#//Xïngxì

[warriorsofsplatsville]

"Mr....Gillian? I got you a soda. I wanted to thank you for helping me with Turf Wars earlier."

[grandpa-cephalopods]

Xïngxì waves at Doc. Oh no.

[warriorsofsplatsville]

Alterna, Part 7

The group met up with everyone else back on Future Utopia Island, where they were all standing around Callie and Marie, as well as Captain Jesse and Octavio. 

“Agent Three!! Er, I mean....your royalness.” Callie gave Mirage a little bow. “I’m assuming the others briefed you on the situation?”

“Yeah, signal at the rocket. What’s stopping us?”

Octavio stood up and gestured at the giant pile of fur surrounding the rocket. “That.”

“We were wondering if Buddy was, uh....up to eating all that?” Marie raised an eyebrow. 

Mirage showed Buddy the massive pile of fuzzy ooze, and it shook its head. “Yeah, I don’t think Buddy can begin to clear that up, no matter the amount of power eggs we give it.”

“Dammit, what can we do...?”

Vulture turned to the three treasures that they’ve collected thus far, scratching his chin. “I’m no engineer, but it looks to me that pile of junk is supposed to go together. Why don’t we assemble it and see where that takes us?”

“Oh, good idea Vully!! You’ll help out, right?” Biela chirped, tugging on his arm. 

“Er, yes, I suppose I don’t have a choice...”

“Allow me to help. Salmonids are good at putting stuff together.” Salomon offered. 

“Guess I can do something to pitch in...” Octavio sighed, getting up and limping over to help. 

“Yeah!! Let’s help out too, Marie!” Callie dragged her cousin along to the machinery. 

“Wait for me!!” Jesse called after them.

It took a bit of hammering, screwing, a few tears on Callie’s part and struggling on Jesse’s, but they managed to put the treasures together into....something.

“Is this a lawn mower?” Dal turned his head, puzzled. 

“It looks like razor blades, so I assume it’s meant to cut hair.” Vulture ran his finger along the edge of one of the blades. “This could do the trick.”

“But who is strong enough to do it? It’s a pretty big machine...” 

Jesse stood up on the crate he was so used to sitting on, rolling up his sleeves. “Leave it all to the Captain!!” he laughed. 

His tentacles suddenly flared up, glowing intensely. Like he was about to use a special. Grabbing ahold of the razor machine, he hoisted it high into the air, super jumping after it. 

He swiped rapidly with the machine, cutting away the fur chunk by chunk. He then held onto the machine tightly and charged directly toward the rocket, and then...

“All the fur is cleared! We can get to the rocket now!!” Callie squealed with joy. “WAY TO GO, CAPTAAAAIN!!”

“Wow, that kid’s pretty good now...” Octavio muttered, in genuine shock. 

“Mirage! And friends....after it! We’ll be right behind you!!” Marie barked. 

“Right!! Let’s go, Mirage!!” Sandy pumped her fists. 

Mirage nodded, and the four super jumped to the rocket in the center. 

-

“Captain Jesse!!”

Minu was the first run toward the captain, who was collapsed on the ground in front of the busted machine. He cradled his right arm. 

“Grandp- Captain Jesse! You okay?!” Minu exclaimed, kneeling over next to him. 

“Y-Yeah, I’m all good, kid. I just- argggh! I think I might’ve hurt my arm pretty bad...”

“Oh no! Don’t push yourself, Captain!” Sandy pitched in.

“You did good though, Cap! We can get in the rocket!” Plat cheered. 

The rest arrived in a pretty timely manner as well, though Octavio wasn’t among them. “Jesse, that was so cool!!” Callie giggled. “Gramps would be SO proud of you!!”

“HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!”

“I know that voice...” Mirage groaned. 

Frye, Shiver, and Big Man were behind them, looking pretty furious. “We’re not just gonna let you run off with the treasure THAT easily!!” Frye shouted.

“Yeah! I hope you’re ready for round two!!” Shiver hissed. 

“Ay! (What they said!)” Big Man added. 

“Uh....you can have it. We’re done with the treasure now.” Marie rolled her eyes. “It’s basically just a hunk of junk to us.”

“Hah! Prepare for- wait, seriously?” Frye stared at the squid sister with wide eyes. “You can’t be just BE DONE with treasure, can you?!”

“You’re just giving it to us?” Shiver gasped, hiding behind their fan. “No fight? No conditions?”

“Yeah! It’s all yours!” Callie did a little bit of jazz hands. 

“Ay! Ayyy! (Wahh!! So kind!!)” Big Man sniffled. 

“Th....Thank yooooooou!” Deep Cut cried out, bowing their heads in thanks. “This really means a lot to us....”

“If you don’t mind us asking....what did you need it for?” Xingxi asked softly.

“We were gonna sell the treasure and divide the money to the less fortunate around Splatsville....and keeping a small bit for ourselves.” Shiver replied, wiping tears from their eyes. 

“Yeah! Not everyone is super rich, you know...” Frye added.

“Woah, that’s like....such a noble goal!! I love that!!” Sandy giggled. “I’ve decided! I am now a Deep Cut fan!!”

“Told you they were the best.” Plat scoffed. “Some idol Ambys was, huh?”

 A shot of hot-pink ink blasted forward, just barely missing Mirage’s head.

“I missed. Tch.”

Ambys jumps down from the scaffolding of the tower. “Sorry, but I can’t let you past this point. Boss’s orders.”

Mirage has to recover from the fact that they were almost sniped, but they glared at Ambys. “Where’s my mother?!”

“Don’t worry, we’re taking good care of her. She’s important after all! Boss is almost ready for the plan to move in motion. I’m just stalling you, in other words~”

“Dammit, if she doesn’t move, we won’t be able to keep going!”

At that moment, Salomon rushed in and tackled the axolotl with every muscle in his body. “GRAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!”

“HWA-?!” she yelped, being picked up by him and shaken around. “PUT ME DOWN, YOU IMBECILE!!”

“YOU MESSED WITH THE WRONG FISH, NEVER LAY A HAND ON MY FAMILY EVER AGAIN!!” he roared and threw Ambys across the island, crashing into one of the legs of the tower. “ACK!!”

Everyone stared at Salomon with their jaws practically on the floor. They’ve never seen such brute force utilized, even by the Salmonid King.

Ambys had gone unconscious, and dropped to the side was what appeared to be the radio she was using. Mirage cautiously walked over to her and picked it up. 

It crackled and popped a bit, but eventually a rumbling voice pulled through. “Agent Ambys, come in. Have the invaders been dispatched? The process is about to begin.”

“Who are you?! WHERE’S CUTTLEFISH AND COQUINA?!” Mirage shouted at the radio, and for a second the other end was quiet. 

“I see that she has failed for the last time....no matter. It won’t hurt to tell you who I am now that I’m so close to victory.” he grumbled. “I am Mr. Grizz, founder and CEO of Grizzco Industries.”

“Mr. Grizz...!” 

“It has been my lifelong mission to restore the planet to its former glory. To be more specific, to bring about the Return of the Mammalians.” he continued. “With the power of the golden eggs, my fuzzy ooze, and the necessary people, I will bring an end to sea life and usher us into a new era!”

Vulture got closer to Mirage. “Mr. Grizz, listen. I understand the want to return the world to its former state. But the ooze you’ve been developing does not accomplish that at all, it in fact hinders any form of growth other than hair. You must not go through with this!”

“Hehehe...hahahaha! I would’ve never imagined you would have survived the flood, Professor. It’s almost nice. However, they took away the only one who understood us, and killed everyone I’ve ever known. Mammals and sea creatures have swapped places, and NOT for the better.”

“Took away the only one who...oh god....Annalise...” Vulture shivered. “That means you were....”

“It doesn’t matter now. You’re too late to stop me, so you might as well give up. And if you don’t...you will be met with resistance.” The radio shut off, no longer producing any noise. 

“We have to get to that rocket!! NOW!!” Callie shouted in a panic. “Agent Three and friends, please hurry and get to the rocket! We’ll all catch up!!”

“Hey! We’ll help you out too!!” Frye chimed in. “Here, let me see that communicator you’ve there!” She reached for the communicator that Callie was holding, which connected to the earpieces Mirage and their friends have been wearing.

