... ... groan... mumble… … oooh, my head... … w… w-where am I…? What I'm doing… in this forest? … uuuh, this headache is so painful…! Ok… ok… let's try to remember the past events… if I can ignore the pain, first.
Uhm… logically, inside a forest there aren't any aspirins. Drat! Maybe there's a shop somewhere… … why I have this weird sensation all over me? … … AAAAH, WHAT THE?! MY CLOTHES! WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE MY CLOTHES?! No… t-this must be a nightmare…
T-they are not around here! Nothing that comes even close to them! G-grrrrr… if I'm going to catch the IDIOT that pulled this prank on me… … WHAT I'M DOING WALKING AROUND LIKE THIS?! Someone could see me! Quick! Behind that bush!
Great… a brilliant high school student, movement and spying perfectionist, clever fighter specialist… … hiding behind a bush, completely naked and lost inside this lonely forest. I can't really think about something worse, than this… oh… right, I can't simply walk out of this place… CUURRSSEEESSS!
Wait…! But of course! I could become a Squid and… slide on this rocky road… … sgrunt… my brain is overheating already. I seriously need to rest… not here, of course. If only I can remember anything I did before… maybe I'll know where my clothes are.
Uhm… I… remember going to school… and Bars picking me up, for some reason… and… and… … nothing. Nothing at all! Fantastic… that means I have to work, with this little piece of memory. I can safely conclude that Bars would never sent me here and took my clothes… because then he'd found himself underground… and he knows that, well enough!
N-no… I can't think of a better solution, at the moment! I'm forced to sneak around the forest, like a thief… except, I'm the one that got robbed! S-so embarrassing… I hope no one will ever get to know, about this: I-I'm ready to change my facial features, if that will ever happen!
T-those pebbles… ow! They hurt a lot! And I bet, that I'm getting very dirty feet! … I… can't… stand… FILTHINESS! A shower is absolutely required! … oh no… now sweat is coming down my forehead! This place is surprisingly hot, despite its tiepid appearance! I can't stay here, for another second…
… perhaps I overrated the situation: there isn't a living being, around here. Also, there are plenty of bushes and trees in this area. Large enough, to complete blend behind them. At this point, I'm sure I'll … … wait… I hear noises, coming from that bush… w-who is there?!
… it's just a bunnyfish! Clearly, not a threat... … WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?! G-grrr… I feel so uncomfortable, even in front of cute animals…! I want to end this ridiculous show…! I-I don't even know, where I'm going…
… there's a big opening, over there…! The exit?! Finally! Let's see now, if I can recognize the scenery… … uhm… a farm? It looks like it… … I think to understand why I'm here. Yes, it's the only possible conclusion: I was here to ask some questions to Hunley's parents.
However, something seems to have gone wrong… … FIRST, LET'S HIDE BEHIND THAT TREE! Ok… done. Now, I was saying…? Oh yes: something wrong happened… but what? How on Earth, I failed this mission? And lose all my clothes, on the top of that?! This is really starting to get on my nerves…
Unfortunately, I can't let my guard down: approximately less than a mile, there's a house of average dimensions. Also, there's no hiding place around: that would mean, a complete idiocy from my part if I decide to randomly walk out there, in the open.
Actually… this hiding place doesn't help me cover at all. Just fantastic… then I have no choice! … I'm a Squid. The road seems passable, now… ugh, just ignore the dust… … a-achoo! Sniff, I suddenly comprehend what a vacuum cleaner has to face in its job. Utterly disgusting.
Oof! I didn't saw the tall stairs…! Hmpf, I looked really stupid, there! Getting sideways… judging the jumps… … done! I'm now in front of an open door… uhm… should I be polite and knock against the door with my head or just enter inside, uninvited? Well, considering that walk in the forest, the solution is rather easy.
Mirii slid past the open door and got in the house. Her eyes were staring at the wood-like old ceiling, then the irises moved around to get a glimpse at the different furniture and old-looking ornaments.
"OH MY TURFNESS!"
