Watcher of Arceus - Path of the Immortal

by The Shadow Master of Weapons

Watchers, the direct descendants of Arceus herself, sets of twins born with her power. Born in pairs, these twins were meant to bridge the gap that had come between humans and pokémon, one a gifted human, born beside a pokémon. Inseparable immortal twins, the godchildren wandered the world. But now, a single pair remains. Full summary inside. Reboot of Watcher of Arceus.

17. Chapter 17 : Domain of the God Children

Watcher of Arceus

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. Only the idea and OC's.

Author Notes:

-X-This will be used for scene breaks and for when the story switches to another character, but it does not mean that a new section of the story has started.

~xXx~ This will identify where each paragraph breaks.

"Human Speech" 'Character Thought' {Pokémon Speech}

Co-author: Catsithx

The following is a total and complete Reboot of the story "Watcher of Arceus".

~xXx~

Chapter 17 : Domain of the God Children

The hike continued at a rapid pace, both Radara and Thomas on a mission to figure out what was going on. They knew of a few highly secluded places that belonged to the legendaries and the watchers in or on the mountain as they traveled but from the few images that they had seen, they couldn't tell which place it was.

Vague maps, poorly written notes, and erosion of the mountain through time, centuries since either had been through this pass or mountain personally made things worse still as they moved. Their memories were always reliable, but for now there just wasn't enough to go on and the sheer confusion that surrounded everything made it even worse in their hurry.

They had only slowed down because of Sarah right now, who was having trouble keeping up as they made the trek on long forgotten trails that the modern world had no use for. It was still a hassle even without her tagging along though as Thomas used his blade for the mundane task of cutting away the worst of any underbrush blocking their path as they walked along an old stone path, about half way up a cliff face on either side of a valley just following the river as best they could at the moment.

Thomas just sighed a bit, hating how he couldn't place the temple based on the images that had been shown to them. Radara had tried to assure him that it wasn't his memory, she couldn't place the temple on pure looks either. She was about to reassure him again, only for Thomas to scream out first, his yell mixed with the sounds of crumbling stone, snapping branches and more. Thomas's foot had gone clean through the branches he was standing on and fell with a mighty thud, smashing his head hard on a large displaced root that had flown up from the snapped branch.

It quickly worsened as the blow disoriented Thomas and he stumbled back right into the growing cracks of broken stone and then down he went when a large part of the path way just gave way taking him with it.

The fall was hard, brutal even as Thomas tumbled down. The initial hit to his head that had made him stumble from the start of the fall alone was bad enough, but now in free fall collapsing through old and nearly rotted logs and fallen trees between the two stone faces, it was just a disaster for him. Worse still, the hit to his head had jarred him enough to break his concentration, and in his current state, not fully evolved, he couldn't save himself with his own abilities as he fell.

In the heat of the moment, Radara could only do so much herself, as Thomas just basically vanished because of the same head injury, Sarah screaming out as Radara rushed ahead, looking for anything she could to find a proper vantage point, barely able to use her connection to her brother to do anything she could to try and slow his fall.

Branches and trees broke and slowed Thomas's fall, but not without cost as he cried out loudly in pain, with little breath to scream before finally landing down at the bottom of the easy hundred foot fall. What should have been a hard landing though was surprisingly soft, the water of the river that flowed through the valley rushed up and just caught him, a perfect cushion that stopped his fall entirely without hurting him.

Still entirely out of it, he didn't even realize that he was instinctively using the move recover now, but to a much greater effect that he should have been able to, his abilities boosted by some unknown force. His entire body gave off a soft glow, dozens of open cuts quickly closing and healing over partially, enough to no longer bleed if still showing bruises and more as the water carried him over the stairs directly in front of the massive stone structure that was there.

A small group of onlookers down the river could only stare though, having heard the shouting and more and rushed up as close as they could without trying to be discovered though. A few workers who had been taking a break just looked on in confusion, but it was clear that the onlookers were there for a purpose, and now having seen Thomas just land there and get caught by the water was something of utter confusion of them. Whoever was in charge quickly made it a point to start putting on some kind of strange head gear though, and then just as quickly trying to make a call to someone as he started to push everyone back and away from the site and down past the bend in the river so that they were all out of view.

It took Thomas a few to recover, barely looking up and seeing a symbol of his past cast in gold and emerald above him. At first he though he was suffering some kind of delusion, he barely remembered the fall, but knew something horrible had happened as he tried to get thoughts together.

The water helped him sit up, and it took him a moment to look down, and see the water around him, slowly realizing that the water here was blessed in the same way that it was around many coastal sanctuaries. The waters would help work help and protect him, just barely able to see a golden glow around it. It took him a few to focus, but as he regained his proper vision once more, he could see through the clear waters and saw a few crystals in the water woven into the stone work of whatever structure he was on.

He couldn't be sure of anything right now though, and could only think that this was perhaps some kind of strange dream, because he never recalled his place, doubly so as he quickly looked back up and sure enough the golden cross that was made in the image of the rings of Arcues above him.

"What is this place?" He asked, slowly trying to stand, still heavily sore. The water helped him a bit, or at least to get up the stone stairs towards a broken stone pillar that looked like it might have held some kind of railing or something.

He looked around slowly, but his confusion only grew. He knew this type of stone work before him, a curly gentle twist of turns and waves, a seemingly endless single piece of stone as though it was carved out of the cliff face, with no sign of bricks, just a gentle hand having sculpted the stone. The endless written characters on the walls, and the giant golden cross icon above the massive wooden doors that still looked solid with its own intricate metal work like a web over the door, still polished and shiny despite clear signs of age around the valley.

Thomas knew every technique that was used to make this part of the structure before him, a few more crystals lighting up now, formerly hidden behind vines that now just fell away to the ground revealing more and more of the structure built into the cliff. This was a structure of the legendaries, built by their will for their purposes, no doubt for the god-children, and yet...

