Disclaimer: Nintendo and the others involved own pokemon, I do not. I only own characters I made up myself, out of my own little noggin. Whomever provided the playground world of pokemon for us has my everlasting thanks. This is chapter 2 of "Moonlight Shadows and Echoes Past," and will hopefully be more interesting than the first part.

Oh, yeah, this is something my younger brother pointed out to me after reading my first chapter--I never knew the names of any of the scientists involved in Mewtwo's creation. If there were official names out there, English or Japanese, I don't recall hearing them. Professor Daryn is his name in this story. If there actually *were* other names, go ahead and tell me, but it's too late to change it.

Synopsis: In this section, Madhea's life hangs critically in the balance. Can she be saved in time? An instance or two of mild language, BTW.

Moonlight Shadows and Echoes Past
By ZeoViolet

****

Sharie made sure she and Madhea were a considerable distance from the labratory before she set up camp for the night. The sight of the building was just too unnerving.

The baby mewtwo slept, exhausted simply from the efforts of breathing, in her arms. The wheezing in her lungs had grown considerably louder in a short amount of time, and Sharie knew she could go no further without attempting to do something to alleviate poor Madhea's suffering.

She found a small clearing and set up camp, clumsily building a fire with one hand while she held fast to Madhea with her other arm. She dared not set the girl down, even for an instant.

Only when the fire was safely flickering did she sit down with a sigh, away from the smoke so Madhea would not have to breathe the fumes.

The baby was so tired she did not even awaken. In the flickering light of the fire, Sharie unwrapped her, for the first time really able to study her closely. She was like a miniature of the first Mewtwo, except her body seemed a bit more delicately formed, due to her gender. Her color would have even been the same, were it not for the infection ravaging her tiny body at the moment. Her skin had a ghostly-white hue to the fine purple shade--except for her small face, flushed with fever. But all her parts were there, from the tiny three-fingered hands to the graceful tail. Her feet were somewhat smaller for her frame, too, than what Mewtwo had, but Sharie supposed this was normal for Mew females.

*I was right,* Sharie thought. *She is perfectly formed. But she is so small. She can't be more than five pounds. Contaminated fluid and malfunctioning equipment would not have helped her gain weight, and the infected water looked like it had been invaded by bacteria. Her lungs are saturated. She won't.....* Sharie had to force the words into her conscious brain. *She won't live long if I can't do something.*

She felt her stomach tighten and her heart wrench at the thought. Already, the bond had been formed. She realized she would go to any lengths to see to Madhea's well-being and happiness, even if, in the end, it meant giving her up to Mewtwo, just to keep her safe.

*But,* the thought crept into her tired brain, *Where do I begin from here?*

Mt. Quena was so far away. It would take a journey of many weeks to get there on foot. And surely, Mewtwo would have left it far behind by now.

*But do I have any other choice? It is where he was last seen, wasn't it? Unless I fall into another trance....*

She paused in horror. That could not happen! Not with Madhea so weak! Sharie realized she'd rather run into Mewtwo by pure chance than simply black out for who knew how long, and leave Madhea alone. Despite all her abilities this was something that ran so deep she did not know if there was any way to break it.

Dazed, she shook herself out of her thoughts. She reached into a pack and drew out her medicinal supply, wondering what she could do to break Madhea's fever and clear her lungs. This was not something that could be treated quickly, like wounds in a pokemon battle. This was too deep and Madhea was too delicate right now.

She pulled out a small breathing chamber and, from a small vial, pumped in a few doses of an inhaled antibiotic. She attached the chamber to a small mask and held it to Madhea's face. Madhea awoke, surprised, but seemed to quietly accept this strange thing on her. She knew the woman who held her had saved her. She was not alone anymore. Her amethyst eyes closed again, moments later, and she snuggled even more tightly against Sharie's chest.

Sharie ferverently hoped that, even if Madhea did recover from her illness, that it had done no permanent damage to her tiny, frail body. It was possible, but too soon to tell for sure.

