Author's Note: To all the kind people that read this far, thank you very much, any and all criticism is welcome, so please, I ask if you have the time to leave a review, it'll help me improve my writing. And I'd like to do right by my readers.

Chapter 5: Understanding and Acceptance

Blade still clung to Shadow as the darkrai carried him forward still, the sun had gone down and now they were floating over a lake. "Your father sounds like a monster."

"He was…"

"Why didn't you fight back?"

"I couldn't, I was too weak, and I was never taught to defend myself."

"I shall ensure you learn proper self defense, if that is truly the case."

"Thanks Shadow, that means a ton to me."

"Are you still in pain?"

"A bit yeah." The day had long since passed into night as Blade recounted one of the most painful days of his life. With the passing of day to night came an unnatural chill in the air.

"Here" Shadow found a small cave in one of the larger hillsides "Even though you are an ice type, in your condition the cold will be too great a burden on you." The larger male held out a claw and three purple orbs of fire formed in his palm and rose around the small cave. Shadow laid the smaller male beneath one of the flames, "That should keep you warm enough, now rest." Blade simply laid back and fell asleep.

*Late That Night*

Shadow simply sat at the cave entrance watching as other pokemon passed, Dwebbles, Scraftys, and even a few Cottonees. All were casually traversing the open rolling hills. They sensed Shadow, but paid him no mind, as though they sensed that he held no ill intent. He heard something strange whimpering and crying, just behind him. He glanced back, Blade was tossing and turning, whimpering in his sleep. "Stop it, I didn't do anything why are you hurting me?" He whimpered out the words. Shadow floated toward the sneasel and placed his hand upon Blade's chest, feeling the tense breathing of the smaller male's lungs. But the moment he made contact with Blade, the boy's whimpering and movement ceased.

"Odd, normally touching someone when they sleep gives them a nightmare, but it seems, with you, I take them away." Shadow lifted Blade and held him against his chest, cradling his head in the veil around his neck. Blade instinctively snuggled up to Shadow half hugging him. The darkrai held him carefully, doing his best to not wake the sleeping sneasel. And finally he felt Blade's heart rate slow and heard not whimpers, but soft happy breaths.

"Snea...sel...snea...snea...snea…"

'That is simply….adorable...hmm, strange? I've thought this way before, you really are an enigma. I see, I care about this sneasel, more than I've ever cared about anyone else. What a strange creature you are. If I do truly care, then I shall accept this responsibility, and I will protect you from everything the world throws at you.' Shadow was lost in thought, and he glanced over to the cave entrance, a group of pokemon had gathered. He simply waved his hand gently, and they left, not threatened by his gesture as there was no malice behind it.

*The next Morning*

Blade awoke once again, finding himself alone, but oddly better rested than ever before. He slowly lifted himself to his feet, his shoulder no longer in pain, and strangely completely healed. The sneasel walked to the cave entrance, finding Shadow respectfully bowing to an audino a short distance away. The small pink pokemon jumped and bowed in response. It smiled and waved strolling off into the distance. "What was that about?"

"She healed you while you slept. I was simply thanking her."

"Oh, well that's great!" Blade smiled stretching his left arm and shoulder. He felt better than ever, and turned to look at Shadow. "I take it training will start up again now?"

"If you are up for it." Blade nodded, surprised at his own willingness to train after what happened last time. Shadow lowered himself to Blade's level. "Then follow me." The darkrai floated off continuing forward. Until he found a rock roughly Blade's size. "Here, carry this stone" Shadow said watching Blade struggle to lift the stone onto his back "This will strengthen your muscles, and once it feels natural to move with it weighing you down, you'll feel lighter and move faster once you drop it. That said, you'll be carrying it constantly for quite a bit, though basic survival will be far more difficult if you're holding it." Shadow pressed his claw into the stone and using psychic bound the stone to the sneasels back.

Blade let go still feeling the stone weigh him down. "Jeez, this thing is heavy as crap"

"That is the reason I told you to carry it. Now then, I'll meet you up this hill, try not to hurt yourself, take as much time as you need." The hill was quite steep, with a sharp incline that would require climbing up on all fours with the stone on his back, though it would likely have required that regardless. Due to circumstances the climb would take a considerable amount of time. Within roughly an hour of constant climbing and movement Blade reached the hilltop, which conveniently marked the end of the rolling plains and hills. What greeted him was not a sight he liked.