"What is this place..." Thomas repeated his question, more firmly, louder even. He could instinctively recall every sanctuary that he had been to, every last home of the legendaries themselves, all of their temples and holy sites throughout all of Japan, for he had been to every one and even a few outside of Japan, and such things as this were always just part of who the god-children were, even more then they were guardians who took up the name of watchers.

This temple however, covered in the ancient written dialect that belonged to the god-children, was a mystery to Thomas. He was sure that he was still in Japan, he had to be. The last things that he recalled after all were walking, in Johto... His head still hurt as confusion wracked his mind from the pain and the fall, from having hit his head, but slowly he was recovering.

Thinking it over for a moment, he quickly reassured himself that he was in Johto, and then it clicked, he remembered why he was up there. He had found images in a museum or rather someone found them in a museum and forced them into his face which started this whole hunt in the first place. That's why he was there, and then suddenly.

"R-Radara!" Thomas screamed out, remembering that he was missing something important, the fall and hit to his head had clearly done a number on him.

"Radara! Are you there!" He shouted out, thinking that he was too out of it to try and use his abilities, not that he didn't try anyway. As he closed his eyes and concentrated properly though, it was as though the world was with him, he felt clarity and it was though someone was guiding his thoughts and power to help him. He quickly felt Radara's panic above him, and just homed in on it all.

"Radara, I'm fine... Well... a lot better then I should be, given that fall. The waters of a temple caught me." Thomas said softly, thinking the words and speaking him as was natural for the most part, and sure enough Radara responded quickly.

'Thomas, are sure you're alright... how are you speaking so clearly to me, your still too young for this... wait temple? You found it?' Radara's showed she was confused as he was as he looked up, barely able to see some kind of movement well above him by the side of the cliff.

Thomas quickly checked his belt, his backpack just gone, having been torn off and now hanging the trees above him and as he started for his belt, he let out another major panicked yell. "NO NO NO!" He shouted, multiple pokeballs missing from his belt, only Radara's and Juno's there, the other four gone. Rushing to the water's edge again, his fears were all put to rest as the water gave for a small spout, four freshly cleaned pokeballs there, the four he was missing as he took them all and quickly put them back on his belt.

'Thomas are alright?' Radara demanded, having heard his yell, and quickly speaking up.

"Yeah... I'm fine. The fall dislodged most of my pokeballs, but the waters here saved them. I have everyone else with me." Thomas stated, still a bit panicked but recovering as he looked around bit more. Checking them all, he found Juno's and called her out, but the temple acted on instinct now before Thomas had any chance to react.

The stone work went dark, and even before she had materialized fully, her mind was overcome with fear. Her eyes were darting around and she was shaking, instantly backing up and giving a loud whine. She was fearful of the water and yet this stone work was worse. Already seeing that something was wrong though, Thomas instantly called her back and held the still enlarged pokeball to his chest. "Shh... shh, calm down, I won't do that again." He quickly stated, hoping he could calm her from outside the pokeball, feeling her fear, his own abilities still boosted a bit allowing him to do so.

"Damnit... Well there is no doubt, this is the place now, but that reaction." Thomas said, slowly turning back towards the temple entrance again. Moving up slowly towards the open door, he could just barely see inside, a few glow sticks there, and a dead flashlight or two, that were just kind of throw into the place. They were all dead though, and no other light came from the inside of the temple hiding its secrets well still.

Reaching down for another pokeball, and double checking it just to be entirely sure he knew who it, he called out a different pokemon. There was no reaction this time and as Suicune materialized before Thomas, the temple was still and calm.

"I found it..." Thomas said softly looking over the stone walls, before looking up. "And this place will not allow others to enter without permission. We'd have to find the heart of the temple and then allow anyone else invite with a blessing. I don't recognize this place at all though, I've never been here."

"Nor have I..." Suicune stated, her voice calm and soft, feminine and yet fully vocal, the crystals of the temple giving her perfect speech in all tongues, surprising them both.

"Wow, that was cl-... wait you've never been here? I thought you knew every temple in Johto?" Thomas asked before turning around and looking up.

"Not this one. This is the world's mother's personal touch, her power flows through this stone, but this was all done by her power." Suicune stated before looking around. "Where is Radara?"

"Up... up there somewhere." Thomas said, pointing up now as he looked up, seeing movement in a few places before looking down the water. As if it read his mind it rapidly rose and took the form of a bridge, heading down the river at its base a bit leading towards an old stonework path at its side. A few more crystals that had also been hidden away beneath vines and more lit up, shedding their plant coverings and marking the true entrance of the temple, where guests would have to wait.

Walking forwards slowly with Suicune at his side, Thomas just looked up slowly once more at he approached the watery bridge. He started walking towards it and the water gave another small spout, once again offering his blade to him, this time Thomas taking it as he walked and stepped onto the water. Like all blessed water, it barely sunk under his foot before becoming solid and serving as a proper path. "Radara, this temple reacted violently when I tried to call out Juno to help, but myself and Suicune are fine. We'll have to find a way to invite the others in before anyone else can enter this sacred place. Have you found a way down yet?"

'No, there is nothing I can do up from here. I have my hands full enough with Sarah, trying to keep her calm. I will need help getting down.' Radara quickly responded, still up top with Sarah and trying to keep her form panicking.

Thomas nodded a bit, looking up slowly when he heard another branch snap. His bag was falling now and Thomas rushed to the side of the bridge as it fell, but the water seemed to sense his intentions, catching it for him, and moving it to his side. Thomas breathed a small sigh of relief at first, only to quickly have sigh turn sour and to annoyance. His pack was damaged, multiple tears over it and two pockets were flat out useless, their contents lost having been torn open and just spilled out into the river, no doubt during his fall.

