Chapter 26 I Forgive You

The roller coasters proved to be a lot of fun, which was good for both Ludwig and Aria. Sometimes, all a person really needs is just a fun activity that involves a lot of screaming and the feeling that you're right on the cusp of death's door. Ludwig loved every second that he was on the coaster. Sure, this case didn't erase the fact that he knew he wasn't in any sort of real danger. But still, it made him happy, which was the only thing that mattered.

Once he got off the coaster, he went over to Aria. She had finished her go on the coaster already, so now she was standing by and keeping a firm grasp on the llama plushie. Not only did Ludwig feel immensely relieved when he saw this, but he also couldn't help but laugh a little bit.

"You did a good job keeping the llama safe." He snickered, covering his mouth with his right hand. "I guess we have to call you the Plush Protector from now on."

Aria snickered right alongside him. "That sounds perfect. I'll head down to the courthouse tomorrow morning to make it official."

Both of them laughed at that, with Ludwig in particular feeling different forms of positivity welling up inside him. Sure, the fact that people were staring at the two of them didn't exactly make him feel peachy keen, but ultimately he felt as if this was a fun time. He felt as though this was one of those instances that he would remember for years to come, possibly even tell his children.

After they finished, Ludwig gestured toward the ferris wheel. "Well, let's go to the ferris wheel." He grinned. "I think it will be good for you, as it will give you the same sort of viewpoint I experience while flying."

"Ooh, that is true!" Aria said. "It'll help me relate to you more, so I'm definitely all for that!"

Ludwig chuckled, and together, they walked over to the ferris wheel. Ludwig hadn't exactly noticed it until this very moment, but the sun was in the process of setting. It rested just on top of the horizon line, sporting a red glow that would usually be considered uncharacteristic of it. The sky, for the most part, appeared to be glowing yellow, a pretty yellow that inspired joy and peace. The clouds also blended together in a showcasing of orange and pink, so scenic and dazzling that it put art showcased in even the greatest art galleries to complete and utter shame.

He supposed this display set up the mood for the ferris wheel ride. As soon as they paid the carnie, the two of them situated themselves down in the seat, right next to each other as a matter of fact. And since Aria kept the llama plushie on her opposite side, that meant that she and he were touching each other. Ludwig's heart fluttered because of this, and the fluttering only grew more pronounced as they ascended into the air. By all means, this whole experience was perfect.

At least, for a little bit. Once they were a quarter of the way up the wheel, Ludwig's stomach churned. As the wheel came to a stop, he looked into Aria's face. So much about this made no sense to him. So much about this experience screamed that it wasn't really happening, that Ludwig really was experiencing a dream. A pinch on the arm, however, informed him that this was happening, that this was real. Aria was sitting right by his side, and was even smiling despite all that he had told her. It made no sense to him; it didn't matter what angle he decided to view the situation under. Logically, it didn't make sense. Emotionally, it didn't make sense. None of this made a lick of sense to the oldest Koopaling, which in turn only caused him to grow more and more confused. He opened his mouth to say something to Aria, but he closed his mouth before giving himself the opportunity. Shivers and chills ran down both his arms and his spine, and they only seemed to get worse when the ferris wheel decided to start moving again.

Thankfully, once the two of them managed to come to another stop, right at the top of the ferris wheel, Ludwig finally did manage to find his voice again. "Hey, Aria?" She turned to look at him, her eyes the perfect color to complement the evening sky. He swallowed a lump, telling himself he shouldn't get hung up about that. He shouldn't get hung up about anything; he had a question that he needed to ask her. An important question at that.

"Aria, why did…" He swallowed another lump, realizing on some level that he was scared of this question's potential answer. "Why did you come back?" He cringed. "Why did you want to see me again? ME of all people?"

Aria smiled at him, causing the shivers to disappear and the fluttering to come back. "Well, do you want the long answer, or the short answer?"

Ludwig only took a second to consider this. "I want you to be as detailed as possible."