*Another reason I must head to Mt. Quena,* her brain reminded her. *The waters of the lake and spring beneath Mt. Quena's surface could heal her, couldn't they? I don't want to risk taking Madhea to mutliple pokecenters if I can help it....*

She pondered this a moment. Her father and mother both came from rather large, far-flung families, mostly of psychic humans and/or scientists. Sharie had not been so islolated in her life that she had never seen them. Often her father had taken her to visit one relative or another. She had done plenty of traveling in her time. Her father had six brothers and two sisters, her mother'd had three sisters and a brother. Two of her father's brothers and a cousin were married to various members of the widespread Nurse Joy clan.

*Can I trust them?* she wondered. The only uncle she'd had really regular contact with growing up was her uncle Daryn. All the others she had seen spontaneously throughout the years.

Her uncle Sanjan and his wife, Joy, lived in the nearest town where he ran a pokemon breeding center and she ran the Pokecenter for the town. They only had one child, a two-year-old mite named Anya. (Strangely, she was one of the very few girls born into a Nurse Joy clan who did *not* look like Nurse Joy.) Her Aunt Alyssa, after divorcing her uncle Daryn, had moved there as well.

Sharie realized it was a risk she had to take. She had to call her father and tell him she was alive. She had not dared to use the built-in phone on her pokegear while possibly wandering into areas inhabited by Team Rocket, and risk being overheard or monitored. Plus, she needed to stock up on supplies. Somehow, she felt that her family would support what she was trying to do--she really hoped Aunt Alyssa would, considering she had been Amber's mother and had been so dead-set against what her Uncle Daryn was trying to do.

It would take a few days to get there, but Sharie knew that was where she would head next. She would stop in to see them, and then take the long journey towards Mt. Quena to search for Mewtwo.

Having made her decision, Sharie reached down and took the breathing mask off the sleeping baby's face. Her breathing was quieter, for now, but Sharie knew that it would not help much unless she could also break the fever. She also needed to worry about what a baby Mewtwo would eat.

Few pokemon actually nursed their young, even those that gave birth to live babies instead of eggs. Mews, like many other pokemon, were considered mammal pokemon because they were thought to give birth to live young instead of hatching eggs, yet, like most mammal pokemon, there was no indication that they would nurse babies themselves. Most pokemon babies were able to eat soft food, at least, shortly after being born or hatched. It was a chore either their parents or trainers helped them with. Indeed, Madhea had been born with two rows of fine baby teeth in place like most non-nursing pokemon, something which baby pokemon that *did* nurse only developed after a few weeks. It settled the question well enough, Sharie supposed.

*But she's too weak for even soft food right now. Her arms are too tiny for me to feed her intraveonously, even a regular baby bottle would take energy she does not have. I don't even have a preemie bottle on me...*

Sharie realized she would have to use one of those hollow measuring spoons she normally used with medications given to sick pokemon.

*Let's just hope her stomach is not delicate as well.*

She drew out a small vial of sterilized water and a special dry-powder mix of sweetend fruits, a special type of pokemon food that was often used on sick pokemon, or pokemon babies in this situation--those who were not strong enough for a solid-food diet. It was specially fortified with extra nutrients they would need to fight infection. This was a special traveling mix in powder form. Sharie mixed it with the water and shook the container gently until it was thoroughly blended.

She filled the hollow handle of the dispensing spoon full, then gently nudged Madhea awake.

"Come on, little one," she whispered. "Let's see if you like this, shall we? It will make you stronger."

Strangely, the deep wisdom she saw reflected in Madhea's amethyst-purple eyes seemed to say she understood, at least in a way. She did not protest when Sharie gently urged her small mouth open and dribbled just a little of the fluid onto her tongue, just to see her reaction.

A tiny smile passed Madhea's lips as Sharie withdrew the spoon, and she opened her mouth again.

"Ah, so you know what it's for, don't you?" Sharie asked, unable to stop herself from smiling. "You like it. Easy, now--I want to make sure it does not come back up."

A minute later, she was satisfied it would not. She put the spoon back into Madhea's mouth again, and, slowly, let the rest of the fluid dribble down the child's throat.

