Ascension (Part 2)

"…and that's the gist of it. I'm already seeing a few UFOs returning on this side."
"Alright, thanks for the info, Callie. How are the others doing?"

Cobalt ran down the winding corridors as fast as his legs can carry him, Heather and the octocopter that found them following closely behind. As he tried his best to retrace the path he took during the chase a few hours earlier, he had one hand on his headset, communicating with the Squid Sisters on the current situation.

"I'm picking up their signals from all the other domes, so your teammates made it to their respective locations safely." Callie's voice replied. "Something's interfering with the camera feed though, so I can't make out the finer details from the readings I'm getting here… though I'm picking up a particularly large energy signature coming from Chris's side. Dunno what that's about, but at least everyone's still alive."

"Well, that's all I need to know, really. Cheers." Cobalt said, before he hung up. As he surveyed his surroundings for the umpteenth time, he recognized a familiar stairway down the corridor in the distance, along with a pile of upturned cardboard boxes. Realizing that he was at the fork where he had split up with Tai, he continued down the other corridor.
"Those two octolings went down this path, I think." Cobalt clarified. "I dunno where they went after that, so keep your eyes peeled."
"Yeah, yeah. I know." Heather replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Urgh… I can't believe we had to go look for them ourselves. The nerve of them! You'd think that they'd be the first ones to rally the octarians here and get them to the evacuation point!"
"I mean… I suppose one of them doesn't need an explanation." Cobalt mumbled, thinking back to how nonchalant Tai was when he first met her. Laziness was one thing, but that woman was rather laid back even in the face of obvious danger. "But the other one… Aussie, I think? You got me there."
"She was the complete opposite compared to that laid back one. It doesn't seem like her to be absent." The octocopter following them said. "She might've gotten in trouble…"

Abruptly, the group heard a banging noise not too far beyond them. Shortly after, a familiar voice echoed down the cracked walls.
"Hellooooo?! Is anyone out there?!" Tai's voice shouted. "I could use a little help here?"

Nodding to one another, the three immediately picked up their pace, eventually stopping before a closed sliding door with 'Storage Room B' engraved on its metal surface. The frame was bent and warped, most likely as a result of the tremors.

"Tai? Is that you?" Cobalt yelled back, "You alright? Where's Aussie?"
"About time! You know, it's rude to keep a girl waiting." Tai sighed. A single eye peeked through a small gap between the door and the frame, rolling exasperatedly. "If you're looking for 'knickers in a twist' Aussie, she's in here. She's kind of incapacitated though…"
"How badly is she hurt?"
"Well, for one thing she's out cold. It would've been a cinch for me to yank the door open if she wasn't. Are you gonna help me or what?"
"Well, we DO have an octoling here with us." Cobalt looked at Heather, giving her a nod. "C'mon, we'll get the door open. We gotta get out, ASAP!"
"Just so you know, you owe me for this." Heather remarked, putting both hands on the handle. "Heheh, this irresponsible octoling needing MY help. I'm going to relish this…"
"Alright, you ready Heather?" Cobalt shouted, wedging his fingers into the gap and gripping tightly. "Ready, and… PULL!"

With a combined grunt of effort, the two pulled the sliding door open with as much effort as they could muster. The door quickly slid open, with Tai walking out of the darkness beyond the room and slinging an unconscious Aussie over one shoulder.

Two things immediately caught Cobalt's eye as they emerged from the room. Tai was carrying a hefty iron pipe with a small fuchsia stain at the end in her free hand that wasn't carrying Aussie. There was also a comically large bump that seemed to have blossomed on the unconscious octoling's head…

"…Oh. Erm…" Tai faltered briefly at Cobalt's amused gaze, casually lobbing the pipe back into the room where it hit the floor with a resounding 'CLANG'. "…let's just say she had to be put to bed for a while. Don't worry, I'm sure I didn't do any permanent damage. Probably."

"Well, now that we've found the two of you, let's get out of here." Heather said, trying not to smirk at the sight of the unconscious octoling as she hefted her over her own shoulder as well. "C'mon, I'll carry this side."
"Lead the way." Cobalt said, turning to face their octocopter escort. "I believe it's about time we hitched a ride outta here."
"You don't have to tell me twice!" The octocopter replied, as another tremor shook the building, and alarmingly the entire corridor seemed to shift slightly. "Let's go!"

As the combined group began their sprint, Cobalt heard an ominous rumbling noise behind them. Turning briefly to look, he was shocked to see the corridor fracture at the seams, and collapse entirely. Had they not managed to reach the stairway a few minutes earlier, they would've fallen into the bottomless pit along with the rest of the basement. The band quickly ran up the stairs, hearing the sounds of gathered octarians in the far distance.
"This just isn't my day…" He thought to himself, as he ran for his life.

"Morgan, SLOW DOWN!" Katelyn yelled, desperately vaulting off a roof onto solid ground. "I'm… *huff* I can't keep up!"
"It's no use, Katelyn." Eliza said, steadying herself as another tremor ripped through the dome. "Morgan's pretty set on looking after the civilians here, especially Timmy and Granny. If those two are in danger, I don't think we're reasoning with him."
"He can't just leave us behind like this, though! No way in hell he's managing this alone!" Katelyn yelled, elbowing past a crowd of panicked Agents. "If anyone's gonna be rescuing those two, it's gotta be me!"
"Steady on, it's not a competition. Just why are you so desperate to be the one to save them?"

Katelyn abruptly stopped in her tracks, her hand held close to her chest. Biting her lip, she looked in the direction of Timmy and Granny's shack.
"Timmy…. He called me 'Big Sis'. That's… that's it." She said, forcing a smile as she looked at Eliza. "Stupid reason, isn't it?"
"…oh." The octoling couldn't bear to meet Katelyn's sad gaze. "…How long was I gone?"
"…too long. I guess it was for the best that Timmy's such an innocent child." Trying her best to shelve her emotions for the time being, Katelyn gave Eliza the biggest smile she could muster. "C'mon, Anna. I think it's about time we reunited the family."
"Yeah…" The octoling nodded, as she returned the smile with one of her own.

A sudden powerful tremor rocked the dome, and alarmingly the center of the civilian direction caved in, the broken bulb crumbling into the newly formed chasm. The screams of desperation echoing throughout the entire dome seemed to amplify in volume, drowning out the sound of the earthen spiral road slowly collapsing into the bottomless pit along with the buildings on top of them.

"ACK! Now's not the time to be sentimental!" Katelyn quickly turned to face Eliza. "Change forms and hop into my arms, quick! I'm getting us there ASAP!"

