A/N: Hey, Splatoon 3 releases this Friday, and it's already being leaked! To warn you all now: do NOT post any spoilers in your reviews. You have been warned. I'll be enacting this policy until Season 6 comes out in January 2023.
Now, onto the story.
Yvonne's PoV
Contrary to what Inkopolis thinks, being a farmer actually gave you a lot of respect in Octarian society.
Though, 'farmer' would be a crude term for it. Here, they are more commonly known gardeners. Not only did they grow crops, but they also tended to other areas with plants, such as the ones growing on the surface of Octo Valley and the small gardens outside various buildings. All of these gardeners were part of wasabi growth units, and without them, the Octarians would perish.
Very few Octotroopers and other Octarians like them were part of wasabi growth units. Gardening required many limbs, and only an octoling would fulfill those requirements. Thus, they were treated with the utmost care, and they access to many perks the Octarians would otherwise lack.
Among these perks was special attention from the government. Today, Yvonne sat on a hill, located away from the crops. The hill was decorated with a garden that had been tended to for generations, and a small pavilion sat on the flattest part of the hill. Underneath the roof was a table, a tea pot and three cups of tea sitting on top of it. Yvonne took her cup and took a sip of her tea. Tea never was her favorite, but she didn't want to complain, especially front of Yaki.
Most Octarians would be jealous that she was spending time with Yaki. But, to her, it was just a normal day. The elite octoling visited this particular dome frequently—it was one of the several domes she was responsible for overseeing, after all. Though, that was not the only reason. The other reason was that she had friends here, and while Yvonne was not particularly close to her, the third octoling present, Bastion, was.
Her relationship with Bastion was straight-forward—they were arranged to be married when they turned 18. It was something decided by their parents many years ago, and if Yvonne had never went missing, they would be married by now. Their plans never did go away, however Yvonne was required to readjust to Octarian society first before they proceeded with the wedding. The tea party was just one of many steps in the process.
Bastion pressed the edges of the cup to his lips, taking a sip of the tea. "How's Takko?" he asked Yaki.
"He's fine," she replied. With a smile, she added, "It was thanks to him that Yvonne is back here in the first place."
Yvonne frowned. She knew that wasn't entirely correct, but she couldn't place any specific details. There was a gap in her memory between the time she was last in Inkopolis and when she arrived in Octo Canyon, staring straight into Takko's blue eyes. After the warm welcome, she was sent straight here, where she had remained for the past few days.
"Yvonne?" Bastion tilted his head. He always was in-tune with other people's emotions. A skill Yvonne lacked. "Is something wrong?"
"Wrong?" She shook her head. "No! I was just thinking, that's all."
Yaki dipped her head, whatever reservations she had unclear. "I know your arrival here was sudden. If you're having any unwarranted thoughts, please let someone know."
"Don't worry," she assured her. "I will." Though, to be honest, she didn't think she would tell anyone. Whenever she had unsavory thoughts, she would be quickly corrected. The drone in her head was a hum right now, but she was sure that the moment she thought about her time in Inkopolis, it would only get louder, to the point where it would drown out all her other thoughts. She didn't like the feeling, but it was necessary in order to keep her in line.
"I can't wait for the wedding," Bastion remarked. "I've waited so long for this moment, and when you came back, I was ecstatic." Even though his eyes were hidden behind the shades he was wearing, Yvonne could just imagine his orange gaze falling on her. "When this is over, I should show you my room. I have a few new things in there that I think you'll like."
"Oh, really?" She grinned. "I can't wait!"
Bastion was always nice to her. He had been delivering crops to other domes ever since he turned 12, so whenever he visited one of them, he would always bring back something for her. And they were always a delight to see—weapons, trinkets, books, objects from the outside world, et cetera... She wondered what collection he had amassed while she was gone.
She also wondered, what if he had never gotten sick that fateful day, when their dome had to deliver wasabi to DJ Octavio? Would she be the one collecting trinkets instead, or faithfully waiting for Bastion to be found? But she couldn't change the past. It would only be a scenario forever stuck in her imagination.
Now, Yaki was the one smiling. "I will try to be at your wedding. You need an officiator, after all. If I'm not that, then I will simply be in the audience."
"Will you bring food, too?" she asked.
"Yes, of course. It is a joyous celebration, after all. I know your wedding is still a while away, but I have already begun to prepare gifts for you, too. No wedding is complete without either of those."
"The same thing can be said about festivals," Bastion commented. "A lot of them have both food and gifts."
"Speaking of festivals, isn't there one coming up soon?" Yvonne interjected.
Yaki frowned. "Has Inkopolis made you forget about Octarian festivals?" she lamented, and immediately, she began to feel guilty for forgetting such an important holiday.
"As a refresher, the next festival starts about a week and a half from now," he informed. "The Festival of Flowers. Some of the other wasabi growth units have a bunch of flowers prepared for this festival, and they usually hold parades to show them off. Not ours, though. As you know, we focus on crops here."
The elite octoling nodded at his response. "Out of all of the festivals, it's perhaps the most pacifistic. It primarily symbolizes life—despite our loss during the Great Turf War, we are still alive, despite numerous hardships. The Festival of Flowers helps up remember this. It also symbolizes a few other things—beauty, elegance, and rebirth, to name some of them."
"I don't know if you've found it, but your ceremonial knife is in your room," Bastion added. "This next festival is also one of the two times in the year we're forced to cut off a tentacle."
Now, memories of the Festival of Flowers were rushing back into her head. She recalled one time where she and Bastion cut off their tentacles at the same time and tied the pieces together to see if it would grow into a Twintacle Octotrooper instead of two separate Octotroopers. They never found out if it worked or not, but the sheer absurdity of the idea never failed to give her a chuckle.
However, other than that, she didn't remember anything else about the Festival of Flowers, a thought that truly perplexed her. For such an important festival, one would at least expect some more memories out of it. But alas, she came up with nothing. Did Inkopolis truly tamper with her memories? It was something she believed she would never learn the answer to.
