Splatoon: The Brothers and the Others

"Why's the holiday called "Squidoween" now anyways?"

Sharq chewed and chewed on the cheese contently as it dripped from the pizza slice. The fact that it burned his tongue and the roof of his mouth was but a mere formality. He might regret it the morning after, but the cheese was far too delectable to miss out on, despite the fact it felt like lava was dripping down his throat. The miniature burns were minor however in his quest to finish those delectable slices of cheese, tomato sauce, in the spirit of the holidays, pineapples.

Wooooooooooooo. Spooky.

"Roo sur oo don wan any?" He asked across the table.

Sitting in a seat across from him with his headphones strewn around his neck, Splin looked up. "...I prefer my pizza not roasting my throat, thanks."

Sharq just shrugged and continued to scald his mouth happily. His younger brother leaned back in his chair with a sigh and glanced around.

Oahu was bustling with activity and a Squidoween flair. Cobwebs that might normally raise eyebrows in health inspections clung to the walls and ceiling of the restaurant. Potted plants in the corners facing the window hung sleepy paper eels from the bottom of the leaves. A few of the customers wore costumes as well, which caused a few tables to looks like congregations between ghosts and ghouls alike.

As a shrimp attempted to stab a piece of salad and eat it through a white sheet on its head, someone whirled up to Splin and Sharq's table. Though he was busy stuffing his face, Sharq started turning towards the sudden visitor.

"How's it tasting?" A feminine voice asked politely.

Sharq shivered somewhat as he scalding food with a gulp. He turned and smiled. "Great! Nice outfit by the way, Zip."

Standing in front of the duo, Zip flashed a dazzling smile. Her normal black and suave waitress uniform seemed to have taken a trip back in time. Quite far back, in this case. She wore a tiny, tidy white bow on top of her head with her yellow tentacles flowing freely off of her head. Red and white stripes ran down her short-sleeved uniform and ended at a skirt. Despite the old fashioned attire, it ended around her hips. She continued to wear her Crazy Arrows down on her feet which stood out like no one could believe. Not to mention she carried a simple catering plate in her left hand as she stood poised which balanced some sort of milkshake.

Despite her flashy footwear, she was the spitting image of a waitress from a 1940s diner.

Not that Sharq or Splin would know for sure what that was. Zip simply waved off the compliment with another smile. "Aw. Thanks Sharq. I was afraid it wouldn't live up to last year's."

"'Last year's'?" Splin questioned with an arched eyebrow.

Zip cocked an eyebrow and raised her arms. "Guys, it's Squidoween, remember?"

"...Squidoween?" Sharq tilted his head in confusion.

"Squidoween. You know, the holiday where little squids dress up in costumes and get their parents to pay for buckets worth of candy?" She explained as she balanced the serving tray on the flat palm of her hand.

The brothers just stared in mild confusion. Sharq paused mid-nibble and gawked back at her with a slice of pizza, with whatever Inkling substitute of pepperoni dropping off of the food as the melted cheese dripped off.

With a roll of her eyes, Zip said, "They changed the name of Shalloween."

"Ohh," Sharq hummed in understanding, "Nice costume then. Where'd you get it?"

Zip sighed a strangely ambiguous sigh. "Willie got it for me as an apology for our last date."

Sharq turned in his chair to face her with a bewildered expression. "What was wrong with it?"

"He took me to a history museum." Zip shook her head then glanced down at herself. She twirled once with her balance still in check and saucer still held straight. "Luckily for him, I think it's cute. I just think that SOMEBODY-"

She yelled and spun around towards the back of the restaurant. Behind the counter and cash registers in the very back, through a small window planted in a door in the back revealed Willie who stared through the glass. Within five seconds, he noticed her, he blushed, and then retreated back into the kitchen with a blurred bob of his...ears?

"Should think twice when picking the date spot next time." Zip sighed with a disappointed hand on her hip and a frown.

"...What was that?" Splin asked. He stood up and glanced over towards the back of the restaurant.

He could make out Willie's face and a white apron in the distance, though he looked like a mere speck. The sous-chef appeared to have something attached to his head. Before Splin could piece together what exactly that was, he turned around in a flustered manner and ducked out of sight. This time however, he managed to catch a glimpse. Splin was sure of it.

