Tori was one of the few children allowed in Lady Squall's office. The others would be turned away, but not her. Tori took great pride in it, but she knew not to brag. She knew Lady Squall wouldn't want her to brag.
Sometimes, when it was thundering, Tori ran to Lady Squall, clinging to her leg as she merely donned a smile and led her to her quarters. The fireplace crackled softly as the old lady grabbed a book and sat down in her chair, flipping the pages open. Now that it was time for story time, Tori sat down, lifting her head as she played with a rubber ball in her hands.
"A long time ago, there was a creature called a human," Lady Squall began. "They lived in giant cities across the entire world, just like we do. For many years, nothing bad ever happened to them."
"So what happened?" Tori asked.
"Let me finish," she scolded. Tori's eyes widened, and she thinned her lips, zipping them shut. "Now, there are good humans, and there are bad humans. While the good humans strived for Order, the bad humans strived for Chaos. For many years, they fought, but the bad humans won. They ended up destroying themselves, but from their ashes rose us. We crawled out of the ocean and took over. Just like humans, there are bad people all around us, but we, the good people, outnumber them. So, it is up to us to maintain Order, and not go down the same path humans did."
She closed the book, golden eyes falling on Tori. "The end."
Tori looked down at her ball, rolling it around in her hand. This story should have a happy ending–all the stories Lady Squall told did. Then why did she feel…sad? She didn't understand it.
"Lady Squall…" Tori began, snapping her head back towards her. "Can humans come back?"
"No, Tori," she muttered. "They are gone, and they will never come back."
"Oh…" Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I don't like this story."
"You may not like this story now, but you will when you get older." She closed the book and set it down on the table. "If humans still existed, we would not."
"But there has to be a way!"
Lady Squall frowned, shaking her head. "There isn't." She stood up, took the ball, and helped Tori to her feet. The little inkling wrapped her stubby hand around hers, and she stared up at her, yellow eyes expectant.
"Where are we going?" she asked as they headed off to the door. "Can I have my ball?"
"It's getting late," she explained. "You best be off to sleep now."
Tori blinked, her eyes widening as a few tears streaked her cheeks. "But it's still raining!" Thunder boomed in the distance, and she let out a squeak, frozen in place.
Lady Squall slowly blinked, studying her. "You won't be alone," she eventually said. "You will be sleeping with everyone else here, just as you always have."
"I'm the only one in my bed."
She sighed. "You have that stuffed animal, don't you? You can sleep with it."
Her head drooped. "...Someone took him."
"What did you say?"
"Someone took it," Tori said, louder. She remembered it as clear as day–she was tugging Bobby the lobster around a little before dinnertime, taking him for an adventure. Just as she was making her way to the dining room, a girl a few years older than her blocked her way. She wouldn't let her get through and thought taking him would be the best way for her to leave. She hadn't seen either of them since.
"Who?"
"I-I don't know," she croaked. "She's older than me."
"What species is she?"
"Inkling."
"What color?"
She paused, shuddering as the memory played in her head again. "P-purple," she eventually said.
"I see." Lady Squall opened the door, and gingerly, Tori stepped outside. They began to walk down the halls, flashes of light illuminating the windows every now and then. Tori practically hugged the old lady as dim candle light shined on their faces, the floorboards creaking with each step. She saw why everyone wasn't allowed to stay up late. It was terrifying! How did adults do it?
They eventually arrived at an open doorway that led to rows upon rows of bunk beds laid, pushed up against the walls. Sea creatures of all shapes and sizes tossed and turned in their beds, slumbering. The moment they stepped into the room, Lady Squall let go of Tori's hand, beckoning her away.
"Good night," she said. "You can find your own bed, right? I must be heading back now."
Tori only nodded, wiping her eyes. Why did Lady Squall have to leave? Every time she asked, she merely explained she was doing "adult things" and left it there. But Tori still didn't understand. What were adult things? She feared she may never get an answer.
Now that she was alone, she wandered through the room, searching for her empty bed. She always made her bed on time, and Miss Ella always thought that she made her bed the best of them all. Normally, Bobby would be sitting next to her pillow, his soft red body bright against the drab sheets, but he wasn't there today. That girl had him.
Thankfully, she did find her bed. A few beds were empty, but only one wasn't touched. She climbed into the sheets and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the sound of rain battering against the building and the sound of thunder plaguing Splatsville.
She didn't sleep that night.
The next morning, Miss Swallow was waiting for her just outside her room, wishing for her to follow. They arrived in one of the spare rooms, where the butterflyfish grabbed a ruined stuffed animal from the counter. She held it out towards her, and recognition immediately hit Tori.
Bobby the Lobster was found, but he had been destroyed beyond repair. Stuffing fell from where his floppy arm once was, the fabric frayed where it had been torn off. His button eyes were gone, gaping holes staring back at her. Punctures marked his body, stuffing poking out from within. In Tori's mind, everything seemed to crash down on her.
Miss Swallow seemed to want her to take it, but she refused, tears streaming from her eyes. She didn't want to touch him ever again, now that he had been ruined. She didn't even want to think about it. No one could fix him, not even Lady Squall.
She didn't sleep that night either.
A/N: I know these two chapters were short, but I promise you, the next one will be longer. It should be out next Saturday, though beyond that? Who knows? Anyways, I hope you all are enjoying the Splatfest, and I hope you like this story, too! Branchwing, out!