When I awoke, I could tell something was off with the day. The first was the downpour that was pestering the windows of my bedroom. Gladius and Maple were actually already up (probably because of the noise), looking out at the outside world in a forlorn way. It was understandable for their reaction. Aside from those little bouts while we were at Dun Broch and Townsville, the weather over the course of our whole adventure was fairly sunny.

"Rainstorms usually last a while…" Gladius mumbled, tilting slightly so he could glance at me. "So we might me locked inside for a while."

"Luckily we have a whole room for a situation just like this", I said happily, jumping off my bed and heading towards to get my clothes picked out. "Seriously, that one place is starting to become my favourite place in all of existence."

The sword laughed as I headed into my bathroom. "Right you are, my boy. Katania really outdid herself with that 'Welcome Home' gift, huh?"

I snorted as I stepped into the shower. "Yeah, she really did. We barely knew each other for more than a few days, and we already feel like siblings."

"That is wonderful."

I smiled as I washed my body down, then dried off and changed into some comfy clothes. Not pj's, surprisingly, but rather joggers, a long-sleeve shirt and sweater. I picked out some longer socks, and already felt warmer than I was before.

"You look cosy", the sword pointed out with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I like dressing up like this during rainy weather", I spat back with a smirk. "What's it to ya'?" I walked past the chuckling sword and made my way to the door that went directly to the Rec Room. I paused and stretched my arm out so Maple could jump on and perch himself on my shoulder.

With my companions by my side, I headed into the room next door. The rain crashed on the massive windows, which gave the room a somewhat sombre feeling. But also this warmth and cosiness. I walked over and clicked on some of the lights so there was this low light that was welcoming and safe just the others all began to file in, looking groggy and tired.

The Doctor seemed especially off, as he blinked his sonic screwdriver in the air which summoned the TARDIS next to the couch. Everyone sat down, letting out exhausted sighs.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked.

"Did you not hear all the thunder last night?" Majima groaned. "I could barely sleep a wink last night!"

I shared a look with Gladdy, confusion etched on my face. "Thunder?"

"Please tell me you're joking", Ralph said in disbelief. "It sounded like a bombardment outside!"

I shrugged. "I'm a heavy sleeper. The sound of the rain was relaxing, so I slept through it all."

Everyone gave me a look of complete shock, only for all of them to stop when a low rumble of thunder came from outside.

"I haven't seen a storm like this in a while…" Hilda mumbled as she walked up to one of the windows, then leaning against the windowsill as she peered outside. "Reminds me of Victoria…"

"Definitely isn't the cause of weather spirits", Alfur said from his spot on her beret. Twig agreed by letting out a quiet whine, ears drooping and ducking down a bit when another echo of thunder sounded off.

"Well, looks like we're staying in here for the day", The Doctor said. "Which is preferable. I can't explain why, but something feels… off… about today."

Everyone sounded off mumbles of agreement. Only for us to all jump when lightning violently flashed just beyond the window. Hilda yelped in fright and darted away from the window, so I made quick work picking up the remote that operated the windows and pressed a button. The blinds and curtains closed, making the warm lighting that much safer.

"Okay, so those are staying closed until this blows over", I said. No one argued as they all relaxed after that fright.

Looking down at the remotes, I noticed one that was labelled oddly. It had a campfire at the top, which made me wonder what it was for. I picked it up and pressed the on button, and froze when I heard mechanisms turning. Everyone was looking around in confusion, only for all of us to look towards the TV when it started to rise.

The shelf the TV was on slowly transformed into two side shelves, the other shelves moving over so a fireplace could emerge from the floor. The Television itself suddenly became mounted to the wall, and the cobblestone fireplace intimated to life, basking us in its light and warmth.

Looking down at the remote, I pressed another button, and the coffee table, walls and rug surrounding the sitting area changed so they matched a log cabin at a campground. Pressing a third button, everyone sitting on the couches and armchairs cried in shock as they changed shape. All of the seating combined together into a single massive couch, with everyone sinking into the far more plush cushions.

"Holy crap…" I said in quiet awe. I looked down at the remote. "I have to thank Kat tenfold for this!"

