I only own Bethany.

It was a bright sunny day in the All World forest and Yakko so far was having a pleasant time. He was sitting on the ground with his sibs in a wide grassy clearing in the Disney section of Cartoonland, along with eight other kids. Uncle Timon, Uncle Pumbaa, Big Macintosh from MLP: Friendship is Magic, and Genie were there too and everyone had a smile on their face as Genie was getting ready to tell his story.

Not very long after the great battle in Black Cauldron land, Genie from Disney's Aladdin started a storytelling session that took place in this very clearing once a week. While the blue genie never really confirmed it out loud, everyone knew he did it so that he could help the animated kids recover from their trauma. Whether it was from knowing someone who had gotten dipped or from getting dipped themselves.

"Hey Genie, when are we going to start?" asked Francine from the show Arthur, her voice edged with impatience.

"Yeah, I don't think anyone else is coming," added the young boy duck from Ducktales, whose name Yakko was pretty sure was Huey. Or was it Louie that wore the red shirt and cap?

"Just be patient for a little longer kiddos," said Genie gently while quickly donning a nanny-like costume similar to Mary Poppins. "We will start in a few minutes or so just in case there are some latecomers."

"Okay," said Raf from Transformers Prime, looking up from his computer for a brief second before looking at the screen again. Yakko was about to ask if he was getting any internet when Ikki from Legend of Korra said her two bits.

"Yeah, it's not like we don't have things to talk about anyway. So what's up with everyone? Did anything really interesting happened since we last saw each other?" Yakko rolled his black eyes as shifted his little sister to a more comfortable position on his lap. Why do girls love to gossip so much?

"Twilight's crown got stolen a few days ago," answered Apple Bloom from MLP: Friendship is Magic.

"Really?!" cried Dot as she turned around and looked at the young yellow pony over Yakko's shoulder. "Who did it?!"

"And didn't it get stolen once before?" asked Anais Watterson from The Amazing World of Gumball, her pink bunny ears twitching with curiosity and her black eyes dubious.

"That was a different crown," corrected Apple Bloom. "Which she got back but had to give that up or else Equestria would have gotten taken over by roots that acted like a lot like an octopus' tentacles. Right Big Mac?"

"Yup," affirmed the big red stallion with a nod of his head.

"Goodnight everybody!" cried Yakko as he put his hand over his mouth and gave everybody a loud air kiss.

"So who stole it?" asked Dot, while everyone else except Wakko gave Yakko either a confused or an incredulous look.

"We don't know," answered Apple Bloom. "Twilight, my sister, and the rest of their friends have been searching but they haven't found any clues so far."

"Timon, for some reason this reminds me of something but I can't remember what…" mused Uncle Pumbaa as he scratched his red cheek with his front right hoof.

"Me neith…oh of course!" exclaimed Uncle Timon with realization as his fist went downwards and hit his open palm. "Rafiki's staff!"

"That's the baboon right?" asked Wakko as he finally looked up from the stick that he was chewing on. "His staff got stolen too?" Uncle Timon nodded.

"Mandrill actually, but yeah, a few nights ago he went to sleep with his staff nearby and the next morning, the staff just disappeared," explained the meerkat. "Which is weird, because why would anyone want to steal a stick with a couple of fruit tied to it?!"

"That's what I told my dad when ole stuffbear disappeared last night," Max from Goof Troop said. "He keeps on raving that someone stole my teddy bear but I think it somehow just got misplaced. It'll turn up sooner or later."

"Wow, everyone is losing their stuff this week," Yakko observed, his chin in his hand. "Maybe it's time for me to be Sherlock Holmes…"

"Oo, can I be Dr. Watson?!" exclaimed Wakko excitedly.

"If Wakko's Dr. Watson, then I'm Irene Adler!" declared Dot with her finger in the air. Yakko couldn't help but laugh as he wrapped his arms around both of his beloved siblings.

"Of course! I wouldn't have it any other way," promised Yakko as he gave his younger siblings a loving look as his heart cherished this moment. Because as Yakko learned a year ago when he got dipped, these kind of family moments could suddenly just stop happening.

Yakko inwardly gulped as he remembered being tied up and hanging from a beam in the middle of the room, the Dip below his dangling feet…Yakko shook his head before the memory could continue. No, not now! Can't ruin the storytelling session for Wakko and Dot! And besides, it was in the past! I have to put it behind me and move on!

"Hey Max, just curious, why are you in your kid form and not your teenaged one?" asked Raf who looked up from his computer again. "

"Because college is really stressful right now," answered Max with a shudder. "Finals man…they should be abolished…"

"Well, then good thing you came to my storytelling session today Maxy ole boy!" exclaimed Genie ecstatically. "Because boy do I have a story for you all today!"

"So we're going to start now?" asked Francine, her voice hopeful.

"Yep!"

"Yay! Finally!" exclaimed Huey, Dewey, and Louie as they pumped their fists into the air.

"Come now children, time to settle down and gather around me," said Genie gently as he changed into a Grandma who was sitting in a rocking chair that had magically appeared.