"Alright, was the part of the punishment having him wear extra ears on his head?" Splin asked with a frown.

Zip sighed, and this time it sounded like she was about to swoon. "He did spend a lot on this outfit," She said with a twirl.

"...Wait, that's his Halloween costume?" Splin questioned with a point towards the kitchen. He put one fist underneath his chin "Those look like...Judd's ears."

"They were on sale at the gift shop." Zip smiled somewhat ominously, "It's sweet of him though...but now I'm worried about his rent."

"Hm." Splin turned back in his seat and stared down at the table as well as set his arm back at his side.

Their waitress friend folded her arms and still carried the serving tray straight up. "But nevermind me, what's wrong with you? I don't think you've touched a single morsel since you've arrived."

Sharq sighed; he reached for his Takoroka Mesh and held it close to his chest. "Splin's still sort of down...Maria's been gone for a while."

"The lady who lived with you guys, right?" Zip pursed her lips. "That's rough. What happened?"

"She…" Sharq bit his lip for a moment and glanced at the ceiling. "She went back home."

"Aw." Zip nodded concedingly and reached upwards. She removed her own bow from the back of her head and let her tentacles drop. "I'm sorry to hear that, you two. But Splin-" She spun towards the brother leaned back in his chair, "Starving yourself isn't going to help much. C'mon, eat up. You shouldn't have to torture yourself. Especially since you're gonna pay for this."

"...Thanks." He nodded solemnly and turned away. He fidgeted with his headphones banded around his neck.

Zip could not help but crack a smile, readjusting her own headgear. "That's the spirit. Sharq, keep an eye on him, huh?"

"Will do!" Sharq saluted, placed his cap back on his noggin then immediately reached for another slice.

With that, the waitress whirled herself off to another table. While merry customers continued to converse or dine, Sharq continued to blast his mouth with edible flames. Splin glanced at the carnage and just shook his head in disbelief.

Eventually the elder brother ceased his endless charade of burning himself and stared across the table. "C'mon Splin, just one slice?"

"...Maybe later." He waved him off with a scowl.

Sharq tilted his head and gave him a sweet smile. "Spliiiinn…"

Splin groaned and shook his head."Don't do that."

"Maria wouldn't want you to mope." He explained in a matter-of-fact voice.

"It's not just Maria!" His younger brother threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.

He then bit his lip. Splin's eyes darted around. Luckily for him, it seemed like the conversation went unnoticed among the chatter. Sharq gawked at him in surprise.

Splin folded his hands together and lowered his head. "...It seems like everyone's either leaving or gone."

"...Where's this coming from?" Sharq asked with a frown of his own.

"Have you seen Tai recently, Sharq?" Splin questioned as he pushed his plate to the side of the table with a curious gaze. "For that matter, have you seen Aqua?"

"...Uh, no." Sharq admitted with a scratch of the back of his head and pursed lips. "But-"

"How about Kaz?" The younger brother stood up over his chair. "Or Xarius."

"...No." Sharq frowned and stared down at the table.

"Ix or Rem?" He interjected with a scowl and planted his arms on the table. "Seen them recently either? How do you think Tele-Cube is doing, lying on the floor at home? How do you think Mom and Dad feel, lying-"

"No!" Sharq shouted across the table. "Don't say that!"

He covered his mouth quickly. Both of the brothers glanced around the restaurant. Much to their own surprise, it still seemed as though no one noticed among the chatter. Even if the words were lost on the others, it seemed to have a profound effect on the both of them. Splin laid his chin down on the table softly-

"Oof." He grunted as it shook underneath his face.

Or just slam it into the wood. Sharq did the same, except with common sense, and laid his head down in between both of his hands in a synchronized, brotherly sadness.

"...Jeez." He sighed in between both of his palms.

"...Sorry Sharq." Splin sighed and buried his head in his arms. "It's just...stressful."

Sharq bit his lip and stared up at the ceiling. "It's okay."

"I just…" Splin scowled and looked around for a brief second. "I just seems like everyone else is just leaving. No one's around…I'm getting worried."

"I'm sure they're fine." Sharq managed a small smile. He reached across the table and ruffled his brother's tentacles on his head. "There's no need to worry. They're probably all just...off doing their own thing."

