Third Person

The Tide Changers had their own version of Thanksgiving that they celebrated.

Many of the things were the same, such as the food choice- though KrakenKid always did have a special order of his Special Chicken set out for him cooked to perfection- and the general idea of giving thanks, but it had its differences.

The main one outside of them calling it "Tides-giving" was that it was celebrated on Friday rather than Thursday.

Everyone got into little groups of friends and celebrated it with those people, though almost everyone got food from CrankyCrab because he was the best cook there, and just enjoyed themselves. Many didn't actually know why they celebrated it the day after the actually Thanksgiving, but they didn't seem to care much.

KrakenKid would spend his with Blooper, CannibalCrab, Darrel, and sometimes Gnash, Bruce and when he was alive, Larsa. This day however, was just the closest.

With the table in the Situation Room set, they all began to chow down. KrakenKid mainly stuck to his Special Chicken, but did partake in some of the turkey and mashed potatoes. Blooper loved the jello and pie, though when his father scolded him about not eating real food, he too took some turkey. CannibalCrab didn't sway from his crab, though he did add some cranberry sauce to it, and Darrel stuck to everything vegetarian. After all, he wasn't the cannibal of the group, nor did he want to be.

They all ate for a while before Blooper had the courage to ask what he had been wondering all those years. "Hey Dad? Why do we always celebrate "Tides-giving" on a friday?"

KrakenKid coughed in surprise, eyes going wide. CannibalCrab perked up, also wondering since he too never asked. KrakenKid made eye contact with both of them before taking a long sip of milk, staring down at the table.

Darrel watched in amusement before rolling his eyes playfully and catching the pair of curious eyes and directed the attention to himself. "I can tell you why, but it's a bit of a long story and Kraken knows how much I love to add details to my stories." He winked at him, getting a small groan. Then, his eyes locked onto the others again. "It happened way back in the beginning of the Tide Changers..."
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At the very beginning of the Tide Changers, they lacked manpower.

Way before Harold discovered how to perfect cloning, they needed volunteers to join them, and it wasn't exactly easy to find them as small as they were. Even those who wanted to join the cause were too afraid to, due to so little members.

So the main people who were with them from the start were KrakenKid, Darrel, Larsa, Gnash and Harold.

All of them joined for different reasons: Gnash wasn't well trusted in Atlantis due to how he looked; Harold was exiled for his questionable and downright illegal experiments; and Larsa's kind was going extinct and the crown wasn't doing anything to stop it. However, they would all soon fight for the same reason-the very same one that Darrel joined for: KrakenKid.

KrakenKid was not only their only light in the darkness of the world-sometimes quite literally since his yellow eyes glowed in the dark- but he became the heart and soul of the Tide Changers.

It became very apparent that from the beginning, KrakenKid was... Well, he was just a kid.

Gnash couldn't deny that he thought KrakenKid was just some kid trying to be a rebel and as soon as his mother scolded him, all of it would collapse on itself, but then they grew closer to him.

And they learned what he fought for. That he fought for his people who died in a massive genocide that the crown kept secret, and his family long gone. And, at the end of the day, not only did he fight for what he thought was justice, but his own survival.

That if he showed his face before, he probably would've been killed for being a kraken, but now that he was running his own rebellion, it would be considered treason. That his trial would most likely be biased and unfair, and he would die a painful death. Losing wasn't an option for him.

This only inspired them more to fight for him with everything they had.

So as small as they were, they were a tight knit group, and they were all willing to die for KrakenKid.

One thing to be noted about the kraken was as brave as he was for creating the Tide Changers, that bravery was not without a great deal of fear. Anxious was a huge word for how he was most of the time. Always pacing and mumbling to himself; Checking and double checking everything; And preparing for everything and anything to go wrong. He was stressed alright, and it was only a matter of time before he snapped because of it.

So Darrel decided on a way to prevent that from happening.

"Thanksgiving." He announced with a grin on his face, clearly proud of what he came up with. "We're going to celebrate thanksgiving."

To which everyone gave him a blank stare.

"...Really?" Gnash questioned, a skeptical look on his face. His blue eyes studied the bird's for a moment, expecting a joke, but never found one. "Your grand plan is eating a bunch of food?"

Darrel nodded firmly. "KrakenKid has been beyond stressed for months, and someone's HAUNTED HOUSE DIDN'T MAKE THINGS BETTER!" A glare landed on a flustered Gnash, and then a not impressed Harold, who simply shrugged.

Harold's hands were fiddling with a pair of X-Ray goggles he had been working on making all day, and they were getting close to finished. His good eye met with Darrel's and didn't flinch under his gaze. He was one of the few who could do that. "Gnash told me he wanted the best haunted house ever and I complied. Just following orders."

"You put real looking Atlantean Guards inside and programmed them to chase people around!" Darrel argued.

