Taking a last look around the apartment: there's still ink around, but I'm sure I didn't forget anything else. I'm truly ready now! Let's take a big breath… sending away all the nervousness… uff, all right. I opened the door and got out of the house. The journey of success starts now.
The first thing I did was looking around: huh… I wonder if there are agents around here. I can't see anything suspicious happening around. How did they hide so well in the hallway?! Bah, let's ignore this mystery… I have to think a very important one!
Flying in the sky, swimming in the water.
Obviously, this is a riddle… a bland one if you ask me. But it sure does its job: confusing the inept. The riddle fails against me, since I have the perfect brain for this kind of job. Hmm… … it's going to take a while… luckily, nothing big is happening inside this building.
I don't feel taking the stairs: the elevator might give me the time to concentrate more, during the transportation. Ok, I pushed the call button: usually it doesn't take too long to arrive here…
DING!
Much louder than the one from Hunley's apartment. Uhm… I wonder if he's still in his house with his sister… or maybe he's already on his way for his new house. I hope that his sister is allowed to stay with him…
DING!
Wha, I'M ALREADY IN THE FIRST FLOOR?! How much did I think of Hunley?! Nngghh…! Great… I have to think about this riddle, while sitting down somewhere! I hope that Mr. Tarfo didn't hide other surprises behind the corner.
Hmm… going outside, I didn't notice much things around me. … actually… the city is very peaceful this time. I know that there isn't school, but usually there are kids and Squids running around or dancing together! I… I don't understand… how did they manage to make the entire city, this silent?
Cars are speeding on the roads, as usual though… uhm… I have a hunch that this detail is going to be crucial, for my trial of pure perfection. Even the plaza is very calm! Almost no one is around here… very well, then. I jumped on this parallel bar and sit on it: no more distractions, this time! I have a time limit, after all…
Flying in the sky… swimming in the water… could those be phases? Like I'm flying and then I swim? Uhm… seems odd… but it could be. Maybe they want me to visit a place in particular…? … I think I'm seeing two Inklings running this way. … GRINA AND BARS?! NO! NOT THEM AGAIN!
They were carrying two modified weapons, as they smiled on me. … smiled?
"Hi Mirii! Finally we found you!" She stops right in front of me.
"Girl, where have you been yesterday?! We wanted to invite you both for some chowing and dancing!" Bars said.
…
"… ehm… Mirii?"
…
"Uuuuhhhmm… why the silence? Aren't you happy to see us?!"
…
"Oh, I know Bars… … she's still mad about the other day… right?"
…
"Look! I… we actually wanted to talk to you, yesterday… well… about that thing happened inside the squad…"
"Yeah, we were greatly looking for that, pal…!"
"I wanted to discuss about that with Hunry and a nice catfish burger in front all of us… but I think it needs to be said now."
"Let me guess: you two really think I'd forgive YOU, after all the things you have done to me! Am I right?" I said, while jumping down the parallel bar.
"… wait… you are still mad at us?" Grina was surprised.
"I'm not just mad… we are enemies now."
Both were left shocked.
"WHAT?! NO! I-I can't be your enemy! I'm your best friend! No, scratch that! I'm your sister, Mirii!"
"Yeah! Me too! You are our sister, Mirii!"
…
"Retreat immediately what you have said, right in this instance…!" They were making me mad for real: those two are backing away slowly.
"W-wait! P-please Mirii, don't act with impulse…! You c-can't let a stupid quarrel have th-the best of us…!" Grina said.
"I'm NOT your sister! Repeat that, now!"
"Girl, how could you"
"I SAID TO REPEAT THAT!" I stomped the ground.
They both stopped and stood in silence.
"… I… I wanted to say sorry to Hunry, yesterday…"
… her eyes were watery…
"I-I said all those horrible things to him… I-I acted like a true idiot! YES, I WAS THE REAL IDIOT AT THE END! PICKING ON HIM WAS A VERY BIG MISTAKE!"
… she was crying…
"P-please, accept my apologies Mirii! L-let's reform Inkinators… l-let's be friends once again!"
"… that will never happen…"
"WHY?! WHY YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!"
"Because… I still didn't forgive Bars…"
I made them silent.
"His incompetence, despite unintentional, is too large and heavy to convince ME to join in your squad. Now, if you excuse me…" I want to get away from them, as far as possible…
… they didn't say anything… good: that means they
"I KNOW YOU WANT TO BE OUR FRIEND AGAIN, MIRII!" Grina cried out from behind. "PLEASE, COME BACK TO US!"
… k-keep walking…
"MIRII, PLEASE!"
"COME ON, GIRL! WE NEED YOU!"
… sniff… d-don't look back…
"MIRIIIII!" … th-they both shouted… …
S-sigh… sob… no… NO! I DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM, EVER AGAIN! I started to run, as fast as I could! Their voices disappeared in the horizon… I… made it… … sniff… s-sob…
You are crying, aren't you?
N-no, I-I'm not crying…
Yes you are. Leaving friends behind isn't something easy to do, huh?
THEY ARE NOT MY FRIENDS! LEAVE ME ALONE!
But you are thinking about it… actually… you are remembering the good old times…
No… NO, THAT'S NOT TRUE!
Ah yes… do you remember the first time you met Grina? From that day, you started to talk more frequently!
I was talking a lot, even before that!
Didn't she hug you, after that unpleasant experience with your mother…?
W-WHY SHOULD I CARE OF THAT?!
Bars hugged you too, when you missed school for many days…
He… I'm sure he is a pervert…
Mirii! How could you say something like that?! He wanted to cheer you up…
NO, HE DIDN'T DO THAT! HE'S AN IDIOT LIKE GRINA!
But you always come with them, in the holidays… having a good time, laughing with them…
I don't laugh! They always laugh between each other!
Don't lie to yourself… how many times you wanted to help them?
NEVER! NOT EVEN ONCE!
Didn't Hunley say something about them too? Like, how they weren't mean?
…
Come to think of it… you were surprised to see them again, so soon! You know them… always inviting people eating outside, so they can socialize better.
…
Please, think for a moment about the events… you know them for a long time, by now! They never tricked you or treated badly…! Rof was so happy to see you around with them!
… the past is no longer relevant. The future is… and mine is going to be together with Hunley, forever. Now… let's see quickly, where am I… … uhm… those buildings aren't saying much to me. At least, I'm sure that no one is around me to make me waste my time.
No agents to announce my failure, either… that means my performance was unaffected from the previous event! Ok… I really need to sit down and think more about that hint. That bench is going to be just fine. … all right, I sit down on it. Now, where was I…? Ah, yes!
Flying in the sky… how can I fly? With a Super Jump? But what does that have to do with anything?! Should I visit a flying camp? But where is the water part in that? Unless they mean to dive into the sea… INTO THE SEA?! NO, I DIDN'T THOUGHT ABOUT SUCH STUPIDITY!
Uhm… there is the swimming part too. Where I could take a swim? In my own ink? That will not take me to the solution! So… another place to swim? … the pool… wasn't there a pool with Inkling water inside? And… wait… I think I found it! Yes! The solution! I know exactly where to go!
I'm going to dash right there and complete this trial, before other inconveniences appear in my path of perfection!