WOW! This is the longest chapter I've ever written and I find that pretty fitting since today is my birthday. I figured if there is anything I should do aside from studying and getting gray hairs early, it should be to upload what'll probably be the last chapter for some couple weeks. Enjoy this "gift" from me and I hope to be back on May 14th!


After learning the truth from Azule about Cobalt's absence, Squidcom collectively decided to come up with a plan of how they were going to stop him thanks to Tangie's determination in everything she did, utilizing her mind to every possible outcome that could be made by whatever action she took regarding how to get her darling back. Capturing the admiration of her fellow team members who never saw this side of her, they couldn't help but strengthen their resolve in finding the correct plan, wanting to bring Cobalt back and willing to do whatever it takes-their unity forged. After getting the approval from Principal Telfin, all of them were anxious to leave immediately. But it was Sally who had to remind them of the severity of the situation and to not be hasty for an outcome of defeat. Hoping to find some answers from his new mentor, Azule journeyed to the designated location where his mentor, Luna, awaited him. Today would be his first day of training under somebody other than Pastelle. This new mentor of his would be the ticket to better honing his combat skills while also giving him a boost for competing in turf wars. The location for their first meeting was supposed to be at Camp Triggerfish, but in one of the more private parts of the camp where people didn't usually adventure through due to the spike in difficulty. After entering through the initial part of the camp, he brought himself a change of gear and took one their rooms to change into hiking gear. Wearing brown hiking trainers, beige cargo shorts, an inkline zipper hoodie, and a safari hat, Azule took one of the many hiking trails going up to the meeting point of Pike's fall. Enjoying the sounds of nature from the chirping birds on the branches of the trees above his head, to the freshwater stream further below, Azule took in the peaceful atmosphere and observed the scenery.

"I should go camping here…" he said to himself as he clutched his bag and heaved forward with the lightweight observing the nature surrounding him. He couldn't help but enjoy the fresh aroma of the plants and ripened berries that hang nearby, but knew it'd be better not to indulge in anything before training since he knew that Luna was probably going to work him hard after some tips he received from Pastelle. After a couple of hours pass, Azule began to feel the tightness in his shins as he struggled to continue the trail. "It said I was just a dozen miles away earlier, but it feels like a century!" he yelled in frustration, comically looking up to the sky with fury. The sun was burning his tan skin to a point he felt like he'd be fried food for any hungry critters lying around if he didn't get to his destination soon. Wiping the beads of sweat off of his forehead, he gave a slight pant before quickly spotting another sign. Racing over, he quickly searched for his location on the map. "WHAT THE HECK!?" he shouted with bulging eyes in shock at what he read. "F-fifty miles to Pike's waterfall!?"

Little did he know that at the location he was heading stood as the highest point of the campsite, a hidden waterfall. Dropping to his knees, he cursed at the highest tone possible, so loud that the birds relaxing peacefully in their trees were forced to leave in response to his high decibel cry of frustration. Sitting at the Pike's lake on log nearby the waterfall was Luna peacefully awaiting her student to make his arrival. Although she had to keep up this alternate identity to protect her son from getting dragged into the military affairs of her nation, Luna couldn't help but have butterflies in her stomach since this would be her first time in ages that she'd get to spend time with her son. Having claimed the alias of her fallen comrade, the Special Operative Luna who once was her Agent in arms, Maya felt guilty for having to lie to her own son about the truth, but quickly she rationalized that it was all for his sake. Her plan was to kill two birds with one stone by helping him develop more as an athlete and also have the chance to spend time with him and learn more about what she missed during their separation. Sitting with her legs crossed on the log, she was dressed in athletic gear-unlike the usual olive military uniform she wore-which were a green and white jumpsuit and white sneakers, her pink hair as bright and lively as ever, her red velvet eyes trembled with anxiety as she restlessly waits for her son. Listening to the calm crashing of the waterfall, she breathes lightly.

"What's taking that child so long?" she said to herself with impatience intensifying in her tone. Crossing her arms, she inspected herself to make sure she dressed appropriately. Being overly conscious about her figure, Luna always tried her best to not wear any clothing that hugged her body too tightly, but she seemed to have a curse of always having her well-proportioned figure stand out regardless of the clothing. "Honestly, this body is a curse…" she sighed, hoping it wouldn't distract Azule.

"I beg to differ. I find it quite alluring, especially after all these years apart." a voice said from afar, but still close enough for Luna to have her guard up. Already her weakness for Azule showed by how easily her awareness dropped from its usual high intensity. "I'm surprised how you constantly switch between yellow and pink hair, but I still prefer your natural lime color, Maya."

Luna's eyes went sharp with a glare, "It's to you, and I'm surprised you were observant enough to notice that." she said coldly as she locked her attention on her husband. Although they weren't divorced, they were practically separated. The reason for the static between them lied deeper than imaginable, having stemmed all the way back to when they both became partners as Agents.

Approaching her from the shadows of the woods nearby-he chuckles, "Oh, come one, give me some credit already. I'm not as clueless as you believe me to be." he said with a smirk on his face he while gazing vertically at her figure, "Damn. I see father time hasn't paid you a visit. You still look the same as when we had Lime." he said with an arrogant laugh, puffing out his chest since he-too still looked rather young compared to his age.

"What the hell do you want, Agent 4." She said spitefully taking a step away from him and crossing her arms, her scowl as strong as ever towards him. Animosity grew between them as his eyes sparkled with excitement getting to be alone with his old flame.

"Agent 4, Julian, Julius, Ju-Ju...I don't care what you call me. Although, I'd prefer if you call me honey, like the old days!" he guffawed while shaking his head; Luna blushed uncontrollably before regaining control and staying aloof. Trying to keep her composure as Luna would be difficult for Maya since Julian's nature was persistent, one of the reasons why she loathed him was because of his perverse nature and impulsive actions. Coming closer, his grin grew more wrinkles as he observed her outfit. "Hey now, I'm liking the sporty getup. Reminds me of when we first met, too."

