Chapter 24: Water Concert
Aria had captured Chomp in her hug. Chomp just looked annoyed, but stayed still. Wind flew to Acrilic and wrapped around him.
"Hello!" Acrilic smiled widely at the translucent worm.
It happily gurgled in response.
Callie was sitting on a bench, bouncing with excitement. Marie was sitting next to her. Adstrum walked up and stood next to Callie, Jack walking up not long after with Cici in his arms.
"Your majesty… Excuse me, but DON'T YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO DO?!" Chomp snarled.
"Hehe" Aria cuddled her, "You so tense, Akkie. It won't be hard to do"
Pastelli seemed excited about something as she looked for something in her laptop.
"When does the magic happen?" Adstrum asked.
"I don't know. But I'm excited!" Callie squealed.
"Aria… everyone is here. Just make the stage… please…" Chomp struggled.
"Give me a kiss first" Aria smirked
Chomp sighed and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Yay." Aria dropped Chomp, who swam away. Aria's rings glowed bright blue and the palace shook.
The floor raised and the walls opened up like a blooming flower. It spouted water curtains and a huge stage. The fish could still still be seen swimming through it.
"How's that?" Aria asked.
Callie was speechless as her jaw was on the floor.
"How?" Marie looked at everything.
Wind cooed and nibbled Acrilic.
"Oh, I wondered why it was suddenly breezy" Pastelli looked up from her laptop.
"She won't get off." Acrilic chuckled and playfully nibbled Wind.
The worm unwrapped herself and lightly shocked him.
He shocked her back.
It whined and rolled over.
"Who says you can't teach a worm tricks?" Acrilic chuckled.
"It looks...amazing!" Callie finally yelled.
Cici woke up and looked around, "Huh?"
Jack smiled and looked at her. "Hi."
She bashfully hid her face in her tentacles
He chuckled and hugged her.
She slowly hugged him back.
"Is it done?" Callie asked as she stood up and poked the side of the stage.
"Yup, we'll have our DJ play your music and control the lights" Aria smiled and her rings stopped glowing.
Callie's eyes sparkled and she jumped up onto the stage.
"Feel free to look around and play on the stage. Our tech people are gonna work on the lights below and above the stage."
Callie squealed and ran through the curtains, leaving an outline of herself before the water fixed itself.
Wind flew to Cici and they stared at each other.
Jack looked at the worm and Cici and started to sweat a bit from fear.
Cici petted her and she happily nuzzled her hand. Wind took her by her cloth and carried her around.
Jack freaked a bit and followed Wind around, keeping a close eye on the worm.
She landed on the stage and curled around Cici. She blinked as Wind nibbled her tentacle.
Jack stood off to the side, but kept his eyes on Wind, ready to use his Hero Shot if needed.
Callie kept running around the stage, playing with the water curtains and trying to get Marie to join her.
Marie smiled and ran around with her. She looked at fish passing by.
Adstrum laughed as he saw his girlfriend playing in the watery curtains, smiling as she did.
"There it is!" Pastelli closed her laptop and jumped up.
"What?" Acrilic asked.
"I found a new creature! On the hunt you went on with Adstrum, there was a pair of glowing red eyes! It didn't show itself, but I'll find it!"
"What if it's violent?" He raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"I won't go in person. I finally finished it! My drone is ready for take off!"
"Aw…" Acrilic folded his arms. "Stupid drone gets all the fun…"
"Call it a new way to maybe help you" Pastelli looked at the drone's feedback tape.
From the dark jungle two red eyes appeared and in a blink of an eye the drone went dead.
"..." Pastelli closed her laptop and sobbed, "My money…"
Acrilic hugged her and kissed her cheek. "I'll go get the drone back. Okay?"
"But that thing was fast… it took like a millisecond to break my drone… It cost half of my paycheck…"
"I'll take that risk!" Acrilic stood up and pulled out his roller, smacking himself in the face with it before turning on the battery on the side. The barbed wire sizzled with electricity as he ran toward the wilderness. "KYA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Cici fell asleep in Wind's coils. Wind seemed to be guarding her.
