Hey guys. I want to apologize for if the last chapter was a little lackluster. But, this new chapter will definitely make up for it. Because in this one, we get to see some old friends come back into the fray for a bit. Better get your Lunar Wings ready.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. All rights to Game Freak and Nintendo.

Deoxys flew beside the tiny sprite that was his friend, Jirachi. The little guy was flipping and spinning and twirling around the strange alien Pokemon, giggling with glee. He was very excited about something, of which Deoxys had no idea what. But he was glad that Jirachi was happy. Because if he was happy, then Deoxys was happy too. It seemed to be that way for Deoxys. He really liked being around the little Wish Maker Pokemon. Though, he could not quite pin down the reason why he felt happy to be around such an awesome friend. It just felt... right.
"We're almost there, Deoxys." Jirachi cheered, "I can't wait to see it."
"See what?" Deoxys asked.
"The Moon Festival. There's this town I caught word of back at that last place we visited, and they said that this next place was getting ready for their Moon festival, in honor of the two moons."
"Two... moons?"
"Yeah. I don't know anything besides that, but I can't wait to check it out. Whoo-hoo!" Deoxys was puzzled by this celebration of two moons. He had often looked up at the night sky, when the moon was clearly visible. And even then, he only saw one moon up there. Was it possible this planet had a hidden moon that only appeared today? Deoxys doubted it. But, he knew so little of this place anyway, and Jirachi seemed to know so much. Maybe he was right in the two moons. He had been right about almost everything so far. Either way, Deoxys shared in Jirachi's excitement for this 'festival.'
"There it is! New Moon Mountain!" Jirachi called out as the two neared a massive mountain.
"New Moon... mountain?" Deoxys wondered.
"Yeah, that place up ahead." Jirachi pointed out, "Let's change into our human forms once we land. Just so people don't get freaked out by us."
"Change? Me?"
"Yeah. You can change yourself now. Use that stone in your chest. Concentrate your thoughts on your human side, or whatever you would be, and you'll be human. Poof! Like that."
"Poof?" Deoxys was puzzled by Jirachi's remark.
"You'll understand when we do it. Now come on! We're almost there." The two looked for a place to land, and found a cliff side on the opposite side of the mountain, overlooking a small village. Jirachi quickly changed into his human form, Ji, and looked to Deoxys to tell him to change as well. Deoxys thought about that human form he did before, when Jirachi changed him. He concentrated on that thought intensely. And then, like Jirachi said, he changed into a human form like he did before.
"Great!" Jirachi cheered, "Just remember to do that anytime you want to look human. Okay?" Deoxys only responded with a nod. "Alright! Well, I'll go into town and figure out where this festival will be at. Stay up here, and keep out of trouble, until I get back." And Jirachi scampered off.