The girl turns quickly, in the direction where that voice came: even if she can't see everything well, she knew the person that said it…
"Grina?! Is that really you?!" Mirii moves towards her.
"M-Mirii… wow… I-I didn't notice it!" Grina covered her mouth, with both her hands.
"I can't believe you are here! I really need your HUH?!" Mirii got picked up by her friend.
"J-just look at yourself…! You grew so much, that you almost look like an adult Squid!" Her eyes expanded.
"… what?"
"Well, after all… you did pulverize 3 portions of seamilk, last night! And now… you're huge! You can even speak and remember me!" Grina smiled.
"W-what?!"
"If you keep drinking seamilk like that, you'll become too big for this house! But hey… it's not really a bad thing: babies know exactly, how much nutrition they need! And you clearly need a truckload of seamilk! Hmm… maybe I should thin"
"WHAT KIND OF NONSENSE ARE YOU SAYING, IDIOT?!" Mirii's eyes were enlarged and pupil-less. Above her right eye, a vein pop out. "Are you really treating me like a baby?! Did you hit hard on the head, this morning?!"
Grina looks at her, slowly frowning more and more…
"I… wouldn't expect such behavior from you, Mirii."
"Uh…?" Mirii calms down.
"I think it's time to teach you some good discipline…" She starts walking towards the rocking chair.
"D-discipline?! W-what are you talking about?!" Mirii sees the chair and begins to tilt back and forth.
"Oh no, you don't! I can't imagine, seeing my daughter turn into a spoiled brat, in the future." Grina sits on the chair, leaning Mirii sideways on her legs and positioning her friend with her face down.
"Grina, lea-OUCH!" The girl slapped her bottom, making a loud noise. "WHAT THE-OW! STOP-ARGH! WOULD YOU-AGH! GRRRIIIIINNAAAAA!"
A baby cry was suddenly heard, very softly, while the girl kept spanking Mirii.
"Phew… I think that's enough." She stops spanking. "All right, I hope you learned the lesson, little star."
Grina picks Mirii up and turns her over, staring at her face. All the sudden, she expended her eyes, looking at her friend not crying at all.
"W-wait… but you're not crying! Then… then who's crying?!" She looks around, quickly.
The girl stared at one point of the house… and starts dashing, going upstairs and reaching the Adult Bedroom, while still holding Mirii. Once inside, she saw the baby crying loudly on the large bed.
"Th-THE KELP?! Mirii! What are you doing on the bed?! … oh… … oh, oh…"
Grina raises her friend, looking at her face: she was frowning a lot and from the bottom of her body, a very strong red was filling the girl all over, making a sound resembling a whistling teapot… and once it reached the top, puffs of smoke come out from her ears, with a locomotive whistle-like noise.
"… eh eh eh eh eh…" Grina gulped, feeling to shrink down slowly. "… your clothes are on the chair, near the bed… t-take all the time you want, ok…?"
She leans gently Mirii on the ground and sprinted away from the room, causing a ricochet sound. She jumps off multiple steps all at once and hides under a large table. The girl starts trembling a lot, with sweat quickly dropping from her forehead: once in a while, she dries it with her right arm.
"GRINA!"
THUMP! She slammed her head, against the lower part of the table.
"Get out of the table, right in this instant!"
Grina obeys, as she was crawling away from it. The girl stares at Mirii holding the baby, now calm and relaxed.
"… I-I'm sorry Mirii! I-I didn't thought that you weren't that baby, all along! P-please, forgive me…!" She lays her face down on the ground and raises both her grabbed hands.
"… you're a very irresponsible mother." Mirii frowns a bit, while caressing the little Squid. "Leaving a child crying, all alone… is rather punishable. Luckily I was around, so now she's fine…"
Grina lifts her head up, watching her friend.
"Wow… Mirii…" She gets up. "I'd never guess that you like babies, that much!"
Mirii blushes a bit, expanding her eyes just a bit.
"L-like… I-I actually don't care about them! Just… well… you know…" She looks around, with her eyes. "… I can't stand seeing a baby crying… that's all."
Grina starts giggling, covering her mouth with her left hand.
