Gumball sat with his family in the dining hall of the hotel. Every sound around him seemed to blur, except for the sounds of Tristan and Penelope, his two kids, and his wife Penny.
Gumball spent the night pondering over what had been discussed about the item from the Void, he had hardly slept the whole night. The uneasy feeling of complete disaster had swept over him like a tsunami. He tossed and turned, more than likely keeping Penny awake; but she reassured him that he had not.
However slim the possibility was for such a catastrophic event to occur in the small resort town, it still lingered in the mind of Gumball. He didn't want his kids to endure what he had with the Void, and the family and friends he had almost lost in such a turbulent event...
Suddenly, his thoughts had shifted and were soon interrupted by his son Tristan.
"Dad? Is everything okay?"
The tiny blue feline asked, placing a paw on his father's arm.
Gumball blinked rapidly, trying to return and get his bearings back to reality, as he slowly began to smile slightly, trying to place reassurance into his son's thoughts and concerns about him.
"I'm...I'm okay little man, thank you. Are you enjoying your vacation so far? How's your breakfast?"
Gumball asked, as Tristan placed another bite from his syrup filled pancakes into his mouth.
"It's pretty good Dad! Considering how we have found ourselves on a tropical and magic island resort that resembles home...I'd say we're doing okay!"
Pieces of the pancake were flying onto parts of Gumball, as Tristan finished speaking. Gumball wiped away the remnants of the food barrage that went onto him, as he smiled and sighed slightly .
"That's great to hear little man...although, I certainly wouldn't mind you chewing your food first before answering. I'm in no rush, and it certainly would have spared me the syrup filled pancake pieces on my fur."
Gumball stated with a stern, but loving smile, giving Tristan a nervous smile that soon washed away towards a happy and upbeat expression.
"Right...heh, sorry about that Dad, I'll try to be more..."conscientious" of my eating next time."
Tristan stated with a smile, and Gumball returned the smile before gently ruffling the fur on top of the little blue kitten's head.
Penny smiled at this exchange, as she was wiping away some remnants of food from Penelope's mouth with a serviette.
"He certainly has the precocious and rambunctious nature of his Dad at his age, wouldn't you agree Mr. Watterson?"
Penny stated with a warm smile and an eyebrow raised, as Gumball returned the loving expression to Penny who was sitting just a few feet adjacent to where he was sitting.
"Oh, heh, I guess so honey...I wasn't that..."disorderly" as a kid...was I?"
Gumball stated, as Penny chuckled a little before doing a sarcastic contemplative expression.
"Hmmmm...I guess you're right...I mean, this IS the same kid who had a bar of soap in his mouth when my father drove me to your house for a school project right?"
As Penny finished saying this, Tristan and Penelope audibly giggled together and Gumball began to reveal a prominent blush around his cheeks.
"I...guess you're right honey...I was pretty adventurous and outgoing as a kid."
Gumball stated with a slight smile, as Penny reached across the table to touch his paw.
"But it's those traits that brought me to you in the first place...and I wouldn't have changed it for the world."
Penny stated, as both kids smiled, with Gumball staring deeply into the yellow fairy's eyes, smiling lovingly.
"Well, I guess we better finish up here and get started on our day...what do you say kids?"
Gumball asked, as the kids excitedly jumped up from the table and began running towards the hotel hallway once again, with their parents not far behind.
"Careful guys, you just ate! You'll get sick from too much movement in such a short time span!"
Gumball said with concern, as Penny leaned against his shoulder and had her arm wrapped in his.
"You're a great father and husband Gumball, don't ever forget that. You've been there for us through thick and thin, and those kids and I love you for it."
Penny stated, as Gumball turned with a warm smile, before planting a gentle kiss on the lips of the yellow fairy.
"I try my best honey, and I certainly wouldn't be half the man I am now without your help...you've shown me so much in the time we've been together and I'll always remember those moments for as long as I live."
Gumball said, as the couple continued to walk towards the front lobby, as the kids soon greeted a tall, glitched figure which Gumball soon recognized as being Rob.
"It's great to see you again Rob on this fine morning! How have you been old friend?"
Gumball asked, as Rob soon smiled.
