Chapter Text
His Breath fogged the sterile air, each exhale hardly warming the concrete beneath him. The chill bit through his thin fur, curling in his chest like a parasite. His fingers twitched, stiff, unfeeling, and sharp with pain.
A muffled whimper escaped beside him. He slowly turned his head. Cassidy, his twin, was there—her green tail trembling under his own. He tightened his tail coil around her, shielding her as best he could. But even asleep she shivered.
They’d stripped him of everything: His name, his safety, his voice, his friend. But not her, not yet—Not ever.
A sudden, sharp click echoed through the cell, shattering the silence. The metallic grind of the door’s lock disengaging made his heart leap. Tail curling tighter around Cassidy as he tried to hide behind his hands. The heavy door creaked open, and in stepped a figure unlike any he had ever seen.
She moved with quiet precision. Her pink sleek form catching the dim sterile light. Her large, shimmering blue eyes held a glint of something that froze him in place. Was it, compassion? He couldn’t quite tell. She moved on two legs like a human, but nothing else about her felt ordinary. She had soft pink fur that caught the sterile light like cotton candy. Her tall frame—easily twice his height—blocked out the rest of the harsh glow overhead.
His gaze caught a long reptile like tail behind her, weightless yet precise, swaying like it had a mind of its own. It’s rounded tip hovered just shy of his face. A black hoodie hung loosely over her shoulders, puffy like a woolly scarf. Faded blue jeans brushed against him as she knelt.
Her eyes scanned his own form, slumped against a wall of frost. He was covered in short smooth gray fur that was marked with bruises, cuts, fractures, and a number tattooed on his inner arm—M-002. He had two legs and a long deep purple tail, prehensile, thick and like her own. Her eyes traced over the two blunt horns that protruded from his head.
Her hand reached out, slowly cupping his cheek—he flinched, pulling away.
She hesitated, gaze softening as it traced over the thin tube that ran from the base of his skull to his upper spine. Her other hand hovered just shy of touching it. He was barely up to her stomach; every inch of him seemed worn thin by bone shattering cold and inescapable exhaustion. Her gaze paused on his shoulders, too thin & too tired, bracing themselves against something she could not see—but knew was not meant for him yet.
The mew's eyes drifted to Cassidy beside him. She lay curled in on herself, his tail cushioning her from the bare floor beneath. One of her legs was bent crooked under their tails—tucked there as if to deny it was real. Her pale fur and green tail were covered in markings of Black ink and bruises. Things like “Egg maker” and “free use” told a story neither wanted to re-read.
“My sweet Mewtwo,” she whispered. “What did they do to you?”
Cassidy stirred at her voice. The end of her Tail twitching, her dull green eyes blinking open slowly. She tried to sit up, struggled, then managed it with a little help from her brother.
The boy watched the mew sit back on her legs. She pause, thinking for a moment, before whispering in voice as sweet as candy.
“Do you two have names?”
He looked at Cassidy, then back at the Mew.
“W-we…aren’t allowed to have names,” he mumbled out, watching the mew’s calm face. His throat felt strange; it been so long since someone had wanted him to speak. Cassidy leaned onto his shoulder, her own voice barely a whisper.
“But…gave them...”
The mew nodded once. “Then tell me, please,” she asked, her throat tight. “So, I can call you by them.”
They hesitated, both didn’t know what the mew wanted yet or if she was with Team Rocket. But something about the mew reminded the boy of a friend he had. He took a deep breath then spoke up, “I-I’m Nathan. She’s Cassidy.”
She nodded, a small smile spreading on her face. “Nathan. Cassidy,” she repeated their names as if they had weight neither could understand yet. “I’ve come to save you. I know you have questions, but we need to get out of here.”
