SPLATOON: The Octarian Race

Chapter 14- Meets

Flynn and Lenard started walking out of the house. "Where we going? This better be enjoyable." Flynn asked as he stuck his hands in his pant's pocket. Lenard looked at him intensely. "...Let's see how fast you can keep up with me." He said with a grin. Flynn made an exaggerated face. "Wha-!? Is this a race or something? Because it's obvious who'll-" Lenard turned to his squid form and super-jumped on top of the other houses and started running without hearing the rest of this sentence. Flynn just shook his head and jumped on top of the roof tiles of the neighborhood's houses. Lenard paused and waited until Flynn caught up to him, but he stopped running from the top of the roofs. He started to slip off until he caught himself. "Man...! How's he so fast...?! oh...you know what? I'll take my own path...! That way, I can catch up to him faster!" The male octoling said to himself as he jumped off the roof of a house. Lenard watched him jump off and took the sidewalk to chase after him. "...Interesting...just as I remembered..." Lenard said to himself as he continued to head towards the train station. Flynn started catching up to Lenard by stepping on a bunch of crates and onto the tip of the roof tiles. He started getting faster until Lenard stopped in front of the train station. Flynn came a few seconds after by jumping off the roof tiles of the houses. He panted tiredly, almost as if he were running to save his life. "...Hmm. Not half bad...but I still beat you." Lenard said as he started walking in the train station. Flynn followed behind. "W-Wait up! That actually..." Lenard stopped and turned to look at Flynn. "...Felt pretty good...! Next time, I'll defeat you! This is just a warm up anyways, right?" Flynn said with a grin. "...I look forward to it." Lenard said as he tapped Flynn's shoulder. "Let's get going." "Where?" Flynn asked in confusion. "To the square. They're meeting up with the rest of our group." The white inkling replied as he and the green octoling got on the train. Flynn didn't say a thing as he sat across Lenard on the train. As the train started moving, Lenard silently fell asleep while folding his arms. Flynn was looking outside the window. "...These group of inklings Lenard mentioned are known as the warriors of the Great Turf War. Wonder how this is gonna go." Flynn said to himself as the train started moving.

