The siblings were shopping at their local SmallMart. Porter and Lily were in the toys and games aisle, Bro and Amelia were in the electronics section, and Zaire was in the dairy aisle, searching for his favorite type of cheese when he saw something odd. Browsing the opposite side of the aisle was a cowgirl– a literal cow girl. She had two small horns, earrings, a bell around her neck, overalls, a tail and hooves for feet.
Zaire was confused. While he's seen people with animal features and met others like him, something was off about this girl. He suspected she was from another part of the island, or another island entirely. Of course, he wouldn't get answers to his questions unless he asked.
"Excuse me," he said, approaching the cow girl, "haven't we met somewhere?"
He knew she would say no, but he figured starting a conversation with that question would be less creepy than randomly asking where she was from right away.
"Can't say we have, bud. If we have, I'd remember," the cow girl responded. "Gotta say, I didn't expect to see another animal like you around here, given how I've seen nothing but humans here."
"Likewise," Zaire said. "Here in Seallium Realm, it's mostly humans and toy seals around here. At least, for Seal Island."
"You know, those should've been my second and third clues that I wasn't in Noctum no more," the cow girl stated. "Behind that ring, of course."
"Noctum?" Zaire asked. "Is that where you're from? And what ring are you talking about?"
"I was walking to the store when I saw this green swirly ring, just sitting there. I decided to walk through it and now I'm here– a place full of humans!" she answered. "And yes, Noctum is my home."
"I'm not from Noctum, but that doesn't sound like a normal thing there," Zaire said. "Speaking of which, you mind telling me more about it?"
"Sure. Noctum is full of people that look like me and you, the city's more active when the moon's out, and there hasn't been a single human in sight for years," the cow girl explained. "Tell you what– if that ring that brought me here is still there, I'll show ya' what I mean."
"Sounds like fun," he said. "By the way, name's Zaire."
"Belle," the cow girl replied, shaking his hand. "I'll be ready to head back to Noctum in a few. Just gotta grab some milk."
"A cow girl looking for milk? That sounds like the start of a bad joke," a voice said.
"Lily!" another voice hissed.
Belle and Zaire turned in the direction of the voice and saw Porter and Lily.
"How long have you been standing there?" Zaire asked.
"Long enough to hear you were going somewhere without us," Lily replied. "So, what's this... 'Noctum' you guys were going to?"
"From what I've been told, it seems like Noctum is a different world," Zaire said. "It has animals that look like me, and... yeah, you're probably never going to see me again."
"We're never gonna see you again? Why?" another voice cried.
The four looked over and saw Bro and a teary-eyed Amelia.
"Alright, what's going on here?" Bro asked, holding his sister. "What exactly did Zaire say? And... Why is there a cow in the dairy section?"
Zaire sighed and tried to explain himself. "I was joking, okay? I'm not leaving you guys. Belle here was telling me about a world that has only animals in it, and I was gonna go back to where she lives to learn more about it."
"Okay, that answers some things, but that doesn't explain why there's a cow here!" Bro exclaimed.
"Because my parents asked me to go get some milk," Belle answered, "and there ain't nothing that's gonna stop me from getting that milk!"
"You're a cow– Can't you just make it, like normal cows do?" Lily reasoned.
"It ain't that simple. I have udders, sure, but it's like they're just a decoration on my body," Belle grumbled, looking through the glass doors and grabbing a carton of almond milk. "Ah, there we go. After I pay for this, I'll be ready to head back."
The six walked to the checkout, where Belle tried to pay for her groceries and got denied.
"I'm sorry, we don't accept that kind of currency here... ma'am," the cashier said, eyeing Belle's form in confusion.
"Don't worry, Belle, we'll help you out," Lily chirped. "Bro, help her out."
While annoyed, Bro took out his wallet and paid for her groceries, mumbling about how he barely gets to spend his money on stuff he wants anymore.
"So this Noctum place doesn't have humans?" Porter asked. "Did they get wiped out or something?"
"Maybe the animals ate the humans," Lily joked.
"Goodness, no!" Belle exclaimed. "We don't know what happened to them, but we certainly never ate them! We may be animals, but we're not animals!"