A smirk played on Harold's face as he sighed longingly. "Ah... My best work yet." When Darrel's gaze hardened, he held up his hands in his defense. "Nobody got hurt." He pointed out.

"You nearly gave KrakenKid a panic attack!"

"He wasn't physically hurt, was he?" Harold shot back.

Larsa cleared his throat, turning all attention to him. The ent fixated his eyes on Harold. "While that was impressive, you did go a bit far there."

Harold huffed while Darrel was beyond pleased. "Alright, alright, maybe I got a bit carried away. It was a lot of fun though... I'll make it up to him, I've been working on a new gun for him anyways since his last one is crap. I'm thinking plasma bullets!"

"Perfect." Darrel told him before going back to the matter at hand. "Like I was saying before, KrakenKid has been stressed the past couple of months, so this will be good for him. A holiday to take all of his worries away. Comments?"

The Situation Room was silent before Larsa voiced his thoughts. "It could be nice for him to have a day just to eat food." He pointed out. "He has been looking rather thin lately."

"I can genetically modify the turkey to be bigger or more tasty!" Harold quickly added, his good eye shining with determination and under the eyepatch, his bad eye most likely was too.

Larsa gave Harold a puzzled look. "How many projects is that now?"

Harold paused, thinking to himself. "Mmm... Six? No-seven! I almost forgot about my cyborg project. I'm giving myself a new eye!" He said proudly.

"Moving on," Darrel pressed before they could get off topic again. "Gnash, thoughts?"

Gnash was hesitant but nodded in the end.

Darrel looked pleased with himself, his feathers puffing out a little. "It's settled then. Harold, you can take turkey duty and Larsa, multitask between pie and making sure Harold doesn't go overboard." The ent spared a glance at the crazed scientist before nodding slightly.

When Darrel turned to Gnash, but frowned when the same unsure look was on his face. "...Does he really need this? We should focus on keeping the Conch Command safe and he's a tough kid."

Fortunately for Darrel, he didn't have to answer as the person in question rushed in and immediately turned all of his focus on the bluebird.

"Darrel! I can't find any of our generals! There isn't any patrols or anything I set them up to do I can only assume the worst that-" Darrel coughed and gestured towards the people in front of him.

KrakenKid's head shot up and only then noticed there were other people in the room. Larsa and Gnash grimaced at the bags forming under his eyes. "Oh... Good. Not... Kidnapped." He answered breathlessly, hanging his head down and focusing on breathing.

The bluebird gave Gnash a look who instantly nodded understandingly. Darrel stood up and walked KrakenKid to the stairs and pointed up them. "Sleep." He ordered. KrakenKid tried to protest but Darrel gave him a hard look and he complied, dragging himself upstairs.

Darrel paused when he sat back down. "So Gnash, want to help me with everything else?"

Gnash nodded quickly. Darrel couldn't stop himself from shooting a "I told you so" look at him before the four of them got to work.

As dinner neared, the cooking actually went well outside of the first oven exploding but Harold quickly rebuilt it and they went on.

They neatly set up the table and we're almost ready for KrakenKid to join them, but their luck has run out.

They knew this as soon as the alarms went off, meaning the lookouts spotted trouble. They peeked out the balcony of the kitchen, and felt their hearts drop as the waves of blue invaded their land.

Atlantean Soldiers. Waves of them. This was an invasion.

The generals sprang into action, and Darrel and Harold did their best to aid them. They created a tight circle where they watched each other's backs and attacked everything that got close.

Though they all found it odd when the Atlanteans turned back and marched towards Atlantis again. Gnash watched them for a moment with a puzzled face. "They... They were winning. Why would they just retreat now? They could've wiped us out."

Larsa joined his side, his eyebrows knitted together, looking concerned. "Unless they already got what they came for..."

Darrel was first to realize it, eyes going wide with terror and booking it up the stairs. Harold and then Larsa were next. Larsa covered his mouth while Harold whispered "Oh no" and followed after.

Gnash however, didn't get it. "What? What did they get?"

"KRAKENKID!" Harold and Larsa shouted in unison. Gnash gasped and nearly tripped as they rounded the corner and stopped behind Darrel in KrakenKid's room.

The sheets on the bed looked to have been dragged off, and the blanket was half off the balcony.

"...They dragged him out of bed." Darrel said first, his wings clenching into a fist. "We were all too busy to save him.

Hours had past and the four of them were all trying to comprehend what had happened. Darrel was taking it the hardest, sulking in the corner and refused to face any of them. Harold was sadly finishing up his gun he was originally making for KrakenKid and Larsa slumped on the counter. Gnash was stuffing his face full of mashed potatoes.

It took a while, but eventually, Harold glared at the golem. "Really?"

"I STRESS EAT, OKAY?" Gnash answered, then immediately resumed eating. "I'm stressed, there's food, I can't help it!"

Harold rolled his eyes. Larsa sighed deeply, lifting his head up and turning towards the other two. "What are we going to do? Atlantis beats us: 10 to 1 and they've got our leader." He put his head in his hands. "Who knew they'd attack us on holiday."

