Disclaimer: (I forgot, I'm sorry!) I, sadly, don't own Ruby Gloom or any recognizable thing from that TV series. However, I do own Ash, Charlotte, and Ariella.
"Thank you," Ruby called to the taxi driver as he pulled away, leaving Ruby and her three friends alone with their baggage on the side of the road. She turned around to look at the house she hadn't seen in six years. She let out a sigh.
"Don't worry Rue, you'll see your skeleton again soon," her friend Asher said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She looked up into his face and smiled forlornly at the man who was like her brother.
"He's not my skeleton, Ash," she whispered. "He's probably forgotten all about me." Her other two friends gasped, making her look at them.
"Ruby Scarlet Gloom," Charlotte said to her, her green eyes flashing with anger.
"From what you've told us -" her twin Ariella continued, her silvery hair fanning out around her face, almost as if it was moved by the wind.
"He is your skeleton -" Char said, eyes narrowing.
"And he could never -" Ria spoke, coming towards Ruby and rubbing her back in a comforting manner.
"Have forgotten you." They finished together, now helping Ash hold up Ruby's dead weight as she broke into tears.
"Thank you," she sniffled through her tears, a watery smile forming on her face. "You're -hic- the best friends a girl -hic- could have." She cried for a while longer, allowing her worry to flow out from her with her tears. A few minutes later, her sobs had subsided and resolution filled her. She took a deep breath, and took another look at the mansion in front of her. "Let's do this."
Her friends nodded. "Come on Doom," Ruby said to the cat that was snuggled around her legs. The cat stretched its back and yawned before walking slowly towards the mansion. Ruby, Ash, Char, and Ria gathered up their bags and slowly walked towards the mansion after Doom. As they walked Ruby sank into thought.
It had been six years since she had last seen her friends, the ones that had been with her since she was four. She missed them greatly and hoped that they would accept her back into their midst, but they had definitely parted on a sore note.
"You guys know I have to go to college," Ruby remembered saying to them. Her friends had protested.
"You'll forget about us," Iris had said, tears pooling in her eye.
"Who'll listen to my tales of heroism?" Poe had cried in his self-centered way.
"We'll miss you too much." Frank and Len had said, from their position on the floor where they were holding her legs in their arms.
"Yes," Scaredy had agreed. "No one will be there for us as you have Ruby."
"We need you Ruby," Misery had cried, almost pulling her hair in worry.
"But don't you understand," Ruby had said, prying her friends off her, "I have to go." Skullboy had looked up at her with a sad darkness in his eyes.
"If that's what you want, then go," he yelled at her. "But don't come back to us crying when everything goes wrong. You know what the people out there have done to people like us." He pushed her outside, threw her bags out, and slammed the door in her face. Doom had jumped out the window to join her as her tears fell. Ruby had stared at the door for a few minutes, before gathering her bags and walking to the tram stop that would bring her to her college and away from her first friends.
"Rue," Ash's voice broke through her silent reverie. Ruby shook her head clear of her thoughts and looked at her friend. "Do you want to be the one to knock?" Ruby nodded silently. She was scared her voice would betray her fear if she did speak. She turned to the door slowly and took a deep breath. She reached out her hand, grabbed the doorknocker, pulled it back, and let it go, allowing it to knock against the door.
"Coming," a voice she identified as Misery's came from inside the house. That's weird, she thought. Misery's voice sounds... more miserable than normal. She shook her head. It must be my imagination. Footsteps echoed through the house as Misery walked towards the door. Ruby closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm her. Everything will be fine, she reassured herself. The footsteps stopped as Misery came to the door. The door creaked as it opened, revealing Misery in all her sorrow. Misery just looked at Ruby with astonishment.
"Hey Mis," Ruby said in a small voice. "I'm back." Misery looked at Ruby again, blinking her big eyes. A smile broke out on her usually sad face as she realized it was Ruby.
"Ruby," she cried in a throaty voice as she let go of the door and hugged Ruby. "You're back!" Tears slid down Ruby's face as Ruby nodded. "I've missed you so much, Ruby."
