Ever since that day where they hacked a highschool sporting event, the cyber hacking group known as Ixia had evolved into a cyber terrorist organization, expanding from what was once innocent trolling to national threats against the politics and society of Inkopolis. The masters behind this group were unknown, and many feared that they might walk on the very same streets they do and work in the very same building as them, harboring such dangerous views on the public. They were radicals that wanted to remake society in their glory, and as the weeks go by, they gain strength in numbers. Cultists began to rally to their message and demand that the government and general society accept their ideals and views, with some even seeking violence to get their points across-all under the umbrella of Ixia, who added fuel to the fire by continuing to disrupt the everyday life of Inkopolis. From interrupting the national news to making cryptic threats on big name celebrities who called Inkopolis home, social panic was at an all time high as many demanded action be taken. Some saw their looming presence as a necessity in this age where the leading power on the continent didn't even have a leader to calm the masses while others saw this as the beginning of the end for an empire, who believed the fall of the nation rapidly approaches like a storm. Regardless of the opinion, the fact was that Ixia indeed caused quite a stir, and from their graduation of simple threats and interruptions to other small groups under their control elevating the frequency of crime, it was difficult to ignore their presence now. To celebrate their success, the leaders of Ixia would be holding their first ever meeting in person and all under the noses of their followers, who believed in the idea of anonymity. Much like in their video calls where only darkness reigns with just the computer screen's light serving enough to project their identity, in this room, there were no visible surroundings. Only darkness. A single ceiling light dimly lighting a wooden table below it where a few chairs await their guests. The sound of doors opening from several directions happen simultaneously, and soon, the leaders arrive. All dressed in black to blend in with their surroundings, they wore led helmets that projected their logos on the screen. These helmets were specially crafted to also alter their voice so that they remain undetected, and the location? It was somewhere in Inkopolis, but it appeared to be abandoned.

"Looks like everyone made it. Shall we get to business?" The wearer of a helmet projecting a huge all-seeing eye said with a blink to the left and the right.

The wearer of a helmet projecting a Black X nodded, "We should cover all bases today before it gets bright out. Though, there isn't too much I believe."

"You seem tamer than usual X. Did something happen?" The wearer of a helmet projecting an apple said; "I mean, you're usually the most belligerent of us, and yet now that we meet in person, you're so calm."

Black X doesn't answer, instead turning his attention to the wearer of the helmet projecting a pair of yellow dots meant to be eyes. "You gonna say something or what?"

Small Eye doesn't answer.

"Let's get back on track, everyone. We're holding this meeting in secret for several reasons...but the most important one still remains that we must prepare to carry out our plans for the conference." Big Eye said looking to grab everyone's attention; "Now that we've caused enough unrest in Inkopolis, it's time to strike them where it hurts. For the Ravia conference, the leaders of this country will be attending the conference which will mean that the capital is free for the taking. We can use this opportunity to slay the mighty ray and unleash hell."

"We're going to announce our arrival and spread chaos like wildfire…"

"Our forces have expanded a great deal over these last few months, and thanks to that alliance, we're going to be well equipped. Should we participate ourselves or stay hidden like usual?"

"Do you ever see the leaders of the world fight on the battlefield? We'll stick to our usual posts and command from there."

The conversation soon shifted as all leaders were eager to begin the discussion at hand. As a growing organization, they were acquiring new tasks by the minute the greater their expansion. As far as they saw it, they were the greatest potential among the powers involved with the alliance of Octaria. Octaria, Squirabia, Mollusca, and the Hayama were all powers who have something to prove against Inkopolis, but to Ixia, they are flawed. Ixia have the technological advantage thanks to their networking, and with their expansion, they now had foot soldiers to mobilize. With many mercenaries willing to work under them thanks to the pay they offered, it was clear they were aiming for the top. They wanted to create mass hysteria, they wanted the chaos in their name, they wanted to reform the most powerful nation in their image.

"Have you any updates on those two new recruits of ours?" Apple asked, curious about the condition of their two brightest stars that helped make Ixia great after their names were brought up during a recap.

"Slasher and the mercenary are both doing well. Right now, they're on different missions." X said proudly; "Slasher is causing mayhem in a new district to make a stir and Cameron is keeping tabs on him. If anything happens to Slasher, we're screwed."

