A/N: The following chapters were written using the outline of the story arc I had planned for Old Hatreds. It was intended to focus on Neon's character, who by now, was the only important Inkling character to not have her full name revealed. It was left unused since I couldn't find a place for it in the main story, as it would have taken place in a completely different location that doesn't exist in the games.
Now that Splatoon 3 is out, I plan on getting back to writing and making a whole new story with loads of new characters. The current Agent 3 Inker, along with Agent 4 Bough and Agent 8 would reappear, but aside from that, the others will likely only be mentioned. However as I had hinted at Neon's backstory several times in this and my other fics, I didn't want to leave this unused forever. So as a warm up I am going to rewrite the original arc so that it fits in after Old Hatreds and post it as two parts.
Unused Neon Arc Part 1:
Sky's Apartment, Inkopolis
As one of the first Inklings to learn the Octarian language in decades, Sky had no trouble finding himself work, especially now that Octo Valley was free of DJ Octavio's control.
Translating pieces of Octarian literature and teaching Octarian and Universal to other sea creatures may not be as glamorous as Turf Wars, but it seemed like a rather stable job for Sky.
Neon on the other hand, couldn't be bothered with any of this.
"I'm baaack!" Neon announced her arrival with a singsongy voice.
She and Sky had been living in the same apartment for a few months now.
"Oh, welcom- What the heck happened this time?!" Sky shouted as he realized Neon had returned scratched and bruised.
"The usual." Neon said, completely unbothered.
Sky knew what "the usual" meant, she must have ran into a rather tough opponent while playing the ranked matches. Neon had always been reckless, even in Octo Valley, and she was not afraid of a few scratches for any kind of advantage in turf.
Sky sighed "Alright, sit here, I'll go get some bandages."
"Mind getting me my spare E-Liter while you are at it?"
"What's wrong with the one you have now?"
"I used it to block a few Roller swings and now it feels a bit off."
"Wait, you can do that? Isn't that against the rules?"
Neon shrugged. "Well I still won, so I guess not!"
Quietly, Sky tended to Neon. "You know it wouldn't kill you to play a bit more carefully."
"Well at this level it's all or nothing!"
'Of course, when is it ever not with you.' Sky thought 'What a troublesome girl…'
As soon as she was patched up, Neon leapt to her feet and declared "Alright! I'm off!"
"Already? Haven't you had enough turf wars for one day?"
"You can never have enough turf wars!"
"Just be careful this time… Bumps and scratches are one thing, but what if you break something next time?"
"That won't happen, besides even if it did I know you'll take care of me."
"What am I? A nurse?"
Completely disregarding Sky's warning, Neon ran off again.
No matter where they were, or what happened, Neon was always cheerful and ready to charge ahead, even in Octo Valley with no respawns. Even if Sky would complain, he didn't totally dislike that, something about Neon's cheerfulness and never ending energy puts a smile on his face.
Unsurprisingly, when Neon came back, she had earned a few more scratches from Turf Wars, yet somehow Sky seemed to be the one more bothered by it.
"I'm fine, I could handle Octo Valley, this much is nothing."
"Sometimes, I think it's a miracle you are still alive."
"What? have I become an endangered species?"
The day had gone by just like any other and the two were bickering as usual.
Neon being awfully relaxed, had sprawled herself out on the couch and brushed off anything Sky tried to say. As for Sky, trying to remain organized was checking the mail they had received.
There was nothing of note until he got to the last letter, although it had been sent to their address, it bore an unfamiliar name.
"Hey, do we have a neighbour named Cherie?" Sky asked
Neon shot out of the couch. "What did you say?"
"Do you know a Cherie?" Sky asked again, showing Neon the letter.
She stared blankly at the name written before shaking her head. "Nope, it must be a mistake."
Without a second glance, Sky tossed the letter in the trash. However as he did so, he noticed Neon react, she opened her mouth to say something, but perhaps decided against it and kept quiet.
