CHAPTER 35:COSMIC CHAOSTHE GREAT SNACK CAPER

"Okay, so now that we've had our fun, where do we go from here?" James, the god of universal travel, asked with uncontainable excitement.

"The next universe we are going to is Universe 0000. On this planet, two factions are at war—the shadow clan and the light clan—causing chaos and destruction," Jokan replied, his voice filled with determination.

"Okay, so what do we do? Simon Maxwell and Tanya are still in Universe 0012. Should we wait until they're done?" Jolee inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"No! I think we should handle this one ourselves," Meco, the god of time, chimed in, confidently opening the gateway to Universe 0000.

As they descended, the cacophony of battle echoed in the distance, growing louder as they approached. Suddenly, Jokan, Jolee, Falcon, Eagle, and Meco spotted two familiar figures fighting with all their might.

"Oh no! It's them! Let's get out of here!" Jokan exclaimed anxiously, his instincts kicking in.

But before they could retreat, the two figures spotted them and waved enthusiastically.

"Children! Little brother! Over here!" one of the figures shouted.

"Great! They spotted us! There's no escaping them now," Jolee sighed, bracing herself for the inevitable.

As they flew over, the figures enveloped Jokan, Jolee, Falcon, and Eagle in an exuberant embrace. James and Tiffany-lee were left standing on the sidelines, completely bewildered.

"Little brother, Meco! How long has it been?" one of the figures asked, her voice laced with affection.

"It's been too long, sis!" Meco replied with a smile, secretly thinking, *Apparently not long enough!*

"I see you've brought guests with you. Well, don't be rude! Introduce us!" the other figure insisted, nudging Meco playfully.

"Right! Tiffany-lee, James, allow me to introduce you to my sister Lanya Light and her husband Lucas Shadow. They are the gods of all existence. Lucas and Lanya, this is James, the new god of universal travel, and his wife Tiffany-lee, the new goddess of demons," Meco said proudly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you! Welcome to godhood!" Lucas and Lanya said in unison, beaming at the newcomers.

Then, without warning, Lucas and Lanya turned to face each other, hostility brewing in their eyes.

"Okay, now that we've all met, Father, Mother! Why are the two of you fighting?" Falcon and Eagle asked simultaneously, their expressions a mix of confusion and concern.

"Hmmm! This woman has eaten all my special doughnuts that I gathered from every universe!" Lucas declared, his anger palpable.

"No, I didn't! He's the one who ate all of my universal chocolates and doesn't want to admit it!" Lanya retorted indignantly.

"That's a lie, and you know it!" Lucas shot back, his face turning beet red.

"Really now, prepare yourself for war!" Lanya exclaimed, and the two of them charged at each other, ready to engage in cosmic combat.

"Wait, wait! Mom, Dad! Let's not do this!" Jokan interjected, stepping between them just in time to prevent chaos from erupting.

Looking at his siblings, they couldn't help but burst into laughter at the absurdity of the situation.

"Jokan, dear, why are you dressed like a gimp?" Lanya asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

"Are you still wearing that after all this time?" Jolee added, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I would have you know that my gimp suit is quite comfortable!" Jokan huffed, snapping his fingers. Instantly, his attire transformed into a suave private investigator's outfit, complete with a trench coat and a fedora.

"Now! Let's get to the bottom of the missing doughnuts and chocolates! Chop chop, lads! We have a case to solve, and it shall be elementary," Jokan announced enthusiastically, channeling his inner Sherlock Holmes.

"Great! Now he thinks he's Sherlock Holmes," Jolee sighed, facepalming herself.

"The only two suspects here are you two," Jokan pointed at Lucas and Lanya. "The rest of us just got here."

"First, we need to question the witnesses!" Jokan declared, pulling out a notepad that had mysteriously appeared in his hands. "Mom, Dad! Who was the last one to see the doughnuts and chocolates before they went missing?"

Without hesitation, Lucas and Lanya pointed fingers at each other.

"You have some nerve pointing a finger at me!" Lanya exclaimed, her face reddening.

"Oh yeah? Well, I can say the same for you!" Lucas shot back, his irritation bubbling.

"Okay, okay! Mom, Dad, let's calm down. How about we take turns?" Jolee suggested, attempting to mediate the escalating tension.

"Wait! Dad, Mom! Is there anything else on this planet besides the humans you conjured up to fight?" Jokan asked, his excitement bubbling over.

Lucas scratched his beard, deep in thought. "Now that you mention it, your mom and I recently gave birth to quadruplets. They are the gods of the four elements. We named them Fiammetta, the goddess of fire; Nixie, the goddess of water; Hayate, the god of wind; and Demetrius, the god of earth."

"Perhaps it was those children who stashed our doughnuts and chocolates!" Lanya said with a smile, the idea sparking hope in the air.

"Alright! Let's gather everyone and investigate!" Jokan declared, his detective instincts kicking in. "First, we need to find the quadruplets."

As they searched, the gods discovered Fiammetta in a field, creating a small fireball with glee. Next, they found Nixie splashing water into the air, giggling joyfully. Hayate was riding the wind, twirling around in carefree delight, while Demetrius was busy burying his face in the earth, discovering hidden treasures.

"Hey, you four!" Jokan called out, his detective voice booming. "We need your help solving a mystery!"

