Work Text:
The news traveled quickly once Star-Savior Rocky abruptly stopped attending engineering thrums. Even more so when Star-Savior Grace stopped holding classes. And it came to a head when Adrian stopped organizing biodome meetings.
---
Rocky went first.
He suddenly became ill, in a manner that was reminiscent of the rest of his crew on the Blip-A. If the doctors were asked, they would reference the notes on radiation provided to them by Star-Savior Grace. They suspected that Star-Savior Rocky's extended exposure to the radiation did ultimately lead to his illness. That it did, eventually, catch up with him.
It is said that Adrian's first heart gave out when Rocky became ill.
Rocky's mates Adrian and Grace refused to leave his side while he was sick.
If anyone even suggested that Grace needed to remember to eat, he would snap at them. Losing his temper in a way that they hadn't seen. It was almost always followed by a quiet apology, and silent tears falling down his face as he clung closer to both Adrian and Rocky.
The day that all of Rocky's hearts went still, the mourning songs of Adrian and the wails from Grace could be heard from the far reaches of Erid.
It is said that that's the day Adrian's second heart gave out.
---
Grace went second.
It was apparent to everyone that while Star-Savior Rocky had been ill, Star-Savior Grace was not faring much better. His refusal to eat and sleep were breaking him from the inside out.
He slept curled up against Adrian's carapace more days than not. Having cried out all of his energy. Adrian would keep watch over him sleeping until they too were too weary to stay awake.
It is said that Adrian's third heart gave out slowly - fading as they saw Grace do the same.
Barely any time had passed since Rocky's song became eternally quiet, when Grace joined him.
It is said that Adrian's fourth heart stopped with his that day.
---
Adrian went last.
They had waited, and known, that their Rocky was not dead amongst the stars. When he returned to them, they had to keep from snapping at those who had told them to accept it - that he was surely gone and not returning.
It was a miracle the day their Rocky returned, and a surprise when he brought an alien with him.
For all the time that had passed while Rocky had been gone, he and Adrian fell back together as easily as though they'd never been apart. Grace fit in perfectly between them as well.
When both of their mates had gone still, Adrian sang in mourning for hours and days on end. They were inconsolable.
They had known that Rocky wasn't dead amongst the stars. But, now he was dead back on Erid. It was a fact now. Nothing that they could attempt to disprove.
And Grace was gone with him.
When their song lulled to a stop, they dragged themselves up and moved as a shell of a being.
Their movements were significantly slower and their limbs dragged along the ground, unable to find the strength to fully lift them.
But, they had to keep going. Just for a little longer, they would remind themselves.
Their mates still needed to be laid to rest.
All three of them had laughed and agreed, Star-Savior Grace was more of an Eridian than a human after the time he spent on the planet. So, it made sense that he had requested to be laid to rest in the Eridian manner when his time came.
Eridians return to the soil, the ground, and allow nature to reclaim them.
Adrian took great care while moving their mates.
When Grace’s wish to be treated as an Eridian in death was heard, plans had been made at that point. Scientists had synthesized a mixture that allowed Grace's body to withstand Erid's atmosphere for long enough to be placed in the ground - without the need for a barrier of xenonite.
Adrian laid Grace in the ground with a care they had shown him over and over. Cradling him in their arms one last time.
Rocky was laid to rest with him. His body carefully moved to rest atop the ground where Grace was buried.
Adrian sang softly the whole time. No one dared to interrupt their work.
Only once had their mates been laid to rest, Adrian curled themselves around Rocky one more time. Their larger carapace cocooning him as it had done many times before.
With their final song they promised to protect both Rocky and Grace forever more.
It is said that Adrian's fifth, and final, heart stopped that day.
---
Stories continued to be told of the three of them.
Of Star-Savior Rocky, whose love maintained him in space. A love for Erid, but especially his love for Adrian and ultimately for Grace as well.
Of Star-Savior Grace, whose love for Rocky had given him the courage to turn around, to be brave.
Of Adrian, whose love for Rocky helped them to continue to live during his absence, and their love for both Rocky and Grace to see them both into death.
Star-Savior Grace had told many Eridians that humans can, and have, died from a broken heart. There had been a lot of shock from that, Rocky had responded that it must be because humans only had the one heart. That they were infinitely more fragile.
But, the stories of Adrian's hearts stopping one by one, dispelled the notion that only humans could die by heartbreak.