“This dimension is called Kaleido…” Tribez floats towards the stone arch in front of them, an invisible gate opens to reveal an elaborate city and palace behind it. “…And that palace would have been your home if Circuit-breaker had not come into existence.” Tribez turns to Mico and Aarón whose faces are filled with confusion and awe. “There is obviously much explaining for me to do. You two will no doubt be overwhelmed, but there is someone here that I think will make this whole situation more bearable. I think you will all be good friends.” Tribez looks at Aarón. “Aarón, I already know that you are not as shocked as Mico is, but there is so much you don’t know about what and who you are outside of being a human on Earth. Come with me.” Tribez lowers to the ground and leads them through the gates. The city is eerily quiet, save for a few colorful and strange people who look like Tribez. They reach the main doors. Two guards open them with a bow. Aarón can sense them looking at him and Mico, but mostly at him.

“I can’t believe it…” a new voice echoes. Aarón looks up to the top of the main grand staircase. At the top is a chubby, brightly colored man with an elaborate vase for a head. “Father, it really is him, and his nephew too.” The vase headed man swiftly descends the stairs, heading straight towards them. He stops a foot in front of Aarón and Mico, looking both of them up and down as if he couldn’t quite tell if they were real or not. “Aarón , My name is Vaz. We… I met you right after you were born and I’m so sorry about everything that happened to both of you.” He bows his head down. Despite the lack of a face, Aarón can still sense the sadness coming from Vaz. “Let’s sit down, there’s so much to explain, and this entire situation must be exhausting. Not to mention that you’re in an entirely different dimension, a situation which I know is pure fiction in your world.”

The two are led by Tribez and Vaz to a room on the left filled with lavish furniture. Mico immediately leaps onto a big couch, sinking into it with a happy sigh. Aarón joins his nephew, then looks at Tribez and Vaz expectantly. He is relieved. Perhaps there would be some answers about what he is, and yet he is also scared. What if Mico sees me differently? What if something is wrong with me? “First, we will start with your biggest question. What are you? And who are your parents?” Vaz sighs, gathering his thoughts.

“Many years ago in her late teen years, your mother ran away from her home on earth and out into the woods one stormy night. Her home was not a good place.” Images flash in Aarón ‘s mind. A beautiful girl with curly hair being hit by a man, and then the blurred sight of a forest in the rain. “…Her mother had told her to run, and so she did. She found a place deep in the woods, an area where many emotional events had occurred over the centuries. And the energy from those ancient emotions along with her own desperate wishes of a better place were enough to open a gateway to here.” Aarón sees the girl, his mother, crying. A ball of light forms in front of her, turning into a gateway. She walks through.

“My mother, what was her name? Aarón asks, blinking. “Scarlet.” Tribez answers. “Scarlet.” Aarón repeats in a hushed tone. Tribez continues where their father had left off. “Humans have appeared here since ancient times in the same way as your mother, usually by accident or situations like hers. The majority decide to stay in the various dimensions they end up in, or move from place to place.” Mico looks up from picking at a string on the couch. “Did Tribez use energy of their own or the emotional energy from the mall to make the gateway?” Vaz nods. “Yes, you are a smart kid.” Vaz chuckles. Aarón smiles a little, but feels sad. An event like what happened must have left tons of negative energy and emotion… “Anyway.” Vaz picks back up.

“Years went by, the king of Kaleido at that time, Hobeara, took a liking to her whenever he saw her at the market. That king was your father, a descendant of the first Kaleidian’s and part of the powerful race known as the Katian’s. They were happily married for many years, but then evil arose from our neighboring dimension of Newon. Circuit-Breaker, along with other threats such as the Darkness, came out of hiding, and your biological parents along with a good portion of the Katian race were either killed off or kidnapped. Your mother decided to send you to hide with a random family on earth until you were ready to learn of your power and real identity. Circuit-Breaker then found his way to Earth for the first time decades later, and he is the one who killed Juan and Rosanna Melisandré.