She followed it with a special medicine designed to fight fevers in really weak pokemon.

Madhea took it all without protest, but by the time Sharie was done, the baby was exhausted with the effort. She closed her eyes again almost immediately and fell back asleep, secure in where she was and who was holding her.

Sharie sighed and leaned back against the tree she was propped up against. Madhea had barely taken two ounces of formula and medicine *total*, but Sharie was pretty certain the girl could not have taken anymore--too much, too soon.

She looked down at the sleeping infant, and again her heart wrenched in her chest. She was still amazed that she had the ability to feel the deep feelings that filled her heart now. *Goodness, I don't know what to make of....of what I feel now. You must go to Mewtwo, Madhea....and yet, I don't want to give you up now.* Sharie had to swallow, hard. *Going to Mewtwo will probably be for your greater good. I must not be so selfish, but now...I don't want to lose you, even though I must.*

For a moment, her eyes burned, but she blinked the feeling back. Tears did her no good. Tears were good for other people, but she had long since forgotten how to cry--not even when Amber had died could she cry. She just had gotten numb all over again.

*I never understood why pokemon trainers would get so inseperable from their pokemon....I think I understand, now, at least a little. Madhea, you are not my pokemon, but you are my equal. How could....how could anybody in their right mind look at you and treat you like some slave or machine? I will treat you as my equal and nothing less. When we must part I want you to remember me with kindness, even though I am human....for never, ever will I forget you. My heart, mind, and soul will always remember.*

In her sleep, Madhea curled against her in an instinctive response. Such a gesture lurched through Sharie straight to her heart, and despite her sad thoughts, made her smile--really smile.

It was with great reluctance that Sharie got up long enough to pull out her sleeping bag and crawl inside, not letting Madhea go for one second. She slept on her back, the baby sleeping securely on top of her, well wrapped against any cold night air that might seep in.

*Good night, my little friend. Don't worry--I'll protect you. You are not alone anymore.*

Above them, the full moon glowed brightly, as if to watch over them, and reassure them that, indeed, they were not alone.

****

Three days had passed.

Madhea would not improve. Sharie was worried and beginning to doubt her own abilities. The infection had not yet spread any further, and Madhea did not grow worse, but the fever refused to break and Sharie had to keep giving her breathing medications. In between she walked, collecting medicinal plants as she went. They were plants that normally hepled with infection and Sharie could only cross her fingers.

*I hope something works soon. It's a miracle Madhea has held on this long.* Sharie cradled the sleeping baby closer to her chest and bit her lip in an effort to keep her emotions under control. *She cannot go on like this much longer, I know it. She'll die before I can even reach my Aunt Joy's pokecenter if this keeps up.....*

Her heart lurched sharply. In the past days her attachment to the child had only grown stronger, and she knew her heartache would become all the more painful if Madhea passed on without even a chance at the life she deserved.

But was it meant to be? Sharie saw how the girl was suffering, especially today. Her breathing was not so noisy, but she was gasping harder for breath. Her skin had that ghostly pallor, except for her small face, which remained flushed. Except for her spasming chest, she lay limply in Sharie's arms, like a rag doll. It was even becoming difficult for Sharie to rouse her enough to feed her, and it was horrifying Sharie to no end, seeing her fade before her very eyes.

*Please hold on, baby....just please hold on....*

****

That evening, Madhea's fragile health crashed.

Sharie clearly sensed something dreadful was wrong, and even though she was now only a few hour's walk from town, she knew she dared not go further.

Madhea's lungs had taken on a high-pitched ruckus, as if she was drowning. Her color became worse as what energy she had left was rapidly being used up.

Sharie was truly frightened now. She could feel the icy hand of death reaching for the tiny baby in her arms, and she had few ideas left to try.

She sat down underneath a tree and laid the gasping infant in her lap so she could dig through her medicines. With trembling fingers she pulled out a plant she had found the day before. The plant was powerful for fighting infections, but it was too strong, certainly not meant for babies, human or pokemon. Yesterday evening she had given Madhea the mildest dose possible, even then knowing that it could easily harm Madhea as well as it could help her. But it had been the only thing that Madhea had shown improvement with, however temporarily.

