On the last day of school, Mrs. Watasenia mentioned going to the summer festival. Tori remembered Principal Mobula mentioning the summer festival once, too.
She's never been to the summer festival, so she decided to ask Lady Squall about it. To which she said:
"The summer festival…" A strange look had crossed her face. "Why do you want to go there?"
"Mrs. Watasenia said she was going," Tori had replied. "All the clans are going to be there, too."
"Hm…" She remembered the long pause Lady Squall took, silence settling in save for the sound of the wind battering against the window. "I will consider it."
It had been about a week since then. Lady Squall had not said another word about the festival, to the point where Tori wondered if they were going to go at all.
Then, at dinnertime, Lady Squall had an announcement.
At the ring of her bell, everyone went silent, and she stood up, her hands placed behind her back as always. "Tomorrow evening, we will be attending the summer festival. It is perhaps one of the most important celebrations of the year and a cornerstone of Splatsville culture. I expect you all to be on your best behavior. That is all. Please continue eating."
As soon as she sat back down, the dining hall immediately erupted into conversation.
"We're going to the summer festival?!"
"I thought we'd never do that."
"I hope my friends are there!"
Tori covered her ears. It was too loud! But she couldn't leave until she finished her meal. She waited until the noise started to die down to eat another spoonful of the golden bisque. Lobster bisque always had a really rich and creamy flavor. It wasn't fish stew, but she liked it all the same. It was better than some other soups, that was for sure.
But it had a lot of flakes in it. And sometimes bits of the shell were floating around in the bisque as well. She wasn't sure which one was worse.
As she finished her meal and started to leave, she found herself stuck in the middle of a swarm of kids, all leaving the dining room like she was. As they walked down the hall, she kept her arms close by her sides, her shoulders uncomfortably tense. She wished she could run past them, but there was no room. So, she just had to keep walking. Eventually, she would end up at her living quarters.
In the meantime, she listened in on the conversation between the two teenagers in front of her.
"Remember the last time we went to the summer festival?" said one. "How old were we?"
"Six," the other replied. "And now we're seventeen. We'll be homeless this time next year."
"Dude, don't say that!" he exclaimed, elbowing him. "You got me by your side, right?"
"Yeah, but I'm being realistic. We're not getting adopted, face it."
"Well, whatever! I'm just glad we get to go to one again!"
"Y'know, why did we stop going?"
"Something happened, right? Do you remember what?"
"Nah." The second teenager shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. "Does it matter what?"
The first teenager sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
Tori saw an open door up ahead, and she dashed into the room, letting everyone else pass by. With a chance to relax, she got to think about what she just heard.
Something happened the last time the Squall Orphanage went to the summer festival? But what? She should ask Lady Squall. Or maybe one of the helpers would know? If it had been more than ten years since the last time they went, then everyone but Miss Ella would know something. She just needed to find them.
A harsh smell hit her nose, forcing Tori to take in her surroundings. White walls, with medical cabinets, curtains, and beds towards the back of the room…she was in the infirmary. Of course–it was near the dining room, after all.
She scanned the room, and before long, she spotted Miss Ginger near the back, taking someone's temperature. Once she finished, her barbels twitched, and she set down the thermometer on the tray before going to wash her hands and walk up to Tori.
"Oh, Tori!" The nurse shark gave her best smile. "Are you not feeling well?"
"No." A thought occurred to her–Miss Ginger has been here for a long time, too. Maybe she knew about the summer festival incident? "Can I…ask you a question?"
"A question? About what?"
"Do you know what happened the last time Squall Orphanage went to the summer festival?"
Her smile fell. "Now, why do you want to ask about that?"
"Lady Squall said we're going to the summer festival tomorrow," Tori explained, "and I heard something happened the last time the orphanage went there."
"Ah, well…" She forced her smile again, showing off her rows of teeth. "Let's not talk about that."
She swung her arms, dismayed. "Why not?"
