(Well, we're back once again with Chapter 11, folks. To just write one chapter after another is the sudden mood I've had; it's really interesting how much I want to write what's in my head. I know that the last chapter is probably a bit rushed, 'cause it really looked it when I looked at it on there. Maybe it wasn't, and I hope it wasn't, but I'm still going to be hard on myself and try to write more thorough, convincing storylines. Well, with enough about my whining, it's time to take a look to the chilly month of February for our last chapter revolving around my invented characters. Yes, I'm sure this is very upsetting to all of you out there who have started to really like Ivan and Maddie, but this is supposed to be a TaKari series, not only my own made up stuff. Therefore, we'll close my characters out of the sole lead after this chapter. They won't disappear, of course, but they will step back to let TK and Kari have the spotlight, as is proper since I'm writing Digimon-based stuff. Anyways, for this chapter, I hope everything again keeps its realism and is something one could relate t. I've been trying to make my characters seem like relatively normal people, aside from their surreal powers as Dragoons. My opinion is just one, and it's certainly not objective enough. So once you're through, let me know your opinion. And now, Chapter 11.)

The Ivani Chronicles : Book 2 - Reminiscence : Chapter 11 - Seconds

Ivan yawned as he pulled back on the heavy metal door of his high school in Odaiba, Japan. With a shake of his head, he attempted to throw away his grogginess that accompanied him that Monday morning. It seemed routine to him now to be tired when he arrived at school at the beginning of each week. During the weekend, the brown-haired boy put all of his free hours into working at his office in downtown Odaiba. It was only during the weekends, after all, that school did not occupy his daytime hours and Ivan was able to find time to check up with his co-workers on new assignments. He did what he could from his laptop at home on the weekdays' evenings, but they were unpaid hours and in his present situation, Ivan needed any money possible.

His present situation wasn't anything new, however. His life was a continual dilemma of trying to provide for his girlfriend and adopted son with the limited capacities of his sixteen-year-old body. He needed to go to school, as mandated by law and desired by his grandparents, but he also needed to keep a steady income for his family. True, Maddie put all of her free time into working as a baby-sitter for several families, but their need was inconstant and often subject to cancellation. Her efforts were always appreciated, but Ivan felt that a more dependable source of money was necessary. Ivan therefore made sure to keep all of his commitments to his job, knowing that the only alternative would leave them in dire straits to raise their adopted son, Ryan.

Ivan's strength, however, had yet to fail him. By whatever power the young boy possessed, he never seemed to cease in his consistent sacrifices of time to provide for those he loved. As the metal door opened before him, the brown-haired boy stepped back to allow Maddie in before him. Maddie giggled as she walked through the doorway. "You really don't have to try that hard," Maddie told Ivan. Ivan grinned as he followed Maddie into the relative warmth of the school from the chilly air outside.

"But it's fun," Ivan protested, taking one of Maddie's hands in his own. Maddie continued to laugh as the pair walked down the school's hallway. When Maddie's laughter subsided, Ivan brought another subject to the girl's attention: "If today's Monday, where are we supposed to be going?" Maddie blinked, looking up at the boy beside her.

"You still can't remember our schedules?" Maddie asked incredulously. Ivan shrugged sheepishly. "You never cease to amaze me, Ivan," The girl continued with a sharp glance to the ceiling.

"Hey," Ivan began in his defense, "It's not my fault that I forget things when I'm tired." Maddie let her gaze fall back on the blue-eyed boy, smiling.

"I know, Ivan," Maddie agreed, "I'm only kidding around with you." Ivan's smile returned, along with a straightening of his posture. Maddie then continued, "You've got to get down to the chemistry labs, and I've got to get to my anatomy class."

"Where am I after that?" Ivan asked, apology in his voice, after a moment.

"You go from chemistry to your history class, then to geometry, and then you'll meet me in lunch," Maddie explained. Her feet came to a stop at a T-shaped intersection of the school's hallways and Ivan followed her lead. "Hopefully by then I won't have to tell you where to go for the other half of the day."

Ivan scratched the back of his head. "I hope so," he said in reply. "Chemistry, history, geometry," he went on, "I think I've got it. Somehow, I seem to be able to remember where the classrooms are, even if I don't know which one to be in when." Maddie hugged the boy beside him.

"You'll pick it up soon enough, Ivan," The brown-haired girl assured her boyfriend. "Now, I've gotta go run to biology. I'll see you at lunch, okay?" Ivan nodded, his arms hugging the girl in turn.

"Until lunchtime," he replied. Maddie jumped up, placing a kiss on Ivan's cheek, and then darted down the hallway to the left with her signature smile. It was the same smile that always seemed to lift Ivan's heart, and brighten up whatever mood he was in. "Goodbye," He whispered, as if to himself. In the next second, Maddie had disappeared around the corner of the hall towards the anatomy classes.

With a dismissive shake of his head, Ivan turned to face the hallway continuing in the direction he had been heading with Maddie. After a moment of contemplation, he decided that it really was the right direction to travel, since the other options were to either go back out the school's entrance, or to head the way Maddie had run. He knew that the anatomy labs and chemistry labs, however, were not in the same portion of the building. Ivan thought about why there were two separate science sections of the school as his legs carried him down the hallway. His mind developed no possible explanation before he arrived in the chemistry labs. Upon entering the room, his thoughts were dispersed immediately; an unusual sight lay before him.

"Zero?" Ivan asked hesitantly, removing his winter jacket and taking a seat beside his friend, "What's wrong?" The black-haired boy presently had his head in his arms atop his books on his desk. He made no noise, but the subtle movements of his body told Ivan that he was crying. Ivan watched him with great concern, never having seen the boy cry before. The brown- haired boy's hand went to Zero's shoulder in a try to comfort him. The latter jerked up, looking with wet, surprised eyes at Ivan.

"Oh, it's you," Zero said when he realized who was beside him. The boy forced a smile and asked, "How was your weekend?"

"Well I think it was a little easier than yours," Ivan said with a voice of mixed sympathy and seriousness. "What on earth happened?" Zero's expression dropped, looking back to his books. The paper cover of the topmost book was covered with small circular stains.

"It's really hard to understand why some things happen," Zero said with a sniff, "When people that meant so much to you disappear from your life." The black-haired boy then looked up at Ivan. "Did you hear about the incident in Tokyo last Friday night?" Ivan shook his head.

"I haven't seen the news since Friday morning's paper," Ivan explained apologetically. Zero sighed, but did his best to maintain a positive expression on his face.

"Well, there was an attempted armed robbery on a bank In Tokyo," Zero informed Ivan, "There was some dispute at the counter which got out of hand. Eventually, guns were drawn and fired. The cashier was only wounded, but the bullet-resistant glass wasn't protecting everyone. Three people in the bank lost their lives. Two of them were my parents." Zero's shaky voice cut off, his body convulsing slightly at the memory.

