Thx for those who reviewed, and a shout out to HHP members. You guys are awesome ;3

This chapter will define how the rest of the story goes. I hope by the end of this chapter you will want to stay till the finish.

Onward to the story~

"I'm not kidding, girls."

"How do we know this isn't just another ploy for you to get attention?"

"Ookwee!"

"Come on, Pashmina. Since when do gentlemen lie?"

Resisting her urge to bury her face in her paws, Bijou looked at Stan with exasperated eyes. "Uh 'uh…"

"Well, then, if you missus don't believe me, maybe I'll just save that special place for some other gals," Stan propped his arms behind his head and flashed his trademark smirk.

"Well that's fine by me," Dexter haughtily strolled in, mimicking the action pushing up his glasses-shaped fur marking while doing so. "Pashmina will be perfectly happy with me, and not you."

Dexter's comment made Howdy on the side totally steam up. "Yeah well—"

"I don't even want to hear it!" Boss shouted. "Can there ever be just one day where we don't have a dispute here?" He sighed in frustration.

"You guys are way tense, man. You need that vacation bad. Now, if you'll just believe me…"

The clubhouse door squeaked from seasons of poor maintenance as other Ham-Hams arrived.

"Yo, sis! What up?" Stan called.

Sandy saw Stan being in close proximity with the girls and immediately raised red flags alerts for her brother's flirtatious habits. She furrowed her brow. "You better not be causing troubles with my friends again, Stan."

"Hey, we're all cool here. No need to get into a fuss," Stan shot her an assuring smile, only to falter slightly under the unsatisfied glare from Sandy. "Am I right, ladies?" Stan shook his maracas.

"Stan 'ere zinks 'e's found a perfect 'oliday spot."

"Yeah, it's supposed to be a really magical place on the beach."

"Ookwee…"

Sandy nudged right between Stan and her friends. "The beach? How would you have gotten there all by yourself?"

"I went with Noel yesterday. While he was picking up babes on the beach—or, trying to anyway—I went off on my own and stumbled upon this cliff-side clearing that was just totally awesome," Stan winked. "That place is cut off from the rest of the main beach by trees and briars, so I'm positive that no humans have ever been there."

"Do you really think you can find it again?" Oxnard asked.

"Leave it up to me! And better yet, I know which bus Noel took yesterday. We can leave right now and still have the whole afternoon to spend there."

"That sounds fantastic!" Hamtaro jumped up. "Come on, guys, what do you say?"

"I'm still having a hard time believing it," Howdy tapped his fingers on his apron.

"Zuzu… I think… it sounds like fun… Zuzu…" Snoozer's lisping comment came above their heads from the second floor.

"Are you even going to get up, Snoozer?" Boss called from the bottom of the stairs.

"Zuzuzu…"

"Yeah, I figured."

"Stan was the one who found Acorn Mountain. I think we can trust him," Panda pointed out.

"Then, all in favour of a beach party?" Boss proclaimed.

"Aye!"

"Let's start packing up then. Chop chop!"

At the sound of that, Oxnard instantly bolted into the storage room to raid the sunflower seed supply. Noises of clatter bombarded the inside of the clubhouse as each of the hamsters hastily sorted through their personal belongings. Sandy dug through her drawer, trying to find the perfect ribbon to bring along with her. Pashmina walked up to her.

"What do you think of all this, Sandy?"

"Stan tries to impress people all the time," Sandy answered. "But I don't think he'd lie about something of this magnitude."She turned around, holding up two ribbons in front of Pashmina. "Party? Or beach girl?"

"Beach girl."

Sandy returned to examining her pack. Finding everything in place, she smiled with content. "I think that's everything," She turned around, carrying the pack on her back. "What about you, Pash—?" She dropped the pack on the floor as her muscles went limp with shock.

The horrendous scene in front of Sandy told her that she definitely was not in the same place as she was before. The merry clubhouse was merry no more. Instead of all the activity and heat that was just momentarily present, the air was thick with grave stillness. A quick survey of place showed how much of a wrecked mess the clubhouse was in. An alarming amount of furniture was overturned, not unlike petty shrubs being beaten aside. The floor was imprinted with mud-trudging pawprints. With a start, Sandy realized that Pashmina, who was supposed to be right in front of her, was nowhere to be seen in this lifeless clubhouse that Sandy seemed to have crossed over to. Sandy looked up to find pieces of tattered paper drifting down under the dim incandescent light. Her vision shimmered under the light, causing Sandy to instinctively wipe her eyes with her arm. She found her fur to be dampened with moisture. Tears…?