“Why? No one cares about us,” Nathan echoed, feeling the hollowness of his own words. “At least no one here…”
“So then why can’t I care? I’m one of your mothers after all”
Nathan stared at the mew, studying her more now. Mother, that was a word neither of them had heard in a long time. It clung to the air like something sacred, long forgotten. His hand twitched toward his sisters without thinking. Her gaze was too fixed on the mew to notice. He could hear boots echoing down the hall—Sharp, rhythmic, ticking down. Still, the mew waited. Her arms open for both of them, tail dancing behind her.
Then Cassidy slowly scooted forward, her voice barely a breath, “No… alone… anymore.”
Nathan’s breath caught. He didn’t move. His mind replaying all the terrible things that happened to him. But one memory of another flickered behind his eyes. One of a girl, of a friend, who had once dared to show him kindness. Who had promised a pink angel would come to save them—he inched closer with Cassidy.
The mew pulled them both into her arms. Nathan’s mind screamed at him to pull away. That this was a trick, a dream. But if it was a dream, then why was she so warm?
They all heard the boot steps getting closer. Through the mews arms the twins watched the door click open again. In stepped another Pokémon, one neither of the twins recognized. He had black, blue, and cream fur with specks of gray on his muzzle. There were trimmed spikes on his hands. He wore a brown coat with a white undershirt. Nathan caught a short tail poking out of his jeans too.
In one of his paws was a shimmering sword with a blue hilt. It pulsed with a warm, quiet hum that seemed to echo with all their heartbeat. The light seemed to reflect off it and dance along the walls, almost if the blade was alive.
“Charles,” Mew sighed, recognizing the strange Pokémon. “Where’s Lily?”
“With Zelda, Mew. They’ll be fine,” He comforted, his voice calm and measured like an old war journal. His eyes landed on the twins in her arms. Boths gaze had stalled on the sword in his paw. Nathan could see Cassidy’s hand out of the corner of his eye. She was doing her best to reach out for it. Noticing her attempt to touch it, Charles knelt beside Mew. He held out the blade, letting Cassidy touch the sword.
“Careful little one it’s sharp.”
“Warm,” she whispered.
Charles nodded with a small smile and turned his gaze to Nathan’s. He was shivering, even in Mew’s arms. Charles slowly took off his coat, gently wrapping it around him. Nathan eyes drifted down to it. Brown, rough around the edges, but so warm. His eyes darted back up to the strange Pokémon’s face—meeting his blue eyes.
“What are you?” He asked, his voice defensive but tinged with curiosity. His tail’s grip on Cassidy tightened slightly.
“Well, that depends on what you’re asking about,” he mused, as his eyes studded Cassidy. “My species is anthro Lucario, the aura Pokémon. My job…well that’s complicated. My relationship to you though…”
He turned his gaze from Cassidy to mew, something silent passing between them as she nodded slowly.
“I’m your great-grandfather, on your other mother’s side.”
Nathan's head tilted slightly, “Other Mother?”
Cassidy looked up from the sword and at the stranger too. Head tilted like her brother, brain trying to figure out what that meant.
Mew spoke up, “Lily, your other mom. That’s how Cassidy got her colors.”
“She green?” Cassidy whispered.
Charles nodded, “She is, and you’ll get to see her soon. We’re going to get you both out of here first.”
He slowly started to pull the sword from Cassidys lose grip. Her hands clutched it tighter. The sword seemed to pulse faster, as her breathing quickened.
“Don’t...take…warm,” she pleaded.
Charles sighed as if he has been through this before, “I know little one, but I need it to keep us safe”
“...Ok…” she said defeated before letting go.
Mew slowly stood up, adjusting Nathan and Cassidy, so they were comfortable in her arms—keeping them close to her chest. Then with a quick flash of pink light, she made a blanket appear. Charles took it and wrapped it around Cassidy with care. She out a little sigh as the warmth was warped around her.
“You’re safe now, my little Mewtwo,” Mew whispered to them. Her tail came up to wrap around both, securing them in her arms. The words made Nathan’s heart tighten in a way he hadn't felt for a long time.
The door to the room clicked open again. Mew’s head snapped toward the sound. Her protective stance tightened as Three Team Rocket grunts stepped in from the hallway. Their black uniforms a stark contrast against the sterile white surroundings.