"Don't worry, Mis." Ruby said in a calming tone. "I'm back and I'm back for good." Misery cried into Ruby's shoulder as Ruby rubbed Misery's back in a comforting way. Misery's cries subsided as she hugged Ruby close. Misery looked up and smiled at Ruby again before looking around at Ash, Char, and Ria.
"Ruby," Misery asked, her voice back to normal, "Who are these people?" Ruby smiled as she helped Misery up.
"These are friends of mine I made in college," she said, "Misery, meet Asher Winthrop, and the twins, Charlotte and Ariella O'Lea. Ash, Char, Ria, this is my friend Misery."
"Hello Misery," Ash said as he stepped forward and kissed Misery's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Ruby has told us so much about you." Misery's usually pallid blue skin gained a rosy undertone as a smile graced her face.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Asher." She said, curtsying to him. Her raven hair created a curtain around her before she rose and she peered through her hair to Ria and Char. "It's nice to meet you, Charlotte and Ariella. I'm happy that Ruby's had good friends while she was away." Char and Ria smiled at Misery.
"It's nice to meet you too, Misery." Char said.
"We're happy that we could help Ruby." Ria said.
"Even if it took a while to break through to her." Char added. Ruby glared at them before turning to Misery.
"How are the others, Mis?" She asked. Misery's smile faded.
"They miss you, Ruby." Misery said truthfully. "Things haven't been the same without you. Poe hasn't lectured since you left, Booboo's stopped scaring, and Iris hasn't gone flying since before you left. Frank and Len gave up music, and Scaredy barely speaks and is scared of absolutely everything now. Skullboy's the worst, though. He doesn't do anything! He even gave up trying to find out who his ancestors were." Sadness and regret flashed across Ruby's face.
"I didn't mean to hurt you guys," she said quietly. "I just needed to get out into the world and learn." Misery patted her back.
"I know Ruby," she said. A smile reappeared on her face. "Why don't we go see the others now?" Ruby nodded and picked up her stuff to follow Misery before stopping momentarily.
"Mis?" She asked. Misery nodded to her. "What if they don't like me anymore? What if they don't want me?" Char, Ash, and Ria gathered around Ruby, consoling her.
"They've missed you too much Ruby." Misery said. "They love you and will be so happy you're back." Ruby smiled at Misery again before nodding.
"Then let's go see them," Ruby said, as she and her friends followed Misery through the doors of the mansion to see her friends.
"Guys," Misery called through the house. "Meeting in the family room in five."
"Okay," a chorus of voices called through the house before Misery turned to Ruby.
"How do you want to do this Ruby?" She asked. Ruby shook her head, indicating that she had no ideas. Char and Ria put there heads together for a moment, whispering quietly. Within a few minutes, they stood up together.
"We have an idea," they chorused.
"What if Misery pretends she called them all together," Char started.
"To talk. Just talk. Then," Ria continued.
"She says she has a surprise for them-"
"Then, Ruby walks in-"
"And everyone will hug her and stuff-"
"Then we'll walk in and Ruby will introduce us!"
"How about it?"
"That actually sounds like a great idea guys," Ash said, a tone of amazement clear on his face. The twins turned to face him before sticking their tongues out at him. Ruby laughed.
"Is that okay with you, Mis?" Ruby asked Misery. Misery nodded excitedly.
"They'll be so happy you're back!" She exclaimed jumping around Ruby. "We've all missed you so much!" Misery hugged Ruby again, squeezing the stuffing out of her. Ruby smiled as she patted Misery's back.
"Umm, Mis?" She asked. "Can you put me down? I can't breathe." Misery let Ruby down and looked at her with a sheepish face.
"Sorry, Ruby."
"Don't worry," Ruby said, patting her back. "Everything is going to be okay."
A few minutes later, Misery, Poe, Iris, Scaredy, Frank, Len, Boo-Boo and Skullboy stood together in the family room. Misery stood in front of a roaring fire as the others sat on the floor gloomily.
"What's the matter Misery?" Iris asked in a lifeless, melancholy voice, a bored look on her face. Misery giggled with as her small smile grew.
