Disclaimer: NYMN. The rest you can figure out by reading the other
chapters first. Rated PG-13 for emotional trauma and probably language.
Shadowed Reflections chapter 8 By ZeoViolet
****
Mew looked up from setting the large table in the dining area when she sensed a hesistance behind her. She looked up and over her shoulder to see Sharie standing in the doorway, undecisively.
*Am I intruding?* she asked.
*Not at all,* answered Mew. *But I thought you'd be staying upstairs until all the babies were fed or something.*
*I'm not so daft I'd not be able to see that Ki and Mewtwo value the feeding times of their children as something private,* Sharie answered. *It is a common thing in new parents.*
Mew quizzically widened her blue eyes at Sharie as she floated in midair, forgetting what she was doing. *Did they kick you out? That does not sound like them....*
Sharie chuckled. *No. That was not on either of their minds. Such a thing would not have probably occured to them; however, I sometimes know these things. It's something....* Sharie considered it for a moment before continuing, *It's something that has the heart speaking, however silently, before the brain.*
Mew looked at her, puzzled. She cocked her head, thinking about it. *I suppose so. I did not give birth to Ki, so I could not breastfeed her. I more or less raised her, with limited help from others at the Psychic institute, of course. Our relationship is half sisterly, half motherly on my part, for lack of a better term. We've been best friends, except when she's been in danger--that's when my maternal instincts kick on full force.* She shrugged and went back to work.
Sharie walked towards the table. *Could you use a hand? I dislike standing idle.*
*You are a guest here; you do not have to,* protested Mew.
*I want to. I am not lazy by nature--at least, not usually.* A faint smile whispered across Sharie's pale face for a moment.
Mew did not miss the pallid color in her face. *If you went through as much hell the other day as Ki and Mewtwo say you did, then you should be resting anyway,* she chided gently.
*I am *fine*, Mew, honest,* Sharie was not about to admit her tiredness or the weakness still lingering in her stomach and behind her knees.
Mew chuckled, though she was still worried. *In your own quieter way, I can see you are even more stubborn than Ki and Mewtwo,* she observed. *And that is not something I'd ever thought to be saying to anybody else.*
Sharie smiled again, faintly, as she picked up some of the plates Mew reluctantly indicated. *I've had to be. One thing I dislike is people underestimating me because I am small, female, or both. Do not take it personally, it is a private pet peeve of mine and nothing more, and just my nature.*
From what Nurse Joy, and later Ki and Mewtwo had said about her, Mew was willing to bet it was a lot more than that, but she said nothing. Sharie was quiet by nature, and difficult to read, even when Mew looked into her eyes, which usuallytle more than reflect her own image back to Mew like a mirror and little else besides turbulence.
One thing had become appalingly evident to Mew quickly, though--although it was on a much quieter level than Ki or Mewtwo--Sharie possessed a stubborn streak stronger than even them, and was, to Mew, much more of a hinderance than a help to her personality. Along with it was a powerful undercurrent of independence. Sharie just did not stand for being told what to do against her will, and that was that.
*Oh, well,* Thought Mew. *At least these traits aren't based on haughty pride. That's something else she doesn't have.*
However, these traits in her were still so strong they could get her killed one day. Independence was a good thing, and stubbornness could be a help if it was controlled, but it was never a wise thing for one to go throught life with the notion that one must never accept help from others, or that she wasn't worth bothering with.
Did she really feel that way? Mew looked at Sharie again and decided that it must be true, as awful as the notion was. The world was full of cruel people, especially those that were different.
****
Breakfast was ready when Ki and Mewtwo came downstairs a short while later. Sharie looked up and smiled slightly to see them coming downstairs, almost regally and with grace. Their hands were clasped tenderly and Mewtwo's tail was curved gently around Ki's waist. The unspoken volumes of feeling that emanated from both were so strong that they almost seemed to glow with a life of their own.
With a start, Sharie recalled something she'd only faintly noticed days before as they were both lying unconscious. When she'd taken their pulses periodically, first one, then the other, she'd dimly noted that the pulse rates were, each and every time, the same, down to the exact beats per minute. She'd been too concerned over their conditions to pay any real attention to the significance of this, but watching them now, and sensing a faint pulse emanating from those powerful feeings surrounding them, Sharie wondered if this was still true. And if it was, the sudden meaning of it dawned clear in her mind, and privately, it made her smile.
To seperate them would emotionally kill both of them. Period. Love, between two such unique individuals, had formed a rare and poweful type of bond.
Sharie remembered such a bond between her parents, it was why after her mother dissappeared her father had never even looked at another woman again; it hurt too much. *Nobody* could replace his beloved Kuraiya.
Privately, she hoped this bond was not as star-crossed as the fate that befell her parents. It'd be too awful.
****
*It is all ready?* asked Mewtwo as he surveyed the table from a distance. *That was fast, Mew.*
*I tried,* said Mew with a smile. *Let's eat! I'm starving!*
Sharie smirked, hiding a smile behind her hand as she watched Mewtwo lead Ki over to the table. Fascinated, she watched him pull out a chair for his mate, and bade her sit. When she did, he pushed the chair back in, close to the table.
Not knowing if they had any particular customs with breakfast, Sharie waited until Ki had been seated. Mew took her place on a chair midway down the large table. Sharie took this as her cue, and placed her hands on her own chair.
*Wait.* She stopped in surprise, and looked up to see that Mewtwo had teleported in directly behind her--since when had her powers become so dim that she hadn't sensed that?
She let go of the chair, not knowing what he was up to.
Quietly, without a word, he pulled it out for her.
Sharie did not realize it, but her pallid face flushed. She could have.....
Mewtwo saw the utter shock in her eyes and interrupted her before she might say anything. *Sit.*
She blinked for a moment, and he softened his tone at once. *Please.*
The kindness behind the act, and the look in his eyes, told her this was not a battle of wills. Sharie swallowed silently, reminding herself of this. It was courtesy.
*Thank you,* she said, sitting down as he requested of her. She felt the chair slide in, close to the table but not enough so that she was squashed.
He smiled at her before vanishing, and reappearing in his own place. The smirk he gave her made her shake her head.
*I saw the protest rising in your eyes,* he said. *Here, it is standard we help each other out once in a blue moon.*
She took his silent challenge, answering pertly, *Then I will accept it once in a blue moon. However, be warned *I* dish it out more often than *that*. Tsk, tsk. Once in a blue moon....that's all?*
For a second, Mewtwo looked surprised and both Ki and Mew burst out laughing.
Sharie raised he eyebrows at him and smiled.
*Literalist, aren't you,* Mewtwo said, at a loss for any other words.
*Forget it, Mewtwo,* sqealed Mew. *She won that time. You're speechless.*
Mewtwo finally laughed himself. She'd turned his intentions around right back at him, the little sneak. He hadn't known that she was capeable of such humor.
*Really,* said Sharie, getting serious again. *I do appreciate your kindness, Mewtwo. Yours and Ki's. I know what my flaws are. I'm stubbornly independent, and that's the plain truth of it.*
*Yes, worse than Ki and Mewtwo, something I never thought I'd see,* piped up Mew, *But on a quieter level, too. Some of us are *mighty* thankful for that.* She raised her eyebrows and looked pointedly at Mewtwo.
*Ha, ha. Don't push it, Mew,* Mewtwo told her, eyes narrowing slightly.
Sharie shook her head, bemused.
****
*Vegetarian?* asked Mew, watching Sharie pass up things like sausage links and bacon, instead reaching for toast and hot cereal.