Majima shuffled in his spot, then melted into it as he gained a blissful look. "Okay… this is nice…"

Everyone else followed suit, relaxing into the new, much more comfortable couch. "Yeah, this is something we all needed." Steve said in a relaxed whisper.

I snorted and crossed my arms. "You guys are lame. Being able to stay in during a rainstorm is awesome because we can do so much! So c'mon, I don't want you guys lazing about."

Everyone shot me a pointed look.

"Caleb, can't we just… relax?" Manolo asked. "Like… why don't we do a movie marathon or something?"

That made everyone, even me, look at him in surprise. "Wait, seriously?"

"Yeah! We're all here, the TV's in a good spot", he pointed at the screen, "And with all of these movies, why don't we watch something? Make a day out of it?"

Everyone was silent as they processed.

"It's not that bad of an idea", Maria said as she leaned into her husband. "Ever since our second day, I've been thinking of seeing more places. This is a fun way to do it."

"Actually… Yeah", Laney added. "That honestly wouldn't be that bad. So put on a movie, Caleb! Something random."

I looked over the others, and they all nodded with slight smiles. I smiled back, shaking my head and chuckling as I turned to Gladius. "Looks like this is how our day is going. While I get the movie set up-"

"I'll order us a breakfast from your room", the sword finished with a nod. I nodded back and both of us went to work. Gladius disappeared back into my room, while I headed over towards the wall of movies. Maple hopped off my shoulder and joined the others, who were all getting situated comfortably.

Scanning through the cases, I passed over dozens of movies from tons of different genres. Action, comedy, drama, horror, all of that. I was thinking of a fun movie that everyone would like to watch, and that's when my eyes landed on a certain movie in particular. The Lego Movie. It was perfect for all of us as a gateway into movie marathons.

Pulling the movie case out, and headed over towards the DVD player and got it on. "Alright, we're gonna watch a very special and fantastic movie. I'm not gonna spoil it, so don't ask what it is."

Everyone either rolled their eyes with a smile or quietly laughed as I grabbed the movie player's remote and sandwiched myself between Ralph and Maria. I clicked play just as Gladius hovered over to join us, and all together we watched the movie.

~X~

A few after the movie ended (everyone loved it), they split off to do their own things so they could stretch their legs. The Doctor was working on stuff in the TARDIS; Vanellope had dragged the other kids off towards the arcade games so she could show off her skills; the Ponds and Sanchezs remained at the couch so they could chat.

I, meanwhile, found myself back with my art supplies in the library with Corey, Laney, Flowey and Izzy. All of us were using the softer volume of the reading area to relax, with Laney practising her bass, Corey scribbling down his attempt at lyrics, Flowey was simply resting, and Izzy was reading a book while hanging upside down from a shelf.

I was sketching some of the others, each on their own piece of paper, which caught the attention of Flowey.

He watched as I did a fealty detailed sketch of him. "You missed a bit of shading there." He used a vine to point out the spot I missed.

"Ah, thanks." I quickly added some shading to the part of the petal I missed, then showed the flower his portrait.

He whistled. "Now that is impressive, Caleb. I'm impressed, and I don't get impressed by much."

I smiled at him. "Why thank you, Flowey!" I pushed some of the other sketches aside to show I was already halfway through the group, going in order of when I met them. "I'm hoping to get these coloured or something, then frame them above the door to the room. Or in the hallway. Just so you guys are always here with me in a way."

"I like your style, Caleb", Izzy said, letting the book weigh her arms down. "Drawing us so you can remember what we look like. Very clever."

I gave her a weird look. "Sure… We'll go with that. But yeah, I just wanted to show my appreciation for you guys, and art is the best way I can."

Gladius hovered up from the bottom floor and looked over my shoulder so he could see my hard work. "Very impressive, Caleb. I'm surprised you were able to do this in only a few days."

I shrugged. "I'm dedicated to my work. When I have the motivation and passion, I just become a machine."

"I wish I had your confidence, dude…" Corey mumbled. He sighed and set his appearance of half finished lyrics down. "Even after everything, I still can't come up with something!"

I gave the singer a sad look. "The Peaceville 100th anniversary really got to you, huh?"