Cassidy shut her eyes, not wanting to see them hurt Mew and Charles—Nathan watched though. They froze at the sight of Mew, then they got to Charles. One blinked like he’d seen a ghost. The other took an involuntary step back, and the third fumbled for this communicator as if that might save him.
Before the grunts could utter a word, Charles raised his paw. A brilliant sphere of blue energy formed in an instant. The Aura Sphere struck the third grunt squarely in the chest, sending him crumpling to the floor. With a swing of the sword in his paw, he cut down the second. Nathan watched them fall to the ground, hurt but not critical. The First grunt hesitated. His wide eyes darting to the sword in Charles’s hand. Its blade, now faintly glowing with an otherworldly light, seemed to hum with warning.
“Leave while you still have a chance,” Charles commanded calmly.
The grunt staggered back. Without a word, he turned and fled, his hurried footsteps echoing down the corridor. Charles lowered the sword, his sharp gaze lingering on the empty hallway for a moment before turning back to Mew.
“We need to move.”
Mew nodded, her grip tightening on Nathan and Cassidy. They followed Charles out of the door and into a maze of sterile hallways. Nathan clung to Mew as defining alarms blared, his trembling fingers gripping the fabric of her hoodie. His gaze darted to Cassidy, her eyes were closed, hands curled in a death grip as every jolt made her whimper. He wanted to reach out and hold her, but his head pounded—not used to going so fast. He clenched his jaw to stop himself from crying out. They would find them if he did, and he didn’t know if Charles could take all of them.
He couldn’t shake the echoes of her voice either—Amber. She had always spoken of the outside world like it was something magical, something he and Cassidy would see one day.
“The sky is endless,” she had whispered once, her hand brushing over his as they huddled together in the dark. “It’s not like the ceiling here. It goes on forever, and the trees…they're green like Cassidy. But when fall rolls around their leaves change into so many different colors.” He had never truly believed her. How could something go on forever? How could the world be anything but cold, white walls and the low hum of machinery?
But now, cradled in Mew’s arms, he felt something different. Something Amber had always talked about, but he had never understood—hope.
As they rounded a corner, a tall figure came into view at the far end of the hallway. Nathan’s breath caught as he took in her commanding presence. She was a DragonFoke, her emerald-scaled form reflecting the harsh facility lights like diamonds. Her wings, tucked neatly behind her, gave her an air of grace despite her towering frame. Her green eyes shone with a mix of urgency and relief as she spotted the group.
“Grampa, Mewy!” she called out, her voice carrying across the hall.
Mew’s shoulders eased slightly at the sight of her. “Lily,” she sighed, her tone relaxing.
Lily hurried toward them, her gaze falling on the trembling figures in Mew’s arms. Her expression shifted, her slitted eyes widening, as she saw Nathan and Cassidy’s fragile forms.
“They’ll be alright,” Mew assured gently, sensing Lily’s concern. “But we need to get out of here now.”
Lily nodded and stepped closer, carefully taking Cassidy from Mew’s arms. Cassidy looked at Nathan and did her best to reach for him. Nathan gave her his tail, not wanting to be far away from her either.
“Little drakes…” Her voice wavered as she looked at him with quiet desperation. “I’m your other mother. I’m so sorry it took us this long to find you.”
Nathan blinked, his grip on Mew tightening. His blue eyes flickered with uncertainty. He wasn’t quite sure if he believed them. But when he looked at Lily, she felt like a fire that burned only for him. He looked back up at Mew, her expression soft with understanding.
“We’ve been searching for you and Cassidy for years, we never stopped. There’s more to it, but we need to get out,” Mew explained, trying her hardest to calm his racing mind.
Lily held Cassidy closer, her hands trembling. “We looked everywhere,” she wavered, her throat clenching.
Nathan’s lips parted as if to respond, but no words came. Instead, he buried his face against Mew’s shoulder, his small body shaking as he struggled to process everything. He’d always thought he come from a fossil, always thought he didn’t have a biological mother—now he had two.
