AN: Okay, so I started this a while ago, and it gets off to a really rocky start. It gets better somewhere later on, but this chapter is not by any means some of my better work. Neither is the next one. The one after that is some better. If someone is OOC, please let me know so that I can fix it.
Disclaimer: Not mine. I would not write fan fiction if owned any of these characters other than Ruby.
"Aw, come on, Ruby," Robin pleaded. "It'll be fun."
"No!" she snapped. "For the last time, I am not going swimming!"
The three of them, Ruby, Robin, and Kid Flash, were alone in the mountain for the day and Robin and KF had decided to swim. Ruby refused to join in. Just like she always had. In the thirteen months they'd known her she had never once swam with them.
"Aw, come on," Kid Flash pleaded. "You can stay in the shallow end."
"No," she told him.
Robin shrugged. "Suit yourself."
But Kid Flash ran past and picked her up from the couch, carrying her towards the pool.
"No," she thought. "Please, no. If he dumps me in the pool, I'm going to lose my home and family. My friends. My team. Granted, those are all the same thing, but still!" "Kid Flash if you don't put me down right now I swear I will break you. Permanently."
Wally blinked at her utterly hostile tone, but they were at the edge of the pool anyway, so... "Have it your way."
He dropped her into the pool. She screamed. Not in surprise like he wanted, but in pain and fear. She thrashed as red mist, it looked like blood, gathered in the water around her. Then she went limp and sank to the bottom of the pool.
Wally looked on in horror. Robin came dashing into the room. "What did you DO?"
"I don't know what happened!" Wally yelled back, panicked. "I just dumped her in the pool. How was I supposed to know she would react like that?!" He leaned over the edge of the pool and tried to spot her. What he saw made him recoil in shock before doing a double take. "Dude, you have to come see this."
"Wally," Robin scolded, "You know as well as I do that Ruby can't swim! What were you thinking? Were you thinking?!"
"Dude, seriously, just get over here and look at this."
Robin went over to the edge of the pool and stopped short. "What on Earth?"
Floating on her back just beneath the surface in the middle of the pool was Ruby. But she wasn't... Her. This Ruby had dark red hair and a more refined face. This Ruby also had a tail that was, appropriately, clad in gem-like red scales.
Her eyes fluttered open and landed on the boys. Robin could have sworn that she sighed. Then she swam over and broke the surface. "Now do you see why I didn't want to go swimming?" Her tone was harsh, implying anger, but her eyes told a different story. They were filled with pain, and fear, and sadness.
"You... You're a..." Wally stammered.
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Wallace, I'm a mermaid. Deal with it."
Robin broke into a grin. "This is totally asterous."
She looked up at him, confused. "I kinda figured that this was the part where you guys would panic and trap me in a fish tank, or something like that."
"Are you kidding?" Robin asked. "This is awesome!"
She laughed, clear and bell-like. "Glad someone thinks so. Really, it's nothing more than a lot of hassle. But I'm glad you think it's cool." She looked down at her tail. "I suppose since you've seen me like this I can give you my name and title. I am Regalia, third circle princess of Solaria, gem of the court, and niece of the great Queen Alahma. Hi, it's nice to meet you." She stuck out her hand.
Robin shook it without thinking, then yelped when he got an electric shock. He nearly tumbled into the pool. Wally caught him. "Are you okay?"
Ruby, Regalia, retracted her hand and stared at the mark now on her palm. "Oh no. Robin, show me your hand."