Chapter Text
Zenith considered himself lucky as he woke up unconscious. Why was he lucky? Because he wasn’t dead. The fall should have killed him.
He was returning from a simple patrol mission when Kyo collapsed. It was worrying and unexpected. Kyo was just telling him about their latest loot when he just suddenly stopped and fell to the hard floor of his ship. Immediately, Zenith dove to catch his companion. He hadn’t even seen the cabal drop pod hurtling down from the sky. It was at the moment when the pod collided with his ship that he felt his light leave his body. It left him weak and barely able to move. The Titan had the tiniest amount of energy to clutch Kyo and bring him to his chest as he was thrown against the ceiling by the sheer force of impact.
Mercifully, he was knocked unconscious.
When he came to, he groaned in pain. The debris from his ship was strew around him. Some of it was still burning.
“Thank the Traveler! You’re alive!” Kyo’s voice, now broken and full of static, sounded from right next to his ear.
Zenith couldn’t help it as he pulled the robot to his chest again. “What happened?” He asked looking around him.
Kyo didn’t protest about being manhandled. On the contrary, he welcomed the gentle hold of Zenith. “I’m not quite sure. The light...it’s gone…”
“What do you mean “Gone”?”
“I mean gone. If you die, that’s it! I can’t revive you. But I can heal you somewhat. I…” The ghost hesitated. “I can’t feel the Traveler. The cabal put some type of cage around it.”
“Where are the others?” Zenith asked as his thoughts shot to Aiona and Gideon who were supposed to be waiting for his return. Were they safe?
“I’m not sure. There was an emergency broadcast saying that the tower had been evacuated, but the frequency is dead now.”
Zenith struggled to his feet. Every part of him ached. “I need to find them.”
“No! We should stay put! I was barely able to gather enough light to wake you up! If you go down, you’re gone forever!” Kyo said frantically. “We have to wait for rescue!”
“Rescue isn’t coming!”
“You don’t know that!” Kyo fought weakly.
“If the tower was truely evacuated, everyone will be focusing on the survivors and trying to find a place to regroup. We will be the least of their concerns.”
Just then, a falcon’s screech shocked both of them out of their arguments. Zenith pulled out his gun and tried to shoot the offending bird, but it jammed immediately. The bird wasn’t phased in the slightest as it settled on a scrap of what was once the wing of Zenith’s ship.
“A falcon?”
The bird screeched once more before taking flight and landing a few feet away.
Zenith took slow, haggard steps over to it only for it to do the same thing.
“I think it wants us to follow it…” Kyo pointed out.
Seeing no other option and not wanting to stay put, Zenith agreed to follow the bird. It was slow going, but it gave him something to do.
Soon, hours of limping turned to days. Zenith didn’t sleep for fear of being attacked. Kyo managed to bully him into taking small naps in shallow caves, but the bird’s screech would always wake him as warhounds peaked over the horizon. Never did he let go of Kyo’s broken shell. Never did he let his guard down. Still, the long nights were taking their toll. It was getting harder and harder for the bird to wake him. It even scratched his cheek with one of his sharp talons one time just as a legionary shuffled from around the corner.
His feet hurt. His body hurt. Everything hurt. Part of him just wanted to lay down and rest even though he knew i’d mean death. He had lost track of how long he had been following the bird. Days? Weeks?
“Kyo...if I...If I do not wake up-”
“No! No! You’ll wake up! Don’t even say anything like that-”
“Shh...Listen to me,” His voice was rough and his throat was dry from disuse. He was dehydrated and would starve if he didn’t eat soon. “I want you to leave me. Do not let yourself be destroyed for me. Live on. Find Aiona and Gideon...Tell them…” Black spots danced in his vision. “Tell them I love them…”
He was shocked out of his musings when Kyo jerked out of his hands. “Get up! Now! We’re going to keep walking.”
“I am too tired, Kyo...It has been...too long…” He said sadly.
The robot didn’t take this as an answer and began pushing at his guardian. “No! Get up! Now!”
It took effort, but Zenith finally managed to push himself up. “Please, Kyo...Just leave me…” He begged weakly.
The ghost didn’t answer as it pushed the Titan forward. Zenith allowed himself to be herded further down the dirt path. Occasionally, he’d stumble and almost fall, but Kyo was always there to help him back up.
He had barely gotten over a large hill when he thought he heard voices. Part of him longed to believe he had found others, but the more logical side of his brain told him he was hallucinating. Kyo’s nudging grew more frantic which almost pushed Zenith down said hill. “Kyo, please...I can’t go on…”
“We’re so close, Guardian! You can do it! Come on!”
The voices grew louder and Zenith’s vision blurred.
“Zenith!” Was the last thing he heard before he fell into warm arms. He was certain he wouldn’t wake again.
Consciousness found Zenith once more.
He was laying on something undeniably soft. It wasn’t the hard ground he had come to know. This was an actual bed. Zenith must have perished. This was most certainly Heaven.
“Shh! He’s waking up!” A female voice chided.
“I wasn’t even saying anything!”
“Shh!”
Zenith felt a warm hand on his cheek and forced his eyes to open. A cup was pushed to his lips and he drank the liquid inside without a single care. He could have been drinking sulfuring acid and it still would have been a relief to his burning throat. Looking up, tears welled in his eyes at the sight of Aiona.
“Ai-”
“No, no, no! Don’t speak! Save your strength, Zee...You need it.” The woman implored as she pushed a lock of his hair back behind his ear.
Zenith ignored her instructions in favor of asking questions. “Where...where are we?”
She shushed him gently and helped him lay back down. “We’re somewhere safe. A farm.”
“Kyo?-”
“Is resting as well. He was grabbing whatever light he could to keep you alive when we found you. I thought you…” She paused and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. You’re here now. You’re safe.”
It sounded like she was saying it for her own benefit. Peeking over her shoulder, he saw Gideon sitting on a turned over crate. Zenith’s eyes lit up immediately. “Gid-”
“You should really listen when Aiona tells you to be quiet. A lot of people worked hard to keep you alive. Last thing they need is for you to undo that work by overworking yourself.” He said plainly.
“Gideon! That is enough!” Aiona seethed before Zenith even had the time to process what was said. When he did, hurt bloomed in his chest. Gideon was right, but the hunter was never so harsh with him!
The hunter seemed to realize his mistake as he pushed himself off his seat and over to the bed. Gideon bent down and placed a gentle kiss on the titan’s cheek. “I’m glad you’re okay…”
Just like that, Zenith forgave him. How could he not? He thought he was going to die last time he was awake. Now was not the time to be petty. Still, the other man’s abrasiveness was unsettling. He would definitely need to keep an eye on that in the future.