"Well, I'm always glad to see my old friend and his family so happy to be here on our wonderful and beautiful island! I'm sure you and the rest of your family are excited another day of activities I presume?"
Both Tristan and Penelope soon released a wave of excitement over the prospect of what else the island had to offer, as they soon went outside of the front lobby doors with Penny quickly rushing ahead of them.
"Kids! Don't wander too far okay? It's still pretty crowded on this island and I don't want you to get too far ahead of your father and I!"
Penny shouted with concern running out of the lobby, as Gumball chuckled following her, before being stopped by Rob grabbing his arm.
"Gumball? There's something I need you to discuss with you later this evening, it's urgent. It's related to...past events."
Rob said in a calm but commanding tone.
Gumball soon displayed a concerned and horrified expression all at once. Were his worst fears coming true about the unstable object that Rob and Carrie had spoken of? Could the dangers of the Void be coming back to haunt him and his family once again?
Gumball soon became choked up, before clearing his throat to ask Rob a question.
"Rob? This...wouldn't be related to the object you had spoken of earlier...right?"
Rob soon looked down, almost assuredly preparing himself to be the bearer of bad news.
"It...unfortunately is my friend...and I need you and your family's help to contain this...before catastrophe strikes again."
These words hit Gumball like a speeding bullet. Had their sacrifices all those years ago been in vain to stop the progression of the Void? So many instances of the dangerous realm taking all he had ever known and loved...now recurring once again as a young man and a father.
Gumball sighed and closed his eyes before speaking.
"So what do you need me to do?"
Gumball asked as Rob looked around himself to ensure that no one was listening to their conversation.
"Meet me at my office at the center of town this evening at 8:00 PM. I'll be able to show you just how grave the magnitude of the situation truly is..."
Rob then released his grip on the blue feline, and quickly went outside the front lobby doors.
For the rest of the day, Gumball and his family enjoyed the sights and sounds of what the town had to offer. Rob was very courteous in being their guide, as well as the island residents who were able to utilize their magic to further the immersion of the tropical vacation experience.
Thoughts still began to dwell and enter Gumball's mind though, as he contemplated just how imperative the situation could be for all of them. Being stuck on this island was the least of their worries, the ship would have been fixed and they would have been on their way to Hawaii...but no just making it home to Elmore, safe and in one piece...that was now the primary goal and objective in his mind.
Evening soon arrived, as the entire Watterson family were led by Gumball to the Town Hall, where Rob was waiting for them. The small resort town at night was bustling, with town residents and passengers from the cruise ship enjoying the festivities, cuisine, and scenery that encompassed the night life as a whole.
Gumball soon moved passed the pillars to the town hall entrance, and the rest of the family followed suit.
As Gumball approached the reception desk, he was soon greeted by a llama secretary, who was quickly organizing some papers.
"Uh...excuse me? We're here to meet...Mayor Rob?"
Soon the llama perked up from her chair and locked the front door, and quickly turned back around.
"Mayor Rob is just through that door, but I suggest that all of you remain conscious of each other while you're in there viewing the object in question, it's quite dangerous. Good luck...all of you."
The llama secretary soon led them all to the office doors of Rob, where she promptly opened them, with Rob staring at a glowing object, emanating a bright light throughout the dark room.
"Ah! There you are! Right on time as well!"
The llama secretary shut the door behind her as she exited the room, leaving the entire Watterson family with Rob.
"I'm glad you all could make it, I'm sorry to have brought this urgent matter to you all so abruptly, but it's for the sake of our town...as well as the world as we know it."
Rob said, as Gumball stepped forward to the front of the Watterson family.
"I don't understand Rob...I thought we had already dealt with this problem many years ago?"
Gumball asked, as the four Watterson children soon looked to each other with concern before Tristan soon stepped next to his father.
"Dad? What problem are you referring to? What happened all those years ago, and why are we here?"
The little blue kitten was now worried, and his tone grew more and more distressed with each question.
Gumball soon knelt down to the floor and rested his paws on Tristan's shoulders, before turning to look at Penny and his mother Nicole; who both nodded their heads.
Gumball sighed and turned to face Tristan once again, who was still concerned along with the rest of the Watterson children.