"Not just that", he began sadly. "But, after we all spent the night and morning watching our own stuff, seeing how often I pushed Trina to write in her diary when… when yeah, she used to be a great big sis, it just got to me thinking."

"Core, it's okay", Laney said reassuringly. "A lot of songwriters have trouble writing songs. You'll figure something out."

"Usually, when writing for songs…" I said with a thoughtful look. "You should try and think of your past experiences. How you felt during them so you can have the emotion and tone of the song. And always write with your heart, not mind."

Corey looked at me with a sad look, which slowly shifted to one of thought, then into one of realisation. "I know what to write!" He quickly grabbed his paper and pen again, and started to scribble down onto it. His eyes burned with this vigour and passion I hadn't seen in him ever.

Laney walked up next to me and shot me a grateful look. "Caleb, I don't know what you did, but I think you finally made something spark in Corey's brain!"

I shrugged. "Just offering my help. But remember", I said that a little louder so Corey could hear me, "You always need to be motivated and have the passion to write. If you force yourself when the spark isn't there, you'll hit a block and burn out."

"Noted, dude!" Corey said, quickly flashing me a thumbs up without stopping his songwriting.

Izzy snorted and Flowey let loose with his iconic laugh. I smiled and turned so I could return to my work.

But all of that stopped when I heard the Rec Room's front door slam open, and Jeremy frantically calling my name.

All of us stopped what we were doing, shared confused looks, and headed over to the balcony.leaning over the railing, I saw Jeremy look around frantically as everyone else down below gave him weird looks.

"Jeremy!" I called out. He looked up at me, and the panic in his face instantly washed away into relief. "What's going on? Why are you so freaked out?"

He remained silent, although Kat came rushing into the room shortly after and looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

"Caleb! Oh my gosh I'm so glad you're here!" She cried, tears sparkling in her eyes.

I shared a look with Gladius , and then looked back at her. "Uhhhhh… yeah? I've been here all day. Because of the storm, we all decided to spend the day here. Why, did something happen? Was there an explosion and you two thought I was in it?"

Jeremy shook his head frantically. "No, not that. But it might as well have been with how Rainbow and Darkness reacted."

That made the rest of us all share worried looks. The Doctor and Zomboss fully stepped out of the TARDIS, with even the Time Machine seemingly concerned based on the sounds it emitted.

"Jer, what happened?" Ralph asked carefully.

The guard cleared his throat as Gladius carried me to the bottom floor. "For the rest of the day, all of you are under lockdown in this hallway and the connected rooms. You are not allowed to go anywhere else in the castle."

"Okay, seriously, what is happening?!" Majima roared in confusion as we all now stood at attention. As soon as I landed, Katania swept me into a hug, which only made me worry more.

Jeremy hesitated to answer.

"Jeremy, this is serious", Galacta said, patience clearly wearing thin. "What is happening that is forcing us to remain here?"

"The Council called for an emergency meeting."

I physically felt my heart stop for a moment as the room suddenly chilled.

"The Council…" Gladius began in breathless shock. "Why would the Council ask for another emergency meeting? They already had one two months ago! What reason as to why would they need another-"

Everything fell silent just then, and slowly everyone looked at me in horror. I gulped and shrunk under the attention, but luckily Gladius took control of the situation.

"No, Caleb is not going there. After what he told me happened last time, you can forget it!"

"That's why I came here looking for him", Jeremy said calmly. "To make sure he was still here. Rainbow's stationed guards at the ends of the hall, so none of the Council go snooping."

That made everyone relax a bit. "So we're good then? Okay. That's… reassuring…" Maria subconsciously walked over to me, holding me close as if I was going to be ripped away. Made it a bit difficult as Katania was still hugging me.

"Mostly. This call for an emergency meeting was so sudden, and has Rainbow, Virus and the twins extremely high strung. They told me, personally, that you all have to try and keep Caleb nearby at all times. Thanos has been especially bad, as troops in the city have seen him wander around the two months you were gone kid." He gestured to me.

"Probably trying to fish up something or a bust Caleb", Barranco spat bitterly.

"Don't worry Jeremy", Blossom said determinedly. "We'll keep Caleb safe, no matter what."

"Thank you", Jeremy said gratefully.

