CHAPTER 23

Date: February 8th, 111 P.A. / 2115 C.E.

The celebration was unprecedented. The servants and townspeople had been given the day off in thanks, and the idea had been solely the idea of the Priestess who had now lived a year with their general support. Mewtwo had agreed this was a fine idea, for numerous reasons.

Not only could he consider this to be Arei's date of birth, but it provided a break, a distraction for other, less official matters to be taken care of. Over the past few months since he had revealed to his Priestess the reality of his existence, and since she had learned of her past, she had been visiting the Hawkling in his prison cell on the first floor, usually in the evenings. These episodes were just to talk, though Mewtwo had not stooped so low as to listen in on these conversations, nor did his pride allow him to ask her. He refused to allow his nervousness to show.

At any rate, Arei had managed to convince him that it would be best to release Kaien instead of continuing to torture him in vain. He suspected she also felt some sort of obligation to the man, having been his lover, but despite that, or perhaps because of it, he was willing to send the man away from his Temple. As it was, he had enough to worry about than needing to harbor more stress in his mind about the prisoner. This worry, he knew, was a direct result of his forming affections for the Priestess.

For while she said she cared for him, he had his doubts on the validity of her words. After all, to earn his concern was to increase the likelihood that his power would be used to defend her, his voice to be her advocate. It might encourage him subtly to release her to protect her from the persecution which was becoming ever more likely as the days passed by. The prospect confused him, and he let his mind wander to another, related matter.

If she wasn't using him for that…if she was humoring him with the truth…than was it true caring she felt for him? Or was it something else…and she felt for him no more than any other male that had used her body in the past? The idea disturbed him, and he felt a great deal of anger for himself when considering it. Did it matter what the motive? He now had someone he could find pleasure with, whether or not it meant anything more than physical intimacy. Why should he care if their relationship meant anything to her? She would be dead within a year if the priests had their way….

Yet such apathetic, cold thought sickened him. He cared for her, whether he liked it or not. And he wanted Kaien gone because he felt a threat from him to take from him the thing, the one person he held close to his heart. Growling, he struck a nearby wall…no one was there to see it. Arei herself was helping to decorate for the ball she had suggested…the others felt the desire to help her, and so they did. Mewtwo, earlier, had provided help setting things up with Arei…but his thoughts had gotten under his own skin, pestering him with ideas and thoughts he wished to shove aside.

He was acting like a bothered human man. How repulsive that was to him. This was foolishness…foolishness….

Several hours later, his turbulent mind had quieted, and the guests began to arrive. They filtered into the vast main hall, chattering away, savoring the decorations, the music, the shifting iridescent lights. He sat in the grand chair that acted as a sort of throne, watching it all with some disgust and bitterness…he let his eyes rest on Arei, who flitted through the crowd like a hummingbird, putting people at ease, encourage those she knew to enjoy themselves, getting to know others who she had not yet met. None touched her, but in her own, not physical way, she touched them, brought smiles to the faces of even the reluctant…if anything positive had come out of her regaining her memories, it was the ability to appeal to people. These social interactions would help her in the long run, quelling rumors and making her an endearing figure. As the night stretched on, traditional theater began…the audience settling down at the edge of the main chamber to watch the skilled dancers perform their silent tales, a single action conveying a thousand words, an expression making it clear the hearts of those performing. As one of the final acts drew to a close, Arei shocked them all, even her God, by joining the fray.

In the recent couple of months, he had left her to her own devices and to Marie and Byron to watch over. It was especially essential that no one suspected their new closeness, for the implications to Arei's new position could be potentially lethal to her. The Priests would not accept Arei as his partner…oh, she could be used as a provider for his heir, but not as a lover. The thought disgusted him. They wished for her to provide the precious gift of new life to him, but not feel the joy of conceiving it…joy, in possible love. The arrogance of these men would not cease to amaze him….

Yet, as Arei began to dance, his thoughts drifted from his mind, and he watched her intently, reminded of how she had moved about the fire on Spirit's Eve. She moved with such poise, such grace and beauty. She was playing the part of Ai before her death…oh, the irony did not escape him. He wondered, vaguely, who would dare to play his part before him…the man would have to have some real guts to do so. A simple mistake might be enough to personally offend him, and thus undesirable to any follower. Yet again, however, the High Priestess surprised them all.

She went to the god, knelt, and offered out a hand to him to play himself. She smiled up at him, her eyes gleaming with a silent challenge and a warmth that made him rise. He took her hand, falling into the steps with her, recalling the memories this act had been derived from. He had learned this play well, and as a feline could move far more gracefully than any human could hope to attempt to. And with the memory of Ai and the first clones playing in his mind, to allow his stony expression to fall, replaced by varying degrees of confusion, joy, and sorrow, was not a difficult thing to do. He danced with her, the loving relationship between them carefully maintaining a sibling affection. Yet, at one graceful spin that she did, glancing back at him, beckoning him on, he found himself giving her one small, true smile that was completely out of context. In turn, Arei responded with an affectionate look that, for those who saw the exchange, began to ring off alarm bells in the minds of those who knew with certainty what it hinted at.

As careful as the two were being, there were small indications of what they were for those searching for it. Primarily, those loyal to the Rebels and the Priests. For the others, the imperial servants, the nobles, the peasantry, it was a slip of character that was swiftly forgotten as the final, tragic scenes were played out. But for those intimate to the interactions of the holy pair, it was a sign not missed, and one of the catalysts towards the type of speculation that could kill a Priestess, no matter her God's will….