Looking it over further, the bag was just a lost cause in total seeing how many other tears were there. A few pockets might still work, but the rest wouldn't and when they finally gave out, the bag was just spill out and over fill entirely from everything he had it, no doubt fully destroying the bag and several items with it.

Carefully holding it now, he walked down the bridge with Suicune at his side, before reaching the stone path once more, and the carefully set his bag down. Reaching over and taking a deep breath, he held Juno's pokeball again. "Do you feel anything... is it really safe to release them here?" He asked Suicune who looked back to the temple and then gave a nod.

Taking the chance and releasing Juno, she was jumpy once more as soon as she was let out, but Juno quickly recovered, having started to look around in terror and then just collapsing, letting herself fall flat and catch her own breath. She quickly looked up to Thomas with a worried look.

'That was not pleasant... why was I attacked by the temple? I thought I was allowed entry to all of them with the blessings of Ho-oh.' Juno asked quickly or rather thought very quickly Thomas still boosted in his abilities able to pick up those words she meant to speak.

"This temple is different, even Suicune has never here. It will have a temple heart, but without sharing its unique blessing, all will be denied if they do not have our blood. It probably didn't help that I just sorta... fell onto the front door." Thomas explained, but seeing that Juno was fine now, Thomas released Mewtwo.

As he materialized, he looked around, only to see that many were missing. 'Where are the others?' Mewtwo asked, only to quickly find them as he looked up, sensing them. Acting even before asking, Mewtwo merely raised up one hand, and in a flash of light, Sarah and Radara were both down ground beside them.

"What the, how? Oh nevermind! Thomas are you alright?" Sarah quickly asked, rushing up to him and looking him over, seeing the dozens of bruises that he had, and even some blood but no cuts.

"I'll manage. It could have been a lot worse." Thomas said, looking over himself some, and seeing just how lucky he was to have come out without any major injuries.

"Look, Thomas we need to go. You have to go get checked out. You're still limping, there's no telling if you have a concussion, and there's no way that you can't be hurt at all, look at all that blood, you had to have bled somewhere!" Sarah half screamed, just unable to believe that Thomas was okay. "I'm sorry that you may not be able to find answers right now, but just think about it. Your just lucky that fall wasn't fatal."

"I'm fine Sarah... or I will be." Thomas said, just trying to reassure her, before looking back to the temple and then wondering how he was going to close the door properly on it. He would have to get inside, but that would take some time now. "Radara... you okay?" Thomas asked moving over and just taking a seat on a over turned log as an improvised seat for a moment.

'Dont ever worry me like that again. And just think about Rebecca while you're at it, when she sees you like this, you'll give her a heart attack!' Radara snapped at him, moving up and carefully leaning into his lap, standing on her hind legs and carefully lifting herself up to gently lick at his cheek, cleaning up a bit of blood and checked over his face for other injuries. 'The temple here saved you... if this had happened anywhere else, I'd be alone in this world now... and... and...'

"And our time would come to an end, I know." Thomas spoke very softly as he leaned down, just speaking freely, still too out of it to think fully clearly. Still, he just readily let Radara almost jump into his side, gently rubbing the side of her head to calm her down.

"Thomas... you're worrying me. Please, we need to go get you checked out." Sarah half begged a bit now, only for Suicune to move up and put her ribbon on Sarah's shoulders, lightly nuzzling her side.

'So... this is the temple that we seek... It is large, and something prevents me from feeling things here properly. The water, it defies me.' Mewtwo spoke up now, at first looking over the temple site, and then down the river. 'There are hundreds of these crystals here, if not thousands.'

"Thousands?" Thomas asked quickly looking up to Mewtwo.

'I can make out nearly a hundred just on the face of the temple, and twice that many in the river. I believe you said that temples like this contain more crystals then the sanctuaries, then it would stand to reason that there are far more crystals inside, not even including the crystal that held your image.' Mewtwo continued, starting to move forwards.

"NO! No, don't do that. I tried to let Juno out over there and the temple attacked her immediately." Thomas stated very quickly, not even caring that Sarah was there, just worried about Mewtwo, who still slowly approached and the temple's stonework went dark once more and even Mewtwo cringed a bit, taking a step back.

'That was powerful... This place was clearly only meant for your kind god-child. Your kind and your elder brothers and sisters.' Mewtwo started, this time by accident also sharing his words with Sarah.

"God-child? Elder brothers and sisters? Thomas, what is going on? No, look, we have to go, you're hurt, your hallucinating or something... I have to be hallucinating to something myself now even!" Sarah quickly stated.

'Shall I wipe her mind of this event and replace it with something more fitting of your desires for these events?' Mewtwo just bluntly asked, no longer hiding his words at all now.

"Wipe my mind? What are, Thoams he can't do that right. You wouldn't let him do anything to me, you said he was okay be around." Sarah quickly asked, taking a step back at first, only to move closer to Thomas and try and take his arm. "Look, just come on, we need to go."

"No Mewtwo, you are not wiping her memory. I felt bad about that the fir..." Thomas started, only to quickly grumble something under this breath, Radara's head just dropping, along with her ears. Sarah just looked on shocked at Thomas now.

"Thomas... you?" Sarah asked looking on at Thomas.

'That was... me actually.' A new voice sounded for Sarah, Radara speaking to her and looking up to her. 'It was... necessary at the time and I am sorry. We tried to keep you away from Team Rocket, and now you are being hunted with us anyway... Thomas, we should tell her. It was bad enough the first time, but we didn't have a choice then.' Radara explained, gently easing Sarah back onto the log as well, before moving over to her and sitting between her legs, gently getting up and carefully standing up in front of her, her head and ears still down.

"Who... who is..." Sarah started, looking down to Radara, but having trouble believing that an espeon was talking to her.

