The Return! Private to one Ziggy Stardust. And Ziggy's parents, maybe, why not.

[somekindofspaceuncle]

On borders on Nexus, maybe, whenever that might be, or maybe in some forest, there's suddenly something up in the sky. A giant robot, mostly white. And giant is not an euphemism for slightly big, there, he's really giant, alright? Yeah.

The robot... he lands on the ground, and stops.

Suddenly, at the foot of the robot, an ethereal White Lion appears. Yea, literally. It's not a familiar sight, and he won't feel familiar to anyone who comes by. But he'll feel ancient, to anyone who comes by. Yes, no mind abilities needed for that. He'll just give that impression by his very being.

Ancient one.

And he can be seen. He looks like he's made simply of light, or maybe of something even far more ethereal. He's intensely white-blue and is glowing. Anyone who comes by can see him. He strolls around, seeming to be waiting for something.

After perhaps an hour or three, said something does happen, apparently.

Something shimmers, at the foot of the robot, blue-white light shimmers. Finally, the light forms a silhoutte, at first, of a man, perhaps.

And keeps forming, slowly. It might take a few more moments.

The White Lion meanwhile, now, as this strange probably to any onlookers if there be any, light show commence, jumps swiftly onto the giant robot, and disappears.

All that stays behind is said giant robot, and also, at the foot of it, the slowly forming... person, man, it's apparent now. One with a multitude of feelings. Might feel familiar. Very, very familiar.

Comments

[somekindofspaceuncle]

Finally, Hiroki forms fully. Bodily.

The truth is, Hiroki could look like anything, in any way he wanted, literally, really, the sky's the limit. However, he looks exactly as he'd looked the last time she's seen him, scars, one arm and one stump, and all.

He's lying on the ground, unconscious, at the foot of the giant robot. He's glowing softly.

The White Lion, meanwhile, seems to approach Aletayria, but stops. He now stands in the middle between Hiroki and Aletayria, gazing at her carefully. In mind, Aletayria can hear a voice, saying, Yes, this child is Hiroki is Atlas. The Lion's voice. The Lion's voice carries no emotions save for a certain inner peace.

[sordiddetails]

She stops when the lion moves between them, know that this is probably defensive. She's calm though a sense of tension and worry start to fall away with the confirmation that this is Hiroki.

Her gaze shifts between the lion and the prone body. "May I help him?"

It's better to ask as far as she is concerned, but if Hiroki looked like he needed immediate help, she might rush past the lion to his side anyway.

[somekindofspaceuncle]

There seems to be a question, coming from the Lion, wordlessly now, of why she wishes to help Hiroki. Why she wishes to help Atlas. Questioning her intentions.

The Lion's not budging.

Hiroki doesn't seem to be in any danger.

[sordiddetails]

She has no problem with mental communication and pauses to turn her attention to the lion. She considers wording and then offers telepathically.

"He is my child's mate and may one day be my son, too."

Though that wasn't all of it. As she watches the lion block her way she adds.

"My child is sick from his absence."

That was reasonably true. His absence wasn't the direct cause but the drug abuse his absence cause was.

[somekindofspaceuncle]

If so, why shouldn't your child simply come here?

the White Lion asks.

All the things she is mentioning are post mice visit

[sordiddetails]

The question throws her mind into turmoil and sadness. The lion can easily pick up first person memories.

Tom finding Ziggy incapacitated in the townhouse and forcing him to throw up because he's overdosing. The incredible despair Aletayria felt from Ziggy in the moments he was awake. Her vigil of sleeplessly watching over her child for fear he might wake and kill himself. A discussion between her and Tom over whether thier child was suicidal and her husband offering his own experience with addiction. Her exhaustion this morning and her husband graciously taking over the watch of thier child.

It takes her time to clear her mind of the competing memories.

"He's too sick." maybe sick wasn't the best word for someone in a fit of severe drug abuse but the outcome was the same.

[somekindofspaceuncle]

The Lion seems to consider it all.

Then, he walks up to unconscious Hiroki. There's a flash of light.

Afterwards, the Lion comes back to the same place between Aletayria and Hiroki. He yawns.

