A Hero Lost

A Captain Planet Fanfiction by Mylinda Antoinette

Summary: A tribute to Steve Irwin, the greatest animal lover of all time. Gaia, Cap and the Planeteers mourn the loss of the beloved and well-known Eco-Hero. Ma-Ti takes his loss especially hard, and the group comforts him as best as they can.

Author's Note: As the summary says, this story is a tribute to Steve Irwin, who would be considered by the Planeteers an eco-hero for his views and work toward animal conservation. I don't care what anyone else thinks about him, he was a good man who loved animals, but who also loved his family and friends. I pray for his wife and children, Terri, Bindy Sue, and Robert Irwin. Also, I must give credit where credit is due. The song Gaia sings to Ma-Ti, Nature's Remedy, belongs to Helen Faulkner. Thanks for letting me use it!

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Story:

Ma-Ti woke up on the morning of Monday, September 4, 2006, to blinding sun coming through the window. Suchi was sitting on his chest, and Ma-Ti touched his ring and whispered, "Heart." Suddenly, Ma-Ti got a wave of sad feelings from the other people of Earth, his fellow Planeteers in particular. He grew confused and leaped out of bed, rushing to get ready. He was completely ready in ten minutes, including his shower and washing his hair and brushing his teeth and such.

Once he was finished, he ran to the common hut and saw Linka, Gi, Wheeler, and Kwame sitting sadly at the table. Linka and Gi were sobbing, and Wheeler and Kwame looked like they might cry at any moment. Captain Planet stood looking sad and very solemn, and Gaia looked extremely sad as well…

'Wait a minute,' Ma-Ti thought and turned and did a double-take. 'Captain Planet's here without the use of my ring? Something is very wrong here…'

"Guys, what's going on? Why does everyone look so sad, and why is Captain Planet here without you guys getting me up and using my ring?" he inquired, causing the group to look up at him. Wheeler cleared his throat, but when he spoke, Ma-Ti could hear that he was choked up.

"Well… we called Cap using just our rings today, little buddy. We don't need him to be at full power 'cause there's no eco-emergency. Actually, we called him here because we thought you could use some extra comfort." Ma-Ti suddenly got scared.

"What is it? Is it my grandfather? Is he unwell?" he inquired, fear prominent in his voice. Wheeler quickly spoke up.

"No, Ma-Ti. I'm sorry for giving you that impression. But Ma-Ti, something has happened. An eco-hero died this morning, Ma-Ti, and we all knew you would take it especially hard." He got up from the table and went and rested his hands on his friend's shoulders. "Ma-Ti… Steve Irwin died this morning."

A wave of disbelief washed over Ma-Ti. "No. No, it can't be! How could he die? He was such a good man and he knew what he was doing with animals! He can't have died! You- you must be mistaken!"

Wheeler looked down. "I wish I was, little buddy. I'm so sorry." Ma-Ti pulled out from under Wheeler's hands and ran out of the hut. Wheeler started after him, but Cap put a hand on his shoulder, holding him back.

"I know you want to go to him, but let him be for a while. Gaia and I will go when the time is right. If you go, the others will want to go, and besides, I have the feeling he'll open up more to Gaia than to any of the rest of us," he said, blushing a tad as he said the last part.

"Cap," Wheeler began quietly, pulling the superhero aside, "do you like Gaia?" Captain Planet shook his head firmly.

"Nah. Actually, I feel that you would open up more to me, and Linka, Gi, and Kwame would open up equally to both Gaia and me. But Gaia is more or less Mother Earth, and that is a big part of Ma-Ti's culture. The native South American tribes deeply treasure the Earth, as it is the source of all things needed for life to survive. That is why I say he will open up more to Gaia," he explained. Wheeler nodded slowly in understanding.

"Yeah, I can understand that. And I can understand, too, why you want Gaia to go. I see now how she would be of greatest comfort to him." He looked up at his friend. "Thanks for explaining that to me, Cap. I really appreciate it," he graciously thanked him.

"No problem, Wheeler," he agreed, patting him on the back. They all sat back down, except for Captain Planet and Gaia, who remained standing. The six talked about the life of the lovable man otherwise known as the "Crocodile Hunter" for an hour before Gaia and Cap decided it was time to find Ma-Ti.