"Are you absolutely sure, Maxwell?" Sandy turned her head toward the source of the voice. The Ham-Hams were sitting together at the round table, seemingly in a meeting. A thick ominous atmosphere overshadowed the table. Intense eyes stared at Boss without falter. "I think I speak for everyone when I say that none of us would want to go back there, not for anything."

"One-hundred percent positive," Maxwell answered in a foreboding tone. "I spent the last twenty-four hours investigating and researching. There is no mistake."

A grim silence took over the table.

"…Well then, what does that mean for us?" Dexter awaited the answer from the other hamsters in despair, appearing on the verge of tears.

"Something has to be done, that's for sure," Boss stated firmly.

The hamsters pondered the predicament without fruition. Eventually, amidst the forlorn hamsters, one stood up and left. He slammed the clubhouse door shut with a bang. The other hamsters looked at each other uncertainly.

"We should go after him…" Hamtaro began to stand up also, but was stopped by Maxwell.

"I think it's best to leave him alone," Maxwell shook his head sadly, then turned to Sandy. "Sandy? Any ideas on what we should do?"

"I— uh—"

"Sandy?" Fingers snapped in front of her face. "You okay? Yo, Sandy?"

"Me? Uh— I… Wait, what?" Sandy concentrated on the scene in front of her. No longer was the clubhouse overhung with dreary gloominess. The air was once again filled with innocent laughter and the spirit of bustling activity. The clubhouse was as dandy as the way they were the last time a spring-cleaning was performed. Everything was… normal. Pashmina had not seemed to notice Sandy's strange behaviour and was chatting with Penelope across the room. Sandy swivelled her head left and right, then focused on the tiger-striped hamster in front of her, Stan, who bore an empathetic expression.

"Like, sis, you've been just standing there looking into nothing. Is everything okay?" Stan's softened eyes surveyed his sister's confounded expression, his usual macho demeanour absent.

"Oh…Stan. Yes, I think, yeah, I'm fine, totally." Remembering something, Sandy wiped her eyes with her paw. It was dry.

"You sure? Is there anything you want to talk about?" Stan approached her slightly.

"No, no. I'm fine, really." Sandy looked into Stan's concerned eyes briefly before looking away. She started to back away a bit. "Well, you know, I'm going to go get ready." And with that, Sandy scampered off.

Stan stared into Sandy's retreating silhouette, then sighed and went back to gathering his things.

The Ham-Hams stood under a magnificent metal tower in awe. Upon examination from cranking their necks way back, the hamsters marvelled at how the monument seemed to expand upon itself into a spherical globe atop.

"Is that the wizard's staff to summon the buses?" Cappy asked with fascination in his eyes.

"It's enormous!" Hamtaro exclaimed in amazement.

"Oh, please, guys," Stan rolled his eyes. "It's called a Bus Stop. Wait a bit. The buses come every 15 minutes or so."

"That's smart," Panda said. "I should make something like that for our Ham-Ham Train."

"Zis will be so fun," Bijou exclaimed with joy. "I've never been on a bus before."

"I have once," Hamtaro chirped. "It's much, much bigger than a minivan, and you see things just fly by from the window. It was the first time I met Jingle too."

"Oh haha, I remember that," Oxnard chuckled meekly. "If it weren't for Jingle, we never would've gotten home. Right, Penelope?"

"Ookwee!"

Sandy stood alone by herself, staring at the sky, seemingly troubled in thought. Stan approached her and put a paw on her shoulder.

"Hey sis, I think we really need to talk." Stan said in a serious tone.

"What about?" Sandy asked innocently, but Stan could see that she was trying to conceal her feeling of unsettledness. It pained him to see that his own sister could not comfortably confide in him. He led her away from the group so they would have some privacy.

"You know, you seemingly to scare yourself out of your wits every now and then, the blank stares, and the constant frowns." Sandy turned her head to meet Stan's stare. "It reminded me of something… something during our childhood."

