Chapter 2: Sachiko Ever After
Inkling opened his eyes to see a very peculiar sight.
Instead of taking them to Thra, as they expected, the time pool instead dumped them into a dark school, filled with Japanese writing.
Lightning flashed and thunder roared outside, as the rain gently pitter pattered against the windows.
"Well, isn't this an odd sight." Said a voice.
Inkling turned his head toward the voice, as did the other Octonauts when they heard it. What they saw, nearly made them jump out of their skins.
Two Japanese humans, a young woman that could've been a teacher, and a seven year old girl, were standing side by side with each other, staring at the Octonauts with gentle smiles.
"What are they, Ms. Yui?" Asked the little girl. "They're cute."
"I'm not sure, Yuka." The teacher said to the girl. "I've never seen them before. Would you mind stating yourselves and why you are in Kisaragi Academy?"
"Kisaragi Academy, is that where we ended up?" Shellington asked as they all stood up.
"Yes, that is where you are at the moment." Ms Yui nodded.
"Well, we are the Octonauts." Barnacles started. "I am Captain Barnacles. This is Kwazzi, Peso, Shellington, Dashi, Inkling, Tweak, and Tunip. We are undersea workers from a world where animals rule. But as of today, we were sucked into a paranormal whirlpool known as a time pool and brought to your world."
"We were expecting to arrive on another planet to meet up with our friends." Peso explained. "That's what happened last time."
"A time pool you say." Ms Yui thought. "Yes, I've heard of those. Ayumi is always talking about paranormal things and I think time pool was one of them. But, as I recall, a time pool will only go for a victim if there was a mission involved."
"Yes, that's true." Shellington nodded. "But it has brought us to Japan in the human world."
"I'm sure we'll figure out why eventually." Ms Yui giggled. "Right now, I need to get this young Yuka here to her older brother, Satoshi, and check up on my students."
"It's a little late." Dashi frowned as she looked outside. "Why would your students still be here?"
"We had a cultural festival today." Ms Yui explained. "They were helping to clean up. Also, today it's Mayu's last day, so they wanted to say goodbye."
"Oh, understandable." Dashi nodded.
Following Ms Yui and Yuka, the Octonauts followed them to a dark class that was illuminated by a single candle.
Upon closer inspection, they could see seven students surrounding the candle, listening to the blackhead girl speak of a spooky tale about a haunted school.
"It was a rainy evening after school, just like this one." She began. "Running down the stairs, the kindly teacher lost her footing. She tumbled and she fell... And she died."
Two brunette girls that looked like they could be sisters hugged onto each other, shivering with fear and pure satisfaction.
"You've all heard the stories, no?" The girl continued. "Before Kisaragi Academy was built here, there was another school on this property. Heavenly Host Elementary school, it was called."
A young brunette boy leaned closer. The blonde seemed bored as the boy in glasses just smirked in amusement.
"Such a horrible thing to happen... The principle was devastated." The girl sighed. "He cared for the school as if it was his own child, you see. But one thing was led to another, and a decision was made. The school was shut down."
"Is this all completely true?" Peso nervously asked Ms Yui, who nodded.
"The principle was so stricken with grief, that on the day of the school's closure, he climbed onto the roof and threw himself to death... Or so the story goes." The girl smirked. "People thought of Heavenly Host to be cursed. This was only another death of many others. That's why the school was shut down. However, it is said that the teacher who fell still has no idea that she's dead, even to this very day."
Another brunette girl with her hair up gasped and leaned closer.
"And on rainy evenings like this, after school is out, some claim that she roams the halls like the school is hers." The girl gasped. "In fact, it's almost time for her to make her rounds! Just after seven!"
Ms Yui looked to Yuka and the Octonauts and gave them a wink. It was a prank!
"That's when she appears, along with a blackout." The girl continued. "Knock knock, you'll hear through the blackness, along with the creak of a classroom door opening as she sticks her head inside, asking 'is anyone still here?'."
Suddenly, lightning struck outside, distracting the students long enough for Ms Yui to reach into the classroom and flip the light switch off, sending the room into complete darkness.
The brunette boy and the girls all screamed out in fear. The boy looked around fearfully.
