Difference and Acceptance
Hey guys! Wow, it's been awhile since I last updated a chapter to this story, sorry ^^; but I hope you all enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it :D
Luna woke from her sound sleep and yawned, stretching her body before standing up. Noticing it was nearly dawn, she gazed at the assortment of sleeping Lucario and Riolu scattered about the large cave before noticing Lucas was not sleeping next to his parents.
Stepping outside, she called his name, "Lucas?" she whispered, "Luuuucassss" she called out quietly. "Psst, Luna, up here." She heard Lucas whisper from somewhere. Turning towards the sound, she saw Lucas sitting on top of the cave, his legs dangling over the entrance. Luna walked around to the back of the cave, and climbed the hill it was sunk into, before walking over and sitting down by Lucas.
"What are you doing up so early?" Luna whispered, turning to the shiny Riolu sitting beside her. "I couldn't sleep, besides, I didn't want to miss the sunrise," he answered. The two looked up at the sky, a small scattering of stars still visible, although in the distance the sky was starting to change from a deep blue to a rosy pink mixed with orange as the sun would soon appear.
"Look!" Lucas suddenly pointed a paw toward the sky, "a shooting star! hurry, make a wish!" Luna closed her eyes and clutched her paws together as she silently made a wish, then opened her eyes and turned to Lucas, still smiling. "So? what did you wish for?" She asked with a shy smile. "I can't tell you, otherwise it won't come true." Lucas stuck his tongue out as Luna pouted, "fine, I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." She finally said.
Lucas nodded, "ok...I wished that we would be friends forever." Luna cocked her head, before a big grin spread across her muzzle, "Silly," She told him, "I wished for the same thing." The two friends stared at each other, before Lucas grinned and the two laughed, not caring who heard, and threw their arms around each other in a hug, before turning to watch the sun slowly rise up from the horizon, bathing the bare ground and sparse patches of what little snow was left in golden-orange light.
Meanwhile, unknown to the two Riolu, two Lucario were listening to them. "Isn't it lovely to hear them getting along so well?" Emerald said with a happy sigh. Roxas only nodded silently in agreement, he wasn't much of a morning pokemon. Dimitrius walked over to the two adults. "I've been watching those two, and I believe they very well may be meant to be together later on in life." He smiled. Emerald nodded happily, "oh, yes, that would be wonderful."
*Later that morning*
Once all the other Lucario and Riolu had woken up and had breakfast, Russell gathered them together. "Everyone," he began, "It is now time to head home, winter is now over and we are no longer in danger of freezing in the cold. Once everyone is outside we will head back." With that he turned and exited the cave, his mate Maria in tow. Looking up to the top of the cave, he called to his son, "come down now, son, we're about to leave." Spying the albino riolu beside Lucas, he added, "you too, Luna."
The two Riolu joined paws and jumped to the ground, landing on their feet. Emerald and Roxas exited the cave and Roxas smiled fondly at Luna before swinging her up onto his shoulders. Once everyone was ready, the large group pushed through the bushes and began their return home.
As the group finally came into sight of their home, Luna gasped happily as she saw the meadow she had come to call home. She jumped down out of her father's arms and ran happily through the grass, the other riolu getting the same idea and beginning to chase each other and roll in the grass. Luna's foot connected with a rock and with a cry of surprise she tripped, but instead of falling, she found herself...floating?
Indeed, she turned her head and saw her wings flapping for all they were worth, finally able to support her small body, and preventing her from falling. Grinning happily, she flapped her wings and rose higher. "Momma, Daddy, look, look! I'm flying!" She cried happily as she flitted around, Lucas looking up in awe. "Oh, Roxas!" Emerald cried, tears of joy budding in her eyes, "Our little girl is flying!" Roxas watched proudly along with all the others as his daughter finally flew for the first time.
*A few weeks later*
"Can't catch me!" Luna giggled as she hovered in the air, before taking off again as Lucas sprinted after her. "No fair," He whined, "I can't catch you when you fly." Luna giggled again, but landed and finally allowed the shiny Riolu to tackle her to the ground.
Roxas watched the two from his position under a tree, smiling slightly as the two Riolu wrestled playfully and rolled on the ground. "Roxas...can I ask you something...?" Came Emerald's soft voice from behind him. The red and black furred lucario turned to his beautiful mate, "Of course, dear," he replied softly, he rarely acted like this. Emerald fiddled with her paws, before turning her emerald green eyes up to her mate, "Could we possibly, um, try for another cub?"