"Um...you didn't drink all her blood, did you?" Jack looked at Wind.
She chirped and pecked him.
"Do I take that as a yes or no?" He raised an eyebrow.
Wind nibbled on Cici again.
Jack's eye flinched. "Please stop doing that."
Wind chirped and wrapped around him too.
Jack's eyes widened and he blinked. "I...I don't know how to respond to this."
Wind napped while curled around them.
"When's the concert?" Adstrum asked.
"It's almost time so let's get backstage" Aria smiled, "Wind, get out of here. People will get scared"
Wind tilted her head lazily and flew away. Cici saw Jack sitting next to her.
"You're joining them backstage?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, we are your announcers"
"Oh. Well, better get back there." Adstrum looked at Callie and Marie. "You two need to get backstage!"
Cici tried to get up but she seemed too tired to properly get up.
"You feeling okay, Cici?" Jack asked.
"I'm just… tired." She attempted to stand, "I hate to be a bother, but can you carry me?"
"Sure." He smiled and picked her up.
She smiled and held on to him, "Thank you"
"You're welcome." He replied.
"Marie! We gotta go backstage!" Callie yelled. "You ready?"
"Right. Let's go!" Marie smiled and followed her bouncing cousin.
They both ran through the curtains, finding Aria and Chomp backstage.
"Hi, Chomp!" Callie smiled.
"Whoa… You guys are dressed up like idols." Marie looked at them. Aria was wearing a white and blue flowing dress and Chomp was wearing an orange and black hoodie dress.
"We kinda are. Someone has to announce stages and stuff" Chomp smiled.
"Your outfits look great!" Callie smiled.
"We have Celeste to thank for that" Aria spun around.
"Yup" Chomp nodded.
"Wow, there are so many people already…" Marie looked out through the curtains.
"How should we enter on stage?" Callie asked. "Jump through the curtains? Fog machine? Mist? Um… I don't know."
"Whatever your style is. OH! Um… kind of a side note but... um… Let's not let the fans know we are 'Chomp and Aria'... We are Takko and Akkie."
"Okay!" Callie smiled. "Why? Secret?"
"Yeah… don't want people to think we are trying to brainwash them..." Aria pointed out, "since, well, pops did that."
"Ah. Gotcha." Callie nodded. "So, Marie. How would you like to enter on the stage?"
"Jump?" Marie shrugged
"Um...I feel like a unique stage like this should have something more...special…" Callie thought for a moment.
"We have Cici and Jack…" Marie looked at the two.
Cici looked at her, "Hello"
"What can they do to spice it up?"
"I can superjump and...um...do a Splashdown?" Jack shrugged.
"We can use the wave dancer stuff… I can do at least one more wave." Cici muttered from Jack's arms.
"I don't want you to overexert yourself, Cici." He hugged her. "You seem too tired."
"You can do it, here" She handed him her fan, "Don't break it… or I will break your savings"
"Um…" He looked at the fans. "I...I don't know how…"
"Just wave it around…" Cici got a paper bag tossed at her, "Owwie…"
"Delivery." A masked cloaked person waved and superjumped away.
"Was that...Arisara?" Jack asked Cici in a whisper.
Aria and Chomp stood there staring at the spot where the figure was. They were flipping out.
"What's wrong?" Callie asked the two.
"That was the person that saved us! HOLY SHIT! WHERE'D SHE GO?!" Aria looked around the stage.
As Callie and Marie tried to calm her and get her back on track, Jack opened the bag and let Cici crawl into it.
Cici took out the note and read it, "Hey, some chick told me to deliver these cookies to you. So there. - Agent 8"
"Agent 8?" Marie thought about it, "Oh! It was that person in gramps's chatroom"
Cici put a cookie into Jack's mouth and started eating another one.
He nibbled it and smiled. "Agent 8? Why does that sound familiar?" He shrugged and finished his cookie, seeing Cici dig into another one. "They are good, aren't they?"
"Delicious." Cici smiled, "I can give them an opening now"
"Are you sure?" His eyes widened. "I thought you were tired."
"I got sugar. I can do this and then I'll rest up. By using you as a pillow"
"Um...okay?" He handed her the fans.
