Recovery begins at the heart EpilogeIt had been what felt like hours to everyone there in that theater. They felt so happy that Balan was back to normal and feeling better. His wide grin never disappeared for a second as he celebrated with his old friends. It never even donned on him that he didn't wipe their memories clean after they left the first time. But at that point, he didn't care. If anything, he was glad he preserved their memories. Without them, who knows what could've happened to him. Both Leo and Emma stood close to the maestro. Although he was feeling better, they were still concerned for his safety. "You 100% sure you're doing better, Bal?" Leo asked. Balan smiled gently and ruffled his hair. "The pain is gone, and I no longer feel sad. Rest assured, I am free from all the bad feelings I had." Emma snickered at his rhyming. "He's definitely feeling better. But you know Balan, you don't have to keep up with the rhymes every time." Balan looked down and scooped her up with a smug grin on his face. "Oh, I see how it is. You get all worried when I stop rhyming, and now you say I don't have to do it anymore? Make up your mind! I can't win with you people!" He said playfully as he nuzzled his face into Emma's chest, which made her giggle as a result. Leo's eyes started wandering the theater until he heard a slight noise. A sound as if someone was sniffling and sobbing. He tugged on Balan's pants, trying to point out the sign of the crying. "Balan... Balan!" He called. He looked down at the boy. "What's wrong, Leo?" He wondered. "Do you hear that? I thought we fixed everything. So why do I hear someone crying?" Leo pointed out. Balan followed where the sound was. It sounded raspy but light in tone. A sound he thought he never would hear. "... Lance?" Balan said, turning a corner to see him leaning against the wall. Lance was caught off guard when Leo, Emma, and Balan showed up. He quickly tried to wipe the tears away to make it look like he wasn't crying. "Lance?" Leo called out. "You were the one who was crying?" Lance tried his best to look stoic. "Of course not! I just had something in my eyes. Don't think you can... Uh..." He trailed off as he couldn't find the correct way to rhyme. Balan shrugged it off. "Come on now, Lance. If you can't keep up the rhymes, you don't have to do it." He gently said. Lance let out a heavy sigh, feeling defeated, and stood up from against the wall. "Now tell us... Why are you feeling this way?" Emma asked. He twiddled his thumbs before answering. "I guess... I feel jealous..." He replied. "I was once the maestro of Wonderworld until it was all taken away from me by the negative force. I told Balan there was no escape... But you proved me wrong and stopped what could've been a cycle... The truth is... No one has ever looked out for me as you looked out for him." Everyone's eyes widened. It hit them like rocks. Lance was like this because no one was there to help him. No one could drag him out of negativity, and that's why he became king of the negati. This broke their hearts, and they honestly felt bad for the negative maestro. "Oh, Lance." Emma whimpered. "I'm so sorry... I never knew." She wanted to hug him, but he backed away, refusing the affection. "Maybe I'm not the only one who needs help. You need help too." Balan said, offering his hand. But Lance sorrowfully shook his head. "I'm sorry... It's useless in my case. You can't fix what's already gone too far. You were able to save Balan because you caught it early. But for me... It's already too late." The three stood there sad. Since Lance was already full of negativity, there was no way to bring him back to the maestro he once was. But he took a big breath and heaved a long sigh. "I have no change in my future... But I'm still part of Wonderworld. And although I'm like this, I still have a job... If anything, I'll accept this role as the negative maestro. There is no balance with just positive." The teens and Balan just stared at him. "Lance... Are you sure this is what you want?" Balan asked, putting his hand on Lance's shoulder. Oddly enough, he accepted the touch. "I don't have a choice of the matter... But I'll take this as a lesson. Sometimes you need others to help keep you above water. I learned this the hard way... If anything... I'm thankful you two helped Balan. Thank you, Leo and Emma. Thank you." He bowed respectively. To his surprise, Leo and Emma hugged him. Both thinking he wasn't really a bad guy... Just misunderstood. After the celebration was over, it was time for everyone to head home. Balan kissed the hands of the ladies and shook hands with the men. As they were leaving the theater, he took off his hat, revealing his natural face. Everyone smiled and waved off as they decided to return home. Balan waved back, feeling hopeful once more. He no longer had anything to worry about.Recovery begins at the heart part 4It took about two days for everyone to arrive. Haoyu was the first to make it on his aircraft while everyone else had to take a long car ride or by plane. Everyone kept in touch with the screen chat app on their phones, constantly sending DMs to each other. Everyone was announcing their arrival and were currently waiting for the two teens. "You think they got our message that we arrived?" Iben asked. "They should've." Added Eis. "They must be on their way now as we speak. After all, we don't know what those kids do in their lives." As the man finished his sentence, he saw that Leo and Emma were rushing towards them. "There they are! Right on time." Jose said with glee. "Sorry for the wait. We had to get some things prepared." Leo huffed. "I had to print out the sheet music. There should be one for everyone." Emma said, carrying a large folder. She handed everyone the sheet music of the song they all agreed on. Lucy flipped through the pages of the music sheets. She heard this song a few times, but she never memorized the lyrics. She also didn't consider herself a good singer when she looked at the notes. "So, Emma," She called. "What if we're not good singers? I don't think the performance would be good if someone sang like a goat." Emma held her arm in a comforting manner. "There's no need to worry. I've had vocal lessons for years, and I've had the best teacher teach me all the ins and outs of one's voice. I'm sure I can help with that. It may not be perfect, but I'll help the best I can." "And what about dancing?" Haoyu asked. "I've been told by everyone, even my own family, that I'm a clumsy nut." Leo