New Beginnings Chapter 16

Aria felt the crunch of the once-alive grass under her feet, sighing. She couldn't save this world. She just couldn't. She couldn't have the whole world looking up to her, the ugliest on this planet, or the next.  She felt something pick her up, seeing Gamzee's face as he turned her around.
"AiN't ShE PrEtTy?" Karkat gasped at the sudden motion.
"GAMZEE! PUT HER DOWN!" Aria held up a finger, looking into the troll's eyes, knowing his story from memory. A troll abandoned rom his Sea-Goat Lusus, his  love for Sopor, all of it. She climbed her way onto his shoulders and grabbed his horns.
"Onward my steed!" she said proudly, pointing ahead of them. Gamzee scoffed.
"ShE lIkEs It." Ultimate chuckled and saw Sollux talking with Zircon a few feet ahead, Zircon was soon on his shoulders. Aria chuckled and looked down to Gamzee, squishing his nose.
"I don't mind if you say honk, Gamzee..." Gamzee smiled and yelled loud and clear.
"HoNK!!!!!!!!" Aria laughed so hard, she fell off the troll, he swiftly catching her.
"W-Wow..." Aria said, trying to catch her breath.
"Thanks, Gamzee..." Ultimate walked behind them, his mind fighting with his own mental troubles.

***

That night, the Alternian sun sunk over the horizon, and Aria watched from the window, wearing Dave's shade. He stood watching, talking to Anastasia.
"Who are the rats?"
"They're not rats, Dave. They're..Uh...Aliens I guess...."
"So I know two species of alien now. Cool." Anastasia smirked.
"Where's John?" Dave looked down to her, his red eyes gleaming. 
"H-Hes outside. Why?"
"Just wandering. The world's in danger. We need all the help we can get." Dave nodded.
"I'll go talk to him." walked off at that moment, and Anastasia took one more glimpse at Aria before walking off to sleep. They were in her rock-themed hive, and her lusus was out catching dinner. Assuming from Aria's fighting skills, she was quite a hunter herself. Just then, the green one, her husband, zoomed by Anastasia and into the room Aria was in.

***

Aria looked to Ultimate oddly.
" What?" Ultimate had his hands on her shoulders.
"Aria...please....tell me why we haven't had a single Saturday since we came back from killing Noroi...." Aria gulped.
"Its personal, Ulti...." Ultimate sprouted tears.
"Are...you...cheating on me?"
"NO!" she said with a heavy frown.
"Then what?" Aria sighed.
"I can't have anymore kids." Ultimate's ears perked.
"You...got yourself..."
"I needed to....We can't keep popping out children. I feel hated, but I love you and my children. But, I can't have any more. And we can't have Saturday for two more weeks." Ultimate smiled.
"Ari....You can tell me anything....You didn't have to keep that a secret....What's so embarrassing about that?"
"Nothing I guess...." He hugged her and glided his fingers through her hair.
"Ari...You can tell me anything, K? And two weeks can make up for no more kids...." Aria smiled and nuzzled into his neck, hearing someone call from downstairs.
"Guys! Dinner's here!" Aria smiled and took his hand, kissing Ultimate before rushing him downstairs.

***

Aria gasped at the sight that lay before her. She ignored the smell of meat and blood and looked up to the huge wolf towering over her. She remembered a day back in her wolf clan where word began passing around of a pup with a dream of the Great Wolf. The Great Wolf had a pelt white as snow, insect like eyes, and curling fur. It was 8x bigger than the biggest wolf alive, and was graceful and ancient. And now, she stood before her. Aria petted a curled hair on its paw.
"The Great Wolf...I did not know you lived in Alternia...." The lusus looked down to her, Aria looking back up. Anastasia chuckled.
"Lusus, that's my friend Aria. Her family and friends came along too. And they're not food, okay?" The lusus growled in a comforting way, almost purring as she lifted Aria onto her muzzle. Aria smiled at the insect eyes and petted her muzzle.
"I've waited all my life to see the Great Wolf..." She spoke in a whisper.
Well, she's my lusus, Aria. Do you know what a lusus is?"
"Yep. A troll's guardian over a troll's parents. Although, I'm confused. How do you know your mother and father when a troll mustn't possess such knowledge?"
"Wolves are highly attached to their own parents, and my lusus wants me to know my parents, so she carries me to my mom and dad from time to time. Cause she wants me to know my parents in case she dies, they die, or I die. Whichever comes first."
"That's sweet..." Aria said with a smile, the wolf setting her back down the Anastasia calling everyone to the table to eat. They enjoyed a happy dinner under the watching eyes of Lusus, as the wolf looked to the moon, and felt the end of both Anastasia and her friend's world coming to a close. And hoping that together, they could save both Alternia and Mobius as she had witnessed millions of eons ago.

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