Intro:

https://youtu.be/EL-D9LrFJd4

---

(Marie's POV)

Callie: Marieeeeeeeeeee!

Marie: What, Callie?

Callie: I'm boooooooooored!

Marie: What do you want me to do about?!

Callie: I don't know? Anything?! There's nothing to do here, right now!

Marie: Well sorry, Callie. It's not like there's any Octarians to fight anymore. We don't have any gigs to go to. I don't know what you want me to do.

Callie: I don't either! That's why I'm bored.

Marie: Well, we could go to the park.

Callie: Nah, you'd just read your book, and I'd have nothing to do.

Marie: Ugh!

At this point, Marie was just tired of hearing Callie complain about being bored. So, she decided to make a phone call, and luckily, I answered.

Azazel: Hey, what's up?

Marie: I need your help.

Azazel: Huh? With what?

Marie: Nothing, Callie's just being super needy right now, and if she says she's bored one more time, I think I'm going to lose it.

Azazel: Oh. Okay. Well, I'll be there in a little while, just give me a bit

Callie: Marie!

Marie: Please hurry.

Marie hung up the phone.

---

(Azazel's POV)

Marie hung up the phone. Just as I was about to go back into the living room, my phone vibrated.

----------

Marie: Right!

Marie: You haven't been to our place before.

Marie: Here's the address...

----------

Azazel: Oh, I guess I haven't been to their place. I just thought they lived in Octo Canyon.

I started walking back towards the living room, where I had left Pearl and Marina, not wanting to blow Marie's cover, but on my way back, I heard a lot of moving around. I got to the living room, but they were just sitting on the couch.

Azazel: Hey, what was all the noise?

Marina: Huh?

Pearl: What noise?

Azazel: Okay, well listen, are you two heading to the Square?

Pearl: Well, yeah, we just had a day off yesterday.

Azazel: Cool, can you two drop me off somewhere on the way?

Marina: S-sure!

---

Limo driver: Here we are.

Pearl, Marina and I all looked out the window at the building.

Marina: Woah! This place is pretty nice.

Pearl: Yeah, your friends must be loaded, living here.

I just looked over at Pearl.

Pearl: What?

Azazel: Pearl, your mansion has so much land you have to take a shuttle bus to get from the front door to the front gate.

Marina: Are your friends rich?

Azazel: Probably. Well, I'll see you two later.

I stepped out of the limo and walked inside, then the limo started driving away.

I pressed the button that goes to their apartment number.

Marie: {Who is it?}

Azazel: Come on, Marie, open up.

Marie: {Who goeth there?!}

Azazel: Really? I cometh here. Like you said.

Marie: {...}

Azazel: It's Azazel.

Marie: {Which Azazel?}

I just started mashing the buzzer button, knowing it would just keep making an annoying noise in their apartment.

The door beeped open.

Azazel: Ha. Works like a charm.

I went through the elevator and walked down the hall until I saw their room.

Azazel: Ah, here it is.

I knocked on the door. The door then opened up a crack, with the chain still on. Marie was looking through the doorway.

I just sat there and shook my arms in confusion.

Marie: Who is it?

Azazel: Marie! Just open the door.

She closed the door, and you could hear the chain coming off. Then the door was wide open.

Marie: Welcome to the inn, friend. [If you don't get the reference, it's from Hearthstone.]

Azazel: Woah! This place is super nice. I'm still surprised you girls live in an apartment, though.

Marie: Well, not everyone needs to live in a mansion with big walls around it like your friends.

Azazel: Of course not, but I just mean, you two don't even own a house. You guys must just love every time someone in the building recognizes you.

Marie: I'm not that egotistical!

Azazel: Okay, so what's up?

Marie: Huh? Oh right! Callie's over there, in her room. We're heading to the park. Go keep her busy for a minute, while I pack the things.

Azazel: Pack? We're just going to the park.

Marie: Callie can get cranky without her food. Plus, I'm bringing a book for me to read, while you two play.

Azazel: So basically, you're relaying on me to keep her entertained, so you don't have to deal with her whining.

Marie pinches my cheeks.

Marie: Aw, look how adorable you are; so smart.