Her eyes glowed momentarily before she bared her fangs at him, indicating that if he came any closer-she'll attack him with everything in her power, something he should avoid since they've combated with each other on numerous occasions-Maya never lost a single time. Sensing the seriousness in her stature, Julian backed off and dismissed his actions as light comedy. Luna narrows her eyes with skepticism, knowing well that one of his problems was that he didn't know how to control his urges. Still scowling at him, "The hell are you here?" she said with irritation, genuinely wanting to know why he was there since they didn't get along well.

"I came to see my son." he said seriously. All of sudden, the animosity between them began to grow even larger after that comment. Luna's pink hair bobbed for a moment in the air as her eyes narrowed in response.

"Now look here you damn fool. Keep away from my child." she responded brutally with a dark expression on her face; Maya and Luna both loathed the forceful side of Julian from the time he replaced Luna's role as the Agent 4 after her transfer to becoming a Special Operative. The training he put their children through, especially Azule, left a lasting impression on her that regardless of anything he does, she'll hate his existence until eternity and keep him away from her children whenever they were alone and vulnerable. She knew that his smooth and polished tone and demeanor could fool anyone, even her.

"Now, now, now. I understand why you're upset. But he's just as much my child as he is yours."

"Shut your mouth before I put soap in it, insensitive scumbag." she retorted. Unlike her previous times where she could keep her cool whenever he was nearby, this was a different scenario from usual. None of her colleagues and other children were present, so there was no need for her to keep up her usual aura as was the fact that she was close to seeing her son again and didn't want Julian to spoil the bonding opportunity.

"Damn, that's hot." he smiled indecently. Julian was one of the few people that could get under Maya's skin unlike anyone else. Serving as her opposite, many considered it a mystery how the two of them ever got together, and even more wondered how could they even have children together. The polarity between couldn't be any stronger. "I like this side of you way better than that silent type, your voice is music to my ears."

"If you're going to be a nuisance, leave immediately." she sighed with irritation in her tone. She didn't have time to deal with the immaturity of her ex-husband.

"That's a shame. I know my boy is coming up here and I wanna spend time with him the same way as you would. Can I have at least that much as a father?"

Luna's tone sharpened, "You have the gall to put him through that hell those years ago and just want to start over?"

"And you have the audacity to act high and mighty about leaving him in a questionable environment? Please, we're both not washed in the blood of the lamb and as white as snow." he said sharply with his gaze meeting hers.

"Since when did you decide to have a good memory?" she sneered, lifting her chin and looking down on him.

"And since when did you become a pain in the ass?" he said lowering his chin and raising his eyebrows, he returned the sneer.

Maya didn't flinch, "Resorting to such comments, are we? Your pathetic flaw will always remain in your inability to know when and where. You're such a child." she retorted, realizing that he was being serious.

Just at that moment, they both stopped what they were doing once they see a blue boy to their right staring at them with shock as he sets his bag down after having traversed along the trail, keeping his eyes on Julian the entire time as his presence alerts Luna and Julian. Azule had managed to reach Pike's fall after shifting to another gear of determination since he wanted to desperately learn as much as possible from the mysterious Luna, but instead horror was written on his face as he saw another person was in attendance aside from his new mentor. His eyes staggering in disbelief, Azule's face flushed as he turned his terrified gaze to the man who seemed to be the adult version of him, his father. "D-dad? W-what are you doing here…" the boy said in a shaken tone from the natural fear of his father; having unexpectedly run into him substantially damaged his mentality quicker than he could unconsciously recover. He wasn't prepared to face the man that turned him into a monster.

Julian's face softened as he saw his son, regret in his eyes as he understood the fear his son was emanating. It hurt Julian more than anything to see his own child harbor fear for him, for that wasn't the goal of the strenuous training he put them through. "A-Azule! Are you doing well?" he asked with a warm smile in the deepest hopes that he could rekindle a relationship with his youngest child, but the warmth he tried to extend set off the alarm in Azule's head and quickly did the boy recognize the chance to shut his father down. Recovering from the instant fear, Azule went on the offensive and gave him a cold glare, one where the light penetrated his blue irises. Azule's cold response shattered his hopes.

"I have no business with you, so please get out of my sight." Azule said with no hint of remorse, a cold chill blowing at his father from the force exuberated by the harshness. Even if it was only for a moment, Julian sensed actual hatred in his son's heart.

Feeling his heart shattered to bits in response, Julian felt his body run cold with shock. Stunned yet keeping a straight face, he couldn't even react to Azule's statement; Luna was also shocked by Azule's comment and feeling the hatred in Azule's tone and the aura he was giving off-immediately she felt pity for Julian as she couldn't even fathom how he must be feeling as a parent. But Julian just gave a chuckle and brushed everything off as though it were nothing, nodding his head and respecting his son's wishes-he leaves. With a pained smile on his face, he turns back to look at his son one more time-unsure if he'll ever get to see him again.

You're becoming a man already, huh?

Leaving Luna and Azule behind, Julian takes the trail that his son took to get to the waterfall. After watching the powerful agent shamefully take his exit, Azule sighed with relief that he could now get his training underway. Apologizing to Luna for his father's appearance, immediately he was ready to begin his training. Seeing the light in her son's eyes left her speechless for a moment. This was her son. No doubt about it. Setting aside his hiking gear, Azule took off his boots and stripped off his clothing to reveal that he was wearing a skin tight dark green and yellow bodysuit with a purple line that streaks down the arms and sides of the legs and torso. Luna nodded with approval, impressed that her student knew to dress more accordingly for training than just the hiking attire.