'Strange' Sky thought to himself. 'Neon doesn't exactly seem like one to keep secrets, considering most of the time she blurts out whatever is on her mind without hesitation..' Despite that reasoning, it really did seem like Neon knew something about that letter.
The question now was whether it was anything worth pressing on her about. For all he knew it may just be some random nickname from one of her other friends. Besides, it wasn't exactly his business so there wasn't really a need to confront her about it. So instead Sky put the matter to rest and turned in for the night.
The next morning had been rather normal, Neon slept in while Sky woke up early, when Neon eventually did wake up, she ate her breakfast in record speed and sped off to Inkopolis Square.
Sky chuckled as he caught a glimpse of Neon running out in her Turf War gear while her cheeks were puffed like a chipmunk. If anything this was all normal for them.
It wasn't until later that Sky noticed anything out of the ordinary. As he continued with his translator work, as he tossed out an empty bag of chips he noticed that the envelope from yesterday had been opened, the letter inside had also been taken out and was nowhere to be found.
'Okay that's strange.' Sky thought to himself. He dug out the letter for himself.
'Dear Cherie
It has been too long since we last spoke, I can understand why you would not be in a hurry to return. Unfortunately as i am writing this, I am not of good health, I'm sure you can guess why given the circumstances at work. If possible, I would like to see how much you've grown with my own eyes, please return to Automo at your earliest convenience.
`Philo'
'So that letter was mailed incorrectly? Or was it intended for Neon? Or someone she knows? And who is Philo? Why wouldn't they just send an email? Though the penmanship seems pretty elegant, maybe sent by an Octarian who is more used to traditional letters due to Octo Valley power problems back then? I wonder if Inker and Kal know anything about this.'
Kalus and Inker had known Neon for longer than Sky, perhaps they would know something he didn't, so he texted them both.
"Sky: Did Neon ever mention a Cherie?"
Unfortunately their replies revealed nothing
"Inker: Nope"
"Kal: No, why?"
"Sky: We got a letter the other day addressed to Cherie. You sure you have never heard the name before?"
"Inker: Can't say I have"
"Kal: You two are living together?!"
"Sky: Ever since our Octoling friends introduced her to the concept of roommates. That and I live closer to Inkopolis Square."
"Sky: anyways she was acting a bit weird the other day."
"Kal: Isn't that normal for Neon?"
"Sky: Fair enough."
"Inker: Maybe Cherie is her family name?"
Inker brought up a good point.
"Sky: Maybe"
"Kal: You don't know?"
"Sky: I never picked it up, did you?"
"Kal: No"
He couldn't recall hearing Neon's full name before, even though they had known each other for a few years now, Neon had never mentioned it before.
Sky even recalled that even in Octo Valley, when the four had introduced themselves only Neon did not give a full name.
Why did nobody ever notice that before?
"Inker: Why are you asking us anyways? Can't you just ask her?"
"Sky: Well I could."
"Sky: But if she didn't want to tell me up front, should I really make such a big deal about it? It is just a name after all."
"Inker: Considering that you are asking us, I think you have already made a pretty big deal about it."
'I suppose I should just ask her…'
Neon didn't really follow a schedule, so Sky didn't know when she would be back, so he could only wait for now.
Eventually Neon did return.
"No need to fetch the bandages, I'm just grabbing a firefin!" She said, running by past Sky and into her room
"Alright. What did you do with the Cherie letter by the way?"
"Huh did I do something with it?"
"Neon, there are only the two of us here and I definitely never opened that letter."
Neon stopped "Uhh, maybe someone broke in and took it?"
"Seriously?"
"Yeah that was a bad excuse, hold on I can think of another one… And I got nothing." Neon admitted.
"You also didn't question the letter being opened, that tells me you knew it had been."
"Okay okay, I get it, I suck at lying on a whim." Neon said as she emerged from her room with a Firefin Splat Charger "Well see ya later!"
