Hello readers! So sorry this one took me so long! I wanted to wrap up Mewtwo's backstory so that I could continue with the main story! As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and I look forward to reading the reviews!


Chapter 19

Three and a half years ago (4 months before Genesect)

Please, Mew thought, tears in her eyes as she sped over the forest towards the western area of Unova, Please still be alive…

Under normal circumstances, when problems occur in a region, only the legendaries native to that region are permitted to interfere if they deem it necessary. However, because Mewtwo was still a wandering legendary, not anchored to a particular region—not to mention, also Mew's brother—Mew gained Arceus' approval for her to take part in the search for Mewtwo.

Legendaries all over the world were also searching their respective regions, in case Team Plasma had branches outside Unova. Mewtwo may not have been a favourite among most legendaries, but they all understood the gravity of a situation where a pokemon as powerful as he ends up in the hands of criminals such as Team Plasma.

Mew had contacted the former king of Team Plasma—now branded a traitor by them—N, and demanded to know where all the Plasma bases were. When he heard that Mewtwo was captured, he was more than willing to give Mew all the information he had.

There are only three bases left, Mew thought despairingly, Please, please

"Mew!" A voice sounded behind her.

"Victini!" Mew slowed down in her flight to let the pixie-like pokemon catch up, and Meloetta was with him, "Any luck in your area?"

Victini's shoulders drooped sadly, "No, I'm sorry Mew. There was nothing in Undella Bay." Of all the areas mapped where a known Team Plasma base was located, there were also a number of empty spaces, so while Mew tore the known bases apart in search of her brother, the local Unova legendaries made in-depth searches of the unknown areas; Victini and Meloetta in the east, Kyurem, Zekrom and Reshiram in the north, Cobalion and Terrakion in the central area, Thundurus, Tornadus and Landorus in the west, and Keldeo and Verizion in the south. Keldeo… poor Keldeo, Mew thought to herself, He's taking this harder than most. After the horrible first impression between Mewtwo and Arceus, Mewtwo had left the Sinnoh region on a sour note. Keldeo, currently training to be a Sword of Justice, suggested the Unova region to him next, hoping it would lift his spirits. He really looks up to Mewtwo too…

Breaking from her thoughts, "Don't be sorry, Victini," Mew reassured him, "It's a good thing that there weren't any extra bases in your area. There were a few in the north and south that N had no knowledge of so I was going into those ones blind, or wasting time I might not even have, to assess the danger."

"Time you might not even have…" Meloetta echoed. Seemingly hesitant, she looked up at Mew, "Mew, neither you nor Arceus really told us what they wanted with Mewtwo. If they were trying to force Mewtwo to fight for them, he would never give in, and even they would know that… Y-you don't think they just decided to clone him do you?"

No, Mew never did tell any of the legendaries, excluding Arceus, what Team Plasma intended, it was too personal, and not her story to tell; the point was that Mewtwo was currently their prisoner and he had to be found, that was the only thing they had to concern themselves with. But what Meloetta was thinking, that was also one of Mew's worst fears of her brother's fate. "All the more reason to keep searching…" was all she said before turning away and continuing west.

The tears began to fall freely from Mew's eyes as her body trembled in anger and fear. How could she have bee so stupid! So blind! Mewtwo had gone from the rational thinker she knew him to be, to being a love struck and happy fool! And it happened so quickly that it made Mew's head spin, but she was so happy for her brother, to finally see him smile so care-freely that she didn't even think to see if Naiya was actually using him! The first day Mew met Naiya, Mew was so trusting of Naiya and sure of herself—

That gave Mew pause, I trusted her right away. I wasn't even suspicious! Even though she knew the picture now, frowning, Mew began to put a few more puzzle pieces together, But wait…I was! The suspicion just wasn't in me any more. Naiya was shy. Naiya was suspicious…of me! Fur bristling, Mew clenched her tiny fist and snarled through her teeth, 'Water Nymph' my tail! That damned SIREN! She played us both for fools! Mew yowled out in frustration for about the thousandth time in the past two months.

"MEW!"

