The morning started rising. The Tortuga HQ was once again in the forest. Bite-Size, in his human form, was asleep in Koki's hammock, while snuggling against his friend.

Koki woke up with a soft yawn. She looked down at her bat-turn-human.

"Couldn't sleep well last night, huh? Slowly getting diurnal." She ruffled the boy's hair gently.

"Mornin'!" Martin cheerfully called, startling them both. Bite-Size, recovering from it, yawned.

"Morning Martin," he said groggily.

"Oops! Sorry. Just excited about seeing Ven again."

"I hear ya, bro. Since the family reunion, we haven't seen each other for some time," Chris said. "And I wonder how much he grew this time."

"Yeah, he was probably a whole inch taller than when you guys last saw him!"

"Did he grow that much already?" Koki asked.

"Well, he technically IS the eldest brother from the original Nature Trio. So obviously he would slowly turn back to his Guardian form."

"Would that mean that I'm going to lose my title?" Aviva asked in worry.

"I don't think he'll do that to you Aviva," David replied. "Possibly he'll still have powers, but you were chosen as the new Air Guardian."

"David, what's that scroll in your hands?" Clarissa asked. He was holding an old scroll.

"Let me see this," he said. "It's the original writing of Beowulf."

"The original writing?!" Chris asked, suddenly appearing by them in a happy rush. It startled them though.

"That was one of Chris's favorite literary stories in school," Martin informed. "But why do you have it, David?"

"Mom suggested that I read this. Something about who I used to be or something..."

"Amazing. I love Scandinavian mythology," Chris commented.

"Speaking of her..." Aviva pointed out, seeing Hermia coming through a portal.

"Hello, Guardians. I fear we have a problem. Ventus needs your help."

"What? Is something wrong with him?"

"No, he's feeling well. Something weird is just happening to him."

"Something weird?"

"At first, things were normal," Hermia said. "Ventus eventually started to train again. He'll explain the rest. He's in the training courtyard in my temple."

The crew reunited in the courtyard with Ven. However, he didn't seem any taller than when Martin and Chris saw him. Ventus told what was going on.

"But then something weird started to happen. No matter how much I train, my powers just get weaker."

Ven showed an example. He tried making a wind reach Mina, who was several yards away. However, she only shook her head, meaning she didn't feel anything. "See?"

"Hmmm, that does seem odd," Chris commented.

"Also... I haven't been growing much lately."

"I don't know if that's a good or bad thing," Martin teased. "I like having a second younger brother."

"Uh, chronologically, I'm well over 10,000 years older than you are."

"Oooooh... he got you there, bro," Chris said.

"In mystical years, of course. But in human years, if you were the eldest of the brothers, you would be at least… 3 or 4 years older than Martin," Aviva tried to theorize. "Since you're stuck now in this teenage form, I would say you would be at least... hmm, let's see… 16 years old."

"Gee, this age thing is confusing." Mina held her head.

"Your mechanic knows me," Ven said, a tint of pink on his face.

"And since Martin is 30-"

"Actually 31. Remember my birthday a while ago?"

"Okay, then. In that case, you would be at least... 35 years old. And you would probably be taller than Martin, too."

"I was taller than Aqua. So that doesn't surprise me."

Athena came in suddenly. "Guardians… I believe we discovered the reason of Ven's power weakness."

"Really? What, Aunt Athy?"

"We'll go to the courtyard. The others are there, and they need to know too."

The group came to the yard, to see completely demolished blocks and stakes.

"What just happened out here?" Martin asked.

"Mom!" Elsa called. She looked really excited. "You wouldn't believe how much stronger David has gotten since he joined the team!"

"You should've seen him, guys!" Mina said. "He took out 15 golems and 45 enchanted puppets at once!"

"Wow! That is strong!" Ventus commented.

"You can say that again," David commented. "I was just testing my lightning out, and it happened."

"And I know why," Athena said.

"Okay, Athena, no secrets, remember?" Chris said. "What's going on?"

"After much research, we discovered… that Ventus and David share an equal part of their essence."

"What?!" the team asked in confusion.

"We have seven siblings!" Martin cheered. But Ventus, David, Mina, and Elsa gasped.

"Oh no... that's not exactly good," David said.

"Why not?" Martin questioned.

"That doesn't make sense! How can they be the same person?!" Aviva desperately held her head.

"You're misunderstanding, Aviva," Athena said. "I said they shared a part of their essence, but they're NOT the same person."

"Ugh... my brain hurts..." Koki said.

"Just how... is that possible?" Chris asked. Mother Nature sighed.

"It seemed that when Black Storm came to being, not all of Ventus was corrupted like we thought."

"What? But Ven was totally locked inside that dark form," Chris said.

"This was before it, Chris. A small part of Ventus's essence may have escaped somehow and then it just wandered. It needed to find a place to stay…"

"And this place... was inside of David's past life, Beowulf." Hermia confessed.

"But then, how did it get to Beowulf?" Martin asked.

"He must've been nearby and his strong will pulled Ven's spirit to him."

"But how?"

