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This was the end then? An arrow through the chest. It had happened so quickly. The water had gone dark and quiet. I hadn't known what had happened until it was too late. I didn't have time to get away before something pierced my skin. And now I couldn't feel a thing. The numbing pain was all I could focus on as something began to pull the object and me with it.
Then it was bright and I was tossed on a hard ground. The arrow pinched my innards and I began to feel nauseous. My sight seeped into an inversion and my life was being drained from me. I could feel it. I was going to die. Then something flashed before me. I could hear yelling then the arrow was tugged. Only slightly but the vibrations down my spine... I was sure someone was messing with it.
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People rushed up and down the deck, desperately trying to contact help. For on their fishing trip, they had accidentally shot and fatally wounded a rare creature of the deep. It was a female and she was bleeding out terribly. The blood soaked the deck boards. A medic rushed to her side and began working carefully. He pulled out a small pair of scissors and clipped off the head, then gave a nod to his assistant. From the other side, the assistant took a deep breath and slowly pulled it out. Then the medic got to work cleaning and stitching the wounds.
His fingers worked quickly and when it was done, he placed a bandage over the area. The crew circled the sea creature and watched with worry and wonder for any signs of life.
Time marched on and just when they feared it was to late, she slowly opened her eyes and sucked in a long breath of air, then giving a shaky cough. The medic snapped his fingers. "Someone give the air transportation a call! She needs professional help!"
Another young man pulled out a walkie talkie. "I'm on it!"
"Good. While we're waiting, someone get a tank. She needs water."
Two men volunteered to prepare a tank and the medic lifted her up and set her inside the water.
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My senses were coming back to me. Did that mean... I wasn't going to die? I rocked myself inside the water that surrounded me, suddenly hitting into something hard. My heart leapt in my chest for a moment. What was that?
I opened my eyes completely and looked around. It didn't look like the ocean one bit. Instead, I found myself trapped in a box. I grew scared and buried myself in the corner. What's happening!?
Was I captured? Would I be killed? Eaten? It happened to others like me but I never thought I'd be the one on the menu. All my thoughts spun in my head and sleep weighed down on my shoulders. I shut my eyes and felt my consciousness slipping away in no time.
Only to be awakened by a large crash. I jolted upright and examined my surroundings. My box was being pushed by a human into a strange loud object. He got me Inside and shut the walls. The inside grew dark but I could hear outside voices.
"She loaded up?"
"Yup! We should be able to fly down in maybe an hour. Less if there's no clouds. Don't worry. My chopper is the best in the company!"
"Good. Make sure she gets there safe. We don't want it on our record that we're the cause for an engendered species death."
There was a pause then quiet laughing. "Right. I won't let you down."
My box began to move and slide. The water splashed around. I had to push against the side of the walls to prevent being tossed around.
Then the ground leveled out and I could relax. But what was happening to me? If the humans had the intention to kill me, wouldn't they have done it by now?
My stomach dropped in my chest and I was sure I would have thrown up. I swallowed the feeling back and tried to close my eyes. Perhaps sleeping more would help me ignore this movement.
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The helicopter landed without casualties and the pilot hopped out. He fixed his shirt for a second then scurried to the back where he unlocked the door and checked on the delivery of a creature, which happened to be a rare Manta ray. She was quite beautiful and unlucky to be in this situation.
He grabbed the tank's handles and wheeled her out to the main floor of the building. People were there to greet him in moments.
"How did she do?" A woman asked.
The pilot gleamed. "She's doing good for now. But her injuries need to be checked over before she can be put into a regular tank."
"She's so pretty." A young boy tapped the glass softly as to not disturb the one inside. "I bet our other ray will love her."
"The only thing that grumpy thing loves is his dinner." Another girl snickered.
The pilot chuckled. "Well I need to head back to work. I'll come by and visit." He tipped his head goodbye and hopped in his chopper, leaving the group to tend to the ray.
"Could you clean up the clinic office so we can get her looked at?" A woman asked a young man who groaned. "Why the hell do I have too!? I'm off duty right now!"