'I am Radara, and I apologize for altering your mindset back in Slateport City. I encouraged you to head to Kanto for the Master Rank Contest season because you already highly desired joining the season, and that honkcrow that attacked out window that day was there for myself and Thomas, to go find Mewtwo, and Suicune aided our journey there to the Orange Islands. It was important that you did something else because we did not know the dangers we would be facing when we would go to find Mewtwo. We knew nothing of him then, only that he was going to awake, and it would be violent.' Radara explained.

"Thomas... I didn't hit my head on the way down here right?" Sarah asked, a bit worried now.

"No... no only I did." Thomas said softly. "Look, its dangerous here, but I need you to stay here for a bit. That large stone structure there, that's what I was searching for out here. I need to get inside it, and then I can invite you in. If you tried now, it would fill your mind with fear, and then panic, and then eventually despair or maybe it would even attack you physically." Thomas explained, before holding up his bag carefully, as well as his belt with his pokeballs.

"If you could unpack my bag and store what things you can with your stuff while you wait, I promise to explain something when I can let you in. It looks like we'll be staying here for a day or two at least now. Your right in that I do need a chance to recover and heal up, but this place is the best place for me to do it. This place will help me heal faster then any hospital." Thomas slowly got up and looking to Suicune and Radara.

"Juno, Mewtwo, please protect her. The notes said that the Knights might know about this place. If they do, then there's a chance things could go bad real fast. Please, don't kill anyone if you can help it Mewtwo. You already proved that your mind is greater then almost anyone else I know. Make them forget about this, send them on some other task, search their minds if you must for answers, but please do not kill them. I've survived as long as I have by killing only a few and I never want to kill them again if I can help it." Thomas said, very clearly begging a bit, looking up to Mewtwo with a dire pleading look.

'I will make no promises I have no intention of keeping... but I will try peaceful resolutions first. If they prove as lowly as this Team Rocket who comes chasing after me, I will not show compassion.' Mewtwo stated firmly, turning and just taking a floating seated position, looking to Thomas's bag, seeing that his laptop had been dinged up a bit, and went about inspecting it for actual damage while Thomas started for the river again.

"Thank you." Thomas said softly, only for Sarah to give a loud gasp when the waters of the river once more made a bridge and Thomas, Radara, and Suicune just started to walk right over the water towards the strange stone structure, finally noticing the giant golden rings of Arceus above it, giving a very loud gasp now, hands over her mouth in utter shock.

"G-God-child?" She gasped out.

-x-

The walk was slow, Radara always staying at Thomas's side now, worried greatly for her brother and glancing up at him occasionally as they walked over the water. Suicune moved ahead, still slow enough as not to get too far ahead, but mostly giving the two of them a chance to check on each other. Although they didn't speak, it was easy to tell how much the two were worried about each other, this was closest that Thomas had ever come to truly dying.

He had been beaten and stabbed before, and he also been caught in cave ins. Someone had even thrown an old car at him in his two lives, his grandfather having been knocked out entirely by the single blow. He had even been shot a few times, once almost fatally, but neither could call that as bad as this was now because at least back then, he had been the older of the two of them, and caught the bullet before it could do any lasting real damage, and he had also mastered the use of the move Recover. In his younger state however, not even fully evolved, this fall should have fatal.

Still, Thomas just walked it off, knowing that if he stayed here, he could keep using Recover little by little and in a few days would be fine enough for travel again. Maybe even soon if there was a life pool there for him to rest and soak in, but it didn't stop Thomas as the three of them now stood before the doors of the temple once again.

'I have never heard of this temple... and its larger then any other temple I can think of.' Radara stated softly.

"And it is filled with power, yet I have not been to this place either in all my time." Suicune added slowly, once more now vocal again as she turned and looked over Thomas and Radara, then back to the large wooden door, with its fancy spider web like metal décor, all still in perfect shape as though it were only put in yesterday. One of the two large doors was opened all the way, light flowing into the space just a bit, but not much, the other door maybe halfway opened.

They didn't spend much time looking over the doors though, just walking in slowly, Suicune now taking a spot at Thomas's right side, allowing Radara to walk at his left side, going strictly at his pace. The place was dormant, and only some crystals light up merely revealing the floor and the bottoms of several dozen pillars in the room.

Thomas knew that one of them, likely one of those closest to the door on his left hand side would be of him, but what of the others. As though guiding them though, the lights on the floor seemed strongest heading back, a green fiery like crystal just barely having sparked to light, a low flicker high up on the wall deep in the chamber, far far back. A soft but somehow peaceful silence was present all around them, even the sounds of steps hidden away as not to disturb anyone or anything that might be there.

As the three walked in more though, four more small green fiery sparks appeared and the entirety of the golden rings of Arceus began to glow, the four other flames all on the four tips of the cross that made up part of Arceus's golden rings. It was easy to see that this was temple heart now, in plain sight and not hidden in the back room or something, but perhaps it was a bit more direct then other temples. The crystal that held the central flame now started to look like a heart itself, but split down the middle, two halves of a whole, a sign usually denoted for the god-children and not any given legendary pokemon. While the shape of a heart was usually the sign of life to the legendaries and the watchers, the slipt heart was often a sign of the life of the twins, two halves of a whole.

"How very strange... was this place to be gifted to you... the youngest of our siblings?" Suicune asked, still walking slowly. "And yet, I still have no recollection of this place. The water holds blessings of my gifts, but I did not bestow them personally, nor I can say that any of other watery legendaries having spoken of this place."

"I was never told of this place myself. I can't say anything about this at all." Thomas replied, looking around a bit, but still not seeing a thing with the temple heart keeping the place dormant, but still approaching slowly it, a new light starting to shine as the five green fires on the cross of Arceus cast its light onto a matching symbol on the floor before the wall.

