Wakko could feel his heart pounding against his ribs as he stared at the building in front of him… and not just any building. Even people who had never been to Acme Falls knew about the mausoleum where Warnerstock's former rulers rested, and in the official version, each of their children.

"Now, if you'll please follow me."

Wakko started at Pip's sudden statement and looked to see the short seer moving forward with his usual calm, measured pace. The fact that the guy somehow managed to sound respectful without altering his deadpan tone was the only thing that made the middle sibling swallow his irritation and follow, but he did hear Dot let out an angry huff she apparently couldn't suppress.

Yakko was strangely silent, his face haunted in a way Wakko had only seen once, but he took his younger brother's hand in the same firm yet gentle grip as he held their sister's. It seemed to say, 'Nothing's happening to you while I'm here.' Wakko felt a familiar sense of comfort ease the maelstrom of emotions; even without words, his big brother found ways to make him feel safe.

Silent tension continued to strain the air as the group crossed the small courtyard, and Wakko felt his heart pound harder as they approached the tall doors. But his apprehension turned to slight surprise when the seer suddenly turned off the main path, heading toward the side of the building. He felt Yakko's grip on his hand tighten just a little, similar tension in his voice.

"Say, Pip, uhhhh… what're you doing?"

Pip never broke his stride but give what was clearly meant to be a reassuring wave that still fell flat.

"Oh, no need to worry."

"No need to worry?" Dot's voice was noticeably rough, but there was still no disguising her irritated outrage. "You dragged us here, to the middle of Acme Falls, where our parents are… and you say we don't have to…"

"Dot." Yakko's voice was surprisingly calm, firm but gentle. "It's okay, sis. We're all here, and we'll be fine."

"He's right," Pip replied. "Salazar doesn't send soldiers here. Makes for bad PR, you know. He manages to have some sense even if he's hardly the most pragmatic when he gets desperate, as a good deal of people tend to be. Stress has the most undesirable effects on the mind, of course. I had a cousin who nearly went crazy once, the breakdown alone had him raving for near a week…"

Wakko gritted his teeth; he just managed to stifle the growl that escaped, but Pip clearly heard it. He immediately broke off his story and stepped up to the wall, changing the subject without a hitch.

"But we're safe enough here, and we won't be out in the open long."

That statement made Wakko frown in confusion. They were clearly not going in the door, and the wall Pip was facing had no defining features. But before he could ask any questions, the Seer placed a hand on one section of the smoothly polished wall. When he pressed on it, the tile clicked inward just a little. The faint sound of stone on stone followed, and all three siblings turned to see the statue in the small plaza sliding aside to reveal an opening. The first few steps of a staircase were visible, heading down under the plaza. Wakko's mouth fell open, but Pip simply strode toward it as if he'd opened the door to his house.

"Follow me," he said again. "It'll be a little dark at first, so watch your step, but there's no need for concern. It'll all be pretty straightforward."

Wakko glanced at his brother only to see he looked just as confused.

"Hidden staircase heading underground," he said, then let out a sigh. "Why not."

Dot looked at him too, her face both skeptical and uneasy.

"Is this really a good idea?"

Wakko felt his throat tighten again when he heard her voice quivering, and Yakko gave her a small, sad smile.

"I don't know about good, sister sibling, but it's the only one we've got right now."

When his sister's eyes moved to him, Wakko managed a slight smile of his own and shrugged. He could see her swallow back the threatening tears before taking a deep breath and setting her face in a look of resigned determination.

"Okay then. Let's do this."

The swell of pride for his little sister was all the middle sibling needed to push down his own fear and nod. He felt Yakko give his hand a reassuring squeeze before all three siblings followed Pip to the stairs and headed down.

The light began to grow fainter as the group descended, and for some reason Wakko felt his heart start beating a little faster. He'd never really been scared of the dark, but something about it seemed to set his nerves on edge lately. He was able to push it back without much trouble though; even though everything about Pip made him want to grind his teeth to the roots, he somehow knew they could trust the guy when he said there was nothing to worry about now.

Just then, the sound of statue sliding back into place reached the middle sibling's ears, but before he could voice his anxiety the seer snapped his fingers. Wakko's fear quickly turned to surprise when several round sconces flared to life on the walls. The light inside was a warm gold, and Wakko wasn't sure they were flames since instead of flickering they seemed to just hover and glow.

"Should we… ask what's going on?" he whispered.

His siblings clearly shared his confusion, but Pip just kept going as if they were taking a stroll in the park. Yakko shook his head and shrugged.

"Don't think he'll give us a straight answer anyway, Wak. Better just roll with it."

Dot let out a sigh, but rather than sounding annoyed, she just sounded tired and sad.

"Roll with it… sure."

Wakko directed a concerned look at his sister, and Yakko rubbed her shoulder soothingly. She took a quiet breath, visibly composing herself, and gave them both a smile.

"It's okay, guys. I'm fine."

Pip's deadpan voice interrupted from ahead.

"Watch your step here."

The siblings looked to see they were at the bottom of the stairway. After a brief walk through a short, narrow corridor, they entered a wider space. Smooth, elegant columns rose to the high ceiling, and larger sconces like the ones on the walls were evenly spaced across the floor. Pip continued across the chamber, his footsteps on the marble floor echoing. Wakko could tell his siblings were as reluctant as him to follow the seer, but there wasn't much other choice. Then he saw where they were heading, and his heart sank as his ears and tail drooped.

Two large stone sarcophagi stood at the head of the chamber, carved with simple yet elegant designs. He felt his older brother's grip on his hand tighten as he gave a quiet, sharp inhale. A quiet sound that seemed like a cross between a growl and a sob escaped his sister, and Wakko felt a surge of protective anger toward them. But before he could voice his outrage, Pip spoke up again.

"My apologies for the upsetting circumstances, but I'm afraid this is necessary. Please follow me, I'll explain in a moment."

The middle sibling blinked, surprised by the sudden condolence. But Pip simply headed between the two stone structures, where four columns stood with a large sculpture of an angel stood. The face was carved with a solemn yet benevolent expression, hands resting on its chest. Wakko felt a sense of awe, yet he couldn't suppress the slightest twinge of nervousness.

"I don't know about this," he murmured. At a gentle squeeze on his hand, he looked up to see his brother giving him one of those reassuring smiles that he'd seen so many times over the years.

"It's okay, little bro. We're all here, n' we'll get through this together. Promise."

As always, the middle sibling felt the words soothe him. He wasn't naïve enough to think his brother was always right, but he did know if he believed they could do anything, that was enough to make him want to try.

Last story update of the year! A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all readers!