It was the day of the first ceremony of the year. Shinchaku and her younger sister, Ushinatta, visited the ceremony with their friends. “Oh! I’m so excited to go see my first send-off ceremony!” Ushinatta said as she held her sister’s hand and walked with the others. “It’s pretty interesting to see the whole process of the portal making by the wizard,” Yuki said as they approached the front of the castle. “Wow! There is a pretty big crowd here already!” Shinchaku pointed at the crowd as she tried to look for a spot to stand in the front of the crowd so they could get the best view. “Hm... I’m not sure if we will be able to get a good spot this year..” Shinchaku frowned as Zurui walked in front of everyone. “Just follow me.” He said as he shoved his way through the crowd and got them a spot to stand directly in front of the front castle stairs. “That wasn’t very nice…” Fuwa mumbled as he nervously looks up at Zurui. “Whatever at least we have the best spot now, now shhh, I think it's starting,” Zurui said as the band started to play the ceremonial music. “Welcome all to the send-off ceremony! Today we will reveal who is being banished! For your safety, please stay behind the line of guards at all times! Now, let us reveal our candidates!” The wizard pulled a cord and a large curtain sunk to the ground and revealed 7 prisoners in a row. “Haha! What do you all think of these scums!” He pointed at all of them as they all put their heads down in shame. Ushinatta observed the prisoners and noticed that her mother who was taken away from her was up there. “Mom!” She struggled to let go of Shinchaku’s hand. “Ushi! What are you doing!” Shinchaku whispered as the wizard prepared to make the portal. “My mommy’s up there! Let me go!” She shoved and pulled to try and get out of her sister’s grasp but it was no use. The wizard performed his ritual and the portal started to spin and enlarge. “NO!” Ushinatta bit Shinchaku’s hand and ran up the castle stairs and shoved through the line of guards up to her mother. The guards started to chase her but she was too quick for them. “Send them away!” The wizard instructed the other group of guards. They began to throw them into the portal. “Mommy!” Ushinatta watched her mother get thrown into the portal so she jumped inside with her. The whole crowd gasped as the portal along with the prisoners and Ushinatta disappeared before their eyes. 

The next day was filled with grief for Shinchaku and her family. Shinchaku locked herself in her room, she wasn’t sure of what she could do to get her sister back. There was a knock on her bedroom door and in came Fuwa, Zurui, and Yuki. “Are you feeling alright?” Yuki asked as he sat on her bed. Shinchaku uncovered her head and tiredly looked up at them. “I’m fine… Just leave me alone.” She covered her head again and turned in her bed, facing the wall. “We’ll figure something out, maybe we could try and ask the wizard if he can use his magic to get her out of the dark world?” Fuwa suggested as he sat down at her desk chair. “I’m not sure if that is going to work, normal people aren’t able to talk to the wizard. Instead, what if we just, go into the dark world ourselves?” Zurui suggested. “That’s way too dangerous,” Yuki said. “Well, we can’t sit here and do nothing,” Zurui said as he uncovered Shinchaku’s head and dragged her out of bed. “Let’s go.” He said as he directed everyone out of the room. Zurui carried Shinchaku on his shoulder as they walked to the royal guard headquarters. Two guards were standing outside of the door and they went up to them. “Who goes there and why are you here!?” The guard yelled. “We are here to see my brother, he has asked me to come here to see something that he has found!” Zurui bravely said as he held Shinchaku. “Hmm.. you’re good to go, but we are taking that girl on your shoulder, she seems injured.” The other guard said as he grabbed Shinchaku off of Zurui’s shoulder. “Hey! She’s perfectly fine!” Yuki argued. “We take the girl or you don’t get to enter!” The guard argued back. “Tch, whatever, come on boys, we’ll get her later,” Zurui said as he led the others inside. He led them up the stairs to his brother’s room. He knocked on the door and just barged in. “Hey bro!” Zurui said as he hugged his brother who was busy wrapping a bandage around his arm. “What’s going on?” His brother asked. “Nothing bad, don’t worry, now tell me where the wizard’s room is,” Zurui said. “You know that you’re not allowed to talk to him right?” His brother said. “I don’t care, just tell me please!” Zurui gave his brother puppy dog eyes. “Fine. It's the large door on the top floor. Now leave me alone.” He shoved the group out of his room with his one good arm. “Last one there is a rotten egg!” Zurui said as he ran down the hall and up the stairs.