"Nothing," Misery said. "We just had a guest today that I though you all should meet." Ruby stood outside the door waiting for her cue.
"Why did you call us then?" Skullboy said angrily, getting up off the floor. "You know I want nothing to do with that." Ruby opened the door angrily and stomped into the room.
"Not even when your best friend comes home." Ruby said in a vexed tone. She tapped her foot as Skullboy and the others turned around slowly to face her.
"Ruby?" Scaredy asked in a startled tone. "Is that you?" Ruby nodded with a smile.
"Yep," she said. "I'm back." Smiles grew on her friends' faces.
"Ruby! You're home!" Everyone yelled as they ran towards her and hugged the stuffing out of her. Ruby laughed as she hugged her friends back.
"I missed you all so much!" Ruby said, tears coming to her eyes. "I'm so glad I'm back." A bitter laugh came from nearby and Ruby looked up to see Skullboy standing near the fire with his fists clenched.
"Then why did you leave?" He asked. "Why did you leave us alone for so long if you missed us? Why didn't you come back earlier?" More tears sprung to Ruby's eyes.
"Just because I missed you guys does not mean that I didn't learn anything or I didn't make new friends." Ruby whispered quietly. "I got my masters degree in Mythology, Classics, and Creative Writing, just because they reminded me of you guys. I went to a graduate school for Creative Writing because I wanted to write about our adventures and no one would believe that they were real. Every other second I spent thinking of you guys, my first friends, the ones that inspired me always. I did make four new friends, but you guys have always been my best friends. You're more like family to be truthful."
Tears coursed down Ruby's cheeks as she sank to the floor. Sobs shook her and her oldest friends just sat there staring, not knowing what to do. Their Ruby had always been strong and rarely shed a tear. A loud bang woke them from their daze as Ash, Char, and Ria all entered the family room in a rush. They crowded around Ruby, comforting her.
"Don't worry, Rue." Ash said. "Everything's going to be okay."
"Yeah," Char said, "Remember what you always say-"
"What?" Ruby asked in a melancholy voice.
"Look on the bright side." Ria sang to the familiar tune that the college friends all knew. A small smile graced Ruby's face.
"Thanks guys," Ruby said quietly. She looked up to her old friends. "I'll be back in a minute. I just need to... calm down a bit." Ruby stood up and walked towards the door. She closed the door quietly behind her and everyone left in the room let out a breath.
"What was that?" Poe asked. Ash, Char, and Ria looked at each other before nodding.
"Rue always has those sort of breakdowns when she's pressured." Ash confided in them. "At least, for as long as we've known her."
"We think that they might have only been triggered after she left you guys," Char said.
"She's had them since we've known her and we still haven't been able to get her to go to a doctor for a diagnosis." Ria continued. Ruby's old friends looked at each other.
"You mean to say we caused that?" Frank and Len asked. Ash, Char, and Ria nodded sadly. Frank, Len, Scaredy, Poe, Iris, Boo-Boo, and Misery all glared at Skullboy.
"Look what you've done," Boo-Boo wailed at him.
"What do you mean 'what I've done?''' Skullboy asked the ghost.
"You're the one that kicked her out." Boo-Boo accused him. A roar came from Skullboy as he swiped his hands at Boo-Boo.
"Take... that... back!" Skullboy screamed at Boo-Boo as he tried to hurt Boo-Boo. Boo-Boo dodged the hands, even though he knew that Skullboy couldn't hurt him because he was a ghost.
"It's true," Misery moaned. Skullboy turned on her with a fire growing in his eyes.
"I would never hurt her." Skullboy yelled. "How could I? I can't hurt the girl I love!" An awkward silence bathed the hall. Finally, Ash broke it as he turned to Char and Ria.
"You owe me 50 dollars," he said in a singsong voice. They glared at him before paying up.
"We should have guessed," Char mumbled.
"That he reciprocated Rue's feelings." Ria finished. Skullboy stared at them.
"What did you say?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. Char and Ria rolled their eyes at him, still scowling.
