorms, he feared these rains. Pollution had infected the vapor, turning it into acid rain. He became hesitant to fly around and create his famous rainbows. But then again, he was finding himself unable to fabricate them. Once able to shine with the colors of the rainbow, the phoenix could now only gleam at a perfect angle, his feathers now worn and battered. Unless the sun hit him just right, he wouldn't be able to glow. The crown atop of his head was being pulled by gravity, hanging in sight, and his fiery eyes were burning out. It was unclear whether they were becoming mortal, or if the stress was getting to be a huge burden.

The world had become more sinful to the point the Legendaries didn't dare show their faces. They could feel the evil expanding, and feared it was going to reach them as well. This fear was what caused them to start wilting from their high positions. As pollution became thicker and more prominent, Celebi was struggling to keep plant-life prosperous, resorting to using his life-source to do so. The last time Ho-oh saw him, he was beginning to turn a rusty color of rot. The eyes were still bright, but it wouldn't be long before they would dim. Jirachi, many years back, had eventually broken free of his sleeping spells, now using the stored energy from the Millennium Comet as his powers. However, because he never knew of the real world, it became a gut-wrenching experience for him. His cheerful face transitioned to a blank mask, and his wishing powers depleted. Darkrai, though he lived off nightmares, was being possessed with demons from the people he tried to haunt. It grew difficult for him to find true fear to feed, and he fled to isolate himself away from civilization. Even Giratina had to get away from the world, and would only come out of his dimension if the Legendaries needed him.

However, even though all the Legendaries were being afflicted by the ever-increasing evil, Mew was hit the hardest. As the world grew more wicked, she became ill, unable to properly do her duties as Guardian of the Tree of Beginnings, and keep her home, the Amazon, from being destroyed. Her powers started to weaken, and her optimistic nature diminished. Unwilling to eat, and already tiny as she is, Mew lost weight. A few times she had mentioned she was developing suicidal thoughts from the stress she was receiving, but thankfully never acted upon it when her friends came to check up on her daily. Even so, when he saw her months ago, she didn't look herself, more notably in the eyes. Her sapphire eyes used to sparkle day and night from her pure soul. Now, she had shown her experience at last, and her innocent spirit had been broken. The poor thing was all that was left of the sweet creature he once knew.

Ho-oh came to the conclusion the world was destroying not just itself, but its guardians as well. Everything that happened to the inhabitants affects them, if not the other way around. He sighed, bowing his head as he turned to the quivering beast before him. “I believe this calls for a conference,” he confirmed. “Gather the Legendaries you can find, while I search for my share. We will be meeting at Mirage Island to discuss the issue.”

Suicune snorted in agreement, snapping her head to the side. “Right away, sir,” she barked before she kicked off, disappearing swiftly over the horizon. The Sky Guardian spread out his wings moments later, and took off as well, heading for the clouds to conceal himself from human eyes.

*~*~*

It had been decades since many of the Legendaries saw each other, and thus the gathering felt more like a memorial than a conference. Old friends worriedly examined each other, taking in the shell of what was once their glorified selves. Life-time rivals only stared pitifully one to another at what remained of their strength and boisterous powers. Siblings huddled together as though trying to hold themselves up higher for a little longer, leaning on each other for support or comfort. No one spoke, nor sent telepathic messages across the field, instead sitting deathly silent in their assigned places, waiting for the meeting to begin. Ho-oh stood at the forest's edge, watching the skies and the surrounding land. There were a few still unaccounted for, but they were coming, Suicune made sure of it. Besides, none of them would dare ditch a gathering important as this. Had it been more of a casual assembly, he wouldn't have bothered taking the time to usher them into the clearing, and there'd be plenty of empty seats sticking out from the crowd.

A small pinpoint of light caught his eye, and the phoenix glanced over to see the three shapes of the Lake Trio taking form. They were holding hands, Mesprit in the middle with her brothers on either side. None of them were elegant in their movements like he usually saw them, their twin tails hanging limply from their bodies and the gems only giving meek glimmers from their depths. Both of them looked upon Ho-oh rather somberly (though Uxie had his head down as though deep in thought or silent prayer), bags visible under their golden oculars. He gave a respectful nod. “Azelf. Mesprit. Uxie,” he greeted them individually.

“Ho-oh,” they said in unison, voices tired and grim.

“How are the lakes?”

Each took turns looking at one to another, and the eldest, Azelf, replied quietly, “To be honest, we don't know. We haven't left each other's company for quite some time.”

“Fifteen years and seven months,” Uxie muttered, head still dropped. One of his tails weakly flicked.

The phoenix frowned, but remained silent as he gestured to the clearing with a wing. The Lake Trio each bowed their heads and still hand-in-hand flew for their seats. The moment they disappeared from view, he felt a familiar presence beside him. Without craning for a glimpse, he responded, “So. You decided to show up after all.” A quick pause, and he added, “Was Mew easy to coax into coming?”

“That is not my place to explain,” was the solemn answer, the voice rich and strong like how Ho-oh remembered it.

Finally turning his head, the bird acknowledged the beings at his side. He had not seen the psycat in years, but nothing was out of the ordinary in his appearance. Mewtwo still stood proud in place, tail curled behind him in tranquility. His bony arms remained at his sides, hands clenched in loose fists. The color was still visible even in the face, showing he was taking care of himself. Meeting his gaze briefly, Ho-oh wasn't surprised that the feline's eyes were hard and vibrant as ever, even though the stare was calm with decades of peace he had managed to find. Levitating close by was his counterpart, tiny in contrast to her clone. She refused to look up at either of the two, preferring to keep her eyes on the ground. She wasn't in shame, but her broken spirit caused her to retreat into her mind, forcing her to blank out and barricade herself from the world. By the looks of how attenuated she became and the wavering of her levitation, Mew still wasn't eating; how long ago she last ate, he couldn't tell. From what he knew about her physique and metabolism, she shouldn't still be able to hold herself up.

As though he had read his mind, Mewtwo serenely expressed, “When I went to fetch her, she had grown too weak to transport herself. She was lying in the Tree, awaiting death I assume.” A faint, rather protesting whimper came from the mentioned Legendary at the comment, though they could see in her pale eyes she wasn't subconsciously present. It was believed among the Legendaries that when Mew withdrew into her mind, she tuned out her surroundings. There was a chance she didn't hear a word.

Giving a slow, rather cross sigh, Ho-oh tilted his head to the trees. “Since you're here, we can get started now.”

With a slow nod, the psycat crossed into the thick wood, telepathically tugging Mew behind him. The once-grand phoenix deplorably watched the small cat bob in place, taking note of her limp tail skimming the grass and head hanging as he followed the pair. It was a straight, short path to the clearing, the trio walking into the vast sunlight and amidst the eyes of the Legends. Many of their gazes were on the frail Mew, saddened and fearful, others pointed at Mewtwo, noticing his health with hint of suspicion. It was silent when they appeared except for the quiet sobs of Latias, crimson and pearl down worn almost to uselessness, and golden eyes lacking the light of her carefree soul. Mewtwo avoided their stares as he led the tiny Legendary along, pausing at the smooth, even stones that were their proper seats, and propped her down. He continued to mentally hold her in place even after he sat down, but allowed her to slack slightly. She never bothered to take heed if at all, eyes distant and glazing over. Her surrounding peers took a long, worrying look before turning to the larger rock in the middle. It was Ho-oh's self-proclaimed seat, even though as time went by he allowed others to take his place when it came to announcements, attendance, or temporary leadership if he happened to grow ill or was unable to make it (which was rare in itself). Today, he allowed the counsel be led by Shaymin and instead filled her seat.

The tiny terrier was already in her place, choosing to take the form of her Sky Forme, as her Land Forme was too squeaky and quiet. Having once stood tall and proud, Shaymin's petal scarf had wilted into an unhealthy brown, frayed at the edges. Her fur was matted and dusty, ears drooping to below her chin. Casting her eyes about mournfully at what remained of the mighty Legendaries, she began in a hard voice: “Brethren and sisters. We have been called together because the unthinkable has happened. It's been rumored, if not yet declared, that we are to be in a world war. This morning, at approximately 0500 hours, the beloved region of Sinnoh had been mercilessly bombed by Orre.” A few gasped murmurs from those who hadn't heard the terrible news livened in small groups. Others bowed their heads in silent respect. Shaymin continued. “The damage done is monstrous and heart-breaking. It is believed thousands of humans and Pokémon have lost their lives in this attack. Thanks to a scoping of the area by Rayquaza and Giratina, we have assembled the damage reports.”

The gathering held their breaths as Shaymin closed her eyes in thought. She gave the account slowly and solemnly. “Judging by radiation percentage collected, the first of Orre's aircrafts flew over the south-western portion of Sinnoh. There were no major cities in that area, but they dropped one of their bombs either intentionally or through some freak accident. Believed to be the largest of the bombs, it landed on Twinleaf Town, destroying the entire community and its surrounding areas as follows: Sandgom Town; Jubilife City; a portion of Canalave City at the south-east section; Lake Verity.”

At the mention of the last location, Mesprit hung her head, covering her face with a hand. Her brothers each put a comforting arm around her shaking shoulders. A few others who knew of her home in the lake glanced over at the shivering fairy in astonishment. Shaymin stole a sympathetic gaze in her direction before resuming. “The next two bombs were dropped around the same time, estimated at about five minutes after the first destruction. One landed into the heart of Eterna City, the other just at the outskirts of Hearthome City. The shock waves expanded to Mount Coronet where it has suffered major rock slides, cutting its elevation to half what it used to be. The Distortion World has some damage done to it, though thankfully Giratina wasn't harmed.”

The said Legendary scoffed, the battered, scarlet-spiked wings folding behind him. “Those bastards will pay for what they did,” he grumbled, voice echoing hauntingly into the distance, crimson eyes glaring in the hazy sunlight. “It's virtually impossible to make it irreversible.”

“And we're awfully sorry for what has happened,” the Gratitude Legendary acknowledged, bowing her head slightly.

“Damn right you are,” he snorted. “I haven't had anything happen there for centuries, not since Team Galactic dispersed and disappeared off the face of the earth. Serves them right for messing around with me. Bastards had it coming...” Heatran, who happened to be seated closest to Giratina, scooted a little ways toward Palkia, who in turn shot a skeptical but wary look toward the dragon. Others shuddered from the menacing, airy tone, not wanting to hear any further details.

Shaymin cleared her throat. “The last bomb detonated between Sunyshore City and the Sinnoh Pokémon League, completely destroying the Victory Road and the two landmarks. The Elite Four, the Champion, and anyone else there at the time were killed when the building crushed them when it fell. It's been noted that this is one of the reasons why Sinnoh is gearing towards war.”

“W-Wha-ah-oh, wait-wait-wait, hold the phone,” Deoxys sputtered out, waving his hands around for attention. “You're saying the whole world is going to war just because some important figureheads of Sinnoh, a.k.a. the 'Elite Four', were killed as a result of the bombings?”

“You can say that, Deoxys, even though I said it's Sinnoh's reason.”

He dryly laughed for a few seconds, shaking his head. “Wow. I mean, just... wow. This is ridiculous.” Another laugh, forcing him to barrel forward and slap a palm on his leg. “These—these humans would rather go to war for four people rather than a whole nation?”

“Deoxys, thousands of people and Pokémon died because of this!” Cresselia blurted out, feeling ready to go into hysterics. The crescents on her back gave a weak glimmer in the light as she leaned past a startled Darkrai for a better look. “This is why they're going to war! It's a catastrophe!”

“Oh, come on! If we were to be bombed right now and only a few of us died, would the world go into a world war just because of that?”

“Oh, most definitely! We're important! So why not?”

“Black market importance,” the alien smugly remarked, more to himself than out-loud.

The moon swan took offense, gritting her teeth and shooting back, “Well, what makes you special, then? You haven't done your so-called duties since you came here!”

“Says the broad who hasn't left her island in decades.”

“That's different!”

“You know, Cresselia, he does have a point,” Darkrai mentioned sheepishly, pushing her back for room and to end the increasing argument.

She bucked him away. “You stay out of this!”

“Oy, let the phantom speak,” Deoxys came to his defense. “What makes you think you can silence him?”

“This is between you and me! Don't you dare bring Darkrai into this! Now answer my question! Why are you special?!”

“Same reason you are, toots,” he cheekily said.

“WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!”

Shaymin immediately piped up, standing straight and preparing herself to launch forward. “Cresselia, Deoxys, please! Can't this wait until after the meeting? We still have important business to discuss!”

“And part of that business is to assign this space freak a different position!”

There was a small chorus of “ooh”s from a few males who took interest in the quarreling. Rayquaza thumped the ground in appeal with his tail, giving off a roar of encouragement. Even though he and Deoxys made up their dislike for each other centuries ago, the two still carried a rivalry that would temporarily flare up over carping ridicules or gestures deemed offensive. One would swear they were itching for a fight whether with each other or not. Cresselia was doing his dirty work for him picking a fight with Deoxys.

The reproached Legendary glared icily at the female, one of his arms morphing into his dual-colored flagellates. “You dare say that again, Cress?” he darkly challenged.

Craning her neck, she replied smoothly, “I'd say more, but I am a lady.”

“Don't give me that B.S. of an excuse. What are you, Victorian?”

“And what are you? Final Frontier?”

“You two, enough!” Shaymin shouted, spreading her large ears to levitate. “This nonsense has gone too far!”

“You have a lot of nerve challenging me,” Deoxys continued, ignoring the increasing hoots and warnings to continue the transformation into his Attack Mode. His arms finished their formation into whips just as his body structure slimmed, his head beginning to protrude horns.

“'Woman hath fury' mean anything to you?” she spat, eyes glowing a pale pink.

In an effort to try lessening the tension, though more out of an impulse, Darkrai seized one of the swan's thin wings and yanked her to the ground, holding her there with a clawed hand. She gave a shout of surprise, struggling under his grip to break free and lunge for the alien. Her psychic energy she emitted in her anger was repelled by his Dark aura, even countering it so she zapped herself. “RELEASE ME, DARKRAI!” she screamed out a demand as her eyes blazed a hot pink. “LET ME RIP THAT ALIEN SCUM TO BITS!”

“Cresselia, what has gotten into you?” he asked her through his astonishment. “Since when have you gone around picking fights, let alone wishing harm on someone?”

“DARKRAI, I MEAN IT! LET ME TAKE ON THAT SON OF A BI—” Cresselia's voice abruptly gave way, leaving her to gape dumbly up at her phantom friend, eyes dimming to their normal state. Deoxys stared down at her in confusion over her sudden silence. The crowd's buzz of excitement died down to crane in for a look. Shaymin was flabbergasted, descending back onto her rock and letting her ears drop. No one dared speak out for a few minutes in fear it would trigger her anger and cause her to lash out again. It was only when she murmured an “Oh, my” did the first Legendary risk letting out a breath he held. She spoke once more. “Oh, my... I almost... what in the world did I...? I took it too far?”

“False alarm,” Lugia sighed in relief, sitting back in place. He shook his head slowly, raising a wing to pinch his brows. “Dear Arceus, what has gotten into me? Cheering on for a fight...”

Darkrai backed away to allow Cresselia to rise, avoiding her gaze by hanging his head and crossing his arms. When she looked at Deoxys, he had already commutated to his normal form, returning to his seat without another word. Frowning, the swan sadly glanced around at her peers, apologetic in her movements. “What got into me?” she whispered, mainly to herself as she took her place next to her counterpart. “I could never harm another being...”

Ho-oh waited for the Legendaries to recede from their stirred state before rising. He calmly walked to the middle, pausing at the front of the rock and facing the others. An uncomfortable silence hung in the atmosphere, all eyes on the phoenix before them. Lifting his head to stand as boldly as possible, he fanned a wing in the disturbed female's direction. “What we have witnessed here, brethren and sisters, is a sign of the world's impact on our part,” he announced. “One of our most gentle members has begun to release the beast that threatens to consume us all. The world's demons are upon us, but it's up to the individual to allow them to possess or to continue battling until the end. It's fortunate on Cresselia's part that she is surrounded by friends at this time, but what if no one was around her? What then? Legendaries, this is a dangerous time to be cocky. We cannot afford to fight with one another. Your idiotic rivalries have to end now like they should have centuries ago.” He noticed Groudon and Kyogre side-glancing at each other from where they stood (or in the whale's case, half-submerged in the lake that rested off a ways). “As of today, no one is allowed to return home without being accompanied, if you haven't been already. Siblings shall share the same resting place. Friends shall be neighbors. Rivals shall be the friends. Make up your differences and find other ways to get along. While the whole world may be in war, we must not be part of that war. As protectors of this world, we must be the example.” With a curt nod, Ho-oh briskly walked back to his seat, giving Shaymin the floor.

She backed up Ho-oh's command by exclaiming, “Hear, hear! All those in favor say 'aye'!”

Taken aback by the phoenix's short speech, none of the Legendaries could find their voice to ratify. They instead raised a hand or showed signs of approval by a simple special attack released into the sky. Even though all was accounted for, Shaymin still asked for any opposition. When none came, she grinned and said, “May Arceus have mercy on us all.”

There came a cry of “Amen!” from the middle, recognized as Jirachi's energetic tone. A few of his surrounding peers gaped at his random reaction, knowing he hadn't spoken a word in years, though Latias cried out happily and gave him a hug (he was quickly rescued by Latios). The terrier's smile broadened as she nodded. “Amen indeed. Since I trust each one of us knows who to pair up with without any arguing, we'll go to our next topic of interest. I have been receiving reports of unusual weather abnormalities across the globe, mainly in the seas. There have been more casualties at sea in the past decade than the entire century. Kyogre, Lugia, you two are more capable of causing these storms than anyone else. Do you two have any explanation as to why this is occurring?”

“No, ma'am,” Kyogre called out after raising his head from the water. “I haven't left the ocean trenches in years.”

“This is the first in decades I've come out of the water,” the water dragon admitted, shrugging. “And besides, even if we were responsible for this, it wouldn't be this dangerous or widespread for that matter.”

Shaymin bit her bottom lip, scrunching her face in a thoughtful expression. “Strange. I'll agree with you on that, you two aren't the type to go around drowning people or creating these powerful storms just for the heck of it. Well, could this be the same reason we're also having frequent powerful earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in one region after another? Groudon? Entei? Heatran? You three have similar explanations?”

All three nodded and shrugged. Entei was the only one who spoke up about it. “Honestly, Shaymin, I don't think any one of us Legendaries have any control over these natural disasters. Besides, Suicune here can tell you the time I got sick and couldn't roar properly for the life of me even though a few volcanoes have erupted during that season.”

His sister groaned, putting a paw on her snout in embarrassment. “Oh Arceus, Entei, not that story again,” she huffed.

Raikou snickered beside her. “Com'mon, sis! You tell it better than I do, and it's funny when you say it, only because you were stuck with him the whole season.”

“Don't push it.”

“Well, let us first finish the meeting, and then you can tell the story,” Shaymin suggested. “And Entei, you are making a good point there. We all, more or less, deal with our surrounding environments, sometimes even having that elemental power, but I can truthfully say we don't always command that power. Ever since the world breathed life, these things have always happened, with or without us. But everyone's growing concerned about this and are wanting some answers. I'm not saying they're all pointing fingers at us, but since their belief is that we are the ones that can command similar destructions, they may think we have something to do with this. In my opinion, I think the world's tilting on its axis due to gravitational pull by the sun, but that's debatable.” She cast her eyes about in the crowd waiting for any loose comments before continuing on. “All right, Celebi? What's the report about the earth's vegetation? Any more rain forests disappear?”

The addressed Legendary lifted himself into the air, bowing in place. Ho-oh and others took notice of his rotting skin, his antennae and the extension of his head wilting. “Still flourishing and blooming healthily. However, Ilex Forest is scheduled to be uprooted for development.”

Gasps and murmurs hummed for a few minutes before the lead speaker said her part. “Since when? I thought Azalea Town was against this?”

Celebi sadly dropped his eyes. “They signed the contract last Saturday when the last protector died. His son—that city bastard—immediately called the developers and had a meeting that very day to sign the papers. No one has come forward to defend the forest, if any of them care. The bulldozers will start mowing through sometime this month before the foundation can be built.” Without another word, he sat down, clenching his fists in silence.

“Thank you, Celebi. Our hearts go out to you and the inhabitants.” She bowed her head in a moment of silence before lifting her gaze to her right. “Well,” she sighed, “as this is a concern among the majority of us, we would like to hear the progress on Mew. How is she doing?”

Everyone's eyes and heads moved for the direction of the cat in question. They all knew without a real educated guess she had been worsening over the decades. A few were amazed at how she still managed to make it to the conference even if her mind wasn't there. Mewtwo shifted under the gazes of the Legendaries, not that they were concentrating on him, but more from the fact he had to answer Shaymin's question. He stood up, locking eyes with her. “As you may have noticed, or not,” he referred to the audience, “Mew is incapable of independently sitting upright. For those who are unable to tell the difference, allow me to demonstrate.”

Unflinchingly, his mind immediately released its telepathic hold on her. From beside him, a small “thump” sounded seconds afterward along with light, horrified gasps when Mew dropped forward to the grass below. “OH DEAR ARCEUS, SHE'S DEAD!” was the scream of Latias, who left her seat to the aid of her friend. Latios immediately followed, grabbing his sister before she reached the fallen Legendary.

“Leave her be,” Mewtwo cautioned, turning his head to meet the frightened wide-eyed stare of the small female. She backed away into her brother, covering her mouth to quiet her sobs as her eyes fell on the motionless body of the feline. Mew laid there with no recognition of her fall, the only sign of life being her slow breathing. His vision returning to an awed Shaymin, he psychically raised his counterpart back to her seat, the scene making it seem like she was a limp doll being placed on a shelf, head still hung and slacking. “She has been unresponsive for quite some time,” he stated, ignoring their terrified stares. “It is as if she has lost her will to live. I found her like this, slowly withering away in the heart of the Tree of Beginnings. She has withdrawn enough to not take heed of her surroundings. I doubt Mew knows about us, let alone her location.”

“Is she eating?” came the next concern.

“It is apparent she has not had proper nutrients in some time. My estimate is two months.”

“It could be longer than that,” Ho-oh pointed out. “I last saw her about five months ago. She didn't eat then.”

“She wouldn't eat when I checked up on her several months ago,” Celebi countered, folding his arms. “Anyone else visit her around that time?”

Latias slowly raised a shaky hand. “I-I, uh... saw her... It was her birthday... she had nothing.”

Mewtwo shook his head, growing skeptical. “This is improbable. Even as a Legendary, she should not be alive unless her metabolism is lower than a Slakoth's.”

“That's not the case, right?” Shaymin asked.

“Correct.”

There fell an eerie silence in the clearing as the Legendaries continued to stare unblinkingly at Mew. Each of them recited a prayer in their hearts, growing teary-eyed as the reality of the fallen cat became more prominent. They began to see more clearly the bone structure against the unkempt fur, at how lifeless her tail appeared. None of them wished to see what her eyes truly looked like, wanting to keep the memory of them light and soulful fresh, and the reputation of Mew pure. Latias found her way back to her seat by Latios, grasping his hand tightly and averting her gaze to the grass. Sighing, the Sky Warrior nodded toward the clone. “Thank you, Mewtwo.” After he sat back down, she added, “Are there any other concerns or reports we should know about before we adjourn?”

There was another silent moment before Rayquaza cleared his throat in the back. “Um... do I really have to go back to the ozone layer?” he wondered, fiddling his claws. “I'm not too sure how many of you know this, but there's too much crap up there, and it hasn't been thinning out. As much as I like the view of the earth and space and all that, I can't stand seeing this hunk of tin cross my vision or bump into me every few minutes. I may have been taking out my anger on them and trying to clear my home out, but either they just keep sending more or it's only getting worse.”

“We figured you were the cause of all the satellites burning through the atmosphere, but we can honestly say we had no clue you were very uncomfortable up there. You should've said something earlier.”

“Well, gee, I never get around to it,” he grumbled. “It's really only once in a blue moon or two that I come down here anyway. Dorkxys is really the only one I ever talk to. I figured he would've told someone by now.” The addressed Legendary glared at the use of his insulting nickname, but Rayquaza was either ignoring it or unmindful of it at the moment.

“Well, you're welcome to return to Sky Tower at any time,” Shaymin said, gesturing in the direction the said building was. “It hasn't been visited or destroyed by a human in centuries. It's still high up enough you won't be spotted, but low enough it's comfortable living. Unless you prefer another place?”

“Sky Tower will be all right. I miss that hunk of junk anyway.”

She grinned. “Perfect. Anything else?” She waited for an outburst of any kind before her ears straightened out. “All right, then. The meeting has been adjourned indefinitely. If something comes up, Ho-oh or I will call for another conference. In the meantime, brethren and sisters, let's keep our thoughts and prayers on the future of the world. May Arceus redeem us from our solemn hour. Dismissed.”

“No one leaves without a partner!” Ho-oh called out, waving a wing before the first Legendary stood up. “If there's one short, Shaymin and I will take on that role.”

Slowly but surely, the guardians rose from their seats and asked a close friend or even the one next to them if they could follow them home. Those who were asked gave the blessed permission, though most secretly wished someone else came up to them instead. Jirachi, as much as he wanted to go with the Lake Trio, was asked by Latias (more like pleaded with anyway) to live with her and Latios. Not one to say no, he surrendered and allowed the female dragon to hug him ecstatically. After watching the three leave, once the Wish-Maker was again rescued, Entei suddenly turned to Suicune before she could rise. “Sis, I don't wanna go with Ho-oh. Can I come with you?”

She groaned, throwing her head back. “Oh, for heaven's sake, Entei.” A heaving sigh, and she gave in, “Fine. But I don't want this turning into another care-taker season, okay?”

“Oh, yeah, you have to tell everyone about the time when I was sick!” he blurted out a little too loudly, bouncing in place.

Suicune cringed when a few heads turned in her direction. Deoxys had grown interested. “What happened there?” he smirked, folding his arms.

“Do I really have to?” she growled. “I've been trying to forget it ever happened.”

“Okay, okay, it goes like this!” Raikou butted in, grinning brightly much to her chagrin. “So, Entei caught this really bad cough that turned out to be pneumonia or laryngitis, we really don't know, so every time he talked or roared—tried to anyway—he'd croak. But after each croak, he'd squeak and spit fire in whatever direction he was facing. Well, Suicune here loves hanging out in forests, and so she's been catching the attention of many people all because of these little brushfires she had to douse out. But there was the one time Entei squeaked while they were at a lake she was purifying.”

By this time, a small crowd had gathered around, blocking off any escape Suicune had planned on making. She tried to hide her face in her mane, darkly murmuring to herself for the purpose of drowning out her brother's voice. He obliviously continued his gushing. “As it turns out, while Suicune is purifying water, there's this rather temporary flammable chemical secreted from her paws that is released into the water to help clean it. So when Entei spat fire at the lake, half the surface went up in flames!” He paused while a wave of whooping went through a majority of the spectators, grinning excitedly. “Oh, my Arceus, you wouldn't believe how many burn patients had to be treated that day! Even Nurse Joy couldn't believe it when all these fish Pokémon were rushed into the emergency room by a small group of campers who just so happened to be there and saw the whole thing happen! She was all 'OMIGAWD' and, according to reports, actually fainted at the amount of her many patients. They had to call in another Nurse Joy to complete the task!”

The listeners roared at the imagery, a couple buckling over. Azelf, while a smile was on his face, was focused more on the muttering Suicune. “But wait, isn't this more embarrassing for Entei?” he pointed out. “I mean, he caught the lake on fire.”

“But Suicune was the one cleaning it! That's the funny part! But what makes it funnier was that because the campers were too stupid to get a good look, the police classified it as arson. To this day, the 'culprits' have yet to be caught!”

Darkrai surprisingly gave Entei a slap on the back, laughing heartily. “You, sir, need to get sick more often. I'd do anything to see that happen. Hey,” and he snapped his fingers before pointing, “you think she still gets nightmares?”

“Entei, Raikou, we're going,” she barked in interference, glaring at the phantom and a still guffawing Deoxys. “I was supposed to be purifying a lake today upon Celebi's request. We'll be lucky to get there in time to at least clean half of the lake if the human children haven't arrived there yet.”

“Hey, hey, I'm tagging along!” the alien called out, reaching out a hand while bending in half to catch his breath. “A-Any chance of a cold today, Entei?”

He shrugged. “Maybe.” He was whacked in the head by his sister before she disappeared in a blur. “Do'h, wait, Suicune! We don't know where the lake is!” Entei lifted an apologetic paw in farewell to the others before bumping Raikou's shoulder to urge him on. After the electric tiger nodded at the crowd, he and his brother followed suit, the bushes and tall grass rustling in passing.

Deoxys snapped his fingers in frustration. “Damn! Where's Celebi, I'll be needing that lake's location.”

The Time Travel Legendary rolled his eyes from where he levitated, shaking his head. “Whatever, Deoxys. It's really once in a blue moon that Entei gets sick. Besides, the closest to seeing lakes catch on fire is whenever Groudon sneezes. Once you've seen that, you've seen it all.”

With a pout, the disappointed extraterrestrial left, shooting off in Rayquaza's direction. Celebi chose to team up with the Lake Trio siblings, who accepted him into their group before they teleported away. Many others left with their own siblings, or went ahead to go with their rivals like Ho-oh had suggested. He and Shaymin remained on Mirage Island until only Mewtwo and Mew were left. The psycat had remained in place to watch the others depart, waiting for someone to take Mew with them. Those he suspected wanted to bring her along, but they instead gave her pitying looks, a few shedding silent tears. Inwardly, he groaned: he was stuck with her until the next meeting. The two may have gotten along over the years, even going as far as to say they were friends, but Mewtwo didn't want to have anything to do with her at this point in time.

Ho-oh, of course, wanted him to do as he asked. “Mewtwo, you know you're not allowed to be dismissed until you're paired up.”

“I am very aware of that,” he said, a hint of a snappy tone in his voice.

The phoenix frowned. “You don't have to be with Mew if you aren't comfortable having her be a roommate, you might say.”

Mewtwo leered up at him. “I am not a child. Why are you speaking to me as such?”

“I'm just saying, Mewtwo. One of us can take care of her, but you'll have to leave with the other. This isn't a time to brood over differences. As we speak, the world's teetering on the decision of a world war, with us possibly being dragged into it. We cannot afford to continue fighting with one another if it means being like them.”

Shaymin stepped forward, laying a paw on Mew's knee. “I can take her,” she volunteered. “I have some herbs that can heal her. She'll be up within a few—”

“Then I will take her with me.” The clone sharply stood up before the two, locking eyes with the Sky Guardian before him. “I do not wish to be with either of you. Honestly, I prefer going alone. But if you insist, then I will give in to your demand just this one time. And only this once.” His eyes illuminated glaringly to stress his seriousness, though his answer managed to please Ho-oh.

“All right, then,” he concluded, spreading his wings. “I trust she's in good hands?”

Mewtwo glanced down at his languished counterpart. It was a peculiar question, seeing as all these years, Mew was strong enough to be independent and not afraid to be alone. But after watching her fade into the barely conscious being she was now, it was apparent she became incapable of living by herself and still expected to live another night. Judging by her limp, bony features and shallow breathing, she was ready to drop dead at any given moment. The thought of healing herbs being administered to her in this feeble state was fatally sound. With nothing in her stomach for months (unless they weren't consumable, though most herbs were), the shock of medicine filling her up was more likely to kill her than heal. Wrapping his tail around her to pull her closer, Mewtwo turned his attention back to the phoenix. “She will. I will make sure of it.”

Ho-oh bowed his head, making the feline blink. “Thank you, Mewtwo. This is an important task, I hope you realize.”

Still taken aback about the formal gesture, his response took a few seconds for Mewtwo to register and then answer. “Somewhat. I am familiar about her role in this world mainly through facts and legend.”

Ears spreading out, Shaymin herself bowed in place, kneeling at his feet. “Then do everything in your power to make sure she becomes well again. We're entrusting you with this great task.”

Shifting his weight, Mewtwo scooped up Mew with an arm. She lay peacefully inert against his chest, eyes closed. The three looked upon her as if she had passed into the next life, a fact that would have been true had she not taken a deep breath. To their relief, it wasn't her last. Ho-oh averted his eyes from the fallen Legendary, casting them to the sky. “We still have time. Let us depart until needed.” He paused to let out a quiet sigh as his eyes closed. “Please, Mewtwo, do your very best to bring Mew back. We cannot lose her, not at this present time.”

“I promise you it shall be done.”

When the great phoenix craned his neck to look back, Mewtwo had already departed where he stood, Mew gone with him. Shaymin backed up, eyes threatening to brim with tears, head bent in a silent prayer. Sighing, he raised his vision back to the heavens. “May Arceus be with us all.”

*~*~*

Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. I'll update weekly up until we reach the chapter still in the works, which hopefully it shouldn't get to that point. But if it does, then updates will be irregular.

Any form of reviews are welcome. I want to get to know my audience better, so any critiques/reviews/concerns will be highly appreciated.

*~*~*

It was the only other place he knew where Mew could heal in peace. The Tree, despite it being her home, had been growing chaotic at the present time with small disturbances in the Tree itself from time to time. Mewtwo figured that during such an event, she had to give up some of her own power to return it to normal. And with her being weak enough as it is, one more power surge would kill her, and soon afterward the Tree and the world (at least according to legend). As a nomad, Mewtwo knew the best and the worst places of the planet. Unfortunately, with the world unstable enough as it is, some of the more peaceful areas were within a volcanic range or known fault, or where any humans living close by were too dangerous to even lay eyes on. They had nowhere else to rest.

Mewtwo hadn't set foot here in centuries, not since he and the other clones had gone their separate ways and when he permanently disappeared from the memories of his enemies. Since then, the underground lake of Mount Quena had flourished lavishly. Though the only sunlight available was from a hole in the high cavern ceiling, vegetation was very verdant and sweet-smelling. The Bug Pokémon living there were among the most healthy known in the Pokémon world. As proven now, when their ancestors managed to relocate their beloved water, the health unexpectedly prospered greatly. The larvae raised by the waters grew up into beautiful creatures, their strength and size abnormal for their species. It was a risk Mewtwo chose to take when he abruptly and calmly teleported into the place he once called home. Pokémon around him jumped back in retaliation, a few rising in position to strike the intruder. He only remained in place, casting his eyes about the underground miracle. A familiar ambient aura was noticeable, but a heavy burden in the realization none of the Bug Pokémon were used to strangers smothered it. The closest one to him, a Scyther larger than he, brandished its razor-sharp weapons in a warning posture, scraping them together as it leered. The intimidation didn't bother the psycat, who only took a glance at the forearms before slowly looking around his surroundings.

“Scy, scyther!” it cautioned, swiftly beating its wings until it buzzed angrily, bringing up a slight wind. By its demanding tone, it was possible it was the alpha of the swarm of Bugs. “Trespasser, leave immediately!”

Mewtwo only gave a solemn nod in its direction. “I come here only to seek shelter and peace,” he explained, his voice of reason causing some of the Bugs to shrink back. “This was once my temporary home. I am the one responsible for transporting the lake underground. I am unsure how history works among you, nor do I know if ancestry is important to your species, but your ancestors knew me. This place was once disturbed by human activity. However, the courage that now runs in your veins motivated them to save their home. I merely moved the lake away from human discovery so it would flourish without interruption. It never occurred to me that centuries later their descendants would continue to live here and in such perfect health. But I am not here to reminisce,” he admitted when the Scyther lowered its arms. “I came here so she will be healed without disturbance or stress.”

A slight stir held against his chest caught the mantis' eye. When it stepped forward, the insects saw it safe to approach the newcomer and gingerly came forward for a peek of his companion. They beheld their most powerful Legendary weakened before them, unconscious and starved, her head almost hanging off the crook of Mewtwo's arm. It wasn't long before they began to give off sorrowful cries, bowing their heads. The Scyther blinked in disbelief before its hardened stare melted into a melancholy look at the sight. Mewtwo was curious, yet dismayed, about how the Pokémon were reacting to Mew's condition, figuring they were showing a sign of remorse or were praying. They made no actual words he could understand. Whatever it was, other surrounding insects were perking up at the commotion and crawling or flying over to investigate. Within a few feet of the feline, once they spotted Mew, they joined in. Soon, the whole cavern echoed with the chorus of mourning, and Mewtwo hoped that it couldn't be heard on the surface.

Spreading out its arms, Scyther caused that the Bugs back away for room, and then turned back to the psycat. Deep in its sky-blue oculars, hints of tears were beginning to form. Mewtwo couldn't help but stare back, up until it broke the silence by crying out to its neighbors, “Our goddess is deathly ill! May Heaven spare her!”

Goddess? That was what Pokémon believed about Mew, as well as the other Legendaries? The concept was new for the clone, who only knew of the human interpretation of what the Legendaries were. Never before had he heard of the others boasting about beings gods, or even mention the term. A respect for Arceus, possibly? If so, why would He make demigods if He was the only god, then? As interesting as the topic was, it was only making Mewtwo more puzzled about it. For all he knew, it was more based on opinion than them knowing the facts.

Shaking his head to clear the question from his mind, his attention returned to the gathering of Bugs surrounding him. They were still continuing their cries, but it was quieter since the Scyther made its announcement. It then bowed gracefully, addressing in a softer voice, “Our apologies, Mew's keeper. You are welcome to stay for our goddess' health.”

Pleased about the apologetic welcome, Mewtwo returned the respectful posture. “Thank you. I promise you we will do our share of anything you may desire of us, and leave the moment she is well again.”

A curt nod, and the Scyther left without another word, signaling to the insect Pokémon they could go back to what they were doing previously. A few dismissed themselves to do so, but many more were concerned about Mew than their lifestyle. Mewtwo was slightly awed at how persistent they were in waiting for any sign of life from their beloved Legendary, but he didn't let it bother him. They were worried, he understood that. He was now beginning to think coming to Mount Quena was the best decision after all; the Pokémon at the Tree never bothered to check up on their guardian. Casting his eyes about the familiar landscape, he noticed the abundance of trees that weren't here when he was last in the very spot he was in. One happened to be just a few steps behind him where hanging from the branches, ample Kakuna were staring at the back of his head the whole time. Was he more picky, he would've gone to find another tree or a more secluded area, though the seemingly-empty looks from the pupae were more focused on the rosy cat he was holding. Even during metamorphosis, they knew who she was.

Walking up to the basswood, Mewtwo knelt to lay Mew up against the trunk, gently sitting her up so she was steady in her state. Not one budge he rocked her with stirred her from unconsciousness. The leaves' shadows blanketing her made the convincing appearance she had passed on, forcing him to reposition her into more light to prevent any controversy among the Bugs that she was dead. In the meantime, the said Pokémon, most of them, had scattered themselves to other trees and shrubs for food, bringing their findings to the pair. A modest variety was piled up by the bipedal cat, many being sweet-flavored berries such as Pecha and Magost. A few exotic fruits were added to the mix, among them the rare Enigma berry Mewtwo thought couldn't grow in high elevations, let alone underneath a mountain. He thanked those who took the time to look and even sacrifice some of their delicacies for them, mainly for Mew. She needed them more than he did.

One of the seekers, a young Ledian, paused in her search for a closer look. Gazing upon what was remaining of the Legendary, she frowned at the sight of her frail body. “Sir? Will she be all right?” was the worrisome question.

“I honestly cannot say at this present time,” he replied, glancing down at his counterpart. “All I know for certain is that she should not even be alive.”

Mew suddenly twitched. It was a vague movement, not one of great concern, but it was noticeable. Mewtwo only scowled. The spasm was as though she was trying to wake herself up from a terrible nightmare, though too weak to be felt. “Pitiful,” he muttered to himself, slowly shaking his head. “This is what you have demoralized yourself into. You are regretting it a little too late.”

Picking up one of the numerous Magost berries, he held it at the tip of his fingers, glowering at the tough skin. There wasn't a chance Mew was capable of swallowing it whole, let alone properly eat it. She may have forgotten to chew after her many months of starvation, and her jaw muscles were more likely atrophied to even open her mouth if just slightly. He gave a slow, disapproving sigh at the realization there was no other choice. As revolting as it sounded, chewing for her was the only way to get it down her throat. Mewtwo hesitated, gritting his teeth at the thought until he was sure his jaw would lock up. The more he fretted over the idea, the less it became appealing. Then the images of Ho-oh and Shaymin came to mind, and at how they offered to take the responsibility into their own hands (or wings). Whether it was offering healing herbs or whatever they could find, would they have done the same thing?

It seemed so. And of course, chewed-up berry was more nutritious to an empty belly than any crushed or chewed-up herb would be. That was really the one reason he took it upon himself to see to Mew's recovery. Shaymin may be a kind soul and a wonderful healer, but there were moments she wasn't very bright in her actions. Giving a very weak, empty Mew herbs before food would've been disastrous, and she would never forgive herself. If he screwed it up, the punishment would be harsh, but he'd at least get over it. As friendly as Mew has been to him, there were days he wished she had just left him alone in peace. Possibly, then, his early torment of her would've been a stage he'd get over.

Taking a deep breath, Mewtwo bit down on the firm berry, taking a good-sized proportion Mew wouldn't choke on and thoroughly chewed. He flinched at the tangy juices, and quickly took his thoughts away from the despised flavor to whatever popped into his head. The voice of Raikou from however-many-minutes-ago telling the dumb story about a lake catching fire distracted him enough he was truly thankful he got that image in his mind's eye. It was actually funny that a body of water would suddenly go up in flames all because Entei spoke or roared or whatever it was he was trying to do. At the next gathering, he'll have to thank the thunder beast for that vivid story.

Despite it not being a favored berry, Mewtwo was finding it tempting to swallow what he had. So he turned his attention to Mew, lifting her chin with his free hand. Leaning forward, he connected his lips to hers, forcibly dropping open her mouth to transfer the softened berry into the cavity, quickly pulling away when all of it was disposed. It didn't take long before her gag reflex kicked in. “Swallow it,” he demandingly snapped, glaring at her face when her eyes scrunched tightly. “We are not going to tolerate this while you are in this condition. You are to swallow it or die. Your choice, Mew.”

It was painful and frustrating watching the attempt of Mew's body involuntarily try to reject the food going into her stomach while it forcibly wretched itself into working order. By some miracle or a tiny state of consciousness, Mewtwo couldn't tell how, she managed to swallow her first morsel in months. He chose to wait for any signs she would retch it up, then resumed when all was calm again. This time, all he focused on was getting Mew on the road to recovery. The more times he pushed the food through her teeth, the less repulsive it became and the more patient he was with her—somewhat. By the full consumption of the second berry, it was a routine he vowed to finish. The Bug Pokémon scattered when they saw everything was in good hands, but Mewtwo had since put them from his mind.

Having finished the first bite of the third fruit, he latched loosely to her lips, shoving it through to the back of the throat. There then came a small moan and a stir as Mew grew conscious, taking a deep breath through her open mouth. At this moment, however, Mewtwo was still connected to her, blocking any air she may have tried to suck into her airway, causing her to choke. He immediately pulled away, and she coughed violently, shaky hands clutching her throat. She had swallowed by this time, but had done so wrongly it was enough to bring alertness to the Legendary. Between uneven, gasped breaths and the harsh coughs, Mew was able to open her eyes to the world. Her vision watered while she regained her bearings and gulp down the needed oxygen, hazily staring at the figure of Mewtwo before her. Through her rapid blinking to clear the tears, she recognized the familiarity of his stare, amethyst oculars watching her every move. “M... Mewtwo?” she managed to choke out, hand caressing her throat.

“Mew.” He nodded, but she interpreted it as a mockery rather than a greeting. It was as though he was waiting for her to speak just so he could identify her. Whatever that meant—her mind was still everywhere at once.

The rosy feline took this time to slowly look around her surroundings, to be reintroduced to the world she neglected. As well-known the place was to her, the glistening lake behind her counterpart a give-away, Mew couldn't remember the exact name of her location. Whether it was because everything was underground or her memory was just foggy, even she didn't know. Frowning, she muttered, “Where... where am I?”

“Mount Quena. Or at least underneath it. We are to be here for the time being.” He bit once more into the fruit.

She minutely tilted her head when her vision crossed over to him. She stared with an almost blank look at his moving jaw. “What for?” was her next breath.

As cruel as it was, Mewtwo wanted to laugh, laugh at how she was oblivious to everything about herself. She had indeed become a pathetic creature, it was a wonder he even bothered helping her. His thoughts on her recovery, in the meantime, strictly kept him in line enough he only rolled his eyes at her little question. “For your safety. Now open up.”

“Wait... what are you... what did you sa—” Mew's inquiry was cut off when her clone held her chin down and put his mouth to hers. As swift as it was and the transferred berry was immediately swallowed, the sudden action made her head click, causing her to gasp and shrink before him. He raised a perplexed brow at her behavior, watching her eyes flicker to life with a horrified expression. She shivered under his gaze, scooting backward away from him and grasping onto the tree.

Peculiar first sign of recovery.

The two stared at each other unblinkingly and immovable, the start of a game neither wanted to lose. Mew remained squished up against the trunk, claws embedded into the bark as she tried to steady her quaking. Mewtwo still held the berry in his fingers, arms crossed across his chest as he looked down upon his counterpart, his eyes fixed into hers with a tone of dissatisfaction and relief. He wasn't pleased she was wanting far away from him, but was yet proud to know he was soon freed from caring for her. It was indeed a quick recovery from a long period of starvation. His theory was the berries had been feeding from Clarity Lake and thus absorbed its healing minerals. He recalled the last few minutes and the hour he found her in the Tree. She was really pale, and so out of focus it felt like she was in a comatose state. Now as he looked upon her, the color was returning to her face, the eyes flaring up with a sense of awareness and emotion, and her body was regaining its strength. It truly was a remarkable thing, almost unnatural.

Mew was the first to speak, splitting the silence. “Wh... what was that for?”

The whisper was rather harsh, almost spitting out venom. He couldn't help but feel the twitch of a smirk at his lips. Her personality hadn't changed since she last spoke. She still retained her self-esteem after all. “I just saved your life,” he smugly answered, jutting out his chin a little. “This has been your first meal in many, many months. You are very lucky to even breathe, let alone digest.” Mewtwo tossed the rest of the berry into his mouth and chewed. “I am even surprised at how much strength you managed to recover.”

She continued to glower, slowly shaking her head if just a little. “I was talking about... what you just did. A-A minute ago, you... what did you...?”

He gave a short, wry laugh. “You mean this?” And the clone took a hold of her chin, leaning forward and quickly attaching to her lips, shoving the half-chewed berry into her mouth.

He almost didn't get it in. The very moment their lips touched, Mew struggled to shake him off, digging her fingers into his face and pushing with what little might she had. She nearly spat out the morsel when she felt it slide against her tongue, but Mewtwo still had a hold on her, and yanked her head back, forcing her to swallow it. Whether or not the remains of the berry had given her the strength needed, she managed to shove him away, even delivering a kick to his midriff. “How DARE you?!” she screamed, wiping at her mouth. “How dare you! What the bloody hell did you do that for?!”

As confusing as it was, the psycat felt anger toward the small feline, at her depreciation for him saving her life. He had to get over the thought of mouth-to-mouth transfer of chewed-up food in the middle of doing so, and she saw it as an offense. It was an insult to him, but also to her. He could've broken the promise to Ho-oh and let her die, or to avoid the whole thing, gave her to him or Shaymin, to let their mistakes not stir him in the least. He had that choice, and chose to instead care for her in a risky but safe environment. As much as he wanted to yell at her, to tell her the reasons he did such a thing, he couldn't bring himself to say it. Mewtwo didn't know why. Pride, blinding rage, whatever was holding him back kept him from saying so. He could only glare back into her flaming sapphire eyes, matching her anger. With a huff, he stood up. “I can see you will not be needing my help after all,” he noted, turning his back on her.

“No, I do not!” she snapped, spitting off to the side. “I can make it on my own.”

“Then why wait several months before you decided to eat again?” came the retort. “Why decide to become weak to the point you could barely even move? Why?”

Taking a glance, he caught her freezing in place, eyes averting to the pile of berries. A small smile of sweet victory grew on his face when she hesitantly picked one up only to clench her mouth shut. She stared at the fruit anxiously for a moment before bringing herself to glimpse up at Mewtwo. “I-I... Well... it's none of your business,” she stammered, scowling and returning her gaze back to the berry. Her favorite: Lum. “It doesn't concern you.” She silenced herself, frowning at the touch of rough skin, skimming the tips of her claws on the surface.

“Are you going to eat it?”

She shifted uncomfortably. “O-Of course I will.” Mew was sounding unsure of herself, he was hearing it in her small voice. It was disappointing. His challenge wasn't affecting her the way he thought it normally would have. She had indeed grown weak. Why indeed was the real mystery.

Mewtwo brought himself to kneel back in front of her, grasping her jawline with a lone hand. He lifted her vision to cross his, stern eyes watching her flinch, wanting to free herself from his grip. “Then let me see you take a bite,” he offered slowly, lifting his brows. “Prove to me this does not concern me.”

A quiet gasp shuddering, her fingers clutching the berry tightly, eyes widening—signs she didn't expect his witness—but she nodded. She was released without another response, her prosecutor rooted in place. Her eyes dropped to the fruit, steadily loosening her hold while twisting it around in her paws. Taking deep, somewhat shaky breaths, Mew kept glancing between the Lum berry and Mewtwo while raising it to her lips. Carefully, but painstakingly, her teeth cut through a good-sized portion with a soft crunch. Her eyes began to water at the sweetness of the juices, but dared not let any tears flow. Then her mind began to scream. Chew, chew! Bite down on it until you can swallow it!

She bit down on the morsel with her front teeth as ordered, but her jaw either locked or her incisors glued together. Mew whined quietly, raising a hand to her mouth in hopes to pry it open. It was the movement Mewtwo wasn't happy to see, his suspicions confirmed. When the feline managed to poke her finger in to un-stick her teeth, her jaw dropped open and the complete, barely-marked piece fell out in a dribbled mess to the grass below. As much as she wanted to, pride kept the Legendary from crying while her head hung, eyes sealed shut by her forming tears. Her counterpart sneered, taking away her berry and biting down on it where she had started. Within a few moments, he chewed enough he leaned down to close his lips on hers, pushing it through.

Mew tensed up each and every time he connected, hands shooting up involuntarily as the tremble ran down her spine, guiding the food down her throat. Mewtwo held a good grip to keep her steady, tilting her head back to make it easier on the both of them. No line of conversation was spoken between the two, leaving them in blessed quietness. There was a hint of wind blowing in, the scent of rain among it, she could feel the cool air brushing by her. She barely shivered; he was shielding her from the majority of the current. Even then, his breath over her lips and into her airway kept her warm, a sensation that calmed her jumpy arms and dulled the chill.

None of them knew how long they were there, how much she was fed. Mew almost lost all feeling growing more used to her clone's presence and by ignoring his touches, barely noticing her swallowing. In mind and spirit, she was herself again except for a blank spot in her memory from her withdrawal. Physically, there was strength, a rush of power as everything began working normally. It wouldn't be long now.

An arm suddenly jerked, and Mew's senses refocused. Immediately, she felt the inside of her mouth was warm and moist. The transition of temperature had stopped, her lips slightly parted and covered. Mewtwo's hand on the back of her head still gripped but loosely, hardly moving. Her brow furrowed thoughtfully. It was... strange. Was he finished? Did she happen to sleep all day? Slowly but surely, she opened her eyes, tears long ago subsided, meeting the soft gaze of violet. She couldn't help staring back. There was a different impression in the depths, the sight of an actual living, breathing, feeling soul, a light shining through that wasn't there before. It was beautiful, breathtaking it was. To be sure she could breathe, Mew took a breath.

There was a movement, a light pressure against her mouth, and the eyes closed. She mimicked, still seeing the picture of the unknown soul in her mind's eye. No, it wasn't unknown. It was a familiar presence that finally showed itself unto her. She tried for another breath, and instead felt a soft skim upon her lips, followed by a deep, quiet moan. A tingle ran down her back when the hand behind her head slid to her face, thumb lingering on her chin. Mew gasped, tried to, eyes snapping back wide open to see the soul peer at her through the own eyes of Mewtwo. Taken aback, she swiftly separated space between them, pushing herself closer to the tree.

He only stared back with a puzzled look at her astonished expression until he shook his head, raising a hand to his forehead. Standing up, he quickly turned away to avoid her gaze. There was a moment of muttering until Mew heard him say, “The rest you will use as practice.” Then he walked off soundlessly, strolling along the lake's edge without looking back.

She watched him leave, body trembling and breathing trying to calm. A hand rose to touch her lips, cold sweat beginning to form. All the meantime, she whispered to herself, “He didn't mean it, honestly he didn't” and “It's just a dream” until she drifted off to sleep, finding herself suddenly tired.

There was rain in the air, but even that couldn't make her any colder than she was.

*~*~*

For the next couple of months, the two stayed at Mount Quena while Mew learned to eat again and redevelop her abilities. The miraculous healing power of Clarity Lake brought back the color to her face and eyes, and her fur developed a sheen of a perfect well-being. Though now able to to reuse her powers, as expected, she procrastinated her training to play with the Bug larvae or visit the lake's inhabitants. There were days Mewtwo attempted to get her to strengthen the special abilities she was talented with, only to result in a cat-and-mouse chase that would last into the evening. Her excuse was that she trained and played at the same time (by fleeing from him). The happier she became, she once explained, the more healthier she would be. In truth, she refused to let her counterpart get within a few feet of her since the day they arrived. The memory fresh, his lips' presence upon hers frightened her enough she resorted to playing and being herself in an effort to push it from her mind. At night, however, Mew couldn't escape the senses left behind, the emotions she felt in those few moments. She grew restless, falling ill at one point from staying up until dawn exploring her temporary home and forcibly memorizing every little detail.

Within a month, Mewtwo eventually gave up trying to get her in line. He trusted Mew enough to at least exercise her jaw for a few minutes a day and let her be about her own business. To pass time, he would talk to the alpha, unable to forget the familiarity of its aura. Within the first few days of their acquaintance, he learned the Scyther was a direct descendant from the Scyther clone, whom he had not seen in a few centuries. The physique of abnormal strength and valor was enough for him to figure it out without confronting the male, though the talks about one of his grandfathers outliving many generations until his death some ten years ago evaluated his suspicions. “I still do not get it how it was possible he lived that whole time,” the mantis had sighed, shaking his head. “It seemed so... unusual. We thought he was immortal.”

Mewtwo thought over the possibilities for a while, even questioning Mew at one point about her specie's lifespans (when she was close enough to ask). Shrugging, she only said, “Even I'm a bit concerned about my lifespan. My mother passed away when I was a kitten, and that's still too young for a Mew.” It wasn't very much help, and he fretted over an answer, a theory even, for a proper explanation. He himself found it a bit baffling how he managed to outlive even his own clones, but could only recall legends humans believed were the secrets to a Legendary's long lifespan. Curiously interesting legends they were, though not enough to satisfy and prove.

Still, the Scyther was persistent to know more about his ancestor, asking continuous inquiries about who he was, where he came from, and how Mewtwo knew him. He didn't mind answering them the best he could, but he was skeptical doing so. He wanted to make sure his past would remain a secret even when he wasn't haunted by it anymore, then again, this Scyther wanted answers. It was very unlikely he had traveled away from his home, let alone know about the current and past events. It was better him than a common Pidgey.

By the time the second month of their stay arrived, the two were finding themselves friends, enjoying each other's company while Mew played with the Bug larvae. It became routine for Scyther to arrive after his daily patrol and share a chat with the psychic. Today wasn't too different as he approached Mewtwo, who was resting underneath the basswood, watching Mew toss squealing larvae into a shallow area of the lake. “I am not solely responsible for what Mew will do to those children,” he cautiously stated without looking up, waving a hand nonchalantly. “I am but a lifeguard.”

“Again? What, this is the fifth time she made you a lifeguard?” Scyther scoffed, sitting beside him. “She must not like you very much.”

“Obviously. She wanted me as far away as possible, and I happily took that opportunity. I would leave her here, but I am forbidden to.”

“Why is that?”

“She is still unstable, and Ho-oh entrusted her to me.” He sneered at the memory from two months back. “To this day, I do not know why I even bothered.”

The mantis nodded, his attention to the childish scene. Mew picked up a young Wurmple and gently hurled it behind her head, forming a small rosy bubble and shooting it back without taking a glance. The young caterpillar bounced off it into the shallow water with a laugh, gaining some cheers from its friends. Even the feline complimented the Wurmple, guiding it back to the shore before reaching for a Weedle. Scyther blinked. “She looks fine, healthier even.”

“But not pleasing enough,” Mewtwo snorted, rolling his eyes. “She still has her sleeping habits to work out, and I have to make sure she can eat solids without choking. I just wonder if she will let me get near her by the time that happens.”

“All females are like that, it's normal,” the alpha male waved off, chuckling to himself. “Even I have trouble going near my mate whenever she is in one of her moods.”

He could beg to differ. As far as he knew, only Pikatwo and Meowtwo's mates were never seen apart from them, so it was not surprising they had many offspring. The female clones were very friendly and had self-control of their attitudes, possibly one reason why a few found mates within the group. Overall, the clones he ended up running into all had loyal mates, even those few who had rage and hormonal issues. It was a rather curious practice, almost similar to what humans called marriage in their customs. Then again, these faithful females, both human and Pokémon, were different. They weren't raised in the wild to live by “survival of the fittest”. It was like each one of them, as few as they were, knew their place without question or rebellion. Sibling-rivalry was an exception (like Suicune's case, he pitied her).

But what did he know? He never found a mate (nor planned to anytime soon), and hung out with so few proper females it was fairly baffling to stereotype the opposite sex. So Mewtwo kept quiet, catching the sight of Mew throwing a few larvae at one time to the bubble. A Caterpie ended up sticking his pads to the surface, rolling it forward with its burden. The children laughed hopping in place, a few wanting a try. When Mew rescued the worm, the bubble popped upon removal, the remains stuck on the feet. She giggled as the Caterpie started eating it, taking the membrane away and scolding him gently with a smile. “You are not supposed to eat bubbles, silly.”

“I just wanted to taste it,” was the innocent reply, the caterpillar hanging his head in shame. “It was plain anyway.”

And she laughed once more, twirling him around. Mewtwo frowned at her tone. It had been a long time since he last heard her laugh, and it wasn't hers. The laugh he knew was more bubbly, carefree, and liable to get stuck in one's head for a while and drive to insanity. Here, it articulated as short-lived and controlled, but more mature. It is as though she forgot how to express joy and was afraid to bring attention to herself. She didn't sound like a child anymore...

Scyther took notice of how his friend stared at Mew, tilting his head in speculation. The gaze was grim with a hint of far-away fantasy, softening the longer his eyes remained fixed on the cat, studying her every movement. Raising a brow, his statement was sober and unexpected. “You want her, don't you?”

The clone whipped his head around to face the mantis, eyes wide but leery. “What was that?” he snapped.

He shrugged. “I've seen that look before. You seek after her, but are either afraid or unable to.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Mewtwo growled, irises flashing almost menacingly.

Unaffected by the intimidation, Scyther continued noting. “I take it this is your first time. First-timers tend to go into denial a lot. Anyway, I've seen how you act around her. It's not much, but there's enough evidence to know you are showing some feelings toward her.”

“I have no such thing!”

“You're denying again. Mewtwo, it's apparent there's some chemistry going on. The way you never let her out of your sight, the look in your eyes a minute ago, anxiety, intimate closeness, there's many other signs.”

Mewtwo's eyes narrowed. “Intimate closeness, you say? I tell you now that we have done nothing of the sort.”

Holding up his scythes, the alpha quickly added, “It's not limited to just mates, it also goes for friendships and familial love. Though I was hinting at what happened when you were helping her eat. I have never seen such a thing before even among family members. It made me wonder if you two are very close friends for her to allow that.”

Inwardly, he flinched at the mention of his chewing for her. He was vaguely aware there were others watching, but they all had left shortly afterward as far as he knew. He remembered the Kakuna and wondered if they had witnessed the whole event. “There was no other way to give her the nutrition needed,” he admittedly said, scowling. “It was not an option I wanted to do, but it was my duty.”

“But there was one other incident, wasn't there?” Scyther pointed out, a bladed forearm placed underneath his chin in thought. “Something happened between you two that caused this separation, right? From what I heard, it was a very unusual gesture, even for Pokémon.”

Damn Kakuna. “Unusual.”

The alpha Bug nodded. “Indeed. Each specie of Pokémon has a rather unique way to show affection. Pidgey groom each other, an Arbok performs a kind of hypnotic dance, Volbeat and Illumise create light shows, to name a few. You and Mew, however...” He paused, staring down at Mewtwo with a look of uncertainty. “What does your specie do, Mewtwo?”

He feared this question before it was ever fabricated. Many times, he tried hard not to dwell on the fact he was one-of-a-kind, the first and last of his own specie. But not even he, the world's strongest Pokémon, could escape the cruel fate of loneliness. Mewtwo looked back at Mew, who had by now given each larva their own bubble to bounce and crawl on. She flew about each and every one to help keep them balanced, applauding at every successful trick they may have performed. “I will be honest with you, Scyther, that even I am unaware how I, my own specie, show affection.”

The mantis raised a brow disconcertingly. “You're your own specie?”

A slow, hesitant nod. “Many Legendaries are, after all. I, however, am more unique in that I am the result of man's attempt to play God on orders. I am half-Mew, but the other I am ashamed to say is human.”

“Human? So wait... you're saying...”

“When you are the only member of your kind, you tend to grow lonely,” the psycat resumed his musing, vision unfaltering from his counterpart's direction. “You capture other Pokémon just to clone them out of selfishness, giving life to something that was already living. As time goes on, you realize how difficult it is to be a free spirit when the decisions you make are not your own. Even after you discover who you are, questions still remain, questions that may never be answered in this life. Then again, you wonder if a man-made creature such as yourself has other lifetimes than just the present. You fear the end even though you look forward to it, just as you fear the beginning. Scyther, this lake may have given me life, but there are certain blessings given to God's creatures that you know you are forbidden to receive because you are Man's creature, and Man is opposite of God. I may feel this affection you say I have, but I may never receive it.”

Scyther shook his head. “But you are able to. If my grandfather is a clone like you said, then what he was blessed with will be given to you.”

“Your grandfather had no serious sin upon his shoulders, no shadow of regret in the back of his conscious. Everything he ever did was of my own doing, my will over-powering his. I killed and controlled life by my own agency. I bring nothing but destruction. Were I to have a mate, even a child, neither of them would last very long by my hands. I am a cursed being doomed to desire but not receive. What I did to Mew was as such. My desire was not returned, at least not in the way I hoped it would. That, my friend, is my human side...” Mewtwo closed his eyes, thinking back to the first day. He once again felt the soft flesh of Mew's lips against his, her breath mingling with his life, welcoming it into her lungs. She was untouched, leaving her taste pure as fresh rain and her fur delicate as the cloud. Her eyes were richly illuminated by the sunlight, reflecting a brilliant shade of blue he had never before seen. Inside the depths was what remained of her innocent spirit, reaching out for help, for another chance at life. Her first deep breath carrying his life was the spirit's start of its first breath of life: it was her kiss.

But just as quickly as it started, the resuscitation came to a sudden halt. Mew became dismayed and pulled free of the transfer, starting the rift between them. And yet, he could never forget the dying spirit of innocence that relied on him for a starting breath. “I forced her to be that part of me, if only just for a moment. A normal Pokémon would never dare overpower another's will. Only man has ever done that.” Mew's laughter brought him out of his thoughts, bringing his vision back to her play. One of the children had bounced so hard his bubble snapped in half, landing into the water below. She picked him up, asking if he was hurt, then allowed him to ride on her back while she flew around, making the other children jealous and wanting to fly as well.

Scyther was sympathetic toward Mewtwo, watching his eyes refocus back onto the feline with a longing look. Even if he didn't explain the reasons behind it, he would've already figured out the curse. He gently laid the blunt side of his scythe on his shoulder in a comforting manner, a silent, simple sentence in a gesture: “I understand.”

The clone took a side-ways glance at it, feeling a light burden dissipate. “Thank you for listening. I am sorry if I was becoming a bore.”

The alpha only smiled. “Actually, it was very interesting. It explained a lot about yourself, about why you are so different from other Pokémon. I can honestly say I have seen and heard it all, though I don't think many will believe me.”

Mewtwo quietly chuckled. “I suppose not.”

There suddenly came a shout of surprise as one of the children cried out “There's something in the lake!”, startling the others.

All eyes looked toward the middle where a shadow was forming. Mew positioned herself in the front to defend the larvae when necessary, quickly waving them back to shore. Mewtwo immediately stood up, eyes narrowing. A long, almost mournful cry sounded, causing the children to shiver. A large waterspout crashed through the surface, and in a flurry of white, the cause of it revealed itself as Lugia, wings outstretched and the water flying off in many directions. It was an attention-grabber, every inhabitant turning to the stranger only to give out cries of respect upon recognition. Though taken aback by the welcome, the water dragon drifted up to the small Legendary, perching in front of her, feet partially submerged. “Mew, thank goodness you're okay!” he greeted.

She grinned. “Lugia! How'd you find us?”

“Underwater cavern. A very tight space it was, but never mind that. Ho-oh sent me to find you and Mewtwo. Speaking of which, where is he?”

Mew glimpsed behind her shoulder to see him launch to her side, staring up at Lugia. “Something happened, did it not?” he queried, though it was more of a suspicion than a question. His counterpart side-stepped, returning her attention to the Sea Guardian.

“You're smart enough, Mewtwo, figure it out,” the newcomer immediately retorted, glaring down at him. “What is really the only other reason I would be here?”

As rude as Lugia was, he ignored the irritated tone. “War has begun.”

Scyther appeared by the children, awed at the majesty of the dragon. When he heard the statement, he exclaimed, “War! A human war?”

Acknowledging the alpha, the beast nodded. “It's been declared sometime last month, and since then there have been tons of casualties. But what's even worse is that everyone is being involved in this.”

“Everyone?” Mew gasped. “How did this happen?”

Lugia craned his head. “Oh, you weren't... 'really there'... when it happened,” he said, using his wings as air-quotes.

She raised a brow giving him a warning look, folding her arms.

He rolled his eyes. “Oh, whatever. When Sinnoh was bombed by Orre a couple of months ago, just about every single region went at war with Orre within a week's time.” A snort escaped his beak. “It seems they all want a piece of them, I suppose.”

“Wait, you said Sinnoh was bombed?!”

Mewtwo stepped in before Lugia could speak again. “I would stop if I were you,” he warned. “You are not here to stir anyone up. Ho-oh is calling for an immediate gathering, and there is no time to slack off.”

“Okay, smart-ass, next time I'll take care of Mew and you can be the messenger since you know everything,” the dragon remarked snappily, pointing at himself then to the feline. “Had that been the case, I wouldn't have wasted my time tracking you down. Why the hell did you have to choose such a secluded area to live in? Don't you know how long it took me to find a way down here?”

A glare sparked a harsh glow to life in the clone's eyes. “If you knew what was the best way for a full recovery, you would go through the same extremes to make it possible. The difficult, the better.”

Lugia flinched, sneering slightly. “Sheesh, I'm sorry, okay? I've been through a lot the past two months, haven't you? Oh wait, let me guess.” He mockingly pinched his brows and touched his temple, scrunching his eyes shut. “You've been living the secluded, simple, happy life without a care in the world. And at one point you and Mew messed around with each other in a secluded, simple, happy place, naughty naughty.” He stole a peek at the two, smirking at the infuriated, horrified expression frozen on Mewtwo's face and the shiver running through Mew's body. Scyther only blinked while the larvae stared up in puzzlement at the giant Legendary. “Ha, I'm good.”

