SPLATOON: The Octarian Race

Chapter 13- Camille

Eliana, Flynn and Lenard were eating breakfast. Flynn noticed Lenard didn't have a lot on his plate for breakfast. "Yo, are you sure that's enough for you? You should eat as much for breakfast." Flynn said to the white inkling. Eliana noticed Lenard's plate too as she watched in silence. "...I do not eat a lot. It's not good for my health. Several doctors had a look at me, saying that I shouldn't consume a lot of food. I get through the day by drinking vitamins." He responded as he slowly ate off his plate. "Wait, can you stand up for a second?" Eliana asked. Lenard put his fork and spoon down as he stood up from his chair. Eliana looked from head-to-toe at Lenard's skinny figure. She took his hand and looked at it.
Lenard's so skinny...he looks like he doesn't eat well. His hand looks really white too...!
"You're so pale...are you sure you're eating properly?" She asked. Lenard slowly took her hand off and looked away. "...There is no need for your concern. I'm perfectly fine. This is how I've always been. Ever since...er...never mind." He said as he didn't say the last few words clearly. "What is it? Since when?" Flynn asked as he heard what Lenard explained. Lenard looked at Flynn and shook his head. "...It's nothing." He responded again. "If you say so, Len. What are we gonna do after this anyways?" Eliana thought of that too. "Today...? Maybe I can go with Camille somewhere. After all, she didn't answer my question yesterday..." the purple inkling said as she remembered Camille. Lenard looked at her. "...Fine with me. Make sure she drops you back here, though. I'll call her up." He said as he went to get the phone. As he left the room, Flynn was thinking about what he should do. "One way to spend the day, Eliana. I'm thinking of what I should do with Lenard." Flynn said. "I don't know what to do here in Inkopolis. Turf wars are fun, though." Eliana said as she looked away with a smile. Flynn became curious as he heard her say 'turf war.' "Hold up, did you say turf war?" He asked her. Eliana nodded and looked back at him. "...Mm-hmm...! Lenard and some of his friends took me yesterday. After the Great Turf War, inklings in Inkopolis play turf wars for fun. You should do it with Len if he's in the mood, that is." She responded. "...Huh...so turf wars are even known as simple games again? To be honest, I never really played in an actual turf war game like they used to show on TV." Flynn told her as he scratched his head. Eliana looked at him. "TV?" She asked. "Yeah the screen you saw me watching before breakfast. Remember Naoto? We're childhood friends. I'm not sure if he told you, but aside from that, he and I used to watch turf wars everyday when we were young before we joined the race. I always wanted to play a simple game in Inkopolis just once. But the only turf war I got to play is the Great Turf War. It's not a game, though. Once you get splatted, you die." He said as he got out of his seat. "...Ah, N-Naoto...yes. That day he was picking on me, you came out of your room to stop him. I realised that you two knew each other for a long time. About the Great Turf War, it sounds quite extreme. I guess I never really experienced that." Said Eliana as she put her hands behind her back.
I can't really explain almost anything that I might find out about my past. Lenard told me I was one of the warriors in the Great Turf War known as a dualie wielder. Since I carry the legendary hero dualies, after the Great Turf War ended, Lenard says I've gone missing. Then last night, Flynn told me 3 weeks after the war was over, I was brought in as a member of the Octoling Race as a valuable member...I wonder...why 3 weeks...? Did something happen to me because I was unconscious?
Flynn looked at the purple inkling who was stuck in deep thoughts again. "...She looks pretty troubled...after what Lenard showed me last night, I'd hate to bring out the truth that might hurt her even more." He said as he couldn't say a word to her again. After that, there was a doorbell. Lenard came out of the other room and walked towards the front door. The doorbell also caught Eliana and Flynn's attention. As Lenard opened the door, the three of them saw Camille with a friendly smile. "Hi! I'm so happy to see you all!" She smiled as she was waiting outside the house. "Eliana. You said you wanted to go out with Camille, no? You can go now." Lenard said. Eliana looked at Camille who was standing outside the door. "...O-Oh...! Thanks Len. I'll be back soon!" Eliana said as she waved and walked outside towards the pink inkling. They both left the house, leaving Lenard and Flynn. "What else does she not know? She seems very worried..." Flynn asks Lenard out of the silence. "...I will say nothing further. This is as far as I know and it is up to her to choose." Lenard replied. Flynn had a frustrated face as he read the papers Lenard gave him the previous night.