"There's...a piece of our family and community's past that I've kept from you and your sister since you two were born..."
The blue cat soon divulged into the numerous details, the arch rivalry with Rob, the impending threat of the Void consuming Elmore, and eventually how the Watterson's were able to save Elmore, with the help of Gumball and Rob teaming up as friends.
Once Gumball was finished speaking, Tristan and the rest of the Watterson kids took a step backwards, attempting to grasp what the tall blue feline had explained.
Tristan was the first to collect his bearings, and finally ask the question on each of the kids' minds.
"So...the glowing orb that we're seeing right now...is connected to everything that happened?"
Tristan asked, as Gumball looked into his son's eyes.
"Yes...that's why Rob has asked us all to be here, since we're the only ones in this room who know how to defeat the fragment of the Void this object holds."
Gumball stated, as Rob soon stepped in to interject.
"I couldn't have stated it better myself...although that is half of our problem."
Gumball soon rose from his kneeling position, as the rest of the Watterson family formed around him, keeping their distance from the object next to Rob.
"The object that travelled with me from the Void was useful for a time, before I started to notice its...instability and erratic nature. Things around my office would disappear, and others would become "corrupted" or "glitched" so to speak."
The Watterson family were now listening intently with each word that came out from the glitched humanoid.
"In recent weeks and months, I noticed this more frequently, and now I'm concerned that we could be heading for disaster very soon..."
Rob finished speaking, as everyone in the room glanced at each other with concerned expressions.
Anais soon stepped forward from the group.
"But...we defeated it before, surely we can defeat the Void again, right?"
Anais asked, as Rob nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, which is why it's a great time for you all to be here at this moment, especially you Gumball. My team of engineers and magic specialists have studied the magic surrounding this orblike object, and has found a glaring weakness within it. The orb can be destroyed only by those who have already overcome its power in the first place, or have escaped...and seeing as how most of us in this room have faced such a powerful entity and dimension before; this opportunity is too invaluable to pass up...for the sake of all of us in this room, and the world."
Rob finished, and quickly pointed to the room around him.
"As you can see, I've already closed the shutters and blinds to the room, they're also coated with unique magic to make them opaque and soundproof walling to accompany it; allowing us to complete this test without any interruptions."
Rob sighed as he finished this remark, as he stepped closer to the glowing orb.
"Now comes the hardest and most challenging part of this...each of you must step forth and place your hands on the orb."
The older adults, consisting of the Senicourts, Louis and Granny JoJo, along with Frankie were the first to place their hands on the orb, causing the brightness to slightly become more intense.
Next, Nicole and Richard stepped forward, along with the Watterson kids, who stayed close to their grandmother and grandfather. Nicole placed her paw onto the object first, along with providing some reassuring words to make the children more comfortable.
Finally, it was Darwin, Carrie, Penny, Gumball, and Anais' turn.
Without hesitation four of them placed their hands onto the orb, except Gumball.
Everyone stared back at him, as Gumball was in a contemplative stance still staring at the object with concern.
The blue feline soon glanced towards his family waiting on him to finally proceed.
Gumball finally looked up, ears drooped, and clashing stares with Rob.
"Rob...will this work?"
Rob looked down at the object, seeing as he was the one at the center of the group.
The Watterson family stared at the one eyed figure waiting for an answer.
"I- I don't know. But if we do not try this, everything we have ever known... will be gone forever."
That answer gave Gumball all the justification he needed to commit to the experiment.
With a little hesitation, Gumball finally placed his paw onto the object.
A low buzz and hiss soon began to emanate from the orb, and soon the floor around the office began to shake violently. Leaving everyone to take their hands away from the object in horror at what was occurring.
The Watterson kids soon let out a low shriek, causing Richard and Nicole to bring them closer to shield and comfort them.
"Shhhhh, it's okay kids! Everything is going to be okay!"
Nicole stated, as she wiped away a few of the tears Tristan and Penelope were now having stream down their cheeks.
She then turned to Rob, as her and Richard hugged each other and formed a protective huddle with the Watterson kids.
"Rob! What happened!?"
Nicole screamed, as Rob began to look around with nervous intent.