Taken aback by the dome's gradual collapse, the octoling decided to just comply, switching into octopus form and hopped into Katelyn's outstretched arms.
"I would assume you plan to do something that requires a mobility that I do not have?" Eliza asked, peering downwards at Katelyn's footwear. "…to think I used to wear those skates once."
"Well, I'm putting them to good use right this instant! HANG ON TIGHT!"

With a determined yell, Katelyn skated upwards the slope at full speed, with Eliza in tow. Rushing past crumbling rocks and buildings, sidestepping and weaving around panicked civilians and operatives, occasionally taking a shortcut via a fallen ramp, the inkling made her way up towards the edge of the civilian district, towards where Granny's house was, never once taking her eyes off her destination.

The journey wasn't a long one. Eventually, Katelyn reached the stretch of road where Granny's house was located, only to find a small gathering of octarians and stray inkling Agents gathered around the front entrance and- to her horror- a fallen boulder fallen onto the front half of the house. The slab of rock had plowed right through the corrugated steel, utterly demolishing it and denying entry to anyone trying to get in through the front.

"N-no…" Katelyn was shocked at the sight, but Eliza was the first to spring into action, slipping out of her arms, switching back into octoling form in the process and running straight for the crowd.
Catching up with her, Katelyn could see that in the forefront of the gathering, an exhausted Morgan was pressed right up at the boulder, desperately trying to move the obstruction out of the way. Unfortunately, despite the combined efforts of the octarians, it hasn't budged in the slightest.
"Morgan!" Eliza cried out. The crowd briefly dispersed, as they let the octoling past. "I need a status report. How… how's Timmy and Granny?"
"Not good. They're still in there, but we can't get in because of this blasted rock!" Winded, Morgan turned to look back towards the obstruction, yelling. "HEY! Keep talking! I need to make sure the two of you are still alive!"

"Still breathing!" Granny's voice replied, "This old lady isn't ready to leave this world just yet!"
"M-Morgan…" Timmy's voice faintly emitted from beyond. "I-I'm scared… what is happening?"
"Hang in there, kiddo! We'll get you out! I promise!" Morgan cursed under his breath, hammering the rock with his fists. "Dammit… even with this stronger body… if only we still had our machines!"

"There's gotta be something we can do!" Katelyn yelled desperately, pushing past the crowd of octarians. "Think, Katelyn, think… What about the windows?"
"There's one on the other side of the building… but only the octocopters could reach it." Morgan replied. "They're not strong enough to break through the glass… and even if we got them out that way, there's nothing below but a sheer drop. What are we supposed to do?"

A silence befell the crowd for a moment, before Eliza spoke up.
"The extraction UFOs. If we can get one right outside the window…"
"…then we can both get them in and out safely, and just whisk them away in an instant!" Katelyn finished, a look of realization dawning on her face. "You're a genius!"
"W-we'll call for one!" An octotrooper amongst the crowd called out. "C'mon lads, we don't have much time!"
The other octarian civilians nodded in agreement, and bolted towards the extraction point as fast as their legs/propellers/rotund bodies can carry them.
"Looks like we'll be cutting it close…" Katelyn said, looking into the distance. Already, half the district has crumbled away into the abyss, and it wouldn't be much longer before it reaches them. "C'mon..."

Precious seconds passed. Katelyn watched nervously as word started to spread among the Agents. It would appear the evacuation was nearing completion, so some are already making a hasty retreat. The groups of evacuating civilians and inkling escorts began to thin in number.
A crackle suddenly went through on her headset. Katelyn rushed to pick up the call.
"Heya!" An unfamiliar voice called out. "Are you with the team trying to get the two trapped civilians out of that house?"
"Y-yeah! That's us!" Katelyn spluttered. "Who's this?"
"I'm the pilot for one of the rescue UFOs, and I'm on route towards your location! Keep the line open, I'm homing in onto your signal!"

Immediately after, Katelyn could see it. A large UFO, just marginally bigger in size to the house in diameter soared overhead, leaving a slight breeze in its wake. It hovered overhead as it circled in spirals, homing in on their position, before it came to a dead stop by the cliff side and docking before the assembled team.
"Those civilians already gave me the lowdown!" The pilot continued. "Climb aboard, lads! Once those two civvies are out, we're soaring outta here!"

"No time to waste! Let's go!" Katelyn said to Eliza and Morgan, the three climbing on top of the UFO. The flying vehicle started to move, pulling some distance away from the edge of the cliff before it circled round, and stopping underneath the window of the house. It was rather small in size, but it was wide enough to allow a singular inkling entry inside.

"Alright, I want one of you to get inside and rescue Timmy and Granny." Eliza commanded. "This UFO isn't very stable. I'll have to stay out here to help them get on board once they're out of there."
Katelyn wasted no time giving an acknowledgement. Brandishing her Inkbrush, she took a heavy swing at the window and shattering the glass panes. Grabbing hold of the frame, she slid in feet first, straight into the partially ruined house.
Immediately after her entry, she realized she was in pain. A shard of broken glass had scraped her arm on the way in, and a trickle of lavender was trailing from the wound, dripping silently onto the cold floor. Her mind occupied with the wellbeing of those octarians that sheltered her however, she quickly banished the feeling of pain surging from her injury, desperately looking around for any sign of them.

The earthquake had done a number on the house. Lights had fallen from the ceiling, littering the ground with broken glass. Shelves and drawers had collapsed and its contents spilled out, devices and contraptions scattered in broken sparking heaps here and there. Parts of the roof had even caved in, no doubt thanks to the boulder that had fallen in the front of the house.

"B-BIG SIS!"

Katelyn snapped to attention from her shocked stupor, and instinctively turned at the source of the voice. Timmy was standing at the far end of the small room, held in place by fear.
"Timmy! Thank goodness!" Katelyn immediately went to the terrified child octotrooper's side, calming him with a tight hug. "It's alright. I'm here. Let's get out of here."
"We- we can't go! Granny is... is…"
"What's wrong?"

"You've sure taken your time, Katelyn." A familiar voice said from a dark corner of the room. "Now be a dear and… urgh… get this off me, would you?"
The inkling was shocked by what she saw. Granny was alive, but only barely. A shelf had fallen on top of the elderly octoball, pinning her in place.
She was internally shaken. But with Timmy looking at her worriedly, she tried her best not to let it show on her face. "…I'll, I'll try! Hang in there!"

There wasn't much time left, and Katelyn could feel it. The ground she stood on began to tremble, growing in intensity by the second. The collapse of the dome cannot be too far away.
"Katelyn?! What is taking so long?!" Morgan's voice crackled through her headset. "The cliff's crumbling! You barely have minutes left!"
"I'm… trying!" Katelyn gritted her teeth, putting all her strength into her back. But the shelf was heavier than she anticipated, undoubtedly due to the furniture being made out of solid steel. "This thing…. Too… heavy!"
"That doesn't sound good… hey, Anna? ANNA!"

