Splatoon: The Brothers and the Others
Ari the Handsome Hero and Tai the Lovely Rogue
Ari, the greatest Inkling to grace this side of the planet, hummed to himself, walking along the streets of Inkopolis, a .96 Gal ink gun strapped to his back. Ari, if you've been living under a rock for the past couple of centuries, was a strikingly handsome Inkling teenager with glistening orange tentacles, a Jungle Hat, Varsity Jacket, and pair of Yellow Seahorses was his attire. He was the pinnacle of Inkling kind, everyone wanted to be his friend, he would get autographs each and everyday by adoring fans who just always wanted him in their lives.
"Ari?"
Alas, this strapping young Inkling lad had a curse, a terrible family heritage that would haunt his days and provide a solid and revealing backstory to readers, driving them to tears.
"...Ari~?"
S-Still, he persevered, leading the charge in Turf Wars and beyond, with the help of his squadron-
"Ari!"
"Gah!" Ari cried out, hands on his head.
"You've been daydreaming, haven't you?" Sari asked his cousin.
In reality, Ari and Sari were sitting back on a railing in Inkopolis Plaza's second-floor, next to the Squid Sisters' studio.
"...No." Ari said, leaning back on a railing, Sari rolling her eyes.
"Alright, well, then you have heard the news, right?" Sari asked, Ari shaking his head.
"Of course, dear Sari. Not that it matters much, we're participating in a Squad Battle today, with our two other lovely members, Rit and Bas, of course." Ari said with a smirk.
The two turned to the side, where two other Inklings stood. Two female Inklings with the same orange tentacle colors and tannish skin tones Ari and Sari had stood next to them. The two of them wore headbands that spelled "A-R-I", both wearing Basic Tees, with pairs of Cherry Kicks on their feet. One had magenta irises and the other one had blue eyes, both staring at Ari curiously.
"Leader, no disrespect intended, but you realize that the Inkopolis Tower has been shut down, right?" The one with magenta eyes said.
"Wait, really?! Rit, since when?" Ari asked.
The three females simultaneously facepalmed in their minds.
"The Squid Sister did a whole article about it, like, just now." Bas said, smiling sheepishly.
"Err? Really?" Ari asked.
"Yes, really."
Everyone turned around. The Squid Sisters were sitting in their studio, waving at the four, pointing up. The squad looked up, finding the giant television screen, where a broadcast had just finished, a message with the Inkopolis Tower posted on it in picture form stated in Inkling, "Tower Still Shut Down From Splatfest Mishap!". The other members of the squadron crossed their arms, making Ari somewhat nervous.
"Eh...heh, heh." Ari chuckled.
"Why'd you call us here then?" Rit asked impatiently.
"...Err...fresh air?" Ari offered.
Sari closed her eyes, sighing. "Ari, we love you, but judging by your blank stare for the past hour, I think you need to be left alone to sort out whatever it is you were doing. Come on girls, he needs his space."
The three female Inklings began to walk off, surprising Ari.
Ari reached out for the three. "W-Wait, what am I going to do for the rest of the day?"
Sari turned back, smiling. "You're the Great Ari, you can think of something, get those creative juices flowing!"
The three Inkling females waved, making their way through the plaza. Ari sighed, looking out to the plaza.
"Well that's perfect, what am I to do today with my faithful companions off?" Ari wondered aloud.
Ari sighed, slumping back on the floor. Looking up at the Inkopolis Tower, he noticed the Great Zapfish, coiled around the tower as always. Glancing back down at Inkopolis Plaza, he noticed most of the Inklings sitting around were bored, posting to Miiverse about how unfortunate the tower's closing was, among requests from squids wanting more attention to take pictures with other random Inklings. Ari raised an eyebrow at the sight, then an imaginary Zapfish flickered over his head. Before falling off its perch and crashing, that is.
"Eureka! That's my ticket to glory!" Ari shouted, sending Inklings reeling to the ground into squid form, startled from the sudden outburst, glaring up at the egomaniac.
"If I find a way to fix the tower, I'll get fame and I might even be able to...I dunno, not be bored? Ah, I'll figure it out later, let's go!" Ari thought to himself, then leaped off the top of the balcony.
Landing less than gracefully, i.e. tripping as he hit the ground, Ari shook it off quickly and dashed straight into the tower. Ari stopped as the doors closed behind him, then inspected the inside curiously.