"I deduce you wore that under as part of your training?"

"Yes ma'am. I know it isn't wise since I could've had a heat stroke given the insane weather, but it felt worth it since I feel much lighter now." he said while digging through his bag to pull out running shoes.

"Very well. Are you ready to begin?" she said while watching him lace up.

"Yes ma'am." he responded as he tightens the tie on his left shoe.

"Alright then, listen closely…"-Luna goes back to the log she was sitting on earlier, taking a glance around the area- "This is known as Pike's river, and as you can see behind you is Pike's fall that leads to the stream all the way back at the entrance. This entire campsite will serve as your training ground and our location will change with each session. Since this the first, I want to test your natural ability before we delve into specifics."

"Hmm. Conditioning?"

"Somewhat. For today here are your tasks: Run down the entire trail and after that, run back to this location, but this time I'll be your obstacle. If you survive that, the next lesson will be to test your durability in defense and reaction exercise."

"Yes ma-" unable to complete his response, something she said caught his attention. If he survived? What in the world did she mean by that? Wasn't this supposed to just be training to help better his body as an athlete? No way was she going to just do something harmful...right? Removing any doubts from his mind, he solidified his resolved and nodded with anticipation. After doing his warm up stretches to relax his limbs Azule got into his starting runner's position getting down onto his knees and digging his hands into the ground, "Is there any specific time I have to reach?" he asked just before he switched his mentality to complete focus.

"The fastest recorded time anyone ever put on this campsite was a record 45-minute run. Some athlete set the record a few years back, but surprisingly this is a rather new record since the original time was over an hour long."

Azule nodded having guessed who the current record keeper is, "I can beat her time, then." he smirked. Little did Luna know that Azule had been training his body under different modes of intensity in preparation for this training. From competing in grueling amounts of solo queue turf wars, to doing all his routine exercises while wearing twice his weight. Azule naturally felt lighter whenever he removed all of the weight that held him down, and of course his speed had to have gone up in response to some of these workouts.

"Your confidence is admirable, but keep in mind she did a quarter to an hour going downhill and uphill." Luna added, crossing her arms to see what response her new protege would give.

"Doesn't matter." he smirked with confidence, ready to prove to his new master that he'd live up to considerable expectations that she had for him.

"On your mark, get set, go!"

A cloud of dust from under his feet kick up and float in the spot where he started, his body nowhere to be seen. Indeed, he had a sprinter's start that could rival even the professionals! His first task was to run downhill all the way down to the main campsite and touch the entrance gate and swiftly turn around and return to the peak, remembering what Luna explained in detail as he did his warm up stretches. His knees extending past the other as his feet lightly hit the ground, his arms swaying like a scythe in the wind, Azule showed his perfect running form while dodging the little branches and bushes that lie in his trail. He'd have to be careful since running downhill was already dangerous, but when mixed with the environment, he could sustain injury rather easily. While it wasn't wise to do training like this, Azule was aware of what Luna was attempting to do: Strengthen his core mechanics all around from speed, durability, reflexes, and stamina, the core attributes of an inkling. His feet audibly squeal as he makes a sharp turn in the dirt road, his knees bending as acutely as possibly as his his body constricted inward before expanding a moment later and finding a new burst of pace. Running along the downstream of the same river, Azule's ears started twitching as though he could hear someone nearby-but not close enough to send his body into an alert mode.

Arriving at the entrance a few minutes later, Azule jumped in the air and emphatically slammed his hand against the totem pole, knowing he was on pace to break the record set by Machi. The first half of the trail seemed to be effortless, but it was the second part that'd test his skill since he'd have to run uphill instead of downhill. Swiftly turning around, he made his break for the trail he took earlier and prepared mentally for the daunting task ahead. Having begun his uphill sprint, Azule immediately felt the burn in his shins as he struggled to keep the same pace as he did previously. In addition to the taxing hike he did earlier, now he was feeling the effect of the "stamina" portion of the exercise, his legs were tiring out and it was his fault for overexerting his energy while going downhill. Even while getting fatigued, his keen senses were still sharp-not becoming dull like his stamina. Even while running, he could hear rustles in the bushes next to him and see rocks flying from below. Suddenly he a saw dark shadow dart from the corner of his eye.

"Wha-what was that!?" he said while trying to keep up his pace, his head turning slightly to the right and staring into the woods. The strange phenomena continued up until he ran alongside the river, and that's when the strange feeling seemed to have disappeared along with the weird environment. That was until…

Schinnnng~!

A shiny, sharp, silver dagger flies at an incredible speed, grazing the skin of Azule's nose as he instinctively dodges it in the nick of time, managing to only escape the precarious split second between life and death with just a huge cut on his nose. Managing to keep his composure, he maintained his peak speed and tried his hardest to escape the clutches of the attacker. Looking back, he saw the dagger standing upright in the soil nearby the river bank on the other side, and it was then that he felt the enormous pressure that his body sensed earlier. Feeling heavy like a ton of metal pillars being hauled through quick sand, Azule felt himself sinking under this magnitude of pressure; the owner of this intense aura had to be someone well beyond the realms of being a mortal, for the power they possessed was unfathomable for his mind to compute. That was, until he saw a quick streak of pink hair that disappeared into the woods. To his disbelief, that powerful aura and precise skill to nearly kill him was none other than his mentor-Luna. Swallowing what felt like his own heart, Azule gulped with fear in anticipation of her next move as her glowing red velvet eyes resembled a powered-up inkling with ink armor. He somehow had managed to run automatically without any conscious awareness of his feet's movement as they trek the dirt path.

"..."

"Ah!" Azule yelled in surprise as a fist came out of thin air from his left, knocking him off balance as he nearly drops into the stream of water. As if naturally, Azule immediately sent all the weight and pressures into his legs and made an immediate leap over the wide river, crashing on the other side of the bank before continuing his run. Panting and out of breath, Azule realized what Luna meant earlier-she was going to kill him if he showed any failure in completing the task at hand.

