Molly has been staring at TV screens all her life.

She is six when she asks her mother what the real sky is like. She is not ignorant to the fake blue that imitates the outside, no matter how soft and tangible the clouds look on the TV screens. Molly's mother presses her lips into a thin line, and suddenly her eyes are too sunken into her skin, too dark, too hollow. Her voice is too quiet, even in the silence of their own home.

"I don't remember."

Molly is twelve when the world goes dark for the first time. She cries out in surprise and fear, and her mother hugs her tight, humming into her hair and rocking her back and forth. Molly shivers in the dark, but her mother is a constant source of warmth and comfort. They hug each other in the darkness, waiting for the world to light up again.

When the lights come back on and her mother lets go, Molly shivers again.

The air is still cold.

Molly is nearly thirteen when her mother stops hugging her during blackouts. They are common enough that Molly isn't scared of the dark anymore.

Molly isn't sure if that is a good thing.

She is thirteen the day the sky starts to dim. The artificial blue begins its transition into murky grey in the day, and into pitch black at night. Everything is darker, but Molly still finds herself staring at the sky.

She is fourteen when she enlists into the octarian army. She fights for brighter days and the good of her race. Her mother hugs her one last time as she leaves for her post somewhere far away from home.

"Stay safe," says her mother, squeezing Molly tight and holding her for a long time.

Molly keeps that moment close to her heart. It warms her on cold nights and lonely days.

She is still fourteen when their leader falls, everything around them breaking, falling with him.

The only sky Molly knows, breaks too.

It is days later when she meets the inkling who brought the sky down.

"Why?" Molly asks the inkling. The world is dark and cold - like it's been for a while now, Molly supposes - and the remaining pieces of sky hang from their wires, threatening to fall like the others.

The inkling pauses, but grins. "To stop you guys from stealing our zapfishes. We need them." Before Molly can retort, the inkling adds, "But I think we can share. I've talked to everyone in Inkopolis." The next question is sudden. "You don't have a sun here, do you?"

It takes a moment for Molly to recompose herself. "No. Mother says she hasn't seen it in years."

"I'll take you. And your mother and everyone else."

"Take us?"

The inkling grins. "To see the sun."

+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+

Dozens - no, hundreds - of octarians follow after the inkling. It is noisier than it has ever been in this octarian lair, but Molly doesn't think it is a bad thing.

"So, to Octo Valley," announces the inkling, who grins back at the crowd. "You ready?"

The chatter stops. The inkling takes this as a yes and throws the latch open, flooding the pipe with light. Everyone hoists themselves up, one by one, each of them blinking, blinking and staring-

At the sky.

When Molly, the last octoling in line, grabs the inkling's hand and steps onto the surface, she finds herself squinting at the giant ball of light in the vast expanse of blue. The inkling laughs.

"Don't stare too long. You'll get bad eyes."

Molly ignores the inkling, staring up at the sky even more. The sun's rays cut through the fog of Octo Valley and a soft breeze sweeps through the crowd.

Her mother stands beside her, silently linking her hand with Molly's.

"It's warm," Molly says.

The inkling snorts. "Well, yeah. The sun is warm. Hot, actually. It's this huge ball of fire, y'know?"

"It's nice."

The inkling stares at her for a while, considering Molly's words. "Yeah," the inkling says softly, "it is."

They don't say anything else, and Molly takes the moment breathe it all in. The hubbub of the octarians surround her, the cacophony of voices and newfound excitement drifting to Molly's ears.

The kettle had been cold and quiet and everything this is not.

"Thank you," leaves Molly's lips before she can help it. This inkling had brought down the sky. This inkling had brought the octarians a new one.

The inkling smiles. It sends a pang of warmth to Molly's heart and she finds herself smiling back.

"You're welcome."

Molly is fourteen when she sees the sun for the first time. When people ask why she stares at the sky so much, she smiles, her reply always the same.

"To see the sun."

Fin.

Author's notes: Annnnd the first thing I post on this site is this; an old, sad oneshot I wrote a few months ago. It's short and sweet, and hopefully you guys like it. I know it might be a bit too short, but ehhhhhh IDK how I could've padded it out more.

If no one likes this I guess I'll just leave this account in the dust forever HAHAHHAAaaaaa. But nonetheless, thank you for reading this far! ^o^