The Grand Nexus Hotel. A peaceful getaway for Yokai and humans to get away and enjoy a relaxing vacation. It is run by the beautiful Ophelia Nexus aka Big Mama. She runs  her hotel with a firm yet gentle fist. Beloved by her employees and guests. Yes, everything is always peaceful and relaxed at the Grand Nexus.

“We got a Code Blue! Everyone spread out!”

Until Big Mama’s son turned six.

“Gus, sniff him out!”

Gus was the hotel’s new guard dog. Hewas only visible to the Yokai staff and guests. He was a large puppy eager to do the best he can, but a code blue? This was the first time he heard of it.

“What’s a code blue?”

“The Young Master escaped from daycare!”

A small green and blue blur zoomed past them.

“There he goes! After him!”

Leonardo ran away from Gus laughing. Since it was after hours and all the guests were asleep, he didn’t wear his cloaking broach. His light green skin was covered in dashes of paint and glue. He wore a pair of khaki shorts, a baby blue shirt (also covered in green and purple paint), a pair of fuzzy indigo socks and a bright green and turquoise backpack.

“Danny! Jack!”

“We got this!”

The two twelve year old fox twins used their illusions to make dozens of copies of Leonardo running off in many directions. It didn’t really do much since Gus was locked onto Leo’s scent.

“Shika!”

“This’ll be fun!”

The seven year old deer yokai was a natural at acrobatics and loved to cause mischief with her Kappa friend. She backflipped onto Gus’s neck and used his collar to steer him away from the hallway Leonardo and Suzie ran down. The ten year wolf and six year old turtle were thick as thieves and would not hesitate to take the fall for the other.

“Leo, hold still real quick.”

Suzie sprayed a weird perfume in his face and all around him, making him sneeze and cough.

“I made this perfume to smell like me and this one to smell like you in chemistry. It’ll throw Gus off your trail. Good luck little brother.”

“Thanks Suzie!”

Leo and Suzie put on matching plum colored cloaks and ran down different halls. Leo to the main dining area and Suzie to the main pools. As she predicted, Gus was following her. Jack, Danny, and Shika were with her and they knew the plan. Throw Gus’s ball into the pool.

“Young Master, you should head back to the daycare room.”

<~>

Leonardo watched from under a table as Miss Maria and Miss Amada walked through the dining area. He liked his doctor and her wife. They gave him snacks and played cool games with him. He tensed up when Maria made direct eye contact with him.

“Amanda, I don’t think he’s in here. Let’s go check the kitchens. Maybe he wanted some snacks.”

“Alright love, let’s go.”

Maria gave him a wink and held a finger to her lips as she followed her lizard wife out of the dining hall. Leo crawled slowly and carefully from table to table until he reached the back wall. There was a dumbwaiter that he was small enough to fit into. The beauty of it was that it led all the way up to his mother’s main office!

“There you are!”

Leo’s head snapped around to see Gus soaking head with his friends on the ground; also soaked.

“Better luck next time Gus!”

Leo scrambled into the dumbwaiter and pulled his way up the shaft to his mother’s office.

“Mommy!”

Big Mama was speaking to a Skeleton Yokai who ran a little pizza parlor in the Hidden City, near an entrance to the human world. She conversation was halted when her little paint and glue covered son hugged her legs.

“Hello Leonardo, did you escape from daycare again?”

“Yup!”

“While I admire your tenacity, babycakes, you shouldn’t be doing that.”

“I know, but I made you something during art time!”

Leonardo didn’t look the slightest bit guilty and dug into his bookbag. He pulled out a sloppily done macaroni art, but…During the chase with Gus some of the pasta noodles fell off. He was in distress when his mom took the picture.

“What a sweet picture. I’d say you capture both of our likenesses very well with just macaroni.”

“Y-you can tell what it’s supposed to be?”

“Of course! It’s a lovely family portrait. I’ll have it framed later on.”

Leon flapped his hands as a massive grin spread across his face. Then he noticed the bewildered Skeleton man on the other side of her desk. He immediately hid behind his mother’s legs.

“Don’t be frightened Leonardo. This man is Mister Hueso. I think Jack and Daniel spoke of him?”

“Swashbuckling Hueso?! Dude, you're so cool! You’re a pirate!”

Hueso started sweating and waved his hand to dismiss the claims.

“Niñito, that was a long time ago. I’m not a pirate.”

Leo took a moment and what he said next made Big Mama choke on her tea.

“You talk funny.”

“Leonardo!”

“What?”

Hueso started laughing and patted Leo’s head.

“It’s not that I talk funny pequeño niño. My first language is Spanish.”

“Cool! Mommy, can I learn Spanish?”

“Only if Mister Hueso is willing to teach you.”

“It would be my pleasure Señorita. We can work out a schedule at a later time. Adiós, Pepino.”

“Bye Mister Hueso! Mommy, Jacy and Danny are gonna be so jealous that I met Swashbuckling Hueso before them! Maybe I’ll get to meet Capitan Piel!”

“I’m sure they will be. Now back to the daycare we go. Mama still has work that needs to be done.”

“Okay Mommy!”

Leonardo took the elevator to the main floor where he was intercepted by Godrick and Gus.

“Hi GoGo!”

“Hey Leon. You gotta get back to the daycare bud.”

“I know! I just wanted to give Mommy a picture I made for her. Is it snack time yet?”

“Yup. Miss Samantha brought in some peanut butter cookies and chocolate milk.”

“What are we doing here then?! We have to hurry before everyone eats them all!”

Being the fastest child in the entire hotel, Leo zoomed down halls until he burst into the daycare. Later that night, into the early morning, Big Mama went to the daycare to pick up her son. Leonardo was out cold in the quiet corner with his favorite frog stuffed toy in his arms and a thumb in his mouth. In her office, a macaroni picture could be found in a lilac frame on top of her desk.

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