“Lugia, that isn't funny!” she shouted, a faint flush on her face. She spun around behind the younglings and gathered them around her. “There are children here, you should know better!”

“I don't get the joke,” the Caterpie squeaked. Mew laid a hand on his antennae, silently praising his innocence.

He scoffed, throwing up his wings. “I was just teasing! Come on, lighten up, it's been a hard couple of months!”

“There are more serious matters out there than an idiotic joke,” Mewtwo remarked, his tail whipping in annoyance. “Let us get going and meet the others. Time is crucial.” He turned back to face the Scyther, bowing politely in place. “Thank you for letting us stay here. Had it not been for your kindness, Mew would not have healed as nicely.”

The alpha bestowed the thanks kneeling before him. “And I thank you for saving our goddess and showing us your kindness. You have been a good friend. May we meet again.”

Mew solemnly listened to their farewells between hugging each of the larvae. The way the Scyther addressed her as such hit a nerve, remembering the inhabitants of the Tree and at how they used to honor her as such. She truly was going to miss the underground lake and its loving atmosphere. “Farewell, children,” she whispered, squeezing the last child.

“Good-bye, Mew!” they chanted in unison. “We'll miss you!”

She smiled, poking the Weedle's nose. “Remember, there's no such thing as 'good-byes', only 'see you later'.”

“Oh, okay!” They then took a deep breath and shouted, “See you later!” a couple jumping in place.

Laughing, the Legendary once again hugged them before flying back to Lugia who was scanning the cavern. She looked toward Scyther, giving him a bow as well. He returned it, eyes welling up. “It's been an honor having you here,” he told her humbly. “Our home has never been happier, and the children love you. We will never forget what you have done for us.”

“Same here.”

“Okay, why wasn't I notified that there was a freakin' opening?” the beast blurted out suddenly, glaring up at the hole above them. “I squeezed through a narrow tunnel for nothing?”

“Do not even bother,” Mewtwo muttered, shaking his head. “You are larger than the opening by twice its size. You would get stuck headfirst attempting it.” Finding himself without any other options, Lugia darkly cursed himself for his large stature and Mewtwo's “purposeful choice” hiding underground. He glanced over at Mew, cocking an eyebrow as though to prove his point. She only frowned, averting his look. “So, Mew, are you capable of Teleporting another being, or are you not that confident yet?”

She just shrugged. “I can Teleport smaller beings pretty well, but I don't know about Lugia.”

Her answer was as expected, displeasing her clone even further. “Well, had you been doing as told, you would be more confident performing such a task.”

“I have so!” she defended, snapping her eyes toward him. “You've seen me with the children!”

“That was child's play! The world is not merciful to its protectors, Mew, and you know it!”

“And why would it matter to you? What have you done to protect the world?”

“I rescued the most important protector from herself!” he lashed out, getting into her face, motivating her to back up. “The very protector who is the hope, the source of reason giving this world another chance to live another day. But how does she thank me, this selfless, loving guardian? By fooling around, and rejecting the very existence of him who SAVED HER LIFE!”

The water dragon caught him off-guard executing an unexpected action, smacking him across the head with a wing. One of the children gasped, Mew shot her hands to her mouth with wide eyes, and shocked murmurs spread through the watching crowd. “Don't be a jackass, Mewtwo! She's just getting her bearings!” he shouted.

A growl rumbled in Mewtwo's throat, fists clenching tightly as he slowly faced Lugia. His optics were veiled over with a fiery blue, face darkening and teeth bared. The sight of his increasing rage made the beast back away, regretting his action. Slowly, but harshly, the feline spoke. “I am doing my duty in returning her to the realities of the world. I want her back to whom she was before her depression.” His voice was lenient, but very deadly, on the edge of snapping. He stepped forward, causing his peers to recoil. “You and I know damn well that she is still unstable. We all have the world closing in on us, you can feel it as much as Mew.” Another approach and his foot touched the lake's edge, angry vibes rolling off him and rippling through the water.

Mew started to quake, tensing when his negative energy stung through her. She began to reach out a shaky hand only to have it repelled by an invisible psychogenic field. “M-Mewtwo... please,” she gasped. “He didn't mean it.”

He only continued his advance, the waves growing more powerful and widespread. “If you are so concerned about Mew as you say, why did you not take responsibility and see to it that she would recover the proper way?”

“Mewtwo, think about what you're doing,” Lugia nervously said, imploringly glancing up at Mew as he inched backward. “Remember where you are and who's watching. There are children here. D-Don't want to give them a wrong message, right?” He pitifully grinned, attempting to lighten up the mood.

Mewtwo remained unchanged, though his fists were radiant with azure flames and his voice was growing more bitter. “Does my choice of location disappoint you, Lugia? What were you hoping for, Mount Silver?” Stronger shock waves expanded at his next step, then were more powerful as he quickened his pace. “How about the Orange Archipelago, no? Or Lake of Rage? It is beautiful this time of year. What about the Whirl Islands? Tohjo Falls? New Island?!” A psychic blast burst from the rage, knocking the dragon off his feet and careening into deeper water. Behind him the children cried, their parents swarming in to carry them off to shelter. Scyther led others away from the area, ready to signal evacuation.

Mew was hardly aware of it, attention transfixed on the terror unfolding before her. She had found herself more afraid of Mewtwo, frozen in place while the waves of his anger pierced through. It was after the brutal attack did she finally take action. “Mewtwo, stop it!” she screamed, flying to the middle of the two and spreading out her arms, facing her counterpart. “No more, please! Let us just go!”

He paused, standing feet away from her position. She dreadfully stared back into his blazing eyes, visibly trembling in fear. From behind, she heard Lugia struggling to pick himself up, sensing his gaze. Mewtwo kept his dark look upon her, taking in her unsteady posture. When he spoke, his tone of voice had softened, though the ire was still audible. “Mew, step aside. This does not concern you.”

She shook her head. “Prove it, then,” she challenged. “Prove to me that I should not be concerned about this.”

He barked a long, cold laugh, stepping forward. “So. Using one of my own methods against me, are you?”

“It works, that's all I care about!”

The laughter resumed, steadily becoming crueler the nearer he progressed, fists unclenched enough the flames died out. Mew stood her ground, using her willpower to control her wavering. It was tempting to back away, to keep him as far away as possible, her mind and even the children hollering at her to run. She still chose to stare her prosecutor down, telling herself she was strong enough now to hold him back to at least give Lugia time to recover, or even go for help. She honestly wouldn't blame him if he did.

Mewtwo's laugh quieted to a faint chuckle when he reached her in knee-deep water, bodies a hair's breadth from the slightest touch, peering down into her face. The smaller Legendary glowered back, slowly dropping her arms to show her neutrality. A crooked smile then spread and his eyes flashed alive with malice, startling her. His hand snatched her by the throat, cutting off any attempt to gasp or scream, and pulled her up to his eye-level. Mew grasped his fingers with both hands, straining to loosen them, struggling in his grip. “How foolish of you to think that,” he cackled, giving her a slight shake. “It only worked because you are too naïve, too pitiful to think for yourself. Had you been less stubborn and allowed me to care for you, you would have been healed a long time ago.”

Mew weakly whimpered when he squeezed harder, vision blurring upon staring into his blue-filmed eyes. There was an unfamiliar presence lingering behind the translucent veil, the dark look not naturally Mewtwo's. A shiver ran up her spine at the sight, spotting the snake-like pupils. She had seen him in a rage a few times in the past, but never was he this uncontrollable, so full of hatred. He looked possessed—an object even—it seemed so inhumane, so devilish. She glanced away, trying to take a breath while resuming her effort to break free. Mewtwo scoffed, shaking his head at the distressing attempt. He raised a lone finger to graze slowly down her jawline. “I honestly cannot say what I saw in you, Mew,” he murmured, savoringly watching her squirm, “at what motivated me to save you.”

Her eyes scrunched shut, releasing a tear to cascade quickly down her face. Leaning forward, the clone licked it up, callously following the salty trail it left behind. Mew managed a small, helpless cry until he roughly discarded her to the side. Lugia shouted out her name, spreading out his wings and triggering a strong gust. Mewtwo launched himself from the water and sped for his target, hands flaring up again. The beast braced himself, straightening out his tail and eying the aggressor. Raising his arm, the feline powered up an assault, aiming for the ribs while the water dragon swung superbly...

...just as a pair of arms threw themselves around Mewtwo's neck from behind.

Their attacks made contact the moment a flash of light illuminated them, blinding the awing on-lookers. It dissipated as speedily as it came, and the Bugs saw to their disbelief the Legendaries' disappearance. Buzzing murmurs and gasps spread through the inhabitants even though they had witnessed the cause of it. Scyther himself couldn't believe what had happened, at what was dangerously close to being their doom. Two mighty Pokémon starting to engage in battle, all because of Mew's condition, only to end with the individual's quick thinking and surprising agility of teleportation. The bravery of a tiny Legendary, their goddess, prevented destruction with little power to start with.

Silently, he prayed for their safety, and for the removal of madness in Mewtwo's heart.

This is mighty... mighty. Once you see the title, you'll understand what I mean by "mighty".

*~*~*~*


*~*~*

“What do you mean Rayquaza is unable to make it?”

Deoxys only shrugged, rolling his eyes. “Aw, hell if I know. He just suddenly told me he had to go do something and mentioned about not being able to come. Then he flew off for the atmosphere.”

Ho-oh grumbled to himself, pinching his brows. Today wasn't going to be a good day; it was starting to feel more like a hundred years ago than two months. Since Rayquaza ditching the conference (even with a good excuse) was a normal situation, he usually wouldn't have bothered. The difference was the importance, and after the declaration of war, attendance was crucial, mandatory—time was of the essence. “He's probably cleaning the ozone again,” he muttered with a sigh. “We'll be expecting a satellite shower sometime soon.” He ushered the three Regis into the trees when they arrived, mentally checking them off.

The alien scoffed. “Yeah, I'll tell everyone that.” He turned to walk for the clearing when a bright flash lit the area, forcing the two to shield their eyes (and for Deoxys to cuss loudly). When it faded, they blinked up at the arrival of Mewtwo and Lugia, immobilized in what appeared to be the beginning of mortal combat. The feline's fist was frozen at the beast's chest, while the spiked tail was pushing into his hip. They blinked, breathing heavily and bodies trembling as they tried to relax, stepping away from each other.

Ho-oh, after staring in bewilderment, nearly hollered, flailing his wings about. “What is the meaning of this?! Lugia, I told you to fetch them for me, not get in a fight!”

Lugia twitched and popped his neck facing the phoenix. “Ow... we can explain... sorta.”

“Ho-oh, we saw a flash from the clearing, what happe—oh, it's just them.” Entei had come crashing through the trees, skidding to a stop beside Deoxys in a half-disappointed, half-relieved mood. He did a double-take upon seeing the DNA Legendary's face, tilting his head. “What's with him? Where's Rayquaza?”

“Never mind, Entei, get back to your seat,” the Sky Guardian snapped, shooing him away. When he sulked back into the wood, Ho-oh spun around and faced the two, scowling. He looked them over, noticing someone was missing. “Where's Mew? Did you leave her behind?”

Mewtwo raised a hand to massage his temple, groaning and swaying in place. “Oh, what a headache... Sorry, Ho-oh, what did you say?”

“Mew! Where is she?!”

“Mew... she... I do not...” He paused, furrowing his brows in thought. There was a blank in his memory, a most curious flaw. The only latest recollection was his yelling at Mew before a blow to his head, and then blackness. There was, however, a moment he felt like taking his anger out on someone or anything to get his mind off whatever was preying on him. A sense of... failure? Rejection? His headache worsened at the frustration, and he collapsed to his knees. A bump to his cheek made him flinch and turn to the source. It was Mew, draped over his shoulder in exhaustion, her grip around his neck weakening. She was in tears, diminutive body shaken with silent sobs as she tried to lift her head away from touching him. The movement only stimulated her rolling off him to a patch of dirt, landing on her side. The headache being not a concern as it dulled, he reached for her.

“Don't... touch me,” came her hushed whisper, shrinking away as she leered up at her counterpart. “Stay away... never touch me.” Slowly, Mew lifted her tired self to her knees and scooted back, trying to get as far as possible from Mewtwo's reach. Then steadily, when she was mentally refreshed, the tiny feline levitated to a pleasing height, inching backward without an averting glance or change of expression. “You've done your protection,” came her quiet affront, tail whipping angrily at an angle.

Deoxys held back a snicker, catching the others' attentions. Had he a visible mouth, he would be grinning awkwardly. “Sorry, it's just funny the way she said it,” he giggled. “Sounds like Mewtwo f'ed up big time. Possibly both figuratively and literally...”

“Deoxys, you have the crudest imagination among all of us,” Lugia grumbled, shaking his head disparagingly. “You sicken me.”

“Well, you're the jackass among all of us, so you sicken me.”

“Go to hell.”

The alien only replied by scratching at his face obscenely with a finger when he caught Ho-oh's warning glare. The look telling him “I'll deal with you later”, the bird stepped forward to Mew's side. He looked over at Mewtwo as he stood up, frowning at the distance between them. “Is there something I should know about here?” he wondered, raising his brows. “Confessions, maybe? Problems and/or concerns we should solve?” The phoenix ignored the quiet chuckles coming from Deoxys.

Immediately, the rosy cat pointed at her clone menacingly. “He violated a few codes intentionally, and then some.”

“Violations? How so?”

“For one thing, he started the fight between him and Lugia.”

Mewtwo's eyes flashed briefly at her sudden accusation. His fingers clenched, but he remained silent to keep himself stable from any triggers ready to set him off, remembering his blank moment. Whatever did happen to cause the fight was ready to spring up again in a heartbeat, the evidence visible in her eyes. She was frightened, yet unaware of it with her mind being everywhere at once. She needed to be silenced for a moment's rest.

Lugia joining in, however, didn't help one bit. “She has a point. He was just asking for it, what with him yelling at her and all that.”

Ho-oh's eyes widened half-incredulously, craning his head to the dragon. “Yelling at her? What about?”

“Protection,” Deoxys hacked out, quickly pounding his chest.

“About her condition, really,” the beast muttered, doing the best he could to keep from whirling around and hitting him. “Sounded pissed about the whole thing. I don't know what was going on the past two months, but I guess things took a turn for the worst.”

The Sky Guardian gave a slow, disgruntled sigh, feathers slightly bristling as he shook his head. “I knew better than to force her on you, Mewtwo,” he said in a faint regretful tone. “Shaymin offered to take her, after all. If you were so uncomfortable taking responsibility, why did you volunteer anyway, Mewtwo?”

He shifted his gaze to Ho-oh, mouth in a stern line. “As generous as Shaymin was, I did not feel Mew would be better off in her care as much as mine,” he admitted. “I even had my doubts with your healing abilities, though frankly, this also applies to everyone else, even when I secretly hoped—and later cursed—that someone else would take her. It was surprising Latias chose Jirachi over her, but I do not blame her, nor anyone. Mew was not herself at the time. There was that possibility she would have become a whole different being during recovery.” He stole a quick glimpse at her, unaffected by her leering. “And with Mew being the most important figure of us all, failure was a death sentence, a punishment none of us would dare risk. Supposedly, only the most important.”

“You had nothing to lose,” the phoenix suspected in surprise. “There was a high risk of losing one's position and even their own life had Mew died. A very high risk it was.” He unexpectedly uttered a quick laugh. “Are you saying this was a death wish, then?”

“No, nothing of the sort.”

A barely audible, disappointing swear came from the alien. “Dammit, why wasn't it?”

Ho-oh rolled his eyes. “Well, whatever the reason, all that matters is that Mew is well. Any of the violations you committed, Mewtwo, will be taken care of later. For now, let us head over to the clearing so we can begin.”

“W-Wait, you're putting it off?” Mew blurted out in awe, breaking her glare turning to the bird.

“We have much more to deal with than petty law-breaking.”

“What he did wasn't petty, Ho-oh! It's serious!”

“Well, how serious is it, then?” he asked, spreading out his wings. “He started a fight with Lugia, he'll be dealt with later. The punishment will be minuscule as no one was injured in any way.”

“He fought with me as well!” she shouted. “He physically harmed me!”

Raising a skeptical brow, Ho-oh scanned her up and down. “I'm not seeing any bruises or cuts to prove he did.”

“He was strangling me!”

Mewtwo frowned, crossing his arms and trying to remember committing such an act. No memory from the blank spot came to mind. It was confusing as to why that occurred. Everything Mew was accusing him of might have happened, it was not like her to lie or spread false rumors—for all he knew, anyway. She could have changed since her recovery or even during her depression, but what they were, if any, he could not say. Two months playing with children wasn't a very likely trigger that would activate sudden mood swings or split personality. He then thought back to the first day at Mount Quena. The rift between them didn't start until after her strength returned, at the very same moment he found himself lost in a kiss, staring at the broken, departing, pleading soul of Mew's innocence...

“...swore to take care of you. Mewtwo hasn't done you any harm, or we would've known,” the impatient tone of Ho-oh refocused to his senses, drawing him away from the memory. He even was hearing the tension growing between Lugia and Deoxys, going into more depth about the fight Mew was arguing over. “Why are you so anxious to have him in trouble? Did something happen?”

“Yes, something happened!” she began to holler, hands balled into tight fists and tail snapping in every direction. “He's changed drastically! It's almost like he's become human!”

A moment of shocked silence hung in the air, every head turned to face her. The word made the suspected Legendary of concern wince inwardly, a non-existent punch to the gut making impact and spreading the freezing agonizing vibes throughout his body. His mind started flipping out, thoughts not like his own worrying over the suspicion she overheard his conversation with Scyther. Mewtwo was almost feeling helpless in this situation, doubtful he could clear his name and erase the very mention of the word describing who he, the world's strongest Pokémon, was not or is. Without casting his eyes about, he sensed the stares of astonishment and incredulity on him directly.

After a few deep breaths, the phoenix found his voice. “Human, Mew?” he echoed. “How such?”

“Well, he... everything about him is...” A quick breath to start over. “H-He... well... he just—It was the first day, a-and...” The assertive words that had filled her mouth had suddenly jumbled themselves around. She began to stammer trying to retrieve her bearings, and control her emotions to fight against the stupor of thought. It was a small blessing Mewtwo didn't expect he'd get.

Mew, in the meantime, struggled to find the right words to describe the wrongdoing of Mewtwo's. Ho-oh, Lugia, and Deoxys were staring at her, waiting for her to speak, to spout out the events of their staying at Mount Quena. The flashback of that day instead caught her off guard, stirring up mixed feelings over it. She felt once more the rush of her emotions: defeat, astonishment, enlightenment, fear. Shivers ran up her back when the lingering touch of his fingers slid into place, the warmth of his mouth brushing against hers as she breathed him in... losing herself in his gentle amethyst gaze to see the soul dwelling inside—the faintest recollection of a moment's peace.

It was jolted from her when a weight slightly rested on her shoulder, and a voice demanded Mewtwo to lead her to her seat.

Wait. Mewtwo...

She spun around to find him standing behind her, his hand on her shoulder and eyes staring her down. Gasping horrifically, Mew swiftly pulled away from his grip, backing up and crying out, “Don't touch me!”

“Mew, you are growing pale and hyperactive,” he explained, stepping forward and reaching for her. “You need to rest a little while.”

“No, get away from me!”

“I gave him the order to do so,” Ho-oh said, putting off the dismayed stare she gave him. “You are not feeling well at the moment. It's just until you calm down.”

“I'm not well? Not calm? Whatever gave you that impression?! DON'T BLOODY TOUCH ME!” she shrieked at her counterpart, slapping his hand away when he extended out once more for her.

Mewtwo, though irritated, disregarded her demand and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her in. She immediately began to scream, struggling in his hold and clawing at his flesh. He grimaced at the wounds, but held her close to his chest and headed for the wood. “No, NO! RELEASE ME, MONSTER!” she yelled, then sank her teeth deep into his arm without warning.

Everyone gasped (with another nasty swear from Deoxys), eyes widening at the bloodshed. Though Mewtwo lurched painfully, he continued unhesitant on his way for the clearing, neglecting his blood loss. Ho-oh promptly stepped in the way. “Mewtwo, let her go,” he ordered.

He pushed her closer, flinching more as she bit harder. “I cannot, Ho-oh,” he replied grimly. “She may be unstable, but she will gain control of herself. She just needs time.”

“This... th-this has nothing to do with her being unstable!” Ho-oh sputtered out. “I only told you to lead her there, not grab her into a choke hold! You are allowing her to rip you apart!”

“And so I will.”

“If she crunches any harder, you are going to bleed to death!”

“I trust Mew will calm before that happens.” He felt her twitch when her head shifted, digging her claws into his skin. Without another word, he marched by the phoenix, head held high and his strides smooth. Lugia and Deoxys followed not far behind, worryingly staring at the trail of blood drops. The walk was mainly silent, the only known sounds being the distant murmurs of the other Legendaries and muffled whimpers from Mew. Upon reaching the clearing and making their presences known, everyone held their breath or gaped at the gruesome scene. Mewtwo avoided locking eyes, taking his seat and hoisting his burden. She worsened her bite in retaliation, widening the wound so the mixture of blood and saliva dribbled down heavily.

Zapdos was the first to speak, dismayed at the outcome of the Legendary. “Mewtwo, what did you do to her?” he started to incriminate, his spiked golden feathers crackling.

The psycat slightly lifted his head, eyes focused forward, maintaining his silence. As offensive it was to not answer, he felt it best to show and not tell. It was expected of the thunder bird to be upset and pester him some more, but one of his sisters spoke up for him. “Hey, Mewtwo, why the silent treatment?” Articuno asked, leaning forward for a better look, dim scarlet irises flaring in surprise. “Did something happen?”

“He's being bitten, of course something happened,” Moltres muttered, rolling her eyes. She glanced back at Mew, a frown on her beak. “She must be really angry.”

Latias got up from her seat, hands clasped together in worry. “But... it's unlike her to be angry like that, and she has gotten mad at me before.”

By surprise, Darkrai's eyes started glowing a hazy turquoise, and he quickly drifted over to Mewtwo (who was remaining diligent in disregarding everyone's presences). “I'm sensing fear coming off her,” he eerily announced, a hint of relief in his voice. “And it's really strong. Oh-h-h, something happened all right. If only she was asleep...” His hidden mouth began to water from the aura wavering off the smaller feline, fingers growing antsy.

“Darkrai, come away from them!” Cresselia cried out. “You wouldn't feed off of Mew, would you?”

“The temptation is really strong there,” the phantom admitted, eyes locked on the targeted Legendary and hands inching for her. “I shouldn't, but it's just... begging.” The moon swan came and hurriedly dragged him away, unexpectedly without a fight or complaint even though he moaned in disappointment, grasping his head. Deoxys snickered until Jirachi elbowed him.

Mew then started to stir, loosening her teeth from Mewtwo's arm. He groaned at the removal, eyes closing shut when the cool air rushed over the wound. There then was a drop of water hitting the lesion, and a stinging sensation began to spread, causing him to wince. He glanced down to see her gaze up at him, tears spilling down and dropping onto the bite marks below. Very little of his blood were on her incisors, but streams trickled off her bottom lip. She trembled, shifting her vision to the deep puncture wounds, taking in the free-flowing rivers running down his arm. Upon wiping her mouth and spotting the crimson smear on her paw, a strangled gasp escaped from her as she quickly crawled away from his hold. She avoided looking again at the infliction or even at her clone, bending over to bury her face into her hands. The tears rolled bitterly down her face and through her fingers, sobs tense and irregular.

Mewtwo averted his gaze to the wound and ran his now-glowing hand down his arm as though attempting to swipe off the blood. The bleeding immediately stopped, but he left it alone to allow the markings to heal properly. It would be a scar in the end, a permanent reminder of his mistakes.

Ho-oh momentarily walked into the clearing, solemnly but steadily. He took not one glimpse at anyone upon entering, stepping up to the top of his rock as speaker of the counsel. Wings folded behind him, he rose his gaze to the crowd, casting his eyes about. He was silent for a few moments, taking in his fellow peers and their postures, noticing how they were barely aware he had arrived. Looking over to where Mew and Mewtwo sat, he sighed inwardly at the sight, watching the shimmering tears drop to the grass below. It was worse than he thought. Craning his neck higher so to avoid the scene, he commenced. “This meeting will now begin, with or without Rayquaza,” he declared, voice too soft to be his own though he was sure he was speaking his loudest. The crowd turned to acknowledge him, but their thoughts remained elsewhere. “He has some... 'business', apparently, to take care of. And I trust everyone is here that we should not have to take roll call.”

Latios side-glanced nervously before slowly raising a hand. The phoenix tilted his head. “Yes, what is it?”

Biting the inside of his cheek, the Eon dragon carefully responded, tapping his claws together, “Uh... actually, Ho-oh, we have not quite the near-perfect attendance. Um, when you went to greet everyone, Shaymin—how to say this—up and left. Without an explanation.”

“She left?”

“...Yeah... Pretty much.”

When Ho-oh let out a long, irritated breath through his nostrils, many swore they saw steam being puffed out or were sizzled from his feathers. He scrunched his eyes shut, brows deeply furrowing. There were murmuring concerns moving down the crowd about Shaymin's ditch once they noticed she was absent from her seat. It was the first she had purposefully missed a meeting, reasonless for that matter. She had once said so herself she wouldn't be there only if she was terribly ill, absolutely needed elsewhere, or dead (which had since then ceased the irksome “he died” joke). As the Lake Trio were her seating partners, they knew there was a disturbance in her aura before she left, so they cleared it up with the Sky Guardian. He was still upset at her leave, but the reason was at least partially solved. “Thank you, Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie for speaking up about it,” he sighed, massaging his forehead. “I suppose we can excuse her today. Now, she and I have called together this emergency conference upon hearing of the declaration of a war last month. I'm sure most of you have gotten word of such.”

Slow nods bobbed in an unbalanced wave before he carried on. “Since then, however, more regions have come forth to team up either with or against Orre. There currently have been fifteen battles fought and a total of three-quarters of a million casualties and growing. Among the humans, this has been described as the war of all wars: Armageddon. For Pokémon who are keeping out of it the best they can, unless they are part of the militia, it's called the Omega War or the War of Mankind. But whatever name has been given, it is still a terrible, bloody war that has no end in sight at the moment. Personally, I believe this war ends when the last two living humans fight it out to the death, but that's just me. Whatever the case, everyone is involved, directly or indirectly. Now, I feel there is nothing we can do, but if anyone has any suggestions—”

“Arceus Almighty, look at that meteor shower!” Manaphy abruptly piped up from atop of Kyogre's head, pointing at the sky above them. “It's incredible!”

Everyone bent their heads back to see in amazement a barrage of lights streaking against a gray sky, giving off soft glows of orange. They were numerous with different varieties in size, speed, and illumination. Ho-oh rolled his eyes, barely skimming the skyline. “That must be Rayquaza burning down satellites again,” he grumbled, almost accursedly. “Impressive show he's putting on, but he's interrupting our meeting. As I was saying—”

“No, Ho-oh, those are actual meteorites!” Suicune pointed out, gaping dumbfounded at the sight. “They seem to be increasing!”

“Preposterous, it's the middle of the day!” the phoenix sputtered out, slightly more irritated at the disruption than the event. “A bloody cloudy day for that matter! Rayquaza is out-doing himself again! What more evidence do you need?”

Out of the blue, there came from the heavens the pierce of a horrified, agonized roar. Shivers and gasps spread amongst the Legendaries, all oculars now fixed upon the sky, searching for the source. Latias started to cry. “Where's Rayquaza?” she squealed, shaking her brother's shoulder. “What's happening?”

Deoxys smirked to himself, standing up in his seat. “Heh, I bet I can make him show up,” he said determinedly, making his surrounding peers grouch in disgruntlement. Taking a deep breath, he shouted above them, projecting his voice to the atmosphere, “Hey, worm-bag! I found your porn collection, the ones you keep denying about! They're going to sleep with the fishes if you don't stop your stupid pyromaniac show!” He looked down at the horrified, rather perplexed stares, a few eyes twitching here and there. He slumped slightly. “Wha-at, telling a disturbing lie wasn't what you were expecting?”

“Deoxys, what the hell was that for?!” Dialga exclaimed almost in a screeching roar, a poisonous leer in his eyes.

“That's low, Deoxys,” Celebi scolded, shaking his head. “Very low.”

“What do you mean it'll sleep with the fishes?” Kyogre then spoke up, penetrating a deadly glare in his direction. “Sounded like an intentional threat.”

“Are you talking about human porn, or Pokémon porn, by the way?” Lugia blurted out his inquiry. Both Articuno, Moltres, and Giratina reached over to smack him upside the head with their wings.

“I was just joking, he doesn't have such a thing!” the alien scoffed, dropping his arms. “Sheesh, why are you guys taking this so seriously?”

“You, sir, are being disrespectful and crude, as is typical of you!” Cresselia shouted, getting up from her seat for a better view. “It's creeps like you who give women a bad reputation!”

“Well, excuse me, Victorian princess, I honestly had no idea that would offend you!” he retorted back.

“NO IDEA?! That's because you rarely THINK before speaking!”

“Does sarcasm mean anything to you?”

“You don't joke around about that!” Before she could shoot forward to start a fight, Darkrai pulled her back and sat her down, Heatran helping out when she struggled. “Let me at him for once! That S.O.B. needs to learn some proper respect!”

Another roar reverberated from the sky, and they watched in terror as Rayquaza streaked through the sky, sending off blast after blast at the burning rocks. He got low enough that when he sped by, drops of blood rained down heavily upon them. “RAYQUAZA!” Latias screamed his name.

Either he heard her or his energy was depleted, the bruised and broken dragon spun back around after his last Hyper Beam gave out. He landed profoundly behind Ho-oh, gasping for breath and eyes scrunched shut, head hung. It was an incredible sight to see a powerful creature in defeat. He was bleeding from the mouth and the terrible gaping gashes throughout his serpentine body. The markings were illuminated intensely, but flickered with every sharp inhale. A few fins were torn, though one was completely gone from the tail's tip. His claws were either damaged or run dull. The phoenix stumbled off his rock in horror. “Rayquaza! What is going on?”

He shook his head, voice graveled in pain and from his Hyper Beams. “Unbelievable... it's nearly impossible...” He looked up at the bird, and everyone could see (a few females screamed, though some males grew squeamish) he had only one eye shining from its left socket, the other a giant, hollow black hole with a bloody waterfall pouring from its depths. “Hundreds of meteors, maybe more... coming this way. This part of the sky only that I know of, but... Oh, Arceus, the size of these things! I can't hold them off!”

“Are they not breaking off?”

“No, not one bit... Whatever metals are in the rocks... I can't break through.” Raising his lone ocular at what he could see over the treetops, a painful gasp escaped his throat as he struggled to lift his beaten body off the ground. “They've landed...”

At once, the land beneath them trembled exceedingly, the tremor powerful enough to affect the winged and levitating Legendaries. Trees splintered around them, rocks crumbled to sand, and the water from the lake overflowed and drained into the widening crevices, all just as the quake hit. Manaphy jumped onto the back of Dialga as Kyogre fought to stay afloat and swim into more open water. The Lake Trio used their telekinesis to lift him up, encouraging the other Psychics to raise those land-bound out of harm's way. Ho-oh took wing to avoid the splitting earth, spinning around at the Legendaries, eyes blazing in fear and in near anger. “What are you waiting for?!” he shouted in near-hysterics. “Slow down the meteorites! Stop the tidal waves! Get everyone to safety! Do your duty as protectors, NOW!”

Without question, they all herded out swiftly, separating into many different directions for the corners of the world. Even Rayquaza, weak and broken as he was, found the strength to give off a roar and dart away in a flash, leaving blood in his wake. Ho-oh stared at the large crimson puddles, he couldn't help himself. There was a cry shimmering in the depths each time the ground quaked, a silent sound he knew too well. When a fault split through one, the dark fluid pooled into the jaws of the earth, provoking its need for more. He fled from the island then, flying fast as he could for his homeland, his heart crying out in bitter misery, fearing for the fate of the world.

...even though it was meant to be.

*~*~*

Latios and Latias exceeded their limit racing across the ocean for their home of Alto Mare, careful not to glimpse up at the blackening sky filling with meteorites. They remained in somber silence to preserve their energy, trying their hardest to block out loud splashes of impacts and the faint trembling of the earth beneath them. Some Water Pokémon were poking their heads out in curiosity, staring up at the endless sea of fiery darts. The waves soon enough grew restless and increasing, and murmurs of concern (though others scoffed saying another storm was just on its way) were quickly outrunning them. Whimpering quietly, the female dragon mentally sent to her brother, “Latios... what's going to happen?”

His eyes narrowed. “Don't think about that,” he warned. “Right now, focus on making sure Alto Mare will be protected. They're counting on us.” The tone of voice was bitter, it was hard for him to say it, let alone admit it.

Ahead of them, fading into view was their home, the protruding buildings of the city visible against the horizon line. With a gesture of the head, Latios increased his speed, melting into a blue streak. Not wanting to be left behind, she mimicked, and the two hurried into the middle of town, dodging buildings and people with ease to reach the hidden gate of their garden. They went from dark to light in seconds, skidding to a stop before the fountain that held the Soul Dew. Its dark azure color was unchanged, a positive sign that made Latias collapse in exhaustion before it, but it worried her sibling. Signaling her to stay put, Latios flew up above the trees for a better view of the city.

As small as it was, it normally was crowded with people walking through the streets or relaxing in gondolas. Ever since the war started, eligible men left to fight against Orre (even then, there were those who refused), so mainly the women and children roamed free. But even the remaining people were as terrible as their enemy. Alto Mare used to be a happy city of peaceful citizens, and of having a perfect population that they never worried about overcrowding. However, the beauty of it attracted people from around the world, and some of those newcomers were rotten to the core. Their evil habits weren't contained in time to keep from spreading to the young people, who slowly rebelled against the traditions of their parents and inherited the city as such. Those masses then had children who were raised the same way, and sure enough, in just a few generations, the peaceful, beautiful island of Alto Mare became a gruesome addition to the increasingly-wicked world. What hadn't changed were the secret garden and the Soul Dew.

Unable to sense the danger during its developing years, Latios and Latias never saw it coming. They had an inkling when they heard terrible stories and news reports, but never paid much heed to it. By then, it was too late. Before long, they would hear screams, day and night, of women being jumped, the cries of children and Pokémon amongst the firings of gunshots, the mourning of widowed husbands and wives, and the pleas of the murdered. And in the midst of it, the wails of Latias would join in, wanting so desperately to help the citizens she swore to protect. She roamed the streets more often, always taking on different human disguises, playing vigilante. What she neglected to do was watch her back, and it nearly cost her everything. Had she not found the voice to scream for Latios, she would have been raped and/or murdered. The gang of thugs were never caught by police, and it was enough to keep her home out of fear. They would only leave the garden when needed elsewhere.

It was a proven fact: the Guardians of Alto Mare failed at keeping their beloved home, their life, from being corrupted. They could only watch from afar as the people forgot them and became selfishly engaged in their own dark deeds. The two shed their share of tears until they dried up, leaving only an aching, bleeding heart to do the rest. They wished they could cry out to the people “Enough!”, and have them cease their iniquities, but they possess no such authority.

As Latios found enough sorrow to spill out a few tears, he turned for the surrounding ocean to avoid looking at the city. There were waves building up steadily, crashing against the rocky walls of the island, a hint of a storm on the horizon. He wasn't sure where or how far the rocks were falling (they weren't visible in these skies), so time was precious. Both he and Latias needed to find a way to barricade the city on such short notice.

“Latios!”

The addressed dragon gasped, spotting the faint glimmer of Cresselia's wings as she sped for him. “Cresselia! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be elsewhere?”

“Oh, Latios, it's terrible!” she wailed, pulling up to his side. Tears were splashed on her face, eyes dried from the wind, but still welling up. “Rayquaza was right! The meteors have landed!”

“And? How bad is it?”

She shook her head as though trying to rid herself of a memory. “I was flying over too late! They... well, some landed not too far from Pacifidlog Town, a-and caused a... a...” Her voice caught.

“Tsunami?”

“Worse!” came the shriek. “Which doesn't make sense as to what could be worse than a tsunami, but I swear it was like no other tsunami I've ever seen!”

Latios reached out to hold her still, she was unable to stay in place from her hysteria. “Cress, Cress, calm down!”

“No, no, I can't! They were screaming and tried to run! I couldn't save them!”

“Cresselia, what happened?!” he shouted, shaking her into submission.

The swan stared at him in a state of terror, eyes wavering in and out of subconsciousness. She could hardly speak, but when she managed to find her voice, the Eon Legendary had to lean over to hear. “They drowned.”

“...What?”

“The wave... it was the biggest I've seen. I-It washed over the town—people were screaming when they saw it. It's horrible, those screams... I can never forget.”

“Cresselia, what happened to the town?”

She ducked her head. “It was washed away... I couldn't find it anywhere...”

Latias made herself known reaching out to hug the traumatized female, allowing her to cry on her shoulder. She tearfully glanced over at her brother, sobs escaping from her throat. Latios released her, arms dropping to his sides as he shook his head. He gazed over at the darkening horizon, getting the sinking feeling the storm miles away was an aide to the meteorite crash. Judging by how the waves were getting bigger, more numerous and powerful, they didn't have much time left. Alto Mare would be next.

Whirling around, he shot down to the Garden, straight for the fountain. He reached inside and pulled the Soul Dew out with little difficulty, holding it up to the hazing sunlight. From its depths, what couldn't be seen in the water was clearer in the proper light. With widening eyes, the Eon dragon saw the tell-tale sign of impending danger: a large, spreading dark spot. He had never thought it would happen, not in his lifetime, anyway. Alto Mare was doomed to drown, but not in its own water. That would only happen when it is destroyed, something that had happened many centuries ago according to what the family in charge of them said. They had also once mentioned the Soul Dew may contain the soul of a Latios, but it can leave on its own accord, usually to foretell destruction. And before his very eyes, the soul of a previous guardian was departing. If it completely ascends, the jewel is vulnerable to any other spirit, but loses its power. Alto Mare's water will then leave for good—Latios figured because it knew the city would never recover from such devastation.

He felt the presence of the two females descend to his side, their gazes locked onto the weakening gem. Latias' breath caught at the sight. “Latios...” she managed to gasp, bringing a hand up to her mouth. “Does this... mean...?”

A slow nod was his answer, glancing over at a confused Cresselia. “The Soul Dew is dying,” he explained to her, holding it out for a better look. “When the soul of Latios disappears, the water will return to the ocean. Then, sometime afterwards, Alto Mare is permanently destroyed.”

The moon swan couldn't look away, trembling in place. “So... Alto Mare is doomed, then?”

“It will be if we don't act fast.” Latios returned it back to its rightful place.

There suddenly came the wail of a siren, startling them. Straightaway, a magnified voice split the air. “Evacuate your homes immediately. This is not a drill. A tsunami is headed for land. I repeat, this is not a drill.”

The alarm continued, but the Legendaries were by now hardly paying attention. Shooting upward over the treetops, they stared out at the ocean, looking around all directions for signs of a wave. Latias, when she spotted a rising wave, clung to her brother, a terrified gasp escaping her. They turned to it, and Cresselia kept herself from screaming.

From what the dragons could see, it had to be the biggest wave they had ever seen, and they went through a share of tsunamis (outside of Alto Mare) in their lifetime. Its length, they estimated, had to be almost half the length of the island, the height undetermined at the moment. The speed it was clocked at was unknown, but it was understandable they had little to no time left. Alto Mare, though it had its periodic drills in case of hurricanes, tsunamis, and the like, didn't stand a chance against an actual wave. And with this one being the largest possibly ever recorded, the drills were worthless. The city had no blockades or any form of protection against natural disasters, at least not after over half the island was drafted. Evacuation transportation wouldn't leave in time, but even if they did, they wouldn't outrun it.

Latios shook his sister and Cresselia out of shock when he cried out boldly, “You two, follow my lead! We're going to stop this wave from reaching shore!”

“How?!” Latias squealed, staring frightfully at the incoming doom. “It's so big!”

“That didn't stop our ancestors. Latias, whether these people deserve it or not, we have to protect them. That's our main role, isn't it? To protect the people.”

“How are we going to do it?” Cresselia gave her question. “That wave is huge!”

A smirk found its way onto the male dragon's lips. “We'll need a wall.”

“Out of what, sand? There's no time to make a professional one!”

“You two are forgetting what type we are,” he continued, “what it is we can do.”

“We just follow your lead, right?” his sibling echoed his previous order.

With a simple nod, Latios tucked his arms in and shot out for the ocean, the two females not far behind. He started to ascend, so when they mimicked, he shook his head. “No, get directly below me and match my speed best you can! Latias, descend several feet! Cresselia, beneath her several feet! We need to make this as even as possible, or it won't work!”

They obeyed without question, keeping an eye on him for their next command. Upon reaching open water some feet offshore, he immediately curved to the right, a movement they struggled to keep synchronized. Latias mentally sent the moon swan an explanation. “He's really good at estimating the length of waves, that's why we're going so far.”

At their current speed, it was a short minute before Latios abruptly halted, looking down at them with eyes enshrouded in a white glow. Cresselia tilted her head, unsure what to do next. Because of the height, he telepathically replied to the two. “At my command, we soar at the same speed for the other end of the island, about two hundred yards offshore. Try to fly straight the best you can.”

“Wait, what are we exactly doing?” she inquired in the same manner.

“A psychic barrier with a hint of Mirror Coat to it. Yes, yes, the tidal wave isn't like an attack,” he admitted upon spotting the skeptical stare from the swan, “but it should help keep it out.”

Latias' grin only made things more unbelievable for Cresselia. “Logically creative, isn't he?”

Bless her little heart, she's so trustworthy. She had to give credit to Mew and Latios for keeping her hopeful this whole time.

The droning sirens finally faded from their senses, the three concentrated at the approaching wave, counting down the painful seconds. They had to get this correct, the city depended on it. Cresselia quickly prayed in her heart it would work, her shimmering down emitting a soft glow similar to the ones the siblings were giving off. She craned her head directly to the front, taking a deep breath. Now was her chance to redeem herself. Pacifidlog was half the size of Alto Mare. Even if she had managed to barricade it, it still would have sunk.

This would be her last chance.

“NOW!” the order reverberated through their minds, and they shot off like three beams of light.

In their wake, a translucent start of a wall melted and undulated into existence, morphing into one all the way down to the waters and high above Latios. They cut through the air exceeding their limits, fast enough that Cresselia felt energy waves part from her body speeding by, guiding her forward. Deaf from the rush of wind, she was free from the background sounds of the alarm and angry sea rolling beneath—free from her thoughts like they were left behind with her stomach. Exhilaration was her motivation, the desire to save the people from destruction her goal. It was there at the end of the island, waiting for her to congratulate on a job well-done. She was bringing justice to those lost souls, to bring peace to her troubled heart.

No one was going to die this time.

Mentally, Cresselia felt a tug and a quiet “Halt!”, to which her body acted on immediately. Gasping in a deep breath, the swan blinked her dry eyes rapidly and shakily turned around to see her contribution. The wall was huge (her first thought), nearly invisible had it not been for the faint white glow, and thus glinted in the sunlight. It was their barrier, Alto Mare's last resort. Plain, but effective... hopefully.

So out of strength she was, Latias had gone behind to lift her up out of the way, taking her to rest on one of the pillars that bordered the city. With an arm around her, the two and Latios anxiously watched the wave sweep for them. Cresselia ducked her head into her friend, scrunching her eyes shut just as it reached the barrier. She heard the splash of water hit surface, and the shrilling squeal of the female dragon, happily jumping in place and pulling her along. “Cress, Cress, we did it!” she cried out joyfully. “We won!”

She looked up to see the water slide straight off in mid-air, the wet invisible wall gleaming proudly in the sun. Little water had gone over, it dripped down the sides like raindrops. It was a beautiful sight. Cresselia's thoughts jolted when Latias snatched her up into a bear hug, swinging her around while crooning an energetic song. She couldn't help but join in. They even reached their arms out for Latios to participate, his sister chanting his name. He either ignored them or wasn't listening, his eyes scanning the horizon suspiciously. It didn't stop his sibling from clutching his elbow and tug. “Latios, come on, join the party! We saved Alto Mare!”

Rather surprisingly, he slapped her hand away, bringing out a shocked gasp from her. “Sis, quiet!” he hissed, vision unfaltering. “You hear that?”

She blinked, frowning. “What?”

“You hear that?” he repeated, craning his neck. “Something's not right. The sirens haven't stopped.”

Indeed, when the females concentrated on their surroundings, the buzz of the alarms came into focus. Their eyes widened. “He's right,” the swan breathed, feeling cold sweat begin to sting her forehead.

Latias' innocent reply: “Maybe they didn't see what we did. Everyone must be in hiding, right?”

Somewhere in the depths of the city, they caught a faint feminine scream of horror. “Oh my God, there it is! It's here!”

Immediately, the Legendaries spun around for the north-western side of the island, and it took all their will power to keep from screaming like the woman. It was another tidal wave, bigger than the one they barricaded. The speed was incredible, reaching the outskirts within seconds of making its presence known—not even Latios could form a wall at his fastest velocity. And supposedly he did, the wave would have swallowed him up, and he'd drown. Then everyone else would.

Out of ideas, and too taken aback to retaliate, they watched in awe as the tsunami reached shore, sweeping over them silently. Caught in its watery depths, they were tossed violently in tight rolls, smacked around and stung on every inch. Breath nearly knocked out, Latios managed to find the strength to fight against it, trying to dart through the rough, dark currents. Through mercy or by luck, he broke through, coughing up the sea water he had swallowed, vision hazy. “La—Latias!” he hoarsely called out, squinting to try and see through the watery veil. His inhales were short and jerky. “Latias! Cr—Cresselia!”

“Latios!”

“Cress! Where... where are you?!”

“I—I'm somewhere!”

Cries too feeble to answer back, he blindly, but cautiously flew around, hands out in front of him. He continuously shook his head to try regaining his sight, picking out blurred colors. In front of him, the swan crashed into him (he saw blue and a hint of pink), squeezing him and sobbing. “Oh, thank Arceus you're alive! Where's Latias?”

“Uh... I, uh...”

“Latios, for Arceus' sake, where's your sister?!”

“...over here!”

She released Latios at once with a wail, shouting out, “Latias! Where are you?!”

“Here! Look here!”

“Directions! Give me directions, I can't see very well!”

“...I'm wet!”

“OH DEAR ARCEUS, SHE'S UNDERWATER!”

Latios shot out an arm before she could dive, deeply breathing. “No... no, she's fine. She's afloat...” He forced himself to tear up, to help clear up his eyes. Blinking rapidly, he glanced down, feverishly searching the waters, trying to pick out red on blue.

Cresselia found her first, zipping by, and sobbing loudly and bawling out her name. He chose to remain in place until his eyesight would return. From below, he heard clearly their tearful voices, happy his sister was still alive and well. Aside from them, he heard nothing else, except distant waves. It troubled him, unable to spot any whites, browns, or even grays anywhere beneath or around. His breath quickened, and he rubbed at his eyes, muttering to himself everything was still there. It wasn't long before he felt the trembling presences of the girls, listening to their labored breathing and sobs. “Y...You okay, brother?”

“Yeah... hold on.” Latios lifted his head, blinked several more times, then stared ahead.

There was nothing but ocean with few scattered rocks. It was a calmer sea, but still it threatened another wave. Clouds nearby were graying, as were the skies. No other sounds reached them, no rustling trees, bustling streets, sirens, or chattering of any kind. It was deathly silent, except for the swift thumps of their hearts and shortness of breath.

Cresselia hiccuped beside him. “Just... just like Pacifidlog...” She hung her head in sorrow.

He couldn't believe it, not with the evidence in front of him. There was no way an entire city could be wiped out by a single wave. It couldn't have swept the whole land away to a new location or underwater. Those buildings were to resist such a disaster, they had strong foundations... and they were gone in an instant.

Everything and everyone.

It was impossible.

Latias slowly approached, eyes pooling over with large tears. Slowly, he turned to her, teeth clenched. “This can't be,” he whispered harshly. “They could have survived, we knew those buildings well. How is it possible?”

She remained silent, dropping her gaze to her hands. Gingerly, she slid them into his own, transferring the object she was holding. Latios' eyes widened, and he lifted it to eye-level, clutching it tightly to keep it from slipping. The Soul Dew was still intact from the violent flood, but it was not the gorgeous blue it once was. It had completely blackened, now beginning to disperse and instead leave a clear, empty casing behind; the destruction was complete.

Arceus had cried out “Enough!” for them.

*~*~*

The Orange Islands were going to be hit hard, this Lugia and the birds knew. As they flew like the dickens for their destination, they were sensing the storms forming in the distance. It frightened them both, remembering how centuries before their actions nearly caused a world-wide destruction. The storms had originated around Shamouti Island, but spread fast. Today was no different, except that they had gotten along over the years, and thus aren't responsible for such tragedy. Of course, ever since the legend had come to pass, the old traditions slowly died off. The newer generations began to shun their fathers' beliefs and became a worldly influence. They still knew about the three islands not far from their home and who presided there, but they would much rather capture them than worship or respect them.

They had not stepped foot on those islands since the people started their greedy explorations. The treasures they were close to finding were hidden away, and the ancient shrine they froze timelessly in place to thaw out when the Shamoutians would return to their old ways of peace and harmony. Their private islands (Zapdos would affectionately and reverently call by name should they ever be mentioned) were eventually converted into separate cities and defiled by human living. Even if they deserted them to live back on the mainland, the Legendary Birds could never roost there again. Humans leave behind in their wake aftermaths: undying presences that forever marked their being there. They never leave once settled.

Remaining high in the air, the four Legendaries watched the horizon for their old homes, keeping quiet to conserve energy. Inward, fear trembled throughout their minds and bodies. What if everything was a false alarm? If so, what would the humans do? Would they start inducing their Pokémon onto to them for capture? Who, if anyone, would care for their sakes and everyone else's? But most importantly, were they prepared to protect the islands? There were many archipelagos and so widespread, they were unsure if they could save each and every one. Some were uninhabited islands, but for all they knew, they could have been settled over the past century or two.

Articuno suddenly began to have one of her break downs, decreasing her speed and descending subconsciously. Zapdos sent a light shock to snap her out of it. “Art, save your energy! Control yourself!”

“Oh, Z-Zapdos... I'm trying, but... I-I'm just so scared!” she wailed, tears growing with every sob. “These aren't the people we trust! What's the point?!”

“Ho-oh commanded us to do our duties as guardians and protectors, duh!”

“But these are evil people! They don't care what happens!”

Lugia was tempted to smack her, but when thinking back to Mewtwo's reaction the last time he did, he held himself back. He felt a bit out of place, not being a close sibling to comfort her. He may have been entrusted to keep them out of trouble, but he didn't always spend time with them. So he left it to Moltres to be her sister's keeper. “Art, Art, listen to me,” she tried coaxing her to look up at her. “Everything's going to be fine. We're just going to be there to check up on everything, and then we'll leave. We're not making you stay there. Okay? Can you calm down, please?”

“B-But...”

“I'm serious, Articuno, we need to be chill about this.” (Lugia again felt more awkward. He always viewed the Ice-elemental bird as the older, mature sibling of the trio.) The fiery fowl released her. “Please, regain your composure and just do as we do.”

Sniffling, she nodded and they continued on their way, letting the wind dry her tears. The rest of the trip was quiet until they reached the storm's territory. Rains heavily fell, lightning became a huge concern, and the winds were treacherous. They forced themselves to fly lower, almost in sight for others land-bound to see, and let the currents carry them to their destination. Zapdos looked over at the water dragon in anxiety. “Hey, aren't your wings strong enough to make these speeds?” he shouted against the air current.

“They can, yes, but I swear to you I did not make this.” He averted his eyes to a nearby island. “Not this time, anyway,” he muttered to himself.

“What was that?”

“Nothing of importance. Just keep your heads up and watch out for—”

“OH DEAR ARCEUS, A TIDAL WAVE!” Articuno shrieked, pointing a talon at a large wave rising for them.

Lugia straightaway roared and blasted a gust of wind with a single flap, blowing it into two separate waves until they collapsed back into the sea. He side-glanced at the frightened Legendary, catching her eye. “You can just fly higher,” he said matter-of-factly. “There's no need to shout it out every time a wave shows up.”

She flustered in embarrassment and mumbled, “Sorry.” Her siblings hid their snickering well.

They continued on, side-stepping the waves when encountered and using stealth to avoid the humans who happened to be boating in open water. It didn't take long before they arrived, gaping at their old home. The islands had been completely transformed into metropolises, mountains cut down to make room even though they were already cramped. But as they watched, hurricane-like winds were tearing apart the buildings and flooding the shorelines. In the surrounding waters, hints of forming whirlpools were noticeable, sucking in anchored boats and anything else floating on the surface. They had yet to be hit by earthquakes or tsunamis, if any were in the vicinity. As troublesome as it looked, the Legendary birds were strangely calm.

Zapdos especially gave a scoff, shrugging. “What was the point in coming?” he questioned. “We know these islands better than anybody! They've been hit harder than what's already hitting them. Ho-oh worried over nothing.”

His supervisor gave him a wary look. “You may know the islands well, but I know these seas well. And what I'm seeing is something to worry about. Mainly those waves. They're just getting bigger and bigger.” He tilted his head to the black sky above. “And this storm? Oh, it's going to be worse.”

“Then... uh...” Moltres tossed her head back to reignite her flaming crown. “Shouldn't we do something, or... get out of here?”

“Yeah, Lug, how do we protect these people?” Articuno interjected. “It looks like everything's under control.”

“They don't have any frigging sandbanks!” he snarled unintentionally, motioning to the disappearing shorelines. “These idiots forgot their barricades!”

Indeed, the Shamoutians had no indication of ever building a well-constructed sandbank around any of their islands. Even if they did, they were either washed away or demolished from the in-coming tides. It was unlikely of them to forget to build up a wall before a large storm. A thought came to the Freeze Pokémon, and she gave her opinion. “Well... maybe the storm came so suddenly... they didn't have the time to put them up.”

Everyone else quickly agreed, turning to Lugia for his response.

He bobbed his head a little, weighing out the possible answers in his mind. Articuno's sounded more believable, he had to admit. Humans who lived on coasts have always had up a wall of some sort before a large storm, it was instinct, as forgetful as people could be. And the storm had developed so suddenly, it made sense they didn't catch it on their radars (or whatever the heck humans used for weather). He couldn't blame them for that mistake. So reluctantly, he went with her idea, and apologized for snapping at them.

“It's okay, Lugia,” Articuno said with a smile. “You've been underwater for so long, you just forgot about human nature.”

Yeah, right, he inwardly corrected.

Her brother decided to crack a joke about it. “Well, I figure his brain's been waterlogged so much, he could only think in bubbles.” A crooked grin spread across his beak. “You think that's how Kyogre thinks?”

Lugia would have pounced forward to strangle him had Moltres not let out a frightened scream. Before their very eyes, a voluminous cyclone touched down upon the water's surface, stirring it up to create the appearance of a water spout. Many more came to be as the heart of the storm beat down upon them. Massive winds tossed them about, rendering their wings nearly useless. As the largest, Lugia managed to steady himself first and glide along the wind currents. The others fought against the gusts until they could fully spread out their wings and find balance. The flames on the phoenix were in danger of being extinguished, so the sea guardian formed an air-tight bubble around her, which unintentionally enabled her to fly. Pressured on by Zapdos' complaints, he made them their own separate ghostly globes, excluding himself. “You insane?!” Articuno hollered (even though it wasn't soundproof). “You'll get killed!”

“Oh, please,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes. “You can barely hold yourself up in this storm. Who has a better chance on stopping these cyclones from reaching land?”

“Art, you can freeze them!” the lightning bird suggested, giving an awkward thumbs-up (so he attempted with a spiky feather) at a scowling Lugia.

She looked over at their guardian for consultation. “Am I going to freeze myself instead while in this... space?”

“I'm not entirely sure, breathe out a little ice as a test.”

He had made the bubbles too air-tight. Frost was outlining the spherical shape and only dropping the temperature around her. The thunder bird swore. “You jerk-ass! You did that on purpose!” His feathers sparked, only to shock himself. “Oh sweet Arceus, that hurt!”

“I did it for you three,” Lugia stated solemnly. “You guys are my responsibility. I don't want any of you to get hurt.” Zapdos muttered something about him shoving it, but the moaning winds blocked it out.

“What are you going to do?” Moltres inquired worriedly, bringing down her body temperature to control her flames. The heat was too much at the moment.

They could have sworn his smirk was of regret, a small apology to them. He gave his trademark mournful cry, tucked his wings in and torpedoed himself to a higher altitude and further away from the Legendary birds. In fascination and fear, they watched him spin rapidly into the core of the farthest cyclone. Almost immediately, it stuck in one spot, but continued to rotate. Inside, a bluish light faded into view, growing brighter and forcing them to squint.

Then a haunting guttural roar split the air, and the twister split apart. Gasps jumped from sibling to sibling, eyes widening. None of them could believe it was Lugia, suspended in midair and his vast wings spread apart. It seemed distance rather than power changed his appearance drastically. A rather deathly aura glowed about his sleek body, turning the silver hue into a violet shade, the blue flaps, spikes, and belly black. The feathers, from what they could make out, were bristling. They couldn't see his eyes to know if they had transformed into something terrifying or not, though if they had to venture a guess, they must have to match with his new form. What made it more horrible to look at was the amount of power he was giving off. It was like he unlocked a new potential, or a new side of himself.

He let out another cry, deep from his vocal cords, and swiftly swooped his wings forward once. A powerful burst knocked the wind and storm about him—it tore the cyclones to shreds, and brought the waters to dangerously high levels. It moved forward, an invisible force with no way of stopping, no great obstacle to bring it to a halt, it was felt through the bubbles. Through it all, Articuno painfully willed herself to keep from screaming in anguish as the islands broke apart, the Elemental Islands half-drowning in the waves, and glimpses of buildings and vegetation being swept away, all forever burned into memory. Above them, the clouds dissipated, but it was hardly noticeable, not while the destruction came to pass.

Clear as day, the darkened Lugia slowly felt his power fade, his composure coming back together. Once it was certain he was returning to normal, they flew to his side, supporting him until Zapdos led them to what remained of an island. Articuno, through her tears, caught sight of his blank eyes before they refocused along with his regular color. She grasped onto his neck in an effort to shake him out of it. “Lugia, say something!” she wailed. “Do you know what you have done?!”

A shaky sigh escaped his throat, and his body fell limp despite him being conscious. He only weakly stared ahead at the empty horizon, mind refusing to allow him speech, to acknowledge their presences. It made her yell louder. “For Arceus' sake, Lugia, speak to us! Prove to us it's you and not someone else!”

“Art, he's exhausted,” her sister calmly said, pushing her back. “Let him rest.”

“You saw what happened! That wasn't Lugia!”

“It was him, just... different.”

“NO, IT WASN'T!”

Zapdos smacked her across the face. “Shut the hell up and listen to us, Articuno!” he croaked. She stared at him in astonishment, taking note of his tear-streaked face. “We all saw what happened, but don't blame him for it. He couldn't help it, and there honestly wasn't a better way of doing so. Art, look at me,” he barked when she glanced away. “You did the same thing a long time ago. We both did. While we weren't in control at the time, Lugia here knew what he was doing. He's more experienced than us, that's why he's our leader... of sorts. Okay, I don't know the purpose, but that's what he's there for. And now that I think about it, those stupid bubbles or whatever was to protect us from that. You felt it, right?”

She and Moltres nodded, shivering at the thought. The power behind the wind was incredible, even though they felt only a small amount of it. Realizing what would have happened had they not been protected, Articuno teared up some more. Her brother released her, casting his eyes about the area. There were no signs of rubble of any kind, no bodies to be seen. Shamouti Island had lost a majority of its trees, but the land size was cut by half than it used to be. Their former homes were mainly just protruding rock now. The more he stared at the ground, the more it seemed to gleam at him, to permanently look like ice.

They remained on Ice Island in silence until Lugia recovered. None of them dared to speak a word on the catastrophe. Their minds and souls had enough torment to last a long time. If they were living that long.

*~*~*

They kept coming with no end in sight. Rayquaza knew there were billions of asteroids floating around in the solar system and across the universe, but the odds of any of them careening toward Earth was astronomical; the sun had better odds of turning into a black hole. Even then, he did his best to try destroying the space rocks, risking losing his other eye—though mainly his life—in the process. Had Deoxys not been with him, he would have. No matter how hard the two of them tried, their combined attacks could only chip off parts of bigger meteorites (even with Deoxys' increased attack stamina) while the smaller ones broke in half and burned up in the atmosphere. “Rayquaza, we need to retreat!” the alien called out, dodging fiery asteroids to fly up to the dragon. “We can't hold them off!”

“No, keep trying! They're crashing near Littleroot!” He roared, projecting another beam that sliced through a smaller asteroid to hit a bigger one behind it. It only left a crater. Cursing, he pushed Deoxys out of its way, narrowly avoiding losing a horn.

“Damn it, Rayquaza, you're too weak! You keep this up, you'll die!”

“Then I'll die doing my duty as a protector!” he snapped, swinging his tail at one that was half the size of other asteroids. It flew out of sight, but not before knocking another with it. “If it means I'll go blind, you can be my eyes!”

“No, NO! Screw it, Cyclops, I'm not doing it!” He dodged an on-coming speeding rock. “We should be down there like everyone else, saving the people!”

Rayquaza smacked one other out of orbit. “We are saving the people, by keeping the meteorites from falling!”

“Falling my ass, we're not doing shit about it!”

“You're not, but I am! Now help out like a good Legendary, or phone home!”

“Why don't you go save a damsel? Oh wait, you're a freakin' dragon!”

“You mentioned your ass falling? You don't shut up and help, I'm cutting it off!”

“Well, I have an endless supply, so you have a long way to go, big guy,” Deoxys retorted, crossing his arms. He spotted an asteroid coming his way through a double-take, and he blasted it in half with a Hyper Beam from his gem. “But it's not like you could, anyway. What, were you planning on biting it off? Cheeky.”

Rayquaza whipped his head around and shot his own Hyper Beam in the alien's direction, who quickly side-stepped the attack. “Damn it all, Deoxys, this is not the time nor the place for your lewd jokes!” he roared, his lone ocular blazing a harsh yellow. “If you refuse to help out, then leave! You want to save a human, go ahead! I doubt you'll find a more pleasant place than this!” He obliterated a speeding asteroid before it could disappear into the atmosphere.

“Fine! Since you're blowing chunks at me, I'll leave!” He mutated back into his original form, then turned to descend.

“Go ahead, space freak! Why don't you invade while you're at it?”

“Go blow smoke rings, you over-grown worm. With gum disease comes cancer!”

“Mutation is bad for your health!”

“Piss off, I like to mutate!” The alien indecently raised a finger at him.

Rayquaza chortled in between blasting out his attacks, returning the same gesture. “Oh, goody! Who is cancerous now?”

Spouting out more expletives, Deoxys morphed into his speed mode and sped off through the atmosphere, his alien anatomy protecting him from burning up in passing. He reached the troposphere in half-time of the asteroids, skidding to a stop several hundred feet from the ground. His eyes widened at the sight, body melting to normal unconsciously. “Oh, Arceus,” he gasped.

Below him were the ruins of a town, continuously being ripped apart by tremendous quakes and screams of humans lessening by the minute. Few faults were wide open and extending, pushing, rocking, and swallowing ground with each groan. Living beings were being buried alive in rubble and in the depths desperately scrambling for safer ground. He watched as a great building crumbled onto several people and Pokémon, muffling and silencing their blood-curdling shrieks of horror. Acting on his own accord, Deoxys shot forward for the remains, digging and pushing through the debris. He was somewhat aware of what he was doing, his mind split on two sides of fleeing the scene and saving the trapped souls. Around him the destruction continued, but he payed no heed. He kept searching like mad, throwing aside brick and concrete shards.

He got further enough he ran into the fresh body of a girl, though the condition made him shrink back. From what was recognizable of the bloody head trauma, and crushed limbs, she was fairly young, possibly not yet a teenager. Dusty red hair was splitting from the ponytails, almost scalped clean off only to hang by threads of skin. She had obviously died very shortly after the building fell, for her eyes were closed, unlike the other person Deoxys found a short distance away. He was killed on impact, eyes wide in silent, final terror and filling up with blood. His bones were completely shattered and pierced through skin. What made the discovery more gruesome was his severed torso. It disturbed him enough to stop him from digging up more corpses, and the alien fled, flying south. He couldn't determine if his spasming was from sorrow or repulsiveness.

Glancing down in mid-flight, he spotted the numerous fault lines and the few fleeing survivors that were native Pokémon. He descended to one of them, a shaken up Zigzagoon who stopped to stare at him. “What town was that back there?” he asked after gulping down breaths.

“Oledale! Or what's left of it!” it squeaked, tears in its dark eyes. “You didn't happen to see a little girl there, did you?”

“Which one?” He distinctly remembered seeing many young children the run around, crying for their parents.

“I was her Pokémon, she told me to run when the fiery rocks landed and when her parents dragged her away. She's a redhead. See anyone like that?”

Deoxys had to swallow, the image of the dead girl flashing before his eyes. “I-I saw her... ponytails, right?”

It nodded vigorously. “Yeah, yeah, that's her! Where is she, is she all right? Did she send you to look for me?”

There then came a sudden tremor, tearing the ground beneath them. The startled Zigzagoon yelped, jumping to the side to avoid the chasm. His footing, however, failed him, and he slipped into the darkness, the earthly jaws sliding into a narrow strip as quickly as it came. Deoxys was too taken aback to give a shout, too slow to grab the creature, to pull him to safety. He stepped back, stumbling around the uneven ground and falling to his knees. Right underneath the earth made attempt to devour him as well while his guard was dropped. Overhead, his name was hollered out and a shadow swept over, claws scooping his frozen figure off his feet and carrying him to the sky. Almost immediately, he began to struggle. “Release me, what the hell is wrong with you?!”

“With me? What the hell is wrong with you?” the voice retorted, shaking him. “Are you insane to stay down there? There's a bloody earthquake tearing the ground apart with you on top of it!”

“Rayquaza, I mean it! I have to get down there!”

The dragon kept a strong hold on him with his strength nearly gone and his body more bruised and broken than before. “There's nothing you can do, it's over with!”

“No, NO! There's more down there!”

“You weren't doing a damn thing, I saw what happened! You let that Zigzagoon die!”

Deoxys, pausing in his struggle, fell limp and screamed at the top of his lungs. “YES, YES, I LET HIM DIE! BUT I LET THOSE OTHER PEOPLE DIE!”

Rayquaza flinched slightly, slowly releasing his hold, leaving the alien to levitate shakily before him. He was confused, but frightened at his sudden surrender. Deoxys was always one to defend himself, to counteract with nasty names and pick a fight without backing down. Very rarely did he let emotions other than anger take control. He was gone for only five minutes, and yet something had happened that caused him to break. Normally, this would be an astounding victory for the Air Titan had it not been for the obvious destruction keeping them occupied. Seeing his long-time rival as a shivering wreck who was waiting for death concerned him. “Deoxys... did you see something down there?”

The answer was a snort and a shake of the head. “Why should you care?”