"Question is, how should we utilize them for our upcoming siege? It's better to keep them here and have them work with the octarians in taking the capital, but they have so many weapons prepared it's almost unnecessary."

"We'll still need foot soldiers and a leader but I rather not have them fight there."

"Then where else? We only prioritized action on the capital."

"Rest assured, we'll send someone to take the capital. However, I'd like to set sights on another target…"

None other than the sight of the Ravian Conference in Ravia of Squirabia in their sights, Big Eye proposed the option of allowing one of them to cause mayhem within the conference. Up until now, their plan consisted solely of causing trouble in the capital to aid the invading octos, but after learning of the intentions of Squirabia and Mollusca, their plans evolved into something of a grand scale. Instead of simply causing panic and a plot to rule society from the internet, they saw this as an opportunity to be recognized as a real threat. At the Ravia conference, they too would show the rest of the world what they were made of. Up until now, the only problem on their plate was one thing: not the Inkopolis government, not the worry of a double crossing by any of their allies, nor was it of an insurgence within their own ranks. Instead it was the New Squidbeak Splatoon and their powerful super soldier known simply as Agent 3. Ever since catching the attention of Lime Royale and the other family members, it's become difficult to snoop for information of Agent 3's identity since inquiring would in turn reveal their whereabouts-and the last person they ever wanted to cross was a Royale, especially Sky. The wild card they have to be careful of, they had no clue what they were thinking or what they were up to, but all of them shared the same concern that if anyone was paying attention to what was happening in the dark, it was them. They discuss on possible ways to counter them, but their efforts amass to nothing as neither of them could think of a way to slow the main cannon power of Agent 3, who would surely be wherever there was a commotion. With that in mind, Big Eye sells the idea of taking action at the Ravia conference because there is no way she can appear in two places at once. If she shows up, she can only do so much-not in multiple locations simultaneously. The others buy into it, and discussions continue from there. A group of shut-in intellects who only started Ixia as a joke has now evolved to become a successful cyber terrorist group with potential to rule the world. At this point, their minds synchronize on the thought of going for broke.

Somewhere deep within a forest, Maya is hard at work training in preparation for what is to come when she leaves for Ravia. Her mission as a bodyguard for Cap'n Cuttlefish and one of the bodyguards for the other politicians of Inkopolis proved to be a stressful task in terms of preparation. She already memorized the layout of the venue and nearby facilities, and she already did her research on what to be wary of in regards to the other nations and their guards, going into the details of what weapons they prefers, martial arts, and even delving into their potential psychological state by examining the political, geographical, and cultural history between all the involved nations to determine what possible scenarios could occur if there was ever an issue to arise. A strenuous task that she had to carry as the strongest member of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, the wear and tear of this situation drove home the fact that though she still had the appearance of a young woman in her prime, her mental state was much wiser with plenty of experience, some of which added to the anxiety she felt in this long preparation. This time, she focuses on physical preparation rather than mental, deciding that now is the best time to get her body back into peak fitness in time for the conference. The white noise of the rustling leaves and flowing river near her location brings forth a certain tranquil atmosphere that calms her steaming nerves as she works up a sweat resembling a person drenched in the pouring rain. At times like this where she found it difficult to maintain concentration by doing repetition, she programmed her mind to focus on anything that could prove as motivation to keep her engine running, even when her muscles tightened and her lungs burned. The image of her children were all she needed to maintain focus, the various expressions: Lime's air headed laugh, Verde's concentrated gaze, Sky's reluctant appearance, and Azule's radiant smile. Sharing laughs even if some (Sky) weren't on board with the idea of family togetherness, eating meals together and visiting different places as a family like old times when Lime and Verde were still young children and Sky and Azule were just born. A time before the wars that saw her lose irreplaceable friends like Luna and Arosuke, that's what eased her mind. But whenever she thought to a time before she became a mother, when her comrades were still alive, when she could afford to give even the tiniest of smiles behind her aloof mask, a crushing sensation hit her that left her feeling hollow afterwards. The lasting thought was always the same: Luna's dying wish. Though she was able to at least reunite with her son, she still felt unsatisfied with how things were with Sky, only imagining what Luna would think if she were still alive. Would she joke about it like always? Or would she show her rare side of being serious? Unfortunately she would never know. Just imagining her by her side right now training together felt therapeutic, like in the old days on missions. Her shoulders relaxed and she calmly took a deep breath-then exhaling, sitting on the floor with her legs crossed as though performing meditation-all while envisioning Luna in her thoughts, sitting across from her. If only she could replicate a moment the past-days where they stayed up late chatting the hours away on mission, the countless hours of sparring the better their technique, and plenty of unforgettable memories of traveling together.