Aria nodded. The smile went away as she looked back out at the scene below him. She didn't look sad or angry, surprisingly enough. Instead, there was a thoughtful vibe to her expression, an intelligence and understanding there that no doubt signaled that she had tried her best to put herself in Ludwig's shoes.

"Well… I'm going to be as honest as possible, first off." She looked at Ludwig, her expression more serious than Ludwig remembered ever seeing from her. The seriousness only increased as she started to explain her viewpoint. "I really didn't want to give you a second chance." She turned back to look at the view. "I wanted to stop seeing you all together. I felt… I felt betrayed, if I'm being one hundred percent honest."

Ludwig's heart sunk into his stomach. "That… that makes sense." He could already imagine the emotions that had been swimming around in her mind, and none of them helped him to feel better. If anything, they made him feel sick.

"W…what made you change your mind?" Ludwig asked, feeling a smidgen of hope.

While Aria didn't smile, she still looked mightily less forlorn than just a few seconds ago. "Well… I needed some help figuring things out; an outside perspective, you could say." She pet the llama plushie. "So, I called my Dad."

"Okay…" Ludwig said. That sentence didn't do anything to help with the squirmy feeling in his stomach though. He tried to combat it, but he just felt more and more like he was going to vomit up the fried dough. It was a miracle that he didn't.

"And…" Aria spoke slowly as she continued explaining. "And he offered me a new perspective. He helped me realize that you never had any ill will."

"Okay…" What she said was the truth; he never had any ill will. However, he didn't know if that was enough justification for her coming back. Ill will or no ill will, what he did was still horrendous.

"Plus… he told me to listen to my heart." Aria chuckled. "And believe me, he never hands out advice like that, so I knew that it would be best for me to follow it." A small smile grew on her face, blossoming like a sweet, mature flower. "And… I realized something. Despite all that you had done, despite all the grief that you felt…" She looked into his eyes, hers glittering like jewels. "I still loved you."

Ludwig did a double take. "L…love me?" Okay seriously, was this all just a dream?

"Yes." This time, when she looked into his face, there was a completely new emotion there. It was one Ludwig had never really seen before, one that he had no idea how to accurately explain. All he knew was that his heart melted while looking at it, and it felt as if something entirely new was blooming within his soul.

"I love you, Ludwig. I love you more than I've ever loved anything or anyone before."

Despite that sentiment, he still looked away. This time, instead of fluttering, it felt as if the vessels and muscles around his heart were constricting. Tightening up, threatening to stop carrying blood and just leaving him without any oxygen to speak of.

He supposed it was only natural that he would begin crying because of that. "Aria…" he sniffled, drying the tears in his eyes with the edge of his cloak. "That's… that's…" he couldn't even respond. How could he express his emotions when he didn't even fully know how he felt?

"Hey." Aria put her hand on top of his. "It's okay." She leaned closer to him, placing her head securely on his shoulder. "I promise Ludwig, it's all okay."

Ludwig shook his head. "No, it isn't. You were right to feel betrayed before. And… and I don't deserve your love. I mean sure, I love you back, but… you should have nothing to do with me! What I did was horrible! What I did was…!"

"Ludwig!"

Ludwig stopped, blinking as he did. He looked into Aria's face, which now had… compassion?

"Ludwig, stop. It's okay. It's all okay."

Ludwig did a double take. "How? How is it all okay?"

Aria smiled the sweetest smile that Ludwig had ever seen in his entire life. She leaned in close to him, closer than she had ever done so before. As the ferris wheel started moving again, she said four words to Ludwig that changed everything.

"Because I forgive you."

Ludwig's heart skipped a beat. He looked into Aria's eyes, so deep that he practically had access to her soul. He almost couldn't speak.

"What?" he asked. It wasn't really a word so much as it was an astounded whisper, but it still conveyed the message accurately.

Aria rubbed his arm. "I forgive you," she said again.

