Pain was surging through his shoulder. He could barely move any point of his body. Four hands were carrying him as they ran. His vision was blurry, so he couldn't see their faces. Their pleas and cries were muffled like his ears were stuffed with cotton. Nothing in his mind was clear except "What's happening to me?"
Suddenly, they stopped. A low rumble sound came. Soon, his hearing cleared to reveal the noise to be growls. This sent shivers over his body out of fear. He heard one of the people scream. Then, there was a bright light. The growls ceased. All was quiet. "What happened?" he thought.
He felt the hands putting him down onto the grassy ground. That he could tell. Another, and bigger, blurry figure hovered over him. It bent down and picked him up. The hands felt soft and caring. The person laid a hand on his hurting shoulder. Instantly, the pain was gone. "How did...?" His vision started clearing too. Smiling down upon him was a beautiful woman with all kinds of flowers in her hair.
Chris shot up in his old bed. There were some beads of sweat on his forehead. He wiped them off and looked at the alarm clock. 6:30 in the morning. Only half an hour early. At least he won't be cranky.
"Another dream again," he mumbled. It had been two months since the Wild Kratts defeated Eris, the goddess of discord. And since then, the brothers had been reunited with their sisters, and even their father. They were currently staying the night with their family.
Chris had slept in his old bedroom, which he left a few years ago so his bed was still his size. It was a normal room with a dresser, a closet, a studio desk and work chair, and a bed with green sheets. Plus a nightstand. On the desk was a closed journal with a pencil nearby and a desk lamp.
The brunette got out of bed and sat at his desk. Opening to a new page in his journal, he picked up the pencil and began to write about the dream. Speaking of dreams, similar ones to the one he just had been happening for two weeks, since he and Martin felt that presence.
"Hey, wake up, sleepy-head." Martin opened the door half an hour later, entering with Mina. "Oh, you already did." He chuckled, until he saw his brother's worried face.
"Lemme guess... another of those dreams?" Mina asked.
"Yeah," he brunette answered, looking up at them. "It's been two weeks now. Any from you Martin?" The blonde's cheerful face turned into a worried one. He had been having the dreams too, but different ones.
"Yeah."
"I was a kid, running with a crowd of people. I didn't know why we were running, but I felt scared. Someone was pulling me by my hand and someone else held my other hand from behind. Although the one in front of me was only a little taller, I wasn't able to see his face. Only a blur of light brown and white. When I looked behind me, it was a blur of brown and green. And farther behind were more people. And the air. It was filled with screams of terror. And a hysterical laugh. It sent chills down my spine. But we kept running... and running."
Martin had grabbed his head. "I woke up when we reached some sort of temple. And I didn't recognize anybody." His little siblings looked at him in surprise.
"So you had dreams like this as well?" Chris asked Aviva. Jimmy was also there. Koki was a little busy coloring Mina's hair black. At least the longer stripes. According to Mina, she prefered her hair that way.
"Well, just last night," Aviva told him. "I was alone. Eris was after me. I had the Elemental Gems in my arms as I ran. I reached the Earth Gem temple. Then a woman stood behind me as I escaped inside. I didn't see much after that."
"That sounds like what Flora went through," Jimmy stated.
"Exactly. It was like it was me instead of Flora."
"But you and Flora are spiritually the same," Koki pointed out.
Bite-Size just hunted bugs around the Kratts' home.
"This little bat of yours is adorable," Christine commented, as he stopped on her hand.
"I'm glad you're not scared of him," Martin commented.
"Are you kidding? We love animals as much as you guys do."
"And thanks to Hermia, he can talk too," Chris said.
"Really?" Susan asked.
"Really," the bat squeaked. The twins' eyes glowed.
"Awe! Such a cute voice!" they chimed.
"My Bitey-Sizey is really adorable," Koki said.
"Aw, Koki..." Bite-Size blushed.
"Anyway..." Chris continued speaking with Aviva. "You think we should speak to Hermia?"
"Maybe..." Aviva said.
What they didn't know was that they were being watched.
Narrowed sea green eyes with black sclera stared at the team from afar.
"I finally found you," he said his distorted voice. "And it looks like THEY are back too. But don't think this will make me forget my vow, you brats."
"So what do you make of these dreams, Hermia?" Chris asked Mother Nature.
"Hmmm..." Hermia thought. "It's possible that these are not exactly dreams... but memories from really long ago."
"Really? Like more childhood memories?" Jimmy asked.
"Not exactly. They are your memories... but they're also not."
"I'm confused..." Jimmy commented.
"Hey, look! We're famous!" Martin pointed to a stained glass window. A stained glass window that represented their first battle as Nature Guardians, when they defeated Chaos.
"Wow, we've already made history," Aviva said. She then saw another one. "And here too!" It showed them and Mina defeating Eris. Chris then noticed a peculiar one that confused and shocked him.
"Hey Hermia, what does this one represent?" he questioned. This one was not like the others. It showed him in his Guardian robe with all four elements in their original forms. His eyes were closed and he held the Earth and Water Gems in his hands. The Fire and Air Gems were held by vines. Above him was the Earth Gem. The rest of the team looked and were just as shocked.
"Is that you, Chris?" Martin asked.
"I... I don't know. And why does he have all four of the Elemental Gems?" Mother Nature came over to the stained glass window sullenly. She looked up at it with sad eyes.
"This is Terra... and besides being the first Earth Guardian... he was the first Gaia Guardian," Hermia explained.
"What?!" they all asked.
"No wonder Chris is our leader," Martin thought.
"Question: what's a Gaia Guardian?" Koki asked.
"When only one Nature Guardian wields all the Elemental Gems, they are called the Gaia Guardian. Flora was the second Gaia Guardian in history. But Terra was the first."
"Flora was... a Gaia Guardian?" Mina questioned.
"Yes, and she was one much longer than Terra. After..." The goddess didn't finish the sentence.
"Eris killed him," Chris said in a low voice. "And now I know why. If the Gaia Guardian dies, they'll be no one defending the Gems." Hermia nodded.
"I will tell you that he wasn't the only Guardian at that time before he became the Gaia Guardian."
"He wasn't?" Martin asked. "Who else?"
"There was-" Suddenly, a huge gust of wind blew into the temple. Everyone braced themselves.
"What is that?" Aviva asked. "Hermia?"
Hermia just stared in shock, recognizing that kind of wind. "This wind..."
The Wild Kratt Kids were playing in the park, playing as always.
"Is Martin coming?" Gavin asked his mother.
"You never know, son... he's full of surprises..." Laura said, chuckling.
Aidan and Nolan were building a sand castle, until the eldest looked up and saw leaves being carried by the wind, that seemed to get stronger.
"Hey, what's happening?" Aidan asked. Suddenly, the wind picked up speed and blew harder. Nolan was lifted into the air for a moment. "Nolan!" The eldest grabbed his little brother. Gavin and Ronan came over to them. The wind managed to blow Ronan off his feet for a few seconds.
"Woah! This wind is getting intense!" he commented.
"Look!" Gavin said, pointing at the sky. The four boys looked up and saw someone floating above. All they could make out of the person were black and grey clothes and black and silver hair. Storm clouds started gathering overhead and then came bolts of lightning and thunder. The person's hands crackled with electricity before the figure took off.
After he left, leaving the park a mess, the boys and the mothers gulped of nervousness.
Aviva's medallion glowed harshly.
"Huh?" Aviva got surprised.
"Mom? Mom!" Mina called her mother's attention. "What is going on?"
Hermia, finally snapped out of her thoughts, looked at them.
"Someone I thought I'd never see again is back," she said. "After so many years..."
"Uh... is... HE who you're talking about?" Jimmy asked nervously, pointing to the entrance of the temple. Walking up to them was the person Gavin saw. He had pale skin and messy black hair with his bangs a bit over his left eye. It had a single streak of silver. But what stunned the crew were his eyes and clothes. Black sclera with white pupils and sea green irises. And his clothes were a robe... that looked similar to Aviva's Nature Guardian robe.
"Hello... mother," he greeted with an evil smile. "How long has it been since we last saw each other?" Hermia narrowed her eyes.
"10,000 long years... Black Storm," she replied in a serious tone. The Kratt Bros caught the man's eyes.