"Zero," Ivan said, his eyes shining with further duress. There was a long, heavy silence between the pair of boys. At length, Ivan continued empathetically, "I'm sorry. I know what it's like to lose a family. You remember that my parents were-"

"You think that's the same?" Zero said loudly, glaring at Ivan. Ivan lurched backwards, looking strangely at the boy before him. Zero then looked at the floor. "I'm sorry," He said earnestly, "I know that it hurt you, too, to lose your parents. But at least with them, it wasn't done on purpose; it was an accident. As for my parents, their lives were taken because of the greed and hatred of the robbers, and they were taken on purpose." The mixed sadness and anger in Zero's voice was quite uncharacteristic, making Ivan only more worried. However, the brown-haired boy found no words to express how he felt. "I never even got a chance to say goodbye to them," He added, "They left for Tokyo shortly after I went to school. They left me a note, saying they had to run a few shopping errands. I can only guess that they realized that whatever they were planning on buying was more expensive than what they had on them, or something like that." Zero's eyes were still fixed on the tiled floor of the chemistry lab as he spoke.

"That's really terrible," Ivan said. He knew it wasn't helpful to say, but empathy did not seem to be welcome. Then, half-heartedly, Ivan asked, "Did they catch the robbers?" Zero nodded grimly.

"Yeah, the cashier rang the silent alarm and the police arrived just seconds after the gunfire ceased," Zero said. "They're in custody, the two of them, and they've each been charged with one count of attempted murder and three counts of manslaughter."

"Where does that put you?" Zero looked up, cocking his head to the side in question. "If your parents aren't around, who are you going to live with?" Ivan clarified for his unfortunate friend.

"Live?" Zero asked, his voice turning bland and monotone and a slight grimace coming to his face. "You honestly think that I can live after the terrible wrongs of this planet against me?"

"What else are you going to do?" Ivan returned, slightly more worried. Zero thought at the question, his green eyes falling out of focus. After a moment, he shrugged.

"I'm not sure," Zero said in his more characteristic tone, though deepened with sadness. "I guess that I'll figure something out eventually. The police say that I'm going to have to move out of my apartment complex in a week, and my aunt's coming down from Kumamoto to help. I think I'll probably end up staying with her until things get a bit more worked out."

"But Kumamoto's hours away," Ivan said in surprise. Zero nodded with the same grim expression.

"The vile actions of others disrupt more than the direct victims," Zero said matter-of-factly. "You had to move pretty far, too, when your parents passed away, right?" Ivan nodded.

"Yes, from the top of the west coast of the United States to the bottom," Ivan affirmed. Ivan opened his mouth to continue, but the door of the classroom flew open at that same moment. Across the threshold, an elderly woman strode briskly to the teacher's desk positioned at the front of the room.

"Good morning, class," The teacher said in a high-pitched, nasal voice that could barely pass s pleasant. Ivan groaned inwardly, wishing that he could take Zero outside and do something to raise the boy's spirits.

However, Ivan resisted the urge and instead chorused with the rest of the class, "Good Morning, Ms. Nolati." Only Zero's eyes refused to look up at the teacher, finding a fixed place on his desk to stare at blankly instead. Ivan frowned, despising the sight of depression or sadness in anyone he knew personally. With a sigh, he knew that this was also not the time to dispel the sadness from his friend. Zero would have to find his own inward strength to get through the pain for the duration of the chemistry class.

"We'll talk after class, alright?" Ivan whispered to his friend out of the corner of his mouth. He was careful to wait for Ms. Nolati's attention to sway from her class to the chalkboard as she began to chart down the day's notes. Zero's head bobbed slightly.

"Thanks," the black-haired boy said, barely audible to even Ivan. Ivan worked his mouth into a smile, placing his hand once again on Zero's shoulder in a show of understanding.

"I'm really sorry," Ivan repeated, "But you'll get through this. I know you can get through this." Again, Zero's head shook gently in the affirmative.

"I'm trying," Zero told the boy beside him in the same soft whisper, "I'm trying."

It wasn't until the lunch period, unfortunately, that Ivan found time to think. Zero had left the chemistry lab at the instant the bell to switch classes rang. Ivan had no other classes with his friend, and was further disappointed when, upon entering the school's cafeteria, he found that the black-haired boy was nowhere to be seen. Ivan walked through the maze of tables until he reached the table at which Maddie and he routinely ate lunch together. Finding the table completely vacant, Ivan sighed and sat down.

While Ivan unpacked his lunch from his backpack and began to eat, his mind raced over what he could do to help his friend. Zero had made it clear that he felt alone in this mess, and he needed to learn that wasn't true. Ivan's parents had been taken by an accident, he knew, but they had been taken nonetheless. It was this fact that made Ivan feel a stronger link to Zero's sorrow. Ivan had lost his parents, and now Zero faced the same problem. Ivan couldn't help but feel guilty to aid the boy. The brown- haired boy had, after all, had the eternal support of his childhood friend, Allison, when the car crash took his parents' lives. Ivan felt that he should do what he could to return the favor as best he could, even if comforting another male wasn't his strong point.

Ivan continued to mull over the conversation he had, noticing that Maddie had still not shown up in the lunchroom. The boy realized that he not only felt an empathetic link to his friend, but also had a deep, innate fear for Zero's safety. Zero had seemed to jump moods frequently, which Ivan could only explain as the rigors of his agony. But it was the most frightening statement Zero had made, in Ivan's opinion that stayed vibrant in his mind. "Live? You honestly think that I can live after the terrible wrongs of this planet against me?" The phrase replayed again and again in Ivan's mind, each time accompanied by the pathetic, desperate expression on his friend's face. Ivan never guessed that Zero held a specific closeness to his parents, but when he set his mind to thinking about it, the possibility seemed rather likely.

As a first point, Zero never had good connections in school. His group of friends was small and particular, expanding only to include Ivan and Maddie. The general public of the school looked upon the black-haired boy with disdain, taking him to be either a low life or, in the opinion of those who held worse grades than him, an overachiever. It made sense then that Zero would take particular happiness in the acceptance his parents would give him. Another point Ivan recognized was that Zero was very protective. Ivan remembered the first day of the school year and how Maddie had talked about the boy constantly that evening. He had helped Maddie, protecting her as best he could from the insults of the other students, just as a parent would protect his or her child. It was therefore quite possible that Zero not only cared deeply for his parents, but also aspired to live as they had. It seemed logical to Ivan that Zero could have idealized his parents in their lives. That possibility would make it far harder to accept their passing.

"Is your sandwich really that interesting today, honey?" A sweet voice asked from across the table. Ivan looked up, startled, to see Maddie grinning at him from a seat on the other side of the table.

"My sandwich?" Ivan repeated, glancing at the food he was holding and consequently had been staring at while he was thinking. "Nah, it's not too intriguing today, but the apple seems to have had a rather rough journey in my backpack today." Ivan gestured to the red fruit, now sporting numerous brown patches. Maddie smirked.

"That's too bad," the girl said, "But you've got to be thinking about more than just your apple. You didn't even notice me sit down, and you usually jump all over me before I can find a seat." Ivan grinned guiltily.

"Sorry," Ivan apologized. "I would do that now, but I don't think jumping across the table would be such a good idea in the cafeteria." Maddie nodded in consent.