Sharie nodded her head, and accepted the orange juice Mewtwo handed her.
*Never thought I would get rid of that stuff,* he commented, watching her pour it. *You actually...*like* that concoction?*
She nodded. *If you dislike it so, why do you have it?*
*We all hate it,* muttered Ki. *But a couple of weeks ago, just a day or so before I had the babies...awful craving for it hit me. And lasted only one day.*
Sharie smiled to herself. *Wanted to get rid of it, hm? It's okay. I love orange juice.*
*After this, how about the dime tour?* suggested Ki. *I'd love to show you around.*
Sharie nodded, trying not to appear as secretly eager as she was. This beautiful place must hold more to it than the central chamber where they wer eating, and the nursury she'd seen earlier.
*Then that's settled. Hey--tell me you're going to eat more than *that*,* said Mewtwo, seeing Sharie put her toast down, half finished, and also finishing barely half her hot cereal. *Ki's eating habits are bad enough, and you need your strength after what your body's been through. Eat up.*
Sharie shook her head. *I eat any more right now my stomach is going to rebel in the worst way, and I doubt you want that. It's another side effect of the attack....it's totally drained my appetite.*
Mewtwo eyed her pale face, which had become steadily whiter as time went on. *You should still eat more. Get more fuel for your body to heal with.*
*It'll come up the same way it went down,* Sharie said stubbornly. *Trust me on that. I *cannot* right now.*
Mewtwo shook his head in defeat. *If you are sure, then.*
*Faced with the alternative, I sure am.*
****
*....And up here is the stadium,* said Ki as they approached a grand set of doors.
*A stadium? As in a pokemon battle arena?* Sharie could not believe the thoughts resounding in her head.
*Yes. It will be necessary once our children are older.* Mewtwo cut through the air with a swift motion of his hand. Obediently the doors began to open. *We cannot leave them undefended, unknowing of what they can do with their powers.*
*That is a wise decision,* Sharie admitted as the huge doors before her swung open on soundless hinges, opening into an area so dark she could not see.
Mewtwo's eyes glowed momentarily, and slowly, one by one, huge arena lights above them, lining the tops of high walls, burst into being with bright assaulting lights.
Sharie blinked at the sudden flood of light burning her eyes, and she shut them for a moment. When she did open them again, squinting, her heart fell to her stomach and lower.
*Oh, sweet mercy,* she whispered, awed.
WHAT a stadium! It was enormous! The playing field stretched out in front of them, making Sharie feel very small. The vastness around her was enough to take anyone's breath away.
*When you prepare for their future, you really *prepare*.* Sharie's mental voice was a low tone. *You really outdid yourself.*
*If it will help assure their safety in the long run,* answered Mewtwo, *then the stadium definetly stays up.*
He had turned away from her, saying this, and turned back just in time to see Sharie, quite suddenly and her face whiter than marble, sag down to the floor without so much as a sound.
****
Pain. Despair. Grief. An overwhelming desire for revenge. Etched around it all was an unimaginable horror.
It slammed into Sharie so suddenly that she was not prepared for it--who could have been? From the moment she'd stepped foot into the stadium she'd sensed whispers of unease, but what malicous force unleashed this nightmare on her she'd never know.
Her very senses burned with acute pain, and she lost all sense of feeling in her body. The room around her whirled, and she had the vague sensation of nothing supporting her.
Cold, icy cold raced up her spine and spread across her body, and left her shaking with more than just chills--it was also an uncurbed sense of horror.
White noise exploded in her ears and the world around her was reduced to fuzzy lines of faint color. She was only vaguely aware that her center of gravity was no longer at her feet.
*I will kill you. No reasons, no explanations. I will flat out murder you.*
*This is none of your business, whore! This is between me and him!!!*
*I will say this only one more time. Give me the girl.*
These and other faint echoes of....of voices, were they? resounded in her ears. She could not make most of them out, but a few, like these, she heard clearly, and there was a sense of animosity surrounding each one.
The horror and the pain, and a sinister sense of a desire for evil revenge....mercifully, the darkness swept over her, and a mere few seconds after it had first hit, Sharie dropped like a stone, senseless, to the floor.
****
*Gods!* Mewtwo caught Sharie just in time to keep her from hitting her head on the stone floor of the entryway, preventing serious injury. Quickly, he eased her fully to the ground as Ki came running up.
*Oh, no,* Ki said, frantically. *What happened, my love? She was fine just a moment ago....*
Quickly her hand reached out to take Sharie's, but then she dropped it again from shock. It was icy! Sharie was still trembling all over, though not as hard as before.
*I'm willing to bet her blood pressure just took a nosedive,* said Mewtwo. *Quickly, Angel, teleport to the spare bedroom and get a blanket. She might as well have been in a glacier, she's so cold.*
Frantic about the safety of her friend, Ki did as he asked of her. Teleporting, she was back in a matter of moments, a deep purple blanket in hand.
Quickly, Mewtwo helped spread this over Sharie's icy-cold, now still body.
*What...what just happened?* asked Ki, struggling to get her bearings.
*I do not know,* answered Mewtwo somberly. *She just dropped.*
*Did we push her too far?* asked Ki, worried. *I had no idea the events of the other day left her so weak.*
*Not even Sharie should have suffered that much damage,* he countered. *It looked like her powers went haywire. I knew she was sensetive; I had no idea she was *that* sensetive, and what she was reacting to is a mystery to me.*
Quickly Ki placed her fingers on Sharie's cold wrist, feeling for a pulse while watching Sharie's chest rise and fall, barely, but in a fast, shallow fashion.
When she found the pulse, it was weak, and thready. However, in a space of seconds, Ki could feel it slow down and take on a more stable beat.
*I think she's coming out of it,* said Ki, her mental voice a whisper. *At least, I hope so.*
****
She was.
Sharie came to a vague awareness of the psychic voices whispering around her, and that she was lying down. Feeling, rushing back into her brain from all the corners of her body, told her that something soft and warm was wrapped around her icy-cold skin, penetrating her glacier-numb limbs with a soothing heat.
Sharie's dark green eyes blinked open, hazily focusing on a pair of concerned identical ones as Ki knelt over her.
*Thank goodness,* she vaguely heard Ki say. *Sharie? Are you all right?*
Sharie turned her head sightly, fighting off a wave of dizziness that suddenly threatened to engulf her. "Ki? Wh-what happened?"
She'd rasped the words aloud; and Ki suddenly realized Sharie must be too disoriented to remember telepathy. She wasn't surprised at this; Sharie was not in the habit of speaking soley with her mind every day.
*You fainted.* Ki admitted. *You did not make a sound, you just dropped like a stone, and scared the hell out of us.*
"I....fainted?" Sharie's weak voice sounded incredulous. "I've never fainted before....not without a medical reason...."
Ki shrugged. *Well, you did. One minute you were fine and the next....you were on the floor.*
Sharie's brow furrowed, and Ki suddenly saw something flash behind them, a shadow of memory. She was very surprised when Sharie drew in a quick gasp....it sounded like fear or horror....and turned her head away.
*Sharie?*
Ki's hands were on her shoulders, and Sharie momentarily stiffened at the touch.
How could she not? She was bombareded by memories of what she'd sensed only minutes before. What the hell had that been? She'd entered the room and felt echoes of....of something, shades of whispers and emotions that should have been long gone but reverberated in the room as if they'd just been emitted or shouted. Above it all Sharie'd sensed a desire for revenge, and a burning anger and pain too awful and sorrowful to describe.
If this was what she thought it was, it was not the first time she'd ever felt such things in her life, psychic echoes left behind long after those who'd emitted them had gone on.