Sandy felt her heart flutter and broke away from the eye contact. They had been more distant lately. It was as if that, for them, the initial exhilaration of being reunited started to wear out. In no time, they began to grow tired of each other's presence. Neither Stan nor Sandy was pleased with such outcome, but neither did they know what to do. Stan began to show up at the clubhouse in less frequency. Sandy started to choose to hang out with her friends more than her brother. In no time, a rift had cut between them, and a bridge was hard to build with both of them on opposite sides.

"It was during that time you were sick," Stan continued. "You would wake up in the middle of the night all the time, screaming and crying. Or even, when we're just taking walks, you would sometimes suddenly stop and stare into empty space, as if you were seeing something from another realm."

Another realm… Sandy was reminded of the vision she had earlier.

Stan stared up at the sky. "After that, you would often collapse onto the ground, and I would have to help you up and carry you home." He looked at Sandy. "Do you remember any of that, sis?"

The mental image of Stan holding out a paw to help her up flashed into Sandy's mind. "I think so… a little."

"That was around the time we were separated. I was so angry when Hillary split us apart, with you being in that state," Stan's eyes began to glisten and his face scrunched up in a slight snarl. "I couldn't help you then, Sandy. That was because I wasn't there. But I'm here now. I want to help you get through this, whatever it is."

"Stan…" Tears began to stream down Sandy's face.

"Do you also remember what I told you before I left, Sandy?" Stan looked at Sandy with determination on his tear-stricken face. "I promised you that, if you should ever feel afraid and need someone there, just think of me, and I will know, and I will find a way to get to you, to hold you, and tell you that everything's okay. I won't ever break that promise, Sandy. I love you. I don't want us to ever drift apart ever again."

"Stan… I…" Sandy looked him Stan with increasingly reddening eyes, then ran into his arms and bawled out all the stress and all the tension that had accumulated from the last few days. "I love you too. I'm sorry… I didn't mean to push you away. I don't know how we got to be like this and…"

"I'm here, sis. Everything's okay," Stan sobbed silently in the embrace. "Whatever worry you may have, we can work through them together." For a while, they stayed in the huddle, neither saying a word, simply relishing each other's company. Not once did Stan let go of Sandy. He kept holding on, making sure she was okay, until Sandy started to relax and breathe normally. "… Now, come on," he gently released her at length. "Today shouldn't be a day filled with tears. Just wait 'till you see what I'm going to show you guys."

"Right…" Wiping away the tears with her arm, Sandy smiled. "…Brother!"

"Sandy? Stan?" The twins heard Maxwell calling. "The bus is here!"

They hurriedly returned to the group. Together, the thirteen hamsters hopped onto the bus. And just before the door closed, one more jumped on.

"Déjà vu, defined as the illusion of having previously experienced something actually being encountered for the first time." The Ham-Hams waited patiently on their bumpy, sweaty-smelling ride toward the outskirts of town. To pass the time, Maxwell began another of his lectures. "I'm certain that all of us had experienced such 'illusions' one time or another. But what are they, really?

"If you guys remember what I've told you about the higher dimensions two days ago, about our choices leading up to different paths, then you'll understand this: Déjà vu is a momentary glimpse to the other side. We feel that we've been somewhere before because actually, we have, in another reality."

"You're not making sense," Dexter rubbed his eyes. "What do you mean, another reality?"

"See, look," Maxwell stood up, and began to use his paw to draw a diagram on the foggy surface of the bus window. "We three-dimensional creatures experience life as a linear progression," he drew a straight line. "But that is an illusion, because everyday, life presents us with an array of choices," he drew two splits from the line. "To stay home, or to go to the clubhouse. Out of those two choices, it is only possible to make one." While the Ham-Hams stared at the diagram, trying to make sense of it, Maxwell continued, "Your day would be quite different depending on which choice you make. And so, with each choice we make, another reality is created. In this case, one where you stayed in your cage, and another where you're in the clubhouse. That is the Multiverse Theory." Maxwell sat back down, and the Ham-Hams shifted the attention back to him as the diagram began to fade with more fog build-up.

"So… you're saying, that in another reality, every single girl would be falling for me?" Stan's face gradually formed into a smirk as the implication set in.

"I don't think that would ever happen, no matter what choices you make," Boss scoffed.

"And, and, in some other world, I have a whole house-full of hats?" Cappy asked with great excitement.

