Sometimes we pretend like what we're doing is for the greater good.

But how often is that truly the case?

"Darling! Darling! I found it!"

Black hair swiveled over to see a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes grinning as she held out an ancient manuscript. "It's the guide to the other world, or planet!"

"I can't believe you found it, my darling genius!" Mischel Edvard smiled while hugging her tight. "You did great!"

"We can finally prove to everyone that other worlds exist!" She said with her own smile. "Being a supernatural researcher is HARD here!"

"That is true, but all those years of hard work, and we're finally here! Oh, I can't wait to show it to Kaira and Chiro when we get there, Katto!"

"So true! I can barely wait! Should we pull them out of school for the week to go on a trip then?"

"Yeah, that would be awesome!" He linked her hand with hers. "Now, let's get ready to show them the amazing worlds beyond our wildest dreams!"

Pulling them out of school for the trip was quite easy, and Chiro seemed excited as he looked at his older brother, hopping on the lower bunk bed he normally slept on. "We never go on a trip! So fun!"

"I know, I know, ChiChi," Kaira laughed, his blonde hair swaying to the side while he grabbed some essentials for their trip. "But we should finish packing soon! Pappa did say we are gonna have fun!"

"Road trip! Road trip! Road trip!" He cheered. "Can't wait to tell friends about it later!"

Kaira himself smiled. Chris, Danny and Frances had been pretty sad to hear he was leaving for a trip out of nowhere, but he had promised them that he would tell them all about it later! "Then let's not waste any time!"

"Go go go!" He giggled, climbing onto his brother's shoulder while the older male strapped on a pair of headphones, playing some music from his cassette player as the two stepped out of their shared room to head down to the living room. 

("Hey, Schrik, are you okay?" 

"I'm okay, Momma, Pappa. I'm just... nervous, is all."

"About moving? I mean, I get it, don't worry. Going to a different country is a whole new story."

"Even if it's your home country, I... I don't know. And Chiro is so excited but..."

"Hey, buddy. I promise you it's going to be amazing. You hear me? And plus, your godparents will be showing up to make sure we settle in right."

"No way! Uncle Connor is coming?! That's awesome! Is he bringing-"

"Yes, he's bringing his kids. Don't worry about it."

"Are we going to have a picnic?"

"Yeah, totally! Plus, Ky decided he wanted to yoink his friends along!"

"Never thought I would hear you say that word, Misch."

"What can I say? Anansi and Connor have infected me."

"But you watch too many shows, right, Pappa?"

"I!"

"Good one, ChiChi!" 

"Heheheh!")

"Why aren't we using a car, though, Momma, Pappa?" Chiro asked his parents upon noticing that the car wasn't revved up yet, and that was weird considering it was still winter out there...

"Oh, the place we're going to is quite hard to get to! We need a different strategy to get there! Kinda like how sometimes we need to cheat a bit to get somewhere," Katto told the kids. 

"But cheating bad right?" Chiro asked with a slight frown. "Teacher say better not to cheat."

"It's fine sometimes, don't worry, my baby ChiChi," she nuzzled his cheek, making him giggle while Mischel shook his head affectionately. "Don't teach the kids bad stuff, Katto."

"I mean, it's true!" She defended. "You know how things are!"

"Fair, fair. Anyway, the kids are already in their winter gear, which is great, cause we're really going to a cold place!"

"But we live in Norway, Pappa," Kaira pointed out with a laugh. "It's always cold here!"

"Ah, but it's gonna get colder. We're going to a mountain, KyKy!"

"Mountain?! Like Evewest?!" Chiro's pronunciation was still off, but it made his family smile at their baby as Kaira grinned. "Fun!"

"Our first trip is to the mountains...! That's awesome!" Kaira agreed. "Can't wait to see how cool it is!"

"Well, it's gonna get very cool soon!" Mischel said, holding out his phone as he pressed a button on it, activating a vortex right below them?! "Ah, whoops-"

"AHHHHH!" the four screamed as they fell into the vortex, their furniture falling in as well...

("Uncle Connor!"