"You did this on purpose you jerk" the sneasel said gazing at the mountain range before him.

"Don't be melodramatic Blade, our destination is the forest just on the other side of this mountain range."

"Do you know how far that is"

"Obviously, though I'll not be telling you, as the distance may discourage you considering the weight on your back."

Blade sighed and his head drooped. "Well, I guess we're burning daylight standing here."

"Indeed let's press on." 'His mood seems to have improved a great deal since last night.' Shadow continued forward with Blade following slowly behind. "Though it will take longer, I will move at your pace through the entire way, first you will once again be climbing. There is a hotspring at the top of that plateau, you can rest there, and as you are doing that, I shall collect something for you to eat, and with luck there will be daylight left for combat training." With his sentence done Shadow sank into the ground leaving Blade alone once again. The smaller male glanced around, Boldore, Drillbur, dozens of other pokemon as well, climbing and burrowing into the rock walls. Blade quickly went to climbing, this time the incline was a straight ninety degree angle. The sheer cliff was extremely high up, and the higher he climbed the thinner the air seemed to get, or perhaps it was simply his lungs burning from over exertion. After nearly slipping several times, Blade stabbed his claws into the rocky cliffside thus holding himself safely on the wall. The strain on his arms was beginning to cause him great pain. All he had to do was climb a few meters more and he'd be at the top. Blade hadn't even realised that the sun had started to go down until now. The motivation of not climbing in the dark pushed him just that little bit more to reach the peak. He was surprised to see that Shadow wasn't waiting at the top, but slowly crawled toward the hotspring after hoisting himself onto the plateau. He dropped himself in, feeling the heat of the water relax his muscles and he laid back, somewhat uncomfortably as the rock on his back was between him and the moss around the edge.

Despite that he was rather relaxed. He waited for Shadow for hours, the sun dropped over the horizon and Blade pulled himself from the relaxing Springwater. Blade laid on his side trying to sleep before the darkrai returned. 'Where is he? He promised he wouldn't leave me behind...jerk, why didn't he at least say goodbye...why do I care if that, smart...powerful...handsome...wait, handsome? What am I saying? Do I really...like Shadow that way?' Blade found himself blushing at the very thought of the larger male. 'The heck is wrong with me? He's a guy and...and a legendary at that...not like he would feel the same way about me anyway. Hope he comes back though.' The poor sneasel simply laid there confused and tired until finally he fell asleep.

*The Next Morning*

Shadow floated around the mountain path, the pokemon of the area instinctively staying away from him as they all do. "You came a long way for that sneasel."

A Dragonite stood at the other side of the path. "My master wants him back" the dragon had a soft yet threatening tone in his voice.

Shadow released a dark chuckle "And you know for a fact that the one I'm travelling with is the one you're master is after?" Shadow's voice became more menacing at the word master.

"The tag would indicate as much." Shadow seemed to disappear from his place on the path only to reappear mere centimeters from Dragonite's face. "Stay back" the dragonite jumped back "even if you kill me others will come for that sneasel. Nothing you do will deter my master."

"We'll see, I have found death and the threat thereof to be quite the deterrent." Shadow vanished appearing behind the dragonite. He gripped the dragon's wings tight in his claws. Dragonite tried to pull away only for Shadow to pull him back hard. The darkrai sprouted a spindly leg and pressed it between Dragonite's wings. He pushed the leg into his back harder pulling at the wings. More and more he pulled until a sickening snap and tear was heard and the wings came off with a gush of blood. Dragonite let out a terrible cry of pain so loud that it would echo across the entire mountain range. "Now then, let's see just how much of a deterrent I can turn you into, before you expire."

*The Hotspring Plateau*

Blade stopped swiping at the rocks, sharpening his claws, at the sound of a blood curdling cry. He wasn't sure how far off it was. 'Too far to be a threat to me yet' he thought as a drillbur burst through a wall in the mountain.