Splin sighed and glanced out the side of the restaurant through a glass window. The sun had already begun to set. "...I hope so."

He stared through the window at the sky as it grew ever so darker. Sharq turned in his chair and watched the orange out in the air give way to violet.

"But this is a breakthrough man!" Sharq grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "People are starting to grow on you more."

Splin slowly lowered his head into his arms as they laid across the table slothfully. "...I guess."

As they sat there, Sharq reached towards the table. Sitting on top between the two was a simple pizza stone that the meal was laid out on. He pushed it over towards Splin with a hopeful expression.

Splin glance up at him. With a sigh he reached for a slice. "Fine."

"Mission accomplished!" He shouted in glee.

Splin cringed and stared over his shoulder. The other patrons mirrored his surprised expression as they motionless. "...Great. Now they look."

As the brothers continued to dine elsewhere, the Bate household upon the grassy hills sat in a suspended silence. The lights were dimmed and wind disturbed the grass. The wood of the house would creak every now and then and replaced the silence with a symphony of wood settling into place.

Within the dark rooms atop a kitchen counter, a set of inanimate objects congregated in a small group. A small group formed around a simple object in the middle.

A petite statuette stood at the head of the circle. Ann-Gel scowled as she looked up and over, down and under. "...It's official."

She turned around, a shadow cast on her face. "...I have no clue how to fix him."

Behind her, two objects...sighed. A disturbed alarm clock crankily ticked seconds as a rather battle-worn snail shivered. Its shell was scratched and worn and a few fragments appeared to have been shattered.

Th alarm clock buzzed and beeped as if saying, "Oh well, we tried our best. Let's get going, I think I have a few hours to catch up on."

Ann-Gel planted her palms at her waist. "Seriously?! You're just gonna let him die?!"

Sitting next to the alarm clock, Salty rattled somewhat nervously as if it said, "Ann, we tried our best, but…"

"But what?" Ann-Gel asked defensively. "Snail, you haven't been around for days now. Why don't you help this once?"

"If I knew nearly getting eaten and being flown from Point A to B was going to happen…" Salty grumbled/rumbled.

"Guys, come on!" Ann-Gel cried out. "Do you know how much Tele-Cube has helped us out? He replaced the remote batteries, he-" She spun towards the alarm clock. "He replaced YOUR batteries for goodness sakes!"

"He also nearly destroyed a city." The alarm clock chimed with a huff. "No matter how energized I feel now, that's no excuse to-"

"Ugh!" She threw her plastic hands up in the air and stormed away towards the object in the center of the table.

The alarm clock rolled its zeros like eyes. "Feh. Let the madwoman try her hardest, I'm going back to standing adjacent to their beds."

Salty watched worriedly as the clock launched itself off of the counter and turned its attention to the trophy. Exasperated and seemingly out of options, she slammed her palms against the side of a square screen.

She leaned on the flat side and gritted her artificial teeth angrily. "...I can't believe you."

"...I-I can try to help." Salty offered with a friendly rattle of its shell.

As she stood by the Tele-Cube tilted, deactivated on its side, she just dropped her head low and sighed. "...Sure. Thanks."

She shuffled to the side slowly. Salty gave her a curt nod and hopped over as best the snail could. Salty stopped in front of the cube's black screens and eyed it curiously.

"Okay." The snail narrowed its eyes. "...Uh…"

Ann-Gel looked on with a expectant gaze as she sat down on her trophy pedestal. As much as Salty had been tossed, bitten, scratched and dropped the past few days, the snail could not help but sweat underneath its shell. ...Maybe a wound reopened. Regardless of where the true origins of the cool liquid that dripped down the inside of the snail's shell, Salty was not going to let a fellow small object down.

"...Hyah!" Salty vibrated as it tackled the cube.

The force knocked the box off of the counter where it slammed into the floor below with an alarming clunk. As Salty skidded to a stop, both the snail and Ann-Gel gawked with wide eyes as it laid still on the ground.

"Salty!" Ann-Gel shouted indignantly as her arms shook by her sides.

"I'm sorry!" Salty squeaked in fear and backed up. "I thought a good smack would wake him up!"

The trophy began to fume. "Since when does a cube go to sleep?!"

