Chapter 2

Zero

Cosmos grew and grew, getting darker and blacker by the day. People would give him dark fruits, and he gobbled them up and gave them a grin. He was a curious little Chao, and crawled around the garden. He would get into the baskets and eat all of the fruit, and he would play with the penguins and the rams by the lake, but he loved to play with the peacock he found. It was a small little thing, and he fed it raspberries and the fruit he didn't finish. It followed him everywhere, and they were inseparable.

One day, they were playing by the lake, when Cosmos heard something splash in the lake. He looked over it, curiosity making his little orb perk up. He saw something splashing, and yelled. He saw a small Chao bobbing up and down in the lake, sputtering and choking on the water. He looked around and saw Soul floating over to him. He yelled, "Lake!"

Soul looked over at him, and Cosmos pointed at the Chao in the lake. Soul saw it and dived in. He swam over to it and grabbed him. As he swam back, the Chao choked again and looked at him. Cosmos laughed, and clapped his hands. When Soul came up onto the dry land, Cosmos ran over to him, and tripped. He got back up, wiped his face, and looked up at the little Chao. It was just a baby, and looked like it was tinted a light green on his hands and feet. His green orb bobbed up and down as he flopped onto the ground.

Cosmos looked down at him, and smiled his toothy grin. The little guy coughed, and tried to get up. Soul picked him up and set him down in a sitting position. The little Chao blinked. Cosmos laughed and said, "Funny!" The Chao blinked again, and Cosmos rolled on the ground. Heart came walking over to them, worry all over her face. "What happened? He looks scared."

Cosmos pointed to the little Chao and said, "Lake!" Soul looked up at Heart and translated. "This little guy tried to go swimming in the lake, but I had to get him out. Cosmos here pointed him out to me, and now he says he's funny!" Cosmos pointed at the Chao and smiled. "Funny!" Heart crossed her arms and smiled. "Well, we better take care of the little guy! Is he ours?" Soul shook his head. "We don't have any Neutral Chao, Heart. Maybe he came from the outside!"

Cosmos patted the Chao's head. "Kay, wittle guy! It kay!" Heart laughed. "Well, it seems Cosmos likes him already! Well, we can't keep calling him little guy forever! What will we call him then?" They turned to Cosmos. He rubbed his head, and smiled. "Zero!" Soul smiled. "I guess he's been learning his numbers in class!" Cosmos looked at them both, a determined look on his face. "Zero!" Heart crossed her arms. "His name's Zero now! Good job, Cosmos!"

As Heart and Soul walked and floated away, Soul whispered to her, "He's already making decisions, and he's only a week old! He sure is a born leader!" Heart looked back at cosmos and Zero. Cosmos was trying to hand him a bunny, and Zero was shaking his head. Cosmos tickled the bunny, and it jumped onto Zero. He fell backwards, and Cosmos picked him back up, laughing.

Heart smiled. "He sure is, Soul! He sure is!"

Later that night, everyone was eating raspberries and mushrooms. Cosmos was trying to make Zero eat a mushroom. Zero shook his head and grabbed a raspberry. Cosmos frowned and bit the mushroom. He made a face and coughed. Zero patted his back, and Cosmos threw the mushroom, yelling, "Bad!" Jade sighed as he nibbled off his hero fruit. He watched Cosmos grab a raspberry and try to eat it whole. He looked at Zero and smiled, his mouth still full.

Zero smiled, and Cosmos laughed. Then he choked and Zero patted him on the back as he coughed. Cosmos gulped the fruit down him smiled. Zero smiled back, and they both ate, laughing when Cosmos choked again. Spirit came over to the group. He wiped himself of with his spotted paws, and sat down next to Heart. He picked up a Chao fruit and opened his mouth to eat it, but then Cosmos grabbed it. He broke it in half, gave one half to Zero and gobbled the other half.

Spirit sighed, but he smiled at Cosmos. He had the sharp grin, too. Cosmos looked at him and smiled back. Zero nibbled at the fruit thoughtfully, looking at them both. Cosmos looked at Spirit and said, "What your name?" Spirit took a raspberry and said, "Spirit, yours?" Cosmos puffed up determined and crossed his arms. "Me Cosmos!" He kept up the pose until he burst out laughing with Zero.

Spirit looked at Zero. "And who's this little guy here?" Cosmos patted Zero on the back. "Zero, fwend!" Spirit nodded. "You seem like good friends. Aren't you Cosmos, the Chaos Clan's new leader?" Soul rubbed Cosmos' head. "Yep! He'll be a great leader, too, right Cosmos?" Cosmos nodded. "Great!" Heart handed Zero a hero fruit, but he shook his head. Heart looked at him. "Do you want this?" She picked up a dark fruit. Zero shook his head again.

Zero looked around and said, "No mushwoom!" Everybody laughed, and Cosmos agreed. "Bad!" Everybody laughed again. Cosmos laughed too, and smiled at Zero. Zero smiled back, and patted him on the back. Spirit said, "Where'd you find Zero?" Jade sighed. "Cosmos saw him in the lake, and Soul retrieved him." Soul nodded. "The little guy was freezing cold, so we decided to take care of him." Spirit looked at Zero and Cosmos. They both yawned. Spirit smiled. "Looks like some little Chao have to go to bed."

Cosmos shook his head. "Me no tired!" But he yawned again, and Soul picked him up. He floated over to a tree, and put him under it. He lay down, and yawned again. Heart put Zero next to him, and they both went to sleep. Heart looked at them sleeping peacefully. "They seem like they'll be best friends forever." Spirit walked right next to her. "They probably will, right to the very end."

They looked up at the night sky, and a shooting star shot across the sky. Soul pointed at it. "Hurry, make a wish!" Spirit looked at Heart. She looked up again, and whispered, "I hope they'll be friends until the end of time!" They watched over the little guys for a while, before Jade came over and yawned. "I better go to sleep, so I can be ready in the morning." Soul frowned. "'Be ready'? For what? You never do anything!" Jade glared at him. "Be quiet, yes I do!" As they walked away bickering, Cosmos turned over.

Spirit looked at him. "Do you really think he'll be ready for leadership? It's really stressful, maybe too much for the little guy." Heart shook her head. "He won't be a little guy when he's leader. Besides, I'm sure it'll be alright." Spirit sighed, and walked away. Heart watched him go, and looked back up at the sky.

"I hope."