"Come on siblings," said Yakko as he picked himself up and walked closer to Genie, carrying his baby sister in one arm and holding his brother with his other hand. Usually, the Warner trio were not this clingy with each other, even though they loved each other very much. But then they got separated during the war last year, and at one point they all thought that it would stay that way.

As a result, the three siblings stayed very close together, like if even one of them left their line of sight for a moment, they would never come back. Wakko and Dot were especially scared of this, which was the biggest reason why Yakko insisted they go to Genie's storytelling hour. Because even though Yakko was admittedly afraid that for some reason or another he would be alone again, he knew that being too clingy wasn't healthy. And Genie's storytelling sessions, when he told stories about heroes going on amazing adventures and saving the day, were helping a lot.

And so Genie's story began, with all the children sitting in a circle and listening eagerly while Big Mac, Uncle Timon, and Uncle Pumbaa listened to it near the back. The story this time was about Lancelot, who after a misunderstanding with King Arthur, decided to roam the land and perform heroic deeds.

"So as he roamed the land with his trusty horse, he came across a small town with a big tower nearby," Genie told them as he read out of a book, whose title was not in Yakko's line of sight. "He asked the townspeople if there were any monsters around or if there was anything a knight could do to help make their lives easier. The townspeople told him that an evil giant lived in the tower and was holding a princess captive. They also told him that the princess was imprisoned in a hot steaming bath that was…"

Yakko's eyes immediately went wide and his heart skipped a beat. He didn't hear how a hot steaming bath was an awful prison, in fact he couldn't hear anything for a few seconds. The world around the Warner seemed to zoom in and out as he struggled to breathe. Hot steaming bath…the Dip…was steaming…and hot…and I was forced to go in…

"I got to answer the call of nature," Yakko quickly said in a harsh whisper as he gently put Dot in Wakko's lap before he hurriedly left the clearing. He didn't even slow down when he heard Dot call after him, concern evident in her voice. He just kept on running through the woods, his heart beating rapidly and his breathing getting more irregular. Gotta run…can't break down in front of Wakko and Dot…I can't…I have to hold on…

Then finally, when Yakko was sure he was far enough away, he collapsed to his knees right in front of a big wide tree. It was only then did he let his irregular breathing get loud and let his fear show on his face. His world still zooming in and out, Yakko closed his black eyes and gripped the green grass tightly like they were a lifeline.

"C-C-Calm down…" Yakko managed to tell himself while his throat kept on heaving out of his control. "I-I-It was just a s-s-story…it wasn't y-y-you…t-t-that bath wasn't…the D-D-Dip…" At the mention of the Dip, Yakko involuntarily remembered when he was dangling right above the green liquid. His heart hitched when he remembered Frollo lowering him down with a crank till his feet were an inch above the Dip...before getting dunked in that green boiling liquid.

Yakko immediately gritted his teeth as the past pain of getting dipped, the past terrified feeling of dying, and the past wishing that the agony would just stop overwhelmed him. His breaths then grew so irregular that Yakko was beginning to be afraid that he would stop breathing altogether. But even though the elder Warner sibling kept on trying to calm himself down, his memory just wouldn't let its hold on him go.

Only…only one thing can help me now…got to do it before I have a heart attack…With that thought in mind, Yakko reached with a shaking hand into his hammerspace. An agonizing second later, Yakko pulled out his iPod and quickly searched for the song, his fingers shaking all the while. Then finally, he found the only song that helped him whenever he got a panic attack. And so, his heart still racing and raspy breaths coming out of his mouth, Yakko clicked on the song.

"I remember tears streaming down your face, when I said, "I'll never let you go," when all those shadows almost killed your light, I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone," but all that's dead and gone and passed tonight," sang Taylor Swift.

Like magic, the song, Safe and Sound, helped Yakko to properly breathe again. As Yakko continued to listen to the lyrics, his heartbeat slowed down and his body started to shake less. Then finally, just as Taylor Swift sang the last word, Yakko's panic attack came to a complete end. Taking in a deep breath, Yakko paused the iPod and rolled over to his back and gazed at the blue sky silently, sadness and guilt building up in his chest.

"That's the second one this month…" said Yakko softly as he kept on looking upwards. "I guess I am getting better than I was months ago but…" Yakko sighed as the memory of his first panic attack ran through his mind. He dimly remembered Wakko and Dot panicking till Bethie came like a pretty angel and played Safe and Sound. Just like now, the song worked, though Yakko wasn't exactly sure why. Afterwards, Wakko and Dot hugged him like he was going to disappear and cried into his black furry chest. It was right then and there that Yakko vowed to himself that he wouldn't have another panic attack in front of them.

"But when am I going to stop having them? I've been extremely lucky that Wakko and Dot haven't seen me have another one…but when that luck last? When…when am I going to stop having them? I mean…I shouldn't be having them in the first place…"

"And why not?" Yakko immediately shot up only to relax when he saw that the voice belonged to Uncle Pumbaa, who was standing a few feet away from him. Then the young dog-like creature got worried.