put his hand on Haoyu's shoulder. "I've taught the rest of my friends how to dance. I can do the same for you. I'll try my best to keep it simple." He explained. Leo and Emma stood in the middle of the yard when all was said and done, announcing their plan. "Alright, everyone!" Emma exclaimed. "We've only got three weeks to make this the most fantastic show Balan has ever seen. We're doing this to save him. Not for the glory of the stage. We want you to throw your whole heart into it, project all of your positive emotions. We're going to keep a big smile on our face and save our maestro!" The crowd cheered. "Me and Emma will take the lead roles. She'll be the foreground singer, and I'll be the choreographer. Any questions you have, just ask us. We'll help you the best we can." Leo announced. Emma clapped her hands, calling everyone for practice. The days passed by as everyone practiced their show. Emma did her best to teach the others how to sing without sounding like a perfectionist director, and Leo taught the others how to dance without acting like a snappy jerkwad. They admit teaching wasn't easy. But it was all worth it in the end. Some even helped with the teaching. Iben surprisingly had a beautiful voice and Attilio had some fancy feet. Eventually, people started becoming more confident in their abilities and kept their eyes on the ball. Yuri copied Leo's dance moves step by step, finding it a lot more fun than she had anticipated. "Was I good?" She asked. Leo patted her on the back before they both saw Haoyu trip again. Leo rushed over to pick him back up. "Take it easy, buddy. You almost got it." He reassured. "I almost got it. I just need to keep practicing." Haoyu said. Leo smiled with his sentiment. "That's right. You got this! I'll be there to help you through it. Just keep the beat." He danced the same way Haoyu was dancing before. The green-haired boy nodded and tried again. "How did that sound?" Sana asked. Emma clapped her hands and smiled widely. "You sounded great! I knew you had it in you." She cheered. Lucy suddenly pulled a vocal chord that did not match up with the melody. "Hold on a minute, Lucy." Said Emma, rushing over to help. "The piece goes like this." She started singing the chorus as Lucy listened. She then pulled up her phone and sent her the song they were singing. "This will help you memorize it. Listen to it as many times as you need. Keep practicing. You can do this!" She cheered. Lucy nodded, reassured that she could sing the song. In those three short weeks, which felt like forever, the group agreed they have finally perfected their performance. "I think we've just about got it." Cal said. Fiona nodded with glee. "Yes! This will surely turn the tables for Balan and Lance." Leo looked at the time on his phone. "We better hurry. If we think our show is good enough, we should head that way. Who knows how worse he's got." "The theater should still be around here someplace. It popped up quite often for us. The tims like to wander the streets too, which should make it a bit easier." Emma added. The two gestured to everyone to follow them to where they expected the theater. Low and behold, it was in the same place they found it. Cass gazed at it in wonder. "Oh my... It's been so long." She said. "Yep. This brings back memories." Jose added, tipping his hat. Emma was hesitant to knock, unsure of what she would find inside. When she finally knocked on the door, Floaty Flower answered. Her face looked worried or frightened. "H-hello? I'm sorry, I'm afraid the theater is closed." She told. "Wait, it's us. We're the previous inhabitants of Wonderworld. We've come to help Balan." Leo explained. Her face lit up with relief. "Oh, Leo! Emma! It's you! Thank goodness! I'm so glad you came! Things have gotten so much worse!" Everyone's faces showed a shocked or worried expression. "How much worse?" Leo asked. The flower girl lead them inside, revealing an army of negati. The shadowy creatures swarmed the hallways of the theater. They looked bigger and more threatening due to the negative corruption throughout the building. One approached Leo, and on instinct, he kicked it halfway across the hall. "What is with all these shadowy creatures? Did Lance take over the place?" He wondered. "The negati can sense the negativity from Balan. They've been multiplying at a breakneck pace. And with that, they've gotten stronger!" Explained Floaty Flower. One of the tims came up, weak and tiny. Cal picked one up and held it in the palm of one hand. "What's happened to the tims?" He asked. "The tims haven't had drops to eat in a while. The negati keep scarfing them up. They're weak and hungry." She whined. The tim in Cal's hand rubbed its tummy, indicating how hungry it was. "The poor little things." Emma mourned. "We're running out of time. We have to get this show on the road now! Come with us! We'll take you to the stage." Both teens rushed through the hallways as the others followed behind. Leo halted end turned back to the flower girl. "Floaty, I want you to fetch Balan right now. Tell him there's a new act he needs to see. No matter how much he struggles, no matter how much he refuses, bring him to the stage. Got it?" He commanded. The flower girl saluted as if it were a battle plan. "Yes sir!" She claimed as she rushed to get Balan. Balan looked at himself in the mirror. The nega has spread all the way from his chest to his torso. His hair was darker, and he started getting the same markings that Lance had. There were no signs of tentacles... Yet. But he knew it would soon change. He could barely hold himself together as the negative power grew more and more painful. He thought about letting it go until there was a knock at the door. "Maestro Balan!" Called the voice. "Leo and Emma have returned with some friends. They want to help you." He rubbed his eyes that were red from the tears. "I'll be right there." He called back. He put his suit back on and grabbed his hat. "I don't know if this is going to work, but I have to pull it together. Leo and Emma are desperate to help me, so I must give them a chance." With that, he put his hat on and walked out the door. Negati swarmed the area like a beehive, snarfing every drop they could find. The tims chirped with desperation, looking to find some positive droplets somewhere. This worried Balan. He didn't think it would've gotten this serious in the span of only three weeks. He hoped his friends had a good plan to get him back into shape. When he walked into the