The Grim is certainly going to mess up a lot of immortal Sims' hard work 
I really need to start watching Legend Of Korra again.
Same here. I have a few episodes that I haven't gotten around to watching yet...
The Sakuras are back!! 
I liked your prologue. It will be interesting to see the consequences of the intervention of the Grim with the family.
I love the name of your founder, by the way.
I like that you've started a 4x4. I'm seriously thinking of doing one after the immortal dynasty. It will be good to see the ideas as you face the challenge.
Thanks, CeresIn! I thought Niji was a good idea for a name since I have done all the colors that I know in Japanese. If you're thinking of doing a 4x4, let me know. I'd be interested in reading
Prologue (Part III)- When Worlds CollideI had been working on a new painting at my easel when things started to feel funny. I felt dizzy and needed to sit down. I tried to go over to the couch to lie down but never managed to get there. I went to pull my hair back out of my face and I couldn't believe my eyes. My hands were translucent; I could see right through them. Frightened and confused, I ran toward the bathroom to look in the mirror. When I did, I saw myself fading right before my eyes. I was utterly stunned. What was going on? Why was I fading? What was happening to me?
I was then transported to some strange room in some strange place.
I looked around, trying to figure out where I was. The floor was cold and black. The walls were a dark blood red and were illuminated by the flaming torches attached to them.
Peering down the hallway, I spotted a door. I began walking toward it and noticed that it was sort of eerie. It was cold and black like the floor and seemed to be designed to look like a spider web. Despite this, I continued down the hallway.
I tried the handle of the door and found it unlocked. I headed inside and found myself in another room that was similar to the hallway that I had just come from.
The room was quite expansive but was primarily empty. The only things that were in the room were a few chairs that gave this room the feel of almost being a waiting room. So, I took a seat in one of the chairs to take a moment and observe my surroundings.
I didn't have much time to look around though because the other set of doors opened and a blonde woman walked through.
"Miss Sakura?" she asked.
I nearly jumped out of my seat.
"Yes, that's me." I confirmed. "What's going on? Where am I?"
"Please come with me." the woman said.
She turned and began walking through the doors she had just come through, apparently expecting me to follow her.
"Have a seat." the woman instructed once we were in the conjoining room.
Uncertain, I did as she instructed. I glanced at the woman over my shoulder. She had retreated to a desk in the corner of the room, which I presumed was her personal desk.
"Can I ask you something?" I asked the woman.
"The boss will explain everything in a minute." she said flatly.
There was a grey box in the corner that suddenly began to shake and light up. Suddenly, the door on the grey box opened and someone-or something-stepped out of it. The Grim Reaper. I had to admit that I was taken aback by his appearance.
"What's going on?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice from shaking as much as possible. "Why am I here?"
Grim did not reply right away. Instead, he came over and took a seat at the desk in front of me.
"Niji Sakura," Grim began to say.
I looked at him expectantly. "Let me be frank: if you're here, you're dead."
"How am I dead?" I exclaimed.
"Okay, maybe not dead," Grim said. "But you technically don't exist anymore."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, you see, I wanted to find a way to bring the immortals in the many, many immortal dynasties across Sim Nation to me, where they rightfully should be at this point in time. They have long since lived past their expiration date and I needed to find a way around it." Grim said. "I needed a test family and yours happened to be it."
"So what does that mean?" I questioned.
"It means that I have-unintentionally-erased you from existence."
"YOU DID WHAT?" I shouted.
Grim let out a breath.
"How can I explain this..." he paused. "Okay, I went back in time and took away the immortality that your ancestors achieved because they are defying the laws of death and I needed a way to combat that. It doesn't do much for my quota, you see. So, since they are not immortal, the line dies out and you simply cease to exist."
"You can't be serious!" I replied. "You can't do that!"
"Actually, I already did." Grim stated.
"Please," I pleaded. "I will do anything. Bring my family back. I don't care if you don't bring me back. Just bring my family back. Please."
Grim stood up and walked away slowly from his desk. He seemed to be lost in thought but I wasn't sure what he was doing. I jumped slightly in my chair when Grim through his hands up in the air and let out an exasperated sigh.
"I'm growing soft in my old age," he mumbled to himself.
Grim turned around to face me. "Your dedication to your family is admirable, Miss Sakura." he told me. "I can see why they managed to make it through two immortal dynasties. Based on that, I'm willing to make a deal with you."
"A deal?" I repeated. "What kind of deal?"
"You want to save your family right?" Grim asked.
I nodded.
"More than anything." I assured him.
"Alright. I'll give you one chance, Miss Sakura." he said as he came over and took a seat next to me. "You can save your family by starting your own dynasty."
"An immortal dynasty?"
Grim shook his head.
"Oh no. That would be too easy."
"I will pose the challenge of another kind to you if you want to save your family," Grim continued. "There are how many Sakura immortals?"
"Sixteen." I explained.
"Sixteen. Perfect."
"The challenge that I am assigning you will be a little different. This will be a 4x4 dynasty."
"A 4x4 dynasty?" I repeated.
"I'm not familiar with that one," I admitted.
Grim proceeded to explain the rules to me. I would need to have a child and he or she would be the first heir. Each heir would need to each max a unique job, find two unique best friends, complete three skill challenges and complete four opportunities. The family would also need to collect and upgrade all of the buildings and properties in the town we lived in. They would also each need to earn a career reward and four items of a kind to put into a collection. Four tombstones would also need to be collected over the generations before the fourth heir would move to a new city to begin all over again. This process would be repeated four times until sixteen generations have completed the challenge.
"If you can complete the challenge, I will not only make your family and descendants immortal, but I will restore the lives of your ancestors. All sixteen of them. Sixteen descendants for sixteen ancestors. That's fair, I think." Grim stated.
I nodded as Grim returned to his desk.
"Yes, I think I can handle that." I replied.
"Oh, did I forget to mention that I will need to shorten your lifespan first?"
I stared at Grim.
"Say what?"
"Yep. Part of the challenge is to do it with a shorter lifespan." Grim said. "Hey, it wouldn't be a challenge without a challenging aspect, right?"
I let out a breath.
"I said I would do anything." I told him. "I accept your terms."
Grim smiled (I think).
"Perfect. I will be keeping track of your progress." he said. "My assistant will lead you out so you can go back to your world. See you soon, Miss Sakura."
On cue, the assistant got up from her desk and came over to me. She motioned toward the door and I followed her out to the waiting room.
"So he gave you a challenge to save yourself and your family," the assistant said in a very monotone voice. "You're one of the lucky ones."
"So what happens now-" my voice trailed off, as I didn't know the woman's name.
"Julie." she said.
"Julie. Great. So what happens now?" I continued.
"You go down that hallway, back the way you came, and you will be transported back to your world." Julie explained.
"And then what?"
"As the boss said. You complete the challenge." Julie told me.
"On the off chance that something goes wrong," I began to say, though I had a feeling that I probably wouldn't like the answer. "What happens then?"
"You stay here and your family loses its immortality."
"Huh. No pressure." I remarked.
"Hardly."
"You should get going." Julie added. "Time is ticking away."
"Right."
I headed back down the hallway, just as Julie instructed. And, just as she said, I was suddenly transported back to my home in Appoloosa Plains.
Julie watched as the hallway went from occupied to vacant within a few seconds.
"Good luck..." she whispered.
"JULIE!" Grim called from the other room.
Julie turned and sighed. No rest for the wicked.