"Good call," She told the boy. "Now would you care to share with me what's bugging you, or am I going to have to pry your head open and examine it again?" Ivan chuckled, shaking his head while Maddie reached down to her bag and removed her lunch.

"Don't worry, I'm getting to that," Ivan assured Maddie. "I was just thinking about our poor friend, Zero." Maddie looked at her boyfriend, perplexed.

"What happened to him?" Maddie asked. Ivan looked down at his food nervously, setting Maddie on edge as well. "Was it something bad? Is he hurt?"

"He's not hurt physically," Ivan said slowly, "but his heart's in pain. It was his parents that were hurt physically." Ivan thought for a long moment, searching for the proper words to explain the situation to his girlfriend without hurting her. In the end, he decided to borrow some of Zero's own words, saying, "There was an incident at a bank in Tokyo, and attempted armed robbery. The pair of criminals were caught, but not before their guns fired and took three lives. Two of those lives were Zero's mother and father." Ivan dared to look up and saw just what he had expected. Maddie's terror-stricken face, with quivering lips and quickly moistening eyes, looked back at Ivan with anxious apprehension.

"You're sure?" Maddie managed to whisper, doing her best to keep herself from breaking down. Ivan nodded sadly, causing Maddie's resolve to crumble. "That's horrible," The girl moaned as she buried her head in her arms on the table. Again Ivan found himself feeling helpless. However, Ivan knew he could do more for Maddie than he could for Zero, at least in physical terms. Despite his earlier statement, Ivan leapt over the table and knelt beside his girlfriend, his arms embracing her waist. Maddie, in reaction, brought her arms from the table to Ivan's shoulders and buried her head against Ivan's chest. Ivan used his hands to soothe the girl as best he could, while whispering in her ear.

"It's alright, Maddie," Ivan told her. "Zero's strong, we'll be able to help him through this. I lost my parents, too, and I was able to come through it. I had Allison around to help me then, and now I think that you and I can be there for Zero. I know it's sad. It really is horrible. But it happened, and it's something that we're going to have to accept. We need to accept it quickly, too, if we want to help Zero. See, he's gonna be moving soon-" Maddie's head jerked up, looking fearfully into Ivan's eyes.

"He's leaving?" She asked in disbelief. Ivan nodded slowly, squeezing his arms around the girl tighter as her tears returned with renewed vigor.

"He doesn't have any other family around here," Ivan explained. "He'll be moving in with his aunt in Kumamoto. I know how much he's meant to you, Maddie, and I'm sorry things have had to work out this way." Ivan found no more words of comfort; only his hands continued their motions in hopes of calming the girl.

Horrific occasions had become more regular in Maddie's life than she ever could have thought possible. Once again, she found that someone dear to her was put through a tragedy, and was about to leave her life. Her parents had been the first to leave, and then Jason had come and wreaked his spite upon her life for years before finally taking off. Ivan had been forced again and again to take leave of her side because of his job both as a Dragoon and as an employee. Even Ryan was separated from her almost daily so that she could acquire an education. Though her new family did come back, no force ever seemed to hold constant. Zero had entered her life five months ago, and it was already time for his consistent companionship in her history class to be removed from her life. Tragic events, and the departures that invariably ensued, were all that Maddie seemed to find constant in her existence.

It took Maddie a few minutes to relax. As her mind came back from the realm of depression inspired by Zero's troubles, the brown-haired girl remembered that there was another constant in her life. That constant was love. Whether Ivan was with her or not, his affection for her never flagged. Likewise, Ryan's care, though only that of a child, was ever- present in each day. That was a gift that Maddie had come to take for granted, but with the shocking reminder set in place by the present loss, Maddie found that she was once again deeply moved by the undying love her family had for her.

"Thank you," Maddie whispered between her sniffles. Ivan didn't know what he was being thanked for, but answered simply by tightening his arms against her back briefly. She released the boy, wiping her eyes and compelling her lips to smile. "You're right," she added, "We really should do what we can to help Zero out. I know how closely you can relate to him, and I had to face living without my actual parents, too."

"Then I think we'd best find him and talk to him soon," Ivan said firmly, standing up beside Maddie. The girl nodded in reply.

"I'll see him during the fifth period today," Maddie informed Ivan. "He's in my history class then, and I sit right behind him. I should be able to talk to him, for at least a little bit." Ivan smiled, hugging his girlfriend briefly. He then planted his hands on the table's top and vaulted over the imitation wood to his respective chair.

"I think that would be a really good place to start," Ivan agreed. "And maybe we can convince him to go out for something to eat after classes?" Maddie thought about the suggestion as she ate her lunch, speeding up when a glance at the school's wall clock let her know that there were only a few minutes left before the fourth period began.

"It's an idea," Maddie said. "I'll see if he's up for going out to do anything. I don't think we should force him to go out if he doesn't want to, though," Ivan nodded, showing his similar thoughts.

"It would make sense if he wanted some time alone," Ivan said, "grieving is always a difficult thing to do and not something that anyone can rush." Ivan then followed Maddie's lead, devouring his sandwich and, after a quick inspection, tossing his destroyed apple in the trash. The brown-haired boy sighed. "I'm sorry," he stated, "I really wasn't wanting to have our lunch together end up like this." Maddie shook her head.

"It's okay, Ivan," she said reassuringly. "Bad things happen, and I think it's better that I broke down in here than in history class when I got it out of Zero." Ivan shrugged, still feeling guilty. Maddie took one of her boyfriend's hand in hers, resting her cheek against his palm. "You know this isn't the only time in the day we have to spend together, too." At these words, Ivan's face lit up. He smiled back at the loving expression his girlfriend wore, rubbing his thumb softly against her cheek. The remnants of Maddie's lunch were forgotten by both of them as Ivan's azure eyes were captured by the heartwarming glow emanating from Maddie's own maroon eyes. The brown-haired girl sighed lightly, her head leaning further against Ivan's hand.

It wasn't until the school bell shrieked through the cafeteria that Ivan and Maddie's trance was broken. Caught by surprise, both of the couple looked around for the source of the noise. As their surroundings came back into focus, it dawned upon them that it was time to depart for the second portion of the day's courses. Ivan Leaned over the table, kissing his girlfriend's cheek.

"I'll see you after school, alright?" he said in confirmation of their plans. Maddie nodded, cleaning up her lunch and retrieving her backpack.

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Maddie replied. Ivan grinned and turned to leave. Maddie, too, was about to head for her literature class when she remembered something. "Ivan!" She called out to the brown-haired boy. Ivan swung around upon hearing his name, looking at Maddie curiously. "You know where you're going?" Ivan grinned and nodded his head vigorously, as to get his message across the cafeteria.

"Biology!" Ivan called back to the brown-haired girl. He noticed the girl grin at his understanding. Then, with a wave, Ivan turned back towards the corridor leading to the biology lab. The class took place in the same location as Maddie's anatomy class, leading Ivan once again down the hallway near the school's main entrance. As he walked, the unusual situation of two separate science labs came to Ivan's head, accompanied by the continuous question on why he had chosen to take a second science course rather than a more relaxing class. At the present moment, nothing seemed more appealing to the brown-haired boy than to have a class in which he could take a nap, or at least do some more thinking about the disaster that had befallen his friend.