“Hey, miss...” Shiver approached Marie shyly. “Do you mind being our boss? We’ll work for you!”

“Erm, I don’t know...I’ve got a lot going on back home...”

“Ay??? (Please???)” Big Man put his fins together in a plea. 

“Meh....fine. Just don’t be a nuisance about your paychecks.”

“Yay~!”

“Get up there, now!” Dal exclaimed. 

“Right, let’s go!”

So the group began to scale the massive tower. The first area wasn’t very fun, as ORCA confiscated their weaponry. So they had to rely on Mirage and Buddy’s teamwork to progress through the building, hiding behind walls to avoid being helplessly pelted by enemy ink. 

The second area was much more generous than the first. While ORCA did close most of the gates in an attempt to keep the cephalopods out, they wiped out the many hairy Octarian troops that stood in their way, making good use of the special cans lying around haphazardly. Deep Cut’s music came through and kept them going.

Next, they had to ride on a very slow elevator in a dark room, trying their best to not be ambushed by the many enemies dropping down on their heads. But by teaming up with each other, they were able to handle the onslaught. 

The fourth zone was a massive staircase they had to climb, and by the fourth turn the group was out of breath, but they pushed onward, attacking enemies on the way up. As they approached the top, there was a tank filled with pink fluid, and inside was....the Great Zapfish! “So Mr. Grizz stole the Great Zapfish!!” Callie exclaimed.

The final area was the giant tower itself, but as the team entered, all the bulkheads slammed shut in a last ditch effort to keep them out. They looked for a way in when Plat touched one of the numerous floating power cores and collected it. Sandy figured that it needs a power override to open the bulkheads, and so, passing around special cans of Zipcaster, they flew around the tower, carefully avoiding the mounds of fuzzy ooze, and opened each door one by one until they reached the end. 

Only a massive ramp leading up to the rocket itself was their obstacle. Mirage scrambled to run up to the top, leaving the others in the dust. Callie and others finally caught up too at that time. 

Even from the distance, they could hear shouting from both Coquina and Cuttlefish. What was he doing to them?!

Mirage finally reached the top, turning the corner sharply and approaching the rocket. The rest were in tow. 

“Mom?! Mr. Cuttlefish?! Where are you?!” Mirage shouted. 

“M-Mirage....” Coquina weakly called, collapsed on the floor. 

“MOM!!”

They hurry to help her up, Buddy hopping out to assist as well (though it was too tiny to do anything). Salomon gasped and came to pick her up, holding her in his arms bridal style. 

“Coquina?! What did that monster to you?!” He exclaimed, worried over her. She shook her head. “No, i-it’s just the air up here, but....”

She weakly pointed toward the center, where Callie and Marie were crouched over. Jesse was holding something, or someone, in his arms...

“GRAAAAAAAAAMPS!!!” Callie cried, sobbing into Marie’s shoulder. When Jesse straightened his back, it was revealed to everyone that Cuttlefish was seemingly dead, dehydrated into squid jerky. 

“Gramps....who would do this to you...?” Marie whispered. 

“He bravely stood in the way when he came to attack me....he sacrificed himself for my sake....that poor man...” Coquina whimpered. 

Jesse shed a single tear, and it fell onto Cuttlefish with a ‘plip!’. The dehydrated squid regained color and slowly opened his eyes. 

“Gweh.....so dry...” he hoarsely complained. “Eh? Why’s everyone crying?”

“Gr-gr-gr...” Callie and Marie both stuttered.

“GRAAAAAAAAAAAAMPSS!!!!!!!!” they exclaimed happily, hugging him (or trying to at least). 

“Why do you look like that?!” Jesse coughed. “You’re so......thin. And chewy-looking.”

“That darned Mr. Grizz sucked all the moisture out of me!! Anyone got lotion, or a bottle of water?”

“I got ya covered~” Biela walked over and unscrewed the cap off their water bottle, pouring it on him. “I do have a feeling this is going to take a lot more water, though...”

Mirage looked at Cuttlefish and Coquina with relief, until they heard heavy stomping from behind them. They whipped around to look toward the rocket. 

There stood a massive grizzly bear, covered in purple ooze. Its face was unchanging as its gaze was fixed onto Mirage.

“Welcome.”

“AAAAAAAAAAAA WHAT IS THAAAAAT?!??!?!” Sandy shrieked. “Why’s it so big and fuzzy?!?!?!....And kinda cute?!”

The bear looked at the human professor, who grimaced at the sight. 

“Unbelievable....that’s impossible, the Ark Polaris crashed all that time ago...there’s nothing else you can be, you’re....” Vulture gulped.

“Ursine Anomaly #3!!!”

“Hello, Professor. I would ask how Professor Annalise is, but we both already know what happened to her.” He shook his head. “The folly of human is humorous, indeed...”

“So you must be Mr. Grizz.....” Salomon growled. “You are the reason why my people are dying!! You will pay for this!!”

“Unlikely. For my master plan is already in motion.”

The rocket boosters began to go off, and Mr. Grizz dug his claws into the side of the rocket, and they watched the rocket lift off with Mr. Grizz.

“You will witness the birth of a new world. Don’t call it Hairmageddon. HR doesn’t like it.” He grumped out before the rocket took off through the giant hatch in the center of Alterna’s sky.

“Ohhhh, that’s bad.” Jesse whispered. 

“AAAH, we gotta do something!!” Callie screamed. 

“Calm down Callie, let’s think of a plan....”

“Need our help?!”

Deep Cut made their appearance. “We can help you get to space! Just leave it to us!” Frye proclaimed. “Eels, show your stuff!!”

Frye’s eels swirled up into the air, creating a massive ink tornado that reached above and beyond the hatch in the sky. 

“Master Mega!! Now’s your chance!!”

The megalodon mentor popped out from the side and sat on the puddles of ink left by Frye’s eels, waiting to go. 

“Ay! Ay...(I found a space suit in the tower! But there was only one...)”

“So...only one of us can go to space...” Sandy softly said, looking between the four of them. 

“I mean, I can go! Let me destroy that bear with my ‘bear’ fists!!” Plat punched the air. 

“That was AWFUL....I can do it. He won’t see me coming.” Minu crossed her arms. 

“No, I wouldn’t want any of you to get hurt! I’ll go!!” Sandy pleaded. 

“....I’ll go.” Mirage looked up at them. 

“M-Mirage...” the three looked surprised. 

“It’s strange, but...I have a feeling that me and Buddy need to go up there together. Like we can’t win if we don’t. No offense.”

Minu nodded. “Finally accepting your role as a hero, huh?”

“Don’t think I have a choice.” Mirage chuckled.

Mirage pulled on the space suit, topping it off with the black headphones. Once activated, a rainbow force field appeared around their head to act as a helmet. Buddy snuggly tucked into their ink tank pocket. 

“One more thing!” Callie hopped forward, handing them....

“A Stringer?”

“Our newest model. We haven’t tested it yet, so it might be a tad unstable....” Marie added. “But unstable might help you in this situation.”

“I...th-thank you.” They clutched the bow tightly. “I won’t let any of you down.”

“W-Wait!! Mirage!!” Coquina ran up to them, Salomon next to her. “My child...are you sure you want to do this? It’s a lot of pressure....and very dangerous.”

“Mom...Dad....we have to. Me and Buddy both.” They nodded. “We’re the only ones who can.”

“Oh...be careful! Come back alive!!” Coquina gave them a huge squeeze with her arms, Salomon joining in. 

“We’re counting on you, Agent Three!” Dal cheered, Xingxi and Biela alongside him. 

They board on Master Mega, hanging onto the handlebars. The shark swam up the ink tornado, and when he could not go any further up, Mirage jumped off the shark, and super jumped to the starry sky above. 

[warriorsofsplatsville]

Alterna, Part 2

It was terrifying to ride along in a pipe that pushed Mirage along with just wind alone, but in doing so it led them into the second island.

It was strange. Towers reached upward, and buildings were surrounding them. It seemed like a sort of manufacturing facility. 

When they peered at the map on their wristwatch, it read “Safe and Cozy Factory.”. Whatever that meant. 

It was smaller compared to the last island, but there was a lot more going on here, what with kettles and secrets hiding under the ground. 

