They soon came up to the house. Atticus grabbed his backpack as he came out of the car with Clark and went up to the front door.

"I have a good feeling about today." Clark told him.

"I feel pretty good about today too, Dad." Atticus smiled.

They soon arrived at the front door. Clark soon opened the door and seemed to hide.

"Huh, that's weird, it's dark in here." Atticus said before clicking on the light.

"SURPRISE!" Diana and Michelle smiled as they came out while Bud waved and Cherry dully blew a noisemaker.

And where you could hear horror music playing as Atticus went wide-eyed as he didn't want to celebrate his birthday as it was just a reminder of his family he never knew even if he would find the spell to go back in time to save them from death.

"Hey, Atticus!" Michelle smiled. "Happy Birthday!"

"Happy Birthday, Atticus." Bud added, softly, but he didn't sound as enthusiastic as his wife, though he was happy for the boy.

Cherry soon saw the expression on Atticus's face and soon knew what was going on in his mind. Atticus looked to Cherry and soon turned away.

"Uh, I think we need to go home." Cherry told her parents.

"But why...?" Michelle replied. "This is a special day!"

"It's not like he's missing anyone." Bud said.

"I'll just wait until the realization hits you." Cherry told her parents.

Bud and Michelle looked confused.

"Atticus, I'm so sorry," Cherry told her friend. "I didn't know this was going to happen. I just want you to be happy though on your birthday, no matter what happens."

"It's okay, Cherry; this day is just a reminder about the ones that I'll never get to meet." Atticus frowned.

Bud and Michelle soon realized what Cherry meant once Atticus mentioned 'the ones that he'd never get to meet'.

"Oh... He's talking about his P-A-R-E-N-T-S." Michelle said.

"It's okay, Mrs. B, I know what you mean." Atticus sighed to his best friend's mother.

"Uh, maybe we should go." Bud said to his wife and daughter.

"What was your first clue?" Cherry deadpanned.

"Oh, well, since you just mentioned Atticus might be upset, that was my guess." Bud said, not understanding his daughter's sarcasm.

"That was sarcasm, Dad." Cherry groaned.

"Was it? Huh... I never call tell with you, Cher Bear." Bud smiled innocently.

"Atticus, I'm so sorry." Cherry frowned to her best friend.

"It's okay." Atticus frowned back.

"I'm really, really sorry..." Cherry said.

Michelle soon handed Atticus a cake she made just for him before looking emotional and bad for going through all of this trouble now.

"Thanks for the cake, Mrs. Butler." Atticus smiled softly.

"You're welcome... I made it with love... Lots and lots of love..." Michelle smiled back before sniffling and soon hugged him tightly while going through an emotional breakdown with crying.

"Aw, Mom..." Cherry sighed.

"I'll be sure it doesn't go to waste." Atticus told Michelle.

"Thank you, Atticus... Happy Birthday!" Michelle replied as she cried while hugging him tightly.

"Thanks." Atticus said.

Michelle kept hugging him while crying.

"Okay, Mom, let go!" Cherry grunted, struggling to get her mother off of her best friend.

'Oi.' Atticus thought to himself as he knew how emotional Cherry's mother could be.

Michelle soon let go of Atticus.

"Again... Sorry..." Cherry said to Atticus. "Text me if you wanna talk later though."

"Okay." Atticus replied.

Cherry patted him on the head and soon walked off.

"Atticus, I'm sorry." Clark said to his adoptive son.

"I think I'm gonna go to my room." Atticus said as he left for his bedroom.

"A-Are you sure...?" Clark asked him.

"Yeah." Atticus nodded softly.

"Okay... Um... Good night then." Clark replied.

"I'll be back down a little later." Atticus said as he went to his room.

Clark frowned as he couldn't help but blame himself for this.

Atticus soon placed his birthday cake on his desk before his eyes started to glow.

'Relax... I'm not going to hurt you... I want to show you something..' Sombra's voice told Atticus in his head.

"What's going on?" Atticus asked.

'You're going to be shown a vision.' Sombra's voice said in his head.

"Ooh..." Atticus replied as he soon blinked once and soon saw the vision he was meant to see. "I wonder what it is?"

'You'll see.' Sombra's voice said.

