CHAPTER 26

This chapter contains part seven of the Alfred Tennyson poem, "The Day-Dream," which this story re-imagines as a prophecy.

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

Inevitably, someone had to grow impatient and jump; a group that felt the need to make a more for the prize growing inside Arei's belly. Suffice to say the opportunity came when Arei was four months along. The Rebels, who had been watching her with an intense hunger that could only come from sincere zealots, had been gathering about her intently, infiltrating the capitol in a steady trickle so as to get nearer to the child she had in her belly. With a discreet formation that had been honed over the past millennium, the Rebels and their pokémon teams observed her, searching for any opportunity to steal her away. They dare not approach her while her lover was close…and many other times, she had a Handmaiden or an Attendant or another off person with her.

Yet, finally, she went off the grounds, alone. They suspected that Abaddon had given her a weapon, most likely a knife he had trained her with to defend herself and the babe…but she would be no match for their Beasts. The first two closest released their pokémon into the sea…a tentacruel and a dewgong to perhaps lure her into the water. Another stayed his on the cliffs, ready to keep watch and give air support. The other two of the capture team came at her from either side on land. When they struck, she would literally have nowhere to go.

However, they underestimated Arei's observation skills. She immediately spied the Altaria on the cliffs, and knowing they weren't native to the area, kept out a watchful eye for incongruity. The glint of a red orb in the sea…the figure out of her peripheral vision. She knew she was being followed, and this made her deeply wary, would she be ambushed soon, or were they guards sent by Mewtwo who had become overprotective? No…he guards possessed poison-laced swords, not beasts. No…these were trainers. And because they were trainers, they were Rebels….

She stopped, and called out, "What do you want?"

They stepped into view…five humans, six pokémon apiece on their belts. Thirty-five against one. Arei cursed and began to scream out to her mate with her thoughts, for she saw no escape route besides teleportation. However, an Abra was swiftly released and her nearly telepathic cried dampened. Her shouts for help went mute, and without that line of escape, she took the less likely route—she attempted to run, yelling for her followers at the top of her lungs for their defense. But the sea buried her cries, the dragon birds darting in front of her, cutting her off. They placed a barrier before her across the sand…she turned to face the others. The tentacruel slithered onto the shore, and with an order from its trainer reached out for the Priestess. She lashed out at its limbs with her blade, slicing into the nearest one. It recoiled, then reach out again, with more tentacles and by far more recklessly from the pain.

"Be careful, Ursula! Don't hurt her—we need her unharmed!"

Like hell she was letting them take her!

She skirted away from the tentacles, encouraged by the idea that they didn't wish her harmed. She just prayed she wouldn't have a dizzy spell. She felt her baby stir with disquiet and the sudden motions she was putting her body through, and she was very grateful her pregnancy had not encumbered her thus far. She darted and slashed at the giant squid, its orbs of ruby beginning to glow with frustration. Finally, it had gotten close enough to corner her near the sea…the dewgong swam in the shallows, ready to trip her up into the sand and waves. Arei wondered hurriedly if she might get past the barrier if she managed to dart past the seal. It was a possibility. She paused, then began to run towards the chance.

Something struck and grabbed her ankle like a sticky rope of spider silk. And indeed, that was the case. An ariados had been released, having caught her and forced her to the ground in her momentum. Cursing, Arei grasped at the third, managing to cut herself free, avoiding another shot of spider silk. She was free! She turned back to the water, ready to dark into the waves and get past them—

But the tentacruel stood poised before her, having slid into the water and come up behind her in her distraction. She held her knife in front of her, only to have it jerked away by an unseen force. The damned Abra! Before she could cry out in rage, the abrasive tentacles of the sea monster were wrapped around her wrists, a couple stinging upon her neck—! Her body seized with paralysis, and she fell to the ground stiffly….

Before the toxin rendered her unconscious, she felt herself being woven into a cocoon of spider silk, a reassuring voice saying the toxin would do no harm to her or her child….

The world went fuzzy…dark faces peering down at her….

She cursed them all, then fell unconscious.

…When she awoke, she was nowhere near the sea, and it was evening. The room she was kept within reminded her vaguely of the backrooms of Bartender Fergus' pub, made of sandstone and having a simple wooden door and a window barely wide enough to see through. The last glowing rays of the sunlight came through, getting dinner all the while. Glancing down at herself, she saw that she had been unbound, all save for about her wrists. They were tied in front of her securely, while a blanket, thin and soft, lay over her form. Sitting up with some difficulty, she touched her abdomen gently, reassured to find that her baby stirred softly as her returned to consciousness, her navel yet slightly round and firm. She didn't know what she'd been expecting. While her pregnancy could be terminated, her body would not be so quick to alter from the affects her pregnancy had. She took comfort in the fact that her little one seemed to be okay, and sat back, taking in her sparse surroundings. It smelled of mildew, felt gritty and damp…if she listened carefully, she could hear voices from outside….