But where had these come from? Sharie knew this island, even though Mewtwo had said nothing explicitly. This was the island of his creation, the former New Island. Maybe what she'd felt was nothing more than that terrible day when Mewtwo had awoken and had been told he was little more than a science experiement, and the near-deadly scenes that followed. Yes, that had to be it. What else about him could have caused such deadly feelings?
Either way, she was not going to tell this to Mewtwo or Ki. Why dredge up the past? Sharie ignored the faint nagging in the back of her pounding head that there was a bit more to this than was her guess....if there was, maybe she did not want to know.
*I am....okay,* said Sharie quietly, managing to speak in telepathy again. She struggled to get up despite Ki's protests that she needed to rest. She weakly struggled against Mewtwo werapping the blanket firmly about her shoulders; the next thing she knew she was teleported to a couch down at the end of the main hall.
Her weak struggles ceased when Mewtwo pushed her down on the couch. RIght by it was a fireplace; Sharie saw his eyes glow momentarily and a second later, the logs within burst into flame.
He then turned to look back at Sharie, intent on asking her what had happened. He'd seen enough conflicting emotion in her eyes when she'd woken up to know she'd been bombarded by...something.
*You are all right?* he asked patiently.
*Yes. Thank you for catching me,* Sharie said quietly. She had no wish to divulge what she'd sensed; she clamped her mouth shut hard. No; it was best left unsaid. If what she'd felt had anything to do with their past-- most probably the horrors that once befell the old lab on New Island--it was better to not bring it up and hurt them further.
Mewtwo saw her mouth clamp shut and knew she'd somehow guessed what he had been about to say, and the subject was off-limits. However, in the shadows of her eyes he did get the faint sense of something--a hint of sympathy and understanding. Why? What had she seen? What had caused this? Did her powers border so on the edge of the space-time continuum?
He had a quick thought. Maybe her powers did, but surely she could not have seen...
No. It just wasn't possible. Sharie wasn't even really aware of....of that night. He recalled Ki having said something about nearly finding out the hard way the consequences of dark evil, ofrevenge and taking over the world....but not in those words and Sharie had never paid it much mind. If she knew of that barbaric night...no. She couldn't, and it was best left in the past.
The thought of how she'd react if she ever did find out was....extremely unpleasant, to say the least. She had absorbed and accepted a lot of truths concerning himself and Ki, more than most ever would, considering their relationship.
But knowing something like that night of horror, one he and Ki were so ashamed of.....if she knew, beyond what Ki had told her, that they had swam so freely in such evil as they did, her emotions to them would surely turn very ugly. Losing her friendship was not something they desired--they'd had enough pain with Maxi dying for them--and the consequences of it were tremendous. Mewtwo knew he could not erase her memory of them should it happen; he'd be forced to do something to silence her that he could not even bear thinking about.
No! It was too awful to comprehend, and he knew it must stay in the dark. Ki, he silently spoke to her, must not speak of it in any shades ever again, for all of their sakes.
****
Sharie stared off into space as her body warmed up, her eyes unseeing as she willed the images dancing before them to fade. She'd not speak of it, and they would disappear in time, she was sure. It'd happened before and she'd overcome it. Especially the time she'd felt Amber die in that car accident....
Amber.
Absently her hand went to her throat, and without thinking drew her locket out from where it had been hidden beneath her shirt. Her fingers found and clasped it; the reassuring and familiar shape of it seemed to ease her inner turbulence. When the more painful memories concerning Amber or other unhappy parts of her past--too many to count--surfaced, this was a good way to ease the pain.
Ki, staring out the window at the gathering clouds in the east, just barely noticed the gold flash out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head and saw Sharie toying with something around her neck Ki'd not noticed on her before.
*What is that?* she asked curiously. Sharie did not seem the type to indulge in jewelry.
Neither was Ki, but the silver locket around her own neck wasn't jewelry, it was a vital part of her.
Sharie blinked at the inquiry. The words had barely whispered across her brain, making her aware of how far gone her mind had taken her. She swiftly came to awareness.
*This?* her small hand stilled on the object that had flashed gold. *My locket. I always wear it.*
*Your locket?* Ki came over and sat down on the couch beside Sharie. Seeing her intents, Sharie sat up and tucked her small feet beneath her body to give her more room. *I never noticed you wearing it before.*
*I rarely wear it outside my clothing. Usually it's hidden underneath,* Sharie said slowly. *I've had it for almost as long as I can remember.*
Ki smiled in understanding. *It is a part of you, then?*
*Very much so. My mother gave it to me before she....* Sharie swallowed momentarily. Her fingers still gripped the locket so Ki could not clearly see it.
*I understand,* said Ki quietly, wishing her mother had left her something of such sentimental value, wishing she knew her mother at all, even for five minutes, a wish she'd never voiced aloud to even Mewtwo before. *Can I see it?*
Sharie hesistated a moment, and Ki understood that the locket was a rather private thing with Sharie, a very personal item. But a moment later her fingers twitched and unclasped from around the small, glittery item.
It was a gold locket, shining brightly and in the shape of a heart. The cover was a brilliant blue sapphire, burning even more deeply than the eyes of a Mew and set in a narrow edging of gold. Halfway in, there was another narrow edging of gold, and set within this was a pure amethyst- colored jewel which glittered as brightly. Both narrow gold edges surrounding each jewel were etched with tiny inscriptions, but they were so small Ki could not make them out.
*It is beautiful,* Ki had to admit, awed. Such a locket had to be priceless, at least in sentimental value. Her mother's love for her must have been great to give her such an item so full of meaning. The very design of the locket seemed to radiate a deeper meaning than simply a piece of jewelry. *What do those inscriptions say?*
*They are not in the human language. I know you can speak the ancient pokemon tongue, the one all pokemon are born knowing. But can you read it?*
*I have never seen it,* Ki admitted. Mew had never brought this up.....
*My mother could, and she taught me long ago. I don't understand how she knew the pokemon languages like I can do; Da said it was one of her special gifts. They are charms wishing me happiness and safety, and also say that I will always be watched over by those who care.* Sharie's eyes grew sad again, and she gripped the locket tightly. *That is why I value this above anything else I will ever own. Not only is it my mother's love, and that of her family I have never met, for she said they all contributed towards this locket in some way, it reminds me that there are indeed those out there that can care. The whole world is not as cruel as what I've seen, or what you and Mewtwo have seen.*
Ki's eyes shone brightly with her understanding. *That is a beautiful thought,* she agreed. Her hands slipped to the silver locket underneath her own shirt, and shd drew it out. *This was also given to me out of love, and it means more to me than anything. It is a vital part of me now, so I understand what you are saying completely.*
Sharie saw a flash of sliver hanging around Ki's neck suddenly, and Ki held up the locket so she could see what she wore.
It was a beautiful locket, held on a very delicate silver chain. It was also heartshaped, delicately wrought of pure silver. Etched into the cover was a beautiful flowery pattern.
*It is beautiful,* Sharie breathed. *Very beautiful.*
Like Ki, she sensed that there was more meaning within the locket than the giving of a trinket.
Ki opened the beautiful silver locket then, and Sharie was quite suddenly dazzled by the pure amethyst-colored jewel that shone brightly from within, for the light bounced off the highly reflective surface and right into her eyes, for it was easily as dazzling as the amethyst jewel on her own locket.
An even deeper meaning dawned onto her, along with a slightly amusing and sweet thought: If Ki wanted to look into Mewtwo's eyes and he wasn't around, all she had to do was open the locket and stare at that jewel. It was like staring into the same pair of eyes, for the life and warmth glowing from the inner depths was shockingly similar.