"Just do it Karkat. She needs help. Don't be an ass." The woman fixed her short black hair. Karkat dropped his head and dragged his feet away. "Fine!"
The young boy finished admiring the ray and stood up. "I can go clean up the tank for her too!"
"Thanks Mituna. But that's not your job. The walruses haven't been fed yet though."
Mituna thought about the woman's words then nodded. "Okay! I'll be back!"
When Mituna had vanished, the rest of the group helped wheel their newest arrival inside.
Passing other animals and tanks who came up to see the new arrival. The woman walked alongside the tank with the Ray with a kind smile. "I wonder what we should call her." She muttered.
One of the men pushing the tank shrugged. "We can leave that to you Porrim. We work with the sea spiders anyway."
The woman chuckled. "Yes. Maybe. Anyway, you guys can go now." She looked up the doorway. "I'll take it from here."
The men nodded a reply and walked away. The Manta ray was asleep but she wasn't looking good. Porrim pushed her inside the office and opened the lid. "No need to be afraid. We're here to help now." Her voice soothed as she dipped her arms inside the water and scooped the creature up. The nurse stepped out of his office from next door. "What's this?" His voice was thick with an accent and his words slurred together a bit.
"Sollux. Can you help her?" Porrim asked, setting a hand on the creature's head.
Sollux approached the ray and examined her carefully. "A wound to the chest? Hm. Isn't as fatal as it looks. See." He carefully set a finger on her chest where the bandage was at and dragged his finger over to the right. "If it had hit here, then we'd be in trouble. It's just out of the danger zone. But I should work fast. Go back to work and I'll begin."
The woman nodded. "Right. Give me a call when your done."
The two employees said goodbye and Sollux began the operation with a gas mask. He set it over her face and flipped it on. "There. That should help you sleep. Now let's take a look at what we got."
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I felt heavy when I remember waking up. Funny. I don't remember falling asleep. My head was sore and it took a lot of strength to open my eyes and look around. My eyes instantly landed on a human. His back was turned and I felt a sudden panic. W-What will he do to me? I felt dried out and realized I wasn't in water.
The human suddenly turned around and grinned. "You're awake? How you feeling?" He shuffled over to where I lay and set a hand on my head. "Good. Doesn't seem like you're sick. Sometimes you're more likely to get Ill when you get hurt. You got lucky."
I tried to back away from his touch but I couldn't move. The weight of sleep was still controlling my body. The human chuckled, realizing my attempts. "You're still under the effects of my medicine I gave you before the surgery. It'll wear off. For now, just close your eyes and rest some more. You should should able to make a full recovery then you can go home."
Home. I liked the sound of that. A warm aura surrounded this human and made me feel safe. I wanted to believe him and I went to close my eyes but there was a knocking sound just then. I watched with interest as the human opened the door and let a female in. She gave me a smile and keeled by where I lay. "Hey there little one. Feeling better? We got a tank all set up for you. You gotta share though. You don't mind right?"
What the glub was this human going on about? I just wanted to sleep. I let out a yawn and wrapped myself in a ball. But my moment was short lived because just then, I was being carried.
My eyes shot open and dart around. The woman walked out of the small space into a much larger area full of boxes of water. Each one had a different sea creature inside. Those poor things...
She continued walking to the very end and shifted me up a little bit. "Look in there. That's going to be your new tank. What do you think about that?"
I slowly examined the large box of water. Plants seemed overgrown inside and there was a dark area in that back that I couldn't see.
I felt something was back there and I didn't like the feeling of it. I looked back to the woman holding me with pleading eyes, hoping she would get the hint but she just had a smile. "Get along with him alright? He's In the same situation you are. Maybe even worse." The woman's eyes turned sad. "We've been looking for the poor thing's family. They got separated after a hunting trip. But don't worry." She smiled again. "We'll be sure to find them and return all of you home again. So it won't be long now."
She began to approach the tank and I began to struggle In response.
Before I knew it, I was pushed up against the inner glass with the woman walking away. It was nice to feel water again but a cold chill encircled this tank. I could feel my heart throb strong enough to be felt in my stomach. What do I do now? I can't get out of here. Something flashed in the corner of my eye and I turned in the direction to find only the swaying of seaweed in it's place. Then again. This time, I saw a dark shadow moving around.