Mew froze. It was Arceus, he was hovering next to her, the afternoon sun reflecting brilliantly off the golden extrusions at his abdomen. She turned to him and began her hasty report so she could quickly continue searching, "Only three bases left, nothing in Undella Bay—"

"That is not why I am here Mew, I already heard all that from Victini," Arceus cut her off, "He seemed overly concerned about you during his report, so I thought it about time for me to check on you. And I must say, I have never seen you in such a state."

Mew's head and tail drooped and she sniffled as shame came over her. She's supposed to hold up this perfect and "regal" image as a legendary, but here she was, looking no better than a Glameow dragged backwards by it's tail through a Rattata's warren. "Arceus…I can't lose him…" she said quietly. Arceus was about to speak but Mew hastily continued, "I know I might already be too late! I know that! I don't need to hear it over and over again! But I will not just abandon the search for him and leave his body to be further defiled by Team Plasma! Nor will I allow an innocent kitten to suffer the same fate!"

Arceus stayed silent staring at Mew, She cares greatly about this clone…she would not if he did not have a true soul… It made Arceus begin to question his initial assumption about Mewtwo. When he first met Mewtwo, he could sense something different about him, and finding out about him being a human creation made Arceus feel insulted, and hearing about New Island sealed his belief that man-made pokemon were soulless creatures. But now… he wasn't so sure.

"Only three left?" Arceus asked.

Mew nodded and pointed to the west, "Yes, there's one just a mile over—"

BOOM!

Mew and Arceus both watched in astonishment and horror when an explosion came from the very direction Mew was pointing, raising now from the forest in an ever-growing mushroom cloud. In that same instant Mew felt a very strong and very familiar psychic presence in her senses; one that gave her both relief…and despair.

No, I'm too late, Mew thought as she shot through the air towards the destruction.

Arceus followed silently; Mew had thrown caution to the wind, so now was the worst time to leave her on her own, even if her "brother" had now somehow escaped without aid.

Arceus set down next to Mew amidst the flames and destruction of a small ruined building—undoubtedly, there was much more to the base underground, as they were in a shallow crater that resulted from a collapse of the structure below. Mew was calling out to him psychically, turning her head left and right as Mewtwo's psychic signature seemed to be flitting all over the place. Arceus immediately turned on the spot, on the defensive, as a blur shot by his peripheral vision, followed by a strong gust of wind.

"That was him!" Mew exclaimed.

"I barely saw that." Arceus said, "Is he normally this fast?"

Mew was silent for a moment, confused, "No, he's not."

Suddenly the blur showed up again and stopped in front of Arceus and Mew, it's back turned to them. It was definitely Mewtwo, the psychic signature was the same, but the body was very different; he was shorter and smaller, his two necks had merged into one, there was a strange growth reaching from one ear, around the head, and to the other ear, but that wasn't the strangest part, Mewtwo's tail was gone, and instead, there was a long purple appendage having grown from the back of his head and curling at the tip.

"Mew," Arceus whispered to her, "Astonishing as it is that Mewtwo has achieved Mega Evolution, I do not think she is in control."

She? Mew thought. She shook her head, that wasn't important at the moment. Right now, even though Mewtwo was now out of Team Plasma's clutches, she still needed help.

"Mewtwo?" Mew said quietly, so as not to startle her. Mewtwo slowly began to turn towards Mew, "Can you hear me?"

Arceus knew however that while Mewtwo heard Mew's voice, the words were not registering in her mind. The look in Mewtwo's eyes spoke volumes, rage and hatred, but having lost it's meaning, it's target, it's origin, just pure aggression, ready to lash out at anything. Arceus had assumed before that when humans created a pokemon, they could not give it it's own true soul, and he did not realize until this very moment that Mewtwo did in fact have a true soul, because right now, it was not present.


Three and a half years ago (4 months before Genesect)

Anything that moved was an enemy. Why would a friend be in a place like this, unless they themselves were an enemy? The red haze in Mewtwo's vision blocked out the faces, and muffled the voices, the screams.