Sky grabbed Neon's arm, before she could run off.
"Can you at least tell me if that letter was meant for you?"
"Yes, it was. Leggo now!"
Sky didn't "What's there to hide then? Is it the name Cherie? Is that your last name?"
"..." Neon lowered her gaze. "Why are you asking me all this?"
Sky decided to let go, if Neon really didn't want to say anything, then maybe it was best to leave it be. "Alright fine, it's none of my business, I was just curious that's all."
For once it seemed like Neon was no longer in a hurry to play Turf Wars, instead of running out the door she took a few slow steps. Opening the door halfway she stopped, then she closed it again and turned back to face Sky.
"It's my first name actually."
"That's it?"
Neon started to look annoyed "What else do you want to know?"
"I… Well I don't want to pry or anything, I just thought you were acting weird around this letter. Now that I think about it, there is still a lot about you I don't know. I don't even think I know your last name."
"No need for that, I'd rather have yours anyways!" Neon smiled.
Sky fidgeted "P-putting that aside, I just thought your reaction to yesterday's letter was a little weird, so I just wanted to know. It seemed pretty serious… Sorry, I won't ask for anything else."
Amused by his reaction, Neon giggled. Neon glanced at the letter in question and thought 'You're right, there is quite a lot I never told you… Or Inker, or Kal, or Victoria… Maybe I should someday. But for now…'
"That letter was for me, Cherie is my given name and Kensaki is my family name, that ring a bell?" Neon asked
"No, not at all, unless Kensaki has something to do with Toni Kensa?"
"Close enough, our family runs Kensaki Family Holdings, a holding company that has gone on for generations, to the point where it is almost like a tradition, you know? But it is some pretty normal stuff, investing in things like the Toni Kensa designer brand, Gynotisaki electronics, Kensei heavy industries. Obviously since dad runs the company, our branch of the family is kinda treated like the main one, so I had quite some expectations to meet."
"Let me guess, you found it all boring and left for Inkopolis?" Sky said
"Oh no, I didn't mind. If anything I used to think having twenty five different tutors was normal."
"Twenty five!?"
"Oh don't worry they didn't come every day."
"Still I find it hard to believe. I mean I always see you running off and speaking of nothing but Turf Wars."
"Call me a squid of many talents!"
"It doesn't suit your regular self either, having a background like that. When I first met you, you seemed so simple and oblivious that I thought you were never educated. Hey! That hurts stop!" Sky cried out as Neon responded by pulling his cheeks.
Both Inklings ended up falling over in the ensuring struggle, Sky sat back up rubbing his now sore cheeks. "Now that I think about it, you were able to buy food and supplies for half of Octo Valley back then, so I guess it sort of makes sense? You even brought ten million cash to help save Nathalie a while ago, I suppose I should have guessed your parents are loaded."
"Oh no, they've left me to myself ever since I got to Inkopolis. Sure I got here with ten million smackers, but that was seed money, I've already made a lot more!" Neon said, as she dusted herself off.
"..." Sky stared in disbelief as Neon casually spoke about such large amounts of cash. "You have all that… Yet you decided to move into my tiny apartment?"
"Yeah! Take a hint! Besides, do you really want a big empty house with nobody else in it? I spend most of my time outside playing turf wars anyways."
"Fair enough… I still have trouble believing any of this, I mean it's so different from what I thought you were."
"Well I wasn't always like this, I had very little common sense until I got older and I joined my family on a business trip to Inkopolis to discuss the construction of the Deca Tower."
"Is that when you got addicted to Turf Wars?"
"No, I think it was quite the opposite…." Neon paused to try and remember the moment in question. "When I first saw Inklings who played Turf Wars, I was like 'what a repulsive bunch' . True, I hadn't left the family estate much before, so I was a bit curious, however I noticed something else. All those sweaty, messy, disorderly Inklings were smiling in a different way, not like the smiles daddy and his business partners would greet each other with. Those Inklings looked really happy for some reason, it didn't make much sense to me at the time. So since all I really knew back then was to study and find trends, I got home and started doing a bit of research. Even though you will probably find that hard to believe as well."