"And somewhere, another me will have figured out how to build electronic apparatuses that I never could figure out how to make?" Panda inquired, then went deep in thought. "If only I can travel there and ask him—or is that me?—how he did it…"

"Well, no matter which reality it is," Sandy turned to Pashmina. "I'm sure we would always be the best pals."

"Yeah, haha… of course," Pashmina agreed almost a bit too forcibly. Fortunately for her, Sandy did not notice.

"I don't think it matters what happens in the other realities," Hamtaro scooted right beside Bijou, their faces apart only by a whisker-length. "All that's important is loving your friends and having fun with them. Right, Bijou?"

"Of course." Bijou looked deep into the pair of hazel eyes. "I love all my friends."

"Okay! Head count time!" Hamtaro shouted. The Ham-Hams stepped off their bus ride and were now situated on a rural and primitive road buried in small loose rocks. "One, two, three… Howdy, stop moving! Twelve, thirteen… fourteen. That can't be right."

"What? I was never moving…" Howdy mumbled so quietly that no one had heard.

"…Eleven, twelve, thirteen! All right, good. Let's get going!"

Feeling the soil soft yet crunchy under their paws, the Ham-Hams began their journey to the "Promised Land". They followed the road toward the ocean, occasionally passing by a human or two. As they neared the populated beach, the road became more and more uneven. The Ham-Hams trekked over the human-foot-ridden loose dirt, each shoe imprint an obstacle the tiny hamsters have to overcome. The golden beach sand was just over the yonder and shortly within reach, but Stan motioned them to stop. He beckoned them over for a detour.

"This way," Stan instructed and disappeared behind a thick bush. After employing a good deal of thrashing and agile manoeuvres, the Ham-Hams finally got through the cursed obstruction. They found themselves in a woodland with a dirt path lined by towering red cedars and evergreens. The trees wore layers of vines, as if trying to preserve the warmth of the sun that they themselves have blocked. Even so, the green lush underbrush made their jubilant appearance in the thin sunlight. As the slivers of light penetrated past the leafy blockades, they collided with the ground with a bright explosion that shone ever so vibrantly. With the constant tug of the playful breeze, the leaves swivelled back and forth, changing the pattern of the sparkling pieces of diamond on the dirt path, not unlike looking into a kaleidoscope. Each blade of grass, flower stem and tree branch gracefully reached out to bask in their secluded haven. Tree roots extended out with their robust out-stretched arms all around, hugging all the plant life together, giving the place a serene feel of peace and harmony.

"This place looks very old," Maxwell commented while the Ham-Hams walked with their heads cranked up in awe of the scenery. The mesmerizing rattle-like sound of the leaves in the breeze added to their silent pawsteps dampened by the soft soil engulfed the Ham-Hams in an ethereal atmosphere. "Look at the plantations. They thrive with the absence of disturbance from common mammals. It's as if we're the first ones to come here ever… hmm?" He leaned forward to inspect a rodent-like track seemingly coming from the same place as they did, but leading deeper into the neighbouring thickets. "Was that you Stan? From yesterday?"

"No way, dude. I never left from the track," Stan replied absentmindedly.

"Well, I guess we aren't the first hams after all…"

"Now, let's see. Where are we…?" Stan muttered under his breath. Fortunately, the Ham-Hams did not hear his remark, for he led the group with a significant lead. For almost an hour, they have been following the twists and twines of the seemingly endless path. Everything appeared to look the same. There was even this constant rustling in the bushes that seemed to be always one step behind them, as if the forest itself was following them and laughing at their cluelessness. Some were starting to get fidgety.

"Stan, how far is it still?" Boss asked with slight irritation. There had been several forks in the path, and every time it seemed to take Stan longer to decide than the last.

Stan strolled with quasi-assurance in front of the group. He tried to act confident, but still could not resist the temptation to scratch his head in nervousness. "Uh, just a little bit further."

"Don't tell me we're lost, Stan!" Howdy puffed.

Stan reply came from ahead, "No way, man. I'd never get lost, plus—oh, oh, wait, wait, ah HA. I found it!"

The Ham-Hams scrambled past the curve on the path to catch up to Stan. They found him simply standing in the middle of the track, smiling proudly. The confused hamsters looked at him at a loss.