"What's the matter, Terra and Aqua? Don't you recognize me?" Black Storm asked the brothers.
"H-how do you know our past names?" Martin asked, a little spooked.
"Wh-who are you?" Chris questioned. Hermia stood in front of them.
"Have you come to carry out your vow?" she asked.
"Yes I have, mother. I told Terra I would be back to kill him and Aqua if they ever returned. But now, I see that there's more Guardians now. And you can probably guess what I'll do to them."
"They loved you! They looked up to you! They put their lives to an end for you! And you show no sympathy or pity for them?!" she snapped. Everyone but Black Storm was taken aback. They never saw Mother Nature mad before. "And these three were your friends! Your BEST friends!" Hermia gestured to Koki, Jimmy and Aviva. "They did everything they could to help take on a role you've abused! And they died because of it!"
"They died because of Ventus. And Ventus is GONE!" Black Storm yelled, attacking them all with lightning bolts.
Mother Nature made a stone wall come up, protecting them. She brought it down.
"Ventus was one of the kindest humans I ever met back then! He would never do such a thing to his friends!"
Black Storm's sea green eyes glowed intensely, frightening Mina, who ran to her big sister's arms.
"Why am I even talking to you? It's those BRATS I want dead more than anyone!" He pointed at the Kratt Brothers. The bros stood frozen. What had they ever done to him to make him hate them - well, Terra and Aqua - so much?
Suddenly, Athena appeared in her carriage.
"Quick! Over here!" she called them.
"Oh no you don't!" Black Storm shot a bolt of lightning at the goddess. Activating his medallion, Chris made a crystal barrier that blasted it back. The bolt hit Black Storm, knocking him out for a moment. Everyone then hurried into the carriage and they were off. The corrupted person came to and looked in their direction with a glare.
"Mark my words, you brats, I WILL be the only one."
Chris glanced over the back of the carriage as they escaped. Black Storm was standing at the entrance of the temple, which was getting smaller as they got farther. The sky was full of dark grey clouds and lightning. He turned to Hermia, all sorts of questions running through his head. Mother Nature knew this.
"I know you both have many questions, but let's wait till we get to Athena's temple," she told them. The brothers nodded. Suddenly, pain shot through their skulls, making them yelp and grab their heads. The team looked shocked and frightened.
"Chris?! Martin?!" Aviva called. Instead, the two suddenly passed out with their heads falling onto Hermia's lap. All in the passenger seat gasped.
"Bros!" Mina cried.
"Athena! You don't think..." the goddess called to her sister.
"They are," the goddess of wisdom responded. "But it won't be long."
"Will they be okay?" Mina asked her mom.
"They'll be okay, Mina. They'll be okay."
"Huh?" Chris woke up somewhere different. Some sort of temple with a royal carpet to the front, where there was a stained glass window with three people on the bottom and four gems at the top. "Where am I?"
"Not another move." He heard a voice, then turned around to who said that: a young man with black hair, with only a few dirty blonde stripes. He wore a white Nature Guardian robe and his eyes were sea green. And narrowed in anger.
"Who are you?"
"Ven, what are you doing?" Chris seemed to hear... Martin's voice? He looked back to see... himself in his green Guardian robe and Martin in his blue robe? Wait... could they be...
"You really thought I would just observe while people admired you both like a bunch of fools?" "Ven" said. "Always asking for YOUR help and words of wisdom?"
"What are you talking about?" "Chris" asked in confusion.
"There can only be ONE Nature Guardian on the planet! And that Guardian... shall be ME!" "Ven" stomped firmly, and crushed the stained glass behind him, revealing the sky being covered by dark clouds.
"Ven" held his head, with an expression of pain, as the last few stripes of his hair became black with one silver. His eyes opened in panic as he was surrounded by darkness. When the dark energy slowly fade, the man laughed maniacally as he admired his new look.
"Black Storm," Chris said.
Strong lashes of wind blew into the temple, knocking over small tapestries and blowing out the torches. It even blew in a big boulder that nearly crushed the brothers, but "Chris" made a vine grow and grab them out of the way. "Martin" made an ice platform for them to stand on. They looked down at "Ven". Lightning flashed outside as it began to hail and the thunder boomed.
"Ventus, please! We don't want to fight you!" "Chris" said.
"Please, stop this storm! You'll destroy the surface of the planet!" the blonde pleaded. Chris looked at the two, then at Black Storm in shock.
"Ventus? Black Storm is Ventus?!"
"Ventus? Ventus is gone! I am Black Storm!" Black Storm proclaimed. "And there's only two things I'll destroy... and it's YOU!" He shot a bolt of lightning a them. "Martin" brought the platform down to evade it.
"Terra! Get the Elemental Gems and the Gaia Scepter! I'll keep him busy!" "Martin" told "Chris".
"But, Aqua..." Terra started saying, until his brother put a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll be fine. I promise," Aqua said, with a calm smile.
Black Storm sent another bolt of electricity. Aqua blocked it with an ice wall and held his ground. "Go! Now!" Terra slowly backed away before finally turning around and ran. He passed through Chris like he wasn't there and Chris watched as he left.
"Is this... the past?" he wondered.
"Chris?" Martin's voice called. Chris looked and saw Martin on the other side of the room.
"Martin?" They didn't continue when Aqua's barrier started cracking. Eventually, it shattered, throwing the man in blue back and rolling on the floor. Aqua immediately got up.
Black Storm escaped through the temple door to run after Terra. Aqua created an ice line to skate after him, and Martin and Chris followed him. Outside the temple was a clearing in the woods. But a little away, there were the flickering lights of lanterns in a village.
Terra continued to run and he heard the crackling of electricity. He looked behind him and saw his corrupted brother coming after him. The Earth Guardian made a wall of thorny vines come up in his way, only for Black Storm use incinerate them with fire.
"Fire?! Black Storm could use fire?!" Martin asked as they ran.
"Let's be glad he didn't use that at Hermia's temple!" Chris replied.
Aqua tried to catch up to his pursuing brother. Luckily, Terra managed to reach the village and entered a shrine like building that had a magic gate in front. Black Storm entered, followed by Aqua and the Kratt Brothers. In the shrine, at the far end, sitting on four pedastals were the Elemental Gems. In the center, being hung, was the Gaia Scepter.
"Don't even think about, brat!" Black Storm shouted and blasted him with a lightning bolt. Terra screamed in pain and keeled over.
"Terra!" Aqua cried, using his ice to slide under Black Storm to reach his little brother.
"Terra! Speak to me!" The brunette groaned.
"I-I'm okay. But... we need to stop him..."
"I know." He helped Terra onto his feet. Both looked at Black Storm. "Don't make us do something we don't want to do, Ventus!"
Terra grabbed the scepter and held it firmly, and the Elemental Gems floated around him and Aqua.
Black Storm just laughed like a maniac. "Do you actually believe that you can use all four of the elements at once?" he mocked. "And without your big brother Ventus to help you?"
They didn't say a word as the Gems circled them faster. Aqua took hold of the scepter as well. But as they felt the energy, their eyes widened in pain before squeezing shut. Their bodies sparked with the energy going through their bodies. Chris and Martin held each other in worry. Terra and Aqua began to glow green and blue respectively. Black Storm just prepared to attack again.
Aqua saw his little brother flinching in pain. He knew they wouldn't survive this battle... or at least HE wouldn't.
He pushed his brother aside, letting the energy flow only around him. "AQUA!" Terra screamed in shock before hitting the ground and fainting from the pain from earlier. With tears of pain and sadness in his eyes, Aqua lifted up the scepter and attacked Black Storm, who also attacked. Soon, Black Storm's attack was drowned by the Gaia Scepter's light and he yelled as he was turned into a cloud of darkness and sent away.
As the light faded out, the Kratt Brothers saw Aqua's body motionless on the floor and his sprigs drooped, the scepter in his limp hand and the Gems beside him. They gasped in horror.
Terra came to and saw Aqua on the floor. He stared wide eyed with fear for the worst. "AQUA!" he shrieked before quickly getting up. He ran to see if his brother was okay. But he gasped of shock... his body had gotten cold. Aqua was gone.
