They made it back to the Obscure Kingdom without incident and crossed the border from neutral lands to Obscure territory. Vector and Black Mist made their way back to the castle, entered without knocking, and immediately searched for Pluto and Minerva. The servants, upon seeing their prince return, hurriedly readied his room so he could immediately go to rest.

"Father! Mother!" Black Mist called into the castle, his voice echoing through the halls.

Footsteps responded as someone stepped ever so slowly to them. Black Mist narrowed his eyes to see what was coming because this was not Pluto walking. Vector grabbed his friend's hand and pulled him back roughly as a sudden beam shot past them. Surprised and caught off guard, the two could only stare at the figure that dared to shoot at them.

"Who are you!?" Black Mist demanded. "Show yourself!"

"But of course," the voice purred. It was smooth and silky, like someone Black Mist knew well. He was certain this was who he thought it was.

"Kai?"

"Indeed," Kai replied. His soft expression was replaced with a sneer. "Do not bother looking for my dear uncle and aunt. They're...taken care of."

"Taken care of?" Black Mist mused. "Did-did you kill them!?"

"How absurd! Of course I did not, but they have been immobilized." Kai smirked. It was an unnatural expression on one like him. "You will not have Daddy's protection now, dear cousin, and that means I can finish what I started when you were but a sniveling brat." He aimed his hand at his cousin's chest.

Black Mist noticed where he was aiming a little too late to avoid the beam that came, but he immediately put up a black shield, one that spun while it made a sphere just like Astral taught him. Upon coming in contact with the shield of death, the beam was neutralized. Immediately afterwards, the prince launched himself at his kin with Vector at his side.

Kai merely grinned. "It is time for you to join your parents, cousin dear."

~.Cosmic Kingdom.~

Astral gasped as a sudden flash of energy consumed the bird he was seeing through. Hand still over his heart, he gasped and panted, worry swelling in his chest. He knew, he just knew, something terrible was about to happen, but he knew he couldn't just march into the Obscure territory without getting robbed or killed. No, he had to think of something else.

Getting up from his sitting place, he started pacing, closing his eyes to consult his own mind for a solution. There was no way he was going to be able to go alone, this he knew, and it would be strange for someone from the Cosmic Kingdom to suddenly go without battle. Maybe...yes!

He knew exactly what to do!

Astral rushed back inside to his room, where Astrid was reading over her herbalism notes. She looked up in surprise when her brother suddenly jumped to the bed with that rare glitter in his eyes that meant he was going to do something potentially dangerous.

"What is it?" she asked him, setting her scrolls down.

"Astrid, I need you to keep anyone from entering, and I need you to watch over my body."

"What are you-"

"Astrid, there is no time to explain! Black Mist and Vector are in danger, I can sense it. I need to try something potentially dangerous." Astral's eyes were pleading, begging her to do this one thing for her.

"What am I supposed to tell Father and Mother when they ask?"

"Tell them that I am going to make myself a body in the Obscure Kingdom to help Black Mist and Vector, but Father is forbidden from stopping me. If he tries, I will abort it myself, and who knows what would happen then. Understand?"

Astrid nodded and hugged her brother tightly. "Be careful, Astral. You know you are the only brother I have."

Astral hugged her back. "I know, and I will be careful. I promise." Then, he laid down and closed his eyes, concentrating on making a dark body in the Obscure Kingdom, in an area preferably hidden. He would have similar form, maybe some things changed.

He felt himself drifting-

~.Obscure Kingdom.~

-and then he opened his eyes. He with no name got up from the forest ground and looked at his hands and body. Dark gray without any trace of gems. That was good. Gems meant nobility, and if he came in with the marks of nobility, it would seem strange. His arms had glove-like armor that was a lighter gray, and his feet bore boot-like armor. On his chest was a large blue gem. Commoners were linked to at most one gem that was normally very large, so this was not going to seem suspicious. He reached up to touch his face. No mouth or nose; only eyes. His hair was softly arched and short.

He looked to his left and noticed a cloak. A wandering traveler would have a cloak with him, he reasoned with himself as he took the cloak and wrapped it around his body. Now, to find the castle.

~.Unknown.~

Black Mist awoke in somewhere with a haze surrounding him. He didn't bother wondering where he was as he got up, but something was holding him down. Was it the gravity? This place seemed to have a lot of it! Somehow, though, he wasn't too convinced by that. It was something else holding him down.

He looked around with his eyes instead, but that didn't do a whole lot of good. All he perceived were snippets of white land and foggy sky!

"Welcome to your little dream realm, cousin dear," Kai purred. "I'm sure you will enjoy your time here. After all, this will be your grave!" He sneered. "Not a glorious battle like you would have preferred, but I'm sure it will suffice."

"Kai!!" Black Mist screamed with anger. "Let me go!!"

"I cannot do that, Black Mist." The noble rubbed his hands together as if to clean them of something. "Without you, my family takes the throne, yes? We are your only living relatives. As soon as we take the throne, we will do what your useless father couldn't; we will destroy the Cosmic Kingdom once and for all!"

Black Mist once again struggled against the force holding him down, which only resulted in Kai snickering.

"Here, you can have a friend." With a wave of his hand, a small child appeared before him. Black Mist looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Durbe..."

~.Obscure Kingdom.~

He with no name approached the palace doors, where guards crossed their spears in front of it. "State your name and business!" rumbled the one on the left.

"Ortza," he replied, giving himself a fake name. "I need to speak with the king. It's dire!"

The one on the right sneered. "We will bring your message."

"It's for his ears alone!" he exclaimed. The guards were taken by surprise at the power behind his voice, so they granted him access to the castle, warning him what would happen if anything terrible happened to the king.

Finally, he was inside. He couldn't sense anyone, but something inside told him that the king and queen were somewhere down the hall. He followed that gut instinct all the way to a large bedroom, obviously meant for the king and queen. He peeked in to see if they were in there; they were, but they seemed to be asleep.

He walked over and checked them, noting how deep their breathing was. That could only mean one thing, and that one thing was proven. They were in a dream realm, one that would potentially kill them; he knew just what to do since the spell was fairly simple. He extended his hand to each of their faces and cupped their cheeks. He recited a chant.

The king and queen groaned as they came to.