The next morning the Kratt brothers called a team meeting.
Both brothers were nervous. They were about to tell their friends something (they should have told them when they first met) that only their parents and a well trusted doctor knew.
The brothers told their three friends everything about their past Animal Adventures and all the way up to Animal Junction.
Here they paused their story.
Aviva, Koki and Jimmy Z looked at the brothers.
They were confused. The brothers story made no sense. Seeing that the brothers were in their early twenties.
Aviva spoke first.
"Your story makes no sense. You have been Creature Adventuring since you were in your twenties. Aren't you guys in your twenties?"
Martin smirked.
Chris tried to keep himself from laughing.
Jimmy thought about what Aviva was trying to and failing to say. He quickly realized something.
"You guys are older than you look, aren't you?" He asked.
The two girls burst out laughing. They only stopped when they saw that the brothers weren't laughing.
"No way" Aviva said.
"Wait so you guys are actually older than you look?" Koki asked
Chris nodded and Martin sighed.
"Just how old are you and why do you look to only be in your twenties?" Aviva asked
"I am 30 years old but look to be 23 years of age. Martin is 34 years old but like me he looks to be 27 years of age."
Here Chris stopped and Martin took over.
"Before we continue our story, you have to promise us, you won't tell anyone this" Martin said seriously.
The others, including Chris, looked at the blondish hair man. Martin was serious. They knew he could be when he wanted to, but it was rare.
"Ok Martin we promise" Aviva said.
The brothers told them about their adventures in Animal Junction with a friendly talking Sifaka lemur named Zoboomafoo.
"He could talk?"
Chris nodded.
"He was funny and loved to learn about the animals that would visit" Martin said.
But what does Animal Junction have to do with you looking younger than you actually are?"
"If I remember what Zoboo said, Animal Junction was a living place but operated outside normal time. The longer we visited the Junction, the slower we aged. After deciding it was time move forward, and stopped going to the Junction, we started aging at a semi normal pace" Chris said.
"When did you noticed the change?" Jimmy asked
Martin looked at Chris and Chris looked at Martin. They didn't want to tell their friends but it was unavoidable because the brothers burst out laughing.
"We didn't noticed the change until we visited with our mom while we were adventuring in the area. Mom noticed first" Martin said as his face turned bright red.
They had been oblivious of the change. They didn't even noticed it until their mother had pointed it out to them.
The girls just smiled, knowingly.
"Thanks for telling us this but what was the point of it?" Jimmy Z asked
Chris told them of his nightmare.
"That's why we told you our story. We need your help. Even though Zoboo told us that Animal Junction was a living place, and like most living things it too can feel what we humans feel. In all essence, Animal Junction is a person. She needs human interaction, she needs to feel loved. With out those things she starts dying. According to my dream, the Junction is dying. We are needed back at Animal Junction" Chris explained
They all stared at Chris.
There was a moment of silence.
Then Martin was hit with a thought. It was more than a thought, it was a mental note. A note he had forgotten to pass on.
"Chris, I know why the Junction is dying. On our way back to mom, I made a mental note to tell our animal helpers what the Junction actually was, I forgot to pass it on" Martin admitted.
"Animal helpers?"
"They are like our Wild Kratt Kids. Their names are Amy and Jackie."
Jimmy decided it was time make their way to the Junction.
Jimmy needed to ask where the Junction was.
"So Kratts where exactly is Animal Junction?"