Getting the idea, Thomas slowly drew his weapon again, but not to attack with. He held it calmly at his side, he would need to offer it up as a secondary show of proof of who he and Radara really were. Stepping onto the large engraving, Thomas knelt down slowly, Thomas holding his blade downward and then laying it on the center crystal of the engraving. Suicune even did her part and sat behind them, spreading her ribbons out around them, and all three of concentrated on their power, their very life and who they were deep down, the blood of Arceus within them. Thomas's hair began to rise and flow a bit while both Radara's and Suicune's fur began to rise up as well, rippling as if in the wind before there was sound of fires erupting all around them, the echoes of power awakening in the temple as it came to life.

All of sudden, everything went silent around them and Thomas's hair, and Radara's and Suicune's fur returned to normal as the place went entirely dark for a second. All three of them opened their eyes, a golden glow within them for a moment, and then as the glow in their eyes died, the temple light up slow all at once.

The entire central chamber was filled with several dozen pillars, but now each of them were lit up in full, and each one held a major sight. Each one held the faces of two more entities, one of those faces all human, the other a pokemon and its family forms. As Suicune looked around, she gasped out loudly, quickly looking around rapidly, and then rushing up to a pillar, and then rushing over to other pillars, even Radara rapidly joining her.

Each face was already forever burned into their minds, faces that none of them could ever forget. These faces were all of the God Children, all one hundred and twenty... or rather one hundred and nineteen sets of twins that Arceus herself gave birth to. In their rush to look around, Suicune and Radara had easily found the crystal spire of Thomas and Radara and while they couldn't deny that it was easily Thomas and Radara, the last of the spires seemed to catch their attention the most.

One crystal spire lay in a shattered mess, the broken remains of once pristine and perfectly preserved image with in now forever lost, the splintered remains of it showing that had been attacked by something powerful that cleaved right through the entire thing casting its image to the floor never to be fixed.

Radara and Suicune rapidly began listing off the birth names of the twins as the looked over the other spires, naming each set of twins one at a time until at last there was one set of twins names left unspoken as Radara and Suicune moved back to the shattered spire.

'Zini...' Radara started, moving up to the broken spire once more.

"And Tavu..." Suicune finished, using her ribbons and finding the largest piece of the spire that still held something of the image with in, barely able to make out a small flower on a stalk or something, now easily made out as a roselia.

Looking up slowly, both of them now quickly noticed the spear that was stuck deep in the wall, at a perfect angle to have also struck the crystal spire and shatter it, was a double headed spear, a spear head on both ends of the weapon. The same soft blue as as Thomas's own Dragon's Eye blade, it was easy to make it out as a Watcher's weapon, and Tavu's personal weapon as well.

"That is why he didn't it with him when he was at the Temple of Gali that night..." Suicune said, knowing very well of the attack, even if she had arrived late, but couldn't do much, having been struck with grief and needing protection herself from seeing her younger brothers and sisters so openly fighting, with intent to kill against each other.

As Suicune and Radara turned to look at each other, the shock of what they had found only finally just realize that Thomas did not join them on their discovery as they had raced around naming each set of twins to figure out whose image had been shattered.

He wasn't near them at all even, in fact it looked as though he had vanished. Rushing back to the seal of the temple where they had awakened the temple heart, they finally found him to the left side of the far wall away from the entrance. He had seemed to just leave them to their own things because something else had caught his attention in full instead, lost in thought. There on the entire wall, just below the temple heart which also seemed to spam most of the wall now was a giant golden mural. Surrounded in a forever spiraling and coiled ivory crystal that had been braided as though it was rope, the mural was made first of of a golden metal, the same kind of golden material as the rings Arcues had herself, and as Suicune moved up and just barely pressed her nose to it, she found that it was the very same material, this mural had been crafted by Arceus's own will, given form from her body.

"The World Mother herself crafted this. This is from her cross, her body, melded into the temple itself." Suicune stated, Radara just listening in shock as they looked on at it in full now. While mostly golden in color, there were also words blended into the material, flowing almost like liquid emerald now against its golden surface. Even more so, these characters on the mural were of an ancient dialect, a sacred written dialect of the legendaries and god-children, meant only for their kind, but rarely used for anything other then very special things.

Stepping back to get better look, Radara and Suicune just looked on now, and it hit them all at once. This temple crafted in secret was never meant for Arcues or the legendaries themselves. It wasn't meant to be a place to rest for any of them, or even a place of rest for the god-children. This place was meant to be more, it was to be a home, a true home and even record of the history and culture of the god-children. Although they only glanced over it in pieces, it was easy to see just what all that meant. Parts of this mural described the birth of the twins, their role and their reason for being gifted the life and minds of immortality. Other parts showed how the god-children choose to court a lover, and other parts showed the history of the god-children as they grew and experienced the world and life throughout their lives, how they as a group decided to live and carry the power and promise of peace with them.

There in the middle though was a giant piece that stood out among the rest, a strange image of something that seemed to try and challenge Arceus and the legendaries, the image of the golden cross of Arceus partially obscured by some force, the legendaries and even the watchers amassing as a united army to help out the World Mother.

'That... that's the War of Legend... and then after it, its very vow we made.' Radara quickly stated, rushing up and almost jumping up the wall a bit. Standing up against is and looking over the mural, before moving back and seeing an ancient wooden chair, she rapidly pulled it over and jumped up on it, the chair easily hundreds of years old still perfectly preserved its soft cushion just as nice as it was when it was first made, but rapidly ignored to look over the mural more closely.

'It is... word for word the vow we made, our first true decision on our own without ever consulting any of you, our elder brothers and sisters. This is my history, Soular's history... our personal history, the story of our life, all of blood's lives!' Radara half shouted in shock and awe, nearly toppling the chair as she tried to get closer still, trying to find the perfect spot where she could be as close as possible, and still read even the highest lines of text on the mural.