"No..." Tears fell from his eyes as he embraced his dead brother. "This is not fair... not fair..." He sobbed silently, his spiky hair flattening onto his face.
Chris felt tears escape his eyes and put a hand over his mouth to keep himself from sobbing. Martin was spilling tears too and had his teeth clenched to hold in his sobs.
"So THAT'S how I died..." the blonde murmured.
"He... You sacrificed yourself... for Terra... for ME..." Chris stammered. He couldn't hold it in anymore. His hair went flat as he cried into his brother's chest while he embraced him. Martin's sprigs drooped as he held him closer and they both fell to their knees in complete despair.
Chris and Martin were woken up by Mother Nature's calm touches. They opened their eyes and looked at each other. Then, they saw everybody observing them.
"Why all the looks?" Chris asked. That's when they noticed that they were resting on Hermia's lap. They sat up, only to get headaches so they put a hand on their heads.
"W-well, you both passed out for one," Aviva began to explain.
"And then, you started moaning and groaning in fear," Koki added.
"And then moments ago... you were crying," Mina finished. The brothers touched their cheeks. They were soaked. "It was a terrible sight. We couldn't wake you up. It was like you were trapped in some kind of nightmare." They looked sadly at their sister.
"If only it even WERE a nightmare," Martin said.
"There will be more explanations when we get to my temple," Athena assured. Like we promised before... no more secrets in our family."
The team was crying silently after the brothers told them their vision when they arrived at the temple. Hermia and Athena stood nearby with their heads low, tears at the corners of their eyes.
"So THAT'S what happened..." Aviva said sadly. "Pobrecito."
"Aqua was very loyal to both his older and younger brothers," Hermia stated with sorrow in her voice. "He would not let anything happen to them... even if it would mean his death. So instead of killing Black Storm, he changed his form and banished him to the Underworld, where he eventually escaped. After this day, both the magical and mortal worlds started to become more distant from each other in fear of one another. The mortal world feared the magical people would overthrow them, and the magical world was afraid of mortals corrupting their ways. Just like Black Storm."
"That's terrible!" Mina commented, trying to wipe all her tears away.
"Indeed, it was," Athena said. Chris froze as he looked around. It suddenly felt like he walked in here a thousands times. But the only time he ever came here was when Nick Baker exiled him from his home. So that couldn't be right.
"Does it feel like you've been here many times?" Athena asked him, coming up to him.
"Yeah," he answered.
"Not only was Terra one of Hermia's apprentices, but he was one of my students as well. He would come see me to study on the magical world and training manuals or listen to my speeches." The goddess smiled at the memories. "I never saw someone that wanted to learn so much so young like him before. And it was all for his brothers. To make them proud that he's learning as much as they were." Chris smiled at the thought.
"Well, no wonder my little bro is so awesome now!" Martin said.
"Aw, shucks..." Chris blushed.
Athena giggled at this.
"Anyway, with his brothers gone - one banished and the other dead - Terra went into a state of despair. He barely came out anymore to talk to anyone. One day, Flora saw him finally leaving and she followed him. I could only tell that she managed to lift his spirits up when he came to me some time later."
Athena polished her spear slowly in her temple and finished a few seconds later. When she laid it down, she heard the door open. Someone walked inside and came to her study. The goddess was surprised by the person in a green robe with his hood up. She actually wasn't expecting him to come for lessons anymore.
"Terra?" she called.
"Hi Aunt Athena..." she barely heard him say.
The goddess already knew about Ven's banishment and Aqua's death. "What brings you to my study in your current condition?"
"I... I need your helpful words... I still haven't gotten over my brothers." Terra wrapped himself in his arms.
"Oh, my darling..." Athena removed his hood and kissed his forehead. "I'm sure you'll see them again. Good people don't leave forever. They reach a special place on your heart."
"But I don't want them only in my heart. I want them here with me." Terra embraced his teacher.
Athena sighed. "Listen to me, Terra." Her adopted nephew looked at her. "Would your brothers want you sulking and pushing everyone away?" The Earth Guardian shook his head.
"No. They'd rather die than see that. Or at least, Aqua would."
"Then he would've died now if he saw you like this. So it would make no difference if he were alive after that battle. Your brothers would want you to continue with your life. They'd want you to stay strong." Terra placed a hand over his heart. The goddess laid her hand on his. "And they'll be here to remind you that." The young brunette smiled, a tear of joy running down his cheek.
"Thank you, Aunt Athena." She smiled at this. Then, an idea came to her.
"But if you really DO want to see them again, there is ONE thing that might work." Terra looked at her in surprise.
"There IS?" Athena turned to her study and grabbed a book off the shelf. On the cover was a gold four pointed star.
"Although you won't see them in your CURRENT life, you'll see them in another." She opened to a certain page and laid the book on a desk. Terra inspected the pages. Covering both pages was a huge image with a dying man on the bottom and coming out of him was something like mist, and in the mist was the man in a spirit like form.
Terra read the context, which was Latin. His eyes widened. "A reincarnation spell?"
"With this spell, you'll have a chance of seeing Aqua again," Athena said.
"Really?"
"But it can only be used when you're near your own death. And it takes someone with real magical understanding to master this spell. I admitI kept it as a secret between the Guardians."
"I need to learn this spell. It may be my only chance of seeing my brother again. I love him." Terra placed his hand over his heart again. "I'm willing to train harder and get better at my magic, if it means I'll see him again."
"Terra... you must be put aware that you can't guarantee that your next life will be a happy one."
"As long as I'm with Aqua - be it I remember him or not - I'll be spiritually happy." He closed the book and picked it up. Turning to his adoptive aunt, he hugged her and she returned it. "Thank you for everything." She kissed his forehead.
"I wish you all the wisdom I can give you." With a nod of appreciation, Terra departed from the room in a happy rush. Athena smiled.
"YOU gave Terra the reincarnation spell?" Hermia questioned.
"He was willing to give up everything just to be with Aqua again. His altruism was undeniable," Athena confessed. "And after all he WAS a Guardian."
"Wow..." the crew said.
"But how come Ventus became that monster we saw?" Martin asked.
"We need to find out fast, and find a way to defeat him before he causes more trouble," Chris pointed out.
The goddesses looked at each other with nervous expressions.
"To explain that, you'll have to see something before the battle against Black Storm," Athena explained. Luna came in. In her talons were two small hourglasses, one blue and another yellow.
"Hey, aren't those the hourglasses Iris gave us?" Chris asked.
"Yes. And they'll show the past to all." The goddess of wisdom took the yellow hourglass from to the owl. "Thank you Luna."
"You're welcome Athena," Luna responded before flying over to a perch.
"The battle against Chaos," the goddess of wisdom announced. The little hourglass floated out of her hand and turned upside down. As the sand started running to the bottom, a rainbow shot out and changed the scenery around everyone. The place looked like a messed up Wonderland: wacky, but dark. On a throne was a skinny, pale man with black hair wearing a black robe.
"Zach!" the Wild Kratts gasped.
"No, that is Chaos," Hermia corrected them.
Three grown men in three different colored robes approached Chaos' throne. He was keeping Hermia prisoner.
"Chaos! Release our mother!" Ventus ordered.
"Aqua? Terra? Ventus?" Hermia observed them, surprised. They were grown-up now.
Chaos laughed like a maniac. "Do you really think that I, Chaos the Demi-God of Discord will listen to simple mortals like you?" he questioned. The brothers narrowed their eyes. "I don't think so." Putting out his hand, a doll of Ventus appeared in it. He then stuck a black needle he made into the doll's behind, and Ven felt it.
"Ouch!" he yelped as he jumped into the air for a few seconds. Terra and Aqua watched in surprise. Rubbing his sore spot, Ventus glared at Chaos with a growl. "No more fun and games, Chaos!" He pulled out of his bag two gems: one white and one red. His brothers followed, Aqua taking out a blue gem and Terra showing a green one.
"Those are..." Hermia started in surprise.
"Oh, what are those?" Chaos asked with little wonder.
"The Elemental Gems!" Aqua told him. The Gems began to circle them.
"We'll defeat you with these!" Terra added. Chaos laughed again.
