Standing in front of a pair of swings, a jungle gym, and an open pit of sand Lance brought Shiro to the very place alive in his mind for nearly ten years now since the time he had died. He gave a small smile turning to Shiro who smiled back just as bright, eyes bright with happiness at being here at last.
"This is where I died, Shiro." Lance smiled.
Shiro didn't answer, simply nodding, he confused by what Lance was telling him instead of what the boy in front of him was talking about. Lance's smile dropped and looked away from Shiro towards the sand in front of them. It had been so long since he'd come to this part of town looking for this moment, for this one moment.
[Lance, you are no longer that person]
Shiro thought, but said nothing, knowing it wouldn't change anything, he had regrets as he gazed at the place that led to his death.
"The weird intercom is right though!" Shiro replied.
"If we are going to work together I need you to believe me." lance affirmed.
"I can't fully understand what happened, but as fate brought us together again I am sure it must've been for some purpose." Shiro smiled.
Small padding on the grass could be heard behind them , but they both ignored it for a moment. As they stood in silence gawking at the playground noticing the presence of a girl with short pink hair , a small pony tail bouncing with every step she took. She wore a large white hoodie and tight black shorts, her black sneakers squeaking against the hardwood flooring.
She had an angelic aura around her that seemed like a beacon for everything good in the world; it made shivers run down his spine and made him want to smile.
"Lance, this is no time to get sentimental." She smiled.
Lance spun around quickly meeting eye contact with this new person. She had blue eyes that looked almost like they glowed, soft pink hair hair that curled up in odd angles and a nose that seemed to go all the way round.
"Who are you?" Lance asked.
She ran forwards tackling Lance to the ground. Shiro gasped as the scene played out before him.He felt like he was watching it happen through someone else's eyes, but he wasn't able to move. Zari pushed Lance into the sand laughing the entire time.
When Shiro turned his head Zari's face became completely blank as wings burst forth from her back and she stood on two feet, a large grin on her face. Her dark skin was glowing slightly under the warm sunshine and Shiro had to resist looking at her too closely.
Zari laughed even harder then when she started tickling Lance. Lance struggled underneath her making her only laugh more.Lance stopped struggling once Zari let go and he stood up, brushing himself off before offering her a hand, pulling her to her feet.
He accidentally brushed his elbow the girl's chest to notice she was flat and not chest high like he thought she would be.
"A-Are you a girl?" Lance asked.
Zari shook her head and laughed again, her hands covering her mouth this time. She looked at Lance before giving a mischievous smile, her arms resting against her hips. Shiro could still feel the heat from his arm burning his fingertips.
"No silly, I'm just a demi god," she replied.
"I will be living with you for now on, Lance," Zari smirked.
As the words left her lips Lance's eyes went wide with fear, his hand moving to cover the bottom half of his face. His cheeks puffed out as he tried to make sense of what Zari was saying, trying desperately to process what was happening.
"Why...?" He managed to say out loud.
Zari tilted her head to the side smiling gently, her gaze never leaving the boy before her.
"You and Shiro are idiots and need help... I was sent to give you that help!" She explained.
Lance's body froze up at the word 'idiots'. Shiro was frozen next to him, his hands clenched tightly against each other in front of him. Shiro knew exactly what she was referring to, how she referred to them but still couldn't comprehend it.
Shiro looked over at Lance seeing the boy's eyes darting around searching for something. He saw the boy's expression changing from confusion and shock to fear and anxiety all in the same breath. The look in Lance's eyes scared Shiro. He had never seen such fear directed at him before.
"Lance, before we continue I need to forget your life before!" Zari insisted.
"W...what do you mean?" Lance stammered nervously.
"If you're to live among mortals there needs to be things you're better off forgetting!" Zari stated, her voice growing harsh.
Lance flinched, his breathing quickening as Zari clutched his hand and dragged him backwards. A scream escaped his throat as he was pushed down onto his knees in front of him. Before Shiro could register what was going on the boy's eyes were closed and he was gone.
The boy fell limp into Zari's arms her wings disappearing and dropping her body to the ground along with the boy as they disappeared from sight, Zari cover Lance's face with her hands looking up at Shiro who was confused.
"What's wrong with him?" Shiro asked concerned.
Zari looked back down at Lance as if she were studying a foreign specimen, before turning her attention back to him.
"It's nothing," she sighed. "I have something important I need you to do for him.
"Sure," he answered.
"He needs to stop thinking about a time that no longer exists. He needs to find peace."
Shiro looked over at the playground.
"I'll figure out what I need to do, if you want, I can take him home." Shiro offered.
"Nah it won't be necessary." She laughed.
"He is literally unconscious!" Shiro yelled.
Shiro hobbled down to pick Lance up and placed his arms beneath his legs, lifting him bridal style. Zari nodded at him before walking behind him, her wings returning.
"It's for the best also glad to meet you Mr. Samurai!" She smiled.