Pirates Of The Caribbean /// Keys Of Hell

Chapter LXXXVI

《In the tavern behind the stone peaks》
Ruby looked out of the cave entrance and saw the back of the man with long blond hair and many glasses and cups on the table.

Ruby: (From the entrance) Dylan? (Seeing all the rum on the table) Please.
Dylan: (Without turning around) What?! Now you're going to take advantage of your power to tell me to stop drinking?!
Ruby: I'm not going to take advantage of my power, much less with you. But I am telling you to stop drinking.
Dylan: (Takes another sip) And what if I don't stop?
Ruby: You yourself said that it was frowned upon for us, souls of dead people, to drink this kind of drink.
Dylan: I don't care! Nothing matters to me anymore! (Leaves the cup on the table and turns around) Also, what will happen to me if I continue drinking? Am I going to receive another punishment?! I don't care! Anyway, I'm used to it. Hades hates me. And if he's going to hate me more for this, or I'm going to receive more punishments from him, it doesn't matter. The damage is already done.
Ruby: (Surprised by Dylan's words) What happened with the Dylan I met? (Approaches to Dylan) That Dylan who approached to me offering me friendship and company? That Dylan who helped me keep going despite all the bad things that were happening at the time?
Dylan: That Dylan you're talking about... doesn't exist. That Dylan never existed. (Takes a sip of rum) The real Dylan is a murderer.

Ruby grabbed the mug from Dylan's hand, set it on the table, pulled up another chair, and sat down next to him.

Ruby: Dylan, please. Don't say that about you.
Dylan: But that's the only truth. Or are you going to tell me that you didn't know that I was the pirate captain who murdered Flame?
Ruby: I did know but...
Dylan: But? Do you really want to justify yourself? Is that why you didn't want me to come near you when you arrived?
Ruby: It wasn't because of that! Really!
Dylan: So? Why did you make fun of me?
Ruby: I never wanted to play with you.
Dylan: But you did. No one in their right mind would go near their killer.
Ruby: And possibly if I had known from the beginning, I wouldn't have approached you either.
Dylan: (Looks at Ruby) You really didn't recognize the man who took your life?
Ruby: It wasn't you who took my life.
Dylan: How did you lose your life then? Are you going to continue with the little story that you lost your life helping your friend?
Ruby: Yes. It was because of a curse, but that's how it was.
Dylan: Then now you're going to tell me that you're not Flame? I would recognize that beautiful woman's hair anywhere.
Ruby: I'm not Flame. I'm just the reincarnation of that goddess. The chosen one to take care of her powers.
Dylan: You're going to tell me that you don't remember that day?
Ruby: (Shakes her head)
Dylan: You're going to tell me that you don't remember me?
Ruby: (Shakes her head) Dylan, I met you here. And here I got a very good friend.

Dylan and Ruby were silent for a minute as Ruby thought about the day Dylan first approached her, and Dylan thought about the time on his ship, he buried his sword in the Flame Goddess's abdomen.

Dylan: I'm sorry. It was never my intention to hurt you.
Ruby: And you didn't do it.
Dylan: I was just trying to defend myself.
Ruby: I know.
Dylan: I couldn't move on after taking the life of someone I loved.
Ruby: I know what it feels like to take the life of someone you love.
Dylan: You say that because of your father?
Ruby: You remember when I told you.
Dylan: Of course I remember.
Ruby: But you weren't paying attention when I told you.
Dylan: But I knew that was important information.
Ruby: (Traces her scar with fire as she remembers her father in life)
Dylan: How did you kill him?
Ruby: (Tracing her tattoo with fire) I set it on fire. I set the whole house on fire.
Dylan: Couldn't he escape?
Ruby: He was sleeping. The only thing left was ashes.
Dylan: Your mother didn't help?
Ruby: All that woman cared about was my father's money. She would've escaped with or without me.
Dylan: Did you really have such a bad relationship with her?
Ruby: Would you have a good relationship with someone who hits you daily or makes you hate life?
Dylan: Then it was her fault that you tried to do those crazy things.
Ruby: You didn't believe me when I told you, did you?
Dylan: It's something really hard to believe. A mother is supposed to be the one who supports and protects her children.
Ruby: It's supposed to.
Dylan: And you haven't seen her again?
Ruby: The last time I saw her was that day when I escaped from my house. A little before I chose a pirate's life.
Dylan: So she hasn't died.
Ruby: Not on land at least.
Dylan: And sometimes you don't feel like watching her again?
Ruby: Not really. Besides, she always wanted to kill the bearer of the Heart of Fire.
Dylan: Did she know it was you?
Ruby: If she knew I would probably be dead. But actually dead.
Dylan: (After another minute of silence) Why are you still here? Why don't you go back? You have the opportunity to sail the Caribbean Sea again. And you've told me many times how much you love sailing.
Ruby: Why don't you go with me?
Dylan: You know I can't get out of this place.
Ruby: At least go with me to get back the Heart of Fire.
Dylan: Are you really going to forgive the man who took your life?
Ruby: Dylan, let me make one thing clear to you. Flame is dead. She was killed by a pirate. Captain Dylan. That pirate committed suicide. He's also dead. I am Ruby. Ruby Evans. A pirate who, due to a mistake of nature, fell into the Hell of the Caribbean, where she met Dylan. Not the captain, not the pirate, just Dylan. Thanks to Dylan, Ruby was able to keep on living. They became very good friends. And both of them, believe it or not, wherever they are, are still alive.
Dylan: I may not be able to go on... living peacefully. Hades hates me a lot and probably has many punishments prepared for me.
Ruby: I won't let him. I'll make sure Hades lets you live here in peace. I promise.
Dylan: Do you think I can... live in peace being completely alone? You're my only friend.
Ruby: You like going to the port. There are many souls there with whom you could communicate.
Dylan: I wouldn't know how.
Ruby: Start with someone you already trust.
Dylan: In all my years here, I have not gotten close to anyone. I know many but I have not related to anyone. That's why when you came to this place I dared to talk to you. I noticed something in you that was different from all other souls and I didn't want you to feel the same loneliness that I have been feeling for hundreds of years.
Ruby: I know who you could start with. Francis Evans. He's a very good man. He didn't deserve to die but here he is.
Dylan: Evans... Is he your father?
Ruby: (Nods) I lost him when I was eight. But I've seen him again. (Showing him the Bracelet of Hell) With the Keys of Hell I can enter and leave this place whenever I want. With the keys and the Heart, of course.
Dylan: Does that mean you're going to keep coming?
Ruby: (Nods) But that doesn't mean I don't want you to make more friends. New souls arrive every day. Do with new souls what you did with me. Give them a friendship and a reason to keep going.
Dylan: (Nods) Thanks.
Ruby: Thanks to you.

Ruby walked over to Dylan and gave him a hug. He hugged her back. After a few seconds, Dylan told Ruby that she should go back to enjoying her pirate life sailing around the Caribbean.

Dylan: Life is giving you a second chance. Why don't you use that chance?
Ruby: You said you were going with me, didn't you?
Dylan: (Smiling) Let's go. It's your moment.

Dylan, seeing Ruby's smile, put his arm behind his friend's shoulder and they began to walk back to the port so that Ruby could, after many years, recover the Heart of Fire so she could sail the Caribbean again.

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