Aarón‘s heart drops. He clutches his head, claws slightly digging into his scalp. He had just been face to face with the thing that killed his brother, and that same monster had tried killing him just an hour earlier. “That thing killed my uncle’s biological mom and dad, and my own dad and mom? And he is specifically targeting my uncle?” Mico asks shakily. Tribez and Vaz bow their heads. “I tried to get there and stop him, but I was too late.” Tribez explains. “I am so sorry, I am seen as one of the most powerful protectors in the multiverse, but I failed. I brought you here because I, or rather the multiverse, needs your help. But now I am afraid that you don’t want to-” Aarón looks up, teeth bared in a snarl. “I’ll do anything to help, I want to find that monster and-” Aarón lets out a growl and slashes his claws through the arm of the couch. “I want to make him hurt how much I’ve hurt.” He feels Instinct attempt to come out as his anger surged. However tears begin to stream down his face as the anger is replaced by sadness. “I want my brother back. I want Mico to have his father and mother back…” Aarón collapses onto another couch.

Mico gets up and hugs his uncle tightly. “I want my dad and mom back, too…” Vaz looks at Tribez, an understanding passing between them. “Aarón , we have one of your siblings here, they’re right outside the door. Would you like to meet them?” Aarón sniffs and wipes his eyes. “Okay…” Vaz turns to the door. “Bluebell, You may come in now!” The door opens, and the sound of small bells fills the air. A lanky yet small child-like figure dressed from head to toe in blue walks in, A mask covering their face. “This is Bluebell, as you can probably already guess.” Bluebell’s white eyes look happy, their demeanor innocent. Bluebell walks up to Aarón and Mico, their small cape flowing behind them. “Brother?” Their voice is a soft and light whisper, like sunbeams. Tiny silver claws appear on their fingers as they grab Aarón ‘s hand, examining his blue ones. Vaz chuckles softly. “Bluebell was born without a physical body, as nothing but consciousness, or a spirit if you will. They can understand complicated concepts and communicate intelligently, yet they are still very much a child.” Bluebell climbs onto the couch beside Aarón , looking at his scars. “Who hurt you?” They ask. Aarón tenses up. “You did some yourself, the one on your neck…” Bluebell’s eyes grow sad. Aarón‘s stripes start glowing as Bluebell puts a clawed hand on his arm, a calm washing over him. Tribez clears their throat. “Aarón , I must speak with you further in private, your nephew and Bluebell will be escorted to the palace garden, they will be in safe hands there.”

Mico looks back at his uncle as Bluebell leads him by the hand out of the room, Vaz close behind. The door closes, and Tribez turns to Aarón . “Circuit-Breaker had reasons for wanting to capture your kind.” Tribez jumps right back into their lecture. “The Katians get their power directly from the god they worship, The Scared Sun, and so Katians are one of the most powerful magical beings in the multiverse. One can only imagine what a person who has great evil in their heart could do with the power of thousands of Katians combined. Circuit-Breaker has catastrophic plans involving an ancient machine in the depths of Newon, the Mortal Engine, that can grant one power beyond measure, perhaps even the power of a god using mortal souls. Someone like myself can no longer do this alone. I need someone as powerful as me to fight by my side, someone like you.” Tribez starts pacing. “You, just like me, have ancient magic inside of you, power that can be properly unleashed now that you are here in the multiverse.”

Aarón’s eyes glow as he processes everything. He is now more interested than anything else. “When you dissociate, what does it feel like? Where does your mind go?” Aarón pauses. “It feels like I’m falling, and I’m in a dark void. “I see, now give in to that feeling, but picture yourself gathering energy as you fall. Close your eyes.” Aarón closes his eyes, just talking about dissociating is making it happen. “Gather the energy, Tribez’s voice grows distant. Aarón does as told, imagining energy flowing around him, building. He starts glowing again, brighter than ever before. “Open your eyes, hold that energy.” He opens his eyes. Everything around Aarón seems to be in sharper focus. “Now, direct the energy towards that candle. Do it slowly.” Aarón forces himself to focus on only the candle, imagining tendrils of energy snaking towards it. He nearly loses focus as smoke starts to emanate from the wick. He manages to focus a little bit more until a small flame appears before relaxing. “I am impressed, you passed one of the first basic tests we give everyone capable of using magic.” Aarón ducks his head shyly and smiles, slightly proud of himself. Weird things had happened around Aarón when he was a kid. The most notable and frightening incident had been when Aarón had gotten angry while being made to do math homework at home. The papers in front of him had abruptly started smoking before quickly turning to ash. His parents were naturally confused and a bit worried, but never spoke of that incident again and had made sure that he was excused from all future math homework after learning that Aarón has Dyscalculia and is autistic along with having other major learning and developmental disabilities.