“Whatever happened down there affects life as we know it. Now for Arceus' sake, what happened?”

“Don't be an ass-kisser, you just want to rub it in my face later.”

“Don't be a smart-aleck, this is serious!” the dragon shouted. “What did you see down there, Deoxys?!”

“None of your damn business.”

Rayquaza smacked him up-side the head with his tail, catching his attention. “Deoxys, I swear to Arceus, I will do worse things to you than whatever Hell is throwing at us down there if you don't answer me!” he growled, his lone eye flashing. “What did you see?”

Rubbing at his head, but returning the glare, the alien replied harshly, “I saw the Grim Reaper down there, probably harvesting more souls than you've ever seen. Hell, I shouldn't even call him the Reaper, whoever he is. Before my eyes, I saw a whole town get demolished by whatever's going on down there. There were people screaming and pleading for mercy, all while being buried alive. It's no different for the Pokémon, either. There is something non-human going on down there, Rayquaza, whatever it is, it's not the humans' fault.”

“I'm not accusing humans of doing this, Deoxys.”

“Like hell you are!” Deoxys snapped, oculars blazing in anger. “That's all this has been the last two months! Screw it, the last few decades! Ho-oh has been talking about it, everyone has! They all say humans will eventually kill themselves off, but no human can do this kind of damage, this kind of carnage, no matter how many wars they fight! I don't care what you think, there is no freakin' way this is the result of mankind. I'll let you know that in my lifetime, I've seen planet civilizations end in a more peaceful manner than this. As far as I know, this is where Hell presides on, and it just got its ass kicked.”

The two Legendaries sneered at each other, letting the words sink in. It was an uncomfortable feeling, being out-of-tune from the world as its dying cried from below while two immortal beings silently fought, refusing to accept the reality and the opinions of the other. The rivals, as much as their anger overtook them, couldn't find the will to say another word or even throw a punch. Rayquaza slowly turned his back and flew off, disappearing quickly into the distance. Deoxys remained where he was, lowering his gaze to the demolished land that was once Littleroot. It had met the same fate as its neighbor, only its slightly smaller population was eradicated quicker, and seemingly more cleaner. The world, from where he was, was suddenly a lot more quieter.

His tormented mind couldn't take it. He willingly allowed his sobs to split the silence.

*~*~*

It wanted out, to cause destruction upon the land. Volcanoes and yawning trenches were their only exits, and not even Heatran or Groudon could stop them up. Susceptible to the heat, they were mercilessly pushed away by the tremendous force as the blood of the earth rushed forward to take those unfortunate enough to be in the path to their hellish graves. In vain, they built up barriers on the possible routes only to have an earthquake tear them down. They only went underground to travel to other areas, mainly to get to an island, just to arrive too late or in time to witness living beings burn. Luck only gave a few places time to run for it, as the lava flows were creeping across the land, but if that didn't reach them, the earthquakes and ashes did.

Entei, in spite of his speed and liability to reach towns and cities quicker than the others, couldn't handle seeing everything die around him. He did his best, sending Pokémon down escape paths and even nudging a few humans into the same direction. At one point, he even had to carry out a child who had refused to budge, wanting his mother. Both times, it ended with a being's demise in some horrible way or another. Those who fled avoided faults and falling debris until their cockiness killed them off, or they dropped their guard and didn't see the on-coming tree. The boy the beast tried to save would have made it if he didn't try to leap over a river in his way. Had Groudon not fished him out, Entei would have drowned with the youngster.

When he had regained consciousness, he cursed the land titan for saving him instead of the human. “I didn't see a boy with you,” he defended himself, trying hard not to yell. “How was I supposed to know?”

“That's your own damn fault for being so large!” the volcanic dog snapped, glaring daggers. “Your eyes are so small, it's a wonder I'm even making eye-contact!”

“That's coming from a Legendary who constantly cleans his fur every time he eats, it looks like you have a beard,” Groudon retorted back, snorting steam. “Just shut your trap and get back to saving the world.”

“How the hell is this saving the world?!” he challenged, pointing out the mass destruction around them. “The trees are burning up, the ground's breaking apart, the frickin' sky is falling! Every living being is dying, and you're telling me to shut up and get to work?”

“As a matter of fact, I am! It's our duty, right?”

“And how would you know? You've been asleep most of the time, what is there for you to protect? What do they owe you?”

Gritting his teeth, the reptilian titan snarled, “Stop being a prick and help us! Ho-oh commanded us to do this, and I'm going to do it!” Huffing more puffs of smoke, the gargantuan turned around to storm off. “And there's nothing you can do to stop me.”

Entei prepared himself to pounce for an attack only to be taken aback by Heatran crawling out from the ground, shaken up and dripping with lava. “Oh, Arceus, it's like the earth detonated, or something!” he gasped, glancing between the two Legendaries. “What... what are you two arguing over?”

Groudon scoffed and spun back around to point menacingly at the lion-like Legendary. “That jackass there blames me for saving his ass.”

He in turn guffawed, rolling his eyes. “How clever. But you left out the part where I risked my life trying to save a human boy.”

Heatran leaned forward. “Where is he?”

“Floating up the river somewhere.”

“YOU HEARTLESS BASTA—!”

Popping a four-clawed foot into Entei's face, the Lava Dome Legendary leered up at the titan. “Why must you mock a young child's death? Especially when you know his blood is on your hands.”

Groudon, his pride not letting him admit to his mistake, stammered, “W-Well you're one to talk! What happened to Lavaridge? Did you arrive in time?”

Hanging his head, Heatran released the struggling Legendary Beast, who in turn held back a spitfire of curses to hear his report. “I felt Mount Chimney erupt before I reached Oledale's soil,” he sighed. “Its eruption sparked a severe tremor that hit Lavaridge and surrounding cities and towns within minutes. Even the after shocks were terrifying.” A shaky breath. “I never stepped foot there. It was already ground zero even before Chimney blew its top.”

“You're wrong!” Entei barked. “I was just there! I was carrying a native boy away from that place before the lava reached the first building!”

“How well did he take it?”

Silence overcame him, his amber eyes darting away with a hint of anger and sadness. He felt it was right to snatch up the child in hopes his life would be spared. He, in the meantime, kept screaming he was a “devil hound” stealing him away. The struggles proved tiresome, and the kid was winning. It was, technically, his reason for their falling into the river. As remorseful as he felt about it, he secretly felt the boy deserved the blame. There was that possibility he was too far in darkness to care if he lived or died. His screams of help were painful to hear, but he kept spouting out nasty names for Entei. He let the boy drown, one of his newly-added skeletons.

But no one else needed to know that.

Groudon, though he was still furious over the beast's stubbornness, found himself bowing his head in respect. His husky voice grew quiet, almost into wordless growls. “It doesn't matter what happened to that boy, or even that you didn't bother to strive for Lavaridge. There are still people and Pokémon out there in danger. Don't they matter right now?”

Mutely, they agreed. Their job still had yet to be halted or deemed a failure. They had hope the earth and its remaining inhabitants would be spared. Parting ways to return to duty, they prayed they and their fellow Legendaries would be successful. If they win the battle, everything will get better.

In their hearts, however, they knew this was not meant to be. Everyone was to fail. It was living they were worried about. Each of them had a similar question they wanted answered:

Were they fated to live, or die with the world?

Upon happening across the boy's body, Entei couldn't help losing his faith.

*~*~*

Oceans heated up from the amount of volcanic activity and landing meteorites, cooking their inhabitants alive and setting sea vessels on fire. Kyogre and Manaphy were protected from the rise in temperature, but they wished they weren't, the young one especially. Before their eyes, they watched their beloved sea creatures, the ones they were to protect, burn from the inside out as their blood boiled, a few even exploding from the pressure. Others were drowning from the rising sea as the cause of melting ice; some were carried away by the enormous waves or sucked into deeper waters by opening faults. Slowly, but steadily, the sea was dying.

The waters weren't meant to disappear, fate wouldn't allow it.. Though the ones who gave the oceans life and form were the wicked ones, it suffered. As storms and fire raked through, everything changed one way or another. If life did indeed start in the sea, then life would end in the same way. But Kyogre knew better. There were creatures who weren't meant to adapt to water, and those died off first. Any human or earth-bound Pokémon trapped at sea was doomed to their watery graves, it was inevitable. The sea's inhabitants, in the meantime, while they could take the waves tossing them to and fro, could not survive at depths their bodies couldn't handle or the rise in temperature. Some dared to take refuge on land (as there were few who could) only to end up cornered by tremendous earthquakes. However, there were others who accepted their fate and went quietly without a fight. The ones who watched them go called them crazy, and selfishly tried to save themselves.

They could only go so far by sea.

And only rescue, evacuation, and guardianship could do so much.

Manaphy wailed from his seat on Kyogre's head, body absorbing the raindrops naturally and healing the burn marks. The whale let him cry; he could shed tears forever and not become dehydrated as long as he was in contact with water. While he himself was tempted to weep, his pride wouldn't allow him. (His reputation argued that if anyone, mainly Groudon, saw him cry, he would never let him live it down.) He could, of course, curse Arceus for everything. If he wanted to, right at that moment, he could scream into the sky. Go ahead, let Arceus know how much you hate Him right now, his mind persisted. If it had a physical form, it was grinning evilly at him saying so. Just repeat after me: 'Damn you, Arceus. Damn it all. You lied to us, and now we pay. If you were God like you said you were, you would have prevented this.' I could go on, but I'm leaving it up to you.

He could still hear the youngster atop his skull sobbing his heart out. It was enough to get him to fight the enticement. Still, the voice he could swear wasn't of his own chuckled to itself. Doesn't matter. He heard it anyway. Shame on you, Kyogre, for thinking about it.

In the warm waters, he shivered before the unfamiliar presence left. As frightening as it was, the titan concurred it was the truth. As a divine being, Arceus knew all. And being connected to Him in some way as a Legendary, Kyogre was in trouble.

Somewhere far off, as he stared at the buoyant, cooling corpses, the Legendary cetacean could hear distant, sinister laughter, a disturbance in the howling wind. “I win.”

The following silence as the storm passed above them was witness enough Manaphy heard it as well.

*~*~*

Forests everywhere were burning, crumbling. Pokémon screamed out in terror as they packed in herds fleeing from the danger. None, no matter how hard they tried, couldn't escape the earthquakes, massive flames, and falling trees ripping their homes apart. It made this forest in Mount Silver no less different. Celebi and Suicune tried to lead them to safety, only to watch them be swallowed up or crushed, their hope dying with them. A young Larvitar, under the watchful eye of the Forest Guardian, wriggled through the gaps in desperate effort to flee the scene, tears filling its vision. He followed after, trying his hardest to steer him from danger and blasting boughs out of the way. The child hardly acknowledged his help, too frightened and deep in thought to notice. He just ran where his feet would carry him, obeying his mother's command to run and never look back. Hopefully, she wasn't too far behind.

Celebi, in the meantime, wanted to catch him and get him to safety. The smoke and his alertness to the perilous surroundings kept him from shooting forward and scooping the Larvitar into his arms. He was too far behind, in terms of inches, and the child wasn't paying attention. Ignoring Suicune's cries to forget it, that it wasn't worth it, he pushed himself to make it his duty to protect it. While the forests still stand, he's the guardian, and thus every inhabitant's life is in his hands. If one more soul died under his surveillance, he would never live with himself. He'd be begging Arceus to strike him dead for being a failure. And he knew that no matter how many times he'd travel back in time, he could never save them all. That perfectionist mind squirmed, causing him to crash into a tree he missed due to a blind spot.

He hissed a swear, pressing a hand to his bruised eye as he backed away. He resumed chase, letting out a swear at the space between them and the drop up ahead. The youngling was too blind with fright, it was inevitable he wasn't going to make it. Still, he was bound to his calling, and figured if he died saving the young one, then so be it. He decided to speak to him, to encourage the nestling to stay in place so he could catch up, or at least make him change route. “Child!” he called out. “You are heading for certain death! Change direction now!”

Only one part of his planned worked. The Larvitar did hear him and stopped in his tracks, frantically looking around for the source. Misfortune chose that time to fell a tree, and Celebi only watched in horror as the child was crushed beneath the wood, the shattering of the armor sending shivers throughout his body. He screamed out in frustration and terror, swerving around and finding his way back to Suicune. She had followed him to ensure his safety, startling him out of the air when she jumped over a severed trunk. “Damn it, Celebi, I told you it wasn't worth it!” she yelled at him, roughly nudging him with her snout. “There's nothing we can do here, we need to leave!”

Shakily, he beat his wings to float, rubbing smudge from his eyes. He took trembling breaths to steady himself. “I-I know... it's just... I can feel the forest dying.”

“The earth is dying, Celebi,” the Legendary North Wind corrected. “We all can feel it, not just to our assigned duties. Now if we don't hurry, we'll both die here. Help me find Raikou, he ran off somewhere as well.”

“Hey, sis,” he blurted from behind, out of breath.

She smacked him out of fright (but more from habit), barking out curses that made him flinch. “I swear to Arceus, Raikou, you do that again, I'll brutally murder you!” she threatened after the wave of obscenities passed. Then she curtly gestured to a direction and shot off, her brother not far behind.

Celebi did his best not to lose them from sight, but in his weakened state, it was hard to keep up. His vision started to become unfocused and watery, breathing labored, and wings tired from holding his weight up. The heat was also getting to him, drying him out the farther he staggered into the fiery forest. As tree boughs crackled and collapsed around him, he was finding it more and more difficult to side-step. Eventually, his energy depleted, and he crashed face-first into the hot dirt. He mentally screamed at himself for giving up so quickly, and struggled to stand so he could run for it. Above him came the crack of breaking wood, and he ducked his head.

Somewhere ahead, Raikou stopped in his tracks, glancing behind him. “Hey, Suicune! Where's Celebi?”

She skidded to a pause and plodded back to his side, confused. “What? He's behind us, shouldn't he?”

They scanned through the smoke best they could, but couldn't see the pixie or his shadowed figure anywhere. Hissing more nasty swears, Suicune bounded off, her brother at her heels. They gracefully dodged every flame and branch threatening to keep them from finding Celebi. Because the smoke was thick the further in, they almost missed the Legendary lying motionless on the ground underneath a split trunk. They both gasped at the sight, and immediately rushed over. “Carry him,” she told the lighting tiger just before picking him up with her teeth and dropping him onto his back.

He just frowned, staring at his limp arms. “I don't think he'll stay on very long like that,” he noted.

“Arceus damn it all,” she growled, but snatched Celebi back up and ran off. It took all her will to keep from chomping him in half while they fled through the maze of fire. Occasionally, they ran into a dead-end, too-large an obstacle, or other Pokémon needing their help. It was painful to pass each of them, knowing their blood was on their paws for acknowledging their existence. These once-strong creatures were helpless in this certain situation. They had tried taking refuge in Mount Silver's cave, up until the entrance caved in, trapping every living thing inside. Raikou was unfortunate enough to witness the tragedy unfold as child and parent were separated or killed together. When the mighty mountain will fall, only time could tell. He secretly hoped they wouldn't see it happen.

Fate was cruel to him and his sibling to torment them as they mistakenly looked back to watch the mountain crumble, and unexpectedly become a new, temporary volcano. The earthquakes had gotten severe enough they carried the magma to the surface, flowing and creating a path to its escape. Suicune secretly cursed Celebi's unconsciousness, for he was lucky enough to not see the entire Silver Valley burn and buried by volcanic ash and rocks.

Both the Legendary Beasts wept until they were chased away by the wind-swept ash and smoke.

*~*~*

Mount Coronet fell in pride, closing up the vortex to Giratina's home world. He could care less at the moment. For now, the remaining cities were in danger, now that Coronet snatched away Eterna and Hearthome with its rock slides. Celestic Town and Oreburgh were the next closest, but he had the unshakable feeling they were already being destroyed by the earthquakes. There really was little he could do. Either way, what could he really do? A Legendary feared by all, but regarded as just a myth, would only cause more people to flee for their deaths. Fear had a funny way of affecting people as such. Feeble they were to their emotions, they were easily blinded and clouded because of them. So again, he thought, what was the point in it all?

For one thing, wasn't he supposed to be the rouge, the menace to society and the world itself? Didn't he revel in misery, agony, and death, even feed off of it? How many souls did he lure into his Distortion World so he could devour them alive? That was the curse Arceus had bestowed upon him when he was banished. He was left to fend for himself, and he chose innocent living beings as his nourishment, a sadistic entertainment in hopes of striking fear in the hearts of many and give him dreams to reflect on. It was enjoyable for a while, at least until he eradicated Team Galactic. After the last member's bones were picked clean and his soul destined for Hell, Giratina found himself unable to sleep for weeks on end, haunted by his past deeds and plagued with endless nightmares. He literally had to beg Darkrai and Cresselia to disband the dreams and ensure him a peaceful rest for up to a few decades. It only lasted five years.

With the belief he was going insane, the demon spent more time out of his dimension in the hopes the spirits trapped there would eventually leave. No, once he stepped foot outside, he was barraged by restless souls he never touched. Since he could see them, they came to him for help or, as time went on, to curse him. They would follow him for miles before new ones took their place—a never-ending cycle. Everywhere he turned, Giratina would see at least one in the streets staring blankly at him, spiritual eyes piercing through him. It was a frightening experience, he secretly admitted, but more-so when the encountered soul was one of wicked intentions. Those ones were nearly unbearable to even glance at.

The longer he watched the destruction below, the more the sea of shimmering spirits grew. Some left for the other side, but others lingered, whether by their free will or because they were earth-bound. He could easily point out the good from the bad, had it not been the dark auras quickly over-taking them and shielding away the innocent from his sight. But as evil as they were, they all did the most peculiar thing: they all lifted their eyes to the sky. The dragon was sure they all were watching him, but only a few seemed to notice he was there. He shivered under their stares, but the curious behavior captivated him. Could he talk to them, he'd swoop down to the closest spirit and ask what they were doing and why.

His thoughts were interrupted by Palkia's booming voice as he rushed for his side—literally—pushing him over. He instinctively growled, shoving back. “What the hell is your problem?!” he snapped, baring his teeth.

“Me? What about you?” the bipedal gargantuan snorted. “Didn't you hear me? I just said my share of protection failed, everyone and everything is destroyed.”

It was predictable, Giratina knew he didn't have the power of protection for what remained of the south-western part of Sinnoh. If the radiation poisoning didn't kill everyone, the natural disasters must have. With a cold sneer, he retorted back, “And did you do a damn thing about it at all?”

“How could I? There's hardly anything left down there!” Palkia spat off to the side. “That bomb did more damage than what Mother Nature is offering. She's been more merciful to end mortality. Now how about you?” and he gestured with his head at what remained of Mount Coronet. “Did you do a damn thing about it all, now that we're on topic? Or did the bomb save you the energy?”

As tempted as he was to swing his massive tail at his smug expression, Giratina stood his ground. “I lost everything, so you tell me,” he growled, crimson eyes sparking to life.

“Oh boo-hoo, I did too when Spear Pillar collapsed.” The space dragon's tone of voice sounded very sarcastic, it nearly boiled the rebel's blood. “That was two months ago, but guess what? I got over it. It can be rebuilt, and I'm sure the Distortion World can as well. Now stop your whining and get to work.”

“What work?” came the hiss, causing Palkia to recoil slightly. “We may be Legendaries and working our asses off trying to save everything and everyone, even to the point where we die, but who's going to congratulate us and give us a memorial when we're gone and everything's fine and dandy? Nobody! Don't you see, Sherlock, it's done for! Not even you, Dialga, or Arceus Himself can fix this or prevent it from happening. Once the world forgot us, it destroyed itself, and this is coming from someone who would have destroyed the world had it not been for you bastards sealing me away. Doesn't that raise a red flag to you or something, huh? I saw this coming from miles away, but I did nothing. What could I do except help guide dead people to where they're supposed to go. You can't see what I'm seeing right now, and what I do see is not very pleasant. I'm sure that if you had my eyes, you'd be having a whole different attitude right now.”

“Oh, being all moody and broody about everything?”

Had it not been for Dialga coming into the picture with his own bad news, Giratina would have pounced on the Space Guardian and ripped him to shreds. “Oh, come off it, you two, this is no time to fight,” he intervened, pushing away the renegade with his tail.

“To hell with it, everything's downhill from here!” Giratina roared, his gold-plated head glinting when he whirled around to face the newcomer. “Why should you care?! It's not like Sinnoh is going to implode any further than it already is!”

Chewing his lip, the Time Guardian averted his gaze. “Well... that's the problem...”

Immediately, their faces fell, and the demonic wings wilted. “What...?”

“Um... remember those legends about Spear Pillar... that it's the source of Sinnoh's very origin?”

“What about it?” Palkia spoke up worriedly. “Are you saying it's a catalyst as well?”

If Dialga had actual shoulders, he'd be shrugging them. “Well, not really, but... Okay, you know those meteorites? Well, while they're affecting more of Hoenn and parts of Johto, and Kanto is having its own problems, Sinnoh, being so up north as it is, shouldn't be touched by those things.”

“Then what the hell explains the earthquakes?” Giratina huffed, wanting his rival to get on with it.

“It took two months for whatever reason for the full effect, even though I have heard from Uxie the continent has been going through some harsh times.” The ghostly being snorted, rolling his eyes. “Well, ever since Spear Pillar was destroyed, it's been... err...”

Abruptly, the smallest of them roared out a nasty expletive, which in turn brought their attention, the Renegade Legendary especially. “Whoa, Palkia! What the hell?!”

Waving his claws around, he apologized, then said, “That explains the fault line running through Sinnoh! It's breaking apart!”

“YOU SERIOUS?!”

“It's going to separate, maybe even sink into the sea!”

A fierce Aura Sphere was sent blasting into the earth beneath them, startling the others. “DAMN IT! Dialga, where's the Lake Trio, Cresselia and Darkrai?! Do they know of this?!”

“We do now,” and Azelf made himself known, dragging his siblings behind him with Darkrai not far off.

The Alpha Legendaries gaped at the damage done to them, even though it wasn't as gruesome as Rayquaza's were. The Lake Trio were equally covered in scratches and a few open wounds, though one of Azelf's gems was missing from the tail, resulting in a bleeding hole. Mesprit wasn't hurt like her brothers, but her silent tears and blank stares gave hints of emotional damage. Uxie had a grim cut running down his face that looked to be sloppily healed, and was missing the end of a tail. Darkrai, in the meantime, looked horrible. His wavy cloud-like hair was matted and uneven, the bangs nearly gone from his face. The spiked collar of his was in ruin with tips ripped off or cracked, and his cloak torn almost to shreds. His hands were covered in blood, and it was obvious his left arm was broken. It was also possible he had gone blind in one eye. Being in the amount of pain he was in, it was astonishing he could still transport himself around.

Uxie spoke up in their behalf. “We didn't do as well as we hoped. Everything has given up on us.” He tilted his head up at Dialga. “Sinnoh's life has come to an end, and yet we still live. How is that possible?”

The diamond-clad dragon only shook his head. “I'm not sure. We may have suffered mortal damage, but we still stand. It's almost... unnatural.”

“Considering that we're living beings and are connected to our homeland, it's logical we die with it.”

“That's true with the other regions, right?” the phantom inquired, careful not to disturb his injured arm when he grasped it in place.

“It should, anyway.”

Palkia looked around at the horizons, frowning. “Was Cresselia ever with one of you, by any chance?”

“We haven't seen her fly with us since we passed Evergrande,” Azelf thought back, searching as well. “I was too caught up in my duty to even think of it.”

“How about Shaymin? Did you find her?”

They all shook their heads except for Darkrai, whose expression faded into solemnity. He glanced around briefly, his good eye flashing in a pulse-like manner. It made their hearts leap at the sight and from his quiet voice. “I'm sensing some fear not too far off. It must be hers.”

“You sure it's not a human's or regular Pokémon?” Dialga made sure, though he knew it wasn't the case.

“No. The aura's too familiar. It has to be her.”

“Where's it coming from? Lead us there.”

With a quick nod, the phantom swooped to the right, racing for the direction of Solaceon. The others immediately followed suit, swallowing their worry in ready to pass the destruction. Giratina took a swift peek at the souls below, flinching when groups made eye-contact. What if they were to come up to him down there? What goes through the mind of a spirit, if one dared call it a mind? Would any of them recognize him in the meantime and give blame? He didn't know why he, a villainous character himself, was fretting over such a thing. For all he knew, it was the thought of Sinnoh splitting that was making him skittish about it. That could be it.

The group reached ground within minutes, and Darkrai began shuffling through the rubble with his good arm, encouraging the others to do so. They shrank at the sight of bodies and blood, but turned away to resume their searching. Finally, Mesprit gave a cry of success and grief. “Shaymin, oh Shaymin, wake up!”

Everyone dropped what they held and rushed to the fairy's side, gaping at the unconscious hedgehog. Her flowers were completely demolished, there were bald patches on her grassy back, and it was apparent a leg was shattered. She was having respiratory problems from being buried for so long and (Uxie guessed) of a broken rib. The Emotion Legendary shed more tears as she screamed out her name like it would revive her. She only ceased when her brothers yelled in her ear to “snap out of it and get to healing” in which she did so to the best of her current status.

Giratina had been shivering violently the whole time since he landed, trying to keep his focus on the pitiful scene before him. The urges pricking at the back of his mind, however, made him insane enough he spun around to face a small gathering throng of the deceased. They stood feet away, staring into his eyes with a look that froze his senses and held him in place. One of them stepped forward, identifiable as a young girl no younger than eight clothed in white robes much like the others were in, but were too large on her. Her large eyes broke something cold inside of him when they crossed visions. He was sure her body was mangled somewhere beneath debris, so why her spirit had to be free of scars and afflictions of any kind was beyond him. She then spoke in a melancholy, echoing tone:

“Why did we have to die? What did we do wrong?”

His peers were taken aback by the sudden show of tears forming, looking around him to see nothing but a city of ruin. Darkrai, however, was focused on the small girl standing at the foot of Giratina, frowning up at him. He forced himself to look away and scoop up the motionless body of Shaymin. “That's enough, she'll live,” he gruffly told Mesprit. “We need to leave. Someone needs to tell Giratina that.” Having said what needed, he took off for the south.

Palkia gave the spaced-out Legendary a light smack to the head, though he barely flinched. “Hey, let's go. We'll grieve later.”

“H-How will we know when the region's... split?” the pink fairy sniffled, clinging to her brothers.

“When you live in one area long enough, you grow attached to it to the point it grows within your heart and soul,” her wise sibling muttered, head bowed. “As protectors of Sinnoh, we have a special connection to its life-source. We'll know when it does. We'll be feeling it at roughly the same time.” He let out a sorrowful sigh. “If we could feel the origin collapse, then surely we can feel the end.” Tugging at Mesprit's hand, he led the way with Azelf's permission.

Palkia tried again to get his rival's attention. “Yo, we're leaving. Didn't you hear me?”

Even though he was still at attention with the girl, Giratina managed a nod, finally getting his wings to work. Painfully, he looked away, not bothering to steal a glance at the other Legendaries, and took flight behind the Lake Trio. Steadily, the presences of gazes lessened the further and higher he traveled until it only left a dull pang of guilt in his core. Secretly, he was grateful everyone was keeping to themselves the whole time, so he was left to his own thoughts. The time spent was in vain struggles to get the words out of memory so he could focus on everything else.

It was around the moment they flew into Hoenn territory that one by one, each Sinnoh Legendary paused in mid-flight, contracting a terrible wave of nausea when their hearts felt like they burst. Mesprit quaked with tears and had to be supported by her siblings, falling limp in their arms. Shaymin, who had awaken sometime ago and was struggling against Darkrai's hold and crying for release, grew silent, bowing her head. Being the most cold-hearted of them all, Giratina even found himself choking back a sob.

Indeed, his mind finally reluctantly agreed, what did we do wrong?

He, alongside with everyone else, felt a part of his soul die with his homeland.

*~*~*

Hatred destroyed the many cities Mewtwo visited. However, not even that could cause buildings to crumble to dust in mere seconds. It made people scream in agonized rage, but never in agonized horror. It murdered people in numerous ways, yet the way these people died, not even scheming killers could brew them up. There was no hope for them; the earth swallowed them up by the dozens with each tremor, buildings buried them deep in rubble, others were merely trampled on by the fleeing crowds.

The psycat teleported from city to city in an effort to save the citizens from their impending doom, only to arrive too late. Destruction reigned as panic and death spread like a plague. Screams filled the air, crying out to the heavens for mercy just to be silenced by falling construction and consumption of the ground. Cities and towns that lived by the sea or a volcano suffered even worse fates. Shore-bound metropolises broke off with the cliffs, plunging its screaming inhabitants into the deep. Others below sea level were swept away without a trace. Those unfortunate enough to be built near volcanoes were burned down by the expelling lava, or suffocated by the ash heavily raining down on them. They were all gruesome deaths. And after all the many times of witnessing bloody battles and individuals killing each other off, Mewtwo still couldn't bear the sight of such massacres, even surveying helplessly from afar.

After each failed attempt to save a person or city or town, his willingness to rescue them slowly gave up. When he reached Viridian City, the one place he vowed to never set foot in again, he chose to inertly watch it burn and fall to its knees in the quakes. He grew used to the screams, only flinching whenever he heard the short-lived, but unforgettable shriek of a child. It was cold-hearted to allow it to happen, he was aware of it. Nevertheless, he felt the city had to be destroyed, it had it coming. The terrible influences Team Rocket and other secret combinations left behind degraded a beautiful city to violent trash: a dark shadow of its former self. Mewtwo heard awful stories of what was happening, mainly of what the public media was hiding backstage. Viridian had to be one of the most disgusting places on the planet. As much as it looked lovely on the outside, it concealed more evil secrets than even Celadon or Goldenrod could. Pallet Town, had it not been caught downwind of the spreading wickedness, would have disowned the city as a neighbor.

The longer Mewtwo remained in place, the harder it was to tear his eyes from the devastation. It was wrong to say they deserved it, no one deserves to die horrible deaths, not even his mortal enemies. But the sight of this large city falling to ruins was too incredible not to watch. Never did he believe it would end like this, and he always knew Viridian was to be wiped out. Slow and painful it was, the fires taking their time to burn everything and everyone to stubble, the earth tormenting them with numerous earthquakes, and opening up where they least expected it. It was something out of a movie (and there were many that dealt with worldly destruction), but more of a documentary. They weren't acting, no special effects were being used to make the ground undulate and knock people off their feet, nor were there exploding buildings.

This was real. Movies could never capture the true emotions running through the citizens' faces, could never perfectly record and imitate the screams from a soul. Actors, as hard as they would try, would not come even close.

Real, normal people ran and pleaded for mercy deep in the city below. Real, normal people died in the fires and debris.

There came a long, horrified feminine scream of a name, drowning out the other screams and grabbing Mewtwo's attention. It was from the heart, the mourn of a loved one: a husband, boyfriend, or brother. The way it sounded and echoed, the named man was killed suddenly. He didn't wish to check it out even though this lone person was now of the psycat's own thoughts. From what he could hear of her continuing wails, she was an innocent victim, a good person. She was different from the surrounding wicked beings. Even though he or she could still mourn the loss of a loved one, the heart would not project out a pulse of energy like this human's did. He felt in that one word her love for him, the fear of forever losing him in the afterlife... the break of a bond.

Then, like the crack of a whip, her cries ended abruptly. Others filled its place, but hers never resounded. The pulse dissolved, and his senses returned. He didn't have to fly down there to know what had happened. How she died, he didn't wish to know.

Mewtwo found himself shivering where he hovered, a good reason for him to turn his back on the city. The screams didn't bother him now, not while they were forever engraved in his memories.

It seemed right that no one deserved death of any kind. But the decision was final.

Viridian was left to die.

*~*~*

The Tree was dying, despite it being the life of the world. The rebellion happening throughout the land was killing it, forcing it to drastically begin absorbing away the auras of others. Its inhabitants, usually immune to its feeding, felt the drainage hitting them hard, and were slowly tasting death. Tell-tale bloody glows from the crystals signified a malfunction in the Tree, but many were more concerned about their life than their home. Inside the heart, Mew was trying her very hardest to stabilize it—if she managed to even touch the crystals. It made little sense why it was refusing to heal, she had gotten there before the power surge went off the charts. It was like her interference was making it worse, even though lack of aura caused it to go haywire. As far as she knew, the planet-wide destruction was abruptly ending too many lives for the Tree to replenish itself. It had no choice but to use back-up source.

Being immortal, Mew was untouched from the life-sucking veins deep in the earth. Her neighbors, on the other hand, were starting to drop dead, living sacrifices to the greed that belonged to the Tree of Beginnings. As powerful as she was, there wasn't a chance she would take back control and restore everything to normal. Once the Tree went berserk, it dictated itself. She was left with no other options but to try and destroy it, even if it meant destroying the world. Unfortunately, to kill the heart, she needed to take control of the main crystal and throw it into reverse, thus spitting out its life-source of aura. And the Tree wasn't allowing her.

“Damn it!” she swore when the crystal backfired the umpteenth time, propelling her to the ground. Covered in burns, she picked herself up, wincing at the stings. She glared directly at it, eyes long adjusted to the crimson light it emitted. “It's out of control. It won't respond to my aura.” Glancing to a nearby shard, she locked on to the old pair of gloves that remained in their place since the last time the Tree needed to heal. Its living sacrifices were still embroidered into a cracked crystallized wall nearby, scars she had nearly forgotten about until now. Like a fever, the dying Tree was giving off intense amounts of heat from underneath the earth's surface. It wouldn't be long before the heart melts or breaks, carrying the two imprisoned souls with it.

She wasn't close to the other side as Darkrai and Giratina, but she could feel presences of spirits from time to time. There were few deaths in the Tree alone, so these two were especially felt, mainly in the room where they died for the sake of the world. Left undisturbed for many centuries—about a whole millennium for Sir Aaron—in the belief their bodies were frozen in time, Mew was upset when the walls had begun cracking, afraid it would split them apart like a puzzle. The gloves that belonged to the man were left untouched for their memory, the sacred monument she forbade others to disturb. As much as she didn't want to, the lingering spirits were pressurizing her to pick them up. It would allow her immortality to open and use her aura to heal the Tree.

Hesitantly, she inched for the gloves, reverently picking them up into her tiny paws. Thoughts of concern about size differences clouded her mind until the demands telling her to put them on pushed them out. She obeyed, and an ancient power began snaking through her veins. Taking a deep breath, Mew flew back to the main crystal hands held out, concentrating on discharging her aura. Almost immediately, her arms shook, and the gloves started to glow a blue-green in the jewel. “Yes, yes!” she breathed excitedly, tears welling up in her eyes. It's working!

Her expectations, however, were too great. Even though the aura blasted out as a translucent bubble, expanding the more her aura collected, when it covered the crystals and the beam of light, the rejection resorted into a reversal. The force of the aura being quickly sucked back into her body shoved a breathless Mew into the wall, right onto the cracks and cut open her back, the shards embedding into the wounds. Upon impact, the crystals shattered then disintegrated to ash. She landed on her stomach, shivering from her affliction and helplessly watching the entire wall fall apart before her eyes. When it came to the destruction of the heroes' graves, she turned away, pressing her forehead to the hot, glassy floor. The presences of their spirits were immediately gone when the wall was demolished, which developed an icy sickness to spread throughout her heart. As much as the Legendary wanted to remain on the ground to mourn for the loss, the intense heat caused her to shoot up away from it. In puffs of dust, the area where she laid was disposed.

Gasping, Mew looked around the room. Her eyes widened when she saw the scattered destruction inch for the crystals, the beginning of the Tree's death. There was no other resort left she could use to save it now, not when it was futile.

She needed to escape while she could.

Flying out of the room without a backward glance, the feline entered into dangerous territory. With the heart slowly being killed, the Tree was scheduled to collapse. Time was running out. All around her, crystal spires fell to ruin, and from the distance, Pokémon gave off their last feeble cries. An earthquake then occurred while she was in a tunnel, causing a cave in. Mew swerved for another entrance to avoid it, but her tail got caught in the rock slide with a crunch. She crashed to the ground, pinned. Looking up, she saw one of the white blood cells in the form of a Lileep round the corner, charging for her. She screamed when it snatched her with its tentacles, attempting to swallow her at the risk of tearing off her crushed tail.

She was half-way in when it suddenly exploded, its gelatinous remains absorbing into the ground. Gasping for breath, Mew glanced up to see Jirachi levitating above her, eyes illuminating a pleasant blue. “Jirachi!” she sobbed, reaching up for him. “Oh, thank Arceus you're here!”

“Mew, what was that thing?” he asked, descending to grasp her out-stretched paw. “What happened, you okay?”

She shook her head. “I think my tail's broken.” She glanced back at her trapped appendage. “The Tree's falling apart, I can't do a thing. I tried to fix it, but it got way out of control. A-And normally its immune system doesn't attack Pokémon.”

“Can you Teleport out?”

“The Tree won't let me, not while it's feeding.”

The Wish Maker turned his attention to the mound of rocks, the blue veil over his oculars glowing more brilliantly. “Duck and cover,” he warned, pressing an arm to his chest.

Mew did as she was told, and Jirachi swung the limb around. Within seconds, the pile detonated, leaving behind rubble. Floating forward, he placed his hands at the back of her neck, and slid them down to the bulge of her tail. “Healing Wish,” he whispered, and her body glowed a soft silver. The small feline gave a faint whimper from the shards removing themselves from her skin, burns cooling as they vanished, shattered bones setting themselves back in place and reshaping the appendage to normal. When the healing process was completed, the glow faded. Pleased with his work, Jirachi picked her up, and dusted her off. “Lead the way.”

Giving him a quick hug, she took his hand and they flew down the tunnel. She luckily found a shortcut the moment they spotted another cell (this time a Kabutops) speeding for them, and the star-shaped Legendary was pushed through it before she entered. It was a vein inside an actual tree, the orbs floating upward the same crimson red as everything else. They used them as a fast get-away until Mew spotted an exit and lead an awed Jirachi out into the open. The two fled for the clearing ahead of them, gaping at the wastelands beneath them. “There was a beautiful forest here,” she sadly said, recalling the times she would sit on a cliff and gaze out at the prospering green. “Being so close to the Tree of Beginnings, it flourished like no other forests.” When they were out far enough, she then paused in mid-flight, whirling around to face her last home, her companion mimicking.

It was an unbelievable sight compared to what was happening inside. The Tree was a rock formation covered in real, living trees. At night, if it was healthy enough, one would see the glow from the crystals, giving it the color of leaves even from afar. But as they watched, only Mew knew the actual difference between then and now. The grayed Tree looked diseased letting off a bloody light, slowly dimming as the crystals inside dissolved one by one. The damage done by severe earthquakes had caused the rock to crumble and disfigure, leaving bare spots in one area, but a complete platform on the other. The elevation had been dramatically cut as a result, and it continued to decline as little by little it steadily began to fall. They couldn't hear from where they were, but the guardian knew its inhabitants were crying for help. Dark clouds coming from the Tree were the fleeing Pokémon who were blessed to fly. The falling souls that had grown too weak from their home's gorging looked like rain.

Jirachi, as confused and frightened as he was, couldn't take his tearing eyes off the scene. “Mew...” His voice caught, and he had to swallow a few times to continue. “Mew, is this what the end of the world looks like?”

Her head solemnly bowed at the question. She wouldn't say the answer even if she wanted to. Their tears were enough.

*~*~*

Ho-oh let the wind carry him throughout the world, to mournfully survey the destruction. It was as he feared and envisioned would happen. Despite people saying the world would burn with hellfire, they weren't even close. Yes, some cities and lands did burn, but it wasn't from Hell that he knew of. The fires were caused either by lightning, lava flows, or the fall of buildings. With the exception of the buildings, which were man-made, everything was of nature's own doing. Hell had no control over nature, it never did. Neither did they.

Had the controls been given to them, they could have prevented this. Ho-oh could have saved Ecruteak from burning. Alas, it was not so. It was as though the city was destined to go down in flames. What, did a prophet foretell its damned destruction, or a gypsy jinxed it? Did he and Lugia, by some sheer chance, leave a curse, a sign to the people when the first Tin Tower burned? What had the people done to deserve it?

...he knew the answer. They were idolatrous, more than any other city in Johto, but just as idolatrous as those in Sinnoh. They worshiped him and Lugia before they switched to another idol, and eventually to another. As much as he enjoyed the attention, Ho-oh knew it was wrong. Even after it plagued his heart and thoughts and got him to believe he was a god, he still knew. Arceus may have created him, gave him a special role in life, made him immortal, but he was not even close to a god. Creating Suicune, Entei, and Raikou didn't give him that authority, it never did. The three may look to him as such, but he still wasn't. He had been meaning to tell them the truth, to right the wrong. Why did he have to procrastinate?

Because they looked up to him.

And the people feared him.

It made him realize too little too late that he was the one responsible for the burning of Ecruteak. He could have been the savior, but he was the destroyer for refusing to give up his title as a god. When they forgot him and went to someone else, he made the mistake of thinking everything was fine and dandy because he wasn't involved in their lives anymore. No, their new gods were even lower on the totem pole, and that made things worse.

He came to that conclusion when he arrived to see a micro burst develop over the city. Strong winds began blowing off the rooftops, the heavy downpour caused a flash flood, and lightning struck every few seconds. A few powerful tornadoes had even swept through at different times, up until the Tin Tower caught on fire from the storm. Then the earthquakes hit. Ho-oh had watched the tower fall over the city, the flames spreading everywhere. People unlucky enough to be caught outside were set aflame if they weren't carried by the twisters or washed away. To put some out of their mercy, the ground would split and swallow them up as though sending them down to Hell itself. Others decided to jump into the waters only to drown. The horrified screams and pleading cries from the citizens, young and old, were enough to tell the phoenix Ecruteak was doomed from the start, that he was not meant to be there. So with a painful heart, he left it to die.

Just like he left everything else to die.

He chose to circle the globe and watch the horrific events take place, knowing he wouldn't die, and neither would the other Legendaries. They were all immortal, and because of that, they wouldn't perish from something such as this. Unless the world imploded beneath them, they could survive for years on end without the necessities. Food and water would be an option; they'd feel the need, but they'd live. It was a wonder he pondered over the past two months as to why Mew refused to eat. For all he knew, she always did, making it more of a habit than a necessity. His understanding of immortality was having the need for the necessities, but the desire was an option. She wouldn't die from lack of food, but her desire to not eat wasn't what was killing her. No, there was something else affecting her will to live. Stress? Anxiety? The world's impact?

Ho-oh paused in mid-air, staring down at the wastelands underneath of what he believed to be Orre—or what was left of it. It had always been a desert wasteland, but when the war happened and all the regions went to battle on the land, everything was demolished. Deserts didn't look like deserts anymore, not after all the bombs, radiation, and carnage. It was more or less of a graveyard lacking the tombstones, the dark side of the moon... the ugly side of man. The few cities and towns were more likely wiped off the face of the earth. It was strange how the destruction of Earth was hardly affecting what had happened here. Believable or not, Orre did the dirty work on themselves.

“So... this is the region who bombed us.”

The phoenix didn't have to crane his neck to look at Uxie. He figured by the sound of his voice, he was feeling regretful. Head bowed as he pitifully gazed down with his mind's eye at the remaining land of Orre, the fairy quietly spoke again, a tail flicking. “What was I thinking giving humans their intelligence, when it was obvious they would use that knowledge to expand their weapons and wicked ways? How was I supposed to know they'd build killing machines to infiltrate and take land? Or that they would make harmful drugs and man-made diseases when they are able to create medicine for sicknesses? Even science was never meant to take over man, but they abused it for selfish purposes, even just to rule over them. What was meant to be good has led these people to do evil and their self-destruction. Dear Arceus, what was I thinking...”

Ho-oh nodded slowly, turning around to face the crowd of Legendaries behind him, Psychics holding those earthbound or weakened with their powers. They were all exhausted, some covered in agonizing injuries while others held a traumatizing look of sadness and fear. The feeling of failure hovered around them, pressing down on the guardians with a sense of guilt. All of them knew they could have done better, could have actually prevented such a terrible tragedy from happening. Not one of them needed to speak (if they had the will to) for the Sky Guardian to know the final outcome.

They have failed.

*~*~*

It was quiet. That was the first thing they all noticed when everything subsided at long last. The morning sun shed gray rays of light across the dark land when it slowly rose as though afraid to gaze down at the damage. No songs of greeting sounded in the desolation, no rustling of wildlife. Cities and towns didn't begin to bustle and buzz with human speech, no child ran outside with shrieks of delight. There came no breeze as if it knew there were hardly any surviving trees to pick it up. Gurgling streams were stopped, and the oceans were still. The clouds remained true to their schedules, floating by without a care and innocently white. And in some parts of the world, a light rain fell.

Other than that, the world was empty.

Billions upon billions of creatures great and small had roamed, lived, and walked upon the earth. Now, only thirty-three remained to wander the planet aimlessly, having survived the nightmare they wished was as such: a terrible dream.

The whole face of the land was changed, continents were morphed into different shapes or split into two. Islands disappeared or came to existence by fire. Seas filled gaps and were drained to make room for land. Mountains had fallen and new ones rose to take their place. Valleys collapsed and others carved out. Forests were demolished, yet there were still trees that were spared to carry on the legacy. Scattered throughout the world were ruins of marvelous cities and artifacts, remnants of a previous life.

The Legendaries, tired, cold, and ill from the events of yesterday, spread out to the corners of the earth, trying to pinpoint locations they knew by heart and searching for survivors. No word was spoken between any two of them, they all kept to themselves as they ventured off as individuals. Many started for their homelands, others chose to drift around without a real purpose other than to see the damage. Such was the act of Celebi, who weakly fluttered about desperate for a patch of green in the world of monochrome, briefly reviving places he felt needed a second chance. The few trees that did live weren't the exact hue he was looking for, they were so dreary in their sorrow. Groudon trudged around, unable to admire the expansion of land like he would have centuries past. The only changes he made were filling in deep fissures and leveling out ground where he walked. Suicune and her siblings, too exhausted to run, gaited along without a thought, burying corpses if they came across any. Darkrai and Giratina brooded in silence, staring at the crowds of spirits about them. While a majority kept their distance, a brave few approached for answers, getting the silent treatment in return. Mew returned to the area the Tree of Beginnings once stood, finding no evidence it was ever there. Her clone arrived at Mount Quena, only to discover it had caved in, the underground lake and its inhabitants buried deep below. Latios and Latias scrutinized the waters for their beloved home, the dead Soul Dew still in their possession as a last reminder of what they had done. The Legendary Birds soared over the Johto and Kanto continents, mourning at the destruction below; the Lake Trio looked over their own continent homeland for the same reason.

Ho-oh remained on the land of Orre, staring at the never-ending spread of bodies and gray. He had refused to budge from his perch since his brethren and sisters gathered around with the horrible news. They rested on the cursed wasteland until the tempest blew over and everyone had their strength back. Mesprit and Jirachi did their best to heal wounds and broken bones while they waited it out, but they were unable to restore Rayquaza's eye, Uxie's severed tail, Azelf's gem, and a few others. (Regirock, being composed of all rock, was perfectly capable of reconstructing himself with boulders and other rocks, but he needed the extra help, having lost all his limbs in a terrible landslide according to his brothers. “And he's just so damn picky about what kinds of rocks he wants!” Regice had complained when everyone went to gather the needed parts. “They have to be 'precise' or he won't 'function properly', so he says.”) Through it all, his heart bled and died with the world until the last mortal heartbeat faded away. It was then he stopped caring, unable to cry or grieve for the doomed souls. While everyone else huddled in a group, he tore himself away to be alone.

As the lonely hours painfully ticked by, Ho-oh found himself angry. He was mad at the world for killing its inhabitants when there were still good people left. What had they done to deserve such punishment meant for the wicked? Why weren't the good and righteous swept away into the heavens before the destruction came? It was what they talked about what would happen at the end of the world. How could they be deceived to believe such ideologies written out as a promise? He himself believed those things after listening in on prayers to an unseen being, he looked forward to seeing it come to pass. Whose sick idea of a joke was it to put false hope in those people?

His venomous thoughts expanded, cursing everything and anything he could think of. He was mad at the thought that Earth continued to rotate a full day like nothing happened. Along with it, he cursed the sun for daring to show its face, cursed the moon and stars for watching their neighbor's destruction—may they die horrible deaths. Then he grew upset at the Legendaries for failing in their Arceus-given duties to prevent such a disaster. They all had that potential, but became greedy about their powers. If they ever did the job correctly, it was for their own benefit, to get the lesser to respect them. Oh, they got their respect, all right...

Lastly, Ho-oh was angry at himself. Why, he couldn't figure it out. He was too distracted blaming everything else to bother searching for the answer as to why he would hate himself. Not like it mattered, they all had part of the blame. Wasn't that thoughtful enough?

Not far from where he sat, the Legendaries banded together to report their searches, leaving the phoenix to sulk for the moment. After everyone was accounted for, Shaymin in her Sky Forme informed of her gathered information. “I may have only walked about the western... half of Sinnoh, but I found no signs of life anywhere, and I couldn't even feel a pulse in the air except for whoever was searching on the continent at the same time. All the buildings have been destroyed, and it's possible Sunyshore City fell into the sea from the earthquakes. Much like any other... cities on the coast.” She thoughtfully chewed on her bottom lip. “Did... anyone find something we should know about?”

Silence reigned for a few minutes while everyone debated with themselves whether to answer or not. Entei, after shifting his eyes about, spoke up. “Well... we buried a lot of the dead... but only a small portion... um...” His voice trailed off, shrinking in slight discomfort as he nervously looked at his sister. Suicune was too upset to shoot him a wary glance.

Shaymin didn't know how to respond. “Uh... okay, so you started bringing souls to rest. That's a start. That should be our main duty at the time being. Erm, anyone else?”

Latias then hesitantly came forward, holding out the empty orb. “This is what's left of the Soul Dew from Alto Mare,” she whispered, not meeting the terrier's eyes. “The city drowned, just not in its water.” Slowly, she set it down and backed into her brother's hold.

Lugia followed suit. “Speaking of jewels... I managed to recover the treasures of Fire, Ice, and Lightning Islands from the sea.” Side-glancing at the Legendary Birds, he placed the three spheres beside the Soul Dew. “The shrine connected to them has been washed away with Shamouti Island in the storm. I couldn't find it anywhere near the area. It's probably in pieces from being frozen for so long.”

Shaymin sadly nodded. “It's possible.”

When he returned into the crowd, the three Regis stepped forth, Regirock and Regice curving to their steely brother to answer for them. He piled by the orbs broken slates of what appeared to be ancient writing engraved on the surfaces. “That's what's left of our chambers,” Registeel explained in his characteristic monotone. “Not like we cared, but I guess it's just to show you how old it is.” Throwing his arms up in his version of a shrug, they stepped back.

Mew hesitantly took her turn, holding out a pair of shredded cloths with an opaque stone delicately sitting atop of them. “These were once gloves used by Sir Aaron in the Tree of Beginnings about a millennium ago,” she stated solemnly in his memory. “The Tree is no longer standing, it has vanished without a trace from Earth completely after its destruction. Even the crystals in the area are gone.” She laid them down before meeting Shaymin's gaze.

The Gratitude Legendary had a question. “If I understand correctly, the Tree of Beginnings was the source of all life, wasn't it? Aren't all living beings connected to it in some way?”

“I suppose. I was unaffected by it because I was its guardian. Though strangely enough, when it went berserk, it tried to rid itself of me.” The small feline hung her head. “It must have thought of me as an intruder... unless the gloves still had some human aura left in it.”

“Wait, human aura? You saying these gloves might have actually stored some in them?”

Mew gave a nod. “Probably as an activator. I have a feeling some of it got absorbed into me when the Tree rejected my aura.”

Deoxys immediately raised a hand to call attention to himself. “So, wait, if living beings are kept alive by the Tree, then how are we still alive?” he wondered suspiciously, crossing his arms.

“It's because we're immortal beings,” Ho-oh finally responded, not bothering to turn around. “Our bodies don't physically age. While we still have an aura about ourselves, it stays constant. We don't lose or gain a life-source. I don't doubt some mortals have managed to control it, but many of them have unstable lifespans. Their bodies don't know when to die because it's been tampered with so much.” He craned his neck for a glance. For a moment, his eyes looked dry and blood-shot until a dark shadow fell over him, and his tone of voice changed. “It's a foolish thing to mess with life. No one gives a damn if you find the Fountain of Youth, for by that time, everyone you know have already died from natural causes, a disease you're immune to. Then you wonder why the hell you sought after it, and you spend eternity hating yourself for it. Regret has a funny way of rubbing it in your face when it gets the chance.” He snorted. “Life really is a bitch.”

A somber silence descended upon the Legendaries when he turned his attention back to the gray background. They dwelt on the thought like it was meant for them, a sense of depression developing slowly in their hearts. Many shivered, and tried to think about something else (Rayquaza mumbled about his “happy place”). Shaymin, once she broke free of the dark spell, asked loud as she dared “Does anyone else have anything to tell us?”, wincing at the small echo.

When it seemed no one else would speak up, Mewtwo stepped into view, a hand loosely clenched at his side. Mew put a couple feet's distance between them, keeping her eyes on the small pile. “I may have something.”

The terrier managed a small smile. “Lay it out, then. Good or bad, we'll take it.”

He raised a brow at the comment. “You may be familiar with the elusive Mount Quena that was located in the middle of Johto.”

“'Was', Mewtwo?”

“It had leveled sometime ago, possibly from an earthquake. It was home to many strong Bug Pokémon, and the mystical Clarity Lake. Nothing is left of it now, everything and everyone was crushed underneath the rocks.” From the side, Mew held back a choked sob, eyes welling up. She darted her vision to him before averting to the landscape. The clone resumed, ignoring her. “However, I did manage to collect this.” The statement caught everyone's attention, even Ho-oh's head was turned. Here, he held up a small corked vial filled with pure liquid. (“Where'd you get that?” Raikou stupidly blurted out from behind.) Shaymin's eyes widened, leaning closer for a better look. “This is all that remains of Clarity Lake.”

“Oh, my Arceus,” she breathed, slowly shaking her head. “Y-You mean that is really it?”

Mewtwo gravely nodded. “It drained away into the earth's depths.”

A few Legendaries jumped back when the phoenix flapped up to the psycat's side, staring incredulously at the bottle. “Drained into the earth?” he repeated. “Then... will it heal the planet?”

A rare shrug of his shoulders. “As far as I know, it only heals biological creatures, but the vegetation growing around the lake were very prosperous and blooming healthily. Mew here was healed ingesting only a few berries.” At the mention of her name, she tensed up, feeling a few pairs of eyes on her.

“Are there any of those berries left?”

Mewtwo felt pressured, but answered the question. “As I have mentioned, everything is destroyed. I searched through the rubble myself. If I had found any berries, they are nothing but mush and spoiled from the dirt.”

Ho-oh's face then fell, his crown drooping. “Well... then that's that. We can only hope some of the trees will grow back and bear fruit.”

“Then we'll beat up someone to check its healing powers? I vote Rayquaza.”

“Go to hell, Deoxys,” the green dragon snorted, flicking the back of his head.

“What do we do about the water here?” Shaymin pointed out, preventing any opportunity for a fight to start up.

The phoenix only shrugged. “We'll hold on to it, I suppose,” he muttered. “Until something comes up, it's useless.”

Everyone stared at the fragile vessel, looks of worry on their faces. “Um... where do we store it?” Mesprit shyly speculated. “Along with everything else?”

An awkward silence followed. Ho-oh's eye twitched.

“...Shoot, I haven't thought of that.”

“I have a place,” Celebi spoke up, raising his hand. “I'll take them.”

With a smile of thanks, the vial and collected items were handed over. The Time Traveler held the lighter objects while the slabs of stone he psychically lifted. In a white flash, he disappeared, then returned quarter of a minute later to ask, “So, what did I miss?” A small wave of quiet laughter flowed through the group, and Azelf patted his shoulder.

When it subsided, the Legendaries grew depressed once more.

Intentionally or not, Entei let loose a loud sigh, which startled a few of his peers. “This sucks.”

“Tell me about it,” his sister grunted, withstanding the itch to hit him.

He sat on his rump, slumping his shoulders. “Well... everyone's dead—”

“I didn't mean literally!”

“Yeah, we don't want it rubbed in our faces by the peanut gallery!” Raikou put in his two cents.

“You're making it worse,” Suicune growled, steaming.

“Yeah, stop ruining it for everybody,” Lugia joined in, glaring down at the tiger. “It's depressing.”

Zapdos scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Everything's depressing.” Articuno started to sob, tears rolling down her feathered face.

“Oh, nice work there, Zapdos, you're making your sister cry!” Giratina glowered, gesturing a wing in his direction.

“I didn't mean to!” he defended himself. “She just cries at everything.” Like he had given the word, his older sibling bawled, collapsing into Moltres' hold.

Deoxys threw his arms up. “Oh, wonderful, we made someone cry. It must really be the end of the worl—ooh...” He cringed, rubbing the back his head. “...that didn't come out right.”

Cresselia sniffed, tilting her head away. “Like always, Deoxys, your idiotic thoughts get the better of you.”

“I at least caught myself!”

“Too little, too late.”

“Cresselia, Deoxys, let's not start another fight,” Darkrai quickly advised, stepping in between the two. “We don't need another incident. And I thought you got over this.”

“Yeah, Cress dear, I thought you're a lady.”

“Well, I used to think you were a gentleman, until that mouth of yours got in the way.”

Anyone who was listening in for the entertainment “ooh”ed. Deoxys brusquely laughed, fists on his hips and head thrown back. “That would be true, if I had one.” He held out a hand for a high-five, in which Entei obliged with a whoop, and Rayquaza followed suit (lightly) with his tail.

Cresselia flushed, eyes flashing pink. A few stood back cautiously, while the alien stood haughty in place. Rolling his eyes, the phantom spun his counterpart around and pushed her away. Quiet chuckles made their rounds, and the DNA Legendary smirked. “If that's what you want, I'll let you two lovebirds take a stroll, but you come back before dark, you hear?”

Ho-oh, who had been listening intently, leaned forward and tapped him on the shoulder for his attention. “That's enough, wouldn't you say, Deoxys?” he softly notified, cocking an eye-ridge to improvise his point.

He unexpectedly shrugged in agreement. “All right, I've had my fun with them. Now it's your turn, Mewtwo,” and he nonchalantly motioned to the feline.

At the statement, he scowled, crossing his arms. “Leave me out of it.”

“Da-a-aw, I'd say someone's cranky.” He stepped up to his side, casually wrapping an arm around a shoulder. The height difference made on-lookers snicker. “You want to talk about it?”

Mewtwo calmly removed his hand. “There is nothing to talk about.” He turned to leave.

Deoxys stopped him by spinning him back around. “Of course there is! There's an endless supply of one-liners to start a conversation. Say, uh... for example. I say, 'Hey, let's head over for a drink', and you'd say...” He trailed off, and waited, arms out-spread.

The feline glared down at him. “If you are trying to embarrass me by making a complete fool out of yourself—”

“No-o-o, Mewtwo, you're supposed to agree with me!” the alien whined, then composed himself. “Okay, how's this? 'Hey, dude, that chick over there is hot. You should totally go talk to her.'” Winking to the spectators, he shoved him in Mew's direction.

She saw the movement in time, and swiftly flew to the side. Mewtwo, once he steadied himself, growled angrily and whirled around to shoot a Shadow Ball into Deoxys' face. “What the hell is your problem?!” he roared, frightening everyone to silence when they saw his eyes glow a murderous blue. Lugia flinched, backing away.

“Oh, Arceus, my beautiful face!”

Rayquaza happened to guffaw at his comment. “Well, I suppose karma does exist, it's chewing on your ass right now.”

“Shut up, worm, you're next!”

“That's enough!” Ho-oh snapped, storming into the middle of the field and spreading out his wings. He glared fiercely between Legendaries, mainly Deoxys and Mewtwo, whose leer never left the alien. “We are not going to tolerate this any further. There's work to be done about our planet, and none of it will get accomplished if we continue to screw around like this. So everyone must make up their differences now, which is something that should have been taken care of two months ago.”

“I wasn't the one assigned to—”

“Not another word from you! I don't care who you weren't with, you are to learn to get along as we're going to be living together from now on!”

“I think you mean 'grouping' or 'teaming up',” Jirachi shyly mended, meekly raising a hand.

“I know what I said!” the phoenix verbalized harshly, swerving his stare to the now-frightened Wish Maker. “I mean... I'm sure I meant something similar...”

Shaymin stepped to his side. “You're still in shock. Why don't you lie down?”

“Nonsense, it won't make much of a difference,” he grumbled, slowing his breaths and rubbing his temples. “But Arceus, I have a headache.”

It was almost cued-enough to let the group remain silent, like they were afraid he would explode if a cough sounded. So wordlessly, they all looked at one another, similar to how the meeting two months back started. By catching odd eye-contact did Darkrai realize his arm was still around Cresselia, and he pulled back, running the hand through his hair and glancing away. She didn't notice, if at all, though the more she glanced at the phantom, the more flustered he got. To prevent himself from teasing them even more, Deoxys turned his back on them and just stared ahead at the emptiness. It was strangely welcoming. Latias managed to steal a glimpse from Mew, whose vision strayed from Mewtwo's direction even though most everyone was where he was. Frowning, she hung her head and clung to her brother. Kyogre, suspended in a lake not far off, bucked Manaphy from his head to encourage him to join the crowd. Hesitantly, he did so, stumbling across the rocky land to reach the others. He paused at the female Eon dragon's side, staring up at her. For him, she managed a small smile and placed a hand on his head.

The young prince couldn't bring himself to smile. She saw in his wide eyes a developing depression, a vow to never be happy again. It reminded her of Mew's eyes some many months ago, when all she did was lie in her make-shift crib and stare blankly ahead. Holding back a whimper, Latias gathered him in her arms, holding him close. Ho-oh, from where he stood watching, caught the similarities himself, feeling sorrowful for the young Legendary. After all the horrors that had happened, there was virtually no way innocence would survive it. The two now had a thing in common, lacking the naivety they so cherished for years. They could no longer deny what they had seen and learned.

It felt like the last ray of hope had finally flickered out.

Timidly, Manaphy choked out a critical question: “What do we do now?”

The phoenix and Shaymin waited a minute before they looked at one another. “Well,” she slowly began, “I suppose we fix up the earth.”

“First, we must bury the dead,” Ho-oh pointed out. “Before we do anything else, that's what we should do.”

Zapdos couldn't help but blurt out, “How? Don't you know how many lives were lost in this? It could take months or years to complete! But most importantly, will every body get buried? The earth can only hold so much!”

“Oh, how would you know?” Lugia muttered darkly. “You've never dug a grave in your life.”

“I'm positive about a third of the population, if not more, have already been buried by the earth itself,” Shaymin remarked. “The land can take the other two-thirds.”

“Okay, then, say we did all that,” the thunder bird continued pessimistically. “Then what would we do?”

“Like I said, we'll fix the earth.”

“How, though?”

Moltres leered at her brother. “It's simple: Celebi will grow the plants, Kyogre will water everything, Suicune will purify the waters, you can make your little thunderstorms with Raikou, and so forth.”

“In other words, use your talents,” Articuno stepped in.

He glared at each of them. “Fine, whatever. Now say we did all that. Then what?”

“We'll just sit around and listen to you bitching about life in general,” Giratina snorted, rolling his eyes. “Now say you did all that, and you die. Then what?” A few Legendaries, most notably Rayquaza and Deoxys, laughed.

“Go to hell, Giratina!”

The renegade smirked wickedly “I have a few times, actually. I'm allowed to bring visitors with me. Thing is I have to leave them there for eternity. Wanna go?”

“Giratina, don't encourage him,” Palkia grunted. “It's bad enough Deoxys and Cresselia yell at each other, we don't need any other unlikely rivalries to come up.”

Giratina chortled. “Yeah, like I haven't seen you and Groudon in a heated argument before.” The punch thrown at him didn't faze him.

Ho-oh sighed heavily, shaking his head. “I appreciate that you're thinking ahead, Zapdos, but let us cross that bridge when we get there. Right now, let us focus on putting souls to rest and healing the planet.”

“He does have a point,” Uxie said, raising his head. “We should have a plan in mind before we go ahead with this. Let us say the earth proves too cramped for this many bodies to be buried. What do we do with them?”

“Cremation, of course.”

“In one large pile, or smaller heaps?”

He shifted thoughtfully, feathers weakly glinting in the temporary sunlight. “Depends... on how many there are.”

The fairy slowly nodded. “Once the burials are all finished, we then start healing the earth. However, we have been noticing we've aged somewhat, and we are giving half of what we're capable of. Celebi here is using his life-source to keep the plants healthy, for example. It won't be long before he dies, if this continues.” The addressed pixie hung his head, wringing his hands. Uxie tilted his head back to the sky. “We may be immortal, but we have our limits. The earth truly doesn't need us to survive, we're just aiding it through, presently for the healing process. Once we're not needed, then our lives will become meaningless in a way. Unless...” He fell silent, unwavering from his position.

“Go on,” Ho-oh pressed. “What are you about to say?”

A weak smile faded into view on his face, the gem on his forehead giving off a light glow. “I think we'll have Arceus take over from here.”

“...What?”

Uxie grabbed his siblings' hands and dragged them back, his gaze still upward. Everyone followed his lead, lifting their eyes and stepping back, silent gasps in their throats. From a break in the clouds, a pillar of light greater than the sun's was easing its way down for them. Many shielded their eyes, squinting at the brightness of it. When it fell upon the space before them, a personage came into view, the light growing softer until it appeared to illuminate from the newcomer's body. It was a quadruped, standing proud and boldly on its gold-plated hooves. Around the pelvic area was a four-pronged halo with emeralds embedded into it. The silver mane billowed from the head in a wind they could not feel, jade eyes scanning each and every being in the circle. Upon recognition, the speechless Legendaries slowly and respectfully knelt (some the best they could).

After the acknowledgment of everyone present, Arceus sorrowfully cast his eyes about the desolate wasteland. Words came from him carefully and penetrating, echoing into the emptiness. “O fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of Him who has created your body from the dust of the earth? How could ye have rejected Him, thy brother and Savior, who stood with open arms to receive you? Behold, had ye not done this, ye would not have fallen. O fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives... how is it that ye could have fallen? But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return.”

They could barely breathe when he spoke, their hearts spreading freezing vibes throughout their bodies. Some hung their heads, feeling guilt amidst the grief. Arceus turned to these very ones. “You may feel the sorrow now, but in your hearts, you know it is too late,” he calmly said, in normal speech. “I had given each and every one of you a special talent so you may guide the world. You took my place, but you have desecrated it. Little by little, you forgot me and your promises so you could be of the world. You knew what was to happen had the world gone astray, it was eventually meant to be. Had you stayed faithful to your duties, I would not have descended to lecture you and give you your punishment.”

Ho-oh's head snapped up. “Punishment?” he gaped. Others followed suit, eyes widened. “We're being punished?”

Arceus looked into his eyes, causing him to shiver. “Indeed you are. But even you had forgotten that.”

“We all have, Lord,” Shaymin whispered her confession, keeping her eyes averted.

“Dear Shaymin, why must you call me that?”

“B-Because you are, aren't you?” She meekly glanced up. “You did give us life, and our many talents and duties. We've been loyal for so long... so you are our Lord... in a ways.”

“I may have given you the duties, but I was instructed by another,” he stated, a smile in his voice. “I did not give you life, not while I am only an angel.”

