Been streaming this since it came out, not even a bit ashamed.

Third Person View

*Play Song*

"Gone, gone?" Aphmau's face held pure horror, but nothing compared to Nana's.

As tears welled, she asked an even scarier question.

"Is he—a walker?"

Travis worked his lip, Katelyn's hand on his arm reassuringly. "We don't know. He could be that or two other things."

Nana didn't say anything, probably because she couldn't, but she gestured for him to continue.

Travis complied, saying: "He could either be part of a rogue squad lead by...Ein..." He looked at Aphmau briefly, who shuddered not so silently at the very mention of her ex's name, Aaron raising an eyebrow at this. 

Small world.

Garroth cleared his throat, finishing. "Or he could be on Elysium...with my parents."

Everyone but Aaron and Melissa, gasped in shock at this comment.

"They...abandoned you?" Cadenza asked, her eyes squinted in pity.

"My parents were already on Elysium beforehand, touring it like a vacation....I don't know about Zane, but at least my parents are safe."

"And...what about Vlyad?" Cadenza meeped, unsure if she was ready to hear the words echoing in her mind.

Garroth just shook his head slightly, his face blank as he comforted Cadenza who broke down into a sobbing tantrum.

"Come, let's talk somewhere safer."

That's what they all say, but what safety does this ruined world have left to offer?

*

They were back in the room Aphmau had been in earlier, but what she had not realized that it was much larger than she thought. It was a part of an abandoned tree house, in the tallest, towering tree as the eye could see.

All the couples were in their own little reunions, and the fangirls, except Nana, were freaking out, eating pizza slices from god knows where.

"I shall name you—Sir Pizaz the 4th." Crystal proclaimed as she wolfed down the pepperoni pizza slice, tapping her "food babies" in satisfaction.

Nana was curled up on the worn out brown couch in the corner, near an open window overlooking the long drop to the ground and the whole forest. The couch's leather was cracked in a manner that allowed the underlying foam to puff out periodically.

She was talking to Garroth silently.

"When did you see him last?" Nana inquired, her voice obviously reserved as she spoke.

"The last I heard of him is when you last saw him, he was upstate on a business trip—" Nana stopped him, blushing.

"Woah woah, how did you know—"

"Nana, you think I wouldn't notice if my brother, Zane of all people, was sneaking around with his ex?"

Nana sighed, enveloping herself in an attempt to reassure herself, failing miserably. Garroth, realizing this, took her into his arms as she cried softly into his shoulder, thinking about the elaborate, terrifying things that could be happening to him that second.

Aaron was leaning with his forearms against the wooden fence surrounding the small terrace jutting out from the side of the tree house, watching the sun melt into the horizon as the world fell victim to the darkness. 

"You never were very discreet." 

Aaron didn't jump but gracefully angled his head so his gaze met Melissa's, the obvious weakness in her voice causing Aaron to wince.

"Stop it. Stop worrying about me." Melissa commanded, also leaning against the rail, a self-evident wince emitting from her as she tried to position herself in a comfortable position.

"Here, let me help—" Aaron started to maneuver himself to her,  but Melissa raised a wary hand.

"No, I got it. Well, your instincts have gotten better, to say the least."

Aaron's soft state tensed, his muscles contracting as he straightened his stance.

"It's never enough. They will never amount to what I've lost."

"Hey," Melissa reached her frail fingers to tilt his chin so he was facing her. "When you get to Elysium, they can fix them for you. You'll be able to—"

"When we get to Elysium." He corrected, but then he heard her scoff.

"Oh Aaron, we both know I'm not making it to Elysium in time." Before Aaron could delve into a major dispute, Melissa pulled up the collar of her sleeve, revealing greyish boils developing, doing the same to the collar of her shirt, her collarbone riddled with puss oozing gashes.

Aaron smelled the air, then touched them, exhaling, shaking his head slowly.

"You have a life beyond this Aaron, your problem has a solution. Mine doesn't." Melissa placed her palm on his cheek, her fingertips on the bandanna. "At least promise me something?"

"Anything."

"Before you be with her, tell her about the bandanna. She deserves to know."

Before Aaron could argue, again, Melissa shushed him, whispering while gesturing to Aphmau. "Now go—hit that."

Aaron chuckled at his sister's silliness, Melissa throwing her hands in the air, claiming she knew guy talk until they heard a series of distant explosions, everyone in the house silencing.

Until Laurence growled. "Ein."

Have a nice day my crystals!