She grabbed one of her tentacles, the tip of it wavering. It had been a long time since she last wore her hair down like this. Even then, her current hairstyle was much different from the hairstyle she had before going missing. Soon, though, she would to cut one tentacle off, and she would have uneven pigtails. She had to admit, she was not looking forward to that. At the thought, though, the drone inside her hand began to scold her, reminding her how valuable cutting off a tentacle is.
"How will you cut off a tentacle?" she asked Bastion. "The hairstyle you have right now is just..." She cupped her hands on the top of her head, as with she were holding a ball. It truly was a unique hairstyle, with the sides of his hair shaven off, all of his tentacles packed together to create a swirl pattern when looking at him from above.
"That's not important," he replied. "I'll figure it out then."
Yaki took another sip of her tea, only to find that it was empty. "It's done already?" She sighed. "And I was looking forward to talking to you more, too."
"You can always pour more," Yvonne suggested, tapping the teapot. "There's still some in there, I think."
"It is for you," she said. "I have other business to attend to—you know I'm a busy octoling, after all."
"Aw," she muttered. Quickly, she perked up again and exclaimed, "See you later, then!"
The lady rose from her chair, smiling. "You too."
She took another step, and then she stopped, snapping her head up to focus on the area directly in front of her. Yvonne and Bastion's eyes wandered over to the edge of the hill, too. An octoling with light brown skin and curly hair was climbing the stairs, a red light shining on her shades. A golden toothpick sparkled on top of her ear, yet she wasn't in uniform, instead wearing something casual—a black crop top with only one sleeve, a skirt, and some heels. Yellow wristbands circled her left wrist and her right ankle. Yvonne swore she knew her, but she couldn't place her name at this moment.
Yaki raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Who might you be?"
"Y-Your brother requested to see Yvonne Megale, Lady Yaki," she replied, her voice shaky. "He said it was urgent."
"Is that so?" she challenged. She held a hand out and snapped her fingers. "Guards."
Magenta blobs began to swirl around the newcomer, her mouth falling open. A few seconds later, various octolings surrounded her, all pointing their weapons at her. Yvonne and Bastion got up from their seats, holding each other's hand as they stared at the scene in horror.
"Yaki!" Bastion shouted with bewilderment. "What are you doing?"
"They really thought they could fool me," the lady remarked. Looking over her shoulder, she continued, "This girl right here is Rosemarie Dumbah, also known as Agent 8 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon." At the mention of her real name, the curly-haired octoling took off her shades, ink color shifting from magenta to orange.
"The Defiant?" he exclaimed. "She's a traitor! I don't feel like I should have the privilege of knowing her true name."
The Defiant... This was the first time Yvonne ever heard that name. For some reason, the word defiant didn't come to mind at all when thinking about Rosemarie. She remembered her being very sweet, seldom getting into conflicts. But at the same time, all her memories of her were from her time in Inkopolis. When she had deserted the Octarian army. Rose—Agent 8 was still a traitor, having completely turned to the inklings' side.
"You two have a high rank," Yaki explained. "I can tell you the Dreaded and the Dauntless's real names, if you want."
"No thank you," Bastion rejected. "I'm fine just calling them that."
Agent 8 took out a walkie talkie, yelling into it in Inkling. "Three! Everyone! Come in here, now!"
"What?" someone vaguely familiar responded almost immediately. "What happened?!"
"Cannot explain. But you must come. I will be easy to spot." Before anyone else could respond, she put the walkie talkie away, focusing her pink gaze back on Yaki, who merely watched the scene with a small smile.
"Calling backup?" she chided. "I fail to see how much of a help they would be."
In the distance, Yvonne spotted trails of orange ink, coming closer and closer to the pavilion. The idea that they were under attack by inklings...? It was inconceivable. Not even they would typically invade such an important dome, unless they had no other choice. As much as Yvonne wanted to run and hide, Bastion was forcing her to stay here. She didn't want to abandon him—they were going to be married in a few weeks, after all. Gripping each other's hands, they backed up into a wooden pole, trembling with fear.
"It'll be OK," Bastion comforted her, even though she could see him visibly shake. "It'll be OK."
It didn't take very long for Agent 8's back-up to arrive, consisting of three inklings: a girl with long hair that she recognized as the Dreaded, alongside two boys, one with spiky hair, and the other with hair into a ponytail. She remembered being friends with the spiky-haired boy, but any other memories she had of them were unable to be recalled.
The inkling with the ponytail gasped, a blush coming across his face as indigo eyes fell on Yaki. The Dreaded's eyes became daggers as she glared at him, and he quickly regained his composure, readying his roller as he donned a determined expression. It was then the lady noticed then, approaching them as her long hair elegantly slid across the floor.
"So, this is your back-up," she remarked, now speaking in Inkling. "You may have the Dreaded with you, but even she will not escape here today." She gripped the long-haired inkling's cheeks, squeezing them. "Is that not right?"
Yvonne gasped as she kicked her, sending Yaki away from the Dreaded. "You'll have to do a lot more than that to beat me," she declared.
The lady straightened, snapping her fingers once more. Another blob of magenta ink began to form next to her, eventually spawning a standard octoling soldier. Though she was a confused for a few moments, she quickly readied her roller, much to the disdain of the invading inklings.
"You know her, right?" Yaki questioned, beckoning for them to attack. "It is a shame you will have to splat your friend."
Yvonne looked away, squeezing her eyes shut. That was Iris! They were going to splat Iris! To know her friend's life was going to end then and there... She couldn't bear to watch it any further.
But the thought of Iris being a friend puzzled her. If they truly were friends, wouldn't they spend more time together? She was certain she'd met her before, in both Octo Valley and Inkopolis. But her memories with Iris in Inkopolis were cloudy, obscured by the same fog that plagued her memories just before coming to Octo Canyon this week. She remembered laughing with her, hanging out with her, trying to cheer her up...but that was it. She could remember nothing else. She gritted her teeth, shaking her head. If only she could remember more!