“Back to what I was saying before, The multiverse needs you, and also the help of others within it. I didn’t intend for us to meet like this so suddenly, and I hoped that we would at least have a year of proper training together. I also never wanted to drag any of your loved ones into this, however I can assure you that Mico will be safe here at the palace. After tomorrow night, we must depart to Redrock city immediately for others to join us. And then after that, We head through a gateway to Newon seeing as the source of this whole problem comes from there.” Tribez explains. Aarón’s mind starts racing. “I mean, I know how to box and have a black belt in karate and stuff, but all I can do magic wise right now is light a candle.” Aarón quickly says. “There will be many opportunities for you to build upon your already established skills, and we have all day tomorrow.” Tribez reassures him. “And you learn best through actually doing things rather than listening, am I right?” Aarón raises an eyebrow. “Yes, but how do you know so much about me anyway?”

“I have been keeping watch over you since you were a child. But I could not interfere, even when things got bad for you back then. I am sorry…” Tribez looks away, rubbing the back of their square head. “No, stop blaming yourself. None of this was your fault, some things are out of your control. Almost every story I’ve read says even the most powerful magic can’t fix everything.” Tribez looks up. “I guess I forget that sometimes. Again, I am one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse, and I always feel like I can’t fail. And when I do I feel like everything is my fault.” They sigh deeply. “You’ve never admitted this to anyone before, have you?” Tribez’s shoulders droop. “I have not, but now at least one person knows. We have a place in the garden dome set up for you and Mico to stay in. I will take you to the garden now but you may explore more if you want, this is your home after all.” Aarón follows Tribez out of the room, feeling like he could fall asleep at any moment.

The silence begins to feel awkward, then a thought occurs to Aarón . “Do I have any other special abilities? And what are the different kinds of magic?” Tribez perks up. “Yes, and the first magics you will learn are based around the four basic elements, fire, water, earth, and wind. Fire is one of the most dangerous things for beginners, but I knew you could handle it.” They pause. “I can still sense fire magic flowing through you now, I always have. I think that will be one of the types of magic you will excel at, I also can feel that you are always filled with creativity and many thoughts.” Aarón smiles shyly. “And then there is more miscellaneous and advanced magic. As for your biological abilities, you have venom glands in your mouth along with the obvious defenses, and superhuman strength. You can also grow fur quickly in cold climates.”

“I knew about the strength part, I could lift one hundred pounds at five years old, and now I can lift a little over five hundred. And as for the fur? My parents thought it was due to some hormonal imbalance and that I just had really long hair. It always starts growing in the winter in a matter of days, and I get embarrassed and shave it all off.” He explains. “You may shave your fur off as you please, but I think it is important for you to know that Katians view their fur, especially their manes, with great pride.” Tribez explains. “I see. And what about my instinctive side? What sort of habits are normal and come from being Katian?” Tribez stops walking, Aarón nearly bumping into them. “You act in a way that is not normal for a human quite obviously at times, am I wrong?” Aarón pauses. “I mean, well yes, yes I do.” “Well, what happens when that gets to be overwhelming?” Aarón frowns. “I black out, or sometimes I feel like I’m watching myself at a distance. It’s like I become something other than human, and sometimes I can feel this entity of me trying to communicate with me. I call them ‘Instinct’…” Aarón ‘s face grows troubled. He had never told anyone about his strange experiences before. Tribez raises their hands, a clear box appearing around Aarón. “Do not be alarmed, I will now attempt to trigger ‘Instinct’ out. Do not try holding it back.” A few moments pass, and then Aarón sniffs the air, the sharp smell of blood filling his nose. His senses sharpen even more, his hair standing on end. Don’t hold them back, okay…

