A/N: So.. yeah, it's been a while, but hey, I'm alive still. Took a break and finally got to working on this that I promised a while back. Well, let's see if this one lives up to the original. Here we go!

Zebedee sniffed the air as he scanned the port late at night to see if he could spot any movement of potential prey as the moon rose high into the sky. He had no need for a lantern. His sharp eyesight easily cut through the darkness of the port with ease. He froze when he saw the slight movement of something behind a few crates, and immediately reached out to snatch whatever was hiding behind the crates. He was surprised when he heard a small yelp as a small figure scrambled out from behind the crates it was hiding behind. His face fell when he saw it was simply a young girl, no older than nine or ten.

He gently hushed the child as he slowly approached her to get a better look. The poor child looked terrified, looking up at him with wide eyes as she backed away from him as she whimpered. Zebedee crooned softly, gently touching the girl's cheek. The child flinched, but didn't move, probably paralyzed by fear, the poor thing. Zebedee couldn't bear to see her like this. He looked around to see if the girl's parents were around as he sniffed the air, seeing if he could find similar scents to her own, only to come up empty. He looked back down at the young girl, who was still looking up at him with terror, likely expecting to get snatched up like so many unlucky sailors. The mere thought of that made him sick. He could wait to eat for now. For now, he had to make sure this child was safe and sound.

"Don't be scared, okay?" Zebedee spoke softly to her as he gently reached out to her. The child immediately tried to run away, only to be gently grasped and lifted up by Zebedee's powerful anchor-like claws. Zebedee gently hushed her and gently held her close just beneath his wheelhouse, close to his heart, hoping that would be enough to soothe the distressed child as he gently rubbed her back with the thumb of his claw. He sighed softly as the young girl struggled for a bit. He could tell she was extremely weak just by how she struggled against him. She didn't even put up much of a fight for long before she gave up. Who knew how long the poor thing had been out here for. Days? Weeks? Months? He was grateful to have found her. Otherwise, she wouldn't have lasted for much longer.

The child slowly stopped struggling, eventually snuggling into his immense warmth. The poor thing was left out here in the cold and desperate for any warmth she could find. He could hear her begin to cry softly, her faint sobs were just barely loud enough for him to hear. She was so weak, tired, and cold. Zebedee's heart sank at the sight. He couldn't just leave her out here. It was too dangerous. Bigg City was full of both humans and tugs alike that aren't exactly the friendly type. He knows that as a fact. She needed to be kept safe, and be given a warm place to stay, at least for the night. Once he was sure she had calmed down, he cleared his throat, gently releasing her so she could walk around on his deck if she wanted to.

The girl looked up at him, seemingly calmed down for the time being. Her breathing had slowed considerably. That was a good sign. She was silent for a few moments before she finally spoke up. Her voice was soft and weak.

"Who are you?" she asked him. Now that he was able to get a good look at her, he could really see more of her features. She was rather petite, wearing old and dirty clothing. Her skin was kissed by the sun, tan, probably from all her time being outside and having to survive on her own for who knows how long. Yet, the one thing that struck him the most was the dark markings around her emerald green eyes, looking similar to a raccoon. Almost reminded him of someone he had once held very near and dear to him. He shook it off before he cleared his throat.

"My name is Zebedee. What's yours, little one?" Zebedee made sure to keep his voice at a nice and soft tone, keeping his voice at a low volume as to scare the young child. The young girl walked around and explored her surroundings a bit. He made sure to keep an eye on her in case she ever tried to make a jump for it, but she never did. Once her curiosity was satisfied, she looked up at him, sitting down on his bow as she gently touched his name plate, feeling the sides of his hull gently expand and relax in time with his breathing.

"I'm Wildmask. I lost my mother a long time ago.. the people who were looking after me were.. hurt, real bad. They didn't come back, so I ran away. I didn't want to go into something they call Foster Care. I didn't want new parents. I didn't want to move households constantly either.." Wildmask gently petted the side of Zebedee's bow, feeling the strong muscles flex under her hands with every breath he took. "I've never been this close to a Zed-Stack.."

Zebedee winced as his gut complained of hunger. Wildmask seemed a little spooked, having known the reputation Zed-Stacks have with humans. Zebedee gently hushed her and gave her a gentle reassuring smile, careful to hide his fangs to make himself not seem as scary to her.

"It's alright, little one." he gently crooned. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. I can go and look for something to eat tomorrow. Would you like to spend the night with me?" He knew she wouldn't have been able to survive for much longer out here. Almost immediately, Wildmask perked up and gave a rather weak yet excited smile. She seemed to be grateful that she was being offered a place to stay, at least for the night.

"Yes, please!" Wildmask almost sounded like she was pleading, begging for him to let her stay with him, even if it was truly for one night. Zebedee chuckled softly, and gave a gentle smile before he lifted his hat slightly. He knew she would be warm, safe, and perfectly hidden there. It was the same place where he had kept Shadowpelt, his previous Rider, well more than his previous Rider. He kept her safe and warm while protecting her the best he could. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. If only he had told her no.. she'd still be alive.

He shook it off, and pushed those thoughts to the very back of his mind before he gently picked Wildmask before he gently placed her under his hat. He made sure she was comfortable before he gently lowered his hat. Almost immediately, he felt her make herself comfortable, curling up under his hat and snuggling into his fur-like hair on the top of his head. He closed his eyes and sighed, sending out a silent plea to Shadowpelt. He needed guidance. He couldn't take care of this young girl on his own.

Shadowpelt.. if you're with me, or up in the stars like you said you would be… please, help me with this kid. She has nowhere to go.. no one else to turn to. I'm all she has now. Please, Shadowpelt, I'm begging you.. help me. I can't take care of her by myself.. Zebedee opened his eyes before he looked up at the stars, and noticed one was shining brighter than the others. Deep down, he knew it was her answering him. He took a deep breath before he turned around to make his way back to the Zero dock. He could wait to catch something in the morning.

Once he had returned, he settled into his spot at the docks, careful not to wake up his fellow Zed-Stacks during the process. He yawned like a cat, showing off all of his razor sharp fangs before he settled down and slowly fell asleep to the rocking of the waves.