An unexpected pair of arms appeared beside Katelyn's, grabbing hold on the shelf. At the same time, an exceptionally long tentacle also rammed into it, granting extra leverage.
"What the?!" Katelyn faltered for a moment, and turned to her side. Eliza was there, using both her arms as well as the unusually long tentacle to hold up the shelf.
"I just cannot wait any longer out there. Stay focused!" The octoling yelled. "Katelyn!"
"R-right! C'mon, one last push together…. NOW!"

With a combined yell, both Katelyn and Eliza lifted the steel shelf off of Granny. The octoball rolled out of the way slowly, before the two let go of the shelf and sent it crashing down.
"Ah… I must thank you, miss- Oh…!" Granny stopped in the middle of getting up. It seemed her singular eye was focused on the octoling that saved her.
"W-what's wrong?" Eliza stammered, unable to make eye contact. "Come on, we have to leave!"

The elderly octoball's age seemed to have caught up all at once. Her eye was staring straight at Eliza, more specifically, the necklace that was hanging around her neck.
"A….Anna… Oh my… Never in my wildest dreams…" Granny croaked. "Look at you… you've changed so much…"
"G-Granny, we… we can't stay!" Eliza was uncharacteristically aghast. "We must go!"
"I've waited so long… I wondered if you would ever return…" Granny was in the verge of tears. "Even if your body has changed…. You're still Anna inside. Oh… I can leave this world without regrets…"

"OH NO YOU DON'T!"

Katelyn quickly helped up Granny from the floor, before giving her a stern glare. "No way am I going to let you die now after all this! You and Anna are going to spend some quality time together once we rescue you and Timmy, and you're going to LIKE IT!"
"….yes… yes, you are correct." Granny stumbled briefly, but she seemed to have recovered somewhat from the shock. "There's one last thing to do before we leave. I was trying to find the blueprints for the sprinkler system before we left, but I got pinned down by that shelf. Help me find them, they should be close by."
"Is this it?" Eliza sifted through the pile of debris close to the fallen shelf, withdrawing a set of bundled up blueprints.
"Yes, that's it. Let us go!"

Eliza went on ahead, coercing a confused Timmy to come with her.
"I'm… sorry, I shouldn't have yelled." Katelyn apologized, watching the octarians leave through the window. "How are we going to explain it all to Timmy? Anna's not even an octosniper anymore."
"I'm sure he'll understand. That boy is more insightful that you would realize." Granny replied. "For now, I'll just be glad the family is back together once more."
"Yeah… you're right. Come on, the UFO's waiting outside."

The next few moments passed by in a blur. With Katelyn's help, Granny made it on board the UFO, ready to escape along with the others. She never once looked back, even to see the family's old home finally give way to the gradual destruction and crumble into the abyss along with the rest of the civilian district.

Chris jumped, as far as his legs could carry him, hiding behind a pile of mossy bricks. Barely a second later, a blast of energy impacted where he was, leaving nothing but a smoldering patch.

It was practically inevitable that the current battle would be just as one-sided as before. The Pawn had chased everyone out of the Grand Library, now nothing more than a barely flickering pile of debris thanks to the tremors. Chris, Clarence, the Agents, and now their octoling escort, are all scattered in the abandoned streets outside of the library, desperately trying not to be flattened, or worse, incinerated.
His heart pounding, Chris tried to take a peek at the source of the carnage. The Pawn was finally using the gatling guns on its arms, and to the group's bewilderment blasts of pure energy came out of the barrels rather than regular projectiles. The bolts carried a tremendous amount of energy, ripping straight through the weakened walls of the abandoned buildings around them like they were made of paper. Almost possessed by a feral mania, the monstrosity was thrashing about at random, reducing a tenth of the buildings in the surrounding area to dust in a matter of moments.

"Well, that blasted thing's certainly learned a trick or two!" Mark yelled, huddled behind a steel wall close by. "I guess it's finally remembered that it brought guns to the party!"
"This isn't good." Clarence muttered, ducking as an energy bolt sailed over his head. "If I still had my harpoon, I could have made an attempt to fight this beast. But even if it hadn't been destroyed, that firepower's making it too dangerous to get up close."

The mechanical monstrosity lunged straight towards the pile of bricks that Chris was sheltered behind, its jaws opened wide. His eyes widening from shock, Chris leapt aside from the charge. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the Pawn's metallic maw reduce the bricks into ground up bits.

"So how are supposed to destroy it this time?" Chris mumbled, backing off into a rundown tavern and huddling behind a counter. "I'm open to suggestions."
"I'm trying to reach Agent 1 and 2, but all I'm getting is white noise." Mark added. "I've no idea how it's doing it, but it's jamming our signal!"
"Then that means we'll have to resolve this on our own." Clarence said, crouching down right next to Chris. "…that being said, where is the other Agent and our octoling guest?"

Chris dared to sneak a peek out of one of the many windows, peering through a crack in the glass. Just across the street, John and Rachel were hiding in an alcove, out of sight of the marauding machine.
"Not too far. C'mon, we have to regroup."

Alarmingly, a singular glowing blue eye filled Chris's vision. Realizing that the monstrosity has found them, Chris bolted for the nearest doorway, just as it plowed straight through the window all the way to the other wall, causing the building to crumble into pieces. Mark and Clarence were able to scramble through the same doorway before the entire building came down on their heads, but the collapsing structure doesn't appear to have hampered the Pawn either.

Desperately, Mark pulled out his Hero Shot, taking a few pot shots at the beast. Unfortunately, it seemed to have the exact same effect as the last time the team fought it, which is to say all it did was aggravate it. Clarence was able to pull the panicking Agent out of harm's way before it retaliated, punching another hole in a building and disappearing into the ensuing dust cloud.

"That machine's tenacious, I'll give it that." Clarence said, running for the opposite side of the street to reunite with the Agent and the octoling commander. "Don't bother shooting it. Ink's only good for pissing it off."
"Well what else am I supposed to do?!" Mark yelled. "Everyone's stuck using ink weapons!"
"…I already miss my harpoon. Hurry, we'll discuss this once we regroup."

Chris could merely follow Clarence's guidance. Watching as the octoling started talking to Rachel and discussing strategies, he was somewhat envious that he couldn't take charge of the situation. Noticing that the sounds of destruction seem to have faded somewhat, he decided to take part in the tactics meeting by listening in. Trying to stay hidden, they tried their best to keep their voices down.
"Ink isn't working, huh…?" Rachel said, thinking. "That's… not good."
"Yes, that does put beings like us at a disadvantage." Clarence replied, shaking his head. "But we have confirmed that despite its seemingly impervious nature it isn't invincible. We've already defeated it once."
"Really? How?"
"Clarence managed to impale it with a giant harpoon. One stab in the chest, then one stab in the head. That was enough to bring it down." Mark clarified, before sighing. "At least, we THOUGHT it was enough."

