Anasta smiled and ran through the canyon, looking up at the blue sky above her as she ran. It was almost dawn and she leapt up rocks of all kinds, eventually leaping over large indents where two canyons once were together, but wore away due to erosion. She felt as if she were flying, leaping over the sort of large indent. She leapt over many more and reached a cliff, looking out over the canyon from the top, smiling. She just had to see if they were close to the hideout at all. She sighed, knowing she'd have to tell the truth eventually. She looked ahead and saw the ocean she knew that Eridan resided, and the forest just before. She looked all around, Aria shouting below her.
"Anything?"
"Not a thing in sight!" she slid down the rocky hill and handed on her feet, brushing the dusty rock from her pants.
"Not even Eridan's Sea?" Anasta gasped and gulped.
"Uhhh....No....I saw an ocean but-" Aria glared.
"Don't play dumb with me, Anasta! I heard you last night! You're following the Sufferer's Code!" Anasta gasped and ran. Aria groaned.
"Great...A chase." she chased after Anasta. All she wanted was to know why! Anasta ran on the cliffs above Aria, the winding paths to thin for Aria to possibly spread her wings, so all she could do was keep pace with Anasta's running, which she could tell was hard for the sonic-speed hedgehog. She saw a platform that could lead her higher, climbing it. But, suddenly, a mass of feathers came into her face.
"Tell me why!" Anasta felt the wind as she climbed, growling.
"NO! It's personal!" Aria tried to tackled Anasta off, but ran into the rock instead, making Anasta fall down. She grasped onto the edge of the canyon. She panted. Aria landed by her fingers.
"Please tell me...I'll help you up..." Anasta sighed and took a deep breath.
"When my dad didn't come back...I asked one of the high bloods, Eridan, if they would find him....But they refused! That....and all the poor souls I take in....They seem so helpless...All because of their blood color? It's sick....And I want to put an end to that. Please don't tell anyone...I don't want to die before I can even try." Aria sighed.
"Of course I won't tell. Your secret's safe with me...Promise." Aria pulled Anasta up the best she could, being hard, seeing se was half her height. Anasta helped by pushing her feet up against the rocks. Eventually, they were up on the canyon-top once more, heading back to their camp, the secret they now shared buried deep into their soulds with locks and chains. Maybe, just maybe, if Anasta dies and failed to resume to God Tier, Aria could take Anasta's soul to her kingdom, so she'd finally get the freedom she wanted.
***
After the moment at the canyon-top, Anasta and Aria continued to walk side by side, through every twist, turn, and backtrack the team made. when they had had finally reached another forest, Anasta pointed towards the sea, Aria sighing and visiting her tent that night.
"Anasta....If we're heading towards the ocean....We'll have to tell." Anasta sighed.
"If I have the courage to try and revolt against the sick and cruel rule that is hemospectrum, I think I have the courage to tell. Question is, who will stay and be brave and leave and be a coward?"
"I'll stay. I promise. And if you die, my planet's a free one. I can try and attempt to take your spirit to my planet, being an angel, I can rip a soul from a body before death and pull it into my kingdom. Although the sound is gross, like skin being ripped from flesh. Makes me shiver thinking about it! But for friends? It's totally worth it." Anasta and Aria hugged, Aria letting a small purr escape her throat. She can't remember when she discovered she could purr, but she could, and Anasta didn't mind as she hugged tighter. Aria couldn't breathe then.
"Tight!"
"Sorry."
"It's fine, Ana...You have some good strength...."
"I had to under my Wolf Lusus's Code. Her number one rule is that I have to have some meat on my bones so I'm strong. She was a nice Lusus, but had some strict rules, but they were easy to follow. We got along well..."
"I noticed she's been coming along, big enough to step over the door back there. Does she know?"
"Yes. And she has every intention to help me. Like I said, nice Lusus." Aria chuckled.
"It's nice to have that kind of relationship with your parents. Personally, I was raised by a wolf clan back on my planet, and you seem to live by the same rules I use to live by."
"I guess the Ancients Ancestors were right, we are a lot alike."
"Nit just us. Zircon and Emmy have their own troll counterparts. I have a plan. How about we save the world, then revolt? Cause then, if they don't follow us for our deed of saving their own planet, then we can revolt and prove them wrong." Anasta hummed.
"That is a good idea...You're smart, Aria."