"No one seems to be here. Intriguing…" Ari said aloud.
Hand on his chin, Ari frowned. He walked over to the walls, the glowing images frozen smack dab in place. Ari gave them experimental taps, the lights only flickering and buzzing occasionally.
"Ugh." Ari scoffed. "Can't anyone here send a maintenance crew? If I knew how to work with this, I'd fix it right away for all to use. Maybe if I knew someone who had experience with mechanical parts…"
Ari stood inside, pondering what he should do. He stood there for a while, racking his brain for anyone who might have an inkling (sue me) of what to do, just standing there. Maybe someone who's had to deal with mechanics, people who might be know how mechanics work, and have been developing them for quite a while, hint hint.
Ari sighed, walking out. "I'm at a loss…"
As Ari walked out from the tower, he was smacked in the face by a sheet of paper. Ari brushed the flyer out of his face, the octopus picture floating away in the wind. An Inkling wrapped in a parka and scarf chased after it, scowling to herself, pencil gripped in one hand as she chased after the picture.
"Anything, anyone can help…" Ari sighed.
"Hey, did you hear the rumors?" An Inkling asked his Inkling friend casually. "Apparently those octopi things from long ago are still around somewhere, crafting machines to splat us with."
"That would explain the robot attacks." The Inkling he addressed muttered.
"Come on Ari…" Ari sighed to himself.
Hey, Ari, have you checked-
"Aha! Octo Valley, of course!" Ari shouted, pointing heroically towards the manhole. "Maybe Tai has some advice, a ravishing rogue such as she must've encountered some form of genius before!"
Welp, at least we can move the plot along.
Ari dashed towards the manhole, past unaware bystanders, and shifted into a squid, flinging himself through the grates, sliding through, popping back up in Octo Valley. The scenery was serene, Cap'n Cuttlefish was snoozing on his couch, and Ari had his mind set, making his way through collections of platforms to reach the Octarian headquarters. He bit his lip, looking from kettle to kettle. Each one looked the same. Ari sighed, then, on a whim, decided to check the one closest to his left. Walking along, he jumped on top of the kettle, and transformed into a squid. He popped back out with a face colored purple, Ari wiping the ink off irritably.
"It's not my fault you don't label your rooms!" Ari called back to the offending kettle dweller, shaking his fist in the air, waving around his .96 Gal in the air.
A few lines of ink were blasted out of the kettle, startling and sending Ari running. Ari sprinted, taking a second to look back, that only succeeding in having him fall into yet another kettle on accident. Ari screamed as he was sent through the metal vents, in a completely manly way mind you, before falling face first on a steel floor. Ari groaned, looking up, his vision somewhat blurry. He spied a figure, who was slowly growing in detail. He stared up at Tai, blinking to make sure he was seeing her correctly. Undone goggles around her neck? Check. She didn't look too particularly pleased with Ari, however.
"Aha! Perfect, Tai, just the woman I've been search-"
"I'm going to stop you right there." Tai said, waggling her index finger in front of his face, sighing. "I think it's really flattering, you going all this way and all. But I really doubt-"
"Please, your mechanical skills are nothing to scoff at!" Ari declared, getting to his feet.
Tai blinked. "Mechanical skills? Alright hang on, tell me what's going on."
Ari cleared his throat and dusted himself off. "Yes, er, since you seem to have a good grasp of mechanics with your terrifying machines of death, I have come all this way to seek you out!"
"...What makes you think I know exactly how Great Octoweapons work?" Tai asked.
"Huh? Well, the way you dismantled it of course! You must be well versed in technology to know how to tear apart the octopus with such ease!" Ari explained.
Tai put a hand on her hips. "Dude, anyone could break an Octoweapon. You were there, all we did was shoot it."
"So…?" Ari tilted his head.
"Well, what do you need help with that requires a mechanic anyways?" Tai asked.
"Inkopolis Tower has been shut down, so I thought you might be able to assist me. I-If you're free, that is." Ari said, his hands nervously fiddling behind his back.
Tai scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Sorry dude, whatever you Inklings do up there is your business, if it isn't something that concerns both our races, no dice."
Ari's mouth gaped open. "W-Wait! Please, I'll do anything!"
Tai chuckled. "Ain't that a cliché."