"I didn't say anything…"
"Well that's when I got hooked onto turf wars, I tried desperately to go to Inkopolis but my family wouldn't let me go, so I ran away from home."
Sky gasped
"But I got caught…" Neon sighed "I think I ran away like thirteen times before my dad convinced mom to let me go on my own."
"Your dad? Could that be.." Sky looked at the letter again. "Philo?"
Neon nodded.
"You should go see him." Sky suggested.
Neon however had doubts. "I want to, it's thanks to him I can have fun everyday here, but I'm worried that if I go back mother won't let me leave…"
"Oh…"
"Yeah she was completely against the idea…. Well now you know! I'm outta here!"
Sky stood up "You're going to visit your father?"
"No silly! I'm going back to the deca tower!"
"Ahh right… Hey I know I've been asking alot but can you just tell me one more thing?"
"Yeah?"
"Why do you call yourself Neon?"
"That's cause Cherie is an awful name!"
"You prefer Neon that much?"
"Totally! You think of Inkopolis, you think of bright colours! What else has bright colours? Neon lights! Something bright and colourful is a much better name than something that sounds like a fruit or a pet name!" Neon was as passionate about her self given name as much as she was passionate about Turf Wars.
"Alright, I get it."
"Do you prefer Cherie?"
"Nah, I've gotten used to calling you Neon anyways."
Neon smiled "Well, I'm glad that's all cleared up, see you later!"
"Don't get hurt again."
"Not making any promises!"
As Neon zoomed back towards the deca tower, Sky sat back down and picked up the letter.
'Everytime I think I know her, Neon manages to surprise me.' Sky smiled 'This has to be the biggest one yet.'
The next day, Sky had an oddly quiet awakening. Before he could even wonder why, he realized the sunlight streaming in, it was almost noon.
"I overslept!"
Sky hurried out, he had work to do and Octarians to teach. Before he would have an alarm set each day and follow a schedule, ever since Neon moved in, she makes so much noise each morning that Sky didn't bother with the alarm anymore.
Sky figured that for once he had somehow slept through that.
Only hours later did he finally catch up with his schedule, Sky sat back and let out a breath of relief, finally able to relax.
'My fault, I really shouldn't have expected Neon to cause a racket each morning.' He thought 'Now that I think about it… where has Neon been all day? I haven't seen her at all.'
Normally Neon would have come home to switch weapon sets at least once by now, where could she be?
'Well only one way to find out'
Sky called Neon, hoping she wouldn't be too preoccupied with a match to pick up.
Fortunately enough, she did.
"Sky? Whassup?"
"Just wondering where you've been, haven't seen you all day."
"..."
"Hello? Are you there?"
"I'm… Yeah I'm at the Square!"
"With the same setup all day?"
"Well I used to use only the E-Liter Custom."
"I bet if I look I'll find that E-Liter Custom still here…"
"I'm…. using a different one."
"You are a terrible liar."
"Okay fine, I'm home."
"You're not.
"No I'm like… hometown home, I'm back in Automo city. I couldn't stop thinking about it last night, like you said I should go see my daddy."
"Wait, how are you there already?"
"I snuck out last night."
"Oh so NOW you can wake up without making a racket. Why leave so suddenly?"
"Cause this is my personal business, duh."
"Oh… Am I err.. sticking my nose where it doesn't belong?"
"It's fine, I'm actually happy to see you so concerned for me! Really! But don't worry I'll be back soon, Automo is only a few hours from Inkopolis."
"Okay, see you soon."
So Neon just wanted to go home, Sky wondered if he was being a bit too concerned with Neon.
