An inkling stands in the middle of a ruined city. A city where thousands of young inklings once used to congregate with each other, now abandoned, as all citizens had fled elsewhere. This place… was known as Inkopolis.
The famous Inkopolis Tower, or at least, what is left of it, lies destroyed. The shaft of the tower has fallen onto what used to be a news studio. Sharp glass litters across the plaza, and nearly all of the concrete is unearthed. Black clouds hang in the sky, watching over the remains of the plaza, the distant sound of thunder occasionally booming.
The inkling has pale skin, in stark contrast to his tentacles, which are jet black; and he wears unconventional clothes: a black jacket and jeans. His facial expression is nearly non-existent; it merely reflects his feeling of emptiness. His eyes are wet with tears, as he stares unbelievingly at the figure before him…the lifeless body of someone he loved.
The black-haired inkling falls to his knees with his hands over his face. Where did it all go so wrong? he thinks to himself. I don't deserve this… WHY?... WHY ME!? a voice silently screams in his mind. He throws himself onto the inkling's body and hugs him, sobbing profusely black tears, repeatedly slamming his fists into the ground, until his hand is raw and bleeding. He rolls onto his back, staring lifelessly towards the sky. Regret constantly stings his mind, as he whispers over and over: "I could have saved him… I could have saved him… I could have saved him…"
He then closes his eyes, as a last whisper escapes his lips.
"Where did it all go so wrong?"
The sound of an alarm clock blared in a teenage boy's bedroom. The confused Inkling woke in his bed and groggily slapped at his clock. He looked at the time, which read 7:00 AM.
"Ugh, why so early?" he asked to himself, rubbing his eyes. He blinked, and shielded his eyes from the morning light. The sunrise cast a warm glow throughout his room through his window, and shone right on his calendar, which indicated the first day of summer vacation. "Oh..." he faltered and threw his covers off of him. Standing up, he began looking for his shoes. He had pink tentacles, tied up in the typical male inkling look, and a pair of obsidian-colored eyes, with skin that resembled the color of beach sand. "Sweet, it's summertime! Wait, then why can't I sleep in?" he questioned aloud with a furrowed brow, as he was sure he had disabled his alarm clock after graduation. As if on cue, his door swung open with a bang.
"Morning, Iggy!" his older sister beamed, as she marched into his room.
"GAH, what-are-you-doing-in-here?" He sputtered, as he dove into his covers, startled.
"Hahaha! I'm not that scary, am I?" She teased him with a puzzled expression. She had long Magenta Hair, with eyes like amethyst. She wore a Berry Ski Jacket, Pink Trainers, and the Squid Nordic Hat. Her skin was the same tone as Iggy's. She was staring at him expectantly with crossed arms.
"Maybe knock first next time?" Iggy suggested before rubbing his eyes. "And hey, were you the one who messed with my alarm clock?" he asked with a scowl. She chuckled, and reached for her jacket pocket.
"Ah, shut it dingus. Guess what I got today?" she said as she proudly pulled out two train tickets.
"WHAT?" Iggy's exclaimed, his face lilting up in surprise. He jumped up to inspect the tickets. They were about the size of a credit card, and the golden hue shimmered in the light. Each ticket had an image of an inkling girl waving from a train, and in the distance, a familiar tower was pictured. "I can't believe it! You finally saved up?" he asked her in disbelief.
"Yup," she responded, trying not to shake with excitement. "That's right bro, we finally can go to the Inkopolis. In fact, we're leaving right after breakfast!" she beamed with her chin raised high. Iggy was shocked. He knew this day would come, but he never thought about what it entailed: he was moving out to the big city, all on his own… except for his older sister, Sam, who he would be stuck with probably forever.
"I can't believe it…" Iggy trailed off, falling into a daze. The young inkling pondered about life in Inkopolis, the people he would meet, the Turf Wars, the shopping. But best of all, the Splatfests, the big debates where he would have the chance to compete with other kids in an all-out battle binge.
"Well, hurry up and believe it!" Sam giggled, as she skipped out of Iggy's room. The boy immediately rushed to his closet. He picked out his freshest set of clothes, and stood in the mirror to see his outfit in its entirety. He wore a Squidmark LS, and Crazy Arrows. He didn't care much for headgear.
"IGNACIO! SAMANTHA!" His mother called from downstairs. "BREAKFAST IS READY!" she yelled. Iggy took one last look in the mirror, and hurried out his bedroom door. Sam came out of her bedroom, with her backpack in her hands. She noticed Iggy, and grinned mischievously.
