Aro looked over to Khelfin who sighed before answering him. Although Aro was disappointed by Khelfin’s reply, he could hardly blame anyone for having a negative outlook in today’s harsh climate. 

“Look Khelfin, I get it. We’ve lost everything we knew, the world is severely fucked and almost everyone who has seemed to survive is corrupt. Sometimes it seems like there’s no point in caring because no one cared enough to try save our world the first time, but say that Cooper is planning something... Something big, and it destroys the world even more than it is now. Anyone that survives will think one thing... Why did no-one stop him? We can be the change we want, we can be the people who did care enough to end the cycle of evil” 

Aro looked around to see he was met with eyes that questioned his positivity in the matter. He sighed and sat down again.

“I haven’t always thought like this... it’s just....” He closed his eyes and sighed again “...I don’t remember a world before the apocalypse. I know I was part of it but the first memory I have is of Petros and Miss Amy finding me all those years ago. I guess I could of lived with it, learnt to grow with acceptance but there was something in the way Miss Amy looked at me, treated me, that just screamed that she knew who I used to be. That’s why I carried on being a fossil hunter, because I knew she could tell me who I really am and one day I’d find out. And now she’s dead....”

Aro paused for a moment

“...it’s not even that I miss her because although I’m grateful for her finding me, I always knew she was hiding my real identity but now I have no way of finding out.”

“Which is why I’ve realised, if I can’t remember what I did in my past life, I best make this one as good as possible just in case. I realise the odds are against me and I’m not asking anyone to lay their life’s on the line for me, you could all go your own way in the morning and there would be no hard feelings on my end. But if any of you feel the same as I do then I’d be glad to have any of you along for the ride.” 

Aro smiled as he finished talking, it felt good to share about his struggle for the first time. Red, who previous to this conversation had been munching down any food he could get a hold of, had now jumped up next to Aro on the rock in support, as did Honedge on the other side. Aro laughed slightly as he looked around for answers from the others.