'Nah, Neon's always going to find a way into trouble… Or actually thinking back to our adventures in Octo Valley, I'm the one usually getting into trouble. Neon just has trouble admitting some things…'
Sky thought back to everytime Neon felt ashamed or embarrassed, she would just try to disappear without a word. Even when she confessed her feelings to him she ran away and hid before hearing Sky's reply.
Remembering all this made Sky laugh "Oh what a troublesome girl! Everything will be fine!"
Only moments later Sky received a message from Neon.
"I'm not coming back. I'm sorry."
'Me and my big mouth…' Sky thought.
Sky didn't hear a word from Neon since then.
He had immediately asked why, if Neon needed help or if she was in some sort of trouble.
There was no response.
Sky started to worry, Neon could definitely handle herself, despite her weird personality. Maybe he did something wrong? Was he too overbearing with Neon?
"You alright Sky?" Inker asked snapping Sky back to reality.
He, Kalus and Inker were at the entrance to Octo Valley. Sky had zoned out while Inker was talking with Cuttlefish.
"I'm here to check in with Cuttlefish, Kal's here because he's going to New Octopolis, I didn't expect you to tag along too."
"I.. well I figured I'd come just in case."
"Are you sure? If Neon tries to reach you, you won't get any service down in Octo Valley. Besides, things are quiet for the moment, we could do with just the Cap'n as mission control."
Sky was less focused on all that, "Are you sure none of you heard anything from Neon?"
Kal and Inker both shook their heads. "I just know she left for Automo and isn't coming back." Kal said
"Same here" Inker added.
That didn't comfort Sky at all. "... Any idea how we can get to Automo city?"
"You're going to go looking for her again? This isn't the first time Neon left without warning."
"No, this time she actually let us know she was leaving, that's why I thought something was wrong."
"..."
Sky had a point, previously Neon would vanish without a word, this time however, she seemed entirely intent on coming back, but suddenly said she wasn't.
"While it isn't out of the ordinary for Neon to miss calls, Automo is a city of technology and order, the turf war scene isn't big over there, she shouldn't be too occupied to answer. I feel that something must have happened… Or maybe not but I still want to go see her one more time."
"Alright then." Inker could understand Sky's concern. "Let's take a trip to Automo city."
"You guys go on ahead, I'm going to stay with Victoria for a bit."
"Okay, see you soon then."
Automo City
Just like how Inkopolis is known as the city of colour for it's bright coloured lights and ink fights, Automo was known as the city of tech. Huge amounts of skyscrapers dominated the landscape such that it was almost impossible to see the ground unless you were on it. Moving sidewalks ferried along citizens, fully automated restaurants provided anything you wanted, cleaning robots patrolled the streets and about 90% of the population here were either businesslings or tourists.
The incredibly power hungry city could not run on zapfish, instead they had one massive solar fusion reactor, which dominated the center of the city. A massive pillar of condensed energy from the sun continuously flows into the structure, thanks to a complex network of satellites. The reactor provided more than enough power the city could ever need, yet it was so costly and complex that only this trade centric city could afford it.
As soon as the city was in view, the first thing Inker and Sky noticed was the beam of light piercing through the clouds and powering the city. The first sign that they are in a completely different place.
As their plane descended for landing, Inker asked. "So how are you planning to find Neon in all this?"
"Who do you think I am? I've already found out which building is run by Kensaki Family holdings. We will go there first."
"Planning ahead, good stuff."
"I found out quite a bit too, Neon's family holding company goes way back, even long before the great turf wars. Even though they change with the times to stay relevant, they hold their legacy close. So close that decades ago, they spent millions to move their ancestral home to the top of their skyscraper."
"They put an entire building on top of another?"
"Yeah! The whole thing stands out because of that, they have a mansion from centuries ago placed on the roof of a skyscraper. Do you see anything like it outside?"
Sky and Inker looked out a window for such an absurd structure.
"Wow! all the buildings here are huge! Where are we even supposed to land in a place like this?" Inker exclaimed.