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, yet happening so fast at the same time. But that didn't matter to Mewtwo as she flew around the remains of the Team Plasma base, blasting though walls, and floors, finally reaching the surface, and searching for any who were unfortunate enough to escape the destruction, and a rapid end. She would make sure nothing, and no one remained as evidence of what has transpired here.

Mewtwo paused in her flight, she could sense two others having just approached the base, and they were standing right behind her. She heard a voice come from one of them, and turned slowly. Mewtwo immediately decided they must be dealt with quickly. One enemy was small, and the other was large. Attack the small one first, it would be a nuisance to Mewtwo while she was fighting the large one, which must be finished off quickly.

Mewtwo began to charge her powers, and saw as the small opponent stiffened, a feeling of helplessness coming from it, Good, Mewtwo thought, then shot towards it, too fast for either enemy to react, knocking the small enemy to the side and immediately turning to the large enemy, preparing to unleash all the charged power on it.

The large one turned out to be a Dark type, so when Mewtwo launched the bolt of Psychic energy at it, it did nothing. That infuriated Mewtwo, she turned to the wreckage, picked up a large slab of metal, and turned back to the large enemy, preparing to launch it.

But something held her back; something was pulling against her on the metal. The small onea psychic, Mewtwo turned once again to the small opponent—which was hovering in the air just a few yards away—and launched a bolt of psychic energy at it. It couldn't block the bolt and effectively stop the metal at the same time, but it stubbornly and foolishly refused to drop it's hold on the metal slab, and took the full force of the bolt, effectively blowing it out of the wreckage of what was left of the Team Plasma base.

Mewtwo felt the other force on the metal release it's grip and turned to the large enemy once more. But it seemed to have gotten all the time it needed. The large enemy had reared up on it's hind legs and suddenly slammed it's front hooves into the ground with a shout, "PEACE!"

Mewtwo felt herself get blown backwards, and landed hard on the ground just outside the wreckage, and right next to the small ene— Wait…Mew!? she suddenly thought.

The red haze of anger had blown away from Mewtwo's field of vision, like dust from a powerful fan, and with it, Mewtwo felt her body transform back into her regular form, with the weight on the back of her head gone, and her tail back where it belongs. Mewtwo lied on the ground next to her sister. Suddenly realizing it was her that she was attacking, regret stabbed at her heart.

"Mew," Mewtwo forced out, shifting closer to her, "Wake up… please." She placed a hand on Mew's tiny body, trying to rouse her.

"Hhnn?" Mew moaned as she slowly blinked open her eyes; she tried to sit up but gasped in pain and relaxed again, "Gosh that smarts. When did you get so powerful?" she huffs at Mewtwo.

Mewtwo breathed a sigh of relief. Then her memories came back to her, and tears began to well in her eyes, tears of both anger and grief.

"Mewtwo?" Mew asked, concerned. Mewtwo started forcing herself to her feet, and picked Mew up, gingerly cradling her in her arms, "H-hey, what's wrong?"

"Naiya," Mewtwo seethed through her teeth, "My tears…her grief…her curse…she's still alive."

A voice interrupted them, "How are you able to hold in so much rage?"

Mewtwo looked up and realised her other opponent had been Arceus, the only regret she felt towards attacking him was that none of the attacks really landed, due to temporarily becoming a Dark type to evade Mewtwo's psychic attacks.

"Thought you got rid of it all, did you?" Mewtwo spat at him, "One mighty roar from your righteous self?"

Arceus did not physically react, but nor did he seem to be able to form a response. Mewtwo snorted resentfully before stalking forward, passing Arceus, and back towards the burning wreckage of what was left of the Team Plasma base.

"Where are you going?" Arceus asked looking back at Mewtwo, "There's nothing left for you there."

"Naiya is still alive, I do not want her curse for a moment longer," Mewtwo replied over her shoulder, before suddenly turning to face Arceus again, "Strange isn't it? How if…the Naiya that I knew was real…and if I knew she was an empath then…I would've bore her pain willingly, if only to spare her some of the agony that she has suffered repeatedly!"

