(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 18: The Oracle Part 1 (Part 3)<p>"Thank you for driving me here, again," Vatra said as he leaned against a wooden barrel and sighed. "I'm sure I'd be hopelessly lost by now if I hadn't gotten your help."</p><p>"Think nothing of it. I was on my way there, anyways," said the farmer who ran the cart as he cracked the whip. The oxen that pulled the cart cried out as they ran a little faster, and he chuckled a bit. "I have goods to deliver to this village here, and some family I need to get acquainted with. How about you?"</p><p>Vatra grimaced, and turned just so that the farmer couldn't meet his gaze. "I'm just visiting a friend to get caught up on old times, that's all."</p><p>Vatra should have been able to find Vaayu here, if what he recalled of his conversations with Vaayu, and his estimations of this realm were correct. Not that Vatra looked forward to it, of course.</p><p><em>This realm seems to be indulging us in our biggest wishes, the things we desired the most back when we still warred with the Arkeyans,</em> Vatra mused as he ruffled his hair, <em>and that means that… Ugh… Vaayu will be with </em><strong>her</strong><em>.</em></p><p>Yes, that's right. He'd probably be in the village with his ex-fiance, and he would gush all about her while they did the utterly skin-crawling things couples did. Vatra never particularly cared for romance—he found it repulsive, as a matter of fact—but if he knew how things would play out, that would make his job ten times harder.</p><p>Vaayu was a romantic by nature. Surely, he'd be too caught up in his fantasies of a big fancy house with his wife and their ten children, or perhaps it was twelve children? Vatra never payed much attention to Vaayu's rambling. Either way, it would take Vatra ages to talk him out of it and see reality. He could already see it now: the utterly mawkish couple's banter, the lengthy, drawn-out kissing, and all the courting rituals that made Vatra want to gag! To say he wasn't looking forward to this was an understatement, in all honesty.</p><p>"Here's our stop," the farmer said as he released the reins.</p><p>Vatra leaned back, but an abrupt stop of the cart pushed him backwards, knocked his head against the barrel, and left him with a nasty surging pain in the back of his skull. Vatra nodded, but rubbed the back of his head as he hopped off the cart's side.</p><p>"Thank you for this."</p><p>"You're welcome."</p><p>Vatra sighed, and shoved his hands into his pockets as the cart drove into the village. His eyes glimpsed over the village ahead for only a moment, and he instead took another path that spread into a mostly-uninhabited forest thick with trees and plants. He could just barely spy traces of blue light that streaked out from the pathway like sparkling smoke. Yes, that sounded like that lake Vaayu always talked about, so Vatra supposed that was where he was supposed to go.</p><p>"Why did I have to get him back?" Vatra grumbled as he pushed away a few tree branches and groaned. "It'll take an eternity just to convince him this is an illusion!"</p><p>Oh, Vatra could already see it now. He's stumble up to them all haplessly in love as they made goo-goo eyes, or called each other overly-saccharine pet names, or talked about how many children they wanted to have. Vatra, meanwhile, would have to endure the worst hours of his life as he tried to talk some sense into Vaayu. His stomach churned at the very thought, but, he couldn't leave Vaayu stranded in whatever this strange trial was, either. For all his overly foppish nonsense about romance, he was Vatra's ally.</p><p>Vatra grumbled under his breath, heaved another sigh, and braced himself for the worst as he disappeared under the canopy of trees. The vast, looming thickets above him reminded Vatra more of a jungle than a forest, now that he thought about it. Their large leaves blocked off the sun, and the only light that came was an azure glow speckled between the rare gaps in their trunks. The faint sounds of rustling leaves and animal calls echoed from the gaps, sent chills down Vatra's spine, and heated his fingers.</p><p>He only laid his eyes on the rough dirt below his feet and carried on. The animal sounds and shaking leaves disappeared soon enough, but what came next sounded like screaming—HUMAN screaming! Vatra sharply inhaled as a piercing, strained cry hit his ears. Without even thinking, his pace sped up, and left flaming tracks in the ground as he ran down the path.</p><p>The jungle cleared around him the further he ran, and the trees and bushes and flowers made way for an opening with a luminous aqua glow. He passed through, and well, he arrived, and it was bad, but not the way he thought it would be.</p><p>The pool that was supposedly a sea of sparkling aquamarine in the tiny grotto was polluted by the silvery blood of Arkeyan machinery, and the grass was cut and uprooted in large patches. The places where it wasn't cut were littered with broken, mechanical body parts, and the strewn guts of cable and inner circuitry from the Arkeyan corpses left behind. Trees and bushes laid slashed to slivers, and the air reeked of oil and blood.</p><p>But, nothing quite caught Vatra's eyes as what laid in the heart of the grotto, for there sat Vaayu! His hair laid loose, and the long tunic and trousers he wore held slashes that reveal shallow cuts. He sobbed as he held the body of a slim elf with emerald green skin, and long, dark hair sprawled along their shoulders. Her own dresses and skirts were similarly torn while a bloody patch covered her chest.</p><p>"The Arkeyans came here already?" Vatra cried as he stumbled out. He tripped in his haste, but he quickly regained his balance as he went to grab the elf from his arms. "Before anything, we need to get this elf to a medic, all this blood—"</p><p>"It's no use! Leave me to my misery!" Vaayu wailed as he clutched the elf's body as close to his chest with no care for how the blood stained him. A few choked sobs escaped him once more, and he knelt his head while the body limped in his grasp. "She, she, she's already dead. They took her life without even a moment's hesitation, and all I could do was watch!"</p><p>Vaayu wailed as he cradled the elf's body closer once more. It was as if he thought holding her would somehow bring her back to life!</p><p>Another memory came to Vatra. He recalled a schoolhouse left broken and disarrayed, blood streaked across the walls, and terrified screams from students and faculty alike. Vatra's heart sped up, even though nothing remained in that ghostly body of his. Right then, he was back at the school where he taught, in the disarrayed classroom where he shared so many lessons, and watched his other students cradle the bloodied body of—no, he, he couldn't worry about that right now!</p><p>Though the memories bit at his heels, Vatra knelt down and laid a hand on Vaayu's shoulder. "I'm sorry," was all he could bring himself to say.</p><p>Vaayu trembled, and Vatra wondered if maybe his sympathies were the wrong thing to bring. Vaayu stood with his lover's body cradled snugly in his arms and scowled. The winds rose around him, and his teeth gritted while shadows came over his eyes.</p><p>"Surely, they're probably headed for the village!" Vaayu cried as he ran off. "I have to warn them, before it's too late!"