“But the legends! They all say you're a creator!”

“That is all they are, legends by humans. Humans who are quick to forget.”

“Wait, what?” Deoxys piped up. “I am seriously not getting this. You're telling me—us—that you just came down here from heaven or whatever to say humans are forgetful and you're not God, so you're punishing us? That part's confusing, and I don't even know what we did to deserve such a thing!”

“Deoxys, weren't you listening?” Cresselia hissed, more to herself. She shook her head with a huff. “Honestly...”

Arceus gave his remarks. “Indeed I am, Deoxys. And you know what you have done. Your heart is just hardened so you are refusing to accept the wrongdoings you have done.”

He fell silent, half-expecting Rayquaza or someone else to laugh about it.

Shaymin bowed her head. “I see, then,” she murmured. “It does make sense that we would forget. As immortal beings, we live to see the world change. It isn't long before we assimilate ourselves into the culture of the times, while in our hearts we know the truth.” She scoffed, smirking. “We are pitiful, even in our current state.”

“So we deserve to be punished then, eh?” Heatran queried, unable to take his eyes away from the heavenly being. “That's what we agreed to, right?”

“Correct.”

Giratina grumbled to himself about how much his life sucked and incidentally dared for more punishments. Palkia elbowed him in the ribs to shut him up. Even so, Arceus had heard his complaints, and passed him a glance. “Giratina, your punishment from before was for the best. It did you well, you are not as rebellious as you used to be. I promise you this group punishment will not be as burdensome, and it is for your soul's benefit.”

Mew took a breath. “A... Arceus, sir? What will become of the world now that the Tree of Beginnings is gone?”

“Ah, dear Mew, the last guardian of the Tree.” He looked over to meet her gaze. “You need not to worry. Had the earth really relied on the Tree to survive, everything would have shriveled and died, and the earth would have fallen apart. Alas, it has not happened.”

“Then what was the point?”

“It was originally created to give hope, but it became something else entirely. It is for the best it was removed. We cannot have worldly influences for the new generation to grow up in.”

All the Legendaries stared up at Arceus with confused, almost disgruntled looks. Ho-oh had cringed at the sentence. “But Arceus... there are no survivors.”

A twinkle in the angel's eyes made him shiver. “There are,” he amended. “I would not be here if there were none.”

Murmurs made its way through the circle, some laughing nervously at what they heard. “I knew they made an underground city!” Entei exclaimed, forcing a grin. “Oh, people have survived after all!”

Suicune smacked him upside the head. “Idiot, he's talking about us!” she snarled, though not as intimidating as she usually would make it. Inwardly, she flinched and hoped Arceus did not mean what he said.

“Oh, I never make mistakes,” he answered like he had heard her thoughts, frightening her. “You should have known it was coming, Suicune. It is a commandment, after all.”

“What did you know was coming, sis?” Raikou blurted out, confused about the whole thing. He ignored her warning glare. “What have you been keeping from us?”

Darkrai gulped, twiddling his thumbs. “Uh... Arceus? It's... that commandment, isn't it?” When the stag nodded, he ducked his head, flushing. Cresselia found herself side-stepping from him, putting two-and-two together. A few others caught on.

“You all knew this was meant to happen.” Arceus' voice suddenly started to rumble like thunder, and the nervous voices quieted down. He paused to look at them all once more, then resumed his speech. “Before I ascend, I leave with you your punishment, one you have all solely agreed on to be as you are as Legends. But behold, the Lord shows mercy to His children, and has given you a second chance, to which you must obey. Effective immediately, you shall all be stripped of your immortality, and must be as the common man. Cursed shall be the ground from which you shall labor in the fields, and eat by the sweat of your brows. I now give unto you a commandment from the great I AM, one that has been since the earth was created and remains in force, that you are to be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth. Failure to hearken unto these words will result in your imminent destruction, and you shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord forever. Peace be unto you, and farewell.”

When he had finished speaking, each and every Legendary's vision straightaway blacked out, and they fell faint to the ground.

*~*~*

It was extremely difficult to force oneself to wake up, to cause the stiff body to stand. They were all dizzy, feeling sick to their stomachs and visions hazy, a few complaining about the affliction. Mewtwo was the first to recover, glancing around at the stumbling Legendaries and surrounding emptiness. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt different, like he was not in his own body. Physically, he was still himself, mentally, he was the same. So what was wrong? He spun around expecting Arceus to be standing there, watching their struggles, but he was nowhere to be found. Blinking, he turned his gaze to the sky. No ray of sunshine shone through the clouds above them. Frowning, he massaged his temples trying to soothe his developing headache. It was oddly stronger now.

Picking himself up from the dust, Deoxys groaned, “My spine friggin' hurts.” He stretched, cricking his neck and popping his back.

“No, really?” Lugia sneered, trying to steady his balance and shooting a half-hearted glare in his direction. “What'd you do, sleep on a rock? The ground here was cloud-like, I barely felt a thing.”

Palkia let out a yawn, stretching over his head. “Oh, boy, I feel tired.” He scratched his lower back, face scrunched in thought. “Which says something, as I don't sleep very often.”

“We just woke up from a weird experience, our bodies think they feel tired.” Dialga staggered to his feet, making his rival snort. “Or... we just gained some weight during our... couple hours' worth of sleep or whatever.”

A shout of joy suddenly sounded, startling the group and causing those who were barely standing to collapse again. Everyone turned to the source, and their jaws dropped. Rayquaza—not seeming to realize he may be making a fool of himself—was excitedly spinning around, looking at everything and closing one eye then the other multiple times, grinning brightly. “I got my eyeball back!” He brought his tail to his sight, and squealed (yes, he squealed). “I'm fully healed! It's a miracle!”

After getting over the initial shock of the dragon's elation, Azelf glanced down at himself, running his hands all over his body. “Hey, I'm healed, too!” he announced, picking up the tail he knew the gem had been forcibly removed. It gleamed brightly up at him like it was glad to see him. He looked at his brother and gasped, pointing at his appendage. “It grew back!”

Darkrai had an eye closed as he glanced around thrillingly. “My vision cleared up! Not that it wasn't bad when you healed it, Jirachi,” he quickly apologized.

The Wish Maker only shrugged, tugging at the aqua tags on his extensions that he knew weren't there earlier. “I'm happy for you.”

“Celebi, you're not brown anymore!” Entei expressed out, pointing at the pixie. His sister was too surprised to smack him for his remark.

Indeed, Celebi had been restored to his natural color, his antennae curving behind him and his extension sticking back up. He twirled around trying to look at his wings, only to feel the energy through the spin. “Amazing!” he breathed, wide blue eyes sparkling in a way they hadn't in years. “It's like I became young again! Or something.”

Deoxys had been frozen in place of his stretching since Rayquaza's sudden outburst, and was aware of the attention he was bringing to himself. So thinking quickly, he straightened himself, brought out a reverent gasp, fell to his knees, and raised his hands to the sky in praise, bringing on the waterworks. “I feel... new again!”

Everyone just stared at him, a few shaking their heads at his ignorance, then went back to marveling at the strange recovery. The alien pouted, muttering to himself about people being tasteless.

Ho-oh scrutinized himself, noticing his crown wasn't in his face anymore and his wings were giving off a brilliant glow. He turned to Shaymin, who had been reverted back to her Land Forme and was healthy as ever. She was crying tears of delight, feeling her flowers and her back the best she could. She trotted over to the lake (where Kyogre was gawking at his illuminating markings) and peeked at her reflection, weeping harder. “Oh, it's a miracle!” she squeaked. “We've been spared!”

Mew poked and prodded herself, frowning slightly. “Yeah, I don't know. Doesn't it feel different to you?” she asked, glancing over at the hedgehog. “Okay, sure, we're all in one piece, but is there something missing?”

“Don't kill the mood yet, Mew!” Zapdos whined in the middle of stroking his beak. “Let's worry about that later.”

“So you feel it, too?”

“Well, yeah... I just didn't want to bring it up.”

“Kill-joy,” Articuno muttered, even though she smirked.

“Wait, feel what?” Manaphy piped up as he tugged at his antennae. “I'm not getting it.”

Uxie hardly tore his gaze from his siblings as they happily danced. “We were unconscious for about a few hours, give or take a few minutes,” he quietly explained. He raised his head a little ways. “I find it strange we passed out like that.”

“Yeah, Arceus likes to do that,” the Renegade Legendary scoffed. “Bastard must think it funny.”

“Don't talk about Arceus that way!” Shaymin chided from her place at the lake shore, spinning around to grimace at the ghostly dragon. “Show some respect!”

“I'll show respect when I'm dead, which is not for another eternity.”

Ho-oh's eyes apprehensively lit up, thinking back on what Arceus had told them just before they blacked out. After mentioning a punishment, he gave the word, and a burden was lifted then replaced with something heavier. It didn't explain the full recoveries, but that detail was too unimportant to ponder over. A miracle happened, however, it was possible this odd transition would explain their awkward tiredness. Even in the past two months, he never felt this drained. He craned his neck toward Mew. “What is it you feel, Mew?” he mused, praying his suspicions weren't correct.

“Um... I don't know how to describe it, erm...” She chewed on her bottom lip while staring up at the clouds. “My aura... just doesn't feel the same. I feel like I'm more responsible for my actions now, like everything depends on it or something. Err... a strange sensation?” A blush of slight embarrassment burned into her cheeks. Mewtwo couldn't help gazing transfixed at the color before turning away. She was unaware of his actions.

The phoenix sighed, massaging his forehead. Some help it was. “Well, thanks anyway for trying.”

“She's right about the aura,” Darkrai came in, his sapphire eyes glinting mysteriously. “There is something different about it. But our bodies don't feel right as well. As far as I know, we're just getting used to our new-found youth.”

“We didn't age backwards,” Uxie stated the correction, shaking his head. “No, we haven't aged since we were immortal.”

“You don't mean...?” his sister gasped, swerving around to cease her dancing.

“I do. Don't you remember Arceus' words, our punishment?”

Groudon growled incredulously, eyes widening as he lifted his claws to his face. “We're feeling ourselves aging?!” Strangely enough, a moment later he only furrowed his brows like he discovered or remembered a thought. “So I guess that's where they get the term 'under your skin' or however it goes.”

“Don't you mean 'out of body'?” Lugia grunted.

Ho-oh waved his wing around. “Who cares about that? Now we know the answer as to why we feel different. We are no longer immortal. Anyone else want to comment on that?”

The only response was Deoxys' usual spat of a swear as he blasted a small crater into the ground. “You have got to be screwing with us!” he furiously snapped. “I would have remembered a damn contract about that!”

“It was an oath, dumb-ass,” Rayquaza huffed to the side, his joyful attitude now gone. “And we forgot about it until Arceus reminded us.”

Latias raised an uncertain hand. “Uh... if we're mortal now... then why are we all healed?”

“Remember the story of Adam and Eve?” Latios brought to attention, glancing down at her. “It's believed that when their bodies were created, they were perfect. Even after they were made mortal, they still had a perfect body because God created it Himself.”

Giratina “pfft”ed off to the side. “Figures,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. “Everything touched by a holy being becomes perfect.” A scoff from his nose. “And where's the proof of this?”

“Well, if I had a Bible—”

“Well too bad! They all burned with the world! What do you say to that?”

“Giratina, that was unnecessary,” Ho-oh said, sighing.

“Who gives a damn? What, am I going to be struck down because I said every single freakin' religious book burned? And I thought we were being given a second chance. Oh, the irony!”

Cresselia's face had been slightly darkening since Latios had mentioned the name “Adam”, her eyes paling, beak slightly opening, and levitation depleting. Deoxys snorted at the sight. “Cress, do you mind, you're attracting flies.” No answer. He crossed his arms, leaning forward. “What's your problem, anyway? It looks like you got yourself a brain aneurysm.”

Slowly, after she swallowed a few times, her words came out in a hushed whisper. “Didn't... Arceus mention something else?”

Blinks and side-glances went through the group until Heatran broke the rather awkward silence. “He did give an order and a warning before we passed out.” And then his jaw dropped, and his eyes twitched. “Oh... my...”

Eventually, after everyone thought back to the last moment with Arceus, their silent reactions were different from paling and mouthing to muttering under their breaths. Latias, after consulting telepathically with her brother about it, blanched and let out a shrill scream. “Bloody hell, Latias!” her sibling shouted, covering his ears.

“ARE YOU SERIOUS?! LATIOS, PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE JOKING!” She spun around and shook Jirachi without hesitation, frightening him even more. “IS HE TELLING THE TRUTH?!” The Wish Maker only stared terrified at her bulging eyes, too astonished to let out a whimper. The Eon dragon then burst into tears, releasing him so he dropped to the ground.

Raikou frowned, leaning over to his brother. “If I wasn't a man, I'd be crying myself.” (Suicune's mind was still in shock to comprehend what he said.)

Mew rushed forward to help calm her friend down, trying to keep herself from raising her voice, but losing. “La—Latias! Latias, it's oka—gah! Latios, do something! Latias! Just listen for a minute!”

“OH, MEW, IT'S TERRIBLE!” the female dragon only wailed, latching onto the small feline and shaking her as well. “WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?!”

“LATIAS!”

“I can't do this, Mew! He's my brother, my family!”

“I-I know that, Latias,” Mew struggled to keep her voice from wavering, “but w-we have no choice!”

“YOU DON'T KNOW THAT! YOU DON'T HAVE A LIVING RELATIVE! HOW CAN YOU UNDERSTA—”

SMACK!

The slap echoed throughout everyone's minds, visions soaking in the red imprint developing on Latias' face and Latios' raised hand. She gasped for breath, releasing her grip on her friend who moved forward to hold her. Mew glanced over at the male, silently thanking him as much as chastising him. He lowered his arm, hanging his head. “I'm sorry,” he whispered to his sister. “I'm upset as well, but there is nothing else we can do. You're not the only one distressed about this. We all are. About half of us have siblings.”

“Hey, Latios, does the Bible give the a-okay on incest?” Giratina chortled mockingly.

Ho-oh stepped forward, giving a harsh warning glare to the Renegade Legendary as his feathers bristled. “That's enough! I don't want to hear about it!”

The ratted wings twitched in what was interpreted as a shrug. “But it's just a question.”

“I don't care! Procreation is not something to joke about, especially at a time like this!”

Articuno moaned, crossing her wings over her chest. “Please don't say you're serious about this.”

The Sky Guardian looked over at her, causing her to shiver. “I am. But I wasn't the one to suggest this.”

She grimaced, slowly turning her head to Zapdos, who was shrinking within himself. “...eew.”

“I'm not thrilled with it either, Art,” her sister agreed, stepping away from her brother. Uncomfortable enough as he was, he only glimpsed at each of his sisters, brows raised.

“None of us are,” Ho-oh sighed, shaking his head. “It's a very touchy subject... but it was bound to happen sooner or later. Even without Arceus' confirmation, it would have had to happen eventually. Unfortunately...” He trailed off, frowning deeply for a bird. Everyone leaned in, though a few didn't look too anxious to know the answer. With a breath, the phoenix finished, “...there are thirty-three of us.”

“Heh, so? That's plenty!” Raikou exclaimed rather pleasingly. He received many glares, forcing him to shrink back and rethink his thoughts. “Uh... odd-one out?”

Eyes narrowed in annoyance, Ho-oh added, “Of that, there are only eight females.”

Latias wailed.

Everyone else began to murmur amongst themselves. “We have to share?!” came from no other then Groudon in whose disappointment wasn't all that surprising. He growled loudly, and the others were expecting him to throw a tantrum, or destroy something. Instead, he face-palmed and complained up into the heavens, “This is not what I had in mind!”

Deoxys, in the meantime, had a rather smug smirk visible in his eyes. “Well, guess we'll have to cast lots or first dibs.” Chuckling a little to himself, he placed his hands behind his head, and announced loudly, “Now who wants to be my Eve?” He turned to Cresselia, winking. “How about you, toots?”

“Even if you were the last Pokémon on Earth, I wouldn't have wanted you within a hundred miles of me,” she snidely remarked, up-turning her beak.

“Isn't that a little too clichéd?”

“Fine, I'll be more direct with you. NO!”

It managed to bring out a few laughs in the group along with “Nice try, Deoxys!” and “Better luck next time!” The alien raised a hand, rolling his eyes. “Fine, be that way. I never wanted you anyway. Guess I'll have to find a new Eve, one who'll appreciate me for who I am.”

“I appreciate you,” Rayquaza quipped, hiding a smirk.

Deoxys didn't bother casting a glance at him. “Ehh... sorry. You're not my type.”

“Am I not good enough? I thought I was bitch-material.” Entei roared with laughter before he was silenced by Suicune.

“Not that term!” the DNA Legendary hissed nervously.

“My mistake. I'm more of a whore.”

“The hell, Rayquaza!”

“Is that what you think of us, Deoxys?” Shaymin scowled, leering up at him. He flinched under her look, the dark eyes containing an awakening flame that sharpened her appearance. “You think of us as harlots?” Moltres gave a rather horrified, displeased gasp, sending him her lethal glare.

“NO! That's what I think of Rayquaza! No, I see females as individual beings with their own—uh—accommodations in life and thus have the right to make their own choices.” Had he a mouth, Deoxys would be grinning sheepishly. The eight females bored a hole into his stomach, and he sighed in defeat, hanging his head.

Lugia guffawed from behind. “Cock-blocked!” Articuno harshly smacked him upside the head so he crashed face-down on the dirt.

Ho-oh had enough of the jokes and was ready to bust a cap. “That does it! If anyone says one more gag about this ordeal, then I'll... um... exile that Legendary!” In his mind, he fought with himself as to what the actual punishment would be and keep himself from humiliation.

Of course, everyone caught on. “You don't have a penalty, do you?” Regice said matter-of-factly.

“Quiet, I'm thinking.”

“Sir, we can talk about this later if that's what you're implying,” Suicune advised, slightly nodding her head.

“No, Suicune, we need to make a plan anyway,” he said, somewhat exasperated. “Keep talking, hopefully something will come up.”

“To be honest, sir, we weren't really... brainstorming.”

“Yeah, and I don't want to bang my sister!” Entei verbalized without shame.

She let out a disgusted cry and slapped him upside the head, face red in anger and embarrassment. “I swear to everything that is holy, Entei, I will inflict bodily harm on you if you don't start thinking before speaking!” she screeched. “Or better yet, why don't you just say nothing at all!”

“Well what do you want me to say, that I don't want to have sex with my sister?” he whimpered, clutching his head.

“GODDAMN IT, ENTEI!”

After the beatings were over, Uxie gingerly gave his inputed opinion. “There's an egg compatibility we need to keep in mind of. Not all of us will be able to... create with the same person. There will be those who will be able to match them them all, and then there will be others who only get a few.”

“And how do we figure this out?” Ho-oh inquired.

“Blood tests are the simplest way to do it.”

“Uxie, we... really don't have the equipment and the time to check this,” Azelf quietly said his part. “The way I see it, we'll all just have to... take turns.” He shuffled in place and looked up at the Sky Guardian.

After a moment of silence, the phoenix solemnly nodded his head. “That seems to be the only other way I can think of. Problem is, we'll need to create hundreds of species. And I doubt any of us can change a fetus' DNA at will.”

“Well why can't Celebi just go back in time and bring back a few more females?” Zapdos suggested impatiently. “Preferably attractive ones.” He ignored the glowers of his sisters. “Scratch that, prevent this disaster from ever occurring.”

“It doesn't work like that,” the pixie counteracted. “There are certain events in Earth's history that were destined, you could say, to happen. You can extend the time it takes to get to it, but it would eventually come to pass. Trust me when I say I've tried to keep world peace going as long as I could until Time refused to allow anymore alterations. And the rest... heh... is history.” He sadly gave a tiny smile, crossing his arms. “As for the females from the past... I'd rather not. Consider it a waste of energy.”

The thunder bird scoffed. “Well, it was just a suggestion.”

The Knowledge fairy then swerved his head in Mew's direction, forming a knot in her gut. “There may be a solution. Legends say a Mew has the DNA of all Pokémon, that all life came from the first Mew, who was titled Mother of Pokémon.” He levitated up to her, the gem on his forehead glowing. “This is asking a lot, and who knows how well your body can handle it... but first we must know if a Mew can alter DNA for different species.”

She wrung her hands, biting her lip. “I... I'm not sure. I think so. I mean, I've heard stories—legends really. But I don't know, we may have lost that ability. I'm sure Mother knew the answer, it's custom the females are taught such things when we reach sexual maturity, but she died when I was small. She was... from what I can remember, fairly young. Probably the equivalent of a thirty-year-old human, I don't know how my specie ages, though she was old enough to have me.” Her ears drooped. “Sorry I couldn't help you.”

Uxie placed a hand delicately on her shoulder, a small smile on his face. “How long ago was this, Mew?”

“...A little over a millennium ago.” Her breath caught for a few moments. “Sometime afterwards, about a couple of decades later, I was given an opportunity to be a Legendary, to guard the world. I agreed, and was given immortality. I haven't aged since.”

“Physically, anyway.”

“Well, yes. My birthdays were pretty meaningless, I suppose.” Mew forced a smile on her face. “Except the wiser part, anyway.”

He nodded and let her go. “If I had to take a guess, I'd say you're in the right age group to stay healthy throughout this, erm, trial. I'm sorry to say, Mew, that a lot will be placed on your shoulders.”

“Gee, that's comforting to know,” she dryly said, not meaning for it to be purposeful. “Thanks for making me feel better.”

“But what about her gene altering or whatever it is?” Palkia pressured. “How's that going to work?”

“Don't you mean gene splicing?” Moltres tried to amend.

“What, no! I didn't mean it like that! No offense, Mewtwo.”

The psycat only briefly nodded, arms folded loosely and gaze directed at the graying horizon. His silence caught attention, everyone focusing on him. Celebi tilted his head. “Hey, you okay there, Mewtwo? You haven't said a word the whole time we've been up.”

“Probably just brooding about life again,” Kyogre muttered. “Must not know what we're talking about.”

“Maybe he's still in shock?” Jirachi guessed worriedly.

“Brain-dead wise? Maybe.” Mewtwo scowled, sending a wary look his way. “Uh... silent treatment? I don't remember pissing him off, though.”

Shaymin stepped to his side, gazing up at the feline. “Mewtwo, is there something you need to say?”

She wasn't far off, Mewtwo was impressed at how well she could read expressions. Ever since the notation of them being mortal, he had tried to speak out his opinion about it—many times. However, he found himself unable to communicate with the others. It was like a barrier was separating their minds, reflecting or absorbing the words he tried to say. He struggled with it until the subject changed, and he remained silent. It was a conversation he didn't want to talk about at the moment, and was somewhat grateful this undetectable shield kept him from speaking out. No one, especially Latias (whose scream was still fresh in his memories), needed to hear his version. To be honest, he almost forgot this sudden disability, too lost in his own thoughts to acknowledge it.

“Mewtwo, you need to say something,” the little hedgehog continued, her tone of voice growing more tense. “Whatever it is, it must be important.” His vision remained on the horizon line. It made it more convincing he was choosing to ignore them.

“I think he's shy,” Darkrai snickered, only to be cut off from Cresselia's scorn.

“Or maybe he's lost for words,” Regigigas took his guess, shrugging his massive shoulders.

“Who, Mewtwo? I don't see that happening,” Giratina said, rolling his eyes. “He's too smart for that. I'd mistake his brain for a ticking time bomb, it's always in motion.”

“...what?” Dialga blankly said.

Mewtwo cracked a tiny smile at his stupid remark. The slight change in expression was like headline news. “Oh, there is a God after all!” Groudon sighed, raising his claws to the heavens. “He made a beautiful composition in that smile!”

“Took the words out of my mouth,” Rayquaza nodded, high-fiving the titan with his tail.

“...Mewtwo?”

He tilted his head at the small voice, to lock eyes with her, expression unchanging. Mew inwardly flinched that she took it upon herself to glance up at her clone, to stare at the amethyst gaze that haunted her the past two months. She shivered at how mellow his eyes were, at how he looked upon her. It made her wonder if he really had no idea what had happened the previous day; someone who was so cruel could never look the same way again, especially not twice. She irregularly inhaled deep breaths, trying to keep herself in reality and not fantasize about that day as her eyes closed. “Mewtwo, are you feeling well?”

Oh Lord, what was making her feel sorry for him? Was it a change of heart from the disaster they witnessed? It made sense, the whole thing was traumatizing, not even the most cold-hearted person could keep from being haunted by it. Or was it that expression, the one that was cutting into her, making her feel guilty for her past actions against him? Mewtwo rarely ever expressed emotion visibly, and even if he did (here she subconsciously raised a hand to her throat) it was through rage. His angry rant must have come out without him realizing it. It never crossed her mind she could have hurt him.

The silent clone kept a close observation, watching as she fidgeted in place, taking in breaths and averting her gaze. She was feeling uncomfortable talking to him, it was similar to when he yelled at her before his sudden blackout. He had been losing it and was close to spilling his heart out, something that never happened. He held many burdensome secrets, the sins and horrors he never let anyone know about. Scyther—God rest his soul, he prayed—was only given part of it. Not even Pikatwo and Meowtwo knew about it. The heart he never thought he had existed because of it. If it was let loose, Mewtwo feared he wouldn't have a meaning in the world anymore. And from what he saw in her melancholy eyes, she didn't need anything else to break her heart and spirit. Not after what he did.

“...Mewtwo, pay attention to me, dammit!” And Deoxys marched forward and yanked the cord behind his head.

The scream emitted from the throat of Mewtwo chilled everyone to the bone, a few feeling the blood drain from their faces. Mew backed away a few feet, trembling in fear and awe. He spun around, teeth bared, and socked the surprised alien in the face with a fist. “YOU ASSHOLE, YOU COULD KILL ME BY DOING THAT!”

Once the echoes faded into the distance and the only sounds were their beating hearts, the negative tension that filled the area began to throb away. The psycat slowly lowered his arm, relaxing his hand. Deoxys remained frozen on the ground, shaken up more than the others. For a brief minute, Lugia thought Mewtwo was going berserk again and had shielded Articuno from view. The two hardly moved from their (awkward) position even when the atmosphere calmed down. Slowly, almost hesitantly, Ho-oh gave a nearly inaudible whisper. “Wha... what was that?”

Astonished himself, Mewtwo ran his fingers against his throat. The rumble from within felt unnatural. “I... I am not sure...” He cast his eyes about the Legendaries, taking in their perturbed expressions. “This has never... I could have sworn I was mute.”

Uxie let out a breath he had been holding, tilting his head back. “If what Latios has said is true... that we were made perfect being healed by Arceus...” His mouth formed a serious, almost thoughtful line. “Mewtwo, how did you know you could communicate telepathically?”

“I honestly have not a clue,” he responded truthfully. “I knew I could communicate, and I was merely thinking to myself. It could be I never had any control over my powers at birth and thus my thoughts were made broadcast. I suppose it became habit.”

“Then why can you not speak through telepathy?”

“Again, I do not know. Something was blocking my every attempt to contact everyone. It was not that I forgot how, I just... could not break through.”

The fairy nodded. “How peculiar. I suppose if that's the case... I no longer need to rely on my mental sight.”

His siblings and a few others gasped in fright. Mesprit grabbed his arm tightly. “Don't do it, Uxie! You don't know that for sure!”

He gave a sad smile. “Then if I was wrong after all, I will not blame you if you all become barbaric and eat me on instinct.” And his eyelids snapped open.

Nearly everyone covered their own eyes automatically. Mewtwo, not out of stupid curiosity but of puzzlement, stared back at the golden oculars he shared with his brother and sister. Uxie smiled back at him. “You're either a brave soul, or you are suicidal,” he replied wryly. “Or just plain stupid.”

Shaking his head, the clone stated, “I am confused as to what the commotion is about. What was it about you that you keep your eyes closed?” He caught a glimpse of Ho-oh peeking out from his feathers. The bird slowly lowered his wings, a worried look on his face.

“I am the one who gave humans knowledge. But I can take it away, well, at least through memories. Just one look in my eyes, and in three days the brain shuts down, intelligence-wise. It's a terrible death, the malfunction of the brain. The victim is forever a vegetable, trapped inside the body until they die. But until then, they are slaves to the primeval instinct they had evolved a long ways from.” By this time, the Legendaries were all relaxing one by one, daring to glance at the golden oculars. The fairy sadly sighed, not showing signs he could feel their stares. “It's not a pretty sight to see, but it's a quick, rather painless procedure. The only disturbing aspect of it is that the person never notices the difference, if at all. I worry about the soul, I don't know how that's affected.”

Deoxys broke the mood by hollering, “OH DEAR MERCIFUL ARCEUS OR GOD, IT BURNS!”

“Stupid, the joke's over,” Lugia grumbled, shaking his head at the alien's arrogance. “You're just making an ass out of yourself.”

A low gurgling rumble suddenly sounded, turning heads and making faces wince. Kyogre slightly lifted his head up out of the water, raising a brow quizzically at the expressions. “What's going on? Why is everyone looking uncomfortable?”

“You didn't hear that?” his rival asked, a little surprised.

“Hear what?”

The bubbling noise returned. “There, didn't you hear that?”

“Sounded like a stomach growling,” Manaphy stated, glancing at the other Legendaries' faces. “I don't blame him, we haven't had anything to eat in over a day.”

“Bah, eating is out of the question, we eat when we feel like it,” Giratina barked. “I'd say someone has something bad in their system.” His eyes then trailed down to the Legendary Beasts, and held back a snicker. “What's gotten into you, Entei? You're all tense.”

The siblings looked at their brother, who was hunching over and joints were locking. He was so stiff, his body quaked while he tried to keep a whine stuck in his throat. His eyes darted to and fro, betraying his need of aid. “What's the matter with you?” Raikou asked, waving a paw in his face. “You look like you've seen a ghost or something.”

Entei swiftly shook his head, accidentally smacking his sister with the mane. “N-No... it's-s-s not that at all.”

“Are you still hurting? Damn, Suicune, how hard did you hit him this time?”

“It's not from Suicune, I swear.”

“Well something's spooking you. You need to lie down?”

“I'm afraid if I do...” He turned to his sister. “Sis, I feel like my guts are going to explode!”

She incredulously snorted, but didn't say anything. Desperately, he looked over at Ho-oh, who was standing there not having an idea what was wrong with him until he requested, “Repeat what you said.”

“I think my guts are going to explode or something! I'm trying... to keep it in!” The lion-like beast's face grimaced, his teeth gnashing as his tremblings increased.

Almost immediately, Celebi screamed, “Get far away from us, Entei! Do it quick or you won't make it!”

“Where do I go?” he practically wailed.

“Anywhere, it doesn't matter! Just far away from us as possible! Now go!”

Without any hesitation (or a push from Suicune), Entei obeyed. His run was humorously awkward as he sped for the horizon, a mix between a sprint and a hop/skip. After watching him leave, they all turned to the Time Traveler for an explanation. Twiddling his fingers nervously, he responded, “Err... I've hung out around human civilization long enough to know... that this wasn't going to be pretty.”

“Define the antonym for 'pretty',” Palkia pressured, though he was regretting ever opening his mouth.

“Uh...”

“Is this something we should or should not know about?”

“...a little bit of both.”

“So we should know, but then again we really shouldn't, is that what you're implying?”

“Oh for goodness' sake, Cel, just tell us!” Dialga shouted, wanting to smack his rival. “No one's really going to care!”

Celebi quickly looked behind him. “I think we should have Entei tell us when he gets back.”

“Please, anything he says never makes sense,” Suicune scoffed. “We'd be here all day trying to figure it out.”

Shaymin's eyes nearly bugged out as her thoughts brought up a memory. “Wait a sec. We're mortal, right? Aren't there some things that were... 'shut down' when we were granted immortality?”

Ho-oh craned his neck in thought. “Some. There's the common belief that immortals don't bleed because they have no blood, but we still bled. I was probably thinking about gods, though, so I guess that doesn't really count. Mmm... well for one thing, we eat when we feel like it, but we can't go for long periods of time without losing the nutritions needed.” Though it went unnoticed, Mew held herself when a cold vibe ran through her body. “Sleep is more of a desire if we felt like it, again, but lack of it can still be unhealthy. Same with water... we never get sick, though. We have developed an immunity to sicknesses...”

“I should have worded it different,” the hedgehog sighed. “No, I meant are there some quirky things mortals go through in life?”

“Sex,” Deoxys coughed, pounding his chest and ducking a swing from Moltres' wing.

“Besides that.”

“Oh my God, Celebi, just tell us!” Dialga complained loudly.

“Tell us what?” Entei butted in, startling those caught off-guard.

Suicune groaned, laying a paw over her eyes and clearing the way for Raikou to explain. “He said he knows why you ran off like that.” His oculars then narrowed in suspicion. “What happened out there?”

His brother's eyelid twitched and his nose wrinkled. “I have no idea, it happened so fast. But it was gross and smelly.”

“Did you dig a hole, Entei?” Celebi spoke up, which awarded him a few glares.

“Was I supposed to?”

Shaking his head, the pixie then jabbed a finger in the air and announced, “Okay everyone, a word of advice: always dig a hole and stay out from the open.”

“Oh yes, that's wonderful advice, if we knew what we were up against!” Palkia snarled. “Besides, it's not like we've never heard about it before.”

“I thought you said you didn't know what it was,” came the smug remark, a mischievous grin on his face.

“D-Dammit, Celebi, you know what I mean! Bah, can you at least give us a hint?” Celebi only gestured to Entei. “What, it has to do with stupidity?”

“I'm not stupid, I'm just different!”

Latios slapped his forehead, groaning. “Forget it, guys, we're getting nowhere with this.” There then came another gurgle, and his eyes widened with everyone else. He swerved his head to his sister, who burned with embarrassment as she clutched herself. “Aw, f...”

“I can't help it,” she squeaked, tensing up. “It just... came so suddenly.”

“Uh oh... I'm getting that feeling, too.” And Jirachi wavered.

“It's freakin' contagious?!” Deoxys shouted, falling to his knees. “Oh, God, or whoever is holy up there, why are you doing this to us?!”

“Deoxys, that doesn't help one bit!” Cresselia snapped.

“I'm the one yelling it, not you!”

“Before things get too chaotic about this, everyone, whether you have to or not, head someplace far away!” Ho-oh ordered over the growing commotion. “Take Celebi's advice and—dare I say it—pray it's a false alarm! Entei, stay here, we'll return shortly.”

The volcanic beast nodded, and stood in place, watching everyone run off in different directions at once like they were fleeing from an epidemic. (Which, he thought, must have been him.) After some swears from a few Legendaries, and when the last one disappeared from view, everything was quiet. The silence made him shiver in place; the slightest howl of wind somewhere, anywhere, caused him to twitch. It may be only for a few minutes, but Entei felt like he was the last being on Earth. It frightened him. To keep himself calm, and to reassure himself everything was all right, he began to talk to himself, which was against his sister's orders.

“Aw man... did they really have to leave me here?” he whimpered. “I don't care that it's still light out and there's open space, it's just so creepy... Okay, Entei, remember what Ho-oh said, right? They'll be back. They're doing what you did a few minutes ago. Why are you thinking that, that's gross. Come on, guys, hurry it up. I'm not supposed to be by myself for long periods of time...”

“That's what you get for being a dumb-ass,” a gruff voice grunted, and his shoulder devil appeared in a puff of crimson smoke. He put down the pitchfork he had been carrying in his mouth to sneer. “If you had listened to what I said, you wouldn't be in this mess.”

“It wasn't my fault,” Entei sniveled, frowning down on his entity. “That creepy guy was chasing after me. He cornered me, I didn't have a choice!”

“Entei's right, he didn't have any other choice.” When the white smoke cleared, the shoulder angel appeared halo and all, the cloud it rested upon morphing frequently. “The cliff was over a healthy forest. He at least managed to get away. Granted, he lost his footing, but still. Don't make fun of him.”

“Baby cherub is right, stop making fun of me!”

A “pfft” when the devil waved a paw. “Whatever, if I was him, I would have set him on fire. Fire, fire!” And he barreled over in psychotic laughter.

“I don't like setting things on fire.” He remembered the lake. “Not on purpose.”

The Entei-angel patted him on the cheek. “There, there, it's not your fault. You've been getting better.”

“Not as fast as he would like. I blame Suicune, she's such a bitch.”

“Hey, don't talk about my sister like that!” Entei growled.

“What makes you think I said it, bub?” the devil smirked evilly.

“Because I would never call Suicune tha—”

“OH MY GO-O-O-O-D!”

The echoing scream made Entei and his companions jump (and squeal with fright). From the distance, he could hear a few Legendaries yell at Lugia to shut up and deal with it. Looking at each of his entities in concern, he ran off in the water dragon's direction. It didn't take long to reach him, and he skidded to a halt beside him. “What happened here?” he asked, taking note of the beast staring in horror at the grayed bush before them.

“I-I just happened to look over and spot a...” His face grimaced, and he groaned. “Oh, it's disgusting.”

“Yeah, I know. I thought I was going to die.”

“What, no, not that.” He timidly pointed at the brush. “It's what's in there.”

Feeling adventurous, Entei poked his head through the bristles, and his face fell. Lying there in a crumpled heap was a decomposing corpse still in uniform. He yelped and stumbled away, keeping back a gag. “That's gross!” he gasped. “Oh, why'd you pick this spot, Lug? It smells of death everywhere!”

“I didn't know it was there until I looked for the source. Did you see the eyeball staring at you?”

A shiver ran through the volcanic dog's spine. “I don't think so.”

“Oh, guess it must've gotten knocked out or something when I moved.”

“Should we bury it, or leave it here?”

“I was thinking that after we get over the shock of it, we can take it back to the others and freak them out.”

“I'm not touching that.”

“Me either.”

They stood there for a moment's silence, growing dizzy from lack of oxygen (they were trying not to breathe in). When they couldn't take it anymore, the two hurried back to the group, attempting to shake off the horrid scent and tremors. Suicune scowled at her brother. “Where'd you run off to? You were told to stay here.”

After taking in a long—and rather loud—breath, he replied calmly, “Lugia screamed, didn't you hear him?”

“Who didn't? Scared the crap out of me. Literally.” Zapdos' eye twitched.

Deoxys gave the thunder bird an odd look before crossing his arms and glancing up at the sea beast. “What do you have to say for yourself, Lugia?” he said harshly. “Was it an emergency that you just had to scream it out to make yourself feel better?”

“We found a dead guy!” Lugia piped up without shame.

“Okay, what's Lugia rambling on about?” Rayquaza grunted, settling off a ways from everyone. “Actually, I'm surprised it's not Entei this time.”

“Dead guy in the bushes!” the mentioned Legendary repeated. “It was gross!” His sister swiped him upside the head.

The Air Titan rolled his eyes. “Duh. I saw one too, but you didn't hear me sing my heart out.” He sneered in Lugia's direction.

He threw his wings up in defense. “How was I supposed to know it was there? I didn't really feel like looking around.”

“Then next time keep your trap shut about it. I honestly thought you were getting a heart attack out there.”

Latias swooped into the picture, anxiously staring up at Lugia. “What happened out there?” she squeaked. “You okay?”

“Can we wait until everyone else is here before you bother telling us again?” Zapdos muttered. “I don't want to hear it another hundred times.”

“Is this another of your 'I'm very visual' excuses?” the alien muttered.

“No, I just don't want either of them to repeat it a gazillion times.”

“But you said 'hundred',” Entei corrected.

“You know what, Entei, just shout it out to the heavens, why don't you!” he snapped, electricity crackling from his wings when he flapped them in irritated defeat. “Everyone can pretty much hear you no matter how far they are! So just shout it out! Go on!”

Shrugging, he took it up on the offer, and hollered as loud as he could, “You guys won't believe it, we found a dead guy! It was sick!” Then he spread on a goofy grin. “How's that?”

Zapdos only gave an “a-okay” gesture with his feathers, his face clearly screaming sarcasm.

Latias, in the meantime, fainted.

*~*~*

The afternoon was spent (or wasted, depended on the Legendary's intake of it) on splitting up and scavenging through the land of Orre for anything of interest, or to perform a few duties such as burying corpses, and finding food, or at least the seeds. They had gone in groups, only for some to be cut in half due to intense arguments or complaints. Others mainly because they weren't teaming up as well. The one group who had Registeel lost him in a deserted town for a time until he was found constructing a life-size figure of himself, claiming he was making himself a wife. “Because there are only eight females, but Mew's the only fertile one,” he indicated when asked about it. “The only thing I'm missing right now is how to bring her to life.”

“And 'she' is missing internal and reproductive organs,” Celebi had blankly pointed out, unimpressed. He was received the finger, and the iron-clad Legendary was relocated to a different group.

In another, Cresselia appeared to have gone missing for a moment, but they found her reporting/protesting to Ho-oh about Deoxys' shrewd comments. “I can't take it anymore!” she practically shrilled hysterically. “I've put up with him and his sexual harassment for far too long! I demand a restraining order!”

“Which requires a judge to approve,” he butted in with his smart-aleck statements.

They were reassigned to two separate groups. Cresselia remained with the original—which contained Darkrai and Jirachi—while Deoxys went with Rayquaza and Entei. After a cruel joke about “extra protein” in the corpses, they had to return to the campsite with stomachaches and for the alien's punishment. The short naps the two were required to take ended up having them suffering nightmares in which Cresselia was called back to heal them. Which in turn resulted in the failure of the restraining order. (She couldn't conjure up any dreams.)

Sometime in the late hours of the afternoon, when everyone had regrouped together for a lunch break (from what some were able to salvage from any trees found still intact), Raikou had returned with a strange human article laid upon his head. “What'd you do this time?” his sister grumbled, glaring at the dirtied object.

“Nothing, all I did was look through rubble in some town not far from here.” He wrinkled his nose. “Why? Am I really that dirty?”

“No, you have something on your head.”

He dropped it at his feet. They all stared quizzically at the curiously-rounded protruding cups and small hooks. The electric tiger didn't even blink. “Oh, that. That's my new hat-earmuffs of sorts. Keeps the ears warm and dust-free. Neat thing, it is. And the great thing about it is the inside is padded, so it's rather comfortable.” He then grinned. “It's weird, it's like it was made to fit my head. I think the straps are supposed to hook underneath my chin, but I don't have thumbs, so I couldn't test it to be sure.”

“Where'd you find it?” Azelf spoke up, brows raising slightly.

“Erm... I think it was once a house, I dunno. There were a lot just like it, but this one was cleaner and fit more. Pretty cool, eh?”

Mewtwo suddenly stood up and walked several feet away to sit on a boulder, back turned. “What's with him?” Dialga snorted.

“I think he's jealous,” Groudon snickered. “Wishes he could have a hat-earmuff thing like that. Raikou, you need to show us later where the stash is. Could be useful for winter.”

Kyogre, half-submerged in the lake, didn't bother to glance up at the titan. “You don't have the ears for it.”

“Shows what you know, dumb-ass.”

Ho-oh, after taking a long look at the item, grimaced. “I've seen one of those before...”

“Awesome, Ho-oh! Where?” Raikou bounded in place excitedly.

“Well, uh... normally you don't see them visible in public... but I have peeked in on a few people.”

“Oh, my God,” Lugia hissed in disgust, an eye twitching.

“Not like that, Lugia.”

“I don't know you anymore,” he muttered, putting up a wing and averting his gaze. “I looked up to you, and it turns out this is the Legendary you've always been.” Giratina rumbled with silent laughter.

Rolling his eyes, the phoenix resumed, “Anyway, from what I had witnessed, it's a clothing article.”

“We can see that,” Zapdos interrupted.

Shooting him a warning glance, he added, “It's a female's clothing article. They wore it on their chests under their shirts.”

Immediately Latios' shielded his sister's eyes, Shaymin spun Manaphy around, Articuno smacked Lugia for gawking at it, Darkrai and the Lake Trio flushed, meanwhile the remaining males “ooh”ed or groaned (or just brought attention to themselves making a big deal out of it like children). Raikou paled and turned to Suicune, expecting her to hit him. She chose not to, she could tell he hadn't a clue what he had brought back.

Deoxys, in the meantime, guffawed as he picked it up, stretching it out at arm's length. “Well, whatever female owned these must have gotten lucky or she was a slut. Possibly both.”

“Deoxys, that's just wrong,” the moon swan snarled.

“Wha-a-at, I just happen to know a little bit about the female human, so I knew what this was all along. They pretty much tell you what kind of female they were. Glad to know I'm not the only one.” He cheekily smirked at Ho-oh, who only crossed his wings and looked away. “Thankfully, as interesting as they were, I had no reason to hang around them. Their damn hormones scared me, the way they were all up in a male's face and all that.” He shuddered with a wince, then muttered darkly, “That one night screwed with my head, I never want to see that again. I just about gouged my eyes out.”

“Well why didn't you?” she sniffed.

“I did, but they regenerated back. I'm not that perverted, yeesh.” He took another good look at it again, disregarding Cresselia's scoffing. After pinching the cups (and receiving weird stares), his eyes then trailed to the background, and he snickered wickedly.

The back of Mewtwo's neck prickled and he slowly glanced behind to catch Deoxys' eye glint. Eventually, everyone also turned to stare at him, slightly leaning in. “Why am I getting that feeling a devious plot is developing?” he inquired nervously.

“I find it too bad it's a piece of female clothing,” the alien cackled drawlingly, stepping toward the psycat. “But it just makes us feel a little remorse for the poor fool who winds up wearing it.”

He shot up from his seat. “You are not implying that I am to wear that?”

“Why not? You're the only Legendary with a visible chest. Next to Groudon, but he's too big for it.”

“I refuse to take part in this childish activity.”

Deoxys snorted a laugh. “It's not childish, we're experimenting.” He then paused at the flash in Mewtwo's eyes and had a second thought. “Well, not in that context. I meant it's just for fun. And besides,” and here a grin was audible in his speech, “it looks like it's your size.”

“Deoxys, it's not funny anymore,” Darkrai spoke out. Flustered, he choked out a giggle that made Cresselia shoot him a look. “Err, honestly, let's just go back to pretending it's a hat... earmuff thing.”

“You kidding me? I'm not wearing that again,” Raikou cursed it, spitting to the side.

Raising a brow and tilting his head in the group's direction, Mewtwo demurely remarked, “There. I have testimonials to back me up.”

The alien spun around unhappily. “You guys suck! Rayquaza, buddy, I thought you were backing me up on this!”

“How the hell was I supposed to know?”

Laughter spread.

“Seriously, I thought I told you to come hold him down!”

Mew then flew up and swiped the piece of clothing from his hands. “That's enough, Deoxys. Thank you for the laughs, but you've done enough today.”

He oddly gaped at her in slight astonishment, then leaned back and crossed his arms. “Is that a threat?” he slyly asked.

“What?”

“Said if that was a threat. Since when did you start bossing me around, let alone stop me from playing a joke on Mewtwo?”

“I'm not threatening you, I'm just...” She glowered at the item, then held it out to Deoxys. “This is a bra.”

“A what?”

“It's what the humans called it. I thought you knew.”

“I'm not that informative. I may have seen it, but it didn't mean I heard what it was called.” He then started to choke out a chuckle. “Honestly, where'd they pull that name out of? 'Bra', really?” His eyes then narrowed suspiciously. “Hey, wait. How'd you know the name?”

With a disgusted scoff, she threw it in his face. (Mewtwo swerved around for an awkward coughing fit to hide a smile.) “You're despicable, you know that?” she nearly shouted.

“Hey, these things are adjustable!” Deoxys suddenly blurted out, snapping the straps and noticing a plastic slider on each one. “Maybe they will fit on Groudon after all!”

“Oh, for the love of—”

“Mew, if you're so concerned about it, why don't you wear it?”

Face red enough as it was, she snatched it back, and her fist caught fire. It spread rapidly through the fabric until nothing but the wire base was left. Everyone, Mew included, was taken aback at how quickly it extinguished with the flames. Slowly, she handed it back, muttered incomprehensibly to herself, and chose that moment to go for a walk. Latias and a few other females followed immediately afterward, while some males went back to what they were doing minutes ago—though others improvised what they possibly might have done. Deoxys gawked at what remained of the bra and excused himself. Upon passing Mewtwo, the skeleton was turned over to him. Unsure what to do with it, he kept it clenched in his hand, refusing to look at it.

An awkward silence fell for a while.

Then Entei showed up, and yelled out (thus startling those who didn't see him come up), “Deoxys, you psychotic bastard, thanks a lot! Because of you, black liquid came out of my butt! And it wasn't pretty!”

Suicune threw up.

*~*~*

The weeks that followed weren't pleasant. After the second day of their new lives, or so they would curse, they traveled away from the desolation of Orre for a place that looked more suitable to fit their needs. Celebi guided them to a small area he had helped revive prior to their mortality (as he found himself unable to even grow grass), and decided to camp there. But even then, food was still scarce. Any morsel they found they had to pry out the seed to plant and made sure to keep it nourished. Water was tricky, seeing as Kyogre and Manaphy relied on it, and after many complaints about risk of contamination to the fresh water, they moved closer to the ocean and where fresh water was still available in a few close places. Still, Heatran was asked to dig for a spring when more concerns/whining came up about walking to and fro, when in actuality, they didn't want to pass a town. Or what remained of it. Lugia, after taking a look around, confirmed it to be the remains of Cherrygrove City. So they buried every inhabitant they could find and hunted through the debris for anything of use.

Eventually fights began amongst the males over who got to pair up with who. The moment Mew tried to break up the conversations, she was forced to endure the hoards of the so-called horny males, as Lugia had described, that pushed to get a “word” with her and ask for her permission. Until Ho-oh finally prohibited a certain few to keep their distance, she was harassed left and right to the point Shaymin had to take her into the little forest for a few days to calm her down. Once it had blown over, she was under constant watch. As uncomfortable as she felt under the stares and (occasionally) ogles, she trusted enough Legendaries to stay in the group. Though every now and then, in the city somewhere, she would catch wind of bickers and complaints.

Among the many things that they had to live with, sleep was one that was adapted to easily. Now that Darkrai was no longer giving off negative vibes that provoked nightmares, everyone, the phantom included, were pleasantly rested. Shortly afterwards, they decided to make it a habit to talk about their dreams in hopes answers were being revealed in them, until Deoxys mentioned his. The females were the only ones allowed to make theirs a group discussion since then, though they would pick on a few others they were positive didn't have wild fantasies. The only one who was thankful he wouldn't talk about his dreams was Mewtwo. He frankly didn't want everyone to know about the secret fears and, dare he think it, desires that frequently came into his dreams.

Eventually, in the third week of their staying at Cherrygrove, the first birthday was announced. While it was usually a happy occasion for Latias, she cried when they said “one year older” in the song (though the Legendaries blamed a few reluctant ones who were purposefully screwing up the rhythm and melody) and was depressed the whole day. Only Latios was permitted at her side. “She'll get over it eventually,” he sighed later that night when Mew came to check up on her. “To be honest, we never sang that version. I didn't even know it existed.”

Then one morning, Mesprit woke up first and went to the woods to fulfill her daily needs. When she glanced into the water to wash her face, her eyes went wide and she screamed. Everyone jumped up with a start, and Uxie and Azelf hurried in the direction of their sister. Fearing the worst, they all followed into the clearing to see the fairy pale and tear-streaked, pointing at the lake. Deoxys stood at the water's edge and glanced around, finding nothing. “The hell, Mesprit,” he groaned, rolling his eyes.

“L-Look down,” she whimpered, clutching at her brothers.

Shrugging, he did, and after a few moments, he stepped back in rare somberness. Concerned, Ho-oh took his turn, only to pull back gravely. “What is it?” Jirachi gasped.

With a low sigh, he simply pointed at the water and trudged back to their campsite. Hesitantly, one by one, they went forward to glance down, then left without another word. Some cried, others shook their heads, but they all had a similar expression on their faces. Mewtwo was the last after the Regis had their chance. He tilted his head down, staring in near-incredulity at his reflection. It was a disturbing sight, he understood right-away why everyone went quiet and were horrified. Used to perfection, they couldn't see it happening to them at any time.

Him? It was bound to happen.

Had it not been that he knew his appearance well, he wouldn't have recognized the mirror-image of himself. It explained everything: the fatigue, the effects of not eating... self-hygiene, really, the negligence was there, visible in his form. The dark circles visible from the dirt on his face were the only mysteries, he was very certain he was getting enough sleep. But he understood the prevailing bony structures of his cheekbone and jaw having made themselves known. Looking further, he felt along his ribcage, just barely feeling the spaces between each rib, then reached behind to touch his spine. Gazing down at his arms, they had indeed been looking bonier, he didn't imagine that a few days back. His shoulder blades were rougher, more visible, his hour-glass figure thinner. It didn't make sense why his legs hadn't given out under him, but he was still standing the way he always has.

Mewtwo suddenly thought back to his fellow Legendaries. Now that he was thinking about it, he had been noticing they were looking different. It was like they were returning to how they were before Arceus came, only much worse. No longer immortal, their bodies unable to retain the same figure for months on end, the effects were shown within weeks. It really was a wonder they didn't collapse from it all.

Taking a deep breath, he walked back to where the others sat in silence. They were all staring at the ground, unmoving, trying to take in what they had seen. Mewtwo pitied them for a moment. “I trust we are all hunting down food today?” he quietly asked.

Without looking up, Manaphy murmured, “We're all going to die, aren't we?”

That wasn't the answer he was expecting, but then again, it was possible they were trying to get over it. Just not as fast as he would like. “If you keep this up, you will. Now answer my question.”

“What's the point, we're all losing the meat from our bones,” Rayquaza grumbled. “Besides, there's thirty-three mouths to feed, and not enough trees.” Entei mumbled a “Heh, rhymes” without enthusiasm.

“We will manage, we have been planting.”

“True... and they have been growing well,” Celebi gave his insight, shrugging slightly. “But even then, they don't bear fruit for a while.”

“You're talking about berry trees, Cel,” Articuno corrected.

“Mewtwo was talking about berry trees and whatever else we've been growing.”

“Who cares, everything's dead and gone,” Zapdos sneered. “We're all doomed.”

“Isn't that Giratina's thing to talk about doom and being King of Doom or whatever?” Deoxys huffed.

“Nope, definitely my thing.”

Moltres scoffed. “Since when?”

“Since now. Leave me to my doom and doominess!” He turned his back on her.

“That's not even a proper word.”

“It is now!”

“Oh. My. God. Just shut up,” Lugia snapped, readying himself to smack the thunder bird. “I don't want to hear about your doom and whatever.”

“Fine! I'll talk about gloom!”

“They're all dea—oh, that gloom.” A few Legendaries glared at him, then returned to their moping.

Mewtwo shook his head and massaged his temples. “I cannot believe you are all acting this way,” he snarled. “What are you, figures of legend, or spoiled brats?”

“We're not spoiled brats!” Groudon roared, standing to his full height. “Who the hell do you think you are to call us that?”

The psycat shot his piercing leer at the land titan. “I am who I am. You can go be whatever you like, just do not expect us to put up with you.”

“I already am what I already AM,” he hissed. “You can go be whatever you like.”

“What is it with you? Just because you saw what you look like now does not mean you will forever look like that!” Mewtwo shouted, pointing at the forest. “Is that what this is all about? Are you all frightened of what you have become now that you are just giving up? I thought you were legendary for this sort of thing!”

“We are legend,” Palkia grunted.

“I was talking about survival!”

“What does survival have to do with this?” Giratina retorted, spiked wings folded tightly against his back.

“Everything!”

“You know what I think? I think your brain has finally given out on you, I've never seen you so hysterical about this.”

“I am not hysterical! I am worried!”

The Renegade Legendary pretended to have a heart attack. “No way! Mewtwo, worried? Oh, I think I'm going to faint. Dialga, catch me.”

He ignored the nervous, empty feeling in his chest to back himself up. “Why must you treat this as a joke? I am being serious here! Were we not given a second chance at this? Do you not believe that we have been kept alive for a reason?”

“Mewtwo, are you going to be preaching to us?” Ho-oh interjected, raising a brow then shrugging. “I'm just saying.”

It was a bit abrupt for the Sky Guardian to speak in such a way, but Mewtwo retained his composure quickly. “No, I am not. I am just trying to make a point. Does it not seem strange to you that we lived through the disaster even with grievous wounds?”

“Says you, I don't recall seeing a scratch on you,” Darkrai pointed out, crossing his arms. “Come to think of it, you have always looked the same, even when the rest of us were falling apart.”

“That does not matter at this point.”

“Well maybe it does because of the reason why you're in better shape than us.”

“I am not in better shape myself, none of us are!”

“But in comparison to each and every one of us, you pretty much are.” The psycat gaped at Uxie, who then gave an apologetic shrug. “That's what I'm seeing, anyway. I'm not disagreeing with you on the whole issue here, Mewtwo. I'll admit, I don't know what got over me when I looked in the lake and saw what I have become.” He glanced sadly over at his sister. “What we all have become. If you want something to blame, blame stress. These past few weeks haven't been good to us.”

“So what Mewtwo's saying is that we lost our survival skills overtime?” Suicune guessed.

He gave an audible growl. “I swear, you are making this more difficult than it sounds! All I asked is if we are looking for food today, and you backtracked it into something completely different!”

She shrank back. “Sheesh, I'm sorry. I didn't know this was a personal issue.”

“It is not personal! God, you insolent selfish—” Spinning around, he stormed back into the forest.

It was quiet for a minute before Celebi fluttered off his seat. Gazing solemnly upon everyone, he hovered for a different path of the forest. “Anyone's welcome to join me. I'll be needing all the hands I can get.”

Without hesitation, Mew tugged on Latias' hand and the two floated to his side. Latios immediately followed, as did Cresselia, Jirachi, and Manaphy. With a nod and another scan of the other Legendaries, the pixie and the small group entered the trees. Throwing down the rock he was fiddling with, Azelf shot off, his siblings not far behind. The Legendary Beasts, without any consultation amongst themselves, ran after them. Kyogre submerged and swam out into open water, unable to fit into the rivers. After staring at each other long enough, eventually everyone got up and strolled into the forest. Ho-oh was the last to make up his mind and joined in the search.

When Mewtwo returned a good half-hour later with hordes of berries and roots he found, he nearly dropped them. The waiting Legendaries turned around to acknowledge him over, their findings in a large mound in the middle.

*~*~*

It was decided they weren't going anywhere anytime soon, not while there was still green in the area, so the outskirts of Cherrygrove was looking to be a permanent residence for the Legendaries. After so much fruit was found, they went ahead to start plowing a small garden not too far off so they could grow saplings and transfer them around the world when they were ready, and for food later on. (Though Celebi hinted it would turn out to look like an orchard if everything went well.) Any vegetables that were found were immediately ground up for the seeds and planted into the earth. Teamwork was quickly authorized so everyone felt like they contributed to something for the sake of healing the planet. All of them, at some point or another, had to go about the globe and collect seeds and horde any food they came across. And while those select few were gone, everyone else was busy fixing up the surrounding areas and outward. City remains were cleaned up and confiscated of (except for the useful items they found), bodies were buried, and weak, unhealthy trees were removed to give those that were strong enough to survive decent sunlight and room to grow. There was thankfully rain that was still coming to help water the still-sprouting crops, so it relieved everyone to know the earth had not forgotten its own needs. Not counting the arguments and storms that came up every now and then, everything was peaceful. The only thing that was different were the Legendaries' countenances. While enough food and water was found to keep them nourished every day, they could tell they were still slowly withering away, some more than others. They said they skipped out on meals to work in the fields longer, but while they meant well, the anxiety on their fellow brethren and sisters was great. It didn't help that now they were vulnerable to sicknesses that still plagued the world, though only a few had gotten really sick thus far. Everything else took its course within a week.

It was noted from time to time that no one bothered to mention anything about bringing forth any children. When Ho-oh was approached on that matter, he simply stated they weren't ready yet, and that it was still too early to tell if the planet was going to recover. That knowledge kept the few antsy males at bay, much to the gratitude of the females, mainly Mew. In the meantime, friendships were growing in the small group as everyone got to know one another better. It used to be a terrible tragedy for the antisocial Legendaries, yet they found themselves opening up to the company they were now stuck with indefinitely. Rivalry, somehow, was kept to a minimum. Unsurprisingly, it was mostly a verbal fight between Deoxys and Cresselia.

No one kept track of what the month or day it was until a calendar was found with its last checked-off date being the day before the great extinction. After a week of counting off the minutes until each sunrise and sunset, the temperature rise and fall, and having Celebi check the status on the plants, they were sure they were nearing an equinox. “Thank the heavens the earth hasn't tilted too much on its axis!” the (ex)Time Traveler sighed in relief. “That could have messed up the entire schedule, and we would have starved when winter comes around.”

“So... when's harvest?” Entei asked.

“Give it a few more weeks. As long as no one pigs out and steals food from the storage,” and he leered warningly at the larger Legendaries, “we should be able to have enough stored for winter.”

(The Pokémon Center was marvelously the only one intact enough with a still-running freezer they decided on using even after Regice said he could handle it.)

The berry tree saplings were getting greener and stronger by the day. It was believed they would be ready to bear fruit sometime at or after harvest, but before winter. So while they waited for them, they helped themselves to the available trees that were still standing, as they bore new fruit every few days. There weren't a lot, but they had been living on them long enough they wouldn't starve to death; a little miracle Celebi couldn't help but ponder on. All the while, to help pass the days away, the Legendaries found ways to entertain themselves, to forget their troubles for the moment. These moments, whether dumb or genuine, helped many smile a bit in a long while.

As was the case one night when Rayquaza suggested telling scary stories around the fire, only for it to end up as charades that weren't working out very well. Mew helped start the game and explained the rules to those who didn't know the concept, but eventually everything went out of whack. Once Giratina began picking fights with a few others, the game was forgotten. The feline, by that time, was already in conversation with an inner circle of girlfriends and could care less what was happening, unless it happened to catch her attention.

Mewtwo, as he surveyed from across the flames, was a bit awed at how Cresselia wasn't among the group and was instead with her counterpart. Like many times before. She was always around him, whether in silence, small talk, or engrossed in conversation. The two hadn't been seen apart in a while. It got him interested, yet envious all the same. There was something rather positive going on between the two that he couldn't share with his own. Sure, she wasn't avoiding him as much, but the two rarely spoke to each other, and even if they did, it was only on the current events, nothing else. He could tell by the way he caught her gazing at him that she was concerned herself. It was possible she wanted a chat, just at a different time that had yet to happen. The clone sighed to himself, shaking his head slowly. He could only dream, it just wasn't meant to be.

“I'll take two guesses as to who it is you're focusing on,” Ho-oh made himself known as he perched beside Mewtwo. “And I suppose it'd be obvious the first is Mew, but if not her, the second would probably be Cresselia.”

He glanced over with a raised brow. “You sure you are not part Psychic?”

The phoenix crowed quietly. “Ah, I wish. I'm just so damn good at reading people, I could have been a lie detector in a previous life.”

Mewtwo breathed out a chuckle. “Possibly.”

“But unfortunately, I still can't read minds, so you'll have to tell me. What's is it about them that's bothering you?”

Tilting his head to the side, the psycat only gave a small shrug. “It varies between reasons and thoughts. I was just thinking about Cresselia's social life with Darkrai. They have been around a long time, but I am pretty sure they should have a better connection than what I am feeling from them.”

A rather sad sigh came from Ho-oh's beak as he looked over at the two as well. “They did, at one point. I had never seen them so happy, and they haven't been since.”

Mewtwo blinked up at the majestic bird. “When? What happened?”

“Only I knew about it until the news reached the other Sinnoh legends. They were sworn to keep it a secret, though Cresselia only shared it with a few of her friends. I shouldn't be telling you this, but it's been so many years, I doubt they care if it's public.” He slowly took in a long breath, eyes closed. “It was a few centuries ago when the two started to realize they cared for one another. Better yet, it was like they could feel each other's pains, emotions, and thoughts. One always knew what to say to the other, even if it meant starting a huge argument. They rarely went physical, but they've had conflict for so long, I suppose it was a part of the relationship unconsciously—I think that's how it was, I can't think of a better way to describe it. Well, once they noticed this, they became inseparable. Darkrai actually came to tell me personally they decided to be life-mates.”

“Those two?” Mewtwo gasped, eyes wide. “Honestly, Ho-oh, back then they were? I mean, I can see it now, b-but... at the time they were?”

Ho-oh cracked a smile at his astonishment. “Oh, they definitely were. I didn't believe him either, but he was serious. Despite all that dark interior, he could never lie. And it all clicked in after they arrived at that meeting together with an intimate closeness. It had a lot of Legendaries concerned.”

That was back in the day when it was common for Legendaries to skip out. Mewtwo didn't start making regular appearances until Mew urged him to go when she sensed the world taking a wrong turn in its history. “I think it's important you start attending more, Mewtwo,” she had told him. “I don't know what's going on, but something is changing in the world, can you sense it? It's not a good feeling, is it? We're having one later in the month. Please don't be late.”

The words barely faded out of his thoughts before the Sky Guardian resumed speaking. “I didn't see them much for another century, I trusted they were happy. When I did visit them, they had a child ten years before.”

“They what?”

“Hard to believe, I know. But believe me when I tell you, Mewtwo, that he was the most beautiful child I had ever seen. He was so much like his father, but he had Cresselia's eyes and spirit. A perfect combination, if you ask me. If memory serves me correctly, he called me 'Uncle Oh'.” A quiet chuckle rumbled in his chest, before he fell silent. His voice quieted to a murmur. “That was the only time I saw him.”

“What happened?”

The shouts of Suicune threatening bodily harm on her fleeing brothers distracted them for a minute before Ho-oh continued where he left off. “I only saw him once because a disaster befell them not a season later. Darkrai was taking him camping or a father-son's outlet thing, I don't know myself. All I know is they were in a forest somewhere in Sinnoh. It had suffered from a forest fire a year prior to it, and so the trees were falling apart. He heard some humans not too far off and told his son to run, that he would be right behind him. He stayed true to his word, catching up after he misled the group away to another pathway. He told him to stop at the worst possible time when a tree decided to crumble that very moment.” He hung his head sorrowfully. “Darkrai didn't return to Cresselia for a few days, which of course worried her. When he did show up without the boy... the grief was so bad, half of the continent was plagued with nightmares for weeks before she would do anything about it. By that time, he went into isolation for a few years. Of course, no one knew about it, that was really the whole point.”

Though saddened by the story, Mewtwo was confused as to why the two were now together as such. “Then how does that explain...” he trailed off, nodding his head in their direction.

“She found him so many years later and forgave him, and just asked that they'd be friends.”

“And Darkrai?”

An uncomfortable pause. “He has of yet to forgive himself,” he breathed out, shaking his head. “Had he did, it's possible they would have had another child by now. They never did break that vow. Even today, they are still bound by it, and they know it.”

The pause grew into a long-term silence between the two, even to the point all surrounding audience sounds faded into the background. It was hard to imagine Darkrai and Cresselia, two opposites to balance out the other, being together as friends. The difficulty of seeing them with a child was intense, it was so unlikely. Mewtwo created an image in his head of the boy, the combination of the two. A miniature version of Darkrai with Cresselia's eyes and her spirit... personality. He couldn't see how beautiful he was. It was pretty much Darkrai just smaller and more cheerful. In a sense, it was awkward. Maybe if there was a name to the face, it would look better. That was all he was missing.

Quietly as he could to avoid disturbing the atmosphere, he timidly inquired, “What was the child's name?”