Azazel: Did you just call me "adorable"?

Marie blushed a bit.

Marie: I'm going to go pack. Go keep her busy.

I did as I was told, and went towards Callie's room. When I entered, she was kind of shocked. She was just laying on her stomach, on the floor, reading a big book.

Callie: Oh! Hey, Azazel! So, what're you doing here? In my room?

Azazel: Marie invited me here, she said we were all going to the park in a bit.

Callie: You remember how I told you that Marie told me all sorts of wild stuff about you?

I felt kind of worried. What kind of things was she telling her, and why was she telling her.

Callie grabbed the book she was reading before, back from under the bed.

Callie: She's been keeping track of your every movement and logging it in her Agent 4 Factopedia! It's totally not creepy.

Azazel: Yeah, definitely not creepy. Next, you're going to say there's a shrine to me inside of Cuttlefish Cabin.

Callie: Of course not.

Callie puts her hand around her mouth.

Callie: Marie keeps her shrine for you in her room!

Marie: Callie! Shut the hell up! Or else you don't get any chips!

Callie clasped her hands over her mouth.

Marie: Yeah! That's what I thought!

Callie: So, Azazel, do you like chips?

Azazel: I think the real question is, who doesn't like chips?

Callie: Exactly! You can't trust someone who doesn't like chips.

Marie walked into the doorway.

Marie: Okay, kids. Are we ready to go?

Callie: Yeah!

Azazel: Okay.

We all left for the park. When we got there, there were many kids and parents around.

Marie set a picnic blanket on the ground close by. She set her basket down, and took out her book and started reading. Without look up from her book, she just said...

Marie: Well? Go play, you two.

Callie took the invitation and ran for the nearby child playground.

Azazel: Ah, what the hell?

I soon followed after her, and started playing.

---

(Marie's POV)

Marie occasionally looked up from her book to make sure Callie was behaving, and that I was okay.

Callie looked like she was having a lot of fun.

She seems to be really good with kids, as she was having fun playing with the kids at the playground, and I was there to be a good sport.

After a couple more minutes, Marie then called us over.

Marie: Callie! Azazel! Lunch time!

Callie ran over incredibly fast, and I was following behind her.

Marie: So are you still bored, Callie?

Callie: Nope! I love the park!

Marie started going through the basket for the snacks. She handed both Callie and I the snacks and a drink for each of us.

Marie: Let's just hope you don't get recognized. We don't want to be bombarded by fans.

I was eating the sandwich Marie handed me.

Azazel: Mmm, this sandvich is delicious!

Marie: It's just a sandwich. *Giggles*

Azazel: And I guess fries are just sliced kelp.

Marie decided she wasn't going to answer that.

Callie: Yeah, Marie's great at cooking.

Marie: It's not cooking. It's a sandwich.

Callie: Same thing.

Marie: Hey, Callie, when I first met Azazel, the silly squid hadn't heard of the Squid Sisters.

Callie: Wait. Like, for eels?

Callie jumped back at this

Callie: You must have been living under a rock, Azazel!

Azazel: Hey, I moved to Inkopolis a while ago! Cut me some slack!

Marie: Don't throw rock if you're not wearing dumb glasses, Callie. You just heard about Off the Hook the other day!

Azazel *Laughs* Even I know who Off the Hook is.

Marie: Oh, so you just didn't care about the best stars?

Azazel: I just never heard you two, no offense.

Callie: Wow, hurtful.

Azazel: I said "No offense."

Callie: Off the Hook is pretty good, but they're no Squid Sisters.

Azazel: You better not let them hear you say that.

Callie was just checking her phone at this point.

Callie: What? Will they challenge us to a dance battle?

Azazel: I hope not. I've seen how Marie dances.

Marie just laughed at this.

Azazel: Either way, they control the news, don't want to get on their bad side.

Callie: *Mumbles* We used to control the news.

Azazel: By the way, Callie, what do you do when you two aren't doing a performance?

Callie: Oh, now I think you're uncultured, you're just trying to anger me.

Azazel: What?

Marie: Callie's an actress.

Azazel: Then how come I never see you on anything, or how you're always just sitting around?