"Burr, dril" it said as a flood of other pokemon poured from the hole. Blade watched in confusion as they fled to the spring. They all cowered as the sound of the screams grew louder and louder. A dark shroud seemed to engulf the mountain range, though the sky didn't darken or change. It simply seemed to be a dark aura consuming the area. Suddenly the cries ceased and the shroud disappeared as though it were never there. Minutes passed in silence until Shadow rose from Blade's...well from his shadow.

Blade turned to the darkrai noticing the excessive amount of blood covering his claws and arms. "Sha-dow"

"Do you fear me now, do you wish to run from me?"

"Well, you didn't leave me behind when I told you how I am. So, I will not run from you either."

"Though the circumstances are entirely different, I do understand your meaning. Thank you Blade, for not running from what I am." Blade smiled at Shadow 'Cute little guy when he smiles….well, that isn't what I expected to think.' Shadow's single crimson eye flashed a deeper almost desiring red.

Blade blushed red himself 'Wow, he's even more handsome when his eye is that red...wait h-handsome, come on get a hold of yourself Blade.'

Shadow reached out taking Blade by the claw "But are you certain, do you truly wish to continue following someone...with so much blood on there claws?"

"I do, I swear to Arceus I do."

"If that truly is what you desire, I'll not stop you. I'm afraid I couldn't find you any food, due to" the larger looked at his blood stained claws "unfortunately unforseen circumstances." Shadow pulled Blade along, gently, but nonetheless still pulling enough to lead the sneasel. As he was led by the claw Blade felt his blush deepen. "Unfortunately, I have to ask you to keep pressing on through the mountains, I'll catch up to you, I did promise you some food after all." Shadow once again disappeared into the ground.

*Late That Night*

"My apologies Blade, you made far more turns and changes than I thought you would." Shadow was back and they were once again inside a cave. "You are aware there is no rush, with that stone on your back this section of the journey will take roughly a month or two. But since you are so impatient, attack me." Shadow smirked beneath the veil around his head. Blade stood up from the back of the cave and slowly moved toward Shadow.

"Why, what good would it do to train like that with this rock on my back?"

"The more you move and attack while weighed down like this, the easier it will become and as I told you before, when you finally drop it you'll be faster and stronger than ever." Blade nodded and swiped at Shadow in roughly one hundred and eighty degree arcs. "Your form is rather...well it's extremely sloppy. You are small, and you are over compensating for a lack of power. You bring your claws to far out when you take a swipe, you are smaller, which will make you faster and harder to hit, but it also means you have little in the way of physical attack power, not to mention bringing them that far out leaves you to exposed. Focus less on strength in your attack, you will likely always be weaker in terms of physical power regardless of who you fight. So we'll be working on that, as well as," Shadow looked Blade up and down "you can't focus all your attacks into your arm claws, don't forget, your feet have claws too!" Blade attacked again, shortening his swipes from one hundred and eighty degree arcs, to a far shorter nearly forty-five degree arc. On top of that he began jumping and swinging his clawed feet at Shadow as well. "But we cannot simply train you for physical combat, besides certain tactics are better when using something that packs a better punch. A….move...if you will, now focus envision your claws becoming sharper, better for cutting weak points on your enemies." Blade did as he was told and his claws extended, the feeling became different as though their edge was so much sharper than ever. He once again took a swipe this time seeing the air itself seemingly cut in twain. "Well done, now I want you to focus on something else, your hatred, your anger, every dark thought you've ever had, focus it into your claws the same way you did with the move you just used, what humans refer to as Slash. What I'm teaching you now" Blade's claws were wreathed in darkness "Is Shadow claw. However it requires great concentration and focus of dark impure thoughts" 'Not something a cute little sneasel like you should have for more than a few moments...doing it again it seems.'

The dark aura dissipated quickly. "Oh I couldn't sustain it….I'm sorry, I failed"

"No, your performance was perfect considering that requires more darkness than you have. How about something more simple, you're a dual type, so lets see how well you can manipulate Ice, try focusing your energy into freezing your claws, the ice will add a sharper edge as well as an increase in range." Blade followed Shadow's instructions, but could only manage to coat the base of his claws in ice. "No matter, we have more than enough time to train you to better use your power like that." Blade nodded smiling happily at Shadow. 'Truly adorable.'