"This bush," Stan patted the stalk of fern behind him, "was a landmark I used. See, it looks just like how Sandy looks when she's mad." He winked at his sister, who stuck her tongue out at him.

"And now… eight paces to the right. Here it is." The undergrowth rustled as Stan burrowed through it.

The Ham-Hams followed suit and pushed through the leafy drapes to be momentarily blinded by the sudden intense light. As their visions cleared, they found themselves being welcomed by the sun in its overhanging throne and the singing royal white knights patrolling the sky. Now free of the obstruction from the woods, the brightly shone sky reached down to embrace the tiny guests. The ground expanded upon itself into a ledge, all the while greatly stretched perpendicularly, spanning the full length of the semicircular tree line. Beneath the hamsters' paws, the undergrowth heroically stampeded the rocky landscape, seeking to conquer the unfriendly barren territory, only to find that it was not to be assimilated easily. As the soil level diminished toward the ledge, bushes turned to grass, and grass turned to loose stones, appearing like a massive green carpet leading up to the naturally formed elevated observation deck. The bumbling ocean seated itself unforgivingly on top of the immovable stone balcony, obscuring all other views with its size. As the awestruck hamsters approached the ledge, the grand view of the sandy beach revealed its majestic presence fifty feet below. The Ham-Hams had come a long way, for the human crowd and their beach umbrellas now looked like strangely coloured fungi in the distance. From there on, the beach was a radiant honey-coloured yellow. Then, closer to where the Ham-Hams were, the fungi returned, this time in the forms of pink and white shells leeching onto the rotten tree trunks below. The tides crashed onto the solid matter much denser than its own, roaring loudly and mimicking the grand finale note of their welcome fanfare. The hamsters' whiskers perked up with contained delight in the temperate sea breeze.

"Told you dudes I'd find it. No worries, right?" Stan fell backward onto the soft grass, soaking in the soothing warmth of the sun with his eyes closed. "Man, that was so mentally draining. I'm gonna relax here for a bit. Just, you know, don't fall down the cliff or anything."

"This is totally incredible, Stan!" Sandy exclaimed, her eyes glued on the everlasting ocean waves in front of her. Behind her, Stan, who still had his eyes closed, smiled with satisfaction.

"Come on, guys!" Hamtaro could not contain his eagerness anymore and jumped into the air with a sudden release of energy. "Let's go play!"

"Ookyoo! Ookyoo!"

Laughing, the excited hamsters scrambled to rid themselves of their packs and ran after Hamtaro, all except Oxnard, who was still standing at where he was, looking uncertain.

"Wait up! Guys!" Oxnard shouted desperately. "Shouldn't we unpack some seeds first?" Fumbling, he snatched a single seed from his pack to put in his ear and ran after the group.

A wave gushes of wind rushed past Maxwell, as if chasing each other in the free vacuum, much like the hamsters behind him. Even as he pressed his paw down on the flapping pages of his book to stop the maddening slapping noise, he could hear high pitched squealing behind him. Not that he minded it; he was used to reading in a raucous environment, as he often did in the clubhouse.

As a matter of fact, he relished in it. He knew that he was not like everyone else, always happy and full of energy, but they accepted him anyway. Then again, nor was anyone exactly the same as each other. This aspect of the Ham-Hams was what allowed them to have such a tight bond. Just about every single one of them had a different interest, but it was not similar personality nor hobby that brought them together. No, it was their simple fondness for each other's company that lit the spark for friendship. Whatever would happen to them, if even a single person was gone…?

Maxwell stopped that thought in its track. There I am again having my thoughts going all over the place. He tilted his book forward to pick up more sunlight and continued reading. …And what was concluded from the experiments is that, in order for the waves of probability to collapse, there must be a presence of an active observer… He heard a shuffling behind him and looked up.

"Hiya Maxwell," Sandy smiled sweetly. "Can I sit?"

"Sure thing," he patted the grass beside him. "Why aren't you running around out there?"

"Just thought I'd rather join my boyham," she giggled. "You mind?"

"Not at all, of course." Maxwell wrapped his arm around her.

"Don't mind me ya'll. I'll be right back," Howdy called to the Ham-Hams.

"Oh come on, Howdy. Our team will be missing a person," Boss called back.

"Sorry mate. Nature calls."