Ki saw the intensity of the emotions in Sharie's eyes and knew she understood.
Sharie smiled faintly. *My locket does not have any more jewels glowing inside,* she admitted. *Just pictures.*
*Pictures?* echoed Ki.
Sharie hesistated at the clasps. *I doubt if you want to look at pictures of my parents and my cousin Amber's family,* she said. *Da and Uncle Fuji caused Mewtwo enough pain.*
Ki looked surprised, then shrugged. *For better or worse, they are your family and I know you love them,* she said quietly. *I can hardly do antything about that.*
Sharie shrugged at this, but pulled open the clasps.
Ki was very surprised to learn that her locket was a double-sided one, opening on both sides and having one middle between them. Her locket was so slender and there appered to be no real hinges on it that it was not obvious.
The first picture was of a handsome man with features strongly evident in Sharie's face, only more masculine in tone. He had dark brown hair and light violet eyes. The woman beside him, a very beautiful creature....Ki could see a few hints of Sharie in this woman, mostly edged around the mouth and cheekbones, but the two dazzling features that were obvious were the woman's brilliantly glowing green eyes and the hair, a crowning glory of platinum-gold tight ringlets which Sharie had clearly inherited. She was als slender in stature, much the way Sharie was now. A very young Sharie, maybe two or three years old, sat between them, smiling at the camera.
The second picture was of a man and woman, Ki had seen both him and the first man in Mewtwo's memories. This was the infamous Dr. Fuji. In this picture he still had a full head of brown hair, not the premature white she'd seen in Mewtwo's mind, and a defined nose. The pretty woman with aquamarine hair had to have been his wife. The dazzlingly beautiful child sitting between them must have been the Amber Sharie had mentioned. The little girl looked very much like Sharie herself except for the aquamarine hair, and she looked more like her uncle Donningan than her own father.
Sharie opened the other side of the locket; the third picture was of herself and Amber, probably taken only a few years ago, for she looked only slightly younger in this picture. Amber, too, was older in this picture, and the wisdom in her eyes spoke of an intelligence well beyond her young years. Both girls were smiling and waving happily at the camera.
The fourth spot was blank.
*I've not had occassion yet to fill it,* Sharie said softly. *I wanted to place a picture of the Mews who often follow me in this last place, as a momento for all they have done for me. I know they'd love such an idea. But it'd place them in danger. Mews, especially wild Mews, must remain free. I could not go around with such evidence of their existence on my person. If people like Giovanni's brother, or heaven forbid, his *mother*, Madame Boss, ever found out--*
She did not continue.
*I know their reputation well,* she said instead. *The brother, because of you, Mewtwo, and what you did to Giovanni--he's afraid of Mews now and won't go after you himself. But the mother's a different story. She created Team Rocket, and the old bat is still an unyeilding cornerstone of the empire. Old as she is, she still controls her own wing of Rocket members. She's the true source of evil for that organization--all she did to Giovanni from the beginning was poison him with her malice and greed until he was just as heartless and cruel.*
Sharie turned and looked at Ki, her eyes piercing her friend's. *Rumor had it she was none to happy with what fate befell her elder son. Her younger son was not quite as affected by her poisonous nature so she considers him a weakling, but she herself is a dangerous adversary. I fear that she is capeable of plotting revenge against you both. I do not want that to happen.*
*Where does this creature live?* asked Mewtwo darkly from the shadows. Sharie started, for in her long conversation with Ki she'd forgotten he was there. *I can take care of her now and save us trouble later.*
*Nobody knows. She is not a public person, by far. Her favorite pokemon type is not the psychic type, but the newly-discovered Dark type. She is guarded by them. I don't suppose you've ever heard of it?*
*The dark-type? No,* said Ki.
*It is a new type in the pokemon world, recently discovered. Darks and part-darks are completely impervious to psychic attacks. They have no effect whatsoever. Any dark-type pokemon launched against you, Mewtwo, would give you a serious run for your money unless you know how to handle them, and exploit their weaknesses.*
Mewtwo looked slightly horrified. He, the most powerful pokemon ever created, suddenly had a weakness so severe that he could be defeated? How could he protect Ki and his children this way, if it was so easy to simply launch new, unheard-of pokemon at him?
*Do you know their weaknesses?* he asked in a low tone.
It was Ki now who shivered. A horrific image danced in front of her eyes-- her babies, her children, being trampled to death at the feet and fangs fo such beasts, for they could not protect themselves. Oh, gods! No!
This darkly horrific thought, though, was pierced by a spear of light--and relief--at Sharie's answer.
*Yes, although it depends highly on what dark pokemon is used.* Sharie noticed Ki's shivering and squeezed her hand hard reassuringly. *All but one currently known are of a dual-type nature, and it can make it harder or easier to exploit such weaknesses.*
*Would you be willing to teach this to myself and Ki?* Mewtwo asked seriously. *Can they be beaten off?*
Sharie did not even hesistate. An image not unlike the one Ki had imagined danced unplesantly before her own eyes. Mewtwo saw the shadows pass over the green depths and understood her thoughts.
*I will show you. Giovanni made a big mistake when training you by mostly training you in psychic moves. He did not feel that you needed to know anything else, since you were so powerful. He did not know of types like Dark, impossible for you to use psychic moves on, or Steel, which are strong against such moves also. Or Bug moves. Madame boss may know this and use it to her advantage is my fear.*
Sharie straightened up, shrugging the blanket from her now-warm shoulders. *Mews are capeable of learning about any move known. Even I, a psychic human, can duplicate certain electric moves, ghost moves, and others of types you would not consider a human able to do. A dark-types greatest weaknesses are fighting-type and bug-type moves.*
Sharie stared thoughtfully at her hands, remembering what powers, different in many ways, that had sprung almost literally from her fingertips. *Since most are dual-type, they may have additional weaknesses, but a couple have types that cancel out the original Dark weaknesses. Since you wish it, I will teach you what you must know, for the sake of your safety--and that of your children.*
She turned to them, and they were mildly surprised to see how intense the fire blazing in the heart of her unique green eyes was. *I swear to you here and now I will do my best to help you protect your family. It is only right. It's been a long time since I had such friends, and I cannot stand the thought of anything happening!*
A ragged sort of shudder passed through her slender body, radiating strongly enough for them to both inadvertently feel.
Unable to help herself, Ki reached out and hugged Sharie tightly. Sharie stiffened in utter surprise for a moment, then hugged back just as fiercely.
Mewtwo only stood aside, smiling.
Of course! With all of them, himself, Ki, Sharie and Mew, supporting each other--how could they lose?
****
A few minutes later, Mew came floating in, the end of her tail whipping nervously. She hated storms, even though she could drive one away under her own power if she wanted to. She tried to appear calm, but the end of her tail, snapping back and forth as it was doing, betrayed her unease.
*Did you look out the east window at those clouds?* she asked. *Those cloud columns are turning very dark. We are in for a severe storm.*
They glanced out the window at the gathering clouds. The last time Ki had looked, they had been far away and only slightly grey. Now they were a deadly shade of dark grey-black, and even from this distance she could see the lightning flashing omniously in them, highlighting the black and making it appear more sinister.
*I think,* she said unnecessarily, *That it is going to rain.*
Which later would prove to be quite the understatement.
****
Okay, that is it for chapter 8. Hooo, boy, are things going to happen during the following night, folks!!! Sharie's going to be in for one horrific ride, as a powerful psychic trance takes control of her and subjects her to a vision of horror that should not have been seen ever again. Muwhahaha.....