Shinchaku was being carried by one of the guards to the nurse’s station of the guard’s headquarters. “I’m fine! Put me down!” she kicked and tried to get the guard to let her go. “No! We are checking you out!” the guard said as he laid her down on a bed and called over a nurse. “What’s the matter?” the nurse asked as she observed Shinchaku on the bed. “A boy was carrying her to our headquarters so I assumed that she needed medical attention, please take care of her, I have to go.” The guard walked out and the nurse approached Shinchaku and pressed on her chest. “Does this hurt?” She looked up at Shinchaku and continued to press down on her body. “No,” Shinchaku told the nurse as she started to press on other parts of her body. “Did any of that hurt?” “No, I’m perfectly fine, let me go find my friends,” Shinchaku said as she stood up and started to walk away. “Okay...  If you need anything, I’ll be here!” The nurse said as she waved goodbye. She ran outside and towards the guard headquarters and tried to run inside but was yet again cut off by one of the guards. “You do not have permission to enter!” One of the guards said. “But my friends are in there! Please! Let me go in!” Shinchaku begged as she got on her knees to try and look as desperate as possible. “Fine! But be right back out in 5 minutes!” The guard yelled as he shoved her towards the entrance. Shinchaku ran inside and saw the others running up the stairs. “I’m coming!” She called out as she ran up the stairs and caught up with them. “Hey! You made it!” Yuki said as they all continued to run up the stairs. “Yeah! It was very weird at the nurse’s station.” Shinchaku laughed as they made their way to the top floor. “Are we ready?” Zurui said as he was about to open the door. “Yes!” The other 3 said as the large doors flung open to reveal that the Wizard was gone. “WHAT!?” Shinchaku panicked as she looked around every object in the room to see if the Wizard was hiding. “Hm, guess he’s not here, let’s just leave,” Zurui said as he turned to leave but bumped into something. He rubbed his head and looked up and saw a guard standing right in front of him. “Hey! Where did the Wizard go?” Another guard asked. “They killed him! Let’s get them!” One guard said as he rushed at them all. “RUN!” Yuki yelled but it was too late, they were surrounded. “Surrender now!” The guards all pointed their spears at them causing their arms to go up. “Oh no,” Zurui said as they were all being handcuffed and taken away. “I’M INNOCENT PLEASE DON’T PUT ME IN JAIL!” Fuwa cried as they dragged him out of the room. 

