Christine P.O.V:
Last night I had a dream.
I was at a massive party with a bunch of inklings at Jessie's apartment. A lot of them were inklings I knew like Jessie, Lavender, or even Blue. All of my favorite foods that I had discovered in Inkopolis were there. Music by Off the Hook shook the room. They were playing live, just for me. I remember being ridiculously happy.
But then things changed.
The apartment began to shake and Off the Hook stopped singing. Then all the inklings began to run out as the ceiling began to crack. I begged them not to leave but no one listened. Eventually I was the only one left as the apartment began to shake even more violently. The dents in the ceiling that started out as cracks now were gaping holes as rubble collapsed all around me. I was just able to utter a scream before the entire apartment went crashing down and everything went black.
Surprisingly, when my vision returned, I was in one of the caverns of Octo Canyon. I swear I had a splitting headache even though this was a dream. Through my blurred vision, I looked over myself. For some reason I was perfectly fine despite just being buried under an entire apartment worth or rubble. Dream logic I guess.
"So you're up." said a familiar voice.
I spun around and saw an elite octoling who was sitting casually on a rock that I swear wasn't there a few seconds ago.
The octoling had a outrageously generous amount of kelp applied to her hair. Then as if a lightbulb went off in my head she was instantly recognizable.
It was Kelp.
Oh my cod, it's kelp!
Without even thinking I ran across the cavern to embrace my long lost friend in a hug but before I could get to her she got up and shoved me violently to the ground.
"Don't you touch me!" my old friend screeched.
I looked up at the older octoling towering over me in bewilderment.
"Kelp, it's me, Christine!" I yelled with my hands out in a gesture of peace.
"I know it's you!" yelled Coral as she picked me up by the tentacle in pinned me to a nearby wall.
"This is a dream…" I told myself as Kelp tightened her grip, "None of this is real."
"Kelp," I said as I struggled against her grasp to no avail, "What's wrong with you?"
"You!" yelled Kelp, "You're the thing that's wrong!"
With all my might I managed to shove Kelp off me. She reeled back and stumbled a few feet away before regaining her balance.
"Me?" I said, "What did I do?"
"You know very well what you did!" yelled Kelp, "You forgot about me! You forgot about all of us! All while enjoying yourself in Inkopolis!"
My heart broke when I heard her say that. I did...I did try to forget. I wanted to move on and put my past behind me! I was selfish! I was pathetic! I was_!
I stopped and listened to reason. I did try to forget everything but...what could I have done? I didn't have the help of the squidbeak splatoon back then either. This dream was probably just a manifestation of my fears.
"None of this is real." I said calmly as I stepped towards Kelp confidently, "This is just a dream."
I noticed Kelp stopped trying to tackle me. She stopped moving an I noticed the kelp that was matted on her head began to shake. I saw that she was crying.
"Y-You think just because I'm here in your dreams doesn't mean I'm not real?" she sniffed.
This was too much for my heart to bear. I couldn't take it anymore.
"Stop playing games!" I screamed, "You're not real! I'm going to save the real Kelp in a few days!"
"Christine," cried Kelp, "It's too late. I'm dead."
"You're what?" I said dumbfounded.
"I said…" wailed Kelp as the cavern began to shake and suddenly weird green ink poured from the ceiling, "I'm dead! I already died!"
"No that's not true." I told myself as I tried to move away from the cavern that was rapidly pouring green ink from its ceilings, "This is just a dream."
"Christine," sobbed Kelp, "I can't die yet I'm dead! Why do YOU get to live?!"
This was nonsense. It's all nonsense. This isn't real!
My feet began to sting as the corrosive green ink began to cover the floor.
"I'm going to save you!" I screamed defiantly at Kelp, "I'm going to save you all!"
The cavern began to fill up even more quickly after I shouted that. Coral rant at me and before I could ready myself for an onslaught she gripped my hands tightly.
"Christine," she whispered seriously as the ink began to get dangerously high, "Promise me you'll save everyone else."
I was inches away from Kelp. She looked exactly how I remembered her. For a second, I felt I was actually talking to her but I pushed it aside.
"I want to wake up…" I protested trying to push away from Kelp but she held firmly to my hands, "This all fake! Let me go!"
But Kelp gripped even tighter. "Listen," she commanded, "I don't care if you think I'm real or not, just promise me you'll save everyone!"
Kelp immediately began to weep and to my shock her tears were turning green, just like the ink.
"Please…" she pleaded.
The green ink was beginning to reach my knees. There wasn't much time left. Even though this was all fake, I couldn't even leave this dream Kelp like this.
"I…" I responded hesitantly, "I promise you I will."
As soon as I said that the cavern ceiling immediately began to collapse as rubble and ink began to surround us. Kelp noticed and gently let go of my hands.
"I'm going to save you I'm going to save all of you!" I cried as tears streamed down my cheeks.
Kelp just gave me a sad smile as the last of the cavern began to cave.
"I'm sorry Christine," she said, "But it's too late for me."
I woke up in cold sweat and was breathing heavily. I looked around. I was in Jessie's borrowed pajamas. I was on the couch in the apartment. There was no party. There was no Kelp. I was safe.
I sighed. That dream was one of the most vivid I ever had. It was so jarring to be taken out of it like that. It was like an invisible hand grabbed me out of an ink puddle and plopped me in another one of a different color. I immediately felt longing. Talking to Kelp...it just felt so real! Seeing her again, real or not, made me miss her.
However, I could not feel a sense of dread. My dream Kelp said she was dead...was that the same for the real Kelp? Would it be my fault if she was? No. No, it wouldn't be. There was nothing I could do. My mind was just going over my worst fears. She was probably doing fine. I guess I was just nervous. I mean I was going to take up a crucial mission that could save my race afterall. Not to mention it was with my worst enemy so I guess I had a right to be.
My thoughts were interrupted as the door to the living room opened, "Yo, Christine what the heck are you doing?" said Jessie groggily with a hint of annoyance, "I heard screaming, are you all right?"
"Sort of," I said not mentioning my worries with the mission, "I had a bad dream."
"Do you want to come sleep in my room?" offered Jessie a bit more softly.
"Sure." I responded. I really should tell Jessie about the mission. I'll do it tomorrow. I was debating not to so she wouldn't be worried but then I remembered how scared she must have felt when I charged down the manhole cover to go after Shelly. It wouldn't be fair to do that to her again, especially considering she's been so kind to me.
As I climbed in with Jessie to bed and began to be lulled to sleep by her loud but strangely soothing snoring, I thought about how lucky I am. I'm in Inkopolis, I have friends, I'm friends with celebrities, and have a girlfriend.
I can't really ask for anything better than that.
Really sorry this took so long! My week's been hectic! I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for your continued support! It means a lot! Stay fresh!
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