Deoxys rested over the cliff side, legs dangling as he gazed out towards the little town in the distance. He felt for the stone in his chest, the only thing he knew about himself, and where he came from. Somehow, Deoxys knew there was more to his stone than what was already shown. What, he could not discern. All he knew was that it was a part of him, and a part of his life.
But then, he sensed something coming. He quickly leaped from his resting place as a Shadow Ball exploded upon impact. Turning to his right, Deoxys spotted a man with pale skin, wearing a black cloak that seemed to be made of shadow. His white hair covered part of his face, but Deoxys saw the piercing blue eyes underneath. Whoever this person was, he clearly was not very friendly.
"Who are you?" the dark stranger interrogated. Deoxys didn't know how to respond to his question. He was merely bracing himself for a battle. "State your name!"
"Deo." Deoxys finally said, "I called Deo."
"Very well, Deo, why have you intruded upon my home?"
"Home? I not understand. I with Ji, my friend."
"Then you will both suffer the consequence of coming here." Immediately, the stranger launched another Shadow Ball, which Deo deflected with his tentacles. Then, he launched a Psyshock at the man, but the attack phased through him like he was a phantom.
"Why you not hurt?" Deo questioned.
"I see you are a Pokemon too." the man responded, "Impressive. I am Rai, the being of the new moon. And you are trespassing." Then Rai launched a Dark Pulse, which Deo dodged. Then he dashed close in, and used Close Combat. Rai stumbled back, but kept his focus. He threw another Shadow Ball, which Deo countered with a Psyshock. The two attacks collided, creating a lot of smoke. Deo wasn't able to see Rai in it, and he stayed on guard for a possible counter attack. But he never saw it coming. For Rai rose from the shadows behind Deo, and struck him with Dark Pulse. Deo fell down, but he quickly got back up, ready for more.
"You strong. But me not beaten easy." Deo told him.
"So it seems." Rai returned, "I may need to stop holding back now, and really let you have it." Rai launched his Shadow Ball again, which Deo blocked with Psyshock again. The resulting smoke blocked out Rai once more, as he melded into the shadows. Deo looked around frantically for where he would come from, but he couldn't pin down where he was gonna come from.
"I guard friend. I fight to protect." Deo proclaimed.
"So do I, intruder." Rai spoke as he came up. Suddenly, Deoxys's stone glowed, and as Rai attacked again, Deo's tentacles merged into some kind of guard that blocked Rai's attack. This surprised Rai, and Deo as well. But Deo used the disruption to pull off a Close Combat on Rai. Rai retreated quickly after he was hit, grimacing from the devastating blows he was dealt. To win this fight, he would need to do 'it.' A technique he reserved for only those who truly threatened his home. So he charged up an orb of dark energy, ready to launch it at Deo.
But before he could, a voice called out, "Rai, stop!" So Rai did, releasing all the built up energy he had stored for his new attack. The two battlers turned to the direction of the voice, and saw a beautiful maiden with long, golden hair striding up to them. Her gold dress gliding along the grassy floor, and blue and pink sashes trailing behind her like rings. She was a sight that made Deo wonder who she was. But behind her was Ji, looking rather worried.
"Lia." Rai regarded the maiden.
"Come now, Darkrai. That's no way to treat guests." the woman named Lia told him.
"Darkrai?" Deo questioned.
"Sorry about that Deoxys." Ji spoke to him, "I need to tell you something. That woman is Cresselia, the Lunar Pokemon. She is the being of light, corresponding to the full moon. The man you fought is Darkai, the nightmare Pokemon. He is linked to the new moon, and the darkness it represents."
"Darkrai? Cresselia? But they Rai and Lia. Rai use power like I use power."
"It's a long story." Rai assured, "But you should know about it, since you can do it too." Just then, two smaller humans ran up to the adult ones. One had pale white hair, but he wore a red and yellow shirt and blue shorts. The other girl had amber hair, and wore a black dress with a red bow tied around it.
"Daddy, Sol keeps messing with my lunar lantern." the girl complained.
"Yeah right." the boy, Sol, retorted, "Like you doodling over mine Luna."
"But you keeping ripping it!" Luna returned.
"Children, enough." Lia spoke soothingly, "We will help you fix up your lunar lanterns. If you two behave."
"Yes mother." They both replied.
Getting another spark, Ji told Deo, "Oh yeah, I forgot. Lia and Rai are married. Those are their kids, Sol and Luna."
"Married? Kids?" Deo inquired.
"Yeah. Um, I don't really know how to describe it. Sorry."
When Luna noticed the two strangers, she asked, "Daddy, who are these people?"
"Be polite Luna." Rai told her, "This is Ji, and his friend Deo. They are visiting."
"Yes." Lia picked up, "And they will join us in attending the moon festival. Now come, we have to finish your lunar lanterns." With that, they all made their way towards a path along the mountainside.

When everything was set, the party made their way to the village at the base of the mountain. When they arrived, villagers cheered for the arrival of Lia and Rai. As villagers approached them, Lia gave them what looked like glowing feathers, which Ji told Deo were Lunar Wings. Rai, on the other hand, helped others with sleeping children. He procured a dark mist from their foreheads, simply by tapping them and pulling away. Everyone was so excited to meet the famous beings of the moon.
"They famous?" Deo asked Ji.
"Pretty much." Ji told him, "Some things happened to them a few years back, and they are now known as heroes. They are the two moons I was telling you about, because they represent two phases of the moon."
"Me not understand."
"Basically, Deo, they are people who share a connection to the moon's phases of light and dark. And this festival is to celebrate that, and one other thing."
"What other thing?"
"Everyone, gather at the sea." a villager proclaimed, "It is time to send off the lunar duo and their gifts." Immediately, everyone raced off with the lunar duo towards the sea. Including Ji and Deo.
"What happening?"
"The main event: the Lunar Kiss."