Salty gulped/shivered and backed up to the edge of the counter as Ann-Gel stomped over. Her attempts at looking intimidating were rendered somewhat ineffective as her pedestal simply slid forward while she was stomping on the orange ink decal. Before she had a chance at a stranglehold on the snail the both of them froze.

"...Do you hear that?" Ann-Gel asked as she cocked her triangular ears up to the ceiling.

Salty attempted to pivot around and locate the sound. Then it realized it had no distinguishable ears. Before the snail could ponder its lack of physical eardrums or their theoretical location, a sound began to permeate the house. Very slowly, it became apparent that either a bee was flying drunk or-

Suddenly, Ann-Gel glanced over the edge of the counter. Her eyes widened in shock. "Get down!"

"Whuh?" Salty hummed in confusion.

She hit the deck. Ann-Gel leaped back and skidded low across the counter as a flash of light blinked across the house. Realization snapped into Salty in an instant. Before he could even try to skedaddle, an explosion rocked the house. A burst of light, smoke, and debris flashed across Ann-Gel's eyes right before her vision began to fail her. She shut her eyes as she expected the worst.

"...Hm?" Ann-Gel immediately reopened her eyes.

Quickly, the amiibo pushed herself up onto her feet and dusted herself off cautiously. She glanced around curiously. The house appeared fine. Furniture still sat where it should be. The television, the counter, and even a lonely, abandoned bed strewn in the middle of the house. She sniffed the air furtively. No smoke.

"...Salty?" She asked somewhat fearfully.

A voice answered her from the side. "Yes?"

"Waaagh!" She hopped up in surprise and swiveled around.

Much to her confusion, Salty blinked back at her, completely fine. She gasped in shock. The snail's shell was no longer roughed around the edges. The shell glowed a healthy sheen, even in the dark of evening.

"...Your shell." Ann-Gel murmured in awe.

Salty frowned as best as it could with only a pair of black pupils as eyes. "Yeah, I know...it probably looks really bad. But what does that have to do with anything?"

Ann-Gel stood somewhat flabbergasted. "But- But what was that flash of light? Didn't you see it?"

"Uh..." Salty tilted itself on its side. "It's kinda hard to see in here."

"I'm sure I saw something." She huffed and planted her hands by her sides. "When we looked down at the Tele-Cube."

Salty furrowed its small blue brow. The two of them shot a bewildered look at each other. Then both Ann-Gel and Salty dashed/rolled towards the edge of the kitchen countertop. The duo peeked over the edge curiously.

Between the kitchen counter they sat upon and a stove, the Tele-Cube twitched. Small blinks of light flashed from its screen now and then. Images popped up every now and then, but they shut off too fast for either of them to register.

"...Cube?" Ann-Gel asked quietly.

Exclamation marks blared. Ann-Gel and Salty threw themselves back in fright and landed on their backs. An ominous hum noise filled the air around them as they huddled together. A sickly red light beamed from the floor and began to envelop the room. The Tele-Cube floated up towards the top of the table as the others cowered. It glared down at them and judged them with its red screens.

"...H-Hi?" Salty whimpered/shook violently.

Ann-Gel's irises shrunk as it began to spin. "Watch out!"

She hugged the snail's shell and hung on for dear life. The cube became a blur as it spun like a top in the air. The miniature tornado approached Ann-Gel and Salty on the counter menacingly. It waltzed closer and closer until the danger was face to face with both of them. They each shut one eye as the air whipped around the shape.

"...Uh." Ann-Gel arched an eyebrow as it hovered in front of them.

Winds continued to whistle and wrap around them. Some curved past, some swerved overhead. The process continued for quite some time, all the while the cube flashed multicolored lights over and over.

Salty blinked in confusion. "...Okay."

It continued to spin. And spin. And spin. The rotation continued for so long above them that eventually the duo just stopped cowering completely and settled down. They stared at the rapid cube with a frown as it generated wind for no other apparent reason then to look intimidating.

"Okay, seriously." Ann-Gel protested with a scowl. "Are you going to-"

The cube stopped suddenly and glared down at Ann-Gel. Without warning, it barrelled into her like a missile and knocked Salty to the side who also spun like a top. Unfortunately for Salty, unlike the cube the snail felt nauseous as it whirled to the side of the table. She yelped as it smashed her off the table and separated her into multiple pieces all within the span of three seconds.