"H-Hello?" I whispered.
It was gone. What was that? Tears stung my eyelids and I was on the verge of tears. I felt my fear start to control me. Then a moment later, a pair of eyes gleamed out from the dark side of the tank. I stared back slowly, finding the eyes to be a pair of orange ones. "Are you the one she was talking about? Were you caught in a hunt...?" I trailed off. I was terrified and saying the wrong thing might anger whatever he was. There was no reply but the pair of eyes blinked slowly. So he didn't seem mad... I hoped.
"My name is (y/n). What's yours?"
Then the eyes vanished completely and could see a shadow approach. The shadow gained light as it came closer, revealing a large manta ray. He looked angry but didn't act it. A large white wrap tied around his chest and his hair was jet black. A few strands swayed in the water but it was mostly in place. His horns were big as well and a dark orange. Finally, his long fins had a purple tint to them. They sort of looked like wings. "You're in my space." His voice was quiet and slightly unsettling. "Get out."
I pushed myself against the glass. "I can't. They won't let me out. I'm sorry." I looked away from his gaze. The stranger made a sound like a growl. "Fine. Then stay there and don't do anything." He clenched his fists and turned away. This guy looked incredibly strong. He had large muscles and obvious strength in his chest. I'm sure this guy would have no problem in ripping me apart. I took a deep breath and called out. "We're going to be stuck here for... A while I guess. Might as well get acquainted. What's... Your name?"
He stopped but didn't look back. "You don't get to say my name." And with that, he vanished into the dark. I lowered myself to the sand and huddled into a ball. Maybe I'll just sleep here..
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I awoke after a stabbing pain in my chest began to suffocate me. It jolted me awake and for a moment, my attack flashed in my head. I threw my hand over my bandaged wound and felt a thicker liquid over it. Much different than the feeling of water which felt almost non existent after being in it long enough. This liquid caused me to look down and see my bandages covered in my blood. It's color dripped into the surrounding water. I hissed in pain and threw my head back. What do I do!? This pain was quickly becoming unbearable. Just then, a familiar shadow swam into view and he was looking down on me. "Stay still. You pulled too hard on your stitches." I felt his large hands move my wraps then a tug. It stung but the larger pain had ceased. I took in a large breath and smiled. "Thank you. They must have come loose while I was sleeping."
I waited for a reply but he looked to be occupied by something outside the box.
I turned around to see the familiar woman walking up with a large bucket. Food looked to be inside. I pulled myself up and put my hands on the glass. "Hey it's you! Please let me go!" I started to bang on the glass. The stranger gripped my wrist. "Shut up. They can't understand us."
I looked back to the approaching woman to see he was right. My cries seemed to have no effect. She was just walking up cheerfully. Then she opened a lader and set it up, climbing to the top of the box and pouring the food inside. I waited for it to fall within grabbing distance so I didn't have to move to much but the other ray dived for the food and scooped it all up before I even had a chance. Then, once again disappeared. My stomach rumbled but I knew there was no way I'd get a share.
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I managed to get a full sleep and awoke well rested. There was no pain in my chest at all and food had already been delivered. The stranger was already here it seemed because a few fish heads littered the ground but the good parts were already gone. I reached out to grab a head and bit into it, avoiding the eye and getting a little bit of neck meat. My face scrunched up in disgust. No wonder he left these behind! I looked into the shadows where I could hear him tearing into the food. "Can I have a little?" I asked.
The sound stopped then he was suddenly before me. I hadn't even seen him move.
"You vwant some of MY food?" He asked with a frown. I gulped and looked away. "W-Well I'm hungry and-"
"I left you the fish heads. Be grateful." He backed away and disappeared.
I felt a little discouraged. He won't even give me a chance! I want to be his friend but I don't even know his name.
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I felt my hunger grow to a painful amount. Even with the little fish heads I had eaten yesterday, it wasn't enough. My stomach pinched and twisted, yelling at me to feed it.