"You're an admirable one…" said Luna under her breath with a tiny smirk, impressed to see Azule have such sharp instincts and immediately change the flow of the situation.

"Master Luna…!" Azule shrieked as he looked over at the other side to see if he'd gained any momentum over his master, but instead he saw her increasing her speed as she kept her stare on him, red velvet eyes like homing missiles that'd damage him with just the glance alone.

"Just call me Luna!" she said as she seamlessly skipped over some boulders in the river and landed on Azule's side; Azule felt as though he soiled his pants the moment she landed on his side, the fear was too real for him to handle. Luna grinned a bit at the novelty of seeing her own child quiver in fear of her presence, yet still commit to his objective. Unlike running out of fear and for their own safety, Luna analyzed the body language of Azule and had long since identified that the boy who looked to be terrified was anything but. His mind might've been filled with terror, but his body was hungry for the challenge. Gaining ground on Azule, she polished her running form and quickly got within fingertips of touching him until Azule pulled a smooth move.

Jerking his entire body to the left and then immediately darting to the right, Azule ran toward a nearby tree and jumped of the tree as though it was a wall-hit drop shadow square over the river; Luna was amazed by the creativity Azule had, but her main thought was of how he'd avoid falling into the river. Inklings dissolved in water-the natural enemy that could kill them since they were already liquid, but thanks to the body suits they wore in competitions, they were able to survive the deadly hazard. A similar product was used in the regular world where if any inkling landed in a body of water, they could wear the suit and not be killed. Of course, this only applied to bodies of water, for in regular amounts like a show couldn't harm an inkling, but a bath could do otherwise unless they wore a suit. Azule shrieked as he came closer to crashing on the water, that was until he immediately changed his landing and instead punched the water with all his strength. The mesmerizing sight of his fist splitting the water itself straight down the middle, creating a small circle of land for him to crash to for a moment before immediately applying the same incredible amount of power into his legs and leaping out the air and punching the air a couple of times to land back on the other side opposite of Luna.

A light sparkled in Luna's eyes at the incredible ingenuity of her son, having witnessed something that seemed physically impossible, Luna couldn't help but become Maya just for a shred of a moment as she said loudly-but not too loud for him to hear, "That's my boy!"

Everything she assessed about him shattered her expectations; her youngest child-no, her miracle fourth child. He was the one. His remarkable pace, insane raw power, and cleverness, he was the future she was looking for. She sensed in him a talent that she hadn't seen since she first met Agent 8 or even Arosuke. Azule was the once in a generation talent that she was often known as. After his stroke of genius was unveiled, Luna practically submitted and allowed him to escape to the top. Even though he didn't beat the record, he did more than enough to show his worthiness to Special Operative Luna, who-although keeping her usual mood-seemed much more satisfied than Azule ever could've imagined. Respecting the effort exonerated earlier, Luna decided to give Azule the day free after his stunning performance and end the session there-but Azule didn't want to leave after having such a fun time being around her. Putting back on his hiking clothes after having sweated through his body suit, Azule couldn't help but blush as he felt the stare of Luna watching him put on his clothes; more and more he felt a motherly aura from her despite her clearly stating she wasn't so. But the image Azule still had in his mind from that night when he came face to face with his mother...he wanted to see her again and know more about how and why things turned out the way did.

"Luna?" Azule shivered as he felt a chill, his body had been heating up from the restriction of air, and the hot and humid air didn't sit well after holding the sweat in.

"Yes?" Luna responded plainly, she didn't pack anything with her, so she was just waiting on him to leave and then make her exit.

Azule twiddled his thumbs while blushing hard, "Is it fine if we can walk down the hill together?" he said in an innocent tone; though Luna kept a stone expression, Maya on the inside felt her heart ache in awe.

"What's wrong, not feeling well?" she said emotionlessly.

Azule shook his head, "No, I just wanted some company. I kinda pushed myself further than I imagined, and I don't know if I can manage to get back down the trail by myself." he laughed slightly. Luna knew he was lying because he was a terrible liar, that much she knew about her son.

Luna paused and recalled the events earlier before giving her answer, "Sure." she said. The two of them going downhill together with Azule hoping to make small talk.

Meanwhile the other members of Squidcom were walking down the sidewalk of Hammerhead bridge and observing the crystal clear blue water below that reflected the sunlight beautifully. Hearing the zooming cars behind them and blinded by the clear sunny day, with Kosami taking pictures of the wonderful scenery and Sally listening to some of her works she'd been producing in her free time. Reice and Violet were leading the pack and talking about the scenery and exchanging details about the bridge and its history. Azule was absent because of his training, and Fuchsia was absent because she'd be leaving to go somewhere with her sister, but with those two gone, Tangie went into overtime thinking on a way to get involved and save Cobalt.

"We're running out of time…" she said to herself as she ventured through her thoughts.

"Exactly how would we get him back?" Kosami asked while looking over at the snapshots she took, also heavily thinking about what to do as her fingers swipe of the photos. Cobalt's absence left everyone feeling as though a piece of them had been torn off and casted away, and deeply did they miss his presence even though it hadn't even been an entire week since he left.

"Well, since our intentions are to bring him back...we'll have to be in battle mode. First, we'll have to find a way inside their sanctuary and locate him. The reason for battle is because their defenses will be impenetrable, and we'll have to force our way in or at least sneak in and be prepared to fight a defensive mindedly since they'll be on the attack." looking at Kosami, Tangie could tell Kosami still had more questions to ask and surely she wasn't done with her explanation. "The other reason we'll need to be in battle mode is for Cobalt…"

Kosami seemed confused at first, but after thinking it out in her head did she understand what Tangie meant. "He...won't want accept us coming to rescue him."