"Still hanging onto the past…?" A voice muttered behind her; Maya still had her eyes closed, but in a split second her gun was drawn-meeting the "barrel" of the other's gun. Finger gun-that is.

Maya's cold expression weakened once she recognized who it was pointing their finger gun at her-an annoyed expression appearing instead as she narrows her eyes at the pesky visitor, "Are you obsessed with me or something?" she said in an unwelcoming tone, clicking her tongue; "How did you even find me all the way out here…"

Julian's emotionless look quickly shifted to a beaming smile like a fool infatuated, "Power of love?" Maya rolls her eyes and shakes head, returning to train now that her chance to unwind and reminisce about the past was ruined by his sudden appearance; Julian's smile disappeared; "Hey, just now-"

"What!" she answers roughly, proceeding to do upper body stretches; her defense was up with no intention of entertaining a conversation.

Julian recognizes it'll take more to get a conversation going, "N-nothing…" He looks away as an attempt to avoid tempting himself from saying something stupid as well as regain his composure and take a serious approach, "Well-I...I know things haven't been well between us for a while and I figured since this upcoming operation might alter everything…"

Maya sighs, "Julian. That's in the past. We have four beautiful children, and that's what I'll dedicate my life to. I'm done with you and anything revolving around the subject of us. Move on." she said shooing him away.

Julian chuckles, only as a mask to hide the damage that had been done. "I know there's no second chance for me. I understand I screwed up big time-"

"Times. Multiple times."

"-Right. Multiple times...but even so…"

His pause was unusual. Maya was used to the many times he'd joke about them rekindling together, sometimes for the sake of their children, and other times to satisfy his selfish desires, and in all those times, she turned him down in the harshest ways possible with each response getting colder and colder, but for the first time, she could sense in his tone that this appearance by him was the most genuine in years, even before their marriage. She stops stretching and turns her focus to him, "Well, what's on your mind. You're not the type to be this serious about anything."

Julian smirks, "I've gotten pretty pathetic over the years, huh? I'm nothing like the amazing person you married those many years ago."

"To be fair, you weren't amazing at anything." she teased with a tiny smirk in hopes to cheer him up.

Julian's narrowing eyes synchronize with his furrowing brows, "We have four kids together, countless memories, and my good looks. And I'm not amazing!? Ugh! I married a monster!" his dramatization sparking laughter from her, in a way that only he could manage since it was near impossible for anyone to ever get her to smile-much less laugh; "But in all honesty, Maya. I didn't deserve you. I never did from the start." his solemn tone continues to lure her in as she found the maturity in his tone somewhat refreshing.

"What are you getting at, Julian? This really isn't you." her tone is lighter than previously, a sign that she was fully engaged in this conversation-just like he wanted.

"Suspicious? I guess since I stopped drinking and smoking, I've come to my senses. It took my youngest kin having to bring me back to reality, but life sucks without you. I consider it a miracle I've been faring well all this time."

Maya blushes so hard she had to stop all the muscles in her face from sprouting a massive smile, almost putting her hands up to her face. "Y-you can stop now, I get it."

"I'm only speaking the truth. If it wasn't for Verde being a good son who treats me like a friend, Lime always keeping me in check, and Azule and Sky disciplining me, I doubt I'd be fine."

Maya shrugs her shoulders, "They take after their mother after all."

"Humble brag, much? Anyhow, there's more I want to say." he said locking eyes with her; Maya shrugs her shoulders, giving him the ok to continue-finding it weird he'd even take such an approach when doesn't even ever stop to think about a single thing he says, so why now? "How long are you going to continue this trend?"

"Trend?" her voice raised, noticing that Julian was up to something.

Julian nods in all seriousness, "You seek isolation as punishment for anything you believe to be your fault. Luna's death, Azule and Sky's trauma, the outcome of the wars. It's not your fault."