Ivan's heart, though not completely pleased, felt somewhat lighter as he bounded down the hallway from his final class of the day, his literature class. The end of the school day was always a promising and very welcome occasion; it meant that he could be reunited with his family for the other half of the day. As Ivan came around the last few corners to the school's primary doorway, he could see a familiar face beaming at his approach. Returning the smile, Ivan moved quickly to greet her in an affectionate hug. Maddie's arms wound themselves around the boy in portrayal of her likened joy at being brought together once again.

"Did you have a good day?" Ivan questioned as he leaned back from his girlfriend, their eyes meeting once again.

"As good as it can be without you around," Maddie replied.

"And how did your history class go today?" Ivan was less enthusiastic to ask this question, knowing that the jubilant mood would most likely be crushed. Nevertheless, Ivan's curiosity got the best of him. As he predicted, Maddie's expression fell neutral.

"He wasn't really talkative, to say the least," Maddie told the brown- haired boy. "He seemed really detached from the class, too. He usually answers Sensei Nomendi when no one else does, but today he didn't even raise his hand." Ivan sighed, rubbing his hands gently on Maddie's shoulders.

"I guess there's not much else that we can do if he just wants some time and space to himself," Ivan said resignedly. Maddie nodded, her defeated expression mirroring Ivan's.

"It makes me worried to see him like this, though," Maddie said with an undercurrent of fear. Ivan nodded in comprehension, knowing it made him uneasy as well.

"It's really uncharacteristic of him, I know," Ivan replied in agreement. Then, realizing that standing in front of the school's entry doors was causing a significant backup in the flow of kids leaving the premises, Ivan pressed his shoulder against the metal door and forced it open. Maddie walked out the door, followed quickly by Ivan who handed the door off to a student behind him. "But I think it's best that we give him some space for today," Ivan continued once he and Maddie had both descended the school's stone steps and were walking the concrete sidewalk towards their apartment complex.

"I guess," Maddie said with a shrug. In a search for reassurance, Maddie's hand took hold of Ivan's. Ivan's fingers interlocked with hers immediately, accompanied by a smile from the boy.

"Don't worry," Ivan told her, "We'll see Zero tomorrow, and we can make a bit more of an effort to talk to him. Hopefully he won't skip lunch in the cafeteria again so we'll be able to sit down with him in a neutral area without teachers breathing down the backs of our necks."

"Do you think he'll be alright until then?" Maddie asked, concern still evident in her words. "I've never seen him look so devoid of feeling like he was in class today. It was scary to think that he could feel so badly about this." Maddie quickly added, "I know it's terrible, and I'm sure I didn't handle things much better when my parents finally left me. I'm just worried that he'll be changed permanently." Ivan shook his head quickly.

"It won't be permanent, Maddie," Ivan said firmly. "Zero's been hit hard by this, yeah, but time will always help people cope with loss and move on." Ivan's words came not only to reassure the girl beside him, but also to put to rest the nagging phrase Zero had muttered in class that morning. Despite all his efforts, the words still hung in Ivan's mind like weighted hooks. He hoped that there was no anchor to pull on those hooks and cause further destruction to any other lives. Another shake of his head brought Ivan's thoughts back into believing in Zero's ability to cope. "It's not like this is the only problem Zero's faced," Ivan continued, "He had to deal with a lot of unpleasant actions from all of the kids who don't accept him, and he's dealt with all of that well enough, hasn't he?"

Maddie thought about Ivan's statement for a moment. "That's a good point," Maddie said, "And I really hope that you're right. But are you sure this won't just push him too far? His parents were one of his primary supporters when he was feeling low, after all. He told us both that." Ivan nodded, trying to think of encouraging words to say to his girlfriend.

"His parents were important to him, yeah," Ivan said after a few seconds' deliberation, "But they aren't all that's important to him in this world. He has friends, and he has more to his family than just his parents. He has us, too." Ivan squeezed Maddie's hand with his last sentence, "We won't let him down when he's in need of support."

"After all he did for me, I couldn't think otherwise," Maddie rejoined. Ivan smiled, feeling the courage to persevere in Maddie's hand as she squeezed his in return. "He's such a great person. He really deserves to have a good life, not one like ours." Ivan blinked, halting briefly on the sidewalk.

"Like ours," Ivan echoed, his mind quickly delving into thought. Maddie stopped beside him, looking up with curiosity.

"What're you thinking, Ivan?" Maddie asked tentatively. Her mind then came to the same possibility that had struck Ivan. "Do you think that he could, maybe, end up being someone we work with?" She furthered, her voice growing progressively more hopeful. Ivan scratched the back of his head.

"I don't know how," Ivan admitted, "But it's certainly a possibility. I always thought that there were only four gods of the Digital World, and that the Dragoons were chosen together four years ago." Maddie shrugged.

"There's also the fact that we ended up back in the Real World," Maddie said in argument. "Maybe this is the reason we had to come here; to find another person to help us with our work?" Ivan looked back, in the direction of the school, half-hoping to see some kind of miraculous sign greet his eyes and tell him that Zero was, indeed, the reason that they came back to the Real World. But, to his slight dismay, nothing was visible behind the boy besides the normal buildings lining the street.

"I don't know, Maddie," Ivan said, trying to keep his own hopes from rising too high. He set his eyes back to the direction they were heading, looking into the distance to see their apartment complex. "It's a possibility, but I think it's a bit too much of a coincidence." Maddie nodded in acceptance of the more realistic view.

"Still," The brown-haired girl persisted, "That would be really neat to have Zero along with us in the Digital World. I'm sure he'd get along great with Hakin and Susan." Ivan chuckled at the possibility.

"It would be a funny sight to see Hakin next to Zero," Ivan admitted. "Zero would look smaller than me in comparison to the guy. And as for Susan, well." Ivan's voice trailed off before he laughed again. "Do you think that Susan would go for Zero?" He asked Maddie when the girl looked at him in bewilderment. Maddie's eyes then bulged and she found herself giggling.

"Now that would be cute," Maddie said in a soft voice. "Zero's got the right kind of attitude to compliment Susan's, doesn't he?" Ivan nodded, his laughing smile still present on his lips. "Now look what you've done, Ivan," Maddie whined playfully a minute later, "You've made me get thinking about seeing Susan and Zero together." Maddie sighed, her eyes wandering wistfully along the sidewalk before her. Ivan found himself laughing again.

"You really think that they'd be cute together?" Ivan asked. Maddie nodded in reply. "I could see it, too," The brown-haired boy admitted. "They really would fit together nicely. I hope we get a chance to introduce them to one another."

"Don't tempt me to get Susan over here," Maddie warned jokingly. Ivan smirked at the comment, then reached out with his free hand to grab the door handle of their apartment complex.

