The Veil of Chaos (Discontinued and bad don't read it please)

Punishment Day

(A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read my story so far. I just wanted to note that this chapter has dark themes such as hangings so if that isn't your type of thing or even your trigger, I'd suggest please don't read this. I'd hate to trigger anyone with my story :( Anyways, thanks again and enjoy if you are still reading! -SanHachi38)

When Rider finally awoke, he was in a dark and cold room but he felt something warm next to him. He looked up to see Goggles snuggled up to him, his dragon tail over his waist. He looked across the room to see Bobble Hat, Specs and Headphones all talking to each other. Headphones looked up and met eyes with Rider
"What happened to you?! Did you just randomly loose your mind?!" Headphones yelled. Bobble and Specs nodded. Rider stared at them, completely dumbfounded
"W-what? What do you mean...?" He asked slightly annoyed, he had just woken up and now he was getting yelled at, not to mention he felt a sharp pain in his leg. Specs sighed aggressively
"You don't know?! You killed the king right in front of his daughter, aka the new queen, and his sons!" He yelled. Goggles slowly woke up beside Rider, subconsciously turning back to Inkling form. Bobble Hat smiled at Goggles and he smiled back
"I did what?!"
"And the Queen has scheduled for you to be hung later today!" Bobble yelled
"She did what?!" Goggles cried out. He looked at Rider, the lime-green inking could feel all the colour drain from his face. He was to be hanged?
"What do you remember?" Goggles asked quietly
"I can't really recall anything that happened after we were caught by Skull and Mask... we had taken a break from walking back to the castle because you had to pee... I took the chance to investigate the natural herbs... and then... then everything went hazy... and now we're here." Rider explained. Everyone went silent as they heard the sound of a large metal door opening followed by dainty footsteps and a quiet sigh. The five all looked through the bars of their cell to see a tall, beautiful woman walking past. Her dark hair was long, the ends were green and most of it went past her waist. She had dark skin and teal eyes mixed with a little bit of coral pink. Her outfit consisted of a pair of black shorts over the top of green leggings and a leather cropped top with no sleeves. She was humming a tune as she walked before she turned to face the Inklings in the cell
"Ah, you're finally all awake" her kind voice spoke with sincerity as she pulled a ring of keys from her back pocket. She unlocked the cell door and stepped inside. She had a basket in her hands that she placed down on the floor
"Dig in" she said with a smile. Before she left, she was stopped by everyone asking her to wait
"Who are you?" Goggles asked
"You don't look like an inkling" Bobble pointed out
"Are you a prisoner too?" Headphones asked
"Why are you giving us food?" Specs asked very skeptically. The girl giggled before speaking
"I'm Marina, I worked for the king but... you know... so now I work for the queen. I'm giving you food because Prince asked me to bring you some. And I'm not an inkling. I'm an octoling" Marina explained
"Wait... if you're an octoling... are you a slave?" Rider asked, not aware of how bad that sounded. Marina was taken aback by it. She fixed up her hair
"I-I know that some inkling kingdoms keep Octolings as slaves but I assure you, I'm not a slave" Marina smiled. She sat down on the cold cell floor and examined the Inklings before her. She was very intrigued with Goggles. He looked like an inkling but he had horns, scales and a tail
"So, what are all of your names?" Marina asked softly
"I'm Specs. That's Headphones, Bobble Hat, Goggles and Rider. We are all Inklings... technically"
"What do you mean?" Marina tilted her head
"Well, I'm not exactly an inkling if it wasn't obvious" Goggles said with a smile. Marina laughed as she fixed up her seating before sighing. She looked at Rider
"So... the gallows, huh? Is it scary, knowing that your life will come to an abrupt end?" She asked with a sorrowful voice. Rider looked down, almost afraid of death. Goggles placed a hand on his shoulder
"I don't..." he mumbled quietly. Everyone turned to face him. Rider was on the verge of tears
"I don't want to die" Rider said with a sigh as Goggles hugged him tightly
