Aru Shah - Jumanji: The Next Level AU

Chapter 10

Aiden looked at Aru warily, "Now that everything's sorted out, what do we do next?"

Aru blinked, pointing at herself, "You're asking me?"

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, genius. You're the one that got us into this mess."

A flash of anger shone in Aru's eyes before left as quickly as it came. It was a reaction the gang knew too well. Aru was a master liar - a person who could suppress her emotions until the right time. Everyone tensed when she sighed, and spoke, "Okay, fine. My fault. It always is. So, I guess...our next course of action should be to figure out how to get you all back to normal. I'm keeping my character. MINE-"

Mini raised an eyebrow, being the only one who was unafraid to talk to a time bomb that could explode at any second. She put a hand on her friend's shoulder, "Aru, this is cool and all, but you gotta know that you'll be in your element as the Princess. You know how she works and what her weaknesses are. If we manage to find some way to turn back to normal, you're gonna have to change back."

Aru looked down and mumbled, "But-"

Mini gave her a sympathetic look, the same one that Aru loathed, "Aru, we all know you came back to be Princess Lightningale. Why do you even want to stay as-as Cleo Featherly?"

Aru glared, making Mini slightly go wide eyed, "Don't give me that look. True. I wanted to be the Princess, but things have changed, and if you truly were my friend then you would understand that," Aru said, pacing around, shooting glares at her friends, "I liked that power, yes. But something in the game glitched and I turned into Cleo. I didn't want to be Cleo at first. I mean, being related to Boo? Even in the game? Isn't real life enough? Of course, I didn't know I was related to him until you told me, but seriously, I've had enough! My life is already messed up as it is! I tried to escape from the real world. BUT HERE I AM! Still, related to the dumb, idiotic, bird boy WHO I WISH NEVER EXISTED! HE SHOULD HAVE DIED IN HIS OWN TIME, IN THE MOST HORRID WAY POSSIBLE! IT'S ALL HIS FAULT!" Aru breathed, not processing what she had just said as she continued, "Cleo was just me. A prettier version of me. An evil version of me. A version that made me feel like a super soldier. I wasn't the Princess. I wasn't someone anyone needed. I was...how do I say...allowed to be selfish. I didn't want to be Princess after I realized that I could be powerful like this. No one would ever catch me. I didn't have to help. And...I could finally have some time to think...I just-"

Aru gripped her head and groaned, "I WISH YOU GUYS NEVER CAME TO GET ME! I was doing fine on my own! You always have to put your little noses in my business, don't you? But when I finally need you guys, YOU'RE OFF FEEDING YOUR TURTLE! Always the excuses. I'm sick of it. I'll be Lightningale again, but don't think for even a minute that I'm doing it for you. I'm done with helping. I'm doing this with or without you. You got it?"

Everyone gaped at Aru. She had a scary glint in her eyes as she recovered from her rant. When realization hit her about what she had just said, Aru teared up, her hands clasping her mouth as she wished the past few minutes didn't happen. She fell to her knees, holding back her cries.

Mini walked up to her, "Aru...do you realize...you just said you wanted Boo to die..."

Aru nodded fervently, not looking at any of her friends. Her tears spilled slowly, but she managed to take a deep breath and stand up. She shakily turned her back to her friends, "F-Follow me. I-I may h-have a way to c-change back."

Mini glanced at her friends, who just looked back at Mini with the same sympathetic looks that started the entire, "Aru hates Boo," rant. Slowly, they shuffled behind Aru as she kept her hood up and walked forward. They almost lost her multiple times as she glided through the crowd, occasionally stealing things.

No one talked, but Aiden and, surprisingly, Rudy, kept their eyes on the girl the entire time. Rudy furrowed his eyebrows and thought, 'Alright. I've had enough. I'm talking to her.'

Much to Aiden's surprise, Rudy pushed his way through the group and speed-walked to Aru. He caught up to her and kept at her pace. He put a hand on her shoulder awkwardly, just like Mini. Aru was startled out of her thoughts as she immediately wiped the few tears she had.

She quirked an eyebrow at him, "What?"

He sputtered, "UMMM," Rudy sighed and decided to get on with it, "I'm not gonna sugar coat it. You were pretty awful back there."

Aru rolled her eyes, "Like I didn't notice, genius," she said confidently. Rudy could slightly hear the crack in her voice, though.

Like Aiden, Rudy had a habit of rubbing the back of his neck when he got nervous...so he did just that. He wasn't used to cheering people up, "Look, i-it's not your fault."

Aru kept her eyebrow up in scrutiny, "Tell me why not? I openly insulted someone who's literally like a brother to me. Someone I can trust my life with, but-"

He cut her off, "But nothing. It's normal to blame people when you're stressed or angry. We all know it wasn't your fault or his, so stop blaming yourself for something you didn't mean to say."

Aru looked in front of her before turning her gaze back to Rudy, "I can't help but think he heard me...like...I don't know."

Rudy smiled at her, his eyes turning soft, " Hey...it's okay. We're all here for you. And Boo's like 200 - something years old. He'll know that you didn't mean it."

Aru shrugged, "I guess. That doesn't take away the fact that those thoughts even came into my mind."

Rudy shook his head, "It doesn't. But for now, your best bet is to take that out of your head. We have a mission at hand. Remember?"

Aru smiled sadly and nodded to him before taking the lead again. Rudy slowly snaked his way to the back again (at least, however much you could when you're a literal human and not a snake man). Rudy had grown to like Aru - like a sister ya weirdos. He cared about her more than the other knew, and he would take care of her. He'd also get a whooping from a, now, jealous Aiden in 3, 2, 1.

"Rudy, Can I talk to you, please? " Aiden said, a glint flashing through his eyes as he glared at Rudy.