</p><p>"Vaayu!"</p><p>Vatra panted as he ran after Vaayu, but the winds boosted Vaayu's footsteps, and it wasn't long before he left Vatra far behind him. Perhaps he already realized the true nature of this trial, and called upon his powers once more? Vatra wasn't sure, but nevertheless he followed. The sunlight shone harsh as Vatra left the forest and trekked up the pathway to the village.</p><p>Thankfully, Vaayu was there before him. The weight from his lover's body must have worn him down, or maybe it was that time spent fighting Arkeyans that wore him down, but either way, he now hunched over. He grunted as he struggled to make his way up the path. He struggled so badly, yet he still fought his way up the path.</p><p>Vatra swept in front of him and placed his hands underneath the elf's body. "Here, let me help you—"</p><p>"Don't worry about me! Warn the village! The Arkeyans will arrive any second now!"</p><p>Vatra drew back, for the sight of Vaayu with such determination and seriousness in his eyes sent a shock to his system.</p><p>Obediently, Vatra left Vaayu's side and sprinted up the path. Soon, the village with its baked brick houses, and its small populace who went to and fro about their ordinary lives came closer and closer into view. He skidded to a stop with such speed that flames erupted behind him! Their heat crept against his back and gone moments later, but the burning sight of all the villagers' eyes on him and their confused whispers kept the feeling well enough.</p><p>"Everyone, listen to me!" Vatra's voice strained and his head lifted. "The Arkeyans are coming for your village!"</p><p>Those two sentences seemed to be more than enough, thankfully, for he couldn't find any more to say. Some villagers dropped the baskets they held, others exchanged worried glances, and of course, the gossip among the townsfolk grew louder and even more worried than before.</p><p>"The Arkeyans, here? That can't be!"</p><p>"Look at that being, he's clearly an outsider! What reason would you have to believe him? The Arkeyans wouldn't come all the way out here!"</p><p>"But, they've been conquering more and more territories here…"</p><p>The gossip and fearful cries grew louder by the second until a large, powerful throat cleared and caught everyone's attention.</p><p>"Fear not, everyone!" cried a particularly muscular person dressed in armor as they made their way out of the crowds. "Our defenses are strong and we have allies we can call upon! We are not weak in the face of the Arkeyans! We'll set our armies and meet them before they can even step foot in the village!"</p><p>Vatra wasn't quite sure who this person was, but the proud, tall way they held themself and the relief that shone in the villagers' eyes showed their words must have carried some weight. The worries and gossip amid the crowd slowly dissipated, and most slunk away from the crowds to attend to their duties once more while others in armor made their way to this person's side.</p><p>The heavily armored person only turned to Vatra. "Thank you for your warnings, kind stranger," they said as they gave Vatra a curt nod. "We must make our preparations, so I am afraid this is where we part."</p><p>The armored platoon marched past Vatra with urgent speed, but Vatra cared for them no longer. He had to find Vaayu.</p><p>At first, he eyed the paths behind to see if Vaayu caught up, but the sound of Vaayu's pained voice reached the air before his body did. Vatra's attention instead turned to a single house nearby. Sure enough, Vaayu stood in the doorway and argued with an elven man dressed in clothes similar to Vaayu's, but with a skin tone more akin to that of Vaayu's elven lover.</p><p>"Why didn't you protect her?" the man demanded as he slammed a bulky hand against the door frame. "You were her spouse, correct? It was your duty to keep her safe, and you still have the gall to deliver her bloodied body to our doorstep? When you couldn't fill your own duties?"</p><p>Vatra expected Vaayu to fight back, but instead, Vaayu stood with his head hung low in shame. He took the shouts as the accusations and insults sunk into his skins. His arms trembled, next his legs, and finally, Vaayu fell to his knees and bowed at the elven man's feet! The sheer suddenness drew the man back, but a few other elves poked their heads through the doorway to witness Vaayu.</p><p>"I truly, truly cannot apologize enough!" Vaayu cried at last between shudders and choked-back sobs. "I can't make any excuses for myself. Even though I fought with all my life, I still wasn't able to save hers! I should have been the one to die in her place!"</p><p>The pain in Vaayu's statements reached their ears, and all at once, their faces fell with his. A few stifled sobs, but it was the man who finally held his head and slipped out sobs with him. The others followed as they held their heads and cried along. Surely, they all mourned the loss of her.</p><p>"The Arkeyans will likely make their attack on the village soon," Vatra said as he stepped forth at last. "If you'd like to prepare funeral rites, I'd advise you do it as soon as you can."</p><p>"We should contact the funerary," said an aged elven woman with a wrinkled face and thin frame as she touched the man's shoulders. "We'll need to make sure she's laid to rest as soon as possible."</p><p>Not a word came from the grieving family as they rose from their mourning; they merely nodded and drifted off into the darker corners of their house. Only the man stopped to close the door. His blank eyes shone with what could only be sympathy or grief as it creaked to a close, but it was a fleeting feeling, for the door slammed shut.</p><p>"I believe it's time we left them alone." Vatra knelt down and gently nudged Vaayu's shoulders. "Come, the rest of the village is already preparing for battle. You should probably head home—"</p><p>"NO!" Vaayu screamed.</p><p>He jolted up, slapped at Vatra's hand with such sudden rage that Vatra flinched back, yet his blue eyes filled with some kind of righteous rage as he stared down Vatra.</p><p>"I, I, I want to fight. They deceived Grishma just to cut her life short, and I will not stand by and let them take away anything else! I may not have been able to save her, but I can at least try and save everyone else!"</p><p>Vaayu gulped and cleared his throat.</p><p>"Apologies, I shouldn't have lashed out like that at a stranger. I, I'll take you to my home, but we'll be leaving as soon as the sounds of war begin."</p><p>Huh, he roped someone who was a total stranger to him at present into fighting for a village not even close to home? Vatra would remark that this didn't quite feel like something this Vaayu did, but something in Vaayu's stance, in his speech, felt a bit like the Vaayu Vatra knew. It was almost as if the memories that slumbered within him stirred.</p><p>Vatra stood silent, and only gave him a quick nod and smile. That was all Vaayu needed, so the two of them walked down the endless stretches of dirt roads and clay houses until they found themselves at a particular small and dome-shaped home. Vaayu pushed open the door and disappeared inside, so Vatra did the same.