Callie: I'm not doing nothing! I'm... researching... for a part I'm playing.

Marie: Yeah, a documentary about laziness.

Callie: Hey!

Azazel: (Well, holy shit!)

Mare then stood up.

Marie: Well, we should probably get going, before it gets too late.

Calle and I both stood up as well.

Callie & Azazel: Okay.

The three of us then walked back to the apartment. Marie got us in the key, then we got into their apartment.

The sun was almost set by this point.

Callie and I just collapsed onto the couch, while Marie went to put the basket and blanket away. Marie walked back towards the couch, and lightly kicked me in the shin. I jumped up.

Marie: Hey! Don't fall asleep. I'm not carrying you out to your friends.

Azazel: Right.

I sounded very tired. I checked my phone, presumably to text my friends.

Azazel: They'll be here in a little bit.

Marie: Gotcha.

After a little bit, and me repeatedly falling asleep, I left.

Callie then opened one of her eyes, and saw I was gone, then got up.

Callie: Hey, Marie!

Marie: Callie? I thought you were asleep.

Callie: Because that's what I wanted you to think. I was... acting!

Marie: Okay?

Callie: So check out this picture I found online.

Marie went over to Callie to see the picture.

It was picture of Pearl and Marina hugging me in the picture. They saw that the picture has a lot of hate comments, all towards me.

Marie: Callie, where did you find this?

Callie: It was on Pearl's social media page.

Marie: And you don't find that strange?

Callie: What do you mean?

Marie: Like, how he was in a picture with Off the Hook?

Callie: He hangs out with us.

Marie: Yeah, but there's a reason why that's the case.

Callie: Are you just worried because now you feel you have more competition?

Callie said this as she was walking towards her room, to go to sleep.

Marie: What? No! That's not the case at all! Wait. Did you say "more competition"?

Callie just winked at Marie, before she shut the door to her bedroom.

---

(Azazel's POV)

As I was walking towards the front door to get to the limo, I bumped into someone.

Azazel: Oh! Sorry. Guess I wasn't lookin-

I looked up to see an Octoling in front of me. I don't know why, but I'm getting a sense of Déjà vu.

Azazel: Um... do I know you?

Octoling: I don't mean to ask, but... are you Agent 4?

Azazel: How do you know I am an Agent?

Octoling: Well, this isn't the first time we met.

Azazel: Wait...

(Flashback)

Octoling 1: Aww, look how cute he is.

Octoling 2: Yeah, it's almost sad having to splat him.

Octoling 1: He really looks hurt. We better put him down.

Octoling 2: Yeah, they don't let us keep pets at base.

---

(End of flashback)

Azazel: Now I remember you. You tried to kill me!

Octoling: W-wait! It wasn't my fault, I was under Octavio's control.

Azazel: So wait, you were doing that against your will?

Octoling: Yes, as with all the other Octolings with the hypnoshades on.

I could see the pain in her eyes, I couldn't believe that Octavio would go out of his own way for revenge by hypnotizing his own people. Even for him, that's low.

Azazel: I'm sorry to hear that, sounds like your people have been through a lot.

She started to cry.

Octoling: It was horrible, I never wanted to kill innocent people.

I brought her in for a hug, as she was crying into my arms.

Azazel: It's alright, you don't have to worry about Octavio again.

Octoling: *sniffs* R-really?

Azazel: Yes. I took care of him personally, and he's not getting out anytime soon.

Octoling: T-thank you so much!

She returned the hug to me.

Azazel: By the way, I never got your name.

Juvia: Oh, how rude of me. My name is Juvia; Juvia Octario.

Azazel: Nice to meet you, Juvia. The name's Azazel.

Juvia: Nice to meet you too, Azazel.

Azazel: Well, I better get going. I'll see you later, Juvia.

But before I could go out the door, she stopped me.

Juvia: Wait!

Azazel: What is it?

Juvia: Um, do you think that I could stay with you for a while?

Azazel: Do you not have a home?

Juvia: No. I'm trying my best to blend in with the Inklings here.

Azazel: Don't worry, I know some people who be more than happy to take you in.

Juvia: You really mean it?

Azazel: You bet.

