Inkopolis Down
Chapter 8
Old Faces Resurface
"Thank you for inviting me to your house." Tint said as he walked up to Cepha's country cottage, "I'll return your bike tomorrow."
"No problem." Cepha said, then turned to Arnie, "Arnie, I'm going to introduce you to my parents, so please greet them with respect."
"I will, Cepha." Arnie said, "You parents are also my priority."
"Thank you." Cepha smiled as she walked up to the door, then knocked, "We'll go in first, Arnie." she referred to herself and Tint, "I'll introduce you last."
"Alright." Arnie nodded, and the sound of the door alerted them all.
"Ah, hello, Cepha!" Paprika opened it, "Oh! Is this your friend? Come in! Come in!" she said happily.
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"Mom, dad, this is Tint." Cepha introduced the inkling boy, "He's my boyfriend."
"Ah... I see.." Splat mumbled as he looked at him, "He seems responsible... strong..."
"I am, sir." Tint told him, "I will defend you daughter with my life."
"That's big talk, son." Splat responded,
"What do you do for a living, Tint?" Paprika was much more merciful,
"I do Turf Wars." Tint responded, "If that's a living.."
"That's nice." Paprika smiled, "What interested you in my daughter?"
"Well, she's kind, nice... and she is very pretty." Tint chuckled, "Many others tease her for being a hybrid, but I defended her from day one."
"Aw..." Paprika mumbled, "I wish you had seen me like that on day one." she told Splat, "All you saw me as was another target."
"Oh come on." Splat groaned, "I still love you."
"Oh dad, mom..." Cepha said, "Can I introduce you to one of my most trusted friends?"
"Sure." Paprika grinned.
"Arnie, come in!" Cepha said, and the lumbering figure did so.
"AH!" the two parents screamed in horror.
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"What do you mean there's another one!?" the inkling scientist yelled and Britten,
"I faced him off after the bank incident." Britten responded, "He is just like me."
"That's impossible.. Only I have the serum!" the scientist growled, "And no one has tested it on a brittle star!"
"I don't know, master... but he attacked me." Britten told him, "He is not on our side."
"Maybe... it's the one from 16 years ago..." the fat inkling said, "The one that inspired you to do this?"
"But I thought he was dead!" the scientist told him, "He wouldn't stay dormant for 16 years if he had such a splatting spree!"
"I have to take him out if you want to succeed, master." Britten informed, "Let me hunt him."
"Huh.." the scientist sighed, "Very well... We cannot have him stopping our plans..."
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"Paprika!" Splat yelled as he protected his wife, "Cepha! Hide!"
"What are you talking about, father?!" Cepha said in shock, "Arnie is my friend!"
"He is not a friend!" Paprika screamed, "It's him! It's that monster!"
"What is going on!?" Tint said in shock,
"How did you come back!? We killed you!" Splat roared, "You fell in that wood chipper! You shouldn't be alive, Starly!"
Arnie entered a trance, "You..." he growled, "Splat!? Paprika!?" he roared, "You killed me!" he turned his arms into spines, "You left me for dead!"
"Arnie!" Cepha interceded, "What are you doing!?"
"Cepha, stand back!" Splat yelled,
"I am no-" Arnie stopped, then looked at Cepha, "Cepha... You... don't know who I am..." he growled and turned back to Splat and Paprika,
"Don't kill my parents!" Cepha pushed him, "Why are you doing this!? You swore you'd protect me!"
"What?!" Paprika gasped,
"Grr..." Arnie paused, then started to remember all the good Cepha had done to him, "It is because your daughter had showed me much kindness that I will not splat you..." he told Splat and Paprika, "I chose to redeem my ways... I am no longer Starly... I am Arnie..."
"Hm..." Cepha smiled, "Thank you."
"How did you live?!" Splat asked him,
"It wasn't easy..." Arnie grumbled, then recollected the old battle.
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"AH!" Starly was blasted by the inkzooka shot and was thrown out the window.
However, a lone leg was knocked away and landed in a sewage runoff, thus being saved from the wood chipper.
