Making their way to the door, Chris suddenly paused making the group do the same, albeit with Serenity bumping into his back before grumbling. "Sorry about that..." he apologized, before focusing on the entrance, tilting his head back to look at the scale of the doors. "Something the matter?" Alicia asked. "I-It's just hitting me, the kind of place we're going in." he laughed nervously. "The elders always told me you gotta show respect before just walking in to these things... Uh... Let me think..." he added, his tone fading into a murmur as he crossed his arms. "...Ah! That's right." he nodded, the girls tilting their heads and blinking curiously as he took a step back. "Alright... Before you enter..." Chris muttered again before holding his hand up to his chest. Moving his finger in a circle around it, he then crossed the circle with an X in an Arceus type of manner before clapping his hands and lowering his head. "House of our Father, forgive us our sins..." he spoke in a quiet tone, the girls looking at one another before Serenity and Rose curiously made the same motion in front of their chests and copied his stance, Alicia making the sign with her vine before placing them together. "Be it your will this day, welcome us as we approach you, and let us welcome you. We ask that you find the heart to accept us as we are, to accept our bonds so that we may bridge our hearts with your own, bond with you in turn, and enter your home without fear nor' regret." he finished, adding "Amen" before the girls muttered the same and looked back at him. "That was kinda nice." Rose giggled. "Indeed... A quaint speech." Alicia smirked. "It not bad." Serenity shrugged. "Just something I tossed together. Elders always said you should ask before just waltzing into places like this." Chris laughed.
Turning ahead, Chris reached toward the door only to pause a second time when he felt something like eyes gazing down at him. Looking around, he focused on the nearby windows, raising his eyebrow with an "eh?" before the doors suddenly clicked and began opening in front of the group, acting of their own accord making their eyes widen while backing away in unison. "I think you get answer..." Serenity point out. "Spooky..." Rose added. "N-Nah, just automatic... Probably." Chris laughed nervously as he looked at the pair of doors, now wide open before them. "...Didn't actually expect an answer..." he added in his mind, tugging his collar. "Well? Are we going or aren't we?" Alicia asked. "Y-Yeah! We are." he nodded, slight sweat showing as he made his way past the doors, the group looking at them once more as they stepped into the main chamber of the temple, the doors shutting behind them making the group jump. With their eyes widening in awe, running along the sides of the chamber were spectacular pillars of stone, working together to help support the foundation. Up above was a second floor walkway where visitors could stroll around and get a birds eye view of the room, with countless chandeliers hanging both, above and beneath said walkways to light the first and second floor surroundings in an atmospheric manner. "My my..." Alicia muttered. "Bi--ig..." Rose added in a drawn out manner. "...Ngh..." Serenity groaned, causing Chris to look back at her. "...Ngh?" he asked. "It nice but..." Serenity paused, clutching her horn. "Not feel... Right... It like feeling I have when I touch that thing you get on staff..." she explained. Looking at her for a moment, Chris showed a smile and put a hand on her shoulder. "Guess that other part of you doesn't like this kinda place..." he point out, causing her to glance away.
"If you want, you can wait for us at the carriage. If you're feeling bad you don't have to come in here." he affirmed. Looking back at him, Serenity shook her head and assured she'd be fine, taking a breath and nodding. "Okay then. You have any problems, just let me know." Chris affirmed, nodding back before focusing ahead. Filling the chamber on the first floor before them were the countless sprawling benches where visitors could sit, and in the center of the temple stood the colossal tree Chris had bought, glowing in the light pouring from the dome above making him point out "There it is!" with a proud grin, the girls showing smiles of their own. "That was a nice thing you did." Rose nodded. "Bah, it's nothing." Chris waved. "So that's where they put it... Lucky they have such massive doors for an entrance." Alicia added. "I'm still surprised they could maneuver it through the city..." Chris reminded, affirming how narrow many of the paths can be. Making their way up to the towering pine, they tilt their heads back together to take in its height before suddenly hearing the sound of a group on the opposite side, making them look at one another before circling the tree. Poking their heads around, they found several sisters surrounded by countless boxes of decorations and a group of kids. However, upon looking at them, it was clear the children present were all living with various afflictions, walking and standing in slumped and crippled looking manners while others were stuck in chairs, some speaking with impediments and behaving in unique manners causing the girls eyes to widen, noticing one girl standing hunched over and lacking portions of hair in a Quasimodo manner as others showed symptoms of down syndrome. "Those humans..." Alicia muttered. "Are... They okay...?" Rose asked guiltily. "Look... Different..." Serenity added.
