Of Louds And Goddesses: Tidings in the Dark

Chapter 1

While it may seem like a short amount of time, four years can make a hell of a difference when it pertains to family. Especially a family as large as the Loud Family. One needed to look no further than Lincoln Loud so see how true that could be. Far from the quirky and resourceful eleven year old he'd once been, Lincoln had grown into an even craftier and more cunning fifteen year old. It was obvious at first glance that he'd benefited greatly from a growth spurt as he now stood taller than even his oldest sister Lori. He was lean with an athletic physique (built up by years of roughhousing and friendly sparring with his sisters Lynn) and his hair had grown longer to the point where it nearly reached his shoulders. Of course, as noted earlier, his mind had aged like fine wine, being more sharper and quick witted than he was as a kid.

Lincoln wasn't the only one who'd gone through changes during the last four years. His older sisters Lori, Leni, Luna, and Luan were either in their final years of college (Lori and Leni) or just starting college (Luna and Luan). All of them had grown into very beautiful young women, but due to their obligations to school, it was obvious that they couldn't spend as much time with the family as they could when they were all living in the Loud House. Full family get togethers had become much rarer occasions and as a result, every one of the Louds looked forward to and cherished the days where they could all spend time together again like the days of old.

That's what brings us to where we are today. With summer break rolling around and none of the older sisters having summer classes to attend, the time was perfect for a family vacation together. Harking back to his days of youth, Lincoln came up with the bright idea for the family to go on a week long camping trip, something that all of his sisters were onboard with. It seemed like it'd be a fun way for the family to catch up with each other through hiking, swimming, roasting marshmallows and making smores, telling scary stories around the campfire and perhaps even a good old rousing round of singing The Campfire Song song. Little did Lincoln or anyone in the family know that this one innocuous camping trip would be the catalyst for a chain of events that would change not only their lives, but the fate of the planet Earth itself, forever.

"So... Instead of heading to Dairy Land or going to the beach, you chose to go camping in the woods?" asked Lori who was driving her family to the campground instead of their mother, Rita, who was in the passenger seat taking a simple nap.

During these past few years, Lori had gone to college and left her family. While at first, she was happy that she could spend time with Bobby and build her future, she underestimated how fast she would be rushed into getting everything done quickly. One night, during a study session for their final exams, young adult hormones got the better of both Bobby and Lori and in the heat of the moment, they ended up sharing a passionate night of love together. At the time, the two thought nothing would come of it until a few weeks later, it came back that Lori was pregnant with a girl. Being the loyal and devoted boyfriend that he was, Bobby resolved to be a good father and take care of both Lori and their daughter, Elaine. From the minute she was born, Bobby worked as hard as he could to ensure that Elaine never went without. Lori and Elaine were both his princesses and he would treat them as such. When Elaine was around two, Bobby accepted a high paying job overseas so that he could better take care of his family. It was a difficult decision leaving his girlfriend and daughter behind, but Bobby was as loyal and good hearted as they come, something Lori was thankful for. The two of them figured that they had what it took to make it through this unexpected situation.

Of course, things didn't exactly play out that way. As it turned out, long distance relationships are easier to maintain when you live in the same country compared to when both of you lived halfway across the globe from each other. On top of that, Bobby started getting more caught up in his work over time rather than caring for Lori. He still provided for her, but work became his primary focus above all else. This took a strain on their relationship and eventually the two agreed to amicably split with Lori moving back to Royal Woods with Elaine.