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Cap and Gaia walked along the island, using their telepathy to locate the young Kayapo. As they approached the spot their telepathy had indicated, Gaia suddenly stopped Cap and pointed into the underbrush.

There lay Ma-Ti, fallen fast asleep. His cheeks were streaked with glistening lines, and his breathing was harsh and restless, indicating that he had cried himself to sleep. Gaia glided softly across the forest floor to where her youngest Planeteer lay sleeping. She laid a gentle hand on his arm and sent him soothing thoughts through telepathy. He quickly awoke and started to cry again. Gaia drew him into a hug.

"Ma-Ti, it will be all right," she assured him, holding the sobbing boy close to her. She teared up herself as she watched the young man crying his heart out. "That's it, cry it all out."

"I-I shouldn't cry, though! Death is a natural part of life! And I am a man, the crying should be left to the women!" he exclaimed, repeating what he had been taught as a child.

"Oh, but Ma-Ti, that is not the case. It's perfectly natural to cry. It's a terrible tragedy, and crying is the first step in the healing process. Go ahead, neither I nor Captain Planet will think any less of you for crying," she assured him. Cap came over and nodded, agreeing with Gaia. He crouched next to Ma-Ti and rubbed his back. Cap and Gaia saw the five Planeteers as sons and daughters, and now their 'son' was in distress, so they acted in the manner any parents would.

After another 15 minutes had passed, Ma-Ti sniffled again and stopped crying. "H-how did it happen?" he inquired, still trembling, wiping away the tears from his eyes.

"He was filming a documentary for his daughter. He was swimming in the ocean and he got too close to a stingray. Its barb put a hole in his heart," Cap explained gently, still rubbing Ma-Ti's back. "You going to be okay?" he inquired. Ma-Ti shook his head.

"I don't know yet. I still need some time. I just feel sad that a man that loved animals so much would be killed by one," he cried, beginning to shake harder again.

"I know, Ma-Ti," Gaia murmured, "I know exactly what you mean. But at least he went doing what he loves the most- being with animals, teaching the world about them. If a person is going to die, it should be at least in the process of doing what he loves." Ma-Ti nodded.

"Yes, I know. But it doesn't make it any less difficult to know that!" He sniffed. "I remember when his favorite crocodile died. He cried about it and mentioned how much he loved her, like his own wife."

"Yes, I remember that, too," Cap agreed, nodding. "He had a heart of gold. And like you said, he really did love animals. He once said, 'I have no fear of losing my life. If I have to save a koala or a crocodile or a kangaroo or a snake, I will save it.'"

"I remember that," Gaia exclaimed. "He also said that what he wanted to be remembered for was conservation and preservation. He loved his kids too, very much!"

"I know." Ma-Ti drew in a shaky breath. "It's just extra hard. All those times I saw him cheat death… staring it in the face, but pulling through every time… and this time he really didn't make it."

"The doctors and his friends said that if the barb had hit anywhere else, it wouldn't have been fatal. But this one pierced his heart, like I said. That's not something that a person can survive," Cap gently added. "We are all mourning his passing, just like you. He was one of the greatest and most well-known eco-heroes, and it is a hard and great loss. But you are greatly needed by the other Planeteers, and they are all very worried about you! We'll stay if you want, but if you want, we'll go back to the others and wait so that you can have some time to yourself, to mourn alone without having us here." Ma-Ti shook his head again.

"I want to go back, but I don't think I'll be any good if there's an eco-emergency… I might need some time off," he choked out, looking down, feeling bad for having to say that. But to his surprise, Gaia and Cap nodded.

"We understand," Gaia assured him. "Here, give me your ring." Ma-Ti slid it off with a slight pain. He never took his ring off, so this was really difficult for him. He gently laid the ring in Gaia's open palm. She closed her fingers around it. "Don't worry, Ma-Ti, I'll take care of it. I'll talk to the other Planeteers and see if one of them will take your ring until you're ready to rejoin us, all right?" Ma-Ti nodded and smiled a little.

"Thank you, Gaia, Captain. I appreciate your kindness and understanding."

"Anytime, Ma-Ti! You all know that you can always come to us if you need to talk about anything. We'll always be here for you," Gaia promised.

