Yakko felt his heart pounding against his ribs, his emotions zigzagging between confusion, sadness, and anger despite the calm appearance he was working hard to maintain for his younger sibs. He directed a cool look toward Pip, annoyed as always by the seer's unflappable calm.

"So, you planning to tell us just what we're doing here now or are we just gonna stand here till we figure it out?"

"Oh, no, of course I'll explain," Pip replied. "You can hardly be expected to figure it out, though there's clearly no issue with your mental faculties."

His dull expression unchanging as ever, he fixed his eyes on the eldest Warner and gestured toward the large statue in front of them.

"Now first, you go stand directly in front of the statue, if you would."

Yakko's brow furrowed in confusion, and felt his siblings tighten their grips on his hands.

"I don't like this," Wakko murmured.

"Me neither," Dot agreed quietly. "Do none of us really think this is probably a bad idea?"

Yakko ran the situation through his head for a moment, then sighed.

"Well, sibs, think it's safe to say we're all out of good ideas. I don't like it either, but there's not really anything else t' do."

He looked down to see both his younger siblings exchange a look, than a reluctant but clear agreement pass between them. Both released his hands with a small smile, one that Yakko recognized as a silent assurance that they had his back. Despite the heaviness in the air, the eldest Warner felt his heart lift just a little. He gave them both a reassuring smile in return before turning his attention back to the statue Pip was still pointing toward. Taking a deep breath, he walked over to stand in front of it.

A loud, metallic click seemed to echo in the still air like a gunshot, making Yakko jump. An involuntary fear shot through him, and he immediately began to turn, spurred by a wild urge to snatch his siblings and run.

"It's fine."

Pip's voice was far too dull to be very reassuring, but the sound still settled Yakko's frantic thoughts. He looked at the seer to see him nod toward the statue, and the additional sound of softer clicking sounds prompted Yakko to look as well. To his surprise, the statue's joined hands were being slowly lowered by suspending chains. In the center of those hands sat a small gold disk, as if the statue was holding it out for him to take. A simple hourglass-like design was etched in it, set with two bright blue stones. Yakko frowned as he leaned forward, examining it closer.

"Uhhh… what exactly is this?"

Pip spoke up again.

"Oh, that's your father's Guild Seal, or I suppose yours now. Been passed through his line for ages… it is the symbol given to the Heroes' order, you know. I believe it was by one of my own ancestors, in fact."

A moment passed, and Yakko glanced back at the seer to see him looking back as if he was expecting something. The older man blinked, then seemed to finally interpret the eldest Warner's confusion.

"Oh, you need to pick it up. And don't worry about dust, it's actually quite clean."

Okay… that explains pretty much nothing.

Sensing that he wasn't going to get any more out of Pip until he did that, Yakko turned back toward the Seal. Biting his lip, he reached and flexed his fingers a little before carefully picking it up. The gold was smooth and strangely warm, and to his surprise without a speck of dust.

"So, uhhh… is something supposed to happen?"

The sentence was barely out of his mouth before a harsh, hot sensation seemed to rush from the Seal into his hands and through his whole body. It wasn't painful, per se, but certainly shocking enough to make him yelp and try to drop the Seal. But his fingers stayed locked around it, as if his muscles wouldn't obey his mind. And that definitely scared him. He barely heard the alarmed cries of his siblings before light filled the room, forcing him to close his eyes.

When Yakko opened his eyes again, his jaw went slack. The inside of the mausoleum was gone, replaced by a seemingly endless white space. On instinct he whirled around to look for his siblings and almost collapsed with relief to see them standing in the same place. He even felt a little reassured to see Pip, if that was even possible.

"Oh, good," he said. "It did respond to you."

His dead calm voice, along with his casual statement, was enough to make Yakko forget any relief he felt that the seer came with them to… wherever this was. Biting down his annoyance, the eldest Warner quickly moved to Wakko and Dot as his eyes scanned them up and down.

"You guys okay?"

Both nodded, despite their stunned faces as they looked around with wide eyes.

"W-what… where…" Dot stammered, but before she could finish Wakko's soft but alarmed voice interrupted.

"Did y' drop the Seal?"

Yakko blinked, then realized he wasn't holding said Seal anymore. Despite himself, he felt a jolt of alarm as he looked around.

"What?! I don't think so, but… where'd it go?"

"Oh, you didn't drop it," Pip replied. "It just didn't come with us."

Having clearly reached the limits of her patience, Dot let out a growl as her fur bristled.

"It didn't come with us where, exactly? Or do you even know?"

The seer just blinked, completely unruffled.

"Oh, not to fear, I know."

"Of course he knows," Wakko muttered. Yakko smirked at his brother's comment, but Pip went on unruffled.

"I've been here before, you know… every Seer has. Guiding Heroes is part of our job, of course. Why, it seems just yesterday I was here with your father… he wasn't much older than you, in fact. A little more muscle, of course, though he always was a larger type…"

"Ugh," Yakko sighed, rolling his eyes. "Not this again."

"He's wasting time," Dot huffed, crossing her arms as she tapped her foot. Yakko shared the sentiment but waved a hand halfheartedly.

"Just let him get it out, sis. It'll take longer if we try t' shut him up."

Pip had been talking all through their exchange, seemingly not noticing at all, but wrapped it up right around the time they finished, making Yakko wonder if he had heard them.

"But, anyway, that's a story for another time. Strapped for time and all, you know."

He clapped his hands together, though even that was as unemotional as everything else about him.

"Now then, let's get started, shall we."

It didn't pass Yakko's notice that it wasn't a question, and clearly both of his siblings noticed too. But, like them, the eldest Warner knew they could only shrug it off. After all, it wasn't as if they had any other options.