"I'm not afraid of you meddling rats!" Chaos threw dark lightning in their direction. But the Gems' energy created a barrier around them, bouncing the lightning back like it was nothing. The demi-god stood up from his throne in shock. " What?!"
"Never call us rats!" the brothers shouted and they shot beams of energy at him. Chaos began to panic and then screamed as he was engulfed in the light. When it faded, black smoke was caught by a rainbow aura and taken somewhere. The trio breathed deeply from the exposure and discharge. The bubble holding Hermia popped and she rushed over to them. She managed to catch them before they collapsed to the ground. The goddess looked down at them with a teary smile.
"My sons... I'm so proud of you," Mother Nature praised them. The brothers smiled weakly at her.
But they haven't noticed the black stripe appearing in Ventus's hair.
The image disappeared and everyone saw themselves back in Athena's temple.
"Wow," was all the team could say.
"Wait, did anyone else see that?" Martin asked.
"See what?" Mina questioned.
"Ventus's hair. A bit of it turned black."
"You're right, sweetheart. And soon we would know... this meant trouble," Hermia stated.
Chris laid in his temporary bed in the temple, unable to sleep. The events of the day kept playing over and over in his head. First he finds out that he was a Nature Guardian - the FIRST Earth AND Gaia Guardian at that - when he was Terra, then he saw the battle against Chaos and before that saw what became of Ventus and Aqua. It was too much to fully process. The thought of Aqua sacrificing himself for his little brother made him think about Martin when he pretty much sacrificed his last breath to save him from becoming Donita's tool to make jewels. And if it weren't for the Element of Love, he would've been lost forever. It scared him. His brother died in the past. What if it happened again?
"Hey, Chris?" he heard his brother call.
"Uh... yeah?" Chris looked at him, trying to not seem worried. Martin entered the room.
"Having trouble sleeping too, huh?"
"Yeah. So much has happened and we saw so much more today. I'm... I'm nervous."
"Me too. Even with the temple protected by the barrier."
"Martin..." Chris's eyes started filling with tears. "I'm worried... I almost lost you many times. I may be pretty strong, but I don't think I can handle things without you."
Martin felt bad about seeing his brother that way. He approached his bed and sat on the edge. The older brother laid a comforting hand on the brunette's.
"Hey, don't get like this, little bro. That's what I'm here for. You may be WAAAY more serious and relatively smarter than me, but I'm still your big brother. And I need to protect you too. And I gotta admit there were many times I falied you. I remember when we had that Flight of the Pollinators adventure...
*flashback*
"I was desperate. I couldn't accept the fact that I've let you get carried off by a bee, a hummingbird and even get stuck in a fig full of wasps.
*change flashback*
"And I can mention the Let the Rhinos Roll adventure. I can't believe I let Zach fool me so easily. You ended up in trouble."
*flashbacks end*
Martin's sprigs fell down as he sighed. "I'm the big brother... and putting it that way, the most irresponsible of both of us."
"Martin..." The blonde sighed sadly before he started getting up. "Wait!" Chris swiftly grabbed his closest hand, making him stop. Martin looked back down at him. A tear dropped from both of them. "You're as scared as I am?"
"Yup," Martin admitted.
"Then don't leave me." That statement made Martin remember a certain childhood memory.
He was seven years old, asleep in bed when he heard a scream from the other room. He shot out of bed and rushed to his brother's room. The blonde slammed the door open.
"Chris?!" he called. He heard his little brother panting in the dark and so turned on the light. Martin gasped at the sight. It happened again. His three year old sibling made a plant overgrow while he was sleeping. He probably had a nightmare of some kind, because his powers were usually stronger when he's afraid.
"Sshhh... calm down... what happened?" Martin asked, approaching his little brother, who was hugging his plush elephant.
"I... I was in the jungle... one moment, you were there... then the next... you were gone..." the little brunette stammered. "I looked... and looked... but I couldn't find you. I was scared. I was NEVER so scared before." The blonde patted Chris on the head.
"Come on Chris, you know I would never just disappear on you."
"Then prove it!" Chris released the plush and hugged Martin, surprising him. "Don't go back to your room. Don't leave me here. Please stay." At first, he didn't know what to say. Then, Martin wrapped his arms around his little brother.
"Okay. I'll stay." The brunette looked up at him with hopeful eyes.
"Really?" Martin let go of Chris and used his powers to make a squirrel out of snowflakes.
"Really." The snow-squirrel rubbed its cold nose on Chris's, making them both giggle.
"Don't worry, Chris. You know I'll never, EVER, leave you. I'll always stay by your side," Martin assured, putting a comforting hand on his little brother's shoulder when he sat up.
"Really?" Chris smiled at him.
"Really." Martin made once again that snow-squirrel, that rubbed its cold nose on Chris's, making them both giggle just like that time.
Athena came walking down the corridors later when she noticed the door to Martin's room cracked open. When she looked in, the bed was empty. She would've panicked that something bad happened to him if she didn't notice Chris's room exposed. The goddess looked in there and smiled at the sight she saw. Both brothers were smiling in their sleep, with Martin sitting on the floor and his head resting on the bed. The two were also holding hands. Silently, Athena closed the door.
Outside, a dark cloud floated nearby. Sitting on top of it was the man that wanted the brothers dead.
He observed them. For a moment, he thought about his past, until darkness struck him again, making him want to return to his mission of killing them. He needed to find a way to attract them to his hands. But how?
Then, he remembered those two girls at that house they were at. He chuckled evilly at the thought.
The birds chirped a melody as the sun's rays landed on his eyes. Martin awoke to the sight of a tree. A little confused, he slowly sat up and then noticed his brother sleeping close to him.
"Chris, wake up," the blonde said, shaking him by the shoulder lightly. Slowly, Chris opened his eyes and looked up at the Water Guardian. When he noticed the area, he got into a sitting position.
"Martin, where are we?" the brunette asked.
"I don't know, but doesn't it feel familiar?"
"Now that you mention it, it does a little." Both looked around. They were under some trees near a village. It looked like the village from... they'd rather not remember THAT.
Someone passed by. They looked and were surprised to see Mother Nature.
"Hermia?" they questioned. Chris looked lower down her dress.
"Martin, look low." The Kratt in blue followed his gaze. Following the goddess were three, nervous boys. They each looked to be in different age groups. The tallest wore cream white wraps, had shaggy, dirty blonde hair with three sprigs behind him and familiar sea green eyes. That one was holding onto Hermia's dress like he'd lose her if he let go. The smallest had a hold of the eldest kid's sleeve. His eyes were hazel and he had spiky, brown hair and his wraps were mint green. The second tallest was holding the tallest one's free hand. His hair color was lighter than the eldest; a blondish color, and simply messy with two sprigs in the back. He had light blue eyes and wore pale blue wraps.
"Are those... us?" Martin asked.
"Wait, no... they may be our previous selves," Chris said. The two followed them, where they headed for a huge temple. "This must be the Gods' temple, on the top of Mount Olympus."
"Who are these children, Hermia?" Zeus asked, seeing her approaching the temple, where other gods and goddesses were seated. The three hid behind the goddess in shyness and fear. Mostly fear. Hermia looked over her shoulder to them.
"I found them living in the woods alone," she explained. "I saved them from wolves and offered them a home with me." Zeus just stared at them. Hera tapped him on the shoulder.
"Darling, you're scaring them." The goddess of marriage walked around her daughter and knelt in front of the boys. They backed up a bit. "It's okay, little ones. With us gods and goddesses, you're safe." The eldest child hesitantly took a few steps forward and knelt down in repsect. The younger two followed.
Hermia carefully held the youngest one, who tripped on his wraps and was crying a little. "Sssh... no fear, little one... I'm here." The older two came over to see if he was all right.
"Do you have their names, Hermia?" Hera asked.
"No. They would not speak. Not even to me." The queen of the gods gently picked up the eldest one, scaring him a bit. She caressed him in her arms.
"It's all right. You truly are safe. Can you tell me your name?" The child was tense a little until he finally calmed down a bit.
"... Vincent..." he mumbled.
"Vincent? It's a beautiful name." Hera smiled. "And do you know their names?" She gestured to the other boys.
