Unknown

It's quiet under a yellow sky.

The sounds of the seas and the wind as calming as is.

The sweet smell of fresh air is something they wanted to feel.

But the pain is unbelievable as Rei and Zero found themselves lying next to each other on the sand as Zero remains silver and Rei is now fully orange.

Both their pale white skins are shown yellow by the sky's reflection as it mirrors the world itself.

[We'll meet you when we bump into you. You two did very well.] Marina's voice called.

"Thanks, Marina. See ya." Zero whispers as he smiles and hangs up his headgear while still lying on the ground.

Both Rei and Zero are without coats as Zero is left with a vest and leggings and Rei is in a sports bra and shorts, showing their visible scars after the battle against Team Spades.

"Rei."

"Yeah, Zero?" Rei turns her head while looking at Zero.

"It's scary, isn't it?" Zero chuckles softly while still looking up.

"Yeah…" Rei agreed.

The duo know they're done for, but they actually faced their final challenge.

But Rei is on death's doorstep as she frowns.

But the duo are watching the heavens together.

"Everyone's watching us." Rei said.

"Yeah. We avenged them." Zero said.

"Yeah."

When they first met, Rei thought Zero is a monster that's trying to eat her while denying being friends with her, and Zero thought Rei is a clueless idiot who goes straight towards anything dangerous and is ignorant.

But now, they're closer than ever before.

"When I said you passed. I mean it." Zero points out 2 years ago.

"Yeah… But I don't know better. I'm uneducated." Rei looks away as she's seeing her own past.

"You may be uneducated, but you're a lot smarter than before. Even if you're stronger than before." Zero laughs.

Rei halts as she can tell that Zero is similar to her, but not uneducated like her.

After Zero laughs, Zero sighs as he closes his eyes.

"Rei."

"Yeah?" Rei looks at Zero again.

"I'm tired…" Zero says while he rests.

"Zero…"

Rei knows why.

Zero is sleeping.

Lifting herself up, Rei can see an orange light out of her body as if she's about to fade slowly, leading her to hold her chest as she can feel the pain.

Rei is on her hands and knees while looking straight at Zero, dropping her tears on Zero's face.

She can tell that he'll miss her as she knows that they've become distant from each other to being good friends.

"Zero… I never thought I would say this, but… I don't wanna die. But that's how life goes." Rei's voice quivers as she's keeping herself from crying. "Zero, if you see my younger self, make sure that I'll think for myself earlier. Also change mama for me."

Despite sleeping, Zero can clearly hear her as he's not moving an inch.

Then Rei gets closer to Zero as she's prepared for this.

Finally, Rei places her lips onto Zero's as she had the impression that she's kissing her other self.

As she lifts herself up, Rei blushes as she smiles.

"This is from Aori. She loves you." Rei whispers, knowing she's not much time as she's seeing herself releasing a bunch of orange lights from her own body like fireflies.

Finally, Rei lies down next to Zero as she holds his hand as her tears are running.

Rei knew she's meeting her end, but it was worth it.

"See you later, Rei…" Rei says her last word as she vanishes into a bunch of orange lights.

Zero is now all alone at the beach as Rei bids him farewell as she's joining her friends.

In the end, Rei is now all the way to her goal as Zero's goal was expanded by Rei.

"I wish I was your demon instead… But I'm glad that you're my friend… Sayonara, Zero."


14004 May 28th

Haikara, Inkopolis City, Plaza

Morning…

It's loud and crowded as it's like Zero's world, popular with the girls, but there's some male population in the city as well.

The city is massive as it shows how advanced the city was as cars and people are going past and turf war is played on the LED billboard.

Moaning, Zero opens his eyes as he's picking himself up from the ground.

"Rei?" Zero turns around as he's still a young adult, but seeing as the year is 14004, Zero has succeeded. "We did it! Rei, we-"

"Who's Rei?" An inkling boy asked as he and 2 inkling girls halted out of confusion.

"Ah… Sorry." Zero apologises.

As the inkling trio left, Zero looks at Rei's light that is going to the sky as Zero himself remains calm and silent.

"Rei…" Zero knows it's nothing new as he lost many of his friends, but Rei is someone he's close friends to as he witnesses the things he and Rei did for and to each other.