Looking back at the girls, before Chris could respond a chipper "Hello there!" was heard from one of the sisters, turning out to be one that was present when Chris bought the tree for the temple. "H-Hello again." he smiled, stepping out and motioning for the girls to do the same. "We were wondering when you would come. It took a bit for us to get it here, but we're finally starting with our decorations alongside our guests." she smiled, turning toward the kids as some of them looked at the group curiously, the girls unsure of how to respond to their appearances as they merely smiled and nodded. "So, these are the kiddo's lending a hand... One of the other sisters mentioned something about them outside when we were on our way in." Chris smirked. "How's it going?" he asked, giving a wave. "You guy's are gonna help decorate this thing eh? Gonna be one heck of a job." he chuckled, noticing Alonso nearby glancing at him in silence. "Pretty bunny." one of the girls suddenly point out, approaching Rose before suddenly grinning and roughly patting her head. "Bunny bunny! Pretty!" she exclaimed excitedly, causing the rabbit to jolt and wince with each pat. "Easy Julie, easy..." one of the sisters instructed, softly holding her hand and helping her pet Rose more appropriately. "Like this... See?" she smiled before Julie suddenly started roughly and rapidly ruffling the rabbit's fur, making Rose think "owowowowowow..." yet remaining still as the sister coaxed the child back, tenderly affirming it was enough attention for the "bunny" before guiding her back to the boxes. "See? We still need to make the tree look nice." the sister instructed, helping Julie place an ornament on a branch. "You're popular with everyone, huh?" Chris chuckled, looking at Rose as she laughed nervously.
"I apologize." the sister with Julie nodded. "For what? Nothing wrong with bein' friendly." Chris assured. Looking around, he noticed a stage featuring a colossal marble statue made in the image of what the artist who sculpted it considered God towering on the opposite side of the chamber before them, donning long hair and a beard along with a robe, all appearing as though wafting in the breeze while holding what looked like a stone tablet close to his chest with a tall staff in his other hand, looking down at the rows of benches. At the feet of the massive man stood Arceus as well, looking down the same as the Godly figure as though both were waiting to judge all who entered. "Now that's something..." Chris whistled. "M-M-M-Mother Tsarea p-p-performs on the stage." a boys voice explained, causing Chris to look at a pre-teen who approached and looked at the stage as well. "That's one heck of a place to stand... Kind of intimidating." Chris replied. "It's r-r-really not bad. The sisters l-l-let us play on the stage all the t-t-t-time." the boy point out, looking as though having to force out some of his words. "I'd feel like I'm about to be stepped on with a statue THAT big behind me." Chris laughed. Looking at him and the boy, the girls were puzzled by the impediment he had, looking at themselves as the crippled girl with patches of hair reached out and felt Chris's coat, causing him to blink and turn. "Hiya." he smiled. "I-It looks fancy..." she point out shyly. "You think so?" he asked, looking himself over. "I don't usually dress like this but it was a gift from the Mayor." he explained before the girl turned her attention to Serenity, approaching the Pokemon with a slump in her steps as though one of her legs was slightly limp. Looking down, Serenity wasn't sure how to react as the girl meekly hovered her gaze up and down her figure.
"You look pretty too..." she point out, albeit with a strangely somber hint to her voice as she reached her hand out and brushed the back of her fingers on Serenity's skirt, unable to open her hand completely. "Hey now, why'd you say it like that for?" Chris asked, approaching the girl from behind, causing her to look back at him before looking down shyly. "C'mon, don't do that..." he coaxed, squatting and reaching out before lifting her chin causing the child to jolt. "There we go... Now, would you just look at those pretty eyes?" he grinned warmly, causing her to let out an "eh?" of surprise. "Now, you tell me, what makes Serenity there look any better than you, huh?" he asked, the girls intrigued by his behavior. Puzzled by his remark, the girl put her hands together as if to rub them nervously, though due to her disfigurement she looked like that of a mantis as she faced away. "That's little Lucy, she's a tad self conscious..." one of the sisters explained. "About what?" Chris asked, causing the sister to blink at him as Lucy looked up as well. "It's... Not nice to tease..." she point out. "Tease?" he replied, turning his attention back to the child. "I'm not." he shook his head. "I'll ask again... What makes you think she's any better than you?" he repeat, looking her in the eyes. After a moment, she finally turned to show the hunch in her back, looking down as though guilty for her appearance before reaching up with her partially closed hand and touching what hair she had. "Okay... So you look a little different... So what?" he asked, causing her to turn back to him. "We're all different in one way or another. Nobody's perfect." Chris shrugged. "W-We're not born r-r-r-right." the stuttering boy from before chimed in. "We're too d-d-different, so w-w-we don't fit i-i-in." he added.
