Tags: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Anger, Self-Worth Issues (kinda), Zane Needs A Hug, Ambiguous/Open Ending (sorta), cole and geo are mentioned at the very end (i can't help myself)


He hadn't even been gone that long.

Zane stared at the utterly destroyed kitchen, too shocked to say or do anything. He watched as Riyu - covered in flour - pranced around on the flour-covered floor. The sink was filled to the brim with dishes, the water still running and spilling all over said floor, making a disgusting muck of some sort that would surely be slippery. Arin and Sora chased after the baby dragon, trying to stop him from making any bigger of a mess, Arin knocking over a bowl of unmixed ingredients onto the counter.

Broken eggs, spilled milk, scattered pans, unfinished pie crust, open and spilled over cans of pie filling, sticky pie filling splattered everywhere… A feeling deep inside began to boil, one he rarely felt to such a degree. He gripped tightly onto the bags of groceries as his face started to morph into one of horrific rage. He could feel as it flowed through to his hands, making them clench and shake.

After everything he did for them…

After everything he continues to do for them…

Arin and Sora both slipped on the flour-water-muck on the floor, sending them, as well as Riyu, crashing into the cabinet across from them. Glasses and pans tumbled from the counter and onto the floor, the loud clanging and shattering echoing in Zane's ears. The motherly instinct that usually kicked in was completely smothered by his fury.

"What did you do?" he started after he could finally hear himself think again, feeling his jaw clench back shut with each word that managed to get through.

"Zane!" the two students exclaimed in unison before scrambling to get up. Even Riyu seemed to know they were in more trouble than usual, head lowered and tail curled protectively around himself.

Arin started sputtering out an explanation as he feebly dusted himself off, wincing at the new wet spot that he had garnered after the slip. "I-I was making my pies- y'know- and, w-w-well-"

"Riyu and I were practicing and he smelled Arin making pie and ran in here before I could stop him," Sora finished, knowing Arin would've had trouble getting it out on his own. "It was an accident-"

"Stop," Zane hissed, making all three of them jump. "I do not want to hear such… such asinine excuses. This amount of destruction is not from a simple accident." He could feel his fuse running shorter and shorter.

Arin looked on at him, studying him to an extent, an unreadable emotion in his eyes. Then he looked down at his feet, hands clasped together before him as he bowed respectfully. "... We, um… we also might have started messing around after the m-mess was already made," he admitted quietly to Zane's burning ears.

He wanted to claw at his skin. He placed the grocery bags on the messy counter instead. "Of course you did… you are only still children after all."

Sora scoffed. "We might act like it, but we're not kids anymore-"

He silenced her condescension with a sharp, icy look, making her look away nervously.

"Teenagers such as yourself should know not to play with food, to use up as many of the dishes as possible, to work in such a mess that is completely unsafe, to waste so much of our food. Your childish actions have led to a mess that I will ultimately have to clean up, because I know you two would have left it until tomorrow and cleaned up poorly," he continued, eyeing them menacingly. With each word, more and more of his anger began to seep through, and he watched with a terrifying sense of satisfaction as the two shrank in on themselves.

He stepped closer, watching as Arin and Sora fought back the urge to step back. Riyu scrambled back until he was pressed up as much as he could to the now very broken cabinet doors without slipping inside of the cabinet.

"I have been lenient in letting the two of you use the kitchen freely, and this is not how I would appreciate being 'thanked.' Your ungratefulness shows through in the way you have treated my kindness." His eyes snapped to Arin, who flinched under his gaze. "I'm banishing you all from the kitchen until further notice."

Arin's eyes finally whipped back up, shocked. "What?! You can't-" His words died in his throat, swallowing thickly as the much taller ninja leered down on him. The unknown emotion finally became readable. He quickly looked back to the floor. "Y-Yes, Master."

"Yes, Master," Sora copied, taking on Arin's respectful pose as well.

"Good. Now get out of my kitchen."

"But the mess-"

"Get. Out."

He watched the three young newcomers scurry away. Every inch of him wanted to scream, to curl up into a tight ball, to rip at his skin and clothes until he felt something stronger than his rage. But his joints just locked up as he looked to the ceiling to try and collect himself, to try and look at something that wasn't a giant mess. But even the ceiling had some splatters and even some egg whites.

He slapped a hand to the front of his face, gripping onto the edges of his face plate. A good seventy percent of him wanted to rip it off and throw it to the ground in his frustration, but for everyone' sake, he didn't.

It was always for someone else. It was never for himself. He always had to worry about everyone else. He always had to do things for everyone else. He was built to take care of everyone else.

No one worried about Zane.

No one did things for Zane.

No one took care of Zane.

It hurt. It always hurt, to know he cared about everyone else more than anyone cared about him. No matter what he did, no one seemed to care about him unless he was dead. It hurt so much.

Finally, Zane looked back down towards the mess… He slowly backed himself up into a corner and slid to the floor, the task so daunting. Of course he had dealt with bigger messes before, but… the kitchen. His kitchen.

