Chapter 1
Inkopolis, the place of opportunity and freedom. Young inklings come from all over to see this marvelous city and its own special sport, turf wars. With the use of the miracles that are spawn points, the inklings can play this sport without the fear of death.
One such inkling is just arriving today. At the young age of 14 with the typical hairstyle most females have, along with a white t-shirt, black shorts, and a golden bracelet on her wrist, she looks ready for the adventures that come with living in the city. She also has a backpack and a couple of suitcases filled with her clothing and other essentials.
She sighs deeply, her eyes travelling across the crowd of people in front of her. "Alright Amber, you can do this. This is your chance to make yourself somebody." Suddenly, the young girl slumps over, her posture screaming how tired she feels. "But first, let's go home…"
After only a few moments, the exhaustion begins to leave Amber's body. Her eyes, fixated on the sights all around her, grow wider and wider with time. The buildings are massive, and the colors, they are everywhere! The young girl's never seen a place so vibrant before.
All around her inklings walk, talk, and smile in delight or excitement. They all look extremely happy, no matter what age they are. Many of them are carrying around weapons, which startles the orange-haired inkling at first. That is, until she remembers that turf wars, a sport requiring such weapons, is the main sport here.
She continues to move along in a slight daze, gazing at the sights all around her. Things are moving so quickly, and yet, the city and atmosphere seems so calm too. Then, Amber's eyes fall onto one screen in particular, one that seems to pop out more than its surrounding competitors.
On the screen are two inkling females. One has long, black tentacles that end in magenta spots, along with a black and magenta stage outfit that is extremely baggy at the hips. The other has much shorter gray tentacles with green spots on the ends, along with an outfit of the same design as the other inkling, but instead with a green and black color pallete and a skirt.
It takes only one look for Amber to recognize who the inklings are. With a lively sparkle in her eyes, Amber squeals, "The Squid Sisters! I'd forgotten that they lived here."
The Squid Sisters are famous for their beautiful singing and impeccable fighting skills. Although, despite the name 'Squid Sisters, the two pop stars are actually cousins. That little fact is something that few actually knew, which surprised Amber at the time of learning, as it isn't a secret. Beyond this, the Squid Sisters had risen up to fame with little to start with. Living a comfortable life with very few items to spare, the young inklings took what they could at the time. When they won the Calamari County Youth Singing Competition years ago, they tried to expand. It worked wonders for them and their families back home. Now the cousins live here in Inkopolis, singing loudly for the world, and even hosting the news.
Amber looks up to them as even more than idols. They are proof to her that anybody could become famous or loved, even if they started from the bottom. Amber's look of awe is quickly replaced with sadness as she recalls why she idolizes the duo so much.
Amber has never known who her parents are, and as such, was kept in an orphanage during her childhood. Along with this, she has a secret that makes it nearly impossible for her to have any sort of relationship, platonic or otherwise, with other inklings. Alone and often feared, she had lived a hard childhood. The young inklings rubs her bracelet instinctively, as if finding comfort in the small item.
The young inkling then makes a fist as her eyes blaze with determination. "That's why I'm here in Inkopolis. I am finally going to become somebody that people can trust! I won't be fear anymore!" With that declaration, she quickens her stride through the streets. Amber weaves through the crowds, her mind set on her goal.
After a few more minutes of walking, she finally reaches her destination. In front of her lies a small set of apartments, the only place she could afford with her small sum of money. She runs over to the building and goes inside.
The lobby inside was a simple design with ornate carpets and torch-like lights. At the back wall are two doorways that lead farther into the building. The young inklings pauses only for a moment, then goes through the right door.
After a few moments of searching, Amber finds the door to her apartment. She grabs her key and enters quietly. Directly beyond the apartment door is a living room. To Amber's right, tucked away behind a small wall, is the kitchen. To the very right end of the living room, between said room and the kitchen, is a hallway that leads to a single bedroom and bathroom. Amber walks into the hallway and then enters the bedroom.
She begins sifting through her things, sorting out her clothes, toothbrush, and other items she brought along. Eventually, Amber reaches the bottom of her bag and finds a small card. Amber looks at it for a moment, seemingly debating something, then decides to pick it up.
It is a small ID card containing her name, her level in turf wars, her rank, and her coin amount. Currently, Amber is level 1 with no rank, seeing as how she hasn't started turf wars yet. Her coins are at a measly 100 after buying this apartment. The amount makes Amber cringe a bit, but she decides to finish unpacking before anything else.
Once Amber has finished putting things away, she looks around her room. She has various paintings and other items around the apartment to give it a more 'homey' look to it. She also has some small snacks in her cupboards, but not much. She needs to go grocery shopping, and soon, but with the amount of money she has, she'd be lucky to get a single apple!
