"There are 6,470,818,671 people in the world. Some are running scared. Some are coming home. Some tell lies to make it through the day, others are just now facing the truth. Some are evil men at war with good, and some are good struggling with evil. 6 billion people in the world, 6 billion souls, and sometimes, all you need is one." - One Tree Hill
Once again sleep refused to come to one particular lonely little girl in the small town of South Park. Though feeling worn and tired she could not sleep and with the weather nice this time of year she quietly opened the window of her two story bedroom and crawled out onto the roof. Carefully as possible, she made her away above the angles of her window that protruded from the house and lay back against the hard, rough surface. The vast night sky stretched out before her eyes, millions of stars shining brightly, each one a glimmering little tale of a life that has long past. It was always sad to think that that nearly every star you saw was already dead, but in a tragically beautiful sort of way. Such were the thoughts that occurred to this seemingly simple girl and such thoughts only brought upon the tears she was so desperately trying not to let fall tonight. Just as stars start small, then burn brighter and brighter until fully extinguished, so did her tears escalate until she was sobbing uncontrollably like a child until finally even her tears died away. The night breeze grew colder and was the signal to return to her room, but just as stars live on even after they are gone as their light reaches others, her cries did not go unheard or unseen by a certain lurking figure of the night.
It was like this for a while. She would like awake at night, sneak out to the roof, and stare at the stars until she cried and then go back to bed. It wasn't every night she did this, especially if it was too cold or raining, but it was becoming quite the bad habit. Now it was practically a nightly ritual and if the weather forbids her from performing it then she would lie awake for hours before being able to sleep. On occasion, she even began little monologues to herself about her troubles. After all the whole point of sneaking onto the roof was not to let anyone hear her crying in her room.
"I just feel so... so... alone."
A deep sigh escaped her as she once again stared up at the stars and she felt fresh tears well up in her eyes. For once, she took a little enjoyment in the small fact that it was a beautiful clear night so it was a wonderful view to behold. However it did very little to ease her pain.
"You're not alone."
The girl jerked herself up and nearly sent herself tumbling off the roof as she gave a little shriek in response. Her breath turned shallow as fear spread through her every inch and she did her best to wipe away her tears and stifle her sobs. The clear night gave just enough light to illuminate the figure of a boy, crouched at the opposite end of her roof. As he moved more into the light of the moon and dim streetlights, she knew at once, who he was.
Mysterion.
"W-what? W-why are you on my roof?" She was nearly shaking with nerves and just praying he was really the brave hero everyone made him out to be.
"You. Are. Not. Alone." The words came slowly but sternly from the hooded boy who gave her no time to argue before taking a seat right next to her.
"Just what do you mean by that?" Maybe she was dreaming all this? She couldn't seriously be sitting next to the town vigilante who just so happened to take a break to come stargaze with her, could she?
He took a moment to answer, closing his eyes and then reopening them to stare right into hers.
"I have been watching you for awhile and overhearing a lot of what you say out loud. You're not alone because I too know what it's like to be in pain just like you." His steel blue eyes looked dead into her own green ones and something about their intensity had her not daring to even question them. Instead, she went with another angle.
"Can I ask why you've been watching me? You don't have criminals to be watching or something?" He scoffed.
"Of course I do. This town is always crawling with someone causing trouble... but things have been a little slow lately. Besides, a girl like you who has been staying out a night on her roof while no one knows she's up here could be just begging for trouble too." She lowered her head. It hadn't occurred to her there was much danger besides falling. She looked down to avoid his gaze and new thoughts were swirling in her head that made her want to cry again.
"Don't worry though. Nothing will harm you, not while I'm around, so please don't cry." She looked up, quite surprised he could tell, but his words did make her feel a little better.
"Okay. Are you going to tell me to go inside and stop coming up here at night?" Her words held a bitter tone.
"I should," He turned to give her another look, but it was softer this time, almost playful. "But I won't."
"Oh. Well good, I really do like coming up here." After that, a heavy silence fell for some time before either of them said anything. Their breathing was that passed between them.
"I would like to know why you come up here nearly every night. Why are you so sad?" He certainly was direct. She turned her gaze from the sky, to his own soft and sympathetic stare, and then down at her feet. She sighed, bent her knees up to her chin, and wrapped her arms around them.
"You really want to know? You really have nothing better to do? You are a super hero after all."
"I do. There aren't many teenagers I know that go around crying on their rooftops after all, and you've been doing this awhile. I'd like to know if you'll tell me."
She smiled a little. No one had ever tried to question much about her past since she moved here only a year ago. Of course, she gave them no real reason to since she always acted as fine as she could at school and didn't have many friends to even be concerned over her.
"Well since I'm sure you keep tabs on everything you know I moved here last year. I didn't want to but they thought it would be good for me. The whole reason I moved here was that my parents died. My aunt and uncle take care of me now and they're very good to me, but I still feel so sad, all the time. I just don't know what to do about it." She never once looked up and now buried her head in her arms. At first, she heard no response, but then comforting whispers accompanied strong arms that wrapped around her.
"You have every right to be sad, especially after someone you love has... died."
"But you don't understand! I'm not just sad... I'm so depressed! Every day is like torture as I try so hard not to let anyone notice. I don't want my aunt and uncle to worry. I had even held out a small hope I'd feel better in a new place but I haven't. It all just feels so wrong to me. Even in school I just try to pay attention and get through the day and then at night I come up here and just cry and wish I had died in that car accident right along with my parents." Mysterion was quiet through her entire rant but she only felt his arms around her grow tighter. For a while, they stayed like that with him holding her, comforting her as she cried tears that felt like they had no end. She felt like an inconsolable child, but it was something she had needed.
"It's okay to miss them, and trust me; I know what it feels like to wish for death, and for no one to notice your pain. It's okay to be messed up. We're all a little messed up in our own way."
Finally, she shifted her cramped position and started to relax. The long sleeved ends of her shirt helped her wipe away the tears. Mysterion had loosened his grip on the girl, but kept one arm around her to which she did not object.
"Do you feel like this too sometimes, Mysterion?" His blue eyes narrowed and his head tilted toward the ground. His graveled voice seemed to grow rougher as he replied.
"Yes, I do. I'm still figuring out my powers but I see them more as a curse than anything. I didn't exactly get a nice childhood either."
"But wait, what are you powers exactly? I've never really known what to believe between reporters and those comics that came out." The hooded hero took a deep breath.
"I can't die. No matter what happens to me, I'm just reborn again. I can't even remember now how many times I've died... if you can even call it that. Want to know the worst part? Most people, even if they've seen it happen, never even remember." She stared at him wide-eyed with confusion, but mostly sadness.
"That's terrible. Here I am feeling like I want to die. You don't even have the option. It must be so painful dying over and over." For the first time since, well, he couldn't even remember, this girl was now hugging him, and crying over him. It took a moment to realize the situation before wrapping his arms around her. Also for the first time in awhile, he genuinely smiled.
A/N: I got the idea for this after catching reruns of the Coon and Friends episodes which are now my favorite South Park episodes. It started as a one-shot but then I kept going and going so expect more updates soon! It'll mostly be cute fluff and a little angst but I hope you like it anyway! ^_^