Dry Bowser pushed past him and peered into the hallway. "When are all these 'Council members' showing up?" He asked.

"Soon…" Jeremy said in a foreboding tone. Something buzzed within his armour. "Shit, no, I meant now." He made a move to leave the room, the skeletal turtle stepping aside so he could leave. "Kat will be staying with you guys, because I don't want her dragged into this."

"Be careful dad", Katania said in a worried tone.

The man nodded and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Zomboss called out. We all looked at him, and he had this contemplative expression. With a sigh, he spoke. "I'd like to see these… Council members… for myself."

"WHAT?!?!" Everyone but myself screamed in shock.

"ZOMBOSS", Amy said darkly through clenched teeth. "ARE YOU CRAZY? Caleb's told us how bad these people are, and you want to see them?!"

"Not go up and meet them directly!" The zombie roared back. "I mean more… peek around a corner and see them walk by."

"Still, that's a stupid idea", Gretchen spat. "We should just stay here."

"Actually…" I spoke up quietly, making everyone look at me in surprise. "I just… I want to see how bad it is. Gladius has told me during our adventure that usually the whole Council doesn't always show up for these meetings, so maybe it won't be that bad."

Jeremy actually looked split. "That is true. Thanos was the only one to contact about the meeting, so maybe he'll only do this one on four…"

Rory nervously gulped. "Are we really doing this? Like, really?"

Everyone shared nervous looks, then looked back at Jeremy when he buzzed again. From his armour he pulled out a small device, and looked down at it.

"They're here…" He said in a foreboding tone.

I sighed, taking Katania's hand and walked forward. "Let's just do this, then head back here. I… I don't want to face them if it's about me."

Everyone nodded, and Jeremy, despite looking rather reluctant, led us out of the room and down the hall. We turned down the way towards the meeting room, and as we got closer, I became more tense. The more visible it became, more and more of the group would slide up next to me in reassurance.

Lightning flashed and thunder boomed outside as we walked along the wall length window, making the mood all the more tense. When we reached another left and right turn, Jeremy held up a finger as a sign for us to stop. We all hung back as he walked forward, opened a small panel at the corner of the wall, and stuck a special key in it.

From the ceiling, a clear glass panel lowered and sealed us off from the hall we were perpendicular to. Jeremy then dimmed the lights with our hall.

"One-way mirror", he explained as he pointed at the glass wall. "It works, as during Council meetings we usually have most of the castle lights off."

We all nodded, only to lock up when we heard it.

Many, many approaching footsteps.

We all fanned out and watched with widened eyes as the Council walked past us. Because I was so new and very freaked out during the one meeting I was at, I failed to realise how many members there really were.

The blue fire Hades, Dr.Strange, Aku, Bill, Arceus and so many more I recognized.

Star and Marco gasped at the sight of the four members of the Magic High Commission.

Manolo and Maria shared a wide-eyed glance as La Meurte, Xibalba and Candlemaker walked past.

Buttercup was held back by her sisters when she spotted Him flamboyantly walking past as he talked with Cuphead's interpretation of the Devil.

Most of the group paled at the towering forms of Yellow, Blue and White Diamond.

Dr.Fate hovered past, glancing at what looked to be the president of Gallifrey. The sight of that robed man made The Doctor nearly faint, which made the Ponds check over him in concern.

Most of the company mascots, like Mickey, SpongeBob and Mario were grouped up, looking somewhat uncomfortable with the tension.

And then there was Thanos. The mad titan walked by with the living embodiment of tyranny, Darkseid, right next to him. He had a dark look on his face, which made me very nervous about what thoughts could be bouncing within his head.

We all watched the council members disappear into their main meeting room, tension still high even when the door closed.

"Okay, that was a lot of people…" McGee whispered.

I squeaked and took a few steps back. "Okay, yeah, no, we are done here." I held Katania's hand tightly as I began to head back towards the Rec Room. "I am locking myself in there and not leaving for a week. Not until I know all of them are gone."

The others all followed after me as Jeremy raised the glass pane and headed towards the Council room.

"How many people did we know were there?" Marco asked in disbelief. "Because that was crazy! All of those people here, and why? Just because someone was paranoid."