"Yeah, sure… but you really should not hide this: after all, a family can't be truly called one, without a"
"S-SHUT UP, GRINA!" Mirii blushes even more.
Her friend laughs loudly.
"Grina?! Are you at home?!"
The two friends stood still, with no reaction… then Grina tilted her head to her right slowly, looking at Bars entering inside the house. She smiled quickly, while opening her mouth.
"BARS!" The girl dashes and wraps her arms around him, with a timed jump. "You are fine!"
The boy blushed a bit: he caresses Grina's head, making her blush a little too!
"Oh, Grina…! I'm so happy to finally see you! I… I think I changed my mind."
"Huh?" Grina tilted her head away from Bars, while still hugging him.
"You know, what you said to take care of Mirii…? Man, I'm so ready for it! I promise to be a good father from now on, to never run away from my dad duties and"
"AHEM!"
Both the Inklings turn around, to look in the same direction: Mirii was tapping her left foot at moderate speed, watching her friends with a decisive frown.
"… M-Mirii?! W-what? WHAT?! T-two Miriis?! … oh wait… I-I know!" He points at her. "Y-You're Mirii from the future!"
Grina falls on the ground, loudly.
"Yoouuu twooo…" Mirii frowns even more, as a vein popped up on her forehead. "For some odd reason, you really enjoy the idea of treating me like a small kid…"
"Eeehhhmm… well… honestly… with that height of yours, you kinda look one…" He scratches the back of his head, while laughing.
Mirii's vein pop out even more.
"E-EXCUSE ME?!"
"Oh, shoot I forgot!" He thinks for an instant and then, he starts shaking his head and move his hands left and right, in a fast pace. "Nononono! Y-You got it all wrong! I-I mean that"
"What's going on around here?" Kul said, while walking with Hilma inside the house. "Is everything all right?"
Bars looks at them, for a moment and then he goes quickly near Hun's parents.
"Guys, I want you to meet Hunter's parents!" He pours his right hand near Kul. "This is Kul, Hunter's father." The boy does the same, near Hilma. "And this is Hilma, his mother!"
Bars rushes quickly, near Grina.
"This is Grina, my best friend!" He said, while grabbing her shoulders.
"Hello-Yello!" She waves her right hand, while smiling.
"And I'm Mirii. Mirii Hanache. My pleasure." She greets, while standing in front of Hun's parents.
"Uhm… and the baby?" Kul indicates the little Squid, with his forefinger.
"Her real name is unknown, but you can call her Betty for now. She needs her true parents and I'd like to ask, if you encountered a desperate mother and father, along your way back home?" Mirii asked.
"Oh, dear… maybe I do." Hilma grabs both her hands. "I heard that a newborn arrived in town… so I think she belongs there. Please, leave the baby to me, ok?"
"… as you wish." Mirii gives Betty to Hilma.
"I-I'll go in town and start asking around. My husband will explain everything you need, ok?"
"Yes, don't worry about it. We all perfectly understand." Mirii bowed a little.
Hilma smiled and leaves her house, while walking.
"… very well! We solved quite a few headaches, didn't we? Jack told me about you two and Hun, so there's no need to explain me the situation." Kul adjusts his shirt, with his fingers.
"... Jack?" Grina asks, while tilting her head to her left.
"Ehm, it's a long story! I'll tell you about it, later!" Bars said.
Grina watches Bars, expanding her lips to the lower part of her cheeks, with her mouth closed.
"Anyway." Everyone looks at Mirii. "Mr. Kul… Hunley told us his situation: he's in Inkopolis, because someone promises to help him cure his disease, by working for this same person. Am I right?"
Kul nods.
"Ok. I discuss the matter with a lawyer, which is my brother, and he suggests to discover what kind of job he is going to do. Hunley doesn't know a thing about it... and I think you seem to acknowledge, his real role in this city."
Kul doesn't say anything…
"W-what do you mean, Mirii?!" Grina expanded her eyes, frowning just a tiny bit.
