Disclaimer: Not mine. I don't think I could make my mind up with what to do with it if it was...

Silver Linings

Tauria

His mother was frail in her sickness. Her personality, her iron will, her presence was still as strong as ever... but her body was weak. Day by day, she grew paler. Her eyes were film, her vision weakening. She grew thin, her grip weakening. Each day, though she found it in her to offer him a smile.

He asked her how, once. He asked her how she could still look so happy she she was dying before his eyes. Not in those words, of course. He had been mindful of how he phrased it, not wanting to hurt or offend.

"Momma, how can you be so happy?" He remembered asking her, a puzzled frown on his lips as he sat at her bedside.

His mother had offered him a warm, maternal look, her lips curving up. "How can I not be, Chiro? The sun is bright, I can hear the birds singing. I am comfortable, well taken care of... and most importantly? My precious baby is by my side." She ruffled his hair gently, and he pretended to be disgruntled by it, just to make her laugh. "I can't not be happy."

But... you're going to leave me soon! I know you are! he had thought, but he had forced a smile instead, letting her words fill him. He focused on her love, rather than the inevitable parting. He had always been sensitive to this kind of thing and now was no different. But he would take her words to heart, and focus on the silver lining. "I love you."

"And I you."

He visited her every day, without fail. As soon as school let out, he made straight for the hospital. Occasionally, he stopped to grab a hoverburger, or even indulge in a holographic ice cream cone... but usually, he headed straight there.

It had been this way for as long as he could remember. She had been in and out of the of the clinic since he was six. They had used to let him stay. They still offered, as he wasn't very old. However, Chiro had grown used to caring for himself over the years. He was an independent soul, now. He could make his own meals, get to bed at a reasonable time, grocery shop... all of it, without help. Sure, he needed a little help with his homework sometimes, but he tried not to rely too much on anyone.

Perhaps it was this attitude that made him so distant from most of Shuggazoom.

He didn't have many friends... at least, not what one could call close friends. There were people he occasionally hung out with, people he knew at school. Even people he sat with at lunch.

He also didn't have enemies. He stood up for himself and others rather well, but something about his presence encouraged the bullies to let it be. He had an inner strength, a sense of presence that no one could ignore.

It shook people up... especially the adults. They already treated him differently because of his situation, his independence. But the quiet way he always drew attention; the way he managed to command respect without even trying shook people. He was only a child, after all.

It was thanks to this that he ever managed to get away with living on his own at all after his mother finally passed. He was only ten. He had grieved hard, his chest aching. But he had moved past it, because of her words.

There is always something to be happy about; something to treasure. Perhaps it is a sunny day, or perhaps the sound of the rain is soothing. It could be a smile someone offers or even a few moments with a friend.

Chiro focused on that, and he moved on in time. The loss still saddened him, and there were many days where he wished for more of her wisdom... but he accepted it. He kept moving forward, because that was the only thing he could do now.

Moving forward, concentrating on what was around him was what led him to the outskirts, that fateful summer day. It had been beautiful out... and the sway of the trees, the lilt of the grass had called to him. He recalled a favorite pastime of his childhood - can kicking. He never knew what had amused him so much about the game... it was, after all, very simple.

Finding a can amidst the grass had been easy. The can itself was faded, the logo long since worn away by time. Rust had collected on the aluminum, further hiding the identity of the cylinder. It was dented, obviously having been squeezed shut before being tossed. He didn't pay too much attention to the object, giving it an experimental kick. It didn't go very far, but nostalgia bubbled up in his chest as he watched it fly.

How strange, for one to feel nostalgia at such a young age… He was only thirteen, after all, with many years ahead of him.

He jogged over to where it had fallen and kicked again, this time harder. He chased after it, kicking it once more shortly after it had slowed to a stop. He felt a sense of freedom, kicking and chasing the can... as if he had somehow reverted to a much younger age, when he had less to worry about and everything was right in the world.

Eventually, the aluminum connected with something metal. He had chased after it, curious about the sound, when he noted a giant robot standing before him. He had marveled at the statue, eyes wide in awe. It was sad to see such an impressive behemoth covered in moss and ivy, left to the elements and falling into disrepair.

He knew he couldn't clean the whole thing off, but maybe he could find some clues about the silver structure's origins? He wiped some moss off of the foot, his fingers brushing the cool metal.

He jumped backwards, almost falling over in surprise as a panel slid open, revealing a short hallway and some colored tubes. Hesitantly, the teenage boy entered. He jumped again as the door shut and the lights automatically flickered on. One flickered steadily, blinking on and off every so often. The rest appeared in working order.

Noting that the other tubes were sealed shut, the boy stepped into the orange one, wondering how they worked. He tapped the up arrow experimentally, and the floor beneath his feet jerked upward. He bit back a scream of surprise, not wanting to disturb anyone who might be lurking about... or possibly draw attention to himself and end up getting into trouble.

The elevator stopped at a large room. It was dark, and covered in a thick layer of dust. He rubbed his nose, which was slightly irritated by the amount of dust in the air. He was careful not to disturb any, not wanting his nose to start bleeding.

A few more tubes, glowing softly in the darkness caught his attention. He entered into a lab-like area, where he studied them closer. Stasis tubes, he decided. Designed for cryogenic sleep. He had never seen them used before, as the medical officers in the city had deemed them unsafe.

Pulling his sleeve over his hand, he carefully removed the dust from the purple one. The creature floating inside amazed him. It was black, obviously furred, despite the metal bits. It almost resembled a monkey, though with a bigger head. Chiro studied it for a moment, wondering what it was doing in this place. After a while, he dismissed his concerns, turning back to the main chamber.

Eventually, he stumbled across a switch. Thinking perhaps it turned on the light, and having an overwhelming urge to pull it… he folded his hands over the top, and pulled.

From there, the rest is, as they say, history. The monkeys woke up, took him under their wing, and helped him grow to be the leader he was now. He let himself act his age for once, appreciating TV shows, girls, and video games. But there were still times when the maturity show through – in battle, during training, when he was issuing commands…

The team had taken note of his curious distance from the rest of the Shuggazoomians, the way the kids his age didn't seem to hang out with the raven haired teen much… the way the adults were friendly to him, yet strangely wary. The monkeys too, felt the strange pull of respect that the boy seemed to pull from people (it went a long way in establishing his leadership) and they could understand the citizens reluctance.

They loved Chiro – he was their family, after all. But they did not understand. He didn't speak of his past much, they didn't ask. Yet sometimes they wondered if they should have asked… He seemed happy enough with them, though. So in the end, they never did.

He was happy; that was all that mattered. Even when their situation was bleak, even when Skeleton King was at his worst… Chiro found a reason to smile.

And when they asked how?

He said, "The sun is still shining. The city is still standing, and he hasn't been going after the citizens. Most importantly, I'm surrounded by people who care about me. We still have hope. As long as we have that, I can't not find something to smile about."

They had wanted to ask about the far off look in his eyes, the way his smile turned wistful and sad, but they didn't. Instead, they took his wisdom to heart.

There's always a silver lining, somewhere. You just have to look.

Tauria: I typed most of this on my phone before I went to sleep last night. I was in a weird mood, I think. Anyway, I'm not sure where I was going with it, or what to think about it, other than I'm pretty sure it starts to fall flat towards the end.

At any rate, I hope you enjoyed this anyway! Reviews, favorites... either or will do! ^^