Then I heard a miracle. The sound of footsteps from behind. I wrapped an arm around my stomach and pulled myself up. The stranger slunk out of the dark and began to snatch up the new food. I watched him, slightly upset. I wasn't going to get any today either I bet. As he started to swim away, he suddenly stopped and took a deep breath. "Here."
He turned around and tossed me a large piece of meat. I dived to grab it and hungrily sank my teeth in. The juices filled my mouth and it was gone in moments. I licked my lips to clean it up.
Right then, there was a tapping behind me. I turned and was met with the face of a small human female. A small finger was poking at the box, echoing loudly. I covered my ears and tried to shake the sound away. The human woman dressed in green raced up and said something to the girl. She looked sad but nodded. I dropped my hands from my ears and gave her a smile. More humans approached me with strange flash boxes. They raised them to their faces and suddenly it flashed white. I accidentally stared right into one and the light blinded me. I rubbed my eyes and looked away from the humans.
Then the humans froze and looked at something from behind. I didn't need to see to feel his presence. I bit my inner cheek and watched as the humans backed up slowly. A shadow fell over me but I didn't move. He swam to my side and leaned on the clear box wall. "You're nevw." He stuttered the end. Or... was it an accent? It was hard to tell.
"In here, humans vwill stare at us until they get bored. Get used to it." He grumbled irritably.
I pulled my arms to my chest and looked out into the dryness outside the box. "What is your name?"
The male frowned and crossed his arms. "Dualscar." He replied and swam back into the dark side.
Dualscar... That name. I kind of liked it. More people began to show up and I couldn't help myself to swim around and show off. They seemed to like that.
Then the lights went out and I returned to my little space in the sand. No more humans seemed to be coming after the lights went out.
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When I awoke the next day, I nearly jumped at seeing a face in front of mine. Dualscar grinned, his orange eyes seemed to be starting into me. "Nice time to vwake up."
I pulled myself up and gave him a light smile. "H-Hello."
His face instantly went dark and he backed up. "Just eat." He swam away.
I looked down to a large meal before me.
At first, I considered there to be something in it but as I examined a piece and slowly took a bite, it tasted like normal meat. I finished up and peered into the darkness. What does he do in there all alone? Perhaps I'd find out eventually.
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I finally grew bored enough to move from the corner in the sand. I began to pace and occasionally glance into the overgrowth. The woman started towards us like everyday and I was suddenly toppled over by the ray darting out of the dark. I hit the ground with a thud and looked up. Dualscar had a worried look on his face. "Forgivve me. Are you alright?" He held a hand out. I slowly reached out and took his gesture. He gripped my hand tightly and pulled me up. The food began to rain from the top but he made no moves to grab it. "U-Um... Aren't you hungry?"
Dualscar huffed. "No. Take vwhat you vwish."
I gave a reluctant nod. He was... letting me? I swam towards the floating meat and began to gather what I wanted, leaving some for him. Then I noticed I was being watched by a crowd of humans.
"Can't they go bother some other tank?" I heard Dualscar hiss from behind.
Is that what this was called? A tank?
"Do you know where we are exactly?" I asked, biting into a ball of unknown meat. Dualscar began to swim back into hiding. "Heh. Vwelcome to the aquarium girlie." He disappeared again.
I finally grew tired of this. "Wait!" I sucked up some courage and swam into the overgrowth. I couldn't see a thing. Tendrils of seaweed wrapped around my fins. I tugged and yanked though. How did he know where he was going?
A beam of light crossed my vision and I turned to find Dualscar laying down in a small rock cave.
A small cluster of starfish glowed gently on the roof of the cave. Dualscar looked awake but only barely. I noticed now that he looked tired and sad. I swam up beside him quietly and tilt my head. "Are you okay?" I repeated the words he spoke to me. Dualscar raised his head slowly. I was shocked to find tears on his face. He wiped an arm over his eyes to clean up and gazed over me. "You... Vwhat are you doing here?"
The starfish flickered delicately. I set a hand on his arm. "I was looking for you. Are you sad... because of your family?"