Amber sighs loudly, taking out her ID card in the process. She grimaces at the practically insignificant amount of cash she has. Then, she focuses on her turf war level and decides that there is only one thing to do. She pockets her card and leaves her apartment.
The young inkling runs along the streets of Inkopolis, taking quick glances at her phone's map to make sure she is going the right direction. Amber wants to do one battle and then get some groceries. She doesn't want to do anything more battles after that, considering she just got finished with a long trip.
Deep in her thoughts as she is, she never notices someone suddenly crossing into her path. Considering that she is running at full speed, the resulting collision is quite the spectacle. Amber feels a sudden resistance, then yelps in surprise as she suddenly falls over.
Amber sits up and rubs her head in pain, cracking one eye open in the process. She then notices someone beneath her groaning in pain. Amber squeaks and fumbles a bit as she quickly stands back up. "Oh my gosh, are you ok?!"
The man nods his head, picking himself up slowly. As the man stands up completely, Amber's eyes widen slightly in surprise. This guy is a whole foot taller than her! Amber is only 14, but still! There isn't much of a height difference between full maturity and 14 in inklings.
As the person nurses his head, Amber manages to get a good look at him. Other than being quite tall, he also has long hair for a boy, reaching down to just above his mid-back. The tentacles are jet black, fading into red spots at the bottom. He is wearing a blue hoodie and black sweatpants with red lines on the side. He is also wearing these peculiar yellow shoes that seem to glow on the side.
"Um, hello?" Amber blinks, then realizes that the person is looking at her with a strange expression.
Realizing she is staring, Amber blushes and bows deeply. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention!"
Amber keeps her eyes shut tight, expecting some sort of backlash. That's how these scenarios always played out for her!
The man then does something she never expected. He laughs with a glowing grin. "It's fine! No harm done."
Amber looks up, disbelief in her eyes. "I-It's fine?"
The man nods, smiling the whole time. "Yeah, it's fine. Oh, you can stand up now."
Amber pauses, then slowly straightens up and looks into the man's eyes. She makes a noise of surprise when she sees his irises. They are a shining gold color, filled to the brim with mischief and kindness. But what really gets her attention is the four-pronged star design his pupils have, something only seen in Calamari County inklings.
The man chuckles, a smirk replacing the grin. "You're staring again." Amber blushes and quickly looks down, muttering a quiet apology. The man laughs again and says, "Oh come on, I'm just messing with ya!"
Amber looks back up gingerly, then nods cautiously. The man suddenly frowns and begins to examine her. Amber freezes in his gaze, staring with wide eyes. His unique eyes narrow, then he questions, "So… what's your name?"
Amber blinks at the sudden question. "A-Amber."
The man suddenly grins widely and bows deeply, almost like a magician. "Ika Cuttlefish at your service."
Amber giggles at the little display. Ika looks up and smiles in delight when he hears her laugh. Ika straightens up, then says, "So, where are you going in such a hurry?"
Amber looks past Ika and points at the massive tower in the distance. "I'm going to the Battle Tower. I need to do a turf war so I can get some money for groceries."
Ika turns to the Battle Tower, then nods in understanding. "Seems about right. So, what level are ya?"
Amber blushes again, then pulls out her card. She stares at it, then says in a depressed tone, "I-I'm only level one."
Ika's grin doesn't even faulter. "A newbie huh? Well, I guess I could show you the ropes."
Amber looks up at Ika with another expression of surprise. "H-Huh?!"
Ika nods to himself, then grins again. "Yep, guess I'll just have to show you around. You'd never last a day without me."
Amber suddenly flushes and feels a fire burning in her. She points at Ika's face and yells, "I can last a day without you! I know how to fight!"
Ika just chuckles, his arms up in surrender, and says, "Woah, we got a fiery one here. Determination like that will get you quite far, kid."
Amber blinks in surprise, her hand lowering. Then, she huffs and pouts childishly, annoyed that her proclamation didn't mean anything.
Ika then turns and waves for Amber to follow. "Come on, let's get you some gear." Not taking long to decide, Amber accepts the assistance.
As they walk, Amber takes in more of the sights. She feels like she will never get enough of the towering buildings and bright colors all around herself.
"This place really is something, isn't it?" Amber nods slowly in response.
Ika sighs, hands in his pockets, a small smile adorning his face. "Back at my old home, we never had anything like this. Sure we had fireworks and those cool traditional-looking houses, but nothing like this."
Amber looks at Ika in curiosity. "I've been meaning to ask. Those eyes, you are from Calamari County, right?"
Ika nods. "Yep. My cousin, sis, and I all moved here when those two got a singing career. They got all famous and stuff, but I'm not one for fame. I just play turf wars and admire the beauty of this city."
Amber suddenly feels suspicious after he says that. Sister and cousin? Singing career? Amber can tell something more is going on here. "Wait… who's your sister and cousin?"