"So, if we went back home with you, no one would hurt us?" Amelia asked.
"I mean, you'd draw some attention, but we wouldn't attack you on sight."
By now, Bro had finished paying for Belle's stuff, with a question in mind. "Why did you get the almond milk?" he asked.
"It's what we're used to back at home," Belle answered as they left the store. She led them out of the city and into a forest, where they found absolutely nothing but trees and other greenery.
"As much as I like nature, I'd like to know where that swirly ring was," Zaire said. "We've been walking around this forest for 20 minutes!"
"I know, and I'm sure it was around here somewhere!" Belle replied. "Oh, I hope it didn't just vanish and leave me without a way back home..."
"You know, if you do get stuck here, you could bunk up with our friend Lini," Lily suggested. "She's already got a sheep for a roommate! Why not add a cow to the mix?"
Bro was thinking of a solution to Belle's dilemma when the answer was made clearer thanks to Lily's suggestion. "That's it! Follow me!" he exclaimed.
The six retreated back to the subdivision and headed for Lini's house.
"So how is coming to Lini going to help Belle get home?" Amelia asked Bro as he knocked on the door. Immediately, Lini answered the door, surprise on her face.
"Oh! Just the people I was hoping to see!" Lini said. "I've been working on something special, and I think you're gonna like it!"
She led them inside the house and into her basement, where a computer connected to a strange archway was housed.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the Dimensional Gateway!" she announced. "With it, I can create portals to other dimensions!"
"Wow, I'm shocked!" Zaire exclaimed.
"Shocked? You didn't think it was possible to build a machine that could bridge the gap between alternate worlds?" Lini asked.
"No, I'm shocked that your house has a basement!" he answered, looking around. "Our house doesn't have one!"
"Now we know who we're turning to when there's a severe thunderstorm!" Lily added.
Bro facepalmed and sighed. "Pardon those two, Lini. You've made something amazing, but I wonder now... What gave you the idea to make something like this?"
A Few Days Ago
It was early in the morning, and Lini was making breakfast when she heard a knock on the door. When she opened it, she saw Ambrose and a boy wearing an orange sweater and glasses– exactly what she was wearing.
"Hey, Lini," Ambrose greeted. "Remember when I said I had my sights set on someone who-knows-how-long ago? Well, here he is! Lini, meet Linley. Linley, Lini," she added, gesturing between the two counterparts.
"Ambrose, when you said you took a trip to the wrong neighborhood, I thought it was just the next island over, not the next world over!" Linley exclaimed.
"Believe me, I'm just as shocked about it as much as you are," Lini said. "So Ambrose, what brings you here?"
"We were testing out Linley's new creation, the Dimensional Hopper," Ambrose answered. "With it, he can create portals to other dimensions."
"And by the looks of it, I'd say the test was a success," Linley proudly commented.
"We also wanted to give you something," she added, giving Lini a glowing green crystal. "It's what Linley used to build his generator, and we had a spare. We think you'll know what to do with it."
With those words spoken, Ambrose closed the door and left Lini to ponder what she meant. It didn't take her long to figure it out.
Back to the Present
"So the only reason you were able to make this thing was because... she showed up?" Bro asked. "I'm pretty sure you could've made this without their help."
"Maybe, but it definitely would've taken a lot longer," Lini reasoned.
Bro considered her reasoning, and despite being against it, he couldn't deny how convenient it was, given the situation. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but thanks, Ambrose," he sighed.
"So, how does this thing work?" Lily asked.
"It's quite simple– Just type the name of the world you want to go to, tap a spot on this map here, tap a spot on this other map or pull this lever to create a portal here, and you're done!" Lini explained. "I've made the controls so easy to understand, even a seal could do it."
"What if we don't know the name of the place we want to go to?" Porter asked, looking at Belle. "Not saying that's the case, but still."
"I thought that would be a concern, so I've added a dimensional search engine in the machine," Lini answered. "Bet my counterpart didn't think of something like that!"
"Wow, you thought of everything, Lini!" Amelia chirped.