"Wow, bro. You are SO unfresh," she joked.
"Oh, whatever!" He barked at her. She just laughed at his reaction.
"KIDS? HURRY UP!" Their mother called. The siblings exchanged excited looks, and they both hurried downstairs. The smell of fresh bacon, eggs, and pancakes was in the air.
"Ah, there you are. Have a seat you two," their mother ordered to the siblings as they emerged from upstairs. She pointed over at the kitchen table, where their food was waiting for them. The kids walked over, and sat at the table.
"Looks good, mama. Thanks for breakfast," Iggy said with a polite smile. His mother gave him a warm smile back, and began washing dishes.
"Alright kids, we should review today's plans…" their mother started. The siblings exchanged annoyed looks.
"Again, ma? Ugh…" she complained while rolling her eyes. "I'm sixteen! I know what I'm doing!" she protested.
"You two will be staying in my old condo, a two-minute walk from the plaza," she responded, ignoring her daughter. "Greenfield Condominiums," she stated.
"How could you afford to buy out that suite?" she asked their mother. "I thought you sucked at Turf Wars," she teased with a devilish smile. Iggy choked on his milk and hardly stifled a laugh. Their mother whirled around with a stern look.
"Young lady, apologize this instant! Or you can stay with me!" she threatened, pointing at the dirty dishes.
"Sorry, mama" she giggled. She began eating her breakfast. Iggy chewed on his pancakes happily. He pondered about his what his first turf war would be like.
"Hey mama, are turf wars hard? I mean, were you nervous for your first one?" Iggy asked hopingly.
"Well as long as you give it all you've got, there's nothing to be afraid of, mijo," she said reassuringly, while she continued scrubbing.
"Aw… is my little Iggy-wiggy scared of Turf Wars?" Sam teased, smirking at him. Iggy glared daggers at his sister.
"I told you not to call me that!" he whined, punching the table. She grinned, knowing that she successfully pushed his buttons.
"IGGY-WIGGY GONNA GET SPLATTED," She yelled playfully and pointed at him.
"We'll see who gets splatted!" he muttered. He grabbed his fork, and quickly used it to fling a piece of his pancake at her face. She ducked and it hit the wall behind her. Their mother stomped in frustration of her children's behavior.
"EY, IGNACIO GALIANO!" she bellowed. "You're going to clean that up, jovencito," she ordered, while shaking her head. Iggy sighed in defeat, and stood up to go clean the mess. He glared at his sister. He took a scrubbing brush from the sink and started scrubbing the wall where his projectile landed.
"Hey, I'm just teasing you, bro," she said to him, surprised by his behavior.
"Get it all off," she commanded, watching her son clean up the mess. Suddenly, a troubled look appeared on her face. "You kids better keep in touch with me, I don't want you two to do the same as your older brother," their mother said sternly.
Instantly both young inklings looked down at the ground, clearly uncomfortable at the mention of the topic. Their older brother left to Inkopolis four years ago, and they never saw or heard from him again. It wasn't something commonly spoke of in their home, but anytime he was brought up, it killed everyone's mood.
"Don't worry, mama. We will talk to you, and we'll visit too," Sam said with an upset look on her face. Iggy watched her nervously. He always looked up to his older brother, and missed him. But even though Sam missed him as well, she was livid with him for abandoning the family.
"Alright kids, the train will be arriving at the station soon. It's about time to go," their mother insisted, changing the subject. The kids nodded, and cleaned up their spots at the table. They joined their mother at the door, and put on their backpacks.
"We're ready!" the siblings said in unison.
"Now listen kids," she started, putting her hand on each of her children's shoulder. "You two are to look after each other. You can go off and do your own things as you please, but let each other know where you are occasionally. Inkopolis is a big city, but you can do almost anything in the plaza, so you shouldn't have to wander off too often," their mother said to them.
"Yes ma'am!" they both said. Their mother smiled happily, before turning to Sam.
"Now, you are to be very careful out there, young lady. Always remember who you are, and that you respect yourself as a strong, young woman. Those boys only want one thing, you remember that," she said as she nodded.
"Alright, thanks, mama," Sam said quickly, looking away awkwardly.
"Ugh…" Iggy mumbled, grimacing at the thought of what his mother was insinuating. She turned to look at him.
