#7 - Sanitized

Fixed

(Once again, the video above is just what I was listening to.)

Four's POV

"You really knew Ahato...?" I said.

"Y-yeah," said Eight. She was fighting back the tears. I understood her pain now. She had been wanting to remember who she was the whole time she was with us, and now that she had gotten her memories back, it was only causing her pain.

"Did you, um, g-get your name back?" I asked, trying to change the subject a little.

"Marissa, I think,"

"That's a nice name,"

We were silent. We heard Octavio and Marina talking, but we weren't eavesdroppers, so we sat and worked on the Octobot in silence.

A few minutes later, someone broke the silence. Two someones, actually. Callie and Marie superjumped into Alterna, not bothering to use the Inkrail. "Guys!" said Callie. "Ahato's awake!"

Marissa looked happy but nervous. We all swam the Inkrail in silence.

The hospital (Marissa's POV)

I waited outside Ahato's room with Marina. It felt like an eternity and a few minutes at the same time. Did she remember me? If she did, why didn't she tell me? She probably doesn't remember me.

"Eight?"

"Huh?" I said. "Can we go in now?"
"Yeah, it's our turn," said Marina. "Come on,"
We entered the hospital room. It looked completely normal and bland, and Ahato was in bed.
"Ahato?"
"..."

It looked like she was very tired. I thought she would just fall asleep right then and there, but...
"Mari...?"

She opened her eyes more. "Oh...Eight...sorry, I thought you were..."
"No," I said. "It's me," I said.

"Marissa?" Ahato's eyes seemed to glow, as if she were remembering something. 

"Yeah," I said. "It's me,"

Ahato cried. "Eight, Marissa, you're...back," I hugged her. "Oh, they told me that you were dead, Sanitized, splatted, and I believed them, I can't believe--I'm so sorry..."

"No, no, it's their fault," I told her. "U-until recently, I didn't know who I was either, Ahato. But here we are, and now they can never do anything ever again! Okay?"

She smiled, but only for a second. "Marissa, are you...happy?" she asked. "I mean, you were happy before, but you were Eight, not, um, Mari," she looked at me. "Are you happy?"

"Yes, Ahato! And I want you to be happy, too. We're all in the Splatlands, where nothing will ever happen to us ever again. We are a part of the Splatoon, and we will never stop feeling, or fighting, or loving, now that we're free,"

And for the first time in forever, I saw my best friend, Ahato, smile.

"Um...I think I'm gonna need someone to explain at least a little bit of this here," said Marina.

~~~

Three's POV

We had a little bit of time to kill before the others got back from the hospital. I had suggested that we try some of Alterna's Kettles. So that's what Four and I did.

"Zwoop! Shwing! Splat!" Four sure was having fun in that Zipcaster mission, and she was making sure I knew how boring my Kettle was compared to her's. Ughhhhh. I had to paint a stupid MOAI HEAD.

"Aww, it's the end. Too bad..." she sighed. "WELL, if you're done, why don't you come help me paint this stupid thing?" I asked impatiently.

"Nah, I don't want O.R.C.A. to think that I'm a loser who likes that stuff,"

"Splat you!"

Eventually, I finished the Kettle. When I left, Ahato's little buddy was waiting for me outside with Four. "Here, you take 'im now," she said. "I'm done with this thing! That Smallfry will bite your hand off!" She practically threw him into my arms before dramatically sauntering away to find the next Kettle.

To my surprise, he didn't attack at all like Four said. He just hopped into my bag and fell asleep. I hurried towards another kettle, but then I...felt something.

"I know you're here!"

"Whuh?" Four asked. She came over. "What happened?"

I looked around. "There's someone watching us," I said. "Or...three someones," I stared at the shadowy spot they were definitely hiding. "Show yourselves, Deep Cut!"

Frye appeared first. "Dang, ya got us. Shiver!"

Shiver appeared next. "Hmm...you're good at finding us. Too bad we weren't doing anything bad and you've just made a fool of yourselves...Big Man, reveal yourself,"

Finally, Big Man appeared. "Ay!" (You found us! Yay!)

"Why were you watching us?" I asked. "Why are YOU here?" asked Four.

"Weeeeell, Shiver wanted to sneak up on you to talk because she likes big, mysterious entrances, and she just couldn't try talking to you like a normal perso-"

"Hey!

"But why are YOU guys here?" asked Four. "Don't you do that Splatcast or something?"

"Well, we're actually bandits," said Shiver. "That's right!" said Frye. "And this place has a lot of treasure! We were gonna talk to you about it, but someone wanted to-"

"You agreed we would do it, Frye!"

"Guys, stop!" said Four. "It just so happens that we need something from this place, too: a way to that thing in the middle. So I suggest we team up and help each other!"

"Wait, Four," I said. "Why do we need to get to the middle?"

"I don't know, I just feel like we should. Plus, there's all that Fuzzy Ooze we need to get rid of! Who knows what would happen if we just let that giant clump stay there?"

"Okay," said Frye. "We will accept your offer! But you help us with the treasure first,"

"Deal," I said. "Where to first?"