</p><p>The house was barely enough to fit a family of three, and nothing like the extravagance of his lover's home. It held only the bare minimum of furnishings: worn and dusty cushions laid on the floor rather than any form of tables or chairs, and a few blankets laid atop a wooden stool. No scent lingered in the air, and not a single personal memento laid in sight. Vaayu seemed to recognize the sparseness of it all, for he sighed.</p><p>"Forgive me if it's somewhat messy. I normally don't get much company, or have much," he explained as he took a seat on one of the cushions. "My parents passed some years ago, and I don't have any other family to speak of. I've been living by myself for so long."</p><p>"I, I'm sorry to hear that," Vatra said. His tone stayed guarded as he sat down on the seat adjacent to Vaayu's.</p><p>The two of them sat in silence as the warm-toned sunlight that poured through the windows. It tinted everything in shades of marigold and crimson slowly faded, all in turn as the sun sank over the horizon. It dusted against Vaayu's dark hair, and gave it an almost brownish tint before it disappeared.</p><p>Vaayu's mood seemed to fade with the fading light. His shoulders slunk over with his head, and he seemed almost like he would curl in on himself and sob if not for Vatra's presence. He forced a smile as he pulled himself up, but he finally took a breath as the last of the sunlight faded and the world turned cobalt.</p><p>"It's strange, really. I'm certain I've never met you once in my entire life," Vaayu said at last, "yet something about you seems familiar, like an old friend I could say anything to."</p><p><em>That's more true than you realize, </em>Vatra thought, but something in him kept him from saying it out loud. Was it perhaps that gut feeling that now wasn't the time to bring things up? Perhaps, so instead, Vatra asked only one thing.</p><p>"What happened down at that lake? What exactly could those Arkeyans be after?"</p><p>Vaayu's lips trembled, and he lowered his head while his arms followed. He seemed to open his mouth like some words would magically come out, but all that came were faint mumbles and pained noises. Vaayu's hands shook with fear and fury.</p><p>Vatra wondered if maybe he should change the subject.</p><p>"It was me," Vaayu croaked out at last before Vatra could even reach out. "They, they wanted me."</p><p>Vatra blinked, for the suddenness of this phrase took him aback. The Arkeyans wanted him? Vatra's heart sank, for he knew all too well what Vaayu meant. The Arkeyans wanted powerful magicians for their armies as the rebellions grew in numbers, and like all things the Arkeyans desired, they'd take them by force if they so desired. Surely he meant that…</p><p>"It wasn't her fault, it really wasn't." Vaayu's voice cracked. His head slumped in what seemed like either sorrow or shame; it was hard to tell. "They lied to her, they told her that our home would be safe, that we'd be some of the most heralded figures in the Arkeyan Empire if I joined them! They, they promised her so much" — Vaayu's hands trembled, and this time clenched into a tight fist — "but, they only stabbed us both in the back! In the end, it was all just a lie! They, they, they…"</p><p>Vaayu's breath strained and the sweat dripped down onto the floor. Vatra could barely see how Vaayu's face seemed to lose its color underneath the faint glimpse of moonlight, and Vaayu's eyes shrank as he clutched his chest. His breathing turned from strained and slow to quick and shrill, and he collapsed to the floor as he hyperventilated!</p><p>Vaayu shrieked, and Vatra immediately went to his side as he hoisted him up. Vatra hushed him though Vaayu fought against his grip, and emitted a warmth from his palms, a gentle one that seemed to ease Vaayu's panic. Vaayu's breathing slowed back to a reasonable pace, and he peered up at Vatra with worry still as his lips trembled.</p><p>"The village, surely they'll—"</p><p>"We won't let them. They won't take this village or anyone else from it, not as long as I stand."</p><p>Vatra's words seemed to ease Vaayu's worries some, so he broke away and gazed out the window with not a word spoken. Vatra, too, couldn't bring himself to break the silence either. Pangs of guilt tugged at Vatra's heart, perhaps for how he didn't realize in his annoyance that Vaayu, too, lost someone he cared deeply for to Arkeyan hands. For all his annoyance with romance, Vatra couldn't fault him for grieving that loss.</p><p>So, for that moment, they sat, and basked in their grief and solemn sorrow with only the moonlight to watch them. No words spoke, yet the overwhelming pains of loss went known as their bodies numbed from the feeling.</p><p>For a moment, Vatra almost dozed off as his body ached for rest. He closed his eyes and relaxed, but the sound of horns burst through the distance! Their cries rang loud, and shook the ground enough that it roused Vatra from his drowsiness.</p><p>Vaayu scrambled to his feet with a similar urgency. "Those horns!" Vaayu cried as he made for the door. "Surely the battle's already begun!"</p><p>Vatra's head ached from his drowsiness as he stumbled his way out of Vaayu's home. The rousing cries of war greeted him as he opened the door, but the lingering fatigue made it hard for him to distinguish the village anymore. Between the sounds of pounding footsteps, of soldiers that poured in and cried their defiance, of their weapons that clashed with the sharp metal of Arkeyan soldiers, the noise was so great that it muddied all his senses! The ground below him violently shuddered. It upset his footing so greatly that it pushed him to his knees while he only watched.</p><p>Vatra barely spied Vaayu's shock of blue as it bobbed through their ranks amid a group of soldiers wielding bows and arrows. Soon, the rest of Vaayu surfaced as the soldiers moved into position. Vaayu laid on the ground himself, and his shaking arms barely kept him suspended as the world around him went to war.</p><p>His eyes remained locked on a spear-wielding Arkeyan that launched itself towards him. Right before it sprung, a hole burst from its head while a sharp, metallic arrow plunged into the ground beside it! Sparks burst from the newborn holes in the Arkeyan's head as it fell on its side, and Vaayu scrambled away just before its head burst into flames.</p><p>"What are you doing down there?" cried someone from the rooftops above. "Either get up and fight or get to safety! Don't stand in our way!"</p><p>Vatra glanced up to find a bow-wielding soldier who glared not at him, but the fields below. Though he wasn't quite sure if this person talked about him or someone else, Vatra pushed himself to his feet. He'd recovered his senses enough that he ran to Vaayu's side and laid a hand on him.</p><p>Vaayu yanked himself back, flung a hand bursting with cold, sharp winds at Vatra's face, but the winds faded and his expression lowered when he saw Vatra before him.</p><p>"How, how did I do that?" Vaayu gasped as he stared back at his hand. He trembled once more, shuddered and fell to his knees. "Oh, what matter does that make? I'm a coward, plain and simple!"</p><p>Vaayu's body shuddered once more, and Vatra went to his knees as he gently shook Vaayu. "Vaayu, calm down," Vatra whispered. "If you can't fight, you need to get to safety—"</p><p>"But, but, I have to!" Vaayu turned to Vatra, and his eyes welled with tears. " I can't just sit here and watch while they take our home too! Not after what they did to Grishma!"