Now, Ludwig had been living with the guilt of what happened to Frostwall for a little over fourteen years. All that guilt, all that regret, all the horrible feelings of depression, isolation, and even suicidal thoughts. All of these feelings had been stewing inside of him for so long that they became a constant, a permanent part of his identity. As horrible as it all was, he had known deep down that he would never escape his past. He would never not feel guilty.

But after hearing those words from Aria, the person who he had hurt the most…

He sniffled. Tears poured out of his eyes again. Only, there was something different about these tears. Most of the time, when he cried, tears only acted as a temporary relief to him. Now? Now, as he shed those tears, he felt like he was going through a process of renewal. All of those emotions he had felt fell away with the tears. All of that pain vanished, melting away as he cried more and more. For you see, those weren't sad tears he cried. They were happy. They provided him with a relief he never thought he'd feel, a sense of closure that he never would've imagined in a million years that he would get. As the sun vanished below the horizon line, so did his hurt and guilt. Why?

Because Aria forgave him.

"Aria…" Ludwig didn't even bother wiping away the tears, mostly because he didn't want this joy to stop. He smiled at her, feeling like every last bit of gunk in his soul had been lit ablaze and burned to dust. "Thank you!"

Aria beamed, wrapping her arms around him. "You're welcome."

Ludwig laughed, the sound so much more hearty and substantial than any other laugh he had produced over the past fourteen years. He wrapped his arms around Aria, feeling no sense of awkwardness and no sense of discomfort. This all felt right now. He was with the girl that he loved. He was with the girl who loved him back.

He was with the girl who forgave him.

As the light from the sun continued to darken, Ludwig looked back into Aria's sweet, amazing eyes. They provided a new type of light, one that lit up the evening in a way that the moon and stars never could. Slowly and surely, he leaned in closer to her. His face got closer and closer to hers, so close that he could see every detail of her face. He could smell her perfume, sense her thoughts.

"Ludwig, what are you doing?"

Ludwig didn't respond. Without much need for though or preparation, he tilted Aria' face up, making her lips much more easily accessible. Closing his eyes, he braced himself…

And he kissed her. Her, the girl who meant everything to him. As he kissed her, he could sense her body relaxing and loosening up. She put her hands gently on the nape of his neck, returning the kiss without any semblance of disgust or hesitance. He tasted her lips, drank in her smell. EVerything faded around her as the two of them locked lips and refused to let go. In this moment, nothing else mattered. In this moment, everything lined up. In this moment, everything…

Was perfect.

It was such a sad thing when he finally pulled away. Fortunately, the perfect mood that this present time consisted of wasn't anywhere close to ending. He looked into her eyes. She looked into his. She put her hand up to the jasper of his cloak, which he did too. The gem that had once been a scar, a reminder of all things he did wrong, now represented this moment. This moment, where everything lined up. This moment, where everything was right with the world, and where all grief and sorrow had melted away. This moment, where the old Ludwig von Koopa was completely gone. He was a new being. His past no longer mattered, not even the tiniest bit.

Ludwig smiled as he laced his fingers with hers. He felt like he had reached a level of joy that no one, not even Lemonade Natalie Koopa, had ever experienced before. He held onto Aria's hand, the joyous tears still falling from his face.

"I guess this means we're a couple now," Ludwig said, quietly but no less certain.

Aria nodded, all without getting rid of her smile. "I guess it does."

…

Later that evening, Aria and Ludwig entered in through the castle door with their hands intertwined. And honestly, upon entering through the door, Ludwig wasn't even the least bit shocked to see his siblings standing on the other side, waiting for his arrival. Of course word had traveled; it always did within the walls of the castle. Ludwig smiled when he saw his family, and Aria did so as well.

"Hey guys," Ludwig said.

None of the Koopalings said a word (which was probably the most shocking part of this whole day). Instead, they kept their eyes on Ludwig and Aria's intertwining hands. Their eyes were wide, their mouths hung agape. They didn't say anything, more or less letting everything sink in.

It was Wendy who finally managed to lift her head and look at her brother. "Did… did you guys…?"