*Dare I use it again? This stays in the body for such a long time, and yesterday's dose did not have the full effect I wanted--curing her. It was not powerful enough a dose to fight the infection in itself, but it is so dangerous to babies. Madhea needs a stronger dose--but a second dose so soon either way could kill her.*

A high-pitched, whooping squeak caught her attention, and Sharie looked down. To her horror, a fine shade of blue was around Madhea's lips and beginning to spread to other parts of her body.

*How can I *not* do anything? I am a pokemon doctor, Damnit! I took an oath to save lives, human or pokemon! And Madhea, if you die, you will take my heart right with you!*

She rapidly made up her mind--and mixed the dose as quickly as she could.

The medicine would help or it would not. Either way it was Madhea's last chance.

Madhea was gasping so hard it was a struggle to get the concoction down the little throat. Sharie could only cross her fingers and hope she was not too late. She wrapped up Madhea well and sat underneath a tree, praying and hoping.

Sharie dared not move. She did not even get up to build a fire. She dared not lay Madhea down for a moment.

The sun set, and darkness pressed in on all sides.

Sharie never moved, she could only hold Madhea and pray, knowing nothing more could be done.

Madhea struggled on.

A few hours later, Sharie froze in fear to hear a sound she definelty did *not* want to hear.

A strangling, rattling sound was coming from Madhea's chest. Unfortunately, Sharie recognized such a sound, a sound nobody in their lives should ever have to hear.

Death wheezes.

"No!" she cried aloud. "Oh, Madhea!"

The struggling chest went still, and there was an awful silence.

"No..." Sharie whispered faintly, her heart reeling. "No, Madhea, please....no..."

Desperately she clutched the baby to her heart. *No, Madhea, you deserve so much more than this! Please, baby, *fight*!*

Her heart felt ripped to pieces as she began to tremble uncontrollably.

In that same instant, something deep inside of her gave a faint *snap*.

Sharie was unaware of it. Madhea had gone completely still, and the awful silence seemed to echo into infinity. The thought she did not want to think tried to penetrate her brain and was immediately rejected. *Madhea....is gone...no...oh please, no...*

Her thoughts echoed in the silence of her own brain, unheeded and unanswered.

Out of the blue, however, a strange feeling penetrated her body--like a bolt of lightning. Her fingertips started to tingle, the sensation spreading over her. Her whole body shook, and the weirdest feeling overcame her senses.

If she could have looked into a mirror, she would have seen a bluish glow not only surrounding her body, but also Madhea's. But Sharie no longer had the will to even lift her head. Her heart was in shreds.

Only another, sharper *snap* from deep inside her drew her attention, barely. It was like something in her had been severed. She could dimly feel the deepest depths of her own Psychic powers making a subtle shift, and she felt as if the life energy was being drained from her very soul, as if someone had yanked the plug on her lifeforce. Suddenly, she felt very weak and exhausted.

But in her arms, the tiny body gave a little shudder, and a small squeak escaped Madhea's lips.

Sharie drew in a sharp breath. Exhausted as she was, she was still very aware of the baby she held in her arms. *Can it be...?*

Sharie opened her eyes. The blue glow had faded already, so she did not see it. Her now-weak arm fumbled to feel Madhea's chest. Her heart turned over to feel muscle spasms she had not thought to feel again. The small chest was again rapidly rising and falling, drawing in air. Madhea was still wheezing, but it was clear something had happened just in time. She was breathing!

The thought penetrated the sudden haze in Sharie's brain. *She's alive! She was almost dead....and suddenly....but how?....*

Another wave of weakness overcame Sharie's body, drawing her down into a deep darkness she could not avoid. Whatever had happened, she could not contemplate it....not just yet. Her last dim thought was.....*at least....Madhea's alive....*

Sharie drew in a deep sigh of her own and sank against the tree she had been leaning on, Madhea still in her arms. All thoughts slid away for good as she lost total awareness of the world around her.