"Aren't you going to eat, Pashmina?" Bijou asked. Beside her, Penelope devoured her snack happily, her appetite seemingly to have returned.

"You know, I've actually had a huge lunch," Pashmina replied. "I'm going to go take a walk."

Stan was snoozing mightily fine in the shades when thumps of pawsteps jolted him awake.

"Oh, hey Howdy," he opened his eyes to identify the passer-by hamster. "Didn't expect you to be wondering around here. What's up?"

Howdy looked anxious as he faced the intrigued hamster. "Um, nothing much. Just taking a walk. I'm gonna head that way, kay?" With that, he strolled off, if a bit hastily, leaving Stan alone once again.

"Weird…" Stan yawned and shut his eyes.

"Where do you think we go when we die, Sandy?" Maxwell asked her, holding her paw.

"Huh? That's pretty hard… Well, Stan told me once that there's this place up in the sky where everyone who is gone lives, even like, our parents."

"So heaven, huh? I wonder… Maybe such a place do exist…"

"You should know better than that, Maxwell." A voice came from behind the couple.

"What?" Maxwell saw the hamster behind him and his face lit up. "Jingle!"

"It's what the wind calls me, yes." Jingle jumped down from Herbert, who settled comfortably beside them.

"How did you find us? I thought we were the only one who knew about this place," Sandy asked.

"I'm a traveler. I've been to more places and … than most mortals have."

"What? I didn't quite catch the middle—" Sandy was cut off by Maxwell.

"That's it! Those pawprints back at the track. They must be yours, right?" He asked excitedly.

"One doesn't leave a trace so fine, when his ride is a swine."

"It's not you either…? I wonder who it is then…"

Pashmina stood by the cliff, watching the ocean slowly, but surely, sweeping the contents of the beach far, far away. She stared deep in thought, tuning out her surroundings, including the approaching pawsteps behind her.

"Hey! You!"

Pashima jumped into the air, utterly startled by the acute unfriendliness of the voice. She turned around, already feeling cold sweat enveloping her body, and saw—

"Howdy?" She inquired, incredulous.

"Do you have any idea what you have done? How could do you that to her?" He took a step toward her while spitting out the words.

"Wha…?" Pashima opened her mouth in a daze while the implications fluttered in her mind.

"You're disgusting! You're a criminal! No…worse! A despicable monster!" He took another step forward, his cold eyes darkened by what seemed to be the pain of lost scrutinizing her intimidated state.

"What are you saying, Howdy?" She almost begged him, being on the very brink of tears.

"Don't even talk! You're not the Pashmina I knew! Where is she? Give her back!"

"I don't—I don't what you, who—" She sobbed out loud, fearful for the unknown. Howdy took this as an act of defiance. He shrieked and charged toward her. Pashmina barely had time to scream, but rather yelped in pure fear. Panic set in and she instinctively cowered with her body turned sideways, arms flapping out in dismay. She felt her paw connect with a body and the force carried through as her whole body weight shifted to push the assaulter away from her…and over the cliff!

She gasped as she saw Howdy lose his last contact with the ground and pummelled. There was no freeze in time nor slow motion as she watched the body bounce away from the cliff wall then onto the jagged rocks below in horror. When the tumbling finally stopped, the arms and legs hang at odd angles. Bright red blood began to pour out of the collapsed skull and punctured chest. The mouth was open with a limp tongue sticking out, and the eyes were wide open. The body was perfectly still, but in Pashmina's mind, it was still falling and tumbling. Her mind continued to replay the scene over and over, making her see him fall again and again, making her hear his pained grunt again and again, making her stand completely still in shock. Her mind shut down. All she did was look at the viscous liquid seep into the sand, at the dim and grey rocks splattered with crimson red blood, at the widened eyes that tried to take everything in but could see nothing.

Her knees went limp and she kneeled down onto the loose rocks. The impact on her body jarred her mind slightly, and a half comprehendible thought went through her mind. It's just like… She lowered her head, her whole body completely refused to function. Enveloped in pure primal behaviour, she did the one thing that she could do.

She screamed.

"Pashmina!"

She weakly turned her head, then her eyes widened with disbelief.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" The hamster in front of her asked in agitation, his paws firmly gripped onto his red apron.

"Howdy…! I…"

Then everything went black.

Until next time~