"It hurt Lady Squall deeply." Miss Ginger still kept up that smile of hers as she spoke. "It'll only bring up bad memories if you talk about it."
"Oh." She still wanted to find out more about it, but if it hurt Lady Squall…then it must be really bad. So, she shouldn't find out more, no matter how badly she wanted to.
"Well, let's not worry about that." She nudged Tori towards the door. "You just enjoy the summer festival, alright?"
As soon as they reached the door, another question popped into Tori's head. "Are you…going to the summer festival?"
"Unfortunately not." Her smile was starting to creep Tori out from how long she had been keeping it up. "I am the only nurse here. I have to take care of the sick children, no matter how badly I want to go. My duty is much more important than a festival."
"Not even by yourself?"
"Oh, no! I can't risk that." She placed a hand on Tori, pushing her into the hall. "Now, I must be getting back to work. Goodbye, Tori! Hopefully you're not sick the next time we meet. But if you do get sick, I'll always be here."
Miss Ginger shut the door before Tori could get another word in. At that, she simply frowned and continued walking down the hall. Now that it was empty, she could relax and not feel trapped. She could return to her living quarters and play with her toys. She could pretend like there was no secret the adults were hiding.
It was all she could do until the festival arrived.
When the sun started to set, it was time to depart.
Lady Squall opted not to use the buses. Instead, she led the way through the streets of Splatsville, with the helpers ensuring all the children of the orphanage would stick close together. In a crowd of people hustling towards the heart of the city, they were unmistakable.
At first, Tori didn't know why they walked. The streets seemed to be the same as always, and the summer heat still permeated the air. Slowly, but surely, though, she began to spot new things. Round lanterns depicting various symbols hung between buildings, graffiti scribbled beneath them. Boxes full of smaller lanterns littered the street, free for taking. Squid-shaped charms dangled from lampposts, gems placed where their eyes would be. Familiar, yet foreign sights.
The sky was a brilliant shade of orange as the smell of food and the sound of music hit Tori's senses. Excited, her feet started to move faster. If not for the helpers and Lady Squall, she would've run past them altogether. She desperately wanted to see what was up ahead. She wanted to find out where that food was and where that music was coming from. But she couldn't find out until Lady Squall took them there.
Her excitement dropped, however, as the streets grew more crowded. Tori waved her hands, looking at all the people they passed. Some were lined up at food stalls, some were going to the festival, and some were leaving the festival. Others stood in the middle of the street, talking to their friends. Still others did nothing at all, simply watching the crowd as they passed. Tori caught snippets of their conversations as they walked by, but nothing more.
Once they reached the main plaza, though, Tori's jaw dropped. Signs and billboards crowded the air, no rhyme or reason to their positions. A grand stage had been set up next to a strip of buildings, lanterns and other decorations glowing behind them as performers danced. Towering above them all was a giant wooden snake, waves of light pulsing across its coiled body.
Tori, however, was more drawn to the object beneath the performers' feet. It was something Tori had only seen in books—three portable shrines, all joined together to create a magnificent fish. It had been carved with great detail, each section bright with the colors of the three clans.
Yet, she could not see it up close, as Lady Squall stopped in the middle of the square, turning around to face each and every person that had followed her downtown this evening.
"We have arrived," she announced. "We will split off into groups now. Be on your best behavior, and do not stray from your chaperone. Only then will you be able to enjoy the summer festival."
Lady Squall went through the group and assigned everyone a chaperone, and luckily, Tori got to stay with Lady Squall. Everyone went their separate ways, and soon enough, Lady Squall's attention turned towards the stage. Tori stepped back, ensuring she wouldn't see her as she played with her braids. There were too many people here, and everything was loud. But Lady Squall said she had to be on her best behavior, so she had to put up with it.
She heard the sound of a flute, and Tori lifted her head as a swarm of eels came flying over her. They fell behind the two performers, who slowly transitioned to their next pose. As the eels began to disperse, recognition struck Tori.