As Dal, Xïngxì and Biela also popped through the pipe, the radio that Callie leant them began to beep like crazy. Mirage held it up. “Yeah?”

“Agent Three!! Important news!!” Callie exclaimed.

“Stop calling me that....what is it?”

“Okay, so, long story short, Marie and I were worried that gramps was going to wander off or get kidnapped, again, which so happens to be the current situation, so we attached a signal on him so we could easily locate him.” 

“Wha...okay, so what about it?” Mirage asked, shaking their head.

“Sooo...we picked up on his signal! Now we can easily find him!! Bad news is....there’s three signals just like it here.”

“Fantastic. Which one is his?”

“We don’t know. So, uh, this is gonna make you kinda grumpy, but...”

“...I have to check all three of them, don’t I.”

“Yep yep! You got it! You have the brains of an agent, you know that?”

“It’s not that hard to pick up on context clues, Callie...”

“Anyway! One of these signals just happens to be on the island you’re on currently! So get to looking! Agent One, over and out!” the radio crackled as she stopped talking. 

Mirage looked back at the wristwatch to see a pulsing signal has appeared atop one of the towers in the middle. 

Unfortunately, from here, they could see that a giant pile of fuzzy ooze was surrounding the tower. 

“Looks like we’ll need to do more collecting.” Dal scratched his head. “Let’s start with the ground before we check the kettles. We can split up.”

Dal decided that he’d go with Mirage while Xïngxì and Biela would look over toward the right. As they followed Buddy with its sense of smell, Dal struck up a conversation with them. 

“So....how’d you end up falling down here?”

“Um...we were all standing on this big metal plate at the bottom of a crater, and it suddenly opened up.” they replied, shooting the ground in front of Buddy that it was pointing at. “We fell pretty far, it looks like.”

“I see....the plate isn’t supposed to open up like that randomly. It’s controlled by a device. There’s one above ground and below ground.” Dal said, digging through the snow. “Maybe something malfuctioned? Which doesn’t bode well for all of us exactly.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.”

“What does an idol group have to do with an ancient underground ruin?”

“It’s complicated. You see, when I met Xïngxì initially, she had no memories about her past. When Biela came around, they pointed out that Xïngxì isn’t exactly full Octoling. She doesn’t have outer suction cups or an Octoling mask.” he pulled out a capsule. “That comment made her remember something. She came from a place underground.”

“I mean...don’t most Octolings come from the underground? Considering the Great Turf War...”

“She’s not from the Valley or the Canyon. She’s never seen it before. She told us she came from a place where there were no sea creatures, and was inhabited by an ancient species. She said it ended one day when it started snowing.”

“When...it started snowing? I know there’s snow on the ground, but we’re nowhere NEAR the sky.” Mirage tilted their head. 

“But this is the only place that relatively fits the description, so we’ve searching here ever since. Course, we don’t know every single nook and cranny, and it’s impossible to reach that rocket in the middle, even more so now that fur is completely surrounding it.” Dal pointed at the massive rocket and tower in the center of the islands. “We still haven’t awakened any memories yet. But I want to. She’s...m-my friend, you know? I care about her a lot.”

Mirage pondered Dal’s last statement. They never had another person close enough to care about or to care about them like that. But they did have Buddy, and they cared a lot about it. There was a connection there. 

“Anyway, I think that’s all we’re gonna find on the ground for now. Let’s rendezvous with the others and start combing through those kettles. We need more eggs to clear out the fuzz, right?”

“Y-Yeah.” Mirage stood back up and brushed their knees off. Time to get back to level clearing.

-

Most of the kettles were cleared. There was only one kettle left to go through, but Mirage decided to take a small break. It’s not exactly easy to risk neck and limb when it’s just them and Buddy at it.

They perked up when they heard a squeal coming from the kettle they were yet to clear. “AAAAAAAAAH!! YIKES!! SOMEONE HELP ME, PLEASE!!”

“Is that...S-Sandy?” They get up. They had to cut this break short, it would seem. “C’mon, Buddy!!”

Buddy jumped into the pouch of Mirage’s ink tank and they readied themself to enter. Dal ran to them. “Hey! Where are you going?!”

“I have someone to help. I’ll be right back.”

Once inside, they were immediately greeted by Sandy hiding behind a wall, being pelted by Octocommanders. They could see that she had dropped her Range Blaster in the distance, but it was too dangerous to retrieve it, not with this heavy enemy fire.

Entering through the airlock, they quickly run to her and grab ahold of the stray weapon the ground. “Sandy, catch!”

She looked up to see Mirage ready to throw the blaster, and she nodded, holding out her hands.

Once she caught it, she waited for the Octocommanders to grow tired of their attack, and once they did, she popped out from behind the wall and began attacking one of them. Mirage swam behind her and attacked the other one. 

Once the coast was clear, Sandy ran up to Mirage and gave them the biggest hug possible. “Oh thank you thank you thank you!! Mirage, you saved my life!! I thought I was going to die in here...”

“U-Uh...” They were taken aback by the embrace. They gave her a small pat on her back and squirmed out. “Y-Yeah. Let’s find the goal and get out of here. Oh, make sure to collect as many power eggs as you can find, it’s important.”

“Oh? Okay....let’s go!”

After clearing the level, they popped back out to the overworld, and met up with with Dal, Xïngxì and Biela.

“Omigosh. Mirage. Isn’t that-”

“The super famous idol group Gravitation Pull? Yes. Not important right now. Let’s all count up the amount of power eggs we’ve collected.”

With Sandy barely containing her excitement, they counted the eggs on hand. Everything altogether amounted to a couple thousand power eggs.

“Wow, we have a lot!” Biela giggled, removing their glasses to take a closer look at the pile they’ve accumulated.

“This should be enough to clear out that massive pile surrounding the kettle with the signal. Let’s hope Cuttlefish is there....” Mirage began to walk to the tower with the kettle before being stopped by Sandy grabbing their hand. 

“W-Wait! I’ve got a bad feeling about that kettle....lemme come with you! I have to thank you for saving me, anyway....” She swayed her arms back and forth. 

“I...alright. Just don’t die, okay?” They start walking again, Sandy following. 

“Be careful up there...!” Xïngxì called after them.

Once Mirage and Buddy clear out the giant pile of ooze, they turn to Sandy. “You sure about this?”

“Yeah!! I’ll be here to back you up!!” She pumped her fist. 

Mirage took a deep breath, and then the both of them slipped into the large kettle. 

-

Once Mirage and Sandy entered the airtight chamber, ORCA started up once again and chanted, “WARNING: NO UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL BEYOND THIS POINT.” over and over again.

“Um....that’s not scary...” Sandy whimpered. 

“Cuttlefish might be here. We can’t just leave him behind.”

“You’re right....okay. Let’s go!”

When they super jumped onto the large arena, they took in their large surroundings. Everything in there was almost unrecognizable. Languages they couldn’t understand, structures beyond their comprehension, it was almost overwhelming. 

“HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!”

“I know that voice...” Mirage groaned. 

Frye jumped down from above, pointing at them. “Hey, you! I got here first! And I can SMELL the treasure!! It’s in here! And there’s no way I’m letting either of you get your hands on it!!”

“WAIT, I-IS THAT FRYE?! FROM DEEP CUT?!” Sandy gasped. “What’s she doing here?! What does she mean by treasure, why does she look like she’s about to pummel us?!”

“Oh, a fan! I can tell ya why! Because I AM!” Frye laughed, and pulled out a flute, and hopped on top of what appeared to be an Octostomp model. It spun around on its corner, and Frye balancing on it perfectly. “EELS!! GET OUT HERE!!”

She played a tune with her flute, and in within seconds, hundreds of eels popped out of the Octostomp’s side, mouth, and eyes. Sandy yelped. “She’s an eel charmer!! But that technique....that’s from the Onaga Clan!”

“Wha-?!”

“Pay attention to me, Agent Three! Get ready for the fight of your life!” Frye exclaimed. 

“Look out!” Mirage shouted, and pulled Sandy out of the way of the approaching rotating Octostomp.

“Eep! Wh-what do we do?!”

Frye summoned the eels, and they began charging directly at them.

“AAAAAAAH!” Sandy yelled, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she fired her blaster at them.

