I'm extremely sorry for the long update. TT
WAY long story, pointless so it won't be here.
Anyway, three more chapters till it ends. Chapter 25.
Read. Skim Read. Whatever. The plot and characters of this story have been severely mucked up by me (due to lack of writing experience).
Moonlight's Shadow Chapter 22:
Fate can be so Fragile
"Excuse me, sir, excuse me sir…"
Koja dazedly saw through blinking eyes a young Growlithe shaking him from slumber. Growling lowly, the Absol glanced up at the newcomer through narrowed eyes,
"What."
"You're wanted in one of the bigger chambers by the Gods… Please come with me."
The word 'Gods' immediately slapped attention into Koja's face, the Dark Type getting up immediately. Them again? Now what did they want…? This was the first sleep he had had for ages and he was meant to spend the whole day sleeping to recover his strength… However, he doubted that it was a wise idea to just keep on sleeping so the Absol got up wearily and nodded to the Growlithe, signaling that he could start walking.
They had the funeral for Skye… a few hours ago. There weren't many Pokemon there of course- Pep's family, he, Shadow, Sami, Inferno, Ditto, Zan… and Mew. Pep was sobbing full out through the whole service, never stopping once. But… somewhere along the line as she went up to drop a wildflower on her guardian… the tears stopped suddenly, and for the rest of the service, she sat silent by her parents.
Now, she sat near the entrance of the caves- near a hole that let light peek in. The young Pokemon would sit there, day and night, still as stone, looking up at the sky… much subdued. He knew her mother was worried- the Poochyeena hadn't eaten for a day now, nor had she talked. He himself didn't know what was worse… her constant sobbing and wailing before… or this. Koja shook his head, suddenly aware that he had stopped in thought, and carried on walking.
He wondered what the 'Gods' might have in store for him. His rank had somewhat been promoted highly through the battle… just because of Shadow's position. He hadn't even seen her since the funeral and the two hadn't spoken once. He had better do it soon- better apologize, better talk, better say everything before… she went. He'd better not think about that.
"In here."
The Absol was roused out of his thoughts again as the Growlithe pulled him into a dimly lit chamber. To his great surprise, he sawy each and everyone of the Immortals there… From Jirachi to Latias, right down to Regirock and Zapdos. Standing next to Articuno was Shadow, and even then she did not smile at him, but briefly nodded, unsettling the white furred Pokemon.
Bowing deeply the Growlithe came and left, Koja copying the bow and holding it while he greeted the Gods in the highest form of respect.
When Mew saw that Koja was done, he started, "Koja… from the death of your friend Skye, we have been granted used of his memories through him and, we found things that have great relevance to you…"
"Before you go on…" Koja started, asking to two questions that had burned to be asked for a long time, " was Skye really bent on saving his family… and did he really have no voice before?"
"Whatever he told you, was true." Replied Mew, "His family is still held captive… or dead. He had only been granted his voice back very recently. Is that all… Koja?"
"Yes…"
Mew swallowed and glanced around, where heads nodded gravely in return. Koja blinked, wondering what was happening. He looked again to Shadow for some clue, but all she gave him was a sad smile.
"We have both good news for you… and bad news…" replied Mew, settling slowly on his choice of words so far.
The celestial mouse like God turned his head to Latias who smiled gently at him, "The good news is that your friend, Shadow, the Umbreon will no longer have to forfeit her life as a sacrifice."
Koja momentarily opened his mouth a little in happy surprise, but the recognition that something bad was yet to come… let the happiness fade away immediately.
"And… the bad news?" he asked, with great dread.
"You, in place of Shadow will have to forfeit your life to banish the Dark Lord."
--------------------------------------------------
If an outsider looked at this would tangle of messes, mysteries and knots… that Koja should be sacrificed instead of Shadow… would be one hundred percent logical. However, the Pokemon (like Shadow, Pep, and Koja) and Immortals the reader meets were not outsiders to this tangle, but the very key and part of it. Thus, when they looked at it all with emotions, opinion and perspective, they found it haywire madness, illogical, confusing… that Koja be sacrificed instead of Shadow.
But the already known truths were now armed with facts from Skye's memory and the cast were finishing putting together a jigsaw puzzle that they didn't want to complete… but had to. Thus, as Koja looked as if he would shatter, and confusion lit up his face, the explanations had to come.