"I knew it!" Her plastic head cried as it bounced off of the ceiling.

Through very disoriented viewpoints, Ann-Gel watched hopelessly as the cube spun and spun then launched itself where she assumed up was. A crash above her confirmed her horrified guess. Eventually she came to rest onto the wooden floor with a few hops and skips until she stopped completely. Luckily for her, the rest of her followed suit and landed next to her.

She stared up through the hole in the ceiling as her head rested next to her legs. "...Oh no."

"Oough…" Salty's eyes rolled around dizzily. When Salty eventually settled back still, it shook itself and hopped over towards the opposite edge of the counter. Salty glanced down. "You need some help with that?"

Ann-Gel sighed and tried to push her head to her torso. "...Please."

Salty began to hop down onto one of the stools by the counter, but then stopped. It glanced towards where its arms might have been had nature taken a different course. "...This might take a while."

The disassembled amiibo glanced up at the ceiling. "I think you might have to hurry, then."

"...This is really good actually." Splin muttered between bites. "I'll admit, I was skeptical of the pineapples…"

They're great, aren't they?

Sharq grinned across the table. "They're pretty sweet, right! I dunno where these things even came from in the first place!"

Splin nodded along, though somewhat uncertainly. "Yeah...where did these come from anyways?"

As they talked about the origins of fruit, the sky outside began to dim. Lights in the restaurant started to flick on as the sun bid adieu to the world. It seemed so, until the sky started to glow.

"Come to think of it…" Splin murmured as he stared down at his meal. "Where did pizza even come from in the first place? I've never really looked into its origins."

Confused patrons turned their gazes to the windows. Conversation and consumption came to a grinding halt. The sky seemed to flash as if some deity raved in the sky.

"Hmm…" Sharq pursed his lips curiously. "Maybe they were ancient recipes or something?"

"...Actually…" Splin scratched his chin.

From outside, the rainbow lighting continued to permeate the sky. A small crowd within the restaurant formed, each and everyone of them gazed to the sky worriedly. The lights within the restaurant flickered on and off ominously, steadily stuck in a rhythm of dimming and lighting. The brothers ceased their conversation and turned.

"Huh?" Both of them hummed curiously.

At that moment, a bolt of lightning jolted down from the sky seemingly out of nowhere. The brothers gasped as it flashed before their eyes and sparks flew just outside the glass barrier. They shrieked and ducked back instinctively when it blasted the glass pane. The crowd gasped in horror behind them as they fell to the floor. A few screamed, and a few made the smart choice of backing away from the window.

Zip zipped straight by them. "You two okay?!"

The brothers groaned and picked themselves off of the floor. They checked themselves quickly with a lift of their headgear and a few pats to the skin.

"...We're fine." Splin sighed and placed his headphones around his neck. He swiveled his head and glanced towards the window curiously then gasped in shock. "How is that glass still standing?!"

Zip blinked in confusion then glanced at the window panes outside to the street. It shined cleanly as if nothing had ever happened. "...Hm."

"Holy shell, it worked!" Someone yelled with a strange, glee tone.

Before anyone could say anything in response, someone popped up from the ground right next to her. A chef hat popped up, along with a white apron. Pela stared at the glass and whistled contently. "Nice! Looks like the indestructible glass I ordered actually worked!"

"Indestructible glass?" Zip turned in confusion. "Since when did we have that?"

"Since the start, I just never got around to testing it!" She chuckled then reached over and tapped the window with the back of her knuckle twice. "See? Sturdy as a rock!"

The windows creaked as they leaned forward into the streets. The glass pane fell off of the frame and landed on the other side with a dull thud and let in a light gust of wind into the restaurant. Pela's smile never faltered. She glanced out the now square hole in the wall out onto the sidewalk outside and whistled. The sky had completely stopped its bizarre aurora and had returned to the simple black of dead of night.

"...Sure, it's a pain in the butt to attach," She gestured at the floor with her hands on her hips, then turned to the brothers who watched her incredulously from the bottom of their table. "But look at that! Not a scratch, not on the merchandise nor the customers!"

"...I appreciate the foresight." Splin coughed and glanced back towards the open hole in the wall.

"You're welcome." Pela spoke proudly with her hands on her hips. "That'll be fifty extra coins."