****

Sunlight streaming into her eyes was what finally awoke her. Well, that and the awful crick in her neck.

Stifling a yawn, she suddenly became aware of a tiny bundle in her arms. Reality returned to her with a sharp jolt. Instantly, every iota of memory from last night's horrors flooded her senses. And being a psychic human, Sharie's memory was a lot more sharper than the average person's--something many in her family suffered from.

*Madhea!*

She moved aside the blanket-wrapped bundle in her arms.

Madhea was asleep, but Sharie immediately noticed a difference when she touched the baby's face.

No hint of fever remained. She was breathing at a normal rate, and the sound was only faintly wheezy.

To Sharie's joyful amazement, Madhea had overcome her illness against the odds.

Only one thing remained. The ghostly edge to Madhea's otherwise-purple skin tone. It was not as severe as before, but it was still noticeable. That and other subtle hints of her frailty. Sharie could only hope this was temporary.

Sharie sank back against the tree. What on earth had happened last night? Madhea had been almost dead, breathing her last....and then suddenly....

*Was it the medicine kicking in just in time? If it was, it was the most well-timing medicine I ever heard of. What about....that weird feeling I felt? My power...my energy....I felt it drained of me. Did *I* do something to Madhea? Even I don't know all of what I can do. It can't be....I could never....could I? Maybe it was both things.*

Sharie really had no idea, and it would be a long while before she discovered exactly what had happened with her own power and how the bond she and Madhea shared might have something to do with it....

But finding out would be months down the road.

Sharie looked at Madhea's sleeping form and smiled. Whatever had happened, it was good. The crisis had passed. Perhaps now, Madhea would thrive. Silently she said a prayer of thanks, that Madhea had been spared to her. It had made her realize even more how much this innocent baby had touched her heart already, in ways she had never allowed anybody--except Amber, in some ways--to do before.

And, she realized again with a pang, it would make parting with her all the harder when the time came.

If she could even bring herself to do it, now.

No. She had to. To try and keep Madhea with her would be selfish. She'd expose the existence of Mewtwo to the whole world if she kept Madhea with her. If Madhea grew up, both pokemon would be so powerful they'd be relentlessly hunted down by cruel humans eager to harness their powers. Even if Sharie resigned herself to wandering the world for the rest of her life, avoiding the rest of humanity and walking the world of the pokemon--something she'd considered doing for years--it would still place Madhea in danger. When Madhea was an adult she would be able to take care of herself, but right now she was far too vulnerable.

*Plus,* Sharie mused, *I am human myself. To pokemon like Mewtwo I'd probably just contaminate her life in the long run. My own feelings are selfish and beside the point....Madhea's happiness will come first. She would be much better off with Mewtwo than she ever could be with me.*

*And if she wants to stay with you?* asked a tiny voice in the back of her brain.

It caught Sharie by surprise. She had forgotten about that--she would want Madhea to have as much freedom as she herself had in life, including choices on what she wanted to do. Before, she had been intent soley on making Madhea well.

Now that she was better, the thought came to Sharie's mind again.

*What if Madhea wants to stay? Can I interfere with her right to choose, over what might be best for her?*

With a shudder, she realized something important. If she denied Madhea her rights to choose, she'd be no better than Giovanni. It would be the same as telling Madhea that she was below her simply because she was a pokemon.

*Madhea, you are my equal. All pokemon are sentient just like humans. They deserve to live as they choose. In the end, I will leave the choice up to you, if you are old enough to understand. Being with Mewtwo would be your best option, but if you choose otherwise, I will do anything to make you happy and protect you. On this I swear, for whatever my word is worth.*

****

Sharie stretched her aching back and reached for the concoction she had been feeding Madhea. Hopefully, soon she'd be able to go off a liquid diet to the soft foods babies normally ate. Maybe in a few weeks she could eat the same as what Sharie herself ate.

Sharie smiled inadvertently, realizing she was allowing herself the luxury of imagining Madhea growing older, now that her life was no longer in immediate danger.