"My engineers did warn of this, but this energy vacuum is confined to this room, the best thing we can do right now is not panic and stay close together! It's going to bring us to the Void!"
Rob shouted, as Gumball perked his ears up with frustration.
"No, no, no, NO! WE CANNOT HEAD TO THE VOID, ARE YOU NUTS!? YOU REMEMBER HOW THAT PLACE ALMOST TOOK US ON MULTIPLE OCCASSIONS, AND NOW WE'RE GOING BACK THERE!?"
Rob was startled at first with Gumball's tone, but immediately retorted.
"GUMBALL! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF! THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO END THE NIGHTMARE OF THIS PLACE FOR GOOD, TO SPARE COUNTLESS LIVES FROM CEASING TO EXIST IN OUR WORLD! WE HAVE DEFEATED THIS PLACE BEFORE AND WE HAVE TO DEFEAT IT FOR ONE FINAL TIME, UNLESS YOU WANT TO WAIT FOR THE WORST CASE SCENARIO THAT I JUST MENTIONED?!"
Rob's shouting and explanation drew Gumball back to reality from his anger and frustration for a moment, leading him to let go of his aggressive stance towards his friend.
"Right...okay."
Gumball stated under his breath, as he stepped over to the direction of his family. He soon stepped towards Tristan and Penelope, as Darwin, Carrie, Penny, and Anais soon came over as well.
He knelt down in front of Tristan and Penelope.
"I'm so sorry about this kids...but we HAVE to do this, I didn't mean for any of this to happen on our vacation...but I PROMISE, ALL of us will get through this."
He then glanced towards the rest of the family with a slight smile.
"We're the Watterson family...and we have endured worse."
Everyone nodded in agreement, as Penelope and Tristan jumped into their father's arms.
Tristan still was sobbing quietly, as new tears began to form.
"Da-Dad? I-I'm scared..."
Gumball hugged both of his kids tightly, as Penny joined in the group hug.
"I know little man, me too...but stay close, and we'll get through this okay?"
Upon seeing this, the rest of the Watterson family all hugged one another, as a large bright light soon burst from the orb.
Rob saw this, and immediately looked to the family.
"EVERYONE, SHIELD YOUR EYES!"
Upon hearing this from Rob, everyone shielded their eyes, unaware of where they were about to be taken.
(If Homecoming by Hans Zimmer is compatible on your device, please press play now)
Gumball soon opened his eyes, a bright and static light soon filled his visual cortex's, as he could feel the tight grip of his son, Tristan, who was now also surveying his surroundings.
"D-Da-Dad? Where are we?"
Tristan asked, as he looked up to his father Gumball; who was still assessing the space around them.
Gumball hugged Tristan tighter, before picking up in his arms, carrying him.
"We're...in the Void little man...and it looks like we got separated from the others as well..."
Tristan soon wrapped his arms around Gumball's neck, as tears began to stream down gently. Gumball noticed this and quickly put him gently back on the ground, and knelt down to him.
"Hey, shhhhhh, it's okay little man we'll find them again I promise! Just stick close to me, and we'll be back with the rest of the family in no time."
Tristan wiped away his tears and rubbed his eyes, as he started to regain his composure.
"Will Mom and Penelope be okay? Do you think the others will make it back with us?"
Gumball gave a slight smile.
"I'm sure they will be, if I know your Mother and Sister, I pray that anything in this Void doesn't cross their path...because your Mother can be pretty scary when she's angry."
This gave a slight reassurance to the tiny blue feline, who gave a small chuckle.
"Yeah...you can say that again Dad..."
Gumball ruffled the fur on top of his son's head.
"I wouldn't underestimate us either kiddo, we have a few tricks up our sleeve as well. Just stay close to me and follow my lead, and I promise that all of this will just be another one of our crazy family adventures, okay?"
Gumball finished speaking, as the blue kitten grabbed his father's paw.
"Okay Dad..."
Gumball rose up, and began to slowly walk down the desolate streets of the Void with his son. What would they find here? Danger? Past memories? Or their fates forever sealed to be imprisoned in this vast expanse of nothingness...only time will tell."
*END OF CHAPTER*