He frowned at her. "..."

"Just kidding!" She laughed, albeit with a tinge of disappointment. "Just as long as you pay for the food."

"...Will do." Splin scowled and dusted himself off.

Splin glanced to the side. Sharq stood there and marveled at the ingenuity of the glass as the relieved crowd went back to their own tables. He reached down and tapped the window in awe. As if he were a confused bird, he continued to tap the glass repeatedly.

"Hm. Lalai, you have some interesting taste in friends," Splin heard all of a sudden. He spun back and swore that he saw Pela narrow her eyes at him.

"...Huh?" Splin tilted his head in confusion.

The bewildered expression seemed to give Pela some relief. She just smiled back innocently and turned away. "Hm? Oh, nothing, never mind."

"...What?" He asked curiously and somewhat worriedly. "What are you talking about?"

She simply gave him a "clueless" shrug and another friendly service smile that made Splin wonder if she was going to pull a gun out on him as soon as he let her out of his sight. The glint in her bright sky blue eyes was hardly a reassuring testament to her ominous stride. With that, Pela simply walked off with a hum and waved to a few of the customers merrily on her way back towards the kitchen. Splin scowled and sat back on his seat. He shuffled before he finally rested upright back in place.

"...You finished, Sharq?" Splin asked towards the side across the table. "...Sharq?"

He stared at his brother, who gawked out at the large empty space out into the streets. Sharq stood out at the newly formed entrance/exit and continued to stare in awe as a chilled breeze curled past. Splin shivered slightly; he narrowed his eyes and tracked Sharq's gaze out into the cold night curiously.

Instantly, several feelings shifted through Splin's head. He was shocked, because there she was. He was frightened, because there she was. He was...there.

Was she?

She stood in the middle of the street and stared at the two brothers. One hand covered with a black glove laid at her side while the other one rubbed her violet tentacles. Splin felt sick. She wore the very same female student clothes, same as last year A mischievous smirk and a wave of her hand confirmed it as if it were not already obvious yet bizarre enough.

"Hey you two." Tai greeted them from outside with a friendly wave of her hand. "What's up?"

AN: All will be explained in due time. All you need to know is that this will be a two part of a Halloween-esque special chapter. I wanted to post it all on Halloween, but then I got wrapped up in writing a short story for a friend and got mixed up in some other plans, so I doubted that I would actually make it out for Halloween. But all you need to know is that not everything will seem quite as it seems.

...Eh. Sorry, I'm just losing a little steam on this. I'm sure what with the mild burst of hype behind Splatoon for the NX, I'll be able to motivate myself and my wallet to do something about that. ...If responsibility and the future weight of crushing debt and loans don't do me in first.

On that not too spooky note, let's get to the reviews. Thanks Ultrapyre, Rynowm, write n wrong, and CathyMirii for reviewing!

Well Ultrapyre, take all the time you need. Quite frankly I'd be using Tai sparingly if I do decide to write more about her, and a majority of them would incorporate scenes from her past or that of another Octoling's, so there's no need to rush.

Rynowm, thanks for the correction. Yeah, some nonsense must have been brushed around the town or something for me to get the date of Halloween confused. I suppose I'll have to pay more attention to the calendar! Technically, this isn't the first time Agent 3 has been mentioned, but yes, this is the first time she's been truly fleshed out in this story. I'm proud of her role here.

write n wrong, I appreciate that you noticed that, even if I might have made it a tad obvious. I really wanted to make the whole, "washed-up character" feel sort of genuine in a sense. I also wonder somewhat on how Agent 3 and Agent B here would get along.

Finally, CathyMirii. I'm extremely flattered that you think I did such a fine job on Maria's chapter. I have to apologize, I'd like to thank you for also complimenting the one-shot you mentioned, but I have quite a few of them. Regardless, thank you for your support. And for your shared surprise at Halloween in the Splatoon universe being labelled as Squidoween.

(...I'm still a little disappointed because that was one of my favorite puns. Halloween, Allhallow and Allhallowtide being replaced with Shalloween, Allshallow and Allshallowtide? I'm never getting that back, but I guess "Squid" makes more sense than "Shallow".)

Thanks for reading, this is ThePizzaLovingTurtle and I'm sleepy. See you...hopefully not too long after Halloween.