She's seen them before! Unagi and Kusia Onaga! They were here at the festival, and they were performing for everyone! Tori began running around, wrapping her braids around her arms. She was finally getting to watch them perform again!
Tori bumped into someone, and she swung her arms around to regain her balance. Her braids fell back in front of her head, and her eyes focused in front of her.
A manta ray much smaller than Principal Mobula grabbed his book off the ground and stared at her, frowning. On closer inspection, the book seemed to be related to music, though Tori couldn't tell much else.
"Ay..." he muttered. "Could you watch where you're going?"
"Sorry." Tori grabbed her hands.
"Ay, it's okay." He reached out to pat her shoulder, but Tori shied away. He lowered his fin, but now, he donned a smile. "I wasn't in a hurry."
Tori turned back towards Lady Squall. She couldn't go too far from her. Her hands went to her braids as she walked back over to her. She wouldn't go too far from her again.
"Ay, goodbye!" the manta ray called after her. Tori didn't look back.
Tori stepped up next to Lady Squall, though the older inkling did not say a single word, her eyes focused on the stage. Tori looked up at the stage, too. Unagi and Kusia struck one final pose, letting the eels fan out around them. Then, they relaxed, grabbing their hands to do one final pose before walking off stage, the eels following them.
Taking their place was a familiar elderly inkling, a rainbow of color bouncing off his forehead. A jellyfish pushed a microphone to him, and he held his hands behind his back, clearing his throat before beginning his speech.
"Welcome, everyone, to the summer festival," Mr. Onaga announced. "I hope you enjoyed Unagi and Kusia's eel dance. Truly, they are some of the best people Splatsville has to offer, and as both head of the Onaga Clan and a father, I will always be proud of their achievements. May they continue to reach for the stars and never let the dark sea drag them down.
"Next, I'd like to introduce my granddaughter, Frye. Though young, she is very talented. This will be her first time formally performing, so please, give her the warmest of welcomes as she comes on stage."
As if on cue, an inkling girl with similarly bronzed skin and yellow hair walked onto the stage. Lady Squall started to clap, so Tori did, too. Hearing everyone's applause, Mr. Onaga proceeded to leave the stage, doing a fistbump with the girl as they passed. Now that she was alone in the spotlight, she turned to the crowd, starry eyes darting across the wave of people down below. She held a flute in front of her, her hands shaking.
A few seconds later, she took a deep breath and blew into her flute, eels gathering around her. Then, she started to dance, trying her best to smile. The eels began to swim through the sky, just like Unagi and Kusia had done minutes before.
And just like before, it was beautiful.
As Tori watched her dance, she felt a piece of paper hit her shoulder. Wincing, she bent down and picked it up, taking a few steps back so she could unfold and read it without Lady Squall looking.
Look to your left.
Tori did as the paper instructed, and almost immediately, she spotted a figure, glowing red stripes running down their arm, standing in front of a boarded-up building. She stepped closer, and the shadows shifted, casting light on their slim red eye.
Schurk. They were here?!
Tori gestured towards Lady Squall, but Schurk simply beckoned her forth. With a frown, Tori took one last look at Lady Squall and stepped under the staircase with them.
She knew she shouldn't disobey Lady Squall's orders, but the last time she was with Schurk and their gang, it was fun. Well, only Schurk was here, but it would probably be fun anyways. And Lady Squall wasn't looking right now... If she managed to get back before she noticed, then she wouldn't get yelled at.
"There you are, Squalling," Kira's voice whispered. Tori looked down to see a blue squid at her feet, sitting upright. "I was starting to think you would go running back to that old coot."
Something grew behind Schurk, eventually forming into the imposing form of Otis. "You won't tell her we're here, right?" he asked. "That'd be no fun."
"No!" she insisted.
"Good." Schurk flashed a smile. "We won't tell her, either. You have our word."
Tori looked down at her feet, grabbing her braids. "So..."
"Why are we here?" they finished.
After Tori nodded, Kira transformed out of her squid form and continued, "It's the summer festival, duh. Everyone goes here."