At some startled cries, she lifted her head. The boy with the ponytail had tackled Iris, and now, they were tumbling down the hill, their rollers flying out of their hands. Yvonne's eyebrows knitted together with worry. There was a moat of water at the base of the hill—if Iris landed in it, then she would splat forever. She wanted to chase after her, but the drone in her hand firmly planted her feet into the ground, Bastion's grip seemingly growing tighter.
The boy with spiky hair ran over to the edge of the pavilion, his eyes wide. "Agent I!"
Agent I? She giggled at the name. She knew the New Squidbeak Splatoon numbered their agents based on the order they joined in, Agent 8 excluded, but now they were naming agents after letters? It truly was an odd choice.
"Do not go after him!" Agent 8 warned. "She will only trap you here!"
"We're trapped either way," the Dreaded remarked, readying her weapon. "If both of them splat..." She lowered her head, sighing. "So be it." She then raised it, eyebrows furrowed. "Either way, we gotta get these Octarians out of the way, first."
Yaki chuckled. "You did your research. Impressive. Then, you should know what comes next." The lady looked over her shoulder, blue eyes meeting Yvonne's for just a few moments. A few moments later, she returned her attention to the inklings and snapped her fingers once more, spawning several Octarians around the pavilion. Almost immediately, they began to attack them, spitting a flurry of magenta ink at them.
Though one would normally expect Agent 8 to splat rather quickly thanks to all the octolings pointing their guns at her, that was not the case. The spiky-haired boy charged up his splatling and fired at them, tearing through them like paper. Whatever octolings were left after the initial onslaught, the Dreaded swooped in and splatted them without a second thought.
Yvonne forced herself to swallow, feeling sick to her stomach. All those octolings...gone. What would their friends and comrades think? To know that someone they were happily chatting away with just a day ago had fallen at the hands of an inkling?
In the end, though, she knew they were just doing their duty, even if it cost them their lives. In war, death was inevitable. That was true in the past, and it remained true now. Someone told her that once, even if she couldn't remember who. Regardless, the thought still did not make her feel better.
As orange ink stained the side of the hill, Yaki joined Yvonne and Bastion and took a device out of her pocket, activating it. The small, plastic octopus flew into the air, generating a magenta forcefield around them. Now that they were safe from the action, the lady crossed her arms, a smile on her face as she watched the inklings relentlessly fight their way through the waves of Octarians.
"I'm surprised you're not dealing with them yourself," Bastion commented. "This seems more like something your brother would do."
"Like I said, I have some business to attend to," she explained. "I'd rather not get my hands dirty right now."
"Aren't you going to be late now?" Yvonne asked.
"I have time," she replied. "Though, this is quite the inconvenience."
Yvonne's eyes fell towards the inklings once more. The spiky-haired boy was facing Octocopters and Octobombers, spewing projectiles at him. Yet, he dodged each and every one, charging up his splatling in the process. Once its charge was full, he released the trigger, sending a barrage of orange ink at the Octarians. They splatted in a blink of an eye, and Yaki shook her head, dissatisfied. She snapped her fingers again, and more Octarians spawned in the skies. Once again, they fired at him, but the inkling quickly retaliated. A few seconds later, a few octolings appeared behind him and started to charge at him.
She could feel herself start to shake, but she didn't understand why. This was an inkling—their mortal enemy. It was something she's known since birth. Yet, she still found herself trembling, her grip only tightening around Bastion's hand. Why was she having such a strong response? She didn't understand, and it was likely she never would.
A splat bomb hurtled towards the octolings and blew up, staggering the octolings back as orange ink covered their bodies. The spiky-haired inkling thanked the other two agents and charged up his splatling again, its barrel pointed at the soldiers. In an instant, they splatted, octopus-shaped ghosts floating away from where they stood, never to respawn ever again.
Towards the source of the bomb, the Dreaded and Agent 8 were fighting against their own set of Octarians, primarily infantry, orange ink flying out of their shooters. She frowned upon sight of the Octo Shot Agent 8 held. The Octarians' own weapon used against them...it truly was deplorable. But the Octobrush was the Octarians' invention too, wasn't it? And now it was primarily used by inklings.
"They don't seem to quit, huh?" Bastion whispered to Yvonne. "They have to get tired at some point."
She gasped at the sound of his voice, jumping. "Y-Yeah!" she agreed. "But they don't look tired at all!"
Yaki sent another wave of octolings at the spiky-haired inkling, forcing him to throw a splat bomb at them and dive into the ink. When he emerged, he started to run further away from them, still firing his splatling at every possible opportunity. It was then Yvonne heard footsteps running up the hill, her eyes trailing over them to meet some familiar figures.
Iris and the inkling with the ponytail, though the former lacked the shades all octolings wore, revealing her indigo eyes. For some reason, Yvonne felt relieved.
Yaki noticed them as well, her head snapping towards them as her mouth started to gape with surprise. "You!" she exclaimed, speaking Inkling once more. "You are still alive!"
"Of course," the inkling taunted, smirking. "I'm not splatting that easily."
At last, the lady decided to finally step into the battle, revealing a red-and-black brush, its bristles dripping with the color of Octarian ink. "I will have to deal with you myself, then."
She left the forcefield, the barrier shimmering as her body went through it. She struck at the inkling, only for him to block the attack with the wheel of his roller, keeping her at bay. Iris swung around her and prepared to crush her with her roller, but thanks to her lightning-fast reflexes, Yaki spotted her in time and slapped her brush into her face. Iris merely grunted, lifting her roller again and sending a wave of orange ink towards her.
As Iris and the inkling continued their relentless attacks against the lady, Yvonne only found herself standing closer and closer to Bastion. While both of them had weapons on them, neither of them were trained to use it properly. If the forcefield broke... Then they would both splat. The thought was startling to think about, and Yvonne could feel her heart beating faster and faster in her chest. She figured that they could escape if it came to that, but then the inklings would likely claim the dome for their own. It would be a heavy loss for the Octarians, one that would not be easily forgiven.