"Firstly… to start at the beginning." Said Celebi slowly, "We looked back at the old prophecy. I am sure you have heard of it… When Ice Snow Pack's adopted member, Is wrongly accused of murder and a kill, When the darkness wailed out and everything went still…?"
Both Shadow and Koja nodded slowly, these words to them sounding like the proclamation of doom.
"Well," continued the Guardian of Time, "Since Shadow… evolved in such… different circumstances, the poem can be easily interpreted to pertain to her… but, if you go back and look carefully. She is not the one that matches this. That, and we were told that this was planned… to happen by searching in Skye's memories."
Shadow and Koja looked up, both equally surprised. It might have been almost amusing to see that both did the exact same movement at the exact same time- in another place, in another time, in another universe.
"Our presence as Immortals drove it away as it came here, but since you've been born… a powerful Gengar was instructed on a life long mission to follow you wherever you went, basically living in you. Since this creature was powerful, you were granted a share of it's power when the Gengar saw that it would benefit it's mission- normally when the power came, the Gengar started to control your mind.
While your eyes by themselves are a very rare shade of shocking icy blue for an Umbreon or Evee, a large reason why they used to be so intimidating was that though Pokemon couldn't tell what it was, they could probably sense the Gengar dwelling in your eyes. Bad luck probably came from whatever the Gengar did to jinx things up for you. It normally exposed itself more in the shadows and felt safer, more powerful and more dominant there. You probably picked up it's emotions, thus what causing your fear of shadows. All this combined was to make you stand out to the Gods- while your friend here… was overlooked."
Shadow sighed in relief while Koja glanced at her. So she was not a monster or some kind of curse. Yes… she had noticed a change of heart secretly… when she and Koja snapped at each other before they met the Elementals. But she thought that her change was mainly because of his arguments… not the Gengar leaving her…
"Koja on the other hand," Moltres went on, "Matched our prophecy perfectly. His is Ice Snow Pack's-now named Mountain Claw's- adopted member, he was wrongly accused of murder and a kill… the reason you were wrongly exiled and why you harbor much hate against your father and family. You did wail out, too."
Koja nodded weakly, knowing this all was the truth but not wanting to accept it. Another God, Entei, spoke up, taking his turn,
"Koja of darkness and flame- you are of the dark type and I would guess that you flaming red eyes and anger would suffice. When the shadow is owned by man and trembles, I'll not go to length on it… to save you the pain."
"You don't need to tell us… anymore." Said Koja in response, weakly, remembering the experience with his old trainer.
Entei nodded understandably.
Shadow's voice, suddenly tiny in the prescence of so many Gods, spoke up, "Am a year old… or two years old…? Am I adopted…? Was I born in an eclipse of not…? Please… answer."
Celebi once again spoke up, time being his speciality, "You are two years old. You're unnaturally small so your pack, when they adopted you…thought you were a whole year younger. Of course, with the Gengar lurking around, no one came near to you, so no one really spent enough time with you to find out your real age… You were probably born in an eclipse…"
Shadow nodded before turning her eyes to the ground, suddenly downcast. Koja glanced at her understanding her feelings. Even for her, at early two years of age, she had been granted some sort of innocence… and now… war had forced the Umbreon to grow up within an hour. And he… Had to grow up so immensely… to die.
"The last thing you have yet to fufill and little time to do so is to find your mother, or father. Otherwise everything will have been useless.
The thoughts were… shocking… surreal, almost. After all, what would one think? How would one feel? If someone told you that you would die? So soon… so abnormally… so sudden. And even if you tried to fill your remaining hours to deny your fate, to brush your friends away, do everything to run and hide…
You knew at one certain point that you couldn't hide the truth to yourself any longer. You were going to die- no question.
Hopefully the shattering of your emotions won't be too painful.
--------------------------------------------------
The news of the change of the 'sacrifice' spread quickly, albeit quietly. It was the perfect demonstration of what some might call the ripple effect. The Immortals themselves didn't tell anyone… but the truth was edged out of both Shadow and Koja by Ditto and the rest and of course… Ditto told Zan who told Inferno who told both Sami and Pep who told her family who told… and this went on, and on, till the whole fortress knew, each Pokemon still thinking that the knowledge they'd just been confided still a secret. But secrets, no matter how few or how many people knew that secret will find it hard to stay secrets…
It was thus that when Koja and Shadow were walking to the medical area when the Umbreon was tapped on the shoulder. Both turned in surprise automatically, wondering who had done that action… Certain reverence had already been placed on Koja and Shadow was somehow reverted to her old rank of quiet avoidance. Practically no Pokemon, other then Inferno and the rest would do such a thing and even then, no one like Ditto or Zan would just tap them on the shoulder…
Shadow's eyes widened. It was Kaz, one of the more powerful Jolteon's in her old pack- she meant, the White Paw Pack, not her old pack. She was about to brush him off when she remembered that he was one of the few Pokemon who stood up for her, requesting that she be let off… for that… murder.