"This is the first time I've been here," Tori pointed out.
"Really?" Otis blinked. "Not even once?"
She shook her head. Why were they so surprised?
"Damn," was all he had left to say.
A blob dropped to the ground, transforming into Ted as he landed with a bow. "Well, we gotta make it fun." He looked up at Tori. "Especially since it's your first time!"
Tori stuck out her arms and shook her head. "Watching this is fun."
"Kusia's kid is pretty good for her age, but there's better things out there," Schurk argued. "Like looking at the sharks."
"Or whatever the Manta Clan's up to," Kira added with a snort. "I bet they're giving free dance lessons again."
"Enough messing around, let's go," Otis grumbled, crossing his arms. "We're wasting our time."
"Alright, alright, we're going." Schurk stepped out into the street, looking around before gesturing towards the gang. "Follow me."
They walked up the stairs, and already, Tori's legs were starting to ache. Why were there so many of them? There were even more stairs than at the school, or even the orphanage. She wished someone would pick her up and carry her to the top, but none of the gang would do that for her. They were just that–a gang. The epitome of Chaos.
As soon as they reached the top, Tori turned back towards the stage. The girl was still dancing, though she dwarfed the eels swirling around her. It looked like a big yellow whirlpool–she saw Unagi and Kusia do it the last time she watched their eel dance, but it was amazing all the same.
More importantly, though, she wondered if she should go back to Lady Squall. She would get in trouble if she found out she ran off with Schurk's gang. And if they ran into one of the helpers, that would also be bad.
"What are you waiting for, Squalling?" Kira called. "The fun's just starting!"
Tori turned back around at her voice and ran back towards them. Now that she thought about it…something happened the last time Squall Orphanage went to the summer festival, right? Without Lady Squall or any of the helpers watching, she could find out more about it. But how?
For now, she would have to stick by Schurk and their gang. She found them standing in front of a fenced-off arena, situated in the shadow of a gilded chicken statue. Inside, an octoling with the same blue hair and pale skin as Schurk stepped backwards, a fan in her hand. She snapped it shut, and she advanced towards the shark at the opposite end of the arena. She climbed on top of it and grabbed a hold of its fin, holding on tightly as the shark thrashed about, teeth glinting.
In a panic, Tori grabbed the bars of the fence separating them. That girl was going to get eaten! "Stop!"
Schurk shushed her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Let her do her thing."
Tori squirmed out of their grasp and set her eyes back towards the octoling. She had taken out a sword, pressing the flat side of the blade to its snout. At last, the shark threw her off, but she turned into an octopus before she hit the ground, allowing her to reform back on her feet. She opened her fan again, pointing the blade towards the shark. It lunged towards her, but the sword caught in its teeth, giving her the chance to jump back onto the shark and slap her fan on its head. Only then did the shark start to calm down.
When she was sure the shark would not attack again, the girl let out a sigh of relief and hopped off its back, holding her fan in front of her face. With a bow, she shuffled towards the back and out of the arena, her blue kimono flowing behind her.
"And that," Schurk said, "was my sister."
Tori blinked. "Really?" Did that mean they could do that, too?
"Yeah," Ted affirmed. "They might not look like it, but they were worried about her deep down."
They huffed, turning away from him. "I knew she would be fine."
Whatever Schurk thought, there was one thing Tori knew–the three clans were all so cool.
Speaking of the clans…
She turned towards Schurk, sticking her arms out as she blurted, "Where is your shark?"
"Kappa?" They scratched the back of their head. "She's with the other sharks. Why?"
"Um…" The Hohojiro Clan tamed sharks, so Kappa should be with Schurk, right? But her mouth refused to work, so she grabbed her braids and squeezed her eyes shut.
"You want to see her, don't you?" Kira supplemented, leaning forward. "So, wanna go get her, Schurk?"
They sighed. "Alright, I'll get her."
"Shell yeah!" Ted cheered. "We get our mascot back!"
"She's not a mascot, she's my friend."