</p><p>Vatra tried to speak, but the sound of arrows flying en masse drowned out his voice! Explosions followed soon after, and their warm colors bled out the cool skin of midnight blue.</p><p>An entire front line row of Arkeyan soldiers laid sprawled on the earth with endless guts of wire and machinery where their heads would've been. The sight of the decimated row must have inspired something in the soldiers from Vaayu's village, for they rose their swords and axes with confidence. They practically flung themselves at the oncoming row of Arkeyan soldiers as they slashed through Arkeyan metal and traded blow after blow!</p><p>"We, we're winning!" Vaayu gasped, as if he almost couldn't believe his eyes.</p><p>Screams and the scent of blood rose in the air soon after, and Vaayu winced as someone's arm flew off into the distance. It was hard to tell if it were organic or robotic under the shade of night</p><p>Vaayu dove into the bushes and shuddered as the war cries turned to desperate, terrified screams. Once again, he became a shuddering ball of nerves that only curled up and covered his ears as the world around him raged. He seemed close to bolting off, yet, he moved not an inch from the bush where he cowered.</p><p>Vatra clenched his teeth, and almost debated if he should try and rouse Vaayu's memories and spirits here. The sounds of battle raged on behind him, and as it stood, neither of them would make it out if he kept lingering like this. The flames burst at his feet, ever-eager to fight with him, and Vatra turned tail.</p><p>"Find somewhere safe to hide!" Vatra cried as Vaayu left his vision. "I'll hold things down here the best I can!"</p><p>The familiar crackle of embers came to his fingertips next, and Vatra raised his hands right as he sprinted towards an ax-wielding Arkeyan soldier. He planted his hands firmly on the sides of its head, and the flames erupted from his palms with that single spark of action! They enveloped Vatra and whisked him safely away; by the time they disappeared and he landed on solid ground, the headless corpse of that Arkeyan soldier laid sprawled and sparking on the ground.</p><p>Cries of warning he barely discerned came from behind him, and Vatra turned around and punched away two smaller Arkeyans that came for him. A quick flame from his palm scorched away another, and a rousing kick swept one Arkeyan soldier off its feet in time for a decidedly human one to slash it in half before they ran off.</p><p>The world blurred in Vatra's mind, and all that came to him was the instinct to fight, to set the world around him on fire 'till the Arkeyans that surrounded him were nothing but burning scrap. The smell of hot, burning fire melded with blood and burning quicksilver as his body propelled itself on its own, latched onto the Arkeyan soldier unfortunate enough to be nearest, and set it alight. With a single fling, its flaming body fell to that of its platoon and took them all in a fiery explosion.</p><p>Vatra moved from it to a larger, bulkier one nearby. Cries and shouts of fear distinctly organic in nature roused around him, yet he shut them out with a single flaming punch into the Arkeyan's chest. Shrill, distorted cries came as it latched onto Vatra's arms and flung him, but he flipped himself back up and dove in again. He cast a burst of heat that burned away its innards, and moved to the next.</p><p>Small or mighty, shield-bearer or sword-wielder—it mattered not to Vatra. The Arkeyans fell one by one in his grasp, all as he tried to tune out the cries of war, cheers of victory, or fearful cries of pain that came from all around him. The other soldiers hurried away wounded allies, or nursed their own injuries as stronger members dueled, and the sight only propelled Vatra forward.</p><p>Before Vatra stood a particularly mighty shield-bearing Arkeyan soldier that surely looked for its next target! The shield-bearer's eyes seemed to glow as it laid on an injured soldier who hunched over and hobbled away, or maybe the firelight gave it added malice? Whatever it was, Vatra pushed himself between the two and cast a funnel of fire towards the Arkeyan.</p><p>The Arkeyan blocked off the flames with its shield, and Vatra tried to thrust forward, but he ached and collapsed instead! His whole body groaned as he hit the ground, and its ghastly light dimmed and brightened like a flickering ember. In the heat of the moment, he hadn't realized he'd used up so much magic energy, but now, the adrenaline faded and his aches returned to him at last. He tried to push himself up, tried to form one more flame, but he could barely even lift a hand, let alone stand.</p><p>The Arkeyan, seemingly disinterested with weak prey, turned its attention towards a group of soldiers that raised their bows and fired. Their arrows bounced off of its shield, but the soldiers merely kept firing. Those idiots, what were they doing? A model that strong could reflect even the finest of weaponry! The soldiers kept firing nonetheless as the Arkeyan raised both halves of its shield.</p><p>"Don't, shoot!" Vatra cried, his voice hoarse and barely able to scream. "Run!"</p><p>The warning itself came too quietly and too slowly; it fell out over the shrieking charge of the robot's shields and that of the warring worlds. The glaring, harsh blue light of the laser charged to its peak, shot in a bright flare that engulfed the soldiers entirely, and left them only ashes to crumble to the ground. A couple other soldiers dropped their weapons and fled, but a few stopped and shouted out something that became illegible as the world around Vatra rumbled.</p><p>Vatra lifted his head with all the energy he could muster. Amid the burning flames cast around the village entrance (did he make those? He couldn't recall) emerged an entire army of those same shield-bearing robots. They marched, and smaller ones who wielded pistols charged out in front of them. Soon, their ranks flooded the gates and blocked out even the tallest of fires.</p><p>Vatra could barely even think, yet he could tell that the village army's ranks were too thin to combat an elite Arkeyan army of this level!</p><p><em>Move, damn it!</em> Vatra screamed at himself as he forced his body up a few inches.<em> You, you need to fight! You can't just lay here!</em></p><p>Vatra couldn't bring his body to move even in spite of his cries. It laid weak and sprawled on the ground, too pained and exhausted to even flinch. The most he could do was lift his head as a shadow cast over him—but a sudden shock gave him enough energy to clutch his pendant.</p><p>One of the smaller soldiers aimed its gun straight for his pendant with a murderous glint in its eyes. It wrapped its finger around the trigger. Vatra clenched his teeth and eyes as he braced himself for the end…</p><p>But a cold breeze shook his eyes back open!</p><p>The cold winds rose, extinguished the fires around the village, and even sent the robots off their balance. Even the heaviest ones, even the strongest ones struggled to keep their footing as the winds grew. Yet, Vatra himself was unaffected save for the chills that ran down his body, and neither were any of the soldiers on his side.</p><p>A growl came from behind, and Vatra turned himself around the best he could. There, at the back of the pathways, stood Vaayu, winds raging around him. His eyes and body glowed in a bright azure, and as he raised his head, the winds only roared and grew stronger while they lashed against the world around.