"Th-they're my little brothers. Terrance is the youngest," he pointed to the brunette in Hermia's arms, "and Arthur in between," his finger went to the blonde, who was holding onto Mother Nature's dress.
"I insist, little ones, don't fear, for we're here to help you."
"Th-thank you, Lady Hera." Hera and her husband looked surprised. The goddess of marriage gently chuckled.
"Sweet and smart. Such perfect children shouldn't be living alone. Where are your parents?" That must've set off something because Vincent started tearing up.
"They... they died after Terrance was born. Since then, I took responsibilty of raising my brothers." The gods gasped.
"Oh, darlings..." Athena felt bad for them.
"But earlier, I couldn't protect Terrance from that wolf. If it weren't for Lady Hermia... he might not have made it."
"You don't need to call me Lady, darling." Hermia took Vincent from Hera. "For now on, call me Mom. I'll take care of you three."
"All in favor of Mother Nature's proposal," Zeus announced. Every god and goddess in the room raised their hands.
"Thank you, father." Arthur and Terrance slowly came up to their new mother.
"Mama..." Arthur murmured.
"Mommy..." Terrance whispered.
"Mom..." Vincent said, embracing her. Hermia knelt down to hug his brothers too.
A tear of happiness escaped the Kratt Brothers.
"She WAS our mother," Martin complimented.
"And a really kind one." Chris smiled.
Suddenly, Vincent turned to them. This confused them. Everything around them vanished into white except the child. He looked at them with a sad expression.
"Help me..." the orphan pleaded.
"What?" both brothers asked.
"I'm sorry. Please help me..." Vincent started to silently cry.
"Help with what?"
"Martin! Chris!" a distant voice called. It sounded like Aviva. "Wake up already!"
"Bros, get up!" Mina yelled desperately as she shook her sleeping brothers.
"Wha- huh?" Martin said, confused by the rude awakening. Chris sat up and yawned.
"Morning girls," he greeted groggily. "What's the matter?"
"It's your sisters!" Aviva explained in a panic. "Someone took them last night!" All the remaining sleepiness disappeared from the brothers and they looked at the girls with wide eyes.
"What?!" they shouted in shock.
"But how?" Chris asked, as the crew walked to the main hall.
"Why?" Martin asked, desperate.
"Who?!" they both asked.
"That's what we're trying to find out now!" Aviva told them. "They just disappeared! Your parents are worried!"
"And so are we!" Chris admitted.
"We got to find them!" Martin proclaimed.
"Wait, brothers!" Athena said, entering the room. "I think that whoever is behind their kidnapping wants you to leave the temple, to leave protection. They're using them to drive you out."
"But... they're our sisters!"
"More the reason the mastermind of this would use them. You two are not leaving my temple."
The Kratt brothers sighed. "Okay."
The team, minus the brothers, departed from the temple. Chris and Martin watched as they left. They felt disappointed that they couldn't go find their sisters. Athena and Hermia came up to them from behind.
"Trust us, boys. It'll be better for you," Hermia comforted them.
"But what about our sisters?" Chris asked. "Not that I don't trust our friends, but..."
"You just have to hope that they find them," Athena told them.
"Are you sure you haven't seen anything?" Aviva asked Linda Kratt.
"Nothing," the brothers' mom replied worriedly. "The only thing we found was their room a mess. It was like a typhoon came in."
"Wait! Linda! I found something!" Mr. Kratt called.
"It's a letter." Mr. Kratt showed them the black envelope.
Linda took it from her husband and opened it. The problem was that the writing was in another language.
"It looks like... Latin," Mrs. Kratt analyzed.
"Chris would be good to help us," Aviva said. "He studied on it."
"But... they didn't let him leave the temple..." Koki reminded her. "Or Martin... for their protection."
"Protection from what?" Mr. Kratt asked.
"It's a long story. Basically, the brother of Chris and Martin in their past lives is out to kill their primes because he was corrupted by a crazy Demi-god and now the goddesses won't let them leave the protection of the temple."
"Oh, that makes sense," Mr. Kratt said, even though he barely understood that explanation.
"But aren't Martin and Chris the leaders of your team?" Linda asked. "Although it's probably some kind of trap, I know they would never let this stop them."
"You're right, mom," Mina said. "But as we said before, Mother Nature and Aunt Athena are going to keep them under lock and key. They're not going to allow them to go anywhere outside the barrier."
"They'll probably disobey and sneak out at some point," Linda guessed. "Knowing our sons, that's what they'd do. They'll do anything to help a family member in need. No matter how many orders are given to them."
"Hermia..." Athena came to find her.
"They ran away?"
"Um..."
"I knew they would," Hermia said, with a short smile.
Luna got it: Hermia was merely testing them. "Oh, Hermia... as smart as Gaia."
Martin and Chris appeared through a portal, right in the North American forest. After asking for Howler's help, they started asking all creatures about seeing any humans around. They all comfirmed seeing a man in black with two blonde girls. And both girls were unconscious.
"Okay, so we have two suspects," Martin stated when they stopped by the wolf den. "It was either Zach, or... or HIM." Chris nodded in agreement.
"Him?" Howler asked.
"Ever heard of Black Storm?" The entire pack seemed to have been startled by that name, and the pups ran back inside the den.
"It's a very old legend shared by generations of wolf packs. Are you saying he's real?"
"Yes... he's real," Chris answered in a low voice. "TOO real."
"What is this legend?" Martin asked.
"Legend said that he was previously a Guardian, then he was corrupted by Chaos, and by his own jealousy," Howler said. "They also said that the Goddess of Discord herself locked him in a sphere of darkness for defying her because of something."
"And that something is...?"
"Well, it's believed that she tried to make an alliance with him. But he refused it. When the goddess attempted to curse him with death, someone that was close to him before his corruption got in the way and took the curse instead. But the cursed was not appreciated by him because he was the one he wanted dead in the first place. So instead, Black Storm made a vow to destroy him and someone else if they ever return from the afterlife."
"Wow..." Chris said. "That's way beyond specific."
"Wait a second," Martin said in realization. "Didn't Black Storm say something about telling Terra that he'd kill him and Aqua if they come back to the mortal world?" Chris gasped, realizing what he was implying.
"You're right. So that means... I sacrificed myself for him?"
Chris shivered with that revelation. How could his past life sacrifice himself for someone who wanted to kill him? Had the sadness of losing Aqua still stayed and made him crazy? He didn't understand.
"What do you mean you sacrificed yourself for him?" the alpha wolf asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"It's a really long story. But we don't have time now. We need to find Black Storm and save our sisters."
"Oh, you mean these two?" an evil voice questioned. The brothers and the adult wolves looked up on some rocks. There stood Black Storm... with their now conscious sisters. The pack snarled angrily and the Kratt Brothers glared at him.
"Martin!" Christine called in fear.
"Chris! Help!" Susan screamed.
"Let our sisters go, Black Storm!" Martin yelled. "You got us out here without our team!"
"We're the ones you want!" Chris added.
"Well, come and get them!" Black Storm menaced, flying away, pulling the girls' hairs.
"Ouch! Not the hair!" the twins protested.
"Get back here!" Chris shouted. Activating his medallion, he used his vines to make a staircase up the steep rocks.
Aviva and the crew were returning to the Tortuga, until they noticed Chris and Martin running after Black Storm.
"What do you know? Their mother really knows them!" Aviva chuckled. "Come on!" She led the team, who followed her to follow the brothers.
The brothers and Howler's pack followed Black Storm with the kidnapped twins into the thicket of trees. They chased him until they reached a clearing between the woods and a rocky cliff. But for some reason, the corrupted Guardian and the girls had disappeared.
"What? But that can't be right," Chris said in confusion. Everyone looked around defensively.
"Looking for us?" Black Storm called from a ledge on the side of the cliff. Both sisters were holding onto each other for dear life. "I will say, little brats, we have such lovely sisters," he commented, looking at them.
"They're not YOUR sisters!" Martin snapped. The girls looked from their brothers to their captor in confusion.
"Look, in the past, we may have been your brothers, Ventus, but you weren't reincarnated with us. You're not our brother anymore!" Chris tried to explain. Black Storm only gave them a nasty glare.
"Why did you say that?" a sad voice echoed in Chris's mind. The brunette felt confused for a moment there. It sounded like his own voice.