Harold stopped for a moment and shrugged slightly. "Isn't it obvious? We're screwed. After they give him a trial, KrakenKid will be put to death and they'll go after us next... Who wants to drink until they're dead? No? More for me then."

Everyone in the room knew how Harold struggled with alcoholism before he joined the Tide Changers, and that he was on a record for being sober for half a year. If he was reverting back, he truly was hopeless. Larsa wanted to grab his arm as he stood up and convince him he was right, but what could he say when he himself was feeling the same way.

But before he could touch the bottle, Darrel spoke up. "No."

The room went still until Harold turned to face him. "No? No what? You know I'm right."

Darrel gritted his teeth and slammed a wing on the table, making Gnash jump. "I said no! KrakenKid needs us, and we're going to give up? Just like that? I don't think so! We owe him everything, the least we can do is go after him."

Harold scoffed. "Are you listening to yourself? We'll all die if we try that!"

"Then we die as a team." Darrel's eyes narrowed. "KrakenKid is our heart anyways, and if he dies, so do we. It's only fair it ends that way. Besides, like you said, they'll come for us anyways, so we might as well." His eyes locked with each of them, individually. "Who's with me?"

Larsa paused before standing up, Gnash right behind him, smiling. Harold contemplating his words before grinning as well.

"Well, Darrel." He leaned to one side. "What did you have in mind?"

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KrakenKid has never felt so scared in his life, and so close to death too.

Pulled out of his bed after being rudely awakened, then thrown in a dirty cell to rot until morning, the morning of his trial. KrakenKid knew as much as anyone that he'd end up dead by the end of it, and he couldn't do a thing.

If he pleaded guilty or innocent, krakens weren't well liked, and his crimes against the crown were many, it would be considered treason, and all traitors get the same treatment.

So, KrakenKid stuffed himself in the corner and tried to breathe. Keyword being tried. His heart raced out of control and his mind couldn't even focus on small details or anything that could calm him down.

His chest clenched and it felt like he couldn't breathe. Panic was all he could feel, and he had to squeeze his eyes shut just to prevent the tears from falling, and even then, they didn't stop.

"I'm going to die." He whispered to himself. "Oh P- I'm going to die!" His head buried in his knees as he felt tears escape his eyes. So badly he wanted to stay strong and at least pretend to die with dignity, but he couldn't get over how terrified he was.

He wasn't a martyr ready to die for his cause, nor a spy ready to take what he knew to the grave, he wanted to live! He was just a kid. In the end, that's all he was, but that didn't seem to matter to his enemies.

KrakenKid focused on just trying to settle down and stop crying for a while when he heard something outside of his wall. Something small at first, but then a yell. Was that his name?

KrakenKid didn't get to process it as an explosion broke down the wall and sent him tumbling to the ground. Yells filled the prison but then a strange noise rang out and it stopped. Before he could even open his eyes again, something wrapped around his waist.

He struggled against it at first, but relaxed when he heard the calming voice of Larsa murmur to him that everything was going to be alright.

It became a blur to KrakenKid, though he did remember hearing that weird noise again, more explosions, Harold shout "SCREW THE LAW" and getting into a car they definitely didn't own, but suddenly they were back at the tunnels.

Larsa finally set him down and they all swarmed him, asking if he was okay. It took him a moment to process it, but eventually, KrakenKid enveloped them all in a hug and tried not to cry, but failed.

"Thank you! I thought I was a dead man!" He smiled weakly and wiped away his tears.

"We got to look out for family, right?" Larsa smiled, looking to the others for an agreement.

Darrel nodded, smiling more warmly than ever and Harold and Gnash grinned. "'Course." Gnash put his arm around him. "Where would we all be without you? It was the least we could do. Plus, we got food and it's still Thanksgiving, right?"

They were about to leave when Harold corrected them. "Actually, as of seven minutes ago, it's the day after Thanksgiving."

There was a long pause before Darrel shrugged. "Since when have we cared about the rules anyways? Besides, maybe we can created our own holiday. Tides-giving or something."

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As Darrel finished, CannibalCrab had to blow his nose into a tissue, his eyes wet with tears. "That was beautiful." He whispered.

Blooper nodded along then looked at his Dad and tried to imagine him as stressed out as Darrel made him sound.

KrakenKid's face was turning red. "That story is always so embarrassing." He mumbled, playing with his food.

"Shut up, it's my favorite story." Darrel winked.

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Yayyyyyy! I'm a little late but shhhh I made it!

I wanted to make a Tide Changers thanksgiving and this idea just sorta came up! Young and very stressed KrakenKid with the first Tide Changers!

Anyways, I hope you guys liked this! Be sure to comment what you think and I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving, and if you don't celebrate it, I hope your day was just good! Bye!

—JustAnAtlantisWriter