"Cool. Let's get cracking then" Aria smiled as Chomp jumped out of the curtains.
"HEY EVERYONE ARE YOU READY?!" Chomp's voice changed to be more peppy and excited.
The crowd roared and waved glow sticks.
"Where the hell did that excitement come from?" Adstrum asked as Callie and Marie shrugged.
"THE FIRST CONCERT HERE IN BOTANIC GARDENS! We are pleased to announce much, much more. Swim or sink, you remember us? Takko and Akkie at your service!"
"You are awfully in high spirits today, Akkie." Aria chuckled.
"How can you not, Takko?! We saw our hero and the Squid Sisters are here!"
"Whoa, no way… The squid sister are, like, here? Like, now?"
"Uh… YEAH! Did you, like, not read the memo?"
"Nope."
"..."
"Sooo… they are here? Let's bring them out then. Everyone give it up for, the one, and only SQUID SISTERS!"
Callie and Marie smiled as they turned into squids and got ready to superjump.
"Welp, that's my que… Try not to get swept away" Cici charged up.
"Good luck, Cici." Jack smiled. "If you feel tired, stop. Okay?"
Cici made two colorful waves clash and revealed Callie and Marie with a mist of rainbows above them.
"Done for today…" Cici fell onto her butt.
Jack ran up and picked her up.
"Thank you…" Callie said before thinking for a moment. "Takko…" She looked around. "Takko? Akkie?"
Two octo ghosts floated away, "Owww…."
"Uh oh. Um...are they okay?"
The DJ smiled nervously and motioned for them to continue.
"Well, good start to this concert. Wouldn't you say, Marie?" Callie chuckled nervously.
"Kinda wanna do that again. Minus the splatting of our hosts"
"I don't think we can get that to happen again. Um...How long will it take them to get back here? They will respawn, right?"
At that moment two water pillars erupted from the stage, Aria and Chomp on top of them.
"They know how to start a party" Aria smiled.
"Wow… they scared me silly. But that was pretty good though" Chomp slid down and stood by Callie, "It's so nice to meet you! It's like a dream come true!"
"Heh. Nice to meet you too...Akkie." Callie smiled and shook her hand.
"It's our pleasure! Welcome to our little home." Takko jumped off the pillar and stood by Marie.
"Thanks for inviting us! Oh, and Queen Aria for letting us on the stage without drowning us" Marie smiled.
"Let's get started! THE SQUID SISTERS EVERYONE!" Chomp and Aria disappeared into the pillars
The water pillars burst apart at that moment, a rainbow appearing over the stage for a moment before the music began. Callie and Marie both recognized the tune of City of Color and got into their starting poses.
The DJ made the lights move to their dance. Jack tapped his foot and felt Cici move around a bit in his arms. Adstrum immediately pulled out his headphones and plugged them into his phone, turning on other music to listen to.
A yell was heard as Wind carried someone into the water. She seemed to have captured the cloaked masked delivery person.
"Wind, put her down." Jack ran over and tried to make Wind let go without upsetting her.
Wind hissed at him and nipped at him.
"They're not Aria. They can't be in the water." He gently placed Cici down and grabbed the figure.
Wind nipped him.
He pulled out his Hero Shot and hit her in her back. "That's a warning. I don't want to hurt you. Please."
Wind whimpered and released the cloaked person.
"Sorry, Wind." He pulled the figure away. "I'll ask Aria if I can give Wind anything to apologise."
She curled herself and hissed at him.
"You okay?" He smiled.
"Thought I was gonna die for a minute… Geez it caught me off guard" The masked person sighed.
"You're welcome."
Cici started cuddling a chair.
"Cici, what are you doing?" Jack smiled.
"Zzz…"
"Did she eat them? That lady was very persistent..." The person looked at Cici.
"Yeah, she ate the cookies, Ari." Jack replied.
"...Who?" The person got nervous.
"Look, you can trick the others, but I can tell. I recognize your voice easily. And besides, I'm Agent 3."
