I don't feel well.

Authors note: I don't own Huntik, what a surprise. Just something random I came up with in my head because what's wrong that? Just the fact I can't write good fanfictions or one-shots. Just bear in mind the sick person is being down on themselves because sometimes when you get sick you can tend to think the worst of yourselves and that others feel the same way about you too.

The curtains were closed, the lights were off and no-one would know that anyone was inside if weren't for the shivering mass surrounded by blankets on the bed; Zhalia drew her knees up to her chest and squeezed her eyes closed tighter. Zhalia wasn't sick and that could be known as a fact because quite plainly Zhalia never got sick and that was a rule of which she would stick to. But if that was so… why did her head hurt? Why did she feel sick when she moved even slightly? Or why did her body ache everywhere? And why was she so uncomfortably hot? 'No reason what so ever that's what, I'm not sick and I never will be I'm just tired… probably' Zhalia told herself hugging the blankets tighter.

Zhalia had spent the day in her pajamas and in bed; that didn't mean she hadn't tried though, when she tried to walk it off she had collapsed shaking violently and on her second attempt gone dizzy and ended up face-planting the wall. It wasn't lack of food though which could be clarified since one of the benefits of having a titan that can turn invisible is that it can steal food without arousing suspicion. 'If… If I was ill… that is if I was then… then would it be very wrong? Would I be punished?'

Flashback.

"Klaus I don't feel well." Eleven year old Zhalia said tugging at her mentor's sleeve.

"Say that again Zhalia?" Klaus asked coolly, not looking up from his experiment.

"I don't feel well." Zhalia repeated. Klaus turned around and slapped her hard.

"How dare you! Have I taught you nothing? Never show weakness, to be sick is to be weak and weakness must be punished!" He yelled and slapped her again; Zhalia began to cry which earned another slap, she turned and ran away to her room her face red and stinging.

Flashback end

Nope Zhalia defiantly wasn't ill because Illness was weakness and Zhalia wasn't weak Klaus had made sure of that. But then again Klaus wasn't around anymore; he was trapped in a stone gaze prison and no longer controlled Zhalia.

'Weakness must be punished'

Zhalia remembered the punishments, the ones the organisation gave her when she messed up, and the scars she hid and tried to forget. 'But Dante's not like that' Zhalia remembered with a spark of hope; Dante was always there and never got angry at her.

Flashback

Zhalia was exhausted; they were trekking through the dessert back to Otto's village in Ethiopia. Montague had Lok over one shoulder and Otto over the other and Sophie was walking with Tersely and discussing some historical art work which lived at the museum he worked at.

"Zhalia are you ok? Do you need to rest for a minute?" Dante stopped Zhalia and put a hand on her shoulder so that the others carried on without them.

"Yeah… Why'd you ask?" Zhalia said trying to look attentive and awake.

"Put it this way; You got a few scrapes in the battle against the villagers, You were hurt during the sand storm, kidnapped and mentally tortured by the professor, hurt by the guardian titans and on top of that you've been using your powers a lot. You should be exhausted."

"You make it sound as if I'm a terrible seeker." Zhalia said slightly offended by Dante's words.

"No it's not that… I'm just worried about you and I don't want you to push yourself for my mistakes." Dante said softly.

"What mistakes?" Zhalia asked honestly confused.

"Letting you get hurt." Dante stated sadly.

"But it wasn't…" Zhalia was cut off by a yawn which made Dante smile.

"Come on sleepy head." He said brushing her hair away.

"Ok maybe I'm a bit tired, but I'm fine really." Zhalia said quickly and Dante raised an eyebrow at her. "Ok fine I'm really tired but there's nothing I can do now, I'll go to bed as soon as we get back ok?"

"Or you could go to sleep now." And without waiting for consent he scooped her up in his arms and began to catch up with the others.

"Dante, I can walk…" Zhalia trailed off her eyes closing; Dante was warm and comfortable and she felt safe for once, before she knew what was happening Zhalia was drifting off to sleep.