</p><p>"You've stolen Grishma's life already, and you will steal nothing more!" Vaayu roared, his voice the only thing audible over the raging winds.</p><p>His cries of agony seemed to be the only signal the winds needed to attack; he simply screamed, and they lunged forward. They took the shape of raging tornadoes, and tore the robots apart limb for limb! They launched the Arkeyens' severed arms and legs, heads and chests, all across the village grounds.</p><p>Not once did they take the village soldiers in their grip, or lay their rage on the villager's homes. All their rage laid solely on the Arkeyans' shoulders. The few Arkeyans that remained screeched in robotic-sounded alarm and fled, but even they lasted little. The tornadoes' speed outbested their own, and they found themselves chewed up and spat out of its maws in bits.</p><p>The tornadoes faded as the night did. Dawn crept upon the village grounds and unveiled the battle's remains. Scattered weapons and corpses both robotic and organic mingled with blood fresh and dried, all laid in streams over the earth. In spite of the casualties, the village itself stood with little damage. The various houses and structures stood with little more than scorches or burn marks, and it seemed the entire village laid in awe. The surviving soldiers gazed listlessly around, and others left their homes to gaze in sheer wonder.</p><p>All eyes turned to Vaayu as he collapsed.</p><p>"What's wrong with him?" cried one being, the voice of which Vatra's recognized as that of the burly elf man from earlier. "What's going on?"</p><p>"I, I don't know!" shouted another. "He summoned all these tornadoes and wiped out all those Arkeyans in a second, and then he just collapsed!"</p><p>Vatra gritted his teeth. He forced out whatever energy he could to crawl along the grounds until he finally made his way to the crowds around Vaayu, and then through them to Vaayu himself. Before him, Vaayu laid face-first on the ground, and practically choked on his own breath as his body flickered from a solid form to that of a ghostly, fading presence. Surely, he overexerted his own magic energy reserves without realizing—and pretty badly, by the looks of it.</p><p>Vatra tugged on the pants of one person before him, and feebly lifted his head as they looked down. "He, he needs, magic, quick!" Vatra croaked out.</p><p>Vatra's head fell to the ground, spots coated his vision, and something rumbling kept him from hearing a thing. Amid it all, some others rushed to Vaayu's side and planted their hands on his back, hands that soon glowed as Vaayu's form stabilized before Vatra's blurry eyes.</p><p>Good, they, seem to have gotten, his message…</p><p>Vatra's head grew heavy, so heavy that it weighed his whole body down, and even keeping his eyes open was a struggle. His vision turned black, his body grew numb and limp—but something flooded into his body and filled him with life before his consciousness fully faded! He jumped back to his feet as his vision cleared, and it was Vaayu who met Vatra's gaze.</p><p>"You did it," Vatra said with a smile. "If not for you, I'm sure these casualties would have been much more numerous."</p><p>Vaayu didn't seem to know how to take those words. He neither smiled or frowned, but just quietly hung his head. Those around him laundered their praises, yet he just turned away as an elven woman—the same one from that house—pushed her way through the crowds and met his gaze. They said no words, but merely pushed away from the crowds.</p><p>"I am afraid I have to leave," Vaayu proclaimed at last, and his voice wavered just a bit. "I have important matters I need to attend to."</p><p>Vaayu and the elf woman dispersed from the crowds and towards the lower ends of the village; the crowds in turn dispersed among the battlefield to collect their allies' corpses. Vatra would have stayed to help, but now that his senses returned, the scents of blood, death, and burning oil grew so intense that it sickened him to the point of nearly vomiting.</p><p>So, he merely followed the trail Vaayu took. The sights around him were clean, untouched, and completely unlike the burnt and war-torn sights of the village front. In fact, he snatched glimpses of the path behind him just to make sure he hadn't been whisked off to another strange place a few times—but no, he still stood in the same village, and walked the same paths he did prior. Though, now the buildings around him made way for more jungles, and he was sure he heard voices from down below.</p><p><em>Wait, could those be more Arkeyans? </em>Vatra thought.</p><p>Vatra's heart skipped a beat as he dove into the jungle thickets. He pushed past leaves and dodged thorny vines until he grew closest to the voices' source.</p><p>What he found was not Arkeyan robots ready to strike, but a group of humans, elves, and more alike that gathered at a riverbed while someone who held a jar spoke. Vatra raised a brow as he teleported to one of the less flammable parts of the forest, extinguished the flames with a single stride, and dove behind the bushes. He probably shouldn't be here, but at the same time…</p><p>Wait. Amid the crowds, Vatra spied Vaayu, who bit his lip and seemingly tried his hardest to hold back tears as the person who held the jar droned on. Vatra's eyes turned to the jar-holding person as he opened the jar, turned it upside-down, scattered ashes to the winds and the river waters.</p><p>It was then Vatra realized <em>this</em> was the important proceeding Vaayu had to attend. Yes, Vatra definitely shouldn't be here right now.</p><p>Vatra teleported away, and found himself back on the village grounds once more while funnels of smoke rose from one of the larger buildings. A few soldiers who held limp bodies passed them by, some followed by mourners both civilian and soldier, and others with only their fellow soldiers as company. It was a grim sight, but one Vatra grew accustomed to seeing after years of war and terror, so his heart stirred not. He only crossed his arms, and gave a solemn nod to the soldiers as they walked by, though they paid him no mind.</p><p>"There you are," Vaayu croaked.</p><p>Vatra's brows perked up as he found Vaayu beside him with eyes puffy and burnt from crying. Though Vaayu tried to hide them, it was clear that he cried well. It seemed that the funeral was the catalyst for all his emotions to finally sink in.</p><p>"I take it you've taken care of everything you needed to?" Vatra asked.</p><p>"Almost."</p><p>Vaayu turned back to where those elves, his lover's parents, stood with eyes wide in expectancy. As he walked up to them, he withdrew something golden that sparkled with the colors of an evening sunset and presented it to them.</p><p>"What a beautiful necklace!" the elf woman gasped.</p><p>"I intended to give this to her for my proposal," Vaayu explained as he dropped the necklace into the elf man's hands, "but, I hope it can at least be of some use to you in my steed."</p><p>Vaayu parted from their side with one last, solemn glance and moved towards Vatra. His eyes, red with grief as they were, still carried themselves with some kind of determination as they locked on Vatra's, and it was enough that Vatra shied away slightly under the tension. This was more like the Vaayu he knew, so determined even in the face of hardship.