"Correct. He'll probably resent our arrival since this was supposed to be a secret departure, and I'm sure he'll be really mad at Azule too…" casting her gaze downward at the concrete sidewalk below her feet, she could feel uncomfortable knot forming in her stomach from the nervousness of what to come. In her mind she foreshadowed that there would be a pricey consequence for what she did. Hearing her trio of friends ahead of her taking pictures of the sight at the bridge, and with Kosami next to her waiting for her to say anything else, Tangie smiled feeling reassured that she had a loyal group of friends who were unlike anyone imaginable. Willing to pick a fight against a gang, fight against ninja at a prison, and even assassinate the prime minister of the country, everything about Squidcom seemed unreal. If there was any group that could somehow pull off a smooth success in even the most difficult of scenarios, Squidcom just might be the ones to pull it off yet again.

"I'm a little confused about this…" Fuchsia said to her sister as they stepped on the elevator that had descended downwards as they continued.

"What is there not to understand? Mom told us to come down here because something important was going to be happening." Shiva said in a plain tone as she guided her sister through a small hallway.

"I get that part. But why are we coming down here for this?"

Shiva sighed, "It's been a long time since we ventured back home, but apparently it's pretty important."

Exiting through the pair of doors, the two sisters arrived at a tall cliff that had below it a sea of lights that sat an underground civilization. Buildings from homes to other structures all illuminated the underground with the dark blue-ish grey night "sky" above them. Finally, Shiva and Fuchsia were back home in their native underground land of Octaria-home of the mass majority of octarians. From the faint sounds of bass and trap that played below them, to the changes of colorful lights in certain areas, the nightlife in Octaria rivaled anywhere else despite being underground. Being led by her sister, the royal sisters were summoned underground on their mother's ambiguous orders that she had a special surprise to share with them, to add onto that, it appears Shiva had an idea about the certain surprises since she seemed unusually distant. While the distance attitude wasn't unheard of for Fuchsia, who once experienced that treatment from her sister before, this time didn't feel like she genuinely wanted to be away from her but more like, she couldn't. Staring at her sister's back which currently was covered by a black t-shirt, she quickly shifted her attention to her long bobbing hair that danced as she walked, and thus triggering a memory from her childhood.

For as long as she could remember, Fuchsia always loved her sister and looked up to her as more than just blood relatives, but also as her ideal role model. With a mother who was anything but the title she carried, it was up to Shiva to shield Fuchsia from the burdens of the adult world and allow her to live a somewhat normal life as a child. Having the same friends and Shiva and always being around the wisest of the elders that helped in being caregivers for them, Fuchsia learned as much as she could about how life really worked. Unfortunately, this wasn't without its own scars. Although they were only born a couple years apart, Shiva developed quite rapidly in her two years before her younger sister's birth. Nursing Fuchsia as if her own, Shiva showed her maternal side consistently but that wasn't without any shadows lurking. The truth was, Shiva wanted a little brother instead. For years, Fuchsia would hear her sister speak under her breath and mildly allude to a hypothetical timeline where she'd have a brother. Many times, Fuchsia felt as though she'd been born in the wrong body, and desperately she wanted to make her sister accept her unconditionally. From dressing up like a tomboy to trying to hide her feminine features, Fuchsia tried her hardest to be a boy for the sake of making her accept her even more. Fuchsia craved her sister's love and knew that although Shiva loved her more than anything else imaginable, there was still some slight resentment.

"I hope you're not thinking what I think you're thinking…" Shiva said with a glance from the side of her eye as she looked back at her spaced out younger sister.

"Wha? Oh...nuh-uh." she said crossed eyed, having been lost in her thoughts for a moment.

While they were close, there was this awkward feeling between the sisters since it was quite known that Shiva had always wanted a brother, and although she didn't resent her sister and cared for her in every way possible, there was that strand of regret that her little sister couldn't have been a boy instead. Seeing that familiar thoughtful expression in Fuchsia's eyes as she looked down as her moving feet, Shiva couldn't help but crack a smile and slow down to come next to her. Wrapping her arm around her little sister, she brings her in close, "I love you more than anything on the planet. Just the way you are makes me happy, ok?" she said pressing her cheek against Fuchsia's; Fuchsia blushed as she looked away, knowing her sister's words were truthful, but still hid a white lie. Enjoying the warmth of her sister for just a few more moments, Fuchsia notices a few figures awaiting them at the bottom of the steep hill.

"Ah, looks like they've been waiting for us…" Shiva said to herself as she walks further ahead.

Awaiting them at the bottom of the hill were Shiva's best friends and royal retainers Ciri, Reluna, and Vaairie. All three girls were dressed in formal attire suitable to greet their liege, bowing their heads as the two princesses approached them. Their outfits were hard to see in the dark, but it was clear that the princesses didn't expect the formal wear and had instead dressed semi-formal with both girls opting to wear pants instead of a dress-neither wearing heels. Ciri stood at the center of the trio, behind them sat an SUV with lime green rims and purple neon lights under the truck. Ciri's shades sparkled as the light of her princess approached her.

"Your highness…" she said solemnly as she lifted her head after bowing, guiding the princesses to the truck; Shiva didn't like it when her friends had to treat her like royalty, but she didn't bother saying anything since she knew that this time, it'd have to be done as custom. Though she couldn't see anything in the darkness of the hills, she was aware that they weren't the only ones there-others were watching them…

"It'll be best that you stay right by my side and do not sit near the windows…" Shiva whispered to Fuchsia as she leaned in, glancing at her retainers and giving them the nod of what she wanted done.