Flashback end

Zhalia rolled over again contemplating these thoughts; she really didn't feel great and she just wanted someone to tell her everything was ok, the one thing no-one had ever done for her. 'Dante won't mind me disturbing him for a minute will he? He always says if I need something to just ask.' Zhalia made up her mind.

She dragged her self-upright and staggered to her feet keeping the blanket around her; she stumbled to the door and managed to get through it.

"Hey watch where you're going!" Sophie yelled as the two of them collided and Sophie's books tumbled to the ground.

"Sorry." Zhalia mumbled leaning against the wall feeling dizzy.

"Yeah hilarious; keep your sarcasm to yourself." Sophie snapped storming off. Zhalia would have told her she wasn't being sarcastic but she could hardly think straight. Dante's room was only a few doors away from hers and she managed to get there without any more drama; she knocked on the door and entered.

Dante was on the bed working on his laptop which was plugged into the holotome; when she entered he didn't look up but said, "Hey Zhalia."

"Dante?" Zhalia said feeling slightly nervous for some reason.

"Yes?" He replied still not looking up from his work.

"Dante, I don't feel well." Zhalia whimpered waiting for him to react.

"Don't be silly Zhalia It's just Sophie, she's not a disease or whatever you're going to say next." Dante said having heard the collision between the two and assuming Zhalia had come to complain.

Zhalia bit her lip eyes brimming with tears; she turned and half ran back to her own room, she slammed her door and slipped down just behind it curling up on her side. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid I should have seen this coming! I am weak and pathetic even Dante thinks so.' Zhalia closed her eyes wishing her head would stop spinning and she could just sleep everything off but no such joy came.

The seconds that Zhalia lay there stretched into minutes which turned to hours but Zhalia didn't move or fall asleep she just stared blankly at the wall. She didn't or rather couldn't respond when Dante called her down for dinner or when Sophie made an extra loud lecture on how Zhalia was too busy stropping in her room to come downstairs and be sociable.

/

"Zhalia?" Dante yelled but to no response. Zhalia could here three sets of footprints coming up the stairs and Sophie complaining.

"She's been lazy all day, I bet she's not even out of her pyjamas yet! Honestly she's like a stroppy child."

"Now, now we mustn't be so harsh until we know the full story." Cherit said; the three of them and the titan were getting closer and closer but Zhalia still didn't move.

"Zhalia?" Dante was knocking on the door, "Zhalia open the door please."

No response.

"Farslip." Lok cast the spell but since Zhalia was behind it, it didn't open.

"Zhalia let us in, stop hiding behind the door." Dante warned speaking through the door, Zhalia tried to move but her body had stopped responding. "Cherit fly round and get through her window."

A few minutes later Zhalia heard the window creak and something squeeze through but she couldn't turn her head to see.

"Oh no! Dante she's collapsed!" Cherit exclaimed panicked.

"What!" Dante yelled , "Cherit move her away from the door so we don't hurt her."

Cherit grabbed Zhalia's blanket and dragged her away from the door; Zhalia watched as Dante and the others burst in and huddled round her.

Zhalia put her hands over her ears to protect them from the noise the others were making which seemed to be magnified.

"When you said you didn't feel well you meant it didn't you?" Dante sounded upset and Zhalia tried to move to show she was ok. "Ok come on we need to move you." Dante said and pulled her into a sitting position; Zhalia fell forwards against his chest her heart thumping heavily.

"You were right Dante." Zhalia whispered.

"About what?" Dante asked picking her up gently.

"I am pathetic and weak."

Dante looked shocked at these words, "no you're not! You're just ill everyone gets ill! If I'd bothered to pay more attention to you I would have realised."

Zhalia closed her eyes and relaxed at last; she was ill but maybe that as ok.

"Everything is ok… you're going to be ok, I'm here now." Dante whispered and Zhalia fell in to a deep sleep.