Emerald never was able to concieve a cub before, and she had tried many times. Sadly every attempt ended up in her misscarrying or not getting pregnant at all. When Dimitrius asked if she and Roxas would want to adopt Luna, she was overjoyed to have a cub of her own, especially since the poor thing had no one to take care of her. Roxas' eyes widened in surprise, but he nodded, "Yes, if you feel you're ready to try again, we will." (Although it wouldn't be until a year later that they would try for one.)
Meanwhile, Lucas had Luna pinned down, "prepare for the tickle beast!" he cried playfully, "oh please, no, anything but that!" Luna cried in mock fear, before bursting into laughter. Neither of them noticed the small gang of Riolu approaching them, led by Dustin, their leader, and Tammy, the female Riolu that had told Lucas to mind his own business the first time they had encountered Luna.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here? it's the white freak!" Dustin snickered as he walked up, flanked by Tammy on one side, and another male Riolu named Finn on his other side. "Dustin what are you doing here? I thought your mom told you to leave us alone." Luna said with a trace of fear in her voice from her spot on the ground. Dustin rolled his eyes, "honestly, do you think anyone cares? no one here likes you anyway." Luna gasped, "that's not true! Lucas does, and so do his parent's, and my Momma and Daddy and Uncle Dimitrius."
Tammy and Dustin shared a smirk, before the female Riolu said, "You really think so? they just care for you out of pity, that's the whole reason those two Lucario took you in, because they really are like the rest of us and wish you hadn't come here." Tammy grinned evilly. Luna gasped again and tears came to her eyes, "No, no that isn't true!" she cried out.
Dustin snapped his furry fingers, "Tammy, Finn, take care of pretty boy, the rest of you, let's show snowy here what we should have done a long time ago." Luna whimpered as the other Riolu dragged Lucas off, kicking and protesting, before she was kicked in the arm. Crying out in pain, she clutched her bruised arm and struggled to stand up, only to be kicked a second time and landing on the ground.
Luna squalled as a fist connected with her eye, leaving it bruised, before whimpering as Dustin loomed over her, an evil grin on his face as he had two of his buddies hold her arms down. "I've been wanting to do this for awhile," he rubbed his paws together before lifting his foot, and stomping down on Luna's left wing.
Roxas's ears twitched as he heard a high pitched 'Riiiiii!' recognizing it as the sound a young Riolu in pain makes. He stood up from where he had been snuggling with Emerald. "Stay here, Em, I better see what's going on." Following the sound, he headed off in Luna's direction.
Tears of pain running down her face, Luna finally managed to struggle to her feet, and, wincing at the pain in her now limp wing, she sniffled and ran, not caring where she went, obviously no one cared about her, she thought, and she took off into the forest, running as fast as she could despite the pain in her leg.
Lucas was dusting himself off as Roxas approached, "What happened here?" he asked. Lucas looked up, "Luna got hurt really bad, I couldn't see what happened, but I could tell she was in trouble." He then looked where Luna last was, "wait, where did she go?" Roxas began to panic slightly, "Luna! where are you?" He cupped his paws around his muzzle, "LUNA!" he called for her. Emerald came over after becoming curious herself, "what's wrong, dear?" Roxas turned to her with a worried expression, "Lucas told me some of the other Riolu harmed Luna, and now we can't find her."
Emerald gasped, tears filling her eyes, "My baby? no! We have to find her!" She began crying, burying her muzzle in Roxas's chest fur. "I'll go get my dad to arrange a search party," Lucas said before running off, leaving Roxas to comfort his mate.
*Back in the forest with Luna*
Luna sniffled, tears sliding down her cheeks. She had slowed to a walk once the pain in her leg became too much. She adjusted her broken wing so it wouldn't hurt so much, and looked around, not recognizing where she was, but not caring, why should she? no one cared about her. She hung her head as she sadly went on her way, stopping to rest once she became too tired to go on.
"Now what do I do?" Luna said to herself, then sighed and placed her chin on her paws, careful not to touch her black eye. She sat in silence for awhile, sniffling occasionally, before she heard rustling in the bushes, her ears pricking up at the noise. "Momma...? Daddy...?" She asked hopefully, thinking one of her parent's had come looking for her. Instead, what came through the bushes was an elderly shiny Houndoom with a notch in her spade shaped tail.
Luna screamed.
Luna ran away! Oh noes! D: It doesn't help those mean Riolu told her no one cared about her...Hopefully that Houndoom is friendly! It also looks like Luna might have a little brother or sister in time. reviews plz.