"I'm not accusing Hunley, in any sort of way. I'd never do that, to someone that saved our lives." Mirii didn't look at her friend's face. "However, I can't seriously believe that somebody with very low school education, is seen as a valuable Inkling resource in the working environment."
"What about his Squid ability?" Bars asks.
"Futile. It's possible to transform Inklings into Krakens, thanks to our technology." She explains in the same way, as she did before.
"Oh, right!" Bars hits his left palm with his right fist.
"Obviously, it's a limited feature that can't be used anywhere you want, unless you ask permission to the government. With this in mind, I hope you can understand the situation, Mr. Kul. We absolutely need the details of Hunley's job, in order to solve his problem."
"… you have a point. If those details can help out my son, then I must reveal them." Kul said.
"Good. We're listening." Mirii announces.
"Ok… I'll begin to admit how I don't believe Hun having a real job."
"And why you say this?" Mirii lifts her head, a little bit.
"Because the man behind this whole deal… told me something about it, a while ago."
"Uhm… just something? Why he didn't reveal everything?!" The girl points her forefinger against the man.
"If he did… my child would never work for him. I'm sure of it! Not even for an instant cure, I'd leave Hun all alone!" He tilts his back forward, clenching his fists and shouting.
"… it seems you have a grudge against this man."
"Yes… Mr. Tarfo." Kul lowers his head.
"Mr. Tarfo? Uhm… never heard of him." Mirii rubs her right tentacle, softly, with her two right fingers, while looking up.
"Neither do I." Grina looks in the up-left corner, with her arms folded and her head tilted to the right.
"Same here…" Bars massages his chin.
"A petty Technie that holds credit towards us." Kul shakes his head, slowly. "He tried to get Hun working for him… saying how his role is crucial for a very important project."
"A… project?" Mirii stares at the man."
"Yes. He mentioned something about searching, in his explanation…"
"… searching…? By any chance… does this have something to do, with a certain treasure?" Mirii frowns a bit.
"Treasure? I don't honestly know… however, I remember clearly a part of his speech."
"Which is?"
"Your son will certainly face some dangerous situations. Not even I, can predict the time or the type of danger, Hun will encounter."
"… this is a very important clue, Mr. Kul." Mirii said.
"R-really?! What does this mean?!" Kul asks.
"If it's impossible to describe the next phase or even having any idea, about the incoming dangers… then this means, that Hunley is the only one able to access in a very specific area."
"Area?!" Grina expanded her eyes. "How can you tell?!"
"I can't think of another solution: how can you take decisions, if you don't even know the field of operations?" Mirii turns her back, staring at Grina.
"T-true!" She bites her right thumbnail.
"Wait! Maybe he has to do an illegal work, man!" Bars moves his hands up and down. "The government refused Mr. Tarfo's project, so he has no choice but to use Hunter, to accomplish his evil deeds!"
"That's a moronic guess, Bars." Mirii said, looking now at the boy. "Do you really think that our system is flawless? I'm sure there are several ways, to trick the government into giving you a permission. After all, there were news in the past, announcing Krakens roaming around the city and robbing the banks."
Bars lowers his head a bit. Grina watches the girl, frowning and downturn her mouth a little.
"Anyway…" Mirii looks back at the man. "Do you have anything else to say, about Hunley? Or something concerning your economic situation?"
"Well… I can't think of any, unfortunately. I didn't even thought, that my son would have something this special!" Kul shrugs.
"Uhm… Mr. Tarfo… I need more information about this man. Thus, my next objective." Mirii clears her throat.
"I… I want to say one thing, actually…" Kul said.
"Yes?"
"… thank you!"
Mirii didn't say anything.
"Thank you for dedicating your time, to help my son! You don't have any idea, how much happy I'm… to see Hun's friends helping him out, in any way they can! I… I don't know how can I reward such acts!"
"We don't need rewards, Mr. Kul." She smiles.
We just want Hunley alive, for the eternity.
…
"For the eternity? Gee, I wonder why…" Grina shows her teeth, while chuckling.
"Gggrrrriiinnaaa…" Mirii blushes a lot, tightens her teeth, frowns with her eyes closed and a vein pops out of the forehead.