As I promised in LII: The Beginning, Octim is getting his own side-story. I might do these backstory-related side stories for other characters. If this one turns out well, then I may do more like this.

The Boy From Cirrina

Chapter 1

Cirrina Countryside…

I threw another stone. It skipped along the water. I threw another one. Wow, new record for me.

"Hey, weird kid!" A voice behind me called out.

I quickly turned around. It was a green-haired squid girl.

"I wanted a chance to catch you when you weren't by your mom." She said. "So, why do you wear those weird goggles all the time?"

"Uh…um…" What do I do?! "Uuuuuh…"

"Uh, um, uuuuh," She mocked me. "Geez, can you even talk, or did your crazy mom forget to teach you how to speak?"

"Don't talk about my mom like that!" I shouted.

"Oh, you can talk." She sighed in relief. "So can you answer my question, or what?"

Someone make this stop…

"P-please…" I spoke. "Go away…"

"Why so shy?" She asked. "I'm just trying to talk."

"I-I'm not supposed to talk to strangers…" I said.

"Strangers?" She tilted her head. "I see you from a distance almost every day. No one in town should be a stranger to you."

I crouched down and covered my head.

"Please go away…" I begged her.

"Come on." She put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm not gonna-"

"Hey!" Mom was coming. "Get out of here! Leave my baby boy alone!"

The squid girl immediately ran away.

"Are you okay, Timmy?!" Mom asked. "Did she hurt you?!"

"No." I answered.

"What did I say about going off on your own?" She asked.

"Sorry mom…" I apologized.

"It's okay." She urged me to follow. "Come on, my little Octim. I have Dumbo Gumbo ready."

"Thanks…" I said. "…Mom…do you think I can ever take my goggles off?"

"No, not in front of anyone else!" She reminded me. "They can't know what you are!"

"Right…" I nodded.

An hour later…

I was lying on the floor watching the television. It was apparently a more low-tech television than what most other people have, but it had color. It worked fine A game of Rainmaker was on.

"Mom, do you think I'll ever play ink battles?" I asked.

"I don't know…" She became uneasy. "What if a stray shot knocks your goggles off?" Or what if you got splatted or fell in some water and the equipment or respawn didn't work?"

"Well…I…I want to do something fun in the future…" I told her. "Well, maybe I could get into music or something."

"What kind of music?" She asked, intrigued.

"Well, I saw this duo on the TV, a rapper and a DJ, and they made some really great sounding songs." I explained. "Maybe I could be a DJ."

"M-maybe not a DJ…" She told me.

"Oh…okay…" I sighed and turned back to the television.

"Octim," She laid down next to me. "I don't like seeing you down, but I just don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"I know, mom." I told her. "I just…I'm a little tired of just…being here and not doing anything."

She took a second to think.

"Okay, how about we go do something soon then?" She asked. "Like fishing or hiking."

"Maybe." I guess. "It sounds interesting."

It really didn't, but it seemed to make her happy. She kissed the side of my head before going in the other room.

The Next Day…

I grabbed the money and the list from Gramps.

"Mom," I called out. "I'm going to the market."

"Be careful, sweetie." She said. "And don't stray too far."

"I won't." I assured her.

After a few minutes, I was about halfway there when I heard something…

"Woooooohooooooooo!" I heard someone cheering.

I looked up to see a yellow flash right before getting hit.

"Oooow…" I was on the ground.

Wait, my goggles! I quickly found them on the ground and put them on. I turned around to find another squid rubbing her head.

"Man, I really could'a stuck the landing better." The yellow-haired squid with red eyes said before turning to me.

"Sorry, I got carried away."

"I-it's fine." I said. "Why were you flying through the air?"

"Because I'm a full-fledged Inkling now!" She cheered. "I can switch forms! My face and hair are different colors!"

"Uh…neat…" I said.

"Hey, you're crazy lady's kid, aren't ya?" She asked.

"Please don't call her that…" I pleaded.

"Sorry." She said. "So what's your name?"

"O-Octim." I told her.

"Well, nice to officially meet'cha!" She grabbed my hand and shook it. "Call me Sarah!"

"Uh…Okay…" I said. "Well, I gotta go now…"

I continued my walk. I noticed she was following close behind me. I turned around to see what was up.

"What?" she asked.

"Why are you following me?" I asked.

"I'm not." She said. "My home's this way. After that total wipeout, I'm not in the mood to try another Superjump."

"O-okay…" I turned to keep walking. "…So, uh…what are you going to do now…that you have your full form?"

"My parents bought me a train ticket to Inkopolis." She told me. "I leave in two days."

"You're going to Inkopolis?" I was surprised to hear.

"Yeah!" She told me. "Anybody who's anybody goes to Inkopolis at least once in their lives. You don't know?"

"I-I don't get out much…" I told her. "It wasn't until last month that I was allowed to go to the market by myself."

"Wow…you're mom's really protective, isn't she?" She guessed right.

"Yeah…" I confirmed.

"Well, I hope you get to go sometime." She sounded sincere. "I'm sure you'd have a great time."

Yeah, it sounds nice, but I doubt my mom would let me.

Eventually she waved goodbye at a fork in the road and I soon got to the market. I always get a few funny looks from people who no doubt know my mom. I got the things we needed and started back. All the while I was there I kept hearing squids talking excitedly to each other about going to Inkopolis soon.

Great…at least some of the squid kids here were good for a short conversation, but now they're all leaving…

Three Days later…

I should've talked to her earlier, but I was too nervous…Today. Today is the day I ask.

"M-Mom?" I got her attention.

"Yes?" She turned from a book she was reading.

"I-I've been thinking…" I gotta get this out. "Can…can we go to Inkopolis?"

"Why?" She looked at me, confused. "Why would you ever want to go there?"

"Everyone else is going." I told her. "A-and I heard it's really great there."

"I don't think you're ready for the big city." She said.

"What am I ready for?" I asked. "I'm thirteen and you only started letting me go to the market a month ago."

"I just…I'm afraid something bad could happen." She told me. "I mean…"

We then heard a knock on the door. She went to answer it. It was Gramps. The old squid let himself in.

"Hello there, I came to check in on ya." He let himself in. "How've ya been?"

"Gramps!" I ran over to him. "We've been doing fine."

"Hello, Gerald." Mom greeted him.

"Well, it's good to see you both." He said. "So what've you been up to?"

"I want to go to Inkopolis!" I told him.

"Tim!" Mom clearly didn't want him to hear that.

"So ya wanna go to the big city, hm?" He sat at the table. "So ya gonna let him, Amphia?"

"Of course not!" She stated. "It's way too risky."

"Oh, come on." He rolled his eyes. "Yer only young once."

"But what if the other Inklings find out he's an Octoling?" She asked.

"I've been there myself last week!" He said. "I've seen quite a few Octolings there. It seems most Inklings can't tell the difference. Maybe he can make some Octo friends…"

"I don't know…" She was unsure.

"Amphia, you can't coop him up here forever." He told her. "Lad doesn't have any friends, no father in his life, and you barely let him be on his own. He needs other people in his life. He can't live in isolation. It ain't healthy!"

She took a minute to think about it.

"Come on, mom…" I took my goggles off and gave her 'puppy dog' eyes.

"Oooooh, why do you give me that face?" She whined. "…Fine…but we'll need to establish some ground rules."

"Yes!" I jumped with excitement.