Looking back at him, Chris asked "What's your name?" to which the boy replied "Sam" in turn. "Well then, tell me this..." Chris paused, standing with a turn toward the boy. "What makes YOU so different?" he asked, causing Sam to glance away. "I don't t-t-talk so g-good. It gets on everyone's n-n-n-nerves..." he affirmed, pushing out his words. "Alright... So maybe you don't talk the same as other people... So what?" Chris asked. "And maybe you don't look the same as others, why should that matter?" he added, looking back at Lucy. "You may look and sound different, but you've got perfectly good brains, don't you?" he asked, tapping his forehead. "People don't really s-s-see us that w-way." Sam point out. "Because of how we look and t-t-t-talk... Everyone thinks we're all s-stupid and even the t-t-teachers don't w-want us, so they put us in the s-s-same special c-c-c-class away from others." Sam sulked, revealing the realistic fact of how many children are merely cast into a special needs group for their short comings despite their capabilities. "Nobody wants to look at us... We even make teachers uncomfortable. That's why they get rid of us... They put us all in a room away from others..." Lucy nodded, both kids sulking as Chris looked at the two. "The s-s-sisters let kids like us come here to g-g-get away f-from all that. We get t-t-treated more n-normal here." Sam point out. "It was Mother Tsarea who started doing this for us when the old Mother went on a trip someplace else... There's lots of kids with problems in the city and she started setting up special stuff for us to come and be part of, to help us feel better but... Once we leave, we have to go back to being treated the same as always..." Lucy sulked. "Back to b-b-being ugly... Being s-s-s-stupid..." Sam added, hanging his head as well.
"Oh come now children..." one of the sisters coaxed, stepping up behind the two and pulling them close. "Ugly... Stupid... What horrid things to say." she affirmed, the girls showing somber expressions while Chris looked at all the kids. "...I don't see any stupid people here." he point out, the two looking at him. "I don't see any ugly people here either." he added, looking at Lucy and Sam before showing a smirk. "...Actually, I think I see a pair of heroes!" he revealed, both looking puzzled and surprised combined. "Think about it... Maybe your bodies have limits, maybe the way you talk is a little tricky, but you're still capable of thinking just fine!" he affirmed. "Have you ever heard that... Everybody is born for a reason...? That we all have a purpose, and there's a point in all our struggles?" he asked, the two looking at one another before listening, the girls hearing him out as well. "You were born... Limited... In some ways. But... There are ways in which your limitations, make you gifted in other ways. For instance... I think you two have the potential to be smarter than anyone out there, and I actually had this same talk with Alonso over there." he revealed, causing the boy to turn his chair so his back was facing them. "You... With all the problems you face, you have the ability to understand those like you, and others who... Might be a little more limited in some ways..." Chris admit, looking at Julie as she clapped excitedly and repeat "ball! ball!" over and over while pointing at an ornament she'd just put on the tree by herself. "...Those are the one's, and many others, who you can be a hero for." he smiled, reaching out and placing his hand on Lucy's head, causing her to jolt and look up before focusing on him.
"I hate to admit it but... People can be harsh toward those they don't understand. People who aren't... Molded... Quite the same." he confessed, looking at the child with sympathy. "You, and Sam here... Both of you have brains that work just fine. How you look, or how you talk, that's not important. You still have the most important tool of all to work with, and to fight with... Not only for yourself, but for those who have even more, even worse problems. You can find ways to protect everyone who endures the same stuff you go through, and you can do that by growing up, playing your cards right, and putting yourselves in places where you can make a real change." he assured with a grin. "Neither your bodies, nor' how you talk, or even whether or not you can walk, can decide your future. None of that can stop you from being anything you want one day." Chris promised. "People might... TREAT you different but... That doesn't mean you ARE different in the end, and if you try hard, you can be bigger and better than any of the people who put you down." he chuckled. "They can call you things, treat you bad, they can toss you aside... But you can make THEIR weakness YOUR strength. There's nothing, nobody, that can stop you from being great, and doing great things, but yourself." Chris finished, poking Lucy on the nose. "And FYI, there's no such thing as an ugly or stupid person, just ugly and stupid personalities. If someone ever calls you those things, or tries to make you think you are, just remember, what it really does is show that's exactly what they are on the inside. You'll never be ugly or stupid so long as you believe you're not. So you just hold that pretty head high and don't ever forget that kiddo." he grinned kindly, giving Lucy a soft nudge on the chin.
Looking at him together, the girls eyes lit up while tears formed in Lucy's, with Sam showing a startled expression from such a speech given to them. "Thank you..." one of the sisters chimed in, lowering her head slightly. "No need for that, it's only the truth." Chris affirmed. "There's nothing WRONG with these kids at the end of it all really. Sure they might not be the same as others, but I think that's something to embrace, and... To protect." he added before being surprised when Julie jumped on his back, bouncing energetically and repeating "Up up!" wanting to piggyback. Laughing in response, Chris nodded with "alright" before raising up and standing with the child sitting atop his arms. "There, how's that?" he asked as she hugged him. "I'm sorry, she kept looking at you and couldn't resist." the sister who'd been helping her decorating the tree explained. "No worries." Chris assured. "...Being honest, I think kids like her are lucky..." he revealed, surprising the sisters as one asked "How so?" in response. "Well... They might be limited in their minds but... I think, in a way, it will help them hold onto their sense of wonder... The child-like part of themselves we all lose as we grow... I think they'll always get to hold onto their innocence that the world can kind of tear away as you get older." Chris explained. "I know it's probably weird to say but... That's how I feel. The limitations in their minds will also act like a barrier to protect them from the harshness of the world we all have to accept as we go on." he point out. "That's why I think... Our limitations are also a gift in one form or another... For some of us, it helps us understand the people others abandon." he nodded, looking at Same and Lucy as well as Alonso.