Chris suddenly remembered something. "Hey… John, didn't you say you saw some pod thing fly out of the basement before that thing came back?"
"Yeah… I did." John replied, puzzled. "Why did you ask?"
"…I don't think we've properly killed it." Chris tried to recall the outcome of their last battle. "I think… when Clarence stabbed it, he merely used the torso of that machine as leverage, and used all his force to impale the head. That disabled it-"
"…but it didn't actually destroy it! That pod you mentioned, it must be its core!" Rachel managed to come to the same conclusion that Chris did. "So… we gotta destroy that part with the weird emblem utterly. But how are we going to take it down without some kind of sharp object?"

Clarence tilted his head upwards, gazing at the ceiling of the dome. Stalactites dot the very top of the cavern, and rather notably a good handful appear to have hairline cracks running down their bases.
"…we might just have to improvise." He concluded. "Rachel, where did you park your UFO?"
"It should be up at the train station." The octoling commander replied. "You need it for something?"
"We'll need to set a trap. One decisive blow through its chest should be enough to permanently destroy it. If we can dislodge a stalactite right on top of it…"
"Sounds good. But that thing's bound to notice if the UFO takes off. We'll need someone to act as a distraction. So who's going to volunteer…?"

The octolings turned to look at the inklings. Immediately, Mark and John both crossed their arms and shook their heads desperately.
"ACK! Count me out!" John gibbered. "I'm not about to become snake chow!"
"Me neither!" Mark added. "Chris, what about you?! That thing seems to have taken an interest towards you!"

"Wait, really?" Chris was shocked.

As Chris's memory raced back once more, he realized that Mark might actually have a point. The Pawn definitely knew him somehow, and all this time it seemed to be attacking him with much more frequency than the others, as if it were fixated on him for some unexplainable reason. Perhaps…
"…Okay." Chris nodded. "I'll do it. I'll try and get its attention."

The others nodded, and began slowly approaching the UFO as quietly as they could, discussing their part of the plan along the way. As they disappeared around a corner, Chris steeled himself, and jogged straight out of the alleyway into the middle of the cracked street.

"HEY!" Chris yelled, as loudly as he could. "I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! COME ON OUT!"

A nearby building collapsed, and the Pawn rushed straight out of the dust cloud, coiling into a spiral before it faced Chris, boring into him with its frightening gaze.

"THE CHOSEN… EMERGES… FROM THE SHADOWS." A voice began to hiss through Chris's headset. Despite the muffled voice coming through the speakers, the sibilant hiss that accompanied every word sent shivers running down his back. "YOUR… ACCOMPLICES… GONE?"

"Y-yes." Chris replied. He tried his best to keep himself calm, but inside his mind his thoughts were racing. Why hasn't this creature devoured him on the spot?

"NO MORE… INTERFERENCES. EARS ON THE WALLS. SILENCE." Another hiss rasped through the speakers. "TRULY, YOU ARE… THE 'BYSTANDER'. DISCONNECTED… FEARFUL…"

"Bystander…?" Chris slowly backed away. If it isn't planning on attacking him, he just has to keep this creature 'talking' to focus its attention on him. "What are you talking about?"

"YOU CANNOT ESCAPE… YOUR PAST. YOU CANNOT ESCAPE… YOUR FATE." It took every bit of willpower Chris had to not run from the sound of its voice. "FROM EVEN BEFORE YOU WERE CONCEIVED… YOUR DESTINY… IS SET IN STONE."

From the corner of his eye, Chris could've sworn he saw something move upwards. Has the team made it? Or was his nervousness making him see things that aren't there?
"I don't understand." The inkling said. "We only set out to restore Splatfests. Why are you opposing us?"

A rush of static tore through his head. Chris was definitely thrown off by the sound. It almost felt like laughter.
"'SPLATFESTS'? SUCH A STRANGE INFLECTION. THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHT… HOW NOSTALGAIC." The robotic voice seemed to carry a tone somehow. Mocking? "COLORED LIGHTS. MUSIC. ENCHANTING… YET… INSIGNIFICANT. RESTORATION… IS MISGUIDED…"

"You… you know about the Splatfests?!" Chris couldn't conceal his surprise. Not only is this machine aware of the festival, it somehow knew that Chris along with his team were on a quest to restore them. A machine, that appears to have spent years buried away in this forgotten corner underground.

"A STORY… REQUIRES… ADVERSARIES." The serpentine robot's maw somehow curled into a leer. "IT WOULD BE… SIMPLISTIC… TO SNUFF OUT YOU LIGHT… THIS MOMENT. BUT…MY PURPOSE…IS MERELY TO IMPEDE… NOTHING MORE."

The Pawn seemed to approach Chris, the inkling backing away a few more steps in terror. He had half a mind to pull out his Dual Squelchers and fight back. But then, the Pawn seemed to stop, snarling.

"ALAS… IT IS NOT WITHIN MY RIGHT… TO DIVULGE MUCH FURTHER. IT WOULD APPEAR… THE INTERFERENCE… HAS RETURNED." The Pawn's eyes seemed to narrow as it peered upward. "I BID YOU... SAYONARA… ONE OF THE FOUR. MAY WE… MEET… ONCE AGAIN."

Without warning, a stalactite fell right on top of the machine, piercing it straight through its chest. A screeching bellow came from the Pawn as it writhed in agony, and simultaneous the exact same wail of sound ripped straight through Chris's headset, forcing him to take them off.
Right before his eyes, the Pawn's body seemed to disintegrate rapidly. First its long body crumbled into metallic particles, followed by the arms, and the head. The core was the last piece to crumble, the emblem flickering erratically, before it too also turned into dust, plunging the area around it into complete darkness. A blue vapor seemed to seep from the pile as the light faded, before it too dissipated into nothing as if it were never there.

"BOOYAH! We got 'em!"
Chris looked up. The UFO flew down until it met his level, the rest of the group standing atop the flying vehicle.
"You… you killed it." Chris was much too dumbfounded to say much more.
"Yep, we did! Use the Splat Bombs to dislodge the stalactites, to impale a robot serpent just below it! Sounds like something out of an adventure game!" John exclaimed. "I like it!"
"I dunno how you did it, but that thing was just staring at you the whole time!" Mark added, "We should nickname you 'snake charmer' once we get upside!"

"Now that was something to see!" Rachel's voice said from inside the UFO. "I'm not getting any interference in the airwaves. That thing's definitely gone. Get on board, we're going on an express ride straight to the surface!"
Chris nodded. "…Oh. Right."