"... But you don't remember what I look like…"
"Yeah I do. I saw you a few days ago. I know your voice. But I feel like I know you from somewhere else as well. That...Agent 8 title you gave yourself...Captain said something about getting help from someone called that."
"… I didn't do that… You were the one who knocked us off a cliff… I just ended up with the Captain. Ei-either way different p-person!"
"Why do I remember a blender and a giant statue whenever I see your face or hear the term 'Agent 8'?" He rubbed his head.
"You can't see my face now, can you?"
"No. I just...remembered it in my mind." He shook his head. "Thanks for those cookies, by the way."
"GOTCHA!" Aria jumped on the person from behind.
"Aria! Have some respect for them!" Chomp ran to her.
"But hero"
"...Hi?"
"Isn't the interesting part of a hero the fact that you don't know who they are?" Jack asked.
"Hehe. I caught the elusive agent 8" Aria hugged them.
"That's not wrong" The person shrugged.
"You should let them go. They have other...ahem...heroic things to do. That...and maybe they'd like to breathe." Jack chuckled nervously.
"But we wanna thank you. For saving us all"
"That's not really too necessary…"
"Why not dedicate the next song you guys sing to them?" Jack shrugged. "You could go on after Callie and Marie."
"OH! We can do that" Aria hugged them tighter
"Okay, they definitely need to breathe now." Jack replied while trying to pull Aria off Agent 8.
"Okay, but..." Aria slapped an ankle device on 8's foot, "You can't leave until after the concert is over. Try and you will be given a shock."
"Woah! Okay, now I'm getting DJ Octavio vibes off you." Jack instinctively reached for his Hero Shot but stopped himself. "That seems...a bit much."
"Did you forget that I can make everyone drown in a blink?"
"I don't feel comfortable around you anymore." He glared a bit at Aria. "Just...go out and sing alongside Callie and Marie. How about that?"
"Just remember what I said" Aria replied.
"Whatever." His ear twitched and he looked toward the stage. "They're going to sing Calamari Inkantation next. Right when Callie finishes Bomb Rush Blush."
"Alright, alright. I'll stay." 8 sat down, "You wouldn't hurt a sucker on anyone's head."
"Yeah, she uses hollow threats" Chomp sighed, "Sorry Jack"
"Where the hell did that side of her come from? One minute she was seemingly carefree, and the next she's giving threats. I really hope you are right and that they were hollow." He shivered a bit. "I feel uncomfortable now."
"Pastelli made that brace. It just stops you from leaving by magnetic force. Totally harmless."
"It's still not right that she's forcing them to stay." Jack shook his head.
"They sorta got into an argument…"
"Aria met Agent 8 before?" He raised an eyebrow.
"They met before when 8 came to rescue us from Octavio. Aria wanted to thank them but they wouldn't hold still. So Aria ripped off their clothes. So yeah… super awkward…"
"Ooookay…" Jack facepalmed. "I'd ask why but I don't think you know the answer either."
"...That's too much information…" 8 put their face into their hands.
"Let's just get them out of here asap. You guys know the words to Calamari Inkantation?" He looked at Chomp and Aria.
"Of course." Aria replied.
"We are big fans after all" Chomp fidgeted with her tentacles.
"Alright, well, how about we have you two sing it alongside Callie and Marie?" He pulled up his earpiece.
"That sounds fun"
8 turned into an octopus, still wearing a fox mask.
"Alright." He put on his earpiece and spoke into it. "Callie? Marie? Takko and Akkie will perform Calamari Inkantation with you guys, okay?"
Callie couldn't reply as she was nearly at the end of Bomb Rush Blush.
"Heh, seeing the more bounce Callie has in her step, I'll take that as a yes" Marie replied.
"Alright. Get ready to introduce them." He turned to Aria and Chomp. "Get ready, you two."
"Okay!" Aria dragged Chomp away.
8 looked at Cici and Adstrum quietly. They seemed a bit relieved.
Adstrum was still listening to his music before Jack snapped his fingers in his face. "Huh? What?"
"You know how to get mechanical braces off people?"
"What?" Adstrum blinked before Jack pointed at 8. "Oh. No...I don't. Should we try?"