Ho-oh did not answer at first, though it was possible he also didn't hear him, still too in tune with his thoughts. The far-away look in his eye was evidence enough he was lost in a memory. It was rather frightening to see him unfocused like that. Mewtwo hoped he wouldn't have to go through this again. Then, in a hushed whisper, he slowly replied:

“...Adam. Because he was the first kin of Legendary. The first flesh.”

And the conversation was over.

Forcing himself to look away, the clone noticed Mew wasn't with her friends. Glancing around, he just spotted her heading for the dark forest before the shadows shrouded her from view. A previous thought returned to him, and his stomach clenched. This would be his chance, he realized. They would be alone in the woods, he could speak to her freely then. Standing up, he headed in her direction.

“Mewtwo.”

He looked around obediently, locking with the stern gaze Ho-oh was giving him. In the lighting of the fire, his eyes looked more sunken in than normal. “Don't tell anyone about this,” he harshly instructed quietly. “They don't need to know beyond what they know.”

With a curt nod, the psycat slipped away into the shadows.

*~*~*

She had been feeling a slight disturbance in the air for a while now. It wasn't familiar, then again, Mew knew what it was in the back of her head. It was at its strongest when she slept, swearing it was calling her name. The scariest part of it was the pull. Every time she heard her name—the name her mother gave her—it tugged at her heart. It frightened her. She would have gone to Cresselia about it, but each time she approached, her throat seized up. And for reasons unknown, it was like someone was choking her in attempt to silence her.

It was probably from when Mewtwo...

No, she shouldn't think of that. He hadn't touched her since that day. But those eyes. What was it about them that was...

Oh, God, why was she thinking about him? Why did she have to look over at him across the fire? He may have only been staring thoughtfully (transfixed?) at it while having an inaudible conversation with Ho-oh, it was just that one action brought up so many thoughts she didn't wish to recall. That was why she had to excuse herself. She needed to be alone, to clear everything up so her friends wouldn't get suspicious enough as they were.

Now Mew was thinking like she was a criminal. Friends being suspicious because she couldn't keep her train of thought from running off every time she heard his voice or even caught a glimpse of him—

There she went again. She moaned and rubbed at her eyes. “Why can't I get you out of my head?” she muttered to herself.

“Get who out?”

Gasping, the feline spun around, backing away a little at the sight of her clone standing there, staring at her curiously. (Wait, was that even the right word for him? she caught herself suddenly.) She shook her head immediately, waving her paws around. “No-no-no-no! I mean no one! It's no one, just a something!”

He blinked, tilting his head as he crossed his arms. Mew panicked within her own thoughts. He wasn't believing her. She was doomed, even more-so when she realized it was just the two of them. She was hoping this wouldn't happen. Quickly, she tried to defend herself. “It's a something that... has been bothering me for a while now.” Now a smile, convince him!

Mewtwo glanced down at her sheepish grin. “What is it, then? Perhaps I can help you sort it out.”

“No! No, no, no, I want to figure it out on my own!” She wasn't acting like herself. He wondered if perhaps it wasn't a good time to speak to her.

“You have been sleeping, right?”

“Yeah, I make sure to get a good night's rest!”

Averting his vision away from the awkward smile of hers, he made himself shrug. “Then, I guess you have just been worked up. Unless you were needing some... privacy?”

“Nope, nothing of the sort!”

To be honest with himself, Mew was scaring him a little. She had her moments of hyperactivity, but those days were long gone. From what he had witnessed in Mount Quena, there was no way she would be able to relive those days. His only guess was she finally went mad from it all. He was sorry he even pursued her into the woods. Sighing, he gave in. “All right, then. I suppose I will leave you be.” He turned to leave.

Her hands grasped his wrist tightly.

The two stared at each other in surprise, Mew for moving to touch him, and Mewtwo for her closing the space. Her heart quickened, as did his. Their thoughts went wild with “what if” fantasies. They felt the numbing electricity run through their arms into their guts, and their mouths ran dry. And whether or not there was a chill in the air, they both shivered.

Slowly, she released him a little, keeping her hands hovering close by. Her eyes danced about his face before she dropped them. “I'm sorry,” she whispered. “Yes, Mewtwo, there is something bothering me. It has been... for a while.”

He nodded in acknowledgment, gingerly pulling his arm away. She didn't make a move to grab him again. “What is it you need, Mew?”

Many responses ran through her mind, some frightening her for even thinking that way. There were way too many to burden him with, and she was sure he could only cope with a few of them. She took in a breath, asking the first question that stuck out to her. “Did you find the children?”

The larvae children. There was something so very wrong about how he wanted to respond, to tell her he had. What if she wanted details? As morbid as it sounded, it was almost natural for someone to ask how another died. He didn't want to make her withdraw into another shell he'd have a hard time breaking through. So he answered with a somewhat-hypothetical question. “What if I told you they died peacefully?”

It was too late to take it back now.

Her eyes horrifically flashed in the moonlight, a gasp dying in her throat as she backed away. He braced himself when she leered. “How dare you say that,” she snarled. “How could you be so cruel as to say that?”

“They were the most recognizable amongst everyone else,” he countered. “I believe they were sleeping when the cave-in happened.”

“You don't know that!” her voice raised. “How can you say that when you weren't there?”

“But is that not what you wanted, Mew? Peace to know they had no signs of fear on their faces?”

“I just wanted to know if you found them! I didn't want to know how they died, I already knew that!”

She was trying hard not to cry, Mewtwo could see the shimmering tears in the depths. It made her eyes look like glass in a downpour. His heart constricted at the sight, torn between breaking and opening up to her. He felt terrible for what happened to the young ones, however, the moment he found them, he knew where they were. He had found no reason to shed a tear over them. It was the same when he discovered the mangled body of Scyther. As upsetting as it was, there was peace in knowing they were now in a better place—they were saved.

But how could he tell her that?

Mew turned away angrily, furiously wiping at her eyes and gritting her teeth. “If I didn't know better, I'd be calling you a heartless monster right now among other things,” she murmured bitterly. His chest lightened up at the sentence. “Unfortunately, I know you long enough to know you have a heart. It was so broken when I first saw you, I couldn't feel it. One of those crappy reasons we even had that damn battle.” She glared down at their shadows. “Once time passed and I came to check up on you... I swear I heard it beat. And then I knew you were like us, you always had been. I think I apologized to you, I don't remember, and we agreed to just be acquaintances. But somehow we became friends. And then... then...”

“Then more time passed,” he softly finished for her, unable to take his eyes off her moonlit body.

A small growl came from her, only less fierce, and she flew off for shelter under a nearby tree. Mew, upon feeling her skin tremble sensing his locked gaze, reached out to grasp the trunk to steady herself. “I should have known, I should have seen the signs. I knew you were lonely, Mewtwo, but not like that. I figured, 'Hey, if I hang around Mewtwo more, he'll stop being so grumpy and more out-going!' God, I was so naïve back then. All it did was strengthen our relationship even more, even under that irritation you showed me.” She smiled to herself at the memories, and her voice lightened up. “You could have killed me if you wanted to, you were just way over that. All you wanted to do was just send me far away as possible.”

Even Mewtwo couldn't help but reflect on those days when Mew was as happy-go-lucky as she could be, with her bubbly laughter and numerous pranks. A small smile spread on his lips. “You annoyed the hell out of me. Literally, I suppose.”

She managed a choked giggle. “Yeah... I guess I did... You started showing the soft side of yourself often.” He smelled a tear sliding down her face, and saw the drop glint when it fell. She pretended not to feel it, even vainly tried to hide her lament. “And then the world began to change. I knew that if I could feel it, then everyone could. Even someone who was not naturally born of this world still could... if he grew attached to it.” She paused to swallow the growing lump. “No one... is created heartless. If they were, they died in the womb. But a person with a heart can be a cruel, cold person and still have a beating heart, just without the humanity needed to live properly in this world. How is it, then... that they allowed this to happen? Had it been caught early enough, this wouldn't have happened... no one would have had to suffer the way they did.”

Mewtwo stepped close enough he saw her lower a hand to touch her abdomen. He wondered if she wasn't feeling well, until he noticed how tenderly her paw laid upon it. It was a curious gesture. “Celebi said it was meant to happen,” he recalled.

Mew only shook her head, back still turned to him. “I believed in God once. When He failed to show up, I no longer had faith in humanity anymore. I stopped caring... I think my heart had shut down sometime that year so I wouldn't feel mercy... then wrenched itself back to life when everything died.”

She then grew silent, face buried into the tree and hand still caressing her stomach. He had a feeling she wasn't consciously aware of it. Carefully, he reached out and pried her away from the trunk, turning her around. Her head was down, ears drooped, and the scent of salt strong. He took notice of her gaunt figure, not yet to how she was when he brought her out of the Tree. She wavered in place, tail, arms, and legs limp. Gently, he held her chin up, gazing into her watery eyes. She stared back unflinchingly, taking in his own thin features. Her vision then dropped onto his lips, and she took in a breathless gasp, darting back into his eyes.

His heart gave the command, and he leaned forward, opening his mouth for her.

None of them knew what happened next. Mew had seemed unresponsive except for when her eyes closed like she was expecting him, and Mewtwo was within reach of her lips, they breathed each other in. Either she turned or he did, the result was the same. He only grazed a kiss along her jawline, tasting the salty trail the lone tear had left behind. The open mouth that was ready to receive him let out a trembling whimper, a tiny paw reaching up to grasp his shoulder. His hand holding her chin slipped down to rest against her sternum, feeling the heart pound and flutter, the other reached up into the tree, and snapped off what it brushed up against. Releasing his lips from her skin, he faced her back toward him so her shaky breath ghosted over his mouth.

Mew squirmed under his touch, sensing little space between them, yet half of her wanted him to close it. It teased her, begging to feel lips again, to exchange warmth... to have him press her against the tree with his body. The other wished Mewtwo gone, far away from her, to forget this ever happened.

While she fought with herself, she barely felt her hands being taken into his and led to grip onto a rounded, smooth item. Then he pulled away and left without another word. She gulped in the cool air to chase away his presence, savoring the silver moonlight on her skin instead of his shadow. Hesitantly, she blinked up at the underside of the tree and the star-lit sky. He was nowhere to be found. With a shivering sigh, she floated down to the ground, leaning up against the tree trunk, trying to calm herself down.

She almost relived the memory that she wished never existed, never came to being. The difference was the passion she felt brushing against her jaw compared to the first. Had he succeeded, she would have tasted his entire mouth. The thought made her quiver. Who knew how long they could have been there, and what it would have led up to.

Reaching up to massage her temple, Mew nearly forgot about the weight in her hands and almost dropped it. Her eyes widened at what it was, recognizing the rough skin.

It was a Lum.

*~*~*

When did he begin to love her, the first heartbeat of unadulterated emotion? It was so long ago, he can no longer remember the date or month. Not even the time of day, though he suspected it was the nighttime, he got that feeling of déjà vu when she was under the moonlight—she glowed with familiar beauty. All he remembered of it was she was there, just there with him.

She was always with him. They contemplated a few times to travel together, but something would always come up to cancel it. The biggest issue was her being the Tree of Beginnings' guardian. She wasn't allowed to stay away from it for very long, a few days at most. It would call her back after so many hours until she grew ill from withdrawal and had to leave. While she welcomed him, the Tree didn't. He had a feeling it never liked him. Mew tried to convince (even trick) the Tree he was a harmless visitor, yet he was rejected every time, sometimes through physical force. When it was apparent he wasn't allowed inside, they had no choice but to accept that little fact the Tree was off-limits. Mewtwo brushed it off when it was final, he was used to it. She verbally apologized about it, but he let it go, even requesting that she'd forget it and move on. So she did without a complaint.

Though when he once asked her why she was so bound to the Tree, she quickly corrected, “I'm not bound to it, it's not like I'm a prisoner. We just have a special connection is all.”

He knew she was lying, he was good at picking out the lies from the truth. She was never excited about answering any questions about the Tree, and it always seemed to upset her in some way. But it was in her nature to answer anything that came her way no matter how sensitive the question. It was how he knew only Pokémon were allowed within miles of it. Humans only knew about it from legends as very few had actually seen it, or even stepped foot on it. But according to Mew, a drop of human blood or aura within its territory (how she once defined it) would make it defensive and its white blood cells rampaged until the intruder was disposed of. How, she didn't know, and Mewtwo felt it was best they didn't know. He doubted it tossed them out like he was. The topic was eventually dropped.

It was on one night he brought up a question he wasn't sure about. He heard of it in many cities he visited, but there were so many versions of it, he wasn't sure what the right one was. Even the signs of it were different. Some were more subtle than others, and then there were those that did not deserve to be mentioned of whatsoever. It was a curious topic he was sure she would know about. “Mew,” he inquired of her, “what is love, exactly?”

His suspicions were correct. Her smiles were usually very big and toothy, giving her the impression of innocence. The smile she gave when he asked was soft and dreamy, it matured her appearance greatly; a side of her he never saw before. “Love has many meanings,” she replied rather happily, a hint of a sigh in her voice (which threw Mewtwo off even more). “Over time, though, people abused it so much, it lost its value and became just another word to throw around. But every now and then, I'd hear it used correctly.” Her eyes closed, the smile unfaltering. He could have sworn she became pinker. “But in general, it means to show affection, or that you care for them very much. You would do anything for that person. The three common categories love falls in is with family, friends, and couple relationships, unless I'm forgetting something.” Her lips pursed at the thought, and she frowned briefly.

“Friendship is love?”

“A type of it, yes, but most people don't think about it that way. Possibly because it makes things awkward or something.” She shrugged, giggling. “I don't see a problem with it. I always tell my friends I love them, some more than others.” Mew then looked over at him, and he flustered a little at the gaze. “Even my guy friends.”

He felt what might have been a blush, one that she duly noted, “Pink looks good on you, Mewtwo.” Quickly, he created space between them, turning his back on her. She only laughed. “I'm just teasing you, get back here!”

“No.”

It only made her more giddy. “Aw, come on, you know I don't bite! Much.” (His eye twitched at the memory.) “I was only making a compliment, it really was about time some color came to your face.”

“I have color.”

“But not that much.” He felt her scoot closer when he refused to budge. When her tail accidentally brushed with his, it involuntarily flicked away. She didn't seem to notice. “Grays I don't see as technically color.”

“Lavender.”

She blinked up at him with those wide eyes he promised himself he would never fall for (unless she got them teary-eyed and sparkling, it always worked somehow). “Is it really? You're always in the dark, how was I supposed to know?”

“You were not supposed to. I myself do not see it as a 'technical' color.” He raised a brow when he glanced over at her, fighting a smirk.

Mew got the joke, but decided to make a big deal out of it. “Hallelujah, the wall made a funny!”

“...what?”

She just shrugged. “Did you want me to call you a gargoyle, or a vampire or something?”

Sometimes, he wondered what really went through her head, if her way of speaking ever made sense to her. It always did bother him for some odd reason, so most of the time he chose to ignore it. When he remained silent, she turned her attention back to the city. For a time, the two sat there on the roof of the skyscraper, enjoying the view. Mewtwo would lose interest easily and look elsewhere, usually at the stars if they were visible, though there were some clouds moving in, making it worthless. The lights were too garish here compared to the last city he visited. That was the thing he didn't like about large cities, they were too bright or fancy for his tastes, if not the occasional sound of violence. Mew managed to talk him into sightseeing this particular one. She claimed something interesting happened over the city at midnight, but time came and went, and nothing happened. He would have left had she not clung onto him and pleaded with him to wait a little while longer.

He hated it when she got her way.

His thoughts wandered again, and he went back to the whole “love” topic. Her answers made sense, but one still wasn't felt like it was ever answered. “So... if love means to truly care for someone, then what is the meaning of 'true love'?”

Mewtwo swore she sat straighter than she normally did and froze up. Her tail lay limp behind her, and her eyes looked like they glazed over. She began to wring her hands in a nervous way. “Well,” she started off slowly, “it usually ties in with fairy tales when it comes to a princess being freed from a spell of sorts because a prince kissed her, though I think it's the original way to say 'soul mate'. Personally, I don't see it that way. It's more like a... uh... gosh, I don't know.” She chewed on her lip thoughtfully. “I had the answer when I was young, I just never reflected on it a lot. From what I can remember, it's what you feel in your heart. It probably differs from person to person, but... A lot of these stories always tell you to listen to your heart, that it's always right. And some people have said it as well. So I suppose when you find someone you truly care about, that you'd do anything for, and you truthfully feel you want a future with that person, and you know the two of you will be happy... I guess that's true love.” A flush of embarrassment came on her cheeks when she gazed up at him. “Sorry I didn't have the answer. I'm not really a big romantic.”

He just shook his head assuringly. “If it makes sense, you had the answer.”

A weak chuckle escaped her, and she rubbed the back of her head. “That's true. Thanks.”

He couldn't help smiling a little.

Suddenly, the city blacked out beneath them, and a buzz of clamor reached their ears, as well as a few honking and screeching of tires. Mew relaxed when she didn't hear a crash. “Ahh, something must have happened at the power plant,” she sighed heavily. “I swear, this wasn't what I kept you here for.”

“Actually, to be honest, I prefer it this way.”

“You're on a roll, Mewtwo, cracking jokes and whatnot! You and me, we'd go places.”

“I have a better chance of becoming popular with the other Legendaries.”

“Whatever, you know I'm always ri—oh my gosh, look at that moon!”

Mewtwo rolled his eyes at her short attention span before looking over to the silver orb above them. It was a favorite pastime of his, one of his many reasons why he chose to wander the shadows. He found sanctity in its gentle light, a familiarity with it. He understood its decision to rise after the sun, the important purpose it held with the world. There was a pleasant beauty to it that couldn't be captured any other way but with sight. It was a shame very few people chose to look at it, and then only a small handful favored it. That was one of the things he wanted Mew to understand about in the early days of their acquaintanceship. She accepted it well, and as time went on, found herself falling in love with it. There were nights they didn't speak at all and just gazed up at the moon. Those were really the only times he tolerated having her around. Any other time he wished her gone, or just refused to speak to her.

But somehow, Mew understood all of that, and they became friends. He would just never admit it.

And the thought made him remember her comment minutes earlier, making him redden once more. Why'd she have to say that?

He tilted his stare down at her, and he paused in wonderment. There was something different about her that he couldn't put his finger on. Was it the way she looked up at it with a far-away gaze to her eyes, envisioning herself in a fantasy she would always blabber on about? What about her posture? She looked reverent, more mature being in the presence of such majesty. Or was it the way the lunar rays hit her at an angle where it was like she was the one letting off the light from her halo of moonlight?

Like she was Lady Luna herself.

Mewtwo was finding himself lost in her eyes, the newfound beauty he never knew existed within her. She was far from the naïve being he knew her as. It was like she grew up, a woman if he dared call her that. He wanted to reach out and touch her, to know if her fur felt like the warmth of moonlight, or if she was ethereal as such and only slipped out of his fingers. A part of him was afraid to do so.

But it wasn't afraid to look at her. In a way, it felt like it was the right thing to do.

She looked over at him, her eyes matching the color of the night sky with the moon as her highlights. He lost the ability to breathe. And when she spoke, he drowned in her words. They weren't in a language he understood, yet it spoke to his heart. She drew closer, raising a delicate hand to his face...

She surprisingly punched like the dickens.

“Sorry, Mewtwo, but you were in a trance, I didn't think anything else could get your attention!” he heard the apology. “You need your ears checked or something?”

He groaned, rubbing his face and blinking down at her. The figure was gone, it was only Mew raising a questionable brow at him, backing up a ways to give him space. In a way, he felt disappointed. “I think you broke my nose,” was his response when it throbbed.

“Trust me, I punched hard enough to give you a bruise. What happened to you? You wouldn't stop staring, and then you started... closing in on me.” She frowned, taking in a slow breath. “Was there something you needed to say?”

Mewtwo didn't remember ever moving a muscle. He only shook his head as he leaned back, barely noticing the lights had returned to the city. “I think I just need more sleep,” he bluntly remarked. “I have not been able to for a while, actually. I should go to Cresselia about that.”

Mew looked a little uncomfortable, searching him carefully. He was pretty sure she knew he wasn't telling the truth. Even then, she didn't show it, and only let out a small, quiet breath she had been holding, turning away. “You probably should,” she softly gave her agreement. “Since you mentioned it, I might as well turn in for the night. I'll get cranky if I don't.” She lifted herself from the roof, avoiding his eyes. “Sorry I kept you here longer than needed. I guess it only happens on weekends or something.” With a small wave, she flew off. It was a gesture not like hers, but Mewtwo dismissed it as her being tired.

Secretly though, as he watched her leave, he wished she stayed long enough for him to explain his reasoning. But something in his heart told him she wasn't yet ready, that he needed to give her time.

For how long, he didn't know. He was just willing to wait for her.

*~*~*

He took his time to wake up, slowly pushing himself off the ground. He massaged his temples when a slight headache thumped. There was something strange about the way Mewtwo recalled that memory. For the past week, he dreamed about Mew either through memories or fantasies. Honestly, he was a bit grateful it wasn't a continuation of the other dreams he refused to reflect on, though he knew it was something like a prequel or prologue to what it would eventually become. He had heard somewhere dreams were a representation of desires, fears, memories, or even warnings. Maybe his recollection of the past was trying to tell him something?

But what about the others? Ever since Mew began to reject him, he's had rather vivid dreams about that day and beyond. Then he started to forget the touch and scent of her until a week ago. She had made no attempt to push him away, even when she shivered beneath him as he kissed her. If he wasn't mistaken, she waited for him, nevertheless it was possible she was still in denial about it all, so she moved at the last second. Or maybe he did, he couldn't remember. Even then, he could have tried again when he had the chance had her rapid heartbeat not stopped him.

As did his.

The very moment they touched, his bodily instincts readied themselves, sensing, smelling her own desirous want enticing him. The passionate, erotic exhilarations were present: to feel all her touches, to savor each gasp of breath, moan and cry of pleasure, and to memorize every inch of skin as they cleaved together. Every virginal taste of her body would have belonged to him, to be his forbidden fruit. She would have forever been his under the moonlight.

His heart knew that when their flesh made contact. The intimate closeness still proved too much for the both of them. He never wished to ever force himself on her, he didn't know why he would want to. It was just when he breathed her in, his mind went wild as his mouth watered, and he licked his lips, which only aroused him more. So hesitantly, he regained composure and walked away. She gave him her breath and a salty kiss, it was lasting enough.

He left her alone, wondering if she ate the Lum he handed to her. She had not eaten all that day, and she was thin enough as it was. Another reason he threw away his chance (as minor as it was). She wasn't in good condition for such a thing. The possessive lust that ran through his veins didn't catch that, nor bothered to. It was so strong and rekindled with every thought, he wouldn't look at her for over twenty-four hours as a precaution. He didn't want to find himself latched onto her in front of everyone, or anywhere in particular. He couldn't remember if he ever slept that night trying to keep her out of his thoughts. As the fires of passion ached with every throb, he was glad to rid himself of it. Never again did he want to feel that impression, it almost took over him.

The two hadn't spoken again nor sat by each other since, though now and then through the week he'd steal a glimpse of her. From what he was able to see, Mew wasn't looking too good. No one was, in general, but in comparison to her, everyone was doing well. He wondered if she was skipping meals again, or was losing sleep. There was also that possibility she was putting a strain on herself to forget that night. He couldn't blame her for wanting to, he felt hints of sexual urge rush throughout her body. It was an unnatural emotion he knew she would never feel in her life. Mew would never lust after anyone when all she knew was love.

Thinking about it further, Mewtwo wondered if he was responsible for putting those thoughts into her head. After all, a being whose heart never felt a pure emotion could only have the corrupted version. There was always an opposition to all things, and there was no such thing as a fence-sitter when it came to emotions. If he didn't know love and compassion, then he must have known lust and hate. Two powerful notions that if fed could overthrow their opposites. After hanging around human societies long enough, it was all he was exposed to. And when Mew began spending time with him, her innocent being was a magnet to his dark heart. Slowly, he sapped from her until there was space enough to transfer his qualities over. Being new to them, she tried to fight them off, but grew weaker from resistance. It wouldn't be long now before she would submit her will to them.

It disturbed him. He hoped—prayed that wasn't the case. Such dark emotions couldn't have affected her, she was so pure. Always she said “Love is stronger than hate”, and he believed that. How is it then his hate was stronger than her? And wasn't he positively sure he expelled it from himself after finding peace?

Something painfully twanged inside, but Mewtwo wasn't sure if it was his heart or stomach. However, a sharp, quick pain stung through his head, convincing him he should stop thinking about such horrid things. What was passed was past, there was no room for brooding over it.

Ho-oh had eventually stirred awake and was heading for the forest to do his morning schedule. “Hey, Mewtwo,” he mumbled groggily as he walked by. “Sleep well?”

He made himself shrug, ignoring the headache. “Somewhat.”

“Good, good...” And he disappeared into the trees.

Suddenly, something sparked to life in his mind, remembering he had been wanting to ask him a question for a while now. And what better time than now? Stumbling to his feet, he hurried after the phoenix, reaching out a hand to tap his wing. “Ho-oh, before the day goes on any further, I have a thing or two to ask.”

Raising his brows questionably, the Sky Guardian craned his neck to look behind. “What is it you need?”

Mewtwo couldn't lie to himself they weren't rather embarrassing, maybe personal questions. It took him a few minutes to figure out how to word the first one. “How... long do you estimate before we... start the first, ahem, procreation process?”

Judging the peeved-off look in his eye, it was possible he was asked that dumb question a lot. “I keep telling you lot that it will depend on how well the planet recovers,” he growled softly. “I roughly estimate ten years or more. Don't ask me again.”

“I apologize that you have been hearing it lately, I honestly do not pay enough attention to anything anyone ever says to you.”

Ho-oh grunted. “'Pology accepted, what's your other question?”

Biting his lip, the psycat rubbed at his arm. Had he been more awake, the phoenix would have been concerned about his behavior. “It... it is about Mew.”

“What about her?” he nonchalantly said, not meaning to in the least bit. They stopped by the lake, and he bent down for a drink and to wash his face.

How to word it... there were many questions he wanted to know about Mew he would ask himself, but with her keeping as far away from him as possible, it seemed unlikely she would answer anything. Mainly, he wanted to learn a little bit more about the species he was based off from. He felt there was something about it he was quite positive Mew wouldn't like to talk about anyway. So he went with the thought that had been bothering him for a long while. “Well... okay, this is more about her—our specie, but... are they, I mean the Mew specie, naturally so innocent?”

Shaking the water from his facial feathers and wiping it from his eyes, Ho-oh immediately replied, “Everyone is naturally innocent, that's what being a child is all about.” (Now that he was awake a little more, he could answer faster and better.) “But there are some who are so sheltered from the general world, they remain in that state of mind longer than others. The Mew specie just so happens to be one of them. At least they used to be, at one point. It was when the people who revered them so loyally started learning more about the world and became part of it that they were influenced by it.”

“People worshiped them?” Why hadn't Mew mentioned it before?

“Every Legendary at some point or another was worshiped, that was really the only reason we were even called Legendaries.”

“I figured it was our strength and special attack.”

“That too, but humans are fickle when it comes to that. Anyway, the Mew specie are carefree enough they take after a lot of customs of their admirers into their lives, interestingly enough. It's a weird topic, I don't understand it much myself, but that's what they've always done. So when their beloved human neighbors were assimilated into the world, so did they. And many of them learned more about human nature than they were supposed to know. It scarred them, and thus every generation was exposed to more and more as the years went by.”

Mewtwo frowned. “Did they... take in the world's customs eventually?”

“Some, but not all. As naturally naïve as they can be, they all are very intelligent, and can tell the difference between good and evil. Sometimes.” A slow, grave sigh puffed out of his beak. “Then the boundaries between the two got grayed. Before long, they had to do something really terrible before they knew they had been going in the wrong direction. By this time, though, the people who respected them took on the idea of sacrifice, and thought for a time blood of a native human or Pokémon would please a Mew. Those ruins in the Amazon used to be beautiful places until the main room became the sacrificial chamber. There's an altar there where'd they lay the person or Pokémon on and kill them, sometimes in front of a live Mew. When it was apparent it wasn't appealing to them, they went ahead and tried other Mew in hopes the bloodshed of their own kind was better.”

Sick flutters grew in the psycat's stomach. He knew humans were cruel to kill Pokémon, but to sacrifice them as such, even those that were beloved, was treacherous. “What did the Mew specie do?”

“They scattered themselves across the world, of course.” Ho-oh shrugged. “It was a mistake they'd soon regret, as they steadily inched closer and closer to extinction. Mew—the one we all know—was one of the last known to survive childhood, or to even be conceived. She was born a little over a millennium ago, which was when it was believed her specie finally went extinct. I suppose to help preserve her kind, she was granted immortality so she wouldn't die so easily. A Mew can live to be about a hundred or so years, by the way,” he added to the side. “Her mother was probably only ten years into her sexual maturity when she died. It devastated her to be left alone like that, but by that time, she had learned enough to survive on her own. The year or two when she reached the maturity age, can't remember, Arceus gave her the opportunity and she took it.”

“It does not explain her natural innocence.”

He let out a solemn sigh, shaking his head. “Mew lost that when she was originally mortal, her childhood wasn't a very good one in the first place. She just saw immortality as a way to 'get away' from cares of the world and decided to be happy... okay childish, in a way, but she eventually became happy once she went around helping people. But every now and then, she chose to be serious. You already know about that.” Mewtwo nodded. “Everyone has secrets, Mewtwo, secrets they try to hide by being someone or something they're not. With the goal in mind to make the world a better place, Mew figured all she had to do was be happy and be a beacon of hope to those she aided. It worked for a while, but everyone's past haunts them from time to time, and it eventually caught up to her. She tried to sleep it away, but...” He waved his wings around slowly, side-glancing over at the clone. He had an idea what he was referring to. “...yeah, you get the idea.”

“How do you know all this, Ho-oh?”

In a gesture that bodily said “My God, Mewtwo, you're killing me with these questions”, he simply stated, “She came to talk to me about it no more than a few centuries ago, I suppose. She needed someone to spill her guts out at without going insane, so she chose me. Needless to say, it took off a lot of weight on her shoulders.”

“Until now.”

Ho-oh just nodded, then placed his wings on either side of his hipbone. “Tell me, Mewtwo, why are you so concerned about her? Ever since you agreed to take care of her some months back, it's like you've developed a closeness with her.”

Mewtwo couldn't help snorting, brusquely crossing his arms. “I screwed it up trying to make amends with her, and now she wants nothing to do with me.”

“You want to tell me what happened?”

“Why should I?”

“Because I told you about Mew's background. Might as well cough it up right now.” He then leaned forward, smiling teasingly. “Denial is always the first sign you're hiding something.”

He dropped his arms with a scoff. “Then tell me what it is I am hiding,” he challenged, “because maybe I do not know what it is.”

“Oh, I think you do, Mewtwo. I've seen the way you look at her.”

“Great, now you are starting to sound like Scyther. What is it with everyone getting on my case?”

“What Scyther?”

“From Mount Quena. That is where Mew and I stayed at for two months, and he said the same damn thing you just said. Just worded differently, mind you, but it was the same concept!”

The smile of the bird's looked creepier the broader it became. “And? What did he suspect?”

Mewtwo gawked at him like he had gone demented, in which case he might have some time ago. “This is pointless,” he huffed, turning around to leave. “Why did I even bother?”

Ho-oh stepped in the way, staring him down. “Mewtwo, I don't care if you Teleport away every time I come up to you, I will keep asking you the same damn thing he said until you answer me. What happened?”

For the first time in a long while, he felt uneasy in another's presence. It was one thing to be forced to express a form of emotion, or to at least say everything. He looked back in the phoenix' eyes like a child would look at his mother after being caught doing a wrong. His throat sealed up when he tried to speak, making him wish he could just tell him telepathically and get it over with. And Ho-oh was always true to his word, he was going to keep pestering him about it if he walked away. Breathing deeply and standing straight, he quietly, but boldly as he dared, responded, “I committed a forbidden act.”

It caused the brows on the Sky Guardian to rise, but no other signs of movement were seen. “What forbidden act?”

The empty feeling inside pounded against him, desperately telling him to keep his mouth shut, that he didn't need to know. But his heart pressured him on since he said it. There was no turning back now. “I told Scyther... that I am a hybrid of sorts, half-Mew, half-human.” Ho-oh briefly nodded. “I said man manipulates other living beings to fulfill their own desires. And as I am not a native-born of this world, I feel there are certain... qualities given to God's creations that are kept from me, because I am of man.” The words were finding themselves easier to come out, it was keeping himself calm that was difficult. He was consciously aware he was trembling in place.

Ho-oh lowered his head a little. “Continue. What did you do to cause this separation?”

Closing his eyes, Mewtwo bit his lip before whispering, “I kissed her.”

“Speak up, Mewtwo.”

He looked up at him, emotion steadily growing in his voice. “I kissed her, Ho-oh. I may have started it, and she finished it, but the fact of the matter is we kissed. As short-lived as it was, we felt something there. I looked at her, and she looked back at me, and in that moment, something happened between us. It was like I could look into her heart, her soul, and see who she was. And she was broken, there was nothing left of her that I could recognize. But i-it just... it was begging. What was left of the innocence that was there, it was dying... dying with her. She was... she would have died had I not... I-It needed me. She needed me. I... I could see it in her eyes... that sadness I just cannot forget. It was so beautiful... I do not want to forget...” His body shook so hard, he dropped to his knees, tears blurring his vision. “Everything... e-even after what she had nearly become, sh-she was still beautiful. I still continued to watch with the space between us, and then... I realized she had changed...”

What was wrong with him? What happened to degrade him like this? The pride that kept his emotions at bay, to feel when he wanted to feel, was it destroying him? Maybe he just went insane at long last, or was so drunken off his many words, he didn't know when to end. But it felt good. His only regret is not revealing this to Mew, to see her reaction to it all. It would have been delicious.

He shot his gaze back at Ho-oh, now so delirious with his emotions, he didn't care or even realize he was spilling his heart out, every word that was piercing him greatly. “She is no longer that childish being, Ho-oh! Do believe me when I say that she went through many changes, that she has become a woman! Human concept, I know, but her mindset now is the maturity of a woman's! I see it in her, I have seen it in her, a-and it is the most heavenly thing I have ever seen God give to a creation! And you know me, why are you giving me that look like I went mad?! I am being serious here! You know I have questioned God for so many years, asked Him what purpose I have, why it is He allowed me to live, an abomination that is to forever be a constant reminder of man's sin. So what have I done to deserve looking into her soul like that when it was not my right? That right belongs to the mate who will take her as his own, and I violated it! She is not my mate, she has never belonged to me, and never will! Yet why do I suffer a lovesick heart where every thought of her sends a coarse amount of emotion through my veins? Why can I not be happy for her—which is ridiculous, what should she be happy about?”

Mewtwo took in slow, shuddering breaths, massaging his temples, and not feeling relief from it. “Even now... I tremble because of her, especially... after what I nearly did to her. Oh, Ho-oh... had I not been selfless, we would have—no, I would have committed a terrible transgression, it would have been all my doing. Had we gone through with it, it would be possible she would be with child, though I should know better than to think that, I have no such ability. B-But she would have been mine, I could feel it. And she felt it, too.” His head then ducked, fists clenching as he attempted to choke back his sobs. “...I love her... so I left her a virgin. That much I can give her. I will love her... but she will not love me... because of what I am...”

She did not deserve it. So why...?

The more he gazed upon her, the more he fought with himself. What possessed him to even feel sorry for Mew? Better yet, what did he do while she was depressed besides visiting and hoping she would respond to his presence? She had not spoken a word the entire time then, all she did was stare lifelessly. He would have exposed her to bright light and she wouldn't have blinked. A few times he moved her around, even dragged her outside the Tree. Same reaction. Desperate attempts to bring out some form of response were all in vain, and Mewtwo had eventually given up and left. He would then wonder why he even cared in the first place, and tried not to think of her well-being.

Almost an entire year passed by, and there wasn't a single day she did not cross his mind. As much as he was pressured by some unseen force to see her, he refused, trusting that others would do it for him. As revealed at the conference, only a few of her closest friends were anxious enough to, and they did little for her. The hand supporting her head slightly curled.

So... out of self-conscious guilt I agreed...

Mewtwo snorted a little at the thought, studying her tense posture. The more he stared, the more he realized she was more than a shell of her former self. It was like she had lost her soul, but her body remained alive. The body was deceiving, the healing lake water only mended the physical being, not those of emotional and spiritual scarring. And all of a sudden, he couldn't blame her. Something had happened some time ago. As much as he wanted to find out just by easily probing her thoughts, he respected her privacy too much. When she's ready to tell him, she'll come to him.

...since when was he this concerned about her? Was it their friendship over the years, her acts of kindness finally paying off? Was his view on her different now than it was a year ago? Did she change into a completely different person? Why was he seeing her as broken, now that her innocence had been stripped from her?

He flinched inwardly at the swarm of questions muddling up, realizing he himself had a change of heart. All that time he denied her friendship was him trying to hide his true feelings. The idea of him, a heartless clone, being friends with her was almost laughable. But the thought of almost losing her because of his pride and negligence disturbed him. Time probably wouldn't be as merciful the second time. If there was a way to have peace with her, he needed to do it now.

Mewtwo suddenly noticed he had leaned forward, and was paused inches away from contact of flesh. A curious thought had stopped him, asking what he saw in her. What was making this moment different from before? It could be her breath was warm, her lips pinker than normal. It was an accomplishment. Her complexion was returning, looking healthier. She was in a state of relaxation, slowly releasing her tension.

“She is a woman.”

There was something natural about the way he answered it, like the title was meant for her. And in an odd way, she was one. She no longer had a hint of childlike qualities to her, neither in physique or her aura. She's stronger, but with weaknesses. She's not a goddess, but a woman. And she was beautiful.

Almost hesitantly, he closed space between them in a chaste kiss.

Mewtwo finally let loose, breaking into sobs and allowing himself to cry. “I-I am so stupid,” he croaked. “I did not think it through... but it felt so right at the time! A-And I did not want to disturb the peace... the peace that she was feeling with words... she had not felt peace in so long...” His voice cracked, and he gave up speaking, resorting to tears.

Despite her attempts to forget it ever happened, he knew it was bothering her, they were growing mad from it. He admitted it to himself he couldn't get her off his mind, couldn't bring himself to blot out that spark of innocence he brought back to life. But he had to blame something, and he blamed the other half of himself he knew would most likely have played a part. Correction, he hated it, and it only grew. When he snapped at her, right then and there, he wanted to confess his reasons, to tell her that he had a purpose in the world, and it was to be with her. He would have kissed her again, not caring that everyone was watching or if she would have mauled him for it. Whatever had happened between then and his return to Mirage Island had only caused more dismay, and she bit him out of self-defense. (He touched the area on his arm where he knew the wound was, secretly cursing Arceus for taking it away from him.) The look in her eyes when they made first emotional contact in a while was heartbreaking. She didn't mean it, it wasn't even her that bit him. Something else had made her, whether it was from her madness or another side of her brought to the surface. He had been meaning to verbally forgive her for it, her accusation just hit a nerve that kept him silent about it. Indeed, he became more of a human than he wished to be.

The previous week... it was so different from their first kiss. He tried for tenderness, and instead upped it a notch. It was too passionate, even when he missed and grazed her jaw. He would have tried again, but it had already made its mark. His much-hated human side had taken over, replacing the comfort of love with carnal desires. Had he gone ahead and kissed her again like it wanted him to, she would have lost every virtue she held dear just because he wanted her that night. It took all his willpower to keep himself from thrusting her against the tree, even more so when he felt it rising inside of her as well, the strong scent of pheromones from her body, almost on purpose, crying out to him. His heart knew best, and he obeyed it, angering his lust. He suffered a whole day and night's worth of withdrawal from her body heat like a drug addict breaking a habit. There was no doubt she went through the same ordeal. The more he thought on it, the more Mewtwo's heart bled.

Ho-oh, the whole time, silently watched him break down at his feet like a sinner confessing to the Father. It wasn't like him to weep about it, let alone show any other strong emotion besides rage. The situation, sentimental as it was, made him uncomfortable. He didn't know what to do, for one thing, the second being it just felt... wrong for him to know what was going on in Mewtwo's head the whole week. This was personal, more intimate, Mew should be the one in his place. Everything being poured out at that moment was to be hers to hear. So gingerly, he gave his insight, “Mewtwo, you should not be saying all of this to me. I'm not Mew.”

“She will not let me near her,” the psycat barely breathed out through his tears. “Not after what I did.”

“You don't know that.”

“I do know that! You have seen what happens when I walk by without saying a word to her! She is afraid of me!”

The phoenix bowed his head a little. “Well, maybe she doesn't know what to say.”

Mewtwo let out a dry laugh. “Of course, why did I not see that before? Mew has grown shy around me, and thus she cannot find the words to tell me her feelings and must only resort to body language. How romantic! It is true actions speak louder than words!”

“Mewtwo, I have never seen you act this way before, and quite frankly, it frightens me.” He reached forward, and with a little effort forced him to stand. “You are an intelligent being, how can you lower yourself to this?”

“Oh, like many intelligent beings, human and non-human, have not gone through what I am going through,” he snorted, swiping the tears away, and sending an accused glare at Ho-oh.

Feathers bristling a little, he reasoned, “Of course they have, it's a part of life! We have been made to be attracted to one another in the idea that one day we may have children! What are you looking at me like that for, what, did I word it wrong or something?”

Mewtwo's face had cringed sourly at his statement, then refused to answer his question. Rolling his eyes, Ho-oh resumed. “Look, the point I'm making is that we all find love at some point in our lives. But unfortunately for some people, and they don't recognize this until it's too late, this love they may feel for someone turns out to be nothing more than a farce. They use this person to quench their thirst for a body, then move on to something else. They may claim this is love when in reality it's lust. This is more apparent in some more than others, but it happens in everyone. It's up to the person to judge themselves and question why it is they're in love with this someone, what their motivation is for staying together. A relationship can only remain strong if the couple supports one another, to equalize, and have good communication with each other. And they must recognize what is it that attracted them together, and hold true to that, unless it's something entirely bogus and must attempt to figure out what it really is that's keeping them together. Am I getting off topic?”

The psycat shrugged. “You went from love and lust to good relationship advice. You tell me.”

“Oh, for God's sake, Mewtwo, just... just go talk to Mew, and don't give me that same emo crap about her not wanting anything to do with you.”

“Why, Ho-oh, did I hear some common slang from you? I thought you were above that.”

The Sky Guardian stood there frowning unhappily at a smirking Mewtwo. “You're a smart-ass,” he grumbled, turning around and heading further into the wood. Then he looked back and pointed at the campsite's direction, “Go make yourself useful and prepare breakfast, or find Mew and talk to her. And that's an order.”

The moment he disappeared into the trees, the clone did as he was told, returning to find only a few other Legendaries had stirred themselves awake. It was disappointing. He noticed Mew wasn't to be found, presumably gone to prepare herself for the day. An unconscious sigh escaped him, which caught the attention of a passing Darkrai. “What's the matter with you?” he wondered, looking him up and down.

He made himself unsure of it all. “I do not know. I suppose I did not sleep well last night.”

The phantom chortled. “Mewtwo, I would have known if you tossed and turned. Something's bothering you.”

Mewtwo had almost forgotten that even as a mortal, Darkrai still had the capability to feel uneasiness pulsing in the air. He stared back, trying to picture his days with Cresselia and wondering if he could trust telling him about his thoughts. Who better to ask for advice than someone who had been through it all? But he held back those questions to try brushing him off. “No, really, I am all right. I just... had that feeling today was not going to be a good day.”

“Yeah, I felt that, too. The spirits have been a bit restless the past couple of weeks, so I figured something was coming up.”

The psycat blinked. “You can still see them?”

Darkrai half-shrugged. “Eh, sometimes. I suppose I lost some of it, but every now and then I'll see them wandering around. Same with Giratina, but since he's been around spirits longer than I have, he sees them more frequently. But most of the time, I just feel their presences.” He then leaned forward, his voice almost dropping to a whisper. “You have been noticing that, right? The world's quieter and less distracting now, surely you've felt them.”

“Why, has everyone else reported that?”

“Pretty much, but only Mew verbally brought it up that she's been seeing glimpses. If I didn't know better, I'd say she has only just seen their auras. After all, when one's learned to control the Tree of Beginnings and thus quite often involved with aura, it would make sense she'd see them. But I do know better, and I can say truthfully that she's been developing that gift. It doesn't make her a chandler, because honestly, those people creep me out, but it makes her more unique.” A small grin jutted out from behind the spiked collar. “Maybe with a little bit of experience, she might be able to talk to them. I think she might help save some souls that way.” Without another word, he drifted into the wood.

Mewtwo shivered from the somewhat-awkward impression Darkrai still would leave behind and hurried more into the campground, dodging Lugia's tail when it twitched (he swore he was working on controlling it). The longer he glanced around, the more his insides writhed in his nervousness—wait, since when did he become nervous?—to speak with Mew. He was thinking he would confess to her, but suggest they remain friends, and hopefully this inward battle with their emotions would end. He couldn't bear to see her waste away again over it.

Latias suddenly bolted him from his thoughts when she clung onto his arm. “Mewtwo, Mewtwo, come quick!” she gasped.

He turned to her, frowning at her spilling tears. “What is it?”

“Latios is acting funny! I've never seen him like that before!”

The Eon dragon was one of the few who was up, he figured he went to wash himself up. It was the urgency tone, however, that gave him second thoughts. “Where is he?”

“He followed Mew somewhere over there,” and she pointed north of Cherrygrove. “He kept muttering to himself, and he was all... I don't know, I think he just wanted to talk to her, but from what little I saw, he was trying to catch her, so she ran off and—Mewtwo?” She paused in her hurried explanation to see the clone swiftly disappear into the trees.

It was never a good thing to have a sibling report unusual behavior. It would have been one thing had Suicune said out of the blue Entei ran off, maybe even Moltres saying the same thing about Zapdos. To have a well-composed Pokémon like Latios just turn tail like that was a bad sign. And as he was following Mew, no doubt there was something going on. His heart skipped when he heard her scream in fright to the side, and he cut through to a shocking sight.

There was no way to tell how long he had been pursuing her. The trees were damaged, usually with bark or branches torn off though one had a hole blown through it, and there were scattered boulder chunks, the cause being their struggle. He arrived in time to watch Latios shove Mew into a tree as she fought back, clawing and kicking to throw him off. “Latios, what's gotten into you?!” she shouted the moment she freed herself.

A chilling, sinister chuckle escaped from Latios as he turned to grin maniacally at her. “Why, nothing's wrong with me, my dear,” he purred. “I'm partaking in my duty.”

“What duty?” she hissed, slowly backing away. Mewtwo could tell from where he hid she was visibly trembling. “We all have a duty here. What, just because you say yours is the most 'important' gives you permission to go ahead and do it?”

“And shouldn't I? If you have a dream, you go for it.”

“But what does this have to do with anything?!”

“I'm preserving the species.”

Her back hit a tree and she swung around behind when he swiped for her. “And you think by raping me you'll preserve it?”

“It's not rape, you're just playing hard to get,” he feigned a complaint.

“Latios, I know you better than that! I mean... you have a sister!”

Latios raised a brow. “Your point is?”

Mew clenched her teeth. “Why are you acting this way?” she bitterly whispered. She quickly dodged another jump for her. “Don't make me hurt you, Latios!”

Laughing, the dragon just spread out his arms in welcome. “Go ahead, it'll make it easier on the both of us.”

“What is that supposed to mean?!”

He tilted his head in her direction, the grin splitting his face. “One must use extreme measures to get what they want.” In a flash, he disappeared. She gave a gasp, barely feeling the breeze behind her before she was slammed hard into a nearby tree, crushed between bough and body. A cry was let out until a hand silenced her, and her chin tipped up when the other brushed the claws down her throat and collarbone, throwing her into shudders and a pitiful whine. He then leaned forward, and darkly jested into her ear, “The difficult, the better.”

Something inside of Mewtwo snapped when he had her pinned. He couldn't figure out what the motivation was, the emotion was there, he just couldn't pinpoint it out. Barely was he able to contain himself when he sprinted forward, snatched Latios by the neck, and ripped him off her to shove him against another tree. The Eon Legendary at the same time gave a shout of pain, raising a hand for his head and staring wide-eyed at his attacker. “Mewtwo! What are you doing? Where's the campsite?”

“Do not question me!” he snarled, bashing him again. “You keep your hands off her!”

“Gah, what are you talki—” Silenced once more with another blow.

“You cannot fool me, I saw the whole thing!”

“I-I swear I don't know what you're talking about!”

“You sick bastards are all the same!”

“Mewtwo, will you let me—ow!”

“Mewtwo, what are you doing?!” Mew shrieked from behind, rushing up to pry him away.

Enraged, he spun around and seized her by the shoulders before she touched him. “Why did you not fight him off?!” he hollered, shaking her. “You realize what he could have done?!”

Having been caught off-guard, she temporarily lost her words, dreadfully gaping at his darkened face. She spotted the familiar azure flash in his hard eyes, pulsing dangerously in time with his rapid breathing. Her only involuntary movement was a vigorous shake of the head, meaning one thing, but mistaken for another. Mewtwo resumed his outcry. “He could have raped you, Mew! Why would you allow him to do that?!” From behind, Latios' stomach clenched. Why couldn't he remember that? Then again, when did he wake up?

“H-How was I supposed to know he'd follow me?!” the tiny feline wailed, struggling in his possessive hold. “But I swear, Mewtwo, he wasn't himself!”

“Why, of course, Mew, how observant of you!” he jeered, his grip tightening, causing her to painfully gasp. “All hormonally-stricken males become aroused at the mere sight of a pretty young female and seek out pleasure with her. And a pretty female plus an empty clearing equals a moment of intimacy. They are all the same, are they not?!”

“It takes one to know one!”

He barked a laugh. “Oh, how clever of you! He was set on murdering you if he had the chance!”

“So were you! Mewtwo, ever since we had that one moment together, you've become different!”

“You need to be more specific, Mew, we have had more than one intimate moment together,” he encouraged in agitation, pressing his fingers into her arms at the word.

She shivered under the touch and sharp gaze. “Our first kiss started this mess! At least I did—yes, Mewtwo, I'm admitting I screwed up, I admit to everything! A woman needs to be honest to everyone including herself, and since I was the cause of it all, I'll be the one to end it.” Mew solemnly hung her head, arms trembling when his hands loosened. Her voice then lowered with a sigh. “You didn't mean it, Mewtwo... I believe you. I believe all of it.” Slowly, a paw reached up to touch her throat, inhaling deeply. “I wish I could... believe myself.” Then her eyes chose to lock onto his, watching the light inside return.

The two stared at each other as the tension dropped, the witness of Latios all but forgotten from their minds. Mewtwo dropped his hold on her, his frown deepening as he raised a lone hand to lay upon her cheek. She quivered at the sensitive contact, averting her gaze as a slight blush warmed under his fingertips, taking sudden, uneven breaths. Then she backed away. “I need to be alone. Please don't follow me. I-I don't know when I'll be back.” She forcibly swallowed any reasons for her demand. Turning her back to him, Mew brought herself to whisper, “You tell Ho-oh he had every right to hear it. He needed to know.”

He barely nodded before she headed off further into the wood. Somehow, he figured he would be stunned she heard his heart-wrenching confession, but he strangely found comfort in it. Her reaction was different from what he imagined, almost a polar opposite. She had accepted it so easily, he couldn't help wondering if it was bothering her a little, like something was holding her back. Mewtwo flinched when a small headache stung through, and he turned to Latios, who had remained patiently silent the entire time. He cringed at the swelling and bloody welt developing on his forehead, surprised he had gone that far. Pointing for the campsite, he said in an apologetic tone, “Let us get that taken care of before your sister sees you like this.”

Without another word, they left after the Eon dragon patted him on the back in forgiveness.

*~*~*

Why did you not spill out everything, huh? Balance him out.

I couldn't.

Was it because Latios was there? If you were alone with him, like last week, then would you have told him?

Latios has nothing to do with this.

Answer me!

“What do you want from me?” Mew whimpered out-loud, clutching her head as she unconsciously traveled through the forest.

The truth.

“Mewtwo doesn't need to know.”

Liar. You forget I know everything about you.

“Then you tell me the truth!” she hissed.

Why should I? There was a malicious smile portrayed in the genderless voice. If I said you were insane, you wouldn't believe me.

Her small body shuddered as she spun around, searching for the source. For the past week, she had tried to keep the disembodied voice at bay until she made the mistake of addressing to it when it disturbed her dreams. Since then, it accompanied her. It took all her willpower to keep from physically talking to it, and even more energy to continue looking normal. Mew couldn't remember when she last slept—well she did, her body just never felt like she was getting rest during this torment. “Who are you?” she murmured. “You're not... me, a-are you?”

Oh no, you're not this cruel, it drawled on as though it was enjoying harassing her.

She felt sick. “Why are you here?”

Same reason you are.

“You're not haunting me, are you?”

Such a mortal term. But you could say that.

A frightened intake of breath caused her to collapse against a tree, clutching herself and struggling to hold back sobs. An icy wave attacked her on both sides as her chest ached hollowly. Her fur stood on end upon realizing it felt like something reached in to stroke her heart. Almost immediately, a mental image of Mewtwo with his hand caressing her chest as he breathed over her neck burst in on its own, which in turn started to numb her. She shook her head strenuously in unbelief, knowing she didn't envision it. “This has nothing to do with Mewtwo!” she gasped out, staring wide-eyed above her.

So why bring him up? the voice chuckled.

“I didn't, something's putting these images in my head!” The more she shivered, the more passionate and realistic the touches felt against her skin.

You don't remember conjuring these up in your dreams? What you imagined would have happened had you two stayed?

How could she forget? A pitiful, muffled cry escaped her lips when the dream Mewtwo pressed a deep kiss against her mouth. She twitched against the tree trunk, begging for an end.

You never stayed asleep long enough to see the end, the whispered taunt continued as mouthed through him, hot breath causing her to shiver in arousal, and you refused to since. But now that you are alone, would you like to resume where you left off?

The farthest she had gotten before she resisted sleep... his lips had been massaging her body while he slowly guided her to the ground below him. He had fondled her tail tantalizingly, causing her to moan and plead for more. And then...

Her eyes widened and her breath quickened. “I can't!” she exclaimed, finally tearing herself away and speeding down a random direction hoping to leave them behind.

Mew had that unmistakable sense she was being hunted down, she could feel the spindly fingers stretching to snatch her. They followed her every move, easily slipping through trees, bushes, abandoned tunnels and solid rock, inching ever closer. Her mind screamed for peace when her voice refused to, body tiring from being beaten around in vain escape routes and hunger. She started slowing down, ready to admit submission and capture.

Then it abruptly paused its chase, lifting away from her.

She flew on several more feet before coming to a complete stop, crashing to the ground hard. Choking on her sobs and dust with tears stinging her eyes, Mew shakily crawled into the safety of a brown hedge, painfully heaving breaths. She lay there for rest (or death, whichever came first), adrenaline continuing to throb throughout her veins in an agonizing manner. Then as quickly as it came, she suddenly sat up and wriggled out of the brush, staring at the ivy-coated crumbling building appearing before her. Her jaw unhinged, eyes scanning about the occupied space. It wasn't the only artifact of ruin still standing, there was another identical one further away. The graying yellow of the bricks gave it a bland appearance, though the eerie, mysterious atmosphere about it made it more interesting and intriguing. And for some odd reason, she felt like it was calling her.

Slowly, but hesitantly, she lifted herself up and approached the front building, delicately placing a hand on the wall. It was gritty from age, yet still sturdy. Whatever architect designed it must have been a genius to find a way to keep their foundation strong, even in powerful earthquakes. With the palm still pressed on the rough surface, she allowed her fingers to skim along when she floated down to the end. Looking around the corner, she gasped lightly at the entrance. The sunlight peeking through the clouds was bright, richly enhancing the shadows that spilled inside. More ivy vines tangled around and hung down from their stations, purple buds developing on the entranceway. She inched for the mouth of the building only to feel a strong pull emerge from her the moment she stood beneath the arch. Breath caught in her throat, her eyes widened at the long hallway stretching to a grayed end.

Mew tried to back away, but whatever invisible force was drawing her in had already ensnared her. She then locked into her teleportation only to receive a sharp headache from it. Having no choice, she stepped inside. The slow descent into the ruin was tolerable only because of the curious hieroglyphics carved into the walls—shaped like tablets, she noted—almost like they were guiding her through with their patterns. Though oddly enough, they looked like alphabets with eyes watching her every move—

She gasped and pulled away her hand before she could touch it. “Ruins of Alph,” she fearfully whispered, glancing around nervously like there was a curse somewhere in the tunnel. “My God... how is this still standing?”

Then again, how was it all the ruins consecrated to the Unown were able to survive this long, to avoid being torn down for human development? Mew couldn't blame them if they had just bulldozed through the sacred lands, these were rather unnerving sites, though it most likely had been fabricated to scare people. There had been reports and rumors about ruins containing these ancient writings being bewitched or haunted, however, none of them proved to be true. While the occasional person did find themselves lost in the labyrinths of these unique chambers, they all had been led to an exit by unknown sources, a few even claiming Pokémon much like the writing helped them out. So scientists and archaeologists flocked to these ruins for fervent studies and hopes to catch a glimpse of an Unown, and chandlers and so-called psychics were called in to communicate with them or open a pathway to where they reside. In time, public demand allowed them to become national parks, and it raked the tourists in. A few greedy people had attempted to make a business out of it, they just somehow all failed to in various unexplained ways (though there was a report one tycoon went insane because of “one-eyed devils”). As much as they liked the behind-the-scenes attention, the Unown would sometimes grow bored of scaring and chasing them away, so they would hide away and come back out after every few decades or so.

Then, one day, they mysteriously vanished. Palkia had brought it up the moment he noticed an unbalance in space; slight, but miraculously still harmless. He visited their home dimension only to find it became nonexistent. A guess was they moved to another dimension or created a new room, but it continued to remain a mystery until their ruins slowly began to deteriorate and fall to dust. One by one, they all became nothing more than a myth, lost with the older, dying generation. The Unown were no more.

Yet somehow, the famous Ruins of Alph proved itself to be resilient to their absence and even eluded human activity. Mew couldn't see how something this large could have gone unnoticed. She knew that once a ruin was excavated, it was doomed to inevitable destruction. So it was virtually impossible for a decimated artifact such as this to remain standing even through the end of the world. Unless...

She only saw the Unown once in her whole life, but they were mysteriously incredible. Alone, a Magikarp could easily turn out victorious. Together, they had a form of ancient power that was stronger than her or any of the other Legendaries. It was believed amongst themselves they were the ones keeping the world in order inside their own dimension. Could it be possible they were still around, taking refuge and hiding away the last of the ruins? The latter thought made her uneasy as she turned and flew for the exit.

An invisible power surge from deep in the heart of the ruins constricted her before she could escape, then proceeded to pull her further inside. Mew struggled to free herself, feeling as though her life was squeezing out of her the more she fought. “No, no! What do you want from me?!” she screamed into the tunnel, half-expecting to get an answer.

Her breath then choked in her lungs, sending her body into icy shock and losing control of her well-being. As she began to sink to the floor, she was wrenched further into the dark ruins. How far along she couldn't tell, her involuntary asphyxiation drawing her closer to unconsciousness. It was a blessed relief when she was thrown into the tiled floor, the pressure on her chest lifting. She lay there gulping down trembling breaths, hardly aware of the throbbing pain to her head. Slowly, her strength recovered enough to allow her movement without the dizzying effect. Mew cast her eyes about the room she found herself in, jaw dropping.

There was little sunlight spilling into the vastness through crevices in the ceiling, but whatever it illuminated brought a quaint amount of color to the room. The inside did not match the outside walls when it came to age and hue, if at all. Everything looked like no one had stepped foot here in many years, but it did it well, like it had time to renovate itself. From what she could see beneath the ivy, the walls were a golden orange, every square inch covered in Unown hieroglyphics. Stone statues of Pokémon from ancient times were pushed up available wall, their petrified gazes pointed upward. She brought herself to levitate around to look at them, marveling at the perfect detail and at how there were no cracks or specks of dust on them. In fact, she questioned if they were really sculptures, they looked like they had once been actual living creatures, the poses were so life-like.

As she traveled further into the empty room, the more she noticed it was a simple zigzag labyrinth—if it could still even be called that. Rounding a corner, she found herself in another room. And inside, the statues had become more majestic. Mew held back a gasp, staring at statues of the Hoenn Legendaries. They held reverent poses (even that of Kyogre in mid-jump), all still looking up toward heaven like the lower prehistoric class. The detail was exceedingly fine, like the sculptors took their time to carve out every single scale on Rayquaza and Groudon, every dent and space between rock limbs for Regirock, the perfect smoothness of Jirachi. What surprised her the most was a single pedestal at a corner that held the four forms of Deoxys. Even more-so, it looked as old as its surrounding sculptures. She shivered, hurrying into the other room. The Sinnoh Legends awaited her there. Brow furrowing, she peeked back at the statue. “It must have been added on some time ago,” she tried to convince herself. “The humans were always trying to appeal to the younger generation.”

Mew sighed softly, then turned back to the other carved images. They were all there, set up against a wall or in the middle. It didn't take much scanning to know every single one was made to direct their frozen gazes to the skies. Even the Arceus statue with one front leg up had its eyes upward, to show even the Legend it impersonated wasn't above the others. After finding there wasn't another entrance, she left, quickly finding herself into the prehistoric room. There was a strange atmosphere in the ruins that was leaving her shaken up since she saw the Deoxys statue. She desperately wanted to leave, to return to camp. Taking deep breaths, she flew for the exit.

Instead, it was the entranceway to another room filled with more statues of the Legends. Gasping, she backed up, looking around frantically for another opening. The rays of light were still bright and numerous enough she found no other rooms except for those she had already visited. Whimpering fearfully, she hesitantly inched into the hall of the Johto Legends. It had to be the oldest room, covered in thick layers of vine and filled with the most light. One beam in particular was bathing a Ho-oh statue in the golden rays, bringing out the realism in it. The one of Lugia was kept in darkness, the sight sending shivers down her spine. Mew noticed the Legendary Beasts were present in all their beauty. She began to sense a subtle pattern as she moved for the other room.

Not surprisingly, it held the Kanto Legends.

But Mewtwo was among them.

Something was wrong here. Deoxys she could understand, he had brought world-wide attention to himself that made scientists pursue him for studies. Suicune, Entei, and Raikou were part of Johto's history, even though they didn't come to being until after the Ruins were deserted, it made sense they were added on. Mewtwo, on the other hand, was only known to a very select few, but they had all taken their knowledge of him to their graves. He may have accidentally made an urban legend in a city or two, but that was it. No one had gotten a good glimpse of him, so how was it a perfect sculpture of him was placed in a ruin? Maybe she was just imaging it. She had him on the brain for so long, she projected a stone image of him in the middle of the room, infinitely gazing into heaven like the others in all their godly forms.

Wait. There was one that stood out. Her eyes locked onto it, being irresistibly drawn to the oddity of it.

It was her—an ancestor, maybe, or some other Mew, she couldn't tell nor care less at the moment—the stone bust in a dark corner of the room. The detail was still there, the only difference was the head was limp, eyes facing the wall with a blank stare to them. She squinted, leaning forward for a better look. Unlike the other statues, there were no irises carved in, giving it a dead appearance. The pose was still life-like, no doubt the sculptor was talented like that, still, Mew wondered how intentional it was supposed to be. Why would every other sculpture (even that of Mewtwo's) look so hopeful, but this one so cast down? They were all formed to be like gods, yet this was as low as those of the prehistoric Pokémon? It wasn't implied to be her, so why would it appeal to her so well?

She happened to look at the wall the statue was focusing on and notice what looked to be a paragraph, the only writing on the entire wall. The language of ancients peered at her, as though asking her to read them; they knew she could. With the strangest feeling she was trapped here unless she read them, Mew didn't have a choice. She scanned through them, frowning the entire time. It was the most curious thing she had ever read, it wasn't clicking in. Slowly, she phrased it out-loud, fleshing out the words:

“Our words shall remain here for the ages, thus we shall erect a Pokémon statue outside. They possess great insight and refuse the outside world. We humans must learn to walk in harmony with them. We depart for their sakes.”

At once, the hieroglyphics glowed a venomous green, and a tail tightly twined around her, cutting off any air for a scream. She barely caught a glimpse of the Mew statue glaring at her with glowing eyes before she was tossed down through a hole beneath her. The moment she hit the floor, it quickly closed shut, torches blazing to life. Biting down on her lip, the feline shakily lifted herself up, looking about the fire-lit room as she rubbed at her arms. The temperature was the first thing she noticed, a deathly chill was in the air (as was dust she determined when she sneezed). The entire area was enclosed in, though a dark hallway behind her suggested there was a way in and out. High above her was the ceiling, the outline she could barely point out in the darkness. On the walls were the tablet-bordered lettering with additional pictures she couldn't make sense of, but thought they were familiar-looking.

Mew froze in place when her eyes grew transfixed on the mural before her, a slow intake of breath finding itself into her lungs. She hadn't seen it in many years, the last one was destroyed along with her beloved home. They all had to be copies compared to it, this must be the original. It covered the majority of the far wall where the most light shone upon, and thus it was the most detailed. She approached it humbly, having found the source of the pull, the fulfillment of a destiny she herself must perform. When she was as near as she dared, she knelt down on a cold altar, her gaze never once leaving the picture.

It was of a great ancestor, the first known Mew that started it all. The people who once worshiped her specie held a deep admiration for her, for without her, there couldn't be a broad variety of species. She was the Eve of all Pokémon, she was respected.

That could have been the reason the one tablet was taken away by the scientists when they journeyed into the Amazon. At least one of them had a degree in archeology and knew the importance of it, so they agreed to take it as inspiration, to remind them that she, a normal Mew entrusted with a daunting task, started it all. The Mother of all Pokémon. But what about the Father of all Pokémon? Where was he? Arguably, he was/had been/is in heaven, however, stories of him were twisted over time, so she was never taught about him. But as she knelt there, she had that feeling she knew where he was.

Who he was.

And who she was meant to be. What they were meant to be. It's in their DNA, they have that ability.

I'm not ready.

A hand strayed across the altar's surface and bumped up against a smooth, wooden object, fingers readily curling around it. She raised it to her line of vision, slightly wincing at the gleam the curved rusted steel gave off. Calmly, she glanced down upon where she rested, taking notice of the dried bloodstains spattered across the surface.

...even though it's my duty.

The paw holding the knife lightly placed it against her throat, almost on its own accord. You don't have to, came a gentle breezing whisper at her ear. You can end it. Someone else will take your place.

Her eyes closed shut as she swallowed. All the Legendaries came to mind, one individual at a time, watching her worriedly (even Deoxys looked concerned). Some shook their heads, others looked away. She recognized the images as memories, some from months back. Mew leaned away from the blade a little. Who will take my place?

Any one of them can, they'll move on without you. It inched back to the skin.

She repeated her action. They don't have the ability to alter genes like I do.

That's why they have Mewtwo.

Her breath caught as he appeared in her thoughts, the sight of sorrowful amethyst eyes warming her soul, wanting to comfort her... to love her. He had tried a few times, but they turned out for the worse. It wasn't his fault. As intelligent and powerful as he was, Mewtwo had no experience except from her. She reached out to him so many times, she had managed to open his heart to more emotions, more opportunities to belong to the world. While he didn't show it, he considered her a close friend. He could never really say no to her for very long. There was no doubt that if she had ever gotten into danger, he would be there to help.

