Sorry for the long wait guys. This time I'll be making a slice of life chapter which won't focus entirely on the plot. It mostly just for laughs and it will most likely be like this until chapter 8.

The story from now on has a new cover created by me! Hope you like.

Here's goes nothing. Enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 6: Lost in a Star

Inkopolis Plaza, 11:21 AM

Callie respected Arii's wish to be in a more quiet place. So the best thing was to go to the near ghost town that was the Plaza. The Plaza was indeed somewhat deserted. The number of inklings were few and to find an octoling or a hareling was even more cumbersome.

"Hey, follow me," Callie said as she pulled her to the lobby tower.

"Callie, don't you think this is overdoing it a little?" asked Arii.

Callie shrugged, "You like calm quiet places. What's the problem with going to the one place that's quieter than everywhere else?"

Arii silence herself, thinking how Callie may have had a point there. Besides, who was there to hear her here?

Looking up she watched Callie as she climbed the yellow beams from the corner to the first beam that went across and sat upon it, motioning her to do the same.

"Now that we're set, do you want to start?" asked the octoling.

"I…never thought about that, but I still have to prepare myself for this," Callie revealed.

"You better not be lying to me," Arii warned.

"Trust me. I'm not. If you want, I can start. I just do know if I can make it through without-"

Arii stepped in. "Okay, I'll go first. Mine goes all the way back before we met anyway,"

She looked back at Callie, who gave her a reassuring look.

"This never really affected me as much until recently, during the fight at the Metro," Arii started. "It dates all the way back to when we were still in school. I had graduated to specialized education and started taking ICT classes. I was reassigned to a new dorm with a girl who was taking music classes as my bedmate. At first, we never talked much. Or to be fair, I never talked much."

"Really? How so?" asked Callie.

"Well she always did try to start a conversation but I was too quick to end it. I think she understood me but still tried anyways. With time, I felt that I was leaving her out, that I wanted us to know each other more."

Arii continued, "When I entered our dorm room one afternoon, I saw her mixing some music on her laptop. But a problem came in when she tried sending it to the school account. She started flipping out and saying it was her assignment for the day.

Octo Canyon, 8 Years Ago

"No…why now? I-I can't flunk this now. Don't fail on me…Oh man, how am I going to explain this? Will they even believe me?"

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"I've been trying to email this demo to my lecturer. But it the software just crashed. I knew I should've installed a firewall earlier."

"Is the demo gone?"

"No but who knows what might happen? I don't even know how to fix this"

"Okay. I can fix an antivirus for you."

"Really? How will I send my song then?

"No need. I can do this very quickly Do you have your demo in anything besides the laptop?"

"Yeah, in my 8-pod right here."

She always hooked her red 8-pod at the hip. As though everywhere she went, she was ready to listen to music.

So I fixed the problem and somehow, everything clicked from there. We ended up really close and eventually, the crowded room of octolings didn't make me feel so lonely anymore.

Throughout the school course, we always aspired to come to the surface like all octolings. We thought of a lot of stuff we would do once we got here. We even wrote them down in a bucket list we would get into once we made it.

"Then, what messed up?"

"She wasn't so patient. And for a good reason. You see, when octolings graduate, they are brainwashed under DJ Octavio's authority. She discovered this later during our final year and knew better than to sit there and wait. She tried to convince me to go with her but I refused," Arii explained.

Callie nearly shouted, "Why?"

"I really wouldn't want to go there for now."

"Okay, I understand. But what does all this have to do with the attack?" Asked Callie.

Arii wanted to be prepared for this. She wasn't sure how long she could manage.

"When Hachi sent a picture of Dedf1sh to the HQ, I noticed something familiar… She had an 8-pod hooked to her belt. Just like my friend did, only it was teal instead of red."

"You… don't think Dedf1sh was your friend, do you?" asked an unsteady Callie.

Arii crossed her arms, "I don't want to. But I have no reason not to…"

Callie sighed, "Maybe we could still save her. Who knows? Marina could whip up a cure to reverse the effect of the ooze,"

"Even if she could, what can I do? I assumed she was gone by the time I got to the surface. I never tried to figure out where she went or even contact her."