"And for others... It helps us maintain a part of ourselves so many wish they'd never lost." he added, looking back at Julie as she grinned with an excited "go go!" and pulled his hair like reins, causing his eyes to widen as he grit his teeth. "S-So that's how he feels..." Chris muttered, referring to Rapidash. "Julie! We don't pull on others hair." a sister panicked. "N-No, it's alright." he assured as Julie loosened her grip. "Guess it's no fun having a horse that just stands around... How about I fix that?" he grinned before he started walking around, doing so in a bouncing manner and playfully letting out a "moo!" sound, causing Julie to pause and scowl. "No moo!! Say neigh!!" she demanded. "Oh ho? Well, excuse me!" Chris laughed, playfully teasing the child as he started making the correct noises. Seeing this, Alicia showed a small smirk while Rose smiled from ear to ear, Serenity showing a blush as she clutched her horn. In response to him making the correct sound, Julie surprised the group when she exclaimed "Good boy!" in response, patting his head as a reward which made Alicia's cheeks bulge before laughing. "I like her." she affirmed. After a moment, Chris returned to the group and set Julie down, getting an "aw" from the child making him apologize as he straightened and leaned back. "Can't put too much on the ol' spine." he explained. "Oh, that's right... You okay?" Rose asked. "Bah, it's fine." he assured. "...Did you really mean what you said?" Lucy asked, tugging on his coat making him turn. "What? You mean everything a minute ago?" he questioned, getting a nod. Looking down at her, he showed another smirk while crossing his arms. "Darned tootin." he affirmed. "T-t-t-tootin...?" Sam chimed in, suddenly snickering. "Er... Yeah, uh... Means yes." Chris explained, scratching his cheek with a slight blush. "Gotta watch which terms I use." he muttered.
Looking at the two, Chris suddenly got an idea as he pat his fist in his palm. "Why just say it when I can show you?" he asked, the children looking at him curiously. "How about I turn you into a princess and a knight right now?" he offered, leaving them all the more confused. "Fortunately for you, I just happen to know a little magic! It's a talent I'm working on but, I think I can put something together." he assured. "You mean use power again?" Serenity asked. "Yeah, you remember what I did for folks back on the ship?" he asked, the girls thinking back on everything he'd done. "Er... Which part?" Alicia questioned, recalling many things he'd done. "It's nothing dangerous is it?" one of the sisters stepped in. "Oh no, it's harmless. Watch!" Chris winked before turning toward the two. "First up... A princess..." he nodded. Closing his eyes, he formed a picture of a dress in his mind and gave shape to it around Lucy, covering her in a glittering gold akin to something you'd see from the Fairy Godmother as a dress appeared on her, the child's eyes widening as the other kids took notice. "And now... A mighty knight!" Chris grinned before covering Sam in the same aura, the shape of armor taking hold around him with a sword in hand. "A princess who can rise to the top and rule for her people, and a knight who can protect both, her and those who need it." he explained, the two looking themselves over as Sam raised his sword with eyes full of wonder, letting out an "ooh" of awe. "A-A weapon..." one of the sisters panicked. "No worries." Chris chuckled, waving his hand through the blade causing it to waft like mere dust, letting the women to sigh in relief. "Now... When you wear that dress, and wield that sword and armor... How does looking at the other kids make you feel?" he asked.
Looking at each other, Sam and Lucy turned to the others, watching Julie and the kids living with similar limits as her play among themselves. "Everyone has somebody worth standing for... Worth living and improving for... I'd say rising up for their sake is a pretty awesome thing to aim toward, but what about you?" he asked as Sam looked at his sword again, Lucy looking at her dress before Chris formed a tiara in his hand. "With enough effort..." he paused, placing it on Lucy's head. "You can be worthy of wearing this... Same as you and that sword and armor Sam. It won't just be pretend, it'll be for REAL one day." he pushed with a proud fist up, giving the two a smirk of faith. Looking at him together, Sam suddenly turned to the kids and raised his sword, exclaiming "I'll p-p-p-protect!" with pride of his own. "I-I can try!" Lucy agreed, balling her fists in a more positive stance. "That's the ticket!" Chris laughed as the other kids surrounded them as though the two were suddenly on a podium. "From now on, when anybody tries to put you down, just think of them as a stepping stone toward the future. Overcome those who doubt you, one at a time, and one day they'll be the ones looking up at how great you really are." Chris grinned, crossing his arms once more. Looking toward Alonso in his chair, he surprised the boy when he formed armor around him as well, causing him to turn his chair around and glance at him. "All of this goes for you too kid... There's a lot of ways you could stand up for others too, not just yourself." he affirmed. "You kids can stand up for the people nobody else has the courage to fight for, that nobody has the heart to think about... You can be the justice for the forgotten and the hope for those who others casts away." Chris nodded.