Mew slowly lowered the knife, staring up at the ceiling. Could it be he was trying to return the favor, his way of showing his gratitude to her? Or... had he really fallen for her during that time? Was it possible that underneath all that irritation, he had silently looked forward to her visits? Was she the true source of his peace, the beat of his heart? When did he realize this? Why did she not see the signs?

“Mewtwo...” escaped her lips in a sad sigh, eyes gently closing. “...how long have you loved me?”

You don't need him, and he doesn't need you, hissed the voice as her hands began to twitch against the handle. End it!

She shook her head. “No... I can't...”

He's never loved you, it's all pretend!

“He would never do that...”

There's a difference between love and possessiveness.

“He loves me!” she gasped out when an arm shot out, the other raising the knife. She fought to regain control of her body, the strain bringing hot tears to her eyes. “When he asked me about love, he wanted to know if he was capable of it!”

Wrong! To corrupt emotion, you must know of it first!

Mew's pulse quickened when the edge skimmed her wrist, and she wailed, “What's going on?!”

This is how much a broken heart bleeds!

She screamed out in heartfelt agony when the blade sliced through, the dark liquid gushing onto the altar and floor. A fire seared throughout her arm, shivering in regret. She dropped the cursed weapon to apply pressure to the deep cut, only for her whole body to tremble in a cold wave of fear. The faster her heart pounded, the more blood poured out. “What did you do to me?!” she shrilled out, doubling over in pain.

A chilling laugh sounded in the darkness, causing her to weep harder. What gives you the right to know? No matter, you belong to me now.

“I-I what?” she gulped out in a whimper, and she glanced up through her tears.

On the wall suspended a shadow that had no steady base, but had a hint of what looked to be a humanoid outline. The tendrils shaped to be arms stretched for her, curling around her limbs. When they made contact, she let out another scream, struggling to pry herself away. The freezing touch burned down to her soul, nearly stopping her heart. Another cruel cackle sounded as it dove into her chest, spreading the evil vibes throughout as it started to take over. Out of an impulse, Mew shot up from where she cowered, now having forgot her mortal wound, and clutched her head as she lurched and spasmed. “No! NO! Get out of my body!” she cried out. “Release me, demon!”

Too little, too late, she realized in horror she had let her guard down too long over the previous week. The icy hands grabbed a strong hold of her spirit and forced it down an abyss to give the entity room to fill her body. The shock of losing control of her physical well-being left her fully paralyzed from the agonizing pain, feeling as though she was being ripped in two. With one last blood-curdling scream, Mew collapsed to the floor.

The room went silent for minutes with the occasional rasp from the feline. Then, slowly, she stirred and lifted the slashed arm to the light of the fire, eying the thick running streams of crimson. Gingerly, she leaned forward and savoringly lapped up the blood, flexing her fingers. A grin flashed across her face as her narrowed optics flared a deep blue.

From deep within her chest, a guttural, victorious laugh echoed throughout the sacrificial chamber.

*~*~*

“Something's not right here.”

“Damn straight. I can see all.”

“That's because you're freakin' tall.”

“Which makes me question why we let him in anyway.”

“No, I'm not talking about that,” Darkrai scowled, looking behind into the wood. “There's something wrong elsewhere.”

Lugia “tch”ed. “You're just jealous because I kicked all your a—”

“Read and weep, pansies.”

The two dragons angrily threw down their cards, glaring at Deoxys who sat there with a calm, smug smirk. “What the hell?! This is the third time you won!” Rayquaza roared. “You're cheating!”

“I don't see how you can cheat at Hearts.”

“But somehow you did! There's no way you can shoot the moon three in a row!”

Without warning, the cards caught fire and quickly burned to ashes. The males turned to face Moltres who stood there with wings on hips, Articuno at her side. “I can't believe you guys, arguing over a stupid card game when you're supposed to be working!” she harshly exclaimed, gesturing to the remains. “Just how low can you get?”

“Damn it, woman, that was our only deck!” the Air Titan growled in a threatening tone. “You owe us!”

She scoffed, snapping her head to the side. “I owe you? What makes you think I do?”

“Because you burned up our cards!”

“Well, we're still pissed about that 'whore' comment. And we still haven't gotten an apology from you.”

“And I keep telling you, I was poking fun of this poor bastard here, it had nothing to do with anyone!”

“Can you two shut up?” Lugia grumbled, huffing away the ashes. “Honestly, we don't need another Cresselia and Deoxys rivalry here.”

“You're no better,” the Freeze Pokémon snapped, sneering at him. “If I'm not wholly mistaken, I'd say you've been trying to capture attention yourself.”

“I haven't!”

“I suppose that's what happens when you float around in trenches all your life.”

“Look who's talking, you spend your days in the mountains!”

“My reason's better than yours!”

He held up his wings to help back himself up. “You see these guns? Yeah, they don't look like much, but I can blow all your feathers and more away with one flap, honey. You'd be lucky to even be alive when I take wing all of a sudden.”

“Is that a threat?”

Deoxys let out a laugh, elbowing Darkrai in the ribs. “Oh, and you think I'm an attention-seeker,” he guffawed, shaking his head.

“That's because you are,” he frankly stated before looking back to the forest.

“Am not!” He immediately followed the phantom's gaze, tilting his head a few different angles and scowling. “Okay, what are you looking at? I mean, really, I'm seeing nothing.”

Everyone looked over as well, mirroring the alien's reaction. Rayquaza rolled his eyes. “You guys are crazy, I'm not seeing anything besides trees. Unless there's something else going on I should know about?”

“Celebi and Mesprit are doing it,” Lugia whispered to the side.

“Nuh uh, you liar, where?! I was expecting him with Mew, maybe even Shaymin, but Mesprit? God, what a pimp!”

“There's nothing there, Ray,” Articuno grunted, glaring at the water dragon.

“Dammit, Lugia, you're on my list!” Deoxys lost it and collapsed to the ground, clutching his sides.

Darkrai bit his tongue to keep from barking out something he would regret later on. Instead, he got up and floated away, heading further for the shadows close to the wood. After a quick glance to see if anyone followed suit or noticed his sudden absence, he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Please tell me you can sense it, Giratina,” he muttered. “I don't want to say anything without some backup.”

The Renegade Legendary only remained silent, eyes concentrated further beyond the trees. He had hardly spoken a word at all that day, not since he noticed something was terribly wrong that morning. There had been an unknown presence lurking around the campsite that was keeping the spirits away from the area, but while he couldn't see it, it couldn't hide away the negative vibes it was letting off. It was up to something sinister, and he hoped to find it for eradication. Unfortunately (or maybe it was fortunate of them), he lost track of it just before Latias had made it known Latios had been acting strangely. Giratina had seen Mewtwo hurry off into the forest, and he remained vigilant at the edge, waiting for them to return. The two males eventually did—he had caught a glimpse of what looked to be a goose egg on the Eon Legendary's head—then it was noted Mew wasn't to be found. The psycat reported she needed to be left alone for a while, which only convinced him further something wasn't right. He remained in place, counting down the minutes and keeping an eye out for her.

With the exception of the occasional yell at the campsite, everything was quiet.

Even the spirits.

Having not received a response after a minute, the phantom sighed again. “What do they know that we don't? They know we can see them—somewhat. Why haven't they said anything?”

The ghostly dragon slightly shifted weight before quietly stating, “Mostly because they were selfish bastards in their mortal life, and/or they're jealous we're still alive.” A soft snort from deep within his throat sounded. “You've noticed that the only spirits still here are the ignorant and self-absorbed, right? All the good ones are long gone.”

“Yeah... but are there others?”

Giratina raised a brow, glancing over. “Other what?”

“You know... other spirits?”

A wing twitched, and he inwardly trembled when a chill went up his spine. “I'm afraid so... they've been waiting, actually.”

“For what, do you know?” Darkrai was afraid of the answer he was going to get. He hadn't felt their presences for so long, it was a wonder none of them had been a victim the whole time they've lived there.

“An opportunity.”

“What kind?”

A harsh breath blew from his snout as he turned to the cloaked specter. “They're not picky, you know that.”

Tipping his chin down, Darkrai turned his head back. “Then you might already know of my concern.”

“What concern?”

He just shrugged, but gestured behind him. Giratina raised an eye-ridge before taking a look, spotting the group of conversing (and arguing) Legendaries. At first, he saw nothing wrong and was going to choose to ignore him the rest of the day for wasting his time, until he looked again. He frowned, then counted once, twice. There were a few unaccounted for: Celebi because it was his turn with Cresselia to go across the world, Mew was on her walk, and Mewtwo...

...he was there, just further away, not talking and staring out at the trees.

“Have you noticed he's changed?”

Indeed he had. Whoever hadn't obviously never knew him. “To be honest, I prefer his moody, broody self,” he grunted out with a smirk.

“What? No, I'm not talking about that. Sorta...” Darkrai scratched the back of his head. “He seemed a bit anxious this morning.”

“About what, you reckon?”

“I dunno. I figured he could feel the change in atmosphere like we have. Did I ever mention Mew said she can see them?”

The dragon scowled. “Did I ever mention this whole time she's been gone a while?”

“No, but I already knew that.”

“Then that's my answer.”

Glad his collar concealed his lower face, he allowed a sheepish grin to spread. Oh yeah, he can sense stuff like that. “Well, uh... what do you think is taking her so long?”

Intentional or not, Giratina huffed out a disgruntled sigh. “You want to know? Whether you felt it or not, there was something here not long ago.”

“What kind of something?”

His eye glinted when it slid its vision back to the trees. “Something evil.” The word sent a chill up Darkrai's spine. “I tried to pinpoint its location, but I lost track of it. It was around the time Latias told Mewtwo her brother was acting strange.”

The Pitch-Black Legendary laid a clawed hand against his cheek in a thoughtful manner. “I found that suspicious he would follow Mew. I saw what happened, she came back to the site just to have him start harassing her for no apparent reason. I don't know why you didn't stick around long enough to see it, it was so... out-of-line for Latios to do that. Then she left, and I went about my morning business. Ran into Mewtwo, but never told him what happened, got so engrossed in wondering why he looked so worried. At least Latias told him, but who knows what happened. They won't talk about it.”

Taking another look behind them, Giratina furrowed his brows upon seeing the Eon dragon laugh, his arm around his sister's shoulders. “Hmm... that is so unlike Latios to go after Mew...” He fell silent for a few moments, deciphering information in his head. With a stern “Wait here”, he slipped away through the shadows toward the psycat's direction. Amused, the phantom watched as the renegade got close enough to Mewtwo he melted into his shadow, and snatched his legs, forcing him (but not without a fight) to stride precariously into the trees. Letting out a quiet chuckle, he followed him, arriving in time to see Giratina materialize from the ground and glaring down at the clone.

“What the hell did you do that for, Giratina?!” he snapped, returning the leer.

“Interrogation.” It was so straight-to-the-point and blandly said, Darkrai clung to a tree to keep from barreling over.

Disregarding the laugh, Mewtwo crossed his arms. “You could have asked. I would have gladly gone with you instead of making me look like a jackass in front of the others.”

“They weren't paying attention. And besides, if what Lugia said was true, it wouldn't have been the first time.” After seeing the warning flash, he immediately expressed, “We're questioning you on what happened to Latios.”

He didn't even blink. “Is that it?”

Giratina's wings twitched in a shrugging motion. “What's with the look? Did I miss something?”

“No one else has confronted us on it.”

“Well, we are now, and we want the truth.”

“Not that we won't be able to tell if you aren't,” Darkrai added. He flinched when he saw what looked to be a movement that hinted he was going to be smacked.

Raising his brows and inhaling deeply, Mewtwo replied smoothly, “Latios was attacking Mew. So I intervened.”

“Why was he attacking her?”

“From what I heard, he claimed he was fulfilling his duty of repopulating the earth.” The two Legendaries glanced over at each other in disarray. “Mew, of course, did not want a part in it, but he was persistent. She did not want to hurt him, so it was basically a cat-mouse chase.”

“Since when did Latios get it into his head he was meant to procreate, and with Mew, no doubt?” Giratina mused, frowning deeply.

“Uh... because Arceus said so?” Darkrai manifested. “Besides, Ho-oh said himself that until the planet is positively sure to heal, there isn't a need to reproduce at the moment. What makes this odd is that Latios is more of a brotherly type. He's the last person to do this sort of thing.”

Mewtwo solemnly nodded. “However, according to Mew, Latios was not himself at the time.” Much to the surprise of the two, his eyes softened and he hung his head. “I did not notice for whatever reason, I just stepped in without thinking. But I am sure that had I taken the time to...” He swiftly shook his head when the image of Mew crushed against the tree came to mind, ignoring the slight shiver running through his spine. “He was latching onto her when I snapped. He did not look like he was going to give her up without a fight, so why I easily pulled him off escapes me.”

Slowly, they both gave a motion of understanding. “You must have been enraged to cause him to get that nasty bump on his head,” the phantom said quietly.

“I was... I am surprised he did not get a skull fracture from it, or even a hemorrhage...” His grimace darkened. “I wonder if he was under some form of trance at the time.”

“A trance? What makes you say that?”

“The moment I hit him, he immediately began questioning where he was, and what was going on.” Mewtwo closed his eyes with a slow sigh. “I would have killed him had Mew not stopped me.”

Giratina then leaned forward. “Speaking of Mew, did she say where she was going?”

“GET THAT THING AWAY FROM HERE!”

The abrupt yell made the three jump and look at each other in concern. It was never a good sign when someone, particularly Ho-oh, yelled for the removal of anything. As they momentarily hurried out into the clearing, they saw nearly everyone had distanced themselves from Deoxys, who was standing in the middle carrying what looked to be a game board in his hands. From the way all eyes were gawking at it and a few shivered in place, it was not a good sign. “What's going on?” the renegade demanded.

“I just found something in town and thought it'd be fun,” the alien scoffed. “But everyone's freaking out over it.”

“That's because you're holding something dangerous in your hands!” Palkia shouted, pointing menacingly at it. “It's of the devil!”

Deoxys took a quick, perplexed glance at it, skimming the fancy font of the lettering and stenciled art that reminded him of tarot cards. “Uh... how?”

“Don't you know what a Ouija board is?!”

“Oh, is that what this is?”

“It says it right there!” Rayquaza growled. “God, are you so stupid, you're illiterate too?”

“No! I just can't read human language... Can you?”

The Air Titan “tch”ed. “Of course not, but everyone knows the name is on the board.”

“Who cares, just get rid of it, Deoxys!”

With a huff, he released his hold on the board to fold his arms. Shocked murmurs and more cringes intensified at the sight of the levitating items; Mesprit let out a frightened cry before she fell into Azelf's hold. “Oh, what's wrong with you people, I'm just using my all-mighty telekinesis.” He glanced down at the wooden heart-shaped coaster with a magnifying glass in the middle. “You know, they use these to communicate with the dead.”

“No, really?” Dialga spat, forcing a crooked smile. “I thought it was a spelling game.”

Ignoring his sarcasm, Deoxys gently laid it in the middle, “hmm”ing in thought. “If I remember correctly, when humans did it, they placed their hands on it and asked a question—hey, where are you going?” he called out to a few fleeing Legendaries.

“Far away!” answered back Zapdos, waving a wing.

“Whatever. I need a second person in order to make this work.” The responses ranged from commanding him to throw it away to obscenities. He easily shrugged them off. “You're all a bunch of wimps. You just don't want to have fun.”

“Deoxys, there is nothing fun about a Ouija board,” Ho-oh coolly expressed. “There are stories of people experiencing terrifying paranormal activity that only results in frightening or injuring the other spectators. It invites unwanted spirits in their vain attempt to 'communicate' with us, to give us false answers.”

He waved a hand with a “pfft”. “You're no fun. Besides, I was only going to ask a question or two, no biggie. What's the worst that could happen? Don't answer that.” Cracking his knuckles, he laid his hands on the coaster, ignoring a tingling sensation that immediately shot through his arms. “All right, board, I want a perfectly logical answer from you. We'll start off simple. First off, what am I thinking of right now?”

“God, Deoxys, did you have to ask that?” Suicune snorted, cautiously backing away some more. Her brothers remained in place, stupidly fascinated.

He shushed her, gaze remaining on the board as he waited, concentration etched on his face. Half a minute passed without any activity, which brought a few skeptical Legendaries to lightly laugh it off and lessen the tension. Ho-oh sucked it up to step forward calmly as he could, brows raising. “Well, Deoxys, thanks to your example, I'm torn between saying the spirits aren't responding and that we have nothing to fear because it's a hoax.”

“Oh, did you volunteer to be the second person?” he piped up with a smile. “It won't work with just one person.”

“Give me the damn board,” the phoenix demanded snappily with a scowl. Letting out a scoff, he psychically swerved it before him. Ho-oh went to tug the board out from his hold. “Let go of it, Deoxys.”

With wide eyes, the alien flailed around to remove his hands from the coaster. He went as far as to comically lift a leg to shove it away. “Um... I don't think it's letting me.” Immediately, the Sky Guardian drew his hands away like it burned him, stumbling back. “Hey, what's with you?”

Rayquaza huffed and positioned himself to smack the alien. He raised his arms to defend himself, bringing up the coaster and board with him. “I think he super-glued himself to it,” he grumbled, dropping his tail. “Nice try, Dorkxys, you didn't have us fooled with that trick.”

Deoxys grew nervous, waving his limbs around wildly again. “Wh... what's going on, guys? Why can't I let this go?”

Uxie pulled away from his siblings to take a closer look. He started to shiver the moment he was near it. “Darkrai, Giratina, are there any spirits nearby?” When they didn't answer, he glanced up to see them nod, staring wide-eyed at the Ouija board. The pixie felt sick inside and distanced himself from the Legendary. “It can't be... is it possible there are spirits wanting to contact us?”

“Deoxys, damn it, we told you to get rid of it!” Groudon growled, inching further away. “I've always known you were a catalyst for disaster!”

“How was I supposed to know my hands would stick like this?!” he cried out defensively. “Screw it, someone cut off my arms!”

No one said a word for a few moments as they stared horrifically at the stiffened hands. Mewtwo cast his vision about the group before he took a breath and went forward, paws lighting up in blue flames. “I suppose I will. It is not entirely a 'pay back', just letting you know.”

“Yeah, yeah, I don't care about that, just cut them off!”

Shrugging, the psycat raised his arms and swiped them down. From the flames came a single, curved blade that automatically sliced through the limbs with ease. The alien barely held back a cry of pain, stumbling away from the dropped Ouija. The severed hands remained glued to the coaster, grayed blood pooling beneath it. (A thump sounded in the background from where Latias fainted.) Slightly disturbed, Mewtwo averted his eyes to the now-satisfied Deoxys. He concernedly glimpsed at the bleeding stumps. “You can still regenerate, right?”

“Oh yeah, this is nothing,” he grinned, slowly rising to his feet. “The other day Giratina got pissed at me, so he poked an eye out. I got it back after a few hours.”

“Liar, I did nothing to you this whole week,” the spectral dragon sneered.

He surprisingly shrugged in agreement. “Okay, well, it happened to fast, I assumed it was him.”

Raising a brow, the feline questioned further, “Why did it take you that long?”

“I dunno. S'pose it's because I'm mortal now, so it takes lo—” He paused in mid-sentence when a scream came from Moltres. He glanced in horror at the amputated hands to see viscous tentacles crawling out of them. They rose and bolted, stretching great lengths to attach to the stumps of his arms. He let out a shout as they reeled themselves in to an appropriate length and thickened into skin. He sprouted out a hiss of curses falling back to his knees, trembling from the pain as he tried to regain control. “Oh, God, why is it so painful?!”

“I thought you regenerate painlessly!” Ho-oh exclaimed, unable to tear his vision away from the developing arms.

“That's different! I hadn't regrown COMPLETE body parts in years!”

“Do you have a skeleton?”

“...I have one... but i-it's different from yours. At least... it should be...” Deoxys gasped out when he flinched. The limbs had finished taking form, though judging from his cringing, the regeneration wasn't finished yet.

Mewtwo quaked the entire time, sensing a dark presence enveloping them, the strongest point being where he stood. For the first in a long time—if not ever—he was terrified. He didn't know what it was. All he knew was it was an individual evil being, it put his late arch-nemesis to shame, and he was the most wicked man he had known at the time. Standing there long as he did, he felt the fear from the others, though not like how Deoxys was feeling. He was suffering a mortal pain he himself had a taste of centuries ago. Will manipulation was one thing when it was through machinery, unseen entities were another, if it was trying to possess him. Darting his vision down to the board still glued to the alien's hands, he quickly knelt down and pressed his own to the coaster. Gasps were heard throughout the crowd, but not as noticeable as Deoxys'. “Y-You insane, Mewtwo?!” he choked out, heaving breaths.

He briefly met his stare. “It must be that desperate to talk to us if it is keeping you from walking away,” he coolly answered. “We have no other choice.”

Beneath their hands, they felt the coaster quiver and slide across the board. Taking a look, Mewtwo just caught the letter “H” before it moved to the “U”. The two had a hard time keeping up with it, and Deoxys ended up whimpering out, “What's going on? Mewtwo, you can read human language. What's it saying?”

Once it came to a halt, he muttered, “'Hurts'.”

“Sorry, Mewtwo, I don't have control over it.”

“No, that is what it spells.” His gaze lifted to Ho-oh. “Deoxys had asked a question about what was on his mind, correct?” The phoenix slowly nodded, unable to tear himself away from where he stood.

“Okay, yeah, it hurts now, but when I asked, I was thinking about getting one of you guys to join me.”

“Who cares, you just proved to us this game's messed up!” Rayquaza snarled, backing away for the wood. “I'm leaving before it gets even more screwed up.” Nodding roughly, he shot off over the treetops. A few others immediately followed.

Mewtwo closed his eyes and took in deep breaths. “Let us get this over with quickly as possible,” he whispered. Then out-loud, he inquired, “What do you want with us?”

With bated breath, the rest of the group watched at the two were jerked around on the board, fighting for stability. It ended abruptly, and he translated, “'Nothing'.”

“Bloody hell, is it messing with our minds?!” the alien swore. The coaster swerved to the “no” on one side of the board. “The hell?!”

“It says no.”

“Perhaps it's a poltergeist?” Entei suggested, stupidly braving himself to step closer.

“It's not,” Darkrai said, shaking his head. “It's a something, but it doesn't seem to have a physical form to be able to even move it. It can only control animate objects, that being Mewtwo and Deoxys. Their hands, anyway.”

“Well, what does it want?”

Almost immediately, a new word was being spelled as “talk”, to which the psycat announced. “About what?” Giratina grumbled, strangely planted in place.

Deoxys barked more swears and complaints trying to keep up with the sporadic coaster. Mewtwo remained silent, tensing up when it paused on the “W”. After an uncomfortable moment, it continued its whiplash reaction for a few seconds more. Once it was confirmed it answered, he scowled and questioned, “What about me?”

It slid back-and-forth once more, during which those who heard his remark began murmuring to themselves. Ho-oh, horrified and mesmerized, felt his breath catch as he mentally cursed himself for not burning the board first chance he got, and for knowing the language. Many thoughts ran through his head about what the Ouija would spell out to the feline. He knew not what a spirit was truly capable of, if predicting the future and revealing the true self of a living person didn't count. All he knew was that he didn't trust it. He saw what happened, it was going to talk about Mew before suddenly changing its mind. No good would come out of it.

Whether predictable or not, both he and Mewtwo silently strung the letters together: “You and her.”

“You leave her out of this,” the clone snarled through his teeth.

“What, what's it talking about?” Regice spoke up in full interest. “Enlighten us, Mewtwo.”

“Who did it mention?” Lugia gasped.

“Damn it, I wish I took the time to learn the stupid language,” the alien grumbled, strangely beginning to feel left out. “Come on, Mewtwo, let me ask a question.”

The coaster went to “no” in a flash. Mewtwo, in the meantime, was hardly aware of it and the growing protests as he continued to make contact. “Do not dare bring her into this. Just tell us what needs to be said and release us.” Like it had ignored him, the wooden heart spelled out “Mew”, angering him further to the point his arms shook. “I do not want her involved!”

“Uh... Mewtwo?” Deoxys timidly whispered.

“Not now, Deoxys,” he gritted through his teeth.

“Really, Mewtwo... I think you need to calm down.”

“This is pissing me off, and you are telling me to calm down?”.

“Mewtwo, negative emotions are dangerous here!” Giratina hissed, stepping quickly to his side. “Whatever it's telling you, just ignore it!”

“Yeah, ignore it and it'll go away!” Entei tried his hand on encouragement. Since Suicune had left with Rayquaza, Heatran slapped him in her place—lightly so he wouldn't cut his head open.

Growling in irritation, Groudon stomped over. “I've had enough! I'm breaking this damn thing!”

“You buffoon, you'll crush our hands!”

“Stupid, I'm going to take the board away then step on it.”

“Don't you think we already tried?”

Darkrai stepped in. “Then let's try again. I'll do it.” He reached down to pick up the Ouija board.

Azelf's eyes widened when a pricking thought suddenly materialized, and he pulled himself away from his sister to hurry over. “Don't touch it!” he yelled.

The cloaked phantom had grabbed it anyway, and a strong icy current flowed into his arms felt by Mewtwo and Deoxys. He let out a startled cry, then one of such agony that others shivered in terror. Those who were close stumbled away, unsure what to do for him. Like the two, Darkrai's hands were cemented onto the board. The coaster trembled for a moment, then ceased when the screams faded. With his head tilted back, his mouth was now easily shown as an eerie Cheshire grin. A quiet, steadily-growing chuckle started deep in his sternum, projecting itself triumphantly. “Fools, you think you can get rid of me just by breaking a worthless, but helpful instrument?”

Voices were caught in throats, and hearts skipped beats. None of them could register the soft-spoken tone of Darkrai's within the naturally gruff vocals. And when he opened his eyes, they carried a look of dark malice in their depths. He was more frightening than normal. He cackled, pleased he struck them with fear. Mewtwo felt an icy sting in his chest when they locked eyes. “At last, Mewtwo, you can now speak to me face-to-face.”

“What do you want?” he croaked out, forcing himself to breathe.

“I want many things, things that were denied to me thousands of years ago because of what I am.”

“And what are you?”

“The epiphany of man. Though ironically, we convinced man we don't exist.”

“Who are you referring to?”

“You ask too many questions that I am not interested in answering,” he plainly said with a scoff, flicking his head back. “Like it is said, 'All things will be revealed in due time.' Luckily for you, this time has just arrived. Any minute now, you shall be subjected to things beyond your control. It is too late to change Fate when it had already been destined before your birth.”

A deep frown creased his brows as did many other of the Legendaries. “What are you talking about, Darkrai?” Ho-oh spoke up in suspicion.

“Silence!” the ghoul snapped, his head swerving around a full one-eighty and eyes flashing. The phoenix momentarily found his tongue bound, his vision blacked out, and hearing snuffed. Everyone else were too spooked by the sudden and nightmarish sight to notice his distress automatically. It was only when he began flailing around and bumping into Groudon they realized something was wrong.

“Hey, Ho-oh, you okay there?” Lugia worriedly asked. “What happened?”

Darkrai evilly laughed before twisting his head back in place. “He will return to normal when I am done here.”

“You monster, what have you done to him?!” Giratina roared. “Both Ho-oh and Darkrai!”

He ignored him turning his attention to an enraged Mewtwo. “Your reaction is predictable, not many mortals handle the truth very well.”

“What do you want?!” he barked. “Tell us so you can release Darkrai and Ho-oh quickly!”

“Everything that defines you, every single emotion and strength you possess, each breath you take were God-given rights all living beings are freely given. Every spirit is special in their own way. What makes yours so unique is the body it occupies, a body that goes against nature and everything sacred. God did not create your body, man did. As imperfect as you are, you have a purpose in this life, otherwise you would not be here.”

Deoxys felt energy gathering into the clone's hands, and he glanced down to see the ignition of aura around his wrists. “Mewtwo, don't listen to him. Darkrai would never say such a thing. Mewtwo, watch your temper,” he hissed out, tensing in anxiety.

He hardly heard him, too transfixed in the glare to care for anything else. Whoever or whatever it was that was inside Darkrai's body knew him frighteningly well. He began to fear the worst, but his wanting to know more got the better of him. “What is my purpose?” he inquired, the all-too-familiar words bitter in his mouth.

The smile grew smug. “You still have not figured it out? Typical, you have been denying it for so long, I find it surprising you have not gone completely insane from it.”

“Get to the point.”

“Why should I? You refuse to embrace it. What gives you the right to know? But if you insist, I will only say this: it's what you hold dear, Mewtwo. The sole essence of your existence. Without it, you will have ceased to exist in your artificial womb. But had you, you would be a whole different person. You would have become just like us.”

In a flash of pink, the Ouija board broke in pieces, cracking the coaster. The impact flung Mewtwo, Deoxys, and Darkrai away, liberated from hostage. Ho-oh was returned to normal in the blink of an eye, scaring himself silly until he remembered what happened. Then he and everyone else looked up when Cresselia paused before them, sneering at the remains as she dropped a small hoard of food where she levitated. Turning to the alien, her gaze was of accusation. “What'd you do this time?”

“Oh, thank God you came, Cresselia!” he uncharacteristically sobbed, throwing himself around her neck. “I thought we were gonna die!”

She tossed him off. “Tell me without the drama, please.”

“Fine, I won't tell you,” he gruffed, dusting himself off and popping his knuckles.

The swan rounded her attention to her counterpart, confused by his actions. He kept feeling his face and flailing his arms around, blinking wildly. When he finally acknowledged her, he tightly pulled her into a hug as he gratefully kissed her cheeks. “Oh, Cress, thank you, you arrived just in time!” he wailed. “I don't know how you did it, but you did it!”

Blushing a little, she pulled herself away. “Okay, someone tell me what's going on. All I can get from this is that there was something very wrong here, I could feel it out in Violet City.” Cresselia craned her neck when she noticed Mewtwo hadn't been responsive since she arrived. “Hey, you okay?”

He silently picked himself up, shaking his head the entire time. His body couldn't stop shaking, whether it was because of his building anger or the effect the entity left behind. Whatever it was, no matter what he was going to do, he wouldn't be able to brush it off in a long time. It could see straight into his heart, knowing his every secret fears, secret desires, anything he may have buried long time ago in his attempt to start anew. To top it off, it hinted at more hidden memories, sources, whatever it was he wasn't aware of. What bothered him the most, though, was it claimed would have happened to him had things not gone differently in his past—or in events surrounding his birth. He could barely recall the first minutes of his awakening now, and he knew little to none at what had been occurring in the lab during his creation.

A hand touched his shoulder lightly, startling him back to reality. Deoxys jumped back in alarm, almost regretting his action. Blinking once, he cast his eyes about the crowd, taking in their worrisome looks. The moon swan especially, even though she most likely didn't hear a single word. He folded his arms, frowning at them all. “Why are you all so concerned about me?”

Like a wave, they all more-or-less shifted in place, unsure what to say about the situation. He couldn't blame them. To break the silence, he asked the first thought that came to his head. “Where is Celebi?”

She raised a puzzled brow, then remembered. “Oh, he needed to stop by the Ilex Forest for a little bit. Why, what's wrong?”

“Nothing really, but... did you also happen to see Mew on your way here?”

She shook her head. “She go somewhere?”

“Said she went to take a walk,” Latios recalled, a small frown on his features. “That was from this morning.”

“Maybe she's sight-seeing?”

“What's there to see?” Lugia grumbled, rolling his eyes. “Besides those creepy ruins, what'd the humans call them? Ruins of Arts?”

“It's 'Alph',” Registeel gruffly corrected. “It's where the Unown live. At least, they did.”

Then deep in the forest, they heard an indecipherable, but familiar scream.

*~*~*

Celebi paused in mid-flight to let out a sneeze. “Oh, great,” he grumbled, shaking his head. “Thanks, Groudon, you sure spread germs more effectively than the others.” He could just imagine the gargantuan saying some smart-aleck comment while proclaiming it wasn't his fault. And it probably wasn't. There had been a few Legendaries catching colds the past month, though they all knew it was bound to happen. He decided to let it drop now that he had his share of sickness. If he was getting sick, he and the others still weren't completely sure about flu symptoms. Once he steps foot in the campsite, he was going to rest and drink fluids, and he'd get better in a week. No big deal.

But were these chills a sign of the actual flu? Strange how he suddenly developed them when he was nearing the remains of Violet City. Tempted to eat some berries he had found with Cresselia, he went around the area to scavenge for himself. He only managed to find a few small ones, though he wasn't one to complain. A berry was a berry, he shrugged it off as he slowly ate them. They weren't Miracle Berries, but they were at least something for his empty stomach. Still, they couldn't slow down the shivering. However, if he wasn't mistaken, it seemed to be getting worse.

Suddenly getting the notion he wasn't alone, Celebi spun around, nearly dropping the food when he crossed visions with Mew. “Oh, Mew! Don't do that!” he sighed, massaging his temples. “Almost scared me to death. What are you doing out this far? Gathering food? Sight-seeing?”

No response came from her. He looked up, blinked a few times, then shrunk back a little as his eyes slowly widened. Her levitation was strangely tense, no part of her body was moving a twitch. She only stared darkly at him, a stare that drilled a deep hole in him with slitted pupils penetrating her blue irises. The moment he saw them, his chills consumed him completely. “M-Mew...?” Celebi glanced down, spotting the sinister appearance of blood flowing down her arm. “Mew, what happened?!” he breathed, reaching for her hand.

She remained unresponsive as he held up her cool arm for a better look. The gash was still fresh and bleeding profusely, her entire forearm a ghostly white from loss of blood. Beneath his fingers, the pulse was faint. “My God, how did this happen?! How are you even standing?! Say something, Mew!”

Her hand then twitched as claws extracted. He barely released her when she swiped at his face, slashing a deep wound into his cheekbone. The Forest Guardian cried out in surprise, stumbling away and loosening his telepathic hold on his findings. Clutching the stinging area, he made the mistake to glance back up, just catching the glimpse of a menacing grin before her tail harshly smacked him head-on. The impact sent him crashing into a tree, embedding into the trunk. He pulled himself free just as she sent a strong psychic attack, blowing him further away. Beating his wings to keep him afloat, he shot a glare her way. “Mew! What are you doing?!” he yelled, getting into a defensive pose. “I don't want to hurt you!”

A deep chuckle rumbled from inside her, her maniacal grin broadening. “That is what they all say,” Mew purred, rushing forward.

Celebi flitted to the side, spinning behind to hold her back. She immediately delivered a hard kick into his gut, then slashed the other side of his face. She shoved him to the base of a boulder, pinned him with her knees, and smashed his head against it. Black spots popped in his dizzying vision, just barely feeling the throbs of his flattened skull. She then thrust her fist beneath his ribs, causing him to cough hard enough to spew blood. Barking out a cruel laugh, she said in an odd matter-of-fact tone, “This is my first time inflicting physical pain. I have done my shares of emotional scarring, which I say is better than scarring a mortal body.” He flinched from the agonizing vibes, but went ahead to throw a punch at her face. She caught it easily, then delivered a blow squarely in the jaw, knocking loose a tooth. “But I suppose I can kill two birds with one stone. Some emotional scars do come from physical scars.”

A scream of fright sounded from the side, distracting Mew. Taking a breath, Celebi spat out a single seed pod that stuck onto her fur. Vines sprouted and stuck to her flesh as it tightly constricted, sapping her energy. She had little reaction to it, preferring to keep her eyes locked on the gathering Legendaries stopping in place to stare. Mesprit, who had let out the shriek, was pulled back by her siblings when she saw the injured pixie against the bloodied rock. Mewtwo found his way to the front, breath catching in his throat upon meeting eyes with her. A fanged smirk slowly distributed itself, and she handily spun in tight circles to fling the vines off (taking care to smack the victim with her tail each time around). “Wonderful timing. I was debating whether to slowly torture him, or kill him on the spot.”

“Mew... wh-what is going on?” the clone sputtered out as he stepped forward. “Where have you been?”

A frown quickly creased her brows. “I nearly maul someone, and all you have to say is 'where have you been'?” She scoffed. “And after all that effort I put into it, too.”

He only shook his head. “Mew, what has gotten into you?”

“I should be the one to ask that question,” she snapped out, floating away from Celebi. Her head tilted in her clone's direction. “You are not the same Mew I have had my eye on for years, are you?”

A few held back snarky comments, knowing it wasn't the time for teasing. Mewtwo didn't notice, all his attention on a neutral Mew since her statement. “What are you talking about? You know I am not of your specie.”

“Oh, my dear Mewtwo, of course you are,” she tsked, inching closer as a twisted smile manifested itself. “You just have so much to learn about your origins.”

Ho-oh then came forward in worry, ready to step between the two. “Mew, come back to camp with us, I fear you are becoming ill—” A sudden psychic wave knocked him off his feet, sending him flying back into the group. Giratina and Lugia caught him when he was passing through.

“Do not interrupt me!” she thundered, eyes flashing dangerously. “Do not take me lightly! I have the knowledge of all your weaknesses and how to use them against you! I know how to break through mental walls with ease to scramble bodily instincts or memories! With the snap of the fingers, I can stop a heart from miles away! Do not pretend you have not an inkling of what I am talking about!” was the snarl when more than one showed signs of bewilderment. “Do not even pretend you do not know who I am, I can feel your very souls cower before me!” She pointed her glare at Mewtwo. “You are no exception, clone. The only difference between you and them are your unnatural strengths. Humans made your mind and body more powerful than expected. It is a wonder you even have a soul, you mainly thrive on energy.”

He froze where he stood, feeling exposed (for the second time) before Mew. More than exposed, he amended, it was like she could actually see into him. The eyes were those of another being living in her body and speaking with her voice, it was similar to how Darkrai was affected. It was looking more reasonable when he noticed a still-bleeding deep cut along her wrist. And the closer she got, the more his inner self protested, sensing the same darkness that had surrounded them minutes earlier. Yards behind her, he noticed Celebi supporting himself against a tree, slowly approaching her. In the hopes it would distract her long enough, he brought himself to speak out. “What have you done with her?”

She paused a few feet away, intentionally or not, in shadow, giving the eyes the sense of intimidation as they glowed. The group of Legendaries impatiently held their breaths, some secretly powering up. Mew took her time to complete a nasty smile. “I slowly convinced her to will her own life away.” The smile turned into a toothy grin. “In other words, I traumatized and tortured her soul.”

Her tail tightly wrapped around Celebi before he could touch her, sending an electric shock through the appendage. He screamed in pain until paralysis kicked in, and she tossed him over Mewtwo to the startled group. When he spun back around, she had closed space, pressing her open mouth to his. She deeply inhaled, and just as quickly, the psycat could feel his energy being sucked away. He struggled to push her away to no avail, losing conscious with each passing second. Once he fell limp, she supported him with her telekinesis.

During the draining, the few Legendaries who prepared fired their attacks at the distracted feline in the hopes to knock her out in the process. They collided with the target, or so they thought, watching in disbelief as they were absorbed by an unseen shield. The moment she had finished off Mewtwo, she shot them a victorious grin, and blinded them with a flash of light.

When their eyesights returned, they gazed in horror at the empty space the two had just occupied.

*~*~*

“Apocrypha” in this case means “those having been hidden away” in Greek, but generally means “hidden”, though other meanings are used as well, especially if you are Christian.

*~*~*

A droning hum was the first identifiable sound to reach into Mewtwo's subconscious, stirring him to alertness. It was strangely soothing, quickly becoming unfocused as natural, background noise. It was for this reason he did not want to wake up. He felt he could sleep for a long time, his thoughts would be clear enough he wouldn't have to worry about being plagued by restless dreams—he would if he kept thinking about it. Immediately, his mind switched back to the humming and he relaxed. And yet, there was that small part of him that wanted to know what the source of it was. He was hopeless like that. Since he was already gaining conscious, he might as well take a peek.

The lighting was very dim; in fact, the only source seemed to come from the center of the room, pulsating in a steady rhythm in faint colors of pink, blue, and red. Squinting, he could barely make out the shape of a pedestal, possibly half the size of the room. Upon tilting his head back, Mewtwo made a guess the ceiling was way too high. Apart from it all, it looked like he was no where in general, but far from the forest he remembered being in last.

His eyes widened the moment his mind clicked in place, flooding with numerous questions: Where is he? How did he get to be there? What happened? How long was he out? Where is Mew? Why can't he move?

Now that he was thinking of it, he tried to shake his arms free from their out-stretched position. He could only twitched his fingers, everything else was stiffened in place. So he moved on to test lifting his legs. It was the same thing, like he was nailed to the floor. Or in his arms' case, and his body, pinned to the brick wall. He couldn't even flick his tail, almost his entire body was immobilized. All he was capable of doing was slouching, straightening up and turning his head. Closer inspection revealed he wasn't shackled with any physical objects. Looking at his background, only psychokinesis, powerful machinery, or a high-leveled Dark type could hold him down.

It helped narrow down to the one responsible for it.

“I was hoping you would be awake.”

Mewtwo glanced up, shivering under the glow of Mew's eyes staring him down. The flashing grin made him shrink. With the light behind her, she looked more sinister than normal, the Grim Reaper with his scythe as his teeth. She uttered a quiet chuckle, using the tip of her tail to raise his chin. “Did you rest well? I would be surprised if you did, it is awfully cold in here.”

“I have lived in many cold places,” he muttered casually, tilting away from her touch.

She was persistent on keeping bodily contact. “Ah yes, you did. Mount Quena was cold, was it not?”

“Not in the summer time.”

“If there was no wind, probably not.” He trembled when she slowly caressed, nearing his throat. “But I trust you kept warm during the night.”

He disguised his attempt at pushing her away as a nod. “I did.”

Mew rested a hand under her chin when she crossed her arms. “A type of cloak, was it not? Because I doubt you are the one who handles the sharing of body warmth well.”

A tingle dispersed throughout his body when her tail encircled to the back of his neck. He fought to control himself when it skimmed alongside his cord. “You guessed right,” he nearly gasped out from gritted teeth.

Her eyes brightened when her brows raised, and the bulbous end traced it, covering every inch and sending him into faint convulsions. “Is it really that sensitive, Mewtwo?” she purred, curling the appendage around the external organ.

A hiss expelled before he formed his words. “Mew, you are making a big mistake.”

She just laughed, a little harsh for someone of her size. “You need to explain why, there are quiet a few other 'mistakes' I could be making.”

Mewtwo merely shook his head about in a vain attempt to throw her off. “Mew, please stop this act and let us return to camp.”

“You just do not want the two of us alone together,” she whined, smirking all the meanwhile. She closed the space by throwing her arms around his neck. “You are afraid of what will happen when we are.”

The psycat struggled against her hold, flinching when she tilted his head down so they pressed noses. His gaze gradually became that of fear, unable to escape the haunting stare of her new-found pupils. The longer he stared, the more unrecognizable she was becoming. He recalled the last words she said just seconds prior to his passing out.

“I slowly convinced her to will her own life away. In other words, I traumatized and tortured her soul.”

There was a soul in the eyes, but it wasn't hers. It froze his blood the second they made eye-contact, sending his heart into such a frenzy he was sure to drop dead at any second. As frightening as they were, he couldn't tear away from them. Forcing himself to breathe, he panted out, “What have you done with her?”

She grinned wildly, digging her fingers into his cheeks when she hoisted herself higher to look directly into his face. (Mewtwo winced when his neck cricked.) “Repetition is irksome, but I shall answer anyway. After all, it is just you and me. Alone... in the dark...” She bent her neck to lick his nose teasingly, bringing out a quiet gasp from his throat. “... we have nothing to hide.”

He turned his face away, clenching his hands tightly. “Where is Mew?!” he snarled.

There was a laugh before she released her hold on him and gave him space. “Fine, no use in stalling, you figured it out early anyway. This may still be the body of your beloved, but I am a different being altogether.” She bowed in a formal way, peering at him beneath her brows. “The name is Legion. I am a demon lord, one of many, if that is how you want to address me.”

He snapped his attention back to her, eyes wide. “D...Demon lord?”

“Okay, it technically is a misleading term,” she admitted with a shrug, “but I am a demon.” A fanged smirk quirked on her lips. “I am a being trapped as a spirit for eternity because I rebelled against God along with a third of heaven. I have visited many worlds, witnessed many wonders... even caused most of those wonders. Amazing how one motivated person can change the world, you agree?” She laughed quietly, her tail uncurling from Mewtwo. Glancing over at him, she took notice of his perplexed stare. “You do not believe me, do you? Not many do at first. It is hard to wrap your brain around something as complex as my background, especially if you are a skeptic. But well, since I have time to kill, literally and figuratively,” she let out as a mutter, “I suppose I will at least explain why I am here on this world when I could be elsewhere with other people.”

Taking a moment to stretch and move about, Mew's captive flashed him another malicious smile. “I may be a spirit, but I have a personality of my own, so I prefer a few things compared to some of my other associates,” she started in the middle of a twirl. “I happen to enjoy traveling, and since I have no body, I am free to go wherever I please in the universe. I take advantage of it the best I can, visiting other worlds and wrecking havoc one temptation at a time. Humans are fickle as mortals, it is how they are naturally made. You see, when a spirit is far away from home long enough, they 'forget' what it is like being in God's presence. Quite quickly, I may add. By the time they enter childhood, or sometimes mid-childhood, unless they are regularly taught about Christ's Gospel, they become a rather rebellious spirit. Sometimes. Some people are just born good, others are just born rebellious, depends on the spirit.

“As demons, it is our duty to keep them away from the goodness that is Christ. Through small temptations, we slowly but surely stray them away. The best thing about it is that you do it once, and they will explore it further on their own. Sometimes you have to remind them about it, but often they remember that little thought we place in their heads, and they get curious. Thus, curiosity kills the cat.” Mew let out a cruel chuckle. “What makes this job easier is that we know their weaknesses very, very well. Most of the time, they are unaware of it. But in all honesty, our main goal is to keep people away from their heritage so they do not get the privilege of being gods themselves. They will be shunned forever like we were when we were cast out.”

“I do not get it,” the clone interrupted, slowly shaking his head. “How can you enjoy being this miserable?”

She abruptly slapped him with her tail. “Do not interrupt me, and I do not enjoy my misery! But I cheer whenever God loses a son or daughter to us. My hatred for Father inspires me to go out and damn as many siblings as possible, knowing that if we get our fair share, we will be seen as equals. Lucifer has power, and he has given us shares of it to help him conquer worlds. And he has been successful. He even claimed an earth as his own, and within a thousand years, it became the most wicked world above all others. It was so wicked, surviving records say it even made the earth weep. And though God wiped out that generation with the Great Flood, Lucifer renewed his power back to its glory days. Believe me when I say even other worlds bore record of a world so wicked they killed their Savior.”

Mew paused, her face darkening in a way Mewtwo had never seen it before. “That was the only battle my master ever lost... he was unable to conquer death... It was then my other associates and I realized we had forgotten about the plan that was made in heaven. God had made a perfect plan, but only death and sin were the flaws. He asked for a volunteer to be the Savior of the universe, a sacred duty that was preserved for someone willing to keep such great a responsibility, and has an undying love for his fellow man... just like his father...” She then growled and took her anger out on her counterpart by smacking him again. “But no matter, we may have lost the power over death, but we still have sin on our side! No unclean thing can be in God's presence, and one blot of sin can keep someone from living in heaven. How simple is that?

“So we took it over, that one world Christ Himself walked on. We demolished it to a beautiful wreck, and we were just getting started. From that one earth, Lucifer commanded many other worlds. They were only half as wicked as it, though, but we still got our good share. Every day, and I am just guessing here, we got an average of about a thousand million souls in Spirit Prison, some more damned than others. Powerful worldly leaders were a delectable treat to get. You think some of the leaders here were bad, you should meet these ones. Some of them were worse. Way worse. Oh, it made Lucifer smile gleefully. They had godly potential, they did, foreordained to do good for the world, and we just snagged them,” she snapped her fingers, “like that. Others we tried to get, but by then they already had their mind set on being God-fearing. Lucifer made sure the toughest of us went after them. A few he went after himself. These were people he hated the most, he really wanted to destroy them before they could ruin his plans for good. He managed to get a couple, but that was it. In the long-run, though, they were on our side. Watching perfectly good angels fall makes him giddy, why did I use that word? Bah, whatever.

“Anyway, I told you enough history, back to my reasons being here. It is the usual objection of gathering more souls to join our ever-growing side, blah blah blah. But what makes this more rewarding are the guardians God had foreordained them to be. These spirits are among the most courageous in heaven. Not as courageous as Archangel Michael—stupid pretty-boy—but they are up there. I am certain you can name these guardians off the top of your head.”

Mewtwo slowly nodded, feeling the hints of cold sweat on his brow. “The Legendaries.”

She raised a brow, but did no more than shrug. “In a way. Some of them were teachers, teaching the newborn spirits basic things like emotions, their willpower, knowledge, to name a few. They continue to remain teachers on Earth. Others had a part in planning what the earth's creations would look like. They were set apart to these respected creations. In the cases of Dialga and Palkia, they understood well enough the fabrics of time and space, and were given the calling. Same with Giratina before his rebellion. Darkrai's was an accident. He was originally supposed to spread good dreams and heal the nightmares, but he grew addicted to the bad dreams to the point they became a part of him. So to balance him out, Cresselia became the new dream keeper. Everyone else had to earn it in, though at least a few were born into it.”

“Like Mew,” the clone breathed out, dropping his eyes. “And the Beasts.”

“And you, believe it or not.” Her lips twitched into a small smirk at his astonished expression. “Thanks to the Mew genes, you are fully capable of having the same abilities as your beloved.”

“I have no such abilities,” he quickly defended himself, shivering in fear. He didn't know if he was lying or not, and only this Legion demon knew.

Much to his horror, the smirk widened to a wicked grin. “For three centuries, you have brooded over your existence, at what your purpose is,” she quietly drawled, tracing his jawline with a claw. “Slowly, but surely, you found your place in the world, and you quietly lived out your life. However, you have always known you could never belong, for you are too different, too unique to be a true Pokémon. So you lived life in solitude, studying humans from afar, while slowly forgetting your origins.” She leisurely flew around behind him, trailing her fingers tantalizingly down his neck and shoulders doing so. “Somehow, you never seemed to forget who you were exactly, always being reminded of it by the mentioning of your name, or through the presence of Mew herself. At first, you were tormented to the brink of insanity at the mere thought of her.” Mew then took him by the chin to twist his head in her direction, noses brushing. “But as time passed, and when you accepted her as a close friend, you realized just how lonely you were. Your clones were half-way around the world starting families, able to have offspring. Everywhere you turned, a human couple intrigued you whenever they displayed affection in the open or behind closed doors. Children, even when being complete monsters, struck a nerve inside you, a twinge of sadness. You were alone.”

The cold perspiration on his brows trickled down when she almost met him in a kiss, hot breath slowly tracing over his parted lips. Her claws lightly raked along his jawbone, triggering tremors up and down his spine. When she spoke again, her voice lowered to a seductive, articulated purr. “And then, you called her a woman without knowing why. You did not know of its reasoning then like you do now. You realize now that you were ready to receive her into you, to forever be one. You were ready... for a mate.” Mew licked his chin suggestively.

Fighting back the sudden tears, he finally snapped out, “Release Mew to her body! She is undeserving of this torture!”

She paused, staring at him with a rather far-off look for demonic eyes. Withdrawing her tongue, she mused in fake innocence, “What torture are you implying?”

“The loss her virginity without her consent. It is all she has left.”

A quiet laugh escaped her. “Is that it? That is your reason? What, you think the loss of a virtue is torturous enough to kill her?” It evolved into a cruel chuckle. “I did not possess her body so she could lose her virginity, there is nothing to worry about.” Her brows then quirked a little. “Well, she will eventually, but she will lose a lot more when I am through with her.”

Mewtwo's eyes widened, and he once more fought against his invisible restraints. “What!”

Waving her hands around, she added calmly, “I do not wish to give a whole lot away as to what I plan to do while in Mew's body. But you will be a big part in making sure it happens.”

“What are you talking about?!” he whispered hoarsely.

Mew's eyes glinted dangerously. “As you may well know, the world has died. No one was spared in the mass extinction. You also know well enough that God is merciful, He gives everyone chances whether or not they deserve it. He gave this planet many chances, and more often than not they spat in His face. And of course as a demon, I laugh and celebrate whenever that happens, but whatever. Case in point, the world screwed themselves over, and God lost a great many of His children to us.”

“What does this have to do with me?”

“And the other surviving Legendaries? Lots!” She pushed herself away to turn her back on him. “You all were commanded to 'be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.' Well, quite a few months has passed, and there are no babies ready to be born yet. Which is understandable, the world is not yet ready for them.” Her head tilted so she could take a sinister peek at the clone. “However, we all know that this body holds the task of splicing DNA to form other species. Because of that, Mew is highly valuable amongst you all. This is where you come in. In order for there to be children, there must be a male and a female.” With a pleasing sigh, Mew spun back around, clasping her hands and smiling. “And how fortunate of us to have a male and a female Mew on hand.”

Mewtwo scowled, hurriedly correcting her, “I do not have that power to alter DNA like Mew does. I am not a natural pure-blood Mew.”

“A half-blooded Mew such as yourself can still perform this sacred task with a pure-blooded Mew.” She floated closer.

He quickly shrunk back the best he could. “But I am not of this world. I am a product of science, thus my body is not perfect. I do not believe I have the capacity to have children.”

“Cannot hurt to try.”

“I will not violate her body for such a task. She is not even my mate.”

The tiny Legendary halted before his face, and crossed her arms. A brow slowly rose. “Really? You still have no idea what the Mew specie did?”

He slouched a little, briefly glancing away. “Ho-oh explained a little to me,” he muttered, not meaning to.

“What does he know? Unless he was a Mew in a past life, he has little knowledge of them. Yes, the worships were true, they were revered as sacred. The humans living by Mew colonies saw them as gods—and goddesses in respect to the females.” Rolling her eyes, she continued onward, “This might have come to being due to them being one of the oldest living Pokémon species and the most powerful. It is also a possibility they saw other species being created from them. Or perhaps they were just as human as they were. It is hard to tell, the records have been lazily or poorly translated, and many others were lost. But the one thing we can all agree on is that they worshiped the Mew.

“And then the world changed. Being rather naïve people, they easily adopted any traditions they may have come across, deciding they should assimilate. Around this time, sacrificial rituals to their revered gods were growing in popularity—you can say—so they followed along without another thought. Ho-oh may not have been off when it came to the sacrifices, but he forgot some details. The people sacrificed so many Pokémon, populations were low. Luckily for them, there were explorers, traders, other tribes and the like that were regularly traveling through. They traded luxuries for Pokémon, some they had never seen before. But until then, they were resorting with their own people. Then someone got a brilliant idea: 'Why not sacrifice a Mew to another Mew? Are they not Pokémon too?' A rat race started almost immediately.

“The Mew caught on very quickly, and they fled for their lives. They began to start small populations in corners of the world, but they underestimated humans. Within months, they were hunted down for more than a sacrifice. They were prized for their fur, as exotic pets or just for show, as food even. Anything you can think of, they did it to the Mew specie. Humans paid extensively through the nose to see one alive while others took desperate measures just to own one. You know what the average price for a Mew, alive and well, was?”

Already sick to his stomach, Mewtwo only hesitantly shook his head, wanting to keep his mouth shut. A demented, fanged grin spread before she slowly enunciated the answer. “Thirty. Silver. Coins.” She licked her lips, reaching out to lift his chin. “Guess where they got that number from. Go on.”

He jerked himself free to turn away in refusal, scrunching his eyes shut to trap the rapidly-forming tears. He harshly bit down on his lip, breaking the skin. Enough, no more! he inwardly begged, body trembling in growing sorrow.

“'And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; so they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver,'” she recited as though from memory, smirking while doing so. “Fitting, is it not? Want to take a guess who the present-day Judas is?”

Holding back a sob, Mewtwo gasped out, “Please... enough is enough. I-I do not want to hear anymore of it.”

“Why should you care? You did not have to suffer through it. If anyone should be begging for a stop to it, it should be Mew. She went through this herself as a child, and again in adulthood. Besides, look on the bright side, you get to at least know of her hidden traumas.”

“She would have told me if I was meant to hear it!”

“Well, maybe she did not trust you enough. You would not want to trust someone either if they betrayed you, would you?”

He gritted his teeth. “You lie, I would never betray her.”

She abruptly let out a long, heartless cackle that echoed hauntingly in the chamber. “How hypocritical. You cannot deny it, it continues to eat away at you. Just admit it, you could not help Mew in her time of need.”

“I tried!” he shouted, straining to break free, feeling the urge to harm the demon. He fought it down only because it was inhabiting Mew's body. It smiled cruelly upon seeing him back down. “I did more than anyone during that time, I stayed the longest.”

“By only a few days,” Legion reminded him.

His heart painfully twinged. “I did not know how to help her, I was powerless. I was finally convinced the Tree would eventually snap her out of it, so... It was a stupid mistake to leave!” he barked out, anger growing inside him. “No one bothered to help her, so she nearly died! How she even lived that long is a miracle within itself, but she should have! Had she died, none of this would have happened!”

“Say that again,” she challenged, smirking evilly. “Slower this time so she can take it in better.”

Too enraged to catch himself, he rephrased, “None of us would be in this mess had she just given up! Her death would not have affected the world catastrophically as everyone made it seem. Because if that was true, then why did no one bother to help her? She was not important then, and she is not important now!”

Then suddenly, his heart once again constricted as a strong wave of negative emotion enveloped him. It was one he hadn't felt in a long time, shrouding his thoughts in a familiar cold cloud. His breath was nearly restrained upon its recognition. Blankly staring ahead, he could have sworn he saw heartbreak in large, blue eyes. “...Mew?”

A clawed hand snatched him by the throat and wrenched him forward. His lips were hungrily locked with the smaller feline's, her tongue swiftly lapping up the trail of blood before she pulled away with a wet smack. “It has been said close friends, siblings, and lovers develop a type of sixth sense when it comes to feeling the other's emotions. Do you believe that?” She didn't wait for an answer. “I have been on this world long enough to know that some Pokémon have a strong connection with their mates, quite common with Psychics. It develops over time, and the strength of it depends on how they connect with one another. The closer they are emotionally, and physically in a way, the stronger it is.”

“Y...Your point is?” Mewtwo mumbled, struggling to pay attention. His mind still reeled with the confusion and from the sudden burst of emotion. He was sure he caught a glimpse of Mew, the real Mew. But her eyes... he hadn't been expecting what he saw, what he felt.

“Well, from what I can glean from this strained relationship, close friends, or lovers. Maybe both.”

“So what if we are?”

The dark smile faltered a little in thought. “Are you aware of what the Mew specie did to show affection? Though judging by your numerous reactions the past few months, you do not. I am a bit surprised Mew did not make mention of it whatsoever. The only male of her specie, the hope for the future, and she leaves you in the dark. Shocking.”

Before he could speak up again, the petite feline resumed matter-of-factly. “Few know of a Mew's mating habits, but surviving records—from other people—say a Mew mates for life. But how do they choose this life-mate? They always had their own tradition, but it was lost in time when they adopted a common human trait that you may know as 'kissing'.” Mewtwo's stomach twisted, and he shuddered. “Two Mew kiss to make a commitment one to another that they shall be loyal to each other even unto death. It is equivalent to a human marriage, and though other Pokémon may have life-mates themselves, the Mew specie is the only specie behind humans to practice this as a pair.” She paused, her grin slowly returning to view. “You two have kissed, right?”

He was aware his gut remained in a painful knot, preventing him from speaking out immediately. “Y-Yes... but she—”

“You two have kissed, am I right?” she pressured, clearly not wanting to hear excuses.

“Yes!”

“Did she kiss you back?”

“...she did... she admitted it herself...”

“Then why are you hesitant? Are you afraid you are 'sterile' as you claim to be?” He shifted in discomfort. “It does not mean you cannot do it for fun.”

“I shall not!” Mewtwo exclaimed, startling Legion slightly. “I respect her, for one thing, and she does not wish to be near me. I cannot take away what is rightfully hers.”

“What is rightfully yours,” she amended with a smirk. “You have the right to enjoy it when you want to. She will follow. She has no other choice.”

He became locked in a frozen stare, reviewing all that had happened the past few months. If what Legion said was true, he and Mew were mates for life. His heart leapt at the knowledge. She was his now. He could get away with not sharing her. They were free to do whatever they want with one another. The law of chastity could now be...

“...no... I cannot... It was a mistake, I do not know what came over me that day, I-I just...”

“She is yours, Mewtwo,” came the insistent repeat. She placed her hands against his face, pulling herself toward him until their noses touched. “And you can love her all you want, however you want.”

He took another long look at what was Mew. The contours of her thin figure contrasting against the faint lights gave the misleading appearance of a devil, though he could now make an exception. It didn't help her eyes were briefly pulsing as well in the dim light except for the pupils. The aura of evil around her with the dark look continued to send his body into seemingly endless quivers.

This was not her. She looked nothing like the imposter before him. Her smiles were always pleasing to the eyes, the sunshine of the soul. Her tiny body was the smoothest feature of any other creature, never to age in fear of corruption. The eyes... they were her trademark, her appearance of innocence. The cruelest she had ever been was when it came to her mischievous pranks, and even then she would apologize and everyone would laugh it off. Oh, how could he forget her laugh, it had been so long since she did.

And then there was her modesty, her virtuous heart. She would never throw herself at him, nor ever announce her willingness to be loved in whatever sees him fit. Except for the rare hug (since he couldn't stand them), she was always no less than a few feet away. He respected her for it, understanding where she was coming from. For all he knew, she may not know a thing about sex and the works except it dealt with procreation. She was so innocent, he wouldn't have been the least bit surprised if that was true. Love was pure to her, having no trace of any lustful desires.

How was it, then, this deceitful being could easily take over her, to pass off as Mew just to make her impure?

Mewtwo could feel a power surge coursing through his veins at the demon, replacing the cold emptiness with hot rage. “How dare you,” he snarled, glaring directly into the harsh stare. “How dare you try to fool me into having sex with Mew's body. You know as well as I do that I respect her personal wellbeing. The kiss was accidental, I wanted nothing to do with her then. But I can no longer deny that I love her, I have for a long time. Please, let her go, she has not done anyone any harm, she is undeserving of this. I will never touch her again when you do. If needs be, I will never look at her and think of her. But until it gets to that point, I will do all that it takes to protect her virtue from any and all outside influences, even if it means killing myself in the process. To take it further, I will do anything if it means keeping her pure her whole life, and to keep her heart from being broken into anymore pieces. Release her, Legion, and never tempt us again!”

The echoes faded, leaving them in a long-term silence, both too taken aback for an immediate reaction. Their crossed visions never once wavered, bodies remaining vigilant the entire time. The heated passion slowly cooled inside the clone, who was now showing no signs of fear for the first time since being in the evil presence.

Eventually, after studying Mewtwo long enough, the demon regained his authoritative state to muse, “You honestly mean all that...” A pleasing smirk slowly spread, giving him his space. “You mean to tell me that you love her so much, as a last resort towards keeping her safe you will either never want to see her again or die. Well, you forgot to list that to forever keep her virtuous, you would kill her. But I take it that is not an option, and that is why you would rather die.” The response was a hardened scowl. “Whatever, your loss. It is a tempting offer, considering there is a lot at stake here—and that I always keep promises—but I am going to need more time to think about it. I may have to pull an all-nighter, not that I mind. You, on the other hand, are too stubborn at the moment. Why not sleep on it? You will be less cranky in the morning.”

“I will never rest until Mew is safe,” the clone growled.

Her smirk cracked into a toothy grin. “I do not blame you for not believing me. Well, good luck with that, mortal. First thing in the morning, I will have my answer. Be warned, we demons may come with a proposition. Unless your tired mind can pick it out, I honestly recommend sleeping. Especially in your current exhausted state.”

Mewtwo watched her melt into the darkness, feeling the beginnings of a drained body. He found himself wondering how long he was there for, both being unconscious and conversing with the demon lord. It was a random thought, probably meant as a distraction to keep his mind off Mew. The longer he struggled to think of her, the more the demand for sleep. So he gave up trying to hold himself straight against the invisible restraints, and tried to meditate.

He couldn't remember anything else afterwards except for the faint knowledge he was still worried about his counterpart's well-being.

*~*~*

Sunlight was the first thing he noticed upon waking up, followed by an itchy feeling on his back. Urging his stiff body to roll over, his hand flopped onto a rough, pointed surface, and immediately his eyes snapped open. Grimacing, he shot up, staring at the palm that had been stuck with a sharp rock, which he flicked away. Yawning and stretching, Mewtwo blinked away the sleep and took a look at his surroundings. He glanced down at the bed of leaves and then really looked around.

He was under a large, recovering tree, the time he guessed being noontime. Before him was a rather empty area except for what were recognizable buildings, or what remained of them, and some piles of junk from said-buildings. Patches of green hues were scattered among the desolation, a few dotted with shades of red and pink. All that remained of Cherrygrove, and how clean it has been getting—

Wait, what was he doing in Cherrygrove?

Standing up, he leaned against the trunk, feeling a little vertigo from what remained of the sleep and some confusion. When did that happen? He didn't remember ever stepping foot in the town, or even thinking about doing anything there. The last he could recall was waiting for Mew to return from her walk. And everyone was talking about something pointless such as Rayquaza's short-lived eating spree or something like that. He only remembered thinking about her, hoping she'd return safe.

Mewtwo frowned. There was something more to it, wasn't there? There was a rather blank spot in his memory. He could hope it wasn't from a drinking game—not that he would participate in one. Watching the others pass out was more entertaining in his opinion, and Mew would have killed him for drinking anyway.

Wait... since when did they do drinking games?

Getting a little freaked out over it all, the psycat hurried for the campsite's direction, catching indecipherable dialogue from what may have been an arguing Deoxys. Getting closer, he groaned at hearing he was fighting with Cresselia again. On second thought, there were still a few things left to do in Cherrygrove's ruins. He should go ahead and do that while he was thinking about it. He spun back around.

“Hey, Mewtwo!” Entei greeted loudly, popping out from behind a bush. “About time you got u—”

He punched him in the face.

“OW, WHAT'D I DO?!” the beast wailed, covering his nose—or the lack of it.

Realizing what he just did, the clone quickly apologized. “You caught me off guard,” he added, helping him up. “What were you doing in there?”

“The usual.” Mewtwo winced. “I'm berry-gathering for lunch. One rolled in there somewhere. It's like a black hole or something.” His face twitched and scrunched. “What about you?”

“I just got up—”

“Ah, good afternoon, Mewtwo!” Ho-oh called out, walking over to him and Entei, followed by the other Legendaries. “It's a relief to see you're up and walking about. We were growing a bit concerned.”

Blinking several times in puzzlement, the feline couldn't help but stare. It wasn't normal for everyone to show up just to see him. Even though it did make a little sense with the word “concerned” involved. Though what they were concerned about was what was throwing him off. Raising a hand to his temple, he asked, “Uh... what are you talking about?”

“Figures you wouldn't know,” the phoenix said with a smile. “You must've had the twenty-four-hour bug or something, though why you would pass out from it is beyond us.”

He tilted his head. “What?”

“Though Celebi suspected it was the flu, but since you're up and about, guess it wasn't,” the Sky Guardian continued liked he didn't hear Mewtwo. “Well anyway, Mew brought you back and stayed by your side the rest of the day. Speaking of which, where did she go?”

“Said something about a Miracle Berry or along the lines of it,” Latios replied. “She was sure one was growing not far from Ecruteak City.”