"That's normal. Some people just lose contact with childhood friends. You don't see us talk to our old friends," Callie explained.

"She was sanitized. How can that possibly work when she can't speak at free will?" Arii spat.

Callie's shoulders sunk. "Okay I'm not the best at helping. But trust me when I say we won't hurt Dedf1sh. In fact, we're going to Marina tonight to make a cure for her. She will be back to normal!"

"Callie, I'm not sure that can work," Arii noted.

"This is coming from the guys with floating blocks…"

"Cal…"

"Hey, I know it's not that easy," Callie chuckled. "It did take more than getting rid of the hypnoshades to save me."

"What about the Inkantation?" asked Arii.

"The what?"

"The Inkatation, your song. If you and Marie can sing it and have her hear it, it could save her."

Callie scratched her head. "I can't help but feel there's a catch though…"

"If it helped us, it can help her. The cure can be a backup plan. Who knows how long it will take for us to make it?" said the octoling as she sat up.

"Us?"

"I'm gonna help Marina. It's the least I can do for an old friend. We will need samples of that primordial ooze Tartar makes though."

"Then I'll wish you luck. But getting the samples just means we would have to risk someone to going back to the Metro."

"Then I'll do it."

"Arii, now you're overreacting."

"Callie. You, Marie and Captain got three different teenagers to put their lives on the line against scientific geniuses."

"Not that it was illogical."

"You randomly picked the first one that followed you."

"In my defense, remember inklings had that line of thought since 100 years ago. Who is to say that's exactly how the old Splatoon was founded?"

"…"

"…"

"How are WE the ones that ended up underwater?"

"Remember that power outlet that was-"

"I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!"

Inkopolis Bay, 12:33 PM

"So, Nana, nice Slosher there." said Maika as she examined the Kensa Sloshing Machine in the octoling's hands.

"I know right?" said Nana. "Took Hitto out so many times."

"I get it. I lost the bet. I joined you to the park. Why won't you let me live it down?"

"Don't start something you can't finish," Maika advised.

Earlier after they left Octo Canyon, Hitto somehow made a bet that he could solo Nana at Tower Control.

What his mistake was was that he chose a .52 Gal. which had worse stats than the specialize slosher. A shooter losing to a slosher in Tower Control. Wow.

"I'm surprised you wasted that much money just to lose a bet," said Maika. "Speaking of money, Nana, that's a pretty expensive slosher."

"So?" asked Nana.

"It's weird that you bought a laptop and still have enough money to buy a sloshing machine."

"Your point is…"

"We got paid three weeks ago. How can you still afford these?" Hitto blurted.

"Never heard of saving before?"

"Real funny. What's the reason?" asked Hitto.

"Well my parents gave me this allowance last we-"

Maika didn't buy it either. "Strike two."

"Okay," the octoling sighed. "I've been going on dark matches."

"Like we do sometimes. How are we going to buy this?" asked Hitto.

"Only if she means more than that," Maika realized. "Nana, did you join another team?"

"Maybe?" said Nana sheepishly.

"Oh my Cod. Were you listening to Marie when she said joining other teams can bring 'risks'?" asked Hitto.

"Well with you guys getting pissed off every time I sign us up for a match, how else was I gonna get coins?"

Maika tried to sound as clear as possible. "By waiting for pay day! And besides, at least you could ask us before signing up."

"Jeez, Hachi wouldn't wanna hear this before he goes on that Salmon Run," said Hitto.

"I never signed Hachi up for the Salmon Run."

Hitto secretly cursed. "Look, it's clear that you've been having a shopping addiction ever since you got the job."

"So what if I have an addiction? You can't prove it!"

"Nana, just last week, you bought a Prismatic Sweater and a Seagrass Poncho at the same time. It was hard enough for you to get those Manta Sharks on your feet when we moved here," Maika explained.

"Okay so it was, that doesn't mean-"

"And before that, you bought yourself a Dragonfruit Sundae just to know you were allergic to dragonfruit," Hitto reminded her.

"We learn something everyday."

"You're 18 years old and you just find that out," he emphasized.

"Not to mention how you came to work late from binge shopping," said Maika.