Mew's eyes widened at that confession as she looked up at Mewtwo, and her heart broke for her. She lifted out of Mewtwo's arms and levitated in front of her face, "Mewtwo—"

"What does it matter though?" Mewtwo cut her off and turned away, "Any time her curse came up, it was probably the punishment for disobedient grunts. I need to find her," Mewtwo finished as she began to scan the wreckage.

Mew turned to Arceus questioningly, and he shook his head in response before walking past Mewtwo, seeming to know exactly where he was going. Mewtwo realized this and followed Arceus before they stopped on a large concrete slab lying flat on the ground.

Mewtwo could sense as Arceus began to use his powers to lift something buried from deep underground. She knew what it was before it reached the earth's surface, Naiya. Mewtwo watched silently as Naiya's body phased effortlessly past the concrete and rested on the surface. Mewtwo slowly kneeled down and gently lifted Naiya with one arm under her shoulders. One of her legs was twisted at an odd angle, there was a puncture wound piercing through her left side, her chest was caved in and the plate on it had broken and was now lopped to one side, dangling horrifically by the skin—Mewtwo forced down the bile that had begun to rise in her throat. Looking at her arms, Mewtwo noticed they were all but destroyed, most likely in the instinctive attempt to protect her face, which had a few scratches, but was otherwise unscathed.

She's dead…just as I said she'd be if… Mewtwo couldn't bear finishing that thought. Looking at her face, the minor scrape wounds on her cheeks, Mewtwo felt as the last of her anger melted away, only to be replaced with confusion, Why do I still feel her grief?

"The tears you shed are not hers, Mewtwo…" Arceus said quietly, sensing Mewtwo's confusion.

"Just what are you insinuating?" Mewtwo hissed through her teeth, not taking her eyes off Naiya, "That I actually gave a damn for someone so loyal to Team Plasma?" Loyal to a fault… she thought miserably, Such is a Gardevoir's nature.

"Mewtwo—" Arceus started, but Mewtwo had suddenly vanished, teleporting away, taking Naiya's body with him.


"I buried her back in Lostlorn, in the area where…" Mewtwo couldn't finish that sentence; he was having a hard enough time keeping it together as it is. The weight on his shoulders was crushing him and constricting around his throat.

"Where your den was…" Misty finished quietly.

Mewtwo tried then to divert the subject, "Arceus himself, does not know where Mega Evolution came from, but he is able to craft the stones which assist in controlling them. And over time, I did learn to keep control," he said, thinking about the two stones now sitting in a box merely collecting dust on the dresser.

Unfortunately Misty noticed the attempted dodge, "Mewtwo—"

"As you well know, I was rather cold to Ash during the Genesect event. Naiya's betrayal made me question even the closest friendships I had, and so I rejected everything and everyone I once knew. If it weren't for Ash, restoring my faith later on, I do not know where I'd be right now." Mewtwo then decided it was time to wrap up the story quickly before he collapsed under the weight on his shoulders, "Arceus was right, I was mourning for her, I was mourning for Gardevoir, not Naiya. But that's it. That's the story. I was six years old and…s-so naïve."

"Mewtwo…it wasn't your fault…" Misty said quietly.

He did not expect that. Mewtwo tensed, and looked sharply up at Misty. He couldn't help but scowl at what she said, "Wasn't my fault? How can you say that! What kind of person kills others because of a mere insult? Unless they themselves were a monster."

Misty flinched, before stubbornly returning his gaze, "You…are not…a monster."

"Aren't I?" He asked desperately, "I could've used that newfound power to simply escape! To flee! Instead I attacked them, out of anger and revenge once again!I destroyed an entire building, killing everyone in it, out of spite once again!" Mewtwo exclaimed, growing frustrated. His vision blurring, Mewtwo felt his eyes fill with tears and it took everything he had in him to not let them fall, "Only a monster would kill someone they used to love, and I did just that, I made the decision! I killed her! I killed"

Mewtwo's breath caught in his throat. He never said that out loud before, he always held back that one truth, because he knew what would happen if he let that slip. Now, after three years of holding back, he could no longer.

As the first tear began to fall, Mewtwo stood to make a hasty retreat, but Misty seemed to expect this. She was already in front of him, blocking his path, urging him to sit back down. He had no more strength to resist, the crushing weight on his shoulders was too much, and he slumped back down on the couch, his tail trailing limply off the couch and wrapping around his feet.