"Yes, Gaia is right," Cap agreed. "We both care very much about all of you." He put his arm across Ma-Ti's shoulders and gave him a quick squeeze. "I think you'll be all right. Are you ready to go back now?" Ma-Ti nodded again. "Okay, let's go."

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Wheeler sat by the window, waiting for Cap and Gaia to come back with Ma-Ti. They had been gone for 45 minutes already, and he was beginning to get worried.

"Wheeler, come away from the window. They'll to being along soon," Linka insisted, assuring him.

"I sure hope so, Linka. If they're not back soon, I'll be really worried," he replied, clearly worried. Linka sat next to him.

"Wheeler, do not worry. Ma-Ti is with Gaia and Captain Planet! There is no reason to worry! Look, they are coming now!" Wheeler looked out the window and saw Ma-Ti walking into the compound, his head hanging, and Cap and Gaia on either side of him. They stopped about half-way to the common hut. Then Ma-Ti looked up at the two of them and spoke briefly with them. He hugged them both, and they hugged him back. Then he walked to his own hut. Gaia and Cap continued to the common hut. When they entered, everyone stood up and asked them what had happened.

"Ma-Ti has opted to take a leave of absence from the Planeteers until he has gotten over Steve Irwin's death," Gaia explained simply.

"He gave us his ring. Which one of you wants to take over Heart until he gets back?" Cap inquired.

"I'll do it," Wheeler replied without hesitation.

"That's fine with me," Kwame said, "but I think you should wear it on your other hand so your fire ring doesn't accidentally harm it." Wheeler nodded.

"All right," he agreed. Gaia laid the ring in Wheeler's hand and he slipped it onto the ring finger of his left hand. Then he looked back up. "How is Ma-Ti holding up?" he inquired quietly. Gaia and Cap looked at each other for a moment before looking back at him.

"He's still got a ways to go before he'll be completely all right. I'd say give him at least two weeks, and if he's not better by then, give me a call and summon Captain Planet and we'll go see him together and see what we can do."

"All right," Wheeler said. "You guys had better go, huh?" Captain Planet and Gaia nodded. Gaia faded away, while Cap jumped up into the air, splitting into the different powers after shouting, "The power is yours!" It was a little weird for Wheeler, to see two different powers returning to the ring on each hand. He turned to the others.

"Well, I suggest we eat. Wheeler can bring Ma-Ti a plate when I'm finished cooking lunch," Gi suggested.

"All right. The rest of us will get started on our assigned chores," Kwame agreed. The others nodded in agreement and Gi headed off to the kitchen to start on the lunch.

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When Wheeler took the sandwiches Gi had made in to Ma-Ti, he simply nibbled at his sandwich. He didn't eat much for the next week and a half. After that, for the next three days, his appetite slowly increased. But it still wasn't enough.

Eventually, the two weeks came and went, and one night around dinnertime, out of concern for their friend, Wheeler took the Heart ring, which he had mostly learned to control, and used it to summon Gaia. Then the four on-duty Planeteers gathered together. Once Gaia had arrived, Kwame began the chain as usual. "Let our powers combine! Earth!"

"Fire!" Wheeler cried, throwing his right hand in the air.

"Wind!" Linka continued, raising her ring.

"Water!" Gi shouted.

"Heart!" Wheeler exclaimed, lifting his left hand now. The light from the rings swirled around and combined in the middle. The beam of light shot down to the ground, and Captain Planet rose out of it. "By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!" he exclaimed. He slowly drifted to the ground. He looked at the four teenagers. "How is Ma-Ti?" he inquired, immediately sensing that it was with reference to the young Kayapo that he had been called. Wheeler shook his head.

"He's better, but he's barely eating anything, and he hardly comes out of his hut anymore. He just stays in there, flipping through magazines with pictures of Steve Irwin in them and watching episodes of the show that he's recorded," he explained softly. "Cap, he's in complete denial, and I don't know what to do for him!" Cap walked over to him and put a firm but gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Wheeler, it'll be okay. We'll take care of him, I promise." Cap then nodded toward Gaia. "Gaia, you ready?"

"Yes, Planet; let's go." The two friends walked over toward the hut of the youngest in the group. They knocked lightly.