The warmth in his tone felt foreign. He was never like this. Maya shakes her head, disturbed that such drivel would ever escape his lips. Julian's eyes were full of life as he kept a soft gaze on her, as though to tell her that he was there for her this time unlike the others. Maya stood up and began to take a few steps back, "Who are you…?"

"Wha-? It's me, Julian."

"Who are you trying to trick?" she raises her tone, resembling an irritated mother scolding her children.

"No one." Julian responds plainly.

"Then why are you doing this?"

"Speaking the truth?"

"Shut it."

The leaves in the trees rustle with the howling wind as the lone duo in the woods reach a tense moment. Neither utters a word for a bit as they lock stare with one another, testing who had the stronger resolve. For Maya, to see Julian come after her in this way felt utterly disrespectful given who he was and what he'd done. He wasn't a person who had the right to target her flaws. Julian, on the other hand, didn't have a combative look and instead looked unnaturally calm as if he'd reached the path to enlightenment, only looking at Maya as a person who needed to be saved from her own mindset. "I see. Denial can be a terrible thing."

"Get off your high horse, Julian. You're more broken than I could ever be, so don't talk to me about my problems."

"I accept that I'm broken. I accept that I'm ruined. I accept all the consequences. The question is, will you? You've spent too damn long concerning yourself with the past that you forget there's a future! Goodness sake even your children are fighting by your side because they know unconsciously that you're hurting in more ways than one. Your kids know you so well that they'll risk everything to be by your side. You swear that you live for them but ignore the fact they are trying their damnedest be your sword, shield, and armor!" For the first time, Maya felt spooked hearing the spite in his tone. The stinging sharpness his words had cut deeper than any blade she ever crossed. She was stunned to silence as his calm gaze transitioned to a spiteful gaze with a lowering head looking down on her for her foolishness. "You kept Lime and Verde at arm's length after the way and became cold and distant-showing the most minimal of affection when they needed tender loving care after being child soldiers. You abandoned your youngest children in a shady orphanage and used government work as an excuse. You ignored Sky's plea for help when she begged for your attention in joining the New Squidbeak Splatoon. Last but certainly not least, you lied to Azule the entire time-even then, he accepted it because it was you." tears start to fall as he clenches his fist, "I understand you've been through enough but you're not alone anymore. You have us to fight alongside."

Maya couldn't register any of her emotions, only able to look up to the sky for guidance before casting her gaze downwards and closing her eyes. One of the toughest people she knew-a person she spent most of her life with and had a family-a person who she fought alongside in the war and saw hell with, was standing before her shedding tears like a child trying to hold back, and all for her. Impossible, she thought. "Why are you doing this." Maya whispered coldly, hoping that his answer would bail out from the hollow feeling in her chest.

"When we were in Giande for Azule's game. That day when we all met up to spend time together, I learned then what everyone was feeling. While you were away, they all expressed their concerns for you. You seem to forget that there's a special connection we all share, and when one of us is hurting, we're all hurting." Julian recalls the looks on their faces as they repeatedly asked their father if there was any way they could help their mother, citing it to be too difficult to even get close to her on the subject of her personal story. Even Azule, the youngest one and the best at getting his mother to open up about things she'd never say, felt a cold shiver and imagining her story since he already pieced together everything prior. They were looking ahead to the future. It might be impossible to be a true family, but there was still a chance for them to all be together and enjoy each other's company once again. But it was painful to watch their mother attempt her best to be happy when she was clearly suffering on the inside. "If you saw the resolve in their eyes when they told me they'd risk anything for us-for each other, it'd move you to tears. Our children should've never been put in the situations they were. I never should've pushed their bodies to the limit. You should've never left them and neglected them. But you know what, that's the past. Our children forgive us. They're willing to fight for us. So the least we can do is move forward ourselves so as not to insult that resolve of theirs."

Maya's mouth dropped, her eyes welling with tears, "I never forgave myself because when they needed me the most I wasn't there! I failed to protect Luna, and I failed as a mother. The most I can do is atone-"

"Stop being a prisoner to your own guilt!" he shouted with a furious glare, fed up with her mentality; "Do you want to know what Lime said? What Verde, Sky, and Azule all said together just before you returned that day?"

"W-what…? What did they say?" Maya asked, unable to think straight now that Julian-of all people- was attacking her weakest spot: her faults with her children and mistakes of the past."

