A/N: I am VERY new to FanFiction and decided I could try and write something. I had just finished reading The Kane Chronicles for, like, the millionth time. This is a Zarter Songfic based on the song "Heart and Mind" by Kina Grannis.

I don't own the amazing characters (Rick Riordan does) or song (Kina Grannis does). That'd be cool though...


Zia was sitting in her room in the First Nome, writing and rewriting a letter. She wasn't good at this. She had lived almost her whole life shutting out love, before it could shut her out. It had become routine for her, just another part of her life. She started to believe that her ability to love was gone, and she was fine with that. It was better that way.

Then she met Carter Kane. Well, she didn't meet him. Her shabti did. But it's memories had found their way to her sleeping form in the tomb. They buried themselves deep within her mind so when she really did meet Carter Kane, they were like shadows in the dark, just barely there. As time went by, they started to resurface, showing her that she could love. That she needed love.

That thought brought her up short. She needed love. She would start slowly, show that she had feelings, and pray that they grew. Pray that love would welcome her back with open arms. She had to try.

He would be getting a simple letter, with hidden meanings. At first glance it would look like any other letter, but read carefully, a whole new world could be found.

Zia started on the letter. It was hard at first, but she slowly found a rhythm to her words. She didn't have to think. The words came easily.

She finished and started to read her letter, checking it over. She surprised herself with the deepness of her letter. She read over it again, to make sure she wasn't crazy. Entangled in the simplicity of her words was a simple message. I love you. She hadn't realized until that moment that she loved him. Then, she realized that she hadn't said those words to anybody before, not even her own parents. Even when she was a child, she had kept those brave words locked away, keeping them safe.

She thought that by keeping those words tucked away, she was protecting her heart and mind. She didn't realize that to truly live, she cannot hide. She didn't realize that, until now.

Nervously, she sealed the letter. She then printed his name on the envelope. Carter. She sent it on its way and went to bed, feeling better than she had in years.


Carter was walking, more like hobbling, up to his room after a long day of training. His muscles ached from the exertion of the day. He was about to flop on his bed and pass out when he saw a letter addressed to him. He opened it carefully, not daring to hope. He read the letter and his heart fell. Nothing. But something didn't seem right. He read the letter again, paying attention to every last detail. As he neared the bottom, a smile was sneaking a way onto his face. His favorite part:

With love,

Zia


Review? I could do with feedback! :)

~OmNom~