"Hello, Schrik, Chiro!"

"Hiiii, Cuz!"

"Luo Fei, Ky, Lok! And Maya and Booma, and ZaZa!"

"It's technically Boomer, but okay..."

"I am NOT ZAZA!"

"Don't take it so seriously, Boomer, Zane. He's just a kid, after all!"

"Ugh, fine..."

"Eh, wait, where's-"

"Oh, he's busy, but we'll make up for it right now, I promise!"

"Yay! Wanna play kite? Make new one at school!"

"Sure! Schrik, let's do it!"

"Okay!"

"Have fun, kids! Connor, Katt and I will be here!")

"Owie..."

"ChiChi, you good?!"

"I'm okie..." the younger kid was propped up by his brother as Kaira smiled warmly at him, dusting off the snow from his clothes. "There, that should do it!"

"Thankie, Bror!"

"It's okay, ChiChi! But... where's Momma and Pappa?" He paused.

"Oh, sorry, kids! We got a bit too excited!" Katto laughed while rushing over to them. "We found a cave to set up our equipment in! Who's up for some s'mores?"

"Ooh, ooh, what's that?!" Blue eyes widened in wonder as Chiro hopped up and down again. "Sounds fun!"

"You'll get to see it soon, Chiro, don't worry! We'll explain everything while we have dinner too!" She smiled, leading her kids down to the cave where Mischel had already set up some luxurious sleeping bags and some of their equipment too. The basics, really. Nothing glamorous. Plus, the remains of what used to be their furniture was now fuel for their fire. 

"Explain what?" Kaira asked in confusion. "Isn't this just a trip?"

"Well, no! Basically what we did was we managed to go to a different place, that's not on Earth." 

"Eh? What Earth?" Chiro was already lying on the sleeping bag, his head on the opposite end as he looked up at his parents. 

"Well, hard to tell ya, kids. But basically, we got to hit something really great!" Katto smiled at them. "And we really wanted to share this with ya!"

"Oohhh! That's so cool, Pappa, Momma!" Kaira grinned. 

"And that's not all! We're letting you guys come along cause we want to explore this place a LOT more, and we wanted you to experience it too!"

"YAY! EXPLORE! EXPLORE!"

"Well then, why don't we do that after we have dinner?"

"Sounds like a plan!"

"Okay!"

("Are you okay, Katto, Mischel?"

"We're fine, and you know it."

"Yeah, I guess it's just us getting used to all the changes. We knew it was a big change for Schrik and Chiro, but we felt like it was the best option. After all..."

"With Luo Fei's dad gone, and Lok's too... it's only a matter of time before you..."

"I was just offered something to do, something really important too. That's why I'm here. So at least my kids have someone to rely on when things get hard."

"..."

"Promise me, please. That you'll visit them at the monastery, no matter how much you disagree with Master Baoddai."

"We... we'll try. But even we have to agree with him on something."

"And what's that?"

"Something... really, really bad is about to happen...")

Dinner was a small affair, but the excitement was high in the air to the point they finished faster than usual. 

"Explore, explore, explore!" Chiro cheered while sitting on Mischel's shoulders now. 

"Let's go then, kiddos!" 

"Yay!" 

The travel downwards was quite interesting, and Katto kept on taking pictures along the way, even when another hand was holding Kaira's. "This is CRAZY! I don't even know what kind of world we're in, but it's definitely awesome!"

"I doubt it's the underworld, though. Kinda sad, since we did plan on going there."

"Eh, either this or the world of dreams. Wherever we are, it's new territory and I'm so excited to find out where this go- Huh?"

"What's wrong?" 

"Something about this part of the wall is... different from the others?"

["Hey, Leo, did you notice anything about the wall with the four Beasts on it?"

"No? Why?"

"Cause one part of it is quite discolored. Too discolored even..."

"... what does this mean, Fatty?"

"I do not know, but I doubt it is anything good."]

Katto handed Kaira over to her husband as she touched the part, pressuring it slightly out of curiosity...

Only to be surprised when it swung open to reveal an abandoned but nonetheless futuristic laboratory. 

