Inked Over Secrets: a Splatoon 2 Fanfiction

16: Cepholo's Story

After getting to know Auru over the course of a day, Stinger and company tried to rest up for the next day.
One member, however, could not.
Arty lay awake, feeling claustrophobic in the dark. Grabbing her cane silently, she hobbled out of Avia's hut and out into the night. When she got outside, she set her cane against the wall and sat down, staring at the stars. With nothing to do when she was younger, Arty studied star constellations, and easily spotted a few.
"Magnificent, wasn't he?" A voice said as Arty observed the Hercules constellation.
By now, Arty was surprise-proof, so she wasn't shocked to see Cepholo standing beside her.
"Can't sleep either?" She questioned while quietly observing more constellations.
"No. I've never gotten a good sleep since..." Here he broke off, than met Arty's eye with a serious look. "Can I trust you, Artemis?"
"You know it."
"Than I will tell you my story.
"Before you were born, I was fourteen. I was the only boy in my family, and so the rightful heir to my family's wealth.
"Before you ask, my family was one of the richest around. My grandfather fought in the Great Turf War. You may have ran into him before. But back to my family, and more specifically, my sister. My sister looked up to me, admired me, followed me everywhere. So when, one day, I was sent to Inkopolis to make a name for our family, my sister, only eight at the time, begged me not to go. She pleaded for me to stay with her, and teach her about everything. It broke my heart to say no, but I had to.
"When I returned, two years later, I found my sister cowering before my two parents. One held a frying pan, and one was telling her off for not focusing on family. I almost lost my cool, but I told them to back off. My parents took one look at me, and hit me in the chest with the frying pan.
"My sister's scream as she ran over to me was the harshest sound I had ever heard. As she ran to me, however, my mother pushed her away and onto the ground.
"Rage boiled in me like nothing I had ever felt before. I exploded into my ink—dark blue—and drenched my house with it.
"After I regained consciousness, I looked at the mess I had made. The house was torn up, and the walls were crumbling, but the true horror was in front of me. Both my parents lay dead on the blue-soaked carpet, and my sister, once a beautiful green, was now a bleached gray, with hints of her original color. With dread in my hearts, I called the authorities, notified them that a killer had been set loose, and fled from my home.
Ever since, I've lived here, learning to control my power and even give some of it to my grandfather, living around Octo Valley. My sister, miraculously, survived, and became a hit pop star. She has no recollection of me or my parents, however. I guess that's for the best. If she remembered, she probably wouldn't be who she is today.
"So that's my story," Cepholo finished. "I hope that was enough to make you drowsy," he added with a chuckle.
But Arty was wide awake now. "I'm sorry it happened," she said, "but maybe by talking to me, it feels better?"
"Much."
"Good." Arty rose and grabbed her cane. "Good night, Cepholo. Sleep well."
He gave a wry smile. "You too, lass."
They headed to their sleeping quarters, Cepholo taking a small shortcut.
...
After a dreamless night, Stinger woke up to find everyone else starting to wake. He noticed that Arty seemed much more tired than usual.
"Well, gang, it's time. Now that everyone's here and awake, let's gather our troops. It's time to take this war to their turf."

;)
Sorry again for the setback. At least I got it in.
So that's Cepholo's story. If you're wondering how he got scars, just ask me.
Also, did anyone catch the Smash reference near the end?
And again, DANG 600 READS THANK Y'ALL.