auditorium, Leo had pulled out a chair for him and gestured him to sit down. With a deep breath, he sat down in front of the stage. Leo rushed back behind the scenes as Emma came out from behind the curtains. "Ladies and gentle maestros of Wonderworld! We come together to perform for our one and only, Balan. This is a performance to show how much we care and how grateful we are to him. Although it may not be the best act in the world, we're doing this at the bottom of our hearts. So we hope you enjoy it." She said as she turned to the side, giving a thumbs up. With that, the music started. Oh, why you look so sad?Tears are in your eyesCome on and come to me nowDon't be ashamed to cryLet me see you through'Cause I've seen the dark side too When the night falls on youYou don't know what to doNothing you confessCould make me love you lessI'll stand by you I'll stand by youWon't let nobody hurt youI'll stand by you So if you're mad, get madDon't hold it all insideCome on and talk to me nowHey, what you got to hide?I get angry tooWell I'm a lot like you When you're standing at the crossroadsAnd don't know which path to chooseLet me come along'Cause even if you're wrongI'll stand by you I'll stand by youWon't let nobody hurt youI'll stand by youTake me in, into your darkest hourAnd I'll never desert youI'll stand by you And whenWhen the night falls on you, babyYou're feeling all aloneYou won't be on your ownI'll stand by you I'll stand by youWon't let nobody hurt youI'll stand by youTake me in, into your darkest hourAnd I'll never desert youI'll stand by you I'll stand by youWon't let nobody hurt youI'll stand by youTake me in, into your darkest hourAnd I'll never desert youI'll stand by you When the song was over, everyone stood in a finishing position. The spotlights shined on both Emma and Leo, who stood in front of the stage. Balan stood up and clapped his hands. Smiling the biggest grin he ever had in a long time. "BRAVO! BRAVO! That was beautiful! That was the most magnificent performance I've ever seen! And all of this was for me?" The teens stood down from the stage, approaching him. "Of course it was." Emma told. "You've helped us all so much. Now it was our turn to help you. So we gathered everyone and put on the best show we could to cheer you up. We would hate to see you succumb to negativity... Not our maestro." Leo preached. Balan dabbed at his eyes with his ascot. "I... I don't know what to say." He stopped suddenly as he felt something in his chest. Everyone got worried as they thought the show didn't work to bring him back to positivity. But when he pulled down the neck of his suit, the negative corruption had stopped... In fact, it started to disappear. What started at his heart had begun to change for the better. The purple shading had disappeared along with the markings. The pain that he once felt was quickly melting away as if it was never there in the first place. And in less than a minute, it was gone. "It worked!" Leo cheered! "He's back!" Emma jumped for joy. The rest of the crew cheered too for Balan's recovery. It pleased them that they didn't have to lose their maestro friend. Balan, his eyes still filled with tears of joy, knelt down to the two. "I am so proud. You've done so much to help me make amends. I am forever grateful for your efforts to help me... Thank you, my friends." "Balan! You're rhyming again!" Leo cheered as both he and Emma felt the tears swell up in their eyes. They both hugged the maestro, letting the tears spill from their cheeks and onto the floor, turning into drops. Even some of the inhabitants on stage began to get tearful and let the tears fall. Tims immediately swarmed the area, eating the drops that fell to the floor. They grew larger in size and fought off what was left of the negative atmosphere. The negati began to disappear as they no longer had any more drops to eat. The theater itself finally started to feel warm and vibrant again, bringing back its whimsical charm. And low and behold, guess who was watching the entire thing... Lance. He stood behind a wall, watching as the whole crew crowded around Balan, hugging him. At that moment, he too, almost felt something... He almost felt... Positive. Once the tears had finally stopped, Leo and Emma held both of Balan's hands. "I don't suppose you'd want to join us for our grand finale?" Emma offered. Balan beamed in response. "Would I? Why would I say no? I'd be most honored if I was part of the show!" He stood up from his chair as the teens dragged him to the stage for one more musical number.Recovery begins at the heart part 3Haoyu Chang, The boy who would be one with the wind After Haoyu got the message from Leo, he immediately went to work on printing out the SOS document. One for every person he's known in Wonderworld. Even printing out extras in case some get lost. He also pinpointed the location of everyone he knew, so he would learn how to fly there quickly. This was a state of emergency, after all. "Balan won't become the new Lance as long as I am living and breathing!" He exclaimed to himself as he grabbed a folder from his desk and stuffed the fliers into the pockets. He put it into the compartment of the plane for safekeeping. After that, he opened the garage door, boarded his plane, and took off. "I'm closest to Fiona. I should deliver the message to her first." He flew over the sea to find her. Fiona Demetria, The dolphin and the diver Fiona was sitting on the beach. Her toes were in the water as she enjoyed the cooling sensation of the breeze. The sound of the waves soothed her as the squawking of the seagulls flew above, looking for scraps of food to eat. She opened her eyes to a sound of an airplane piercing through the wind. She put her hand over her eyes to block out the sun and get a closer look at it. It was a boy, about highschool age, flying through the sky. It was Haoyu! She smiled widely and waved at him. "Skygazer! Hi!" She called. Ever since being trapped in Wonderworld, Fiona and Haoyu went by different names. They didn't have to go by that anymore, but she figured it was a fun nickname to call him. "Hi, Seagazer! I've got a message for you!" He called back as he folded one of the fliers into an airplane and threw it down for her. She caught it just as it was about to hit the water. She looked back at Haoyu, going to ask what it was, but he just flew off and yelled, "It's an emergency! Read the letter!" So Fiona unfolded the paper airplane and read the message. An SOS saying that something was wrong with