Inked Over Secrets: a Splatoon 2 Fanfiction

12: Reunited in Darkness

It has been two days since Stinger appeared in Avia's household and collapsed. Now, he's lying in the hospital bed next to Telk's, with Arty never leaving his side. Yesterday, Telk showed signs of waking, tossing and turning in his sleep. He might wake up soon. But Arty's primary concern is Stinger.
Will he be okay? Is he his own person? Will he be happy to see me? These are some of the thoughts that went through Arty's restless mind as she stared down at her friend's body.
But is he just a friend? The thought was so sudden, Arty had no answer. She remembered the short time spent with him: how he saved her life, how she visited the surface for the first time with him, and how she battled with him. He protected her with such care that Arty couldn't help falling in love with him.
Yes, she decided, ending the turmoil in her mind. I do have a crush on Stinger.
And of course, that was when he woke up.

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(A/N so dumb that it took until today to realize that I have a smaller screen, so spacing won't be the same. I'm so dumb sometimes.)

It was like he was in a tunnel. Just darkness, with a speck of light ahead. He trudged on, though with every step, his feet got heavier, harder to move. He was... who was he? All he knew was that he would know when he got to that light. Why was he still fighting? He had been trying to reach that light for days, though time was hard in this dark pit. Many times, he was tempted to lie down and rest. Even if he never got back up. Was there really a point to this endless trek? What did he have to lose?
There's someone there, he thought. Someone that I need to see again. Somebody that cares about me as much as I care about her.
Something stirred inside him, and he set off running, forgetting the weight in his legs. There was a purpose to continue life, and he would find that purpose. It was in the light, he knew, and so he would catch it.
As he ran, the light got bigger and bigger until it stood tall enough for him to enter. He grabbed at it, desperate to enter and remember.
Enter it he did.
His eyes snapped open, and he took a gasping breath. He remembered now. He remembered more than he had before.
His name was was Stinger Rayno. His parents were Tortoier and Manta Rayno. He used to dominate older Turf Wars until his older rivals, one wielding a Gold Dynamo Roller, narrowly beat him in a one-on-four, ending his reign of terror. When he got home, close to crying, his parents had gone to "combat rising threats like our Octopod cousins," according to the note left behind on their original Splattershot. "Be back in a few days," it said. And so Stinger waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And they never came back. Scared now, Stinger gripped his Brush and the Splattershot, and ran. He ran until stopped by a green, gooey being, who introduced himself as May. Stinger and May shared jokes, and May protected Stinger from any danger. They were good friends, until May latched onto Stinger and wouldn't let go. This caused him to lose his memories, and with his prey unconcious, May wiped all memory of Stinger in everyone's eyes. He then went back and latched into Stinger's mind, allowing him to wake up in a dark corner of Inkopolis Square with no memories.
Now, Stinger looked up into the eyes of someone he had been holding on for: his friend and crush, Artemis.
Her blue eyes stared back into his mint ones, full of concern and love.
"You look okay after falling from a tree," Stinger croaked weakly, before being embraced by a bone-shattering hug.
"Agh... oxygen, please," he requested, before Arty let go of him, eyes watering with ink.
"I thought you were dead," she cried. "I thought you were never coming back. And you wake up with a wry remark? Really?"
Stinger smirked at her voice. "Yeah."
"Well, let me tell you what I think of that!" she shouted, before leaning in and giving him a peck on the cheek.
You couldn't possibly find a cephalopod who blushed more than this.
"What's all the commotion? It's four in the morning..." Avia moaned, half-asleep, walking in and stopping at the sight of Stinger sitting upright. "Oh come on!"
Stinger frowned. "What?"
"You get to wake up in two days after getting mentally enslaved and physically beaten, but my other friend, who took maybe six shots in the chest, has been asleep for THREE DAYS and has still not woken up?!" she shouted, exasperated at the logic of the universe.
Arty chuckled. "Introduction time. Stinger, Avia. Avia, Stinger. Avia, Stinger is the guy who kicked me off the tree but is still a good friend. Stinger, Avia is the girl who literally teleported us about thirty miles in the time it takes to snap your fingers."
Stinger sighed. "So I'm the bad guy, and she's a magician?"
Avia smirked. "If you put it simply, yes."
Great... Stinger thought to himself. "Anyways, are you the only magician?"
Avia's smirk grew wider. "No. Why?"
"We're gonna need a whole lot more to defeat Tartar."
The name poisoned and constricted the mood like a snake.
Stinger weakly sat up on the hospital bed, ignoring Arty's cries of concern. "Gather everyone you know. It's time to take fate into our own hands, and twist it into a pretzel."

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So, uh, yeah. I'm sorry to say I'm running out of ideas for this story. However, I will continue to update until I complete it, which wont be for a while.
And, for those of you who check my Message Board, I'll be starting a new book very soon. The topic will be Harry Potter, so if you like it, you can check that out. I will guarantee the first chapter will be posted by the time Chapter 13 in this story is out.  It will be updated over the weekdays, as much as possible.
So yeah, that's all I have to say. Stay Fresh and Off the Hook, squiddos.