"Alright. So I like shopping. I can simply stop it. No need to get so uppity about it," Nana admitted.

"Then start by refunding that slosher and get your money back," Hitto advised.

"Are you crazy? How can I waste a perfectly good weapon?"

"It sure will help you in the long run. What are you gonna do in case you run out of money?" asked Maika.

"Go for more matches!" Nana answered.

The two inklings crossed their arms.

"Maybe that isn't always the answer…"

"Nana, by the time we get back to work, we wanna hear that sloshing machine went back to Ammo Knights," Maika challenged.

Nana held the slosher up. "If you want I can even throw it away. It's a middleweight. It's not that hard."

For added effect, she threw the slosher up three times.

But it only came down twice.

"Uh I think you threw it into the tree," said Maika as she looked up.

Sure enough, the handle of the sloshing machine got caught in a branch of the tree just behind the wall next to them.

"At least you threw it away…" said Hitto.

"Hitto, stop," said Nana.

"Okay then, I'll be going. I need some alone time anyway," said Hitto. "Don't buy anything while I'm gone."

"He is a real pain in the ass," Nana fumed.

Maika shrugged. "I thought the same thing when I first met him. You still have about a month until you get used to it."

"Well, can you please give me a boost here? I can't climb the wall."

"I'm doing this to help you. If we get it out of the tree, promise to refund it," said Maika.

"But…"

"Nana…"

The octoling sighed. "Fine, we have a deal."

"Get on my shoulders."

Maika bent down waiting for Nana to react. The octoling took this chance to hop over Maika's neck and let Maika stand up. Although they were over twice the height, the slosher was still too high.

"Oh man, I can't reach it."

"Try standing." Maika advised.

It was hard but balancing on her shoulders at this point just got them nearly at arm's reach.

"Still can't reach it."

"Just stretch!"

"You don't think I've tried that?"

"Both arms and legs?"

"How about you stand on your toes?"

"That'll just make it worse!"

"How do you know?"

"It's hard enough holding you up!"

"Are you calling me- whoa!"

"What?"

"Help me! I'm losing balance!"

"I'm trying!"

"Wait I caught it!"

"Really?"

"Yeah just let me hook it off this branch and- it broke off!"

The weight on Maika shoulders was suddenly lifted. Looking up, neither Nana nor the slosher was anywhere to be found. The only thing was a broken branch stump.

"Nana!" she shouted. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah but I don't know where this is. All I see is a flower garden and this giant mansion up ahead," Nana responded.

"Oh carp, you can't be in there. Just ink a trail along the wall and climb!"

"But then it'll get all messy. What will the people who live here do?" Nana worried.

"O-okay, I'll find a way to get you out there. Just stay where you are!"

"But what if they find me? Maika… Maika!"

No response.

Maika had already left.

Nana was quite worried about when Maika would get back. She was sure she would get back eventually. She wasn't the type to leave a friend.

Either that or she really wanted her to refund that slosher.

"Ummmmm…"

Nana stiffened her back from the sudden noise. Turning around, there was a person she was most surprised to see stood there.

Lumi, eyes wide and mouth agape, stood looking at the new octoling with the sloshing machine which for some reason had a tree branch lodged between the handle and the drum.

"Not again…" she managed to say.

"I'm sorry!" the octoling rambled. "This isn't what it looks like!"

"I don't mean to be rude but I've seen enough fans to know whose lying," said Lumi.

"I'm telling the truth. I got my slosher stuck on the tree. I didn't even know this was where Coralstar lived!"

"Well seeing what that weapon has been through, I guess that's understandable," Lumi thought. "And just now I thought you were… never mind…"

"I'm sorry for waltzing in like this…" the girl continued. "This is embarrassing…"

"Accidents happen. I'm sorry for misjudging you," Lumi apologized.

"It's okay. Can you point me to the exit please?"

"I can lead you there. Just right this way," Lumi pointed.

"Thanks. See you on the news!"

"Wait!"

She turned back. "What's wrong?"

"Your inktank. It broke when you fell."

The large crack was very visible along the glass of the tank. The ink outlet for the tank had horribly dented and the cap for the light had a hole in it.

"Oh no, I can't use this!" she told herself. "I'll need to order a new one."