Juvia: Oh, thank you, Azazel!

Azazel: Now, shall we get going?

Juvia: Yes, please.

We both walked out of the complex and we walked to the limo.

Azazel: I'll be right back with you, Juvia. Just head back into the building.

Juvia: Okay.

She headed back into the building and I asked Marina to come out of the limo. The limo drove off to somewhere to park while we talked.

Marina: Is there something you need, Azazel?

Azazel: I need your help.

Marina: With what?

Azazel: My new friend really needs a place to stay. And apparently, you're the only one who can help me.

Marina: Why? Why not ask Pearl?

Azazel: Because my friend is actually... an Octoling.

Marina: What?!

Azazel: Yeah... So is it a yes or a no?

Marina: Do you even trust this "friend' of yours, Azazel?

Azazel: Yeah, why?

Marina: I don't know...

Azazel: I mean, both you and my friend are the same species, right?

Marina: I suppose so...

Azazel: Are you going to help out? If not, I'll just ask someone else that I can rely on.

Marina: Look, I'm sorry, okay. I'm just worried about you... who knows, she might ambush and kill you in your sleep!

Azazel: I appreciate that you're worried about me and trying to help, but I can handle it myself, okay?

Marina: Okay...

Azazel: So, will you help me?

Marina: Yes... I'll help.

Azazel: Thank you, Marina.

I turned around to signal Juvia to come out.

Azazel: Okay, you can come out now.

Juvia opened the door and came out of the apartment building, looking a little worried.

Juvia: Who are you?

Marina: I'm Marina. *She waved*

Juvia: Wait... Marina?!

Marina: Yeah?... *confused*

Juvia: It's me, Juvia, remember?!

Marina stood there for a second, then she remembered something.

Marina: Oh. My. God! Juvia!

She rushed over to Juvia and they hugged each other.

Juvia: I didn't know you escaped as well, I thought you were gone!

Marina: Yeah. I didn't want to go back there.

Azazel: Would someone mind explaining to me what the fuck is going on?!

Juvia: Oh! Sorry, Azazel. Me and Marina were best friends back in Octo Valley and somehow we got separated and it turns out she escaped from Octavio.

Azazel: That explains it.

Juvia: So, Marina, how did you escape from Octavio?

Marina: Well...

-After she explained how she escaped-

Marina: And I got to the surface and it was beautiful! Also, I met Pearl on the surface and we became the best of friends, and together, we made a pop idol duo known as Off the Hook!

Juvia: Wow!

Marina: So tell me, how did you escape?

Juvia: Uh... you see...

-She explained to Marina without revealing that I was Agent 4-

Juvia: And that's how I met Azazel! *She smiled*

Marina: Okay, but I have a question. Who is this "Agent 4" you speak of?

Juvia: Uh... no one! I never met him... *She gave a fake smile*

Marina: Okay then... let's head back to the mansion.

Azazel: Alright, let's go.

---

We got back to the mansion, and I asked Marina where Pearl was at.

Azazel: Say, Marina. Do you know where Pearl is at?

Marina: She if off doing her errands.

Azazel: I see. Well, I'm going to bed now. Goodnight girls.

Marina & Juvia: Goodnight, Azazel!

I walked up the stairs and went into my room.

Marina: Let me guide you to the room where you will be staying at.

Juvia: Okay! *She smiled*

They got to the room where Juvia will be staying in, which is conveniently right next to my room.

Marina: Well, here is your room.

Juvia: Thanks, Marina!

Marina: *Giggles* Well, goodnight.

Juvia: Goodnight! *She waved at her*

Juvia then went into her room and fixed up the place before heading to bed.

SEE YOU SPACE COWBOY...

https://youtu.be/Ru_H5PiyfSA

Hey guys, I just wanted to say that I am going to be working my ass off on publishing these chapters before the end of the month, as I want to get a Splatoween special out, so expect more frequent publishes. If you enjoyed this chapter, and enjoyed this story, be sure to show me some love, hit that vote button, follow me to receive news on Into the Light. Chapter 10 is in development. As always, I'm RaveDogg, and I'll see you in the next chapter.

October 22nd, 2020