"I believe they said that they should have guessed that you reciprocated Ruby's feelings." Poe said, always the scholar.
"And what does reh-sip-ree-kay-ted mean?" Skullboy said impatiently. Ash rolled his eyes.
"Reciprocated. Past tense verb. To experience the same (love, liking, or affection) for someone as that person does for oneself. Requite, return, give back, match, equal, respond in kind, do the same (in return)." Ash repeated in a bored tone, as if he had memorized the definition years before.
"Ruby likes Skullboy," Scaredy asked confused.
"And Skullboy likes Ruby," Iris squealed.
"I call bridesmaid," Misery giggled. Everyone looked at her, astonished by her seemingly optimistic behavior. She shrugged her shoulders. "Ruby and Skullboy like each other." She said. "Why shouldn't I be happy?"
"I can't believe she likes me after everything I put her through," Skullboy moaned, putting his head in his hands. I'm the main reason she's so sad all the time." Ash, Char, and Ria nodded.
"Yeah," Ash said rudely, "You are."
"That's why," Char said.
"We doubted," Ria continued.
"That you liked her." They chorused the finish.
"I don't deserve her," Skullboy moaned. "She's perfect and I'm just a skeleton with no family or anything to help her live. She should go marry some nice human boy, like that guy." He pointed to Ash. Everyone looked at Ash as he stared at Skullboy like he was crazy.
"Dude, you have never been so wrong." Ash said shaking his head. "Rue's like my sister, nothing more. And 'that guy' is Asher Winthrop. The girls are Charlotte and Ariella O'Lea." The girls nodded to Ash and the others in the room before the conversation continued.
"Oh, oh," Iris said, jumping up and down, "I call planning the wedding!" Skullboy groaned, burying his head in his hands once again.
"We're not getting married, Iris." He said in a sad voice.
"Of course you are," Len said in his usual naïve tone. Frank sighed.
"What Len means is that, when a boy and a girl like each other they usually get married. Ruby like Skullboy and Skullboy likes Ruby. So, Ruby and Skullboy will get married." A small voice from the door spoke up.
"But Skullboy doesn't like me." It said. Everyone turned to look at Ruby, who stood by the door, hair bedraggled and eyes red. Skullboy groaned again.
"Ruby," he lamented. "I'm so sorry that I kicked you out and I was so mean to you. I just didn't want you to leave because I loved you so much." Ruby cried as she dropped to the floor and curled up in a ball.
"Skullboy can't like me." She mumbled, "Skullboy shouldn't like me. I'm a stupid, naïve girl. Skullboy can't like me." She repeated these words over and over again as she rocked back and forth in a catatonic state. Everyone glared at Skullboy as they rushed to comfort Ruby. Skullboy stood there for a moment before running to Ruby and pushing everyone out of the way so he could hold her.
"I love you Ruby." He said quietly into her ear as she cried. "I love your laugh, I love your positive attitude. I love how you're always nice and kind to your friends and I love how loyal you are. I love your bravery and I love how smart you are. I love that beautiful scarlet hair of yours and I love your beautiful green eyes. I love your smile and I love your sense of adventure. I love you Ruby Scarlet Gloom." He leaned forward until their foreheads touched each other. Ruby looked up into his eyes.
"Really?" She asked in a heart-breaking cracked voice. Skullboy nodded.
"Truly." He said as he lowered his lips onto hers. They kissed like no couple had kissed before. The kiss was urgent, yet free, passionate, yet loving. Nothing else pierced their paradise. The feeling it provoked could not be described. Yet, they knew they would come to know that feeling, that kiss throughout the years. Finally, wolf-whistles and catcalls broke through their utopia and they turned and blushed as they saw that everyone had been watching them.
"See Rue," Ash said, a twinkle in his eye. "I told you you'd have your happy ending." Ruby smiled at him.
But, readers, remember this lesson: True love has no happy ending because true love never ends. So remember this tale as you go along. Find your true love, your happy ending. Even when all seems lost, never give up. Remember Ruby and Skullboy, how their love for each other grew, as they were apart and they came together and lived their happy ending, finally.
R&R!