Ika looks at her with a sly grin. "Well, they are quite famous. I bet you can take a guess."
Amber narrows her eyes as she inspects Ika. She notices a sign behind Ika on a building, one that is advertising the Squid Sisters' coming concert. She feels like she should know something about this. She looks between Ika and the Squid Sisters.
As she looks, she begins to notice similarities. Ika's long, black tentacles match Callie's. His golden, uniquely shaped eyes are the same as both of the cousins' eyes. Suddenly, the realization hits Amber like a train. Eyes suddenly widening, she stutters, "T-T-The Squid Sisters?!"
Ika grins widely and makes a pose, almost like a stage performer. "Why yes, those two! My wondrous cousin and sibling working as pop stars on the world's stage! How wonderful having such a famous duo as a family." He drops the pose and laughs loudly, drawing some attention to them.
Amber looks around nervously and mumbles, "Maybe we should keep this quiet."
Ika stops laughing and looks around. He grimaces as he notices the curious gazes and begins walking quickly "Maybe that's for the best."
After a moment, Ika smiles widely. "Ah, here we are!"
Amber brings her gaze from the buildings around her to the area in front and her eyes widen in surprise. They are in a large plaza, shops strewn about the edges of it. At the back end, right in the center, is a massive tower. The tower is covered in screens advertising different companies and various parts of the city's splendor. Many inklings are going to the tower, every one of them carrying a weapon.
Ika turns away from the tower and waves for Amber to follow. "Come on, we need to get you a starter set before we battle." Amber notices Ika changing his course and quickly follows.
She slows down next to Ika and notices that they are approaching one of the buildings. It has a picture of what looks like various weapons, along with a horseshoe crab. She looks at the sign and reads it out loud. "Ammo Knights. What's that?"
Ika looks at the building with a fond smile. "Why, only the best weapons shop in all of Inkopolis! The owner, Sheldon, makes all of the weapons used in turf wars." Ika pauses. "Well, more like he designs the weapons and sells the public copies. The factories make them."
The duo reaches the shop and Ika pushes open the door. Ika looks at the counter and calls out, "Sheldon!"
Some shuffling is heard, then a head pops up over the counter. Amber blinks in surprise at the sudden motion. The person has an odd helmet and what looks like goggles over his eyes. He also has some odd combination of a scout vest and a blacksmith apron.
The person, who Amber figures is Sheldon, smiles and says, "Ah, Ika! How lovely to see you. What can I do for ya?"
Ika gestures to Amber and the young inkling suddenly feels self-conscious. "This young lady right here needs a starter set for turf wars. She's starting today."
Sheldon looks at her for a bit, then nods with a smile. "Alrighty then! Let me grab the stuff." Sheldon disappears beneath the counter and more rummaging is heard.
Amber stands on her toes, trying to see what the shop owner is doing. Suddenly, a bag of stuff hits the counter with a loud bang. Amber recoils in shock, her ears lowered. Ika chuckles, amusement lining his voice, which makes Amber blush in embarrassment.
Sheldon stands up again and begins sorting through the stuff in the bag. "Alright, we have an ink tank, the splattershot, and some instructions on making burst bombs." Sheldon smiles widely and pushes the bag forward a bit. "These are yours to keep, no charge."
Amber looks at the bag in surprise, then back to Sheldon. "Are you sure?"
Sheldon nods instantly. "Everyone has to start somewhere, and not everyone has a weapon to start with. I consider this my treat to the city."
Amber looks at the bag, then grabs it tentatively. She holds them close, then does a small bow. "Thank you very much."
Sheldon chuckles and says, "Such manners! Ika, are you rubbing off onto this girl?"
Ika grins and ruffles the smaller squid's hair. Amber's face flushes and she glares at the older squid, forcing her hair back to its normal smoothness. Despite inkling hair being made of tentacles, they can be molded very easily, which allows the hair to be 'ruffled'. "Maybe. Anyways, thanks for the stuff Sheldon."
Sheldon nods and waves as the duo leaves. "Sure thing Ika! And kid, come back any time, alright?!"
Amber turns and nods her head with a thankful smile. "I will!" Sheldon just laughs as the door closes.
Amber turns around, then looks at her new equipment. She stares, trying to comprehend that everything there is hers. She looks up at Ika, who is watching with a patient smile. He gestures to the tank and says, "Go on, try it!"
The young inkling looks down again, then puts the ink tank onto her back. She lowers it in between her shoulder blades, feeling the sun-warmed glass press against her back. A lone tube falls uselessly against her leg. Then, a sudden sting is felt in her back. She flinches and looks at the tank. "What the hell was that?!"
Ika looks at her tank, noticing the tube connecting her back to the tank through a small needle. "Ah, it's just the ink pump. It takes the ink from your ink sac and puts it into the tank."