"Iggy, treat the girls you meet with respect, and don't let their cleverness get the best of you. Be kind, but don't let your eyes wander. And the most important thing, don't ever feel like you need to be someone else to impress somebody," she insisted. Iggy's face turned bright red. Sam noticed and grinned at her brother's discomfort.
"R-Right," Iggy stuttered dismissively. Iggy noticed Sam's instigating and sneered at her. Their mother raised her chin and gave a small smile in approval of her children.
"Good luck," she whispered with tears in her eyes. They all hugged one last time.
"Love you, ma," Sam whispered, trying to not cry. The warmth of the hug made Iggy feel safe.
The kids walked out the door into their neighborhood, and the road to the train station was waiting for them. They turned back to their house one more time.
"Bye mama!" they said in unison, giving one last wave goodbye. Their mother waved back, with a proud smile on her face. She closed the door. The siblings exchanged excited looks.
"Looks like it's just us now. Let's go baby brother!" Sam announced happily, as she skipped down the path to the train station. Iggy rolled his eyes in annoyance, before proceeding to follow her.
As they walked, Iggy was on his phone reading an article about Ranked Battles, while Sam skipped at his side whistling Songs by the Squid sisters. Iggy noticed her goofy walk.
"Ugh, Sam, could you please stop? I seriously don't want to get mugged BEFORE getting to Inkopolis," Iggy groaned.
"Oh, quit being so negative!" she giggled. "If we get mugged, I'll take 'em out like THIS!" she yelled, karate-chopping the air.
We're doomed, Iggy thought to himself. Sam looked ahead, and noticed the station was only a few blocks away. She punched Iggy's shoulder, and said inkling looked up from his phone, annoyed.
"We're almost there!" Sam exclaimed.
…
They arrived at the train station that would take them to the city, and both of them looked around in awe of the massive station. The inside was shaped like a dome, supported by tall metal posts, and through the middle of the dome was a track that led into a tunnel. Sitting on top of the track was a sleek silver train, and the electronic label across the front of the train read 'Inkopolis.'
"Wow," Iggy said, impressed with the size of the station. "I didn't expect it to be this big," he said, still looking around.
"That's what she said," she chimed, while mischievously grinning at him.
"Yeah… wait… what the hell?" he asked, caught off guard by her immature joke.
"HA!" she laughed. "Come on dork, we're gonna be late for the train," she said before slapping his arm.
The siblings walked over a kiosk, where they scanned their tickets.
"Have fun in Inkopolis kids," the clerk said, smiling at them. The inklings thanked the woman, and walked over to the train waiting for the train doors to open. After a moment, something caught Iggy's eye. He looked over to see that a male inkling was walking towards them.
"Out of the way!" the inkling said, rudely pushing other people aside. Sam noticed him, and narrowed her eyes.
"What's this dude's problem?" she asked Iggy. They watched as the rude inkling walked right over to them.
"Move!" he yelled, shoving Sam, who stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Ow! Hey!" she protested.
"Hey!" Iggy yelled, turning in anger at the offender. "What's your problem, freak? Come back here!" he roared at the older inkling. Sam stood up, and brushed herself off. The subject stopped in his tracks, and whirled around, narrowing his eyes at Iggy.
"You think you're so tough, kid?" he hissed, as he marched over to the boy who had dared yelling at him. Iggy's grimace soon became a terrified expression. The older inkling, who was much taller and a few years older than him, grabbed his shirt collar and slammed him against a post.
"OW!" Iggy cried, wincing in pain. "Puh-please j-just leave us al-alone," he squeaked. The inkling realized the people around him were watching with worried looks. He released Iggy in defeat and stared into his eyes with rage.
At this point, Iggy sized up the inkling. He had green tentacles and emerald eyes. He wore a Green Zip Hoodie, Moto boots, and a Skull Bandana. Iggy looked back into his eyes, waiting for what he would do next. A slight look of alarm appeared on the older boy's face, and he got a gleam in his eyes. A small smile appeared on his face.
"Found you," he whispered. He then threw a hard punch right in Iggy's chest.
"AGH!" Iggy yelped in pain, falling to the ground. Sam gasped, and stomped over to the green inkling.
"I'm calling the police!" she roared.
"Heh. Good luck in Inkopolis," he replied with a deadpanned expression. He took one last look at Iggy, then stormed away, the surrounding inklings avoiding eye contact with him. Sam shook her head, but remembered her brother, who was still on the floor clutching his chest.
"Iggy, are you alright?" she spoke to him softly, reaching her hand out to help him up.