"Who was Thanos in that crowd, Caleb?" Jenny asked.

"The big guy with the purple skin and golden gauntlet", I said quickly, voice strained. Maple, who was on my shoulder for the whole walk, nuzzled my cheek in reassurance.

"That guy? What makes him so special?" Dave asked.

"That glove gives him control over basically everything", I explained. "Like the ability to wipe out half of the universe's sentient population."

The others sans Katania and Gladius looked faint at the thought, eyes widening as much as they could and all the colour draining from their faces.

"Yeah, let's just go", Izzy said, running ahead of the group at full speed. The rest of us didn't need to be told twice, as we all sprinted as far away from the Council room as possible.

All as the storm outside showed no signs of letting up.

~X~

A few hours had passed since we were told about the emergency Council meeting, and even still we were all on edge. Every so often, one of the castle guards would come by and let us know the meeting was still happening, each time filling me with more and more dread.

I was laying next to Maria on the couch, reading a book in an attempt to take my mind off things. Everyone else was similarly trying their best to keep themselves busy and distracted, but it was clear the tension still had a stranglehold on them all.

And then Jeremy walked in.

We all looked at him silently, his conflicted face looking at me and me alone.

I gulped. "Something going on, Jeremy."

"The meeting is going in circles…" He mumbled. "They… They want you there, kid. They want to interrogate you."

A suffocating silence filled the room as everyone looked between me and the guard.

"Dad, what do you mean?" Katania asked, a fearful tone growing in her voice.

"The Council all want to ask you a few questions", Jeremy said sadly. "Thanos egged them all on, and Rainbow tried to put her foot down, but they won't stop."

"Caleb is not going", Gladius said fiercely. "That won't be happening."

"Yeah, no, the kid is staying here", Ralph said firmly.

"If you think that's all okay then you're crazy!" Jenny screamed.

"Jeremy, I'm sorry, but that is not happening", Steve spat.

"Dad, please, you can't let this slide!" Katania pleaded. "They'll rip Caleb apart!"

"Everyone, please, this wasn't my call!" Jeremy raised his hands defensively. "The Council can be super bad when it comes to this sort of stuff, and if we don't give them what we want, they can get violent. At least… this new one can."

"It makes me question Lightness and Darkness' logic to change things up all those decades ago…" Gladius mumbled dejectedly.

Soon, the entire room had exploded into several angry voices, with nearly everyone shouting or pleading at Jeremy that there had to be another way. He said there wasn't, and I could tell from Katania's distressed face he wasn't lying. So, as the anger and desperation reached its peak, I stood up, took a deep breath…

Then shouted the loudest I ever had before.

"EVERYONE SHUT THE HELL UP!!!"

Silence once again fell over the room as everyone looked at me in shock. I took another deep breath and walked over to Jeremy. "Let's get this over with."

Everyone began to voice their complaints, but I spun around and gave them all a pointed look. "Guys, please! I'm terrified, yes, but I don't want these guys losing their tempers. Most of you know how bad some of them can be." Most of my friends that lived in the same worlds as Council members winced. "So please, I need to do this."

Maria stood up from the couch and walked over. She brought me into a tight hug, and I could feel her heart beating a bit faster than usual.

"Then we're tagging along." Jeremy opened his mouth to counter, but Maria shot him down quickly. "Not going inside! We know that's too dangerous. But we will be right outside. We are always here for you, Caleb. Got that?"

I looked up at her and nodded, then turned to Jeremy when she released me from the hug. "Let's do this Jeremy."

The man gave everyone a look, swallowed, then nodded. He led me out of the room, and I heard the others follow behind a distance away.

As we headed down the hallway, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

I could do this.

~X~

And thus ends the 'Back To The Capital' Arc. Yes, this whole time chapter 80 to this one was all one arc. Made you think I was done with arcs, huh?

But seriously, this is the start of the emotional climax of the story. The next arc will be heavy, so be prepared to have your heart toyed with (at least, I hope so. I still feel like this might fumble the mark).

Hopefully you are all ready…

Up next: The first round of questioning begins, with many Council members having chances to ask Caleb questions to hopefully elevate the paranoia in their minds…

~Caleb~