"They simply said: 'Dad, please save mom. At all costs.' with expressive worry. I never thought I could feel my heart crushed just from looking at someone's face. But to look at my children's faces-even my eldest who were adults working like anyone else. In that moment, they looked just like kids when they thought of you, their worry brought out their true side."

"Even my kids…" She couldn't stop her tears from forming and flowing no matter how hard she tried to put on a hardened face and grit her teeth. She found it difficult to wrap her head around their logic. She abandoned Sky and Azule, she was cold and neglectful to Lime and Verde. Why? Why would they go to such lengths to concern themselves with her? They should know better than anyone how strong she is-that her independence is her sharpest weapon and yet, they wanted to be the ones to make a push to see a different side of their mother. They wanted the Maya who was there for them before the war scarred her. "Even though they've all grown to become strong independent children and grown ups who can forget about me and focus on themselves, they still worry about me..."

"It's time to face the music, Maya. You're in no shape to risk your life for anyone at this rate. I understand how you feel about Luna's death, about how the war ended and what happened to the octarians, about never coming back for Sky and Azule. But that's the past. You can't move forward if your vision is only looking backwards."

Maya sits down and covers her face as flashbacks of her children in their innocent youth return like a powerful storm. She's wiping away the falling streams of tears to her best, though it leaves her face a little red. She looks up Julian once again, who now has the warmest glow in his irises as he smiles at her. "Alright, fine! I'll be honest with myself, but I'm warning you...I'll take up all your time, got it!" she declared with an angry look sniffling at him, trying her best to keep her cool image. It was about time she came clean and remove the armor she hid behind as protection, and be honest about how she felt. Though Julian didn't say it directly, Maya knew those words spoken by their kids were meant for her to go back to how she was when she first had children-where her smile was on par with the burning sun. To a time where she would giggle and laugh at jokes told by Julian, where she would tell the kids stories from her past when she was a young operative working with the New Squidbeak Splatoon, to a time where Luna was by her side to help play with the kids and the Squid Sisters always visited with gifts. Though they were too young to remember the actual memory, the Royale children simply wanted to feel the same warmth their mother had then instead of the hollow shell she was now. Julian smiled wholeheartedly after hearing her tone, elated that behind her defensive voice laid a softness like no other that'd been hardened by the chaos of war and loss. An opening to her vulnerability that only he could access, he accepts and takes a seat beside her. Whether it was nostalgia, or just relief that he could sit beside her like the old days-he felt his heart flutter like a flower petal blown away, unable to contain the smile that formed from ear to ear. He pledged to stay and talk as long as she needed. That night, she opened her heart completely and expressed everything she'd kept repressed for all these years, unleashing her thoughts of guilt and frustration to a willing Julian who engaged in the conversation as much as possible, doing so not only for himself, but for his children. She expressed her concerns that she couldn't even share with Azule to him, professing her essay themed by guilt, atonement and regret to Julian, knowing that the more she poured out to him, the lighter she felt hearing her thoughts translate to speech. Julian's eyes were filled with light as he couldn't help but feel as though he was falling in love again being beside her after all these years.

Finally, my Maya is back.

The talk meant to free her from her shackles of the past continued for the next several hours as a smiling spirit watches from afar, their radiant glow like the sun as they gaze at their comrades from another life. No longer did she need to watch over the Royale family. She could finally rest in peace knowing that Julian finally did what he should've done long ago. Her job was done. Rising to the heavens she holds out her hand to give them one last blessing before she leaves. A final wish to ensure that her beloved best friend and her family are safe for the future battles ahead, Luna peeks into the lives of everyone as a crescent moon with a soft glow covering Inkopolis. Over in an office overlooking the capital city, Lime watches on with a cup of coffee like a queen overlooking her domain in preparation for an upcoming war with the moonlight blanketing the city lights, Verde is at his desk reading through all his reports and planning for that day as well-wary of a possible insurgence as he read through various reports from members of his division, Azule is undergoing a training of his own by playing in ranked mode in hopes to bolster his score and pound home the lessons taught by his mother about the connection between the sport to real life-bridging them as his best bet to be proficient on the day of battle, and lastly is Sky, who is currently in Octaria with Pastelle and Agent 8 to meet the resistance.