Mew’s psychic energy swirled faintly around them. “I’m going to teleport us out of her my sweet kitten,” she told him slowly.
Charles stepped forward, resting a steady paw on her and Lily’s shoulders. “Take them home,” he said firmly. “I have to go back for Zelda.”
Mew hesitated, her eyes searching his face. Understanding the resolve in his gaze, she gave a reluctant nod.
Lily looked at him for a moment before nodding too. “…Be careful grandpa,” she murmured.
Charles gave her a reassuring smile before turning and sprinting down the hallway, disappearing into the shadows.
Mew adjusted her hold on Nathan, her psychic energy enveloping the group in a soft, shimmering glow. Lily leaned closer, her wings brushing against Nathan as the energy swirled around them. The sterile cold of the facility began to dissolve, replaced by a warmth that Nathan couldn’t yet place. The smell of metal shifted into that of wet leaves. In that instant, the dim lifeless corridors were gone.
They reappeared beneath a canopy of trees. Light—sunlight—filtering through the leaves in soft, golden streams.
“This is as close as I could get us,” Mew whispered softly, her voice carrying a note of apology. Nathan blinked, Cassidy’s eyes went wide, as they both took in the vibrant greens around them. The warmth of the sun kissed their skin for the first time. Chasing away the lingering chill of the facility.
Above them, it was too big. The sky stretched above them in a vast, endless sea of blue. The golden glow of midday painting soft streaks across the horizon. They had spent his entire life in enclosed rooms, trapped beneath artificial lights and metal ceilings. But here there was nothing above them but open space. A shiver ran through Nathan, not of fear, but of awe. As Amber’s words rushed back to him:
“It goes on forever.”
For the first time, both he and his sister understood what she meant. He blinked rapidly, swallowing hard. Wanting to tell her she was right—that the sky was bigger than he could have ever imagined—but she wasn’t here. She would never be here.
His chest tightened, his small hands gripping Charles’s coat as he buried his face into Mew’s shoulder. She held him tighter, whispering
“it’s ok my little mewtwo.”
Cassidy was taking in how the world smelled, earthy and alive, unlike the sterile air she had always known.
“…Where?” She asked, her voice quiet with awe.
Lily held her a little tighter. “Home,” she said simply.
The word echoed in Cassidy’s mind as Mew and Lily carried them all forward. Home, a word they had heard before but had never fully understood.
The air buzzed with the sounds of life, from the distant chirping of bird Pokémon to the whisper of the wind through the trees. Nathan clung to Mews’s hoody, his heart hammering against his ribs as the trees thinned to reveal the edge of a small, bustling town.
His and Cassidy’s breath caught, it was nothing like the facility. The streets were alive with movement, with Pokémon of all kinds going about their day. Braixen darted through the alleys, their laughter carrying on the breeze. Lucario sat at outdoor cafés, sipping steaming drinks. Dragonfoke were buying spices and trinkets from shops. The world moved in a rhythm they didn’t know yet.
Nathan swallowed hard, his grip on Mew tightened. He had spent his whole life in a cage—how was he supposed to fit into something like this? How was Cassidy? He noticed her looking at something and turned his gaze to it.
A small boy sat beneath the brim of a red cap, his frame relaxed but his gaze sharp. Beside him stood something even more unusual—nether of the twins knew what it was. She had sleek equine features that shimmered in the sunlight. Stranger yet, she had wings that were folded neatly against her back. She exuded both command and gentleness, a quiet authority that turned heads. Nathan met the boy’s curious stare, their eyes locking in a silent exchange before the moment passed and Mew carried him forward.
With each step Nathan felt himself thawing, but with it came the pain. It had always been there, buried beneath the need to protect Cassidy. But now, exposed to the world beyond the facility, it flared. He clung tighter to Mew, his temples pulsing. She felt his death grip and used her psychic abilities to dull it—but it was like trying to hold back a storm. The warmth seemed to dull it though. Warmth surrounded him now though—not just from the sun, but in the colorful shops, the hum of conversation, and the inviting homes around him.