I felt him tense up then he looked away from me. "Don't be foolish."
I lowered my hand to his and intertwined my fingers around his. "Don't be sad. I'm sure the humans are doing everything they can. They'll find them." I raised up my pinky. "Promise."
Dualscar hesitantly turned back to me. I could see the surprise in his eyes. "(y/n)..." I blushed at the sound of my name and nodded. "You promise?" He asked carefully. I moved my finger closer. Dualscar huffed and hooked out pinkies together. "Fine."
I pulled my hands from his and pulled myself up. "Why?" I had to ask.
The Manta Ray looked up and frowned. "VWhat?"
"Why were you so mean to me? I wanted to... to be your friend." I looked to the ground. "It's not fair. I was taken from my home. Just like you. I was hurt and in an unfamiliar place. I was so scared."
Dualscar didn't move. He gazed at me steadily and sighed. "Forgivve me. I.... vwas scared too. I vwould do anything to get home vwith my family but instead...." His eyes turned cold and he clenched his fists. "I'm throvwn in here! The only hope I cling too is the vwords of humans claiming their looking for them. I don't knovw if they're dead or alivve anymore..."
He trailed off. I felt my heart ache at his words. I didn't have any family in the ocean. I couldn't possibly know what it felt like to be torn apart and trapped where you couldn't even look for them. "I'm sorry. I wish I knew what to do... The humans can't understand us..."
His eyes suddenly brightened. "Vwe need to give them a sign. Vwake up early tomorrovw. Our tank vwill be cleaned tomorrovw morning and vwe need to prepare a sign."
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I was shaken awake before the building lights came on. Dualscar handed me a cluster of seaweed and we got to work on his plan. I had just finished when a human male raised a ladder to our tank and jumped inside. He wore a strange suit that covered his mouth and a large tube on his back. He looked to us and smiled, then raised a stick and began to wipe the tank walls clean.
I scooped up my creations and swam up to him. The human pat my head when I approached but continued to work.
"Notice me!" I wanted to yell but that wouldn't work. I pushed my way in front of him and held out my small dolls. The male looked down at them and blinked. He picked one up and pointed to it. I guessed he couldn't talk with that gear on either. He turned it over then looked to the others, confused.
I pointed in the direction of Dualscar, watching us. The human looked to him then back to the small dolls. Suddenly his eyes lit up and he swam to the surface. "Porrim!" The male called.
That familiar woman appeared and started to run down the hall. "Tavros what is it!?" She stopped by the bottom of the latter.
Tavros held up two of the dolls. "Look at these. I think they mean something." He tossed one down to Porrim. The woman inspect the dolls and bit her lip. "Did... they make them?" She nodded to us. I pushed myself against the glass and grinned. Porrim returned a soft smile and chuckled. "Dolls eh? I think I get it."
She looked back to Tavros. "Get back to work. I'll check on the progress in the hunt for the Manta Rays."
Dualscar let out a heavy sigh. "I think they understand. I hope they find them."
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((I advise playing this video while reading this scene for an even better moment))
"Wake up wake up!"
There was heavy banging on the tank walls. I was jolted awake but I found I couldn't move. I looked over to Dualscar who was nuzzled into my side with an arm over my stomach, careful to avoid my healing injury. I held my breath and looked over his features. He looked kind and gentle in his sleep. I went to raise a hand and caress his face but the banging jolt him up. I rolled over and sat up, slightly annoyed. What could possibly be so important-
Porrim looked like she was about to burst. Then two human males came into view. One looked like Tavros. The other had short black hair and a tiny pair of horns. He was looking slightly annoyed. They pulled another tank into view and my eyes almost popped out. Two young male Manta Rays were inside. They were hugging each other fearfully, huddled on the corner. "That couldn't be..." I turned to look at Dualscar. There was a look behind his eyes. His eyebrows furrowed together and he was breathing heavily.
