Third Person

(About a week or so ago, or during the events of "Chapter 30- Babysitting" when Tanith was loopy)

Sam grimaced and slammed the cup on the table. She held in every part of her that wanted to spit out the terrible tasting drink and finally swallowed it. "What the heck was in that?" She asked, staring questionably at the cup and tried to focus on something other than the lingering taste in her mouth.

Her sister and Tanith both giggled to themselves. "It's called a mystery drink for a reason. Nothing too bad, but it's mostly condiments and soda." Her sister replied.

Sam smacked her lips, trying to get rid of it. "Remind me not to choose dare again... Tanith, truth or dare?"

"True!... Th." She shot her head up and looked around wildly before finally locking eyes with the mermaids.

They hummed to themselves before coming up with something. "Ever gotten in trouble in Atlantis? Like, almost went to jail trouble?"

The hybrid started to crack up, nodding vigorously. "Ohhhhhh yea! Das a goooood story! I got banned from the zooooo, like, a couple days ago! With Cody! I don't really remember how long but I'll figure it out when I go there again!"

The sisters smiled but raised their eyebrows. "How?" Selena asked.

"Ohhhhh boyyyyy!" She laughed. "That's a looooonnggggg story!"

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Cody could tell Tanith was acting off. She wasn't in the mood for just about anything and things that normally made her happy just wasn't working. Normally, there was an ice cream parlor that always served new flavors every three days and the pair of them went there and spent all of their money and then some on tasting them all, but even though the new honeysuckle flavor was beyond amazing, she was barely even smiling. At most, she'd flash an "I'm fine" kinda smile in an attempt to reassure the penguin.

But he wasn't satisfied. Eventually, as she started to use her spoon to mindlessly play with it instead of actually consuming it, he spoke up.

"What's going on with you?" He blurted out, getting a side look from her before Tanith returned to her ice cream, taking a small bite.

"Nothing..." She mumbled but another stern look from the King Of Atlantis was all it took for her to cave in. "... Something." She admitted and sat up. Cody turned his attention to his friend, swiveling in the tall, red chair that the ice cream parlor provided.

Tanith took in a long breath. "Today marks the exact date that I left home and never returned." She spoke softly, avoiding his gaze. Cody kept nodding, allowing her to go on.

"It's weird to think it has been this long and that I have no intention of going back... That I'll never live the same life I grew up in. Atlantis is so different, which don't get me wrong, I love it, but I still hold on to a lot of those values. I mean, almost everything is different! You guys use coins and not crystals for currency! Magic is kinda rare here when it comes to citizens and you don't just use it freely and as a way of life! There's no spirits or anyone preaching about them, or even any snakes for Pete's sake! I've met one snake in person and it almost killed you!" Her voice raised but she quickly stopped herself from freaking out and dropped back into a sadder state.

Cody's mind began to race. Getting crystals would mean going into KrakenKid's territory and that wasn't something he could risk. Magic would be even harder, given she was right. Spirits... Cody didn't really know a whole lot about them, other than what he had been told. However, there was place he could take her that just might cheer her up.

He grinned and got up, confusing the hybrid. "Come with me, I got an idea!"

The zoo was a lesser known part of Atlantis, and definitely not a place Cody or Tanith went down to often. In fact, Cody last went there for a case to solve and Tanith wasn't sure she'd ever even seen it before.

Down here, all animals that couldn't fend for themselves, one's that needed to be protected or just needed a home, all lived at the zoo. There were all sorts of animals, birds, fish, mammals, but there was only one animal that Tanith needed to see: The reptiles.

Given there were clearly marked arrows pointing to each type of animal's section, it didn't take the pair too long to figure out where it was. Though there were lizards and such, there was whole tanks of snakes, some peacefully living together, while others on their own.

Tanith gazed into each of them and stopped in her tracks, just staring at them, eyes wide. Cody paused with her, but eventually decided maybe he should leave her to be. "I'm gonna check out some birds, okay?" She nodded slowly and the penguin left her to her own devices.

The war medic stood there for a long time before actually moving closer and stopping at one of the peacefully living colony of snakes. All sorts of colors and types of them slithered around, communicating with one another, but none of them matched her own coloring.

Bending down to their level, some stopped to look at her. "Hello." She hissed. Just as suspected, they understood what she was saying and some even said the same back. However, many just kept going on with their lives.

All, except one. A smaller, light brown, female corn snake, who couldn't take her eyes off of Tanith.

"Who are you?" She asked. 

Tanith could hear what she was saying and communicate back, one of the little perks of being half snake. It was difficult to say how she could, but basically the same information they had on talking to each other was one's she had as well. There was a possibility of not having this ability among her kind, but it was pretty rare and was a genetic mutation.

"I'm called Tanith." She told them.

"Tanith? What a nice name! I'm Sandstone! That's what most call me anyways! You're one of them, aren't you? The Snake People! I've heard a lot about them, they're like fairy tales to us!"

