KrakenKid

There's something I only learned after becoming a parent.

"Dad?" The voiced called out in the darkness, making my eyes shoot open. The world around me was dark, but there was a light in the darkness. Two of them, yellow and circular. Such a light could only come from one person: My son.

I forced myself to sit up in bed and blinked, trying to focus on the rest of his form. He stood in my balcony, almost shaking. Blooper's eyes looked anxious, constantly shifting around and his breathing was ragged. "Bloops?" I asked him, concern lacing my voice. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, but it was too hesitant to be true that I gave him a skeptical look. "What's wrong?"

The small kraken slowly made his way over to me and sat down on the edge of my bed. I scooted myself over to him and scanned him one more time before silently prompting him. He took in a shaky breath. "How much do I matter to you?"

I blinked at the question. "What?"

His gaze turned to me, deadly serious but also sadness lingered in his eyes. "I know, it's a weird thing to ask in the middle of the night, but I need to know... How much do I matter to you?"

I learned that your child is everything to you. Nothing else matters but them.

I stared at him for a long time. "Blooper, you mean the world to me!" I smiled softly. "All of this? The Conch Command? I'd give it up if I needed to save you. I'd give everyone else up too, even Darrel and CannibalCrab, though don't tell them that, Cannibal will get jealous."

Blooper was silent for a while. "Really?"

"Of course." I answered, patting him on the back. "Why, what happened?"

Blooper just laughed weakly and shook his head. "Nothing, just a dream..." Then he looked up at me, and suddenly he became the little kid he used to be, eyes round and pleading. "Can I sleep here tonight?"

I nodded and he grinned and climbed into bed. "Alright, but if I end up on the ground again because of your kicking, I swear." Blooper let out a giggle and just snuggled up in the blanket.

A long silence passed before a thought came to mind. "Do you want me to sing to you?"

"You have a terrible singing voice, Dad, no offence."

I rolled my head to face him, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't hear a no." He gave me a look but still didn't say a thing. I just grinned, cleared my throat and started the song I always used to sing to him when he was young. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine."

Blooper yawned, stretching before settling down, eyes drooping. "You make me happy, when skies are gray." His eyes closed and his breathing started to become slower, drifting off. "You'll never know dear, how much I love you."

Then, Blooper was fast asleep. I just snickered, seeing how cute he was when he was peaceful. "Please don't take my sunshine away." I whispered to him.

**********************************************

"Do you have everything?" I asked, trying not to give off how scared I was but it wasn't working. Blooper just laughed and shook his head.

"Yes, seriously! For the last time, I have all the weapons, medical supplies and about fifty different ways to fight! I'll be fine, trust me!" I sighed and tried to regain my cool.

"I know, I just want to make sure you'll be okay. This battle is huge and I don't want my son to get hurt in it! Even though we're teaming with Atlantis, we still only have a 51% chance of winning, according to Pickles. Just... Promise me you'll remember everything I taught you?"

Blooper kept nodding. "Let's review. Keep your arms steady as you shoot; aim clearly and precisely and most of all," I winked at him. "Show them no mercy. These people aren't going to, so why should you? Put yourself before anyone else, alright?" Blooper kept nodding, playful annoyance flashing in his eyes. "Good. We're going to go out soon..." I paused and glanced back at him. "Are you sure you're ready for war?"

"YES!" He shouted, rolling his eyes. "Now come on!" He pushed me out of the doorway without another thought.

***************

When I awoke, pain echoed throughout my whole body, but I only had one thought as I stared up into the sky.

Blooper.

I got up as quickly as possible, covering a wound in my shoulder and stepped over the dead bodies from both sides, but none of that mattered to me. Only one person mattered right now, and that was making sure my son was alive.

He could have been anywhere. I let him be on the same patrol as Selena and the two of them, plus some Atlanteans and Tide Changers, were all tasked with an easy place. It should have all been easy, but the other side swarmed us. We might have had the numbers but they were clever. They cut off all of our communications with each other and we all were on our own.

If my patrol and I got jumped, there was a high chance Blooper's did too. Only problem was, they could be anywhere.

But, if anyone would know where he is, it would be the hospital. Everyone would be getting transported to the hospital.

I limped across the lands, searching for the red plus sign until it came into view, then made a beeline for it.

As I stumbled into the waiting room, there were already several soldiers there and nearby the reception, the penguin was talking to a couple nurses. They spoke in hushed voices and didn't noticed I was there until one of the receptionists nudged the king's shoulder and pointed me out. His brown eyes widened with shock and what looked like fear and scrambled over to me.

