Zèklè

Truth be told, Zero was nearing the end of his rope. He'd spend his entire life trying to be good, trying to be an awesome son and the best of friends and an all-around stand up guy, and where had it gotten him? Here, stranded in the tundra, surrounded by nothing but brush and snow and rocks he wasn't even in a good enough mood to appreciate (even though some of them were remarkably cool). A part of him - a particularly melodramatic part, to be sure - wondered if it wouldn't be best to just lay down and die. Maybe then Ma would come back, and find his poor, frozen corpse, and realize what a mistake she'd made and be sorry forever, and he wouldn't have to be sad anymore.

But Zero wasn't suicidal, not really. He was just, y'know, a kid, trying to come to terms with adulthood in an increasingly unreliable world. We've all been there: trapped between a stubborn desire to be a functional adult and a powerful lack of understanding as to how that was even supposed to happen. Add to that the fact that the lightning-backed boy had fully expected, with every fiber of his soul, that his Ma would be there the whole time, and, well... perhaps he can be forgiven his momentary fall into despair.

Besides, he was about to be rescued from himself. His Princess in Shining Armor had come.

He heard her first, but of course she had to be a mirage. There was no way she was there- except she was, appearing beside him as suddenly as a ghost, and from behind tousled hair Zero's eyes widened in wonder, his faintly beating heart surging into full marching-band swing, growing warm and trembly and excited, the way it always did when she was around. "Själ!" he exclaimed, even as he jumped away reflexively, startled and elated in equal parts by her materialization at his side.

But his voice was warm, and full of welcome, despite the dry undertones of pain- and as he looked at her the faintest ghost of his trademark grin softened the lips which had been so long drawn into a frown, something of humanity (ok, not really, but you know what I mean) returning to the countenance of the sad, bedraggled boy.

"Oh, you know," Zero replied glibly - or tried to, anyway, but in truth he could taste the bitterness in his voice. "I just got abandoned by my Ma an' left home an'- an'-"

He choked back a strangled sob, anger suddenly flashing on his face. Fuck. No. Not in front of her.

"-an' now I'm here! But how are you? Had any good adventures?" he asked too loudly, his voice too bright and his smile too wide. Don't let her notice the boy begged silently, willing her to ignore his weakness, because for her, he'd always wanted to be strong. He fought against the urge to step closer, to wrap his wing around her and press his face into her neck. Instead he kept a comfortable distance, too terrified of driving her off (too) to so much as take a deep breath.

Don't go. Don't go. Please, don't go.