"Don't worry," Ivan said to the girl beside her as his hand guided her over the threshold, "If they're meant to be with one another, then they'll meet without our intervention. At the moment, I think it's about time that we went and picked up our charge." Maddie's eyes shone at the mention of her son.

"I hope he's been good today," Maddie said quickly, dancing across the lobby foyer to the elevator shaft. "He's just the person we need to take our minds off of all this, isn't he?" Ivan nodded, reaching Maddie's side in wait for the elevator car to respond to their request of it.

"I'm sure he'd be happy to entertain us with another one of his in- depth descriptions of how to stack blocks," Ivan said good-naturedly, "Or perhaps now he's gotten a bigger interest in the physics behind the way plastic balls roll?" Maddie could only laugh as she spun past the opening elevator doors and hit the button to send them to Ms. Takaishi's apartment.

Ivan found that the remainder of the February day passed with surprising speed. He felt a weird sense of de ja vu as his feet carried him to the same metallic doors of the high school. Maddie, walking bouncily at his side, seemed unusually excited to be heading to school. "Did I miss some mention of a fun event in school today?" he wanted to know. Maddie looked at the boy, pausing in her step.

"I don't think so," she said after thinking for a minute. "I'm just excited to go see Zero today." With that, the brown-haired girl continued striding towards the large gray structure before them.

"Why are we excited?" Ivan asked, moving to keep up with Maddie as she jumped up the steps of the school. Maddie halted at the top of the steps, smiling as she twirled to face her boyfriend.

"Well, I did a lot of thinking when I was taking care of Ryan last night," Maddie began, "And I think I came up with some things I could tell him that could help him cope with his loss. You know, besides just telling him that he's not alone. I remember that I felt alone when my parents left my life, too, even though I know that's not true anymore."

"So what has your brainstorm taught you?" Ivan asked with a smile, opening the heavy steel door for the both of them. Again, Maddie ran ahead of him and twirled around in the warmth of the school's hallway.

"That's for me to know," Maddie said teasingly, "And you to not find out." Ivan stared, tilting his head to one side in confusion. Maddie smiled, hugging the boy as she dragged him inside the school. "I want to be able to tell him myself," Maddie stated, "And you're gonna go see him in first period again. I don't want you spoiling my brainstorm." Ivan sighed, smiling at the girl.

"Don't worry, darling," Ivan promised the girl, "I won't rain on your parade. But you're sure that you've got something helpful to tell him?" Maddie nodded eagerly in response. "Then I'm very proud of you, Maddie. I'm sure he'll appreciate having you there to help him through the tribulations of your history class. It will be the final period, after all." Again Maddie bobbed her head.

"And there's more," Maddie continued as she led Ivan down the hallway to the intersection where they needed to separate for their first period classes, Ivan to chemistry and Maddie to anatomy once again. "Since he's in my last class, I'll be sure to have him come out with us to go spend some time doing fun stuff, so we can help him come back to himself." Ivan nodded, his smile widening.

"Sounds like a plan," Ivan told the brown-haired girl, hugging her briefly. "But for right now, I think I'm gonna have to go check in on how he's feeling." Maddie hugged her boyfriend in response.

"Good luck," She told Ivan as she kissed his cheek. "Just remember to keep him in a good mood, and we'll set everything else straight right after school, okay?" Ivan nodded, then turned to walk towards his chemistry class.

"See you at lunch," Ivan called, almost as an afterthought, when he was halfway down the corridor. With a wave, Maddie signaled that she had heard him. Ivan returned the wave, and then turned back in the direction of his first period course with a smile on his face. "With an upbeat attitude like hers, there's no way Zero will be able to go home so depressed this afternoon," Ivan said to himself. "It's just the kind of support he'll need to get through this." Ivan opened the door to the chemistry lab and his eyes scanned the room for a sign of his black-haired friend. However, only a spare few other students had arrived, none of who had hair the same color as Zero's.

Slightly disappointed, Ivan sat down in his seat and waited expectantly for his friend to arrive. A glance at the clock indicated that class was to begin momentarily, and as if on cue, more students began filing in through the doorway and taking their seats. Voices scattered back and forth across the room, discussing the previous night's homework and other, non-school related events. Ivan sighed with a smile, remembering the evening's conversation with Ryan and Maddie that had ended up revolving around the deeper meaning of the color red. Ivan's repeated statement that redness was a sign of red things had kept them amused for hours, not at the child's expense, but to his delight. He seemed to relish in entertaining his adoptive parents.

The door opened again, shocking Ivan from his reverie. Looking up, Ivan watched Ms. Nolati make her usual paces across the front of the classroom before taking her seat at the teacher's desk. "Good morning, class," She said in the same repetitive, nasal voice that she used every morning.

"Good Morning, Ms. Nolati," The class replied in a demure chorus. As the teacher's eyes scanned the classroom, they stopped briefly on Ivan.

"Where is your lab partner at today, Ivan?" Ms. Nolati asked sharply. Ivan looked to the seat beside him, noting that Zero still hadn't arrived.

"I guess he's not here yet," Ivan said quietly, his eyes traveling back to his teacher. Ms. Nolati shrugged, making a note of Zero's absence on an attendance record.

"It's a shame," Ms. Nolati said as she stood up to face the class, "Today we begin our Dumas Bulb experiments. The directions were already given out on Monday, which I trust everybody remembered to bring to class?" A pair of guilty hands rose up from the side of the classroom. Ms. Nolati sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"

While Ivan's teacher searched for an extra sheet of instructions, Ivan sought his own instructions. His mind, however, was far from the experiment at hand. "Why wouldn't he come into class today?" Ivan asked himself as he pulled out the directions sheet from his bag. "He came in yesterday, and I don't think he'd feel worse about it after another day's passing. Then again, I couldn't be one to judge how he feels. He probably didn't want to be in here yesterday, either. I just hope he does show up; Maddie would be very sad to find that her plans have to wait another day." Ivan glanced at the closed door again before looking at the list of equipment he needed to get to perform the experiment.

A few minutes later, Ivan's table supported all of the necessary instruments for the given experiment and Ivan had filled in the preliminary information on the day's barometric pressure and indoor temperature. It was then that the classroom door opened sharply, sending a crack through the room filled only with quite mumblings as the handle hit the far wall. What little speech had been carrying on halted as all eyes fixed on the doorway, beholding a familiar sight.

"Zero," Ivan said with a wave of mixed relief and happiness. He waved to the black-haired boy, but received no response. Instead, Zero walked to the front-center position from which Ms. Nolati regularly gave her lectures. He then rounded on the class, a small smile accompanying his emerald eyes. His eyes looks unnaturally calm and peaceful to the brown- haired boy, so unlike their sad look the day before. "Zero?" Ivan repeated, mystified by the boy's actions.

"I really think I should have prepared more of a speech when I came up here," Zero said casually, as if everyone had expected him to give a lecture in class today. "I've been doing a lot of thinking since the tragedy of this past Friday. The one thing I realized, above all else, is that no one here has seemed to care. Everyone heard it on the news, I know, and no one came with sympathies. No one but Ivan." Ivan dropped his gaze downwards, not wanting to involve himself so directly. "But even he took it superficially. He didn't care that I was alone in my life, no more than any other person in this room cared."