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The room around him grows blurry, and then dark. Tribez watches as Aarón’s body shudders before his head snaps up. Instinct’s lips draw back as they snarl at Tribez and begin to pace. “Can you hear me?” Tribez holds their ground as Instinct abruptly slams into the invisible wall, clawing and tearing at it violently. They roar and growl, venom dripping out of their mouth. “You can not get me, I am not your enemy, nor am I afraid of you. Do you understand what I am saying?” Instinct hisses, pacing, but there is now an understanding and intelligent look in his eyes. “I have a feeling that you cannot speak properly, but can you communicate with thoughts and feelings?” A feeling of annoyance immediately shoves its way into Tribez’s mind. “I feel that you do not want to be out at this time and refuse to cooperate. You may go.”

Aarón blinks and stands up, the box disappearing. “Instinct would not cooperate, and he seems to be extremely defensive of you.” Aarón frowns. “Why only me? You must know that he has acted aggressively towards my nephew a few times. It’s very alarming.” Tribez tilts their head to the side. “Yes… I am aware of that. It is troubling why they seem to want to attack him, but this part of you is not evil. For example, A tiger who hunts for prey and protects its young is not evil, it is acting instinctively and for survival.” They continue walking. “I have worked with top psychiatrists and scientists from other dimensions, and we have come to the conclusion that you have a dissociative disorder that is somewhat like Dissociative Identity Disorder in nature. Instinct is a dissociated part of you, and you can only act on instinct to a certain point before they come out. We are not exactly sure what is the cause of it yet.” They explain. “I see.”

A disturbing thought crosses his mind “If this isn’t too dark, uh, do regular Katians hunt humans?” He braces himself for the answer. “They did, but usually only if they entered their territory or threatened their kits. Humans and the Katians have a long and very messy history with each other.” Tribez goes on to explain that when the first humans arrived in Kaleido, they saw Katians as lesser than them. They treated Katians as savage yet beautiful exotic animals that needed to be trained and controlled. Katian kits were stolen from their tribes, some became part of traveling circuses or fighting attractions, and others, mostly white Katians, became pets for the rich. The rest became slaves, and they underwent painful and inhumane surgeries to have their Katian features removed. “It has only been a little over two centuries since all of that was made illegal. Katians very much have generational trauma and still face bigotry in every known dimension.” They finish. Aarón’s face grows troubled. “It’s infuriating, it’s exactly the same bullshit white colonists did to the first peoples on Earth, especially with the African slave trade and Native Americans. And worst of all, schools in the American South are banning Black and Indigenous history, the country is slowly becoming a fascist hell hole.” Aarón frowns.

“How long does the average Katian live anyway?” They finally enter the courtyard. “Sometimes well over two hundred years, and there are Katians still alive who lived through all of that and still experience the trauma they endured..” I’ll outlive my nephew and everyone I know… “I think it is important for you to know that plain Katians are all assigned male at birth, and they can all reproduce with each other. Katian anatomy and biology is very different from a human’s.” Tribez explains. “The female Katians you will hopefully meet when this is all over are all transgender, and Katians along with my own people celebrate gender diversity. My people are the ones who introduced different gender identities and ways of presenting oneself to the Katian’s.” Aarón feels relief wash over him. “That’s very comforting to know, and I want to know more about my people and this world.”

“Uncle Aarón!” Mico runs out from a giant glass dome, Bluebell trailing behind him. “I will leave you now, do not be afraid to ask any of the guards for anything or feel like anything is off limits. Also as you can see we have a lack of servants. We do not believe in having more people then needed to help us, nor do we abuse our positions of power. My father is the one helping prepare your dinner. It will be served in thirty minutes out here. And since you want to know more about Kaleido, here is this” With that Tribez hands Aarón a big leather book and leaves the three of them to themselves. “What’s going to happen now?” Mico frowns. “There’s a lot I still gotta process, little man. But all I do know is that we are in one of the many dimensions that exist in this apparent multiverse, and that it needs my help and the help of others that live here. It’s probably too dangerous for you to come with us.” Aarón says. Mico looks crushed. “You’re probably gonna stay here, it’s not because you’re useless or not helpful, it’s because I care about you. Do you understand?”