"The Temple is in a panic…the god is in a rage…."

Of course, they would all have those reactions. Did the Rebels expect to have her abduction be silent and unnoticed?

"Patrols…spotted on the main streets…need to move her."

"I know…has she awoken yet?"

Despite her thirst and hunger, Arei lay back down…she might hear more if she pretended to be asleep. The door created open, a light filtering in…then it closed. The report was that she was still out of it. Abruptly, a person stormed down the hallway to her door, entering loudly. Arei pretend to drift awake, blinking up at the gruff middle-aged man. He had messy dark hair, lightly tanned skin, and aquamarine eyes. She recalled hearing a description similar to that somewhere, but the family name eluded her. She blamed it on her hunger and thirst, and her now pounding headache, not on a lack of studies.

"For someone supposedly under a toxin sleep, you wake up awfully quickly. I'd appreciate it if you don't waste my time with charades. My raichu will be quick to give you some static shocks if that's what it takes to get you conscious."

She glared at him, suddenly recalling the name. "Ketchum, right? Amusing pun, if I may say so."

He shook his head at her teasing. "So, we don't need introductions. Let me explain the situation to you then, High Priestess. Right now, you are on the outskirts of the capitol, awaiting transfer to our new base. There are psychics posted around the area who are erasing out aura signatures, repressing the signs of our presence and yours. Your lover will not find you, and within a few hours you'll be out of his reach," he explained.

"However, I assure you, this is not to say we've taken you just to abuse you to get at the 'god.' You will be treated well, your every essential need provided for. We will not buy you trinkets for your pleasure, or treat you as royalty. Fortunately, you've been reported to care for neither, but know you won't slow us down by making us barter for items for you. We buy what we need, not what we want."

She had to smile derisively. "I see…so I will be provided with food, shelter, water, and air. That is what you're saying?"

"You understand. But you're known as an intelligent creature, so we expected no less. Now—"

"You're still depriving me of something essential to me, or rather, my child."

He seemed troubled. Arei's suspicions were confirmed. "And what might that be? We have vitamins and prenatal care where we're going—"

"I need the father of my child," Arei declared, wanting her mate.

"I'm afraid we cannot give you such. Now—"

"Why are you so interested in my baby? It's obvious from what you've just all said that it isn't me you're concerned with, only that my child is well cared for through me."

He stared at her a moment. "As I said, you're sharp. But I have no reason to tell you. Within the hour we'll be on the move, so I will bring you some food and water to hold you over to the first stop—"

"I'm not hungry or thirsty. I asked you a simple question, and you better damn answer me. I'm not beyond killing myself to ensure that I or my child are kept from enemy hands. We're alike to you Rebels in that way."

And slowly, very slowly, he smiled, "I don't think we have time, Priestess…."

"Then start tell me, and finish up later."

The rebel leader, in honesty, saw nothing wrong with telling her. She would not like what she would hear, but as he understood it, she cared more about her personal loves than about the empire. A tragic downfall, that, as understandable as it was. "Very well, then. But let me call for some drinks. You need the water, but we'll try to avoid food for now. The residual poison might make you regurgitate over your pretty white robes."

These were now a sandy grey, but she didn't bother to correct him. She would not provoke him and risk not being told just what they wanted with her and her child. He drank from the bottle hurled to him, then passed it to Arei. Trusting it was not a trick, she drank, satisfying her intense thirst. Her stomach grumbled quietly, but she ignored it for now, hoping her child wouldn't sicken because of a single lost meal. But just in case, the Ketchum descendant found her some thin applesauce. She did not vomit as feared, and was silently grateful for the nourishment.

"All right, now tell me: why have I been taken, and what do you want with my baby?"

He smirked. "Direct and hasty. Alright. As you know, or at least should know, there are many powers amongst pokémon. Holy Children as you call them, for they are descended from the Legendaries, your so-called gods. But there are also some humans with strange abilities, mostly psychic in inclination."

Arei had heard of this, though had never delved into the subject. When she did not respond, he continued, "Before Mewtwo went on his destructive rampage, these people were far more common. In the region he came from, the Kanto region, there was a very famous gym leader named Sabrina, who was particularly talented as a psychic. In her prime, she might have even given Mewtwo a good fight. However, we will never know, for she died before she could get a chance to face him.

