Chapter 12


Kira was sitting alone in her cell, feeling her heart sink as she gazed back at the dying Misery. She ran to her after TarTar left and cradeled her close. "Mis! Mis... Come on, stay with me... please!"

Misery coughed. "I-It's too late Kira... H-He won..."

"No... Nonono... Please... Please don't die! I-I promise I won't let him win.. Please... please..." Kira felt fresh tears pour down her face as she used what power she could muster and pressed a crystal close to Misery. "Heal her... Heal her please... The shadows, I ask please!" A flash of light shot from the crystal and into Misery, healing her to where she could only speak soft words, holding off her death for a few more seconds.

"Thanks... But you're trying to stop the inevitable... Please just let me move on..." Misery begged.

Kira held her hand. "No I won't let you... We still have the war to win..." She gasped as TarTar's minions moved the chains on Kira's wrist to be behind her and grabbed her chain as they dragged her out of the room, kicking and screaming, leaving Misery to die.

She eyed everything through blurred vision and the throbbing in her head. Rows and rows of empty cells. The chains rattling as she walked and felt the pulsing sensation around her neck. She was finally brought to the maximum security cells at the end of a dark hall, each cell holding her friends as they all gazed up at her, saddened to see her being brought to them. The cells had clear wall doors, letting everyone see each other. Refusing to look at them, she quietly cried. "I'm so sorry I failed you..." They threw her into the final cell facing all the other cells and hooked her chains up to the walls. They left and Kira sat on her bed, weeping, mourning the loss of the dark inkling who got them through all of the mess, who saved them from TarTar, and who helped her find her way as a hero.

"Why did you give up..?" Chili quietly asked.

"...He would have killed you if I didn't..." She replied. "I...I didn't want to lose anyone else.."

Mint asked next, 'What do you mean Kira?"

"Misery is dead... TarTar killed her..." She sobbed, her wings fluffing up as she positioned herself on the bed.

All fell silent and looked at each other.

"Misery... dead?" Akari muttered, her face in shock as she sat down and held her head.

Mint began to cry a bit too, trying to hold it back. "She was so sweet.. She got us so far in this part of our lives..."

"I didn't like her, sure." Chili said. "But I never wanted death brought upon her."

Akari stood up, her chains rattling. "The camp is completely vulnerable... They know where it is and we need to warn them about TarTar's next move.."

"But how?" Mint wondered. "We're stuck here, far from any source of communication!"

The octoling fell silent and sat back down, sighing. "Well shit..."

Chili threw his hands in the air. "Come on guys, we can't seriously give up now!"

"Don't you see Chili?! TarTar won! He has us imprisoned! Our camp is in danger! Inkopolis is completely destroyed!" Kira shouted, tears in her eyes and pain in her voice. "I failed the prophecy and I failed you guys! I couldn't save Misery and now everyone else is in danger!"

All looked horrified to hear her scream as she fell down on the floor, twitching as her collar beeped twice. She found herself on the floor, sobbing quietly.

"I... I can't do this anymore..."

The sanitized guards came in and pointed to Mint and Kira. "You two. Come."

Both were tossed ot of their cells and their collar chains attached to each other and their arms bound, both heading towards TarTar's room.

"Kira... As sad as I am that we lost... This isn't your fault." They whispered.

"Yes it is." She whispered back. "I let him win... I should have fought more... I should have saved Misery..."

"Quiet!" The sanitized kicked at Kira and she winced in pain.

"You're far braver than I would've been."

The sanitized kicked Mint next, making them yelp. "I said quiet!"

"Ow! okay, okay!" They whined.

"K..Ki...ra..." A distorted voice called to her through her mind.

Who's there? She wondered.

"Kira? Kira?!"

Kira immediately knew who it was and perked up. Layette!

"Where are you?! Everyone is worried sick!"

I'm in prison... TarTar kidnapped me and my friends and now we're stuck...

"Prison?! Oh cod it's worse than I thought! Hang tight, I'm rounding up all of our forces and we're making an assault."

What?! Nonono! Don't do that! He'll be expecting that!

"Then what do I do?"

I have no idea, infiltrate the base and draw very little attention to yourselves. Just do something that won't result in your death!

"Gotcha. I'll be there in two days tops."

Two days?! We might be dead by then!

"Then hold on. I'll be working my magic one way or another."

And as Kira exited her thoughts, the doors opened to see TarTar on a metal throne, holding his scepter in hand and having the guards force his prisoners to their knees.

"Well well... Look who it is~"

Mint glared at TarTar. "You killed Misery you stupid son of a-"

He laughed. "Aw~ Little 10,008 is mad at me~. You wanna cry about it? Huh?"

"I'll give you something to cry about!" Kira yelled as TarTar pressed a button on a remote, sending a shock wave through her collar and electrocuting her."

"Kira!"

he laughed. "Oh how I love doing this! Your slave work will begin very soon you two. But we need to give you proper markings."

Both eyes widened as they feared for the worst.


End of Chapter