"Well, not everything..." Lini coughed. "The Dimensional Gateway can't create more than one portal at a time, and for some reason, I can't create a portal from here to anywhere else in Seallium."
"To be fair, you did name it the 'Dimensional' Gateway, not the 'Anywhere-in-Seallium' Gateway," Zaire joked.
"Regardless, this is just what we needed," Bro said. "We've got a visitor from another world that we'd like to bring home. Lini, meet Belle."
"At first, I thought you were from another island," Lini admitted, shaking Belle's hand. "Could've fooled me!"
"Nah, I ain't from around here. Though if you were the one that created that swirly ring I walked through, I gotta give you my respect," Belle replied.
As the two girls continued to talk, the other five were setting up the Dimensional Gateway to take Belle home.
"N-o-c-t-u-m... pull on this lever, tap on the map, and I think we're ready to go," Bro said.
Electricity crackled around the archway until a green swirly ring began to form in front of the wall. There was no telling where it would lead specifically unless they jumped in.
"Now Bro, how do you know this portal is on solid ground and not 50 feet in the air or somewhere in the middle of the ocean?" Zaire asked.
"I don't," Bro answered, "but I trust Lini. She's probably figured out a way to make sure that kind of thing doesn't happen. Probably."
And to show how much he trusted her, he jumped through the Dimensional Gateway first, followed by Belle, who waved goodbye to Lini. One by one, the siblings went through the portal, until it was Lily and Zaire remaining.
"You're not going with us, Lini?" Lily asked.
Lini shook her head. "I'm gonna stay behind and keep an eye on what comes out of this portal," she said. "That, and I wanna make sure the Dimensional Gateway doesn't... explode."
"Wait, what? Explode?!" Zaire yelled. "Why would it–"
"Ask now, listen later! Come on, everyone's waiting for us!" Lily reminded him as she grabbed his hand and leapt into the portal.
"I swear, if something happens and we can't get back to Seallium, I won't let you hear the end of it!" Zaire warned as he was pulled in.
They landed with the others soon after, being in a forest. It wasn't just any forest– every tree in the vicinity had a door, a few windows and a number carved into the side of them. It looked like some kind of woodland apartment complex!
"Ah, good ol' Noctum," Belle sighed, looking up at the sunset. "Everyone's getting ready to start their day, too."
"Now? At nighttime?" Lily asked.
Belle chuckled. "Silly. What's nighttime to you is daytime to us Noctumites. By the way, if any of my friends ever saw how your world does things, they'd ask why everyone was out while the sun was in the sky."
At this point, several animals began to leave their houses. Fox, squirrel, bird, even deer people walked past one tree after another, looking at the siblings curiously.
"I haven't seen so many animals roaming free since the time Zaire and I went to the zoo!" Lily exclaimed.
With so many animals staring at them, Porter hid behind Amelia. "Is there anywhere that doesn't have so many animals watching us?" he asked.
"I've still got these groceries to deliver. You're welcome to follow me home," Belle offered.
"That's probably for the best," Bro responded, as the five began following her.
Seallium Realm
Meanwhile, on Kleptopolis, Zetal was on his balcony, watching Seal Island through a pair of binoculars, as usual. Brobot was also there, watching along when he started to flail erratically.
"What's wrong now, Brobot? I fixed your capacitor, there's no reason for you to be acting like this!" Zetal said.
In response, the pupils in Brobot's eyes turned into charts and graphs as he pointed in the direction of a certain subdivision.
"High energy readings... What's going on over there?" he wondered.
As he pondered what could be using so much energy, Ixin and Umbrish walked out onto the balcony to see him.
"Sir, we finished organizing those blueprints like you asked," Ixin announced, garnering no response from Zetal, who was still fixated on the graph.
"Sir...?" she repeated, stepping closer to him.
"You two! Look at this!" Zetal ordered. "I'm getting some unusual energy readings over at one house on Seal Island, and very high ones at that."
"I hate to sound like that guy, but how do we know whoever lives there didn't just leave everything on in their house?" Umbrish asked.
"Because the energy over there is the exact same energy I've used before!" Zetal explained. "And I used the last of what I had to send Bro and Zaire into another dimension!"