Then they stopped in front of one. A two-story house with cream walls and green shutters. He could see a bigger sleek building behind it down a winding stone path. Something else he couldn’t quite name was down another stone path.
Mew tightened her hold on him. Whispering into his horn, she explained, “This is your home now. Well grandpa and grandpa’s, but still a home.”
Nathan froze at her words, his hands clutching Charles’ coat around him. Amber had spoken of places like this had told them, “One day, you and Cassidy will have a home. A warm one where you’ll be loved. Where you’ll be able to be yourself.” But she had never promised she’d be there.
Mew pushed the door open with a bit of psychic energy. Inside, the scent of polished wood and faint lavender welcomed them. There was faint music coming from down the hall. Mew settled Nathan onto a plush couch, it felt like he was sitting on a cloud. Lily set Cassidy right next to him. She curled closer to him. Leaning her head against his shoulder.
“Tired,” she whimpered.
Lily took out a small medic kit from a drawer, and started to set out a few things.
“I know my Achiusk, but we need to fix you up a bit first,” Lily murmured as she looked over Cassidy. She cuddled closer to her twin, head tilled, both not knowing why they knew the word meant emerald.
Mew kissed the two of them before whispering softly, “I’ll be back in a minute my kittens, I’ll get you something to eat too. I know you two are hungry.”
Nathan and Cassidy nodded, and watched Mew walk out of the room. The twins heard another set of soft footsteps coming down the hall.
“Lily, Mew, I didn’t expect you back so soon did you…”
A man paused in the doorway. He had fading blond hair and blue eyes like Nathan’s. He was in a white lab coat, with a gray undershirt and cream pants. Nathan tensed wrapping his tail around Cassidy, he felt friendly, but he was human. Lily looked up from tightening a bandage around Cassidy’s legs, faintly smiling at the newcomer.
“Dad, I thought you had to leave for a conference?” Her head turned, gaze softening as she saw Nathan’s face. “This is your grandfather, his name’s Samuel kiddo…You might know him as Professor Oak.” She told him before returning to work on Cassidy.
Nathan had never heard of him, not even Amber had mentioned him, but he reminded him of another doctor—one who been kind. The Pokémon professor walked forward and knelt beside him. The two studied the other for a moment. Samuel taking in his grandsons beaten state, Nathan trying to figure out if he was in danger. Samuel put a hand on Nathan’s knee, he tensed at the touch but didn’t run.
“I know you probably don’t like what I am…and that’s ok,” Samuel explained slowly, picking his words extremely carefully. “But I’m not like them, I promise your safe here. I swear it—and a professor can never go back on his word.”
Nathan slowly relaxed under his touch, understanding his grandfather completely. The professor smiled and slowly examined him, noticing the same damage Mew had. Nathan glanced over at Cassidy, seeing she was sleeping on his shoulder now—hugging his arm like a pillow—as Lily was finishing with her bandages. He let out a sigh upon seeing her so peaceful.
Nathan’s gaze turned curious though, as he finally realized the room around them wasn’t barren—like he was used to. There was a coffee table in front of them with a few magazines scattered about, a big TV on the far wall with a cabinet below it, and devices on the cabinet he didn’t know the use of yet. He spotted another comfortable chair, and a few plants by a window that looked out into the street. There were so many pictures on the walls—moments frozen in time—of stories he hoped he could learn.
He lingered on a picture of a younger Lily holding a charmander and another of her and Charles cuddling together after a long day. One photo showed Mew flanked by a group of majestic, unfamiliar Pokémon. One of them stood out to Nathan, a white one with serene green eyes and red pupils. Its maternal aura somehow tangible even in the stillness of the photograph.
Then his eyes shifted to something smaller, sitting on a nearby shelf. A model caught his attention, pulling his thoughts away from photo. It was big enough to fit in both of his hands and seemed to have eleven wheels in total. Soft footsteps caught his attention just as he finished his count. He turned to see Mew setting a tray of snacks down on the coffee table. She noticed his focus on the model and smiled gently.