They went flying back to Frye, hitting the Octostomp, throwing it off balance slightly. “HEY HEY HEY!! ATTACK THEM, NOT ME!!”

It clicked in Mirage’s head. “That’s it. Sandy, keep attacking the eels! Send every one of them flying at Frye!”

“O-okay!!”

So the two shot every single eel, sending them right back where they came from. Frye completely lost control of the Octostomper model and it spun out, leaving Frye dizzy. “Owwwww....”

Mirage quickly inked the wall and climbed up to Frye, and without hesitation, splat her.

“You did it!!”

“Ughhhhh. You’re good, kid, I’ll give you that. But you haven’t seen the last of Deep Cut!”

She threw a smoke bomb, but it rolled down towards the Octostomp full of eels, sending her and the eels flying into the air. “AAAAACK!!”

“What a graceful exit...” Sandy sighed. “I never though Deep Cut would be so antagonistic.”

“As they told us, they’re bandits. So we’re probably not done fighting them yet.” Mirage grimaced. Their thoughts were interrupted when moving platforms started appearing, extending forward and ending at the arena they were at. They could see a large object obscured by the shadows.

Mirage and Sandy slowly walk onto the platform and stand before the object. A light shines on it, and....

“Are those saws?” 

It was a contraption of some sort, covered in blades, saws, all sorts of sharp objects.

“Could this be the treasure that Frye was looking for?” Sandy asked confusedly. “Because...this does not look like shimmering treasure. This looks like a death trap.”

“Well, I mean. Cuttlefish isn’t here. We have to go back with something. C’mon Sandy, help me lift this out of here. Be careful not to cut yourself on it.”

It took a lot of effort, and pushing, and almost slipping and falling, but they managed to get the giant death machine out of the kettle.

Dal blankly stared at the object, then at the teens, then back at the object. “Is that...Cuttlefish?”

“No, Dal, I don’t think it is.” Xïngxì walked toward them, looking closer at it. “I....Why does this look so familiar...?”

“You remember something?!” Biela jumped. “What did you remember?!”

“It’s...faint....but I recall being....small. There was a man and a woman talking about it, and...I think there were more pieces....ugh....sorry, that’s all I can say about it....” she held her head. “It’s still fuzzy....”

“Don’t push it, okay? One step at a time.” Dal pat her on the back. “We should probably radio in Callie and Marie about the situation. About Cuttlefish not being here and....uh...this thing.”

As Dal switched the radio on, Mirage saw a blur in the corner of their eye. Buddy leaped out of the pocket and ran quickly, completely ignoring its surroundings. 

“Buddy-?!”

Mirage chased after them, but Gravitational Pull was too preoccupied to notice. Worried, Sandy followed them. 

“Mirage, where’s Buddy going?” Sandy asked running alongside them. 

“I don’t know, I-”

They halted movement and froze in place, looking at the sight before them. 

Buddy was hopping up and down excitedly at someone’s feet. 

It was Coquina, the robed lady from Splatsville. 

What was she doing here?!

“Little one, please, go back to Mirage, they need you right now...shush! Go!!” She was trying to wave it away, but Buddy instead clung to her leg. 

“Hey!! What are you doing here?!” Mirage shouted, catching everyone off guard. 

Coquina gently picked Buddy up and set them back on the ground, and worriedly looked toward Mirage. “Forgive me, but this is not the right time...”

She opened the hatch and swam in, being carried away by the draft to the next area. 

Mirage wasn’t sure what her intention was, be it good or bad. 

But they couldn’t let her run off, not again.

Without a word, they bolted after Coquina, picking up Buddy along the way and entering the pipe themself. 

“M-Mirage! Wait for me!!” Sandy stumbled to keep up with the speedy squid.

And so they continued to the next island.

[warriorsofsplatsville]

Mirage woke up the next morning, groggy and grumpy as ever. Their back hurt, but that was to be expected when sleeping on a cheap futon in a small room the size of a closet. Let's be honest, it was miles better than sleeping in some ruins and waking up buried in sand.

Stumbling out of the room, they see Plat and Sandy, still in their pajamas, sitting on cushions around the table. Their eyes were glued to the TV as they stuffed their faces with cereal.

Mirage didn't have to say anything before Plat muffled out a "Morning."

They sit down on a vacant cushion, looking at the TV that they were so dearly attached to. It wasn't a fancy TV, it was an older one, a big box, and the antennas were crooked. The screen dull and colorless.

On TV, they see a newscast, or a Splatcast as they were calling it, with six people in frame.

Three were sitting on one side. An octoling with dark blue tentacles, an Inkling with yellow tentacles, and a Manta Ray. On the other side was an Inkling with violet-blue tentacles, holding a guitar in his lap, an octoling with pink, blue and purple tentacles, covered in some sort of glitter, and a fish with headphones that resembled comets.

"I can't believe Deep Cut has Gravitational Pull as guests on the network this morning." Sandy gasped.

"Who?"

"Deep Cut run the Anarchy Splatcast and they host Splatfests sometimes. They're really good." Plat looked at Mirage. "Gravitational Pull is a little new to the scene, but they make music as well, and also host Splatfests. Their music has more of a stellar approach, if that makes sense."

"Why is them getting together such a big deal?"

"It's not everyday that you get to see two of the most popular music groups in the city in one place. They have different demographics and are very busy!" Sandy pointed her spoon at the Inkling. "Though, it's nice to see that they get along instead of distancing themselves from each other, like Ambys does to both of them."

"Yeah, I suppose..." Mirage rubbed their eyes. "Should we get going so we can set up those flyers?"

"Oh yeah! We should probably do that, hah." Plat grabbed the remote and switched the TV off, grabbing Sandy's empty bowl and bringing the dishes to the kitchen.

--

Sandy hopped excitedly out of the lobby, flyers in hand. "Let's get cracking!"

The three go around, taping flyers for a wanted fourth teammate. Mirage was worried that they might put it somewhere where it wasn't allowed, but watched in shock as the other two plastered some on Sheldon's window without a care in the world. "It's the city of chaos! You can do whatever you want!" Sandy giggled.

After placing the last of the posters up, they sat on the concrete staircases leading up to the lobby, waiting for someone, anyone to join. "Well, this isn't going very well, huh." Plat groaned.

The sun was already so high in the sky, and the cephalopods were baking in the heat.

Footsteps were heard behind Mirage, and a high-pitched voice went. "Ahem."

The three looked behind to see a short girl, wearing a poncho and a handkerchief on her head, standing over them, hands firmly on her hips.

"I wish to join your team."

"You? But you're so.....small. How old are you??" Sandy tilted her head.

"Twelve."

"Yeesh, you're just barely old enough to be in Turf Wars." Plat sighed. "Why don't you find some kids around your age? They have Little League Turf Wars too."

"No. I wish to be in this team. No exceptions."

"I don't know..."

"I don't exactly see anyone else jumping up to join you guys." She crossed her arms. Sandy and Plat's shoulders slumped.

Mirage stood up, looking her in the eye. "We're here to get money, not play for fun. Knowing that, you still want to join this team."

"Do I have to repeat myself?" She snapped.

Mirage closed their eyes, thinking on it. "Fine."

"But Mirage-!!"

"She's the only one that wants to join us in the entirety of Splatsville. I'd rather have her than no one." They explained to the two of them. "What's your name?"

"Minu. Minu Castella." She jutted her hand out for a handshake. Mirage takes her hand and is surprised by the iron grip she possessed.

"Shall we get started?" Minu patted the Dualies to her side.

"Y-You just joined though-!"

"I don't like waiting around." She spun on her heel and began marching to the lobby.

"Ugh....just who did we invite?"

[warriorsofsplatsville]

Meet Splatsville'a newest trio: Gravitational Pull!

Left to right: Dal, Biela, Xïngxì

(more various drawings including new character Biela under the cut)

[warriorsofsplatsville]

Alterna, Part 1

“Hrrngh....gah.....”

Mirage slowly blinked themself awake, their vision blinded by white. Buddy, who was right next to them, was grabbing their tentacles and tugging on them to wake them up. 

When they finally lifted their head, they noticed that they were laying on snow. Yet...the snow wasn’t cold, or numbing. It felt like a powder underneath their fingers. 

