Through Another World (MSM)

Prologue

The dry grass gently tickled Hermit's claws. Finally, he'd arrived at Shugabush island.

The young Strombonin looked around at the unusual landscape, tightly clutching his Strombone. The plants were tinted in unique autumn-esque colors, and oddly enough every part of the landscape was decorated in these weird human-world devices. They called them "shouters".
A familiar lavender Bowgart brushed against him.

"We're finally both 18, huh?"
Hermit nodded at Harebell in excitement.
"Yeah. I can't believe it,"
"There's so much ahead of us!" Harebell half-shouted in excitement. "We could travel the world as much as we please,"
"True. Come on though, Bell. No time to lose!"
I'll finally get to meet the Shugafam face-to face, he thought as the two made their way along the wooden path. I've wanted to do this for more than 10 years, huh. But mom and dad were always too scared of the Seam.
I don't even believe in the human world. Don't think it would be a problem.

"Alright, here's the plan," Hermit announced. "We go to the town and explore outside the castle. The song will happen when the sun sets, so in around 2 hours. Then we can meet the Shugafam, and that's it for the day,"
Harebell smiled and grabbed onto Hermit's hand. "You're a great planner,"

As he walked, Hermit admired the unusual environment more and more, watching the orange critters scuttle and flap between the trees.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a flash of white.
He stopped to turn and see what it was. But there was nothing there.
"Hermit? What-"
"No, no. It's nothing," Hermit said, shaking his head and trotting back over to him. "I thought I saw something. It's probably a trick of the light,"
"Oh, what was it?"
"This weird white flash. Like I said, it's nothing?"
"Sure it isn't..." Harebell turned and spun pointlessly and dramatically, spreading all four of his fluffy arms. "Seam magic?"
Hermit chuckled. "We both don't believe in it," he said. "Unless you're as superstitious as my parents,"
"Hah! Never! Your mother probably believes every single myth someone's ever told her!"
"Remember when she got me those crystals for my 13th birthday? Said it was because my Celestial was Loodvigg!"
Both monsters chuckled happily, reminiscing on childhood memories.
"That reminds me, I'm getting you something for today,"
"Wow, what is it?"
"It's a surprise! Come on now, I can see the town!"

Hermit tried to take off running in excitement, but something was pulling him back by the tail.
He looked behind himself, suddenly horrified. There was another white light, this time definitely real. It was right above him, dragging him as he floated off the ground.
"HAREBELL!"
The Bowgart snapped right around, shocked, and immediately ran to drag Hermit away from whatever that was.
"WHAT. THE. FURNOSS!" Harebell shouted as he desperately grappled at Hermit's claws, already just out of reach.
Oh no oh no oh no, he thought, feeling his tail and hind legs fall into the light.
"NO!" Harebell yelled, jumping desperately only to slip on a patch of leaves.

"HAREBELL!" Hermit shouted as he disappeared into the portal. The last thing he saw was a desperate pile of lavender fur, screaming and calling his name.

A few minutes later, he opened his eyes, splayed out on the grass with the Strombone a few inches in front of his snout.
The world around was something he'd only heard of and seen made-up-looking sketches of.
It couldn't be...
————-—————-

15 years later, in a different place...
"Bye," Gwen said in a monotone voice at the Oaktopus leaving the store. "Have a wonderful day,"
Day can't be wonderful if it's so lame and boring and exactly the same every time, she thought with a grimmance plastered across her beak.

"Well, Gwendolyn, it's 5:00 pm," said an authorarive voice from behind her. She turned to see Frazil, the Deedge who managed the store.
"That's Gwen for you, fool," she muttered angrily, saying the last word under her breath. "Well, bye,"
Frazil's face contorted into an expression of anger. "Gwendolyn, keep having the attitude of a grouchy teenager and you'll be fired, understood?"

Gwen simply muttered a few horrible curse words under her breath as she left the store, talons immediately sinking into the thick snow as it aggressively batted at her sides.

Lucky me walking out into a BLIZZARD, she thought, shaking the snow out of her frizzy green feathers.
Funny. Even after a few years back from the Collosingum, she was still re-adjusting.
But then again, almost 7 years there really changed her life.
It was GOOD there, though. They were the greatest champion there until that stupid T-Rox came.

Too bad she got kicked out.
In fact, if anyone on Cold Island knew the reason she was kicked out, they'd probably get thrown in jail.
The image was still in her mind. The vines she was controlling, growing through the T-Rox's skull, wrapping around his body as he collapsed to the ground, dead.
They shuddered at the memory, but a high-pitched voice coming from just below.
"Hey Gwen!"
She looked down to see her sister, Pandora, a brightly-coloured Tweedle with abnormally long head and tail feathers that had to be tied back in braids.
Well, techically this was her cousin. But adoptiveley, and in her heart, their sister.

You see, as a Dandidoo, with a Tweedle and a Potbelly for parents, she couldn't really have a Tweedle sister. But her aunt and uncle passed away, her parents adopted her cousin- Pandora.
"Good evening," they smiled happily. Though they were embarrassed to admit it, the sweet little Tweedle was a soft spot of hers.

"How was work today?" she asked politely.
"Same as always," Gwen responded, looking up at the already ink-dark sky.
"And you said that's bad?"
"Yeah, it sucks,"
"Think positive!" Pandora exclaimed, flapping up a few meters into the air before landing again at Gwen's other side. "It isn't as bad is it could be. Love life and be grateful for what you have,"
You tell me that so often, they thought. But I don't think it ever really gets to me, not with a job that sucks like a black hole of boredom.

"Come on," she said, taking long strides along the street. "Let's get back to the castle. We could talk and have fun there as much as we want, sis,"
As she walked, Gwen noticed a T-Rox clomping along the streets in a fluffy winter coat.

He stared right back at her with piercing, electric-blue eyes, looking directly forwards.
Something about him looked familiar.
No. Storm is dead. Besides, this one doesn't look like he was ravaged by a pickaxe.
But still, creepy.
"Pandora?" She whispered.
"What is it?"
"That T-Rox. Doesn't he look like..."
"The one you... you know the one..."
"Exactly like Storm. But without the scars,"
"Stay calm, Gwen," Pandora advised. "It's probably just a coincidence,"