“…What is it?” Nathan asked quietly, curiosity edging into his voice.
“A train, my little Mewtwo,” she explained, picking up the model with care. She held it at his eye level, her voice rich with nostalgia. “It’s a model of one I used to ride when I was little. To visit family in other regions of Hyrule. It’s a Hyrulean Jubilee Class.”
Samuel, who was now carefully bandaging Nathan’s tail, shifted so she could kneel beside him. Nathan gazed at the train as Mew turned the model so he could see its intricate details. His head tilted slightly as he looked inside the cab, “that doesn’t look very…comfortable…was it?”
Mew smiled at his question, “It is quite comfortable in there, but trains pull rolling stock behind them that you ride in.” She turned the model so he could see the little coupler on the back, “I don’t have much track to set up, but I’ve been meaning to make a layout—It still runs.”
Her tone slowly shifted, growing tender as she noticed the cuts and injuries on Nathan that Samuel had yet to attend to.
“But before we play with it, let’s patch you up. Where does it hurt the most?”
Nathan’s gaze dropped to his lap, Mew’s words stirring the ever-present ache within him. With that, the fragile peace of the moment cracked. He curled in on himself as another ache stirred—one that had nothing to do with his body—one for Amber. He still remembered her warmth, the way she used to whisper stories to him and Cassidy when the pain was too much—Like it was now.
“Stay strong, Nathan,” she had told him once. “Even when it hurts.”
Mews tail wrapped around his leg, gently pulling him from his memories.
“…H-Hurt…Head…” he finally murmured, his voice barely a breath.
Mew’s expression softened, as her tail curled further around him as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, then he felt a strange sensation—a hand brushing against his mind—mingling with the pain. The moment he realized Mew was doing it, her eyes shimmered open with understanding—and sadness.
She had felt his pain and it wasn’t normal. It wasn’t something dull or sharp that came and went, It was a constant wildfire. One where his whole body ached as every nerve was being stretched to its breaking point. But the worst part was in his head—a skull-splitting agony that pulsed behind his eyes, relentless and unyielding.
The worst part was it had always been there. From the moment he had emerged from the resurrection tank he had been made in—where they had made all of his siblings. It had eaten away at him, never relenting, never truly fading.
“Psychorift,” Mew murmured, her voice quiet but tinged with something Nathan couldn’t place. Samuel and Lily turned to her when she said it, as if the word fit into a puzzle they been dreading. Nathan’s horns tilted back slightly, not fully understanding the weight, but seeing the puzzle.
“It’s a genetic disease. That’s what’s causing your pain, kitten,” she explained further as her tail gently brushed his cheek. Then she turned to the other two, urgency creeping into her voice, “get him a vial of liquid light. Take Cassidy upstairs too, she needs a proper bed.”
Lily nodded, gently scoping Cassidy up into her sturdy arms and carrying her upstairs. Samuel followed quickly behind her, returning back a few moments later, with a small vial. It glowed faintly with a soothing golden light. In his other hand he had a bundle of more medical supplies. The soft luminescence of the vial cast a warm glow over his fingers as he handed it to Mew.
Mew took the vial and knelt beside Nathan again, her gaze steady and reassuring. She uncapped it and held it out to him.
“Drink this, it’ll help,” she promised, her voice urgent but steady.
Nathan hesitated, his fingers trembling slightly as he reached for it. The vial was warm against his palm, the light within pulsing softly as if alive. He swallowed thickly before bringing it to his lips. The moment the liquid touched his tongue a soothing warmth spread throughout his body, gentle but all-encompassing.
The fire that had burned beneath his skin for as long as he could remember began to fade, the pain in his skull unraveling like a knot being slowly untangled. His breath steadied as the unbearable pressure finally lifted, leaving only a faint, dull ache in its place—a mere whisper of what it had been. Nathan exhaled shakily, his body sagging slightly with relief. For the first time in his life, the pain wasn’t overwhelming.