Finally pushing themself off the ground, they held their pounding head as they looked up at the beautiful, blue sky.

Wait, what?

That was impossible, given that they all fell underground. There should be darkness, right?

They shook their head. That’s right, the others!

They looked around the landscape, and they were on one of the many small islands surrounded by water. The islands were absolutely covered in ruins unlike they had ever seen. Strange stone head, broken machinery, buildings protruding from the waters, and a massive tower in the center of it all, covered in that fuzzy ooze, and....a rocket?

“Miiiraaaaage!!” They heard someone yelling from a distance.

“H-Hey! I’m over here!!” They called back, scooping Buddy up in their hands and running in the direction of the voice. 

As they ran, they could feel the fake snow between their toes, and looked down at their appearance. All of their outer gear had been stripped away by the fall. They were only wearing the gear that was layered underneath. And they lost their shoes. Great.

They ran closer and closer to the sound of their name being called, and saw a bunch of people standing in front a of large orange building of some sort. It was elevated off the ground. 

They could recognize a few of them. Callie, Marie, Jesse, and Octavio. But there were three others that they couldn’t discern.

“Mirage! Hey! That’s your name, right?” Callie greeted them as they approach the group. “That’s what I heard Gramps call you, so...”

“Yeah, that’s me. Uh...by the way....” they gesture at.....everything around them. 

“Don’t worry, kid, we’re just as confused as you are.” Marie spun the umbrella in her hands around in a twirl. “We’ve never seen or heard anything like this before.”

"Great, how am I supposed to solve the missing Octarian crisis now?!" Octavio groaned. "Plus, my mech's busted, and I hit my head real hard..."

"Take it easy, Mr. Octavio!!" Callie chided.

Mirage directed their attention toward the three people they didn't recognize. An Inkling, an Octoling, and a....pupfish?

"Well, I'm glad everyone seems to be in one piece..." The Inkling shook his head.

"Who are-?"

"I'm Biela!" The pupfish piped in, cutting them off. "These are my friends, Dal, and Xïngxì!"

"We were down here already when we saw you fall..." Xïngxì, dressed in a large, puffy jacket, and donning a mask, added. "There were a lot of you who fell down, but....not all of them are here."

Mirage nodded. She was right. Sandy, Plat, Minu, as well as Cuttlefish and King Salomon were nowhere to be seen.

"There's a lot of islands here. We think they might've landed on them. As captain, it's my responsibility to make sure everyone's safe." Jesse sat down on a nearby crate. "...However."

"Hm? What's up, cap?" Callie tilted her head. "What's stopping us from getting to everyone."

"Take a look around, Callie." Marie pointed all around.

The entire area was absolutely covered in fuzzy ooze.

"Oh."

"This area has been relatively clean, up until about five years ago." Biela explained. "Trust us, we've been exploring down here a while....but the fuzz is new to us. We've been trying to figure out why, as well."

“Whatever the case, we’re trapped here unless we find a way to clear it out.” Jesse huffed. 

“There is a way.” Mirage said. 

“Huh?? There is??” 

“Buddy.” they lifted up the smallfry in their hands, and it gurgled in excitement. “It can eat the ooze and clear the way.”

“W- I’m not gonna question that right now, but that’s good! What’re you waiting for, New Agent Three?!” Marie exclaimed. 

“There’s one issue. It needs power eggs to do its job.” Mirage sighed. “Otherwise, it won’t be strong enough to eat it. And we used the last of them up there.”

Buddy suddenly perked up, and jumped onto the ground, scrambling away. “Hey, where are you going?!”

Mirage followed it a short distance away, and it began to jump, pointing at the ground in front of it. 

“Uh....” they lift up their hero shot and begin to shoot the ground that it was pointing at, hoping that’s what Buddy was referring to.

Suddenly, a capsule popped out of the ground. Mirage opened it and found a few power eggs inside. “Good work, Buddy! Way to use your sniffer.”

“Power eggs! Then we’re set, right? Please tell me we are.” Callie asked. 

“With ALL that ooze? Not nearly enough, but it’s a start. I have faith that there’s more stuff buried in the ground.” they stash it in the egg container they kept from above ground. “We got a lot of eggs when we entered those kettles...”

“Hey, isn’t that a kettle over there?” Dal pointed into the distance, and they all turned their attention to a covered kettle hiding in the snow. 

“Great eye, moon boy!” Biela chirped. 

“I bet you’ll find plenty of eggs in there, Mirage!” 

“Do you guys wanna help, or...”

“Urp! Well, you see....Captain Jesse, Marie and I provide confidence boosters! We don’t do a lot of fighting anymore these days.” Callie scratched her chin. 

They looked at Dal, Xïngxì, and Biela, and they began to stumble on their words as they try to come up with excuses. Mirage slumped their shoulders and sighed deeply. 

“Fine, I’ll do it myself. C’mon, Buddy, I have a feeling I’ll need your help.”

As they slip into the kettle, they could hear a faint “Good Luck!”

Inside the kettle was....weird. They ended up inside a chamber, and stepped on a platform. It immediately sprung up, scaring them half to death. 

“Welcome, visitor. Scanning....” a robotic voice spoke up, and a blue laser light began to scan their entire being. They stood still and held their breath. 

“Scan complete. Please say your preferred name clearly, recording now.”

“M-Mirage.” they quickly spat out.

“Misheard. Autocorrecting to....Agent Three.”

“Wha....how did you even get that....” 

“For all our new guests, we have a complimentary greeting and gift. I am ORCA, a system that guides our new visitors through each area. These are chambers to test your capabilities, to see if you are fit to live in Humanity’s Last Resort, Alterna.”

“Humanity? Alterna?” they questioned. They haven’t heard mentions of humans unless they were in history books, or on those late-night documentaries that they played in diners far out in the Splatlands.��

But regardless, they now knew the name of where they ended up. Alterna. 

Just where were they?!

“Now I shall give you the complimentary gift, Agent Three.” A robotic arm outstretched and attached a watch of some sort to their wrist, fastening it on. "This will be your portable guide. You will be able to see a map of Alterna and the places you visited before, weaponry upgrades, and are granted access to the Alterna Logs.”

“Logs...?”

“It is a collection of information I have gathered over the years since my initial existence began. You may find that some of the files have been corrupted, but by passing these tests, I should be able to restore them.”

“Um...alright.” They would have to look at it later.

“Another thing. Do not share this information with anyone outside Alterna.”

“Got it...”

“You are inside an equipper. You may equip weaponry from within here. Different types of weapons will be available to you depending on the chamber you find yourself. Most importantly....best of luck, Agent Three.” A beep plays, and ORCA seemingly has stopped talking.

“Thought it’d never shut up....” They groaned, deciding to equip their Hero Shot, as it was the only thing that was available here. 

It....was VERY weird in there. There were floating objects, upside-down buildings, Once again, the place was covered in hairy Octarians. It was particularly infested by Fuzzy Octotroopers. 

They comb through every area, checked every area. There seemed to be boxes full of power eggs hiding everywhere. They’d have to look thoroughly as they progressed, they mentally reminded themself.

At points, there were platforms they couldn’t reach. But luckily, they figured to toss Buddy over to access out of reach crates, switches, whatever they needed to access. 

Mirage could see the goal at the end. They push through the last of the Octotroopers, and shot the goal. The post assembled itself, and they touched it.

Level Complete!!

They were promptly rewarded with a large quantity of eggs.

When they popped back up, the seven people were waiting just outside. “Could you give me some space??”

“Sorry! Were you able to collect power eggs?” Jesse asked eagerly.

“Yep, just as I thought. There’s plenty of power eggs in the kettles, just like the surface.” Mirage scratched the top of their head. “I should have enough to clear out a few of those ooze piles with Buddy.”

“Just a few? Goodness....” Marie huffed. 

Octavio limped over and tried to peek over the mounds. “I....I think I can see more kettles. We can clear out the fuzz, then continue going into more kettles. We should be able keep a consistent flow of power eggs like this, and clear the area- hrnngh!” He held his side and doubled over in pain. 

“Mr. Octavio! Please don’t overexert yourself. There’s a cushion over there you can sit on. You might have to stay here and rest for the time being.” Jesse offered an arm for him to lean on, but the king refused.

