Chapter Text
Rain pattering on glass.
Street lights flickering on as the sun sets.
The smell of wet pavement and gasoline.
In the middle of a busy highway, police vehicles and ambulances surrounded what remained of a tour bus. Two bodies were fished out of the wreckage, barely hanging onto dear life. As they were being loaded into an ambulance, one of the victims was able to make out a small white crown hidden within the remnants of the bus before losing consciousness.
It was broken beyond repair.
– – –
It was an especially cold day when they met. Marina, tired from walking for the past 3 days and absolutely starving, was huddled between a tree and a large rock to shield herself from the chill wind. Things weren't looking good for her. What was she expecting? She left her home without any food or warm clothing, it was all a split second decision. Even if she did prepare at all, what did she know about living on the surface? She was expecting huge cities full of people and colors and music. It goes to show what she knew, because the only thing waiting for her at the surface was dense forest as far as the eye could see.
She should have turned back. Whatever punishment she would get for deserting her duties surely would be better than dying alone in an unfamiliar place, wouldn't it? But for some reason even the thought of going back made her feel sick. The domes were dark and damp and incredibly claustrophobic. But were they not home?
Marina didn't have the energy to dwell on her decision anymore. It was too late to change her mind anyways. She was going to die out in the middle of nowhere, alone and afraid. But she didn't regret anything. She was free from the caverns that once contained her. And she would be able to spend her final days staring at the sky that she had always yearned to see.
Before she had the chance to die, though, she heard a sound. It was the unmistakable sound of someone singing. Despite how tired and sore she was, Marina got to her feet and slowly made her way toward the song.
– – –
The world around Marina felt fuzzy. Her eyes were not yet open, but a bright light still shone through her eyelids. She could barely be considered awake, but she could still barely make out snippets of a conversation beside her in her haze. A woman’s voice, one she did not recognize, speaking softly. She sounded sad. No, maybe regretful? Marina was still too tired to be able to tell. Only a few words properly made it to her ears.
“How do….tell her…..Pearl…. ” Marina felt her ears perk up with that last word. As she started to gain consciousness, she was able to hear more of what she was saying. “We should wait for her family to arrive. I'm sure they would rather be the ones to tell her.”
The conversation went quiet as Marina opened her eyes and sat up to finally look at her surroundings. She was surprised to see that she was not in her bedroom. The entire room was a sterile white, which was very harsh on her eyes which were not yet accustomed to the light. Opposite the bed she was laying in was a counter with a metal sink, which was surrounded by jars of cotton balls and band-aids. On her left was a multitude of large beeping machines, many of which she found were attached to her through tubes. She realized she was in a hospital, but she could not for the life of her remember why. It was all very overwhelming. The smell of rubbing alcohol made her head hurt, though that was nothing compared to the aching pain her entire body was in.
The woman who had been talking, a paradoxically tall shrimp who Marina assumed was a doctor, waved for the person she was talking with to leave the room. The doctor adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat before turning to Marina.
“Good morning, I am Doctor Serratus. I'm sure you have some questions for me, but before that I have a few for you if that’s alright.”
“... Okay…”
The doctor took out a clipboard and pen. She jotted down something real quick, then began asking Marina a series of questions.
“Lets begin with your name. Could you state your name for me?”
“Marina Houzuki…”
“Good, I'm glad I didn't get the wrong room number, right?” The attempt at a light hearted joke was lost on Marina. Something felt wrong to her, but she was having trouble thinking about what that might be. “Tough crowd I guess. That's alright.” She took a deep breath and took a seat beside the bed. She leaned forward.
“Do you remember why you're here?”
The last thing that Marina could recall was her and Pearl packing up their bags getting ready for a big tour. They were going to perform at all the major cities surrounding Inkopolis before returning home in time for the upcoming splatfest. It was huge for them. It had been almost a year since Off the Hook last held a concert, so both of them were beyond excited for this tour. Clearly, though, the tour never happened.
She was about to answer, when she had a sinking feeling in her chest. In her mind flashed the image of a terrible wreck, and in the middle of it was a broken crown. She suddenly became very aware of where she was, and more importantly, what was missing. Her eyes darted around the room frantically, searching for her absent love. She was nowhere to be seen. Marina suddenly had a horrible thought. Her voice shook as she asked the doctor a single question.
“Where is Pearl?”