Shadowed Reflections chapter 8 By ZeoViolet
****
Mew looked up from setting the large table in the dining area when she sensed a hesistance behind her. She looked up and over her shoulder to see Sharie standing in the doorway, undecisively.
*Am I intruding?* she asked.
*Not at all,* answered Mew. *But I thought you'd be staying upstairs until all the babies were fed or something.*
*I'm not so daft I'd not be able to see that Ki and Mewtwo value the feeding times of their children as something private,* Sharie answered. *It is a common thing in new parents.*
Mew quizzically widened her blue eyes at Sharie as she floated in midair, forgetting what she was doing. *Did they kick you out? That does not sound like them....*
Sharie chuckled. *No. That was not on either of their minds. Such a thing would not have probably occured to them; however, I sometimes know these things. It's something....* Sharie considered it for a moment before continuing, *It's something that has the heart speaking, however silently, before the brain.*
Mew looked at her, puzzled. She cocked her head, thinking about it. *I suppose so. I did not give birth to Ki, so I could not breastfeed her. I more or less raised her, with limited help from others at the Psychic institute, of course. Our relationship is half sisterly, half motherly on my part, for lack of a better term. We've been best friends, except when she's been in danger--that's when my maternal instincts kick on full force.* She shrugged and went back to work.
Sharie walked towards the table. *Could you use a hand? I dislike standing idle.*
*You are a guest here; you do not have to,* protested Mew.
*I want to. I am not lazy by nature--at least, not usually.* A faint smile whispered across Sharie's pale face for a moment.
Mew did not miss the pallid color in her face. *If you went through as much hell the other day as Ki and Mewtwo say you did, then you should be resting anyway,* she chided gently.
*I am *fine*, Mew, honest,* Sharie was not about to admit her tiredness or the weakness still lingering in her stomach and behind her knees.
Mew chuckled, though she was still worried. *In your own quieter way, I can see you are even more stubborn than Ki and Mewtwo,* she observed. *And that is not something I'd ever thought to be saying to anybody else.*
Sharie smiled again, faintly, as she picked up some of the plates Mew reluctantly indicated. *I've had to be. One thing I dislike is people underestimating me because I am small, female, or both. Do not take it personally, it is a private pet peeve of mine and nothing more, and just my nature.*
From what Nurse Joy, and later Ki and Mewtwo had said about her, Mew was willing to bet it was a lot more than that, but she said nothing. Sharie was quiet by nature, and difficult to read, even when Mew looked into her eyes, which usuallytle more than reflect her own image back to Mew like a mirror and little else besides turbulence.
One thing had become appalingly evident to Mew quickly, though--although it was on a much quieter level than Ki or Mewtwo--Sharie possessed a stubborn streak stronger than even them, and was, to Mew, much more of a hinderance than a help to her personality. Along with it was a powerful undercurrent of independence. Sharie just did not stand for being told what to do against her will, and that was that.
*Oh, well,* Thought Mew. *At least these traits aren't based on haughty pride. That's something else she doesn't have.*
However, these traits in her were still so strong they could get her killed one day. Independence was a good thing, and stubbornness could be a help if it was controlled, but it was never a wise thing for one to go throught life with the notion that one must never accept help from others, or that she wasn't worth bothering with.
Did she really feel that way? Mew looked at Sharie again and decided that it must be true, as awful as the notion was. The world was full of cruel people, especially those that were different.
****
Breakfast was ready when Ki and Mewtwo came downstairs a short while later. Sharie looked up and smiled slightly to see them coming downstairs, almost regally and with grace. Their hands were clasped tenderly and Mewtwo's tail was curved gently around Ki's waist. The unspoken volumes of feeling that emanated from both were so strong that they almost seemed to glow with a life of their own.
With a start, Sharie recalled something she'd only faintly noticed days before as they were both lying unconscious. When she'd taken their pulses periodically, first one, then the other, she'd dimly noted that the pulse rates were, each and every time, the same, down to the exact beats per minute. She'd been too concerned over their conditions to pay any real attention to the significance of this, but watching them now, and sensing a faint pulse emanating from those powerful feeings surrounding them, Sharie wondered if this was still true. And if it was, the sudden meaning of it dawned clear in her mind, and privately, it made her smile.
To seperate them would emotionally kill both of them. Period. Love, between two such unique individuals, had formed a rare and poweful type of bond.
Sharie remembered such a bond between her parents, it was why after her mother dissappeared her father had never even looked at another woman again; it hurt too much. *Nobody* could replace his beloved Kuraiya.
Privately, she hoped this bond was not as star-crossed as the fate that befell her parents. It'd be too awful.
****
*It is all ready?* asked Mewtwo as he surveyed the table from a distance. *That was fast, Mew.*
*I tried,* said Mew with a smile. *Let's eat! I'm starving!*
Sharie smirked, hiding a smile behind her hand as she watched Mewtwo lead Ki over to the table. Fascinated, she watched him pull out a chair for his mate, and bade her sit. When she did, he pushed the chair back in, close to the table.
Not knowing if they had any particular customs with breakfast, Sharie waited until Ki had been seated. Mew took her place on a chair midway down the large table. Sharie took this as her cue, and placed her hands on her own chair.
*Wait.* She stopped in surprise, and looked up to see that Mewtwo had teleported in directly behind her--since when had her powers become so dim that she hadn't sensed that?
She let go of the chair, not knowing what he was up to.
Quietly, without a word, he pulled it out for her.
Sharie did not realize it, but her pallid face flushed. She could have.....
Mewtwo saw the utter shock in her eyes and interrupted her before she might say anything. *Sit.*
She blinked for a moment, and he softened his tone at once. *Please.*
The kindness behind the act, and the look in his eyes, told her this was not a battle of wills. Sharie swallowed silently, reminding herself of this. It was courtesy.
*Thank you,* she said, sitting down as he requested of her. She felt the chair slide in, close to the table but not enough so that she was squashed.
He smiled at her before vanishing, and reappearing in his own place. The smirk he gave her made her shake her head.
*I saw the protest rising in your eyes,* he said. *Here, it is standard we help each other out once in a blue moon.*
She took his silent challenge, answering pertly, *Then I will accept it once in a blue moon. However, be warned *I* dish it out more often than *that*. Tsk, tsk. Once in a blue moon....that's all?*
For a second, Mewtwo looked surprised and both Ki and Mew burst out laughing.
Sharie raised he eyebrows at him and smiled.
*Literalist, aren't you,* Mewtwo said, at a loss for any other words.
*Forget it, Mewtwo,* sqealed Mew. *She won that time. You're speechless.*
Mewtwo finally laughed himself. She'd turned his intentions around right back at him, the little sneak. He hadn't known that she was capeable of such humor.
*Really,* said Sharie, getting serious again. *I do appreciate your kindness, Mewtwo. Yours and Ki's. I know what my flaws are. I'm stubbornly independent, and that's the plain truth of it.*
*Yes, worse than Ki and Mewtwo, something I never thought I'd see,* piped up Mew, *But on a quieter level, too. Some of us are *mighty* thankful for that.* She raised her eyebrows and looked pointedly at Mewtwo.
*Ha, ha. Don't push it, Mew,* Mewtwo told her, eyes narrowing slightly.
Sharie shook her head, bemused.
****
*Vegetarian?* asked Mew, watching Sharie pass up things like sausage links and bacon, instead reaching for toast and hot cereal.
Sharie nodded her head, and accepted the orange juice Mewtwo handed her.