"What do you want?" she asked quietly.
Koja looked from Shadow to Kaz, he obviously not knowing the latter.
"It might be best if we talk in private," started Kaz, throwing a glance at Koja, "Even if he is the new- I mean… Can we talk in private?"
"Whatever you want to say to me you can say to him." Replied Shadow, wondering why they sent him to her, "And besides that… You're not meant to speak to me… Save yourself the danger and turn around… Either that or you're here to tell me that I'm meant to be executed for violating one of the rules of an exiled one when I encountered you, Blaze and the rest… right?"
"Wrong…" mumbled the Jolteon, and even though he was much older then her, speaking to her comfortably was a feat he had yet to accomplish.
"Well?"
Shadow wondered what he wanted to say... It had be good… But what 'good' was she didn't knew. If only he'd just spit it out…!
"Well, it's very good news for you, Shadow. The pack has decided that… well…"
"Can you please finish it?" interrupted Koja, his patience waning.
He was already on edge by the sudden news to him of death… He had asked forgiveness for whatever wrong he had done about ten minutes ago with his family… and all the misinterpretations he had. But. He immediately then turned his back on them, refusing to be let back into the pack… What was the point anyway? Half the Pokemon in his old pack didn't want him in anyway, the Council was still in power, and he was never going have enough time to be promoted from his current rank, between now and the end, anyway…
"Okay…. You see, when the news got to us that you were not to be the sacrifice…" Kaz trailed off before starting again, "Well, you are granted something that I doubt… has ever been done before. You are allowed to came back into the White Paw Pack after exile…"
--------------------------------------------------
"I know, you're really against this Koja… just like last time… but I have to do this." Shadow's voice was shaky, but firm, "Remember what Kaz said? The vote was unanimous- everything agreed! I know, the only reason they want me back is because I'm some chosen child of the Gods who isn't a monster or curse anymore… but still..."
The Umbreon and the Koja were talking it out in a secluded room far from the activities going on in the mountain.
"I'm not strong like you Koja. Even with a few months of exile and I feel like a large chunk of my life is gone. Sure, half of them still hate me and I practically didn't enjoy life before… but there's basically nothing left for me… I'm not used enough to human things to hang around with Sami or things like that… I can't stand the looks quite a few Pokemon have given me, how they've treated me… just because of two scars on my legs. Travelling in this world has made me realize… that it's so much bigger then I though it was… I can't find my parents anymore…I don't have the will to do it alone. Somewhere along the line I know they're dead. Please, don't let us get into a fight like last time… Please Koja…"
The Shadow expected an outburst anyway, and waited in gloomy anticipation. However, Koja seemed to be far from angry… if anything he was quite emotionless.
"I know you well enough that whatever my opinion is on this matter… you'll just go ahead and do it anyway. A few days ago, I might have blown up at you… but not now. I will never approve Shadow and even though my heart is set very strongly against it… go ahead, go join the pack- whatever makes you happy pup."
But… this reaction from him was definitely not what she expected. And if it was meant to be less harsh and make her feel more comfortable about joining the White Paw Pack… while it didn't. Strangely, the Umbreon found that the more she thought about the way and how he said it… she was beginning to feel guilty… very guilty about joining. This was almost… Koja's last wish, and she was practically ignoring it… Why couldn't he have been fuming mad? That would have made her turn on a rebellious streak in her and join… but no… Shadow sighed. Things could be so complicated some times. She'd think about it…
"I'm very sorry to interrupt, but there's been a sudden breach in our forces by the enemy and you're needed immediately."
Shadow ground her teeth. Loudly.
Koja swore. Loudly.
Both knew that the countdown timer for their last time together was up.
Fate could be so fragile.
Hopefully when it broke this time, it wouldn't cause so much pain.
Hopefully.