'What?' he thought in his head.
"I told you! Ventus is gone! Only Black Storm stands!" the corrupted Guardian yelled. "And it doesn't matter if I wasn't reborn with you! I'm going to destroy you along with your friends and I WILL be the only Guardian!" The clouds above got darker and started sparking with electricity. Black Storm's hands began crackling with it again. Chris and Martin brought out their Guardian Weapons, ready to fight.
Martin was the first to attack Black Storm. Or at least, tried attacking him. He charged forward and lept up, sword ready. Black Storm simply looked away and became a smoke like mist. The blonde's sword went right through.
"What?!" he said in shock. The smoke moved to the side and solidified. The monster instantly shocked him with a palm of static, sending him falling back to the ground level.
"Martin!" Chris yelled before having the vines grab his brother. The brunette quickly shot an arrow of light at Black Storm. He dodged and the arrow hit the cliff, making different wildflowers grow.
"How can we defeat him?!" Chris wondered. "We can't even hit his face."
Aviva reached the bros in time, taking deep breaths. "Maybe... that's not... the kind of defeat needed here now," she said.
"Huh?" Chris asked.
Meanwhile, Black Storm decided to come down. He simply jumped off the ledge and landed on his feet. Unleashing large shocks of energy, he sent them specifically at the elder brother.
"Martin!" Chris cried, bringing up a quartz barrier. It bounced back the lightning.
As he looked at Black Storm, he heard a little boy's voice. It sounded like... Vincent's.
"P-please... help me!"
Chris' eyes sparked, making him realize the truth: Ventus WAS still there, but he was trapped. Aviva was right: fighting wasn't the right way to defeat Black Storm. But, then what?
"Chris!" he heard someone shout. Suddenly, he felt a shock of pain strike him in the chest and he let out a short scream.
"CHRIS!" everyone shouted. The brunette knelt down with a hand over his heart. He had dropped his bow. Chris's eyes glowed white as another memory came to his mind.
"Are you sure about this?" Hermia asked him again. The two were standing in the shrine. Only difference was that the Gaia Scepter was laid down on a pillow on a pedestal.
"I'm the last Guardian, mother," Terra told her. "And I can't let my brothers' fate die in vague memory. I have to protect the Gems." Mother Nature looked at his determination. With a nod, she walked behind a pedestal with the Gaia Scepter. Knowing what he had to do, Terra took hold of the handle. Raising it above him, the Gems glowed brightly. He set it back down and the glowing stopped.
He stared at the green gem and then the blue gem. The Guardian frowned. The blue one was specifically Aqua's element. But now, it was his too, along with Ven's element. His determined look returned as he picked up the Water and Earth Gems. Then with his power, he lifted the Air and Fire Gems up with vines. Nervously, he turned to the crowd that formed behind him.
"Today, we're not mythical creatures and mortals. Today, and for the following centuries, we fight as one!" Hermia announced and lifted up the Gaia Scepter as Terra held the Elements high. The five items illuminated the shrine and the crowd cheered in courage.
"Focus... focus..." Terra muttered as he tried to lift the water out of the flooded field. It had been months since his Gaia Guardian coronation, and he has been busy ever since.
"Come on, Terra, you can do it," Rose encouraged him. Pyce stood next to his girlfriend. Little Flora was with them too.
"Don't just focus. Relax," the apprentice of Helios told him. The Gaia Guardian took a deep breath and let it go slowly. Terra lifted the water easily as he concentrated his strength into the Water Gem. Then using the Fire Gem, he made it boil until it was completely evaporated.
His three friends cheered. "All right, Terra!" Flora exclaimed. The young Guardian took a bow in thanks. "And now that that's done, are you finally free for the time being?" Terra thought about his schedule.
"Hmm, let's see... finished my studies with Aunt Athena, did training for the day, went to a conference with mother..." He smiled. "Yep, I'm free."
"Yay!" the little hybrid cheered and rushed to embrace him. "You can play with us like old times again! It's been so long since we played together!"
"Yeah. Sorry about that. How about a race? We'll give you a head start, and the rest of us will follow."
"I don't see why not," the fire nymph said.
"I'm game," Pyce informed.
"Hooray!" Flora cheered. Terra laughed at her enthusiasm.
Chris woke up back into reality after this. He looked aroud to see he was in the Tortuga.
"Chris?" Aviva called.
"Ugh... what happened?" Chris moaned as he put a hand on his head.
"You were struck by Black Storm. After that, you passed out. We were so worried about you when you wouldn't wake up."
"Chris!" he heard Martin yell. The older brother rushed over to his side in worry. "I'm so sorry!" Martin's eyes filled up with tears. "I WASN'T ABLE TO HELP EITHER YOU OR THE GIRLS! I let Black Storm escape with them, and now he's gonna..." He was interrupted by Chris, as he made a signal for him to stop talking.
"Why didn't he kill me while I was vulnerable?"
"That's what we were wondering too."
After Chris's eyes flashed, he collapsed to the ground. The team and the wolf pack gasped.
"CHRIS!" Martin screamed and ran over, dropping his sword, which then turned back into his medallion. He turned his brother over and held up the upper part of his body. Tears formed in the big brother's eyes. "CHRIS! LITTLE BRO! WAKE UP!" All he got was a small groan. There was a burn mark on his shirt where he was hit.
"I looked at him during that. He seemed to... hesitate for some reason," Aviva admitted.
Black Storm hesitated for a moment, until he snapped back and grabbed the Kratt twins. "I'll let you brats go this one time! But mark my words, I WILL become the only Nature Guardian!" he proclaimed before disappearing in a dark portal with the girls.
"NO!" Martin shouted.
"We don't know why he didn't attack, but he got away with our sisters."
"We have to to go after th-" He tried getting up, but he only yelped at a sharp pain in his chest.
"Take it easy, bro," Martin ordered. "You did take a nasty hit from that lightning shot. Just don't move too quick."
"Okay."
Susan and Christine held each other close as they sat in their storm cloud cage. The top was the cloud and the bars were lightning bolts. The twins watched Black Storm pace in frustration. He had taken them to some old, breaking temple in some thick woods.
"The brat just had to interfere with that memory," he mumbled. "He just HAD to."
Black Storm held his head as the two parts of his mind seemed to fight each other.
"What's up with him?" Christine wondered.
"Poor guy. I think being trapped during all those years mixed up his head," Susan joked.
"Susan!" Christine scolded in a whisper.
"SILENCE!" Black Storm snapped, turning their way. Both girls screamed and held one another tighter. "I'll get our brothers tomorrow! And you'll have front row seats to it!" He laughed evilly. But in another part of his mind, Ventus was crying.
"Terra... Aqua..." he whimpered. "I'm so sorry... please, someone help me..."
The sound of laughter woke Chris up. He looked around and saw that he was in another forest. "What? Where am I now?" Suddenly, he saw movement from the other side of the bushes. He looked over and saw a little girl with two ponytails running by. Following her were two grown people, also laughing. He recognized the three: Flora, Pyce and Rose. And right on their tails was Terra. All four were happy.
"It's an offer you can't refuse," a familiar, dark voice said from afar. Only Chris and Terra heard it, and the Guardian came to a stop. The others didn't notice and continued running.
"And what IS this offer?" another voice questioned.
"Ven?" Terra asked softly. He went off the path and followed where the voices were coming from. Chris followed. In a small clearing, Black Storm was talking to a blonde woman in a black dress. Chris gasped.
"Eris," he said. The Gaia Guardian hid behind a tree.
"You can destroy everything if you want, but I'M the one who's gonna kill him!" Black Storm told the Goddess of Discord. "I don't need an old, rejected hag to help me!" Eris glared at him.
"How dare you speak to me that way, you brat!" she yelled. Dark energy formed in her raised hand. "May this last darkness be the end of you!" She blasted it at him. Terra's eyes widened and he dashed forward. Chris watched in shock.
"Terra!" he called, but realized it was pointless. It was a just a vision of the past.
"No!" the Gaia Guardian exclaimed, getting in the way of the curse. It struck him right in the heart as he passed by. He tumbled on the ground for a few seconds before getting in a kneeling position. Terra clutched his chest as he breathed deeply. A dark aura flowed from his chest and his hair started turning black.