Jumping off the chair, and using her mind to just rapidly pull it along behind her, Radara rushed down the wall, further down the history of the god-children. There at the very end of the mural just before it seemed to suddenly end was the final bit of text. Finding what she was looking for, rapidly placing the chair again and jumping on it to read more of the text.

An image of another younger man was there now, but his eyes different, clouded and changed, his head shrouded in some kind of darkness was Tavu, the brother who had betrayed them all. Everything that Radara and Suicune had seen before was written as though it was just in fasication, little quirks pointed out consistently, it was like Arceus herself was telling a story in history as she wrote it all, but here and now, the text seemed strained, as if Arcues was forcing every word now.

'The eldest of my twin children met me on that night, and when he entered my chambers I could not recognize him even though I had seen him mere hours before. It broke my heart the instant I saw him, and I knew then that I may never be same. He had taken my gift to Yuris and broken it, one of the sharpened spines of the fan still dripping blood, and I could see the intent in his eyes, to try and take my own life.'

'I tried to reason with my son, and tried to still his hand and mind, only to find he had separated himself from his life and blood fully, I could do nothing to slow him as he approached, and I couldn't bring myself to harm my own young. He lunged without a word and I did the only think I could think of, dashing through the wall to save myself, or else I feared I would hurt him. He followed suit and before I could get any words to him, he had taken a different life, Daltha lay impaled on the spines of the fan he had taken and there was nothing I could do in my weakened state.'

'Blood would not be spared further as I was forced to watch as Ravick charged to try and take down Tavu, and in the same motion, Tavu had slain another of his own siblings, taking Ravick's gift and show of status to use against me now, but even then I could not bring myself to kill him, for to kill him would kill the sister I had bound to him, whose fate I did not yet know.'

'The night would seem to last forever though as blood...' Radara continued, only finally forced to stop, the mural incomplete, or rather destroyed from there on. A giant talon or something had struck the wall and just cut the mural down, a mass of pooled golden material just resting there on the floor, and then several more strikes against the wall showed that someone or something had ripped the remainder of the mural from the wall, and both Suicune and Radara knew that only being could do it, because only Arceus herself could just force the metal to forget itself, to pool like it was on the floor, destroying any hope of being able to read the rest of the mural.

"It would seem that our mother meant this place for you, our youngest siblings." Suicune finally spoke after a moment of silence, before slowly looking back towards Thomas, both Radara and Suicune now moving slowly towards him.

Thomas was still just utterly lost in thought however, his lips moving as he silently read every last word on the mural, taking it all in bit by bit as though it wasn't real, it couldn't be. "Radara... this is...this?"

'Is us... its our history, the story of our lives, of our personal brothers and sisters, of our ways and our choices.' Radara replied slowly, walking up to Thomas now and pulling a chair up for him, this time far more carefully and slowly then she had been when she was in a rush to read the mural herself.

"It tells of our birth, of our first lives..." Thomas said, still in shock.

'And carries the tale all the way down to Tavu's final choice... before our mother could carry the story no longer and ripped the final verses from the the wall.' Radara stated, moving up and jumping carefully into Thomas's lap.

"I am going to give my personal blessing to the others, and then allowing an invite to each of them to let them inside the temple. Take care of Thomas, this seems to be a dire shock to him." Suicune stated slowly, looking over Thomas a bit worried. After all he had done to try and just hide and forget so much of himself over the years, and now only just being convinced or rather forcibly persuaded to start trying to find his old self again, Suicune couldn't be sure at all how this would affect him.

-x-

Walking away slowly, she spared once more glance to Thomas and Radara again, before finally walked back out into the canyon. The watery bridge was still there, but now the crystals outside were all giving a constant emerald like shine, almost like a fire flowing over them that danced on their surface. Even the bridge seemed more lively, the formerly undecorated sides now far more elaborate with constant ripples and spirals making new railing for the sides, and the water now had a shifting brick like pattern that could easily be made out for the walkway.

Sarah had only just managed to pack away as much of Thomas's things as she could into her bag at the moment, but there was still a number of things that wouldn't fit and she knew that even from the start. Having made it a point to get his clothing and as many of his personal things as she could, it was a hassle to fit as much as she did, and she couldn't fit the two violin cases in with as much as she did fit into her bag.

Mewtwo had made sure that his own things, the laptop, accessories, and his tablets had room, but that just complicated matters and Sarah really didn't want to argue with the pokemon she was still a bit scared of. This left a fair amount of extra gear, like Thomas's tent, most of his cooking gear, and most of the other large things like his fishing rod and extra large water purifier without space to be put away.

She was still struggling with trying to figure out what to keep and what would have to stay when she finally looked up and saw Suicune walking towards them again. "Can you hear me?" A voice called out, starting Sarah a bit more, but not really scaring her. It was still just so much to take in as Sarah looked towards Suicune, hoping that it was her and gave a nod.

"You can... speak?" Sarah asked slowly, standing up fully now as Juno turned, curious about how easily Suicune was able to speak as well. All of Sarah's pokemon had been curious as well, the four of them also looking on.

"Normally, I would not be able to speak so clearly or in your tongue. But here, I am given extra gifts." Suicune stated, moving up to one of the crystals at the bridge. "These crystals will allow me to speak freely though while we are here. Thomas is still inside the temple, he is... in shock for different reasons then yourself. What we found was something we did not know to exist and to see it now will change him, I hope for the better." Suicune stated.

'He will be physically fine if we stay here?' Mewtwo asked as Juno took a direct interest in things now, listening in intently, Rebecca quickly rushing up hearing that Thomas might be in trouble.

'Thomas is fine right? I couldn't ask Sarah and Mewtwo keeps ignoring me and Juno just said he was fine, he would be alright.' Rebecca begged, running up to Suicune's side.