"Well, you bring her everywhere, and you painted the same stripes we have on her." Kira smirked. "So, she's our mascot."
Schurk simply snorted, but Tori could still see them smile. She stared at them as they walked behind the fenced arena, disappearing out of sight. Their lackeys began to chat among themselves while Tori stood there, wrapping her braids around her arms. She hoped something would walk out into the arena, just to give her something to watch, but nothing did.
Maybe she should ask them about the incident at the summer festival, but she didn't want to interrupt. Besides, she doubted they knew anything about it.
Someone's stomach rumbled, and she dropped her braids at once. She looked over to see Otis rubbing his stomach. "Man, I'm hungry."
Ted's eyes found Tori's, and he grinned. "Once Boss comes back, we'll get you the best food out there."
"After Schurk comes back," Kira emphasized. "They'll be mad if we leave without them."
"Mad about what?"
Tori turned to see Schurk walking across the pavement, a familiar small shark in their arms. They set the shark down, and Tori spotted the red stripes running down her back. Kappa started to waddle around the group, swinging her tail.
"We just wanted to eat, Boss," Ted explained.
Kira looked over at Otis as he kneeled down to stare at Kappa. "Isn't that right, Otey?"
He stood back up, rolling his neck. "Yeah, yeah."
Schurk picked Kappa back up. "Then let's go. You too, Squalling."
Tori nodded, and she proceeded to follow them down an alleyway marked with graffiti. Lights were strung across the walls, glowing a myriad of colors. The smell of food only grew stronger with each step, and her mouth began to water, too. Whatever was here, it smelled really good.
But she didn't want to run ahead. There were so many people squeezed into such an unfamiliar place, and if she lost sight of Schurk and their gang, she would be lost forever.
And it was loud, too. As the alley opened up, she was met with the sight of jellyfish poking their heads out of misaligned food stalls, swinging their tentacles around. People chatted amongst themselves, their conversations blurring into something incomprehensible. The sea creatures running food stalls who could speak seemed to be even louder, their voices piercing through all the music and conversation to advertise what they had to sell.
So loud, Tori would have collapsed in the middle of the street. But she couldn't. Especially not now. She sucked it up, covering her ears and running back up to the gang. She could get through this. She had to.
The gang decided to stop at a stall manned by an octoling with piercings covering his face and singed tentacles. He was playing with his necklace when they arrived, letting it fall out of his hand and lifting his head to face them.
"Hey." He pushed some paper trays forward. "Got some shredded squid for ya."
Tori stood on the tips of her toes, staring at the contents. It looked so…stringy. She had eaten squid before, but never like this.
The vendor pushed a smaller tray forward. "Got some for you, too, little squid."
Tori blinked. Could she just…take this? She shouldn't reject free food, but this was a food stall. Didn't they have to pay?
Though, this was a gang, so maybe they were going to steal it in front of him.
All eyes fell on Schurk, and they sighed as they pulled out a few coins from their pocket and dropped it on the counter. "Here."
He snatched the coins, slipping them under the counter. "Thanks for the business."
They grabbed the trays, with Schurk handing one down to Tori. Slowly, she lifted her hands off her ear holes and took the tray out of their hands. The noise grew louder, but it didn't seem that bad. She could handle this. She had to.
She found herself staring at the shredded squid. It didn't look very appetizing, but she had to eat it. It was given to her for free, after all.
Otis's eyebrows furrowed as he put a handful of strands into his mouth. "Can we get something fried next time?"
"Admit it, you just want takoyaki," Kira said, a smile on her face.
He turned away, red dusting his cheeks. "Whatever."
The rest of the gang chuckled, while Tori just watched. Unsure what else to do, her eyes fell back to the shredded squid. She should eat it, but she didn't want to. Something about it made her entire body revolt, but the gang was eating it like nothing was wrong. So, that meant something was wrong with her.
That always seemed to be the reason, no matter what happened. It was all because of something she didn't know how to fix.