"No need. I know a guy who could replace these parts." Said the techno idol.

The intruder examined the tank further. "Uh. I think that's just the equivalent of getting a new one,"

"It's cheaper trust me. I was just waiting for Riva and Squishy so we could leave. You can come along with us." Lumi proposed.

"I guess that's a good idea." said the girl. "Almost forgot, you can call me Nana."

"You know who I am," said Lumi as they shook hands. "I should go in and check on the others. Wanna join?"

With that, Nana happily followed the inkling to the mansion. She needed to make a call anyway.

Squidbeak HQ, 1:02 PM

With Arii out, Marina had to continue her communication work. It was an easy task for her after all she did helping Hachi in the Metro but she resorted to engineering after joining the SS. She was engineer from the start after all.

She was glad to have Arii around however. She was the only person she could nerd around without the thought that she couldn't understand it.

She knew her back in high school but only as a person who went to their school. To be honest, while Arii was a teenager, Marina who had skipped several grades was seven. The closest they ever were to a conversation was when she asked her to fix an old camera.

But in the end, she was glad to have Arii and all the people in her life together. She never regretted running away.

She didn't think like that back then though…

"YO MARINA!"

The engineer turned around to Pearl with a food carton in each hand.

"I got us lunch!" she said as she gave Marina the carton in her left hand. "Don't worry. I made sure you got pickles for your sandwich."

Marina chuckled at her contempt for pickles. "It wouldn't hurt to have one pickle."

"It actually would. Just looking at them makes my stomach turn. What are you doing?"

"Arii's job. Since she went AWOL, I'm the only other person who can do this. Admiral Remora is coming to the bay tonight to let Rorea stay for a while. We need somebody to meet them there."

"What about Nana?" Pearl suggested as she took her own sandwich. "She knows her."

"They don't get along. Do you really want them to attract attention?

"Try Inkogen then. She's nice."

"I was actually going for Maika. Marie told me it was a good idea," Marina admitted.

"Why her?"

Marina spun her seat. "Rorea doesn't know, but Remora decided to let her know what it's like to live a normal life."

"We barely live normal lives," the rapper noted.

"Yeah but Maika is just going to give her a city tour. But now that you mention it, Inkogen could set in the sanity. They can just do it together."

"Alright. Go ahead. Assign them," said Pearl.

"Actually, I want to eat but I can't keep my eyes off the monitor for too long. Can you feed me my sandwich?" Marina requested.

"This is getting weird on so many levels…"

Marina kept typing. "Pearl, it's nothing to be weirded out about. I just need you to hold the sandwich to my mouth and I'll bite it off myself."

"Uh…."

"Pearlie, I can't concentrate when I'm hungry."

"Okay then, here you go," Pearl fumed handing her a sandwich.

As the piece ended up in Marina's mouth, she chewed and noticed something was off.

And spat out the food.

Pearl was worried she saw something on the monitors. Nothing was wrong…

But she did see a sandwich with pickles, completely untouched.

She looked at her own sandwich.

She just fed Marina her own sandwich.

"Aaah, that's gross!" Marina said reflexively. "Why did you do that?!"

"It was an accident!" said Pearl. "I should be the angry one anyway. If you took a bite off my sandwich, I should return the favor."

At that moment, a sandwich appeared in a grinning Marina's hand. She didn't even move from the monitor.

"Don't tell me you were bluffing," she said.

Pearl was baffled. "You want me to do it?!"

"If it means having you eat pickles for once, what could I want more?"

"I-I'll do it then. I make the same sized bite you made so we'll be even," said Pearl.

She was so glad Marina's bites weren't as big as hers.

"Be my guest."

"You want me to do this? Because I'm having revenge."

"I'm okay with that. If I ate mayo, you'll eat the pickles," said Marina.

Pearl slowly took the sandwich into her hands. She looked at Marina who was glued to the screens. If she could just pull a piece out, pull out any pickle in it then eat it, she would not have anything to worry about.

So she delicately pulled it out to look like a bite. Alas, there was one pickle piece in there. Carefully, she took it out and slid it into what remained of the sandwich. She immediately popped the clean piece into her mouth.