*Never thought I would get rid of that stuff,* he commented, watching her pour it. *You actually...*like* that concoction?*
She nodded. *If you dislike it so, why do you have it?*
*We all hate it,* muttered Ki. *But a couple of weeks ago, just a day or so before I had the babies...awful craving for it hit me. And lasted only one day.*
Sharie smiled to herself. *Wanted to get rid of it, hm? It's okay. I love orange juice.*
*After this, how about the dime tour?* suggested Ki. *I'd love to show you around.*
Sharie nodded, trying not to appear as secretly eager as she was. This beautiful place must hold more to it than the central chamber where they wer eating, and the nursury she'd seen earlier.
*Then that's settled. Hey--tell me you're going to eat more than *that*,* said Mewtwo, seeing Sharie put her toast down, half finished, and also finishing barely half her hot cereal. *Ki's eating habits are bad enough, and you need your strength after what your body's been through. Eat up.*
Sharie shook her head. *I eat any more right now my stomach is going to rebel in the worst way, and I doubt you want that. It's another side effect of the attack....it's totally drained my appetite.*
Mewtwo eyed her pale face, which had become steadily whiter as time went on. *You should still eat more. Get more fuel for your body to heal with.*
*It'll come up the same way it went down,* Sharie said stubbornly. *Trust me on that. I *cannot* right now.*
Mewtwo shook his head in defeat. *If you are sure, then.*
*Faced with the alternative, I sure am.*
****
*....And up here is the stadium,* said Ki as they approached a grand set of doors.
*A stadium? As in a pokemon battle arena?* Sharie could not believe the thoughts resounding in her head.
*Yes. It will be necessary once our children are older.* Mewtwo cut through the air with a swift motion of his hand. Obediently the doors began to open. *We cannot leave them undefended, unknowing of what they can do with their powers.*
*That is a wise decision,* Sharie admitted as the huge doors before her swung open on soundless hinges, opening into an area so dark she could not see.
Mewtwo's eyes glowed momentarily, and slowly, one by one, huge arena lights above them, lining the tops of high walls, burst into being with bright assaulting lights.
Sharie blinked at the sudden flood of light burning her eyes, and she shut them for a moment. When she did open them again, squinting, her heart fell to her stomach and lower.
*Oh, sweet mercy,* she whispered, awed.
WHAT a stadium! It was enormous! The playing field stretched out in front of them, making Sharie feel very small. The vastness around her was enough to take anyone's breath away.
*When you prepare for their future, you really *prepare*.* Sharie's mental voice was a low tone. *You really outdid yourself.*
*If it will help assure their safety in the long run,* answered Mewtwo, *then the stadium definetly stays up.*
He had turned away from her, saying this, and turned back just in time to see Sharie, quite suddenly and her face whiter than marble, sag down to the floor without so much as a sound.
****
Pain. Despair. Grief. An overwhelming desire for revenge. Etched around it all was an unimaginable horror.
It slammed into Sharie so suddenly that she was not prepared for it--who could have been? From the moment she'd stepped foot into the stadium she'd sensed whispers of unease, but what malicous force unleashed this nightmare on her she'd never know.
Her very senses burned with acute pain, and she lost all sense of feeling in her body. The room around her whirled, and she had the vague sensation of nothing supporting her.
Cold, icy cold raced up her spine and spread across her body, and left her shaking with more than just chills--it was also an uncurbed sense of horror.
White noise exploded in her ears and the world around her was reduced to fuzzy lines of faint color. She was only vaguely aware that her center of gravity was no longer at her feet.
*I will kill you. No reasons, no explanations. I will flat out murder you.*
*This is none of your business, whore! This is between me and him!!!*
*I will say this only one more time. Give me the girl.*
These and other faint echoes of....of voices, were they? resounded in her ears. She could not make most of them out, but a few, like these, she heard clearly, and there was a sense of animosity surrounding each one.
The horror and the pain, and a sinister sense of a desire for evil revenge....mercifully, the darkness swept over her, and a mere few seconds after it had first hit, Sharie dropped like a stone, senseless, to the floor.
****
*Gods!* Mewtwo caught Sharie just in time to keep her from hitting her head on the stone floor of the entryway, preventing serious injury. Quickly, he eased her fully to the ground as Ki came running up.
*Oh, no,* Ki said, frantically. *What happened, my love? She was fine just a moment ago....*
Quickly her hand reached out to take Sharie's, but then she dropped it again from shock. It was icy! Sharie was still trembling all over, though not as hard as before.
*I'm willing to bet her blood pressure just took a nosedive,* said Mewtwo. *Quickly, Angel, teleport to the spare bedroom and get a blanket. She might as well have been in a glacier, she's so cold.*
Frantic about the safety of her friend, Ki did as he asked of her. Teleporting, she was back in a matter of moments, a deep purple blanket in hand.
Quickly, Mewtwo helped spread this over Sharie's icy-cold, now still body.
*What...what just happened?* asked Ki, struggling to get her bearings.
*I do not know,* answered Mewtwo somberly. *She just dropped.*
*Did we push her too far?* asked Ki, worried. *I had no idea the events of the other day left her so weak.*
*Not even Sharie should have suffered that much damage,* he countered. *It looked like her powers went haywire. I knew she was sensetive; I had no idea she was *that* sensetive, and what she was reacting to is a mystery to me.*
Quickly Ki placed her fingers on Sharie's cold wrist, feeling for a pulse while watching Sharie's chest rise and fall, barely, but in a fast, shallow fashion.
When she found the pulse, it was weak, and thready. However, in a space of seconds, Ki could feel it slow down and take on a more stable beat.
*I think she's coming out of it,* said Ki, her mental voice a whisper. *At least, I hope so.*
****
She was.
Sharie came to a vague awareness of the psychic voices whispering around her, and that she was lying down. Feeling, rushing back into her brain from all the corners of her body, told her that something soft and warm was wrapped around her icy-cold skin, penetrating her glacier-numb limbs with a soothing heat.
Sharie's dark green eyes blinked open, hazily focusing on a pair of concerned identical ones as Ki knelt over her.
*Thank goodness,* she vaguely heard Ki say. *Sharie? Are you all right?*
Sharie turned her head sightly, fighting off a wave of dizziness that suddenly threatened to engulf her. "Ki? Wh-what happened?"
She'd rasped the words aloud; and Ki suddenly realized Sharie must be too disoriented to remember telepathy. She wasn't surprised at this; Sharie was not in the habit of speaking soley with her mind every day.
*You fainted.* Ki admitted. *You did not make a sound, you just dropped like a stone, and scared the hell out of us.*
"I....fainted?" Sharie's weak voice sounded incredulous. "I've never fainted before....not without a medical reason...."
Ki shrugged. *Well, you did. One minute you were fine and the next....you were on the floor.*
Sharie's brow furrowed, and Ki suddenly saw something flash behind them, a shadow of memory. She was very surprised when Sharie drew in a quick gasp....it sounded like fear or horror....and turned her head away.
*Sharie?*
Ki's hands were on her shoulders, and Sharie momentarily stiffened at the touch.
How could she not? She was bombareded by memories of what she'd sensed only minutes before. What the hell had that been? She'd entered the room and felt echoes of....of something, shades of whispers and emotions that should have been long gone but reverberated in the room as if they'd just been emitted or shouted. Above it all Sharie'd sensed a desire for revenge, and a burning anger and pain too awful and sorrowful to describe.
If this was what she thought it was, it was not the first time she'd ever felt such things in her life, psychic echoes left behind long after those who'd emitted them had gone on.
