Zhalia really got the short end of the stick when it came to both screen time and getting new titans in season 2, so I've come up with a few story ideas to bulk up her collection a bit. I've got several other ideas for titans, but not all of them are for Zhalia. I gotta share the love a little at least. I hope you enjoy this first chapter!
Also, a big thanks to everyone who commented on "Falcons and Butterflies". I normally reply to comments in the next chapter, but that's kinda hard to do for a one-shot, so I guess I'll do it here and hope they check out this one as well.
Nina Vale- Zoos are the best. I would love to go to a zoo with open more open exhibits like the ones you described. I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope you'll enjoy this one if you end up reading it as well.
Die Krote- Thanks!
Guest- You're too nice. I've got a few ideas about some more short Zhante stories, but I hope you like this one (if you read it) even though Dante isn't really in it much.
Zhalia kissed Dante goodbye at the gate while the twins said their farewells to Sophie, Lok and Cherit.
"I'm so excited for you guys!" Lok cheered. "Den and Harrison Moon. Not a bad name change if you ask me."
Both boys scratched the backs of their heads in sync. "Come on, Lok." Den mumbled. "She's not adopting us."
Lok paused in confusion and Sophie smacked him on the back of the head. "You have to be 18 years older than the kid when adopting in Holland, remember? Zhalia's not even ten years older than them."
Zhalia rolled her eyes as Sophie continued to reprimand the teen while Den and Harrison put their heads together and started whispering. With a sigh, she turned to Dante. "One more time, remind me why I'm doing this?"
He smiled softly, shaking his head at her sarcasm. "Because they both adore you. You're the one who found them, and in one way or another saved both from the Spiral. Also, you're doing this because you love them too."
She gave him another kiss before throwing her backpack over her shoulder. "Come on boys, we'll miss our flight."
Neither argued, and the rest of the team waved goodbye as they disappeared through the airport doors.
The three swiftly passed through security and baggage checks, found their gate, and waited for their flight to Holland. The twins were acting better than usual. The two would usually have started an argument by now over whose turn it was on their shared DS, pick fights, making faces at each other, and basically just be rowdy brothers. That wasn't the case today though.
They sat together, quietly talking with their backs to her. She knew they were plotting something. She just didn't know what, and that made her a little nervous.
The flight was a fast one, and with no delays, the three reached Holland actually earlier than scheduled. The twins grabbed their bags while Zhalia called the orphanage to see if she could come in that day to grab the paperwork and try to fill everything in before their meeting tomorrow.
After a quick taxi ride to their hotel, Zhalia set the boys up with snacks and the tv remote before heading out to the orphanage. Taking the bus was something Zhalia never liked, especially in Holland. As a child, she would often sneak onto busses to pickpocket or just get a little warmth when the weather turned bad. They had been places of opportunity and safety until one driver, an old brutish man with anchor tattoos all over his arms, beat her within an inch of her life and tossed her small body into the gutter afterwards.
Anxiety gripped her stomach at the memory, but Gareon reached out through his amulet to sooth her. His presence was comforting and kept her mind occupied until she had reached her destination. The bus came to a slow stop before an alleyway, and even more memories flooded back as she followed a crowd of people onto the sidewalk.
She remembered running from the alleyway in the dead of night. As a form of punishment, kids were often sent to bed without dinner. That night, she had been held against a wall and pummeled by one of the older girls who accused her of taking one of her handmade dolls, which she hadn't done, and was also refused a meal along with her attacker. While everyone else was eating, Zhalia had been trapped in the dorm with the girl. Terrified of what she could do, Zhalia had escaped through one of the windows and made a run for it.
She had been out for two weeks before being found again. But after her first escape, no one could keep her caged. That alley was her doorway to freedom, and she used it liberally.
After coming out of her thoughts, she found herself standing before the old building. She felt eyes on her back, and with a quick glance, she confirmed that all of the kids in the courtyard were watching her. Some eyes were filled with hope, others with hatred, and others still with confusion and curiosity. With a sigh, she turned back and carefully entered her childhood hell.
At the front was a small desk, and at that desk sat a familiar face. If this place was hell, Ms. Cowry was Satan. Zhalia tried to block out her fear of the woman by turning to anger, replaying all of the times the woman had scolded and punished her for things she hadn't done.
"And you are?" That slimy voice sent chills down her spine.
"Zhalia Moon. I'm here about the two boys that went missing months ago."
Cold dead eyes peeked over ancient reading glasses, and paper thin lips curled into an even deeper frown. "Sit."
Zhalia glanced down at the child sized chair before the desk and was immediately insulted. Glancing around, she saw a larger chair at a table nor far away. She moved to go grab it when the wretched witch cleared her throat. Anger clawed at the seekers throat, but she turned back and sat down, the small chair forcing her knees into her chin.
"You've grown tall." The woman said while opening a file cabinet behind the desk.
"A steady supply of good food does wonders for the human body." Zhalia did her best to keep any malice from her voice, but with her track record, she had to assume she failed.
The woman grumbled at her response, turning back with two file folders and a thick packet of paperwork. "We've already started the process over the phone, am I correct?"
"Yes. I just need the last few papers and the meeting tomorrow." Zhalia reached for the papers, but Cowry pulled them back.
"Do you understand how the meeting will go?" Zhalia nodded, but she continued anyways, taking that insulting tone she would use to reprimand a child for a mistake in their studies. "The boys will meet with us individually and we'll find out what happened and more about you from their perspective, and then we'll meet with you, and then if all goes well, the final papers will be signed and you'll be free to take them home."
Zhalia couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I'm very sorry, but can I have the papers? I have some errands to run tonight."
Cowry's scowl somehow deepened even further, but she offered up the papers anyways. Zhalia tried not to snatch the files away from her. She said her thanks and farewells, easily stood from the small chair, and left. As she stepped outside, a small dark haired girl greeted her.
"Who're you?" Her green eyes were locked on Zhalia.
Her patience was dangerously short, but she bent down anyways. "My name's Zhalia."
"Are you here to take one of us away?"
Zhalia hesitated. One would think adoption was cause for a celebration in orphanages, but that was far from the truth when it came to the other kids. Jealously ate away at them, causing more fights and even worse attitudes than normal. But those sad green eyes kept Zhalia from lying this time.
"Yes. I've been taking care of two boys who ran away from here for a while now, and it's about time they headed back to school. I can't make them go unless I'm their guardian though."
The little girl's eyes filled with tears, but she nodded and smiled. "That's good."
After a quick goodbye, the girl ran off to a cluster of older kids to spread the word. Zhalia watched them all for a moment, her heart pained by the expressions of shattered hope and frustration that were written over all of their faces.
With a sigh, Zhalia headed back towards the alley, and with nothing better to do, she opted to walk back to the hotel.
Den and Harrison waited for at least ten minutes after Zhalia left them before whipping out their phone and calling Sophie.
"Okay, she just went to grab some papers, so how's the party prep going?"
Sophie gasped. "You're not supposed to know about that! Did Lok tell you?!"
"Of course he did!" Harrison couldn't keep his laughter down. "He can't keep a secret to save his life."
"Listen, we've only got about thirty minutes, so tell us everything!"
"Like I'm going to tell you two anything about your surprise party! You'll just have to wait till you get back. Does Zhalia know about it?"
"Not that we know. She's actually good at keeping secrets." Den laughed at the offended "hey!" in the background of the call.
"Can you guys at least help us out with something though?" Harrison pulled out the notepad they'd been scribbling on. "We want to do something for Zhal, but she'd find out about it for sure if we did it before we left."
He could practically see Sophie's excited face as she answered. "What do you have in mind?"