Black Storm growled. "Hey! He was MINE to kill! And now, I can't! At least not in this time." He walked over to his brother with a scowl on his face. "Mark my words Terra, if you and Aqua ever return to the mortal world, I'll kill you myself."
"Speaking of kill, I'm still going to kill YOU!" the evil goddess shouted, taking out her shadow scythe. "Especially for killing my son!"
Athena and Hermia gasped as they saw their Gaia Guardian, sprawled on the ground and taking deep breaths and his hair completely black. Eris had run away from there, after trapping Black Storm in a dark sphere.
"Terra..." Hermia gasped. He wasn't being corrupted: the dark energy that hit Terra... was poisoning him. She placed her adopted son on her lap.
"Mother..." Terra said, struggling to say some words. "Aunt Athena... tell... everybody... to keep... their hope... up... we... c-can't let... Eris win... do this... for... Aqua... Ven... and me..." He took in a sharp breath. "And... I promise... you'll... see me... and Aqua... again... someday..." He gave his last breath, as his body gave up fighting, and the darkness left his body, leaving his hair brown again and drop.
Hermia tried not to cry, as she and Athena agreed on his last words.
Chris felt himself crying again. "Even after all he's done, he... I still loved him," he realized. "He was still my brother, even after being corrupted."
"And I still wish I can help him," came a disembodied voice. Chris recognized it as the same from when before he fought Black Storm. The scene suddenly ripped apart into white. The brunette looked behind himself. Standing with his back towards him and his hood up was someone in his green Guardian robe. Chris stood surprised for a second.
"Terra...?" Chris was surprised. His past self... in front of him? "B-but... how?"
"Let's just say it's a side effect of the spell," the Gaia Guardian said, removing his hood. There was no black, only brown. Terra turned around. It was like looking in a mirror.
"A side effect?" He then gasped. Could this be linked to...? "Wait. My powers... well, my born powers... Athena said something about 'spiritual inheritance'. I got them from you, didn't I? Because you were a Guardian."
"Yes. Apparently, when a Guardian is reborn, not every bit of their spirits go back to how they were beforehand. The reason is unknown, but it also means that the original mind of the spirit becomes a subconscience."
"Hm... I always wondered about that," Chris admitted. "But since you're here, I guess I need your help."
"I know. Black Storm's on the loose again," Terra said. "And you want to find a way to free Ven."
"Yes. Even in a new life, he IS my brother. And me and Martin always save family." The second mind smiled as a tear went down his face.
"Martin... Aqua..."
"Oh yeah, nearly forgot. You got what you wanted. To be with him again."
"I know. And I'm glad about that," the deceased Guardian admitted. "I feared at first that the spell didn't work, but then... I saw your amazing adventures, and all the nice things you've done, even before you became a Nature Guardian."
Chris blushed in embarrassment and rubbed the back of his neck. "Aw, shucks... that means a lot from you."
Suddenly, a light started appearing.
"Looks like you're about to wake up."
"B-but I still have so much to ask..."
"Maybe Iater i'll be able to answer your questions. Just whatever you do, don't use your negative feelings!" he warned, before he vanished.
"Terra?" Chris woke up.
"Huh? What?" Mina said when she was woken up, confused. Chris looked around. The brunette then noticed his medallion glowing strangely. The Earth Guardian picked it up to inspect it.
"That's weird." He looked over at Martin, who was still sound asleep and had insisted on sleeping by his brother's side last night.
Martin opened his eyes. He was met with a pale grey, clear sky over a dark ocean. The Water Guardian was a standing on the edge of a grey forest, which was close to the bluff that connects the sea to the land. The grass was a dull, dark green.
"Wh-where am I?" he asked himself. Suddenly, he heard a groan. Looking down, he saw a man in a blue robe with blonde hair like his lying down on his stomach, facing the sea. Slowly, the man got on his knees like he was tired. He finally recognized him. "Aqua..."
Aqua looked at the sea. At first, he didn't know why he ended up there. The place was silent. Neither said a word. The first Guardian placed a hand over his heart, only to lightly gasp and move it away. Martin didn't have a clue what was going on. Aqua held his head low, his hand in a light fist over his heart.
"It's true," Martin heard him say. A light breeze began to blow. "I didn't survive. And now, I'm here." The spirit took two steps towards the edge. He locked both his hands together. "Terra, I'm sorry I had to leave you like that. But stay strong, never give up, and promise me... that we'll see each other again."
"So this is where Aqua ended up after the battle." Martin had put the pieces together. "Well, spiritually anyway. What a weird limbo." He didn't notice someone coming up from behind and the forest disappearing into white. The man in a blue robe stopped a few feet away.
"Hello, Martin," he called. The Water Guardian turned around, surprised that the voice sounded like his. The rest of the scene disappeared. The man stood there with his hood up.
"Wait. Aqua? But, weren't you...?" He looked behind himself, only to see nothing.
"I'm your subconscience now, silly," Aqua chuckled.
"Oh, like Pinocchio's talking cricket?"
"Huh?"
"Oh... um, nevermind. So where are we?"
"I cannot say for sure. Terra might have an explanation. For even in a new life, I possess not enough knowledge like he does."
"Same as the past, huh?" The second mind smiled under his hood and shed a single tear.
"Yeah. Exactly alike. I was starting to worry that I would never see him again... but I saw everything you saw. Your adventures, your loyalty, your care for others. I'm proud of that."
"Thanks!" Martin went up to Aqua and hugged him tightly.
This caused Aqua's hood to fall down, revealing a look of surprise. Then he smiled and returned it. Martin looked down from his position and noticed something black on the inside of Aqua's robe. He backed up in confusion.
"What is that?" He pointed to the stain. His subconscience looked down at the stain and frowned.
"Sometimes... an unfinished duty wounds you." He unbuttoned the blue button that kept the top part on and pulled the left aside. Martin gasped. Over his heart was a huge black stain. "I got this because I couldn't save Ven. I wasn't able to purge the darkness from him. I failed both him and Terra. It's been my greatest regret."
"Wow... I know what you mean," Martin sighed.
The prime looked at Aqua. He knew he had to do something. Not just for him, but also Terra and the whole world. "Aqua, I swear that as the new you, Chris and I will save Ventus. Family is family, whether it's the past or now." Aqua's eyes glistened with hope.
"You'd do that?"
"Of course." Aqua smiled at his.
"Thank you." Suddenly, it got brighter and brighter. Martin had to shield his eyes.
Martin woke up to someone touching his shoulder. He looked up and saw Chris looking down at him.
"Martin? Are you ok?" Chris asked.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, but... I spoke with Aqua." Chris's eyes widened.
"You too?"
"Wait." Martin sat up. "Does that mean you met Terra?"
"Yes. He's become my subconscience," Chris explained. "And I think I know how to stop Black Storm now."
"You do?!"
"Ven is in him somewhere. I heard his voice calling for help."
"Ven?" Martin questioned. "Did you say..."
"Listen... forget what I said that time. I was wrong: although we were the only ones that were reincarnated, somehow he IS still our brother," Chris said. "We need to go after him."
Suddenly, Martin's medallion started glowing like Chris's was.
"What's going on?" Mina asked.
Martin picked up his medallion. "What the?" Both green and blue medallions started reacting to each other.
Once they made contact, both started to show an image.
It was of three little boys in apprentice uniforms. The smallest was in a green uniform with a green circle in the middle, the tallest wore a white uniform with a white circle on his left shoulder and the medium had on a blue uniform with a blue circle on the right shoulder.
The three brothers were huddled together in worry. Hundreds of others were crammed into a shelter, with voices of panic filling the room. Near the brothers were a little girl with ponytails, a woman in an orange outfit with gold accessories and a red haired apprentice.
"Enough!" a loud voice boomed over the commotion. All noises ceased and everyone looked to the back, where Zeus stood. "Everyone! Do not panic! There is still hope to stop Chaos! And it's these!" Moving to the side, four glowing gems were revealed. The crowd admired them, including the six friends. "The Elemental Gems. Embodiments of the four elements of nature themselves."
"You think it's a good idea?" Terra asked.