Balan. "Oh no!" She cried. "Poor Balan! I have to do something!" She looked at the contact information for Leo and Emma. "Looks like they've already thought of a plan. I better call them right away!" She stood up, dried her feet that were in the water, and rushed away. Cal Suresh, The former champion obsessed with past glory Cal was sitting outside of a coffee shop, enjoying the light breeze and a cup of cappuccino. All was quiet as he watched the people roam the streets with their friends or pets. It took him by surprise when a paper airplane landed right on the table he was sitting at. He looked up and saw Haoyu waving overhead. "Read the letter!" He yelled before flying off again. He opened the paper airplane and read the message. He felt like his heart skipped a beat. "Balan... In trouble? We can't let that happen. I better make sure we have a plan to set this straight." He stood up and grabbed his coffee, calling the nearest taxi to get home. Attilio Caccini, The man who fell for a princess & Cass Milligan, The girl and the kitten Attilio and Cass were taking a walk through the park, talking to each other as they shared an ice cream cone. "I'm so glad we decided to take a walk today. It's so lovely outside." Cass happily said. Attilio nodded, agreeing with her. "We just need a day where we don't have to do anything." He replied. Two paper airplanes flew right over Attilio's head. He looked around to see where it came from. Cass then looked up and saw Haoyu's aircraft. He signaled them to read it as he flew out of sight. Cass picked up the airplanes and unfolded them. As she read one of them, she gasped and covered her mouth. "What's the matter?" Asked Attilio worriedly. "There's something wrong with Balan!" She announced. The man rushed over to read the letter over her shoulder. "What's happening to him?" He asked. "I'm not sure. But there's some contact information right here. It must be Leo and Emma." "We better head back. If this is our friend we're talking about, it must be serious." The two ran off, dropping the ice cream cone as they ran. Lucy Wong, The artist with painter's block Lucy was staring at the river over a bridge. The sun glared over the water, but she didn't mind it. She was nearly done with her newest masterpiece. With one final stroke of her paintbrush, it was done. "Beautiful. Marvelous. Absolutely perfect." She said to herself. She was about to set up a new location until a paper airplane landed in her kit. "Oh? What's this?" She picked it up and unfolded it. "SOS. Balan is in trouble?! Oh my! What kind of trouble?" She looked at the screen chat usernames, assuming that she had to get in contact with them. "This just won't do. I'll have to put my work aside and get to the bottom of this." She put all her tools away and hustled back to her home. Iben Bia, The lady too scared to love Iben was sitting in a chair crocheting. The TV was on as her husband and son were sitting with their father watching cartoons. She held the baby in her lap as she was pulling the stitches of her yarn. The window was left open for ventilation, and she was enjoying life. But through the window flew in a paper airplane. Iben's husband looked at it. "Where did that come from?" He asked. Iben gently gave the baby to her husband and set down her crochet project. "Let me take a look." She took the paper and unfolded it. Her face showed instant worry as she read it. "What? What is it?" Her husband asked. "Remember that friend I mentioned a few months ago?" "Yeah, why?" "This letter says that he's in some sort of danger. I have to go take care of this, honey. I'll be right back." She rushed through the halls and to the computer. Bruce Stone, The man seen by no one Bruce was in the street picking up trash again. He was happy it wasn't as much litter as it was before. Some of the bypassers also dropped by to help. It made the old man happy, knowing that some people cared for the environment and what was best for everyone. A young boy, about 10 years old, found a paper airplane and brought it to Bruce. "Hey, mister! Check it out! A paper airplane!" He held it out in his hands. Bruce looked at it and realized it had Haoyu's handwriting. "May I see it, young man?" He asked politely. The boy handed the paper airplane to the old man. He unfolded it and read the message. "Oh... Oh my." He murmured. "What is it, sir?" Asked the boy. "An old friend of mine is in some sort of trouble. I need to help them." "Oh! If your friend is in trouble, you can go ahead, sir. Me and my friends can take over from here." "You'd do that for me? Why, thank you, young man." He patted the boy on the head as he took his cane and walked off. Sana Hudson, the lady filled with avian adoration & Eis Glover, The firefighter who longs to be a hero Sana and Eis were hanging out in the forest. She was helping him spot different kinds of birds and pointing out their fun patterns. "Look," Sana whispered as to not scare the birds. "Those are the lazulibirds I've been talking about." She handed him the binoculars so he could get a better look. "Oh, yeah. They are a beauty, aren't they?" Eis suddenly heard an airplane overhead. He looked up with the binoculars and saw Haoyu waving at them. "Hey! Look!" He handed the binocs back to Sana. She looked through them and saw that the boy folded something and threw them down into the forest. "What could that be?" She wondered as she picked them up. Upon unfolding them, they became worried as the message read about their maestro friend being in danger. "What's going on with him?" Sana asked. "I don't know. But if Haoyu's going all over the place to deliver these messages, it must be something serious. We should get going. You can show me more birds later." She nodded as she followed Eis out of the forest. Yuri Brand, The girl who's gaga for bugs Yuri was out bug hunting in the grassy field. She was hoping to look for grasshoppers or a praying mantis. It would've been great for her school project. She swung her net through the air to catch something but caught a paper airplane instead. "Oops. Where did this come from?" She wondered as she took it out of the net. She looked up and saw a white plane soaring through the sky. She smiled, assuming it was Haoyu. But why didn't he stop to say hello? Was he in a hurry? She opened the letter and dropped her net in shock. "Oh no! Poor Balan. He can't be in trouble. What's going on with him? I better call Emma and Leo about this." She took off, completely forgetting her net in the fields. Jose Gallard, The man who rages against the storm Haoyu's final stop was Jose's farm. It was easy to find with the crops being lined up as such. He folded the last message into an airplane and threw it down before flying away. Jose was on his porch, sitting in a rocking chair and playing his banjo. A large gust of wind blew through the air. He saw a little paper airplane flying towards him. With one quick swoop, he snatched it out of the air with one hand. