Chapter 2

This is it, she thought to herself. Vesta was exhausted, she could feel herself slowing down, could hear Team Rocket crashing through the bushes behind her, and as far as she could tell, she was still in the middle of nowhere. The last few embers of her unwanted power flickered out, the warmth of them abandoning her, and the unforgiving cold of winter setting in. Tears welled in her eyes as hopelessness stabbed her heart, I'm sorry…it was all for nothing, Vesta stumbled her last few steps gasping for breath, never feeling like she was getting enough air; her legs buckled and she began to fall to the ground.

Before she actually face-planted in the snow however, something came rushing at her—low to the ground—from the corner of her vision and caught her; a cloaked figure. The Grim Reaper, Vesta thought darkly to herself. After breaking her fall, the figure did not stop in it's movements and continued to glide low to the ground, using the low bushes for cover—carrying Vesta with it—and shot up a pine tree.

Now, despite her exhaustion, she fought with everything she had to stay awake, What just happened? She felt a hand over her mouth so of course her first instinct was to try and struggle out of it.

"Shh!" the cloaked figure hissed—it really did sound more like a hiss than a shush. Vesta stilled. She found it unnerving that she didn't get a good look at who or what had just caught her, and she couldn't see it now with the way it was holding her. But judging by the feel of the large hand covering her mouth, it was definitely not human.

Vesta still hadn't caught her breath and was forced to breathe heavily through her nose, and as the cold continued to bite at her body, she began to tremble. Other than that, she could do no more than watch through the protective screen of branches and needles sheltering her and her assumed rescuer as Team Rocket caught up to the area where she nearly fell. They were far enough away that she dared to hope they couldn't hear her breathing.

"Where is she?" one admin demanded as he approached the area. He was obviously the one in command, and judging from the scowl on his face, he was about to blow his top. That gave Vesta some relief; they did not see her get swept away. But that did not mean the cloaked figure wasn't a threat to her either, she shuddered at the thought.

"Sir, we've lost the trail," a grunt answered meekly, "it just ends right here."

"A trail like that doesn't 'just end'," the admin retorts, "she can't have just disappeared." He turns to the rest of the group, "Spread out! Find the trail! Quickly!"

Vesta whimpered as she felt the cloaked figure tense and was reprimanded with another, more quiet, hissing 'shush'. Her body was quaking at this point, and she couldn't tell anymore if it was from fear, or from the freezing chill sinking into her body.


Team Rocket was getting closer, they hadn't found the trail, but Mewtwo was certain that if they paused for two seconds to cease the crunching of snow under their feet, they would surely hear the girl's laboured breathing. Her body was shaking relentlessly, full of a fear so potent, Mewtwo knew it wouldn't be long before one of the Houndours or even Ratattas would pick it up.

Mewtwo held his gaze on one grunt as he stopped in front of the tree to look around, they were only just above his eye level. Mewtwo felt the girl freeze in his arms and heard her hold her breath; he snuck a glance at her and noticed the terror in her eyes as she looked down at the grunt. Mewtwo began to slowly, painstakingly, peel himself away from her, ready to transform into a Gallade and fight their way out when, in the distance, police sirens could be heard, and they were approaching fast!

Shouts and curses could be heard as the commanding admin flew into a violent rage when he realized they were out of time to find and capture the girl. But they regrouped fast, and by the time the police arrived in the forest, Team Rocket had disappeared.

"We need to find out where that light came from!" Officer Jenny called out to the policemen, "We must make sure that this isn't Team Rocket activity, and we must find the suspects!"

"Yes ma'am!" The policemen said in unison.

There was a howl from Jenny's Growlithe as it found the trail Team Rocket left in the snow from their retreat, "That way!" Jenny ordered, "Take the lead Growlithe!"

The Growlithe nodded and sped off into the forest, in the opposite direction of the pine tree, leading the Cerulean Police Force with it.

Mewtwo, let out that breath he was holding, and felt the girl's body relax, and return to trembling, as she did the same. Loosening his grip on her, he felt her move her head to look up at his face, and he looked down to meet her eyes. She held his gaze, but her mind didn't seem to be registering what her eyes were seeing. The girl was still breathing heavily from her endeavor, and managed a few more deep breaths through her mouth, before her head lolled back as the exhaustion finally took her and she passed out in Mewtwo's arms.

Then, Mewtwo realized, he had real reason to worry, the girl's body was still shivering, and he could easily deduce now that it was not from fear. Quickly, he removed his cloak and wrapped it around her body in attempt to preserve what little warmth remained. Then, holding her tightly in his arms, he flew out of the tree and sped in the direction of his cabin.