"It's a blackout!" He cried.
"Satoshi, come on! Don't scare us like that!" Whimpered one of the brunette sisters
"But it was scary!" Satoshi whined.
"Oh, this is just too precious." Barnacles laughed softly to avoid detection from the students.
"Watch this." Ms Yui giggled.
Slowly and quietly, Ms Yui raised her fist and gently knocked on the door. The students jumped in fear and turned to the door.
"No way!" The blackhead girl shivered. "First the blackout and now the door?"
"Get ahold of yourself, Satoshi!" Screamed the same brunette girl. "And get off me, that's my chest!"
"Ack!" Satoshi cried as he pushed himself off the girl. "Sorry Naomi, I couldn't see where I was grabbing."
"Hey, Satoshi," smirked the blonde. "Aren't you going to answer the door? "
"What?!" Satoshi turned to him. "Are you crazy Yoshiki?!"
"Look, the girls are all trembling in fear." Yoshiki pointed. "Doesn't it just break your heart to see them like that?"
"Then why don't you answer it?" Satoshi challenged.
"Well, it certainly doesn't break MY heart." Yoshiki laughed.
"That's cold man." Satoshi frowned.
Satoshi gulped nervously as he faced the classroom door. Slowly, but hesitantly, he went up to the door and slowly opened it.
Ms. Yui stuck her face into the classroom. Because it was so dark, Satoshi did not recognize her face. He cried out in fear and scrambled away.
"Is anyone still here?" She asked in a ghostly voice. "Go home children."
The students cried out in fear as lightning struck outside again. Ms. Yui stepped into the classroom, turning the light back on while laughing hysterically.
"Way to go, Ms. Yui!" Laughed the blackhead girl while they shared a high five. "Your timing couldn't have been more perfect!"
"Haaan, we've been had!" The girl with the ponytail and the other brunette sister laughed together.
"I was a student here myself not long ago." Ms. Yui laughed. "So when it comes to the secrets of Kisaragi High, I'm pretty well-versed."
Yoshiki laughed as he noticed Satoshi still on the floor.
"Hah, Satoshi." He chuckled.
The girl with the ponytail went over to Satoshi and helped him up.
"I thought Shig's reaction was priceless, but yours topped it, Satoshi!" She giggled.
"Heh... Thanks Mayu." Satoshi blushed madly.
"It was pretty impressive," nodded the boy in glasses. "I could never compete with that."
"Satoshi's always got the best reactions." The blackhead giggled. "I just love it when my scares are so effective. It simply thrilling!"
"Whoever heard of a class rep with such a sadistic streak?" Satoshi frowned.
"I'm sorry Satoshi," Ms. Yui giggled. "But I can't help but say that it simply was amusing."
Satoshi groaned in embarrassment. He was always so easy to scare.
"All pranking aside, though," Ms. Yui continued. "I ran into an adorable little individual who's come to see you."
Satoshi raised his eyebrow in confusion... Until Yuka ran into the room.
"Big brother!" Yuka cried out happily.
"Ah, Yuka!" Satoshi smiled. "What are you doing here?"
"You forgot your umbrella this morning, big brother." Yuka explained. "So I came to give it to you."
"Aw, you're such a sweet little sister." Satoshi smiled gratefully as he took the umbrella.
"Yuka was not the only one I ran into, though." Ms. Yui explained. "We also ran into a peculiar group in the hallway on the way here. Come in you guys."
Hesitantly, the Octonauts entered the room and stood beside Ms. Yui. The students gasped at the sight of them.
"Well, go on," Ms. Yui urged. "Introduce yourselves."
"Uh, hello." Barnacles waved nervously, not remembering himself being so nervous before, but then again, these were humans, the animals natural enemy. "We are the Octonauts. I'm Captain Barnacles. This is Kwazzi, Peso, Shellington, Dashi, Inkling, Tweak, and Tunip."
"They were brought here by a time pool, Ayumi." Ms. Yui said to the blackhead.
"Oh wow, really?!" Ayumi squealed in excitement. "That's so cool, what was it like?"
"Well, it was certainly different than the last one." Peso giggled.
"Mind you, this is not the first time we were taken to another world." Shellington added. "It's actually our second time."