"Zero," The teacher asked hesitantly.

"Shut it, Nolati," Zero said sharply. A flash of anger snapped through Zero's eyes, silencing the teacher where she sat. Then, with a huff, Zero returned his address to the classroom. "Now, maybe it's a bit conceited, but I would like for at least a couple people to notice that my family was shot to death in Tokyo. But did anyone? No. No one could have given it a second thought. If you all haven't cared about me losing my family, when they meant so much to me, I wondered if you would care if I left. I figured you wouldn't. So, if you didn't care about my family or me, I started wondering if there was really any reason that I should care about you." Zero paused in his speech, the glint of hatred returning to his eyes that had appeared a moment before. The classroom's reaction was mixed, with most of the students moving behind desks in fear that Zero might explode. Ivan stood still, a numb feeling encircling his heart as he saw the pain that Zero hid behind his desperate words. "I figured that I shouldn't"

Ms. Nolati stood up, again trying to halt the boy disturbing her classroom. "Zero, would you please take y-"

"Shut UP, Nolati!" With his cry, Zero's hand flashed out of sight behind him, appearing a moment later with a black device held menacingly towards the chemistry teacher. The reaction throughout the classroom was instant: girls shrieked, lab equipment clattered to the floor, and Ivan's eyes were fixated intently on the barrel of the handgun Zero held. "Shut up, all of you!" Zero shouted, his voice shaking as his armed hand waved across the room. Students paid his request no heed, screaming as they dove for some sort of protection from the deadly object he held. Ivan's body refused to react, however. He could feel the intense plummeting sensation coursing throughout his body; Zero's choice numbed him where he stood.

Zero's manic display at the head of the classroom continued, his gun aiming from desk to desk, occasionally back in the direction of Ms. Nolati, who had dropped beneath her own desk when the barrel was no longer pointing at her. "Did you know?" Zero said, his voice shaking wildly between pitches and volumes, "That it only takes a second to say goodbye to someone? That was one second that life didn't spare for me. That was one second that whatever powers dominate this planet weren't willing to give me - to bid my family farewell. No, my parents were taken from me without any options, and without any chance to say goodbye. My parents weren't even able to say goodbye to each other!" Zero paused for a minute, taking a breath before he went on. Ivan could hear the sobs of several girls from behind desks to his left and right, and it again occurred to him that he was the only being standing before Zero and his weapon. It crossed his mind fleetingly to put up a defensive barrier to stop the gun from harming anyone in the classroom, but his body refused to respond to his request.

"The gunmen at the bank in Tokyo let the ammunition fly from their guns like lightning," Zero continued with sneering dramatic emphasis. "Sweeping the room from east to west, they wounded several other customers and killed three. You all know that two of those casualties were my parents. They were assembled and killed by people just like you and I. Mere puppets of this world took their lives. And it's plain to see from that incident that it is the puppets who pull the strings of life." Zero again paused. Ivan could see that the black-haired boy's breathing was rapid, and his hand was shaking as it pointed from desk to desk. His bright green eyes shone, wet with tears of all the emotions of inner turbulence. Still at the front of the classroom, Zero had taken to pacing back and forth slightly in an attempt to keep himself calm.

"It only takes a second to say goodbye," Zero repeated, his voice escalating with his emotion. "My family never got that chance, but I decided I would give you that leniency today. Maybe now you can feel how I've been suffering, and see what my life's been like for me!" Zero's eyes flared around the room, seeking a target. "Who wants to be first?" Zero dared of the classroom, "Who wants to be the first one to say goodbye? It's going to be someone and you'd better pick quickly!"

No one in the classroom moved a muscle aside from the exaggerated movements Zero was making. The black-haired boy's chest rose and fell visibly beneath his winter coat and other layers of clothing. His emerald eyes continued to scan the room for someone willing to accept his challenge, but no one stood before him; no one aside from Ivan. Zero's eyes met with Ivan's, and the barrel of the aggressor's handgun soon followed his eyes with a violently shaking hand. "I guess you can be first, Ivan," Zero said quietly, raising the gun up towards the brown-haired boy. "Say goodbye."

Ivan still found himself still motionless before Zero. His hands steadfastly refused to rise and create a defense, and only Zero's slight restraint had kept the trigger on the gun from being pulled. Ivan's mouth, too, denied to respond to Ivan's wishes. There was so much Ivan wanted to tell Zero: that this was a needless error, that he was wrong about the way his classmates felt about him, that there was no reason to pull such a daring stunt as this, and that there were still people who wanted to help him. However, whatever terror Zero had inspired was enough to keep Ivan from speaking any of these thoughts or, indeed, giving any sort of response to Zero's yelling.

"Say goodbye, Ivan!" Zero screamed, his body convulsing as tears began to fall from his eyes. "I'm giving you a chance that I never got, so use it! Use it now!" Zero's face contorted, his eyes looking for any sort of response from Ivan. Regardless of what Zero said, the brown-haired boy still made no motion towards him. Numbing fear kept Ivan from giving any reply. Other students in the classroom were crying at Zero's shouting, Ivan noticed. Zero seemed to pay no heed to anyone else in the room; his focus lay solely on Ivan and the deadly black device between them.

"I can only ask you one more time," Zero cried, his voice straining to stay even and calm, "Say goodbye to this world, so that I can free you of it." Zero's insanity caused his hand to vibrate ever more violently as he stared at Ivan. Grasping the gun with both hands, Zero worked to keep his hands steady on his target. Ivan's eyes managed to adjust their line of sight slightly, looking from the frightening expression on Zero's face to the barrel of the black handgun. His mind suddenly raced to the very distinct possibility that his life could be taken away permanently in only a few seconds.

Ivan's heart immediately ran through the list of people he would regret losing. First to come to his mind were TK and Kari, whom he knew he would no longer be able to protect. All of the other Digidestined came to his mind, then, and he knew that they would be entrusted to the protection of perhaps a new Dragoon, or to that of the three who remained. He also knew he would miss Hakin and Susan, his two companions in fighting the unholy, manipulative forces of the Digital World. His grandparents, whom he had been forced to leave because of his decision to enter the Digital World to begin with, were some of the little family Ivan had left, and he knew that to depart from them in a permanent manner would destroy them both. With the thought of his family, Ivan's mind came at last to rest upon Maddie and Ryan, the family he had been gifted with in Odaiba. He couldn't imagine being taken out of that equation; even temporary lapses in which Ivan had to leave made Maddie and Ryan both terribly lonely. The possibility of leaving them permanently sent a surge of life through his frozen body. Though his vocal cords still disobeyed his wishes, Ivan's resolve to stop Zero before destroying the lives of everyone he knew grew rapidly.