Everyone got into a boat, and coasted out past the waves into calmer seas. Rai and Lia were separate from the other boats, and Deo was with Ji, Sol, and Luna in another. When they were out far enough, everyone brought out paper lanterns that held what looked like rocks in boats. Then, Deo saw everyone pull out Lunar Wings, and held them close to the lanterns. In the front boat, Lia and Rai brought out their lantern, and tapped the stone with a Lunar Wing, making the stone glow a pale white glow. Everyone else followed their example, including Ji with his and Deo's lantern. Then, they all set them in the ocean, and watched as they were carried out to sea. Then, lights came from the lanterns, circling around Rai and Lia. The lights lifted them into the air, up until they were encircled by the moon in the sky. Then, they inched their faces closer, and shared a lovers kiss. Ji, Sol, and Luna turned away, embarrassed and a little disgusted by kissing. But Deo was rather curious by it. Very curious.

Afterwards, everyone began the celebration of the moon and its lovers in the village square. Shops and stalls sold many festival souvenirs, people were dancing in the square center, and a puppet theater was doing a little story about Darkrai and Cresselia. Deo observed as Ji watched the puppet show, pondering over why there was so much festivity. He was rather puzzled by all these people and their 'celebration.' He had no idea what to make of it.
Just then, Rai came up from behind him and took a seat next to the strange alien. He laughed when one of the puppets made a mistake, and ended up making a huge mess of the puppet show. The children were bursting with laughter at the little mistake occurring.
"You are a strong one, Deoxys." Rai spoke, "Which tells me you guard something precious and important to you."
"Guard?" Deo quizzed.
"It's Jirachi, isn't it? The one you protect?"
Thinking about it very hard, Deo replied, "Yes. Ji... friend. Me protect... friend."
"Very good. Then I shall come with a warning for when you leave."
"Warning?"
"Yes. You see, there may be a human who will seek Jirachi's wish-granting powers. He has sought my wife ever since he was young. And he will do anything to make Cressalia his own. His name is Professor Pine."
"Professor Pine? He... bad one?"
"Yes. Very bad. If he comes after Jirachi, you must stop him and protect Jirachi. Jirachi will rely on you to be his guardian. Protect him, Deoxys. And I feel you may need that new power you used when we battled."
"Power?"
"Here." Then Rai gave Deo a peculiar stone. It looked different from most other rocks, and Deo felt a magnetic energy emanating from it. "Use this to unlock your full power. Use it to keep Jirachi safe."
"Me will. Me promise." Deo affirmed.
Just then, Lia came over to them and asked, "Will the being of the new moon grace me with a dance?"
With a chuckle, Rai answered, "Of course. I shall grace the being of the full moon with this dance." And the two walked off to the center, and waltzed together as slow-playing music came on. Deo looked to the strange rock, then back to Rai. He wondered what this peculiar stone would do to help him unlock his full power. But he figured that it was important, and kept it close to him. Suddenly, the rock melded into the stone in his chest. The action startled Deo, making him wonder what he just did.
"Come on Deoxys." Ji said as he came up to him, "We should get going. We only have 3 days left until I have to go to sleep again." Deo looked to his chest, then back to Rai, and then to Ji. Much of what happened today conflicted him, and made him wonder what was gonna happen.
But then, he responded, "We go." So the two went into a private alley, and changed back into Pokemon form. Then they flew off, having been graced by the Lunar Duo.

As they flew over the sea, Jirachi asked, "So what did you think of the moon festival? Pretty fun huh?" Deoxys wasn't sure how to call the festival. It was fun, at some points. And then strange. But, overall, it felt,
"Happy. Me like happy." Deoxys responded, "Me hope we see Rai and Lia again. They good friends. Just like Jirachi is good friend."
"I hope we see them again too." Jirachi told him. And the two jetted off for their next destination.

Yahoo! Darkrai and Cresselia! Didn't expect to see them again so soon, did you? Lol.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned for the finale of Stranger Deoxys.