"Hm… I don't know if is it possible… but I remember I kinda noticed my hair was gonig black after that thing with Chaos."

"When you were pricked in the patootie through a voodoo doll," Martin chuckled. "Sorry."

"How did you know that?"

"Long story. We'll tell you later," Chris said. "But you were saying..."

"Well..."

"After the battle, the gods coronated me and my brothers as the first Nature Guardians. As you would guess, I controlled Air, Aqua had Water, and Terra was Earth. But the three of us shared the Element of Fire, because there were only three of us.

"Then, I noticed the stripe in my hair. I tried all I could to hide it from Mom, while unknowingly feeding my jealousy, even trying spells to get rid of it.

"Zero. Zlich. Nada. Nothing worked: the black stripes just kept appearing. And as more came, my jealousy grew. And I started to become distant from mom. Even my brothers.

"And then... well, it happened. That day... when I was on the edge of being consumed by it."

*BG music: Era - Ameno*

Ventus told a messenger woodpecker to fetch his brothers and meet him at the Guardians' Cathedral.

He looked at the messenger, worried. "Be quick. Please." The woodpecker nodded and zoomed off. Ven's hair was almost completely black. The Air Guardian opened the door to the cathedral. Then, he held his head in pain. A tear of pain fell from his eyes, but unknown to him, it started to glow silver and float away.

Ven stood in front of the glass portrait of him and his brothers and the Earth Gem. He stared at the two in blue and green. In anger. Then he heard the door fling open.

"Ven!"

"Brother!" They arrived. By the sounds of their voices, they seemed excited. Ventus flinched in pain, one last time, before his eyes glowed black for an instant, returning to normal after this.

"Not another move," Ventus said, turning to his brothers. They stopped in their tracks in confusion.

"The rest… well, if you know somehow how Chaos cursed me, you probably know the truth," Ventus sighed, a tear escaping his eyes.

"Hm… I saw that tear thing once in a movie. It was cool. There was a cat, and a princess in danger in an alternate world…" Jimmy geeked out. "Sorry. Out of context."

"No, wait. Maybe not," Koki said. "If I know the movie, the tear floated away, carrying within itself a call for help. Maybe that's what happened. Was Beowulf alive in that era?"

"Hmm..." Athena thought for an instant. "Well... he was a teen at that time, but yes."

"At that time, Scandinavia lived under the dictatorship of dragons. Not friendly ones, like the ones that aided us in the war against Eris. At that time, Beowulf lived with the Geats, with who he grew up along with his father Ecgtheow."

"I read in books that he killed the monster called Grendel and his mom," Chris said.

"They are indeed true."

"But how did the tear reach him?"

"His legend and glorious battles never were forgotten. Especially his last battle with a dragon.

"What wasn't written in most stories was that the dying dragon told Beowulf to drink a goblet of water with a silver tear it found, saying the tear will give him new powers. After Beowulf slayed the beast, he did so. They say he changed that moment, his eyes a green of the seas and the winds obeying his every command.

"But he admitted he felt something as he drank that water… something like pain and sadness. And he heard a child's cry for help. But he never knew exactly who that child could be. Even so, he searched, something guiding him.

"And that's when he was found the Guardians' Cathedral, the Nature Trio's old home now destroyed since Black Storm."

Beowulf stood before the ruined cathedral. The beast slayer approached before his foot rolled over something. He looked down, seeing a black sphere.

"What are you doing here?" a young voice questioned. Beowulf turned around. A redhead man in battle armor and a brown skinned woman in orange and gold stood before him with narrowed eyes.

"This is a holy ground," the woman said. "No one but Nature Guardians are allowed here."

"Listen, I'm sorry for trespassing on this sacred place," Beowulf tried to defuse their tension. "But a mysterious force guided me here, in search of help. And I have been traveling for many moons to find him."

"Wait, Rose… do you feel that?" the warrior said to the woman.

"Yes… it feels familiar… and yet different..." Rose agreed. "Um… listen, why don't you join us? Maybe Athena and Hermia will know how to help you."

"The Goddess of Wisdom and Mother Nature themselves?"

"Yes… but who are you again?"

"I am Beowulf of the Geats." The two gasped.

"The Slayer of Beasts?" Pyce asked. Then, he knelt to him. "You have my respect, noble Scandinavian warrior."

"As do mine," Rose agreed, joining him.

"So that's how Beowulf... became part Ven," David thought. "And that also explains a lot about me..."

"And after that day, Beowulf joined us in the war against Eris," Athena added. "And with him, gods like Thor and Odin. But even through all the battles, he never found that child. So he came to me, asking for a spell that can revive him if he were to fall in battle before he finds the child."

"And that spell must've been the same one taught to Terra," Chris figured.

"Yes. He was loyal to someone he never even met. I couldn't let that go un-rewarded."

"That was nice of you and all, Aunt Athy, but we gotta find a way to solve this current problem. I can't take it anymore," Ventus said. "Without that small part, I'll never be able to use Nature Power again. I need all my essence to do it."

"And the worse part is not even that... what if he hurts himself really bad? Since we're connected, who knows what'll happen to me!?" David panicked.

