Welcome Home, Zuru

Chapter 2: From the Inside Out

    Zuru had fallen into a surprisingly peaceful slumber, despite what has happened to him earlier. It must have been because he cried quietly for a half hour before he finally dozed off.

    Zuru groggily awoke on Saturday morning. He curled up into his sheets slightly, wanting to go back to sleep. He then jolted out of bed and looked around frantically. " Wha…!?" It then came to him; he was at Ikki's house. He relaxed, falling down back on the bed with a sigh.

    " Roks….Gorom2…" he muttered. Did they get out of that house before his dad did anything? Did is father see Roks. Hopefully not, or that would make him even more mad at him. 

   He heard a light tapping on his door. He sat up, groping the nightstand for his glasses. " Um…" He put them on. " Come in." Metabee popped his head into the room. Zuru smiled. " Hi Metabee."

   " Hey Zuru. Sleep well?" Zuru nodded. " That's good. Breakfast is ready if you want any." Zuru gave a little cough, after his emotional stressful day yesterday; the thought of food didn't much appeal to his upset stomach. " Um, that's alright, Metabee. I'm not that hungry…"

   " You sure?" Zuru nodded. " Okay. Anything I can get ya?"

 " Some aspirin would be nice…" Zuru said while putting a hand on his forehead. Metabee gave a slight nod. " Okay. I'll get some for ya." He then exited the room. Zuru lowered himself back on the bed. His body felt so exhausted even though he didn't do anything rigorous. Guess that's stress for you. He lied on his side, frowning. It had to be a bad dream…it didn't feel authentic enough to be real.

    Could it?

~~~~~~~

   Zuru sat on the bottom steps that led to the playground from the street on top of the little hill while everyone was on the top. Ikki and Metabee were explaining what had happened at Zuru's yesterday, and that he was staying at their house. Zuru didn't really mind them telling everyone. At least, he didn't think anyway.

   " Oh my god!" Erika gasped while putting her hands to her mouth. " Poor Zuru…"

" Did his mom really try to kill him, Ikki?" Genkai asked skeptically. " That's what I heard over the phone. I'm not asking Zuru if it happened or not though, it's bad enough that his parents were fighting like that without the death threat." The others nodded.

   " That's true." Genkai looked down at Zuru. " …Maybe we should talk to him."

 " About what? What happened? Heck no!" Ikki stated as a final point. " I didn't mean that…just…talk."

  " Oh. Yeah. Okay."

    Zuru watched as little three year olds played in the sandbox with their bear type Medabot. To be that age again….The good old days.

   " Hey Zuru. What's up?" Zuru looked up to see the gang smiling at him. All of them smiling at the same time? That kinda scared Zuru. " Um…hello. Is there something wrong?" he asked.

    " No, why?"

 " You all look too…cheery…" everyone sweatdroped, then got their faces to what they normally are. " That's better."

 " So Zuru," Genkai started. " Want to robattle?" Ikki glared at Genkai. Genkai didn't pay attention to it and was still looking at Zuru.

  " Well, I would," Zuru began, " But…" He looked down. Ikki took this as an opportunity to smack Genkai. " Baka! WhatdidItellyouaboutwhathappenedyesterday!?"

   " …Oh yeah. Sorry." Genkai rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Zuru shrugged. " It's okay. I'm sure they made it out."

~~

      Later that day, Zuru wanted to just stay in the house and not do much. He was tired of everyone asking him questions, and he wanted to give Ikki a break from smacking people who asked. He yawned while flipping through the channels. Nothing on but soap operas. Might as well watch the news…

    " In today's story, a domestic violence scene has taken place yesterday afternoon." Zuru blinked. The screen then showed some pictures of the inside of his home. One though, made him scream.

     He saw pieces of Gorom2 scattered about his room. He didn't see any sign of Roks though. He jumped off the couch, still staring at the screen. " ROKS! GOROM2!!" He screamed while clutching his fists. He then fell to the ground and started to sob uncontrollably.

     ' It's all my fault,' he thought as tears splashed onto the carpet. ' If only I told them to leave with me…'

~~

    Ikki and Metabee exchanged worried looks as they sat in Ikki's room, listening Zuru cry in the next room. " Man, that's gotta tear at his heart," Metabee muttered while shaking his head.

  " Yeah. And they've been friends since he was little.." Ikki sighed. " Isn't there anything we can do for him?" Metabee shook his head. " I don't know. But I think he just needs to be alone for a while, Ikki." Ikki lied back into his bed. " Hey, do you think we should get him something to cheer him up?"

  " Like what?"

  " Maybe a new Medabot? Ya know, to start over." Metabee thought for a moment while rolling over to Ikki's bedside in the chair. " I dunno. But we shouldn't do that anytime soon." Ikki sat back up. " I know. But I feel so bad for him right now…"

   " Ikki?"

" Yeah?"

   " What would you do if something like that ever happened to me?" Ikki blinked. " I'd be very depressed, that's a no brainier!"

 " That all?" Ikki shrugged. " I don't know. All I know that the very mention of it is making me sad." Ikki crossed his legs and looked at his Medabot solemnly. " But I do know I could never be able to replace you with any other Medabot. Heck, I wouldn't want another one if anything ever happened to you." Metabee's eyes started to water.

   " Awww, you're my best friend!" He then latched onto Ikki, making him stiffen.

    They both then heard a yell from Zuru's room and then a large crash. They straitened up, then ran over to the other room.

" Zuru?!" Ikki slammed the door wide open, then screamed. " ZURU!!"