As Chris climbed aboard, he steadied himself as the UFO took off. As his current companions cheered each other on their victory, he blanked out their voices, his mind still dwelling on the events that transpired. Why had the Pawn acted the way it did? Why did it tell him that much?

For a few precious moments, it was as if Chris glimpsed the abyss that the creation myths had mentioned. Behind this seemingly unremarkable quest, a greater darkness lurked, just out of reach.

"It looks like…" He thought to himself, as he watched the entire island that contained the Grand Library slowly disappear under an avalanche of rubble. "This quest of ours isn't going to be as simple as I thought…"

"…"

Mei-Lin's breath caught in her throat, her speech deserting her. There was so much she wanted to say, but she felt that she couldn't find the words for them.
There they are. The octarians that had made her stay in Sector 0 a traumatic one. She had suspected it when she saw Eliza's true colors emerge, but now the proof lay before her very eyes.

The octoling sniper was kindhearted deep down. Even when her companions were threatened and tortured to breaking point, she couldn't bring herself to kill off her own kind when the opportunity arose. Although, it would appear that the idea of letting them off hadn't crossed her mind at any point, however, as they now lay bound before her, dangling from a precarious drop.

"Mei-Lin, what's wrong with you?!" She thought to herself, biting her lip. "Why can't you speak?!"

"Well, you're somehow still alive. For an insignificant little thing that can't even fight properly, you're certainly tenacious." The octobomber leader growled. "I dunno if I should be impressed or not."
"…!" Mei-Lin couldn't reply. The words still stung, despite her resolution to be strong. Still…
"…no turning back now. I have to do this… for myself."

"I'm…" Mei-Lin's mouth slowly formed words. "I'm here. To consider if you were all worth rescuing."
"Excuse me?!" Big Al laughed, the sound coming out in unpleasant gurgles. "The absurdity of this situation, I can't even-"
"You're here to rescue us?! PLEASE!" One of the octotrooper cronies interrupted. "GET US OUTTA HERE!"
"…Paul?" The octobomber glared at the octotrooper that spoke out, causing him to shrivel in fear.
"I-I'm sorry! I don't want to die! I don't want to be hurt! PLEASE!"

Silence befell the area. For a few moments, nothing can be heard but the sound of Low Tide Park crumbling all around them.
"This… is my chance. To make amends… for my weaker self. Time to show them… I have changed."

"You don't want to die…?" Mei-Lin echoed softly. "You don't want to be hurt?"
"Y-yes! Help me!"

Mei-Lin's eyes narrowed. She could feel it gnawing within her… an intense hatred. A dark thought crossed her mind…
"I could just cut them loose, let them fall. I'm still making amends…"

But just as quickly as the thought crossed her mind, her vivid imagination conjured up an image of the consequences. Before her very eyes, her imagination painted the octarians before her plummeting into the pit, meeting a gruesome end when they met the bottom. She felt sick.

"…okay. Remember, you owe me." Mei-Lin shook her head, desperately trying to stuff the hatred she was feeling into some dark corner of her mind. She can regret the righteous decision all she wanted later. For the time being, she focused on the situation, trying to pull the octarians up first.

It was, as expected, extremely difficult for her weak composition, as one octobomber and his cronies actually weighted a fair amount. Looking around for something that could help, Mei-Lin spotted a railing close by. Trying to hold the rope steady, she looped the small bit of rope that she could pull up around it, pulling them up bit by bit until she managed to get the tied up octarians to solid ground.
Now there was the matter of getting the octarians out of the bindings. They were tied up in a net formation, so a few strategic cuts should free the octotroopers. Spotting a piece of jagged metal on the ground that had likely come from one of the many crumbled islands around her, she reached for it-

Another tremor tore through the area. Caught off guard, she momentarily lost her balance.
"AAAH!" She screamed, falling over. Her flailing arms unfortunately hit the sharp chunk of debris, knocking it into the bottomless pit down below. Watching it disappear into the darkness, Mei-Lin began to feel dizzy.

"Oh no…" Mei-Lin got up, and looked around, but was shocked to not find another remotely sharp object close by. This was certainly one of the times where architectural obligations like keeping the buildings from falling apart from the slightest tremor were NOT working in her favor.

She was desperate. Mei-Lin could probably try and scavenge something that could be serviceable, but it's more than likely she'd fall into the bottomless pit with the rest of Low-Tide Park before she could. Unable to process any other course of action, she panicked. Baring her sharp fangs, she bit down onto the rope, trying to gnaw the strands loose.
"NNNNNGH…!"

It was stupid, and exceedingly inefficient. Perhaps had it been someone like Katelyn, physical feats like biting through rope with teeth wouldn't be entirely out of left field, but it most certainly wasn't Mei-Lin's specialization. But eventually, enough strands came apart to the point where the rest of the rope easily snapped, freeing the octarians from their predicament.

"W-WE'RE SAVED!" The octotroopers cheered in unison, but not before Big Al ripped apart the rest of the bindings with one flex, sending them flying in every direction.
"Hmph…" The octobomber grumbled, as he got up onto his feet. "Don't think that being rescued by you means we're buddies now."
"…you're welcome." Mei-Lin muttered, indignantly avoiding the mob boss's glare. "But we're not safe until we get to the evacuation point. Don't try anything shady, we're all going to die if any of you do not cooperate."
The octotroopers got the message, at least. At least, that's the response she interpreted from their vigorous nodding.

Low-Tide Park is in worse shape than Mei-Lin had imagined. Giant stalactites had destroyed some of the bridges, even utterly wiping out a few islands that she once passed through. As she navigated the maze of bridges and destroyed structures, she noticed that the observatory that she had stayed for the night had been impaled by one of the giant spikes, leaving nothing left but a gaping hole.
"If this earthquake was bound to happen… we would've gotten caught in that if we arrived a day later..." She thought to herself, and shuddered.
It wasn't long until she could see her destination. The archway that indicated the entrance to Low Tide Park, and just beyond that the familiar darkened tunnel that led to the surface. Seeing the exit, Mei-Lin's heart leapt with renewed vigor.

That is, until a stalactite crashed right behind her.

Wheeling round, her face fell immediately. The octotroopers are lying flat before her unscathed, but the octobomber's body has been penetrated by the giant stone spike that now lay embedded in the bridge, hairline cracks forming from the impact point.

"O-oh…no…no…" Mei-Lin was aghast. They were so close!

Big Al coughed, splattering the ground with fuchsia, before his mouth curled into a smirk.
"H-heh…heh…" He grunted between labored breaths. "Fancy that. Looks like… I… got the… last… laugh… Urgh…!"