"Did…you see…"

"The very last bit of your panic attack yeah," confirmed Uncle Pumbaa as he walked till he was at Yakko's side. "When you weren't coming back, I got worried and looked for you. And don't worry, I just told your siblings that you were just taking a really long dump because of all the food you ate yesterday."

"Hehehe…I guess I'm going to get teased when I get back…" chuckled Yakko. Being teased is way better than them getting worried though…

"So why shouldn't you be having panic attacks in the first place?" asked Uncle Pumbaa as he sat down with a big plop. Yakko, his heart and soul tensed with anxiety, looked at the warthog's kind face and sighed.

"Because…the war has been over for a year now…I should be moving on…" explained Yakko, as he clenched the grass for support. This is the first time he was voicing his self-guilt and he was having trouble with it. In fact, he wouldn't be admitting what he truly felt if it wasn't for Uncle Pumbaa's sincere and warm smile. And also possibly because even though Yakko was scared to talk about his self-guilt, he had been yearning to tell at least one person.

"Wakko and Dot have for the most part moved on…but I haven't…and I'm the eldest brother…they look up to me…It's up to me to set a good example and take care of them…that's why I sacrificed myself for them…so that they would stay safe and sound. And I'm glad I did."

"You're a brave and good brother Yakko," stated Uncle Pumbaa gently.

"Then why was I terrified when I got dunked in that blasted evil liquid?!" cried Yakko as he finally broke, tears that he had been wanting to shed for months finally falling out of his eyes. "Why was I screaming, pleading for mercy, yelling for anyone to save me, crying for my siblings to save me?! I was prepared to die like a Warner, with a smirk and saying that I was happy that I was going to die for my siblings! But instead, I was crying and screaming in agony! Instead, I was wishing that I somehow wouldn't die! Like…like I didn't want to sacrifice myself to save my siblings after all! Like I was selfish and don't love them after all!"

Then unexpectedly, Uncle Pumbaa grabbed his adopted nephew and pulled him to his chest with both front legs. Yakko was so stunned that he stopped crying and talking. A small part of him wanted to react and hug his Uncle back but he didn't. Yakko was just too confused and stunned.

"Of course you love them," said Uncle Pumbaa gently and sincerely, his voice sounding like he too was on the verge of tears. "If you didn't, then you wouldn't have sacrificed your freedom and life to save them. You just didn't expect death to be that horrifying, or to be that painful…like me." Yakko gave a small gasp.

"Uncle Pumbaa…" Yakko said softly. That's right, Uncle Pumbaa got killed by the Dip too…

"I…" Whatever Uncle Pumbaa was going to say next, it got cut off unexpectedly short by a loud cry in the air. A cry that sounded very familiar to the eldest Warner sibling.

"UNCLE TIMONNNNNNNNN!" Yakko's heart skipped a beat as it moved to his throat. His blood froze with terror as his black eyes went wide with recognition and anxiety. For a brief moment, Yakko was so afraid that he could speak. But then that moment was over.

"That's Dot's voice!" cried Yakko frantically.. What happened?! Why did she called Uncle Timon's name like the world was ending?! What happened to Uncle Timon?!

"Something must have happened to Timon!" exclaimed Uncle Pumbaa worriedly as he let go of Yakko and stood up on all four legs. "C'mon! We got to go over there now!" Without a second of hesitation, Yakko jumped onto Uncle Pumbaa's back. The warthog immediately raced back to the clearing, the trees around them becoming a giant blur to the young Warner.

As Yakko held tightly onto his dear Uncle Pumbaa, his heart began to race again, though this time it wasn't because of a heart attack. Please let good ole Uncle Timon be okay, please let my cute baby sister be okay, please let my funny brother be okay, oh please let everyone be okay! Please just let this to be some kind of stupid prank, just let Dot be acting! I don't want any of them to be hurt! Especially my fam…

Then they arrived, interrupting Yakko's train of thought. Uncle Pumbaa skidded to a stop, whether it was because they had arrived, or what they saw Yakko would never know. And he didn't care to know either. Because what he saw made the seed of worry and fear that was in his soul immediately grow into a big tree of anxiety and horror.

Huey, Dewey, Louie, Raf, Francine, Ikki, Anais, Apple Bloom, and Genie were gone, and Yakko couldn't see any clue to where they went. But just as terrifying, if not more so, was that Dot and Wakko, his darling siblings, were gone without a trace too.

But just as awful and horrifying at his siblings' disappearance was seeing what had happened to Uncle Timon, Big Mac, and Max, the latter now in his teenaged form. Yakko's heart skipped several beats as he stared at their still forms lying on the ground. His eyes widened with shock and terror as he looked at their bodies, bodies that at that moment were losing blood. So much blood that the three of them couldn't possibly be okay.

Oh my gosh...and...to think that this is only the beginning...yeah, this is going to be quite a fanfic. So...what do you think? Did I write the characters well and how were the emotions portrayed? Or just what were your reactions to this chapter? Please tell me in a review and I promise that I will update by the beginning of next week (and just so you know, reviews really motivate me to find time to write. So the more they are, the more likely the next update will be up REALLY soon). Well in any case, I hope everyone has a great weekend! See ya!