DISCLAIMER: StarDragon X owns Pokemon. (Note: It's opposite day today)

Whee! Finally! I'm on the last stage of my revision process of this story! Chapter 12! My last chapter I'm so happy!

Yay!

Ok that was fun…

Read and hopefully enjoy.

Moonlight's Shadow Chapter 12:

Meet the Parents

Skye, Shadow and Koja sat around looking aimlessly at the environment. Koja sometimes wandered around the area then back again, driven by boredom. That crazy bird had told them to wait. Well they had and there was no sign of Pep. He'd tried convincing Shadow to just leave Skye- they had better things to do than this. They had been waiting- a long time.

But sadly the Umbreon refused. Shadow had been sitting in broad daylight (far away from the shadows) on top of a log, looking around serenely. Skye had long ago perched on a tree branch lowered his head, closed his eyes, and covered his head with his wings. Nothing could really wake him from his slumber. Not even a rock- the Absol had tried when his boredom drove him to near insanity. Koja had no urge to leave unless Shadow had a similar feeling. Somehow he had set himself to be her guardian…Or something like that.

Koja stood up, inclined to do some more wandering. Walking away from Shadow he looked around. He'd looked and wandered so much that each tree, plant, and bush became as familiar to him as the back of his paw. Walking around, the Absol was about to walk back when he saw something. A large boulder stood out slightly amidst the trees, bushes and plants. How did he miss that? Curious, he investigated, going nearer. It was in fact, not a huge boulder but a rock cave jutting out of the ground. Though he had no idea why, the Pokemon found himself creeping silently into the cave. With perfect night vision, it was easy for the Absol to see the three Pokemon that were sleeping in the darkness

Koja wondered what they might be as most non-dark Pokemon sleep at night, not a day. But then he suddenly realized what they were- Mightyeenas. How could he have forgotten? Koja chuckled softly to himself. He was a dark Pokemon who was not nocturnal- or he was well on the way. Wandering around the world, the Absol found it easier to travel by day and sleep by night. He would be more vulnerable to any enemies if he slept during the daytime. But no matter how long, the Absol kept this strange habit for a Pokemon of his type, there was nothing like the energy he felt when the moon came out. Shadow also wasn't nocturnal but then…she was REALLY strange.

"HEY!" cried or rather screeched a very familiar voice. Koja turned around just in time to see a bundle of dark grey fur hurl towards him. It landed on his head and the fur unraveled into none other than little Pep. Shadow and Skye had by now this time walked into the cave, though they stayed to the lighter areas of the cave, avoiding the solid darkness.

"I'm so glad to see you! I went back to the path and I couldn't find you guys so I though you might have been eaten by a rabid jigglypuff or I was dreaming and I didn't really see you guys at all but then I saw footprints leading back here so I guess you are real and I didn't dream and you were eaten by a rapid jigglypuff!"

"Right…." Koja looked uneasily at the Mightyeena's who were beginning to stir.

"Rabid jigglypuff..?" Shadow blinked.

"Yeah, yeah I know cos'-"

"Pep! Shush!" Koja clapped a paw over the Poochyeena's mouth but the puppy kept ranting and chattering through his mouth.

"Oh you just can't take a hint you-"the Absol stopped in mid sentence as he saw Shadow glare at him.

"You?" Pep questioned.

"Ah… cute little thing!" Koja forced a smile.

"I know she's such a darling isn't she? I could just eat her up!"

Koja spun around to see a female Mightyeena before him.

"Aww, you wouldn't eat me up!" said Pep running over to greet her evolution.

"I could I could I could!" said the Mightyeena, tickling Pep and grinning- displaying a set of white (not to mention sharp and dangerous) teeth.

Shadow and Koja stood rigid, tense for battle-was the Pokemon being sarcastic? Cannibalism was quite unheard of these days but hey, anything was possible.

"Aw, Skye! Good to see you!" A Male Mightyeena had clapped the skarmory's back. He turned to meet Shadow and Koja who were looking around anxiously.

"Where did you find my sister in the forest?" the third Mightyeena, obviously the youngest of the group had come over. Shadow turned her head to meet him, her blue eyes gazing at him. Sister? Surely there was a mistake. Koja looked the same, though a little more baffled as he looked around.

"Pep, don't run off again!" the female Mightyeena chided, "Don't do that you hear?"

"Yes Mother…" the two words were spoken very apologetically.

"So who is this?" asked Pep's Father observing Koja, especially his legs.

"Where did you find my sister in the forest? "repeated the other Mightyeena.

Skye just nodded. The young male Mightyeena caught Shadow gazing at him and after holding eye contact for a few moments, the Mightyeena quickly looked away at Koja.

At this point of time, Pep decided to speak, "So Mother, Father, Leo, this is Shadow, Koja, and Skye who all found me in the forest quite far off from the river….

The Poochyeena paused for breath, "AND Shadow, Koja this is my Mother, Father, and my best best brother ever Leoooooooo!"

Pep plumped down on the floor, in the middle of the group of Pokemon, unaware of the cold atmosphere. Skye ruffled his wings uncomfortably, finding great interest in preening himself.

"So you are Pep's friends?" questioned Pep's father quite coolly.

"Y-yeah…" stammered Shadow. Both she and Koja had retreated against the cave wall.

"Pep, show Skye and your two new friends for a drink in the river. Let them refresh themselves before coming back!" directed Pep's father.

"Yes Father!" said Pep dutifully, "Come on you guys! The river is really really really cool!"

Skye hopped out of the cave, his uneasiness disappearing a bit with a shake of the wings. Shadow fell in next to Skye and sometimes passing a word to him while still following Pep who was leading the way to the river. Koja took up the rear end occasionally throwing glances back at the rock cave. Pep's father watched them leave to be out of hearing range before turning to his mate.