“But....”

“We can handle the rest. We know this area well, so we can guide Mirage around.” Dal suggested. “The rest of you could stay here and hold down base?”

“Sounds good to us. We’re not very hands on anymore, like we said.” Marie shrugged. 

“You guys got this! We can keep in touch via radio!!” Callie cheered. 

“Alright, then let’s go.”

“Wait! Before you do...you three look really familiar. Do I know you?” Callie tilted her head. 

“Um....well, I don’t see why we have to hide it...” Xïngxì mumbled.

“Yep! We’re the famous idol group of Splatsville, Gravitational Pull!!” Biela pumped their fist in the air. 

“GRAVITATIONAL PULL?! But what are you doing down here?” Marie shouted. 

“We were searching for something down here. You see....one of us, Xïngxì, has connections with this place, and we’re trying to piece together her past.” Dal spoke. 

“I see...”

“Let’s stay focused.” Mirage began to walk away. 

“H-Hey, wait for us!!”

-

The area was mostly cleared. The kettles have been explored, the fuzzy ooze was cleared, and Mirage and Buddy dug up all the capsules they could find in the ground. They only had one pile left.

“We have a lot of power eggs now. Let’s clear this mess up.” 

“HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!”

The four were interrupted and turned around to see three people standing on the hill above them. It was pretty clear to all of them who it was, despite them wearing masks.

“You’re not getting the treasure before us!!”

“Treasure?” Mirage huffed. 

They pulled off their masks, showing their faces. “Yeah! This place is SO big and mysterious, there’s bound to be treasure ripe for the plucking!!” Frye exclaimed. 

“So don’t even think about laying your hands on it.” Shiver added. “Or else....”

“Not threatening at all...” they muttered. 

“Ayy?! Ay AY!! (Wait! Gravitational Pull?! What’re you doin’ here?!” Big Man yelped. 

“We’re searching for stuff.” Dal crossed his arms. “Huh. I didn’t take Deep Cut to be the thieving type.”

“Hello?! Singing is just a side gig! We’re bandits!!” Frye laughed, pointing at him. “So you’re looking for the treasure too?!”

“I...I guess...?” Xïngxì spoke softly. “Just anything to help me remember...”

“Then I suppose this makes us rivals. You’ll regret this, space cronies.” Shiver snapped, waving their fan over their mouth. “A shame. I thought we’d be good friends since we got along so well during the interview.”

“Ay!! Ay!! (A race to the treasure!! Whoever finds it first wins!!)” Big Man challenged them.

“Fine! A race!!” Biela flashed a fierce smile. 

“Until next time....Catch Ya Later!” Deep Cut sung in unison before throwing a smoke bomb and disappearing in the cloud. 

“Don’t I get a say in this...I’M the one risking my neck to get us all out of here.” Mirage grumped. 

“Sorry!  A treasure hunt is on the table now!” Callie chipped in from the radio. 

“Of course it is...anyway, let me clear this up.”

Once Buddy ate the last of the fuzzy ooze, a tunnel was revealed. When Mirage pulled open the hatch, a draft could be felt from within the pipe. 

“I guess that’s our way to the next island....” Mirage said.

“Right! Let’s go!” 

[warriorsofsplatsville]

"Y-Yes, his condition....is rather critical." Coquina remarks. "I haven't seen anything this bad since Xïngxì. We don't have long. We need to stop the internal bleeding and clear his lungs out before he quite literally suffocates."

[warriorsofsplatsville]

"It's simple. You were originally a human from Alterna, correct?"

"Y-Yes....I don't remember everything, but...."

"ORCA has been keeping a detailed profile of every event in history since its creation. It should be able to catch you up if there're a few things that are lost on you."

"Yes....but....being the successor for Alterna should something happen to you is a big ask, Mr. Vulture."

"I'm confident in your abilities. You always have ORCA, and Lady Coquina should things go awry."

"Um.....alright! I'll do it!"

"Thank you Xïngxì. This means a lot to me." He coughed before hanging up.

The professor hobbled over to the nearby counter, picking up yet another beaker filled with odd-colored liquid. "Fifty-sixth time's the charm..."

He downs the fluid....

[warriorsofsplatsville]

Alterna, Part 5

“’Eco-Forest Treehills’ is the name of this place.”

Mirage looked over the area. It seemed pretty straightforward: The kettles were practically in a path leading to the next tunnel, to the final island in the area. Mirage decided that they should try to get through as soon as possible.

That smell was still lingering though. It wasn’t the garbage, then...

“Let’s hurry. Mr. Cuttlefish is probably worried sick.” Dal spoke up and everyone nodded in agreement. 

Vulture was looking around the greenhouses in the area. “Aha! Finally.”

“Hm? What’s up, Vully?” Biela asked, skipping over to him. 

He pulled a mask over his face. “Protection against the snow. I don’t think I should be inhaling all of this, to be perfectly honest....but better late than never.”

Mirage, Sandy, and Play decided it would be quicker if they split up and took the kettles on individually. They weren’t too hard - some of them even had their preferred weapons available, making their job much easier. 

When Mirage looked back at their wristwatch, their eyes widened. “The rest is restored.”

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at them.

“Well?! Don’t keep us in suspense, what does it say?!” Sandy exclaimed.

“...It all came down.”

“Huh?”

Mirage cleared their throat. “One day, the descendants of the original humans that survived decided they wanted to see more, against their elder’s warnings. So the curious scientists and engineers of the bunch constructed a rocket to leave Alterna.”

“That must be the big rocket in the center.” Dal looked over to the giant tower.

“But....it went wrong. The fuel they used, combined with the psychic crystals that made up the sky had a massive reaction, causing it to shatter into millions of shards and rain down on the humans below....”

“N-NO!! THE SNOW!!” Xïngxì shrieked suddenly, on the verge of tears. “It snowed that day, and it landed on everyone and...and they all started suffocating standing up!! The snow was killing us!! I remember now!! Th-They....They put me in a pod to protect me, but I was already sick.....”

“S-So the reaction caused by the fuel and the crystals mixing caused the sky to shatter, and to...snow...! The sky wasn’t snowing, crystal shards rained down on them!”

“My god....I didn’t think it would end like that...” Vulture grunted. 

“...There’s more. The crystal mixed into the water, and at the time, there were squids and octopi. These crystals, infused with the hopes and dreams of the last humans, were absorbed, and they gained sentience. Hopes and aspirations of a greater life. So they left Alterna and went to the surface for a new life. And that’s all there is here.” Mirage finished. 

“So that’s why the humans stopped visiting my people...” Biela gawked. 

“You’re saying the tragedy of Alterna was the blueprint of evolving cephalopods?! This is impossible...yet, I wouldn’t be standing in front of talking sea creatures if it weren’t true.” Vulture stared down at the ground. “This also explains why you lot are immune to the crystals....”

“But how does Xïngxì tie into all of this?” Dal asked. 

“Mirage’s theory was correct...” Xïngxì finally spoke up after calming down. “I was once a human, a resident of Alterna. I woke up after sleeping for a long time in the pod, and there was a lady who took care of me. But I was still sick. Apparently, I had crystals inside of my lungs and I was dying as a result. So her and her team worked endlessly and made me into....an Octoling.” 

“You’re saying that your technology is advanced enough to do that?! I’ve been observing you guys for years, and I’ve never seen the likes of it....they must be high grade scientists in a high security facility.”

“I think she told me her name, her last name, anyway....what was it...it’s on the tip of my tongue.”

"Was it 'Tentacellia' by any chance?"

The lot jumped at the booming voice, and its owner swam from the water into shore, sliding onto land with his tail.

"OH NO! IT'S KING SALOMON AGAIN!!" Sandy yelped. "Why does he keep following us?!"

"Stop trying to steal what I'm trying to get back, and maybe I'll back off!" He roared. "This is why I hate surface dwellers! You never change, even fifteen years after stealing EVERYTHING from me!! So I'll steal everything from you, starting with your lives!"

"Fifteen years..." Mirage mumbled.

"Mirage?! Hey, stay with us! Don't zone out now!" Plat snapped his fingers in front of them in an attempt to get them to focus.