As the children ran over, Lucas and Lanya introduced them to Jokan, Jolee, Falcon, Eagle, and Meco, their siblings. They then turned to James and Tiffany-lee, who were still catching up with the unfolding drama.

Jokan observed the children closely and noticed hard chocolates smeared across their faces and colorful sprinkles on their clothes.

"Uh-huh! What do we have here?" he asked, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Fiammetta, Nixie, Hayate, Demetrius! Can you explain why you all look like you've just raided a candy factory?"

The quadruplets exchanged guilty glances before Fiammetta stepped forward, her fiery spirit shining through. "Well, we were hungry, and we thought we could borrow some treats without asking!"

"Borrow? You mean steal!" Jokan teased, trying to suppress a laugh.

Nixie chimed in, "But we didn't mean any harm! We thought it would be a fun surprise!"

"Fun surprise? You could have asked us! But now we have a mystery to solve," Jokan said, tapping his notepad with a flourish.

"I bet Mom and Dad will forgive us if we help you solve it!" Hayate suggested, his wind-swept hair blowing dramatically.

"Exactly! We'll make it up to them!" Demetrius added earnestly, his innocent eyes sparkling.

Jokan nodded in agreement. "Alright, then! Let's find those doughnuts and chocolates together!"

As they set off on their investigation, the gods formed a chaotic but cheerful procession. Each step brought them closer to uncovering the truth, and laughter filled the air.

"Okay, team! Let's split up! Fiammetta, you and I will check the fire pits. Nixie, take Hayate and search near the rivers. Demetrius, you stay with me as we check the earth," Jokan ordered, channeling his inner detective.

The kids scurried off, excitement bubbling within them.

While Fiammetta and Jokan searched the fire pits, they found melted chocolate remnants and crumbs scattered about.

"Looks like we're on the right track!" Jokan exclaimed, jotting down notes. "Next clue!"

Meanwhile, Nixie and Hayate splashed through the river, discovering a stash of colorful sprinkles floating downstream.

"Look, Hayate! These sprinkles are just like the ones on the chocolates!" Nixie squealed, holding them up triumphantly.

Back at the earth, Demetrius leaned down, peering into the soil. "I think I found something!" he exclaimed, pulling out a half-eaten chocolate bar.

"This is perfect! We're piecing it all together!" Jokan cheered, his detective heart racing with excitement.

Reuniting with the other kids, Jokan laid out their findings on the ground like a cosmic game board. "Alright, team! We have melted chocolates, sprinkles, and half-eaten bars. What do you think this means?"

"They definitely didn't just disappear! Someone took them!" Fiammetta concluded, her fiery eyes sparkling with determination.

"But who?" Hayate pondered, scratching his head in confusion.

Suddenly, Jokan's expression changed as an idea struck him. "What if it's… the humans! They're always trying to sneak snacks when they think we're not looking!"

"Great idea! We should interrogate them!" Nixie suggested, her eyes lighting up with mischief.

"Let's do it!" Jokan declared, feeling the thrill of the chase.

As they approached the nearest village, they found a group of humans gathered around a makeshift kitchen, cooking up a feast of their own. The scent of baked goods wafted through the air, making everyone's mouths water.

"Alright, team! Time to put our detective skills to the test!" Jokan announced, his voice booming with authority.

As they approached the humans, the villagers froze, eyes wide with awe and fear at the sight of the celestial beings descending upon them.

"Fear not, mortal friends! We are here to solve a mystery!" Jokan declared, striking a pose like a true detective.

"Yeah! A mystery about missing snacks!" Fiammetta added, her fiery personality shining.

One brave villager stepped forward, trembling slightly. "Uh, what do you mean? We haven't seen any snacks!"

"Don't play dumb with us!" Jokan exclaimed, waving his notepad dramatically. "We have evidence! Sprinkles, melted chocolate, and half-eaten bars!"

The villagers exchanged nervous glances, and then one of them finally spoke up. "Well… we may have borrowed a few snacks. But they were just too delicious not to try!"

"You see! I told you!" Jokan exclaimed, triumphantly pointing at the villagers. "Now, let's make a deal. If you give back the snacks, we'll help you create the greatest feast this universe has ever seen!"

The villagers' eyes widened in disbelief. "Really? You'd do that?"

"Of course! We'll create a banquet fit for the gods!" Jokan promised, a wide grin spreading across his face.

And so, the gods and villagers worked together, whipping up a spectacular feast of heavenly delights. Doughnuts, chocolates, and all sorts of mouthwatering treats filled the tables, and laughter echoed through the land.

As the sun set, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink, the banquet commenced. Jokan, Jolee, Falcon, Eagle, Meco, James, Tiffany-lee, Lucas, Lanya, and the quadruplets sat together with the villagers, enjoying the fruits of their labor.

"Who knew a missing snack investigation could lead to such a feast?" Jokan chuckled, raising a glass to toast.

"To friendship, feasts, and all the chaos that comes with being gods!" Lanya added, her eyes sparkling with joy.

And as they celebrated under the starlit sky, the bonds of family and friendship grew stronger, proving that even in the divine realm, laughter and love could conquer all.

As the night wore on, Jokan leaned back, a satisfied smile on his face. "I guess sometimes, the greatest adventures can be found in the most unexpected places—even when they start with a missing snack!"

And with that, the gods and humans alike cheered, their laughter echoing through the cosmos, creating a new chapter in the ever-expanding tale of existence.