Ari began glancing around nervously, looking around the headquarters. Ari mentally groaned, then reached for Tai's Octoling Armor, unbuckling it and taking off, leaving Tai in her shirt and shorts. Tai whirled around, irritation clear in her irises. Tai then began chasing after him, Ari leaping up and out the headquarters quickly, hopping away towards Inkopolis. He had just about reached the manhole leading out of Octo Valley when Tai grabbed him by the tentacles, dragging him back. Tai pulled Ari up to her face, glaring directly at him.
"Give it back." She told him, gesturing to one of his tentacles.
Ari looked back. In one of his suckers, he carried Tai's armor. Ari turned his squid face back to Tai. He quickly pecked her on the nose, startling her, then hopped away, dangling the armor enticingly.. Tai growled, wiping her nose in embarrassment, then proceeded to reiterate her previous plan by following after to presumably beat the living shell out of Ari. She switched into octopus form then began hopping after him, the two sliding through the manhole out towards Inkopolis. Ari left the caverns first, bursting out of the manhole. Ari switched back to Inkling form, looking around quickly. Taking Tai's armor, he held it over the manhole. Tai hopped up into the air through the grates, only to be trapped inside her own metallic protective gear. Tai squirmed around in her armor, bouncing off the inside.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Ari exclaimed, running off to the tower, getting odd looks from Inklings still in the plaza.
Ari entered the tower quickly, making sure the automatic doors clamped down behind him, then tossed the armor on the floor. The armor shook, then Tai reformed into an Octoling, fitting her appendages through the armor's holes. She spun around towards Ari, then figuratively rolled up her sleeves, fury glistening in her eyes.
"You have a lot of nerve doing that!" Tai shouted, sending Ari backing up against a wall.
"H-Hold on! I didn't mean any harm!" Ari pleaded, Tai hardly fazed.
She walked up to Ari, quickly jabbing towards him. Ari flinched, covering his face, until he heard the sound of crackling. Ari glanced to his left, where he noticed Tai's fist embedded in the wall. Ari stared back at Tai, who was glaring at him, though with less intensity.
"Ari." Tai said softly.
Ari blinked. Suddenly, Tai was staring at him with a half-lidded expression, warmly enticing him. Ari found himself lost in her eyes.
"May I ask you something?" She asked.
Ari began nodding rapidly. Tai immediately switched back to killing mode and slugged Ari in the stomach...region, causing his eyes to pop out somewhat, Ari crumpling to the floor weakly.
"What the SHELL was that?!" Tai demanded. "First you take my clothes, then you kiss me on the nose, then you freakin' kidnap me in my own armor?! I should skin you for that, you little-"
Ari cringed, then froze, looking behind Tai. Tai ceased her anger for a moment, following his gaze. The two could feel wind whipping past them. They noticed a small crack of sorts in the middle of the room. Tai's eyes narrowed. The crack burst open, a vortex beginning to suck the two into itself. Tai's eyes widened, Ari gasping for breath, the two attempting to move back, when they were inevitably taken by the vortex, swallowed up.
"Gee Corrin, your castle is pretty cool. You even have places you can buy swords from?" Sharq asked, walking along a stone path.
"Pretty much. Except, for um...relativity reasons, they're all Inkbrushes." Corrin chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Intriguing…" Splin muttered, walking alongside the others.
Splin perked up, looking to the side, adjusting his headphones somewhat. He noticed a glint in a nearby pond, pebbles blocking somewhat of the light.
"Corrin?" Splin asked.
Corrin tilted his head towards Splin curiously.
"What's that pond for? Decoration?" Splin asked, Corrin smiling.
"That's my Coral Spring. We harvest coral from it each evening to use for resources." Corrin explained.
"It looks pretty." Sharq commented.
The other two nodded in agreement, moving on, when multiple bubbles popping on the surface of the spring caught their eyes.
"Hmm?" Corrin murmured.
"Do you have fish living in the spring?" Splin asked.
"No...maybe someone fell inside?" Corrin wondered aloud.
When Corrin finished, Tai and Ari burst out from the spring, coughing up water, the two wiping themselves off quickly.
"Tai? Ari?" Splin asked, Ari gasping for air.
"Ah! R-Rival, fancy seeing you- GACK!" Ari choked, Tai grabbing him by the throat.
"If that water didn't splat you, I sure as shell will!" Tai shouted.