"Woah! What the heck?!" Mischel gasped in surprise. "This is AWESOME!"

Katto rushed in as well, looking around before heading to the glass pane on the other side. "Woah... check this out! There's a bigger room inside...!"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's check it out! Come on, Kaira, Chiro!"

"Okie!"

"This is so much fun!"

("Ugh!"

"Katto?!"

"Darn, I knew that delving into stuff I didn't know anything about was dangerous, but..."

"What did you two do?!"

"Got a little reckless maybe, with some issues in our bodies as a result."

"You....!"

"Yeah, actually we moved here to ensure that no one would find out. Not you, not Anansi..."

"We just wanted everyone to think it was a simple death of overworking, and make sure that Schrik and Chiro would be in good hands before we die..."

"It's coming a lot faster than I expected..."

"You guys! Hang on! Kids, come back!"

"Huh?"

"But why, Uncle?"

"No time to explain! We need to-"

"AHHH!"

"Mischel!")

They found the steps downwards, and soon they were there as Mischel set the kids down on the ground. "This is..."

In front of them was a HUGE wall. Not futuristic like the others, but when Katto shined her flashlight on it, it had four huge seals on it. Smaller ones decorated the edge too, but that wasn't their main focus.

"Woah, this is... amazing..."

"We already proved that there are other worlds...! But if we show them this, they HAVE to believe us for sure!"

"Yeah, let me just get my camera onto Flash mode..."

"M-Momma, P-Pappa, w-why suddenly I feel so scared?" Chiro suddenly spoke up, hugging his brother while whimpering a bit. 

"Hey, hey, don't sweat it, Chiro! We'll just take one picture, and then we're gone! We promise!" Mischel squatted as he patted his kid's head. 

"O-Okie..." Chiro nodded shyly, which made him smile before he headed back to join his wife. 

"Alright, alright, I think I have in place! Time to take that picture, in three...

Two...

One!"

That was when it all fell into hell.

The symbols on the wall suddenly began to glow, making all four of them back away in surprise. 

"W-what the heck is happening?!" Katto gasped. 

"I-I'm scared..." Chiro clung tighter to Kaira, confused and terrified right now. 

"Well, it appears you've unlocked the seal for the Dark Ones, once and for all!" A new voice suddenly sang, making them gasp as they turned around to see a hooded figure. "I must thank you for that, you know! As a sign of my gratitude... well!"

"Hang on.. you were the one in our dreams telling us how to complete all this!" Mischel gasped, recognizing the voice. "You... you knew what we were doing, didn't you?"

"It's not my fault you were so eager to get your hands on something to the point you would risk it all!" He smirked, unveiling himself as Yang Wang as he added, "And you even brought your children along! How wonderful!"

"Stay away from our kids, you monster!" Katto hissed. 

"Oh, but really... who is the real monster here?" He tilted his head with a smile as balls of light began escaping from the wall, making it crumble and fall apart while they all floated to Yang Wang's side. "Didn't YOU TWO start all this?"

("Momma! Pappa!"

"Chiro! I-It's fine-"

"No it is NOT! I swear I will have a talk with you after this, Katto, Mischel! I'm calling Anansi for backup and then we're going to his place to check whatever this is out!"

"What's happening to the- Ahhhhhh!"

"Wait, Schrik?!")

"Time to say, bye bye~" he sang as he blasted at the family. HARD. 

"NO! KAIRA, CHIRO!"

It all happened so fast-

The two parents were suddenly kicked into the blast, and Kaira threw Chiro out of the way too-

"BROR!"

("Hehehe.... Hehehhehehe. HAHAHAHAHAHHAA!"

"Schrik, what the- hang on, what is that in your ha-"

"Shut up."

"AHH!"

"DAD, NO!"

"Schrik, what the heck?! What did Uncle Connor do to you, anyway?"

"... He's not my uncle."

"H-Huh?"

"I said, he's NOT my uncle~"

"Okay, what the heck is going on here, Ky?!"

"I....I don't know, Zane..."