"You… can use a needle… to disarm it…" Cici muttered in her sleep and rolled to her side.
"Can you?" Jack looked at her.
8 swam to Cici and pulled the cloth so she was properly covered.
"Why are they doing that?" Adstrum asked.
"No reason." Jack looked at 8 and winked.
"She's gonna catch a cold..." 8 muttered as they looked away.
"Let's get that brace off." Jack said as he looked around for a needle.
8 turned back into their humanoid form and sat there beside Cici.
"Cici, you got a needle?" Adstrum looked at the small inkling.
"Hmm…" Cici took out one and stabbed it into 8's hand.
They let out a whimper as they twitched.
"What was that for?" Adstrum took the needle and started examining the brace.
"Feed me…" Cici softly headbutted 8's side.
"Uhhh…"
"How does she go from violent to cute in under a second?" Jack asked as Adstrum worked on the brace.
As Callie finished up her solo song she smiled at the applauding audience. "Thank you! We're about to perform our signature song, Calamari Inkantation! But…" She looked at Marie. "We won't do it alone."
"Joining us on stage are Takko and Akkie!" Marie stepped to the side so they could join them.
As the audience went into an uproar a large wall of water appeared before it separated, Takko and Akkie standing where it was.
"This is the best day ever…" Chomp beamed.
"We are honored that you guys agreed" Aria smiled.
"You're welcome!" Callie pumped her fist into the air.
"Everyone ready? " Marie asked.
The DJ started up the music of Calamari Inkantation.
As the music began both Callie and Marie got into their starting positions. Chomp mirrored Callie and Aria mirrored Marie.
Ya weni marei mirekyarahire
Juri yu mirekerason
Kire hyari yoriherahe nyurahera
Nunnyura unera yurawera nyimerani
As the music kicked into high gear all four idols starting dancing to the music. Callie started singing her part as she and Chomp stepped forward on the stage.
Chopperipo shurashurafe
Nannyurunire nifaferahi
Marie cut in with her part as she and Aria stepped forward now, with Callie and Chomp taking a step back.
Nannyuruni weranira shuraharahi
Nyurunirehara fe fe fe
Callie and Chomp jumped forward and now all four idols were singing along to the music, their bodies moving to the music as they and the lights danced around.
Ya weni marei mirekyarahire
Juri yu mirekerason
Aria and Chomp both mirrored the Squid Sisters as they followed with the music.
Kire hyari yoriherahe nyurahera
Nunnyura unera yurawera fimera
Callie and Marie both superjumped over the stage, making an ark as they landed on each other's side of the stage, with Callie next to Aria and Marie next to Chomp.
Na nire jute mirekyaraherya
Nire yu mirekerason
All four idols superjumped this time, Callie and Marie going straight up while Aria and Chomp switched locations on stage.
Kire hyari nuriherahe nyurahera
Nunnyura unera yurawera fimerani
This routine carried on a few times as the song was repeated a couple of times. After the fourth time the song came to an end as all four superjumped again, with Callie and Marie pulling their signature pose in midair. Aria and Chomp jumped toward each other, with Aria catching Chomp and twirling around as they landed in the center of the stage, the lights shining off them all. The audience was clapping and cheering loudly as all four idols took a bow.
"Thank you! Thank you all!" Callie smiled and waved.
"Thank you very much!" Marie waved at the audience.
"All for you guys and 8!" Aria winked.
"This was awesome! Thank you so much guys!" Chomp jumped up and down.
Aria, Chomp, and Marie bowed and made their way back stage while Callie kept jumping and waving. She noticed they had left and turned to leave, but not before waving a bit more with a smile. She finally ran backstage to catch up with them.
"Feeed me…" Cici nibbled 8's cloak.
"Help us get the brace off and they might." Jack replied as Adstrum continued fiddling with the brace. He held the needle as he tried to pick the brace's lock.
"They?" Cici asked, "But she's a she."
He put a finger to his lips and mouthed, 'I know who it is.'
"Stupid...lock!" Adstrum yelled as he stood up.
"Ari, I want food…" Cici crawled under her cloak.