Eliana and Camille were walking down the alley while heading to the train station. "So, you wanted me to answer that question of yours, right? What was it again?" Camille asked the purple inkling as they were walking. "...Hmm...? Oh...right...! Um, who are you, Lenard and Josh? Why do you guys, including me, have different weapons then the rest of the inklings in Inkopolis?" Eliana asked. "Well...we were chosen." Camille answered as her umbrella appeared in her hands. "...Chosen...by who...?" "Before the Great Turf War occured, I was a normal inkling who'd love playing turf wars with my friends. However, one day when I was about to go home, a strange old male inkling called me. He was standing underneath a manhole cover in the corner of Inkopolis plaza. He told me to go with him." Camille explained as they continued walking. The wind started to blow the cherry blossom trees hanging above the alley. Camille opened her umbrella as the blossoms from the tree started falling. Eliana followed behind Camille as she continued to hear her story. "He looked kinda sketchy underneath that manhole cover, but he had such a kind look in his eyes, I had to trust him. So as soon as I followed him, I appeared in Octo Valley. In front of me, there were 7 inklings including the old man. One of the inklings was Lenard. That's how I first fell in love with him." Camille said with a small smile. "...You met Lenard by being recruited by some old man?" Eliana asked. "Er...not just him. I met Josh and you as well." The pink inkling said. "...I was...there with you guys...?" "Yeah...! I could remember it so clearly. You were very shy. You were sitting behind a bunch of crates that day we all first met, staring at the other inklings and me. I realised as soon as I arrived in the valley with you guys, the splat umbrella I always played with transformed to look just like this." She said as she showed her umbrella to Eliana again. Eliana had her dualies appear in her hands. "...The hero weapons...?" Eliana asked in confusion. Camille nodded. "Then the old man told all of us we are chosen as warriors for the Great Turf War. He called himself, The Legendary Squidbreak Splatoon. But he told us to call him Cap'n. So since then, the captain allowed all of us trained together in secret with our different weapons and we eventually mastered it all in time. Most of all, you were one of the best...!" Eliana's eyes widened, but she shook her head. "...R-Really...? Are you sure you're not messing with me? The race members say that I am pretty strong, but I don't believe it." Eliana responded humbly. "Mm-hmm...! You really were! I remember seeing you and Lenard spar, you two always put up a close match. I couldn't get anywhere as strong as you or Lenard. Hehe. You two were both the strongest. All the warriors couldn't even compare to you two." Camille said with a smile as they kept walking under the blossoming trees. They were coming near the train station. Eliana looked up at the blossoms and had a small smile.
Wow...I wonder how I forgot all of this...! I never remembered anything about practising with Len. But he always seemed so strong in battle. I guess what Camille could be telling is another one of my lost memories too; of how I became one of the great warriors like Len told me!
"It all sounds so amazing, Camille...! Thank you...! I really wanted to know what it was like as a warrior of Inkopolis...! I wonder, since you know a lot about Lenard, how did he get his powers? I'm afraid to ask him since he doesn't seem to like talking about it." Eliana said. Camille's eyes turned sad as she shook her head. "...My pleasure...! About Lenard and his powers, he doesn't talk about it for a reason. I know why, but I can't say it because it's his business and I respect that. You should too. Maybe eventually he'll tell you. But for now," The two entered the train station and got onto the train. "I'm just happy to let you know about your past. I cannot force you to take this in so easily, but I do hope you find and choose the right path for yourself." The pink inkling said with a smile as she took Eliana's hands. The purple inkling had a smile and looked outside the window as the train started moving.
.....
Eliana's smile suddenly faded as she kept staring outside the window. As the train was moving, she caught a glimpse of a male octoling looking around on top of a building. He had brown hair and had a blaster in his hands. As he laid his eyes on the train, Eliana hid underneath the window. Camille looked outside the window as she saw Eliana hide. "What's wrong?" She asked the purple inkling as she saw the male octoling outside. "Is that...another race member...!?" Camille gasped as the train kept on moving. The male octoling didn't see them, for the train moved fast enough to get away. "...Never would've suspected Flynn wanted to really bring me back...another one of the members is searching for me..." Eliana said as she sat back up on her seat. "Flynn wouldn't call that octoling. Maybe Master sent another member to search for you since he's onto Flynn. After all, Flynn didn't call Master at all right?" Camille explained as the train was about to come to a stop. Eliana nodded her head. "...Hmm...no, he didn't report anything to Master at all..."Eliana was staring down at her lap thinking about who that unfamiliar member was.
...I never saw that member before...he seems pretty short if you ask me, but he's definitely a member of the race if he's wearing our uniform. Guess we better be careful not to let him see us...