But where had these come from? Sharie knew this island, even though Mewtwo had said nothing explicitly. This was the island of his creation, the former New Island. Maybe what she'd felt was nothing more than that terrible day when Mewtwo had awoken and had been told he was little more than a science experiement, and the near-deadly scenes that followed. Yes, that had to be it. What else about him could have caused such deadly feelings?
Either way, she was not going to tell this to Mewtwo or Ki. Why dredge up the past? Sharie ignored the faint nagging in the back of her pounding head that there was a bit more to this than was her guess....if there was, maybe she did not want to know.
*I am....okay,* said Sharie quietly, managing to speak in telepathy again. She struggled to get up despite Ki's protests that she needed to rest. She weakly struggled against Mewtwo werapping the blanket firmly about her shoulders; the next thing she knew she was teleported to a couch down at the end of the main hall.
Her weak struggles ceased when Mewtwo pushed her down on the couch. RIght by it was a fireplace; Sharie saw his eyes glow momentarily and a second later, the logs within burst into flame.
He then turned to look back at Sharie, intent on asking her what had happened. He'd seen enough conflicting emotion in her eyes when she'd woken up to know she'd been bombarded by...something.
*You are all right?* he asked patiently.
*Yes. Thank you for catching me,* Sharie said quietly. She had no wish to divulge what she'd sensed; she clamped her mouth shut hard. No; it was best left unsaid. If what she'd felt had anything to do with their past-- most probably the horrors that once befell the old lab on New Island--it was better to not bring it up and hurt them further.
Mewtwo saw her mouth clamp shut and knew she'd somehow guessed what he had been about to say, and the subject was off-limits. However, in the shadows of her eyes he did get the faint sense of something--a hint of sympathy and understanding. Why? What had she seen? What had caused this? Did her powers border so on the edge of the space-time continuum?
He had a quick thought. Maybe her powers did, but surely she could not have seen...
No. It just wasn't possible. Sharie wasn't even really aware of....of that night. He recalled Ki having said something about nearly finding out the hard way the consequences of dark evil, ofrevenge and taking over the world....but not in those words and Sharie had never paid it much mind. If she knew of that barbaric night...no. She couldn't, and it was best left in the past.
The thought of how she'd react if she ever did find out was....extremely unpleasant, to say the least. She had absorbed and accepted a lot of truths concerning himself and Ki, more than most ever would, considering their relationship.
But knowing something like that night of horror, one he and Ki were so ashamed of.....if she knew, beyond what Ki had told her, that they had swam so freely in such evil as they did, her emotions to them would surely turn very ugly. Losing her friendship was not something they desired--they'd had enough pain with Maxi dying for them--and the consequences of it were tremendous. Mewtwo knew he could not erase her memory of them should it happen; he'd be forced to do something to silence her that he could not even bear thinking about.
No! It was too awful to comprehend, and he knew it must stay in the dark. Ki, he silently spoke to her, must not speak of it in any shades ever again, for all of their sakes.
****
Sharie stared off into space as her body warmed up, her eyes unseeing as she willed the images dancing before them to fade. She'd not speak of it, and they would disappear in time, she was sure. It'd happened before and she'd overcome it. Especially the time she'd felt Amber die in that car accident....
Amber.
Absently her hand went to her throat, and without thinking drew her locket out from where it had been hidden beneath her shirt. Her fingers found and clasped it; the reassuring and familiar shape of it seemed to ease her inner turbulence. When the more painful memories concerning Amber or other unhappy parts of her past--too many to count--surfaced, this was a good way to ease the pain.
Ki, staring out the window at the gathering clouds in the east, just barely noticed the gold flash out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head and saw Sharie toying with something around her neck Ki'd not noticed on her before.
*What is that?* she asked curiously. Sharie did not seem the type to indulge in jewelry.
Neither was Ki, but the silver locket around her own neck wasn't jewelry, it was a vital part of her.
Sharie blinked at the inquiry. The words had barely whispered across her brain, making her aware of how far gone her mind had taken her. She swiftly came to awareness.
*This?* her small hand stilled on the object that had flashed gold. *My locket. I always wear it.*
*Your locket?* Ki came over and sat down on the couch beside Sharie. Seeing her intents, Sharie sat up and tucked her small feet beneath her body to give her more room. *I never noticed you wearing it before.*
*I rarely wear it outside my clothing. Usually it's hidden underneath,* Sharie said slowly. *I've had it for almost as long as I can remember.*
Ki smiled in understanding. *It is a part of you, then?*
*Very much so. My mother gave it to me before she....* Sharie swallowed momentarily. Her fingers still gripped the locket so Ki could not clearly see it.
*I understand,* said Ki quietly, wishing her mother had left her something of such sentimental value, wishing she knew her mother at all, even for five minutes, a wish she'd never voiced aloud to even Mewtwo before. *Can I see it?*
Sharie hesistated a moment, and Ki understood that the locket was a rather private thing with Sharie, a very personal item. But a moment later her fingers twitched and unclasped from around the small, glittery item.
It was a gold locket, shining brightly and in the shape of a heart. The cover was a brilliant blue sapphire, burning even more deeply than the eyes of a Mew and set in a narrow edging of gold. Halfway in, there was another narrow edging of gold, and set within this was a pure amethyst- colored jewel which glittered as brightly. Both narrow gold edges surrounding each jewel were etched with tiny inscriptions, but they were so small Ki could not make them out.
*It is beautiful,* Ki had to admit, awed. Such a locket had to be priceless, at least in sentimental value. Her mother's love for her must have been great to give her such an item so full of meaning. The very design of the locket seemed to radiate a deeper meaning than simply a piece of jewelry. *What do those inscriptions say?*
*They are not in the human language. I know you can speak the ancient pokemon tongue, the one all pokemon are born knowing. But can you read it?*
*I have never seen it,* Ki admitted. Mew had never brought this up.....
*My mother could, and she taught me long ago. I don't understand how she knew the pokemon languages like I can do; Da said it was one of her special gifts. They are charms wishing me happiness and safety, and also say that I will always be watched over by those who care.* Sharie's eyes grew sad again, and she gripped the locket tightly. *That is why I value this above anything else I will ever own. Not only is it my mother's love, and that of her family I have never met, for she said they all contributed towards this locket in some way, it reminds me that there are indeed those out there that can care. The whole world is not as cruel as what I've seen, or what you and Mewtwo have seen.*
Ki's eyes shone brightly with her understanding. *That is a beautiful thought,* she agreed. Her hands slipped to the silver locket underneath her own shirt, and shd drew it out. *This was also given to me out of love, and it means more to me than anything. It is a vital part of me now, so I understand what you are saying completely.*
Sharie saw a flash of sliver hanging around Ki's neck suddenly, and Ki held up the locket so she could see what she wore.
It was a beautiful locket, held on a very delicate silver chain. It was also heartshaped, delicately wrought of pure silver. Etched into the cover was a beautiful flowery pattern.
*It is beautiful,* Sharie breathed. *Very beautiful.*
Like Ki, she sensed that there was more meaning within the locket than the giving of a trinket.
Ki opened the beautiful silver locket then, and Sharie was quite suddenly dazzled by the pure amethyst-colored jewel that shone brightly from within, for the light bounced off the highly reflective surface and right into her eyes, for it was easily as dazzling as the amethyst jewel on her own locket.
An even deeper meaning dawned onto her, along with a slightly amusing and sweet thought: If Ki wanted to look into Mewtwo's eyes and he wasn't around, all she had to do was open the locket and stare at that jewel. It was like staring into the same pair of eyes, for the life and warmth glowing from the inner depths was shockingly similar.