</p><p>"Wait a second," the elf man said. "The way you said that makes it sound like you're leaving."</p><p>Vaayu pursed his lips. His steely determination faded for a moment, but he gulped away his fear. "I am."</p><p>Both the elves drew back, eyes wide as they took in his words with slow blinks.</p><p>"But, you can't! Who will protect our village without your strength? If not for that power of yours, we would've been razed to the ground! You need to—"</p><p>Vaayu laid a hand on the burly hands of the elven man, and only stood silent as the winds rose and enveloped him in their grip before they parted just as quickly.</p><p>No longer was Vaayu in the realms of living; he returned back to his true, ghostly form as the breezes settled. He wore the same outfit he did on the day of his death, his pendant sparkled against the dawn, and that same light cascaded over him and gave his ghost a warm glow.</p><p>The elves both gasped and stepped back with wide-eyed gazes. It seemed as if they would to flee in panic, but with one smile from Vaayu, they lowered their shoulders and stood in quiet expectancy.</p><p>"There's many more places that the Arkeyans will target, not just our homelands," Vaayu explained, "and the thought of others suffering the way I did, the way we did, I just can't bear it! If I have powers as strong as these, the least I can do is use them so that others won't have to suffer the way she did" — Vaayu lowered his head, and his entire self next as he knelt before them — "so I can only apologize, for I cannot stay here in good conscious while others suffer when I know I have the power to help them."</p><p>"There is nothing to apologize for."</p><p>A firm pat on his shoulders brought Vaayu's attention to the elf man, and the warm smile on the man's face.</p><p>"Vaayu, go, and protect all Skylands as you have our home."</p><p>Vaayu let out a short gasp, and gave a hasty nod as he jumped to his feet. Once again he moved his attention to Vatra, and with a quick nod, the two of them made their way down the village path. The sound of footsteps rose behind them as more gathered back at the gates so they could cheer their thanks, and shout their well wishes and goodbyes to Vaayu.</p><p>But, Vaayu held his head high no longer. With every word he heard, he hid his face while the rest of his body trembled and swayed. The words were more a poison than a pleasure, and it ate away at him until they both walked so far that they could be heard no longer. Vaayu collapsed to his knees, and finally, he buried his head in his hands and sobbed, a sob that released that pain that he surely held for millennia.</p><p>"Tell me," Vatra asked as he took a seat on a nearby tree stump, "was that how it truly went?"</p><p>Vaayu only whimpered and shook his head. No, that was far from it.</p><p>"I, I, I ran away," Vaayu croaked. His voice grew so hoarse enough from crying that Vatra could barely hear it. "I was so scared, I left her body there and ran as far as I could. I, I never knew what became of her, of them all, after that. If I had stayed, perhaps maybe, I could have saved them!" With tears pooled at his knees, he added, "I fought for everyone else, but I couldn't even find the courage to protect my own home! I was even given the chance to save her again, and I still couldn't do it! I, I should be ashamed of myself, and yet—"</p><p>"And yet, you still found it within you to try and make up for your past decisions," Vatra interrupted. "I'd say you've atoned enough."</p><p>Vatra knelt beside Vaayu, who lifted himself from his crying spell, and turned to Vatra with the shaking vulnerability of a scared child. Vaayu wrapped his arms around Vatra's shoulders, and Vatra pushed them both off the ground. Vaayu leaned against Vatra, and Vatra hobbled them both down the beaten dirt paths while the road ahead changed.</p><p>The endless forests and dirt changed to trails of sand that led to a beach with sparkling waters which glistened under the sun. If there was a beach ahead, Vatra had a good feeling he knew who would be there. Well, if there was anyone here. The salty tinge of sea breeze came to him first, next the crashing of waves, but not of the natural ripples and waves of the waters.</p><p>No, these waves roared like lions as they crashed against the sands, and tossed pillars of the beach into the air. A deep voice bellowed with laughter among their cries as it burst through the waves' roars. It was a voice he knew all too well…</p><p>Vatra peeked his way around a skinny palm tree and smiled.</p><p>Sure enough, Dej laid on the beach, and sparred with the waves as though they were living beings. Simple, sea-stained white and blue robes clothed Dej's body, and on closer inspection, the material seemed slightly familiar. Lightweight and waterproof, was that perhaps from Vernalia?</p><p>"Alright, take five, everyone," Dej panted as he drew back, and the waves in turn settled before him. "I'd say that was a pretty good session for today!"</p><p>"I'd say you've found quite the lovely place to stay," Vaayu remarked as he broke from Vatra's grip at last. Vaayu's eyes sparkled as he wandered onto the beach. He paused a moment to feel the sand underneath him, and wandered back to the crystalline waters and verdant palm trees that danced in the breeze. "I haven't seen a beach quite this lovely in my entire life!"</p><p>Dej's weight shifted, yet that casual air didn't leave as he turned around a chuckled. "Yeah, this place is pre~tty nice, I'd say," he chuckled as he strode back up to Vaayu, and his smile faulted for a moment. "With the Arkeyans conquering everything in sight, it's been a lot harder to find places like this."</p><p>A glimpse of hesitation shone in Dej's eyes, and Vatra perked a brow. Perhaps he already started to realize the truth? Vatra's undead heart skipped a beat as he wondered. Perhaps this would be the perfect time to stoke his memories and get them all out of here?</p><p>"Which is why I've got get some surfing in before it's too late!"</p><p>Just like that, Dej was gone. With one flick of his hand, a surfboard of solid ice manifested in his arms, and off he went to coast ocean waves that buckled and rose as if they bent to his whims. Somehow, Vatra shouldn't have been surprised that this musclebrain was more concerned with his athletic pursuits than the mission at hand, and yet…</p><p>"There's just no reasoning with that man," Vaayu remarked as he crossed his arms. "I always said he had nothing but muscles for brains."</p><p>Vatra bit his tongue before he could reply, for something else caught his eye across the seas. He lifted handfuls of sand from the ground, heated them till they turned to scorching, malleable glass, molded the glass into the shape of a telescope, and absorbed the heat until it was as cool as ice. Vatra lifted the telescope to his eye, and his view fell on a ship sailing on the distant sees.</p><p>The ship that was too distant to make out anything more than the basics, but he could've sworn he caught glimpses of red and gold over the horizon. Arkeyans? His undead heart beat furiously at the thought, but as the ship came closer into view, it rested.