"Along with numerous other gym leaders and trainers, she was part of the early resistance against the order Mewtwo and the foolish children that populated the planet were creating. However, with their limited number, they were never a real threat. Yet despite this, Mewtwo still sent followers to fight them, giving them weaponry that was barely used even before the Apocalypse. The weapons of the old age had been powerful pokémon, not guns and grenades. At any rate, his forces met success in many clashes. For as strong as pokémon are, they will always be mortal."

He stroked his raichu's ears as he bitterly said this, and went on, "But back to Sabrina. By this time, she was getting old…she already knew she would be murdered in the raid that was approaching. So, she summoned up the last of her power and searched for answer to defeat the so-called 'God.' What she gave us was a quote, a prophecy of sorts. It's given us hope all these years that perhaps we might just have a chance to overturn this empire founded on lies…that suppresses our race to worship false gods."

She longed to laugh at him, longed to point out that in many ways the world was better off as it was, but her curiosity outweighed her desire to spit in his face. "And what did this prophecy say?"

All rebels memorized this, and he was only too happy to convey to the arrogant woman what words were condemning her child and her lover:

"When will 100 summers die,

And thought and time be born again,

And newer knowledge, drawing nigh,

Bringing truth that sways the souls of men?

Here all things in their place remain,

As were order'd ages since,

Come, Care and Pleasure, Hope and Pain,

And bring the fated fairy Prince."

He smiled with all his teeth after concluding the poem. "Do you wish to know what it means, Priestess? We've deciphered it long ago, so it will be easy for me to explain it to you."

She nodded, though she possessed her own suspicions.

"'When will one hundred summers die' refers to the passing of a century, which is about how long it had been since Mewtwo's order was established. 'And thought and time be born again, And newer knowledge, drawing nigh, Bring truth that sways the souls of men?' indicates that around this time, there will be a catalyst to the awakening of the human race to the truth behind this false world, most likely in a revolution of sorts. 'Have all things in their place remain, As we all order'd ages since,' refers to this realm, for more than in any other land, this kingdom has remained sterile of technological progress because of Mewtwo's edicts. And now to the interesting parts, now that we've had a time, a place, and an outcome.

"Come, Care and Pleasure, Hope and Pain, quite clearly was the most off of all the stanzas. However, as we grew more aware of what you and your god share, Care and Pleasure had clearly now referred to you, Arei. Hope and Pain, we believe, is a reference to the last line, the coming of the catalyst that will help us regain the old ways….

"And bring the fated fairy Prince. Hope and Pain refer to childbirth, and this fated Fairy Prince is what is born. Now, in older cultures, fairy was the term given to the elementals. And elementals were usually humanoid, possessing great power…psychic or otherwise. And as for it being a prince…well, this can only be the child in your womb, priestess. He will be the heir to this empire, a prince…and ultimately, the very thing that destroys it and his father."

Arei stared at him in a mixture of disbelief and horror, wrapping an arm around her stomach defensively. "But you could be wrong! It could mean a hundred other things, and my child could very likely be a girl!"

He smirked at her. "We doubt this. The time and place are here and now, and the circumstances are right. Your son will be the catalyst of the Revolution."

"But my child will just be a baby! How do you plan to use a baby for this revolution of yours?"

If the time was truly now, they would not wait for her child to grow up. He smiled cruelly at her, and stated, "When the time comes, we plan to use the child as a ransom to your mate. Our price will be for him to reveal the truth to the people he had blindfolded, and surrender his power to us. Our world should never have fallen…and we have every right to return it to the state it was," he told, eyes gleaming…and then went on, "And as for you, I am sorry to say, but we have no intention of letting you survive past childbirth. Call it proof if you will that if we do not have our way, the child will follow you into death—"

"Oh, don't be melodramatic! You're jumping on threads, that's what you're doing. Terrorism and war games won't work on Mewtwo. And if you kill me, you can be pretty damn sure that he's not going to bow before you and submit to your will. He will find his son, then hunt every one of you down and kill you. Knowing him, he'd likely enjoy the process of ensuring that no one threatens his child again.

"Besides," she spat, "You can't just hide me and ship me from place to place for five whole months! You'll slip up somewhere, and he will find me. And even if you somehow manage to keep me out of his reach, he'll come for me. We have a deeper connection then you've taken into account, in the least romantic of ways I can convey."

His eyes narrowed. "And what might that be?"

"Well, you've prepared to hide my thoughts so he can't sense me; you've prepared to keep me a few steps ahead of my guards…but Mewtwo and I share blood now. His child is just that—his flesh and blood, and as my child and I share blood through our connection, he can find us through that link just as easily as anything else.

"It's just a matter of time before he realizes that liaison is there and follows it to me. You can't keep me, Rebel. And I would rather die than see my baby used to bring down his own parent and a world that in itself is only terrible in the eyes of those who dislike that they can't have their way!"