Ki saw the intensity of the emotions in Sharie's eyes and knew she understood.
Sharie smiled faintly. *My locket does not have any more jewels glowing inside,* she admitted. *Just pictures.*
*Pictures?* echoed Ki.
Sharie hesistated at the clasps. *I doubt if you want to look at pictures of my parents and my cousin Amber's family,* she said. *Da and Uncle Fuji caused Mewtwo enough pain.*
Ki looked surprised, then shrugged. *For better or worse, they are your family and I know you love them,* she said quietly. *I can hardly do antything about that.*
Sharie shrugged at this, but pulled open the clasps.
Ki was very surprised to learn that her locket was a double-sided one, opening on both sides and having one middle between them. Her locket was so slender and there appered to be no real hinges on it that it was not obvious.
The first picture was of a handsome man with features strongly evident in Sharie's face, only more masculine in tone. He had dark brown hair and light violet eyes. The woman beside him, a very beautiful creature....Ki could see a few hints of Sharie in this woman, mostly edged around the mouth and cheekbones, but the two dazzling features that were obvious were the woman's brilliantly glowing green eyes and the hair, a crowning glory of platinum-gold tight ringlets which Sharie had clearly inherited. She was als slender in stature, much the way Sharie was now. A very young Sharie, maybe two or three years old, sat between them, smiling at the camera.
The second picture was of a man and woman, Ki had seen both him and the first man in Mewtwo's memories. This was the infamous Dr. Fuji. In this picture he still had a full head of brown hair, not the premature white she'd seen in Mewtwo's mind, and a defined nose. The pretty woman with aquamarine hair had to have been his wife. The dazzlingly beautiful child sitting between them must have been the Amber Sharie had mentioned. The little girl looked very much like Sharie herself except for the aquamarine hair, and she looked more like her uncle Donningan than her own father.
Sharie opened the other side of the locket; the third picture was of herself and Amber, probably taken only a few years ago, for she looked only slightly younger in this picture. Amber, too, was older in this picture, and the wisdom in her eyes spoke of an intelligence well beyond her young years. Both girls were smiling and waving happily at the camera.
The fourth spot was blank.
*I've not had occassion yet to fill it,* Sharie said softly. *I wanted to place a picture of the Mews who often follow me in this last place, as a momento for all they have done for me. I know they'd love such an idea. But it'd place them in danger. Mews, especially wild Mews, must remain free. I could not go around with such evidence of their existence on my person. If people like Giovanni's brother, or heaven forbid, his *mother*, Madame Boss, ever found out--*
She did not continue.
*I know their reputation well,* she said instead. *The brother, because of you, Mewtwo, and what you did to Giovanni--he's afraid of Mews now and won't go after you himself. But the mother's a different story. She created Team Rocket, and the old bat is still an unyeilding cornerstone of the empire. Old as she is, she still controls her own wing of Rocket members. She's the true source of evil for that organization--all she did to Giovanni from the beginning was poison him with her malice and greed until he was just as heartless and cruel.*
Sharie turned and looked at Ki, her eyes piercing her friend's. *Rumor had it she was none to happy with what fate befell her elder son. Her younger son was not quite as affected by her poisonous nature so she considers him a weakling, but she herself is a dangerous adversary. I fear that she is capeable of plotting revenge against you both. I do not want that to happen.*
*Where does this creature live?* asked Mewtwo darkly from the shadows. Sharie started, for in her long conversation with Ki she'd forgotten he was there. *I can take care of her now and save us trouble later.*
*Nobody knows. She is not a public person, by far. Her favorite pokemon type is not the psychic type, but the newly-discovered Dark type. She is guarded by them. I don't suppose you've ever heard of it?*
*The dark-type? No,* said Ki.
*It is a new type in the pokemon world, recently discovered. Darks and part-darks are completely impervious to psychic attacks. They have no effect whatsoever. Any dark-type pokemon launched against you, Mewtwo, would give you a serious run for your money unless you know how to handle them, and exploit their weaknesses.*
Mewtwo looked slightly horrified. He, the most powerful pokemon ever created, suddenly had a weakness so severe that he could be defeated? How could he protect Ki and his children this way, if it was so easy to simply launch new, unheard-of pokemon at him?
*Do you know their weaknesses?* he asked in a low tone.
It was Ki now who shivered. A horrific image danced in front of her eyes-- her babies, her children, being trampled to death at the feet and fangs fo such beasts, for they could not protect themselves. Oh, gods! No!
This darkly horrific thought, though, was pierced by a spear of light--and relief--at Sharie's answer.
*Yes, although it depends highly on what dark pokemon is used.* Sharie noticed Ki's shivering and squeezed her hand hard reassuringly. *All but one currently known are of a dual-type nature, and it can make it harder or easier to exploit such weaknesses.*
*Would you be willing to teach this to myself and Ki?* Mewtwo asked seriously. *Can they be beaten off?*
Sharie did not even hesistate. An image not unlike the one Ki had imagined danced unplesantly before her own eyes. Mewtwo saw the shadows pass over the green depths and understood her thoughts.
*I will show you. Giovanni made a big mistake when training you by mostly training you in psychic moves. He did not feel that you needed to know anything else, since you were so powerful. He did not know of types like Dark, impossible for you to use psychic moves on, or Steel, which are strong against such moves also. Or Bug moves. Madame boss may know this and use it to her advantage is my fear.*
Sharie straightened up, shrugging the blanket from her now-warm shoulders. *Mews are capeable of learning about any move known. Even I, a psychic human, can duplicate certain electric moves, ghost moves, and others of types you would not consider a human able to do. A dark-types greatest weaknesses are fighting-type and bug-type moves.*
Sharie stared thoughtfully at her hands, remembering what powers, different in many ways, that had sprung almost literally from her fingertips. *Since most are dual-type, they may have additional weaknesses, but a couple have types that cancel out the original Dark weaknesses. Since you wish it, I will teach you what you must know, for the sake of your safety--and that of your children.*
She turned to them, and they were mildly surprised to see how intense the fire blazing in the heart of her unique green eyes was. *I swear to you here and now I will do my best to help you protect your family. It is only right. It's been a long time since I had such friends, and I cannot stand the thought of anything happening!*
A ragged sort of shudder passed through her slender body, radiating strongly enough for them to both inadvertently feel.
Unable to help herself, Ki reached out and hugged Sharie tightly. Sharie stiffened in utter surprise for a moment, then hugged back just as fiercely.
Mewtwo only stood aside, smiling.
Of course! With all of them, himself, Ki, Sharie and Mew, supporting each other--how could they lose?
****
A few minutes later, Mew came floating in, the end of her tail whipping nervously. She hated storms, even though she could drive one away under her own power if she wanted to. She tried to appear calm, but the end of her tail, snapping back and forth as it was doing, betrayed her unease.
*Did you look out the east window at those clouds?* she asked. *Those cloud columns are turning very dark. We are in for a severe storm.*
They glanced out the window at the gathering clouds. The last time Ki had looked, they had been far away and only slightly grey. Now they were a deadly shade of dark grey-black, and even from this distance she could see the lightning flashing omniously in them, highlighting the black and making it appear more sinister.
*I think,* she said unnecessarily, *That it is going to rain.*
Which later would prove to be quite the understatement.
****
Okay, that is it for chapter 8. Hooo, boy, are things going to happen during the following night, folks!!! Sharie's going to be in for one horrific ride, as a powerful psychic trance takes control of her and subjects her to a vision of horror that should not have been seen ever again. Muwhahaha.....