Splin and Sharq's eyes widened at the sight of one of their friends murdering another one. Swiftly, the two pried Tai off Ari, who was clawing towards the poor squid, shouting profanities.
"...This isn't a normal thing, is it?" Corrin asked.
"The strangling, no, but the teleportation…" Splin sighed, pulling Tai away as best as he could.
"Are you alright Ari?" Sharq asked, helping the orange Inkling up.
Ari was tearing up. "Why do women hate me so?!"
Sharq raised an index finger to his chin. "Maybe because you keep making moves at the wrong times?"
"Not helping rival!" Ari shouted.
"Tai, why are you so angry?" Splin said, struggling with all his willpower to keep Tai from destroying Ari.
"That flirt- He's such a- Little- Ugh!" Tai sputtered, reaching out for Ari.
Corrin bit his lip, looking towards the sky. "This is certainly a turn of events...first Hoshido...now this?"
And that's only the beginning.
Corrin's eyes widened slightly. "Huh?"
Oops, wrong person.
"Wait, who-" Corrin began to ask.
"Let go of me Splin!" Tai shouted in the background.
Corrin sighed, turning around. He cleared his throat, getting the attention of the other cephalopods.
"Err...welcome to my castle, Miss and Mister…?" Corrin trailed off.
"Tai Inaba." Tai stated with a huff.
"Ari Jabin, at your s-service." Ari stuttered, bowing.
Corrin grinned. "My name is Corrin, pleased to meet you. I take it you're friends of Splin and Sharq?"
Tai and Ari turned to the brothers, who shrugged with a smile.
"Yeah. So...what crazy dimension stuff have we gotten ourselves into now?" Tai asked.
Corrin waved her off. "I'll explain in the morning. For now, feel free to relax anywhere."
Corrin began walking away, waving to the four cephalopods. The four waved back, and returned to their previous conflict.
Ari gulped, backing away from the Octoling with an apologetic face. Splin and Sharq nodded at each other, both standing guard in front of Ari.
"Tai, I know you might be pretty inked off right now, but please, we need to have everyone alive for tomorrow." Splin told her.
Tai snorted. "Fine, fine! Where do we sleep then?"
Sharq began lounging on the grass. Splin nodded, as to affirm the others that this was indeed their bedding arrangements. Splin pat the ground next to him as he laid down, staring up at the stars. Ari shifted into a squid, shaking somewhat, Tai making a face as she laid across from him, turning her back to Ari. The four rested on the grass for a while.
"Gah…" Ari sighed, burying his face in the grass. "I screwed up, rivals, now I'm stuck with a woman who hates me."
"Calm down Ari, I'm sure we can clear it all up in the morning." Splin said.
"Yeah! Deep down, Tai's a softy!" Sharq reassured him.
Tai cursed under her breath. Sharq began yawning, then waved to the others, adjusting his cap so that the brim covered his eyes, beginning to snooze off. Ari shifted into Inkling form, crossing his arms. He turned to his right, where Splin was already lying with his eyes closed, his arms crossed behind his head as he slept. Ari stared up at the sky, drifting off into unconsciousness with an unease present on his mind.
Unbeknownst to the sleeping squids and octopus, Corrin watched the four out a window from up on his quarters, frowning. He closed the blinds, sighing.
"...Those four seem so content with themselves...like one normal family." Corrin thought to himself in silence.
Corrin closed his eyes, sighing. He made his way over to a plush bed, sinking underneath the covers, following the four in their sleep-based adventures.
AN: Apologies for the small delay, lot of stuff has going down recently. Firstly, the most unimportant one, my 3DS screens have been on the fritz, one looks like a flipping Virtual Boy screen. Secondly, all these assignments I've been receiving makes it kinda difficult to stick to my chapter plans, as unfortunate as that is. Thirdly...I need to learn how to cook food better, that doesn't really have to do with anything. Unless I end up poisoning myself...which means even less updates, so bear with me on that I suppose. :P
Enough of my rambling, let's take a look at the reviews. Thanks Dread Angel and Ultrapyre for reviewing! Apologies Dread Angel, we need to make some sort of Splatfest coalition or something, we gotta win one. Ultrapyre, uh...genocide is...well. I mean, that's not...bad, I guess, because those Pokémon you're killing are...wild? Eh…
Aside from that mildly disturbing note, thanks for reading once more, this is ThePizzaLovingTurtle, off to budget for a New 3DS XL. I'll catch you later!