"I won't let that happen! We won't let that happen!" Goggles yelled. Rider couldn't help but smile. Why did he care so much? Bobble, Specs and Headphones nodded. Marina looked down with a sorrowful expression. She rubbed her arm
"It's no use... The Queen has already decided your fate... I'm so sorry Rider... it's okay to-" Marina was cut off by the sound of a voice calling her name. She looked at the inklings
"I don't believe you are a bad person Rider. I believe that you weren't in control... now shh... I wasn't here... Coming!" She yelled as she stood up and walked out of the cell, walking over to the voice that called her. Footsteps coming from the direction Marina left in. The clinking of heals was heard. Looking through the cell bars back at the inklings was Pearl. She had on a long, white dress and the crown that used to be her fathers. Over her face was a black veil but through the veil, her face looked pained. Her eyes were puffy, presumably from crying and she had black lines down her face from her mascara. Marina followed close behind her
"I hope you got the chance to say goodbye Rider. It's time." Pearl said through clenched teeth. Goggles stared wide eyed at Pearl
"W-Wai-"
"Right." Rider interrupted Goggles as he stood up and followed her out the cell. Marina looked down at her shoes
"Marina. Why were you down here?" Pearl asked as the left the room, Rider following close behind. Goggles punched the wall hard causing Bobble to flinch. Headphones was curled up, resting her chin on her knees. Specs was trying to comfort Goggles
"WHY DID SHE DECIDE THAT THIS WOULD BE HIS FATE?! WHY NOW?! FIRST I GET CURSED, NOW IM LOOSING ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS!" Goggles yelled loudly, tearing pouring down his face as he clenched his now bleeding fist. Specs placed a hand on his shoulder
"Goggles... I know you are upset but-" he was cut off by Goggles screaming in frustration, punching the wall even harder, causing Specs to flinch this time and Headphones to look up from the ground
"This isn't right... she should've at least let him state his case..." Bobble sighed sadly
"SHE WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN ALLOWED HIM TO SPEAK BECAUSE SHE IS A BITCH!" Specs slapped Goggles across the face. The dragon placed his bleeding hand on his cheek. The large metal doors opened again and everyone turned their attention to the squids that walked in. It was Prince and N-Pacer
"What are you two doing down here?" Headphones asked as she walked up to the bars to get a good look at the two
"Prince wanted to see you." N-Pacer spoke confidently. She looked over at Goggles and how much blood was coming out of his hand. She opened the cell door and walked over to him and gently grabbed his hand, starting to heal it
"I just... don't think it's right that you are trapped down here and that your friends is at the hands of an unfortunate fate. I'm not supposed to be down here but Emperor's courtier, Eging is distracting the queen so I could be down here to talk" Prince said quietly. Everyone was now listening in to Prince. N-Pacer had finished healing Goggles and was now standing by Prince's side again. Prince beckoned for the four to follow him and N-Pacer. The did just that, following Prince out of the room and up a large staircase out of the catacombs. Once they were back in the main part of the castle, Prince and the gang went down another staircase that was separated from the one they came up from. They ran down the stairs and went through turn after turn to a room that split into three different hallways. Prince panicked, he didn't remember which way to go. N-Pacer knew however
"This way." She said quickly before heading down a hall. Everyone followed and they made it out to the castle courtyard
"How much longer do we have to run?" Headphones asked as they came to a halt to catch their breaths
"Do you want to save your friend or not?" N-Pacer said as she crossed her arms. Headphones pouted at her
"I was just asking"
"I know Headphones but this is serious. His life is in danger" She smiled and grabbed Headphones' hand
"Would you maybe like me to carry you so you don't get so tired?" Headphones blushed brightly from N-Pacer's comment and shook her head quickly. N-Pacer shrugged before leading the group through the courtyard. They finally made it to a large building behind the castle. Specs could see through the high up windows. A cross that had many ropes hanging from it, commonly used for executions. N-Pacer handed a ring of keys to Headphones
"We're counting on you."