The four of them all sat in their cells in the basement of the castle. “We are innocent!” Fuwa kept crying out as he laid on the floor of his cell. “It’s not going to do anything so just be quiet,” Zurui said as he threw the rocks on the floor at the wall in anger. Shinchaku sat in the corner of her cell with her head dug into her knees. She cried as she thought about her sister and the situation that they’re in. Yuki realized something. “If we plead guilty, we get sent into the dark world, right? That means we could go find your sister!” Yuki excitedly shouted. “Yes, but we have to wait a whole month until the next trial day,” Zurui said as he sighed loudly and slumped onto the dirty bed in his cell and made a mark on the wall to keep count of how long they stay in their cells. “One down. 29 more to go.” Zurui said. “That’s too long!” Fuwa cried. A guard came in and led them to a changing room.”Put on these clothes and put all of your belongings in this chest.” The guard said as he walked out of the room. Shinchaku held up the clothing. “Gross! It’s like we are wearing sacks for clothes.” She said as she went into the girls changing room and put the clothes on. “Yuck..” She said while putting her clothes in the chest. Everyone else was already finished when she walked out. “Now, time for dinner.” The guard led them to the lunchroom. “I don’t think I can last a month here…” Fuwa said as they all sat down at a table together. “Me either.” The others said as they were all given a bowl of some strange soup. “What is this?” Yuki said as he put his spoon into the bowl and lifted out what looked like an eyeball from some creature. Fuwa quickly turned away and put his hand over his mouth like he was going to throw up. “What the heck!!? How do they expect us to eat this crap!? We aren’t going to last a month on this!” Zurui said as he turned and looked at Shinchaku who was almost finished eating. All of the others stared at her like she was weird. “What? It’s good!” She said as she put the last spoon full in her mouth. “Here, have mine…” Fuwa pushed his bowl over to her and the other boys did the same. “Hopefully the food is better tomorrow.” Yuki sighed. The next 30 days were the same, the boys refused to eat all of the food they were given until they realized that they would die without it. 

Finally, the day had arrived, the day of the trial. The 4 of them were taken to the large trial room. “Woah! This place is huge!” Yuki said as they were sat in the front. “Shh! The trials are starting!” A guard whispered to them as the King and Queen Arrived. “Welcome to the monthly trials! Today we have 8 people who have been accused of doing crimes in our town! Today we see if they are guilty or innocent! Due to the absence of the Grand Wizard, his faithful apprentice will take over for the Send-Off Ceremony tomorrow. Now let the trials begin!” The king announced as the judge slammed down his hammer. “Quiet down everybody, let us start with the biggest case today, the case of the Killing of the Grand Wizard.” The whole crowd gasped. “We have the Royal Guard Lawyer, Thoma, speaking first.” The judge pointed at him as he walked up to the stand. Zurui whispered something to his brother as Thoma was heading up to the stand. “Ahem, thank you, I stand here today because the Royal Guards are accusing these 4 of the murder of the Grand Wizard, Shinchaku Nozomu, Fuwafuwa Kuraudo, Zurui Kitsutsuki, and Yuki Fukurou. They were seen in the Grand Wizards’ office without permission and the Wizard was nowhere to be found, he is always to be found in his office.” Thoma went back to his seat. “What do you have to say Mr. Kitsutsuki?” The judge asked Zurui’s brother. He walked up to the stand. “There is something wrong with that statement. My brother Zurui is innocent, I heard those three in the hallway and asked my brother to go investigate what was going on. He found those three intruding the Grand Wizard’s room. My brother is innocent, please let him go.” He went back to his seat and waited to hear what the judge had to say. “Is that true Zurui?” The judge ask as he started at Zurui with evil eyes. “Yes, yes it is, I found them searching through his room,” Zurui said as he looked down at his hands in guilt. Yuki angrily elbowed him because he knew that wasn’t the truth. “But wait!” Shinchaku cried. “Silence! I did not tell you to speak!” The judge said as he slammed his hammer against the table. “We will now let the jury decide if they are innocent or guilty!” 