</p><p>No, the ship itself was an ordinary pirate ship with a body of wood instead of the sleek, lightweight metals that made up Arkeyan cavalry. A black flag with a skull and crossbones on it fluttered in the wind with pride, the ship reeked of stale alcohol and saltwater (a smell disgusting enough that Vatra plugged his nose at the notion), and the rowdy cries of the ship's crew carried over the winds. The ship docked at the beach with a slow creak, and a rusty black anchor leaped over the dock as it plunged into the deep blue with a mighty splash.</p><p>"Land ho, boys!" cried a pirate captain who cackled with utter glee as pirates swung off the deck by what seemed like the dozen. "Now haul yer booties in gear—we've got booty to find!"</p><p>The pirates agreed with rousing cheers as they scrambled across the island, and Vatra teleported behind a rock as he hid away. With a wave of his hands, Vaayu and Dej teleported away from their spots as well and dropped behind him, all three now firmly hidden away from the prying eyes of the pirates. A good thing, too, for they absolutely were prying!</p><p>Seadogs, cephalomen, and all sorts of other species Vatra didn't quite recognize poured out by the dozen from the ship! Regardless of species, they all scrambled along the once-pristine sands of the beach. They upturned rocks, uprooted trees, and left no nook, cranny, or space untouched.</p><p>A few nearly grazed Vatra's hiding spot, and in that moment, he caught a glimpse of unyielding, lustful greed in their beady eyes. A horrific sight, that was. Vatra shuddered at the faint recollection, yet turned his gaze back to the fronts of the beach.</p><p>There, the ship bobbed and rocked as more pirates dismounted from its deck, but among them was a large whale that immediately caught Vatra's eye—and not just because of his size. This whale's blue skin shone underneath the sun like it was freshly wet. He seemed to not have a care in the world as he hunkered off, and sat down on the beach to fish instead.</p><p>"Could that be?" Vatra gasped.</p><p>He exchanged a choice glance with Vaayu, and Vaayu shared his sentiments as they glanced back at the whale in turn. Yes, that had to be Thumpback! There was no doubt about it! That however, begot the next question. Just how in Skylands were they supposed to catch his attention and stoke his memory with all these pirates running amuck?</p><p>Well, thankfully Vatra got the answer to that question as well.</p><p>A more decorated pirate dismounted from the boat soon, and barked out orders that couldn't be heard from Vatra's distance. Whatever those orders were, they were enough to send the pirates down the island in a massive, throbbing crowd that pulsed and shuddered like a heart. There was a moment of shouting and stampeding, but it fled as quickly as it came, and left only the peaceful sounds of moving waters and the caw of seabirds.</p><p>Vatra and Vaayu exchanged glances, took a peek around to be safe, and crept along the sands so that they drew closer and closer to the whale. The sound of low humming rumbled from the whale, and Vatra vaguely recognized the tune as a sea shanty Thumpback would occasionally hum around the base while he polished his beloved anchor. At that point, there was no doubt in Vatra's mind that this was him!</p><p>Vatra tried to raise his voice, but quickly skittered away as Thumpback's massive fishing pole drew back with a vibrant tropical fish latched to its hook. The rod swung wildly as the fish thrashed about, but Thumpback swiftly and carefully captured it in his grip. He fiddled with it for a few moments, and the fish dropped from the hook before it took wind and flew back into the ocean. Thumpback's fishing rod followed it in turn with a modest plunk back into the waves.</p><p>The waters stilled, and Vatra cleared his throat. "Hello?" he started, and when Thumpback gave him no response, he said again, "hello?"</p><p>Still nothing. Thumpback sat transfixed on the oceans before him, and laid still as a statue as he fished. The only motion came from whatever odd tropical fish happened to catch his line, and he in turn fished it out just to cast it back to sea with the odd ruminations on the species of whatever he caught.</p><p>"Hello? Excuse me?" Vaayu said as he waved his arms up and down in some faint hope of catching Thumpback's attention.</p><p>Thumpback cast a glance towards Vaayu. Vaayu immediately perked up, but Thumpback glanced back to the waves just as quickly as he glanced over, and transfixed on his fishing once again. So much for that. Vatra and Vaayu both sighed and shook their heads. If there was one thing Thumpback could get engrossed in more than anything, it was fishing.</p><p>"That guy seems pretty set on fishing out everything the ocean has to offer," Dej remarked with a whistle.</p><p>A sudden presence brushed against Vatra's back and chills ran up his spine. Dej appeared behind him, seemingly out of nowhere, and Vatra nearly jumped out of his ghostly skin from the surprise! Instead, he collected himself as Dej stretched and strode past him.</p><p>"Maybe if I messed with the ocean a little bit…"</p><p>Dej swirled his hands, and the ocean waves rattled and stirred like shaking teacups in the face of a mighty quake. The shadows and faint glimpses of fish underneath the waves shuddered and darted away as the waves leaped up and down.</p><p>Thumpback shuddered and clutched his rod a bit tighter. The rod quaked with the waves in his grip, and Thumpback's brow raised a bit. Was he finally willing to talk?</p><p>"Oh, looks like this is a big one!" Thumpback cried.</p><p>Well, he talked at least. Dej, Vatra, and Vaayu all scrambled away as Thumpback stumbled backwards. Thumpback's grip held so tightly on his fishing rod that it might've snapped in half were it of less durable material. With one mighty yank, he pulled what looked like a small Leviathan from the waters!</p><p>The Leviathan landed on the beach's grounds with a mighty slam that tossed the sands up around them all, and Thumpback chuckled as he basked in his catch.</p><p>"Well, you're not quite a Leviathan Cloud Crab, but you're still quite the catch," Thumpback said.</p><p>He went to move the fish back to the sea, but as he did—</p><p>"ESSEX! YA LOUSY OAF!"</p><p>— Vatra, Vaayu and Dej darted behind the Leviathan as the pirate captain stumbled into view. Still, not one of them resisted peeking their heads just above the Leviathan's still top to catch a glimpse of the scene.</p><p>The pirate captain glared down Thumpback with his one remaining eye. He held himself with such an imposing stature, despite the fact that Thumpback towered over him. He wagged a finger at Thumpback and a snarl formed on his face.</p><p>"Yer supposed to be lookin' for treasure, not fish!" the pirate captain cried.</p><p>"But fish are a treasure, Captain Frightbeard!" Thumpback proclaimed. His small eyes sparkled as he gestured to the ocean. "There's so many tropical fish here that you can't find anywhere else on Skylands! The Iridescent Flyfisher, the Galactic Spiral, and let's not forget the abundant population of—"</p><p>"Do ye think I give a rat's booty about FISH? If I wanted to get some fish, I could just yank some out of Davy Jones' Locker!" Captain Frightbeard kicked up the sand with a scoff and shot Thumpback one last glare. "If ye wish to not end up a castaway, stop fiddlin' around with that rod and look fer some actual treasure!"