Misty stayed standing in front of him, and he felt her arms wrap around him in an embrace; one hand rubbing his back and the other up by the back of his head, stroking the top of his secondary neck in a soothing manner. As Mewtwo's breath grew increasingly shaky, and his tears began to fall relentlessly, Misty did not make any attempt at any soothing shushing noises; to her, Mewtwo was finally letting out what he had bottled up for so long, and Misty had no intention to stop him, to help him dam up these tears again.

Eventually, when Mewtwo began to relax, Misty finally convinced him to lie down on the couch, rather than let him retreat into his room. Misty didn't want him to be alone right now; she even pulled out the foot-rests of the couch so he could curl up comfortably.

When Mewtwo finally seemed to be falling asleep, Misty stood to head for the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee, but not before Mewtwo spoke up once more.

"How did I come to be so pathetic…?" he asked tiredly. That startled Misty, and she couldn't think of any way to respond, so Mewtwo clarified, "You know of what I did while I was in Team Rocket, the crimes I committed—poaching, torture, murder, to traitorous grunts, spies, scientists, and innocent people and pokemon—all without shedding a tear for them even now. So why now? And why for her?"

Because you loved her, Misty thought, too choked up to voice it.

"I loved a lie," Mewtwo responded, "A beautiful, beautiful lie…"

Misty reached down to stroke Mewtwo's cheek as he closed his eyes, and he seemed to finally drift off to sleep. Then she straightened and headed to the kitchen.


Mew was sitting on the kitchen counter next to the coffee pot, just out of sight of the two conversing in the living room, and staring sadly at the cupboards on the opposite wall. She heard Mewtwo's outburst, then listened as he cried—which was heart wrenching for her—and finally sighed in relief as he calmed down.

She looked up as Misty entered the kitchen. She was too tired to notice Mew's presence, but somehow, Misty still reached out to stroke Mew's ears absentmindedly as she approached the coffee pot.

Mew rolled her eyes. No way in hell was she letting Misty stay awake any longer; if her math was right, Misty had been up for almost 27 hours. Mew watched as Misty filled the coffee brewer with water and coffee grounds, then subtly teleported the grounds back into the container and the water down the drain.

When Misty hit the start button, a look of confusion crossed her face when nothing happened, only intensifying when she examined the brewer to find it empty of the water and grounds that she just put in. Then she jumped, covering her mouth to stifle a shriek when she finally realized Mew was sitting right next to the brewer. Mew rolled her eyes again.

"How long have you been sitting there?" Misty whispered in shock.

In answer Mew looked sadly towards the living room.

"Long enough," Misty translated, following Mew's gaze, her eyes beginning to shimmer, "In his ten years, he's experienced too much pain for a lifetime…"

Mew found herself agreeing with Misty; regardless of which lifetime she was referring to, it was too much in too short of a time, and no one, no matter how long they could live, deserved that.

Mew looked back at Misty and began to gesture towards one of the spare bedrooms. "But someone's gotta stay awake," Misty protested, "to keep an eye out for intruders; Team Rocket is undoubtedly still looking for Vesta."

Mew put her paws on her hips and gave Misty a mixed look of annoyance and exasperation. Am I invisible to her? she thought.

Misty got the message, "Fiiiiiinne," she yawned, "you win."

After escorting Misty to the bedroom across from Mewtwo's, Mew floated into the living room to find her brother gazing at her blearily through squinted eyes, "Thank you, Mew," he said as she set down by his head, "I didn't think I could convince her."

"And now it's your turn," Mew said, purring gently, as she began to lick Mewtwo's forehead in long soothing strokes, "You're gonna have a busy day with the Council tomorrow. You need your rest."

Mewtwo's eyes slowly blinked closed as he let Mew's purrs lull him to sleep; an ever-so-soft one starting in his chest in response to hers. Mew listened for his breathing to slow and become even as he finally fell asleep, "Baby steps, little brother," she whispered to him, before looking out the window to watch as the sun began to rise.