Mewtwo hardly heard his comment. His heart skipped at the mention of her name, and he hurried off, disappearing into the wood and ignoring the weird stares he was being given. He couldn't care at the moment, all that was mattering to him was his counterpart being well and safe. Despite not knowing what Ho-oh had been talking about, he didn't deny that it may have been true. Perhaps Mew had been gone for too long, so he had gone to look for her, but had turned out to be a little ill that day. Who knows, and who really cared?

...he slowed down, pondering about it all. Since when did he not care about it? No, better yet, why was he so distracted? Once Mew's name was mentioned, it clicked into place, and she was all he could care about at that moment. And since he hadn't seen her in a whole day—according to them—he was a little more determined to see her again, wanting to know her thoughts from yesterday. It was a bit harsh yesterday, he suddenly remembered. Though why it was still escaped him. He figured it was a big deal for her to be gone for that long.

“Mewtwo?”

His head snapped up at his name, meeting her eyes yards away. It was like she hadn't been expecting to see him here, but she only stared back in small surprise. She was empty-handed; she must have not found anything for him. His chest lightened up at the thought, his facial features relaxing. For him. She cared after all.

“Good afternoon, Mew,” he addressed, giving her a smile.

She fidgeted in place, a faint blush apparent on her cheeks. “Afternoon,” she muttered, quickly glancing away. “Glad to see you're up.”

They shared an awkward silence for a moment, Mew refusing to meet his gaze. His smile only broadened the longer the moment stretched on. A light breeze whipped by, giving the tiny feline a small push. As though it told her to move, she floated up to her clone, pausing a few feet away. While she still averted from his eyes, she noticed his smile. “That's new,” she whispered, tilting her chin in. “But then again, I can't remember the last time you smiled.”

“I feel this is a special occasion,” Mewtwo replied quietly.

She blinked up at him. “Why?”

“I have no idea.”

Slowly but surely, a small beam appeared on her lips. Then hesitantly, she reached out and gently wrapped her arms around his chest, ear pressed to his heart. She let out a soft sigh when he laid a hand on her back. “I'm just glad you're okay. You've never passed out before... and so close to the Ruins, too...”

He glanced down. “What ruins?”

“The Ruins of Alph.” She tilted her eyes up at him. “Were you visiting them?”

He frowned, not recalling ever going near them, let alone leaving the campsite. The blank spot was getting annoying. “To be honest, I have no idea what happened. I last remember being with the others, and then suddenly I am waking up a day later in Cherrygrove. Meanwhile, everyone is claiming I got sick while out walking or looking for you... though I think it was the latter.”

“You 'think'?” she repeated in amazement. “Mewtwo, you rarely if not ever say 'think' in that concept. Something must have happened.”

“I know, I just do not know what that 'something' was.”

Chewing on her lip, Mew reached behind to curl her fingers around his hand, and spun herself around. “Come on, let's go somewhere private.” Though tempted to say where they were was private enough, Mewtwo obeyed without question, letting her lead.

She was obviously in no hurry to get where she wanted them to be. It was a straight walk, the two quiet the entire time. He made note of the trees that were still standing or were dead, finding it almost hard to believe a forest that was once prosperous had been reduced to few survivors within a long day of disasters. Many Pokémon, he imagined, lived in these parts, living their instinctive lives while humans waited in the background, ready to snap at any given moment. It was almost a wonder the town never did grow. Most towns became cities within decades, clearing habitats for new suburbs or skyscrapers. Not that he couldn't blame the humans for wanting to migrate, it was just natural for them. And he could relate rather well, if only to a certain point. Being a nomad was different than migration.

Within time, Mewtwo noticed the landscape was becoming unfamiliar with different tree species and a rugged ground, rent from earthquakes. He felt Mew give a squeeze and murmur an “Almost there” without a glance back.

“Do you know the location, Mew?”

“Yeah... just outside Mahogany Town.”

His eyes widened a little. “Why out this far?”

She fell silent, and quickened her pace, prompting him to as well. They passed through another gray forest before there was a small clearing and a lake with a still functioning waterfall. She then paused, released his hand, and leaned down to feel the grass. “Soft enough,” she breathed out before siting down. She gestured an invitation to him, and he obliged.

“So... what is this place?” he wondered, staring at the waterfall.

“I don't know, but I think people called it Pryce Falls or something, seeing as he liked to meditate under the waterfall.” She shrugged. “You want to name it later?”

In slight discomfort, he only responded with an “I will think about it” before the silence returned. It didn't take long for them to loosen up when the waterfall faded to a faint hiss in the background. The two took care to avoid each other's gaze, growing more awkward the longer time passed. Mewtwo noted there was only a few feet of space separating them, the way it was always meant to be. Not that he didn't mind it, he was just feeling some concern for her unusual behavior despite it being so minor. She probably was still a little hurt from the past week to move on, though now the more he looked at her, the more he noticed she was looking insomniac...

A light brush against his tail made him jolt, swerving over to see her limp appendage laying out-stretched where his own was a second ago. “Mewtwo...” she sighed, “...I've been bothered... for a while about this...”

“About what?”

She tilted her sad gaze over to her counterpart. “Why... did you volunteer to heal me?”

He recalled the afternoon where he made the promise to Ho-oh and Shaymin she was in good hands. As much as they were willing to take her, they were happy to know he would bring her back from her depression. What he kept from them were his actual reasons for it. They never bothered to figure out his intentions, to learn he had unsuccessfully tried nearly a year earlier. She was so close to death, why would they entrust her to him, the clone who once was after her blood? Couldn't they bother to be suspicious of him for that one moment? He could have lied to them and murdered her behind their backs. Then who would really be to blame?

The longer he stared into her deep eyes, the easier it was to personally admit it was for a second chance. The stakes were high, the odds of her recovering being against him, but he tried one last try. Had she died, she would have at least been under his care, and thus he'd take the punishment without a fight as his heart would have been shattered for good.

With a slow, puff of breath, he broke the gaze, turning his attention to the serene lake. Mew leaned forward in anticipation, speaking up again. “You had a choice, didn't you?”

He nodded, biting his tongue.

“So why did you agree to it? Did Ho-oh give you a pep-talk or what?”

A shake of the head. “No, nothing of the sort. Are you feeling well?” he attempted to change the topic.

His counterpart blinked. “Why? Am I asking too many questions at once?”

“No, it has nothing to do with that.” He respectfully pointed to one of his eyes. “You look like you have not slept in a long while.”

She immediately turned away, trying to hide the obvious. “It's nothing,” she murmured. “I just don't feel like dreaming anymore...”

“Are your dreams bothering you?”

Mew avoided answering when she scooted closer, gently laying a paw on his knee to which he involuntarily retracted. Her voice smoothed out, and he had to strain his ears to hear her. “How long have you loved me?”

His insides froze, cricking his neck swiftly wheeling his head back. She stared unblinkingly, meaning her inquiry well. Mewtwo, though aware that she knew of his feelings, was taken aback to answer first thing because of how she approached it. It wasn't demanding, but she wanted answers. Taking in some breaths to calm himself, he honestly stated, “It is hard to pinpoint a certain day... many days have passed before I could recognize the feeling as love. I roughly estimate it was three centuries ago.”

She pressed her hands against her heart, scrunching her eyes shut for a few moments. “Amazing... only a confident, determined heart can hold love as long as you did. Did it hurt?”

“Why do you want to know?” he suspiciously wondered. And why did you skip my previous question for this?

“The love must have been growing inside of you,” she continued, her head remaining hung, “pressing into you. It wanted out, to manifest itself. But you wouldn't let it. So it was a little uncomfortable at least, right?”

He thought a little bit on it, remembering the early days of the love's existence when he'd snap at her because it was such an unknown emotion. As he continued to hang around her and the humans, he began to recognize it as a pure feeling, so he asked Mew about it. When she left, it was when he realized he was falling in love with her, but he couldn't tell her. Not at the time, it was still too soon to positively confirm it. But the more he grew annoyed with her, the more he looked forward to her company. Her giggles used to make him want to kill himself at times, then he found himself enjoying it, even cracking a small smile every now and then. When she dragged him across the globe against his will, he had the desire to always be with her. In fact, he made the effort to get to know her better, to learn her likes and dislikes, listening to her many stories... even trying to make her laugh at least once per visit.

Little by little, his heart was opened enough he was holding her dear unknownst to her. When she was gone, he faced inner turmoil and unrest from his many emotions. With her at his side, he was at peace, everything had been—temporarily—resolved. He became happy for those short moments, and he wanted to repay it back. But what could he give her that was more than hers? He wanted to love her, he just didn't know how. It haunted him ever since he thought it, searching for the perfect payment to cover the debt. And for that, his heart, the heart he never thought could feel, ached.

Gazing deep into her eyes, Mewtwo solemnly answered, “It was... at first. Then it began to hurt, swelling my heart in such a way I thought I could burst. But as time passed, and the more I got to know you... it was then I realized I can feel love. A love for a creature I could not despise any longer... now that everything has worked out. It is similar to the type of familial love I had for my fellow clones, just stronger... a burning flame that thawed my heart and made me bleed. Loving you for all these years... has been painful.”

Staring back, Mew switched to sitting on her knees, then grasped his hand. “If you've loved me this long, why did you deny it for as long as you have?”

“I... I was confused, for one thing... it was a new take on emotions I only heard about. I did not think I would ever experience it.”

“Why?”

He closed his eyes, letting out a sigh that sounded grievous. “That was the other reason. I feared it as well... knowing this natural emotion was being given to someone as unnatural as I am. God never gave me emotions... man did. And man corrupts emotions.” His hands loosely clenched, though the one Mew held curled around hers. “I did not want to love. I was not made to love, I was made to fight, to hate. If I fell in love, it was only a matter of time before I could destroy that love. That would have only made me more human.”

“I'm sure there is a reason you have not yet destroyed your love—”

“What do you know, Mew?” he snapped, glaring down at her. “You know of my origins, I was to be a killing machine, not a living being. I cannot have emotions. I am not God's creation, when will you get it?”

“Mewtwo...”

“My name is proof of it, you cannot deny it!” he shouted, crushing her small paw. Her eyes only widened from the pain, mouth frozen open. “I am a hideous abomination! I have numerous flaws despite them saying that I am 'perfect' because they 'claim' to know my body! They may have created it, but they do not know it! They did not have to use wild psychic abilities in a fight! Hell, I had trouble controlling them until I wore that damn armor! But even then, Giovanni did not have to deal with everything I had to go through. No, I have had my shares of injuries during those days that he never knew about, nor bothered to care about! I have gone through mental torment over you and the world, then experienced bodily torture months later! Then as the years passed by, I continued to be haunted by the blood of the scientists that I am covered with. Knowing you have murdered does not rest well with your mind!”

“Mewtwo, please,” she pleaded, feeling a little uncomfortable in his presence. “Those days are over now.”

“No, they are not! Now that I fell in love with you, I am now constantly reminded about how much of a fake I am! As an original imperfect clone, I should not have these emotions, the desire to love and be loved!”

“The other clones did—”

“I CREATED THEM!” Mewtwo roared, grasping her shoulders and shaking her. “I made them perfect, I made sure they could have offspring! God had nothing to do with them, it was all my doing! I did not want them to be as miserable as I am, I made sure of it. While building the lab, I put in chemical compounds into the fluids that can be absorbed into the body to act as substitutes for natural hormones. I made it myself from scratch, this was long before any other scientist could make it in their labs. Thanks to my handiwork, they were able to be abnormal in strength, but normal hormonal-wise. Something I was denied!”

“Mewtwo, if you would listen to me—”

“Shut up, I do not want to hear anymore of this! I do not give a damn about emotions, and I could care less what God has to say about this! Not that He talks to anyone down here anyway, I should know. I have asked numerous questions that I know only He could answer, and I am left in the dark with even more questions. In my time of loneliness, He does not comfort me when I needed Him most. When cities cried out for help, for mercy in their time of need, who did He spare? Who did He protect from a gruesome death? For someone who loves all of His children, He sure does let them suffer a lot. So tell me, Mew, what has God done for me that He is deserving of my respect?”

She hung her head sadly, eyes welling up to dangerous levels. “He allowed you to live,” she meekly whispered out, wringing her hands. “A body is one the greatest gifts He gives to all His children... even if they're undeserving.” She lifted herself off the ground, slipping from his grasp, then glanced up at his steeled look before averting her gaze again. “And... He gave you friends through your clones, mainly Pikatwo and Meowtwo... and He sent me to you to show you... the beauty of life... of the values of friendship and of... love.” Her mouth closed shut, unsure how else to respond to his bitter interrogation.

After she grew silent, his hardened stare fell upon a single tear rolling down the side of her face. Breathing heavily, he seized her back, leaned forward, and firmly grazed his lips onto her cheek, licking it away. Mew shuddered in his hold, choking back a sob as more teardrops followed. He once again greedily kissed them away, his rough tongue watering at the salty taste the more it brushed against her. “Why must you taste so alive, Mew?” he moaned into her. “Why must you tease me like this? Do you enjoy my anguish?” He leaned to the side to lick her neck, pressing her into him.

The smaller Legendary only continued to quiver beneath him, eyes closing tightly. She ran her hands against his arms, trailing to the wrists when he reached up to cup her head. He fiercely kissed her jaw, nipping in frustration. “Answer me, Mew,” he growled, pulling her closer. “Was I meant to love you... only for you to refuse me?”

Hesitantly, she let out a light sigh, almost in a moan. “Maybe your body was made for me.”

Mewtwo pried himself away to look into her face. “What?”

She opened her eyes half-way, her gaze in a dream-like state. Her voice was soft, still breathless from his actions. “Mewtwo... you worried so much about not being able to love you became blind to it. You think your purpose is to love just so you are denied it? Whatever gave you that impression just by looking at me?” Mew reached up to caress alongside his jawbone, skimming along the rough feature. She watched as his eyes lightened up. “Kiss me.”

He moved to perform said action, only to freeze above her open mouth, uncertain. “Mew...”

“Kiss me, Mewtwo,” she pressed on, gulping in his breath. He planted a peck on her, still hesitant. “Harder.” They were pressed together, then separated with a smack. “Don't be afraid, Mewtwo,” she assured him. “This is our first. We're in this together.” Then her lips were devoured without another word.

It was a hard kiss, they gave it their all, beginning to cleave unto each other. They would only separate for a gasp of breath, widening their mouths further. With one hand, Mewtwo massaged her cheek while the other supported her neck as he bowed forward. She let out a short-lived whimper, throwing her arms over his shoulders. He proceeded to pepper kisses across her face, Mew doing the same along his chin and throat. Reaching her ear, he nibbled the tip, bringing out a modest giggle from her. She ran a hand down his shoulder blade, tracing the bony structure. Ducking her head, she slid down to his chest, marveling at the firmness of his sternum. She moved to plant her lips to his collar bone, then leaned upward for his neck.

Her eyes watered at the pulse against her mouth, pressing her hands where his heart lay beating. Mewtwo copied when she pulled away for room, then sadly mumbled, “I never would have guessed all hearts beat the same way.”

She smiled, resting against his head. “They don't. It's only when two start bonding... that they do.”

“I want to bond with you,” he promptly declared, nuzzling into the crook of her neck. “I want this forever... within my grasp.”

“Whatever you want, Mewtwo... just say the word.”

“Love me,” came the purr.

She gripped for his shoulders when he clamped to her skin and started sucking. His hands fell to stroke down her hips and thighs. An irregular shudder rippled throughout her middle when he skimmed across her abdomen. When she attempted to tilt her head, he nipped, intentionally or not. “Oh, Mewtwo... i-is there a specific way you want me to...?”

“No.” He licked the area where a bruise had formed. “Just love me.”

She swallowed. “How am I going to hide that?”

“We will stay out here if you want to.” He tipped her head back to bite underneath her chin. “They will go away in a few days.”

“But that was only the one.”

Mewtwo chewed and sucked once more. “You forgot about that one.”

Mew quietly laughed. “Mmm, Mewtwo... I need to lie down,” she simpered.

A playful growl erupted in his throat and he pounced onto her lips, pushing her down to the grass, pinning her arms and tail. Being bigger than her, he was able to hold her mouth open and run his tongue inside. She let out a muffled gasp and tensed, then squirmed upon feeling stray saliva dribbling from the gap between their mouths. Her hand involuntarily twitched against her counterpart's larger paw, to which he grasped in response. He remained locked to her for a full minute, exploring her cavity desirably while she writhed against his torso, fighting back unwanted whimpers. When he finally withdrew, causing a spit trail to drip, she gasped for relief, slowly opening her watery eyes. Mewtwo grinned down at her, lips moist. “You liked it,” he whispered gleefully.

She gave him a lop-sided smile of her own. “You didn't give me a chance to,” she accused, wiping part of her chin on her shoulder.

“Need help?” Without her consent, he leaned down and kissed the rest of the drool away, then slid over for a second round. She joined in, reveling in the carnal waltz inside her mouth. He released her arms, allowing her to twine them around his neck while he resumed his travels along her body. His tail fondled Mew's steadily, inducing her pelvis to thrust up sensually into his ribs. She let loose indecipherable mumbles against his lips, but nothing else. He wrapped his arms around her tiny body, then flipped over, tilting his head back until he felt no more sensitive tingles running through the back of his neck. Mew broke the deep kiss to stare down at him, feeling his rapid heartbeat underneath. He only smiled up at her, petting her silky back. “Is there something wrong, dear?” he asked quietly, using a term of endearment. “Was that the wrong move?”

Her eyes softened when she frowned. “Something's not right here.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean... well...” She chewed on her lip. “...should we be doing this?”

His brows slightly rose. “Why do you ask? Are we not in love?”

“Yeah, but—”

“Then there is no reason not to continue.” Mewtwo pushed himself up with an arm to kiss her full on the mouth.

Mew pushed him back. “Mewtwo, we need to consider things first.”

“Like what?” he let out a grumble.

“Like the world, for instance,” she pointed out, gesturing to their grim surroundings. “This might be a nicer area, but everything's a mess. We can't raise children in this kind of filth.”

The clone deeply frowned at her statement. “Who says we will have children?”

A blush burned on her cheeks. “W-Well... our actions are implying that procreation is bound to take place... sooner or later.” She trailed off, a little embarrassed at the thought.

Sitting up, the psycat held her by the shoulders firmly. “Who says this will lead to children?” he inquired in a strangely calm tone.

Her head sagged in place, slight shivers running up her spine. Her hands nonchalantly gestured around in tight shapes. “You know... when the... sperm reaches the egg—”

“I am not asking for a lecture on how children are made, Mew,” Mewtwo gruffly interrupted, scowling. “I want to know what makes you think children will come from this.”

“B-Because... it was bound to happen...”

She squealed slightly when he squeezed her shoulders in a hard grip. “Mew, I may have reproductive organs, but it does not mean I have the capability to give you children,” he explained harshly. “Stop worrying.”

Mew looked away, tensing up and holding herself. “Mewtwo, we're life-mates now. I hope you realize that.”

Something prickled in the back of his mind, a sense of incrimination that he knew about it before. It disappeared when he thought back to the previous week where he had tried to kiss her. The emotions that had sprouted up at that moment they were experiencing now. Still, he had not heard about this announcement. “Since when?”

The petite feline glanced at him for a few moments. “When two Mew kiss, they make the commitment to be forever loyal to each other. We sealed it at Mount Quena... three months ago.”

Mewtwo was surprised with himself he had no other concerns about the ordeal, like it was more of a reminiscence than an actual explanation. Though it still didn't justify why she was avoiding him the entire time if they were life-mates for that long. But for now, he was content with it. He pressed his lips against her cheek, and she let out a quiet mewl. “Mew, there is no need to worry now,” he said gently to lull her. “Everything will be all right.” He turned her head to properly kiss her, though she didn't return it. Her eyes were still cast down, ears drooped and a frown on her lips. “Are you upset that we will not have children?”

She barely shook her head, refusing to look him in the eye. “It's not that...”

“Then what are you worrying about?”

A hand rose to grasp a finger. “Your actions, Mewtwo,” she sighed. “I don't think you're showing love.”

“I am, Mew.”

“No, Mewtwo.” She finally brought herself to meet his vision, holding back stray tears threatening to form. “You were taking your anger out on me in a rather suggestive manner. You couldn't hurt me, so you went ahead to seduce me. You...” She slowly inhaled. “...you were taunting me... asking if I was to refuse you whenever you loved me.” Mew ran her fingers along the bruise on her neck. “I don't know why you would ask me that, I would never refuse you. You're my closest friend, Mewtwo... I love you.” A small teardrop escaped only to be caught up by her clone's knobbed finger and licked off. She watched somberly. “Do you love me, Mewtwo?”

“I do, have I not expressed it enough times?”

“Then if you love me, Mewtwo, I want you to do me a favor.”

“What is it?”

She clasped her hands in front of her, eyes closing for a few seconds before gazing back up at him. “When I'm ready... I'll give you my virginity. But for now... I-I just don't... oh, just promise me that, okay?”

Mewtwo took her by the chin and held her in place to bestow a passionate kiss to her parted lips. “I promise.” He fastened to her neck for a tender love bite.

Mew pushed him off. “Mewtwo, what are you doing?” she gasped.

“I promised not to take your virginity, not for other intimacies.” He licked her cheek with a smile. “Is it a crime now to kiss your mate?”

“N-No, but...”

“Ssh...” His next kiss was soft. “Please do not refuse me, Mew. I have been so devoid of love...” He steadily deepened it. “...if you are so worried... then teach me.”

She whined when he used the tip of his tongue to tease her bottom lip, and quickly pulled back. “Mewtwo, I didn't bring us here for this,” was her pitiful cry. “I just wanted to apologize to you.”

“For breaking my heart?” he murmured.

“For everything.” He clamped down to suck her lips. She wriggled free. “Mewtwo, please stop!”

“Kiss me back and I will forgive you.”

“Mewtwo, please, you don't know what you're getting into!” Mew wailed, gripping the sides of his face in attempt to hold him back. Out-sized and out-powered, Mewtwo easily immobilized her to the ground and crushed a forceful, biting kiss to her mouth. She screamed into him, vainly shaking her head around to throw him off. He pressed himself to her body, running a hand up and down her thigh the same time his tail was stroking hers feverishly. Acting against her own accord, her pelvic area once again drove into him, elevating at an angle. Then his hand repositioned itself.

She was thrown into shudders, moaning uncontrollably into his lips and feeling like she could melt. Tears streamed down as did leaked saliva, and without detaching himself, Mewtwo lapped up all the fluids within range. The heavy petting below roughed, and she tried to call for his attention, but her jaw was now deemed temporarily jammed the more he delved. She sobbed, her heart bleeding profusely from the lack of pure affection. She feared he was going to break his promise and end up taking her precious virginity without a hint of love in his actions. Regretting taking him far away from the edges of the camp, Mew fell into despair as she painfully waited, mentally saying farewell to the last of her chastity.

...but somehow, she must have grown numb or at least used to her clone's body, managing to relax in the midst of her being violated; or possibly she had fallen asleep without any warning. Whatever was the case, she could no longer feel his hard, wet kisses, or a trace of his fingers trailing across her flesh. If anything, there was hardly movement above her. Her head slightly rolled, and a feather-light graze swept across untouched skin, just below her jaw. Air flowing into her mouth felt cool, and her ears picked up tiny sounds of pecks, the sensation following after tickling her neck. She let out a soft sigh, pursing her lips to find them partially moist. A shadow fell over her, a hand sliding into place on her cheekbone. Gingerly, her eyelids fluttered open, her gaze focusing on Mewtwo's star-studded eyes.

Within moments, Mew felt the weight of her beloved on top of her, his heart pumping against his breast to hers. The lingering touch of his other hand was where it last was, barely a twitch to be felt. She opened her mouth to let out any words she wanted to utter, only for them to stick in her throat. Wordlessly, he leaned into her, warmly locking lips. Hesitantly, she welcomed him. The kiss was slow, calming, with no intent to take it deeper; except for when her mouth watered at the thought and she slipped inside his oral cavity briefly.

He broke away after a few minutes, thumb stroking her brow. The two stared at each other unblinkingly until he sat up, removing his hand from her sacred area. “So... this was what Ho-oh meant,” he breathed out, casting his gaze to the bruises on her neck.

“About what?” she wondered quietly, unwilling (or unable) to move from her position.

He scanned further down, taking in her gaunt figure sprawled beneath him. “There is always an opposition to one thing,” he stated, almost in a recitation, “there must be. Everyone in some point in their life feels both, but has to make their own judgment about what it is. Love is the most powerful emotion in the universe, it is only natural. However, lust is just as powerful... maybe even as natural. Some have love control their life, while others live on lust. It takes them over, to the point they are nothing but slaves to it, unable to quench their sexual desires. They continue to go through bodies in the hopes it will, sending them further and further into madness. But love, being the exact opposite, frees the being from heartache and misery, ascending into true happiness, and can be distributed to others. Mew...” The clone reached down to touch the bruises, noticing she barely quivered. “...you are the embodiment of love, the result of two individuals who loved each other and had the desire to have you. I... I am the embodiment of lust, having been created for the sole purpose to fulfill a wicked man's wish to conquer the world. As a result, I have lust coursing through my veins, while you thrive on love. How is it I love you when I am not familiar to it?”

Eyes widening in inner anguish, Mew pushed herself to a sitting position and tightly grasped a hand. “Mewtwo... you aren't suggesting...?”

“I almost raped you, Mew,” he admitted, sending pangs of hurt through her heart, if not more than in his. “I was angry, I was not thinking straight. It did not help that you said we are now life-mates. It only made me...” He took in a shaky breath. “I am a being doomed to desire, but not receive. Hearing that I now have a mate, it gives me hope. But I am undeserving of you, I would only destroy our relationship. You need someone who will love you, who will not get frequent bouts of anger at himself and who will give you children.”

“Mewtwo, don't say that!” she exclaimed, squeezing his paw to her. “You love me, I know you do!”

“Since when is rape considered love?”

“You were making a mistake, yes, but you stopped yourself in time! If you're all lust like you said, you would have taken my virginity by now! But there was some love in there that came through! That love cares for me, I've seen it! I know it exists because you told me... even from a distance...” She fought back her sobs, ducking her head to study his vast hand. She marveled at their size differences, at how the shape was more humanoid compared to her cat-like paws... at how unique it was. Raising it to her lips, she kissed his fingertips one-by-one. “I forgive you, Mewtwo... I forgive you for hurting me back at Mount Quena even though that wasn't you.” She brushed her mouth against his palm. “I forgive you for hurting Latios, you were meaning well protecting me...” She bent her neck to kiss the underside of his wrist. “And I forgive you... for denying me... You didn't mean to... I know you didn't. I knew you were there for me during those difficult days. I was just so scared... when I lost everything... I wanted to tell you then, I just couldn't... Oh, Mewtwo, please forgive me... I don't want you to leave me again.” Her voice gave out, choking on her tears, as she bowed her head onto his forearm, her shaky grip loosening.

The same hand now by her chin tilted her head up, the other wiping away the drops. She hiccuped a little, repositioning her hands to hold his tightly when he leaned down to press a quick kiss onto her quivering lips. Mew wept bittersweetly, remaining clung to him to bury her face into his awaiting hand.

The smell of blood was then more prominent. Looking down, Mewtwo saw a small crimson river dripping from his arm. He noted it wasn't a wound of his. Turning over her own arm, his eyes widened as he horrifically stared at the deep, bloody gash on her wrist. The amount of gushing fluid was great, leaving her entire ghostly-white limb to shake from its loss. Snapping back to her face, he was surprised she was unaffected by it except for her sad expression. “Mew... how long?” he managed to breathe out.

“About twenty-four hours, give or take,” she muttered in a melancholic tone. “Legion won't heal it.”

“What, who?! Wh...who is this Legion?” he sputtered.

“I was going to tell you earlier...”

“Mew, what is going on?!” he gritted, wanting to shake her. “What have you done to yourself?!”

“I don't have enough time, Legion is going to discover I haven't been cast out completely, then that demon is going to kill me.”

“Mew, tell me what is going on!” he hollered, tightly constricting her arms out of an impulse. “Why have you not taken care of this?! Who is this Legion? Who is going to kill you?”

She squirmed under his harsh glare, feeling her injured arm throb painfully. Taking a deep, straining breath, she swiftly started, “Listen, you aren't anywhere near Cherrygrove, heck, this is just an illusion. You were being tricked into thinking nothing had ever happened after my walk. Legion was tempting you, Mewtwo, he wants you to have sex with me—with my body, anyway. I arrived just as you were looking for me, and I got rid of the decoy. Even then...” She shook her head to rid herself of the thought. “You need to fight the temptations off, or he'll win. Legion took over me for a reason.”

“What reason?” he growled, still not making head or tails of it.

“I don't know, there's very little I know. But he had been trying to take over the others, even you. That's why you can't remember attacking Lugia, he had taken you over, you were his original target. But something went wrong, probably me, and he's realized the importance of my specie. Our specie. He was why I couldn't sleep, he was waiting for me to show weakness.” Mew gave a sharp gasp of pain, immediately grasping her head.

He could only watch helplessly as she trembled dangerously in his hands, uttering out agonized shrieks. His heart squeezed out freezing vibes, only able to imagine how painful it must be. “Mew, is it...?”

She nodded vigorously, then peered back up, hurrying her speech. “Mewtwo, you helped slow him down today, but he's going to do everything he can to get what he wants. His plan can't continue if I'm not pregnant... or immortal for one thing... oh, God!” She writhed and twitched in a maddening fit like she was having a seizure. It frightened him until it paused. “H-He can't bring back the Tree of Beginnings, Mewtwo... we're not immune to it anymore.”

“But I thought it was destroyed. Is it possible to get it back?”

“Yes... i-if anything is left of the Tree... it can be brought back. Usually with one of its crystals... if one hasn't been destroyed yet...” She fought back a whimper. “Please, Mewtwo... d-don't give him want he needs. You can't believe everything he says... especially if he tries to pass himself off as me again.”

“Is there a way you can take back control?”

“I-I'm sure...” Mew screamed again for another moment. “...I only managed to get here because you're still asleep... and because my spirit's not as connected to my body anymore—”

“Wait, you are a spirit?” he blurted out incredulously.

“We both are, Mewtwo... whatever happens to our bodies... happens to us and vice versa... because we take the form of them.” She gave a painful smile that only brightened her countenance. “You're so beautiful, Mewtwo... the most unique of all God's spirits... I wish you could see yourself...”

No, you are beautiful, he wanted to amend, but never got the chance. He let out an astonished gasp when she started wavering in and out of focus, his surroundings fading to black. “Mew, hang on, I am going to get you out of here!”

“There's nothing you can do for me now... he already knows.”

He started to panic. “What can I do?”

“Just do what I said... a-and you'll be fine... hopefully. I'll try to contact you through my body... again, hopefully.” She made herself giggle when she faltered a few seconds longer.

“How will I know when it is you speaking to me?”

Holding an intake of breath, she shakily flew up to eye-level and whispered into his ear with the last of her strength. Mewtwo caught her when she fell limp, cradling her protectively close to his chest. He laid a hand against her sternum, wanting to feel her heartbeat once more before she could disappear. Just as they were left in darkness, he saw her eyes open, the azure glow remaining bright in her weak state. They kept their gazes locked on each other, afraid they may fade away into nothingness if they even blinked. It was for that reason the clone allowed himself to cry in front of her, trying to ignore the warning stings of dehydration. “Mew... I honestly never meant to hurt you,” he whispered down to her, fingers curling her fur softly, thankful she wasn't so ethereal. “But I am grateful you forgave me... if only I can forgive myself.” He felt the tips of her tiny digits smooth over his chest in a comforting way. “I was just frustrated with you then, you were so withdrawn I feared for your life. It was the only time I ever saw you so depressed.” His heart nearly stopped when she blinked, then he let out a breath of relief when she hadn't left. “What happened that day, Mew, to make you realize you could not pretend any longer? That you had to accept you could no longer retain your childlike innocence... and that you accepted your womanhood?” He paused for a few moments so he could swallow down the growing lump. “When did you... begin to love me?”

Mew searched inside his eyes during the long silence, her oculars dimming in emotion. Then her arms crawled up his chest as far as they could go, clutching his shoulders. Without breaking the gaze, she lifted her tremulous-self up, using his arm as a ballast for her feet while his hands supported her back. Her breathing was shallow and labored, the strain to stay alive. Leaning forward, she covered his mouth fully, and slowly inhaled.

Mewtwo understood right away what she was trying to do, he had done it once before. Slipping a hand behind her neck, he bent her backward, and breathed down into her lungs. She briefly parted to test out her own respiratory, finding it still irregular, and latched back on. He repeated the step once more, continuing the cycle of resuscitation. Three times it took until the two remained glued together, sharing life. They were willing to accept it was more than a kiss, that it was a soul-to-soul connection the two never dreamed could ever happen. It was more than just a commitment to one another, it was a promise as they exchanged a little part of themselves into the other. A renewed promise only the pair could partake in such a sacred moment as this. Their hearts lifted, and they wept.

Then Mew shoved herself away in a forceful manner.

And they began to fall.

*~*~*

Mewtwo grew aware of the cold floor he was laying upon before the pain stung through his head. He groaned as he sat up, squinting into the dim chamber at the pulsating lights. He questioned his current location, knowing he was elsewhere just minutes ago. It was then everything began to come back to him, at how uncharacteristic he had been as were the other Legendaries. Then Mew came in, and they had a fit of passion before they recollected themselves—no, that was all him, he remembered now, she was just following along. It was when she announced it was all an illusion used by Legion that everything started to fall apart.

Speaking of which...

“So, you woke up as well,” came a sinister growl, and he whipped his head back to meet an enraged Mew in the eye. He almost stumbled back out of an impulse until he recollected it wasn't entirely her. “I bet she told you everything after snapping you back to normal, did she not? And after all that hard work, too.”

“You!” he snarled. “What have you done to Mew?”

“Me? I never touched her the entire time. Wish I could say the same about you.” The slitted eyes flashed tauntingly as she licked her upper lip. “How did it feel to know you had her in your grasp? Exhilarating, am I right?”

“Stop it, Legion!” he barked, shivering at the memory. “What did you do to Mew?!”

Shrugging, Legion nonchalantly responded, “The same thing I do to all souls taken into possession. She awaits eternal damnation in Spirit Prison. She put up quite a fight, I expected no less from her.”

“...she is where?”

“It is where all unclean spirits go to dwell until they are 'bailed out' in a way.” The phrase was hissed out maliciously. “I will be perfectly honest with you, I do not know what goes on there most of the time, I do not stay in there. All I know is good spirits can go in and preach to the bad or the uninformed because that is just what they do. If she is lucky, someone will visit her and convert her over to Paradise. But... she will have to pay the consequences.”

Mewtwo shivered, half in fright and the other in anger. “You promised to let her go,” he harshly reminded the demon. “Why are you still in her body?”

Legion laughed. “You only asked me to 'release her', if memory serves me well—and it always does—but you were not specific. I would have done what you might have been thinking of until you broke your end of the bargain before we could make the deal.”

The clone fought to restrain himself, gritting his teeth and glancing away. He tried not to think hard on his previous actions to no avail; they were still fresh from minutes ago. Despite everything being a trick, and as much as he'd like to deny it, his contact with Mew (her spirit anyway) was real. From the touches to her hard kisses, the hot breaths and heartbeats.... the tears... the discovery of her body... everything. It had happened. His reasons for it, however, were unclear. As his eyes scrunched shut in frustration, of all the past memories he could see, the vision of her pleading for him to stop as he forced himself upon her came to mind. He couldn't think of another time she was so helpless against him. Afraid to delve further into the memory, he threw an accusation down the demon's way. “You tempted me to break that promise. I would never dare handle her in such a way.”

“Surprise, surprise, I had nothing to do with the temptation!” she exclaimed in a strangely excited tone. “The vision was all my doing, but your actions were of your own! Had the real Mew not weaseled herself in, then I suppose I would have been a part of your temptation—how she got rid of it is beyond me. It does not matter, point is, it was all you.” A crooked smile lit up in the dim lighting. “After all, Mewtwo, your immortal spirit carries with it all the memories and personalities you have developed in your mortal life. You are currently warring within yourself about whether-or-not you truly love her, or are just wanting her body. And so far... lust is winning the war.”

“You lie, I hold high regards to her! She had been my enemy, a true friend, an equal! I do not want her body, I want her heart, her soul! They hold the Mew I know and respect, and I almost got her back! If there should be any warring going on, it should be you and I fighting for the future of her wellbeing.”

“Bah, you have not a clue what you are talking about,” Legion interjected, waving a hand. “You cannot challenge a demon and win. Mortality and sin go hand-in-hand because of how you are unable to escape it. That is how fickle bodies are, and spirits do get restless after a while. For all I know, you were extremely curious how spiritual bodies can still be intimate with each other. It still does not matter, you cannot get Mew back.” Floating closer, her hips swung suggestively. “You can, however, still have the body. At least you will not return home empty-handed.”

She reached up to cup his face, only for him to jerk away. “Never,” he spat.

With a huff, she backed off. “Fine, be that way. You will be confined back to the wall, then.”

When “back” left her lips, Mewtwo's wrists were immediately seized upon, and he was wrenched from behind to the stone wall. He struggled, noticing whenever he strained his arm away, a thick, shadowed tendril tightened as it forcefully pulled back. “Unhand me, demon!” he seethed out.

“You had your chance, but you gave it up for 'her virginity',” she mocked, using air quotes as emphasis. “For something as pathetic as that excuse, you are undeserving to be released at this present time. I will let you go, briefly, when you are needed.”

“I will not do want you demand of me, you will only be wasting your time.”

“I have all eternity. Time does not exist to me.” The smirk grew into a maddening grin. “I will keep you alive against God's wishes and yours. You will live to see completion of my work.” Mew closed the space between them to place a teasing kiss onto his mouth, sending tremors through his body. “Of our work.” She nipped at his jawline.

Mewtwo bent away from her best he could, only evoking her to latch on further. Any repelling abilities he had on hand were disabled, rendering him helpless under her control. He bit back gasps when she traced her hand along his throat, scraping her claws lightly against his jugular. He caught at the corner of his eye a warning glare before the harsh kisses resumed along his neck. At once, his recollection of Mew's own reaction to his advances returned. She was like him, being subject under another's will. But unlike him, he realized, she trusted him enough when she submitted herself to the passion. It must have been a mistake on her part, and yet she willingly went along with it. If what Legion said was true about a soul carrying the same personality into eternity... and having met her soul...

...she was of love... he was of lust. Because she loves him, she gave herself to him. But also because she loves him, she wanted it to end.

Now, being in her position, he had a good idea what she had felt during those minutes of passion... of weakness. Glancing back at his counterpart, he noticed dark spots on her neck that he identified as bruises, similar to what Mew had. Very similar. When she shifted down to kiss his chest, he craned for a look to see bloodied dots and streaks on his fur, no doubt from the gash on her wrist. A sorrowful thought came to him, and he dared to speak to Legion. “Why have you not healed her wound?”

“Why does it matter to you?” she grumbled into his pectoral, digging her claws into him.

He cringed a little. “Mew has lost too much blood from it. She is going to die if she does not get treatment.”

“She is already dead.”

...many painful shock waves flooded his figure within that second. His heart stung in protest when it skipped a beat, his lungs clenched when he lost his breath, his blood ran cold... so much was running through him, he felt like his body had suddenly shut down. He stared blankly down at her, hardly noticing she still pressed coarse kisses across his torso without another care. All he could think of at the moment was Mew. He did not want to believe it, there was no way she could be dead, not when he had talked to her. She may have been a spirit, but he could vividly remember she was as alive as him, if not more. Her warmth was there, her heart was beating. It had to be no more than a few minutes ago, he was sure of it.

Yet... there was something in her eyes before they separated. He had seen her sad enough to know what it looked like inside the soul. It was heartbreaking then (as much as he hated to admit it). But this... this was more than sadness—if spirits did not have anything further inside their eyes to indicate deep emotion. This sorrow of hers pierced him in such a way, he knew he couldn't do anything for her. He would not be able to comfort her, to make her laugh to chase away the tears. There was something personal about her grief he had no right in knowing, and nothing he could have done would have made her better. Any happiness she may have felt with him was temporary, unimportant.

What if, right then and there in his arms... she had died? Had he been unable to revive her in time?

Mewtwo tensed in his heartbreak, trying and failing to hold it back. Pausing in her travel, the impostor tilted her head back, scowling deeply at him. “Enough, crying never solved anything,” she snapped impatiently. “Mew is dead, there is nothing you can do.”

“How can you say that?!” he screamed at her, wanting to reach out and strangle her. “Mew did not die, I saw her! I touched her, I was intimate with her! She was as alive as ever, how can you say such a horrendous thing?!”

“I hate repeating myself,” the demon grumbled before speaking louder, getting in the clone's face. “Do you not get the definition of 'dead'? She is gone, ceases to exist, extinct! Get over it and move on.”

“I cannot!” Mewtwo cried out on the verge of tears. “H-How can I when you are in her body tormenting me, for one thing?! But I know she is not dead! She is just lost, and too weak right now to do anything! She needs help, or she will die! Surely not all demons are cruel!”

“Well, as much as the bursting of bubbles are so cliché, I love doing it. So there!” Legion cackled upon pretending to “pop” the feline's outer “bubble”.

Shaking his head, he weakly struggled against his hold, too overcome with grief to steady himself. His knees nearly gave out from quaking so much, the demon's words slowly sinking in. “...i-it does not make sense... it may have just been her spirit, but... spirits cannot die...”

“Not in the way you are thinking of.” He could barely bring himself to look at her, preferring to stare at the floor. “There is the physical death, and the spiritual death. When I say that Mew is dead, what I mean is that she is about half of both. This body is only alive because I will it to, and also because a spirit still inhabits it—namely me, again. The other is much more devastating, you can say. The spiritual death is basically being damned, the opposite of eternal life. Mew is on her way to spiritual death because she has committed a grievous sin.”

“No, not Mew!” he quickly gasped out, forcing himself to look directly into the slitted eyes. “Not her, she is pure, she is all things good! It is I who has committed sins, not her!”

A jagged-looking grin split her face. “Everyone who has lived on this earth has committed a sin,” she declared in a deathly whisper. “Especially your precious Mew. How else was I able to possess her?”

“Legion, tell me the truth! Mew is innocent, she has to be!”

“Say all you want, you know what I say is the truth. She is not as perfect as you think she is.”

“W-Well I know she is not perfect, no one is, but—”

“No one except God,” Legion corrected him. “But she is not God, and thus she is imperfect. And imperfect people are destined to make mistakes.”

“Then that is all it is, a mistake!” Mewtwo hysterically exclaimed. “Mew has done stupid things before, but she always made up for it!”

She slapped him with her tail and hissed, “Shut up and listen, or I leave you here to go insane, your choice!” When he bit his lip, she straightened with a smirk. “You have much to learn about your sweetheart. There are things about her past she has not told you because she fears you will judge her. She has not lived an easy life. She lost her mother to poachers as a young kitten, and she barely survived into adulthood. During that time, the more she fought to live, the more she learned the world was cruel to its inhabitants. She was hunted down, nearly eaten, often deathly ill, almost drowned twice, was trapped by a fallen tree until she taught herself to Teleport, then took longer to learn Recover...” Legion trailed off for a moment. “I could go on, but it is a tiring list of disasters and near-death experiences she had, all as a child. Though she was once captured by a poacher and lived in a cage for a few months because she was still too small to even be the cuffs of a coat. Thanks to her ability to learn every attack, she 'accidentally' caught the camp on fire and escaped. Then she was stupid enough to get captured again, this time to be put up for auction as a rare, exotic pet. Once she remembered she could Teleport, she fled deep into the Amazon rainforest. It took her another several grueling years before she knew all the dangers.”

Mewtwo squirmed in discomfort, feeling unworthy to hear Mew's life's story. His movements went unnoticed. “A few years into her adulthood, Arceus granted her permission to be an immortal Legendary, and to be the Tree of Beginnings' guardian. She accepted, and you should already know what happens during the next thousand years,” she droned, waving her hand around. “She has seen many things in her lifetime, more horrific than yours, and considering the time-line when it came to wars and all, your days were terrible, but not like hers. Name anything, she has seen it.”

“Why are you telling me this?” he moaned. “Mew would have told me when she was ready.”

“So you can learn for yourself how hellish her life was. And how she is no different from you.”

He slowly shook his head. “No... she is nothing like me... I have done things... terrible things. Mew is too pure to be near my range of status.”

“You would be surprised,” Legion smirked. “She would be able to relate to you oh-so very much.”

“How can she? She is my opposite, there is no way she can.”

Her smirk spread from ear to ear. “I think I will have Mew take over for me,” she slowly whispered, letting out a breathy chuckle. “There is so much, and so few words.”

“What are you talking about?”

Without another word, she floated up to eye-level and pressed her forehead against his. He stared in confusion into her demonic eyes, attempting to back away. His wrists were given a painful squeeze in prohibition, forcing him to freeze in place. The grin eased up to a wicked beam as the narrowed oculars flashed a light blue.

Then Mewtwo's vision blacked out.

*~*~*

…

...he didn't know how long he was out for, how long the silence had been going on. Somewhere in his subconscious, Mewtwo knew he should be dreaming right about now. He didn't care what it was, he should have dreams. He was going to force himself to wake up if he didn't—since when was light so bright? He blinked a few times to get used to it, then sat up and stretched. This was feeling familiar...

With a yawn, he levitated away from the branch he had been sleeping in—Wait, why am I in a tree? he questioned himself, then waved it off like it was nothing. He was probably dead tired right now. Once he got himself ready, he'll be up like normal and... why was everything so green? Did spring come early? Why the heck wasn't he freaking out by now? And why was the thought “Today is going to be a new day!” running through his head? That was a bit out of character... maybe he really is dreaming, just in a slightly different way. Which was about time he got something pleasant.

After a few minutes of air-travel (which was feeling so natural in this dreamworld, it made him smile), he reached water, and knelt down. Leaning forward, he cupped a handful into his paws and washed his face, shaking the droplets from his fur. Once the surface calmed, he stared down at his reflection, blinking a few times and wiping the sleep from his eyes. Then, slowly, he looked around at the healthy green foliage, taking in the morning songs of the many Bird Pokémon, the chirps of Butterfree on their daily duties, the scurrying of little feet upon bark and vines as other inhabitants foraged for breakfast... the jungle sounds were very relaxing, so very normal but beautiful...

...wait a second...

Mewtwo looked back at the water, getting lost in his scrutinizing of the tiny rosy body contrasting against the greens and blues, aqua orbs developing a rather far-away look to them.

And suddenly, thoughts were made clear, like a remembrance. “Tomorrow is Latias' birthday. Eee, can hardly wait to see her face when I give her her present!”

'Wha... what is going on?!' the clone inwardly gasped. 'What kind of dream is this?!'

Then he—or in actuality, Mew sneezed. “Oh, gosh, that was strange,” she muttered to herself, wiping her nose. “Guess some Butterfree scales were on the wind.”

'What is this?!' he continued like it never happened, getting weirded out from it. 'Am I having an out-of-body experience?! This cannot be real!'

It was apparent he was speaking out-loud to himself, but Mew did not react in an acknowledging way. She instead fell back to sprawl on the grass, gazing up at the clouds. While Mewtwo had the beginnings of a mental breakdown, his counterpart mentally traced out shapes. She would occasionally comment to herself, which quieted him down so he could hear before it started up again in a seemingly never-ending cycle (though the outbursts did simmer down to mumbles after a while). He began to wonder if he had been drugged when Legion knocked him out, thus causing this strange hallucination of him being manifested inside Mew's head.

Though what made it more confusing was if he was inside the head of the spirit of Mew... if that was even possible. The thought itself made his own head hurt.

A low, rather melancholy sigh escaped from the lips of the small Legendary, catching his attention. “I bet this is what Mewtwo does when he's bored,” she murmured, shrugging her shoulders. She flipped herself over, then scooted herself to the water's edge, running her fingers in a circular motion through the liquid. “I don't know how he can stand being alone in a large city like that. He really doesn't have too many visitors... not since Pikatwo died...” (Mewtwo felt his heart ache at the mention of his dear friend.) She sighed again. “If I could... if he would let me, and if the Tree wasn't so demanding... I could travel around with him. Maybe then he wouldn't be so lonely. I don't know why no one bothers to stay more than a few hours. 'S not like a hundred years ago where he would have ripped off their heads for showing up.”

When she giggled, a wave of nostalgia rose up inside him. The giggle he hated so very much... but looked forward to all the same. “Oh, Mewtwo... he's changed so much since then. Maybe it's about time I do, too. Especially now...”

A twinge of sadness tugged at him from somewhere in a subconscious area, realizing this was a memory from not too long ago—maybe. He recalled that as the years had gone by, Mew had slowly been maturing ever since she felt the world take a turn for the worse. Was this one of those very days?

She lightly closed her eyes as she let out a long breath (though it took Mewtwo a couple of seconds to figure it out), head resting against her arms. “Maybe then... things will get better...”

Mew trailed off, succumbing herself to her inner thoughts he caught snippets of when he least suspected them. They were of her typical thinking, he wasn't really surprised about it all. She had always been the one who loved all her friends and who believed everything would get worse before getting better. In a way, it grieved him. 'Always the hopeless optimist,' he muttered. 'If only you had known what was coming...'

Then her eyes snapped open as she sat up, turning to scan the jungle background. There was a noticeable eerie silence that Mewtwo could have sworn was filled with Pokémon cries. Mew might have as well, but she was too engrossed in her alertness to mind it. Her ears flicked as she stared intently into the trees, the constant flicking of her vision making the clone feel a little motion sickness. She cautiously levitated a few feet above the ground.

Click.

Faint as it was, they both heard it, and she whipped her head towards its direction. It was just enough for her neck to be skimmed by a smooth, cold surface, followed by a splash behind her. Spinning around, she peered at the ripples, bending over for a better, curious look. There was a catch of glint shimmering beneath the surface before there was a sharp jab on the back of Mewtwo's neck. Hissing from the sudden pain, he went to reach for the source when Mew did as well—then he questioned why he was grabbing at air. Tugging whatever it was from the skin (sending another vibe through the neck), she brought it to her line of vision, staring in disbelief at it. “Wha...?” she muttered.

“It's still standing?!” came a gruff gasp from behind, startling her to drop the tranquilizer.

“Shit, it must have been from when it moved!” a second voice growled. “Reload, and don't miss this time!”

“I got it, sir!” a third blurted out before another click was heard.

Almost immediately, a second harsh prick on the shoulder was felt. Her vision started to blur, and a headache ensued, but she remained afloat, if clumsily. Breaths began to become ragged, as did her hearing. Mewtwo could pick out rough uses of language whenever it briefly refocused to normal. Whoever was shouting was most likely the leader, angry about the other's actions. Then he observed something odd about Mew's behavior. Despite all her wavering, she made not one motion to fly off, choosing only to gaze down where the three disembodied voices were arguing from. 'Why is she not running?'

The three must have noticed as well for the bickering quieted down. “Sir... not doing any...” was picked up from the faltering hearing before it blanked out. Then from the bushes appeared three, no four humans in what was hinted to be hunting gear. The sunlight was either glaring or she was losing her eyesight for their faces were barely visible. From what could be seen, they stood there in bafflement, one scratching his (maybe her) head as they gawked down at the small Legendary. Mew's thoughts manifested themselves in vain attempts to come out as words.

What's going on? Why are there humans here when there's so little left? How did I... oh Arceus, it hurts so much... hurts to think. Feeling sleep coming... I don't feel good.

She dropped from the air, barely catching herself from collapsing onto her face. Her breathing shallowed out, her arms quaking beneath her. One of the nearest humans flipped her over with a boot, leaving her sprawled out before them. They stood around her, and Mewtwo could feel their stares boring into her. The one that didn't have a noticeable beard grinned and the lips mouthed. The throbbing worsened, causing Mew to scrunch her eyes shut in pain. Why... does it hurt... why...?

Then there was another pinch to the neck, her thoughts faded, and the psycat was left in blackness. All outside feeling dissipated a minute later, and then the pain was gone. He steadily grew nervous, unsure what was going on in this helpless, immovable state. The long silence was suffocating, it made him more anxious and mind-consuming. For how long was she unconscious? What were those humans doing there? Were they planning something? Why her? Amongst the uneasiness, he felt anger rising in him. Was this what Legion wanted him to see? She got ambushed, that was it? As unlikely as it was, he knew Mew would easily escape from them once she got up. There was no way they could lay another hand on her—

Blurp.

...as faint as it was, it caught his attention. Wherever he looked, it was still black. Great, was he starting to go insane from it now? Unless... could Mew be dreaming?

Blurp.

It was louder this time. If she was, she might be dreaming about swimming. Mewtwo couldn't help but grin awkwardly at the idea. He was getting worked up over a stupid dream.

“...waves spiked. It's gaining consciousness.”

“What! I thought it... to be knocked out for a good few months!”

“Well, it is a Mew. Guess we calculated wrong.”

He felt his heart tense. She wouldn't be dreaming something like that... would she?

“Should we give it more of the sedatives then, sir?”

“No, the drug we used must be interfering with the experiments. Can't have it—” The voice continued to speak, but it was now suddenly muffled.

He could care less at the moment what the unfinished dialogue was. His mind was being thrown into shock at what he had heard. 'It... it cannot be...'

A disturbance felt in the black was evident enough Mew was stirring, the eerie gurgling increasing in volume. Her arms slowly rose, then bumped up against a smooth plane that was chilling to the bone. Her chest ached every time she took a breath like it was being compressed. A small thought of worry blipped by, though it went unheeded by Mewtwo. He feared the worst, hoping it wasn't the case. And as she slowly opened her eyes, everything came crashing down on him, revisiting a world he never wanted to see again in his life.

It stung the moment her eyelids lifted, vision blurring for the first few minutes. A golden orange was what awaited them, a slight glare somewhere in the depths. Fuzzy shapes drifted upward before she (and her clone) identified them as bubbles, or rather congealed bubbles. They stared at the curiously haunting substances until she decided to look past the glaze. For a while, it was distorted, all one shade of color with no other distinguishing shapes or lighting. The more she grew aware, the clearer the world beyond was. And Mewtwo wished she stayed asleep.

The room was similar to what he knew well: advanced computers against the wall, polished tile floors with garish fluorescents, tubes and wires lining the walls and ceiling, glass cylinders scattered throughout, humans observing in their bland white coats... things he never again wanted to run into. Shuffling and electronic beeps were the ambient sounds next to the gushing of liquid. Unbearable noise... he felt his mind keeping in time to the steady beats, disturbing his thoughts. He tried to focus on the reflection of Mew in the hopes it would all fade to background hums, but as she wasn't looking at it directly, it wasn't viewable.

Where am I? her thoughts gasped, and he mentally locked on—anything to get rid of that blasted beeping. What's going on, what is all this? Why can't I move? I'm so cold... She tried to take in a deep breath only to start gagging. Her lips closed over a plastic lining, and when she glanced down, she panicked further. A thin tube was lodged inside her mouth—no, it was her throat—and extended down into the bottom of her tank. Attached to various parts of her body were wires, holding her in place.

Outside her glass container, a monitor was rapidly pulsing. “I thought you subdued it already!” a voice snapped.

“I just typed in the coordinates, give it time!” came the immediate defense.

Coming in the line of vision was a thin, furious human man, brows pinching his glasses as his teeth gnashed. He pounded the surface once, emitting a thunderous sound to vibrate throughout the liquid, startling Mew and causing her to choke again. “Knock it off, you stupid creature!” he shouted. “You're going to kill yourself in there!”

“Sir, don't yell at it! You're frightening it further!” Another one much like the first but taller and hairier rushed forward to hold him back. “It'll calm down soon.”

“Is that tracheal tube working? It's not floating in liquid oxygen, you know!”

“Yes, sir, but if you just let it be, it'll calm down and the procedure will proceed smoothly.”

“You bet on your ass it will, or guess who kicks it out on the street?!” He turned to huff in her direction before storming off, shouting for a drink. The second man left without a glance, returning to his seat by one of the monitors. The beeping began to slow down after a few moments, and Mew was now able to breathe without gagging.

Fighting to hold back tears, she brought herself to scan the room. Both she and Mewtwo agreed it was a sterile, uninviting place. Despite the human activity, they were all cold towards one another, avoiding eye contact, rarely speaking to each other except for arguing over formulas, or working individually far apart. The most common traits they seemed to share were being scientists and physically languished, otherwise they were like complete strangers. Some, upon closer inspection, looked and acted like they hadn't slept in days.

Why would people do this to themselves? her thoughts meekly wondered as she tore her eyes away from the humans. Has this gone on for a while? Maybe... when I was put in here?

Mewtwo questioned this himself as well. It reminded him of the scientists who aided in creating him. While the years had been blurring their faces, he could still remember the tired, but relieved tones when they congratulated each other on succeeding. They had spent grueling long hours, long months on making sure he survived. For all he knew, they must have eaten and slept very little the entire time. It was likely the same situation here. The one raging human only known as “Sir” must be in charge of whatever was going on. He must know that Mew was valuable, that one mistake could kill her. They couldn't afford mistakes—scientists rarely did. However long she was in the tank for was probably as long as they had gone without rest, without certainty.

Mew gagged again when she swallowed (tried to), and leaned up against the glass barrier. When she took another glance beyond, her jaw dropped as her eyes widened in horror.

Not even a yard away was another tank, occupied by a creature suspended in identical fluid, bent backward nearly in half. It was of unknown specie, one she nor Mewtwo had ever seen before, but closer inspection revealed to them it was supposed to be a common Rattata. It still had its rodent shape to it, but with a feline touch. The ears were rounded like a normal Rattata's except for the notable pointedness. The buck fangs were replaced with canine teeth, the whiskers nearly absent. From the paws were extended claws, the forelimbs and hind legs strikingly similar to that of a feline's. Its tail caught their attention the most, being extended to twice, possibly three times the length of its body. Whether it was from the vermillion coloring or not, it was a sickly yellow, though the clone was sure it was gray-colored.

But Mew hardly noticed that. She was too transfixed on its eyes. Its cold, blank eyes unblinkingly staring into emptiness.

...dead...

“...aw, damn it, Tyson, why didn't you catch this?!” a voice snarled out. One of the scientists walked up to the tank and glared at the body, teeth gritting.

“Wha-a-at, I went on lunch break—oh...” Another one had stepped to his side, grimacing at the sight. He sucked in breath through his teeth. “...you know, the wires could never stick—”

“That's not the point, you dumbbell, it was your post!”

“How the hell was I supposed to know it'd die just when I'd go on my frigging lunch break? And what are the odds the wires would unstick themselves just as it died?”

“Doesn't matter, it's another failed experiment.” Ignoring the rise of exclamations in the room, the human walked over to a computer, typed away, and watched impatiently as the tank drained. The corpse sank down through the hole, and the other scientist pulled open a hidden compartment to drag it out. “That's the third failed clone we've had. We're beginning to run out of options here.”

The human, Tyson, dangled it by its skinny tail, frowning deeply. “It's strange, the fetus would grow normally... so why give out now?”

“Because someone decided to go on lunch break. Science doesn't wait on anyone.”

“You sure it's because the cells stop mutating and it poisons the body... or something?”

Throwing his hands up, the disgruntled human yelled, “I don't know, and I don't give a damn! Just dispose of it while I collect more of the Mew's hair, we used the last of the batch on this one.” He pinched his brows when the man left, grumbling indecipherably as he once more typed along. “How many more embryos do we have in storage?” he asked out-loud.

One of the few female scientists, when she pulled herself together, announced, “Due to a tight budget and the shorting out of the freezer, we're down to our last.”

“What tight budget?”

“Our funding is being threatened to get cut by next month. Weren't you there when the contract was being signed?”

“I'm not as high of a class as you are,” he sneered. “Why did no one tell us?”

She scoffed, taking off her glasses to prevent smearing when she face-palmed. “We were quite sure we'd get living specimens because we have a live Mew and advanced equipment. Okay, yeah, they'd live to the juvenile stage half-way through the mutation, but then they would suddenly shut down. This is the third time it's happened.”

“Look on the bright side, we've progressed quicker than the first cloning attempt in history,” Tyson blurted out when he returned empty-handed, attempting to bring out the positive. “It took them a year to figure out how to fill in the gaps in DNA. Doctor Fuji followed it as well, even though it did take him longer to alter DNA.”

“We get it, Tyson, what's your point?” she huffed, crossing her arms.

“Well... all he had was a thousand-or-so-year-old fossil to work with. We have a living, breathing Mew.”

“What does this have to do with our failed experiments?”

“...Crap, I had it...”

“You're wasting our time and patience!” the man at the computer snapped, swerving back around to continue punching in numbers. “Go make yourself useful and fetch the last embryo and pray to your personal god or whatever it survives this time!”

“Wait, wait, I remember! It had to do with the lifespan!”

“So?”

Other scientists had by now given up on listening to him and returned to their own work. The woman and the angry man remained rooted in place. Pointing to Mew, Tyson noted, “There are legends that say it has a special life-force that enables it to live forever. Fuji was familiar with it, and he tried to copy it. And he succeeded—at the cost of many other experiments, yes, I'm aware of it, but they successfully cloned it!”

Mewtwo felt his counterpart stir in discomfort, though he was sure his stomach had tightened into a knot. How did they get that information? This Doctor Fuji... he never got the scientist's name, but whoever he was... did he somehow survive? A colleague of his? Some of the machinery had managed to remain in working order after the destruction. Do the records still exist? It had to be the only other reason, the project was a well-kept secret, but he knew they had to jot down notes. So how did they get off the island?

“What are you getting at, you better have a reasonable explanation for this,” the woman sighed displeasingly, glancing at her watch.

Tyson boyishly grinned. “What if the clone is still alive?”

Mew flinched, her heart clenching in fear. The impatient man was quick to reply, turning away from the monitor for the occasion. “That was three centuries ago, and there have been no reports of any sightings or its existence for that matter. It's dead, end of story. Now shut up and go back to your lunch break.”

“No, I'm serious! It may still be out there!”

“Tyson, we're not sending men out there to hunt it down just because Fuji's last words declared it lived,” the female interjected. “For all we know, it killed itself destroying the lab, and even if it didn't, it went into hiding.”

“You sure natural instincts didn't kick in, and thus it found a way to survive in the wild, maybe even produce offspring?”

“Tyson, it was a clone, it had no natural instincts!” Jamming down on a key, the furious scientist quickly stood up to tower over him. “Your arguments are invalid because of lack of proof, how many times do we have to tell you this?! We have a goddamn Mew in our possession, that should be satisfying enough!”

“What is this nonsense prattling I'm hearing instead of fingers clacking away and monitors beeping?!” came the sudden outcry when the bespectacled man from before barged into the room. The scientists, startled at his appearance, hurriedly stood before him and bowed apologetically. He leered at them. “What the hell is going on? And you better give me a damn good explanation.”

“You see sir, I was trying to explain to them about the possibilities of—”

“I wasn't talking to you!” he barked at Tyson, who shrank back, hanging his head. “Miss Bridget, what's with this idiocy? Why aren't you at your posts?”

Fumbling with her glasses to put them on, she responded, “We were just about to fetch the last embryo once we discovered MX03 was a failure.”

A vein pulsed in his temple, his face darkening. “A failure?” he seethed through his teeth. “I thought you said you learned your lesson after the failure of MX02.”

“We have, sir, but we have also been experiencing problems lately, and—”

“I don't want to hear excuses, I want to hear success!” He pounded on the nearest tabletop, knocking over cups and spilling the beverages. “We are on a tight schedule! If we don't have a living specimen at least in the works when they come to see our progress, we lose our funding, and we'll have to pay out of our pockets! And guess what we last manually paid for?” His eyes glinted over at Mew, and she shrank far back as she could.

“S-Sorry sir... we'll do our hardest with this one,” she sputtered out.

“There's no time for that, we're going with plan B.”

A scientist huddling over his notes meekly raised a hand for attention. “Sir... the Mew has been unconscious for so long... Err, all we know is that it's a female... but we don't know its ov—”

“There's no time,” he stressed. “Now I want cooperation this one time. Let's get it out of there, bring out the sonogram, and thaw out the semen. When they come, we'll have a month-old embryo in the process, and hopefully be labeled as acceptable. Since we can't grow it in a test tube, we'll just have to grow it in a surrogate mother.”

“Why didn't we do this in the first place?” one of the humans muttered to himself.

With a silent warning glare, the man nodded in Mew's direction. The woman returned the gesture and walked over to the computer, and clacked away. The fluid gurgled as it emptied, and she was eased down to rest at the bottom of the tank. Once the water was gone from her ears, the wheeze from the tube inside her mouth was clearly heard. The cylinder then was split in half as it withdrew deep into the compartments. Having been growing used to the liquid, her vision was watery and her eyes stung. She could barely make out the shape of one of the scientists that stepped up before her (possibly the woman, Bridget). The tracheal tube was tugged straight out of her mouth, gagging her and leaving an uncomfortable sensation behind. Then one-by-one, the wires were detached from her. Judging by the winces and dull aches, Mewtwo had a feeling these wires weren't exactly suctioned to her skin.

She was too weak to move about and even fight off the human picking her up, so she lay limply against the arm. The others shuffled about, bringing things together and clearing workspace. “Sir” continued to spout out orders and snapped at Tyson to be careful with the equipment when a loud “bang” was heard. “Put it on the table, Bridget” was the next demand, and she obeyed. The cold surface jolted her for a moment, and her sight cleared up. Just above her, the woman quickly pulled on some rubber gloves, briefly meeting eyes with Mew. Shivering, the Legendary forced herself to look ahead in time to see one of the scientists bring forth a stubby, cordless device, placing the flat end on her abdomen. The surface was even colder than the table, and she jerked.

“Hold it still, Bridge!” he barked at her, and she pushed her hands down against the sternum to pin her. “Can you bring that a little closer, I don't think it's reading the image.” He lightly pressed it against her again, turning his head away to look at the machine. Because he was in the way, Mewtwo and Mew couldn't determine what it was he was looking at, or even looking for. The clone had been around a few hospitals to know it emitted ultrasonic waves into the body. Usually, though, he noticed they were used to show a human fetus.

'But she is not even pregnant,' he duly noted, growing confused. 'What are they looking for?'

Judging by some groans and a displeasing sigh from the woman, they were unable to find their target. “No sign of ovulation,” the man announced, removing the device.

“I didn't say put it away!”

“Sir, you saw for yourself—”

“That means nothing, we're going to manually fertilize one of her eggs in the lab.”

There was a great pause. “You mean... sir, what about the last embryo?”

“Forget it, that was from a different mother, which might explain the failure of the experiments. If it came from the Mew itself, we may have better success.”

“Sir, transvaginal oocyte retrieval is a human procedure!”

“Who says?” With a snap of his fingers, he asked the nearest scientist, “Is there a vaginal transducer on hand?” to which he was given a positive nod. Pleased with the response, he gestured to the outside direction, and after the human left, he pointed at Mew. “It needs to be in lithotomy position. Bridget, you have it covered, or do you need extra hands?”

“She's weakened enough,” she coolly answered. “But extra hands won't hurt.”

“I'll elevate the hips.”

“You already have the sonogram, Tyson will do it.”

He stepped into place without a hint of hesitation, nodded at Bridget, and when the feline was forced into a sitting position, he spread out her legs and supported them up.

Mew immediately began to squirm in her best attempt of a struggle. “Let go of me,” she mumbled, though the man blinked down at her.

