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Ego stared out at the horizon, sitting upon the edge of the tower, silently admiring that pale, cloudless sky painted with brilliant pinks, yellows, and reds that slowly grew blue as the sun rose.
This sunrise felt so.. different. He normally wouldn’t care, but this one felt important, a symbol of a new dawn for the entire universe, a new beginning.
It felt so strange to him, thinking about it and its symbolism. Humanity had won. There no longer needed to be any more death and pain. Humanity had survived, and just maybe they could now thrive alongside their allies.
Despite it all, the thrill of victory and that they could finally have peace… Ego didn’t know how to feel about it. He had dedicated the full ten years of his life to fighting this threat, and now that it was over… Ego didn’t know what to do.
Ego pondered, deep in thought when a hand was placed on his shoulder. He jumped back slightly, but swiftly calmed on seeing just who it was.
“Hi, Shaxx.” Ego signed to his husband.
“Ego!” Shaxx exclaimed, his voice powerful and bold as ever.
Despite Shaxx’s boisterous behavior, he sat down next to Ego and gently hugged him. Shaxx’s softness had always been a surprise to Ego, but it had always been a welcome one.
Ego simply rested in Shaxx’s arms for a long few moments before he finally decided to break the silence. He spoke, his rarely used voice a strained whisper. “I missed this…”
“I missed you the same, my love.” Shaxx hummed. Ego felt the titan’s thumb gently touch where his cheek would be underneath his helmet.
Ego sighed softly, Shaxx’s affections once more getting to him.
Silence once again fell between them, neither knowing what to say. However, words were not needed to express their feelings, nor their thoughts. Words were just preferred.
For a long while, they both just sat, admiring the slow sunrise, slowly turning the inky night to a glorious dawn. Both remained in thought, as well as in each other's loving arms.
For them both, it was a time of much change, one that would be difficult for those that had only known the war and death the Witness had wrought upon not just their system, but many others as well.
Yet it was also a time of peace… a time that would allow for prosperity, hope, and everything else that they had lost.
Ego looked up at Shaxx, silently wondering if he should speak.
Shaxx beat him to it though, and spoke first. The titan’s voice was a surprisingly soft and loving one. “Ego? Is something on your mind?”
Ego didn’t speak at first, but he eventually did speak, his mechanical voice faint and worn. “I suppose there is… I just… It’s hard to think that we’ve won.”
Shaxx simply nodded, allowing Ego to continue speaking.
“I don’t know if I should feel relieved that it’s over, or purposeless knowing that the thing I had dedicated my entire life to fighting is gone..”
Shaxx was about to speak before the familiar voice of Ego’s Ghost rang out.
“Relieved! Ego, you can finally make room for all of those hobbies you were complaining you couldn’t do! You can explore the vastness of the universe knowing that your people are safe! You can-”
Shaxx cut off the Ghost before he could continue.
“We don't need to hear your rant, Ghost.” Shaxx momentarily paused before continuing, this time to the hunter in his arms. “But, yes. Your Ghost is correct.”
Ego listened as Shaxx spoke, and his Ghost grumbled bitterly about being interrupted.
“It's fine, Cryst. We understand what you were getting at.”
His Ghost, Cryst, seemed to calm slightly from that, but still seemed bitter about being interrupted by Shaxx as he hid in the hood of Ego’s cloak.
Ego chuckled before speaking to Shaxx again in his soft voice. “I think you've upset him.”
“We do not need to hear an hour-long rant from him.” Shaxx huffed, causing Ego to let out a quiet laugh.
“I am greatly offended that you don't want to hear my speeches!” Cryst’s voice was of mock arrogance and offense as he burst out from beneath Ego's cloak hood, showing that he too was now joking along.
Ego spoke once more, his soft voice showing joy and amusement. “I love you two…”
Cryst responded by making a small squeak sound and hiding back in Ego’s hood. Shaxx responded by gently taking Ego’s hands, and speaking in a soft voice. “I love you all the same, Ego.”
Ego hummed happily, snuggling against Shaxx, his gaze returning to the rising sun and the surrounding sky.
“It really is such a stunning sight…” Cryst hummed from underneath Ego’s hood, his blue optic peering out from underneath it.
Ego held out his hand, and his Ghost floated out from beneath his hood, resting in his palm.
“It truly is.” Ego signed somewhat clumsily with his available hand. He once again felt Shaxx wrap his arms around him in a comforting embrace.
The three of them all watched as the sun rose, brilliant yellows, pinks and blues being colored on the sky’s canvas.
It was a new dawn, both a literal one for the new day, and one that would forever symbolize the new beginning humanity had been given.
And it was all the more wonderful to Ego to be able to experience it with his husband and his Ghost.