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"From that single leg I regenerated." Arnie told them, "But the damage to my nervous system was severe, and I developed amnesia... I was a vagabond that lived in Bluefin Depot, that was until your daughter had mercy on me."
"You killed my babies!" Paprika nearly ran to tackle him, only to be stopped by Splat,
"What?" Cepha turned to him, "You did!?"
"That was be-" Arnie groaned when Cepha ran away, "Can't you just be happy I saved your daughter from death on multiple occasions!?" he yelled and followed Cepha.
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"Cepha?" Arnie slowly opened the door to her room,
"Go away..." Cepha responded, she was crying on her bed,
"You know I wouldn't do that..." Arnie mumbled, "I vowed to protect you, I am a being of honor and loyalty."
"What did you do to my mom!?" Cepha yelled at him, "What did you do to my dad!?"
"Cepha..." Arnie grumbled as he stood next to her, "That was a long time ago... Everything I did then does not matter today..."
"Tell me!" Cepha screamed,
"Huh..." Arnie sighed, "I splatted many people... and I tried to splat your parents as well..." he mumbled, "I also killed your possible brothers and sisters..."
"You what!?" Cepha cried, "How could you!?"
"That was before, Cepha!" Arnie yelled, "I repent of what I did! I'm a good starfish now!"
"Prove it." Cepha muttered,
"What?" Arnie asked,
"Prove it!" Cepha yelled, "Swear to me right now that you will not splat any living thing!"
"Cepha." Arnie grumbled, "I-I... Swear that I will not splat any living thing." he muttered, "Under one condition!"
"No!" Cepha yelled,
"Yes!" Arnie argued, "Under the condition that the said living thing is not attacking you, your family, your loved ones, or any other person you yourself tell me falls under this oath."
"Very well.." Cepha mumbled, "Do you mean it?"
"Absolutely." Arnie raised his hand, "On my honor and loyalty. I'm sorry I hurt your family so much." he hugged her,
"I forgive you.. Starly..." Cepha smiled, "I mean... Arnie..." she hugged him tighter...
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"What happened to us, Paprika?" Splat said as he looked at a picture of a much younger Splat, Paprika, and Calamaird, who were waving and smiling at the camera.
"What do you mean, Splat?" Paprika responded when she came out of their bathroom,
"When we were young..." Splat turned to face her, "Oh were we brash.. and strong. We didn't let anyone say anything bad about our baby girl. What happened to that Splat you chose to partner up with 16 years ago?"
"The same thing that happened to that Paprika you chose to spare 16 years ago." Paprika answered, "We grew up, we had a family, a reason to settle down and live for."
"You think we can ever relive those times?" Splat looked back at the picture, "Seeing that Starly is back in the picture."
"I'm afraid Starly is sincere on his change." Paprika chuckled, "Plus, we wouldn't want him chasing us again!" she joked, "Look, Splat... You'll always be the one I chose no matter what... You'll always be my little Splatty-Watty." she grabbed his cheek,
"Ah stop it!" Splat chortled, "I hate it when you call me that, Pap." he looked at her, "But you also never change to me... Well, except those love handles." he taunted,
"Hey!" Paprika growled, "I had a kid with this body, so cut it out!" she playfully punched him, "I can say the same for you, Mr. Pecs."
"It's just Inkling biology, my dear." Splat said as he looked at his rather built chest, "the Inkling male gets a spike in muscle build when he procreates in order to protect his brood... At least that's what it said in the Biology book." he sighed, "Thousands of years of evolution." he chuckled.
"Don't you think it to be true?" Paprika questioned,
"I don't really care, to be honest." Splat said, "But I feel that time, chance, and cells aren't a good thing to rely on. Say what you want..." he rubbed his arm, "I also know about the Holy Mackerel, but why would he let bad things happen to good people?"
"Sure Starly was a bad thing." Paprika said, "But hey, you're here because of him! You could say that out of the ashes, a new kelp forest arose!"
"Well, it looks like it's time to go back down there." Splat cut the conversation short, then walked out of the room.
"What will I ever do with you, you silly little Inkling boy?" Paprika giggled and followed suit.