"Calm down, David. I don't think you're SO connected like that that you feel each other's pain," Clarissa said.

Suddenly, Martin stepped on David's feet, making him yelp in pain and Ven as well.

"Or... maybe you are."

"Oh, no... I think they can't share the same essence anymore. It's either Ventus or David," Luna stated.

"Well... there is ONE thing we can do," Athena said unsurely.

"You don't mean..." Hermia and Luna gave her a concerned look.

"What?" Chris asked.

"There's... a spell... that can split people's spirits. But... it's a risky spell. It's never been done without one or the other... dying."

Ventus and David gulped.

The crew went outside to think about this.

"You think it's a good idea? Sounds pretty dangerous."

"If we don't do something, both of them could get seriously hurt… or worse."

"But David could possibly die from the extraction. He's lived his whole life with Ven's fragment."

"That explains why they look so much alike. Or maybe Beowulf used to look like that as a teen too?"

"I'll do it."

"What?"

"I'll… I'll do it. I'll let you guys try this spell," David said.

"But… brother..." Elsa stammered.

"You can't do that to us," Sam shivered.

"Don't be selfish, please. Ventus needs this. I know it's risky… but I guess it's the only way." A tear escaped his eyes.

"David..." Ventus said. "Are you… sure of this?"

"It's time Beowulf helps that child he's been looking for." David put a hand on his shoulder. "I feel him in my heart, even though I don't have him as my subconscience."

Ventus didn't hesitate to hug David. He froze for a moment, but ended up hugging him too.

"Guys… can you leave us alone?" he asked.

"Oh, okay," Elsa said. "Hope it works." With that, the team left the room.

David and Ventus opened Athena's scroll with the spell.

Outside, Elsa and the Kratt Bros paced in anxiety. They could hear some mystical and strange sounds from inside, and see some kind of magical glow too. After a few minutes, it stopped. Athena opened the door and looked inside.

"It... It has been done," Athena announced. They listened, waiting for the results. The goddess of wisdom smiled. "And a miracle. They live." The team cheered in relief and Athena allowed them in.

Ventus felt a bit dizzy as the shock went away.

"Ven? Is that you?" a voice called. The apprentice started to open his eyes. He was receiving stares from everybody, even Hermia and Athena.

"What?" he asked them. That's when he noticed that his voice was lower.

With help from the bros, he stood up... to see he was taller. As tall as Sam, and he was taller than Martin. Looking down at himself, he saw a white robe with gold patterns. Aviva blushed a little, but she didn't know why.

"It... it worked!" Ventus cheered. "Oh my Muses! It worked!" He was so happy, he actually glomped the Kratt Bros, making them fall over.

"Ugh..." David stood up dizzy. Then, he saw Ventus, as he was helped by Clarissa. "Ven? Wow..."

The two made eye contact. David's eyes were now chocolate brown.

"Hmm..." Clarissa observed that detail. "You know... you look prettier brown-eyed." David blushed.

"Thanks, Clarissa." Ven came over to him. David had to look up. Both chuckled at the new height difference. "Well, this will take a while to get used to. So much for you being the little bro."

"Well, chronologically, I've always been the bigger brother," the taller dirty blond pointed out, ruffling his hair.

"Hey!" David backed away. "Just because you're taller now, doesn't mean you can do that!" Everyone else laughed.

"But seriously, David… I will be eternally grateful to you," Ven said.

"No problem. It was the least I could do, Ventus."

Ven looked back at the Kratt Bros, laughing. This gave him a thought. For things to really be like they used to.

"And Mom..." Hermia gave him her attention. "I want to ask you something." His mother gave him an understanding smile.

"You want to be with your brothers," she stated. He nodded. The team listened intently. "Then I have an assignment for you. As the first Air Guardian, you will be in charge of teaching Aviva new abilities, as well as aiding Wilhelmina in watching the Guardians." Ven's eyes glowed at that.

"So it's a yes?" With a nod, her son embraced her. "Thank you so much, mother!" Hermia kissed her on the forehead.

"Wow. Mom's gonna freak out," Martin whispered to Chris, who chuckled in response. Ven walked up behind them, and embraced both of his brothers. Tears dotted the corners of his eyes.

"What do you guys think?" Ven asked everyone as he exited the other room. The team along with Hermia and Luna looked in amazement. The apprentice wore a white version of Chris and Martin's jackets, only with a fully zipped collar. His khaki shorts were paler, but he had on the same boots.

"White's your color, all right," Koki commented.

"You're more like a Kratt Brother already," Martin said.

"It's muy apropiado," Aviva complimented. Ven blushed at that, rubbing the back of his neck. She blushed a little as well. She still didn't know why.

"Wow... what a day," Chris said.

"Yeah... too bad in a bit. Thinking about it, it WOULD be cool being the Seventh Kratt Sibling," David said.

"Hey, in our concept, you'll always be part of our family, buddy. We include everyone: friends, animals, mythical beings... there's room for everybody, if you ask us," Martin said.

"Thanks, dudes." Ven came up to him, holding up a fist for a brofist. And that's what they did.