After multiple failed attempts to hit Yaki, Iris suddenly tossed her roller aside, readying her fists. Yvonne raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. She tried kicking the lady, but she merely stepped out of the way, amused. But eventually, she messed up in her footwork, giving Iris the opportunity to strike her in the face. Both of them gasped as a dark bruise formed in the middle of her face, blood falling from her nose and trickling down her lip.
Yaki wiped her bloody nose, her face pulled into a scowl. "I do not have time for this." She removed a remote from her pocket and disabled the forcefield. Yvonne tried to protest, but the drone in her head prevented her from doing so. "You can have them. I was expecting your group to come rescue the girl, anyways."
At those words, Yvonne's face fell into a frown. Rescue? But she didn't need rescuing. She was in Octo Canyon, back in a dome with Bastion, where she belonged! They were even going to get married soon, something she's waited her entire life for. Whatever twisted ideas the inklings had, Yaki seemed to understand them. Which made no sense to Yvonne. Weren't they taking octolings away from Octarian society, anyways? That was just messed up.
Even the boy with the ponytail seemed surprised. "Seriously? It can't be that easy."
"Oh, but it is." Yaki started to walk out from beneath the pavilion, waving her hand to dismiss the Octarians that had come to their aid. "I cannot put myself in harm's way any further. I have much more important places to be." As soon as the soles of her sandals hit the grass, she turned into an octopus and super-jumped away, merely becoming a magenta speck in the artificial sky before disappearing completely.
The rest of the New Squidbeak Splatoon soon joined Iris and the inkling with the ponytail, ink dripping off of the girls' bodies. "Is it over?" asked the spiky-haired inkling.
"Yes," replied Iris. "It is."
Agent 8's pink eyes fell on Yvonne, and she only stiffened, warning bells going off in her head as she approached her. What was she planning?
Suddenly, she reached out a light brown hand for her shades, the drone starting to scream at her in her head. DO NOT LET HER TAKE THEM OFF. DO NOT LET HER TAKE THEM OFF.
Yvonne stepped back, her face stricken with horror. Her entire body was trembling. What was she going to do when—if she took off the shades? Brainwash her to join the inklings' side again? Tamper with her memories like Inkopolis did? She had to stay here, no matter what. She must!
Thankfully, Bastion came to her aid, shielding her from the curly-haired octoling. "Stop," he commanded, now speaking in Inkling. "No..." If things were different, Yvonne would've laughed. Compared to her, his Inkling was extremely bad. ...Though, her Inkling was pretty bad until she went missing, too. "...Interfere?" he finished after a brief paused.
Agent 8 frowned. "Even after Yaki basically turned you two over to us, you still won't let us take Yvonne back? Everyone's been worried sick about her, and that's why we're here—to bring her back to Inkopolis."
Noticing how she was speaking Octarian again, Bastion switched back over to his native tongue. "She doesn't need to go back to Inkopolis. She has friends here, not to mention that our wedding's soon."
She winced. "Your...wedding? But she's only eighteen! That's too soon to get married!"
"Pfft, lots of people get married in their early twenties. Eighteen is hardly unusual. Besides, it's been arranged ever since we were kids. It has been a long time coming."
"Arranged?! That just makes it even worse! Do all high-ranking octolings have arranged marriages?!"
"So you were just a soldier before defecting... That explains a lot about you."
"Well, that's not important. It's still too soon."
"Is that the inklings' propaganda talking? I already told you; this isn't unusual."
"No! I think even an Octarian loyal to the army would find it weird!"
"Can you two stop?" Yvonne interjected, growing annoyed. "This isn't getting anywhere."
The Dreaded nodded in agreement. "Is everything clear? Take off your shades." The inkling crossed her arms, her expectant. Yvonne's eyes grew wide beneath her shades—she didn't know she understood Octarian! Though, she was part of the New Squidbeak Splatoon. Perhaps she shouldn't be as surprised.
"No!" she declared after getting over her shock, clutching her hands close to her chest. "I cannot!"
In the few moments she had let her guard now, Agent 8's hand lunged forward and ripped the shades off of her, the drone cutting to silence, allowing her to hear her own thoughts again. Then, the fog in her head finally began to clear.
I remember now! she exclaimed silently. I'm not supposed to be here; I'm supposed to be in Inkopolis! If it weren't for the spy, I'd still be there.
She lifted her head, yellow eyes falling on Iris, who was also free from the influence of hypnoshades. Overjoyed, she bounded over to her, hugging her before Iris gently pushed her off of her, donning a small smile.
"I'm so glad you didn't die," she muttered.
The poufy-haired girl's smile grew wider. "And I'm glad you didn't have to marry anyone." Her face fell suddenly, her gaze narrowing. "Seriously, eighteen is too young. What were your parents even thinking?"
"Dunno," she admitted. "But I don't have to do that now. All's well that ends well, right?"
"I guess."
She let go of her and turned to face Bastion, who was now frowning. Of course, he had noticed her sudden shift in behavior. Anyone would. "Yvonne, what-"
Having known him for so long, she could guess what he was about to say. "Just forget it," she told him in Inkling. "I never belonged here, anyways."
Bastion's mouth fell open, speechless. Good. She didn't want to hear what response he would come up with.
There was no use convincing her to stay here. After having a taste of freedom, anyone would do anything to get more of it. Octa Prisma basked in freedom, free from the influence of Octarian society, to the point where Yvonne had started to take it for granted.
After this week, perhaps she should take some more time to appreciate it more. Had no one come to rescue her, she would be stuck here in this dome, continuing to grow wasabi for the rest of her life. Had she never escaped, she would be married to Bastion, forever unaware of the outside world. It would be a terrible fate, one she was happy to have escaped from.
Not even a second later, she, Iris, and the New Squidbeak Splatoon were super-jumping out of the dome, the warm sunlight finally hitting her skin. Oh, how she missed it! She didn't have much time to bathe it in, however, as the group were already jumping to their next destination. Thus, she followed them, lagging behind a little bit. After their next landing, she found herself in a familiar location—Tentakeel Outpost.