Amber tries to turn and see it. "Is this going to happen each time then?"
Ika nods with his arms crossed. "Yeah, every time. You get used to it though."
Amber stops trying to see the needle, then sighs. "Alright then." She looks down, then picks up her weapon. She notices a large hole on the back, and then acknowledges the tube dangling next to her. She grabs the tube and screws it into the weapon's slot. After the seal shuts, ink begins filtering into the splattershot.
The older inkling grins proudly. "Fast learner. Well, we have no time to waste! Let's commence battle!"
Amber giggles in delight and follows after Ika. The two stride right through the doors and into the lobby. For the umpteenth time that day, Amber freezes in awe. The entire lobby is filled with various seating areas, a food counter, and doors leading to connecting buildings so that other inklings can sit. Various TVs are on, each playing different channels, and different hallways are visible that lead into the battling center of the building.
Ika walks over to the desk next to them. A clerk looks up, then smiles. "Ah, Ika. Come to battle again?"
Ika nods, then gestures to Amber. "I sure am, but I got a friend here joining me."
The clerk looks at Amber, then says, "May I see your ID please?" Amber nods and fishes out her ID, handing it to the clerk.
The clerk looks at it, then mutters, "Level 1? Ika, you know how much it annoys me trying to find a fair game for a level 50 and level 1."
Amber's eyes widen and she looks at Ika in shock. "Level 50?!"
Ika shrugs, seemingly careless, but a small smile is on his face. "It isn't much. I do this for a living you know."
Amber's eyes narrow in suspicion, which the clerk quickly notices. The clerk grins slyly and says, "Don't listen to him. He's being modest. This man right here is one of the best fighters in the league, maybe even THE best."
Ika blushes, looking down in embarrassment. Amber is more surprised with this reaction than the information. It seems that, while Ika loves joking around, he doesn't like being the center of attention.
A chime sounds, which makes Amber look around in confusion. The clerk hands back her ID and looks at Ika. "I managed to get some decently good fighters for the opposing team. Ones that shouldn't be impossible for Amber to beat, yet also good enough to fight you, Ika."
Ika nods his head in thanks, then leads Amber to a hallway. Amber looks at Ika in confusion. "Wait, how do you know where to go?"
The simple response is Ika pointing to a screen on one of the walls. Amber looks at the screen and sees her name and Ika's, along with six others, saying to go to a certain room number. Amber flushes, wondering how she missed that. "Oh."
The two walk in silence, mainly because of Amber's nerves. What's going to happen when she gets in there? She knows the clerk said she could take these guys on, but what happens if she can't?! Ika won't want to hang out with someone that can't handle themselves in turf war!
Ika glances at Amber and notices her trembling. He smiles gently and says, "Hey, kid, no need to worry. Everyone feels this way when they first start. Heck, even I did."
Amber blinks, her trembling diminishing, then looks at Ika in surprise. "Really? But you are the best!"
This makes Ika look forward with a small smile, nostalgia in his gaze."'Everyone who is something was nothing at first.' That's a little something my gramps always told Callie, Marie, and I. He still does, sometimes."
Ika looks at the younger inkling with a serious, yet calming expression. "Even I, revered as the greatest fighter in turf wars, began as clueless as you are. I had to learn quickly to win, or even survive. You are in a place anyone knows well. Those who laugh at you for it simply have forgotten their own struggles."
Amber looks at Ika, then looks forward, her own gaze thoughtful. Ika's words do bring a feeling of comfort over her. He is right. She is in the same position as anyone else would have been. She nods, her eyes blazing with determination. "Alright. Thank you Ika."
With that same small smile, he replies, "Any time." After that, they lapse back into silence.
Even with the boost Ika gave her, it feels way too soon that their room appears. They stop in front of it, Amber clutching her weapon tightly. Ika looks at the door with barely suppressed eagerness. "Ready?"
Amber looks over to Ika to respond, then blinks in surprise. Ika now has a giant paintbrush in his hands, and he is holding it with just one arm. Amber points at the weapon and yells, "Where the hell did that come from?!"
Ika looks at her, confused, then at his brush. He chuckles in realization "Oh, right. Ink manifestation, the same way we make our bombs. I found a way to do it with my brush. Neat, huh?"
Amber looks at him with an exasperated expression, which is all the response Ika needs. He just grins mischievously. Amber sighs, then looks back up at the door. She takes a deep breath, then exhales. Her eyes ignite with determination. "I'm ready."
Ika grins, his posture showing his excitement. "Alright, let's go." Amber nods and Ika opens the door. The two step inside, Amber ready to take on her first turf war challenge.
-Author Notes-
This chapter has been revised. The tenses are consistent and the writing has been improved. I plan on doing this for each chapter!