"It is his mind that will change this day. The history of who he is, of his kind has been presented before him." Suicune explained, before moving into the middle of the group, her ribbons spreading out. "But I will leave this for Thomas to share if he ready. I am here to give you blessings, and with my blessing given, extend the offer of an invitation to this sacred temple to allow you entrance." Suicune said softly, closing her eyes and looking upwards a bit as her hair and ribbons began to flow upward much like they had done in the temple once before. "All of you, please stand close to me."

"C-come on guys, group up." Sarah called out to her pokemon, the four them moving close to Sarah wondering what was going to happen. Her arcanine Flare of course was the closest to her, hoping he wouldn't need to protect her, and Moon was on the other side, but this still left plenty of room for Sarah's other two pokemon. Her dragonair Serenity just kind of hung back while Grover, her starting treeko now fully evolved into a sceptile was just kind of there to the side.

The rest of Thomas's crew also moved up quickly now, Saber and Juno moving to sit close to her as the waters stirred around them. Slowly it rose like a bubble over them, a small whirlpool around them, but soft and gentle, inviting and calm as it the waters rose up slowly. Clear and clean, they could easily see out of them as the bubble rose up and enclosed over them. A layer of "water" fell over them, but none of them got wet from it, while the real water just splashed up and then away from them, and it was done.

"I, Suicune, Daughter of Arceus, The World Mother, having given you my blessings and accepting you as my charge, would give you invite to this home and sacred place of our blood." She said, a bit more of a fanciful then she might have done in the past, but she felt that this was a special occasion, and it just felt better to treat it as such.

All of them felt a calmness rush over them though, a peace in their minds that seemed to help some, although both Sarah and Rebecca were still very worried about Thomas, and it still showed a bit. "Come, we shall go to see Thomas and Radara now, but please do not touch anything just yet. I have never been here and I do know not what requires permission to be touched and what has been protected and should not be touched at all by those without out blood." Suicune added.

"Y-yeah... okay." Sarah said softly, Rebecca rushing forward now to find Thomas, uncaring for anything as she just ran ahead now that she could, the fear no longer taking her mind like the other two times she had tried.

Juno was quick to move after her though, ready to stop her knowing that Suicune's words needed to be heeded, and knowing that Rebecca was too worried to really listen. This left all of Sarah's pokemon, Saber and of course Mewtwo now, Saber quickly moving up to Suicune to try and keep her between himself and Mewtwo.

"I could use some help moving the rest of this please." She said, mostly looking to her sceptile at first since he was the only one she felt she could ask, but Mewtwo just did it all himself, taking everything that was left out and quickly moving it to the temple, the many items just rapidly flying off to float next to the door as he moved, curious about the water and taking a cautious first step.

The water barely moved at all under his feet, a gentle chill for him and rather surprisingly pleasant, before becoming hard like stone and providing a path if he chose to walk instead of floating. Of course, he still chose to just float along over the bridge, following behind Suicune and Saber, Sarah and her pokemon bringing up the rear.

While this still confused Sarah herself, seeing everyone else just walk on the water, she took her first and just kept walking, keeping a steady pace and trying not to look down as she carried her bag, the only thing that Mewtwo left for her carry.

A long steady walk up the river and Sarah looked up again at the golden cross of Arceus once more, before slowly following the others into the main hall, and quickly giving a gasp seeing the crystal spire that held Thomas and Radara's image on display right there up front.

"Look, I really need some answers right now." Sarah said after a moment of silence, having just dropped her bag from shock, and looking around for Thomas, not seeing him, but seeing Juno and Rebecca down on the other side of the room, Juno holding Rebecca in a seat before Juno nodded and then let Rebecca go and rushed up towards Thomas.

As Sarah started to head down the room though, Suicune just moved up and gently placed a ribbon her shoulder. "This is a home, one meant for Thomas and Radara, and what would have been the rest of their kind." Suicune said softly, looking over the place slowly herself.

"And what are they? I mean I was raised beside Thomas the child when he moved next door to my parents, I grew up with him for years and I thought I knew who he was, but who he is really? Someone said god-children and they were clearly talking about Thomas and I think Radara, and then that giant golden thing out there, that definitely had to mean Arceus, the god of world, the master of our lives and creation if my mother is to be believed and maybe she is now... I just don't know." Sarah asked, having never been too overly religious before.

She had always believed in the legendary pokemon and knew that they were real, and she knew that could be real forces of nature themselves. She knew of Arceus, but never too much, just the icon and statues, and images in his name, and a lot of religious that tried to place as the highest of powers, much like what her mother believed and encouraged her take part in, but she had just kind of followed her own path.

Thinking back on it though, she had to wonder just what that path really was, and now with everything in front of her, she couldn't help but think of what it all meant now. She now had a major reason to just start thinking about everything that she just kind of put off before.

"That will be his story to share. He needs to tell it himself right now, but I don't know for certain if he will right away. There are many things that you clearly have questions for, and I am sorry for not explaining what I can to you. This place for Thomas though, it is as much a question of who he is now as well now, and he may not even have the answers to your questions if he cannot answer his own." Suicune explained slowly, gently walking with Sarah now towards the end of the room.

"I can tell you this though, the boy that you grew up beside, that you saw grow into young man he is now is still here, and that has not changed. Its not the entirety of his life, and what he has found here will define him for a lifetime and many to come. He will need help, and if you are willing, I would ask that you keep thinking of trying to help him, that you refuse to leave him right now if you think that you can help him in anyway." Suicune said following along beside Sarah.

"I... I'm not sure what I can do if he refuses my help though." Sarah said just walking up slowly, taking the time to look over the massive room. There was no power, or at least power as in electricity in the chamber. There was very much a power of some kind that lit the room and and clearly made a bridge of water for her to walk across. There was very likely a lot of power of a different type here rather then the "power" that electricity provided. "Can I even help him? I mean even if he still is the Thomas I know and grew up with, is he even human? Does the concept of helping a friend in need apply like this right now? I mean yes, I really want to help him, but how? I can't help heal him and now looking at all this, can our doctors even heal him without knowing what he is? And what ab-" Sarah started a small rant, just stopping and looking down worried at Suicune now, only for a ribbon to push against her lips and silence her.