Atticus nodded as he found himself in a room he had never seen before. It seemed to be like a hospital. There were muffled voices heard before they grew loud and sharp as a doctor rushed a woman inside in a wheelchair as she appeared to have a big stomach from pregnancy and a man held her hand as they rushed with the doctor to go into a room as she was about to give birth.

"Is this happening now?" Atticus asked.

'Just watch.' Sombra's voice told him.

Atticus was about to get out of the way, but he seemed to phase through the doctor and the expecting couple as the woman breathed shallowly and wheezily while holding onto her stomach.

"Wait, so this isn't happening right now?" Atticus asked.

'WATCH!' Sombra told him, a bit firmly.

"Okay, okay." Atticus said.

The couple was soon rushed into the emergency room.

Atticus watched from where he stood as the woman was giving birth, and seemed to be giving birth to a baby boy who seemed healthy, at least, so far as the doctor took him out of his mother's stomach. 'This is interesting.' Atticus thought to himself.

Sombra soon appeared and came beside Atticus, but didn't say anything.

"Have you thought of names?" The doctor asked.

"I really like the name Atticus." The father smiled.

Atticus's eyes widened to that. "Wait, wait, wait, this is my origin, isn't it?" He asked Sombra.

'Correct,' Sombra said. 'Now keep watching.'

Atticus kept watching, though he just felt shocked, but once he realized this couple were his parents, he could see the resemblance, such as his father's structure and his mother's eyes.

"Oh, he's a handsome little boy." The blonde woman cooed to her newborn son.

"He sure is." The father smiled.

Atticus was surprised not to hear any crying when his past self was born. The doctor and nurse soon looked concerned.

"He... He isn't crying..." The mother frowned. "I thought newborn babies were supposed to cry once they were born."

"They are." The doctor frowned back.

"I'm afraid your newborn son has been born prematurely." The nurse frowned at the parents.

The couple looked concerned.

"He may live, but... Don't get too attached." The nurse said as that was dangerous for an infant as they only had a 50:50 shot of living after birth.

"Can we please be alone with our child?" The father asked the doctor and nurse.

The doctor and nurse looked to each other, and of course, allowed it.

"The name real quick?" The doctor asked.

"Fudo," The father gave his new son his name. "Atticus James Fudo."

The doctor soon wrote down the full name. The nurse soon left with the doctor as the couple looked down to their newborn son. Atticus frowned as he didn't like how he was born at first.

"He's really adorable, Patrick..." The woman told her husband.

"He really is, he looks like me when I was a baby." The man replied.

"I just wish there was a way we could save his life." The woman frowned.

"I know..." The man replied.

Atticus frowned to the couple who seemed to be his parents.

"Make a wish, and it shall be granted." Sombra's voice smirked.

"Who said that?" The couple asked.

"I did... I can help you two." Sombra's voice replied before he showed himself.

"Y-You can?" The blonde woman asked.

"Yes... Please... Allow me..." Sombra replied.

"What can you do?" The brown-haired man asked.

"Relax... I can handle this..." Sombra smirked. "Patrick and Emily."

"How do you know our names?" Emily asked him.

"Let's just say we share something in common," Sombra replied. "We want this little guy to make through puberty and become a fine, civilized adult."

"So, can you really save his life?" Patrick asked.

"But of course I can, only if I can have your trust, that is." Sombra replied as he held out his arms to hold onto Atticus for a moment.

Patrick and Emily looked to each other before handing Atticus over to Sombra. Sombra soon took a hold of Atticus and placed his hand on the baby boy's forehead as they both seemed to glow briefly, and after a short time, Atticus soon opened his eyes and started to cry, telling his parents that he was now alive. Sombra soon walked back over to the couple and handed them the newest member of their family.

"Atticus? Oh, you're okay..." Emily cooed.

"Look, Em, he has your eyes!" Patrick smiled to his wife.

"Oh, thank you so much for saving our son's life." Emily smiled at Sombra.

"You're very welcome." Sombra replied.

"Is there anything we can do to show how thankful we are?" Patrick added.

"Your happiness is all that matters." Sombra replied with a small smile back to the couple.

"No, no, this kindness must be rewarded." Emily smiled.

"Hmm... That's sweet..." Sombra hid a small smirk.

"Oh... Oh, Mom... Dad..." Atticus tried not to get emotional as he watched this.