Jack sighed. "She'll probably give you something if you help get the brace off." He picked up the needle and took over from where Adstrum left off.
"Forget this." Adstrum pulled out his ink sledge. "I'll smash it if I have to."
8 flinched.
"Adstrum, be patient." Jack replied.
"I'm tired of waiting." He raised the hammer.
"BE PATIENT!" Jack turned around and tackled him.
"Done…" Cici picked the brace open.
"Wow...that was quick." Jack smiled before he got launched into the air as Adstrum kicked him off.
"Here's a cookie… Way to blow my cover, Cici" Arisara took off her mask.
"Weee." Cici nibbled the cookie as Jack landed back on the ground with a thud.
"Aw." Jack smiled at Cici as he got up, wincing a bit in pain.
"Huh. Hey Ari." Adstrum smiled.
"Hi… I know I have a lot of explaining to do…"
"You don't have to explain anything to me." Adstrum replied. "I know what it's like trying to hide yourself. Explain if you want, though."
"Well first off, yes, I'm an octopus. I swear I'm not with Octavio."
"Okay. Cool."
"I just remember the old man saying how lonely Marie was so I just posed as an Inkling to, um, not get murdered by her."
"I'm so tired... I'm so tired and hiiigghhh" Cici sang playfully.
"What was in that cookie?" Jack asked.
"And where can I get some?" Adstrum joked.
"It's just a store bought cookie… Here" Arisara gave them the box.
"Thanks." Jack took the box and sat down next to Cici.
"Boxie!" Cici jumped into the box.
"I was about to give you one." Jack chuckled.
"Boxie! Boooooxxxxiiiiee!"
"I take it she drained all her energy again?" Arisara asked watching Cici playing in the box.
"Yep…" Jack sighed and smiled at Cici.
"At least she's not as drained as last time. I think just a good night's rest will fix this."
"Oh, good."
"That was so much fun!" Callie yelled as she ran backstage, somehow having gotten ahead of the other three.
"Shit…" Arisara jumped into the box with Cici.
Jack's eyes widened and he panicked a bit. "Oh, jeez."
"Calm down, she'll be fine." Adstrum whispered before walking up to the idols. "How was it, guys?"
"Darn it. They figured it out" Aria took her brace back.
"You are slightly messed up, you know that?" Adstrum chuckled. "Well, aren't we all?"
"Heh, I'm my father's daughter, but I meant no harm. She just refused to let me make up for ripping off her clothes…"
"Please don't be like him." Jack said as he sat in front of the box, having hid it behind him.
"Won't dream of it. My people are actually happy"
"So you tried to trap her here just to try to find a way to make up for that?" Adstrum asked. "I thought Acrilic was the crazy person."
"All experiments have some insanity."
"Some more than others." Adstrum said as he noticed Acrilic carrying a wrecked device, bruises and cuts covering him.
"PASTELLI, I GOT IT!" He ran up to a door with the pieces of the drone.
"Acrilic! I told you it was dangerous!" Pastelli jumped into his arms.
"Worth it. Kyahahahahaha!" He placed the broken drone down and caught her.
"That fire lion got you good. But I saw no signs of the new species…"
"It ran before I could find it...What a coward." Acrilic pouted.
"But I didn't see any red glowing eyes…"
"We'll find it again one day." Acrilic picked up the drone and walked inside.
"How's Cici, Jack?" Marie asked, "Oh, did you get cookies?"
Jack raised and eyebrow before noticing that Cici was next to him with a cookie in her mouth. "Um...yes?"
She shoved another cookie into his mouth, "Eaaattttt"
"Mmf!" He held the cookie in his mouth before chewing it.
"Hehe" Cici lost her balance and fell into his side. She hugged him to keep from falling.
He hugged her back, nuzzling against her.
Cici purred and rested her head on him.
"They are so cute together." Callie smiled widely.
"Cici is drunk off of tiredness again, huh?" Marie petted Cici's head.
"Apparently." Adstrum nodded as he stood behind Jack.
Arisara sneezed.
"Bless you…?" Marie raised her eyebrow
"Thank you." Adstrum said.