“I know…” Mico sighs. Aarón hugs his nephew. “This is all so crazy, but you wanna see something cool?” Aarón releases him, sitting down in the cool grass. He picks up a twig and repeats what he did with the candle. “Whoa!” Mico exclaims as a small flame flickers to life on the tip of it. “Crazy, huh? I mean, I know I’m already weird looking, but this just puts icing on the cake.” A small burst of wind from Bluebell’s direction puts it out. “Hey!” Aarón laughs. Bluebell’s white eyes shimmer happily. Mico and Bluebell decide to play hide and seek, and so Aarón opens the book Tribez had given him. He finds that it is a history book of Kaleido that focuses on the Katian and Abstraz people. He thumbs through it before a particular section catches his attention.

Katian Stomachs

Katians have many natural abilities. However, one that is almost completely overlooked is their ability to stretch out their stomachs to three times their usual size in order to carry large amounts of food back to their tribes which they then regurgitate. Many Katian’s also use this ability to fulfill sexual desires which the first humans who arrived in Kaleido viewed as degeneracy. Many enslaved Katians underwent involuntary and deadly procedures that grotesquely reduced their stomach capacity.

Aarón instinctively puts a hand to his abdomen. Well, I guess that explains why I can eat an entire three course meal, and also my stuffing kink… He flips to the last page where he finds a painting of his father. He is a powerful and muscular Katian with beautiful purple stripes and a very fluffy mane. A wave of dizziness washes over Aarón. He falls back, panting, as his markings start glowing before flashing. Mico watches as his uncle lays there, stock still with wide glowing eyes. This is not new to him, it always happened at sunset at least once every few days. Trance like, Aarón gets up. He stares at the setting sun, still as a statue. Tribez appears beside them, slightly startling Mico. “Your Uncle is doing something that Katians have done since their beginning. It is called a sun down ritual. He has no control over it, but now that he is in his homeland…” They watch as Aarón‘s body seems to absorb the light from the setting sun, his entire body beginning to glow and sway back and forth until the last sliver of sun disappears. He growls slightly and blinks, coming out of his trance and looking calmly at all of them. Aarón ‘s eyes seem different, like he had seen something life changing. “I’m starving.”

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The food laid out on the table in front of them looks familiar, yet exotic and new. Mico had gotten what looked to be a miniature pizza with lavender colored cheese and orange meat while Aarón got what looks to be ribs with bright blue meat and pink bones. The food is surprisingly better than anything he has ever tasted before. Aarón also can’t help but chew on the strange bones which Tribez encourages. “Your fangs are quite underdeveloped, chewing on things like bones for wood will help them fully develop to their full size.” Vaz stands up. “It seems that we have an extra guest coming to join us. Before he arrives, please be aware that the restraints he is wearing are for his own and our safety, not because we see him as less than us.” The king explains. “Aarón, he is a Katian. He was kidnapped and that later escaped. He was experimented on, and as a result his aggressiveness is at an extreme level. He might get angry, so be prepared to stand your ground.”

The doors to the courtyard open, and two Abstraz guards, each holding the ends of four giant chains, walk into the courtyard. The Katian bound in them is shockingly huge. He appears to be nine feet tall and towers over everything. He also looks to be extremely well fed with a giant round belly and fat limbs. As he draws nearer, Aarón hears him start growling. The Katian shows off his massive saber-like fangs as his fluffy black tail twitches dangerously. “Make your markings glow, show you aren’t afraid.” Tribez commands softly. Aarón does, instinctively showing off his own fangs. The growling stops as the newcomer’s markings light up too, a beautiful neon green. His eyes are the same gold color as Aarón’s, but they hold a fierce look in them. He has a giant scar over one of them. Just like me… The Katian fully steps into the light, his brown skin warmly illuminated in the flames. “Who are you?” His voice is deep with a slight growl to it. “I’m Aarón Melisandré, and this is my nephew, Mico.”