"Ugh, yeah I think I'll be ok," he groaned. He grabbed her wrist, and she pulled him up. Sam tried to inspect Iggy's chest, but he swatted her away. The train doors opened, and inklings began to file inside. "Alright, let's just go," he said to her.
The siblings boarded the train. The inside was similar to a city metro, but with more seats. Sam pointed to two empty seats, and the two made their way over to the unclaimed spots. They slumped down in their seats, Iggy near the window, and Sam towards the aisle. They both sighed in unison.
"Way to start our first day…" Sam grunted in a sarcastic tone.
"Hey, look on the bright side," Iggy said. "We're finally on our way!" he said optimistically. The train doors closed, and the train began to move slowly. Sam leaned forward to look out the window, pursing her lips.
"Bye home," she said quietly, leaning her head on her arm. The train entered the tunnel, and after a few seconds of darkness, they emerged on the other side, and Iggy watched as the train departed their hometown.
The remainder of the train ride was a quiet one, with Iggy clutching his chest trying not to cry. Sam noticed he was in pain, and broke the silence. "Iggy, are you sure you're feeling okay? What happened back there looked really painful," she said, concerned.
"No, it's fine," he replied, giving her a reassuring look. "I'm feeling better already sis, really," he lied. He didn't want her to think he was such a baby. In reality, the pain was nearly unbearable.
Iggy decided to stare out the window, trying to distract himself from the terrible sensation. He thought about living on his own, finally being able to make some friends. He thought about Callie and Marie. He thought about meeting Judd, the cat. He thought about shopping for clothes in the Booyah Base. He thought about the Splatfests. He smiled to himself and closed his eyes.
Maybe I can fall asleep, he thought. The slight rumbling of the train was soothing, and he could hear his own heartbeat, and he closed his eyes.
Lub-dub…
Lub-dub…
Lub-dub…
…
SHRIEEEK!
…
BOOM!
Iggy shot up in his seat with a start. He looked around worriedly and realized the train was demolished and on fire. He looked at his hands, which were covered in pink blood. Panic started rushing in, as he realized all the other inklings had disappeared. He looked down the aisle next to him and saw an inkling lying face down on the floor…with magenta tentacles. His heart dropped, and he began hyperventilating.
"SAMANTHA! SAMANTHA?" he shook his sister. No response. He began bawling uncontrollably and yelling his sister's name. "SAMANTHA THE TRAIN CRASHED, WE NEED TO ESCAPE!" he yelled desperately.
But there was no response.
"NO!" He cried. What the hell happened? he questioned himself. I don't deserve this, he thought.
They should never have gotten on the train. They should never have abandoned their mother. They should never have done anything.
"Kid."
Iggy heard a familiar voice. He looked over at the source of the voice. An inkling was trapped under the rubble of the train, with blood pouring out of his mouth. It was the green inkling who was shoving everyone back in the train station. The inkling coughed and looked deep into Iggy's teary eyes.
"Welcome to Inkopolis," he said, a grin appearing on his face.
"N-N-No… I-I…" Iggy stuttered.
"Iggy." A muffled voice called out. The boy looked around desperately for the source.
"Iggy." The voice repeated more sternly. The voice seemed to be all around him.
"Iggy! Wake up!"
…
He woke and jumped up, wide-eyed. He nervously glanced at his surroundings. He was still on the train, and it was completely intact. A whirring sound could be heard from the train's engine. He could feel the light rumble of the locomotive. There were no signs of fire, rubble, or the green Inkling. He looked next to him to see Sam, completely unharmed, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
"W-What? What is going on? Sam? Huh?" he demanded groggily.
"Uh, Iggy? We're here!" she exclaimed. Iggy blinked, trying to regain his composure. He looked all around the train. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Seeing this behavior, Sam narrowed her eyes. "Hey, what's with you? You look stressed out, are you nervous? she asked.
"Wait… but I thought that…" he faltered, furrowing his brow in confusion. What the hell just happened? he wondered to himself. He remembered his sister's question. "Uh… No, Not nervous. You just startled me," he told her. Sam shrugged, and stood up from her seat.
Iggy thought about the crash and shuddered. He peered out the window to try and regain his bearings. The train was slowing to a stop right outside a populated plaza. He stood from his seat and approached the nearest door. Sam glanced at him with an excited smile. The train finally stopped, and seconds later, the doors slid open. Iggy looked ahead, three words clear in his mind.
Welcome to Inkopolis.