"Oh, that was you?"
"Yes." He replied with a blank face.
"Can I have Ari's noodles?" Cici muttered.
"Oh, Cici, she isn't here"
"She became a cookie and jumped into the box"
Everyone stared at her puzzled.
"Welp, cover's blown." Adstrum reached into the box and pulled out the Octopus. "Run away!" He ran off with her.
"Where is Adstrum going with that octoling?" Marie seemed confused
"I don't know." Jack lied.
"Bye Ari!" Cici waved.
"Ari? …. Wait WHAT?!" Marie dropped her jaw
"Yeah." Jack nodded.
"But Arisara's not… is she?"
"What?"
"She said she was a squid… I'm lost..."
"She lied to hide her identity, apparently." Jack replied.
"But why?"
"Maybe she thought you guys would jack her up…" Cici giggled and waddled to the fishes and poked the wall.
"Most likely. But she's proven to be a great friend." Jack replied.
"Can you imagine how scared anyone would be finding out the three people who murdered their species is in the same room as them. I'm pretty sure they would have soiled their pants… hehe that's a funny thought…"
"True." He nodded and walked over to Cici.
"So...then...we have stuff to talk to her about, right?" Callie asked.
"If she even comes back… Hehe. Fishies" She hugged a fish and it pulled her into the water.
"AH! CICI!" Jack screamed and pressed his hand against the wall, his other hand over his chest.
Cici was just getting dragged around by the fish.
Jack banged on the wall and chased the fish around. "Let her go!"
The fish made a sharp turn and flung Cici out. Before she could slam against the wall Arisara caught her.
"I swear you are such a troublemaker…" Arisara sighed.
"Hi. I'm dizzy…"
"Hi Ari." Callie smiled at her.
"H-hi…" She cautiously stepped back.
"What are you nervous about?" Adstrum walked up behind her and patted her back. "We're your friends, are we not?"
"...Arisara. That's really you, isn't it?" Marie walked towards her.
"I did attack you guys at some point and there were times I almost died…" Arisara muttered as she took more steps back.
"Well, you are alive now, right?" Callie smiled wider.
"As a potential murderer…." Arisara backed into a wall.
"Hey, we don't blame you for that." Jack replied. "We know it was Octavio's influence."
"Oh, you. I don't care that you are an Octopus." Marie walked up to her and hugged her, "You are still you."
"I'm a ham!" Cici cheered from between them.
"Oh, oops" Arisara put Cici down.
"You are a squid, sleepy." Adstrum picked her up and placed her in the box of cookies Jack was holding.
"Boxie!" Cici poked out her mantle.
"Hi Cici." Jack put his face into the box, before pulling it out with Cici on his face.
"Hehe, I caught you! You're it now" Cici slurred.
"Ah, it's on my face." Jack ran around in a "panic."
Callie joined in the hug with Marie and Arisara.
Arisara smiled, tearing up with joy.
"We needa go to the fly parking lotss…" Cici got off of Jack's face, "The birdsss will leave soon and leave us"
"What's she saying?" Callie asked.
"I think she's saying that we need to get back to the bus and head off for the next place." Jack answered.
"Airport. She's talking about an airport to fly to Eleede Valley."
"But...our stuff is on the bus." Jack replied.
"We take the bus too… It's a big biiirrrdie"
"Oh, one of those planes. Awesome." Adstrum smiled.
"Let'sss go!" Cici took a step only to face plant onto the ground.
"...Owww…" Arisara cringed watching Cici.
"Oh, Cici." Jack picked her up and hugged her as he carried her toward the bus.
Cici petted his face, after a while she fell asleep in his arms.
"You wanna come with us, Ari?" Callie asked.
"I have a pot you can stay in." Marie teased.
"That's species-ist…" Arisara raised her brow, "... but I think they are pretty cozy…."
"Hehe. Okay."
"Thanks for the awesome concert, Aria!" Callie yelled.
"Of course! We'll keep in touch for the next one!" Aria and Chomp smiled and waved, "Be careful heading to the airport! I heard Acrilic was messing with wild life again!"