“That was a pitiful whimper, wasn't it?” he commented, quirking a brow.

“Indeed...” She looked skeptically at how he held the legs up. “I don't think this is going to work with the Mew. Looks out of her flexibility range.”

“It shouldn't take no more than half an hour, she can handle it.” The quiet whines convinced Mewtwo otherwise.

The moment they brought the needle into view, her stomach (and his) twisted, and she resumed fighting them, albeit weakly. “Sir” glared in her direction. One of his colleagues noticed. “Think we should sedate her some more?” he inquired concernedly.

“We have the equipment, just get it over with.”

Bowing his head, he frowned down at Mew. “I'm not seeing the vul—oh, there it is. Mmm, lithotomy position isn't going to work well here, she needs to lie down, but keep her legs up.”

“Make sure to hold it down,” “Sir” added, adjusting his glasses.

The small Legendary was finding herself out-matched by two humans, only able to limitedly move certain parts of her body as she was compressed further into the table. While still foggy from the sedatives, she was more alert in her senses, and even Mewtwo was finding himself squirming from it. The sonogram's wireless scanner lingered on her lower abdomen as the scientists talked amongst themselves on what they needed to do; the two were attempting to block them out (Mew was, anyway), wanting to be spared the details.

And then...

At first, she couldn't feel it, but there eventually came an uncomfortable sensation like she was cramping between her legs, spreading upward. And what felt like a squeeze followed after... and there was movement. Her eyes slowly widened, a tingle running down her spine and her lower region at the same time. There were murmurs of “Careful, careful” going around, and Tyson—or Bridget—tightened the hold on her.

What happened next hit her like a kick to the stomach. It might have been for all she knew, but there was no denying she was now in pain. She let out a sudden cry, alarming the humans. One let out a cuss under his breath, and she could swear something was burning inside her. “She's feeling it. We're giving her more sedatives.”

“Not too much,” “Sir” warned, but gave his permission nevertheless.

Until they stuck a needle into her thigh, the pain was growing intense, more than just a cramp or an internal squeeze. Whatever it was, there was something foreign inside her body, and somewhere down below she could just feel it rub against a sensitive area. “Get it out!” she begged, tears starting to well up. “Whatever you're doing, stop it! It hurts!” Mewtwo had caught himself about to shout it out as well, until he wondered how it was the internal agony was affecting him. As provocative as it was, even distracting his thoughts to focus on it, it made no sense how he could feel the pain as well. This had to be another trick, it had to be...

Momentarily, it dulled, and she trembled and moved less, but it was unable to chase away the sensation. Inwardly, she could still feel it slide. She had never once felt something like it before, such unwanted pain. Her mind was sick enough to think back to it, trying to guess what exactly was going on. She wasn't good at these terms, it was more of Mewtwo's thing (so he managed to catch of her thoughts). Though... the more she thought on it... the less longer it took her to put two and two together.

They said they were going to... impregnate me... weren't they?

“Pull it out carefully, we don't need any vaginal bleeding right now,” the one holding the scanning device advised.

“Then stop moving around, the image keeps getting blurred.”

“I'm not moving it...”

...oh sweet Arceus...

She lay there in silent shock even when they announced they got what they wanted. The voice of “Sir” demanded that it would be fertilized at once, then Bridget spoke up. But she was only half-listening, and she didn't care, her mind blanked out. Mewtwo hardly paid attention himself, wishing he didn't understand the situation. He mentally went through all that had been happening: capture, sedated into a deep sleep for no more than a few months, altering an embryo so it slowly morphed into another Mew, salvaging for her eggs...

It was of a different procedure, but it was still cloning. He wondered if this was how he came to be, through the manipulations of an embryo tweaked and forced to be the strongest Pokémon in the world. There was no surrogate mother except for the tank he grew in... as far as he knew. He might have been formed in a womb, then was cut out and placed inside to finish growing to his adult form, being kept asleep as a precaution. It was a disturbing thought. The psycat hoped this wasn't going to be the case for Mew.

She remained motionless on the table as the scientists went about their own business for the moment, deaf to them and unblinkingly staring at the light above. Time became non-existent, the surrounding space frozen into place. It was like Dialga and Palkia decided they wanted to go on break—if only from this very room—and hit the pause button. It could be she was now stuck in sleep paralysis, or that she was experiencing the horror of waking up in the middle of an operation. But nothing mattered, to Mew anyway. It was a breaking point, the undeniable outcome she wished she could refuse to acknowledge. This was her way of handling such pressure, emptying everything around her, secretly wishing it was all a nightmare she could wake up from.

Mewtwo could feel her mind crack.

After a long passing of time, if it was still existing, she suddenly jerked, and a muffled voice was heard, followed by another. The tension sensed by them lasted only for a few seconds before all was quiet again. The internal sensation returned, and she shuddered, closing her eyes tightly. In a repetitive manner, her thoughts echoed through what he was sure were lyrics to a song she knew or stanzas of a poem, or a chant; whatever it was, she was distracting herself to keep from thinking back to whatever was going on below. The more she felt it, the vigorous the recitation. He tagged along half-way into the second time around. It strangely sounded like a lullaby...

“...transfer complete.”

Their breath caught at those words. It went unnoticed.

“You sure?”

“Positive.” A short pause. “We won't know if it'll survive into the following week. It is fairly young, just starting to divide its cells. We managed to get a second egg along with it, and we went ahead and let it be fertilized on its own. If this one doesn't live, the other will.”

“Mmm, maybe Lady Luck is on our side after all.” There was a deep laugh before it abruptly stopped. “Put it in a cage for now. We'll worry about room later.”

There was a blur of movement above her, the faint outline of one of the scientists picking her up. “Sir, I think she's in shock.”

“It'll get over it.” And the conversation was over.

Everything was deathly quiet as she was carried out of the room as though the subject matter, if any, was too solemn to mention. The walk down the hallway was long, the temperature feeling like it dropped with every step. Any human scientist they passed by was just as cold, hardly if ever stealing a glance (and if they did it wasn't friendly), turning their back on them when in range, and those were the small ones. Mewtwo was sure they didn't like her, the person holding her, or even both. While aware of this, Mew felt no sense of emotion over it. She just didn't care at the moment.

At last, they reached an end in a poorly-lit room lined with nothing but cages. It was silent as well, though he caught glimpses of implied occupied kennels. The person paused at one and jerked the gate open before slipping her inside. “You'll only be in here until we know if we'll be keeping our funding or not,” the human whispered, now identifiable as Bridget. “I'll check up on you daily until then. You're too important a specimen to lose.” She snapped the cage shut (with some difficulty), then sighed, pushing her glasses higher up her nose. “I wonder what it's like to know you're the last of your kind. It must be painful...” Then she left, hands in her pockets.

She remained motionless, leaning against the side and gazing across the room. The kennel before her held a Furret, starved and unkempt. It was probably a specimen used for experiments, but there was no infliction to be seen. When it came closer, however, Mewtwo cringed at seeing it was tailless. Placing its paws flat against the cage, it peered directly at them. “Hey... you're a Mew, aren't you?” it squeaked, indicating it was a female (unless they all sounded like that). “What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be a goddess?”

Mew's response was a blank stare. The Furret squirmed, scowling. “Well? Aren't you?”

“Hey, did my ears deceive me, or did you say 'Mew'?” Crawling into view was a Spinda, patches over its eyes.

“There's a Mew across from us,” the rodent explained.

“...describe her.”

“Uh... looks to be the size of a healthy Pikachu. Cat-like... long tail, big blue eyes—they're so gorgeous, I don't think even a poet can describe them. Wait... there's something about her eyes. She looks disturbed.” She did a quick scan and quietly gasped. “She's bleeding... oh heavenly Ho-oh, they did something to her.”

“Do you know what it might be?” the Spinda questioned, tilting its head and twitching its ears. “Where's she bleeding from?”

“Down there... you know.” She turned to Mew's direction in sympathy. “Honey, did they take your baby? Do you remember?”

Slowly, her head dropped, noticing the small pool of blood beneath her, but taking no heed. Instead, she raised a hand and laid it upon her stomach. Then she solemnly murmured, “The exact... opposite.”

Mewtwo wordlessly watched the world go dark like she had fallen asleep. He felt his heart constrict and his breath catch as he waited anxiously. During the silence, he reviewed all that had happened. It was a surprise, even though he shouldn't be. There was always going to be attempts at cloning, it was what brought back the prehistoric Pokémon. To create the world's strongest Pokémon was a different issue. He knew these people, only doing this for money, or to satisfy an evil person's desires. There was no love put into it. Since his birth, it was this fact that continued to haunt him even after the passing of his nemesis. Another was the lack of remorse in the man's eyes as he drew his final breath. Despite his vow to never cross Giovanni's path, when he heard of him being on his deathbed, it was the sign of victory. He'd get his justice beyond the veil, and he wanted him to know about it.

The weight may have been lifted off his shoulders, but his reaction held back some of it: he didn't care. He had no regrets, he made history, he was famous. To hear he had been been a (financial) part of his creation only made him more proud of himself. He died laughing triumphantly.

Whoever wanted Mew to be cloned had his mindset; he wouldn't be surprised if he idolized him. The scientists implied the files of his creation had gotten out, published for the sake of science. Perhaps he wanted the fame of having proof of an actual Mew clone, made from the cells of a living Mew. If it was the case, she was to be treated well, always healthy to continue supporting a new generation until they tired of her. And because of her immortality... she would be there forever, drugged and forced to be the mother of clones.

'...oh, Mew...'

There was a stir as the blackness opened up to the inside of a roomier cell, almost no different from the cage except for a blueish color. She blinked up at the ceiling, refusing to move. Thoughts instead ran through her head. No, they weren't just thoughts. Lord... why me? Why was I subject to this torture? Okay, what I mean by 'torture' is the lab. I'm not free to go anywhere, I'm on a schedule. You know this already... but I am not fit for this. I can't carry a child that's not from Your hand. Yeah, okay, I love the whole idea of pregnancy, it feels nice and all... but I have issues with this baby not being natural. She paused when the image of Mewtwo flashed by. ...did You have issues with Mewtwo? You probably didn't, he's still alive. But well... is this very baby meant to live, too? Because honestly... I don't know how much longer I can stand to carry it... doesn't feel right, like it's not really alive...

A kick against her ribs distracted her, and she groaned a little. “Oww, did you have to kick there?” she muttered, flipping over to her side. Her hands caressed against her bulging belly, and when the baby kicked again, a smile came to her. “Funny... you always know when I wake up. Maybe we wake up at the same time. Or am I now a slave to your schedule?” She giggled, a heartbreaking sound. Pushing herself up with a groan, she stretched behind her head. “I heard from Bridget I should be exercising more, though I'm not sure if I'm supposed to or not. It's not like they know about the pregnancies of my specie better than I do. Mother never got around to talking about it.”

Mewtwo was puzzled as to why she was talking to herself—unless she was talking to the baby? He noticed that pregnant female humans when they were alone sometimes did talk out-loud, almost like it was second nature for them. Mew gave her reply that it was so the child would be able to recognize its parent's voice. In a way, he agreed with her, though by taking his own accounts he was liable to claim it false.

Her sigh brought him back to the present. “I wonder if they'll let us go. Everyone must be so worried by now, wondering where I am. I missed Latias' birthday, I missed Lugia's, Shaymin's, Darkrai's, Celebi's... I even missed Mewtwo's. I make sure to celebrate everyone's birthdays... and I missed them.” She moaned and leaned up against the wall. “I wonder if they're worried... Mewtwo especially. He doesn't like his birthday, but I always make sure he celebrates it—once I found out the date, of course. I don't think he likes being reminded of his age, but he ends up in a better mood by the end of the day. Mewtwo's a good guy... you'll like him. Maybe you two will hit it off, you're so alike... He's never going to believe I got myself pregnant, though... if I tell him why...” Mew shook her head. “No, I won't tell him you're a product of science. I'll just tell him you were an orphan. But if you come out looking like me, then we'll have a problem.”

It hurt to hear her ramble on like normal despite her being part of an experiment. 'She is acting like this was meant for her. Does she really not mind carrying a man-made child?'

“Tell you what, I'll introduce him to you first thing we get out, okay? Oh boy, he's going to be in for a treat, especially if you come out like me. He got used to just one of me, imagine double that!”

“Hey, shut up in there!” a passing scientist barked at her, pounding on the gate before he opened it and shoved a bowl of berries inside. “Honestly, you talk more than my pet Chatot did before I strangled it.” He slammed it shut and stormed off.

Mew pressed her paws on the sides of her stomach, almost like she thought it would cover the fetus' ears (which Mewtwo was astonished to realize was involuntary). “Oh, don't listen to him, he doesn't mean well,” she crooned, scooting over to the bowl. “Let's just have breakfast and be on our way, okay? What are you in the mood for?” She picked through the mix, smelling them and only eating those that didn't make her feel sick. She saved the Lum berry for last, savoring it the best she could.

When she (and the baby) was full and happy, she patiently sat at the entrance, scanning the room before she grew bored. She picked out the seeds in the uneaten berries and attempted to make shapes out of them, then flicked them at passing scientists for the heck of it. It made her more giddy; it frightened Mewtwo. She was in what was the closest to a prison cell, and she couldn't be more happier. On the outside, anyway. Inside, thoughts continued to drift, even asking God for help or just to spill her hidden feelings. From what he could glean from them, she was complaining about her current state. She had a love-hate relationship with the child, but all she was mainly asking for was freedom. She was allowed to roam in a small built-in terrarium for an hour or two daily, and was taken out once a month for an ultrasound, and that was it. If they needed blood or samples, they did it through the gate, and gave her fresh food and water to keep her well nourished.

He felt that wasn't even half of what had happened.

Every now and then, she'd speak out-loud to the child, telling it stories or humming songs she had learned over the years. She was fond of bringing up friends and what each of them were like as individuals. The longer she would talk, the sadder she'd become. Eventually, she trailed off and only resorted to staring at her growing belly, sometimes imaging what the child would look like and the activities they could do, or wishing this had never happened. By the end of the day, she was depressed until she fell asleep.

That was the routine day-by-day as she slowly grew big with child. She soon heard from two passing scientists she had entered her third trimester, and she became excited. Though she was straining to hold herself up and was finding it harder to fly around, Mew couldn't wait. The baby would be born, and she would be out of there. Mewtwo found himself hoping that would be the case.

It would seem life had other plans.

She woke up in the middle of the night while cramping. It became uncomfortable enough she sat up and attempted to fall asleep, but couldn't. Steadily, the pain worsened, and if she moved in any direction, a sharp sting traveled downward through her abdomen. Attempting to stand made it worse. “What's going on?” she let out a whimper, her breaths accelerating. “Is the baby coming? Oh Lord, please let it just be a false alarm. I don't feel ready yet...”

One of the scientists happened to walk by and hear her feeble cries. Looking in, he scoffed. “Oh, what're you whining about? Go back to sle—” He took a closer look, and his face contorted into bewilderment. Pulling out a small flashlight for a better view, he hissed out a swear and fumbled with the gate. “Get the professor, something's gone wrong!” he called out into the room.

“Is it contracting already?” an unseen human responded back in an equally-surprised tone.

“Damn it, don't ask questions, just get the professor!” He reached in and pulled her out.

He ended up handling her wrong, triggering another wave of pain. She bit him out of fright and involuntary reaction—no, Mewtwo knew it was out of self-defense. She was trying to protect the baby when he grabbed her wrong. The man, of course, let out more expletives. “What happened, Harv?” Tyson asked after a sudden jolt.

“The goddamn thing bit me!”

“You had it coming, put her on the table.”

Shaking her off, she was laid out, and when the humans took one look at her, they went wild as well. Bridget pushed herself through and let out a frustrated growl. “She's in her third trimester, she can't miscarry!”

Mew's heart skipped a beat, as did the clone's, and the agonizing vibes were briefly tolerable. No... no. No, no, no... it has to be a false alarm. Miscarriage? This late?

“Sir, something's gone wrong!” the woman shouted, catching her glasses when she wheeled her head around. “She's miscarrying!”

“What!” the bellow of “Sir” thundered. He raced up to her side, almost pushing her away. His own spectacles hung off the edge of his nose, eyes blazing in fury. “Miscarriage?! That can't be!”

“For all we know, it's a stillbirth, and the body is trying to abort it itself but got stuck midway due to the size,” Bridget hurried explained, trying to steady her breath. “I-It's... also possible the fetus has grown too large for her... so it suffocated.” She flinched when her boss swerved to face her. “She attempts to deliver it... she'll die.” She glanced down at the pooling blood, covering her mouth with a hand.

“Then cut it out!” he sputtered out, face reddening with rage. “If there's an inkling of life in that thing, we'll revive it! I want it alive!”

Quickly turning away, she nodded. “Okay... let me give her an epidural, and then we'll—”

“There's no time for that! Do it now!”

Though it was clear she was not in agreement with him, she hesitantly called for some hands to hold her down and surgical instruments. When enough scientists surrounded her (one brought a drape to shield the lower body from view even though he was told off for it), and when the arguments were settling down, the first cut was made.

Mewtwo never heard such a painful scream, nor felt such pain in his life.

The humans were quick to pin her down to keep her from thrashing about as they continued to make the incisions. Mew tearfully begged for an end in between her wails, unsure what bloody mutilation they were doing to her and what the outcome of the child was. She refused to believe them when they were saying she was stuck in a miscarriage, wanting nothing more than for the safe delivery of the baby. And in between screams about its well-being, she pleaded to God for help. A few times, “Sir” roared at the surrounding men to silence her, sedate her or anything, and every single time it failed. One managed to stick a needle in her, but she kept on fighting, her will out-powering them.

The harsh tugging beyond the drape stopped, and the sound of rushing footsteps faded as they left the room. She felt exposed amidst the penetrating pain, the sensation of warm blood flooding her stomach... and empty. The weight that was in her belly was gone, leaving behind what felt like an impression. Glimpses of scientists walking from behind the cover was always seen with red-soaked hands, a few faces splattered. Bridget had yet to be seen. Exhaustion fell over Mew, and she could now care less how much pain she was still in. It would go away eventually. All she could think of now was of the child.

Mewtwo, however, heard one of her weak thoughts blip by ...my baby...

“Hey, Bridge, you okay?” a voice soothed past the cloth.

“...I will be,” came her quiet answer. “Want to help me sew her up?”

“Was never good with embroidery. Did you have to make that incision?”

“I wasn't thinking, the professor was screaming and the Mew was crying... that, and it's late. Can't tell him that she'll only have a few pregnancies because of this.”

“...strange how a Pokémon's anatomy may look different from ours, but still function the same way.”

“I know... I wanted to be a doctor because of that.”

“Explains everything, really.”

“You're just jealous—oh, my God!” She backed away into view, eyes wide and jaw dropped in awe. The man she was talking to also stepped back, running into a passing scientist who turned to yell at him before following his frightened gaze. Looking around, Mew and Mewtwo watched as other humans in the room came to investigate, freezing into place.

“What's going on here, why's everyone standing around—” Wherever he was in front, the voice of “Sir” stuck in his throat. It was a few moments of silence until he started again. “What the hell is this?! What's it doing?!”

“I didn't know Recover could go that deep,” an awed scientist off to the side murmured.

Shortly after he spoke, the pain had gone away, and Mew slowly sat up. She knocked the drape to the floor, to study her body. To their surprise—to some degree—it was normal, there were no signs of scarring or that there ever was a baby. The tabletop and her stomach were spotted with drying blood as the only available evidence something had gone on. She ran a hand down her belly, and a freezing vibe ran throughout her body. Head still hung, she murmured hoarsely, “Where's my baby?”

At the corner of her eye, she noticed the humans tensed up, even “Sir” twitched. A frown deepening on her lips, her ears twitched as she tilted her head, gaze unfaltering. “Where's my baby, Bridget?”

A whimpering gasp shuddering from the woman, she steadied herself to give a reply. “Y-You had a complication... we had to perform a Caesarean-section.”

“I want my baby,” Mew interrupted, raising her voice a little. “Where's my baby?”

Choking back a sob, Bridget plainly responded, “It's dead.”

Her blood ran cold as something snapped inside her, twisting her face into that of horror. Her stomach churned when her heart skipped a beat, and she quaked. “...dead?”

The woman covered her face as she nodded. “It was stillborn... it was what I thought.”

“Dead?”

“Yes, Mew. I'm sorry, Mew...”

“DEAD?!”

Bridget wept, dropping to her knees. “Sir” shook off his surprise and stepped forward. “Enough of this delusion. We still have a second egg on hand, we'll just try again. We forced the first to fertilize, so the fetus must have had an unbalanced number of chromosomes. This one was fertilized by itself, we should have no problem with it.”

Mew snapped her head up, baring her teeth at the man before her. Adrenaline pumping through her veins caused her arms and legs to tremble as she lifted herself from the table. “I don't want another baby, I want my baby!” A red film falling before her eyes, she let out an enraged scream. A power surge erupted from her body, the shockwaves pulsing through the air knocked over the scientists, shattered glass, and short-circuited electrical equipment, sparking fires. A few of the humans recovered quickly and started to run for the exit, possibly to set off an alarm or to save their own skins. Mew raised her hands up, and telekinetically jammed the doors shut. One unfortunate scientist was caught in it, and was crushed before he had time to scream. The sight of blood only seemed to excite her. Using her psychic powers, she pulled wires from a nearby tank and shot them at another, skewering him in the areas she remembered they monitored.

She sensed a presence behind her, but didn't bother to turn around. So much energy was being let off her body, it acted as a repellent, her only protection. She resumed to massacring the room they were trapped in, chucking objects around and finding ways to torture the scientists to their deaths. Mewtwo realized she was repeating the end experiments of the Pokémon she had seen: the eye removal of the Spinda, decapitation of a Doduo's twin head, cut in half much like the Furret's separation of her tail... the body mutation that was of the Rattata fetus. There were more she did he couldn't bear to think on, wanting it to be done with. When more scientists managed to break through to flood in, they were found with shotguns. “Sir” ordered them not to shoot, and they disobeyed, not knowing of her defense. She smirked and bounced the bullets back.

When she was certain no others were going to barge in, her head whipped in the man's direction. “I have a better experiment for you,” she snarled, inching closer. He stumbled back into the wall in fear. “Let us stick you full of tubes and force you to carry a child, where you shall bond with it and dream of a better future while hating it all the same. And when you stay cooped in a cage for several months, we'll take you out and cut out the child while you lay on that table feeling them take the baby from you.”

Bridget ran in between her and “Sir”. “Mew, enough, please!” she implored shrilly. “Let us go!”

“Step aside, Bridget. You aren't of my concern.”

“I should be! I never wanted this to happen, I swear! These things happen, it's a part of life! Just please, Mew, have mercy! You're killing us!”

Mew paused, taking the frightened woman in. She didn't look like she was ever touched from her wrath except for being splattered with the blood of her colleagues, but her eyes gave it away that she was traumatized. The longer she stared her down, the more her trembling worsened. For a moment, she felt sorry for her, and even considered her words. Going through her memories, she had been the only one who cared for her in this whole lab. She wanted her to be comfortable... to be her friend. The closest thing to love was from her. She meant well, she sighed to herself. But she helped as well. She despises her boss, and here she is protecting him...

Narrowing her eyes, she murmured, “If you didn't want this, then you should have prevented this from happening when you had the chance.”

A sickening snap sounded when the professor's head spun a full one-eighty, and the body crumpled. Bridget, tears in her eyes, fell to her knees, raising her hands for Mew who floated away from her reach. “Forgive me, Mew... I kept them off the path in the Amazon as long as I did. I didn't want this to happen... h-had the baby lived, it would have been trained to be a killing machine. You were never going to see it, you would get pregnant again immediately and the whole cycle would have restarted itself. I didn't want you to be subject to that.” She hung her head, sobbing quietly. “So I... slowly poisoned the baby through the berries. I-I didn't know your body... Y-You've consumed so much it's in your bloodstream... i-i'll take a long time before it's diluted. You won't get sick from it... but your babies will.” With a wail, she bent forward, pressing her forehead to the floor.

The Legendary gaped down at the woman, paralyzed from shock. It was too much to take it... and she was refusing to believe it. No, it's a lie! her mind went into hysterics. My baby wasn't poisoned! It didn't die! You took it away from me! She took it away from me! Her energy boiled over, and in a bright flash, she released it. The red clouding her vision was over-taken by white, and she lost her senses just when a blast occurred.

...and it was silent. For a long time, everything was still. Mewtwo, as anxious as he already was, began to panic, calling out her name even though he knew she couldn't hear him. To stoop any lower, he pleaded for Legion to return him to reality. He had enough of this madness, had too much weighing on his own mind. As much as he loved Mew, he knew he wasn't ready to learn—worse, experience—what she went through. His own mindset couldn't handle it, and being so in tune with her own, he hadn't been able to tell if she cracked or if he did. He was ready to give himself up...

...I did this?

He let out a gasp, straining his ears to listen, hanging onto the echoes. 'Mew?'

...no. No, I-I couldn't have. I—

She abruptly cut herself short, and the clone's heart froze. What was going on? Those were her own thoughts, her voice. Why did it sound like she was struggling?

No one will believe me when I say I killed... what? Whose blood?

There was a small whistling not far in the distance, and a hacking cough joined in. The black quickly gave out to a deep, empty blue, and Mewtwo felt a jerk as Mew hurriedly sat up, choking. When she got her breath back, her wide-eyed stare fell upon a demolished computer before her. Glancing about, she noticed a sea of debris surrounding her. Beyond that was desert landscape, a dust storm looming on the horizon. Slowly taking in a breath, she looked down on herself. She was covered in a thin film of dirt, but beneath that was the unmistakable color of blood drying into a deep pink. Lifting herself from the ground, she caught a glint at the edge of her peripheral vision. A slight tilt to its direction revealed it to be a pair of bent glasses. When she crawled over the hot surface to pick it up, she recognized the familiarity of the frames almost immediately.

Shutting her eyes shut, she dropped them and willed an image of a green field with crystals scattered throughout to pop into her head. As though carried away by wind, the burning floor was replaced with a cool silky feeling (complete with the splash sound effect) and a tiny prickles from when she fell forward. There came a startle yelp, followed by an astonished cry. “Mew, you're alive!”

“Of course she is, otherwise we wouldn't be here,” a scoff of a second voice answered it. “We lived here how many years?”

“Shut up, my memory's not as great as it used to—is that blood?”

“Arceus, it is! Smells like human!”

Rolling over, Mew's eyes refocused on a crystalline structure suspended high above, squinting in the bright shine it gave off. Peeking into view were two worried Omastar, shuffling nervously in place. “...you don't look good, Mew,” the one on the right pointed out. “Where have you been? The Tree has been calling for you for months now. Can't remember the number...”

“Nine months,” its companion stated.

“Oh yeah. Some friends of yours came by as well. They were looking for you. That red one was in hysterics when she couldn't find you anywhere here. Brought along a few others for a search party. It was crazy.”

“Then there was that one who was only here for a few minutes before the cells came in to throw him out. Looked like you. He sounded surprised when we told him you hadn't been here in months.”

“That reminds me, we need to send someone out to let them know she's back.”

Frowning down at her, the left Omastar said quietly, “I don't think she's completely back, if you know what I mean.”

“...yeah, you're right. She hasn't blinked or said anything. It's creeping me out.” It stared back for a few moments. “Let's go get some herbs for her.”

“And berries to wash it down.” They nodded, and squirmed away.

Once they left, Mew whimpered, scrunching her eyes shut. In her mind's eye flashed the many faces of the scientists, knotting her stomach enough she forced herself to think about the other Legendaries. She only felt more ill, letting out a moan of torment. She wasn't bringing herself to keep herself away, the thickening of the darkness a sign she was growing unconscious. Before she succumbed herself to it, she drew in a shaky, painful breath, letting out in a hushed whisper, “My God, my God... why hast thou forsaken me?”

And everything was silent one last time.

*~*~*

Mewtwo struggled to draw in breath as he regained consciousness, body quaking in such heavy sorrow, he felt he had no strength left. Tears stung his eyes when he felt the lump in his throat rub against him wrongly, his voice trapped beneath it. He was cold, and his heart hurt with every beat. His arms ached from being held above his head for so long, his knees stiff and glued to the floor he was kneeling on. Lifting his limp head, his lips brushed up against cool skin, and he found himself breathing in lukewarm air that he felt he should know, but couldn't register. Then it was pressed against him, covering his mouth and leading him in a hard kiss. He moaned in a lamented tone, when he returned it in a half-hearted manner, knowing deep inside he wasn't in control.

His head was tilted back painfully, forcing his neck to hold it up against his will. Thrown into another tremor, he brought himself to open his eyes, crossing visions with the demonic eyes of his beloved above him. She separated space with a toothy smirk, running the tips of her claws against his cheekbones. With a lick to the nose, she released him, and in his weakened state, he fell limp but held suspended by his numb wrists. Without even a small chuckle to accompany the unambiguously-triumphant grin, Legion left him be, slipping out of the room.

The clone hardly ever noticed. He was fighting a losing battle to uncontrollable sobs as he mournfully wept for Mew.

*~*~*

September nights were usually fairly mild in the Johto region—at least it was. Tonight, a cold chill lingered in the camp, and a fire did little to heat them up. Not that it would have mattered if they did notice. Their anxiety was enough they could care less if they slept or not. On the whim of Ho-oh and their guardians, the youngest of them, Manaphy and Latias, had to get their rest. The others willingly searched for Mew and Mewtwo, and medicinal herbs for Celebi around the clock. While expected to live, he was still recovering from the attack and had to remain at the site as much as he wanted to join in the searches. Mesprit chose to keep him company and be the main healer (even with Deoxys jokingly calling her the “personal nurse”, much to her chagrin).

After the last group returned for the night, they met around the fire for a meeting. The phoenix gravely started it off. “It's been about forty-eight hours, give or take, and there is still no sign of Mew or Mewtwo. They have left no traces, and even if they did, none of us have been able to pick it up anywhere.”

“It's like they disappeared off the map, what the hell, Mew,” Raikou sniveled lowly from where he slouched. His sister was too tired to even give him a small swipe. She just gave him a warning aside glare.

“Your argument is invalid,” Rayquaza grunted.

“Like yours is any better,” Palkia snorted, rolling his eyes. “Seriously, what were you thinking? Mew is suffering from some form of sexual withdrawal syndrome in that she finally snapped, thus beating up Celebi to screw him, but when she failed, she stole Mewtwo away?”

“Don't judge me, it makes sense in context!”

“We know Mew long enough to know she would never do that,” Shaymin piped up, having averted to her Sky Forme. “And besides, prior to that, she had been avoiding the lot of us—and by 'lot' I mean the males—and had been having a hard time sleeping. Actually, come to think of it... I don't think I ever saw her sleep that whole week.”

“I'm telling you, it's the hormones! They attack your brain and take control of your body!”

“You're just saying that because you can't admit to yourself that you are incapable of scoring with dames,” the alien quipped under his breath.

Cresselia smacked him.

“Can we stay on the subject, please?” Ho-oh sighed heavily, pinching his brows. “We're wasting time that we could be spending on finding Mew and Mewtwo.”

“Or sleeping,” Giratina coughed to the side, quickly fanning himself with a wing. Then he added with a smirk, “You think they are as we speak?” A few Legendaries snickered to themselves.

“Giratina, this is serious!” the Sky Guardian snapped, eyes gleaming in the firelight.

“So am I.”

Fighting the want to smack him, he resumed like he hadn't spoken, “We don't know the situation behind it all. All we know is that Mew isn't acting herself. If she proves to be wild, Mewtwo may be in danger. That we all may be in danger. If she is unable to control herself, then this world will die.” Lugia raised a feather to protest, prompting him to harshly explain further, “For good.”

“May we ask why?” Groudon grunted with a glare.

Uxie stepped forward, lightly touching Ho-oh's wing for silent permission. When he backed off, the Knowledge Legendary took over. “Have you forgotten about Mew's ability? She is believed to have the DNA of all Pokémon, and thus she should be able to create all the species, possibly more. We do not know how the first Mew did it, whether she had a mate or not. But if Mew were to die, so would the world when the last of us dies.”

“Who says we need to recreate every single specie?”

“Arceus, dumb-ass,” Kyogre gurgled to himself, making sure no one could clearly hear him.

“What was that, fish sticks?!”

“Arceus commanded us to,” Uxie echoed in a louder tone, scowling at the land titan. “This entire planet cannot be filled with just thirty-three species. There needs to be hundreds, the way it was meant to be. Mew is the key to achieving that.”

“And that means the twenty-five of us all have to knock her up however many times it takes to fill the whole earth.” Giratina, Deoxys and a few others quickly covered their mouths and/or ducked.

The shudder running through the fairy was so subtle, only Ho-oh noticed it. “It may not have to come to that.”

“Right, because Mewtwo will have taken all the goods for himself. He'll spoil the fun for us.”

“Enough of this!” Shaymin screamed up at him, face contorting in rage. “Please, no more! This is a matter of life and death, and you're treating it like a joke! How can you make assumptions like that?!” They stared down at her like she had suddenly spouted out a wave of expletives, slowly glancing at each other from the corner of their eyes. Shaking her head, she choked out, “Do you not care about this world anymore? About Mew? She and Mewtwo are in trouble, and thus our fate hangs in the balance. And yet... th-these obscene jokes... they have to stop. This is our future we're talking about... not the past.” She then hung her head, covering her eyes with a paw. Slowly, she reverted back into her Land Forme as she broke down before them.

Everyone, the titans especially, felt awkward at the sight of her emotive state, and they averted their gazes to the trees as the silence deepened. Their thoughts wandered to other matters to help lighten up their mood, though some grew notably depressed.

There was a cough off to the side, followed by a slight groan. They turned their attention to Celebi making an effort to sit himself up against Mesprit's demands. He only held up a hand to silence her as he looked up at the Legendaries. “I... I can't believe you would think of Mew that way,” he croaked out, visibly trembling. “Sh-Shaymin is right... our future is important... not about someone's s... sex life. If any.” His arms gave out under him, the Lake Guardian promptly catching him to hold him up. After another painful cough, he continued, “And all those theories... they can't be true. Mew didn't attack me... she never would have. No... it was something else pre... tending to be her. I saw it... i-in those eyes.”

“We all saw it, Celebi,” Lugia grunted, folding his wings. “Mew was getting ready to kill you.”

“It had nothing to do with her wanting sex... or anything of the like. Don't tell me... none of you saw her cut.”

“What cut?” Ho-oh inquired, brows knitting together. “I saw no signs of injury.”

“On her left arm—wrist.” He made a feeble swiping motion on said-wrist. “There was so much blood... she was so pale... I-I couldn't believe it...”

“What are you saying, Cel?” Cresselia spoke up worriedly. “You implying she cut herself?”

When he nodded, a few murmurs rolled through the crowd. Latios was shaking his head in near-disbelief. “No. There's no way she would have. I saw her a couple of hours before. She seemed fine. Except for her argument with Mewtwo.”

“Was it a lover's quarrel by any chance?” Deoxys blurted out, a hint of a smirk in his voice.

He glanced up at him with a raised brow, but answered nonetheless, “Sounded like it. From what I gathered... as confusing as it was, considering that Mewtwo had been beating me up shortly before, they're rather close. They actually may be mates.”

“Wait, wha? You were beat up?” he interrupted, drowning out the last part of his statement. “But you said you ran into a tree!”

“Mewtwo said it,” Heatran corrected him, rolling his eyes. “You were getting ready to play some stupid card games at that moment.”

“Like I was saying,” the Eon dragon stressed while glancing at the alien, “while they were arguing, I heard Mewtwo mention something about them having 'more than one intimate moment together' or something along the lines of that. From what I gather, they might be mates.”

Some of the larger Legendaries lost their balance while the others gaped at Latios. Only Ho-oh seemed unfazed enough to speak. “And when two beings are mates, then some form of intercourse most likely has happened, thus the 'intimate moment' part.”

“So Mewtwo banged Mew?!” Entei gasped, eyes bugging out and jaw unhinging. Suicune walked away elsewhere, not wanting to deal with him anymore at the moment.

“Now, we can't draw to conclusions about that—”

“So the reason for Mew attacking Celebi and stealing Mewtwo away was not due to a form of withdrawal syndrome, but because she's pregnant?” Rayquaza snapped his claws together. “It all makes sense now!”

“Mew's not pregnant,” Moltres huffed.

“Yeah, we would have heard it,” Zapdos quipped. His sisters and peers sent him death glares.

“I didn't say they are mates, I said they might be,” Latios sighed, pinching his brows.

Darkrai frowned a little, resting a hand under his chin. “If they are, it doesn't make sense why they wouldn't be together this whole time.”

“Yeah, well, you and Cresselia are together, but you aren't mates,” Palkia snorted. “Though come to think of it, you're always together.” The phantom felt his cheeks warm up, and he ducked his head. His counterpart found herself interested with the sparks flying from the fire.

Giratina smacked the Spatial Legendary with a wing. “Shut up, idiot, you're not helping.”

“I'm trying to make a point!”

“It didn't make sense, now shut up.” He slapped him again.

“Stop hitting me!”

“I don't think it matters at the moment if the two are having some form of relationship,” the Sky Guardian intervened (sending the renegade a warning look), “all we can agree on is that Mew is not herself. There is something else at work here, but whatever it is, it's not a good sign. With Mew going rouge, it puts our fate on the line, and it's her decisions that determine if we live or die. Whether or not Mewtwo is involved in this is not for us to make assumptions. If what Latios says is true...” He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. His voice lowered somberly. “Mew is the key to our survival. It is from her that all life shall come to pass. However... she is a believer of life-mates, and thus multiple mates do not set well with her. It's possible the stress of this sacred, responsible duty has finally taken its hold on her. And out of some desperation of feeling like she had to choose, she went with the one who will most likely be compatible with her. She and Mewtwo will create life together... if that's what she wants. Only time will tell what will become of us, if we get along, or fight to the death.”

He kept his beak shut for a few minutes, trying to get his emotions under control and waiting for anyone to speak up. There were some restless shuffling from the Legendaries, but no other sound was made, except for Shaymin sniffling beside him (unless it was coming from elsewhere). Most everyone had their heads down or tilted back, generally avoiding eye-contact. The emotional atmosphere pushed down on them, compressing their hearts and making them feel ill. Ho-oh then let out a sigh to help release tension from within. “I feel we need to pray.”

It snagged their attention. The more solemn of the group only glanced up before nodding. Others, like Groudon and Giratina, stared at him like he spontaneously combusted. “You serious?” the land titan growled.

“I know we're not the praying type, but when it comes to times like this, we don't have a choice.”

“What's the point? What's praying going to do? We going to expect Arceus or whoever to show up and give us more pointless instructions?”

“You don't have to join us if you don't feel comfortable about it,” he simply stated. “You may even leave if you want to. I won't stop you.” He held out his wings to the two nearest Legendaries, Shaymin and Moltres. They grabbed hold without a word, then reached out for another hand. Mesprit aided Celebi over, prompting her brothers to join in. Others helped form the circle, some more hesitant, such as Deoxys who grumbled about how dumb it sounded, but went ahead to hold hands anyway. Much to the surprise, but delight of Latios, his sister and Manaphy rushed over from the forest, crying rivers. Slowly, the giant and older Legendaries made up their minds and squeezed themselves in (though some, like Rayquaza, had to improvise if they couldn't clasp hands).

Giratina was the only one to remain motionless, a frown of disappointment on his face. “Let me get this straight: we're praying to a being who may or may not exist.”

“It's all we can do right now,” Darkrai breathed out.

“Why? What's the point? I've heard people say their prayers, but look where that got them.” He snorted. “For all I know, Arceus is too busy to listen to us.”

“Who said it was Arceus?”

He rolled his eyes. “Well gee, he was the only one who showed up at all.”

“Is it because you still have issues with him?” Dialga muttered, Palkia and Regigigas keeping a hold on his crystalline wing. He was turned away from the renegade to see his glare, though he twitched a little upon feeling the stare.

“If you don't want to pray with us, Giratina, then you are free to leave,” the phoenix assured him. “We just ask of you to keep Mew and Mewtwo in your thoughts.”

He stood there for half a minute looking incredulously at the group, stomping in place while grumbling under his breath. Finally, he grew too frustrated and pushed himself in between Darkrai and Heatran with a glower. He glanced down at the two, and with a huff, lowered his wings for them to take a hold of. They nodded up at him before turning to Ho-oh. He sent the ghostly dragon a mellow look before bowing his head.

It took a few seconds for him to think of the first words to say, then they stumbled out. “...Our Father in Heaven... we come to Thee as... a family group in a state of sorrow...” He felt his wings being lightly squeezed, and his heart lifted a little. (There was a quiet scoff possibly from Giratina, but it was too far off to know for sure.) Ho-oh quickly took a breath. “We know Thou hast spared us so for the sake of Thy work, that it may come to pass as it was declared in the days of its beginnings. Ye know of our weaknesses, of our failures...” There was a short pause, and he swallowed. “...we have let Thee down, have gone as far as to forsake Thee.

“Lord... we come to Thee for Thy merciful hand in this dark hour. Please help us... protect us from this evil which plagues this land... we have strayed into its grasp. We realize now... that we cannot do this on our own.” Somewhere before him, he heard what may have been a mumble of agreement. “We ask of Thee to watch over our dear friends, Mew and Mewtwo, precious souls of Thine... wherever they may be. Keep them close... they need Thee more than we do. But we also ask of Thee to guide us to them, to bring them back... to deliver them from their inner demons. Save them—”

His voice caught, and he struggled to choke the words out as his eyes watered behind their lids. With encouraging, tighter squeezes from Shaymin and Moltres, he found the strength and opportunity to redo the sentence while he began to crack. “Lord, please bless them with safety. If not from sin, then from a premature death. They cannot return home to Thee at this present time... not while in this filthy sin... n-not while they are so broken. We beg of You—Thee... mend us together again... make us... whole again... for our children's sakes... for everything. F-Fill us all with love... with the strength of Thy Spirit... and forgive us... forgive us of our i... iniquities. We all say these from th-the bottom of our hearts... in the name of Thy Son... the Savior, Christ Jesus... amen.”

A chorus of “amen”s slowly weaved its way through the group. It was only after he was sure it was done with that the phoenix cast his eyes about. Many had sorrowful looks as they stared at him, some weeping silently (few like Latias and Entei were fighting back sobs). Everyone still held hands, refusing to move from their spot or to even wipe away tears. Ho-oh was aware he was close to crying himself, though he tried to ignore the watery film clouding his vision. When he locked eyes with Giratina, he noticed the solemn gaze in his scarlet oculars, almost that of a far-away look. The moment he blinked, he was more aware of him, staring back.

It was then a lone, silver tear dropped down his face, and he briefly nodded in his direction. “Amen.”

He smiled as he wept.

*~*~*

He couldn't sleep that night. He couldn't because he didn't want to. And he didn't want to because he didn't care.

Mewtwo hardly even noticed he was tired, and even if he did, he hadn't the desire to. As much as his body wanted its rest, he refused to take heed of it. All he did was slump against the wall, staring blankly at the floor with dry eyes. His thoughts were fixated on the harsh past of his counterpart, at first, then gradually melted away into nothing when it was burned into memory, leaving a hollow, burning space. Time slipped by him without a moment's notice, not that he would have bothered to notice in the first place. There was no indication he knew of Legion's presence when Mew had entered the chamber with a pleased expression. Even when the shadowed shackles released him, he only fell and remained motionless on the floor. Somewhere inside his psyche, he caught word of her ordering him to leave the room to relieve himself, and he slowly forced himself up to trudge by wordlessly to the next room. He was vaguely aware of a chill and what may have been the exit to the outside, but the clone easily pushed it from mind. When he finished up, he returned and felt the need for a long rest.

Mew then paused before him, softly laying her paws against his chest to bring him to a halt. She stared for a while into his dim eyes before waving her tail back and forth in front of his face. Mewtwo barely even twitched, not once glancing away. Chuckling to herself, she skimmed her claws against his jaw, then leaned forward and licked his chin. Not a movement. Pressing herself into his torso, she placed a gentle kiss to his mouth, easing it open to poke her tongue inside. Her hands kneaded his shoulder blades and sternum sensuously as she wrapped her tail around to lightly fondle his limp appendage.

He let out a moan, and slowly shook his head, pulling away. “No,” he mumbled, closing his eyes. “I will not...”

Legion's seethed at his response. “You must be stronger than I thought. Your heart is broken, yet your spirit remains whole.”

“...even my spirit is broken...”

“Then should you not care what you do anymore?”

He swayed in place, forcing Mew to move him against the wall. He slid down to a painful sitting position, exhaling out a shallow breath. “Not anymore...”

Entangling her tail around his waist, she straddled his chest. “Then you shall be able to do as I say from now on, Mewtwo. And we will start off by having you submit your will to me.” She ghosted a kiss onto his nose. “You are mine, to forever satisfy the wants of this body. You shall obey every word that leaves these lips,” a quick lip-locking, “to follow the sound of your beloved's voice. If she tells you to come, you shall come. If 'move that mountain' is ever mentioned, you shall move said-mountain.” She ducked down to run her tongue against his throat. “You shall answer when called upon, shall go wherever she goes...” During the short pause, she scooted down to kiss his chest, and her voice lowered to a sultry purr. “...and you shall play along when she wants you to play.”

When she pressed numerous kisses to his belly, the clone shuddered beneath her, his trembling hands reaching up to grasp her shoulders. “...I-I cannot,” he gasped, though the crack in his voice gave it away.

Mew slyly slid one of his hands along her body. “Of course you can, Mewtwo. You and Mew are mates for life. Anything goes, if that is what you are worrying about.” She clamped her lips around a finger.

“No... I will not touch her...”

“You are too confused right now, Mewtwo, you know not what you are talking about.”

“She is undeserving of me...”

Growling, the tiny feline lifted herself up to take hold of his face, glaring into his eyes. She grew more furious when she saw the light flicker inside. “You are too delusional to understand your own words, Mewtwo,” she snarled, digging her claws into him. “Can you not feel the fire burning through your veins right now, your heart pumping in excitement? You are close to receiving the desire you have longed for your entire life. All it took was a simple kiss to her lips for you two to be committed to one another, and you refuse to take the next step. You two have waited long enough! You shall be the mate of Mew, and you shall be one flesh during consummation!”

He tried to turn his head away when she harshly forced him into a kiss. The moment his mouth opened to welcome her in, he was suddenly aware he had no control over his body. His fingers greedily searched and caressed her figure, pushing her closer into him. She hoisted herself further above him, forcing him to slide further into a reclining position. His tail hooked around to teasingly rub against the bulbous end of her own limb, bringing out a carnal, gurgling moan from her. Desperately struggling to keep himself from falling and to pull himself together, Mewtwo quickly and coarsely bit at her tongue and lips in the hopes she'd fall back.

While she gripped him hard enough to cut his cheeks open, all she did was give a rumbling chuckle as she pulled away. Gasping for breath, he spat out “Mew is not mine to do with!”, wincing at the stinging.

“You arrogant mortal, of course she is yours!” Legion hissed. “You are bound by life, by spirit! All that is left are for your mortal bodies to cleave. Do not lie to me any further, you have been desiring for her love. You cannot deny it now, you are held under oath. She has been yours since your first kiss!”

Mewtwo stared back like he was in a daze. “...how?”

Mew deeply scowled, then took a breath to fight back a frustrating holler. “'How?' Have you forgotten what Mew told you? What I told you? The kiss is binding, you promised your loyalty as part of the agreement. That was several months ago. However... yesterday, you took it to a high level of commitment, almost celestial. There were very, very few members of her specie that took it as far as how you two sealed it.” Taking one of his hands, she flattened the palm against her chest. “Your hearts were open at that very moment, making it perfect for a special connection to develop. You felt in your heart the sorrow and anguish she has gone through. Imagine what she is feeling from you in the afterlife.” Vision falling onto the blood raining down his face, she leaned forward to lick it up.

He let loose a trembling breath, scrunching his eyes shut as his fingers twitched against her fur. As much as he hated to admit it, Legion was right. The horrific memory of Mew's was more than just filled with pain. Every thought he heard had her emotions striking his heart, from excitement and joy, to heartache and anger. The fear and confusion from when she awoke inside the tube... her being forced to be pregnant... then torn between loving and hating the child... Mewtwo understood what she had been through, but hers was different from his own experience, almost the polar opposite. What made it worse was the stripping away of what had remained of her purity, leaving her with nothing except the breath of life.

She was forced to grow up.

No, that wasn't growing up. Loss of innocence doesn't entirely make one a mature being. She was mentally tortured for almost two years, which in turn nearly ended in death. The whole time she was unresponsive, what was she thinking? Did she replay the entire event in her head? Were the spirits, or at least the memory, of the scientists haunting her? Had she made a completely different world for herself, a different ending?

...did the child ever cross her mind?

Remorse for her increased the longer Mewtwo thought back on it, wishing he had spent more time with her like his gut feeling told him to. She was unable to sustain herself, he couldn't bear to leave her behind. Had it not been for the bond between Mew and the Tree (and him being unwelcome), he may not have had to. At least the others had thought of her in some way... but for how long was she alone? As he stared back at the smirk growing on her once-smooth features, he remembered the two Omastar that showed some sympathy for her. Did they give up on her much like the other inhabitants did? He let out a sorrowful sigh. “Why Mew?” he murmured, almost inaudibly.

“What about her?” Legion questioned back, raising a brow.

He inhaled deeply. “Why did it have to be her? She was so innocent... why would... God allow her to suffer like that?”

“That is like asking why bad things happen to good people. How the hell should I know, I do not even go near God, let alone talk to Him.” She snorted, leaning back. “She must have deserved it for all I care.”

Mewtwo immediately jumped to her defense. “Mew did not deserve it. No one does...”

“You can argue the wicked do not as well, but guess what the outcome was?”

Another shiver ran through his body before he willed himself to push her off him, attempting to stand back up. The moment he did, his wrists were seized upon to hold him against the wall. He didn't bother to struggle, he was too weakened enough he couldn't stand for a long period of time and had to sit back down. Legion wickedly grinned behind a sneer before turning to float off. Gritting his teeth, the clone growled out, “I heard about your plan.”

Freezing in place, she glanced back at him, eyes frighteningly radiant. “You know nothing.”

“All I know is you are bringing back the Tree of Beginnings and you want her pregnant. Why?”

Narrowing her stare, she snarled out, “Whatever gave you that idea? I said nothing of the sort.”

He only matched the gaze, trying his hardest not to tense so much he would tremble. Slowly, her eyes widened, a grimace clenching her teeth. “You... you cannot have figured it out on your own,” she hissed. “Who told you? It was her, was it not?” A noticeable shiver quivered through her body as her breathing quickened, almost a warning. Mewtwo hurriedly braced himself. Turning away, her hands curled into tight fists. “Sh... shit... I had completely forgotten... she was a spirit... of course she would...” She whirled around, causing his heart to leap in shock at the sight of her flashing eyes. Floating into his face, Mew growled out, “How much did she tell you?”

He had to fight himself to keep from flinching and stammering. “A little, admittedly. But enough was said that it explains why you are so anxious to let me succumb to my urges. She was unable to tell me about the Tree, however. I believe I was waking up. Or, and I am taking a wild guess here, you discovered a flaw, and attempted to take her from me.”

It was obvious Legion was in a fit of rage, he could feel the evil presence pressurizing around them. Despite his claims to be a spirit, he was good at controlling facial and bodily emotions, though the eyes darkened and the pupils shrank. “What about herself?” was the next breath, strangely constricted. “Did she say why I chose her and not you?”

Mewtwo frowned a little, biting his lip. “She... briefly mentioned it. But she does not know why.”

“That is still proof she knows!” the demon snapped. Mew's tail missed the clone a few inches when it slammed into the wall, cracking it. “And the longer she's there, the more she discovers herself and the plan! Damn, damn, DAMN!” Her energy built up enough she took out her anger on the wall, floor, the ceiling, anything she felt like hitting while avoiding her captive.

He stumbled forward, but caught himself before hitting the floor. He almost didn't realize he was free until she screamed out “Fools, why did you unhand him?!”, and he was snatched back. His head sharply whacked against the brick, bringing him to his knees in pain. She then grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to straighten up, pushing him into the wall. He choked back a cry when he felt his sensitive cord squeeze. “I knew I should have stuck with you! The plan would have gone simpler and smoother! You may be the strongest alive, and thus it would have been more difficult to keep you in control, maybe, but you would have been indestructible! The other Legendaries would have been dead, and Mew would have had no choice but to sell her body when you demanded of it! She would have delivered the first child or set of children and be prepared for another one by now! And the Tree! Oh, the Tree would have fed on enough energy to last a good millennium! But no, she had to get in the way, and change everything!”

She paused, the hateful glare softening to a thoughtful stare, her grip loosening. He cautiously bent his head to release his cord from the pressure, keeping direct eye-contact. “However... though the plan may have taken longer... it still has a better chance of success,” she slowly murmured. “If I was to remain in your body, I would have been unable to change the unborn child to my liking. I would have to wait until I could touch it. But babies fresh from the womb are occupied with a sinless spirit... they cannot be touched by evil. However... if this body becomes pregnant... I can insert a spirit of my own before God allows one to enter it. It will take over and prevent another one from casting it out... it will be their body... a body we were forbidden to have.” She quietly let out a chuckle, a sinister, maddening grin splitting her face. Steadily, her laughter increased in mania the more bolder her voice grew. “We will raise a physical army, and live, live on a planet we will inherit all to ourselves. An earth that will officially be the birth place of the third rejected by God! Lucifer will gain his own eternal body, just like we all will! All of Elohim's children will have gotten their bodies like He wanted! It would be like the War never happened! A body! It was all we ever wanted, Father! None of Your children would have been in this mess had You just let us have one! We would have behaved, we all would have lived with You forever, a one big, happy family! That is all You[/]I ever wanted, and You would have gotten it had You sent Lucifer down instead of Jehovah! Who is imperfect now, Father?!”

Mewtwo ducked his head and scrunched his watery eyes shut, wanting to get away from the madness enshrouding him. The image of Mew screaming up into the heavens was disturbing to him, it was unlike her. It was something he would do, but this was crossing the line. The way Legion was doing it, it was like he was cursing God while laughing in His face. No, that was too mild—why is he reflecting on it? This was wrong, he would never do something like this, could never tell off the one who let him live.

...could he? Did he?

The cackling finally faded away, leaving behind an unpleasant ringing and emptiness. His head was lifted back up, and his eyes involuntarily opened. Mew's face was still contorted with the smile of a maniac, eyes glaring deep into his soul. He shivered, attempting to move his arms to push her away. They remained limply pinned to the wall, though they inched upward to show effort. She just laughed. “How pathetic,” she sniped. “You are just giving up so easily. It is a wonder we have yet to consummate.”

“I do not know what you are planning, but leave us out of it, please!” he implored, fighting back tears. “So you want a body. I am sure you will get one eventually.”

“Oh, did I not tell you? As an evil spirit, I cannot get a body. Ever.” Glancing down at herself, she quickly added, “Of course, as a spirit, I can possess other bodies, but I cannot have one of my own.”

“Because you... rebelled?”

“Precisely. The body is God's gift to all mortals. It is His greatest creation and is one of the greatest gifts. To get it, one has to be born of parents, of course.” She glowered, scanning him up-and-down. “Though there are exceptions... I suppose.”

He wiggled uncomfortably. “What are you getting at?”

“If a spirit is allowed to live inside a man-made body, then surely a demon can have one of its own!” she snapped. “There should be no reason why God would make an exception for you and your clones! All the other clones died, why not you? What makes you special?”

Mewtwo only shook his head. “I have asked myself that many times, so I do not know. Mew thought it was because I was made for her, but it cannot be that. Besides... she only said that because we were...” He quickly pushed the thought from mind.

Legion only smirked. “Ah, yes. Fits of passion tend to make one just scream out inner thoughts, hmm?”

He shuddered, trying to think of something else. “What is it about Mew that you must torment her so much? Why her, why me? What makes us so important?”

She barked out a short, harsh laugh. “You just are not getting it. Let me sound it out for you.” She floated closer to the point their noses squashed, her tiny hands clutching around his neck. Her voice dropped to almost a whisper, her enunciation drawling out. “You control the mother, you command the children. Command the children, and you rule the future.”

His eyes widened, breath catching as cold sweat began to develop. She snickered again, then pulled back. “It never fails. Even the strong-willed will fall. And when we compare yours and Mew's stats, you two will have strong, intelligent, beautiful children, no doubt with equally valiant spirits. It will take a lot of my good minions to convince them to fall away.” Her oculars flashed menacingly. “Luckily, I am in command of this body, and thus everything about it is in my control. I'll choose my best followers to possess the bodies, or if we do not reach it in time, we can brainwash it easily. We demons have such a way with words.”

Mewtwo was nearly speechless, only managing to croak out one word: “Monster!”

Mew let out a wicked laugh. “Go ahead, call me all you want, I heard it all. Still will not change my mind. Although, I would be cautious what you say to me, I may just damage this body beyond repair if I have to.”

A gasp died in his throat, a painful knot twisting in his stomach. “Y-You... you cannot be serious! But... I thought you were using her for...” He couldn't bring himself to say it.

Her expression darkened as she bared her teeth in an unpleasant way. “I am, but only if I have no choice. If I were to leave this body for any reason, I will wreck her to the point she will be lucky to breathe. Mostly, though, I will sterilize her, but if measures call for it, I can mutilate an organ or two. It will not kill her, per say, but it will leave her disabled in a way. However...” Mew tilted her chin in, flashing a mad grin as she licked her lips. She extended her claws and slitted three deep cuts down her cheekbone to the jaw, then held up the damaged wrist. Smirking, she dug into the wound and widened it. Mewtwo could swear his heart stopped. “I do have this fascination with blood and the heart. I will bleed her dry if must, maybe even ingest every last drop.” To prove her point, she swiped her paw along the bleeding gashes and licked it. “Or I can stop and restart the heart at will, just for the heck of it. Unless you want to hold it until it stops beating? I can tear it out from her ribcage and give it to you. It would be a rather symbolic gesture, would it not?” She returned to sucking the blood off her hand.

He finally shook his head vigorously, and tore his sight away from her bloody cheek, letting his tears overflow. “No, no more!” he pleaded in a near holler. “Enough, please, I do not want to hear of it anymore! Please, stop hurting her! It is me you want, not her!”

She glanced over, a sly smile spreading on her lips as she watched the teardrops drip to the stone floor. “Really? Will you do anything to get me to leave her alone?” she challenged.

“Anything!” he sobbed out. “Just please, leave her out of it while she is still alive and pure!”

Quirking a brow, she snapped her fingers, and he was released. He wobbled forward a few steps before he fell to his hands and knees in anguish. She remained in place, staring down at a trembling, broken Mewtwo as he quietly cried and tried to stifle his whimpers. She gave a small “hmph”, crossing her arms. “I find it hard to believe the world's strongest Pokémon will easily give himself up for the love of his life,” she noted. “You must have really developed a soul all these years to bring yourself to this level. For someone who claims to be a fake, your emotions are real, if strangely close to a human level.” Legion paused while she ran her hand down her cheek again, waiting for the clone to speak his mind. When he didn't, the demon rose the bloody paw to eye-level, and resumed. “Before I forced Mew to attempt suicide, you were the last on her mind. And she admitted she knows you love her, refusing to believe it may have been a ploy against her emotions to hurt her. She loves you as well, but I take it you already knew that.”

Mew floated down to his level, taking his head into her paws and tilting it back. The tears looked to be endless, smoothing out his usual cold countenance to the exact opposite of a submissive wreck. She let the salt water wash past her hands, leaving smears of watery blood on his left side. “She was difficult to break. I had her in my sights for months, haunting her dreams. She ignored me at first, and when I refused to leave, she had no choice but to acknowledge my existence. It is then she slowly went mad, and I was able to enter her mind, to be her second 'conscious' in a way. She lost sleep because of me, thus making herself more vulnerable to my influences. She tried to fight back, and she did a hell of a job, but in the end, I won.” She flashed her bloody gash. “I forced her to spill her blood as her final sin, and what a sin it was. Murder lands you in Spirit Prison, and suicide is no exception. Double it if you count the killings of the scientists. She continues to reflect on it, and thus she stays. She will pay for it as she painfully dies a spiritual death, and hating herself for it. If all goes well, you will cease to be life-mates when the bond breaks. You may see her again in the afterlife, but you will never remember your relationship with her. It will have been just a dream, not reality.”

Realization slowly found its way into Mewtwo's eyes, and he moved to push himself away until she caught his hand. “You promised, Mewtwo,” the feline purred, smirking at his trembling form. “You promised you would do anything if it means saving your precious mate. As improbable as it is now, your word is still bound. As is mine.” Mew lightly trailed her fingers across his palm and wrist, leaning down to plant a kiss to it without breaking eye-contact. “You are mine. You will do as I say.” She bent forward and sensually locked lips. “Think of me not as a demon, but as your lover. This body changes nothing of what happens between you and her. Anything you do with me, you do with her. And who knows... I may make her look better in bed.”

He took in a short breath to speak, only for her to silence him. “I want no complaints from you, you are to be completely obedient. If I order you to raise up a new island, or rip apart one of your friends, you would do it. When I ask for the head of said-friend, you will say 'medium or well-done'. I would even tell you to commit hari-kari, and you will obey without question. Am I understood?” He nodded, though it brought a small scowl to her face. “I think you mean, 'Yes, Mew.'”

Mewtwo stared in fear for a moment before he nodded once more. “Yes... Mew.”

She smiled, running her knuckles against his cheek. “That is much better. Now... love me.”

As hesitant as he was, the psycat recited a “Yes, Mew” just when they pressed lips.

Mew led the kiss, deepening it with every breath. They touched tongues, making it more overt and salty the longer it lasted. Reluctantly, her clone ran his hands along her curves, kneading with his fingers, and she reached behind his neck to stroke his cord. She pressed herself into him, lowering her tail down his belly. He let out a groan, bestowing a bite onto her lips to silence himself. She pinched at the sensitive organ in warning, then forced him to his feet. Backing up without parting, she pulled him along until she was nearly bent in half running into an obstacle. She gasped, disguising it as a moan when she noticed he had landed on her in the process. Smirking, she took a hand and pressed it against her lower abdomen, close to her thigh. Mewtwo briefly froze in place, feeling his temperature rise when he recognized her intentions. He tried breaking the kiss, to get himself away from her, but Mew had a tight grip on him. Nipping in frustration, she forced his paw to slip underneath, pushing his fingertips onto her womanhood. At the same time, the tip of her tail rubbed upon a sensitive area, making him squirm and fluster. Afraid of what was coming next, he momentarily pushed himself off, knowing he crossed lines.

She swiftly lunged at him, fire in her eyes. “You try my patience! Even if it means I have to tie you down or knock you unconscious, you are going to uphold the end of your agreement, Mewtwo! How many times am I going to tell you before you get it?! There is nothing wrong with you enjoying yourself, now love me, dammit!”

With shortness of breath, he could only shake his head, trying to pry her off. He didn't struggle long, for the colored lights caught his eye. Now that he was closer, the lights were indeed curiously illuminated from ground. No, it the pedestal, constructed in a triangular shape with circular markings engraved on the surface. The lights rested at the three points, each containing symbols inside. One was obviously another triangle, but the other two looked more like floral patterns. They all pointed directly to the center, though nothing was visible.

Mew didn't bother to glance over her shoulder, scowling at his confused expression as she rolled her eyes. “Yes, the lights are pretty. Stop looking at them and let us return to what we were doing.”

“What is this place?” he muttered, looking around the room. “More ruins, is it not?”

She huffed, pulling away. “Figures you would not recognize it. Mew might, as could some of the other Legendaries, at least through legend. Though I think Giratina, Palkia, and Dialga are more familiar with it. This is the main chamber of the Sinjoh Ruins where it holds the Mystri Stage. It is said that when Arceus steps onto the platform, he creates an egg. But mortals are fickle-minded, they cannot comprehend the powers of creation. They do not realize this can be used to control the world, if one knows how to use it.”

Mewtwo tore his eyes away in surprise. “You saying this is a weapon?” he gasped.

“In a way, yes. It can create life, but it can take it away.” Mew floated to the middle of the base. “If a normal mortal attempts to operate this, he or she will right-away faint. Stronger mortals can feel their life-force drain. Unfortunately, they will be too consumed by the madness to walk away.” She grinned, spreading out her arms. “Us immortals, on the other hand, are more than capable of keeping it in control. Thanks to the quick thinking of some of the Legendaries, the world has managed to quietly stay on path of prosperity. Yes, Mewtwo, the world has been teetering on edge ever since its birth. But do not go thinking the world has ended because this has been neglected. This is used in emergencies only. It activates itself when it feels the world needs a little power-boost, and sends a signal, alarming a Legendary willing to listen to come work the controls.”

He felt his knees quake, and he leaned against the stage for support. “Then... y-you are saying—”

She cruelly laughed. “I did not bring you here for that, Mewtwo. You are not in the position or power to use it, you never were. You may be a Legendary, but you were never immortal. Had you been foolish enough to attempt this, you will have shriveled up alive. It is a horrible way for the body to die. Now Mew, if she was still immortal for one thing, would have easily brought the world back to order without breaking a sweat. There would really be no need for you all to waste away waiting for trees to grow fruit.”

Mewtwo stared at the glowing circles, slowly shaking his head in skepticism. “This... this is impossible. This structure cannot possibly be tapped into the world's essence... I-I thought the Tree was.”

“It was. But what made you think the Tree existed in the first place?” His eyes widened in sheer awe, turning to the demon. “It is not known who created the Tree, though it is very likely Arceus' doing. But humans have come here in the past and tried to play God themselves. It is believed one of the Golems was brought here and they used it to form the Tree. They were rather stupid back then, I am sure they followed orders without questioning it. My guess is they brought in Regirock, it would explain why the Tree is a rock-formation, the idiot thought rocks in olden times.” She snorted at her joke. “From what I could gather, it was originally going to be for the earth's benefit. When it was not what they expected, they went ahead to do it themselves. Somehow, though, the creation had of yet to finish, and something went terribly wrong. Instead of feeding the earth, the Tree now fed itself, shortening the life-span of everyone on the planet.

“Because humans messed with it, it was imperfect. It could not take care of itself, so a guardian was chosen. However... mortals were being used. It needed someone who was would live long enough, and was strong enough to handle its berserks. Killing the Tree was not an option at the time, so in a desperate attempt, Arceus went to Mew and offered her the gift of immortality if she would guard the Tree, and the world to an extent. What he failed to mention was the everlasting bond the two would share. She learned that the hard way.”

The clone hung his head, not wanting to believe Legion, but the burning, aching feeling in his heart said otherwise. He couldn't deny it if his life depended on it. As mind-blowing as it was, it brought into light the full understandings of Mew's harsh life. She wanted to get away from it all, and she felt the Tree would end it. As subtle as it was, it only made things worse. A rather selfless desire to serve the world was done from selfishness of wanting a better life. She slowly paid for it over the years, watching a thousand years of change go by. He wondered if she ever regretted her decision, her sacrifices to keep the world at bay. He imagined her heartbreak when it fell apart around her, rendering her helpless and with no purpose. It could be why she returned after her rampage, it was truly all she had left, her reasoning to continue living.

There was a blast from above, startling Mewtwo out of his thoughts. He whipped his head up, and quickly jumped back, chunks of the ceiling crashing around and on the platform, covering them in dust. Mew looked over at him in annoyance, unfazed by the destruction. “We stalled long enough. Let us begin the creation of a better world!”