Zurui watched as the 3 of them got dragged back to their cells. He felt seriously guilty after he lied during the trial to save himself but he knew he would try to help them somehow on the other side of the world. He frowned at them as he waved goodbye to them. He wasn’t prepared to see them get sent away the next day. The others were thrown into their ceil, feeling betrayed. “I-I can’t believe he did that…” Shinchaku murmured as she started to cry again. “Don’t worry about him, we are now closer to being able to save your sister,” Fuwa said as he smiled a bit at her. “We have to get some sleep guys, we have a big day tomorrow,” Yuki told them as he laid down in his bed and tried to get some sleep. “Right.” They both said as they went to sleep. “WAKE UP!” A guard yelled as he stomped his foot. “W-wha…?” Fuwa rubbed his eyes and got out of bed. “TIME TO GO!” He opened their ceils and dragged them out and chained them up in handcuffs. They stayed quiet as they were dragged to this area behind a large curtain. The guard led them to their spots. They kept their heads down as guards ran around them as they prepared for the Ceremony. Zurui made his way to the front of the large crowd of people already standing in front of the castle. He looked up and saw the Wizard’s apprentice preparing to speak. “Good morning everyone, I hope you’re ready for today’s Send-off Ceremony. Today is a very special day because we are sending away the ones who have murdered our beloved Grand Wizard. Alright, let’s reveal our prisoners.” He pulled a cord and revealed 6 people including Fuwa, Yuki, and Shinchaku. “Look at them! The people who have betrayed our code of law! Let’s send them away!” He started to spin his arms and open the portal. The guards stood behind the 6 people and got ready to push them. Zurui gave them one last guilty frown as the portal formed. “Goodbye!” The Apprentice Wizard said as the prisoners were pushed in. 

“AHHHHHHHHH!” Shinchaku screamed as her body began to distort and change. The portal was closed behind her as she was thrown onto the ground of the new world. She coughed and stood up and observed herself, it seems like she was some sort of ghost now. She looked around and saw the others next to her. She noticed that they were standing on the castle steps. “What the? It’s like we are still home?” Shincaku said as she helped Fuwa up off the ground. “This is strange, it's like we are in a different version of our world. Look down there! It’s the crowd of people, there’s Zururi!” Fuwa floated down to Zurui who was now white and glowing. “He can’t see me…” Fuwa sighed, “That traitor!” Fuwa punched Zurui’s spirit in anger. “Hey! Calm down! It’s going to be okay! We will find Shinchaku’s sister and we will find a way out of here!” Yuki shook his body to stop him. Shinchaku was floating around and observing everything, she was confused by this world, why all of the colors disappeared. “I suppose we should start looking, who knows how long this will take,” Shinchaku said as she grabbed both of them by their shirt collars and dragged them down the stairs of the dark castle. The two boys both groaned as they headed into town. “We should check my house first, it seems like the most likely spot to find her,” Shinchaku followed the path down to her house and opened the door to get inside. “Ushinatta! Are you here!?” Shinchaku called out as she went to her bedroom. “Darn… She’s not here.” Shinchaku saw her parents at the dinner table crying at the loss of their two daughters. “Mom... Dad… I’m sorry, we will come back with Ushinatta, I promise.” She hugged their bright spirits and left her house. “She wasn’t in there.” She told the boys with a frown on her face. “I thought I would be easy.” Yuki went over to her and lifted her chin. “Don’t lose hope, please.” Yuki gave her a comforting look as Fuwa hugged the both of them. A random man came floating by them. “Sir! Have you seen a young girl here by any chance!” Shinchaku shoved through Fuwa and Yuki to get to him. “That Ushi girl? She disappeared into that mountain about a month ago.” The man pointed at the mountain. “Oh no.” Shinchaku gasped loudly when she saw how tall the mountain was. “Who took her!” Fuwa demanded. “I don’t know! Some large shadow swooped in and caught her when she was sent here with me.” The man started to float away. “Leave me alone now!” The man gave them an angry look as he turned away from them. “Well, let’s get going if we want to find her,” Shinchaku said as she took the boy’s hands and walked down the path towards the mountain. “I’m not ready for this! Who knows! Maybe she’s dead!” Yuki said as he sighed. “Don’t say that!” Fuwa yelled out at Yuki. “Stop-” Shinchaku was cut off when she ran into something. “Woah, what is that? Fuwa questioned as he looked up at the mysterious statue. “This isn’t in our world?” Shinchaku said as she pressed something on the statue’s chest. The statue started to rumble and light up as if it was coming to life. “What did you do?” Yuki said as he started to back away from the statue. “I don’t know,” Shinchaku said as the statue suddenly reached down and grabbed her. “Shinchaku!” Fuwa cried as the statue’s eye lit up and scanned Shinchaku. “Sister found.” The statue said as it started to float up the mountain. “Hey! What about us!” The two boys yelled out at the statue as it got closer to the top of the mountain.