It had taken so long for him to realize how important this kitchen was to him. He rarely claimed things as his own. Of course, he has his family, as well as his friends; he held them all dear. His weapons, his clothes, his bed; they could all be anyone else's and he would not care in the slightest.

Places, though? His room? Very important to him. His kitchen? The only place in the whole monastery that everyone had unanimously agreed was to be left to Zane, for him to control. He was very proud and happy about that.

Now, looking at his pride and joy… he felt his fury become overwhelming, evolve into something else. He breathed shakily, clutching his shirt tightly in his hands, and felt the sudden flood of angry tears pour down his cheeks. His pride and joy always reflected his heart, his soul. To destroy it was to destroy him.

But nobody cared.

Zane buried his face into his knees as his sobs started to get too loud, his long fingers gripping at the sides of his head, to his hair. Here, he could be himself, and not have to face all of the shit the world threw at him. But it somehow managed to get through the barriers.

He had grown too soft. He had let himself grow too soft.

He should-

He was interrupted by the door clicking open, and he quickly spat, "Get out!" He couldn't let them see him like this… he couldn't let anyone see him like this!

"Master Zane!" a familiar froggy voice exclaimed. He jumped at that, quickly looking up to see Mr. Frohicky. "Master Zane, what happened? Are you alright?" The other's eyes darted around the room for a moment before ultimately landing and staying on the nindroid.

Seeing the anthro's kind yet worried expression, for some reason, made Zane's memory flicker back to Arin's only a few moments before he had kicked him out of the kitchen; Fear. It had been fear in his eyes. He had seen many emotions from the young boy; excitement, determination, surprise… but never fear.

For the first time, in a very long time, he felt like… like a villain.

His hand trembled as he reached up and pulled the assistant keeper down to him and hugged him tightly.

Sometimes, Mr. Frohicky was too nosy, too loud, too obnoxious. His thoughts had softened since their first meeting, but there were times he really pushed it. His little aesthetic touches here and there were nice, his food… unique, and he was always there if anyone needed a hand. Personally, though, Zane preferred it when he left him alone.

But in this instance, in this very moment, he was so relieved to see him.

He definitely had flour and pie filling on him now, being on the floor, but he quickly set his mind away from that when Mr. Frohicky's arms wrapped around him in return. His froggy physique seemed to aid the man while he comforted the crying nindroid in such an awkward angle. It was nice just to be held for a moment, to forget his troubles behind closed eyelids, to just focus on another being's warmth and strength.

It took a while for him to calm down, feeling as if Mr. Frohicky's hand was still running up and down his back even minutes after he had stopped the motion. Now his hands cupped around Zane's, running his thumb over his knuckles soothingly, while Zane broke away from their hug and took deep breaths. The nindroid wiped away his tears.

"... I apologize, Mr. Frohicky," he muttered after many long moments. The other gave a small, confused croak. "I'm alright. I was just… upset."

"Oh, just call me Alfonzo, Master Zane," he insisted, sitting beside the other cross-legged. "No need for such professionalism all of the time." He pat his hand comfortingly, the nindroid smiling weakly at the action. "... I saw Arin, Sora, and Riyu before I came in. They looked quite shaken up… I assume they made the mess; this is certainly not your own."

At the mention of the troublesome three, he frowned again. "Yes…" He felt embarrassment begin to warm his cheeks, and he suddenly felt incredibly silly. "I may have overreacted a little. I… I don't know what came over me. I just got so… angry. I didn't know what else to do." He looked around at the mess before he had to look away from it again, feeling the overwhelming emotions start to drag at him again.

"You have every right to get mad at them, Master Zane. They are quite the bunch to clean after." He muttered something to himself before saying, "After all, it is your kitchen; I would think they would take the privilege on with some humility."

Zane smiled a little more at that, feeling it wobble slightly before clearing his throat.

"I may not completely understand what happened, but I do share in the sentiment of why you felt so hurt by their mess," Mr. Frohicky continued. "If they had come to my home and destroyed it, I would be furious with them. I already don't have many of my own possessions; to take advantage of my welcome…" He trailed off before shaking his head. "What I mean to say is, I understand. Whatever punishment you give them, I see fit."

He felt less silly now that Alfonzo had opened up, now knowing that he wasn't alone in feeling like this. He chuckled lightly. "I only banned them from the kitchen. I did not want to see how they would clean up this mess…"

Alfonzo nodded in understanding. "I will go get Master Cole and Master Geo, and we will help you clean up," he offered, standing up before helping the nindroid up after him.

Though he normally preferred to work alone, he could certainly use the company. "That would be lovely. Thank you, Mr. Fro…" He cut himself off before sheepishly correcting himself; "Alfonzo."

The pleased ribbit he got in response was enough for him to know he should probably call him that more often.


I'm sure I could've found a better ending, but I kinda like it like it is. I wanted to write angry Zane, and then I wanted some Frohicky and Zane friendship, so here we are lol

This work may get a sequel at some point. I want the Arin, Sora, and Riyu trio to apologize to Zane, Zane to make up with them, some stuff with Zane, Geo, and Cole, all that. We'll see, though, since I have so many things that I still have to write.