"BOSS!" One of the octotroopers called out, turning round horrified. "We- We'll get you outta there!"

"Stay back, you idiots!" Big Al interrupted, the outburst triggering a series of coughs. "This bridge… is about to go. You lot, get outta… my sight. Do I have to… whack you all with my submission technique again?!"

Mei-Lin couldn't believe what she was hearing. Despite this octobomber's rough manner of speaking, not to mention the cruelty he had heaped on her, he had knocked his subordinates out of harm's way, only to be crushed by the ensuing stalactite.

"W-why…?" She whispered.

Big Al merely laughed. "I don't owe you… an explanation. Urgh… This is where I lived, and… agh… this is where…I'll rest. I… never liked the sun…. anyway."

The bridge began to give way. Mei-Lin and the octotroopers were forced to back away as part of the road collapsed, cutting them off from the doomed octobomber.

"All my life… I'm all about winnin'. Let me, Albert 'Big' Lorenzo, teach you an important life…lesson." The octobomber smirked triumphantly. "You can't… expect to… argh… save everyone. I'll be taking this last win over you… girlie. Ha… ha… ha."

With that, the entire bridge, along with the archway, collapsed. The octobomber fell into the bottomless pit, his laughter still echoing in Mei-Lin's ears.

"….no…no…NO…!"

Mei-Lin fell to her knees, defeated. She didn't mourn the loss of the octobomber much, but she had hoped that she could rescue all the octarians in this particular dome alone. A feat of willpower to prove to her own self that she was no longer the helpless girl she once was.

And one simple stalactite had taken that chance away from her.

"HEY! What are you all hanging around here for? Best make like a popular record and fly outta here!"

Mei-Lin snapped out of her stupor, just as the octotroopers behind her all yelled simultaneously in shock. DJ Octavio was waiting at the mouth of the tunnel in his vehicle, watching them.
"L-LORD OCTAVIO?!" An octotrooper yelled.
Another octotrooper outright faceplanted the floor. "P-PLEASE FORGIVE US! YOU MUST UNDERSTAND-"
"We'll talk about your questionable behavior while you've been stewed down here later. For now, we've got a crumbling dome to escape from!" Octavio commanded. "Get out of here!"

Mei-Lin watched, blinking back tears as she watched the octotroopers run up the slope and disappeared out of view. Staggering, she slowly followed them, walking past Octavio.

"...I… expected this. It's alright." DJ Octavio said, looking at the broken bridge regrettably. "I know it's statistically impossible to rescue absolutely everyone under such conditions."
"It's not that…" Mei-Lin replied, "I… wanted to prove to myself that I'm not a burden. But look what happened!"
"What, getting those four octarians this far all on your lonesome isn't proof enough?" Octavio chuckled. "Seems like the Agents in the civilian district are doing about as well as you are. Considering you're just a civilian, I'd give it a pass, yeah?"

Mei-Lin nodded, taking a deep breath and letting her mind calm itself. Undesirable feelings were still mulling around in the back of her head, but she wasn't as shaken as she might have anymore. "…yeah. You're right…"
"Good. Now, let us head topside. The others oughta be getting there soon."

Without another word, Mei-Lin began making her way up the slope. She could hear the entire dome collapsing behind her, but never once did she look back. All she can do now is focus on the stream of light beaming down at the very end of the tunnel beyond.

A buzzer went off on a nearby console. Looking up, Callie could see a flashing red light. Wasting no time, she turned on the nearby microphone.
"Agent 1 here, what's your status?" She asked.
"The last of the surviving octarians are on!" Beth's voice resounded from a speaker. "And… yeah, one of the recon team's got the octolings with him. We're ready to leave!"

"Got it!" Callie turned off the mic, facing Marie. "How's the civilian district?"
"They just radioed in. They're on their way!" Marie replied. "I also received word from Rachel just now, we should be expecting the Agents from the Grand Library soon!"
"Wow… that went better than I thought." Callie looked back at the console. "What about DJ Octavio?"

"Someone page me?" A familiar voice shouted from across the cavern. Turning round, the Squid Sisters could see the octarian leader riding out of the entrance to Sector 0 on his DJ booth, Mei-Lin running closely after him with three octotroopers in tow.
"Well, you took your time, old friend!" Captain Cuttlefish grumbled, tapping his cane as he walked up to the group. "Best stand clear of that tunnel, looks like the others are on their way here."

"…Where's everyone?" Mei-Lin asked, looking around the cavern. "Was I… the first one back?"
"If you're looking for the rest of your team, they should be on their way!" Callie replied, waving at her. "Get to a safe distance!"
"Alright." Mei-Lin replied, backing away as she heard a deep hum emitting from the tunnel entrance.

Before long, an armada of UFOs poured out of the entrance to Sector 0 one by one, each one flying past the operation crew before they went up the tunnel that led to the surface of Octo Valley, and disappeared from sight. As each one flew past, Cuttlefish's eyes darted to each one, the aged captain mentally counting each one.
"…that's the last of them!" He eventually yelled, as one final UFO cleared the entrance. The support beams around the cave entrance were starting to quiver dangerously.
"Without a moment to spare." Octavio added, watching the console readout. "It's… all coming down."

Sector integrity: 3%... 1%...0%.

Everyone that remained in the cavern felt it. The dark tunnel that lay beyond the entrance cracked and crumbled, the concrete walls caving in as the effects of the tremors finally reached the top of Sector 0. A rush of wind blew through the area as it all fell apart, rattling the support beams surrounding the tunnel mouth. Eventually, the destruction stopped right at the support beams, the death rattle of Sector 0 punctuated by them as they fell on top of themselves, crumpling like crushed cardboard.

Eventually, the last of the tremors coming from what used to be Sector 0 came to a halt, and the earth was finally still. All that was left was silence.

"We've been down there for HOW LONG?!"

Mei-Lin stopped in her tracks amidst pushing past a crowd of octarians, noticing an octoling commander and a noticeably scruffy looking octoling that stood out from the crowd talking to yet another octoling soldier that had just now flinched from surprise.
The moment the inkling had arrived at the surface of Octo Valley, she had been overwhelmed by the crowd of octarians and inkling Agents all over the place, most likely the aftermath of Sector 0's collapse. Most were celebrating as they reunited with their friends and family, though she noticed a good amount of octarians that were just wandering aimlessly, obviously having trouble managing the transition from a lifetime underground. The inkling was trying to locate her teammates amidst the crowd until the people before her caught her attention.
The octoling commander in particular had yelled pretty loudly, catching everyone nearby off guard, Mei-Lin included. The hunched down octoling whimpered, obviously not accustomed to the unwanted attention.