Ludwig beamed. He nodded at his sister, an action that caused Wendy's body language to change. She squeed in delight, a delight that carried over to everyone else as they finally realized what exactly was happening.

"You mean you two are together now?" Larry asked, sounding like he was in the strongest state of shock ever.

Ludwig nodded. He looked back over at Aria, who smiled back at him. Her expression, while nowhere near as sweet as when they shared their first kiss, was still diabetically adorable. She stroked Ludwig's hand with her thumb, an action that only made the Koopaling's heart melt into an even larger and mushier puddle.

The Koopalings all did double takes. "That's awesome!" Lemmy squealed. He giggled, the sound loud and high strung, before going up to Ludwig and Aria. Based on the look he gave them, one would've expected they just got back from watching the new couple say their I do's. It was probably the most adorable expression Ludwig had ever seen on his brother, which was of course meant even more than the world they lived on.

Ludwig chuckled and patted Lemmy on the head, which only seemed to increase his happiness. "Yeah." He let go of Aria's hand for just one second before leaning down and hugging Lemmy. The hug, while not the most emotional hug shared between the two brothers, was easily the most grateful one.

"Thank you," Ludwig whispered to Lemmy. "Thank you for all the support you've given the two of us."

"Ludwig…" Perhaps Lemmy realized the cadence of Ludwig's voice, which now sounded far less burdened than before. Perhaps he sensed that Ludwig no longer felt like he was carrying the world on his shoulders thanks to his body language. Either way, the littlest Koopaling sniffled and hugged Ludwig back, squeezing tighter than he ever had before. "You're welcome, Buddy."

Ludwig grinned. He let go of Lemmy after a little bit and looked at the rest of his family, who looked more than a little excited.

"Hey!" Roy exclaimed. "This means that Ludwig is the second one of us to get a girlfriend!" He chuckled. "While I still feel really accomplished over being the first one, I will gladly say.., 'Luddy, welcome to the club!"

Ludwig sniffed. "Yeah, never call me Luddy again." He smiled. "But thank you. It certainly is a nice thing for me to say too."

The Koopalings all grinned. They crowded around the couple, showering compliments and congratulations on the two of them. Some of them made some tongue and cheek jokes (like Larry asking when they should expect to hear wedding bells),but for the most part, every single one of them were so happy to see the two of them together. Ludwig didn't blame them; this was such a lovely feeling. He wished it would last forever.

After a while, Ludwig held up his hand to quiet everyone down. "Alright, alright. Now, if you'll excuse me…" he looked back at Aria and took hold of her hand. "I need to take Aria home."

"Oh," Wendy said. "Okay."

"Make sure you fly safe!" Lemmy called that.

After receiving more comments and good byes from the other Koopalings, Ludwig and Aria stepped out. They looked upon the landscape, now illuminated by the silver light of the full moon.

"Do you think we could set up a date later?" Aria asked while chuckling.

"Oh yes, certainly." Ludwig waited a second or two before turning back to Aria. "Hey. Thank you. For everything."

Aria beamed. "You're welcome."

Ludwig smiled. He leaned in closer, and the new couple shared their second kiss ever. While not as amazing as the first, it was still very emotional. Ludwig knew that he would take his time to make Aria feel like the most special girl in the world. He would do it with a new, happy heart.

With this thought in mind, he took hold of Aria's hand, and together they rose into the air.

AN: Well, it's finished! I was originally planning on having this chapter be two, with the first ending with the first kiss and the second beginning with Ludwig and Aria arriving at the castle. However, I realized while writing that combing the two would make more sense (and help me reach the 3,000 word limit I've been trying to follow with the chapters of this story lol).

Thank you all so much for the support! I'm really glad that I managed to finish this, as this indicates the start of a new chapter in Ludwig's life an character development. I really hoped you all enjoyed watching him through this rough and bumpy journey.

Well, that's all for right now. I'll publish Episode 35 tomorrow. Stay safe and stay awesome, everyone! :)