Schurk tapped their foot, bringing her attention to them. "You aren't hungry?" they asked. "You can feed it to Kappa if you aren't."
Tori didn't know how to answer, so she took a step back, still holding the tray of shredded squid.
"It's really sweet," Ted added. "I know I loved this when I was your age."
Slowly, she removed a strand from the pile. Ted said it was sweet, but it didn't look sweet. Still, she had to try it sooner or later. Or else they would yell at her.
Tori took a small bite out of the strand. She could easily taste the sugar, but there was another flavor as well. She didn't know how to describe it. It was salty, but it was not. It was spicy, but it was not. It was savory, but it was not. It reminded her of some fish dinners she had eaten.
Tori ate the rest of the strand and chewed it. Just like she thought, it was stringy. Nothing like the squid dishes she ate back at the orphanage. Each individual strand that made up the strip of dried squid brushed awkwardly against her tongue, chills spreading across her entire body. She forced herself to swallow, the strand tickling against her throat. Filled with dread, she picked up the next strand. She would have to eat every strand of this dastardly meal until it was all gone.
With some hesitation, she ate the next strand. It was better than the last, but it was equally as unpleasant. With so much of the meal left to go, she didn't know if she could finish it.
She picked up the next strand when Ted cleared his throat, extending a hand towards her.
"Let me take it," he offered.
Tori shook her head. Why did he want to take it? It was her food! She had to eat it!
"Just give him it," Kira pressed. "Everyone can see you don't like it."
"That's too bad," Schurk muttered.
Tori frowned. Were they mad at her? But they didn't look mad. Still, she should listen to them. If they weren't mad now, they were going to be mad if she kept saying no.
She handed the tray over to Ted, and he held it out to Kappa, who snuck her nose into the tray and devoured its contents. Otis had disappeared into the crowd, but when he returned, pushing through lines of people, he held a tray of takoyaki, steam rising from the golden crust.
Otis grabbed a ball with his bare hands and stuck it into his mouth. "Mmm..."
"At least share!" Kira demanded.
"I am, I am." He held out the tray—there were four balls of takoyaki left, one for each inkfish. Schurk stabbed a ball with a toothpick and handed it to Tori before taking a ball for themself.
Tori liked takoyaki, but she couldn't bring herself to eat it, either. She could still feel the strands of shredded squid crawling across her throat, though they were long gone by now. But again, she shouldn't reject free food. Lady Squall would yell at her if she didn't eat it.
...But Lady Squall wasn't here right now. Then maybe she could just throw it away. But that would only bring her closer to Chaos.
Though, being with a gang already brought her closer to Chaos. Maybe…
Tori stomped a foot on the ground. She didn't know what to think! She should be avoiding Chaos, yet everything she did brought her closer to it.
She should find Lady Squall or one of the helpers right now, to steer her away from Chaos. But running away now would lead to her getting lost forever.
"Squalling?" Kira's eyes went wide with surprise. "Don't you want takoyaki? It's much better than shredded squid."
"Yeah, I thought you'd at least like that," Ted agreed.
Once again, Tori didn't answer. The noises grew louder, the crowds grew larger, the air grew thicker. It took everything she had to keep standing, to stop herself from collapsing to the ground.
Someone grabbed her takoyaki, and she snapped out of her trance, reaching towards it. Of course, it grew too far for her to grab it. Otis stuck it into his mouth, his fingers slick with sauce.
"Otey…" Kira sighed. "At least ask first."
"She didn't want it," he defended. "And you asked."
"Guys." Schurk scowled. "Let's get going."
Otis saluted. "R-right, Boss!"
They continued walking down the narrow streets, past the food stalls and disorderly sculptures. Plantlife poked out from the gaps between each fixture, surviving against all odds. A ceramic boar statue hung over the underpass, just as amazing as the other statues. Tori reached up towards it, but her arms were too short, and she was quickly pushed along before she could properly admire it.