The interior of the truck was designed like that of limousine but catered to be wider instead of longer with three people able to sit on each side and face each other. With Reluna, Shiva, and Fuchsia sitting on one side with Reluna and Ciri sitting across from them, Ciri was quick to assure Shiva that the windows were bulletproof and that their destination was in the heart of the city. Quickly, Ciri didn't hesitate to inform her princess on everything she knew and luckily wouldn't need to worry about the chauffeur since the partition was thick enough that the conversation couldn't be heard. As the car motioned and left the secret hill that served as the bridge to the outside world above, Ciri gave her debriefing.

"Your mo-her majesty has returned here because she has big plans about what to do in regard to Inkopolis. She's sat down with the highest officials in the army and from the snippets I could deduce while patrolling is that there is a possibility that we might be declaring war."

Fuchsia's mouth dropped, her eyes widened as she leaned forward. Shiva's serious expression didn't change as she instead crossed her arms and leaned back, crossing one leg over the other in anticipation of additional news. "Go on." she nodded.

"As you know, tensions between Octarians and Inklings have been at a stalemate mostly due to the result of the second war. Queen Octavio, however, believes that this is the proper time to launch a surprise attack and declare war. The training of our army has improved tenfold than what we had in the previous wars, our top soldiers and squadrons are all trained at the highest levels of combat and can be dispatched for any undercover missions we need, and there is even gigantic advances in technology…"

Shiva sat in a thinking pose as she calculated the information given, "We'll have to be more careful, then. Carry out our plan discussed the other day as before. More than likely my mother is having this discussion with us because she wants the data we have about the surface world. I could be wrong, of course."

"Understood." Ciri nodded.

"So, are we really going to war with the inklings?" Fuchsia said with heavy concern in her tone. Even though she became a proud octarian and embraced her culture, she did live among the inklings, associated mostly with them, and even was in love with an inkling. Going to war with them yet again would only strain everything for her-not to mention the risks of many innocent lives being lost, and for what purpose? That was what she wanted to know.

"Worry not about that for the time being, Princess Fuchsia." Reluna answered with a soft smile, understanding how she might be feeling. "Our military have learned from the mistakes of the past to know that violence is not the answer."

"We've been plotting our own way to handle this situation. To get our freedom it'll take more than playing by their rules, but that doesn't mean we'll just settle for a war. There is always a better way of handling things." Vaairie added.

The truck journeyed its way into the densely populated nation where homes stacked atop of homes to the same height as skyscrapers, colorful lights in alternation highlight the eclectic architecture of the many buildings they pass by as they see both male and female octolings and other octarians of many species dressed to party marching down the sidewalks entering clubs and other institutions. Indeed, the world of Octaria was very different to Inkland. Driving through downtown and seeing the multiple sightings of hotspots for the inhabitants of Octaria, the shining lights of purple and mixture of chrome and gold made the streets a party of every night.

Meanwhile at the tallest building in the country that also dubbed as both an office building for multiple octarian based companies and brands and as a hotel too, in a private conference room on the top floor sat Queen Octavio in a chair next to the head of the room, at the head of the table sat none other than the King himself...DJ Octavio. Sitting along the extended row of the table sat the familiar ninja that hadn't been seen since their involvement back in the breaking out of DJ Octavio back at Death Row Island. Han, Ayumi, and Roujou sat across from Queen Octavio and her entourage of octarian generals. The room was well lit by the burning tension between the ninja inklings and the royal octarians, but that was put aside by a common goal in an enemy: the Inkopolis government. Having initially established a partnership with Shiva, Han soon found himself negotiating with the queen instead since she strikes more along what he was looking at.

"Seems rather stuffy in here, may I open the window?" Han asked respectfully, having rarely visited an area like here. The heat he had to endure was unlike any other and now he knew why the octoling women and men dressed the way they did.

"We're underground, deal with it." one of the octarian generals said rudely before Queen Octavio apologized.

"If I may, exactly why was this meeting assembled?" Roujou asked after raising his hand to break the awkwardness in the room.

DJ Octavio crossed his arms, "We have a common foe."

"Indeed, the government has performed poorly in recent memory with the stepping down of the previous prime minister and then the disappearance of the questionable new prime minister, the government cannot be trusted." Han stated while shifting his gaze between the monarchs.

"The time seems appropriate to make a move, but it'd need to be done in silence. That's the only reason why your services are needed." another spiteful general said as he scowled at the ninja.

"No need to give us such an ugly expression. You couldn't even defeat a child from our clan, save they were braindead." Ayumi referred to a sparring match with the generals against some of the ninja to prove a point-the ninja were none to take lightly.

"Enough, Ayumi. Show some respect to these people for their hospitality."

"Yes…" she sighed.

The chemistry between the ninja of the east and the octarians of underground seemed nonexistent, with a strange tension in the air that left everyone watching the other intently as if keeping tabs and making sure they wouldn't draw a weapon on the other. After some time passed by of judgmental stares, a messenger came in for the king and queen. Following behind her a few minutes later were none other than the two princesses guarded by their retainers. As Shiva entered the room, she took a momentary glance at the ninja-her eyes shifting to Han briefly before returning them to her parents. Fuchsia was stunned when she entered the room, seeing the ninja from way back at the festival when she first met Azule. For the first time since he was taken in as a prisoner of war, Fuchsia saw her father in person. The ninja bowed their heads respectfully as the princesses took their seats next to their mother with their retainers standing right behind them. Finally, all important parties were present for the meeting, or so it seemed as two chairs still were vacant.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the slums of Octaria sat two brothers in the streets. Bathed in the dirt and mud of their environment, the two boys struggled to their feet in search of a meal. One looked to be much older than the other by about half a dozen years but nonetheless they looked to still be younger than the prime age of 21. They both were tan skinned with a combination of green and indigo in their eyes with the elder brother having his long tentacle bang cover one eye while his little brother's hair was too short to cover the pair of heterochromic gems with purple and green like his brother Crouching over his younger brother who laid on the ground-stomach was growling furiously-placed his hand over his exhausted kid brother's forehead.