A sudden, tiny "mew" startled her out of her thoughts.

She looked downwards, her purple eyes meeting Madhea's matching ones. Unclouded by fever, Madhea's eyes were so clear now--Sharie was so startled her other hand stilled from mixing the formula.

"Mew," Madhea said again. The meaning of the word jolted Sharie back to reality.

"Oh, right," she said aloud. "You're hungry."

"Mew." For the first time, Madhea had the energy to try and talk, and also for the first real smile to escape her lips, not just the sickly smiles she'd granted Sharie before.

"It's almost done, little one," Sharie assured her. "Here."

Madhea's eyes never left hers even when Sharie pushed the spoon into her mouth. For the first time, Madhea had the energy to really contemplate the world around her, and now she was investigating Sharie's gaze with a deep, inquisitive stare.

Their silent communication was so intense that Sharie was only barely aware when Madhea sucked down the formula in record time. Sharie started, coming back to reality and removing the spoon from the infant's mouth.

Madhea swallowed and suddenly looked thoughtful.

"Mew-mew?" she asked.

Sharie outright grinned. This was the best of signs--Madhea was asking for more. Sharie was only too happy to oblige. Madhea downed almost five ounces before she was through. Filling the spoon so many times made Sharie decide that Madhea was strong enough for a bottle now until her body was strong enough for soft foods.

After Madhea was finished, Sharie packed up her things, intent on continuing her journey. Madhea remained awake and alert this time, her large eyes taking the world around her in an attempt to make up for what she had missed.

The world on their side at last, they continued the journey to the nearest town.

****

As she walked along, Sharie realized something.

She had not yet been bombarded by, or even sensed, any real psychic powers in Madhea as yet.

*My goodness!* she thought, startled. *Does that mean she does not have them? Did Team Rocket mess up somehow?*

She paused. *No, I think she has them, or at least, the potential. Mewtwo himself did not develope any psychic powers when he first came into being in that tube he was floating in....it took a few weeks for it to become obvious. And he grew to physical maturity in that chamber--all in six months. Madhea was grown from a zygote stage, different than the method used to clone Mewtwo, but that would not make much difference in the long run....would it? She was in the chamber close to five months, and yet is still a baby. It is thought to take her a year to go from birth to fully grown--at least, that's what the scientst projected, and I think they will be right. Mewtwo only grew differently because the method used to clone him was different. Other Psychic pokemon are not often born with their powers intact--they develop them as time goes on. I hope that is th case here.*

It bothered Sharie. She stopped, staring down at Madhea. Silently, with a simple telepathic impulse, she asked permission to enter Madhea's mind.

Madhea instinctively recognized the signature as a Psychic, and from somebody she had grown to trust. She did not seem to mind.

That fact alone--that she recognized psychic power in others--was a good sign.

Sharie did not touch the baby's intimate thoughts. She never did that with another living being, seeing it as an ultimate invasion of privacy. She only sought the sense of psychic power itself.

It did not take her long to find what she was looking for.

Right now, Madhea had a faint empathic sense functioning, but that was all. But Sharie sensed the potential for much more. Madhea's own developmental stage was holding it back--in other words, she would eventually gain her powers, gradually, as she got older. Right now, she was simply too young.

Sharie immediately made up her mind on one thing--as soon as Madhea was capeable, she would teach the girl control, even before she began to have psychic onslaughts. Sharie well remembered the horrible pain she suffered each time her powers took on a new level, until she learned to control the new abilities. The better prepared Madhea was, the easier her chances.

****

The forest edge came upon them abruptly, and the trees thinned out. Sharie suddenly found herself overlooking an average-sized, bustling town.

Seeing this, Sharie's knees suddenly became weak with relief. She wished she had the ability to Teleport without having been somewhere before. It would have made saving Madhea a lot easier. But she had never visited this specific town, and Teleporting took quite a bit of energy. That, and Sharie simply hated doing it. Thus, she had rarely used it.