The other rays opened their eyes and swam to forward, banging on the tank walls. Dualscar clenched up his fists and dove at the wall. There was a large crash and the wall cracked. Humans ran forward to try to calm him down but Dualscar seemed to have completely tuned them out. He backed up and slammed into the tank again. This time, it shattered and water spilled out along with him and me with it. I hit the solid ground and looked up. Dualscar started to call out their names. The humans pushed the other tank forward until he was able to latch on. The smaller boys inside pounded on the glass and yelled out. Porrim pulled off the cover and the three of them threw their arms around eachother. I watched the scene happily and humans started to surround me, picking up the glass and cleaning the water.
Porrim lifted me into her arms and smiled. "This is so beautiful. But now we need to find a new tank for you guys until this one is fixed."
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The new tank was small but it wasn't bad. Dualscar slept beside his two boys. One was smaller and looked weaker than the older looking one. But both looked sweet. I could easily tell the resemblance. I had slept a ways away from them so I wouldn't get in the way of their reunion.
Today, a different human approached the tank with a bucket of meat. Thick black hair covered his eyes and a grin was over his face. I began to feel quite uncomfortable with a stranger giving us food. The boy put his face on the glass. "Hay! I'm Tuna! Nice to meet you guyssssssss." He giggled and dumped the meat inside. I caught all the pieces and examined them carefully in case he might have did something to them. After finding it to be clean, I put all the meat in a pile and swam over to the sleeping trio. Slowly, I reached out and poked Dualscar's shoulder. His eyes shot open and he jumped up to check on his family and relaxed to find them still okay. "Food arrived." I looked at the pile. Dualscar sat up and yawned. "Fine. Don't vwake them though. I vwant them to sleep." He swam over to the pile with me following and we both sat by the food.
It was an awkward silence for a while as we ate. A few people came and went from our tank but we paid no mind to them.
I finally looked up. "How are you feeling? They finally found your family. You guys should be returning to the ocean soon." I don't know why but my chest hurt at that fact.
Dualscar sighed. "Yes. I hope. Vwhat about you? You vwon't be able to leavve until you're fully healed."
I hadn't thought about that. "It'll be lonely without you. You've grown on me." I purred quietly after a moment. Dualscar set down the remainder of his meat. "I didn't like you at first. But... Maybe you'vve grovwn on me too."
I couldn't stop the grin I had from his words. My heart swelled with joy. "Really? Does that mean we're friends now?"
Dualscar crawled over to sit beside me and stared down. "Friends? Hmm..."
He was quiet for a minute then looked back to me. "Vwe are leaving for the ocean soon. So I don't evven care novw." I was suddenly pushed into the sand and being kissed roughly. I held my breath, stunned at the sudden action. But I wasn't upset. I set my hands over his chest and tried to kiss back, only to be taken over. He put his arms over my head, cloaking us both in his large wings. I slid my hands up to his shoulders and gently gripped his ear fins. He rumbled and broke the kiss. "Promise me something (y/n)."
I made circular motions with my thumb over his fins while he spoke. "Yes?"
"Vwhen... Vwe get out of here... You'll find us. Out there. Vwe can be free together."
I dropped my hands in surprise. "R-Really?"
I didn't hesitate in my answer. "Yes! I'll find you guys. I promise."
He raised a pinkie and we locked fingers. "Good. You better."
Dualscar sat up so I could pull myself off the ground.
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I woke up to quiet laughing. Looking around, I found it belonged to the creature across from us. 'Danger' was written in bold letters over the bottom of the tank. The creature inside had a malicious grin. Her black hair float in all directions. She was a strange creature I've never seen before. "Well well well. What do we have here?" She cooed. I blinked and turned myself around. "Who are you?" I asked quickly. She raised her head and scoffed. "I should be asking you that. I was here first after all."
"S-Sorry. I'm (y/n). What are you?" I tilt my head.
The girl snickered. "Name's Vriska. I'm a sea spider. You've probably heard of me."
When I shook my head she frowned. "Whatever. I'm famous around here though. People come for miles just to see me." She put her hands on her tank's walls. "I'm the main attraction and I want to keep it that way. So stay outta my way and I won't hurt you."
I nodded quickly. "O-Of course. I don't want people to look at me too much anyway."
A grin spread over Vriska's face. "Good. I feel like I could grow to like you if you know your place."