Eliana and Camille went to Inkopolis square where five inklings were sitting on two tables near Crusty Sean's food cart. "Oh! They're here...!" Josh said as he waved his two hands at Eliana and Camille. "Hi! We'll be over there in a sec!" Camille said with a smile. As the two of them started walking over, Eliana slowly backed down behind Camille.
...They're...all inklings...these inklings must be the warriors that fought in the Great Turf War with me...but since I was associated with the enemy, they probably don't like me...
Camille turned back at Eliana and took her hand. "It's alright! Don't be shy! They remember you and hopefully you'll remember them!" The pink inkling said with a small smile. Eliana threw away her shyness and looked at Camille. "...Right...! Thank you." Eliana smiled back. As the two of them walked over to the group of inklings, Eliana recognized Josh, two other male inklings and two female inklings. "Guys, guys, it's been forever since we've all seen each other!" Camille said excitedly. A female inkling with a red ponytail stretched her arms behind her back as she yawned. "...Ah yes...it certainly has. But why should I waste the morning on some meeting?" "Did ya forget or something, Susie? They definitely came to buy us lunch. I'm starving. I didn't have breakfast yet." A male inkling with said as he fiddled with his dark red hair which was tied up. Joshblooked at the two red inklings. "Ugh, Susie, Sho, this isn't about sleeping or eating." Josh said as he leaned on the chair and put his feet on top of the empty table. As soon as he done that, the chair tilted back and Josh fell on the ground. Eliana saw him fell back and she made a worried face as she ran up to him and gave him a hand. "Josh! Are you okay?" She asked. "Oh! Eliana, thanks for the hand. Sorry, it's just my bad luck as always." Josh replied as he got up and scratched his head. "Josh is always hopeless. Eliana? It's been a long time." Another male inkling with blue hair. Eliana turned to him. "...Er, yes. But I am unfamiliar of all of your names and faces except for Josh and Camille." The purple inkling said. The blue inkling's eyes widened as he heard her reply. "What? How can you forget about us?" The female inkling asked with yellow hair. Eliana looked down as she didn't know how to answer.
...I can't just tell them I lost my memory...they'll most likely complain just like the race members.
Camille stepped in front of Eliana. "Eliana forgot her memories since she was brought in as a member of our enemy, so I wanted her to know what it was like before she lost her memories." Camille explained. "That means..." The blue inkling started. Eliana looked at him. "You're an enemy! Traitor...! Don't you dare come near us!" He said as he got up from his chair. The two red inklings and the yellow inkling looked at him. "But Ren, I assure you she isn't harmful!" Camille said to all of them as she was defending Eliana. "Yeah! Eliana isn't harmful. She doesn't even remember her memories." Josh added. "Camille, Josh, you know that the Octarian race is a group of dangerous octolings! Most of them are assassins...!" Susie said as she held onto her brother tightly. Sho didn't say a thing but listened to the conversation. "I disagree. You all overreact too much. It makes me sick." A voice said behind all of them. As all of them heard the familiar voice, they turned to look at Lenard and Flynn, who was unfamiliar to them. "Lenard? Why the shell do you have that octoling with you? It's obvious that he's from the race! Don't tell me you really sided with them too...!" Ren said as he looked at Flynn who was standing beside Lenard. Flynn didn't know what to say as he looked at the yellow inkling girl who was staring back at him silently. She had a surprised face as she laid her eyes on him, but she couldn't bear to say a thing through the argument. "...Lenard...!" Eliana and Camille gasped as she saw the white inkling. "I brought Eliana back from the race recently. She and I can assure that she won't go back anytime soon until she knows her memories." Lenard said as he ended the argument.
Lenard...stood up for me again. I wonder why he keeps defending me...
The yellow inkling stopped staring at Flynn and turned to Eliana. "I think it's okay...to trust them, I mean." The yellow inkling girl said. Ren sat down as the yellow inkling tapped his shoulder. "...If I catch any of you doing something to our group, I won't hold back. Including you, Lenard." Ren said as he looked at Lenard. "..." Lenard didn't say a word back, but he didn't look at Ren in the eyes. "What's this gotta do with Lenard? He has nothing to do with this." Flynn said back. "Are you talking back to me, outcast?" Ren asked as he looked at Flynn. "I won't let you go and spit your tongue out on my two friends. For both Eliana and Len." The green octoling responded. Lenard averted his eyes to Flynn. "..." Ren was about to get out of his seat until the yellow inkling girl stopped him. At the same time, Sho removed his sister's hands from his shoulders. "Nah, don't mind Ren. He's just a pufferfish getting ready to blow up as soon as he's pissed off." Sho answered as he put his head down in boredom. Ren started walking away and folded his arms. "...I'm out of here. I rather do something else than do this. See ya'll." He said as he left for the train station. "Ignore him. He's been like that ever since the Great Turf War ended. No idea why, but he should be happy. He's changed along with everything." The yellow inkling explained. Lenard looked down silently and Eliana caught him staring at the ground.
Lenard seemed silent whenever we talked about Ren...Ren didn't seem so happy when he spat about Lenard either. But even as a group, do they not get along?
Sho turned to Eliana. "Anyways, this girl seems like the same Eliana. Just...hmm, uh, I dunno." Susie slapped her brother. "Then don't say anything. But I will trust you because you were one of us." Susie said as she looked at Eliana. "Me too. Sorry, you got to know everyone's names except mine. I'm Dalia." The yellow inkling girl said with a smile. Flynn stared at her in silence and awe as he remembered her face and name a while ago. Josh and Camille smiled as everyone resolved. "Great!" Josh said. "See? It's okay." Camille said as she looked at Eliana's eyes widened, but she put on a smile.
I guess Ren doesn't trust me, but I do hope that he's alright. He somehow reminds me of Lenard and Flynn at the same time.
Sho patted Josh's shoulder and gave him his turf points. "Okay. Go buy us food from the food cart now. I'm hungry." He said. "Wha-!? Why do I gotta do it? You know I'm just gonna spill the whole tray, right?" Josh asked. Sho looked at his sister. Susie sighed and snatched the turf points from Josh's hand. "Fine. You lazybum. I'll get the food myself. But don't expect me to buy YOU some food." She said as she started walking over to the cart. Sho got up and stopped her. "Wait! Susie! I'll get it myself!" He said as he went up and started arguing with his sister. All the inklings started laughing while talking to each other while they waited for their food. Eliana smiled while talking with the group of inklings. For it felt like the first time, she felt like she belonged.

Flynn stared at the yellow inkling who was looking down silently while sitting in her seat. He walked to her and she looked at him silently. "...Dalia...I-" Flynn started. Dalia shook her head. "You were once my enemy, morely, my opponent in the battle. But...I can see that you show respect to Eliana. I do not trust you, but I will say thank you." She said to him as she looked away. "You were the inkling who faced against me with the hero charger...listen, Dalia," He continued. Dalia turned her head towards him again as she listened to what the octoling wanted to say to her. "I want to live a life where inklings and octolings are friends-" "Friends, you say? How obnoxious. You say that when you're part of a group of assassins." She interrupted with an annoyed face. Flynn thought for a second as he didn't know what to say back. "A group of assassins led by an evil leader as our sworn enemy. You octolings are the reason why we went into war in the first place. You say you want peace for both species, but it will never happen as long as you and other octarians keep killing our species." Dalia said coldly as she got up from her chair to join Camille and Eliana's conversation. Flynn just stood there, in silence while thinking about what the yellow inkling girl said to him.