Back at home, Zurui was busy trying to figure out a plan to get them out of the dark world. He remembered seeing something strange in the wizard’s room. He decided that he was once again going to use his brother as a way to sneak into the royal guard building. He walked up to the guards. ‘Hey! It's one of the kids who killed the wizard!” One of the guards said as he swiped his spear at Zurui and cut his eye. “Hey! I’m innocent! Were you even at the trial!?” Zurui asked as he held his hand over his eye to prevent blood from getting all over him. “Oh right, I forgot that you were the one who was sworn as innocent because of your brother.” The other guard said. “Let us take you to the nurse’s building.” One of the guards offered. “No, just let go inside to see my brother,” Zurui asked as blood started to drip down his arm. “Okay, but don’t do anything stupid!” The guard opened the gate and let him in. He quickly ran inside and went up the stairs to his brother’s room. “Brother! Open up!” He pounded on the door as it opened. “Give me your old eyepatch and treat my eye! Your stupid co-workers cut my eye for no reason so I’m making you treat me!” Zurui said as he sat down on his brother’s bed. “Okay, okay, calm down.” His brother tossed him the eyepatch and patted his eye with a wet cloth. “Wow, they got you good.” His brother said as he put a bandage over his eye and covered it with the eyepatch. “What are you doing here anyway, there has to be another reason that just this.” He said as he sat down beside Zurui. “My friends were put in the dark world and I need to figure out a way to get them out of there because they are innocent! None of us would ever kill anyone!” Zurui complained. “It’s okay, I have an idea this time.” His brother said as he stood up and walked out of the room. “THERE ARE ATTACKERS TO THE NORTH! THE NORTH!” He yelled out as he ran and hid in his room. Outside the door, you could hear the footsteps of running soldiers preparing to go into battle. “Hah! It worked!” Zurui laughed as he waited until the noises in the hallway disappeared. Zurui headed outside the door and went up the stairs to the wizard’s room. He slowly opened the door and peeked inside. “There it is!” He snuck inside and grabbed the orb off of its pedestal. He quickly ran out and went down the stairs and back into his brother’s room. “Got it!” Zurui said as he sat back down on the bed and observed the orb. “Hopefully I can get my friends back with this. “Yeah. Let’s go try it out.” They both left the building and headed towards the forest and the large mountain to stay away from the village.

The statue floated up to the top of the mountain. Shinchaku wasn’t able to breathe from the pressure being put on her body by the statue’s hand. She wanted to scream out for help but was unable to. She was slowly blacking out when the statue suddenly came to halt. The statue opened its hand and put Shinchaku on the floor where she was gasping for air. She slowly blinked her eyes as she looked up and saw her sister sitting on a throne. “Ushi!” Shinchaku cried as her arms were suddenly grabbed by some guards. “What is going on!” She yelled out as Ushi got out of her chair. “It seems like you don’t understand so I’ll explain it to you. My family is apparently the rulers of this world, so when I was sent here with my mother, she was sworn in as queen. One day while she was distracted, I killed her so I became the new queen, so now I rule this world!” Ushi laughed evilly as she sat back down on her throne. “Now, I will kill you.” Ushi stared daggers at Shinchaku as she gulped in fear. “We will stop you!” Shinchaku cried as she tried to yank her arms free. “We? I only see you. What are you going to do?” Ushi said as the doors burst open and two guards came in and took out the guard holding Shinchaku. “We made it!” Fuwa said as he took his helmet off and smiled at Shinchaku. “You guys made it!” Shinchaku stood up and walked up to Ushi. “I don’t want to hurt you Ushi, just stand down and come back home with us.” Shinchaku open her arms and waited for Ushi to hug her.  “Never!” Ushi came at her with a sword but Yuki quickly slid in and blocked the attack. “Leave her alone!” Yuki yelled out as he became angry with Ushi. “Guards! Come quick!” Ushi called out as she tried to run away. Shinchaku grabbed her arm and slapped her. “Snap out of it! You need to come back home will us!” Shinchaku said as she started to cry. “I love you Ushi! But please! You can’t do this! Don’t you want to see mother and father again?” She asked as she threw the sword away from her and grabbed her hands tightly. Ushi suddenly fell to the ground as the guards came jumbling into the room. “Quick! This way!” Fuwa said as he broke the window and jumped out. “Fuwa!” Shinchaku cried as she looked out the window and saw him floating on a cloud. Yuki grabbed her and Ushi and jumped out the window. The cloud started to sink in the air. The 4 of them all floated down to the bottom of the mountain. They slowly got off of the cloud and laid Ushi on the ground to check her condition. “Ushi? What happened to you?” Shinchaku said as she laid her head on Ushi’s chest and checked her breathing. “She’s still alive!” Shinchaku said as she smiled at the others. “Maybe when we figure a way out of here, we can get her some, help,” Fuwa suggested as he started to take off the armor he stole. “Yeah, let’s try to find a way out of her,” Yuki said as he was already finished taking off his armor. “Hey, look over there, is that Zurui?” Fuwa said as he pointed at the two glowing people approaching them. “It is!” Shinchaku said as she stood up and watched them. Zurui’s spirit tapped on the orb and suddenly a portal appeared. “He figured out a way to get us out! He never betrayed us!” Yuki said as he hopped into the portal. Let’s get going!” Shinchaku said as she grabbed her sister and Fuwa’s hand and jumped into the portal.

“What the?” Zurui said as the four of them all fell out of the portal. Zurui quickly closed it before anything else came through. “You made it!” Zurui said as they all hugged each other. “We thought you betrayed us.” Fuwa frowned. “I secretly came up with a plan with my brother after I saw this orb in the wizard’s room,” Zurui said as he smashed the orb and broke it. “Now no one can be sent to the shadow world. Zurui said as he crossed his arm like a cool guy. “I thought the wizard was able to send people to the shadow world with magic? Was that all a lie?” Yuki said. “Exactly, It was never the wizard’s magic, It was the orbs doing,” Zurui said as he looked down at all the bits of the orb on the ground. “Why did you do that! Now you made the royal guards job harder!” Zurui’s brother complained. “What do you mean? It always seems like you’re in your room all the time.” Zurui said as he blew his tongue at him and ran away. “Come back here!” His brother chased after him. “Let’s get her to the nurse’s station,” Yuki said as he lifted Ushi over his shoulder. “I’m glad we made it out alive,” Shinchaku said as she walked with them. “I also wanted to know, how did you two make it to the top of the mountain so fast?” She was confused. “Oh uh... It’s a secret…” Fuwa nervously said and Yuki bumped his shoulder with his elbow. “Come on! What you did was cool! How are you able to do that anyway?” Yuki’s eye sparkled as he looked a Fuwa. “I don’t know. I’ll tell you eventually.” Fuwa said as he covered his face with the front of his sweater in embarrassment. “Whatever,” Yuki said as they made it to the nurse’s station. He quickly ran inside and placed Ushi on a bed. “Can anyone help her?” He called out in the building.

A nurse was able to fix Ushi up and get her back on her feet. As the days went on, the five of them figured out that the wizard was never murdered, he just went on a trip to find a special frog he needed for a potion. This made Fuwa angry when he heard the news. When they all hung out together, Ushi told them her story, what she never told them about was the reason why she passed out on the top of the mountain. Ushi left the group to go read a book in her room. She laid in her bed and laughed. “I’ll conquer this world, just you wait.” She said as her eyes shined purple. This wasn’t the real Ushi. It was an imposter. The End?