In the end, Zero's tears fall onto the ground after realising that Rei sacrificed herself for Zero's future.

"You idiot… I'm glad that you're my friend." Zero chuckles bitterly.

As Zero walks through the city, he can see the inklings are in peace as he's looking at his way out.

Maybe a location to a certain village where Rei lives.


Calamari, Shiokara Village

Calamari, a part of Haikara as Shikkara is a village where inklings reside and was a place where Aori, Hotaru and Rei lived in their childhood.

Walking past other inklings, Zero is seeing Hotaru and her mother walking together as he's understanding what the past is like.

Sighing, Zero is glad to see his loved ones being happy for a while.

Until he stops and sees Shiver who is not really Shiver, but Tartar in Shiver's body after Frye's body succumbed to the virus, whereas Shiver has less, but was a zombie after ripping them off of her body long ago.

"Found yourself a new body, huh? Doesn't matter. It's over, Tartar. I won." Zero said as he's serious.

"But… How… I… I lost to mere inkling…" Tartar fell onto her knees after witnessing what Zero did. "Why… All I want is to bring humanity back…" Tartar sobs as she knows why she lost.

"Humanity is back." Zero points out.

"Eh?" Tartar halts.

"Only a few as if they're false gods. I challenged them and now we're facing each other." Zero says as he walks past Tartar with a glare. "Thank you, former telephone."

"Zero! I'll kill you… I'll kill you… I'll kill you…" Tartar growls out of depression as she repeatedly says "I'll kill you…" Over and over again.

Zero, in truth, actually pitied Tartar after time after time of trying to bring humanity back, even if it costs the population their lives.

After Zero leaves Tartar behind, appearing in front of Tartar is Mirai, who was standing by a green Shiver.

"Tartar? Got yourself a new body, huh?"

"Mirai… I- I'm sorry! I failed you!" Tartar sobs as she clings onto Mirai's coat.

"Aww, don't be. Actually, you succeeded." Mirai cheerfully said.

"What?" Tartar gasped.

"I wanted Zero to test his strength on us, considering I was sidelined by that bitch, Meggy, you're destined to lose. But you're never the antagonist of the story." Mirai's smile has turned grimly as she's been waiting for this.

"H- How…"

"Think about it, octoling wannabe, you've been trying to kill us. However, we're demons that never die until our hosts die with us. That's why in the end, you're fated to die. Bye-bye, Tartar!" Mirai waves as she leaves.

Tartar's world is falling apart as she's seeing true horror that is forever a loop with a different twist, leading her to hold her head as well as scratching herself.

"Ehehehe! Ahahahahahaha! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Laughing maniacally, Tartar had witnessed the truth behind everything in this world as she's about to face Zero again as well as his old and new friends. "ZERO! ZERO! I THOUGHT THIS IS MY ENDING! EHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHA! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The inkling villagers are looking at Shiver with discomfort as they're watching an octoling girl screaming like a banshee as she's enraged and in despair.

"Poor you… I never thought I would say that to a monster like you but I pity you." Zero mutters as he's ignoring Tartar in order to visit an old friend.

Zero knows that he feels strange between his legs after being a girl for a long time, but it's not the time to think about something trivial and move on to something important.


Later.

He arrives at a familiar house as he's lowering his head.

A house that reminds him of his own house.

"Rei… I'll be your big brother." Zero said to himself as he's ready to take the risk.

Finally, he knocks on the door as he's waiting.

Then a door opens as it reveals to be a black inkling woman in a kimono looking at Zero with discomfort.

"H- Hey. I'm um… Rei's cousin. I came here to live with you." Zero lied with a cheerful smile.

"Really? I didn't know my family member had a child that is a young adult." Rei's mother said as she's suspicious about Zero's appearance

"You have an older sister. Does that ring any bells?" Zero is still smiling as he's trying to get into Rei's house.

"Hm… What makes you think that I'll let you in?" Rei's mother asked.

"Because I was told to stay in this place." Zero lied again. "I also got a paying job, so I can help you and your daughter."

"Really? And what job is it?"

