𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 , shuri udaku - discontinued

FAMILY IS FOREVER

CITY OF STARS.
24. ❛ family is forever. ❜

AQUARIA'S HEAD BROKE through the surface of the water, a nostalgic feeling washing over her body when her eyes caught the beautiful cave she was in with glowing worms and crystals hanging from the ceiling.

A smile graced her face as she closed her eyes, allowing herself to take in the marine scent of her home. She walked out of the water slowly, making her way to her room quietly.

Nightfall had taken over and by the time Aria got to Talokan, everyone should've been asleep. She walked into her room and placed her bow and quiver on the floor, walking around the room.

Her finger brushed against her bedside desk and a thin layer of dust had collected. She figured that nobody had been in her room since she left because everything was as she left it.

A little jab of pain went through her abdomen and she held her hand to it. She was still sore from the surgery but the water's healing factors definitely helped. She reached her hand up to her neck to touch her seashell necklace only to remember she gave it to Shuri.

Aria sighed through her nose and walked out of her room, making her way to the mural. She walked slowly and took time to enjoy being back home and when she finally reached her destination she saw her father with his regal gold armor and shawl painting on a wall with a paint pallet in one hand and a brush in the other.

Aria tilted her head and quietly stepped into the room, staring at the new painting that somehow resembled her in a way.

"Ts'o'ok u taktal in wilech. (I missed you.)" K'uk'ulkan announced, having known of his daughter's presence long before she even stepped out of the water. "Supongo u lela' ba'ax ku supone K'a'abet in wa'alik ti' teech tin wa'alaj. (I guess this is where I'm supposed to say I told you so.)"

"Teene' xan... a... extrañé, yuum. (I missed... you... too, papa.)" Aria managed to squeak out, holding her hands to her bandaged throat in pain.

Aria's father turned around at the sound of pain in her voice, staring at her ragged appearance. He dropped the paintbrush and pallet, rushing over to examine his daughter. The worry in his eyes showed brightly as he softly examined the bandage on Aria's stomach, leg, and throat. "Oh, Aria... Ba'ax tu beetajo'ob teech. (Oh, Aria... what did they do to you.)"

Aria didn't say anything as tears welled up in her eyes, throwing herself in her father's comforting arms. She snuggled her face in his chest as her body shook with each sob she let out, "Tenías t'aan. Teech... Yaan t'aan. In akaljantik... In akaljantik. (You were right. You... were right. I'm sorry... so sorry.)"

The feathered serpent god tightly wrapped his arms around Aria, not wanting to let go. Even though seething rage flooded his body, K'uk'ulkan stayed calm for his broken daughter that cried in his arms. "Ma'alo'ob. Ku ki'imaktal in wóol ti' u hayas suut, in chan océano. (It's okay. I'm just glad you're back, my little ocean.)"

Aria's injured leg gave out and she sank to the floor with her father holding her tightly. "In akaljantik. (I'm sorry.)" Aria apologized again, leaning into her father to seek for comfort.

"Shh." The king shushed softly, running his fingers through his daughter's long blue hair, and staring out into the water. It seemed to rock back and forth restlessly, mirroring the raging currents in his soul. The glittering anger shined in his eyes knowing that someone was responsible for this.

The sound of Aria's cries was enough to bring back old memories of his late love and how she was killed by surface dwellers.

Aria's physical and mental state seemed to have just finally set him over the edge. He vowed that he will have the world burn at his feet. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday they will beg him for mercy for what they did to his daughter.

And so for now, a father hummed an old lullaby to his sobbing daughter, rocking her back and forth as they sat on the floor. Aria could feel her eyes get heavier with every note her father hummed and the last thing she felt before she fell asleep was a featherlight kiss on her head.

THE FOLLOWING MORNING Aria could be seen sitting on her throne that still sat next to her mother's unused one, the jade and vibranium never ceasing to glow. As she zoned out she played with the Wakandan ring on her finger.

She hadn't slept, she couldn't. Every time she closed her eyes, the worse flashbacks of the war infiltrated her mind.

Every time she sat there, watching over her people and celebrating her kingdom, she would always remember her mom's face. Remembering the proud look she had when Aria raised her fist to her chest along with everyone else for the first time or when she learned how to use her siren song.

She hugged her knees to her chest and stared down at the bustling underwater kingdom, her eyes saddening when she thought of her girlfriend. She never really understood her father's emotions when it came to her mother but now she did. And as much as she was happy she could now empathize with her father, she wished it didn't take losing Shuri to understand.

Lifting her eyes up, Aria saw her cousin swimming towards her. Namora bowed her head and eyed the girl, "Le ch'úupalo' superficie. Le jela'antak. (That surface girl. You miss her.)"

Aria's mouth opened in shock, "Bey u J-binech teech. Jáal. En le Maldivas. (So it was you. On the beach. In the Maldives.)" Namora bowed her head shamefully and nodded. "J-binech le salpicaduras tin wu'uyaj. (You were the splash I heard.)"

"Táan a revisando. Acuario ka'ach náachil ti' ya'ab k'iin. Tin tukultaj ka'ach kimen! (I was checking up on you. Aquaria you were gone for a long time. I thought you were dead!)" Namora exclaimed in a hushed whisper. "A yuum ojéeltmil. Ma' taak ka'ach in wa'alik ti' ka'ach u Wakanda, ba'ale' Leti'e' tu yilaj yan wéet. Leti' u yojel leti'e', le princesa. (Your father knows. I didn't want to tell him she was from Wakanda but he saw for himself. He knows she's the princess.)"

Aria rubbed her temples anxiously before shaking her head and swimming away in search of her father. She found him talking with one of the healers but when he caught sight of her he dismissed the healer. "I have good news-"

"Don't hurt her mother. Don't hurt any of the Wakandan residents please, papa." Aria pleaded, "They didn't do this to me. It was the aliens."

K'uk'ulkan sighed, "I had warned you. I had warned you countless times. Yet you ignored me and went to Wakanda either way and fell in love with the princess. The princess, Aquaria!"

"I-I know." Aria nodded, swallowing down the pain from talking.

"And that's not the worst of it." K'uk'ulkan started, swimming closer to his daughter, "You fought for them!"

"I know."

"Ka'atéen! (Twice!)" Her father exclaimed, disappointment in his voice, "No, I won't hurt them. Their princess is dead, nothing is tying you to that place anymore."

"Why do you hate them so much?" Aria asked.

"Just go away, Aquaria." The king shook his head turning around to swim away.

"Ma'! (No!)" Aria hissed, grabbing her father's wrist and pulling him back to her. "Tell me! Why?! Why do you hate them so much?!"

"Because King T'Chaka killed my Marina!" That shut Aria up quickly. "King T'Chaka killed your mother and your brother."

Aria stood in shock for a few moments, her father's chest heaving up and down with adrenaline. "I had a broth-"

"Yes." K'uk'ulkan cut her off coldly. "Your mother was pregnant with a boy... and we were going to tell you that day she was murdered. Who do you think set N'Jadaka in the right direction?"

Aria stood in silence watching as her father shook his head and swim off somewhere. A thousand thoughts flooded through her brain and before she could get lost in them, she too swam away.