"You're heating up, Jory. Are you sure you can handle this? I can snatch another purse and grab us a meal again..." he said with heavy concern in his tone as he held Jory's head up from against the wall.

"N-no. Arlen, you know it isn't the right thing to do. Just take me back home, I'll be fine." Jory said as he slowly rotated his head to meet his brother's watery eyes.

"You need something to eat, Jory. Plus, you're starting to catch a fever...the money can buy us a meal and get you some medication. Abandon this righteous approach about doing the right thing, all that matters are to survive long enough until you can leave."

Jory adjusted his position and showed more strength than previously where he seemed lifeless and it was all thanks to what his brother said, "E-even so…where will you go?"

"It doesn't matter. You're all I got left, and I have to make sure you're in their care before I close my eyes for the last time."

Jory's eyes lowered to his brother's abdominal region where he held arm over as though in intense pain. His brother was almost at his end, "But Arlen, can't we ask them to help you too? It seems wrong to just leave you here."

"There is no point to helping someone who already has no time left..." Arlen said with eyes filled to the brim with nothing, but death left to await him, even his sense as an octoling faded away by the second. He only felt he was a corpse rotting away.

"S-sorry…" Jory said with guilt knowing he'd had to leave his last family member behind, welling up with tears as his brother gives him a pat on the head and assures him that this is the way fate works.

As the sight leaves the two hopeless octoling boys below and returns to the tallest building in Octaria, the meeting was on its way to its most important part. In the meeting room it felt as though everyone held their breath in anticipation of the suggestions everyone had in their minds waiting to be spewed. Four pairs of eyes were the least dull as they vigilantly glance at one another: Han, Shiva, Queen Octavio, and DJ Octavio. Their minds raced in planning out various pros and cons to what actions they took. Folded hands and arms, some of the generals were sweating bullets as they glanced at the trio of ninja who were also playing the scenarios in their mind. The first to gather his thoughts in completion and form an answer was none other than the lead ninja Han, who quickly caught the eyes of the serious Princess Shiva.

"If we're both on the same page that Inkopolis needs to be brought down, then I suggest we take arms against them. Yes?"

DJ Octavio narrowed his eyes on reflex at the ninja's suggestion, but the generals of the octarian army and even Queen Octavio herself smirked as their cheeks wrinkled from the widened grin, for they were already plotting to go to war with Inkopolis. Beads of sweat rolled down both princesses' faces all the while their retainers kept stone faced. Ayumi and Roujou both look at one another and then to their master, who crosses his arms in response to the silence being exhibited. DJ Octavio is the first to give his input as he grunts and shuffles in his seat to get into a position to speak.

"Even if we take arms against them, exactly what good should come of it? Wars are expensive. I don't know it you have noticed, but this nation is quite poverty stricken as is. Not even the most successful of our brethren bothered to show up…" he said while guiding his hand over to a pair of seats still vacant of key octarian members; personally, he didn't want to go war with Inkopolis and instead wanted to work things out peacefully after many failures, but he was aware that those around him had other intentions. Will the octarians ever learn from their mistakes?

Han raised his hand, "I understand where you are coming from. But the goal of the octarians is to achieve equality for the masses, yes? You're looking to have more than just a select few be able to experience the riches of inkling society and be free from the prejudice and hate that comes with being born an octopus instead of a squid. Well, what better time than now? With the prime minister late for his inauguration for whatever the reason, the window is open for all parties to play their hand."

"If we go to war, we must know first who our allies are...and surely you jest if it'll only be the two of us." the queen commented, making her presence known that she had a say in the matter.

"We'd negotiate some other nations who are looking to put an end to the Inkopolis empire. Some of the smaller nations to the west of Inkopolis and of course, the western giants in Squirabia, will surely be willing to offer a hand in this underhanded war." Ayumi said with her intent clear, getting nudged by her master afterwards. Personally, she hated the octarians and everything they represent and in no way would she ever want to align with them. But at the same time, she knows the state of the country is at an all-time low with people like Teitsu controlling her domain under the government's jurisdiction. She wanted to make a change and help her fellow eastern brethren.

"Where would we launch our attack to signify declaration?" one of the generals said, playing with his mustache.

"At the conference in Squirabia in the early summer." Roujou said seriously.

"The Ravian Conference…" Shiva thought aloud, catching the attention of everyone at the table. Shiva was well experienced in her adventures to the western giant of Squirabia, for she had a interesting relationship with the young queen of that nation, or more say, a feud. Shiva's eyes narrowed as she looked at Han, recognizing what his intentions were. "You want to plan a terrorist attack on the inkling officials that'll be attending that banquet." she said while keeping his vision locked on them; she "figured" out the plan so seamlessly.

"Correct. We hold the inklings hostage with the support of the Squirabians and begin negotiations there, if they don't comply, we kill the officials and send this continent into a war we have a chance of winning easily, or they accept the terms and be spared. Either way, we can't lose. We'll have the numbers on our side." Han said with a nod; the others were buying into the plan, but the retainers and Shiva were the only ones that seemed opposed to the idea, though they wouldn't speak their mind.

"I'd love to continue this talk further, but this'll do for now. You will be contacted at a later notice for confirmation or if any changes come about." DJ Octavio said as he glanced at his sold wife and comrades who were ready to jump the gun. The ninja excused themselves and made their exit, all of them seemed to be hiding something as they tried to contain themselves, specifically the students. After the presence of the ninja had dissolved, DJ Octavio's face turned a bright red with fury at how this meeting turned out. Fuchsia looked away, scared to see her father about to lash out at everyone, but Shiva kept her eyes on her mother who sat so calmly as her eyes peered at her husband.