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" He opened the letter to read what was inside. "Oh, golly." He said allowed. "Ol' Balan's down in the dumps? I reckon the chillin' already have something planned. I better get on that computer." He stood up, put the banjo down, and went inside. Leo and Emma stuck on screen chat, waiting for the others to call. Leo was impatient, pacing around his room again while stopping to tap his fingers on the table. "Where is everybody?" He spoke. "Haoyu should've been back by now. What if they didn't get the messages? What if they really don't remember? What if-" Emma spoke up before Leo spiraled out of control. "Leo, please. Calm down. It's only been 3 hours. I'd imagine that Haoyu is going to need more time than that to send a message." "But every moment we waste is Balan getting worse and worse! We need to assemble the others and execute the plan now!" He slammed his fist against the table, knocking over a cup of pencils and pens. Emma held her hands up. "Leo, relax. We still have time. Remember, we found it in the early stage. Which means we have a head start. Once we put our plan into action and gather everyone together, we can make things right. There's no need to worry." Leo slumped in his chair and sighed heavily. "Alright, alright. You're right... I need to get it together. We still have time." Suddenly, there was a ringing on screen chat. Leo didn't hesitate to answer. Haoyu was on the other line. He was tired and sweaty. "The SOS documents have been sent. The others should be calling soon." He huffed. "Yeah! Way to go, man! You did us a huge favor!" Screen chat started ringing multiple times as if a whole crowd was calling. Emma was surprised; she didn't expect everyone to call that quick. But she answered them anyway. On twelve different screens, the previous inhabitants of Wonderworld were online. "I got your message. What's the issue?" Iben spoke up. "Yeah. Tell us what's wrong with our maestro." Fiona added. "Sorry I'm late. Had to get a taxi back home. What's happening?" Cal's screen popped up. This pleased Leo and Emma, knowing how quick everyone reached and how concerned they were for their friend. "We'll give you the short story," Emma started. "Balan is falling into negativity, and we have to save him!" Several people gasped. "Oh, poor Bally boo. How is this happening?" Sana questioned. "Is there any way to reverse it?" Bruce added. "We do have an idea. What Balan needs is a surge of positive energy. We were lucky we caught it when it was just getting started. Emma will tell you the plan." Leo explained. Emma nodded, taking over the call. "For this, we need to think theater. Music, dancing, performing. Balan has always entertained us, so that's how we're going to tackle it." "But some of us don't have any performing experience. Some of us can't sing or dance to save our lives." Lucy announced. "We're going to need a lot of practice to pull something like that off." Attilio added. "Then how long should we take to practice? Remember that it can't take too long." Leo said. Cal scratched his chin, thinking of a good time to both rehearse and be quick about it. "Normally, performances and musicals take months to practice and rehearse. But since this is a state of emergency, I'd say we give it about three weeks if no more." He suggested. "If we plan to make it a musical number, we need to pick a song we can all agree on." Iben pointed out. "We'll need someone to teach us the steps of the dance," Cass announced. "That's where I come in" Leo pointed out. I've taught some of my other friends how to dance, and they've gotten pretty good if I do say so myself." He said with a proud grin. "And I've been taking a lot of vocal lessons, so I've picked up a thing or two. We may not be perfect, but as long as our hearts are in the performance, I'm sure Balan would feel great about it." Everyone nodded on their screens. "So, what song do we want to do?" Yuri asked. Everyone kept suggesting songs, but none of them seemed to fit the performance they were going for. This was a lot trickier than they thought. Until Emma got an idea. "Hold on, everyone! Wait! I think I have the perfect song." She downloaded some sheet music and sent it all in a group DM. The others smiled. "It's perfect!" Lucy exclaimed. "Yeah! This will show him how much we care!" Haoyu added. "I agree. This song is the bee's knees." Jose pointed out. "Great. Then this is the song we'll sing when we do our show." Emma said. "We'll need a place to meet up." Said Attilio. "Where can we meet for this performance?" "We'll meet up right here." Leo sent a map of the location. The same park where he liked to dance. "I'll copy the coordinates and head that way as soon as I can." Haoyu announced. "I'll get a plane ticket, no problem. I should be there relatively soon." Cal said. Everyone agreed on the other lines to meet at the same place. "Great! We'll see you there. Remember, this is for Balan. Everything we're doing is to help him get back on his feet." Leo said. Everyone agreed and hung up.Recovery begins at the heart part 2After leaving the theater, Emma and Leo racked their brains to figure out how to bring Balan back to positivity. They thought they were extremely lucky they found it before it spread too far. Especially after Balan was so focused on hiding it. If they caught it too late, who knows what would've happened to their maestro friend. They ambled through town, thinking of what they could possibly do to save him. They kept exchanging ideas, and each one seemed like a flop. "What if we have Balan leave the theater? If he steps outside, it might relieve some of the stress." Leo explained. But Emma shook her head. "Balan can only leave the theater for a short amount of time. I don't think two hours would be enough to get the stress off his back." They continued to think. Emma then told Leo her plan. "How about we spend the night at the theater? Have a slumber party? We could spend the whole day playing games, telling stories, eating snacks, and watching movies. Balan