Sitting on a few cushions near the bench were Bonnie and Giovanni, silent as they observed a computer screen, the same one Cap'n Cuttlefish was watching. The octoling boy lifted his head, and he swung his entire body around to see the newcomers. A smile touching his lips, he burst out of his seat and ran towards Iris and Yvonne, pulling them into a hug.
"You are back!" he exclaimed. "It has been so long!"
"Not that long," Yvonne corrected, speaking Inkling once more. "It only be a few days."
"I know," he acknowledged, "but without the New Squidbeak Splatoon's help, we would be separated forever."
He did have a point, but none of that mattered now. They were back together, and once again, they could carry on with their lives like normal. ...Though, they would be able to once the other members of Octa Prisma returned. It would suck if it was just her, Iris, Giovanni, and Eight from now on.
Giovanni let go of them and turned his attention towards the agents. "For that, I thank you."
Agent 3 smiled. "It was no problem," she remarked, cool and confident as always. "We're just doing our duty."
"I still have one question..." Iris looked down at Yvonne, expectant. "Who was that boy?"
She had a feeling she would be asked that, and luckily, she was prepared. "Do not worry about it," she replied. "Just a childhood friend."
Just a childhood friend, and nothing more. She was happy to keep it at that. Even if Bastion was a very good friend, she would rather be able to choose who she would spend the rest of the life with, not have it predetermined to for her at a young age. And that person would not be Bastion, she was sure of that. Not even if he escaped the Octarians, too.
Thankfully, Iris did not ask anything more about it. She plopped down on the bench next to the laptop, placing a hand on her cheek. "I hope Brayden returns soon."
Bonnie stood up and patted her back. "The other group has him covered," she assured her, donning a sweet smile. "He'll be back before you know it."
"I know, but..." She trailed off as a frown appeared on her face, and for a brief moment, Yvonne thought she was going to cry. Yet, she quickly shook her head, regaining some of her bravado. "It is not important. I am just worried about my boyfriend, that is all. Like how Roy worried about Oscar, right?"
"And how I worried about Eight," added Three. "Speaking of the others..." She turned her attention to Cap'n Cuttlefish. "How are they?"
"They haven't found anyone," he replied, looking over his shoulder, "but the Octarians sure are wily, ye know. We just have to wait."
"Right," Eight agreed. "We just have to wait."
Yvonne plopped down on one of the cushions, crossing her legs together. "I am wondering how long it will be taking."
"It shouldn't be too long," Bonnie mused. "Agent 3 and the others were only in that dome for what, fifteen minutes at most? They'll be back in no time."
Iris glanced over at the laptop. "...What are the Squid Sisters doing?"
"Waiting," Cap'n Cuttlefish replied. "For somethin'."
"...Yet Agent 4's group went on ahead," Inigo noted. "That wasn't the plan at all!"
"The Squid Sisters are in the dome Peyton is in," Giovanni mused. "Yet, she has yet to show her face."
Realization striking her, Yvonne burst out of her seat, eyes wide. "Oh! They must have sent Peyton on a mission already!"
"She was a scout like Brayden, right?" Iris asked. "That is soon..."
"It's not impossible," Agent 3 pointed out. "It'll make finding her a lot harder, though."
"It make her unpredictable," Eight added. "...For now, let us focus on Agent 4."
"Right," Yuri agreed.
Everyone started to huddle around the laptop, peering over Cap'n Cuttlefish to look at the contents of the screen. Agent 4's group was traversing a dark lab, eerie magenta lights shining down on them. They passed a group of giant test tubes, and Iris's face fell, the look in her eyes distant as she stared down at the laptop. But, eventually, they reached a room where an octoling boy rested, watched over by a single Octotrooper. The Octotrooper quickly became alarmed upon sight of them, but before they could alarm the rest of the facility, they splatted, the orange puddle left behind becoming the only piece of evidence that they were ever there.
Yvonne gasped upon seeing the boy in the hospital bed. Indeed, an undressed Brayden rested on the bed, unconscious. She glanced over at Iris against, but her expression was unreadable. As Roy lifted him out of the bed, she noticed her raise an eyebrow, amused, but she said nothing else. On the laptop screen, Yvonne could see the group's mouths move, but seeing as there was no audio, she could only guess what they were talking about. Eventually, Perry grabbed some underwear from a pile of clothes nearby, and with Roy's help, they put it on Brayden's body. From there, they started to creep out of the dome, eventually exiting it all together. They waited for a lift to arrive before hopping on it, traveling towards the central platform.
But the moment they stepped on it, several blobs of magenta ink appeared around them, solidifying into a group of Octarians.
"Octarians ahoy!" Cap'n Cuttlefish exclaimed, raising his cane into the air. Giovanni grunted as it hit him in the head, rubbing the spot where he had been hit. "Sorry," he quickly apologized.
"It is fine," he said. "Just...do not raise your cane too much."
As expected, they quickly splatted the attacking Octarians, soon reaching the central platform of Cephalon HQ. Yvonne quickly recognized the octolings waiting for them—Takko, Angel, and Oscar. She was happy to see her roommate, but given who he was with...that was a bad sign. Immediately, Agent 4 dropped into a defensive stance, her eyebrows furrowing. Cap'n Cuttlefish turned on the walkie talkie, and it quickly crackled to life, allowing everyone to listen in on the conversation.
"There you are," Takko jeered, turning around to face the group of inklings.
"Takko," Four growled. The other inklings with her merely seemed puzzled at her sudden hostility—did the New Squidbeak Splatoon not teach them about notable Octarians aside from DJ Octavio?
"Correct," the young man confirmed, crossing his arms. "I was heading elsewhere with my entourage, but since you are here now... I can take this chance to splat you."
The moment Roy noticed Oscar, he dropped Brayden on the ground and stepped up, clenching a fist and calling out his boyfriend's name. Iris winced, but she let out a sigh of relief knowing he didn't drop him into the lake.
Angel threw out a hand in front of Oscar. "Do not."
"That's bullfish Angel, and you know it," Roy argued. "You're trying so hard to keep Oscar in Octarian society, yet you fail every time."