"Please, there must be something we can do to repay your kindness." Emily smiled at Sombra.

Sombra looked back to them.

"All right, that's all the time we have to see." Sombra said.

"No!" Atticus cried out as the memory then ended before he could see any more. "Please, I need to see more!"

"That's all for now." Sombra said.

"No, please, there has to be more than just that." Atticus begged.

Sombra looked to him. Atticus pouted to his 'uncle'.

"Well... I suppose I could show you just a little more." Sombra replied softly, after all Atticus was his 'nephew'.

"Thank you." Atticus smiled as he hugged him.

Sombra gave a small hug back as he showed him more.

"There must be something you want..." Emily continued as she cradled her newborn son.

"Well, there is one thing," Sombra said. "I am in need of an heir to my throne."

"Erm... An heir...? But that would mean you're a king?" Emily smiled bashfully.

"Yes, indeed, I am." Sombra nodded.

"No children of your own?" Patrick asked.

"I've had my own heartbreak, and I see this boy has a bright future..." Sombra replied. "Allow him to become my heir, and I promise, he will grow a happy and healthy life."

"We'll allow him to be your heir, but that doesn't mean you can have him." Patrick said.

"I understand," Sombra replied. "I just ask that you allow him to become my prince."

Patrick and Emily looked to each other before looking back.

"That sounds fair enough." Patrick replied.

"It's the least we can do after you saved our son's life." Emily smiled.

"Thank you both very much," Sombra replied. "I promise your son will be happy and healthy throughout his life now that I've healed him."

"And we're sure he will." Emily smiled.

"Then why aren't they here now?" Atticus frowned.

"How bad do you want to know?" Sombra asked.

"Please, Uncle Sombra, please; every year it's the same thing, I never get to know what ever happened to them," Atticus frowned. "And which is why I always choose to avoid my birthday."

"I see..." Sombra replied. "I have to tell you... It's not pretty though."

"Please just tell me." Atticus said.

"I'm afraid there was an accident." Sombra sighed sharply.

"A-An accident?" Atticus frowned.

"An accident..." Sombra nodded. "I'm so sorry, Atticus."

"What kind of accident?" Atticus asked with a frown.

"It was fatal, of course..." Sombra replied.

Atticus's vision power soon showed what happened on that day. Sombra looked over to Atticus as the scene then changed.

Atticus began to look around as the scene changed. It seemed to be a happy and normal evening as Atticus was sleeping in his crib. Atticus looked confused as this seemed peaceful.

"I'm sorry that this won't last forever." Sombra warned Atticus.

"It's alright." Atticus said.

Sombra put his arm around Atticus as they watched what happened to make Atticus into an orphan, hoping that the boy would be able to handle it. There seemed to be a lightning storm going on which caused the house to catch on fire, and where this caused Atticus to start crying as he was just a baby on that day. Atticus frowned, seeing his baby self go through this as it seemed like his parents were killed by the fire. Eventually, the firefighters came and took care of the fire, but Atticus had to be taken away since he was a baby and his parents seemed to be gone now.

"So that's what happened." Atticus frowned.

"I'm so sorry, Atticus," Sombra said, trying to comfort him. "I was worried this would be too much for you to take in," He soon saw Atticus holding himself as he started to cry. "Oh, Atticus..." he then frowned, deciding to give him a hug.

Atticus continued to cry, not knowing that crystal spikes were showing up all around him from his sadness. Sombra gave Atticus a hug, doing his best to comfort him as this was an emotional time for him, and where Atticus was happy that Sombra was there to comfort him.

"Atticus?! Is everything alright?!" Clark's voice called out.

Atticus sniffled and wiped his eyes. "Uh, yeah! Just doing some homework!" he then called out, though his voice cracked a little from crying.

"Then why do I see crystal spikes around the house?!" Clark called back.

"Oh! Uh... Um.." Atticus stammered. "I'll be fine, I promise!"

"If you say so!" Clark replied.

Atticus smiled bashfully and soon took a deep breath before hiccuping. Sombra then gave him a glass of water and he drank it to settle his tears. Once he was finished the glass of water, he was better.

"Thank you for showing me what I wanted to see, Uncle Sombra." Atticus said softly.

"It's the least I could do." Sombra replied softly.