could use the company, don't you think?" Leo cocked an eyebrow. "As fun as that sounds, I don't know how that would fix the problem. We're dealing with negativity here. We need something more than a simple slumber party." "Yeah, you're right." They roamed all the way to the park, the place where Leo liked to hang out and dance to himself. They sat at a bench, gears turning in their head to figure out what they could do. "Maybe we're thinking about this the wrong way." Emma pointed out. "We're clearly thinking of bandaid solutions for just simply being sad. This is a different situation entirely. It's about balance! It's not just emotional, but it's about willpower too." Leo nodded at the notion. "Yeah, you're right. We need to think outside the box on this one." He scratched his head as he thought. They both stood silent, processing what they could do differently. "Let's think about this in someone else's shoes. What would Balan do?" Emma suggested. Leo placed a finger under his chin. "Well... Balan is a theater guy. He likes to perform just to make us smile or laugh first. In the end, we encounter our problems head-on to restore balance... But his cause of imbalance is a fear of turning negative due to absorbing everyone's negative emotions." Emma snapped her fingers. "That's it! He's afraid of becoming like Lance. Lance said that he too loved humans until he fell prey to the nega. We need to have the opposite effect. Like, projecting out positive emotions to him." "And how are we gonna do that?" "... I have no idea." Emma's phone suddenly buzzed in her pocket. She took it out and looked at the notification—a reminder she had for vocal lessons at 2:30. "I better go, Leo. I have vocal lessons to get to." Leo paused and blinked. "Wait, vocal lessons? You mean you sing?" He asked. "Yeah, I like singing. So?" "I never knew you could sing. You never told me." "Well, I've been having private vocal lessons for a long time now. I'm even in the school choir. I've been told I have a great voice, so I decided to take some lessons." "Huh. Nice. You know, if you think about it, singing and dancing are kind of like performances for theater." Emma's eyes widened as a lightbulb lit overhead. She smiled and jumped up from the bench. "That's it!" She exclaimed. "I just got the perfect idea of how we could help Balan!" She turned around and hugged Leo tightly. "Leo, you're a genius!" The sudden hug caught Leo by surprise. He blushed bright red and felt like his heart was going to fly out of his chest. When Emma let go, she ran off. "I'll tell you the plan when I'm done with my lessons! We'll talk on the computer!" Leo stood there speechless, breathing heavily and sweating. Did it just get hotter out here, or was it just him? Leo was back at home, pacing around his room. He left his computer on with screen chat open, waiting for Emma to call. He didn't know when she would be done with her voice lessons, but he hoped it was soon. He thought every second they wasted would be Balan succumbing to negativity. It was hard for Leo to feel close to anybody. And to lose Balan would be like losing a good friend. He didn't want to go through that again. The screen chat made a beeping noise, signaling that someone was calling. He rushed over, sat down, and answered the call. Emma was on the other line. "Can you hear me?" She asked, checking if everything was working. "Loud and clear. How about you?" Leo asked. "Yeah, I can hear you." "So, what's this plan you were thinking about?" He asked. "Well, you mentioned that singing and dancing was a bit like theater. And Balan loves to put on a show for everyone. So I figured we could put on a show for him." "Hey, that's a nice idea. Putting on a show for him would send a massive surge of positive energy towards him." Emma held up a finger. "Of course, we can't do this alone. We'll need a crew." "You mean the previous inhabitants of Wonderworld?" "Well, I once thought we could bring all the previous visitors back with us, but then I also realized they wouldn't remember." Leo paused for a second before he spoke up. "No, wait. Yes, they do!" Emma cocked an eyebrow. "What? They do?" "Yeah, believe it or not, I've kept in touch with some of the others. Haoyu and I are actually pen pals. I once asked him if he remembered. He told me he thought it was a dream, but knowing that someone else knew the place, he remembered too." A smile lit up on Emma's face. "Wow! That's amazing! That must mean that the others remember too." Leo pounded his hand into his other. "Great! So here's what we'll do. I'll send a message to Haoyu, and he can go inform the others. He can get to them in no time with his flying bike." Emma nodded her head, agreeing with the plan. She clicked on another program and started to type something out. She then sent it to Leo through a DM. It read, "SOS!!! Balan is in trouble and needs our help. Call us on our screen chat to join the plan to save him." Just below the text read Leo's and Emma's screen chat usernames. "Send that to Haoyu. Tell him to make copies and send them to everyone we knew in Wonderworld." Leo nodded firmly. "Gotcha. I'll call him right now. I'll see you later." He pressed the button to hang up and looked through his other contacts for Haoyu. Once he found it, he called him, hoping he would pick up. On the other line, Haoyu was tinkering in the garage until he heard his computer beeping. When he answered it, Leo was on the other line. "Leo! It's been a while." He greeted. "Hey, Haoyu. I wish I was calling you on a happier note, but we've got a serious issue." Leo informed. "Why? What's the matter?" "You remember Balan, right?" "Of course I do. For some reason, my memory wasn't wiped upon exiting the theater." "Well, he's in trouble. I need you to send out a message so we can gather everyone to help him." Haoyu's eyes widened. "Balan's in trouble? How? What's happening?" He asked worriedly. "He's falling into negativity. If we don't do something, he'll become just like Lance." Leo explained. "Oh no! We can't let that happen! Lance trapped us and turned us into monsters the last time we were there. Ok, I'll send the message and tell the others." Leo nodded and sent the message to him by DM. "Print all those out and send them to the others. Our screen chat usernames are in the message." Haoyu gave a thumbs-up as he downloaded the image and began printing several copies. "Have no fear, Leo. Balan's in good hands. He helped us in our time of need, so now's the time to return the favor." "Great. Thanks