"I-I only told you what day it is today..." The unfortunate messanger said weakly, undoubtedly regretting her decision to open her mouth.
"Really, Aussie? I don't know why you're so bothered." The messy-looking octoling chimed in, amused. "So we've been gone for like, seven months, so what? It's just an extended holi-"
"THAT'S EXACTLY THE PROBLEM, TAI! If we're gone for that long, they might as well have treated us like we've died! The cohesion of the squad, the state of the barracks… GOOD GRIEF…!" Aussie grumbled, massaging the back of her head. "All that work I gotta deal with once I get back to our barracks, and I'm definitely not in top shape… I just can't remember what I was doing the day before! Head hurts a lot on top of all that…"
"Oh, um… yeah." Tai looked elsewhere with a shifty look on her face. "I guess you must've banged your head pretty hard when we were getting outta there. I'm sure it's nothing."

Aussie grumbled a few choice words in response that were far too muffled for Mei-Lin to overhear, before she walked off towards a distant kettle, dragging Tai by the arm with her.
"Urgh… WHATEVER! We're heading back straight away! Tai, you're going to be cleaning out the barracks with the others! AND DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT SLACKING OFF!"
"Alright, alright. I'll get to it, commander." Tai replied, lazily droning the last word.

The moment the commander hopped into the kettle entrance, the irresponsible-looking octoling merely shrugged, smirking mischievously.
"…eh. I'll check on my room first. Gotta make sure it's still in perfect operating condition!" Tai snickered, as she made sure her commander was most certainly out of earshot. "It's not like they're going to treat us like we've died or anything. Time to indulge in a hero's return… followed by a prolonged examination of my bunk! Heh heh..."

Mei-Lin watched as the messily dressed soldier jumped into the kettle after her superior officer, and promptly vanished. Not wasting any more time with distractions, she doubled down on her efforts to locate her teammates.
She didn't have to look for very long. Just past a small group of confused octocopters, she spotted Katelyn. She appears to be watching from the side as a rather small octotrooper was staring with childlike wonder at the partially cloudy sky, with Eliza besides him pointing out specific details.
"…and that's the sun! You see that really bright light just beyond the clouds?" The octoling sniper explained happily. "Don't look at it directly, it's a lot brighter than the bulb we had back home. You'll hurt your eyes if you do."
"Wooooah." The octotrooper child's eyes were glimmering with wonder, completely entranced by the unfamiliar scenery.

"Katelyn!" Mei-Lin called out. Her friend turned to face her, positively beaming.
"Mei-Lin! You're alright!" Katelyn exclaimed. Mei-Lin had to brace herself to make sure her friend didn't bowl her over. "I was worried sick…"
"It's okay, I'm right here." She looked over Katelyn's shoulder, and at what Eliza's doing. "Is she…?"
"I coerced her to have some quality family time. Let's leave them be." Katelyn paused momentarily, looking around. "…where's Cobalt and Chris?"

"Someone looking for me?" A familiar voice replied. Cobalt emerged from the crowd of octarians, with Chris in tow. "I… kinda got a little pushed around and ended up in that crowd for a bit. Chris had to find me and fish me outta there."
"Sounds like a very 'you' thing." Katelyn replied, and snickered. "Still… I'm glad we all made it out of that place alive. That was… really something else."
"Yeah…" For a brief second, Mei-Lin seemed despondent, but just as quickly the expression was replaced by a stiff smile. "It was."
"So now that that's over with…" Cobalt said, looking around. "What are we gonna-"

A seagull squawked overhead. Suddenly, something hard fell from the sky, hitting Cobalt square in the head and knocking him over in the process.
"AGH!" He croaked.

The team rushed to get him back up, but Katelyn stopped mid-step as she realized WHAT had hit Cobalt. From the concrete floor, a concussed Salty was looking back, his eyes spinning dizzily in spirals.
"WHAT THE HECK?!" Katelyn yelled, picking up the Super Sea Snail. "SALTY?! How did you-"

It was then she remembered.
"Oh… I left the window open, didn't I?" She said flatly. "Gods, I'm such an idiot! Still, I'm glad you're alright, Salty."
"Coo!" The Sea Snail merely replied, looking up. The seagull that had dropped him flew down and landed besides Katelyn, looking quizzically at Salty.
"I…. don't get it." The inkling girl laughed. "Were you adventuring with that bird somehow?"
The seagull squawked. She couldn't tell if that was an acknowledgement, or was it just squawking randomly like any other bird would.

"Geez. Whatever it was, I'm not letting you out of my sights!" Katelyn reached for her pocket, withdrawing two long white ribbons. With both hands, she tied one around the base of her left tentacle, and another around Salty's shell.
"There. We got matching accessories!" She smiled. "That way, people will know to find me if we ever get separated."
The Super Sea Snail rattled his shell in response, somewhat pleased by his new look. Without another word, Katelyn stuffed Salty back under her bobble hat, sheltering it from the elements.
"Well, that's nice. Could've worked on the entrance…" Cobalt groaned, rubbing his head as he shot a dirty look at the seagull that aerial bombed him. "Yeesh, you couldn't just LAND?"
"SQUAWK!" The seagull merely responded, flying away.

Just as the team was about to begin debating on what to do next, their conversation was interrupted by a sudden broadcast that echoed all over Octo Valley. All the octarians and Agents stopped what they were doing and looked towards the source. Octavio had taken the helm and spoken into a held microphone, while hovering a few feet above Captain Cuttlefish's shack in his DJ booth.

"*ahem*, I would like everyone's attention!" The octarian leader said. "First of all, I must thank everyone that had partaken in this operation. By all intents and purposes, it has been a success."

There was a collective cheer that echoed throughout the crowd. Mei-Lin noticed however that there were a very small number of octarians and inklings that didn't. They kept their mouths shut and their heads were bowed low, not really smiling. Were they…?

"Yes, I can see it in some of you." Octavio bowed his head. "It would be foolish to say that there hadn't been losses. The earthquake had been unprecedented, and as a result some of the survivors, and our forces… didn't make it."

Silence fell across the crowd, like they were cut off with a guillotine. What could be said?

Octavio nodded, sympathizing with them. "…yes, I know. There isn't much we can do for them now. My heart goes out to the ones that lost a loved one this day… or those that may have left people behind. But you must all understand: we're alive now. We're all gathered here. The least we can do to honor their memory is to live for their sakes. As the leader of an ostracized people, I understand this more than anyone else."

An uneasy silence drifted over Octo Valley as everyone mourned their losses. Eventually, the octarian leader coughed, shaking his head. "…with that out of the way, I've been talking to Captain Cuttlefish, and I believe that everyone that has assisted in the operation deserves compensation for their bravery. There isn't much we can offer to you all, but I would like everyone to accept our caches of Power Eggs as rewards. For those that need it, Agents 1 and 2 are willing to provide some comfort to those that lost a friend or family, so feel free to talk to them if any of you need consolation. Dismissed."