"Well, allow me to get rid of your misery, then."

"AHHHH!"

"There. I have their essence now~ Kekeke, I can't wait to face them in battle in the future!"

"Who the heck-"

"You're not Schrik! Get out of his body!"

"Awww, you figured it out sooo fast, Maya! It's honestly annoying! Let me just get rid of these tapes for you first. That way, these bodies will be here for Schrik to be blamed for."

"As if we would let that happen! You psycho!"

"Eh, I just happen to be an opportunist~ MANdELA's the name! Heheheh~ Not that you'll remember it anyway!"

"Huh? What are you talking ab-")

["This is...!"

"I can't believe it... there are THREE corpses... but..."

"... it can't have been Chiro. He doesn't remember anything! Plus, didn't the others mention Schrik had-"

"- a fear of snow, and vortexes?..."

"... Oh no. This is... he set us up!"

"We must return at once!"]

"Leave the boy to me." A skeletal figure appeared behind Yang Wang to look at the child that had passed out from sheer exhaustion. "I see that you have released the others well."

"Of course, Skeleton King. I merely did my best with what I had." He bowed. "Regardless, you may have the boy. I shall reap up the souls for now."

"Very well." And with that, most of the blobs disappeared as the skeletal figure grabbed Chiro and disappeared, leaving four of them with Yang Wang. "Well, this is quite... interesting. You don't seem to be at full strength."

"We are not. Those rebels took a lot out of us before we were sealed away by the Messiah. We may need to find a way to regain strength."

"Hm..." his eyes landed on Kaira's body, and a smirk formed on his face. "I may have a solution to the problem."

("Anyway, you lot can have fun! I have places to be!"

"Wait wh- HEY! GET BACK HERE! DON'T TAKE SCHRIK WITH YOU!"

"Too late ~ and none of you would remember a THING~")

From behind him, a vortex opened up, allowing.... Another Kaira to land on the ground, two cassette tapes in his hands. 

"Well, well, this is quite the nice job, MANdELA," he chuckled. "Now, let us get to work."

Walking over to the bodies, he swung his scythe over them, opening up their bodies to let the souls out. While he let the other two souls free, he grabbed Kaira's, a simple teal green blob, before walking over to the Kaira on the floor, cutting his body open to get a red blob out. 

Then he proceeded to... to push these two souls together. Like melding two different colours of clay into one, he made sure to take his time, a sinister smile on his face once he was sure that it was completely done. "And with that... it is done. Your perfect vessel... has been made."

The four blobs chuckled darkly as the ground shook, and Yang Wang carried the body to one of the chambers above. "This will ensure that the body is safe when the worlds collide. It's already happening, really!"

Reality tearing apart, and struggling to come together.

Finding the closest world to help fill in the gaps, unaware of the consequences to its actions...

He placed the body inside, and activated the pod as they waited for the tremors to subside. Of course, it was no easy job, but the moment it ended, the process itself ended, with the pod opening up to reveal the vessel for the Dark Ones. 

"When the time comes... I will find him again, and we will return you to your former glory, I promise that," Yang Wang promised, opening up two vortexes. "But for now, I suggest you hide in Cho-Taiyo."

"A marvelous idea. We will anticipate our full return, Yang Wang." 

He smiled as the four blobs flew through, before he gripped the two tapes and chucked them in as well. "You will serve nicely as replacements to your alternate son's parents. Your bodies, at least. HAHAHAHAHHAHA!"

And as he threw the child into the other vortex, the child would wake up, with fragmented memories, with no one but his parents around. His DEAD parents. And his brother, missing. And his godfa-

... did he have a godfather?

Anansi screamed as he shot up from his position, surprising Ky, Maya and Boomer, not to mention his own team as Zylus asked, "Anansi, what ha...opened...?"

Ky gasped while Maya paled. "What in the world...?"

Because Anansi, he was... he was CRYING. "Oh... oh my God, I can't believe it... everything it just..."

"Anansi? Talk to us, please," Ekayon asked him while kneeling. 

"I... I know the truth about  everything now. And it... it explains everything."