He soon got his answer, unlike conventional airports which are spread over a wide area, whoever designed Automo's airport thought vertically. The landing strip was built on top of the airport building which appeared to have at least six more floors.
Soon after landing, Inker and Sky's plane taxied to an elevator, bringing them down one level, which is where aircraft are stored. After disembarking they made their way further down, amazed at how different things worked here.
On the fourth floor, dozens of robots floated around, greeting the new arrivals.
"Greetings! Welcome to Automo City! Please smile for the camera!"
With two rapid clicks, the robot snapped a picture of Inker and Sky, then printed out two cards.
"These are your visitor IDs for Automo city, they are needed to access all of Automo city's services, so please keep them on you at all times. Once you have claimed your luggage from the 2nd floor, please proceed to the terminal on the ground floor. If you get lost or just need help finding out where to go, your IDs can be used to requisition a guide which can accompany you for as long as you wish. We hope you enjoy your stay." Following that, the robot hovered off to greet another group.
Inker and Sky didn't have much luggage, they were only planning on visiting Neon and leaving, but both couldn't help but feel intrigued at how this city worked.
Sky however was insistent that Neon be their priority, so the two of them made their way over to Kensaki tower.
Kensaki tower wasn't as tall as the other buildings, but occupied a wider area, Sky assumed this was because of the rumored mansion on top of the tower.
A receptionist greeted Sky and Inker as they entered.
"Welcome to Kensaki tower, how can I help you?"
Straight to the point, Sky said "I'm looking for Neon." to which the receptionist replied with a confused look.
Realizing his mistake Sky added "I meant Cherie, is she here? Tell her Sky from Inkopolis is looking for her."
"Umm, okay… give me one moment…" the receptionist reached for her phone, while now it was Inker turn to look confused.
"Cherie?" Inker asked
"That's Neon's actual name."
"Huh, never would have guessed… And this whole place is a family company?"
"Yeah, one of a kind from what I hear."
"Sorry, but Cherie is busy at the moment, would you like me to pass a message to her?" The receptionist asked.
"It's fine, I'll come back later…"
As Sky and Inker left, another Inkling watched from afar.
'Oh they are looking for Cherie?' She thought. Intrigued, she approached the receptionist. "Who was that? Did you get their names?"
"Celine!? Umm yes ma'am, well one of them is named Sky, I didn't get anything else from them."
"And how are we supposed to reach them once Cherie is done with her lecture?"
"They said they would be back."
"Hmm, very well then. When they come back, let me know. Don't tell them Cherie is busy until I am around."
Unfortunately she wasn't the only one who noticed Inker and Sky.
Touring the city, Sky was pretty impressed by how convenient it was to get around the city, the IDs they had been given earlier were used for pretty much everything, from food to souvenirs. According to a guide, everything purchased with Automo IDs would be billed by the end of the month, or upon leaving the city.
Inker on the other hand enjoyed the sights, but began to feel that the automated bots floating about were a bit overbearing. It was almost like he was being watched everywhere he went.
'At least there seemed to be less of them inside Kensaki tower.' Inker thought as he and Sky returned once again to ask for Neon.
Just like last time, as soon as Sky asked, the receptionist began calling somebody, leaving the two Inklings to do nothing but wait.
"Do you think maybe they won't let Neon out?" Sky whispered.
"Why would they do that?"
"I have no clue, but Neon was worried that her mother wouldn't let her leave."
"That doesn't sound too strange. My parents do the same whenever I visit."
"I don't think it's a case of them missing her after so long… Apparently her mother never wanted her to leave for Inkopolis…"
Before Sky could pass on everything Neon had told him, they were greeted by another Inkling.
"Are you two here to see Cherie? Please come with me." She looked to be in her mid forties, her hair a vivid yellow colour and her attire matched the business theme of the rest of the Inklings living in Automo.
Unsure what to make of this, Sky and Inker followed this Inkling.
They took an elevator to the roof, where they were greeted with an incredible view.