Despite his limited grasp on the Inkling language, Oscar's brother still managed to make out a full sentence. "If I...try hard...enough, I can...succeed. This is my...'final straw.'"
Takko's blue eyes fell on Brayden. "I see you have Pallidus, too," he noted, shaking his head with disappointment. "He was just about to become an elite octoling, too. It is rare you find someone with his talent."
All the octolings in Tentakeel Outpost stepped back from the laptop, exchanging shocked glances. It wasn't a secret that Octarians who weren't born as an elite had to be chemically altered to become one. Even then, it wasn't a foolproof process—many Octarians turned into elites suffered from heightened aggression, some even going out-of-line. Yet, at the same time, they could also make for relentless leaders, determined to see DJ Octavio's goals through at any cost. Yvonne rarely ran into elite Octarians other than the octoling who oversaw everything in the dome she grew up in, but she had heard enough horror stories to be wary of them.
Most importantly, though, Octarians often weren't the same person they were before after becoming an elite Octarian. Who knows what Brayden would be like if the new Squidbeak Splatoon hadn't rescued him in time? A botched transformation was even more risky than a complete one.
Nonetheless, Takko was quickly on the offensive, summoning another wave of Octarians at them before escaping with his companions on a glowing lift. Roy chased after them, and Cap'n Cuttlefish opened up another tab that watched over him in response. Yvonne didn't know which group she should keep her eyes on; there was just so much happening!
After an intense argument, Takko pushed Roy off of the flying platform, sending him spiraling towards the lake. Bonnie squeaked out a gasp, covering her mouth. Quickly, he plunged into the lake, but not before he could change his ink color to magenta. Everyone else didn't catch it, though, as a stunned silence filled the air.
Yvonne figured she would have to be the one to break it. "He is fine!" she assured them. "He changed his ink color!"
Roy's head eventually broke through the magenta sea, coughing. The group at Tentakeel Outpost cheered, relieved that he had survived. Agent 4 soon joined him, and together, they swam back to the central platform, meeting up with the rest of her group. Cap'n Cuttlefish closed the screen, cutting it down to just two again. Though Roy and Four were exhausted, Octavia quickly wrapped the former in a hug, tears pricking her eyes.
Bonnie took the walkie talkie out of the old man's hands and spoke into it. "You need to conserve your energy. You can't go chasing after Oscar immediately."
Giovanni squeezed in next to her. "Someone needs to follow him, though," he suggested.
"Agent 1 and Agent 2 told me ye haven't found Peyton yet," Cap'n Cuttlefish interjected. "I see you got Brayden, though!"
"Brayden!" Iris exclaimed. "Is he okay?"
"I thought that was obvious," Yvonne whispered to her in Octarian. In response, she merely shrugged.
"He's unconscious," Perry started, putting a hand on his hip, "but he's still alive, if that's what you're asking."
"I can take him back," Agent 3 offered. With her next words, her tone quickly became more serious. "You need to go after Oscar. Who knows where they're taking him?"
Agent 4 frowned, to the point where Yvonne thought she was going to cry. "You've saved everyone assigned to you. But we've only managed to save one. And one of them isn't even there!"
Now, it was Eight's turn to speak. "Do not be sad!" she comforted the younger agent. "You are doing good. Less talk, though. More doing."
"I'll watch over him," Octavia announced, kneeling over Brayden's body. "You three go on ahead."
Four rubbed her eyes and nodded in affirmation. "Right."
Bonnie set the walkie talkie aside, and Agent 3 started to walk out from beneath the Cuttlefish Cabin, stretching as she prepared to super-jump. Before she could turn into a squid and jump away, though, Eight grabbed her hand, and Three looked over her shoulder, puzzled.
"May I be talking to you first?" she asked.
The long-haired girl only grew more perplexed. "Why? Can't this wait?"
"As long as someone is watching Brayden, he will be fine," she argued. "After all, I think Agent O can handle herself if trouble comes."
"...Alright." She sighed. "I suppose this was inevitable, whether you ask first or I ask first. Let's go somewhere else."
The two agents disappeared deeper into Tentakeel Outpost, and Yvonne returned her attention to the laptop. Immediately, she froze upon sight of the next person to arrive.
Eden.
Like every other octoling soldier, she was dressed in a uniform, kelp trailing behind her hypnoshades. Her previously magenta hair was now dark enough that it looked black in the dim lighting of Cephalon HQ. And she wasn't friendly, either. She pointed her Octo Shot to the group of inklings, her expression unreadable.
Yvonne didn't want to believe it, but there was no denying it now. Eden was the spy. But what about their friendship? Had she fabricated it from the very beginning? Or was part of it actually genuine? Yvonne was Eden's first friend in Inkopolis. She thought that she had escaped from Octo Canyon thanks to the Calamari Inkantation, but that turned out to not be true at all. She was lying.
She excused herself and walked deeper into Tentakeel Outpost. Agent 3 and Agent 8 were chatting near one of the kettles, but she ignored them as she walked up to one of the walls, taking out an Octo Shot to ink it and climb up to the top. She leaped over to the nearby platform, landing on the grate with a thud. Walking onto solid ground, she turned into an octopus and curled up into a ball, trying to calm herself.
Was this what Bastion felt after the New Squidbeak Splatoon saved her not even an hour ago? That sinking feeling of betrayal? She didn't want to ponder on it, but sometimes the feeling was too grave to avoid. She wished she could be home right now, watching a movie or tending to the flowers she had out on the balcony, but that was impossible when half of Octa Prisma was still in the clutches of the Octarians, all thanks to Eden.
She didn't know how long she was sitting there when someone called her name. She crawled to the edge of the platform to see Eight standing on the other side of the gap, frowning.
"Are you OK?" she asked. "I don't usually see you like this."
"I'm fine," she insisted. "I'm just thinking about Eden."
"Oh, that's right... You were her friend."
She nodded. "And I'm the one who introduced her to Octavia. And then the rest of the Rainbow Squids."
"Don't beat yourself up about it... You couldn't have known."