"You don't believe they have a similar source that uses that kind of energy, do you?" Ixin asked.
"That's exactly what I believe!" he shouted. "I want you two to go over there and find out what's using that energy!"
"Yes, sir," Ixin stated. "We'll report our findings back to you soon."
"I'm still adamant someone just left all of their appliances running at the same time, but okay," Umbrish muttered, following after her.
The two left the tower and hopped into a speedboat near the coast, sailing for Seal Island. On the way there, Umbrish had a thought. "Zetal said he sent those two siblings to another dimension with that energy."
"Yeah? What are you getting at?" Ixin asked.
"You think if we find the source, we could return to our home in Arvent City first before reporting what we found to him? I want to check on the conditions of our home... or what's left of it," he said.
"We'll see," she responded. "That all depends on how easy finding this energy source is. Then we've got to head back and await further directions."
"No half-measures this time, huh?" he sighed, watching his partner steer the boat and thinking about home.
Back at Noctum, the siblings had finally reached Belle's home, a cozy farmhouse surrounded by trees, all with fresh fruit hanging off their branches.
"Well, we're finally here!" Belle announced. "Feel free to make yourselves at home."
"You might not want to say that with Lily nearby," Porter warned, "unless you're fine with boxes of food having the wrong thing in them."
"It was just one time!" Lily protested. "I thought it was funny!"
"Dinner that day took 2 hours longer to prepare because you filled the box of breadcrumbs with rice," Bro said.
As the six stepped into the house, a taller cow woman, Belle's mother, walked into the room to greet them. "Goodness, Belle! You've been gone for an hour, and you didn't mention anything about bringing company over!" she exclaimed.
Once she noticed her company looked miles different from her or Belle, her eyes widened.
"Wait a minute... you're... humans!" she gasped. "Burt! Come over here! You're not gonna believe this, we have human visitors!"
"Bring 'em over here so I can get a good look at them!" a voice called out from another room.
With an approving nod from Belle's mother, the five walked into the living room where Burt, a burly pig man and Belle's father, was laying back in a chair watching TV. When he got a look at them, he couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh.
"Boy, I tell you, I haven't seen a human in ages!" he said. "Guess they haven't all disappeared yet."
"Actually, sir," Porter replied, "we aren't from around here. We're from... another world."
"Another world? Man, there ain't no other world besides Noctum, I tell you that!" he exclaimed, sitting up straight.
"It's true, dad!" Belle said as she and her mother also stepped into the living room. "There was this giant ring that I found while on my way to get groceries. I stepped through and found myself in a place full of humans!"
"If you still aren't convinced, just check where your daughter got her groceries from," Bro added.
"Alright, alright, I'll go and check it out," Burt mumbled, getting up from his chair and walking past the two women.
"So if you're from another world, how did y'all get here?" Belle's mother asked.
"We have a friend who's interested in making life easier for others," Amelia answered. "She had just what we needed at just the right time."
"I had a feeling Belle was from somewhere far away, but I didn't think it'd be this far away!" Zaire added.
"Well, in any case, thanks for bringing my daughter back safely," she said. "By the way, breakfast is ready. Would you like to join us?"
"As fun as that sounds," Porter said, "we weren't planning on staying here too long... Plus, we already ate breakfast in our world, and–"
"Free food? Count me in!" Lily exclaimed, running towards the kitchen.
"For goodness sake, Lily..." Bro muttered with a facepalm as he followed her. As everyone walked into the kitchen, Belle's mother asked Zaire a question. "I've never seen you anywhere in Noctum, so is it safe to assume you're with them?"
"Big time," Zaire chuckled. "These guys are my family, and as much as I think I'd fit in here, I'm gonna stick with them."
"I can understand that," she giggled. "Everyone in Noctum has someone to lean on, and I can tell your family is important to you."
"Wait, family?" Belle asked. "Not to sound rude, but none of you look related to each other..."
"Long story," the other siblings replied from the other room in unison.