Chatter began to flare up all over the crowd again. Some of the octarian civilians began to file out, disappearing into kettles scattered all over the islands, escorted by octolings. Agents started to form a line, collecting their generous sum of Power Eggs to use at their discretion before jumping into the sewer grate that led back to Inkopolis.
"Looks like this is it." Cobalt said, joining the line. "C'mon, we should also get our share before we go."
"And what exactly are we supposed to do with Power Eggs?" Katelyn asked. "I don't even know what they're for! I mean I've seen 'em in hardware stores, but I never cared enough to check."
"….I dunno either. I'm sure they're valuable though!"

It was a particularly long wait, considering the amount of Agents. Eventually, they reached the front of the line, and was met with Captain Cuttlefish.
"Oh, it's you squiddos!" He said, rummaging through a massive pile of what looks like tin cans behind him and handing out a generous handful to the team. "Here's your share of Power Eggs."
"Pardon our ignorance… but what are they for?" Mei-Lin asked.
"Ah, yes. Power Eggs are invaluable for upgrading inkling weaponry." Cuttlefish explained. "I'm no engineer so I can't really tell you the intricate details, but I had a comrade that dabbled in upgrade tech once upon a time..."

"You kids should know his grandson really well, too." A familiar voice added. "He runs the weapon shop in Inkopolis Plaza!"
The team turned at the sound of the voice, and was surprised to see the Squid Sisters waving at them.
"Oh, that was quick!" Cuttlefish exclaimed. "There weren't that many that needed consoling, I imagine."
"Yeah… I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that there weren't that many losses." Marie said. "That was quite the major event."
"You guys did ace! Not even Agents, and despite that you all showed some serious grit down there!" Callie congratulated. "If you four ever need help, we're happy to assist in your quest. Just call us up!"

Callie reached for her pocket, and withdrew a mobile phone. "C'mon, let's share our phone numbers!"
Katelyn's eyes were practically lit up like spotlights. "Wait, really?! You're giving us your numbers just like that?! YES PLEASE!"
"Katelyn, your inner fangirl is showing." Mei-Lin said, taking out her own. "Still, having Agents at our beck and call isn't a bad option."
"I'd love to receive the number too, but I seem to have left my phone at home…" Cobalt rummaged through his pockets, not finding anything. "Chris, you gotta help me note this down… Chris?"

Chris snapped out of his silence. All the while, he seemed rather out of it, as if he were contemplating something. "O-oh! Right, sorry. I had something on my mind right now."
"Huh, not like you to be the one not paying attention." Cobalt quipped. "Got your phone?"
"Yeah. Actually…" Chris turned to face his teammates. "That reminds me. We've agreed to meet up at a specific time yesterday, but it might be inefficient. Best we form a proper group on our mobile devices so we can contact one another at any time."
"That sounds like a plan!" Katelyn agreed. "Heehee, it's like we're officially recognizing ourselves as the Splatfest Restoration Squad!"
"Don't you have a better name?" Cobalt chuckled. "That's lame."
"S-shut up! It's temporary, alright?!"

The exchange of information didn't take long, and the team received their rewards. They made preparations, ready to return home to Inkopolis. From their vantage point, Inkopolis was lit up by the setting sun, shimmering gently in the distance. It reminded Katelyn of the dimly lit bulb back at the civilian district…

"Leaving so soon?"

Katelyn turned at the sound of the voice. Eliza was walking towards them, and with the rest of the Under-Sea-Dogs with her.
"Oh! Eliza!" She said.
"We've all decided to see you off." Heather chimed in. "Seems appropriate, after everything that's happened between us…"
"…and yet you've all helped with rescuing the civilians." Morgan continued. "I couldn't thank you all enough for your assistance."

"Thanks, but…" Katelyn's smile drooped by a fraction. "Sector 0's gone. What are you all going to do now?"
"We're going to be pursuing our original dream together. The reason we formed the Under-Sea-Dogs in the first place. True equality for all the octarians." Clarence replied. "Things might've changed here, but I believe there's still work that can be done."
"I've been thinking of renaming the Blue-Ringed Menace squadron I was in command of to the Under-Sea-Dogs." Eliza said. "After that… well, we'll decide together on the future."
"That's good to hear." Chris said, nodding in approval. "I hope you all achieve your dreams."
"Indeed." Morgan replied. "I wish you all luck in your quest."

With one last wave, the octolings joined the rest of the octarians returning home, and vanished from sight. Giving them one last wave of goodbye, Chris turned to face the team.
"I guess we'll all be going home now." He said, turning to Cobalt. "Cobalt? Let's head home."
"Yeah. I'll be right after you."

Chris nodded in response, hopping into the manhole that headed home. Cobalt turned to face Katelyn.
"Hey, remember that talk we had down there? Go on." He whispered, giving her a wink. With that, he jumped right after Chris, and disappeared.

Katelyn gulped, turning to face Mei-Lin.
"H-hey…" She muttered.
"What is it, Katelyn?"

In that very instant, Katelyn could see it proper. Mei-Lin's mannerisms had changed since their ordeal. Her smile, while still somewhat underlain with an unspoken sadness, was no longer forced, and seemed so much more radiant than what Katelyn had seen her ever make in the time she had known her.
Her mental strength has indeed grown after all. Perhaps it was for the best.

"…it's nothing." Katelyn said, returning the smile. "Are you okay with returning home by yourself?"
"...yeah. I guess I'll be seeing you."

With that, Mei-Lin disappeared with the manhole, and Katelyn followed suit shortly after. As the girls met on the other side and exchanged words of farewell, they went their separate ways home. The sun finally set over Inkopolis, giving way to darkness. Inkopolis Plaza is, once again, devoid of activity, the lingering chill of winter hovering in the air.
That is, until a small shadow uncurled from a corner, and settled down under the pale moonlight that shone from above. As the clouds parted, the creature looked up into the sky, looking sleepy.

"Meow… (Oh my… the moon is big and bright tonight. What mewmories…)"

AN: AAAAAAAND done! Good grief, this chapter (or chapters, if you wanna be specific about it) took FAR longer than I would've liked. A lot of things had happened, one of the biggest including my old laptop finally dying, so I was scrambling in panic to salvage the unfinished works. But now that THAT's over with... I've realized so much has happened since I've started writing this story.
I never realized it until someone pointed it out: I've been at this thing for two years now! I would've posted this at the anniversary, but, I'm not good with planning ahead. But at least I got this out at the end of the year! Here's hoping 2018 doesn't totally suck!