The final steps were being played out…and in a dramatization of Ai's death, she perished in Mewtwo's hold. This, in its own way, profoundly struck the clone himself. For he could see it clearly in his mind, a true moment someday in the future where Arei truly would die, no matter how he attempted to prevent it. For with all of his powers, he was no all-powerful. He might not be able to prevent such an event, in the end…and so, his horror and sorrow as he gazed down at her was not feigned. As Arei pretended to drift away, she saw this, giving him a concerned look…and then pretended to die.

Then, it was over. Mewtwo's face became a blank slate, and the two of them stood apart, accepting the appreciative cheers that came their way as the skilled reenactment. They of course did not bow, but the gave grateful nods, and then returned to the dais.

Arei commented quietly, "Your distress seemed real."

He dismissed the matter. "It is nothing you need to concern yourself with. Just enjoy yourself, my Priestess."

She cast him a suspicious look, but said nothing. She accepted his unwillingness to speak of the matter, though she was undeniably curious. Yet if he did not wish her to know of it, then she would not argue. Not now….

Gazing at her, he hoped she would follow his words. The present, he knew all too well, might be all she had….

Hours passed, and the guests began to filter away. In the middle of this, the God and his Priestess slipped away. They transported Kaien from his cell to some of the underground passageways out of the Temple and city, blindfolding him to avoid obvious breaches in security. As there were no guards on duty, no one noticed, and hence, they proceeded to make one of the biggest mistakes they could have ever made. But neither knew this at the time, and even Kaien did not know what his return to freedom would mean for the pair.

In the present, his concern was for Arei…or rather, in his mind, Serenity. He knew she cared for the god, despite all he had done to her. Yet if the god cared for her at all in return, then he would release her as he was releasing him….

He pulled Arei aside, and said as much to her. She shook her head, smiling softly. "I cannot go, Kaien. My place is here and…he would be most troubled if I left like that."

"So? Seren—Arei, at least he'd know you were safe. And…we could be us again. What we shared…it was more than anything he can promise you. And you know he won't bother to, like I—"

Again, she shook her head. "You misinterpreted what I said…Kaien, I don't wish to leave. And it has nothing to do with him controlling me or anything like that…he wouldn't bother to do such. And going with you would be no safer than staying here…you know that.

"We both have to grow up, Kaien. This world, as horrible as it is, can never be a place for such self-righteous dreams as the Rebels feed us. There will be no happy endings…only present memories that we savor. And I'm not going fighting against someone who had inevitably long since paid for the sins he committed against our race."

It was as though Kaien was seeing her for the first time…which, essentially, he was. "…You love him, don't you?"

"I don't know. Yet whatever it is I share with him, its more real to me than my past, more real to me than anything else I know. It is the bane to loneliness…and I need that as much as he does." And then, she smiled. "So Kaien, as tempting as your offer is, I must decline. I wish you well."

He stared, then gave her a respecting, farewell nod. "And you as well. I guess you have changed more than I thought possible…but I think it may have been for the better."

And then he left. And as he went, she wondered if he would become a casualty of the silent war, a fight which none of them needed to be fighting. Turning away, she went back to Mewtwo, to the creature who her loyalty to was only creating for her more and more enemies…whose presence at her side would likely be the verdict that ended her young life.

Once Kaien had disappeared into the darkness, he gazed at Arei…. "Why? Why do you stay at my side, knowing that to do so will be the death of you?"

Arie touched his face. "I guess I'm just a naïve fool…one of those people who like to defy common sense by remaining by the people they care about."

"Do you mean that, Arei? Or do you just try to appeal to me?"

"I was under the impression that you didn't care for closeness."

His arm wrapped around her, and he tilted her head back, forcing her to look into his face, making truth impossible to elude. "Answer my question, if you will."

She sobered as she gave him her answer. "…Yes, I mean it. I'm tired of running on a road that just kills me slowly. Vengeance…ambition…as satisfying as those things are, as wonderful as they feel to an angry soul, they leave one burned out and purposeless in the end. I no longer crave to be who I was. I just want to be me, and allow myself to feel an actual connection with someone…and I want that to be you, despite all. Because….

"Even if you deny it, you want it, too. You're human in that you long to love someone…and what simpler, what grander desire it there in this world? So many people seem to forget that…. Is that answer enough, my Mewtwo?" she asked quietly, resting a palm on his muzzle.

He smiled, slowly, taking that hand and kissing her palm…. "Yes…yes, it is."

For he had learned that lesson long ago…he's just tried to forget it. And now, content with the present, he held her, kissed her mouth, and brought them out of the underworld, back to their sanctuary…their shard of a world, just for them.

Kaien had listened, watched, unobserved…his Serenity, he knew, was truly gone, replaced with a creature who proved even more a treasure. Yet, he too, knew his place in this world, like her…and with the knowledge he now possessed, he went to his superiors, knowing that even as he brought hope to his people, he was betraying the girl he had once loved.

And as the dawn hours approached, another creature came to know this knowledge as well. She had come on the alibi of giving Mewtwo the message of a meeting between the Legendaries several months from now…but as said, it was an alibi. An excuse. Finding Arei curled up in Mewtwo's bed, comfortable, warm, and clearly naked from some rather lewd activities, the once sweet, pacifistic being let the tip of her tail touch the human girl's navel…a sharp shudder of pain passing through her, before the cramp-like hurt settled. Content, smirking complacently, Mew left her gift to the two, which in its own way, was almost certain to be their undoing….

And then she disappeared…and Mewtwo, none-the-wiser of what she had done to his lover. The blessing and curse she had bestowed….

Arei slept soundly, dreaming of things that would come to pass….