Looking at one another, the sisters responded by clapping for him together, causing him to look at them in surprise before hearing more behind him coming from Serenity and Rose, Alicia bowing her head in approval while the children began joining in believing they were playing a game. "Aw geeze... C'mon..." he blushed, rubbing his head with a grin. "Didn't say nothin' but the truth." he affirmed before looking down at Lucy with a smirk. "You just keep that head high and those eyes forward, you hear? No more looking down." he instructed, getting a nod before looking at Sam, offering his hand. "And you... Never forget that you can be the armor and sword that protects everyone like them. Keep your focus ahead too, got it?" Chris reminded, getting a nod from him as well before looking at Alonso, smirking with "Don't you forget either" in reference to their conversation outside, the boy raising an eyebrow before one of the other children ran up to him with a particularly large ornament, exclaiming "Look!" repeatedly in the same manner as Julie, putting it in his lap wanting Alonso to put it on the tree. Twitching his eye in agitation from the request, Alonso opened his mouth ready to tell the child off given his lack of movement, only to look at the other kids and Chris once more before using his fingers to inch his way off the arm of his chair and along his lap, taking hold of the hook on the ornament. "...Help me...Put it on..." Alonso muttered, the child blinking at him before exclaiming "help!" repeatedly and taking his arm, albeit slightly roughly as he pulled and yanked it toward the tree making Alonso wince and twitch his eye again. Nonetheless, with help from the excited child he managed to place it on the branch, after which his arm was dropped.
"Did it! You did it!" the child applauded, clapping for him with a wide grin as Alonso looked at his arm dangling by the wheel of his chair. "Yeah..." he nodded before the child raced off. Seeing this, Chris approached and reached down, taking his hand and lifting it with a firm grasp. "Nice step." he praised, giving his limp arm a shake like something any normal people would do before setting Alonso's arm back on his chair, letting him take hold of his control stick again. "Not so bad opening up, is it?" Chris asked, causing him to grunt in response. Showing a smirk, he turned back to Lucy and Sam and retracted the aura around them, leaving the two appearing as their normal selves once more, causing slight disappointment in their expressions. "Remember... One day it can be real." Chris assured, causing both children to look at him and nod with a smile. Looking around the chamber once more, after a moment he heard something akin to "Iby-diby-doo!" from one of the children, turning back to find Alicia allowing a little boy to slide along her back before raising her tail, allowing him to jump in the air and land behind her. Showing a look of surprise, he watched as Serenity used her psychic abilities to lift another child, this time a girl as she hovered up before being dropped down Alicia's back the same as the other child, the two working together to entertain them. "Look at that..." Chris muttered, showing a smirk while Rose sat nearby, allowing herself to be pet and played with by the kids who couldn't slide on Alicia, and although some were rough with her, she remained calm and accepted their enthusiasm with a smile, though she couldn't help showing an occasional twitch whenever her ears were pulled.
Chuckling from the sight, he turned his focus back to their surroundings, curiously examining the sides and corners of the chamber around them. "Is something the matter?" one of the sisters asked. "Yeah... Uh... If you don't mind..." he replied quietly, motioning for her to follow him while the others were distracted, guiding her around the tree out of sight and earshot. "Yes?" she asked as he looked around again. "The other day... I bought this tree for the temple and was told there was an... Accident... Kind of..." he explained, causing the woman to blink at him before looking down. "I don't see any damage here though... Any way you could tell me where it's at, or maybe show me?" he asked. "We had to block the area from visitors... You did say you're responsible for us having this replacement, correct?" she asked, looking up at the tree while Chris nodded. Facing him for a moment, the sister looked around herself before subtly motioning for him to follow, causing him to tilt his head before doing so. Making their way along, the sister led him out of the main chamber and along a long corridor. "Our temple is rather large, so we normally keep the area we just left specifically for prayer and sessions with Mother Tsarea, it's the heart of our temple so we typically try to avoid using it for other means." she began. "However... After the... Accident... Our Mother gave us permission to set up our festivities in the main chamber, since the place we're going can no longer be used for it's purpose." she added, looking down again. "By His grace, we were able to stop the damage to our temple from reaching further than it did, but the cost is still phenomenal and... It will be some time before we can undo the sins against us." the sister confessed.