"What are they doing here?" he asked, "One of them is an outcast!"

"I don't know," she said softly, "You may have seen wrong- they could be normal battle scars, dear."

But even she looked doubtful and she traced a pattern in the dirt with one of her paws.

"No normal Pokemon at that age even normally has a battle scar!" he said hotly.

"Don't over react, dear… After all, they did bring Pep back…" Pep's mother sighed as she added, "Please, can you calm down…?"

"I'm not over reacting! AND I AM CALM!" growled her mate,"Besides, have you seen that Umbreon? I haven't met an Umbreon with eyes like that! It's not natural."

Pep's mother quietly shuddered, "Maybe you're right on that one. But they are Pep's friends."

"The whole forest is 'Pep's Friends'!" snorted her mate,"Get them out of here! Who knows what they might do with our daughter?"

"Father's right, Mother- they both seem to be… dangerous."

Their son came out from the back of the cave. He was more of the quiet type, only speaking when needed. Though he was quite young, he seemed mature beyond his years and when needed to, could fight. Leo had evolved…too early some of their neighbors and friends in the forest would say. He was too young, too mature- a reason why Pep's family did not live in a pack. They left one and the pack to be nice, was more joyful then sorrowful to see them leave. Afterwards it was more there was rule about him- Leo bothered no one so no one bothered Leo- and his family really.

Pep was more of an exception really- she was so bouncy and giggly and happy that it was hard to ignore her. It was like ignoring a Pidgey squawk in your ear. Very hard. So most of the Pokemon of the forest were more or less Pep's friends. But back to the present…

"Dangerous or not they're quite young! Don't get paranoid! They're the about the same age as Leo…" Pep's mother said uneasily.

"Paranoid! Our daughter has been kidnapped, pokenapped, captured by both humans and Pokemon for too many times that we've lost count! WE HAVE A RIGHT TO BE PARANOID!"

The male Mightyeena had forced his mate back up against the cave wall growling with fury. His mate finally looked up from the pattern in the dirt that she had been drawing. She scuffed it away with one paw and looked at her mate.

"WHATEVER YOU THINK THOSE TWO STILL SAVED OUR DAUGHTER! SHE WENT MISSING!" cried Pep's Mother, her fur rising. The Mightyeena stepped up to her mate and they both growled and glared at each other.

"THE ABSOL IS AN OUTCAST! POKEMON AREN"T OUTCASTS FOR NO REASON!" thundered Pep's Father. His voice echoed around the cave walls.

"FOR THE SAKE OF THE GODS!"

"They're back." reported Leo, looking unawares that his parents who screaming and shouting at each other... Cool and calm, that was Leo. His eyes were fixed on a small group of Pokemon- Pep was chattering and skipping about while Skye, Shadow and that Absol, Koja his name was, were lagging behind. The two Mightyeenas abruptly stopped and snapped back to a friendly polite mode with no trace of anger left in them. Pep's father walked to the front of the cave, leaving his mate to contemplate on their conversation.

"Ah there you are! Feeling better?" asked Pep's father politely.

"I don't think they are Father-none of them really went in the river except Shadow and even then all she did was bathe her paws!" complained Pep.

"That will do Pep, that will do." Said Pep's mother coming out of the darkness and ushering her daughter away.

Koja noticed a glance from Pep's father at his legs and looked down, thankful that he had rubbed mud into his fur to hide his scars.

"Young Absol, you have some mud on your legs, come let me brush it off! Tsk tsk, and I though you'd freshen up at the river!" Pep's father's smile was plastered onto his face.

"Oh no sir, it's quite alright! I'm used to it!" stammered Koja seeing through the cheerful voice of the Mightyeena. He wanted to see the scars.

"No trouble at all!" the Mightyeena came forward and brushed the mud off the Absol's legs. The mud which had dried in the sun easily came off and there it was- a small though visible scar in the shape of an 'X'. Though hardly audible, a tiny gasp came from Peep's mother. Even Pep's Father and Leo stopped to look.

Shadow swallowed hard. This was going to get very uncomfortable for the two of them. But then, now that she remembered, she too was an outcast. She quickly stopped her own glance at one of her legs and a pair of red eyes from Leo met her blue icy ones. She tried to look innocent but she knew that Pep's brother could see through her guise.

"So where are you and this Absol going?" asked Pep's mother hurriedly.

"Oh we don't know ma'am…Just wandering I suppose!" said Shadow, acutely aware of a pair of eyes looking at her own icy pair.

"So I suppose you better be going?" asked Leo moving forward.

"Yes, yes, we mustn't keep you from your travels, "said Pep's father also moving forward.

Pep's Mother slowly took a step forward unsurely and as she did she finished the wall that blocked Koja and Shadow from the cave and Pep. Skye stood behind them looking immensely worried.

"I suppose…" said Shadow, "Come on Koja- we mustn't inconvenience Pep's family any longer. Thank you."

Shadow nodded her head in a quick, polite gesture before turning around and headed away from the cave, bounding and running. Koja after looking from Pep's family to Shadow nodded quickly to and fainting out and in, he was soon beside Shadow.

"Was that a wise thing to do?" questioned Pep's Mother.

Pep Father opened his mouth to answer but Leo answered first, "No- It wasn't."

YES!

I'M GOING TO WRITE IN ALL CAPS NOW! YES! YES! YES!

I'M DONE! LET'S CELABRATE!

I'VE FINALLY DONE THIS REVISION THING!

W00T! W00T!

Ahem. Ok. Now… I am going to continue writing and remain calm…

YES! DONE! FINALLY! AFTER SO LONG!

Sorry about that.