Chapter Text
It was all Ruby could have asked for. All she could ask for and more. No more hiding. No more lies. Everyone knew she was a Kraken now. She and her family. And they accepted them. Her friends accepted her. Even her new boyfriend Connor did.
Her mother, Agatha, and her grandmother finally reconciled. Uncle Brill got to be himself around other people. Ruby was glad Sam got to meet Grandmama.
And best of all, Ruby became a protector of the oceans. Yes, everything was perfect.
So why didn't Ruby feel right?
Don't get her wrong; it was great not hiding who she was anymore. She became the most popular girl in school. She got constant praise, more people asked to hang out with her, and she even gained more confidence in herself. She had never gotten this much attention before.
But maybe that was the problem. She wasn't used to this many people noticing her. Sometimes, she needed a place to breathe. A place where she can be alone with her friends and just relax. But she couldn't go 5 minutes without someone pestering her with questions about her Kraken Princess heritage or wanting to take pictures with her.
Frankly, it was getting irritating. She was more than just a Kraken princess. She was more than just some superhero and protector of the seas. She was also Ruby Gillman. A teenager. A student at Oceanside High. A math whiz. A lover of fondue. Besides her friends, no one seemed to appreciate that.
Ruby remembered all those times students mocked her for being a nerd or the teacher's pet. They loved to tease her for not being "cool." It was very shallow of them to suddenly like her because of what she was rather than who she was. She couldn't take any more of this celebrity status.
Honestly, Ruby didn't know how Chelsea could be used to so much attention, let alone enjoy it all.
Speaking of Chelsea, the last time Ruby heard from her, she had been caged by Gordon Lighthouse and made into an attraction. Apparently, people threw things at her. Knowing this didn't give her a sense of satisfaction or joy. Sure, Chelsea technically deserved it, but it felt a little...mean.
Ruby decided that she'd talk to Gordon tomorrow and convince him to let her go. While walking home, Ruby noticed someone putting away things in a van. As she got closer, she recognized them as the man who interviewed her and her family a few days ago. It seemed he was packing up.
Now that she thought about it, she never did get to hear things from her family's side of the story. She was a bit curious to listen to what they had to say about these last few days. She asks the interviewer for a copy of the tape. He agreed and gave her one. As Ruby made her way home, she pondered whether or not to view it with her family. She decided to take care of it later.
The next day, Ruby made her way to Gordon lighthouse's boat. Seeing Chelsea again was going to be awkward. As expected, she noticed a few kids about her brother's age throwing soda cans at the mermaid. There were three of them in total, and they were snickering and mocking her. Chelsea had a look of annoyance on her face and was trying her best to ignore it. The sight wasn't pleasant to Ruby. She had to put a stop to this.
"Hey, cut that out," Ruby shouted. Everyone's heads turn to the Kraken. Chelsea's expression was one of shock and a bit of gratitude that she was clearly trying to hide. There was no doubt Chelsea was wondering what Ruby was doing here. She tried her best not to look the mermaid in the face as she began to speak.
"Don't you think she's had enough," Ruby asked. She did her best to maintain the stern look on her face.
"Enough? one of them said. This monster almost destroyed our town. I say that this is exactly what she deserves."
"She's already gotten what she deserves, Ruby argued. She's lost the one thing she could have used to take over everything. Just leave her be already."
"Whatever. Come on, guys, let's go. This was getting boring anyway." The three walked off.
Those kids would probably spread a rumor that Ruby was playing nice with her enemy, but she didn't care. Besides, it's not like anyone cared about her in the slightest before they found out she was a Giant Kraken.
Once the three of them were gone, Chelsea sighed and relaxed a bit. She couldn't bring herself to form any words to Ruby. The Kraken probably didn't want to hear from her anyway.
Ruby looked at her momentarily before walking to the boat and sitting down. It might be a while before Gordon returned.
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An hour had passed, and Gordon still had yet to show up. The silence was getting uncomfortable for the two. Ruby could feel eyes boring down on her. She tried her best to ignore it, but it was getting bothersome.
What was she thinking? Why was she even here? This girl didn't deserve any favors. Especially from her. Maybe it was best to just leave. It's not like it was her problem if Chelsea remained an attraction to be mocked and humiliated. So why couldn't the Kraken just go? Why did she care so much?
Ruby also pondered what Chelsea was thinking. She hoped the mermaid wouldn't take this gesture as a sign of weakness. She would make it very clear she wanted nothing to do with her after she was free. Ruby would leave Chelsea no room to manipulate her any further.
A voice suddenly broke the silence. "Hey, Gillman girl! What are ye doing on me boat?" Ruby sighed in relief. Gordon was back. The Kraken was grateful. Another minute alone with Chelsea, and she might have exploded. The captain was returning with some supplies. Ruby was glad to be more comfortable interacting with the boat captain. He wasn't so bad once she got to know him, in fact.
"Hey, Mr lighthouse, Ruby said. How are you doing?"
"As well as the seas will allow, Gordon said. So what brings ye here?"
