==Alone==

"Buzz?"

Buzz didn't answer, didn't look up. He just stayed in his chair, staring at the floor, hands folded in front of him.

With a sigh, Warp stood from his seat beside his partner and strode to meet Commander Nebula in the doorway. Nebula sighed, too, and took Warp into the hall outside. Their murmurs went unheard by Captain Lightyear.

He didn't know where Booster and XR where – he just knew that they'd left. They had been crying too hard.

Although Warp didn't really know her as well as those two did, even he was numb. He had fallen into the same mental trap as the others had – that she was as invincible as her husband himself, that she would never fall.

Never.

Buzz supposed he wanted to cry, but he couldn't. His tears were all locked up in his heart, leaving only a dull ache that was worse than crying. He wasn't just numb. He was paralyzed.

Warp reentered the room and retook his chair. "Buzz?" His voice was trembling.

Buzz wanted to shut his ears.

"Buzz, she… she was… gone… before we got here."

Buzz looked up then, to see water in Warp's navy-blue-on-yellow eyes. Buzz's heart constricted even as it began to burn. "You're lying," he hissed in a low, dark voice – as deadly as any tone Zurg had ever used.

Warp recoiled in sudden fear, knowing better than to answer that.

Buzz stalked out of the waiting room and into the hall, resolutely pushing aside whoever was unfortunate enough to be in his way. When he reached the door – her door – he froze. He froze because he knew that, once he entered that room… that was it. He could no longer pretend that everything would be all right.

Because deep in his heart, he knew that it wouldn't be.


Buzz saluted. "You wanted to see me, Commander Nebula?"

"Ah, Lightyear… there's something I want you to see."



He opened the door.

She lay there on the bed. That's not her, that's not her

"Mira?" he called gently, his voice trembling.


"All right, people – we're breaking it up to Level 9," the Commander announced.

"Level 9??" Buzz repeated, surprised. "Commander, they're only rookies! Come on, I train on Level 9."

"I know."



"C'mon, Mira, it's time to get up," he called a bit louder, coming to her side.

She didn't stir. Her chest didn't rise and fall in cadence.

"Mira, come on!" he urged, his voice thick.


"How does she do that?" Buzz asked, awed.

"She's from the planet Tangea."

"Of course! Tangean ghosting powers – excellent!" Buzz grinned.

"Yeah," the Commander smirked, "let's see one of Zurg's robots walk through a wall!"



Her skin, once a vibrant cyan, was now a pale bluish-grey. But her maroon-colored lips curved slightly in a tiny, peaceful smile.


"Ranger Mira Nova reporting for duty, sirs!" she saluted.

"Mira Nova?" Buzz echoed. "Strange coincidence – isn't that also the name of the heir to the Tangean throne?" He smiled. "I met her once."

Mira grinned. "You saved my planet once."



This wasn't his Mira lying here. This was a realistic duplicate, and the true Mira was in the next room over, already recovering from the horrific shots burned into her torso.


"Buzz – son – meet your new partner."

"Partner?" Buzz echoed, suddenly panicked.

"Sir – what you did for my people – well, it inspired me to join." She punctuated her words with a hand outstretched to shake Buzz's.

"No," he said resolutely, striding past her and ignoring the hand.



Afraid, he took her small, slender hand in his big one. It was cold, limp… lifeless.

No pulse.


"N-no?" she stammered, shocked.

"No what?" the Commander demanded.

"No partner. Too risky."



"Why did you do it, Mira?" he asked. The tears were finally unlocked, and the broad shoulders shook uncontrollably as the legend wept. "Why did you leave me? God, why did You take her from me??"


"Agh! Look – son – I know you're still torn-up about Warp, but the next time you're out there –"

"And Zurg's gunning for me, what's to keep the Princess from ending up like Warp??"

"Yeah?? Well, maybe it's the Princess keepin' you from endin' up like Warp!"



He took her left hand, one thumb stroking her wedding ring and the other thumb stroking the cold palm. "Those shots were meant for me," he whispered. "Why did you die in my place, Princess?"


"Mm-kay, hello?" she interrupted irately, arms folded over her chest. "The Princess has a name!"

"Yeah – right – sorry – Princess – Mira! I work alone."



"I don't want to be alone," he continued to whisper. "I need you – so much! I failed you – I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!" His breath hitched as the sobs wracked his powerful body. He bent over to kiss her cold forehead one last time; his tears fell on her pale skin, rolling tracks down her still face. He repeated in a barely audible whisper, "I don't want to be alone."


"Sorry, Commander, but from now on, Buzz Lightyear flies solo."

"I love you."

~*~Finis~*~

Author's Note:

This story was inspired by "The Rhyzomian Stone" by SuperKat, which also depicts Mira's death. But unlike that story which had a more well-rounded plot with the events leading to her death, the tragedy itself, and the aftermath, I wanted to do a short piece focusing on Buzz's grief only. SuperKat's idea to give Buzz memory flashes was a great idea, and I took it one step further in using most of Buzz's conversation with the Commander and Mira because the lines just fit so seamlessly with what I was writing.

For me, the most heartbreaking part is when Buzz says that he doesn't want to be alone, and he remembers saying that from now on, he flies solo. Poor Buzz!