To The Grave
The sound. I heard the cry and froze, an involuntary gasp slipping through my mandibles. I was a goddamn Turian, leader of the Talons. Yet that cry made me afraid. It turned me into a little human female cowering from the creature they referred to as a wolf. Solitary. Majestic. Savage. It summed up Aria. I continued running, I couldn't let myself become distracted by that self-centred bitch of an Asari.
I continued running, nothing but the sound of my footsteps evident to the hot, stagnant air around me. I was privileged to hear the desperate pounding of my own heart. Calling it my own was stupid. As she said, I wore my weakness on my chest. Or maybe it was my heart that was indeed my weakness. It was not even solely mine anymore. Again I pushed the thought aside with a shake of my head.
I leapt from a ledge, landing on my feet and fingers as I crouched to take the impact. A solitary shot rung as I gazed down towards Afterlife. Oh the memories that cursed place held. Now Cerberus defiled it. I tensed my jaw, if anyone was to defile Afterlife it would be Aria T'loak.
My thoughts froze as the bright blue of the creatures came into view, I swallowed. The human like feet infected with Reaper tech up the legs and a body no longer even resembling human, or Turian, or any sapient species. The things freaked me out. Got under my skin. Froze my insides with fear.
I couldn't let my fear paralyse me. Unable to hold it down I used it, forcing it to make me move faster. I saw the creature destroy the Baterian civilian. I couldn't help let out a pained gasp. It was not his fate, it shouldn't have been. I failed once again.
Next I knew I was standing behind the monsters. I felt the metal in my hand, slippery from my sweat and hot to the touch against my palm. I felt my finger slightly bent in its tensed position on the trigger. There was no relief, threatening to fire or firing the gun left my hand tense, and it followed through into my body. I chose the latter option without a moment's hesitation. The explosion of blue blood rewarded me as my shots hit the monsters in the back.
I saw the civilian cowering and felt my heart flutter. What I wouldn't give to swap positions with that soul, to be hiding away safe from the creatures as a hero saved my life. For a moment my hands shook as I saw the three creatures round on me. I didn't freeze this time as the glowing blue orbs the size of a fist glared at me, promising a painful death. I kept firing. Everything was a haze as I fired. I saw another civilian grabbed, I fired a shot towards the creature in a futile attempt to save another life. It was then I heard the door open.
I turned, seeing three more creatures approaching at the demonic hobble. My heart pounded louder than the snarling abominations. I looked around. Fear. Desperation.
"Must find something to stop these creatures"
My eyes fell on a dead Cerberus agent, with a belt full of unused grenades. I couldn't weigh up the consequences as I leapt forwards and grabbed the belt. With a groan I threw it forwards and began moving towards the belt. I heard the door open.
"No time to see who that is. Not from the side these creatures have come from. More Civilians. I can't allow that to happen"
I was standing near the belt as I threw a biotic field up. Strangely I was calm. I wanted to run, to abandon this foolish one way plan. But I could not. No longer was one life important. Sacrifices had to be made. I was making the sacrifice for the people of Omega. For… For Aria. I didn't know what I wouldn't give to tell her everything I had forgotten to say. To apologise for everything I had done to hurt her, to make her apologise for hurting me. For just one more touch on her soft blue skin. No. Looking to those arriving had to be a compromise.
It seemed fate was kind as I looked up to lock eyes with the devil I loved. Aria's bright blue eyes were wide and afraid. She was panicking. Her mouthing open as she sprinted with all her might towards me. I couldn't contain the tears threatening to pour as I held a brave face. The look on Aria's was not the Pirate Queen everyone knew, or the heartless bitch she put on. It was the woman I had fallen in love with.
"Don't you dare!" I heard Aria's voice in my mind. I felt her pushing a meld against me, I offered no resistance. I allowed her to see everything. The wave of panic, and dare I believe it in my final moments, love that hit me was extraordinary. It gave me the courage to push her mind out of mine. I would not let Aria suffer this any more than she already had to.
"I'm sorry Aria. I love you" I offered a final thought through the meld before I shattered it. I would face this alone. For a change I would be the lone wolf with Aria staring after me, knowing I would never return.
I heard the grenades beeping quicken to its final peak. The snarling of the monsters in my field.
I had one thought. Again, I thought of Aria. Not the alias she had taken but her real identity she had trusted to me. It was a well-kept secret.
The grenades exploded. The burning pain was quicker than the curse that I tried to utter. My field held strong, taking my remaining life force. The explosion burned through my eyes and robbed the vision of Aria from me forever.
Her real name was one thing that she guarded more closely than her heart.
I took it to my grave.
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Author's Note:
Yeah. So I got bored and wrote up a quick, 10 minute piece.
I could really use advice on first person as it is a strange domain of writing for me. This is just off my view of the Omega death of Nyreen.
My view on Aria's character is she has the softer side. I'm worried I show through instead of Nyreen with first person. So crit is welcome and advice is begged for.
Either way I hope you enjoyed this quick oneshot I wrote which is again unusual for me. If you enjoy then read some of my stuff. If you write Mass Effect or Skyrim send me a reading request via PM.
Later guys.