Back at Seallium Realm
At this point, Lini was preparing dinner when she heard a knock on the door. Her curiosity turned to panic when she opened it and saw Ixin and Umbrish on the other side. Before she could slam the door in their faces, Umbrish blocked the door with his foot.
"You're not even gonna ask what kind of cookies we're selling?" he asked flatly.
"What do you want?" Lini asked.
"We'll cut to the chase," Ixin stated. "We've been told that this house is hiding a source of energy, an energy capable of transporting people and objects across alternate dimensions, and we're here to retrieve it."
"A-And what makes you think I know about this energy?" she stammered.
The two visitors looked at each other before forcing the door open and stepping inside.
"Now, if I were a source of dimension-hopping energy, what would I look like and where would I be?" Ixin wondered.
She looked over at Lini, who rolled her eyes in response. "Don't look at me like I know! You're not gonna find anything here!" she said.
"Oh, really? Let's see if that's the case after I start blasting," Umbrish replied, pulling out his revolvers and shooting energy bolts at paintings, vases, and furniture, some of which exploded on contact.
"Stop, stop!" Lini protested. "I... built something in the basement. It may be of interest to you."
Upon hearing this, he put up his revolvers and headed for the basement, Ixin following.
"So easy," she said, smirking.
The three went downstairs to the Dimensional Gateway, where a portal was still against the wall. To Ixin and Umbrish, this machine was exactly what they were looking for, but out of sheer curiosity, they wanted more answers.
"Where does this thing go?" Umbrish asked.
"Well, it goes to another dimension, obviously," Lini answered, tapping a random area on the computer without their knowledge.
"He meant where does it go specifically?" Ixin corrected.
"Why not look inside and check for yourself?" she said. She was trying to do everything she could think of to get them out of her house. As the two leaned in closer to the portal, she saw an opportunity.
"Do you see anything?" Ixin asked.
"From what I can see," Umbrish said, "it's just a desert in there. Is this some kind of joke? Why would you need a portal to a desert?"
Before either of them could turn around, Lini shoved them into the portal before rushing to the computer to close it off. Catching her breath, she used that time to decide her next move.
"This is bad, this is really bad... I need to tell Bro," she muttered as she pulled out her phone and began dialing.
Back at Noctum, the siblings were still enjoying their second breakfast with their new friends. As if their company wasn't odd enough, the food they ate was a bit different.
While Porter and Lily had bran cereal, the others had pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage. At least, that's what it seemed like at first...
"Uh, are you aware your dad is eating... bacon?" Porter whispered to Belle as he watched Burt eat his meal.
"They're made from plants, so you don't need to worry," Belle replied. "After all, it'd be really weird if dad was eating real bacon and sausage, wouldn't it?"
"It's a good thing she didn't pass by Mandy's earlier," Lily whispered to Porter. "That would've been awkward."
"Wendy, honey, these eggs are too hard," Burt said.
"Would you like me to make you some more?" she asked.
"I'd appreciate it."
"In the meantime, I'll eat these so they don't go to waste," Zaire said, pulling Burt's plate to him.
"I tell you boy, you could've fooled me into believing you were a Noctumite like the rest of us," he laughed. "But after seeing that brand of almond milk, you and your family have got me curious about places outside here."
"All it took was a carton of almond milk to convince you that people like us exist?" Bro questioned.
"Well now, you tell me where we can get more of this Sunshine Crop Almond Milk, what do you think about that?" he chuckled.
"Now that you've eaten, what are your plans now?" Wendy asked.
The siblings looked at each other, a silent conversation going on between them before Bro spoke up. "After helping you guys clean up, we'll head back home."
"Why don't we stay here for a little bit?" Amelia questioned. "We could stay here for a couple days and get to know the locals!"
"I don't know... I feel really out of place in a world full of animal-people. Now I know how Zaire feels anytime we're out in public back home," Porter disagreed.
"I resent that," Zaire commented.
"I mean, I don't want to impose on the locals or make them uncomfortable," Bro reasoned. "Plus, our goal was to bring Belle back home and we did that. So unless Lini closed the portal for whatever reason, we should head back to Seallium."
While he was talking, his phone rang, and on the other end was Lini.