"Aw come on....Im sure you could've thought that too..." a groan sounded behind Aria, Ultimate tossing and turning, cold without Aria by his side. Anasta chuckled.
"Looks like he's cold."
"Yeah...Well, Good night."
"Good Night." Aria curled up by Ultimate's side and quickly slipped into sleep. Anasta, however, lay awake in her tent that night, dreaming of a world were everyone, mutant, Nobel, and highblood alike were all equal, and blood was simply blood. All while Karkat cuddled her to keep her warm through the fall night.
***
The next morning, Anasta awoke to un uncomfortable flapping noise. She stood up, Karkat still having a tight grip to her abdomen, his head leaning on it. She chuckled and eventually escaped, looking outside and seeing Aria flying around over the trees, Gamzee struggling to follow.
"Oh mAn! ThIs iS SoMe kInD Of aWeSoMe mIrAcLe! HoW Do i fLaP AgAiN!?" Ultimate flew by his side.
"Strengthen the muscles in your back. They should flap depending on how hard and strong your muscles are." Aria flew ahead.
"Is that why you only raise your shoulders a little, Ulti?"
"Yeah, cause I'm strong." She heard Sollux.
"my turn next!" Mituna groaned.
"N0, L177L3 BR0!! MY TURN N3X7!" Aria flew between them.
"Boys...Boys...I can give both of ypu wings at the same time and treach you at the same time. No need to fight. As long as you keep your agreement up."
"two join Anasta wiith fiightiing Eriidan to 2upport the 2ufferer's Code? I remember...II do not want two be a coward."
"N0R D0 1..."
"Or mE!" Gamzee shouted from the sky. Anasta chuckled and exited, everyone seeing and cheering. Palina approached her.
"We've al decided to assist you. Aria gave quite a convincing speech. And a plan she developed. It sounds fool proof."
"I know, but from my studies, Eridan is not afraid to kill. Nor afraid to imprison and torture. We have to proceed with caution."
"we understand that!" Palina chuckled.
"Yeah. I only just met Eridan in the comic and already he seems shady to me." Emmy declared. Zircon and Polara shrugged, rolling with it like they were used to doing.
"So, when and where exactly do we save the world?"
"Well, why not go to the source? Cirrus and Spade travelled unsafely, and they caused this bizarre mess. Now if I know Cirrus at all, he ha already built his own castle by this point in time. So, we fly until we find a castle."
"What about Anasta's Lusus?"
"Being raised by wolves, she can sniff out any Mobian hedgehog if I let her smell me." Aria walked over to Anasta's Lusus and awoke her, the gigantic wolf sniffing Aria all around. Everyone watched with high hopes, almost ignoring Ultimate teaching Sollux, Vriska, Karkat and Mituna to fly. The wolf put it's nose into the air, opening it's eyes and standing up.
"She's got something! Everyone ready to pack up and head out?" Everyone nodded, packed up, and, with help, flew into the sky, the Lusus below them leading them towards a foreboding castle in the distance.
***
Cirrus laughed, forcing the purple and fuchsia blooded trolls down onto their knees. Their shackles made them bleed, and tears the color of their blood. Cirrus lifted Fuchsia, he called her, up, staring her in the eyes, and chuckling evilly.
"You are now under my command, highblood, and will do whatever I say." the Fuchsia, originally named Feferi, drooped her eyelids in a trance.
"Yes....Cirrus..." Cirrus smiled.
"Sleep. You've earned it." he turned to the purple blood, Eridan. He looked him in the eye, removing his glasses.
"Think you can see without these?"
"no givve those back this moment you alien you tyrant!" Cirrus growled at his remark, tossing the lenses to the ground and stepping on them, shattering them to bits and locking eyes with Eridan, hypnotizing him as well. Eridan tried to fight back against the trance, but gave in, drooping his head and eyelids.
"i noww servve you ruler cirrus ruler of darkness to vvanquish the light by your side..." Cirrus chuckled evilly.
"Then my first command for both of you, find Aria and Anasta, and whatever duo is listed in the Ancient Prophecy." Feferi and Eridan nodded in sync, turning around like soldiers, and leaving the castle with their team of fighters. Spade watched it all in awe.
"Maybe he isn't as useless as I once thought..." Spade repeated that thought as he curled into bed that night, imagining the death of his enemies, Anasta, and Aria. Oddly, Aria's death thought didn't seem as clear. As if something would happen in the future involving her dream self on Prospit.