Though very gradual at first, Ivan slowly began to rock his head from side to side. Zero stared at Ivan anxiously for the words he wanted to hear so that he could proceed with his intentions. All the reply he received, to his dismay, was a slow, somber shaking of Ivan's head. The defiance was unbearable to the black-haired boy. "Ivan!" Zero yelled, shaking his head violently. Sparkles of water flew to either side, splashing down upon the gray linoleum tiling of the floor and the brown desk surface in front of him. Then, with gritted teeth, Zero aimed his weapon at the boy standing before him once again, yelled out in his desperate anguish, and squeezed the trigger of his gun inwards.

Ivan's eyes picked up on the movement of Zero's finger on the gun. Instinctively, the brown-haired boy's eyes snapped shut in defense against the oncoming bullet. With his vision removed, Ivan found his ears acutely sensitive to the reverberation of every noise echoing through the room. At first, only the soft weeping of horrified students could be heard, the majority of the classroom waiting with baited breath for Zero to make his action. Only a second later a thundering sound, far louder and more sudden than any preparation could have brought to anyone in the room, shattered the relative silence with vibrant intensity. Ivan could feel the sound alone pierce through his heart the shockwave was so strong. A shrill whistle of wind came in the wake of the initial explosion, whipping through the air past Ivan's ear. An instant later, the crisp sound of disintegrating glass rang from behind Ivan. The screams of girls in the class commenced as they had been when Zero's handgun had first been revealed.

The howls of anguish would have made Ivan think he had been hit. Sure enough, the noise of Zero's assault were more than he had ever experienced in his years of combat. Whether there was a dampener on Ivani's audio senses or the suit itself was designed for minimal noise pollution, he didn't know. Nonetheless, no opponent had ever attacked with a sound so single, so solitary, and so powerful. The crack of a gunshot sent a new fear through Ivan, unlike anything he had before experienced.

However, it was fortunate that only the sound of Zero's weapon had hit Ivan. His body didn't feel the pain he had been so dreading. No piercing sensation streamed from any portion of his essence. His eyes opened the gradually, looking down over his frame with slight hesitation that he might find his senses were deceiving him. To his great relief, his uniform shirt was not pierced, nor had any sudden red blotches stained his clothing. His eyes looked up, bewildered and frightened, to see his hunter. Zero, however, seemed to have changed drastically in the short seconds that Ivan's eyes had been closed.

The black-haired boy's eyes were wide, staring with astonishment from his limp gun wielding hand to Ivan. His verdant eyes glittered as light from the neon beams above reflected in his tears. Zero's mouth hung ajar, gaping as his mind struggled to process the unthinkable act he had nearly committed. His facial expression twitched occasionally as he stood, his eyes fixing on the black metal object he held. "I," He uttered, nearly inaudible. Zero swallowed before managing to continue, "My God."

Ivan looked around the room, noting that no one else had been hurt by Zero's brazen lash. The horrified eyes staring back at him assured him that they were safe, albeit scared out of their minds. A pile of shattered glass lying on a wooden shelf beside a few beakers caught the corner of his eye, informing him of the reason for the sound of breaking glass. Ivan's head swung back, looking at Zero directly. Whatever manipulative force Zero had carried in and set upon Ivan's shoulders had been smashed by Zero's firing of the handgun. "Zero," Ivan said firmly, "Put the gun down now before it goes off again." Zero's eyes flashed up, connecting with Ivan's. A fear that Ivan had never seen before was permeating from the boy's green eyes. Nevertheless, Zero's hand made no move to drop the weapon he held.

"Come on," Ivan continued, his voice pleading with Zero, "Put the weapon down. You don't want to really hurt anybody, I can see it in your eyes." Ivan paused, wishing for some sort of reaction. Zero only stared. "This is all just a big mistake, Zero. We both know that. I know that this has been really hard for you, but everyone has hard times. Let me help you. I want to help you." Ivan waited a minute before finally repeating, "Put the gun down."

Zero gazed at his weapon once again. The action still seemed to not fully sink in on his mind; he couldn't comprehend the true nature of the destruction he had nearly caused. A power resided in his father's firearm unlike anything he had ever expected. It was a terrible power, and he regretted ever finding it to begin with. He looked back at Ivan, seeing the urging desire in the boy's sapphire eyes to drop the curse he held. Ivan offered help, and he offered an escape from his mistake. But, with another look at the gun he wielded, Zero knew it was too late to revert what he had done. "I wish I could," Zero said, his voice filling the deadened stillness with hollow emotion, "But it's too late."

Ivan's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?" Ivan said quickly, "It's never too late. I want to help you, Zero. Just put the gun down and we can talk. I won't let anyone persecute you for this, I promise. I won't let anyone hurt you after what the robbers did to your parents." Ivan's words fell only to deaf ears as Zero slowly turned over the object of death in his hand. Ivan's fist hit the desk in front of him, drawing Zero's attention from the weapon, along with the eyes of everyone else in the classroom. "Come on, Zero," Ivan implored, "Just put the gun down. I want to help you, and I know Maddie does, too. She even has-" Ivan stopped himself, noticing a sudden pained expression come to Zero's face.

"Maddie," Zero said quietly, his eyes closed. He then blinked them open, a wish of his own shining in his eyes. "Take care of her for me, will you?" Ivan's eyes enlarged slightly, his eyes darting about Zero's face. The brown-haired boy's heart pounded and his breathing likewise quickened in dreadful apprehension.

"What do you mean?" Ivan asked heatedly. "I can't take care of her without your help! If it hadn't been for you, she may never have made it through her first day of school here. She needs you there to help her through her life, too, Zero; I can't do it alone. I'm not strong enough!"

Zero's head shook slowly back and forth, his eyes closing once again. "You're wrong, Ivan," The black-haired boy said. His eyes opened slowly, looking at Ivan with a calmness that Ivan hadn't expected. Zero's mouth, too, ceased quivering and smiled modestly.

"I'm the one who was never strong enough." As he spoke, Zero's armed hand rose up from his side once more. His eyes looked to the long, jet-black barrel as he brought it upwards.

"No," Ivan breathed, taking a step back from his desk. He shook his head slowly as the rest of his physical body succumbed to the numbing fear that Zero's weapon sent through him. His eyes wide, Ivan found himself unable to act to halt the steady movement of Zero's hand, stopping several inches from the side of his head. The barrel of Zero's device pointed towards his head.

Zero's eyes moved back to focus on Ivan, forgetting the gun as he pressed the metal tip of the barrel to his temple. The pleasant smile on his lips persisted, accompanied by the calm glow of his shining emerald eyes. No more tears fell down the boy's face, save one. The last trickle of moisture slid down the boy's cheek, hanging for a moment upon the edge of his chin. Then, with a blink, the droplet fell to the tiles beneath Zero's feet, creating a last pool of clear innocence with an unheard splash. Only silence was present for the ears of those at hand to hear. Only silence greeted the anxious listener. Only silence came from Zero's last tear to hit the floor.

"Goodbye," Zero said evenly, his voice disturbing the anxious sensation suspended throughout the room. His hand then pushed the cool metal tip of the gun tight to his forehead, and his finger pulled back on the trigger.