Then, in mind,

Atlas is deeply concerned for your son, now. Aletayria, if you seek any other knowledge, you can ask me another time - perhaps.

Whether White'll share any with her or not is another matter entirely.

The White Lion then walks slowly back to the giant robot, jumps onto it, and, in a flash of light, disappears.

All that's left there is a giant robot and the still unconscious Hiroki Shirogane lying and it's foot. Ziggy's mother can feel free to go to Hiroki. Who indeed is now suddenly radiating some worry, vaguely, even though he's still unconscious. And glowing. Going to be glowing for at least several more hours.

[sordiddetails]

She's not sure what to make of the encounter that's happening. Though there is gratitude from mother to lion for its assistance. Even so, she lingers for a time staring at the robot towering over her. They certainly don't have anything like this in her own universe, that she knows of.

Then her attention turns back to Hiroki. She goes to him, kneeling beside him. Gingerly, she touches his shoulder. Maternal instinct overrunning her concern about what the glowing might do to her.

"We have worried about you." Mostly Ziggy and Tom. They did enough worrying for her as well as themselves.

[somekindofspaceuncle]

The light's warm, and doesn't hurt or anything of the like. When Aletayria touches it, she can see some bits and pieces of Hiroki's memories, only most impactful memories. And Shiro's memories, only most impactful ones.

Snippets, very quick ones. Might not make much sense. Though she might see more in a moment if she's still touching him. Her choice, really.

He's still unconscious, sorry. He'll come to, in a bit. Patience.

[sordiddetails]

Aletayria is used to getting flashes of memories from people. It is the nature of being as mentally strong as she is.

When he doesn't wake, she sits on the ground with him. Taking off her shawl, she gently lays it over him then sits stroking his hair for comfort. She can feel that he's coming around to being awake. It will just take time.

[somekindofspaceuncle]

As she strokes his hair, she'll suddenly clearly and not just in flashes see in her mind this, this, this, this, and this. And this and this and this. Then this. Memories. Afterwards, his eyes finally flutter open, and he looks around.

"...mother...?" he asks, quietly, upon seeing her.

[sordiddetails]

She takes the memories in stride as he wakes, but the last one...

"Tommy!" She's startled to see the memory there. She knows him, knows the feel of him. It was definitely the Anthean.

However, it is Hiroki's words that bring her out of the shock.

"Not yet, but maybe soon." She looks down at him, red curls falling all around her face.

[somekindofspaceuncle]

"Thomas? Here, in Nexus... I don't know where he lives in Nexus exactly," Hiroki mutters, not yet quite awake.

And then her next words startle him more fully awake.

"I'm - I shouldn't have--"

Called her mother.

"...soon?"

Wait, right now, that wasn't...

"Is Ziggy sick?!"

He immediately stands up. And immediately falls down, maybe he's tried this too soon. And also, he hasn't yet noticed he's naked right now.

He gets to his knees and makes some vague hand gestures in impatience while saying, "If Ziggy's sick, I've got to help him, right now! See how he is, at least- see him, why is he sick, what's happened to him, why isn't he taking better care of himself, doesn't he know how... how wonderful he is... and that, I-- I want to marry him, someday, I-- I--- and I know he'll never... want to, but that's... I can wait forever--- anyway, why is he sick, how--"

While he's flailing with his arm for emphasis, the giant robot moves its left arm, too. Hiroki doesn't give it much thought, as if whatever was happening, was perfectly natural. And perhaps it is, at that.

[sordiddetails]

"He's an Anthean." She clarifies to help the sleepy human understand.

In theory, she would like to help him but knows if he falls on her with his weight he could break her bones or worse. Instead she reaches out with her mind to help him calm down, tell him to take a moment to get his balance because it is a long walk.

"He is fine, for now. Tom is watching over him." She doesn't tell him what happened to Ziggy yet. He's going to need more mental capacity to understand, more than he has now. The movement catches her eyes and she looks up at the robot. The idea that they are linked seems normal. After all, she flew her own ship partially with her mind.

"You still have a mind link with your robot." She points up toward the flailing arms in the air.

[somekindofspaceuncle]

"But you've told the White Lion that Ziggy's sick! He's told me."