She looked around her, smiling in relief. The pokemon center was right on the edge of town, and nobody else was in the street at the moment. Sharie felt confident she could slip up to the place without being seen.

Suddenly she saw a man come around the back of the pokecenter and enter the front. Sharie had not seen her Uncle Sanjan in years, and yet she recognized him immediately. This was the right place.

Sharie decided to slip to the back entrance, for obvious reasons.

She reached the door unseen.

Quietly, she knocked.

"Just a moment," came a femenine reply. Sharie recognized her Aunt Joy's voice.

The door opened a moment later.

"Yes, can I help you?" Nurse Joy appeared at the door and looked downwards a bit. Her blue eyes widened. "....oh, my goodness."

It had taken a few seconds for Joy to recognize Sharie. It was her amethyst eyes that tipped the nurse off.

"Sharie?" she whispered quietly. "Sharie Triesta--is that you?"

Sharie nodded.

"Who is it?" came her uncle's voice. He suddenly appeared at the door, and Sharie smiled up at him.

"Sharie!" he exclaimed. "Why, I don't believe it! How did you get here, of all places?"

"What, I can't come and visit?" she asked, smiling a smile similar to her father's.

"Gods, how rarely I've seen you smile," he mused, happy to see her. "Come in, come in! What is that you're holding?"

Madhea made a tiny cooing sound at that moment.

"A baby," Sharie answered.

Her uncle paused, raising his eyebrows. He shared a glance with his wife. "A baby....erm....I see. Uh....is it yours?" he cleared his throat.

Sharie knew what was going on in his mind. "It is a baby pokemon, Uncle Sanjan. It is part of the reason I came to see you. I need supplies, if you can help. I have a long journey ahead of me."

"My goodness, Sharie, how you've grown," said a third voice. Startled, Sharie looked up to see her Aunt Alyssa--her mother's sister and her uncle Daryn's ex-wife. She was smiling, but her eyes were sad. She was trying to hide the pain she always got when she looked at her neice, because she looked much like Amber had looked. "What is this about a pokemon baby?"

"Weeelllll...." Sharie trailed off. "I am not sure how you are going to react. I came here for help, but....oh, well, look for yourselves."

She unwrapped Madhea and held her up. The baby yawned softly and blinked, opening her eyes.

For a few seconds, there was silence. Sharie knew full well all three individuals knew about Mewtwo. The incident on New Island had caused a local family furor for awhile.

"Uh...." stammared Uncle Sanjan. "Where did you get the baby, Sharie?"

Briefly, she told them an edited version of what she knew and where she had gone, and what the last few days had been like.

And why she intended on finding Mewtwo.

"It's dangerous," her uncle protested. "Mewtwo could kill you if you try and approach him. What Daryn and Donningan did was a foolish thing, getting involved with Team Rocket, even if it was a vain attempt at reclaiming Amber's life. I do not deny the fact Mewtwo should have been treated better than he was by either the scientists or Giovanni. But he's still dangerous. He may not like the thought of you seeking him or the fact that there is another like himself out there now, too, and could possibly suffer the same way he has suffered."

Sharie was glad her uncle was so open-minded, even if he was voicing concerns. "Do you think I'd mistreat Madhea? I do not claim her as my property. She is no one's property, least of all Team Rocket's. The last few days have been horrific trying to keep her alive. She's much better now and I love her dearly. I will do what must be done to ensure her safety and happiness, and to set aside old wrongs done to Mewtwo himself in the past."

Aunt Alyssa had been very quiet. Sharie could understand--Mewtwo probably was, to her, one of the compelling reasons Amber had been lost to her--not the first time, but the second. Mewtwo had survived.

Amber had not.

But suddenly Alyssa crept closer, her lips trembling.

"May I see the baby?" she asked.

Sharie wavered, but decided to trust her Aunt. Her Aunt Alyssa was one of the gentlest women Sharie knew. She was not one to fly into a rage of revenge. Besides, Mewtwo had not been directly responsible for Amber's death, the first or second time.