"It may be early, but I'm working at Grizzco Industries." Zero answered while lowering his head.

"Makes sense. Alright." Rei's mother opens the door for Zero to enter as he bows. "From now on, you're living with us. And you better pay for your own things."

"Will do, ma'am." Zero promises as he enters the house.

Finally, it's time for Zero to do what the previous Rei asked for, which is changing her mother's attitude and making her less dumber.

Then he encounters a silver ink bodied inkling that is actually an infant, leading Zero to stand and then lean down towards an infant that is 2 years old.

"Hey, Rei. I'll be your big brother for now, even your babysitter." Zero said as he pats an infant's head with a warm smile. "I'm Zero. How about we get along with each other."

After Zero's introduction, Rei hands out a block as she giggles with a wide smile, leading Zero to smile and chuckle while accepting a block.

Zero has finally found a family as he lost everything around him, except for Pearl and Marina who're nowhere to be found.

Let's hope they're okay.

Afterwards, Zero is playing with Rei.

"That's right, I'll give you a better future."

"Do you believe in ghosts?"


11 Years Later

14015 May 28th

Haikara, Inkopolis City, Plaza

The city remains unchanged after years of being a lively city with the Great Zapfish charging the place, but the difference is that there's modern day inklings living there.

Walking through the city in the lobby, Rei is looking at the list as she appears with an extra tentacle on her head like an ahoge and her bangs are similar to any inkling girls, but slick to the left a little bit and sports a cat-eared headphones, making her average, but stand out.

"Hm. So these are my team. Damien, Mikage and Junko. I wonder if they're around here somewhere." Rei said as she looked left and right while carrying a Splattershot Jr.

Before Rei turns around, she ends up getting barged by a yellow inkling boy as he and Rei exclaims.

"Ah! Sorry!" An inkling boy with a topknot apologises.

"No, I'm- !?" Rei stops as she witnesses the face of an inkling boy.

It's as if she remembers his face yet she just met him.

Then tears come out as they're running from her black eyelids down to her pale cheek and then plops down on the floor.

"Eh? Are you okay!? Did I hurt you!?" An inkling boy exclaims.

"Y- Your name… What's your name?" Rei's quivering voice asked as she's trying not to cry in front of a boy she met.

"Eh? It's um… It's Daigo. Koroko Daigo, it's nice to mee-"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Wailing, Rei quickly embraces Daigo as it feels as if she missed him, causing Daigo to stutter.

"Huh!?"

"Oi, Dai! What the!? Huh!?" An inkling girl with pigtails, Saki, exclaimed as she witnessed an inkling girl crying while hugging Daigo.

"Oh my. What did you do to make her cry, Daigo?" Another inkling girl with a hippie haircut, Sayaka, who is older, asks as she sees Daigo struggling to do something about this.

"Sayaka! Saki! I didn't do anything! This girl's been crying since we met!" Daigo explained in shock and confusion.

"Well, you better not do something that made her cry, you idiot!" Saki yelled as she's about to kick Daigo's back.

After that, Rei grabs both Saki and Sayaka as both inkling girls yelp with surprise.

"Dai! Saki! Sayaka! I- I missed you!" Rei sobs as she's still holding the trio tight, leading the trio to be confused and then hug Rei back while comforting her.

It's like those memories are Zero's as it affects Rei after knowing who he was and what his memories hold, impacting Rei's mind, yet left unchanged as she's just young and has fewer friends as Zero remembered when they first met.

Arriving by Rei's side is the familiar trio that consists of 2 inkling boys and an inkling girl, Damien, Mikage and Junko.

To Zero, it's just like old times as he can see Rei's true feelings towards those she met and was friends with as her previous self.

While 7 inklings are introducing each other, Zero's smile slowly fades as his endless journey continues, leading him to look at the friends and families of inklings which made him envious yet happy.

While he's still being hunted down as well as Rei, Zero knows how to remain invisible.

As an inkling goes past, an orange butterfly leaves as it's heading somewhere where his location leads to.

"This isn't the end, but a new beginning. I want everyone to smile. Don't be upset that it ends like this, but be happy that our journey continues…"

"Rei…"

"I'm really glad that you're my friend."

-See you next mission…-