The scene that followed the second deafening crack of Zero's weapon hung permanently before Ivan's eyes: The way that part of the gun's barrel snapped back and sent the empty shell's casing to the ground; The way Zero's head lurched to the side at the impact of the handgun bullet within his skull; The way his eyes seemed to drain of all their luster, giving the impression that the essence of Zero's life had been effectively dispersed; The way Zero's mouth opened faintly, his lower jaw swaying disjointedly from the rest of his head. More than anything, it was the way that Zero's body rose slightly for a brief moment, and then fell awkwardly to the floor. His body collided with the tile floor roughly. The impact resulted in Zero's gun being tossed from his hand's lifeless grip. Zero's eyes continued to stare blankly ahead, the gray tile before his eyes gradually being coated with a vibrant red liquid.

The girls in the room were screaming, first at the noise and then at the sight. Their eyes filled with tears as Zero stayed where he lay, confirming that he was performing no act. The boys of the class tried to hide their own cries, but none of them could truly resist the sadness that took grip of their hearts. Ms. Nolati rose to her feet, but found no words to say to the rest of the classroom. Her eyes were just as wet as those of her students. Several students found comfort in the arms of a friend or even a stranger who had previously been only a classmate. The weight of grief brought everyone in the room to their knees, except for Ivan.

Ivan's eyes continued to look at where Zero had stood. Repeatedly, the image of his demise played through his mind. The sight of Zero's emotions, so strongly portrayed in his eyes, draining from him with such suddenness was almost unbearable for Ivan to comprehend. Slowly, Ivan moved his vision to behold Zero's still form at the front of the classroom. Zero's green eyes were still open, staring at the red puddle that had come from his self inflicted wound. Ivan was somewhat relieved that Zero had fallen such that his wound was not visible, but rather pressed against the linoleum flooring. It gave Ivan no solace, however, as the realization that his friend of the past five months had drastically ended his own life.

Ivan's initial reaction was to find a subject upon which he could place the blame. Not only did he grieve for his friend's loss with internal tears, but also felt a heated anger course through his veins at the injustice before him. Zero had done nothing wrong, he knew, and had only wanted to be better understood by his classmates. They had, after all, given him no sympathy for the severe loss that Zero had suffered. They had only looked away, paying Zero's tragedy no sympathy. His reaction to their continued mistreatment did not seem unusual to Ivan, at least as an initial reaction.

With a bit more thought, Ivan found that he couldn't place his blame upon the other students in the classroom. Perhaps they had not acted in the most compassionate manner towards Zero, but to come to someone with sympathy when you have so little contact with him to begin with is a difficult stretch to make. Moreover, the action could have been taken as sarcasm by Zero and only inflamed the situation. At the very heart of his realization, Ivan knew that no one had ever made and active assault against Zero for his loss. Although they had not acted as he had wanted, Zero's classmates had not acted in a blameworthy manner, either. Ivan's deliberation then led him to target himself.

As Ivan did his best to use an objective stance, he drew out the evidence against himself. Ivan's attempt at comforting Zero had seemed too superficial and condescending to the black-haired boy, Ivan figured. Maddie had probably received a similar reaction when she tried to talk to Zero in her history class. To add to his faults, Ivan had not pressed himself to bring Zero out and get his mind off of his mourning. Rather, he had decided that Zero would be more apt to talk the next day. That had turned out to be too late. Finally, Ivan had been unable to physically intervene in saving Zero's life. His nerves had frozen at the possibility of his own livelihood being stolen by one of the black bullets.

However, as quickly as they had come, Ivan was able to rationalize each charge against himself just as he had done for those against his fellow students. To begin, Ivan's pressure to try and relate was the best effort he could make, and though the circumstances were somewhat different, the resulting sorrow was the same. Secondly, Ivan knew that if he had pushed Zero to go out on the first day Zero would only have resisted. To create more friction in their friendship would have made it even harder to talk to him in the future. He couldn't have foreseen that the time he gave him would end up being too much. And as for not intervening with Zero's final choice, Ivan knew then that there was nothing he could have done. Had he jumped to stop Zero, the boy would only have fired faster and may have fired at Ivan again before turning the gun on himself. With one of his shields Ivan may have been able to halt the first bullet, but Zero left no tangible space between his skin and the gun's barrel in which Ivan could have possibly intercepted the second.

Ivan sighed heavily, his eyes falling to the floor before his feet. The game his mind played with trying to find someone to target the hatred he held was futile. He knew anger never led to resolutions, and this time was no exception. The guilt lay not with Zero, nor his classmates, nor with Ivan himself. For all the detective work that could be done, only the path of the world could accept the burden of the heinous act. The path was merciless and was constantly drawing in new victims. On this day, Ivan's frame had barely avoided being accepted into death, while Zero had been chosen. No logic could discern the reasoning; misfortune simply took its toll without heeding the wishes or thoughts of any: Zero's mother, Zero's father, and Zero himself. It wasn't the first time that Ivan was subjected to such a punishment, but the fact that he had witnessed the death of his friend with his own eyes left a new scar upon his mind.

Ivan looked back at Zero, letting his grief come back into the front of his mind. His contemplating the reasons for his demise only made putting anger aside harder for the brown-haired boy. Eyeing Zero's prone body, Ivan was reminded of the boy's last words, "Take care of her for me, will you?" Zero had cared about Maddie, and Maddie had always been happy to be Zero's friend. Now Zero had chosen to leave her, and Ivan knew Maddie would be broken again. Her fragile heart had suffered endless losses, and now another person had slipped from her life. Maddie had even planned to give Zero an extra surprise today. Now, however, Maddie would never be able to give her gift to Zero, and Zero would never know that Maddie had really cared about him so much. Ever since the first day Maddie had entered the school, she had liked hanging out with Zero in her history class.

But it was over now. The happy days that Maddie and Zero had shared in friendly discussions were no more - another victim of life's pitiless mannerisms. The days that Ivan and Zero had shared, too, were gone. Never again would the black-haired boy open his mouth in laughter at the sight of Ivan tripping into the chemistry lab two minutes after Ms. Nolati had entered. Never again would Zero ask for Ivan's assistance on balancing a difficult equation of reactants and products. Never again would Zero give his heartfelt advice on what he could do to help Maddie when she felt upset.

Ivan again felt the heat of unjustified anguish coursing through his veins. He could feel his voice on the verge of screaming, and the burning in his eyes let him know that he was about to cry. It was then that Ivan's resolve returned to him for a final moment during the disastrous class period that Tuesday morning. He looked at Zero's hollow eyes and silently promised that he would uphold the black-haired boy's wish. He would do everything in his power to look after his beloved as long as life gave him the possibility to do so. Ivan stared for a moment longer, and then remembered the one other request Zero had. He had shouted it several times at Ivan's formerly unheeding ears, but now they registered and Ivan could do no less than to submit to his dead friend's wishes. He opened his mouth and spoke for only a second:

"Goodbye."

(Need I put another of my notes here? I guess I should. But I won't take anything away from the possible emotions you might be feeling now. Take it for what it is. Let me know what you thought. The review button's right there. Make yourself heard, before it ends up being too late.)