"I know! And that's the thing that hurts the most. Just...give me some time to think about it."
"...Alright. I'll let the others know you're over here."
Yvonne didn't reply as Eight walked away, footsteps growing more and more distant. Once she could hear her no more, she only curled up into a ball tighter and tighter, wallowing in the depths of betrayal. No matter how hard she tried, Eden's face just couldn't get out of her head. Maybe if she tried harder, she could forget her entirely. But in the back of her mind, she knew it was an impossible notion.
She jumped as someone suddenly picked her up. She immediately transformed back into her kid form, dropping to the ground and rolling away. For a moment, she thought Eden had returned, but in reality, it was just Peyton standing over her, wearing the octoling armor and boots, her purple eyes clearly visible.
Peyton...
Her mouth opened in a wide smile. "You're back!"
"Of course," she affirmed. "You done sitting around? Oscar should be coming back any moment now."
"Already? I didn't think I'd be sitting around for that long."
She shook her head. "It looks like these missions don't take very long in the first place. It's just hard."
Yvonne sat down on the grate, groaning. "I can't believe I missed the climax! I had a feeling confronting Takko and Angel was going to be the most exciting part, and I missed it!"
Peyton shrugged. "It wasn't that exciting."
"Well, I think it would be exciting!"
"Either way, can we go now? You want to be there when Oscar actually returns, don't you?"
"OK, OK." She stood up, doing a little hop before leaping across the gap, landing on the other side swiftly. "Last one there's a rotten egg!"
"Huh? Hey, Yvonne! Wait up!"
Laughing, the dark-skinned girl ran back to the cabin, a smile on her face. Peyton arrived a few moments later, panting. The group hovering over the laptop hadn't changed very much, except that the laptop was now on a different bench—Brayden rested on the bench connected to the Cuttlefish Cabin, his head resting on a pillow. When the two octolings arrived, they waved hello, beckoning for them to join them.
"Feel better?" Yuri asked her. "I didn't think you'd run off like that."
"Yeah," she replied. "Like I say, I had need time to think."
And she did feel better now. Having all her friends here, her anticipation for Oscar's return only grew. It was only a matter of time now.
Just like Peyton had said, Agent 4's group landed in Tentakeel Outpost a few seconds later, Oscar accompanying them. At their arrival, everyone began to cheer, but Yvonne was perhaps the loudest of them all. Finally, everyone was back, and they could finally get on with their lives! ...Once Brayden woke up, of course.
"You're back!" Callie exclaimed.
"We were watching the entire time," Marie added. "That whole thing was tense."
"How's Brayden?" Agent 4 then asked. "Has he woken up yet?"
"No," Iris replied, glancing at her boyfriend for a few moments before returning her attention to Four. "Either way, did you beat Eden?"
"Uh..." Octavia rubbed her head. "We let her go free."
Yvonne's mouth fell open. "What?" How could she miss such an important thing? "But she is the reason we got kidnapped!"
"It was Takko's orders, technically," Agent 3 corrected.
"Well, who cares?" Roy interrupted, throwing his arms up in the air. "Everyone's back now; let's party!"
"Let me get the snacks!" Cap'n Cuttlefish declared, shuffling inside the Cuttlefish Cabin. He returned holding a box full of various kinds of chips. "Pirate's booty for ye. Enjoy!"
"Woo!" Perry exclaimed. "I'm starving." He opened it and began stuffing cheese puffs inside his mouth, staining his fingers orange.
The Squid Sisters took out some benches and chairs for everyone to sit down on, letting everyone take turns grabbing a snack. Cap'n Cuttlefish let DJ Octavio out of his snow globe as well, something that made Yvonne and the rest of Octa Prisma feel uncomfortable. They scooted away from him as he took a seat next to the old man, grumbling.
But, nonetheless, everyone was having fun. While they waited for Brayden to wake up, they started playing charades, with everyone making ridiculous poses as they tried their best to imitate a given subject. Yvonne found herself laughing the loudest at Callie's attempt at charades. She was a natural-born actor, and she knew it.
By the time the sun started to set, Brayden started to moan, snapping Iris's attention towards him. She rushed over to his side, kneeling down as she watched him awaken. Blue eyes the color of the afternoon sky focused on Iris for a few moments before the octoling sat up, rubbing his head.
"What...?" he muttered. "I am...not in a dome?"
"You were, but then we rescued you," Agent 4 explained. "Just in time, too."
"That Takko guy said something 'bout turning you into an elite octoling," Perry added. "Dunno why, but it happened to Eden."
Brayden's eyes widened upon hearing his words, but the Rainbow Squids just kept on talking. "Speaking of Eden, what'll happen to her team?" Octavia pondered. All things considered, she seemed to be taking Eden's betrayal pretty well, something Yvonne was envious of. "Is it just going to dissolve now?" she continued on. "Are they going to find a new leader?"
Inigo merely shrugged. "We'll just have to wait and see."
Brayden cleared his throat, turning everyone's attention towards him. "Eden and elite octolings aside... Thank you. I appreciate it."
"Of course," Agent 3 said. "Our teams may be rivals, but you're still our friends. We can't just abandon a friend in need."
"Well, now it is time for the most important part," Giovanni announced. "Getting our clothes back."
"Oh..." The tan-skinned octoling looked down at himself. "For some reason, I thought I would be wearing a uniform, too."
"You have any idea where your clothes might be?" Roy inquired.
"With Takko, probably," Eight replied. "He is responsible for this."
"Do any of you remember what happened once you got to Octo Canyon?" Marie questioned.
"Oh! I can answer," Yvonne interjected. "I wake up in a room with Takko, and he welcome me. Then, I be sent to the dome you find me in."
"And where was this room?" she continued.
"I don't know," she admitted. "Cephalon HQ, I think."
"That's not very helpful," Callie pointed out, frowning.
"I think I know where it is," Brayden announced, "but I do not think I can go there in my current state."
"Just tell us where," the grey-haired idol suggested. "We'll go get it for you."
He nodded. "Thank you. Where is your laptop?"