"But, aren't these your keys?"
"Just drop them on the floor before you escape, I'll retrieve them later." N-Pacer said with a smile as she began to lead Prince back into the castle
"Goodbye you four, we hope to meet you again!" Prince said as he left with N-Pacer. Headphones sighed before sticking the keys into the keyhole and twisting it, unlocking the door. Goggles took a running start and shattered the door into splinters before Headphones could even open the door
"Stop right there!" Bobble Hat yelled as she jumped through the broken door. Pearl's head whipped around and looked at the squids that had broken in
"What?! How did you get out of that cell?!" She yelled in a fury. Marina looked almost happy to see the blue inklings
"Ugh, it doesn't matter. GUARDS!" Pearl yelled. Bobble Hat immediately placed her hands together, forming a bubble around the four blue squids. Goggles transformed and got through the bubble, rushing over to where Rider was standing. Pearl smirked and pulled the rope slightly, causing it to tighten around Rider's neck. The lime-green squid felt fear in his heart
"I wouldn't if I were you. He's committed treason. Something that deserves the death sentence. Another step and I pull the rope tighter." Goggles stared with wide open eyes
"Goggles... please. Don't try to save me..." Rider said as he closed his eyes so he couldn't see the pain in Goggles' eyes
"But that wouldn't be right!"
"You're right, it wouldn't! But the world is never right! So please... don't... just listen to her... no matter what you do, my life is basically already over." Rider looked at Goggles with a serious but pained look on his face. He was secretly hoping that Goggles wouldn't listen to him and have a plan to save him in the end. Goggles, without thinking, took a step forward and without warning, Pearl pulled the rope as tight as she could but nothing happened. She looked at the rope to see that it had been cut
"Quick! Let's go!" Specs yelled as he, Bobble Hat and Headphones started to run. Goggles grabbed Rider by the arm and began to run too
"C'mon! Hurry!" Goggles yelled as Rider struggled to keep up with him for a moment
"GUARDS! GET THEM!" Pearl yelled as the guards began to run after them. Rider had gotten ahead of Goggles and the blue dragon was lagging behind. Rider stopped for a moment and picked him up bridal style before catching up with the others. They ran through the castle and out through the front gates before collapsing on the grass outside the castle
"Is everyone okay!?" Specs yelled as he sat up from the grass. Everyone nodded except for Rider
"Rider? You okay?" Goggles asked the lime-green squid before getting a surprise hug
"W-wha!?"
"Goggles... thank you... thank all of you" Rider said with tears in his eyes
"Group hug!" Bobble yelled as they all embraced each other. Laughing in shock that they managed to escape from that all in one piece
"Ah- fuck!" Rider yelled in pain
"W-what?! What happened?!" Goggles said worriedly
"My ankle... bad idea running..." Rider groaned
"Here, I got it" Bobble smiled before leaning over to heal the wound. They all turned to hear footsteps coming from the castle
"We aren't safe yet!" Specs yelled as he stood up. Everyone followed and began to run out of the kingdom and through the forest. Once they were sure they were safe, they all sat down for a bit. Everyone was just sitting in silence until the sound of someone loading a bow with an arrow was heard. Rider turned around quickly and pushed everyone out of the way of the arrow, accidentally landing on top of Goggles
"Who goes there!?" A high pitched voice called out, followed by another voice, deeper and slightly nasally, but still definitely female
"It looks like we've got a group of escapees here. Coming from the direction of the kingdom of Houzuki"
"We should take them back with us to the kingdom of Bokugyo, it's safer than just lingering in the forest or going back to Houzuki" with the last voice finishing his sentence, three squids dropped out of the trees above
"Wait Wait Wait... RIDER?!" The high pitched girl shrieked
"Blazer?!"