Except they were already focused. Without any hesitation, they stepped forward, in front of the group, and approached Salomon without an ounce of fear present. "Mirage...?"

"You..." Salomon stared.

".....I think I understand now. All of this is clicking together. I get it." Mirage looked up at him. Buddy jumped out excitedly and ran toward the king, clearly excited about something, but they made no effort to call them back over.

"Hmph. Then tell me."

"There was an attack on your kingdom fifteen years ago. Specifically, your family. Your wife and two children." They began, going through the list of events in their mind. "In an attempt to save them, you send her and the children to the Splatlands to hide away. But they found her and killed them all."

"That's exactly it." He nodded.

"...Except it's not. Because the children survived didn't they? They have for fifteen years now. Because they've been running around the desert instead of staying in one place, and they hid themselves from these assassins for years."

Salomon quietly awaited the rest, and the others were on the edge of their seats waiting for it.

"....You told me 'I look just like her' when we met in Wahoo World. I'm exactly fifteen years old. For crying out loud, I've been running with a smallfry this entire time.

"I'm your child. And so is Buddy. And you finally found us after thinking we had died."

Everyone behind Mirage stared, dumbfounded. Mirage being revealed to be Salmonid Royalty was the last thing they expected out of this adventure.

Salomon's face softened after the reveal. "Mirage and Buddrus....my only heirs to the throne gone in an instant. I thought you had died. But after seeing you that day, I knew you had survived. Because you look exactly like your mother. And your left eye-" he pointed at his own eyes. "That's mine."

Mirage shook their head. "So....King Salomon....you are my...father....so that means there's no need to try to hurt them anymore, right? We're alive!"

"It's not so simple, Mirage. Your mother is still dead because of them. I will never forgive them for that." He growled. "Stand aside, my children. I will save you from these monsters."

"STOP!!"

Yet another surprise visitor dropped in, standing in between Mirage and Salomon.

"It's her...!" Sandy exclaimed.

The robed woman from before put her arms out to shield the group, though given her size, it was pretty useless. "Do not hurt these people! They are not the enemy you seek!"

Salomon growled. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't wipe them off the face of this earth."

"Because, Salomon..."

She removed her hood.

The king suddenly pulled the woman into a tight hug, tears pricking in the corner of his eyes. "Coquina, you're....but how...I..."

"My love, it's alright now. There is no need to fight any longer. We're all here now."

"MY LOVE?!" Plat exclaimed, making everyone look at him briefly. "Someone had to be in shock."

Mirage tried to make words with their mouth, but all they could muster out was. 'So my savior is..."

"Oh, my sweet Mirage. I've always been looking out for you." She cooed, walking over to them. "I couldn't just leave you to fend for yourself, but I couldn't be right by your side either, otherwise you'd be in danger. I've spent all these years providing for you from the shadows, so you'd never go hungry, or without shelter, or anything of the sort."

Xïngxì popped out from the group of people. "Miss Tentacellia!" She gasped.

"Xïngxì! I didn't think you would be here!"

"So...her full name....she's..." Mirage was trying desperately to get something out of their mouth, but they were still suffering from the whiplash of both of their parents appearing out of thin air.

"Her name is Coquina Tentacellia. The lead of the Human Research Company....and my wife." Salomon looked back at her lovingly. "We met many years ago after something happened to her and her team while they were out at sea....shipwrecked, and trapped on a remote island. I found her there while I was lost trying to navigate an ocean current and....we fell in love. Took her back to the kingdom, married her, and had two kids."

Coquina nodded, but her happiness quickly turned into fear. "Wait wait wait! We must be careful! We're still in danger!"

"Why???"

"Because this is the base of those assassins from all those years ago! They shipwrecked me and later attacked the Salmonid kingdom. They did so because....they wanted me dead."

"But why?" Vulture asked.

"I discovered their secret. This place. Alterna. They're plotting something darker here. They were trying to silence me by killing me, but failed in those two attempts."

"Two attempts..."

Mirage flashed back to the radio Ambys was holding.

"Don't fail me like the last two times." The voice had told her.

"Wait-!!"

"Oh my goodness! Coquina Tentacellia! Why, it's been ages since we last met!" Ambys greeted as she walked out from behind one of the greenhouses. "I've been looking for you."

“Ambys again....” Sandy quivered in fear. 

“....Agent.”

“You just refuse to die, don’t you?” she giggled darkly. “I’ve sunken your ship, I invaded the Salmonid kingdom, I tried to burn you in a fire, and you still live? You’re persistent, I’ll give you that.”

“You stay away from her!!” Salomon shouted, shielding her with his body. “If you so dare as try to hurt her or my children again, I’ll--”

“Shush, you big, stupid fish. You don’t even know of the greater good me and my superior are aiming for.” She snapped. She refocused her attention back to Coquina, smiling in a very unsettling manner. “I guess I can’t be totally mad that you survived, after all, if it wasn’t for you, we would’ve never discovered the power of golden eggs~”

“The power of.....WAIT. A-Are you saying that you run-?!” Dal tried to speak, but the laser from Ambys’s charger shut him up. 

“This is why I hate collabs...yes. I’m responsible for the smooth operations of Grizzco. I’ve been tirelessly collecting them and handing out bonuses for my boss. He needs them. For something greater than ourselves. And we have Lady Tentacellia to thank for it! You hear that, you dumb fish king?! Your own wife is responsible for your species dying! Ahahahahaha!!”

Mirage angrily stepped up. “No. YOU’RE responsible for stealing the golden eggs. You’re responsible for trying to KILL us, and you’re responsible for trapping us down here too, aren’t you?! What is WRONG with you, legitimately?!”

Her laughing stopped, and she glared at the teen. “I want to be freed from this hell.”

“What-?”

“Anyway,” Ambys hummed, jumping to Coquina and threw her over her shoulder, retreating back. “Boss doesn’t need you dead anymore. He needs your help to get ready for the big moment. He’s already gotten the wisdom of ages, Cuttlefish....”

“PUT ME DOWN!!” Coquina cried, pounding on Ambys’s back. 

“Miss Tentacellia!!” Xïngxì exclaimed. 

“Mom!!”

“I would take you out, but we’re so close to being finished. I don’t have to lift a finger! Goodbye, you sea louts! Miss you NEVER!!”

“COQUINAAAAA!!” Salomon yelled, trying to grab Ambys, but she had already grappled away. 

“Hold on!!” Callie yelled over the radio. “She has gramps?!”

“You heard that?”

“You left the radio on!” Marie piped in. “Agent Three, or Mirage, or your Majesty, WHATEVER!! You’ve come this far!! You have to keep going!!

The radio sounded like it was being shuffled around. “This is Captain Jesse. Listen, I know that she just took your mother. But that’s all the more reason to follow that last signal! If Mr. Cuttlefish is there, so is your mom! H-Hey!”

A gruff voice coughed, then cleared his throat. “You get Craig and Lady Coquina back. Is that clear, kiddo?” Octavio grumbled. 

Mirage shook their head, resolve strong. “I understand loud and clear. I finally have the truth I’ve been looking for my entire life, and I won’t let them take my family from me EVER AGAIN.”

“That’s the spirit, Mirage!! We’re with you all the way!” Plat cheered. Sandy pumped her fists. “Yeah!!”

“You know Gravitational Pull always has your back, kid!” Biela added. “And Vully, too!”

“Y-Yes...”

Mirage turned to Salomon. “King Salomon...er- dad, I....”

He placed his hand on their shoulder. “I’m right here with you. Now summon up that salmon spirit and FIGHT!! It’s in your blood!!”

Mirage looked at Buddy, and Buddy hopped happily. Mirage smiled for the first time in years. 

“Right. Let’s go!”

[warriorsofsplatsville]

Meet the Splatoon 3 Cast!

All of the muses on the blog!

Main Muses

-🦑🐙-

Mirage

Age: 16

Pronouns: They/Them

Preferred weapon: Slinger

Mirage is a traveling nomad that has seen the far edges of the Splatlands, traveling alongside a tiny Salmonid. They’re looking for something (or someone) but they refuse to tell anyone why. Currently taking residence in the massive city of Splatsville, they have formed a team with three other cephalopods to get some cash.

