Re-upload from my old account.
OLD story. I think this was my first one.
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to The Mighty Boosh.
He wasn't supposed to cry. Feelings should never bother him. Everything could be hurled his way yet he had to remain indifferent. That's what he was taught. Showing tears meant you were weak. But sometimes…sometimes it got too much. Sometimes he faced things that even he couldn't handle. But he couldn't cry. It wasn't allowed. Not for an enigma.
Xxxxx
Naboo crashed through the shop door. He kept his face fixed on the floor and simply breezed passed Vince and Howard. He ignored all the questions and practically ran up the stairs, tripping on his curly shoes more than once.
Howard just shook his head. He gave up trying to understand the little shaman long ago and usually left him to his own devices.
Vince on the other hand instantly picked up something was wrong. Firstly Naboo didn't even give them a quick glance to check on them. Secondly he seemed to be hiding his face behind a thick curtain of black hair and thirdly, he didn't return with Bollo. Vince heard the sound of Naboo slamming his bedroom door. He gave Howard a quick glance. Seeing he wasn't going to bother, Vince jumped off the side bored Howard had always yelled at him for sitting on, put down 'The Face' and slowly crept up the stairs.
Reaching the shamans door he knocked gently. On hearing no reply he turned away. Just as his foot touched the first step a sound of smashing came from Naboo's room. Vince's eyes grew wide, he instantly spun round and grabbed the door handle.
Xxxxxx
Naboo collapsed onto his bed. Now in the comfort of his own room, he grabbed a pillow and let the tears he'd been holding back for near an hour fall. Eyeliner stained his cheeks, deep brown eyes became red. He didn't care.
'How could they DO this?' He thought angrily.' How could they take Bollo like that?!'
He hated the bored of shaman more than anything right now. A gentle tap on the door interrupted his thoughts. He ignored it. Maybe it'd go away. After a while it did. Naboo sighed. He looked at a picture taken a while ago. Howard was testing out his camera before going to the cabin in the woods. It was a picture of him and Bollo working on a potion of some sorts. He picked up the photo frame. He stared at it. Those days would be gone. Emotion overtook him. He smashed the photo frame against the side of the bedside table. A few seconds later his door swung open and a scared looking Vince stood in the doorway.
'Crap. I forgot to lock the door.' Naboo thought feeling sick. He tried hiding his face again. Nobody should see him cry.
"Naboo…..is everything okay?" Vince asked, voice shaking. Naboo nodded.
"Just….dropped the photo frame" He replied. However his voice was wavering and croaky. Vince had never heard Naboo talk like that.
"Naboo! What's wrong?" Vince asked alarmed. He took a few more steps into the room and perched on the end of the bed. He put a hand on the shamans shoulder. The contact made Naboo jump. He wasn't touched very often. He looked up and Vince saw his face and silently gasped. His eyes were red, his face dirty, tear streaked and tracks of eyeliner ran down them. This scared Vince. Naboo had always been so strong. He always took everything in his stride, had a level head meaning he could sort out the situation.
"Naboo…." Vince breathed. "What is it?" Naboo looked up at Vince and saw real concern there. He looked at the floor again. Vince followed Naboo's line of vision. And gasped. There were many scratches littering the shamans hands. Fresh ones still bleeding droplets of scarlet blood. They dripped onto the picture once held by the now destroyed photo frame.
"You didn't drop the frame did you?" Vince asked sadly. Naboo shook his head. Vince sighed and grabbed a box of tissues from the dresser. He pressed tissues against Naboo's hands to stop the bleeding.
"So what happened?" Vince asked gently. Then he pieced it all together.
"Is it Bollo?" He whispered. The little shaman nodded. Vince sighed looking down at him. He'd always looked up to Naboo. He always knew what to do. But now he looked like small and vulnerable like a young child.
"Would you like to tell me what happened?" He asked even gently. Naboo seemed to shake his head at first. Then he nodded,
"okay" he sighed. "I'll tell you." He shuffled around so he was facing Vince.
"You know Bollo's is getting on a bit? Well the bored of Shaman have decided Bollo might be too old to be a familiar now. Something about too much activity. I didn't quite hear. Anyway they're putting Bollo through a load of tests. If he passes, he can come home if not…" Fresh tears welled up in Naboo's chocolate brown eyes. He attempted to hide his face again. This confused Vince but he ignored it for now.
"If not, what?" Vince asked, fearing the answer.
"He….they…he….Vince….They'll put him down!" Naboo sobbed. Vince found he had tears in his own eyes that soon began running down his cheek.
"N…N….No! They can't! They just can't! Not Bollo!"
He remembered last time this had been threatened. When the Zooniverse closed down Bob Fossil said it would be a waste of time trying to find the 'old squashed up French man with the hand feet' a new home so he was going to 'go sleepy bye bye'. Naboo refused to let it happen. In fact he surprised everyone by using magic to threaten Fossil and Bainbridge then to break the cage Bollo was in. It was very daring and cost him a trial with the bored of shaman. Luckily they were on Naboo's side as they noticed the deep spiritual connection the two shared. Vince highly doubted Naboo was going to be able to pull that one off again.
Vince looked over to see Naboo hiding his face again behind the black curtain of hair. Vince knew he was crying though. Every so often he saw a salty drop fall on to Naboo's robes.
"Why do you do that?" Asked Vince curiously.
"Do what?" Came the mumbled response.
"Hide your face" There was a pause. Naboo seemed to be thinking his answer through carefully.
"I was always taught crying shows weakness. Well not just crying….emotion in general."
Vince's bright blue eyes grew wide.
"Naboo….That's stupid! Everyone cries! It's a natural reaction! You can't bottle up emotions like that! Its not healthy. It leads to stupid things. Look I'm no expert but seriously it can't be good for you. Next time something bothers you tell me. Your not alone ya know!"
Naboo looked up and smiled.
"Cheers Vince" Vince gave him an encouraging smile. Then he did something that nearly never happened to Naboo. He grabbed the tiny shaman into a hug. Naboo froze. No one hugged him. Although after the shock, Naboo felt comforted.
"Don't worry. I'll always be here for ya." Vince assured.
A gruff voice in the doorway made them both jump. The voice stopped the tears. The voice told them everything was going to be fine with three words:
"So will I"