"What's wrong…?" Queen Octavio taunted, aware of how weak her husband had become. She managed to be the one in control now.

"..."

"Isn't it clear? He doesn't want to go through with this…Another war is meaningless if it'll just mean the end of our race." Shiva said aloud, unafraid to stand up to her mother; Queen Octavio's face turned from one of arrogance to the coldest and most ruthless of face imaginable, sending chills down Fuchsia and the other retainers' spines.

"Huuuuh?" she said in a dark and sinister tone, her head tilting to the left as her eyes shot open. "What did you just say?"

Shiva narrowed her eyes as she met her mother face to face-crossing her arms, "Did I stutter?"

Everyone gasped in response, even DJ Octavio was shocked by his eldest daughter's response. Queen Octavio didn't take her glare off of her until she stared into her soul and found the answer she was looking for, crossing her arms and raising her chin she had a look of disgust as she got up and left without saying anything. On her way out, she turns out to look back at them all with the same ruthless expression from earlier. "It's better we don't speak for the time being, because the fact that I had to get up and leave should already tell how close I am to making that cheek of yours lose its tan color."

Shiva didn't seem fazed, "If you strike me, that's a testament to your lack of self-control. Good riddance to you." Shiva said firmly. Shiva was defending her father and the honor he lost while being away. It was safe to say Shiva wasn't on the best of terms with her mother for what she'd put her through in the past, but her care for her father was unlike anything else since he always treasured his daughters.

"That's enough from the two of you." DJ Octavio said with a sigh, reading the situation would only get worse unless he got involved. "Come back here, learn to stop being so childish...I just got back here, right?" He shouted towards his wife who was settled on leaving, not wanting to be in the same room as her disrespectful daughter.

Queen Octavio walks out. Shiva pouts and crosses her arms, steam puffing from her cranium as her cheeks turn red with anger; her retainers are alarmed by the foul language she mutters under her breath as she stares at the space where her mother was. Fuchsia could look on with regret since she witnessed the rift between her mother and sister unfold before her very eyes. Moments of silence pass by before DJ Octavio decides to speak with his generals, feeling as though the awkwardness between his surprise appearance would dissolve if others in the room were addressed in conversation first-talking to his daughters would have to come another time judging from Shiva's attitude and Fuchsia's discomfort. Shiva stares at the group of men before tugging on Ciri's sleeve and giving a nod of approval, and shortly afterwards, Shiva, Fuchsia, and their retainers excused themselves. Heading into the same van they came from, a new destination awaited them. Fuchsia had no clue, but she knew that the old dysfunction she remembered with her family was apparent yet again with the arrival of her father. Although she was elated to see him gain, immediately she remembered why she was slightly content with his absence: Mother and Big Sister didn't get along and it was Father who usually had to be the deciding factor, but with mother growing more power hungry in his absence, the changes were becoming more and more drastic...in her mind, this wouldn't end well. A trio of snaps from Shiva's fingers are enough to return Fuchsia back to reality after having gone off into her own thoughts of recollection, her elder octoling sisters and close retainers all gazed at her with question. The serious expression on all of their faces caused her to fidget a bit as though she might've done something wrong, but then…

"Hey Fuchsia, we're getting a little brother." Shiva said plainly as she stared down at her lost sister.

Fuchsia blinked twice-struggling to process her elder sister's comment, "Brother?"

"Yeah, I have another reason for coming here."

"Princess Yeshiva wants to go and visit a dear friend from her youth…" Reluna snickered, implying that there might be some history.

"It's nothing like that. Arlen...is an old friend. He and his little brother Jory…" looking away for a moment, Shiva couldn't find the right words to explain to Fuchsia, who-instead of clueless-was trying to piece together the need for an extra family member.

"Wouldn't adoption be difficult for us since we're royalty?"

"Well...I was sort of hoping to have him live with you in your room. Don't worry, he's around your age, but he isn't into girls. So, your chastity is safe."

Fuchsia shook her head, "I'm not worried about that, I'm worried about what mom and dad will say."

"They won't say anything because they won't be meeting him. This is a secret that they must never find out."

"We're planning to meet them and take in Jory and return to the surface, from there he'll be in your care." Ciri said.

"I know this must be sudden, but I have my reasons. Can you accept that? For me?"

Fuchsia's eyes trembled watching her sister's radiant smile-a smile she only gave when she felt immense emotional pain. The same smile she'd see dozens of times after her sister's failures as a princess, a smile she saw after watching her receive the most miserable of news a female youth could imagine. This reason extended beyond anything she knew, but one thing for sure was that she had always wanted a brother and already was she about to instead put him in Fuchsia's care. Arriving at a rundown home over in the slums southeast of where the towering landmark sat, the girls all got out the car without hesitation. In the dull and lifeless area, already at their feet they saw disgusting piles of trash and filth scattered everywhere, walls covered in graffiti, homeless people sitting by fires near dumpsters, and some people even singing songs of death-waiting for their time to come. Shiva kept her gaze forward on an apartment building straight ahead, averting her eye to the ghostly site of people that looked half dead just lying in their waste. Fuchsia was appalled by the disgusting odor that penetrated her nostrils and filled her nasal cavities with a grotesque stench. Pinching her nose, her eyebrows drop in response as she closes her eyes and keeps close behind Shiva. Ciri, Reluna, and Vaairie are like robots-showing no emotion they keep their attention on Shiva and allow their senses to hone in on their surroundings. Their feet connecting with the moist asphalt mixed with mud and other dirty matter, they arrive at the seemingly vacant apartment. Looking all the way up to the top, Shiva took a deep breath before continuing onward, followed by her slightly frightened younger sister and their retainers, they embarked on their entrance into the eerie building as darkness came closer thanks to the lack of light illuminating the area.