a lot." Said Leo as he ended the call.Recovery begins at the heart Pt 1Balan did not feel like himself. It had been only a few months since the previous twelve visitors had their balance restored. Still, he felt as if something was still wrong. He was in his room with his hat off. Looking at himself in the mirror. He recalled what Lance said to him. "Before you became Balan, it was my part to play. But I grew too close to the humans and their sorrows and sadness I fell prey." "No..." Balan said to himself. The voice continued to echo through his head. "But now you're falling in love with them too. Be careful, Balan-or Lance they'll soon call you." "Enough!" He yelled to no avail. "Face it, you don't stand a chance. It's only a matter of time until you become Lance." "NO! THAT CAN'T HAPPEN TO ME!!!" Balan yelled in a fit of rage as he threw a bottle of cologne across the room. It shattered against the wall, spraying what was left of the liquid all over the place along with tiny glass shards. He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to settle down and breathe until his hand jerked to the left side of his chest. A piercing sting that felt like a needle through his heart. He thought he let himself get too angry until he noticed that part of his skin was turning a shade of purple. In a panic, he took off his cloak and pulled down his tux with a finger. The purple shade spread from his chest up to his neck. He even noticed slight markings that looked precisely like Lance's. Is this what negativity feels like? "Oh no... It's starting already!" He wailed. He felt tears swell up in his eyes. Is this what Lance had to go through when he was being consumed by negativity? It hurt... The sharp pain in his heart didn't go away. The spreading negativity felt like pins and needles from his pecs to his neck. He pulled his tuxedo further down to see how far it spread. It was already on his shoulder blade, and it looked like it kept growing. "Wh... What do I do? How can I stop it?" He asked himself. He heard a knock at the door and jumped. "Maestro Balan." Called a voice. Sounded like frost fairy. "Leo and Emma have arrived. They wanted to see you." Balan took a deep breath and adjusted his suit. "J-just a minute! I-I'm sprucing up." He called on the other end. He grabbed his cloak off the floor and tucked it back, trying to hide the markings that reached his throat. He looked at himself in the mirror one more time before grabbing his hat. "I have to pull myself together. Right now, I'm just proving that Lance was right. I have to put on a brave face and calm down." He took a deep breath and put his hat back on, showing his elusive identity. He forced a smile before leaving his bedroom. Leo and Emma roamed the theater. It felt cold for some reason. Every other step they took creaked the floor, and the lights flickered eerily. Something in the atmosphere didn't feel right. It didn't have that fun, whimsical charm as it always did. Either he was letting the place go, or something was happening. "Hello, children! I wasn't expecting guests. But I'm glad to see you again. I won't protest." He started again at his usual rhymes. Leo and Emma looked up to see he was on the balcony of the lobby. "Balan!" They both called. "We saw the theater and decided to stop by. If you have the time, that is." Leo said. Balan sighed gently and jumped down to the floor. "You know you two visiting is something I don't mind. I am happy to have you here, my friends. You're both very kind." He put on the most humble smile he could muster. But there was something in his demeanor that didn't sit right with them. Balan's supposed to be excitable and energetic, right? Today, he seemed slow or out of character. "Please, come inside. We can talk backstage. You can tell me what's going on in your life. Tell me what's all the rage." They ambled through the lobby of the theater to the stage. A chill in the air sent a shiver down Emma's spine. The place seemed... Dimmer and less vibrant than usual. "Excuse me, Balan," She started. "Does the theater seem a bit colder to you?" Although he didn't show it, Balan was surprised to hear this. The theater was meant to match his or Lance's heart wherever they stood. The building was reflecting his heart. "Is it? I didn't realize. Though changes in the air is not a big surprise. Sometimes it's warm, sometimes it's cold. The building reflects our auras, so I'm told." He explained. "Reflects the maestros auras?" The teens thought to themselves. Was Lance hanging around somewhere? Or was Balan hiding something? They finally entered the main auditorium. And just like the rest of the theater, it was less vibrant and gloomy in the atmosphere. "Leo, you can feel it too, can't you?" Emma leaned in to whisper to Leo. "Yeah. Something's off about this place. And Balan too. Is he sick or something?" He whispered back. But Balan's ears were burning. He could hear the two talking right behind him. "Excuse me." He announced. "I'm standing right here! Is there a reason you two are whispering in each other's ears?" Both of them froze a little. Balan looked on edge or irritable to them. "Yeah. We got something to ask of you, Balan... Are you feeling ok?" Emma asked. Balan felt a giant lump form in his throat. He was a professional actor. How could they see right through him? "M-me? Of course, I'm fine! Why would I not be... Fine?" He covered his mouth, realizing that he didn't rhyme properly. And the kids noticed it quick. "Balan," Leo called. "That wasn't the right way to rhyme. What's going on with you?" "No, no, it just merely slipped. I... I... Uh..." Balan started tugging on the brim of his hat, struggling to find the words. He was sweating profusely and shaking while biting the tip of his thumb. The act was finally dropped when Emma stomped her foot. "Alright, that's it! You can't even make up rhymes on the spot anymore! Something is clearly on your mind. Come on, Balan. Tell us what's wrong." Leo also stepped in. "Yeah. We're your friends, right?" The jig was up. He could no longer hold his composure. His smile dropped and he lifted the hat off his head, revealing his white face and seafoam green hair. "Very well. You win... I've had a lot on my mind lately... Please, sit anywhere you like." The maestro solemnly placed his hat on a nearby table. At the same time, Leo and Emma scooted two chairs over to the center of the auditorium. Balan sighed sadly. "Let's just say the last time you two were here, Lance and I had... An argument." "Doesn't