"Come in, Wheeler," they heard the young man sigh. They looked at each other, knowing that he expected it was Wheeler, come to bring him his dinner. Cap nodded to Gaia once again. He sent her a telepathic message.

'Well, let's go.' She nodded in acceptance and opened the door, stepping in.

"Ma-Ti?" she said softly. He looked up, surprised to hear the voice of the much-respected spirit.

"Gaia!" he exclaimed. "What's wrong? It cannot be an eco-emergency; you know I am off-duty!"

"Your friends are concerned for you, Ma-Ti. Wheeler tells me that you're barely eating and you rarely leave this hut anymore. What's going on inside you, Ma-Ti?" she inquired, taking his hand in both of hers as Cap walked in, shutting the door behind him. Ma-Ti sighed.

"I don't know, Gaia. I do not understand it. I've never had this much of a problem coping with a death before. It is natural, and I shouldn't be this upset about it. It happens and I should have gotten over it the first day!" he exclaimed, angry with himself. Gaia shushed him, murmuring soothing words. Then she started to sing a strange yet beautiful melody. For some reason that Ma-Ti could not explain, he suddenly started to feel better about Steve Irwin's death. Soon, Gaia's song, otherwise known as Nature's Remedy, lulled him to sleep. Gaia tucked him in under his covers and she and Cap quietly left the hut. They walked to where the other Planeteers were gathered. Wheeler turned to them.

"How is he?" he inquired of the pair. Gaia smiled.

"I think he'll be all right now, but you must not wake him up. Let him sleep until he is ready to wake up or it will be undone. I sang to him the same song I sang to Linka when she was recovering from the effects of Bliss." Linka suddenly nodded.

"If you sang him that song, he is sure to be all right when he wakes up." Wheeler looked at her in surprise.

"Hey, babe, your English is getting much better. Have you been practicing?" Linka smiled happily and nodded again.

"Well, we have to go. I'll be back in the morning to check on him, okay?" Gaia said.

"Absolutely," Kwame replied. "You know you're always welcome; after all, Hope Island is your home!" Cap laughed.

"He does have a point, Gaia!" he agreed. Gi smiled.

"Thank you both so much for helping Ma-Ti," she sincerely thanked them. They smiled back.

"You're welcome. Planet, you ready to go?" Gaia inquired of her companion. Cap nodded.

"Let's go, Gaia. Remember, guys, the power is yours!" he split into the different powers and the beams of light returned to the rings. Then Gaia faded slowly out of sight.

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Gaia returned the next morning, as promised. She sat in Ma-Ti's hut, waiting patiently for him to wake up. Suddenly, his eyes blinked open, and for the first time in two weeks, Ma-Ti woke up with a smile on his face. He saw Gaia sitting next to him. "Thank you, Gaia. I really needed that." Gaia smiled as well.

"So, Ma-Ti, are you ready to come back?" she asked.

"Yes, Gaia. I'm more than ready." She smiled happily, leaving the hut so he could get ready for the day in privacy, and when he emerged, she walked with him to the common hut, where the remaining four Planeteers sat, eating their breakfast. They all looked up happily as their younger friend walked in with a joyful smile on his face.

"Hey, little buddy, how do you feel?" Wheeler inquired. Ma-Ti grinned.

"Much better. Like I said, death is a natural part of life. And Steve Irwin died doing what he loved the most. That's all anyone could ever ask for," he replied. Wheeler smiled.

"So I take it you're ready to take your ring back?" Ma-Ti nodded.

"Yeah, even while I was still sad, I missed having that ring on my finger and going out on missions with the rest of you." Wheeler pulled off the ring and tossed it back to him. Ma-Ti put his ring on and suddenly everything felt exactly the way it was supposed to. He was a Planeteer again, and that made him happy. It was terrible the way Steve Irwin had died, but he wouldn't have wanted to be remembered the way Ma-Ti had been remembering him. He would have wanted to be remembered in happiness, not in sadness. And that was the way Ma-Ti was going to remember him for the rest of his life.

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Okay, I sincerely hope this wasn't way too cheesy… I very much enjoyed writing it, so I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please leave a review on your way out, and remember…

THE POWER IS YOURS!