On the side, they’re the New Agent Three of the New Squidbeak Splatoon....or so everyone keeps telling them. They deny again and again that they are NOT an agent and are only doing this job for a good payout. They have to feed their little buddy, after all. But they can also sense that their little buddy is the key...

It was recently revealed that they are the child of Salomon and Coquina, and the heir to the Salmonid throne.

After some turbulent events regarding a murderous stabbing lady, they found themselves in love with Cruesa and is currently dating her (despite their love being somewhat forbidden due to their families being at war with each other, though they find it kind of romantic in that aspect).

Sandy

Age: 17

Pronouns: She/Her

Preferred weapon: Blaster

Sandy is an octoling that makes a living off fortune-telling...or rather, faking her foresights to scam unknowing cephalopods out of their hard-earned cash. She elected the idea to form a team after Mirage calls her out on her shady business practices. Childhood friends with Plat.

She's also Agent Mystic of the New New Squidbeak Splatoon.

Plat

Age: 17

Pronouns: He/Him

Preferred weapon: Slosher

Plat is an expert turfer, going so far as to participate in underground turf battles (unauthorized, as well). It’s how he makes a living. Coming from a background of being disowned Octarian nobility, he vowed to make a better life for himself, no matter what it took, with his friend by his side. That friend being Sandy.

He's known as Agent Exalt, a member of the New New Squidbeak Splatoon.

Minu

Age: 13

Pronouns: She/Her

Preferred weapon: Splat Dualies

A girl who’s backstory is shrouded in mystery (for those who know, however, she's a time traveler, and Emmy's granddaughter). Though she suddenly popped into Splatsville out of nowhere one day, she insisted that she joined the Turf War team that Mirage, Sandy, and Plat has formed. She seems rather wary of her surroundings, occasionally hiding her face randomly, and not answering some peculiar questions, like who her parents are. Considered the little sister of the group.

Agent Jumper of the New New Squidbeak Splatoon.

Idols!

-🌙🌠🌌-

Dal

Age: 21

Pronouns: He/Him

Preferred Weapon: Splatana

One of the three members of Splatsville's very own Gravitational Pull! Dal has loved space and playing on his electric guitar since he can remember. After moving from Greater Inkopolis to Splatsville, he met Xïngxì while at a music venue, and they bonded over their love for music and outer space. Eventually they met Biela, and started an idol group that would be beloved by people all over. He also accidentally got caught up in the New Squidbeak Splatoon's antics.

After Alterna, he and the group helps with the returning of the stolen golden eggs to the Salmonid families.

Biela

Age: 22

Pronouns: They/Them

Preferred Weapon: Heavy Splatling

Biela is a pupfish native to the Splatlands region, their people having evolved from small ponds in the dry, dry desert. They excitedly live in the new Splatsville, eager for friends. They also love to dance. They eventually meet Dal and Xïngxì while playing in turf wars, and also bonded over space with them, as their name is from an ancient comet from the time of humans that disappeared one day. They also got caught up in the New Squidbeak Splatoon.

Part of the egg-returning project.

Xïngxì

Age: 21

Pronouns: She/Her

Preferred Weapon: Roller

A soft-spoken octoling with unknown whereabouts, Xïngxì found herself meeting Dal, Biela, and...well if you read the two profiles above this you know the rest. ALSO got caught up in the New Squidbeak Splatoon.

It's not brought up by them often, but strangely, despite being an octoling, she doesn't carry many traits of one...and that's because she was once a human from Alterna, turned into an Octoling!

She's also a part of the egg-returning project.

Side Characters who are important (you may recognize some from my main blog!)

-🐙🦑-

Jesse

Age: 23

Pronouns: He/Him

Preferred weapon: Hero Splattershot

Formerly Agent 3 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, he’s earned a swift and well-earned promotion to captain after the events of Octo Expansion (and after extreme training with Cap’n, Agent 1, and Agent 2). He guides Mirage throughout the plot of Splatoon 3’s story, telling them that they’re the new Agent 3. Acts as if he’s like seventy years old despite being only twenty-two.

Does his best to keep the Alterna mission organized, though Marie is doing a lot of heavy lifting.

DJ Octavio (Grandtavio)

Age: Oh god really old

Pronouns: He/Him

Preferred weapon: He’s literally a living weapon

That’s right, swag Grandtavio is back in action, baby!! But this time, he’s not the final boss - he’s the cast’s ally. He’s heard tale of mammalian versions of his people, and being traumatized after his people were sanitized, warranted that he needed to investigate the matter himself. He ends up falling down to Alterna with the group, and spends his time relaxing on a massive cushion with tea in his hands, bossing everyone around. Still salty over Jesse being the new captain.

After Alterna, he has since returned back to the Octarian Realm to help his people recover from the Fuzzy Ooze. He sometimes visits Splatsville, however.

Ambys

Age: 38

Pronouns: She/Her

Preferred Weapon: Charger

The beloved Axolotl pop star in Splatsville. Adored by the people, she spreads a message of peace and love through the power of song, similar to other idols of the past. She’s constantly having to fight with Gravitational Pull for the spotlight. Though, even through her cheery smile and friendly persona, it seems she has a deeper, darker secret hidden from the public eye...

She has gone M.I.A. since the events in Alterna.

Vulture

Age: 12,000

Pronouns: He/Him

Preferred Weapon: a literal knife

Vulture is a human that lives under the rubble near that giant, rusty tower a good bit away from Splatsville. He seemed to have survived the mass extinction 12,000 years ago through means of a cryostatis pod. He seems intelligible: he’s well-versed in science and the like. He recently poked his head out into the world after hearing about mammalians possibly evolving back into the world once more. Uhhh wwwwoaaah hair long

After the events in Alterna, he has taken over as the new head of the area, doing his best to restore this former civilization of humanity.

King Salomon

Age: 44

Pronouns: He/him

Preferred Weapon: HERE COMES THE GIANT FISH

The King of the Salmonids, he decided that perhaps now he should take matters into his own hands regarding the many golden eggs being taken from his people. He seems friendly, if only you weren't an adolescent cephalopod in his home turf.

Ever since the events of Alterna, he has seized attacks on Inkopolis and other surface areas. He's happily reunited with his wife and two children. ruling peacefully from the murky ocean.

Coquina

Age: 45

Pronouns: She/her

Preferred weapon: None :>

A mysterious older inkling lady often seen in Splatsville. What could her motive be...?

It turns out, she was following Mirage and Buddy the entire time to protect them, because she's their mother! After the events of Alterna, she returned to the Salmonid Kingdom alongside Salomon to rule alongside him in peace.

Cruesa

Age: 16

Pronouns: She/Her

Preferred Weapon: Sploosh-o-Matic, Splattershot Jr

After Tara, an ancient professor who made an appearance and caused a -lot- of mayhem, was killed, Cruesa magically appeared in Splatsville soon after. Mirage knows who she is: Tara's adopted Salmonling daighter. She's a spy!

...That is, until she found out that Tara was no good, and decided to cut ties with her all together. She now lives a peaceful and happy life with her friends in Splatsville.

It was revealed that she is the long lost daughter of the rebel Salmonids, a faction of Salmonids that wars with the kingdom Salmonids. Her alliance still remains with the kingdom, however.

She ended up falling in with and dating Mirage, despite all odds.

Bonus characters!

Some special guest characters join the fray!!

-🐌🐉-

Prophet

Age: ??

Pronouns: They/Them

Preferred weapon: salt pistol

Prophet is a sea slug that has wondered their way into the bustling city of Splatsville, how’d that happen? They’d much prefer the quiet, anyway. A very familiar-looking character from a certain blog?

Tempest

Age: 27

Pronouns: She/Her

Preferred Weapon: Literally anything she’s flexible

A leafy seadragon-inkling hybrid. A sassy and tempered individual, looking for some action here in this new, trendy city. She’s also hella loaded. You seem to recognize her from somewhere!

Sakura (Mun)

Pronouns: She/Her

Preferred Weapon: Inkbrush, Tri-Slinger

A student of Inkblot Art Academy, Sakura travels far and wide, across places and probably dimensions looking for her next muse or scenery to sketch out. Out of boredom, she decided to make a brand new blog with brand new squids neglecting her other entire blog full of squids. Hey, who said you could air out our private life?!