RR Presents Oneshots

Last Act (Ariden)(Aru Shah)

"Oh no, no, no," Aiden breathed as he rushed over to Aru, after having killed the demon guarding her tomb.

Hesitantly, he reached out and touched her right hand, whose ring finger still bore the sign of their marriage. Her skin was still warm, like she was just sleeping. A look upon her face also seemed to convey that she was just resting and would wake up sometime soon.

But, no. He'd gotten the message that she'd died under unknown circumstances while he was out of town. Immediately, he'd raced back, picking up something on the way. The item lay in his pocket, cold even though it had been resting against his skin for more than a few hours.

The fingers on his other hand traced her cheek, then her lips. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the cold glass bottle with a skull and crossbones label.

"Here's to you, my love," He said.

Uncorking it, he downed it quickly, like a shot of alcohol. Immediately, his legs went weak. He dropped the bottle and steadied himself on the slab of rock Aru lay upon.

For his last act, he leaned down and kissed her softly, then dropped to the ground.

Unable to see in the pitch-black dark, Rudy lit a torch. He cautiously crept down the steps of the mausoleum. He'd heard a noise, like a scuffle, coming from down here.

Entering the tomb, it was quiet. Too quiet. Then, a noise. A little glass bottle rolled on the ground, stopping right at his foot.

"Who's there?" He called, his voice shaking.

No response.

Rudy lifted the torch, its light now illuminating the body of the guard, his blood pooling on the floor.

He wanted nothing more than to bolt, but he had something important to do. Carefully stepping around the blood, he made his way over to Aru's resting place.

He stepped on something soft, and recoiled immediately, a scream lodging in his throat. The torchlight showed the body of Aiden, lying right by Aru.

"Aiden!" He hissed. "What are you doing down there?"

It was only when he leaned closer did he see that Aiden's eyes were closed. He touched Aiden's chest, looking for a heartbeat.

When Aiden didn't stir, he freaked and shook Aru's shoulder. "Aru! Wake up!"

Aru's eyes fluttered open, and she slowly sat up. "What... where's Aiden?"

Rudy's heart felt tight in his chest. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out before Aru looked and saw Aiden there on the ground. Her hands flew to her mouth.

"Aiden!"

Rudy heard the footsteps of several people approaching. Surely others from the town had heard the same noise, and were now coming to investigate.

"Come on, Aru, we've got to get out of here. The others are coming! How will you explain this to them? They think you're dead!"

"Go," Aru said, her eyes still locked on Aiden's face. "I'll be... right behind you."

Rudy nodded and disappeared up the opposite set of stairs, leaving the torch in Aru's hands.

Aru climbed down from her coffin, kneeling right by Aiden's head. The torchlight showed the glass bottle with the skull label, having rolled back to a few inches away from Aiden's hand. Instantly, she'd known what had happened.

"Oh, Aiden," she breathed, brushing away a lock of his black hair from his forehead. "How dare you die without me?"

She leaned down and kissed him, hoping for a few drops of poison lingering on his lips to take her life as well, but nothing happened.

She cursed the poison. "Not even a single drop? Your lips are still warm...."

Her eyes then flicked to the dagger on Aiden's belt.

Voices floated down from the stairwell, coming ever closer with the second.

Aru smiled and unsheathed the blade, holding the point against her chest.

"Let me die either way!"

For her last act, she stabbed herself, and collapsed right onto Aiden's chest. The torch fell from her hand and sputtered out on the floor.

Just as the others reached the tomb and saw the two star-crossed lovers laying still in each other's arms.

"CUT, CUT, CUT!" Brynne screamed into her megaphone. "ARU, I CAN STILL SEE YOU BREATHING! STOP..."

"Breathing?" Aru asked, getting up from off the floor of the stage. "You want me to actually die?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if she did," Aiden remarked dryly, accepting Aru's hand and getting to his feet, dusting off his shirt.

"NO!" Brynne shouted. "JUST STOP BREATHING SO NOTICEABLY!"

Rudy walked back onto stage. "Or maybe she could not die?"

"THAT'S NOT THE PLOT, RUDY!" Brynne yelled.

"Brynne," Mini said quietly. "Could we maybe dial back the fake blood everywhere? Just a teeny tiny bit?"

"NO!"

Hahaha... count this as my Halloween Ariden oneshot. I hope I actually convinced you that they died.

Baiiiii!