She turned around and swam deeper into her tank.
I turned to check on Dualscar. The whole family was still asleep. I swam over and watched them for a moment, the three boys seemed to be breathing in sync. I sucked in a breath and quickly pecked Dualscar's cheek.
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Everything was falling apart! Humans tied me down as they were taken from me. I struggled against the binds to no avail. The three other rays fought back too but the humans overpowered us. They were thrown in another mobile tank started to get wheeled away. "Noo!" My voice screamed. "Don't forget your promise!" I heard his voice reply. It sounded much farther away. The humans untied me and vanished. At that moment, I had never felt so alone. It was quiet. I could hear the buzzing of the tank filter. What... Just happened?
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I was staring out into the floor. Humans stood before my tank, flashing their boxes at me like always. But today I was spaced out. I stared at the ground and let them do as they pleased. This had become my permanent tank because the humans believed I wouldn't need a bigger one just for myself.
The group of humans finished being admired and walked off towards the walruses. I heard Vriksa sigh. "Okay (y/n) what's your ish? You're usually showing off when we open. It's not that guy was it? Did he get under your skin?" She bat her eyelashes and cupped her hands. "Do you miss him?"
"Stop glubbin' teasing the girl." The two newest arrivals in the tank beside me swam up. Both were girls but they were a different breed of ray fish. One girl with fluffy black hair was the one who has spoken. The other girl had her hair in braids. She sneered. "Who was this guy anyway gillfrond?"
Vriska waved them off. "Ah he was released before you guys arrived. It was a wild scene. Everyone was fighting and yelling and it was so sweet. (Y/n) was crying for her beautiful love." She gasped dramatically and out a hand on her forehead. "Come back my love!"
I frowned and began to swim away. The last thing I heard before disappearing into the seaweed was the long haired girl. "You've upset her. That wasn't a joke Vriska."
I pulled the seaweed over myself and shut my eyes.
There was a tapping on my tank. I peeked out to see a girl on the other side. It was dark out already. I swam over to the wall and blinked slowly. "Hu? Meena? How did you get out of your tank? How... Are you walking?" I looked down to her legs. Meena snickered. "I'll help you outta here so you can find him but you owe me got it? And don't get caught!" Meena popped open the lid and dunked her hand in. I took a deep breath and grabbed her hand. She pulled me out of my tank and set me on the ground. "Better hurry up and figure out how to walk." She warned. I grabbed the rim of my tank and pulled myself up, trying to mimic how Meena walked. I managed to get to my feet but my legs wobbled beneath me. "Just take a damn step." The girl hissed. I tried to obey her commands and put one foot in front of the other. It was like swimming without the water pressure. I got it quickly and followed Meena to a window she pushed open and hopped though. I followed behind, landing on a deck. Meena put her hands on her hips. "You're free to go. I'm gonna take a nice stroll and go back. I'm curious about that place and can't leave my little Feferi behind."
I nodded at her words and dived into the dark ocean. I swear I'll find them I promised.
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I had began to grow tired of this hunt. My fins hurt and my back ached from all the swimming around. I had begun to doubt I'd really find them. My chest stung from my stitches. Perhaps I should return to the Aquarium. I wasn't fully healed anyway. I slowed to a stop and sunk down to the ocean floor. I felt myself drift to sleep when a pair of arms grabbed me from behind. I struggled and tried to fight back but a hand covered my mouth next. "Don't scream girlie but I think I knovw you." A familiar voice whispered in my ear. I froze, feeling tears sting at my eyes. "I-I... Finally found you."
I turned around and threw my arms over his neck. "I was so scared I'd never see you again!" I released my tears. Two boys swam in front of me, smiling.
They really were here. I really found them. I let out a deep sigh and closed my eyes. "Can we stay like this a little longer? I don't think I'm ready to let go get."
Dualscar put one arm around my waist. "I vwouldn't disagree if you vweren't still hurt. Vwe need to get you help (y/n)."
"Please... Just a little bit?" I muttered. Dualscar huffed and nodded. "Alright. But only a little longer." I could feel a small kiss on my head.