Past the boar statue was a street leading directly back to the main plaza. Golden eels still swarmed the stage, though Tori could not see the Onaga girl from earlier. She wanted to watch more of the eel dance, but before they could reach the plaza, Kira hopped in front of her and held out her arms.
They had arrived at their next destination.
Tori took a deep breath and turned around to see a group of manta rays in front of large crates, performing a variety of activities. The only manta ray she recognized was the small one she bumped into earlier, playing on a piano with his headphones sitting on his shoulders. Another manta ray was painting something, while some others were dancing with a crowd of festival-goers, flowing to the beat of the small manta ray's piano piece.
"Ay there!" A manta ray with a horned mask over his eyes and a red kerchief around his neck walked up to the gang, waving his fins. "Welcome to the Manta Clan's corner of Splatsville!"
Tori gulped, looking up at the manta ray. He was big, even bigger than Principal Mobula. "W-who are you?"
"Ay, you don't know me?!" His mouth fell open. "I'm the head of the Manta Clan, got it?"
Tori hopped in place, swinging her arms. "The head?!" First Mr. Onaga, and now the head of the Manta Clan! Would they encounter the head of the Hohojiro Clan today, too?
"Ay, that's right!" He stepped back, lowering his fins. "Ay, would you like free dance lessons? Or a portrait painted by my mom?"
Tori stopped swinging her arms. That was it? He was just as friendly as Mr. Onaga! Not scary like she first thought!
"You're lucky Mr. Manta's so chill," Kira whispered in her head. "Can't say the same about Schurk's mom."
She frowned. What was Schurk's mom like? With how Kira described her, she didn't want to find out.
"So, Squalling." Schurk put down Kappa and turned around to face her, putting a hand on their hip. "What do you want to do?"
"I…"
"I suggest we dance," Ted interrupted. "It gets the ink pumping."
Tori grabbed her braids. They danced in P.E. class before, but Tori wasn't very good at it. She always tripped over her feet, falling out of line with everyone else.
"C'mon, it's free!" Otis egged. "Please?"
"O…kay." If they wanted her to do it, then she would.
"Booyah!" he cheered. "Now, let's go!"
Seeing their enthusiasm, Mr. Manta pointed towards the group of people dancing. "That'll be that w-ay!"
Schurk waved him goodbye and gestured for the rest of their gang to follow. As always, Tori was right behind them.
The pianist had shifted to a new song, this one faster. The gang jumped right into the action, smiles on their faces. Tori stared at them. Was it really okay? Didn't they have to ask someone first?
No one was yelling at them, so Tori joined the crowd, shuffling her feet around to match the manta rays. She tried her best to keep her space, but she still found herself bumping into other people, jumping away from the slightest of touches. She nearly fell to the ground at one point, but she was able to catch herself before she got hurt.
The manta rays stood in place, rolling their fins around, so Tori did the same, curling her hands into fists and circling them around each other. They swept from side-to-side, eventually reaching down to touch the ground. Finally, the song came to an end, and they jumped in place, spreading their fins out as far as possible.
Tori held the pose, catching her breath. Somehow, she made it through the end. As she got more used to the rhythm, she barely had to think about it. She just let her body move.
And that…was fun.
Maybe Chaos wasn't so bad after all.
She jerked her hands back. She shouldn't think that! If she kept following Chaos, then she would be lost forever. She needed to stick to Order, no matter what.
As the crowd went still, Schurk and their gang looked behind them, their eyes searching the area. Tori waved her hands up in the air, bringing their attention to them.
"You having fun?" Schurk asked.
Tori nodded, prompting Ted to suggest, "We should get something to drink." Green eyes flickered over to the other octoling. "Right, Boss?"
Schurk opened their mouth to speak when a manta ray's voice boomed throughout the corner.
"Ay you ready for the next dance?" she announced. "If ay want to leave, do it now!"
"...Let's just grab Kappa and go," Schurk muttered.
Tori shook her head. "I want to…"
She trailed off, spotting someone in the corner of her eye.