"We'll be fine." Adstrum smiled widely and pulled out his Ink Sledge. "It will be a party if we run into any."
Callie grabbed Marie's arm and started pulling her toward the beach. "Let's go say bye to Gramps and Granny. Let them know we are leaving."
"You too 8" Marie smiled at Arisara.
"Alright, alright I'm going" Arisara followed the two excited idols.
Celeste and Byrion were waiting by the bus.
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Bubble." Jack smiled as he walked up to them, holding the sleeping Cici in his arms.
"We came to say good bye to you both. It seems Ci tuckered herself out huh?" Byrion chuckled.
"Yeah." Jack nodded. "She did." He held her toward them.
"She's holding your shirt. She must be really close to you even if she refuses to show it"
He looked down and saw Cici's tentacle stuck to his shirt. "Oh. Heh." He gently tugged her off and handed her to her parents. "It was nice to meet you two. Cici should probably get a chance to say bye or see you later as well, right?"
"She's still listening and feels, so it will have to do" Byrion took Cici.
He held Cici and gave her a kiss on her forehead. Cici instinctively hugged his head. Celeste petted Cici's tentacles and put a clear bubbly band to hold her tentacles back. They looked like little bunny ears on her head.
"You take care of her Jack. If you find she is the one for you, come find us again. We will give you these." She held out her hand to show her wedding ring.
"I will." Jack nodded before he noticed the rings and blushed. "Heh...okay."
"...Noo…" Cici whined as her father tickled her.
Cici ended up nipping her father's hand as he chuckled.
"Heh, alright Byrion. Let's let Cici rest" Celeste took Cici and handed her back to Jack, "Please give Chives our regards when you see him in Eleede Valley."
"Who's Chives?" Jack asked as he hugged Cici close.
"Our Butler in our estate, Bubble Manor. He is taking care of you all and Cici as you stay in Eleede."
"Wow, that's nice of him." Jack smiled.
"Have a nice trip. May we meet again" Celeste smiled and walked away with Byrion.
"Bye Byrion! Bye Celeste! We still up for movie Monday?" Captain Cuttlefish asked as he walked up with Nana, Callie, Marie, and Arisara.
"Yes, yes. We'll bring the movies if you bring the pop." Byrion grinned.
"Nana and I will go get some tomorrow. Hopefully enough this time." He chuckled. "We went through the last pop too quickly."
"So your grandsquids didn't kill me" Arisara smiled getting patted on her back by the captain.
"Told you that you worry too much. You will get wrinkly thinking like that" Nana chuckled, "Just as long as you don't run into my agent. She's kind of a loose cannon…"
"We'll make sure that doesn't happen." Callie smiled before hugging Nana. "Bye, Granny. See you later."
Nana and Captain hugged their grandsquids, "Make sure you eat enough and call often"
"Okay." Callie nodded. "I'll make sure to call."
Everyone said their goodbyes before getting on the bus.
"You all ready?" Jim asked as everyone hopped on. He started the vehicle and started driving to the airport. After some time they arrived and the bus was slowly brought into a huge cargo plane.
"Now that we are leaving. Please stay away from me, Jack." Cici pulled herself away, "This was just so my parents stopped worrying about me…"
"Oh...okay…" Jack looked down and walked to the table, sitting down in one of the booths.
She seemed to be a bit sad and reluctant as she walked to the window and stared out at the ocean.
Author's Note: Yeah...there are weird parts of this chapter...but just go along with them. Okay? But I do want to say one thing after the thanks are given.
Thank you The Bowser Monster, Devil Dude 42, and Guest for leaving reviews.
If you want to see bad stuff happen to Marie, Guest, then look at my first fic.
Well, you brought up the queen, Devil Dude. And the way your review was written made it seem that you like how she acts. Hence why I said that she is crazy. Crazy if fun. It is funny.
As for what I wanted to say, it involves the part with Calamari Inkantation. I actually looked up the song's lyrics and, not kidding, those are them. The song really is gibberish. But if you listen to the song and follow along with the lyrics, you will see that they are actually saying those things.
Thank you all for reading and I promise next chapter will be uploaded sooner than this.