“I’m Hobie.” His glowing green claws extend as his black mane flows in the breeze. Hobie still looks at the two in suspicion. He slowly sits down, the chair creaking loudly beneath his bulk. The air around the table becomes tense and Aarón hears Instinct whine. Tribez senses their discomfort. “Have you finished your meal?” They ask. “Yes.” Mico and Aarón quickly say in unison. “Then I suggest you both turn in for the night. Especially you, Aarón.” The two both scoot back from the table and quickly leave for the garden dome. Hobie lets out a loud roar. The Katian slashes and bites at his own arm in a frenzy, his eyes wild. “STOP!” Tribez raises their blue hands. Hobie immediately stops, his eyes roll back into his skull. He slumps forward, a sad look in his once fierce eyes.

Aarón prepares his own bed, creating a nest of pillows and blankets that he flops down into with a sigh. Aarón had read that Katian make these kinds of nests but on a massive scale so that everyone in their tribe could huddle together for warmth and safety. “Uncle Aarón?” Aarón looks up over the top of his nest, seeing Mico looking up at him from his own bed. “What is it, Mico?” Mico sits up with a deep breath. “Why didn’t you tell me you were more than just a human earlier? I always had my suspicions, but I just didn’t say anything.” He asks. Aarón’s heartbeat quickens as guilt washes over him. “I… I didn’t tell you because you just never seemed to question anything about my looks or behaviors or anything like that.” Aarón says. “And I especially didn’t want to put any more potential stress on you after your parents were killed. I’m sorry if it feels like I was trying to hide the obvious.” Mico shakes his head. “It’s okay, Uncle Aarón. I don’t see you any differently.” The two fall silent, and Aarón dozes off. He tumbles through many dreams, some good, some bad, some just plain nonsense. But one of them feels nothing like a dream at all.

The place he is in is dark. It smells like mold and mildew and in the distance he can hear the whirring of Circuit-Breaker along with the sound of many hushed voices. All of them are whispering for help…

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Aarón wakes with a feeling of great uneasiness. He decides to wander the palace until sleep comes to him again. Aarón silently steps around Mico and slips out of the dome. The sky above is clear, allowing him to see countless stars and a bright crescent moon. He enters the palace where the hallways are lit by many torches, and he can’t help but stop to admire the colorful paintings and other intricate decorations that adorn the walls and ceiling. Soon, he happens upon a room where he finds Hobie who is wide awake. Aarón tries to retreat back into the hall, but Hobie notices him. “I’m sorry I acted so aggressively. I can’t help it after the experiments I was put through.” His deep voice rumbles. Aarón cautiously walks back into the light. “Circuit-Breaker would inject me with extra magic and other substances that permanently altered my brain and growth. Now I am the biggest Katian to ever exist.” He says sadly, looking down at his stretch mark laced belly. “If you do indeed save our kind, it will still be hard for me to find a mate due to my excessive body fat.” Hobie says sadly.

Aarón boldly enters the room. “Hobie, I think you have a good heart despite your emotional problems, and I think that your body is very attractive and desirable.” Aarón says. Hobie looks stunned. Aarón walks over to the giant Katian, a small smile on his face. “You look just like my husband back on Earth, he also has an ‘excessive’ amount of body fat, but he actually made himself that way because it makes him happy.” Aarón says. “In fact, I think you have just the right amount of fat. What I’m saying, Hobie, is that there WILL be someone out there for you Katian or not. I know that someone will love and admire you both for your character and your looks, and the best that you can do for now is to embrace who you are.”

Hobie sits in his massive nest of blankets and pillows, thinking. “You are around my age, and yet you are very wise.” Hobie says. “That’s nice to hear.” Aarón smiles warmly. “I haven’t been able to fall asleep, and I would appreciate some company for a while.” Hobie says. “I can stay with you, but I can’t promise I’ll be able to stay awake.” Aarón offers. Hobie scoots over to give Aarón enough room to lay down in his soft nest, and the two silently lay together. The last thing Aaron feels is Hobie draping his fluffy black tail over him as they both purr contently.