that usually happen? I thought you and Lance hated each other. Aren't you two like, worst enemies?" Leo spurted out. "We don't... Hate each other. But we never really got along great. Lance had mentioned that he was the one who was previously running Wonderworld... But... He fell into negativity after becoming too close to the people... Their sorrows and sadness affected him and turned him into who he is now." Balan tried to fight back the tears that were filling up in his eyes. Leo and Emma were both stunned and confused. Lance was the one who ran Wonderworld previously? If so, how did Balan come to be? "I think we need a little more context, Balan." Emma stated. "What exactly does this have to do with you?" Balan tried to inhale carefully without hitching his breath. "Because... He warned me that the same thing will happen to me!" He raised his voice. Small tears started slipping from his eyes. This news disturbed both Leo and Emma. "What?!" Leo shouted. "That's ridiculous! How could any negative emotion affect you? You're too peppy for that stuff!" "He's right!" Emma added. "Lance couldn't be right about that. You're the funny, energetic maestro that you'll always be." Balan shut his eyes tight as more tears jerked from his eyes. "No... You don't understand... That's what's wrong... It's already started." Balan pulled down the left side of his suit, showing the purple shading all over his chest. Leo and Emma thought their eyes would pop out of their skulls. "I don't know how it started. And I don't know how to get it to stop. I fear it's already too late. I... I..." He stopped mid-sentence. Falling to a sitting position, and tears spewing from his eyes like a broken faucet. "I won't be the same Balan you know and love before you! Lance was right... He was right about everything!" He buried his face into his hands, crying hard. The tims showed up and started nuzzling against his legs and sides. Even the teens stood up and rushed towards Balan to comfort him. Leo and Emma stood by both of his sides. Leo put his hands on Balan's shoulder and back, rubbing the tension away. "Hey, hey, take it easy, Bal. Relax. There's no need for the waterworks." He said. Emma knelt down to meet him at eye level. She tried in vain to wipe Balan's tears away with her hand. "Come on, Balan. Don't cry. This isn't like you." She said. But Balan continued to sob and sniffle while hiccupping as he tried to catch his breath. One of the tims came in, carrying a tissue box on top of its head. "Oh, thank you." Said Emma as she pulled out the material. "Here, Balan. Blow." She commanded as she held the tissue to his nostrils. Following suit, he blew his nose as Emma told him to. When he was done, she crumpled up the tissue and stuffed it into her pocket. "There we go. Good man." She said. Balan rubbed his index finger under his nose. "There has to be some way we can reverse this." Leo said. "It hasn't spread out through your entire body yet like Lance. There must still be a chance to stop it while the nega is still in its... Early-stage." He couldn't think of any other way to put it. Early-stage was the closest he's got. "It's the same way of how it works with us, right?" Emma spoke out. "There must be some sort of cause of imbalance. This whole negativity thing is driving you up the wall. Which means that's what's causing you to be imbalanced." Balan opened his mouth to say something but didn't get the chance as Leo suddenly spoke up again. "Yeah. Yeah! Everybody deserves balance. Even magical people like you. What you really need is a surge of positivity. There's still a chance we can fix it before it's too late!" Balan rubbed his eyes. The tears slowed down, but they were still dripping from his face. "How..." He stopped to sniffle. "How do you plan to do that? Lance wasn't able to avoid it. How can I?" The teens stood for a moment, processing what they could do to keep their friend from turning into someone like Lance. "We'll need to figure that out first. But right now, let's focus on here and now. What you need right now is a mental health break." Emma said. Balan blinked, unsure of what she was meaning. "A... Mental health break?" Emma took his hand and held it in her other. "You've got a lot on your mind right now. So you should relax and just have a day to do nothing." "But I can't... Th-the theater. I-I still have visitors I need to help. I have to restore their balance. That's my job!" Emma covered his mouth, stopping him from talking. "It'd be hard to restore anybody's balance if you can't do it yourself. You need a day off. The people can wait. We have to worry about you first. Until we can somehow reverse this negativity, you need some downtime. Trust me. It'll be good for you." Leo said. Balan couldn't say anything else. He could tell that the kids really did care for his well-being. He finally stood back up, rubbing the rest of the tears out of his eyes. "Ok..." He murmured. "I'll take your word for it. If it makes you happy, I'll take a break. I'll trust you to do the right thing. I believe in you." He hugged the two teens, finally feeling warmer again. When they let go, they decided to leave the theater. "We'll check on you often, Balan. Just hang in there for us, ok?" Leo said. "We'll find a way to reverse this negativity in you. You be strong for us. Keep that smile on your face." Emma added as she handed the maestro back his hat. He graciously took it, holding it by the edge of the brim. "I'll... I'll try my best. Thank you... Both of you." He could finally feel a real genuine smile return to his face. He escorted the two out the door, waving them off. But right behind him loomed was the shadowy aura of Lance. Tentacles exposed and markings glowing. "Don't put too much faith in their efforts." He said. "Once it's already started, it can't go back. It's too late for you, Balan. Just face the facts." Balan rolled his eyes and glared back at his counterpart. "Don't try to humor me with your rhymes, Lance. I told you I wasn't going to end up like you. And so help me, if I ever end up the same way you are now, I'll give up my position as maestro and throw myself out of this theater." Lance smirked at him, getting closer to his face. "Is that a bet?" He hissed. "Don't hold your breath." Balan retorted. "I still stand by my statement that I'll NEVER end up like you!" Lance only snickered and backed away. "You'll see I'm right in the end. You'll become the new Lance in due time." He walked away, leaving Balan at the foot of the door.