She thought it was Lady Squall at first, her heart spiked with fear. But on closer inspection, this woman was obviously not Lady Squall. They had the same golden eyes and the same thin eyebrows, but this woman looked younger. She was obviously an adult, but she had a healthy tan and didn't have any of the wrinkles Lady Squall did.
And now that she looked even closer, she didn't even have the same ink color as Lady Squall. Nor was she wearing a dress like Lady Squall always did. How did she miss that?
But she was still curious. She knew Lady Squall had a daughter. Maybe this woman was that daughter? Maybe she could find out what exactly happened to her.
But didn't Lady Squall also say she was gone forever? She didn't know what to think.
But curiosity still got the better of her, and she ran off.
"Squalling?" Schurk called. "Where are you going?"
She ignored them. She ignored the rest of their gang. She ignored everyone else in the crowd. Her sole focus was on this mysterious woman.
"Hi." She slowed down as she reached the woman, sticking her arms out. "You look like Lady Squall."
The woman froze, slowly looking down at Tori. Her eyes grew wide, bringing a hand up to her lips. "You're…"
As she trailed off, her deep blue hair becoming tinged with silver, Tori lowered her arms. Did she do something wrong? She didn't think she did something wrong…right?
"Hey." An adult octoling stepped out next to the woman, his wavy blue tentacles falling to his chest. "You're from the Squall Orphanage, right?"
Tori found herself nodding before she could stop herself. He was a stranger, but he seemed to be with the woman. The woman she thought was Lady Squall's daughter. She had to be! Her hair was even turning the same color as Lady Squall's!
As the woman continued to stand in place, her eyes watering, the octoling placed a hand on his hip. "So you know Lady Squall?" Tori nodded again. "Then I have only one thing to say."
He bent down, his tentacles so close Tori shied away, blue gaze growing sharp.
"Stay as far, far, far away from her as possible."
Tori tilted her head. What did he mean? Why did he want her to stay away? What was so bad about Lady Squall?
He didn't answer, standing up and placing a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Come on, let's get out of here."
The woman nodded, and he guided her back into the alleyway. Tori, meanwhile, only stood there, repeating the man's words over and over again in her head.
Stay as far, far, far away from her as possible.
But she didn't know why. He didn't explain why. She wanted to chase after him and ask why. But her feet were planted firmly to the ground.
"There you are!"
Tori turned around to see Schurk and their gang running up to her.
"Don't go running off like that again, okay?" Kira scolded.
"We won't be able to find you if you do," Ted agreed.
"Lucky you didn't go far," Otis mumbled.
Kappa stuck her nose towards her, seemingly in agreement with the rest of the gang.
Schurk clapped their hands. "We need to take the Squalling back," they said, returning their crimson gaze to Tori. "That old coot will be furious if we don't."
"Okay." Their adventure was fun, but they were right. Lady Squall would be furious if she didn't return. And then they would never get to go to the summer festival ever again.
Schurk's lackeys surrounded Tori again, and they began to escort her through the plaza. She tried looking past the teenagers, taking in the sights of the summer festival once more before she had to return to the orphanage. Despite how chaotic the night had been, she had fun. She would miss it. She hoped they would go to the summer festival again.
But that mysterious woman still remained on her mind. She looked…scared. Scared of her. Scared of Lady Squall? Was that why the octoling wanted her to stay away from Lady Squall? But why?
Then, it hit her. There was an incident the last time Squall Orphanage went to the summer festival. Was that why? She had been so focused on the festival that she had completely forgotten about it.
She needed to find her again, but she was gone. Just like that, the answers had slipped away from her, forever lost in the dark sea.
A/N: And...scene! I really hope you enjoy this chapter-it's something I've been wanting to write since I started writing this. The first "big" hurdle has been crossed, and now, I can start to get to some of the chapters I REALLY want to write. For instance, the very next chapter is going to be a different one. You'll see next week, hopefully. But there's still a lot more to come, and there's still a lot more secrets to be uncovered. How will everything play out, well, you just have to keep reading! With that being said...Branchwing, out!