Tanith found herself smiling brightly without realizing it. "Sandstone huh? Nice name!" She commented and practically made the corn snake blush, if she could at least.

"Thanks! Hey, if you don't mind me asking, is it true about your people and magic?"

Tanith grinned even wider and couldn't resist. She held out her hand and let the magic flow, letting golden healing rays release from her hand and down to the floor, disappearing soon after. The corn snake's eyes widened and slithered closer, pushing her nose against the glass just to get a better look. "So cool!" She exclaimed, getting a chuckle out of Tanith.

Tanith and Sandstone started to talk soon after and Tanith found this snake to be one of the sweetest one's she had ever met. They were so excited about her culture and kept asking questions, even though most were pretty basic, like "Where do they live?", which the answer was a number of places, all depending on their preferred climate.

Time passed quickly and before she knew it, Tanith had been talking for an hour. Eventually realizing she should go meet up with Cody, she stood up.

"I gotta go Sandstone. I'll visit later!" She said, smiling.

Sandstone's blue-gray eyes saddened immediately. "Do you have to go?"

Tanith froze in place, those simple words were so familiar and the sad eyes weren't helping. Before she knew it, Tanith's memories flooded back.

"Where are you going?" The small voice cried making the hybrid stopped. Whipping around, behind her was someone she knew so well, and it broke her heart. It broke her heart that it was her of all people, here and that she had to explain herself. Sure, it would be easier to leave knowing she said goodbye, but goodbye's were never her strong suit.

"... I'm leaving." Tanith said, keeping her voice distant. Don't get attached now, she told herself. Don't get attached or you'll never be free. "And I doubt I'll be coming back."

The younger female of her kind just looked up at her in shock. "You're leaving? Forever? Why? What's wrong with home?"

"It doesn't feel like home to me. Not anymore. Mom and Dad have been distant and Emil... You know what she's like. I can't do this anymore! I can't be happy here! Not like I used to be!" Tanith's head turned to the landscape in front of her. Coral blooming and a looming mountain, all of it looked so pleasing and all she want to do was get lost in it. "I wasn't meant to prosper here, at least not forever. My fate lies out there!"

"No it doesn't! It's here!" The younger retaliated. "Just ask Avia! Your fate is here, with me! With your family!"

"I did ask Avia." Tanith whipped around and sounded a lot colder than she wanted to be. "She's the one who agreed with me in the first place. She always had a saying: "In order for somethings to flourish, you must let go of others." So here's me, letting go."

Her eyes turned big and sad. "Do you have to go?"

Tanith's head lowered, giving her an almost eerie look, but truthfully, she was trying to hide her emotions. "Yes. I just want to say that I'll miss you, Grazia. I'll never forget you, I promise."

"Tanith?"

Tanith snapped back into focus and now saw the once sad eyes were now just confused. "Are you okay?"

Tanith didn't respond and just acted. The snakes were in a glass container, which gave her an idea. Taking out her silver staff, she slammed it as hard as she could into the glass, causing it to break, big enough for her to reach in. This startled many of the snakes, but Tanith payed no attention and picked up the corn snake, holding it close.

No. She told herself. Not this time. Not. This. Time.

Tanith hid the snake in her arms and made a run for it. The hybrid made it pretty far before a guard closed in on her, giving her a suspicious look. She quickly used on arm to hold the snake behind her back and the other to look casual.

"What are you doing?" The guard demanded, their brown eyes narrowing down. Tanith gave the best smile she could afford and just shrugged.

"Just looking at all the animals! Nice place you've got by the way, lots of animals and a variety of-" Tanith was cut off by a little 'Plop' on the ground, as well as suddenly feeling like a weight had been lifted on her other arm. Her and the guard turned to see Sandstone had fallen from her arms.

"Oops! Sorry!" The corn snake shrunk back down and Tanith sighed.

"Ma'am, I'm going to need you to come with me." The guard lightly grabbed her arm, scooped up the snake and started to lead them down the path. It wasn't long before Tanith found herself at the command center of the zoo.

As Tanith was dragged into security, her blue eyes widened to see she wasn't the only one there. Cody was already sitting there and looking nervous. Tanith quickly made her way over to him, sitting down next to the penguin before a conversation started.

"What are you here for?" Cody asked.

"I tried to steal a snake. You?"

"Tried to free the penguins... Almost succeeded too."

After a while, Tanith uttered one word: "Thanks." She said honestly and smiled softly. She couldn't deny that today, she felt really good after all of this.

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Sam and Selena both sat in silence after she finished up but soon, started to crack up.

"Yeeeep. Banned for like, a month. Oh heyyyyyy! I remembered!"

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Here's chapter 26! I quite like how it turned out! In case you didn't notice, which would be understandable because it was short, but in the chapter, "Babysitting" there's a part where it says what each one did for a dare or truth and Tanith's was to talk about her and Cody getting banned from the zoo. I really wanted to make it, so here it is!

I hope you liked this! Be sure to comment thoughts and I'll see you all later!

--JustAnAtlantisWriter