"Hey Bro, I wanted to let you know I closed the portal," she said.
His eyes widened, and he almost shouted in front of everyone, but he managed to restrain himself and respond in a hushed but strained voice. "You what?!"
"I can explain," she continued. "Ixin and Umbrish found out about the Dimensional Gateway! I managed to lure them into the portal and close it before they did something... drastic."
"Are you saying they're here? In Noctum?"
"Don't worry, from what they said before I shoved them in, they're somewhere in the desert."
"The desert? How did– Whatever. Could you create a portal and send us back to Seallium?"
The line went silent for a moment before the sound of whirring followed by an explosion could be heard.
"Yeah, about that... Is it okay if I try that tomorrow?" Lini asked.
"Lini...?"
"Something just happened, and I'll need some time to figure out a solution," she said. "Just hang tight, okay?"
"...Fine," Bro sighed. "Just let us know when you figure out a way for us to get back home."
After hanging up, he announced the news. "Something just happened, and we're gonna be here a while."
Amelia gasped. "Does this mean we get to make new friends?"
"Does this mean you guys get to walk in my shoes?" Zaire added.
"It can mean whatever you want," Bro replied. "Point is, until I get a phone call from Lini, we're staying in Noctum, so we might as well make the most of it."
"If you're planning to check out the rest of Noctum, there's a full city past the forest we landed in," Belle said. "You should check it out while I work."
"I thought the forest was the city," Lily commented.
"Wait, you're not coming with us?" Zaire asked.
"Silly, what's night to you is daytime to me, remember?" Belle responded. "So I've got a day of work ahead of me. But I've got friends in the city who can make your stay a little easier."
"Great, more eyes to judge us," Porter groaned.
"Finally, you'll know how I feel!" Zaire cackled, playfully slapping Porter on the back.
After finishing up breakfast and helping clean up, the five said goodbye to Belle and her family before making their way through the moonlit forest. As they walked, they could hear the animals whispering amongst each other. No doubt, it was about their presence.
"These guys are acting like humans don't exist," Lily said.
Everyone else stopped and looked at her, unamused.
"No comment, Lily. No comment," Bro sighed.
A little while later, they made it to the city, which looked slightly different compared to what they were expecting. Instead of being another forest or something of the sort, it was an actual city, the skyscrapers and other buildings replacing the trees. There were no cars, instead trails leading around and to the buildings.
"This place doesn't look too different from Softener City," Amelia said. "Minus the roads, of course."
"Just the roads, huh? It's not the people giving us weird looks or the fact everyone here's an animal, right?" Porter complained.
"What do you have against us animals, huh?" a voice asked.
The five turned to see a group of well-dressed raccoon men emerging from an alley. "So, you're the humans everyone here have been talking about," one racoon, presumably the leader, chuckled.
"We just got here, how do you already know about us?" Lily grumbled.
"What can we say? Word travels fast in Noctum," another raccoon replied. "Twice as fast in Moonlife City. Something about 'humans appearing out of nowhere.'"
"And we're going to take full advantage of that," the leader added, sticking his hand out. "Give us your money."
"What?"
"Give us. Your money."
"Our money isn't even good here! Why would you want it?" Bro reasoned.
"We'll figure out a use for it," yet another raccoon answered. "Now give us your money, or else!"
The group pulled out several baseball bats to try and intimidate the siblings. Porter hid behind his sisters, but that was the only response they got.
"We're not giving you dollars, but we'll knock some 'cents' into you!" Zaire said, drawing out his katana. Without hesitation, he dashed forward and slashed the bats in half, and taking the opportunity, Bro fired several balls of light at the gang.
As the two brothers defended their family, several animals took notice from a distance, sharing expressions of wonder on their faces.
"Let's get out of here!" the leader shouted, retreating back into the alley with his group.
As for the other animals, they moved closer to the five, curiosity apparent.
"Where were these people while we were being robbed in broad moonlight?" Bro muttered to himself as he held a ball of light in his hand.
His thoughts were interrupted when he felt something grab on to him. He looked down and saw a small moth girl holding onto his leg.
"Light!" she chirped.
*To Be Continued...