Atticus soon came to his desk, and decided to have a slice of cake with a small smile as Cherry's mother was a great cook, especially with desserts, and he knew this would be a wonderful birthday cake. Of course, he was right, as the cake was delicious. Eventually, the crystal spikes began to disappear, and it was all thanks to the cake.

"I'll leave you alone with your thoughts." Sombra said as he sounded like he was going to leave.

"Um, c-could you stay a little longer?" Atticus spoke up.

"Hm... I suppose I could... That cake does look good." Sombra replied.

Atticus soon gave his uncle a slice of cake.

"Oh, thank you." Sombra said.

"Eat up," Atticus smiled. "Cherry's mom is a queen when it comes to baking."

Sombra soon tried his slice of cake. Atticus smiled as he ate some cake, but soon began to think about Atlantis again, and where this time, his vision power showed him what he needed to see without any help from Sombra.

For the most part, he saw that he would have to go to the ocean, and he saw what looked like a palace which had to be the lost city of Atlantis.

"Whoa." Atticus smiled.

The fish seemed to swim around and look to him.

"Um... Hello, there," Atticus greeted the fish. "Can I help you?"

The fish came up to him like he was royalty.

"Hey! What're you doing?!" Atticus demanded. "Stop!"

The fish seemed to be startled by that.

"S-Sorry, but you came up to me like I was royalty which I technically am," Atticus said. "But I just didn't know if anyone else knew."

"You look so familiar though." One of the fish said.

"...Fish are talking to me..." Atticus sighed. "I think I'm losing my mind!"

"How can you be losing your mind; after all, you are a merboy, aren't you? After all, look at your tail." The second fish said while pointing down.

"Wait... What?" Atticus replied.

The other fish nodded.

Atticus blinked and looked down to see he had a tail fin like a merman which made him yelp out of surprise. "This can't be happening! T-This must be a part of my vision." Atticus panicked.

The other fish just looked to him.

"I guess he doesn't know about being part of the merfolk kingdom." One fish said to the other.

"I guess so." The other fish said.

"So, are you talking to me?" Atticus asked.

"You don't seem to know a lot about yourself." A fish commented.

"No, I guess I really don't." Atticus said.

"Well, you're a young merman for one thing." A fish smiled to him.

"I can see that." Atticus deadpanned.

"Oh, right." The fish smiled sheepishly.

"So, I'm a merman... I never knew about that..." Atticus said as he began to swim around, getting used to his new tail fin.

"How so?" One of the fish asked.

"Well, I don't know much about my life, even though today's my birthday." Atticus replied.

"Well, maybe we can help you." Another fish said.

"Um, thanks..." Atticus replied. "I would appreciate that."

They soon began to swim together and Atticus laughed as he seemed to like swimming very much, and where there was soon music heard as he enjoyed swimming.

"You really think he could be the one?" One fish asked the other.

"I'm sure he is, even if he doesn't know it." The fish shrugged his fins.

"He has to be the one." The third fish said.

Atticus soon stopped when the fish stopped in front of the royal palace that was under the sea. "I still can't believe this place is real," Atticus smiled. "I never wanna wake up from this vision."

But of course, he would have to at some point. Someone seemed to swim aggressively right past him who had black hair and looked a bit cold and dangerous.

"Whoa!" Atticus yelped. "Who the heck was that?!"

The black-haired man glanced to him, narrowing his eyes.

"I feel like I can't trust this bozo." Atticus narrowed his eyes back.

The fish soon hid behind Atticus as they were slightly scared. The black-haired man glared at Atticus before swimming off.

"Who's the friendly guy?" Atticus scoffed.

"Prince Orm." The fish told him.

"He's the prince of this place?" Atticus asked before getting sarcastic. "Sheesh, he must be a blast at parties."

The fish just shivered nervously from Prince Orm's appearance.

"I'm guessing with how frightened you all are by him, he's not destined to be the king of Atlantis, right?" Atticus asked the fish.

"I never thought he would be a suitable heir to the throne." A fish commented.

"That answers my question." Atticus said.

"I guess you're destined to go up against him if you're having a vision about this." A fish commented.

"Looks like it." Atticus said.

Atticus eventually woke up after a while and found himself in his bedroom which made him sigh a bit as he wasn't sure what that was all about, but he felt more determined now than ever to go to Atlantis, and where he was going to follow the map that his 'uncle' gave him.