Reaching the end of the corridor, the sister guided him past caution tape before Chris paused as he looked at the scorched appearance of the door before him, with some of the burns stretching out along the walls, as well as the ceiling and floor. "Beyond this is the chamber we used for special events... As you can see, we were able to barricade the fire that went off within... Had it not been for His grace and the help of the city, it would have quickly burned its way through and continued to the rest of the temple. Thanks to its stone structure, it was merely the contents within that were set ablaze, though the damage to the stonework itself is still a horrid sight... Over a hundred years of history was destroyed..." the sister revealed. "Now blackened by sin and covered in the ashes of treason, this beautiful place has been reduced to..." she paused while reaching out, clicking the handle of the door and slowly pulling it open, the hinges struggling as part of the woodwork of the door chipped away. Lowering her head, the sister stood aside and held out her hand in an "enter" manner, causing him to look at her before stepping along. Once he was inside, Chris looked at the dangling remains of the festive decorations that once donned the chamber, what was left on the stonework appearing as if it had melt while the fabric on the remnants of furniture appeared the same as though lava had swept across the area. With each step he took, ash swept up around his feet as before him stood what was essentially the skeleton of their original tree, one of the remaining branches suddenly snapping off as though all it would take was a simple breeze to make what was left turn to dust. The glass ornaments that once covered it could be seen broken and shattered around its base, covered in scorches.
All around him, the stone of the temple, sure enough, had been smeared by the blackened marks of a relentless fire that had engulfed the space. Looking up, what was once a majestic painting of heaven now showed something like that of the apocalypse, with cupids and other types of angels covered in burn marks, their wings looking torched while the once white clouds looked stormy. Showing a somber look on his face, Chris suddenly heard a glassy crunch beneath his foot, stepping back to find one of the ornaments from the tree. Nearby, what was once tables prepped for celebration could be seen, with the remnants of cloth that once covered them dangling from being mutilated from the blaze while blackened plates and other similarly ruined decor lined them. "It's not so much the damage alone that hurt us... But..." the sister finally spoke, stepping past Chris as she approached the twigs that were once their majestic Aurora Tree, watching another branch that had been dangling snap off and fall by her side with a puff of ash from the floor. Looking down at it, she then focused on the unrecognizable remains surrounding the base of the tree as Chris stepped up beside her. "These were gifts... Intended for the children facing hardships here in the city, and for those who travel here from beyond with similar struggles... This was another act of grace Mother Tsarea put in place to honor life in all its forms, regardless of circumstance or appearance... And now all of it is gone... While some were donations, many came from our own funds, what few we have..." the sister sulked, apologizing for her behavior in the process. "She truly does care, she has been a wonderful Mother, for everyone, but... Because of who she is, there are those who think it's a sin for her to hold the position she was given." the sister continued.
"It wasn't long ago that we endured many struggles to grant her the title she now holds. There were many against us from all angles, those within the church and region both took issue with it. There were followers from both sides, fighting for and against her... It was a horrid struggle for our other Mother at the time as well..." she point out, causing Chris to think "Other Mother?" with a raised eyebrow. "Finally, we found an ally in Mayor Holly, and with the power she was given after winning the last election, she... You could say... Forced... Mother Tsarea to be accepted into her position. It was one of the first acts the Mayor took for our sake upon her victory, to put an end to the fighting, and ever since she too has carried the burden of that decision." the sister revealed, causing Chris to show a surprised look. "So that's what everyone meant..." he muttered, getting a "Pardon?" from the sister, only for him to shake his head. "After this was done, that's when our temple was attacked... And the Mayor did all she could to help then as well. It's also thanks to her the fire was stopped so quickly, as she delivered unto us the near entirety of her forces to protect the temple." the sister smiled somberly. "That poor woman has felt so much grief because of what her actions caused, but she has stood strongly for Mother Tsarea throughout it all. After the incident, the Mayor even offered to aid in funding repairs, but... We knew what would happen if she took any further action for our sake, and had to turn her down." the sister confessed. "She... Really is a wonderful woman, you know... Holly isn't unlike our own Mother, they both want everybody to thrive, but... It has come with its fair share of costs..." the sister sighed.
Continuing to look around, after a moment the sound of snapping could be heard, and looking before them the entirety of what was once the massive tree broke free from the stand that supported its remains and began falling toward them. Quickly pulling the sister aside, the two watched the mighty skeleton crash onto the ashy for, kicking up a cloud of smoke that forced them to turn away, fanning at the ash and coughing before looking at it once more. "...All this just because they didn't like someone?" he asked, the sister nodding. "We placed our burdens on others long enough... After everything the Mayor has done for us, we can't ask for anything more... And if we seek help from elsewhere, who knows the danger it could put others in as well. Mayor Holly has protection, but those who see our acts as blasphemy... They could do anything to others who reach out to us." she point out. Looking around, Chris noticed a blockaded exit nearby, resembling the colossal front entrance to the temple, making it the back exit. "Whoever did this knew of our temple well... All it took was simply rushing in, setting the fire, and vanishing into the night through that very door, one which once welcomed the devoted, and instead allowed evil to destroy us..." the sister revealed, her shoulders slumping. "I... Suppose one could be positive and say those doors also helped prevent the fire from escaping into the city." she added, thinking of a silver lining as the once majestic woodwork of the exit now stood splintered, struggling to remain sturdy as countless boards were nailed across them. "We did as best we could to seal them, but given their state, even with boards they won't last long." she point out as Chris looked at her and their surroundings.