And then, then Arei had to laugh. "You rebels act like such egotistic children. You are the same as the Priests, even if your views are a little different. You want to use me and my child to get to me mate, taking in no consideration that we are people—"

"Do not lecture ME on what we do! If it wasn't for that creature you supposedly 'love,' none of us would be in this situation! And as for using your family, do you think we care? Let that damnable creature feel the pain of losing his beloved ones. After all the families he destroyed, it's a befitting punishment for him, if far too slight in my opinion."

He turned away from her, glaring at her. "Be prepared to set out within the hour. And if you speak, you will be gagged. I have no patience for the rantings of someone who whores herself to a demon."

He shut the door and walked away. His final words left her jaw a bit agape…so that was what they thought her to be. The prostitute of some tyrant…carrying the child who would destroy an empire. She lay down, shivering, closing her eyes, curling up into a ball, protectively folding herself about her core. Her little one, warm and getting heavier each day, stirred against her, like a tiny bird in her womb. A dove, she decided. It would not be some creature who destroyed, like a hawk. It would be her little one…and she swore she would return to her mate's arms. He would be there when their child was born…he would get the change to cradle it in her arms, as would she….

Silently, Arei began to plead for her lover…attempting to reach out for him and draw him back to her to return her home, with him. The more moment that passed by, the more desperate this thought became…she repressed tears after a time, hoping beyond hope that he would come.

The rebels arrived. Arei was led out into the sands and thrown across the back of a willing Ponyta. The flames did not burn, but felt a bit too warm, like hot sunlight on her skin. The creature didn't care for her in the least. How could it care for any human who mated with a beast, particularly one who had caused so much destruction? With a start, Arei began to see how she would be remembered if she died. She would not be seen as loyal or sweet…she would be seen as nothing more than her less-than-pure actions, even if the motives were a result of affection.

Yet she refused to cry. She would not give them the satisfaction of that!

And so, they began to ride, over dunes and pits, she watched the sky and sea, thinking of her child and lover. She did not want her baby to be used by anyone…she just wanted it to grow happy and whole in her arms and be taught and guided by its father. It was a small thing, a simple dream that she knew, even if the rebels were flaunted, she probably wouldn't see. No Priestess had ever survived beyond two years…at best, she'd have a few months with her little one if she looked at those statistics….

But a few months could be an eternity. She could hold and care for her little one in that time, continuing to be happy with it and its father in that time. It would be enough for her heart. She whispered her mate's name gently, longing for the chance…closing her eyes, praying for him at her side….

A rattling explosion and shouts shook her from her thoughts. The fire horse reared up, dumping its ride and Arei into the sand. Arei struggled, rising to her feet, beginning to dart away. The man reached out, catching her leg…she proceeded to kick him in the jaw, hearing something crack. He released her, and she ran from him, gazing around into the night. The other trainers were gathering on their horses, their pokémon released to their sides. And above them all a glowing figure hung in the air, eyes ablaze with power and fury…her lover, her Mewtwo.

She did not call out and attract attention her way. She fled more into the desert, watching the battle wage from upon a hill. The god of destruction lived up to his name, rising up the earth and burying them, fighting the pokémon with the ease in which he had been created to possess when triumphing over other creatures. Possessing only a couple dark pokémon, his thunder attack smote them down, the shadow balls pummeling into the forms of the horses and humans alike. Arei would not ask him to spar them. For her child's sake, it would be best if they all died.

Only a few escaped him. Ketchum was one of them, having teleported to safety after ensuring that the rest of his surviving men escaped. Mewtwo proceeded to vaporize the bodies of the dead, stirring the sand over their molecular ashes, and then flew to her. He knew where she was, and for that, he was glad.

Never again would he allow anything to take her away like that. Never again. Without a word he embraced his mate close, asking her if she was okay. She nodded into his fur. He stroked her hair gently, sighing, "Good. Now we should—"

An arbok shot itself towards his Priestess. He grabbed her fully and leapt out of its way, only to have it track their scent. A shout came from out of the dark, crying not to hurt the woman. She felt Mewtwo tremble, felt the shock of Mewtwo's powers leave him, two bolts of lightning striking down from the clear sky…two screams arose from the Beast and human, and then the night was quiet.

Arei felt the arm around her waist tighten, and sighed. "Mewtwo, let's…let's just get out of here. I have some thing to tell you…but I don't want to do so out there."

"That sounds reasonable. Hold on, and we will be home in a moment."

And Arei nodded, and held on…knowing she perhaps always would.

The child stirred, and they vanished from the night….