"There. I did it," she said placing the meal back into the carton.

"Now I can rest easy," said Marina.

"Yeah don't you think I can't do it," said Pearl, ready to drop a few bars…

Yeah, I'm the princess, they gonna see me soarin'

Rina trippin' thinking I can't handle gherk in,

I've been through more, can't you see the battle scars?

Got a helluva voice, and still I'm dropping hot bar-

POP!

A hand over Pearl's mouth stopped from rapping further. And suddenly with it was a flat moist object, whose taste was, in her description, a disaster.

"So gramps, you think Rorea will know what's going on?" asked Marie as the two walked down the hallway.

"Given what the admiral told me, she always wanted to come to the bay but thinks that she can't, given her job. So even if he tried to ask her to, she'd say no," said Captain Cuttlefish.

Marie looked down. "It's crazy knowing she's lived on a ship for her whole life. I guess she deserves it after the makoids were finally defeated."

"But I trust you to choosing Maika for the job," said the veteran as they reached the monitor room.

"She helped us a lot. We wouldn't have Callie back if it wasn't for he-"

Marie would've finished her sentence if she never saw Marina laugh hysterically as Pearl seemed like she was trying to vomit. Flexing and everything. Her crown even fell off in the process.

"I just don't wanna know," she said.

Cuttlefish was the more concerned. "Pearl, is something wrong?"

"Marina just threw a pickle in my mouth!" Pearl shouted. "How did you know I didn't eat it?"

"You didn't? I was just messing with you," said Marina.

Pearl just realized she outed herself. "Oh jeez…"

"Am I glad you started rapping. You left yourself wide open," Marina chuckled in tears.

"C'mon Pearl, it's not bad once you get used to it," said Cuttlefish.

"A few more of those and it'll be just like mayonnaise," Marie smirked.

"No! Don't say that!" Pearl demanded.

"Calm down. You should listen to Marie. It's about time you started a diet with all the mayo you've downed," Marina proved.

Pearl's left eye twitched. "I don't need a diet!"

"Actually Pearl you do," said Marie. "Who knows? You might gain a few inches."

Pearl had to pause for a moment. Like Marina told her: be comfortable with who you are. So why would she need the diet?

She took a deep breath. "Marie… I'm okay with my height, okay? I wouldn't like looking different from who I am… Besides, no one is ready for a 6-foot tall version of me..."

"Now that you mention it, you're better heavy than tall," Marina pondered.

That does it.

"You think I need a diet?! I can hold up a Rainmaker if I wanted," Pearl fumed.

Marie crossed her arms. "If a 14-year-old can do it, of course you could do it too."

"Okay… what about carrying a person?"

"Pearl, let's not get loony here," said Cuttlefish worriedly.

The rapper waved a finger. "No no, Marina started this. So to prove I don't need a diet, I'll just have to carry one of you!"

"This is getting ridiculous, just how are you going to do it?" asked Cuttlefish.

"Watch me. Hey Marina-"

"Pearl, typing…"

"That's your excuse for everything, huh?" Pearl crossed her arms. "What about you Cap'n?"

"Actually, with a body like mine, carrying me wouldn't be such a good idea," Cuttlefish pointed out.

"So that just leaves you, Marie."

The granddaughter sweatdropped.

"No! I'm not doing that. You can wait for someone else. Pearl… back off. No Pearl, I'm sorry if I said something mean. PEARL!"

End Chapter

That's right. For anybody aware of the Splatoon 3 concept, Rorea will make an appearance and have a day in the spotlight together with Maika and Inkogen.

I'm still updating the previous chapters so make sure to check up on those. As mentioned, the main plot is generally intact. The updates are just to add flavor.

And now for the latest review!

J-Boy420:

I thought about a strange crossover between the crew of the Half Life but the AI is self aware series and Squeakys Splatoon 3. I can just imagine everyone's reactions to a bunch of humans and maybe they'll lose their minds to Benry and Dr. Coomer just like Gordon

I always wanted to see how they'd react to humans too but for now, I'm just focusing on the Squidbeak Splatoon's impact on itself and Inkopolis as a whole.

With that aside, Read, Review, Fav and Follow!