Chapter 10

"So what do you think happened?" Nana asked.

"For the last time," Lucas snapped. "I don't know. No one is saying anything, and Sensei never taught me to read minds."

"But do you think he's alright?" Popo said with a slow, sad voice. It was odd to hear such a whimper coming out of the usually chipper Eskimo. With how moody the blonde youth had been lately, he always kept himself between his two friends, a constant buffer between Nana and Lucas.

"Shut up," Lucas shouted. "Sensei is strong, he's the strongest there is. He's going to get better, and he's going to kill the bastards that hurt him." Lucas took several heavy steps forward, which managed to ease his temper however slightly. "Aren't you hot in those?" he asked.

Nana and Popo looked down at their parkas in their usual creepy unison. "Not really," the one in purple said. "Its weird, we don't even get tired carrying these gigantic mallets around. They have to weigh as much as we do."

"Its just everyone has been acting weird," Nana continued. "You don't think someone did something, do you?"

"Didn't I tell you to shut up," Lucas snapped.

"Don't talk to her like that," Popo shouted, shoving his fellow youth. Not to be trifled with, Lucas pushed Popo right back. Only he didn't know his own strength, and the Eskimo boy toppled over. He stumbled to his feet and tackled Lucas, but Lucas pushed him back. Nana screamed, trying to pull the blonde youth away, but Lucas shoved her back and continued slapping open hands across Popo's face. Thankfully, he didn't utilize any of his powers, so no serious harm was inflicted save a bloodied nose and pink skin.

"Stop, both of you." Nana wasn't sure where Meta Knight came from, but she was sure thankful he was here. He managed to pull Popo and Lucas away, then keep them both back, standing between them and holding them at arm's length. "Friends do not fight, and you two are friends, so stop fighting, or you will fight me."

"Sorry Mr. Knight," they said in unison.

"Now what is this about?" he asked.

"Its just," Nana started. "How come children have to tell adults everything, but adults don't have to tell children anything? We all know something is really bad. Princess Zelda is mad at Link. Peach won't stop baking. R.O.B. hasn't stopped cleaning the floors for three days. Mr. Kong won't come down from his tree house. Something bad happened, and no one wants to talk about it."

"Calm yourself, child."

"What happened to Sensei?" Lucas demanded.

"Mewtwo?" Meta Knight asked. "He was harmed in an accident. That is all."
"What kind of accident?" Lucas asked.

"A bad accident."

"Why is everyone blaming Link?" Lucas continued.

"Link did something stupid, as adults often do. But they are wrong to blame him. Link has a pure heart. He would never have harmed Mewtwo?"

Lucas and Popo exchanged nervous glances.

"Come along children, I will take you back to the mansion. Mewtwo's room is not locked. You can visit him if you like."

"No," Lucas said quickly. "I don't want to see him."

Meta Knight nodded. "I understand child, come along."

Lucas walked first, with Meta Knight only slightly behind him. Nana helped Popo up, and he took a few moments to dust off his parka and wipe his bloodied nose with a mitted hand.

"What do you think Mr. Knight looks like under all that armor?" Nana whispered.

"Like Kirby, only blue," Popo explained.

"No way."

"Its true, I walked in on him once in the bathroom. I thought it was Kirby, and he had just taken a really cold shower. But then he spoke with that accent and I knew it was Mr. Knight."

"Children," Meta Knight said.

"Then he said if I ever told anyone, he put me up against Giga Bowser," Popo whimpered.

--

Curled into a fetal position, floating slightly above the mattresses' soft embrace, covers still caught on the friction of his fur, Mewtwo woke. With consciousness came the pain that had been kept at bay by the veil of dream. His unconscious concentration broken, he fell out of the air and crashed onto the mattress. His two hundred and sixty pound girth smashed through the mattress, the metal bed frame whining and hissing as it collapsed.

"Owe," he muttered, trying to push himself up with his left arm, but a sharp pain surged up the limb and he collapsed.

"I broke my arm once," said Wolf, who sitting a few feet away, casually enjoying the scene. "Your mind thinks your arm is working, so you'll keep trying to use it to right yourself, and to reach for stuff, and to punch people."

Mewtwo's vision was blurred, but somehow he managed to make out the grey lupine, and more importantly, the impish, yellow and black mouse that was sleeping in his lap.

"How long have I been out?" he asked. "And did anything probe me in that time?"

"Well, Mew has been watching over you like a tiny, super powerful, super pissed off kitten, so I think you're fine in the probing area, unless she was the one doing it."

"Where is she?" Mewtwo asked.

"She's been here for the past week. I finally convinced her to go take a nap. I gave her my room. Course, seeing as you and she share a common psychic link, there is a good chance she will be busting through the door any second now."

The door to the room exploded forward, the frame imploding, shards of splinters dropping into the air, a huge chunk of the wood smashing into the farthest wall. "Mewtwo!" Mew screamed, careening into her larger counterpart, the force knocking him out of the air and onto his back. He let out another scream of pain, prompting Mew to slither away from him. By now, Pichu had woken up, and seeing Mewtwo awake, leapt upon him, again causing a surge of pain to rupture through his withered body.

Mew took Pichu around the waist and pulled him away, allowing Mewtwo to slowly, painfully, sit up. Mew's eyes glowed she gathered the broken and bent pieces of the bed frame and reassembled them. Last, she lifted Mewtwo off the ground and placed him on the bed.

"Wolf, do you think you could leave us alone, I would like to talk to Mew," Mewtwo asked. Mew handed Pichu to him. Wolf held the electric mouse at arm's length, examining him. He snorted his annoyance before walking out, Pichu held over his shoulder. Pichu waved goodbye as he was carried out.

"Did you have a nice sleep?" Mew asked, floating at his side, big blue eyes staring gently.

"No," he growled. Mewtwo lifted a glowing hand to his forehead, easing his head back.

"You had the dream again?" she sighed. "The one about Amber? Forgetting something doesn't change that it happened, and you can't remove it completely, that's why it keep coming back."

"What keeps coming back?" he asked. "I can't remember what we were talking about?"

"Nothing," Mew purred, laying down on his abdomen. It was slightly painful, ribs must have been broken, but Mewtwo swallowed his pain and moved his arm to stroke Mew's head. He had slept enough for a lifetime, and was content to stay there, with Mew close.