"Kraken! What happened to you?"

It was only then that I actually took a look at myself. The blood from my shoulder was from a stab wound, parts of metal still in it and cuts and bruises lined my body. I just shook my head, trying to keep upright and ignore the pain. "That doesn't matter. Where's..." My voice trailed off as I looked around the room, but finally faced Cody head on.

"Where's my son?"

Cody's face went paler than before and blinked rapidly. "W-we brought him in a little while ago. He lost a lot of blood on the way over-"

I cut him off and narrowed my eyes. "Is he alive?"

Cody nodded and tugged at my arm, leading me farther inside the hospital. "Yes but... He's in bad shape, Kraken. A bullet when right into his hip and it's stuck in there. We-"

I interrupted again. "Can I see him? Please?" I didn't mean to sound so desperate but I couldn't help it. Blooper meant the world to me. Cody gulped and nodded.

"Y-yes. Yes but you have to understand that... We've tried everything. The wound is infected, Kraken! We're..." Cody's eyes broke eye contact with mine. "We're not sure how much longer he'll last."

My mouth hung open but luck for Cody, he got me to the room in time and opened the door. I rushed inside and to my son's side.

Blooper's side was a deep red and his eyes were glazed over, but he smiled when he saw me. "Blooper." I breathed, almost losing myself just staring at his condition.

"Dad!" He coughed but still tried to keep up his joy. "I did exactly as you said! I aimed straight, m-my arms were steady-"

I hushed him, stroking his head slowly and trying not to cry. "I know, I know, shh... You did everything right! It's okay! Just hold on!"

"I was aiming right for their eyes! They didn't stand a chance!"

"I know!" I cried out, some tears escaping me. "Just save your strength and stay alive!"

Blooper nodded but began to cough violently. My heart sped out of control. "No! Blooper, stay with me! Who did this?"

"I-I challenged their general, Dad." My heart suddenly stopped then. "Both of us got shot." His words broke off again and more coughing only increased.

"Is he going to survive this?" I asked then penguin, then another thought came to mind. I whipped around towards him, my eyes blazing with fury. "Cody Maverick, DID YOU KNOW? ABOUT THE DUEL?"

Cody froze but Blooper's voice brought my attention back to him. "Dad." I snapped back to his direction and he chuckled weakly.

"I'm sorry but... I forgot one of your rules! I only took the duel because otherwise, Selena might have had to. It was me or her."

I blinked away tears and shook my head. "It's okay, Bloops! You're a hero now! You saved so many people!"

Blooper just kept smiling. "I never quite listened to all of your rules, did I?"

My head shook. "No, but it's okay, I loved you for that."

Blooper blinked, his eyes starting to droop. I cleared my throat and started to sing. "Y-you are my sunshine, my only sunshine."

Blooper smiled weakly but his eyes started to droop down. "You make me h-happy, when skies are gray." His eyes closed and his breathing started to weaken. "You'll never know dear, how much I love you." I swallowed a lump in my throat before singing the last line. "Please... Don't take my sunshine away."

I wiped away the waterfall of tears streaming down my face and looked down at Blooper. His chest stopped rising. "P-please don't take my sunshine away..." I whispered.

Then, I finally did it. I checked his pulse. There wasn't one. Reality crashed down on me and there was no stop to my emotions then. "P-please don't take my s-sunshine away!" I cried out, voice cracking.

"Kraken?" A voice called out, but I could barely hear it.

There a moments where the words don't reach...

My heart felt like someone crushed it into a million pieces and put it in a blender. Nothing mattered anymore and the world was just full of pain.

There is suffering too terrible to name...

I held my son close, still sobbing and wishing that he'd come back.

You hold your child as tight as you can...

"He's dead..." I croaked at last, looking up at the shocked penguin. I swallowed all the sadness I could muster and told him again. "My son is dead."

And push away the unimaginable...

The worst pain of them all for a parent is your child dying before you did. Before they could grow and live a life that you wanted them to have.

Blooper would never get to live that life.

**********************************************************************

I feel pretty evil for this one... holyyyyy crappppp.

Never killed Blooper before, even when I killed everyone in Timelines series, I still didn't kill Blooper so this was a shock for me.

Oh gosh I'm going to go cry like a baby right now just like the others but hopefully y'all enjoyed it.

This was half inspired by "Stay Alive (Reprise)" and those last italicized sentences are from "It's Quiet Uptown"

I hope you got something out of this... Be sure to comment what you thought and stuff? Until next time?

--JustAnAtlantisWriter