Link.... oh.... he could not have it?

Hiroki concentrates. After a moment, he stops glowing.

"The link is... because I am Atlas."

He points at the robot. Atlas.

"I'm... sort of... his spirit. Atlas's."

"Ziggy was upset about that, Shiro's accidentally told me, not long ago. Why'd Ziggy be upset about it? I don't get it."

[sordiddetails]

"Sit here with me." She instructs him, not at all bothered by the nudity though she knows to get him wrapped in her shawl or something before they go walking anywhere. Aletayria didn't ask about the ship because she has a general idea of what it means.

"Yes." She nods. "Ziggy was beside himself with anger and grief after meeting Shiro. From what I gathered of Ziggy's ranting, Shiro took your body and told him you were dead. He's been upset for weeks about it."

She's not about to say anything about Ziggy's condition until the young man is seated. She's afraid he will hurt himself.

[somekindofspaceuncle]

Hiroki sits down with her. He nods.

"Yes, Shiro is in that body now. So since everything happened, until right now, I didn't have a body."

"I died. Honerva, she... I couldn't resist, I was trying to, it was all so exhausting, I... I didn't kill Keith, that's all that matters... about that whole... fight. I didn't kill Keith."

It's very important to him.

"But... I still don't understand. Shiro told Ziggy about Atlas. I know he has."

Also...

"Why are you saying Shiro took my body? It's true he's there now, but... he didn't take it from me. I had died before... perhaps. Who even knows? You know, you can ask Allura. Perhaps only Allura knows."

And then he looks like he might doze off for a moment. So tired. He begins to glow again, and there might be an impression that...

...right now, he's healing himself. Needs to do a bit more of that.

[sordiddetails]

"I only know what Ziggy told me, and he had a broken finger. I think he hurt himself when he met Shiro."

She hadn't asked what happened but her imagination was good enough to surmise. Her son had a human temper under all that Anthean pacifism.

When he lays down again, She moves and re-adjusts the shawl to cover him. Then she waits. The flowers she had been picking before coming this way, she starts to braid them together to keep her mind busy but her eyes keep drifting up to the robot.

[somekindofspaceuncle]

"Maybe he tried to punch Shiro? It'd be like punching a wall for Ziggy. Quite dangerous. For Ziggy's bones. Shiro wouldn't try to stop Ziggy for fear of accidentally hurting him. So... Ziggy did whatever he wanted."

Because what if Shiro tried to grab Ziggy and accidentally grabbed him too hard? So he wouldn't do that.

There could be other reasons, too.

Somehow, he's pretty sure that if Ziggy had the means and will to try to stab Shiro or something, he could've done that to Shiro with no resistance, too, at that moment. Maybe.

"I'm sorry he's hurt himself... 'cause of me..."

And then he does doze off for a moment. He needs this.

[sordiddetails]

"He has the temper for it." Ziggy was certainly capable of epic emotional outbursts.

"If he injured himself punching someone, he hurt himself because he lost you."

[somekindofspaceuncle]

Sorry, he's quite asleep. Though he might know what she's said after waking up.

And he wakes up soon.

"I never meant to leave."

[sordiddetails]

She's braided a flower crown and has it wrapped up in her hair by the time he wakes up.

She sighs when he comments. "Ziggy has taken your absence hard. He spent days searching for you before he gave up."

[somekindofspaceuncle]

"Can I go see him...? Please?"

"Or. Does he no longer wish to see me...? If seeing me would just upset him, I'll wait."

"It's fine if he never forgives me, for having left him. I just want-"

Sigh.

"I just wanna see him again."

[sordiddetails]

"We can go to him." She stands up and closes her eyes against what she has to tell Hiroki.

"He's in bad shape. About a week after he spoke to Shiro he overdosed. That was the first of three or four times." It's probably hard for the man to hear and she understands. "He hasn't wanted to talk. I'm not sure if he's been trying to drown out the pain, commit suicide, lock himself in his memories, maybe all of them. He's not eaten in weeks either an lost weight."

[somekindofspaceuncle]

"Tell me how I can help. Please. I'll do anything!"