With the size of the chamber nearly on par with the main entrance, the amount of damage told the story of just how powerful and rapid the inferno became, now looking as though they were standing in the center of an oven that had turned everything into an ashy and molten mess of its former splendor. Looking at the walls lining the exit, what were once spaces holding stained glass were now covered with plywood, the heat having shattered the artistry with pieces of it sprawled on the floor, same as the ashes. "We... Haven't had much time to clean. Because of this, we've already had to delay our events for the festival. We'll be lucky if we're able to host any at all now." the sister revealed, making Chris turn to her. "Event?" he asked. "Yes... Every year, during the festival, we host a few performances made by the sisters. That, along with our decor and the gifts, plus the food we set up, draw in a mass of donations that usually aid us throughout the year to come. Much of our budget comes from what people give us during this time but... After all this, trying to get ready all over again... It's difficult. Under normal circumstances, each day of the festival we perform to attract crowds, but as of right now we haven't done a thing. We'll be lucky if we can host something by the last day of the celebrations, and even then, we're talking a single chance to bring in donations, when normally we have an entire week or so." the sister confessed. "This couldn't have happened at a worse time... We don't even have the supplies, nor' the budget to decorate the main chamber properly either. We're lucky to have the tree and enough to decorate it with." she sighed. "We relied on this room, and everything in it... There's just not enough left to replace it all." she finished, facing down guiltily.
Looking around, Chris turned back to the tree, now lying in defeat as the ashes continued to settle around it before he faced the sister. About to speak, he was interrupted by another who stepped in, exclaiming "Sister Ana!" and approaching. "Mother Tsarea is about to begin her services, we need you to help welcome everyone and take your place in the choir." the woman instructed. "A-Apologies..." Ana replied, nodding in response. "I must return now... Thank you for listening." she bowed. "N-No... Thanks for showing me..." Chris waved, shaking his head before she turned and made her way out. "Please follow, guests really aren't allowed here right now." the sister who'd entered instructed. "Right... Coming." Chris nodded, looking around once more before doing as told. With the sister closing the door behind him, as they made their way down the corridor she explained how his Pokemon had been taken to the second floor to watch the services, having asked if they could explore the walkway as things began. Assuring she'd guide him along, Chris thanked the woman as they made their way to the opposite end of the corridor where a spiral staircase waited. "Simply make your way up here and you'll be where you need to go. You should run into them in no time." she assured, giving a subtle smile and bowing before heading off. Watching her leave, Chris looked down in thought before climbing his way up, passing a stained window along the way until finally reaching the top and stepping out into the main chamber, finding himself towering above a crowd below as people slowly streamed in. With the sisters welcoming them with bows and handshakes, he made his way along until noticing the girls looking down at everyone nearby.
"There you are!" Alicia exclaimed. "It about time. Where you go?" Serenity asked. "One of the sisters showed me the damage that was left from the attack... Remember, the one they told us about when I bought the tree?" Chris reminded, causing them to glance away and nod. "Is it bad...?" Rose asked. "It ain't pretty... Everything that burned cost them a fortune, and it's gonna cost even more to get repairs." he point out before they heard the choir beginning to sing in a chanting manner, filling the chamber with the echoes of their voices and drawing their attention for a moment. "...Reason it happened was something about who was chosen to be the Mother of this place. Apparently, fact is it was the Mayor who forced them to allow whoever it is to take the position, and that hasn't gone over well with some folks." he revealed. "There was a lot of fighting over it, so Holly stepped in and tried to put an end to it herself by making the new Mother an official thing. Didn't seem to help much but... Guess things aren't as bad as they were at least." he nodded. "Damage is still done though... That's the crappy part, and now the sisters are too scared of getting people hurt to ask for anymore help." he finished, the girls looking at him before focusing on the sisters below. Continuing to watch guests arrive, eventually the benches were fairly full and most of the sisters joined the rest of the choir that had gathered on stage, standing together before the colossal statue of God and Arceus, now appearing as though they were looking down and waiting for the performance to come. "Time for the show...?" Chris muttered, the group suddenly noticing the lights dimming as the dome above closed before a spotlight flashed on, focused on the stage itself.