“Better?” Samuel asked softly, watching him closely.
Nathan nodded slowly, his shoulders fully relaxing for the first time in what felt like forever. Relief softened his expression as his eyes finally held a flicker of life.
Mew and Samuel worked carefully, their movements slow and deliberate as they tended to Nathan’s injuries. His small body bore the evidence of years of neglect and abuse. Cuts and bruises crisscrossed his smooth gray fur, some fresh and angry, others faded into faint scars. His left arm hung stiffly at his side, the result of a poorly healed break that still caused him pain with every movement. He flinched instinctively when Mew touched him lightly with a stethoscope to check is heart.
“Your Psychic scars run deep,” Mew murmured as she listened to his heart.
“But you can overcome them,” Samuel whispered from behind him.
Samuel was handling his tail with particular care, setting the rest of the fractured and swollen appendage in layers of bandages. His blue eyes clouded with sorrow, as he worked with a concentration Nathan had never seen before. He turned to look at the snacks on the table. His stomach gave a growl right as Lily walked in from upstairs with a brush in her hand.
“This one my little drake?” She asked as she picked up a cup of goldeen crackers. He gave a little nod. Lily handed them to him, before sliding to her knees beside him. Nathan put one of the crackers in his mouth; it was dull, but compared to what Team Rocket was feeding him it was like a flavor bomb.
Nathan’s other had lingered on the model train in his lap as he ate. The delicate craftsmanship and Lily’s gentle brushing his fur pulled his mind away from his aches and pains. Towards questions that made him angry, towards others that made him uncomfortable, and others that made him feel a deep sorrow. His brow furrowed in frustration, causing Lily to pause her grooming.
“What’s wrong little drake?” She asked. “If you have questions, just ask.”
Nathan sat still for a moment, searching for the best words to use. After a few moments he spoke, his voice quiet but trembling with questions that had weighed on him for years.
“Why did it take you so long to find us?” He braced himself, his next question quivering on his lips. “And why…why were we created?”
The three of them froze, their hands halting mid-motion. The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of his words settling over them like a thick fog.
Samuel was the first to speak, his voice quiet and tinged with regret.
“We were all tricked by Team Rocket my boy,” he set down the roll of bandages and knelt beside him, his gaze steady as he met his wide questioning eyes. “Your moms wanted kids, but…well, they’re both females.”
Nathan tilted his head slightly, his small hands tightening around the model train. He looked up at Lily, wanting her to explain more.
“They told us you, Cassidy, and your other siblings died during the first month of your creation,” Lily continued, her green eyes shimmering with sorrow. “We didn’t want to believe them, but they showed us just enough to make us think it might be true. Later, a kind Team Rocket member told us they’d lied.”
Mew picked up the story, her voice soft but steady.
“We searched for all four of you—desperately. But Team Rocket hid you well. We only managed to find you and Cassidy a month ago.” She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “We never stopped looking for the both of you, and we won’t stop looking for your other two siblings.”
Lily leaned forward and wrapping her arms and wings around him. Her embrace was tight and warm.
“I’m so sorry, my little heartstring,” she whispered, her voice breaking as tears threatened to fall. “I’m so sorry you had to go through those horrors for five years.”
Nathan’s chest tightened as a spark of anger flared deep within him. His hands clenching around nothing. He wanted to hurt something, to hurt and hurt till the pain went away. But, as Lily’s arms held him tightly and the comforting warmth of the room enveloped him—it began to ebb away. Slow, very cautiously, he returned her hug. His small frame relaxing against her. The faint ache in his chest finally disappearing.
He stayed nestled In Lily’s arms for a while longer, her quiet presence calming the storm of emotions that churned within him. Slowly, he pulled back, his blue eyes searching hers for answers she hadn’t yet given.
Before she could speak, a voice from the doorway cut through the silence.
“Lily? Mew? Grandpa? Did you find them?”