The Squid Sisters simultaneously pointed to the laptop, which sat on a chair. He walked up to it and opened up the Octarian database, entering in the password and going to a page filled with maps. He grabbed a picture of a map of Cephalon HQ and pointed to one of the dots on the page. The two idols nodded before super-jumping away, towards the tentacle-shaped rock formation that led to the cavern.
Cap'n Cuttlefish took the laptop again, turning on the camera and watching over his grandsquids. In the meantime, the party continued, now playing truth-or-dare. They took an empty water bottle and spun it to determine who would be the victim, with the previous victim asking with they wanted a truth or dare. A few spins later, it landed on Yvonne, and she snapped her head over to Octavia, who had been dared to bite her own hair, a dare she begrudgingly accepted.
She cleared her throat. "Ahem. Truth or dare, Yvonne?"
"Dare!" she declared. "What will it be?"
"I dare you..." Orange eyes fell on DJ Octavio. "...To take one of his wasabi sticks!"
"What?" she blurted out. "I cannot do that!"
"Truth or dare..." Oscar reminded her. "You have to do it."
"Yeah, yeah." Yvonne turned into an octopus, crawling away from the group and creeping over towards DJ Octavio. Just before she could reach him, his bulging eyes focused on her, and his scowl only grew deeper. She transformed back and squeaked, running back to the group.
"Well, you tried," Inigo remarked.
"I'll take it," Octavia said. "You spin it next, Yvonne."
"OK!" She grabbed the water bottle and spun it. Without her help, it began to slow down until landing on Brayden. "Truth or dare?" she asked him.
"...Dare," he replied.
"You should dare him to-" Perry started.
"No, no," Alexis interrupted him quite loudly. "I know what you're going to ask, and I'm not going to allow it."
"Anyways." Yvonne met his blue eyes. "I dare you to...eat a butterfly!"
"OK." He lifted his head, eyes scanning the area for a butterfly. Eventually, one started to flutter by, unaware of anyone watching it. Turning into an octopus, Brayden leaped up into the sky, ink trailing behind him as he wrapped his arms around the butterfly, smushing it. He transformed back, holding the crumbled butterfly in his hand and popping it into his mouth.
"Wow," Perry remarked, "you actually ate it."
"Of course," he said. "It is not that bad, actually."
Before Brayden could give out another dare, the Squid Sisters returned with a bag of clothes and a bag of other belongings, magenta ink dripping off of their hero suits.
"Hi!" Callie greeted. "We're back!"
"Finally!" Giovanni exclaimed, walking over to the bag. "Now, where are mine?"
"Go look through it," Marie offered, opening it. "Should be everyone."
He pulled out a dark green beanie, laughing. "Indeed!" He grabbed his shirt and shoes out of it and darted back over to the Cuttlefish Cabin to change. In the meantime, everyone else investigating the bag, pulling their respective clothes out of the bag. Upon finding her coat, Yvonne dropped to the ground and hugged it. Oh, how she's missed this...!
After everyone in Octa Prisma changed back into their civilian clothes, they retrieved their belongings from Callie and said their goodbyes to the New Squidbeak Splatoon and headed back to Inkopolis.
Yvonne remembered that when she first came to Inkopolis, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by how busy it way, being much, much louder than the quiet agricultural dome she had spent most of her life in up until that point. But now, it felt comforting to her, the constant chatter and music ringing through Inkopolis Square welcoming her with open arms. It was a shame she couldn't stay here much longer, though. After everything, she needed to rest and recover her strength.
Together, Oscar and Yvonne began to walk home, moving rather quickly through the streets. It didn't take them very long to reach the apartment complex they lived in, and Yvonne's smile only grew wider and wider with anticipation. She couldn't wait to plop onto the couch and watch a movie or something. Or, she could also go to sleep.
They eventually reached the apartment, and Oscar fetched a key out of his pocket to unlock it. The moment they opened the door, Yvonne became overwhelmed with a feeling of familiarity. Everything was where they left it. Every piece of furniture, every piece of food left out, and every photo, now covered with a fine layer of dust. Ants covered the counters in search for any food left out, and what fresh food was there had started to grow moldy. Despite everything, though, they were home, and Yvonne knew it.
Oscar took a few gingerly steps into the apartment, orange eyes scanning the area. Soon enough, he turned around to face Yvonne, looking down at her with a slight smile on his face.
"We're home," he muttered, his eyes growing watery. "We're finally home."
"Yeah," she agreed, closing the door behind her. "And we finally don't have to worry about the Octarians! Isn't that great?"
"I don't know..." He rubbed his shoulder, frowning. "They still could come for us."
"Oh, enough of that! Let's just focus on now, OK? And we have the Rainbow Squids backing us up, too, in case they do come for us. They saved us once, and I'm sure they'll save us again." Yvonne outstretched her arms, smiling. "Hug?"
Oscar wiped his eyes, nodding. "Hug."
Standing on the tip of her toes, Yvonne wrapped him in her arms, and Oscar hugged her back. They let go of each other a few seconds later, smiles on both of their faces. Of course, Oscar proceeded to plop down on the couch and turn on the TV, changing the channel from the show Yvonne was watching last to an ink battle tournament. After preparing some popcorn, she walked over to the couch to join him, sinking into the cushions as they took turns reaching into the bag, scooping out handfuls of buttery popcorn each time.
Finally, everything was back to normal.
A/N: Sorry this is so late. This turned out to be longer than I thought. Well, I hope you all like it! Yvonne was a tricky character to write, but it's nice to get a glimpse inside her head. As I mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, "The Rainbow Squids" will be on hiatus from now until January 2023. It's weird to think that I'll soon be on the final season of this story. It's been fun, but I'm going to be sad to finally draw this story to a close. Anyways, the ninth and final bonus story, featuring Peyton, will come out on January 1st, 2023. I don't know if the Season 6 premiere will come out the day after that or the following Sunday, since January 1st is a Sunday itself. We'll see when I get there. Anyways, I hope everyone has fun with Splatoon 3, and Branchwing, out!