Ruby opened her mouth, but the words wouldn't come out. She hadn't thought this far ahead. What could she say? How could she say it?
"Hey, Gordon, she imagined herself saying. I know Chelsea tricked me into giving her the Trident, attacked Oceanside, and tried to kill me and my family and take over the seas. But honestly, I think you and everyone are being a little too mean. You should just let her go."
She was the last person in this town that you would expect to pity Chelsea.
"Ye alright, Gillman? You've been staring for almost 20 seconds now."
Ruby was brought back to reality and blushed.
"Oh, sorry about that. My mind went blank for a moment," she quickly stated.
"No worries. So you hear to gloat to the mermaid," Gordon asked.
Ruby noticed Chelsea rolling her eyes.
"N-no, of course not. I came here to ask if you could... well..." She just couldn't get the words out. I want you to let Chelsea go," Ruby exclaimed suddenly.
Chelsea wasn't sure she heard those words right.
"What," Gordon said.
"I think you should let Chelsea go, she repeated. I don't think it's right to do this to her."
Gordon looked surprised. "Are you being serious, Gillman," he asked.
"Yeah, Ruby said. I know this is surprising coming from me, but Chelsea's been punished enough. She won't hurt anyone anymore. Mom, Grandmama, and I made sure of that. I promise."
Chelsea couldn't hide the surprised look on her face. This had to be a dream. She was sure she would wake up at any moment to someone hurtling a soda can at her. Why was Ruby doing this? Did she hope to gain something out of freeing her?
Gordon looked skeptical. "Are you sure about this? What if she still holds a grudge against yer family?"
Ruby gave him a reassuring smile. "I appreciate your concern but don't worry. She can't do anything to us."
The boat captain still didn't look entirely convinced, but he relented. Gordon lowered the cage while fishing in his pockets. Chelsea sat there frozen in disbelief. Ruby turned away and jumped off the boat.
"All right, lass, Gordon said in a strict tone while unlocking the cage. The tone in his voice got Chelsea's attention. Gillman says you should go free. I'm still skeptical, but if she says it's all right, I'll oblige. But if ye cause any more trouble, it's back in the cage. And that's if Gillman's family doesn't get you first."
Chelsea gulped. She was free. She was really free. She honestly never thought this day would come. A small part of her wondered if this was some cruel trick. Maybe Ruby was giving her a false sense of security, and then, when she least expected it, she'd lock her up in the Kraken Kingdom. Or worse, blast her with her lasers. But deep inside, Chelsea knew this wasn't going to happen. She knew it wasn't in Ruby to do something so cruel. Chelsea's mermaid tail transformed into human legs, and she reluctantly stepped out. It felt so good to finally stretch. She turned to face Ruby, but the Kraken was already walking away.
Chelsea wasn't sure what to do. She could just ignore Ruby and dive into the ocean. Head off into the sea and never look back. But she had to know. Were Ruby's words truthful?
After some hesitation, Chelsea began making her way towards the Kraken. Ruby heard footsteps behind her and stopped without looking back. Chelsea stopped, too. If the silence before when Chelsea was in the cage was uncomfortable, it didn't hold a candle to the silence now. It was downright unbearable.
Finally, Ruby spoke up. "If you've got something to say, just say it already, she said with poison in her voice. Otherwise, quit following me."
"Oh...um...well.." Chelsea started.
"If you're trying to thank me, don't bother. I don't want it. Same with an apology. I didn't do it out of kindness." Ruby began to walk away again.
"No, wait, Chelsea stammered. I wanted to ask you something." Ruby stopped and turned to face her. The mermaid looked unsure of herself and a bit nervous. It wasn't common for Chelsea. The only other times Ruby saw her like this was when Chelsea opened up about her past and when the two were on their way to meet Ruby's mother.
Ruby decided to hear her out. This would probably be the last time she interacted with the mermaid anyway. Ruby said in an annoyed tone, "Fine, make it quick."
"Why did you do that back there? After everything that's happened between us... why?"
Ruby sighed before replying, "Because it was pointless. You've already lost everything. The battle, the Trident, the love and admiration of everyone in town... and my friendship." A sense of guilt washed over Chelsea at that last one.
"You've been humiliated enough, Ruby continued. I just didn't see a point in imprisoning you any longer. I didn't tell my family I was doing this. Take that information however you want it. I don't really care. Now just leave and don't come back. Ever."
Ruby didn't want Chelsea to know she felt sorry for her. So she decided to leave it at that. Chelsea simply nodded.
After that, the two begin to walk away. As Chelsea made her way to the water, she decided to give Ruby some final words. Even though the Kraken already stated she didn't want it from her, Chelsea couldn't bear the idea of parting ways without giving her some form of gratitude.
"Thank you, Ruby," the mermaid said before diving into the water. There was genuine sincerity in her words. So much so that even Ruby couldn't deny it.
Ruby hoped Chelsea didn't notice her look back for a brief moment as the mermaid disappeared into the depths.
But she did.