Madhea did not seem to mind that she was transferred from arm to arm. She looked into Alyssa's eyes and uttered a small "mew".

Alyssa felt a stab of pain in her heart. For the eyes were the color Amber's had been.

Alyssa burst into tears, and cradled Madhea gently to her chest for several moments, releasing an awful grief she'd carried around for some time.

"She's precious," the woman whispered, smiling the first real smile she had seen on her aunt in the longest time. "I understand now....."

She did not say what, but Sharie had some inkling anyways. Alyssa had realized that the gulf between human and pokemon was not so great. Madhea, for all she was a pokemon, had called to Alyssa's heart the same way Amber had done.

It was something the woman had badly needed. Sharie had sensed it, and so had Madhea, too, on some level.

Gently, she handed Madhea back to Sharie. "Do what is best for her," Alyssa whispered. "Protect her at all costs. Keep her happy. Keep her *safe*. She deserves no less."

Sharie suddenly smiled, and Alyssa reached out to touch her cheek. Sharie knew her aunt suddenly felt much better than she ever had in years.

"I will," Sharie vowed. "I swear it. But...I have to call Da. Neither he nor uncle Daryn have heard from me since I left, and I can bet you guess why."

"Team Rocket," all three answered.

****

"Well, I am just glad you are safe," said Donningan, when Sharie had finished telling him the story. She had even held up the now-sleeping Madhea for her father to see.

"I can tell how attached you have grown to her," said Donningan. "And I am happy she survived and is out of Team Rocket's hands. Please, stay safe, Sharie. You are all I have left. I don't want to lose you as well. If all else fails--come home. We'll find some way of protecting Madhea together. You have no idea how much I want to make up for the past."

Sharie smiled. "Don't worry, Da, I do have some idea. I will try my best to be fine. I will try to call once a month, at least. I just don't want to attract attention to myself right now. After I get stocked up and Madhea gets a thorough checkup, I am heading to Mt. Quena."

"That could take weeks--even months," her father warned her.

"I am prepared. Do not worry. I love you, Da."

"I love you to, Angel," he said softly, his own amethyst eyes shimmering. "Good luck. Know all my love goes with you--and Madhea, too."

Sharie smiled as she hung up the videophone.

"I am glad you are done," her Aunt Alyssa said from behind her. "There is someone....there is someone I must call myself."

Sharie nodded and quietly left the room. She did not hear her Aunt pick up the phone and dial a number.

"Hello, Daryn?" she said to her ex, who answered the phone.

"Alyssa?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes. Daryn....we need to talk."

****

A short while later, Sharie had not only stocked up on supplies, she had given Madhea a thorough physical.

Now she knew why Madhea was keeping the ghostly edge to her. It was a lasting sign of her frailty--for the infection had indeed done permanent damage.

To her immune system.

It could take her years to recover from it, or ages in a pokecenter for such regeneration therapy that might or might not work.

And, in the meantime, any flu or cold she caught, no matter how mild a strain, could easily turn severe.

And, though she was no longer really sick and could thrive otherwise, a part of her would always be frail unless something could be done. Sharie did not want anything to inhibit her potential.

Sharie knew that now she had all the more reason to visit Mt. Quena. The waters there could heal Madhea quickly, she hoped. Madhea would become as healthy and robust a child as she deserved to be.

Early the next morning, all three adults came to see Sharie off. Nurse Joy was holding her sleepy daughter, Anya, in one arm, while she waved good-bye to Sharie with the other.

Sharie waved goodbye once more before she turned and dissappeared back into the forest, this time in the direction of Mt. Quena. The journey would be long, and the challenges would probably not be easy, but all she had to do was look down at the sleeping Madhea and know that anything she did was worth it, if it would help her little companion and ensure her happiness. The sun rose brightly overhead, filtering down through the trees, and the scent of fresh lilacs was carried on the wind, bearing Sharie and Madhea onwards towards Mt. Quena.

End Chapter 2

Well....better, ne? Stay tuned for the next part, as Madhea gets older and they continue on their journey to find Mt. Quena and Mewtwo.