"Whoa, that's so cool." Ayumi smiled. "It's very nice to meet you. I'm Ayumi. This is Satoshi, Yoshiki, Naomi, Seiko, Mayu, and Morishige. You've already met Yuka and Ms. Yui."
"It's very nice to meet you." The Octonauts said together, feeling less nervous.
Ms. Yui smiled, then she noticed Mayu and slowly went over to her.
"Mayu, I know how hard it is to say goodbye." Ms. Yui sighed, the rest of the students sighing as they remembered that they were losing someone today. "But I have a feeling that you're going to do wonderful and successful things at your new school."
"Thanks Ms. Yui." Mayu wiped tears from her eyes. "I'm lucky to have friends like you all."
"We're all going to miss you, Mayu." Morishige sighed. "How about we get everybody in a picture?"
"Oh yes, please." Mayu nodded.
Everybody wanted to be included in the picture. They even pulled the Octonauts into it. It was always great to make new friends.
Morishige pulled out his camera and quickly took the picture of everybody giving bright happy smiles.
"Perfect!" Morishige cried when the film came out.
"Be sure to make copies of that photo and send it to each and every one of us." Naomi smirked.
"Of course," Morishige nodded. "I'll even give a copy to the Octonauts before they leave."
"That's very nice of you, Morishige." Dashi smiled.
"Hey teach!" Ayumi called out. "Before we leave today, can we do something first?"
"Hmm, what is it?" Ms. Yui asked.
"It's a friendship charm that I found on the internet. It's called 'Sachiko Ever After'." Ayumi explained. "Something that'll keep us together forever, or stay as friends I suppose."
"Hmm, I guess it couldn't hurt, is everyone else alright with this?" Ms. Yui asked.
The students all nodded in agreement.
"Perfect!" Ayumi smiled, pulling out a paper doll. "Now everybody, get into a circle around this doll. Come on, come on, don't be shy. You too, Octonauts."
Flattered at being included in their friendship ritual, the Octonauts happily joined the humans around the circle.
"Alright, now everybody grab a piece of the doll and don't let go. Dig your nails into it if you have to." Ayumi nodded as everybody grabbed a piece. "Now we have to say 'Sachiko, we beg of you' for every person in this room. So let's see, there's... One, two... Seven... Nine... Thirteen... Seventeen people in this room. So we have to say it seventeen times."
Everybody nodded and started saying the phrase in their heads. Eventually, they looked up to hear what was next.
"Now, we need to pull onto the doll until we get seventeen pieces." Ayumi explained. "Ready? One, two, three!"
Everybody pulled as hard as they could until the doll started to rip, giving them seventeen pieces.
"Now keep that piece and don't ever lose it." Ayumi smiled. "Stick it in your ID holder if you have to, just don't lose it."
"So the paper has some kind of meaning to it?" Yoshiki asked, earning a nod from Ayumi.
"Yep, as long as we all have a piece of Sachiko with us, we'll always be friends." Ayumi explained.
"Fascinating." Shellington complimented as he stuck his scrap into his notebook.
"Wow, that's pretty cool." Naomi smiled.
"Pretty cool, try super awesome!" Seiko corrected. "I'll have to be really careful not to lose mine."
"Thank you, Ayumi." Mayu sniffed. "I'll treasure this forever."
Ms. Yui sighed and smiled.
"Alright, now that's over, everybody needs to get home." Ms. Yui ordered.
"But we still don't know what we're here for." Tweak frowned. "Usually, something would happen by now."
Suddenly, the world began to shake and the floor started to crack.
"Like that?!" Morishige questioned.
"It's an earthquake!" Satoshi yelled.
"Holy crap! This is like super big!" Yoshiki screamed.
"Everybody, stay calm and get under the desks until it passes!" Ms Yui ordered.
The earth started shaking even more. The school started falling apart and lights started to fall, nearly hitting everybody in the classroom. Everybody screamed as the room shook more violently.
"What's happening?!" Peso screamed.
"Everybody, get under the desks!" Ms. Yui commanded.
Suddenly, the floor opened up underneath their feet, and they were all sent screaming as they fell, the hole swallowing them in darkness.