"Youngling, your Mother created these gems to be used in emergencies. And this IS an emergency," Zeus explained.
"Grandfather is right, brother. We don't have a choice," Ventus said.
"Including that we discussed that the ones to use them... are her trustful apprentices." The brothers' eyes widened and everyone else gasped in surprise.
"Us?!" all three exclaimed.
"You must. Your mother and we all need your help." Athena knelt, holding Terra's hands.
"But they're just kids!" a nymph protested.
"And they have little experience with any magic!" a male apprentice added. Soon, the place was in an uproar. Some were complaints of why they were picked. Others defied the idea of sending the kids out there to fight a dangerous foe. The six friends looked around them in worry. Then, out of the blue, Ventus dashed forward through the crowd.
"Ven!" Aqua called, though his voice was drowned by the commotion.
"Ven, wait for us!" Terra shouted. The two followed him. Athena smiled at that. The three brothers had made their way up the staircase to the Gems. Zeus smiled down at them. The crowd went silent and watched. The three stopped and breathed deeply to catch their breath. Ven looked up at his grandfather.
"Are you willing to take this task?" the King of the gods asked. The white apprentice nodded firmly.
"I am, grandfather," he answered. He then turned to his brothers. "Will you join me, my brothers?" He held out his hands. The two stared for a moment. Then they nodded.
"If you're doing it, so am I," Aqua replied, taking a hand.
"Me too," Terra added, doing the same. Suddenly, the Elemental Gems started glowing harshly. Gasps filled the room as they floated into he air and started to circle the trio. The three then found themselves being lifted into the air. They felt great surges of power flow into them and they were engulfed in a bright light. Their friends below stood shocked. Three silhouettes appeared in the light. One was blue, another green and the last one was a creamy color. They were small, but suddenly started changing; the arms and legs got longer and the body shape changed a bit.
As he light lowered, it began to die down, leaving the silhouettes. When they touched the ground with the elements still circling them, the lights of the silhouettes faded... revealing three grown men in majestic robes. Every soul in the shelter gasped, even the gods.
They all observed each other, in surprise and wonder.
"Brothers... let's go save our mother," Ventus said, putting the Air and Fire Gems in his bag.
His brothers nodded, Aqua taking the Water Gem and Terra handling the Earth Gem.
The Kratts were wide eyed. "Wow, I had no idea," Martin commented.
"So we need everybody to bring Ventus back! All the Elements!" Chris concluded. "Joining our strenghts, we can turn him back to normal!"
"Wait. I don't think that's the only thing we need to save Ven."
"It isn't?"
"I think we need... something else." Martin held up his medallion. The snowflake symbol appeared and was flashing over and over. Chris then noticed the flower on his medallion appeared and was flashing as well. The two flashes were perfectly synchronized. Their eyes sparked, realizing the one element they need most of all.
Black Storm was ready to cause more trouble to drive out the brothers. He was about to leave the crumbling temple.
"Wait! You're just going to leave us here?" Christine complained.
"I only kidnapped you two because I knew those brats would come after you," the corrupted Guardian explained. "And now, they're completely vulnerable. Once I find them and those other three, they're dead."
'That's what YOU think!' Ventus yelled. Black Storm groaned.
'Shut up, you twerp! You have no say in this!'
'I know for certain now that Terra and Aqua will stop you!'
'I said SHUT UP!' Black Storm held his head.
"Black Storm!" he heard Chris' voice. "We're here!" The Wild Kratts were all there.
"Martin!" Susan called.
"Chris!" Christine exclaimed happily. Black Storm narrowed his sea green eyes at them.
"How did you find this place?" he questioned.
"THESE brought us to you!" Martin said, and he and Chris held up their medallions. Both were glowing brightly. "And although they're now our elements, they still carried your brothers' memories of being happy with you!"
"I'll only be happy when they're really gone!" Black Storm shouted.
"Really? They do?" Ventus' voice was heard by the team. Black Storm looked around trying to find out where the voice came from.
"And even after what Black Storm put them through, Ven, they still cared about you like nothing changed!" Chris told him. This caused to Ven to cry, not that anyone outside his mind could see.
"They did?"
"They still loved you, Ven," Martin stated.
"And we do too!" both brothers told the boy. Black Storm growled.
"You think that that pitiful nonsense will do-" he began, but his rant came to a halt. His eyes widened in shock. Black Storm brought a hand to his cheek. When he looked, he was even more shocked. A tear.
"NO! Impossible!" Black Storm gasped. What was happening?
"Ventus! If you can hear us, FIGHT!" Chris said. "We trust you!"
"Terra..."
"We believe in you!" Martin added.
"Aqua..."
"NO! Stop!" Black Storm shrieked in pain, holding his head.
The Guardians saw Black Storm kneeling on the floor, holding his head. They surrounded him, while Mina prepared her scepter.
Martin and Chris put their hands on the specter, concentrating their power.
The Guardians were in their robes again. Aviva, Koki and Jimmy focused their powers on the Kratt Brothers. But as the power entered them, their eyes widened and then squeezed shut. Their bodies started sparking and glowing.
"No! Don't do it!" Ventus screamed in desperation. "Not again!"
"Trust us, brother," Chris shouted. "It'll be alright!"
"NO!" Black Storm screamed in fear.
"Terra... Aqua..." Both brothers lifted the Gaia Scepter into the air. A rainbow light was shot out, plunging onto Black Storm.
"NOOOOO!" both consciences screamed, Black Storm in fear and Ventus in sadness.
Hermia and Athena followed the light they saw. Once they reached the crumbled temple, they saw the Wild Kratts slowly standing up after that single attack. Christine and Susan, now free from Black Storm, ran to help their brothers.
"Are you both okay?" Susan asked. The brothers smiled at their sisters. It replaced their words and the girls smiled at that.
"I knew you would make the right choice," Hermia said, putting her hands on the brothers' shoulders. "Instead of choosing total defeat... you chose to purify and forgive."
She looked behind them and saw Black Storm's destroyed robe moving. Inside of it, there was a fainted little boy in white waking up. "Ventus?" Hermia called. Everyone looked. Ventus looked up with eyes full of regret. "It's been 10,000 years since anyone saw you like this." The restored apprentice sniffled, tears falling.
"Everything that happened to my brothers... to my friends... it's all my fault."
"In part, but it was mostly Chaos' fault," Chris said.
"I think it's time to leave the past behind us." Hermia extended her hand. "You can still return home with me. I'll continue to guide and protect you. We can restart our lives, my son."
Ventus closed his eyes, and ran to embrace Mother Nature.
"I'm so SORRY! I missed you so much, Mom."
"And I missed you too." Hermia wrapped her arms around her child. Chris and Martin walked up to the two. Ven felt them approaching and looked at them.
"If you want... we can try to be like them," Chris said.
Martin nodded. Ventus's eyes started tearing up again. He smiled at them. "You don't have to try. You're exactly like them. In every way." The child made his way over to them and the three shared an embrace. Meanwhile, Mina examined the Gaia Scepter. Something wasn't right. Looking closely, she gasped.
"Guys! The scepter's crystals... disappeared!" Mina observed. The Kratt Bros took a look at it: it was true. Except for the point's sphere, the rest of the crystals had disappeared. They looked up to see the crystals flying in different directions.
"Looks like a new challenge," Chris said.
"And a new adventure begins," Martin commented.
A small grey crystal reached a strange vortex in the depths of a forest.
Once it landed on the other side, someone picked it up.
"Hmmm…"
The crew reunited in Hermia's temple, and so did their relatives.
"Guardians, dear friends, today is another happy occasion for our world. The Nature Guardians did something that even I wasn't able to do: they brought my son Ventus back," Hermia said, as she stood in front of a stained glass window, covered by a curtain. "And for that, and once again saving the planet, we shall be forever grateful."
Mother Nature nodded towards Ventus, who was holding a rope. He yanked it and the curtain came apart. The glass window showed the Guardians defeating Black Storm and reviving Ventus. And the Kratt Brothers were holding the scepter. The team looked in awe. Ventus walked up in between the Kratt Brothers and they took his hands.
Everybody smiled. It was another victory. Not only for the brothers, or for Mother Nature, but for all the planet.