Hearing the choir begin a new chant, Chris and the girls made their way along toward where the statue was, wanting a closer look at those performing below them. However, as they walked, a figure donning a crown of sorts and shrouded in white began calmly walking onto the stage, making its way along in a slow and steady manner with its head subtly lowered. Curious over the new arrival, Chris and the girls looked closely until suddenly hearing a feminine voice ring out, one that confused them as it sounded similar to the others as it echoed, but there was something different, more personal about the way it stood out in comparison. "I... Don't know if you can hear me..." the woman sang, continuing to slowly walk toward the center of the stage before turning to the crowd before her. "Yes I know I'm just an outcast... I shouldn't speak to you..." she went on, keeping her head lowered. "Still I see your face and wonder... Were you once, an outcast too...?" she asked, finally revealing herself as she looked up at everyone, a sight that made Chris and the girls eyes widen. "God help the outcasts, hungry from birth, show them the mercy, they don't find on Earth..." Mother Tsarea pleaded, turning out to be a Gardevoir herself as she reached out toward the children who had been seated in the front row to see her. "God help the outcasts, or nobody will..." she added, holding her hands in a prayer manner while lowering her head once more. While she went silent, those in the choir behind her began singing about personal desires, with a spotlight appearing over each individual as he and she sang. While this was happening, Chris walked further along until he was standing by the head of God, resting against the railing to watch.
Next thing the group knew, everyone present in the benches joined in, singing "I ask for God and his angels to bless me!" as many stood and raised their hands. In response, Mother Tsarea turned with her arms out, fists clenched and raising her voice above the others. "I ask for nothing!" she began to shout, pleading to the statues as she dropped to her knees with a hand outstretched. Remaining by God's head, as Mother Tsarea pleaded while looking and reaching upward, in a way Chris couldn't help but see it as her pleading to him as well, whether it be purposeful or not as he listened, raising up with a firm nod in response. Watching as she stood and turned back to the crowd, she continued singing in a spirited, albeit somber manner. "I thought, we all were, the children of God..." Mother Tsarea affirmed as the song began slowing to its end, the light in the chamber slowly brightening as the dome opened once more, pouring light in from the sky as well as she repeat her final line, looking up while doing so as the brightness of the temple returned to its former splendor. Once her voice and the music vanished, Chris's chest puffed out proudly before he raised his hands and started loudly clapping, being the first to do so making Mother Tsarea and her choir look back, spotting him above as his lone applaud echoed in the chamber. Watching him do this in front of everyone, the girls looked at him in surprise before tears appeared in their eyes, after which they joined his sides and clapped as well. Showing a smile, Mother Tsarea subtly bowed her head as the audience began clapping as well until resounding applaud echoed around them, with everyone unable to resist joining in for the performance.
However, more-so than his applaud, Chris shocked everyone in the chamber when he made a leap over the railing, causing the crowd to gasp with even the girls jolting as they rushed up and watched him plummet, only to release a burst of fire as he landed and rushed up to Mother Tsarea with spirit in his eyes. Reaching out, he took her hand between his with a firm "I'm gonna help" and a nod, his face just inches from hers. Blinking at him with an "eh?" from his sudden act, Chris turned to the audience and repeat himself, shouting "I'm gonna help!!" all the prouder with a fist on his chest, making everyone look at one another puzzled as he turned back to the Gardevoir before him. "You were attacked... This place, you need help, right? I'm gonna make things right!" Chris insisted, keeping hold of her hand. "Money, right? I've got all you need! I'll get this place fixed!" he nodded once more as the sisters in the choir went wide eyed as well, the girls blinking at him while Alicia groaned and shook her head, muttering "Here we go again..." and sighing, though not without looking at Chris with a slight smile of endearment showing from the corner of her mouth. Looking him in the eyes for a moment, Mother Tsarea closed her eyes and smiled before touching his cheek. "I expected you... Though I had no idea you would present yourself so flamboyantly." she giggled. "The future certainly is a tricky thing to see clearly." she added. "E-Eh...?" Chris replied, blinking at her in a manner as though caught off guard. "If you would, please wait until after services are finished." she added, giving him a nod before holding her arm out toward the nearby stairs. "Lets not do any more jumping, alright?" she smiled, causing Chris to stand still for a moment.
"B-But uh... Yeah... Help...?" he asked, raising a finger. "In due time... If you please?" she replied, coaxing him along and giving him a "shoo shoo" wave with her hands. Continuing to stutter as she eased him off stage, he was left standing in front of it and watching in his own puzzled state, standing where he was left as Mother Tsarea gave him another smile and a wave. "...Eh...?" Chris asked, raising his finger once more as she began apologizing to the guests for the shock. "You can FLY?!" Lucy asked, causing him to turn and look at the children lining the bench behind him. "How did you d-d-d-do THAT?!" Sam added. "U-Uh... Well..." Chris muttered, scratching his cheek before noticing Mother Tsarea giving a "shush" sign with her finger over her mouth, making the kids go silent while he scratched his cheek with a blush.
Looking up, he noticed the girls looking equally puzzled. Though his actions were a surprise, the Mother's response was more-so a shock, leaving them having similar thoughts of how she knew what he was going to do...