The roof of Kensaki tower had a lush and colorful garden with a wide tiled path traveling down its center, the path which led to a large mansion, which despite renovations, still showed signs of its heritage in its design; featuring granite walls and a roof which curves up at the corners.
Before they reached the mansion though, the Inkling accompanying Inker and Sky began eying another Inkling that was watching them.
"Go inside and take the staircase, head into the second hallway on your left, Cherie's room is the second one on the right." She gave Sky a pat on the back and left to go speak with the other Inkling.
Neither Inker or Sky understood what was going on, but they still followed the yellow Inkling's instructions.
They made their way into the mansion, ignoring the gazes of other creatures.
Once they found the room in question, Sky knocked on the door.
"Oh is it time already? I apologize Dios, could you please wait a bit?"
The voice on the other end sure sounded like Neon, but the way of speaking wasn't.
"Neon?" Sky asked.
Whoever was on the other side quickly stumbled to their feet. "Sky?! How did- I mean…" The door opened, revealing it was indeed Neon on the other side "How are you doing? I did not expect to see you here."
"Worried, you suddenly said you weren't coming back and wouldn't speak to anyone anymore, what's going on?"
"I appreciate the sentiment, but you needn't worry about me anymore. Everything is fine, I simply need to remain here for now."
"Can't you at least tell me why?"
"I am sure you are confused, but trust me there are circumstances beyond your understanding."
"Then help me understand! What's keeping you from coming back to Inkopolis? What's making you ditch your beloved turf wars without warning? What's stopping you from even speaking to me after all we have been through together!? You don't even sound like yourself anymore!"
"You're right, we have been through alot together, I do owe you an apology unfortunately I do not have the time to clarify…"
"Oh snap out of it, this isn't you!"
"NO YOU SNAP OUT OF IT!" Neon snapped, slipping right back into her usual way of speaking "Geez! Don't step all over my resolve dammit! I need to do this kay!? Now get outta here!"
"So that's it? Everything up to now means nothing, you are just going to leave quietly?"
Before Sky could get a reply, he felt himself being lifted up by the collar.
"Hey!" Inker exclaimed, Sky realized that both he and Inker were being held by another Inkling who had appeared out of nowhere.
He was a tall and robust Inkling, with darker skin and short red tentacles, this gave him a rather imposing figure, despite being dressed as a butler.
"You two are coming with me…"
This Inkling was strong enough to lift both Sky and Inker at once and carry both of them off.
"Let us go!" Sky exclaimed
Neon watching her friends being carried off, shouted "Hey Dios! You better not hurt either of them! Especially Sky!"
Inker assumed they had caused too much of a disturbance and was going to be thrown out of Kensaki tower, so while Sky struggled, he kept quiet.
However, to his surprise, he and Sky were thrown into a room on the lower floors of the rooftop mansion.
The Inkling who had tossed them down there didn't say another word and locked them in.
"Caught you already huh? Sorry I couldn't get you more time." Came the voice of the yellow haired inkling from earlier.
"Who was that? Actually who are you, what is going on here?" Sky's questions had been pilling up one by one since he got here.
"Cherie wouldn't say anything huh? Well for starters my name is Celine, I am her mother."
"What? Wait then why are you down here? Neon said that you wouldn't let her leave."
"She said that? Well I guess it makes sense… She calls herself Neon now? I was very much against Cher- err… Neon living in Inkopolis back then."
"Wait, then what happened? Neon came here to visit her father, why is she suddenly shutting everyone out? Did something happen to him? Was he the one who threw us down here?"
Celine gestured for Sky to calm down "One question at a time please, my hubby Philo is well, and no, the one who locked all of us down here is our butler Dios."
"That guy was a Butler?"
Celine laughed "Oh more than that, Dios is also a valet, cook, bodyguard, Neon's business and martial arts instructor, but most of all he is an old friend of ours. As for why Neon is refusing to leave, I know why, but it's quite a story…"