"Thomas will be fine physically. His physical needs will be taken care of, including the injuries he took just getting here. All he needs is rest and to take it slow with his meals, and this place shall help him take care of the rest. What he needs from you is to merely be there. Thomas is different, but his not being human means nothing. He can think and feel like any enlightened pokemon or human, and he is no merely feral pokemon. But he hides from humans out of fear, and he has reasons to." Suicune explained, taking a seat and gently pulling Sarah up against her side to help her try to relax.

"But he needs to be around humans to be at peace with himself. He is and will always be a part of their cultures. He needs to be around them, and so does Radara. All I would ask of you is that you be there, and join us in our travels. I follow Thomas because I miss him, and who he is. He is like a son to me, and I have watched over him for a long long time." She continued, looking down the room to where Juno still was, before Juno started to approach them both.

"How is he doing?" Suicune asked as Juno approached.

[I've never seen him like this, he does nothing but read right now. He is gently holding and rubbing Rebecca as she tries to pull him back home thinking he needs to see a doctor as well, but Radara has her under control at the moment.] Juno started, her words of course lost on Sarah as Radara was still busy.

"I cannot blame him. Now that he is here, he may not want to leave until he has read every word on the wall." Suicune stated, only to see that Sarah was lost and confused. "Juno says that Thomas is fine. He is merely preoccupied. The mural there, it tells his long story in a way even I did not know was ever done. It is written in a script that hasn't been used in centuries, but we know every letter and word right now."

Sarah just nodded a bit, looking over the large golden mural a bit more. "And... and his image there, by the door."

"That is indeed Thomas, and Radara, and these are the images of their brothers and sisters." Suicune stated, looking back at the image of Thomas's face surrounded by the many faces of Radara, and slowly to some of the others.

"You know of Thomas's biological family? Of his father and mother, and his brothers and sisters? Just... just how many siblings does he have." Sarah asked, looking around.

"Thomas had 238 brothers and sisters... but I ask that you do not bring this up right now. When he is ready, he will explain more of his family to you, but for now this may be a touchy subject that he is not ready to talk about. Radara may be willing to share of it to you, but please do wait a while before asking that question." Suicune asked, as Juno moved up beside them now, taking a seat herself.

"And I can tell that you have to see him for yourself now, to make sure that he is okay..." Suicune said, seeing Sarah fidgeting very hard. "Very well, we shall go ask him how he is doing then." Suicune slowly got up, but kept a ribbon on her shoulder, Juno just giving a small sigh before just getting right back up.

[I have a feeling that things shall be... difficult for the next few days, won't they.] Juno asked as she followed along.

"Perhaps... or perhaps not. This is all up to how he takes it right now." Suicune said, Sarah a bit worried about how Suicune seemed to be having conversations with others, but she was still mostly focused on Thomas right now.

Walking down to the end of the room and looking over where she had seen Juno looking the first time, she turned by the last pillar and there are the start of the large golden stone that she was Thomas. He was clearly trying to read something, but looking over the wall, she could only see the gold, and a few images cast within.

"Do not worry for his mind. The words he reads are there, but to even see them is a gift only for our kind and those with our full blessing. Juno has such a blessing, but it would take time for give you the same such gifts." Suicune offered, slowly walking with her before walking up to Thomas, still holding and rubbing Rebecca's side.

"Thomas... Thomas are you really okay? And … a-and who are you really?" Sarah asked, only for Rebecca to turn and growl a bit, Radara giving Rebecca a small bop to her nose with her mind.

'Rebecca, leave her be. Now is not the time for this. You are far too clingy.' Radara stated, taking a step between Rebecca and Sarah.

'I don't care. Thomas is my mate and I won't let her have him. I've seen that look before, she's not just worried about my Thomas, she's worried about losing my Thomas.' Rebecca stated, a partial whine, but also a bit of a growl, the temple also boosting her aura speech capabilities trying to let as many pokemon and people freely for now, even if it still took a while for pokemon without some kind of psychic speech to be heard in full right away.

"W-wha?" Sarah quickly shook her head, just confused, seeing the lucario growl at her, and having … Rebecca speak properly and fully for the first time.

Radara quickly realizing that Sarah could fully understand Rebecca at the moment just dropped her head.

'And there were... many other far more polite and … easier ways to have told her that.' Radara's head just dropped slowly, Suicune just giving a small laugh. 'Rebecca, Sarah is not trying to steal Thomas. She is worried for a friend more then anything, but yes she already knows that Thomas is not romantically interested in her enough to start a life with her. She still holds hope to it yes, but she knows that Thomas likely desires someone else... like you.'

"I'm sorry, but just what's going on here? Thomas... Rebecca..." Sarah asked, just horribly confused. "Are you trying to break me right now? I don't know if I can take this... are you going to try and tell me that you speak to Arceus himself next?" Sarah cried out, trying not to grab and yank her hair out, but having trouble with almost everything right now, her pokemon slowly approaching wondering what was going on.

"Well... I mean our mother has given us some space, perhaps far more to her favored son Thomas more than most... She waits for him to come to her now. Perhaps if you stick around with us long enough, you will meet her too." Suicune said, just using her ribbons to rub Sarah's shoulders as she turned and gave a very confused look to Suicune now.

"Hmm... the chance to meet the mother of your kind, the legendary pokemon and the god-children. This meeting would interest me as well. Perhaps I should extend my travels more if I have nothing else to do here." Mewtwo stated rather calmly, having been listening in the entire time.