</p><p>"... I'll be there soon, Captain Frightbeard."</p><p>"Ye best keep that promise."</p><p>Captain Frightbeard departed with a scoff, and Thumpback scoffed in turn as he pushed the Leviathan back into the ocean. He knelt down and reached for his rod soon after, but his brows quickly perked as he finally caught sight of Vatra, Vaayu and Dej underneath him.</p><p>"Oh, locals! My bad, I didn't notice you!" Thumpback beamed and scratched his head. "Don't mind me. I'm just here for the fishing."</p><p>True to his word, Thumpback sat down and tossed his rod to sea once more.</p><p>Dej sat beside him. "We saw your little talk with your boss, you know," Dej remarked as he stretched his toned arms to the sky. "Seems to me like you care more for fishing than treasure hunting, for a pirate."</p><p>"Ah, that's true," Thumpback affirmed with not a hint of regret. "I only joined because I figured traveling across Skylands would give me plenty of extra fishing spots, but I didn't realize pirating was actually part of the job."</p><p><em>Ah, just like Thumpback.</em> Vatra thought as he crossed his arms. He always did think about fishing before he thought about anything else.</p><p>"Truth is, I've considered just dropping the pirate thing altogether. I don't have the eyes for treasure, and taking things from others just makes me feel bad, you know?"</p><p>Though Thumpback's voice was low as to not scare the fish, it did carry genuine remorse, and perhaps, an opportunity?</p><p>Vatra jumped in, and forced his best, most convincing grin as he glanced towards Thumpback. "You know, you don't have to stay a pirate if you don't want too! There's plenty of better ways to find good fishing spots in Skylands!"</p><p>"There are?"</p><p>Thumpback glanced down at Vatra, and Vatra took it as the prompt he needed.</p><p>"Of course! There's quite a few organizations that travel all across Skylands, and do far less morally questionable things than ransacking islands and stealing from the helpless. There's traveling fishing organizations, true, but also plenty of relief organizations, and perhaps, groups for fighting evil across Skylands?"</p><p>"Fighting evil across Skylands? That's a bit of a lofty pursuit," Dej whistled. He leaned in with an intrigued brow picked.</p><p>Vatra couldn't quite read Thumpback's expression, but he somewhat discerned a hint of curiosity from that glint, and Dej was interested as well! Perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone here.</p><p>"Of course!" Vatra steepled his hands and pressed them under his chin, as if he were a diplomat that proposed some intriguing plan. "I'm sure you're aware of the Arkeyans and all the trouble they've caused in Skylands recently, correct?"</p><p>"We've have spats with them here and there, yes," Thumpback said.</p><p>Dej groaned and crossed his arms. He said no words, yet his irritated expression showed all he needed to say.</p><p>"Well, there's plenty of rebellious sorts that dedicate themselves to fighting off Arkeyan influence before it corrupts all Skylands!"</p><p>Thumpback's brow raised further as his rod gave a slight tug.</p><p>"They've pledged themselves in the Ancients' good name to protect Skylands with the powers they hold…"</p><p>The rod tugged a few more times, and Thumpback steeled himself with a purse of his lips.</p><p>"Best yet, you'll travel all across Skylands to find all the fishing spots and training areas you desire, and keep them safe from Arkeyan corruption! I'm sure you'd be a shoo-in for a recruit with strength and size like yours, and all that experience training your mind and body can surely be put to use amid their ranks! You'd be recruited in a heartbeat! Why, you'd be up there with the Ancient Elementals in Skylands' memory if you did, I'm certain!"</p><p>Thumpback sputtered out as his rod continued to tug, and his expression wavered for a moment.</p><p>"I, I…"</p><p>Vatra eagerly nodded. "You accept?"</p><p>"I'VE GOT ANOTHER BIG ONE! HOLD ON!"</p><p>Thumpback's sudden shout cleared everyone out once more. A shadow cast over them as Thumpback pulled an adolescent Leviathan out from the oceans, and tossed it on the beach. The impact was so great that sand cascaded over them in a crashing wave, and Vatra found himself drowned in the results.</p><p>Vatra spat out sand as the waves conceded. Oh, he hated sand. It was all coarse, irritating stuff that got everywhere whether beings liked it or not, and he had half a mind to blow it away.</p><p>He didn't need to, for Thumpback tossed the Leviathan back into the ocean, and it left with a massive splash of water that washed the sand from Vatra's person.</p><p>"That sounds like something I'll have to think about, but for now, please be quiet," Thumpback remarked as he took his seat once more. "I think you're scaring the fish."</p><p>"But, don't you remember?" Vaayu sputtered in utter bafflement as he circled around Thumpback. "You're not some fishing pirate! You're Thumpback, one of the Elder Elementals! You're a heralded hero of Skylands and one of our strongest allies!" Vaayu glanced aside. "And perhaps one of our most stubborn as well."</p><p>"I think you have the wrong guy. I'm not some big hero or anything. I'm just an ordinary pirate, well, as ordinary as a giant whale could be, anyways."</p><p>Thumpback got a small chuckle out of this remark, but Vaayu didn't find it quite as funny. He pinched his brows, and trudged over to where Vatra stood as he huddled together with him. They exchanged a glance, one that said all the words that Vatra would soon utter.</p><p>"We need a new plan. This isn't getting us anywhere!"</p><p>"But, what?" Vaayu asked.</p><p>That was a good question. Vatra cast Thumpback a weary gaze, and then a similar one to Dej, who sat beside Thumpback and watched him fish with a small child's curiosity. Why did Vatra get the most stubborn members of the group, he had to wonder? Was this another divine punishment from the Ancients for denying his duty?</p><p>Vatra sighed and tried to rack his brain, but as he did, his ears pricked up. A whistling, or maybe shrieking sound came from the distance. Vatra quickly tackled Vaayu to the ground as a cutlass flew towards him like an Arkeyan's light bullets! The cutlass lodged itself in the ground and wiggled in place, but Vatra only barely glimpsed at it before he scanned the beaches for its owner.</p><p>"There's beings here after all!" cried a particularly hoarse voice.</p><p>Vatra lifted his gaze, and found the pirate crew gathered together with wide eyes, even wider snarls, and all sorts of weapons brandished. Cutlasses and pistols, crossbows and daggers, all the usual rife. He'd dealt with far worse.</p><p>"Me bets they're here to steal me treasure!" cried a kelp monster who wore an eyepatch and bandanna as it shuffled to the front.</p><p>"Don't ye mean our treasure?" a seadog beside it asked with a wary glance.</p><p>The kelp monster stopped shaking its fist to the sky, and furiously shook its head. "Never mind that! Make them walk the plank!"</p><p>The pirates all cheered in agreement and raced off in a flash! The sand kicked up underneath them as they brandished their weapons, and Vatra in turn raised fists that quickly ignited with crisp flames. The whoosh of wind sounded beside him as Vaayu lifted up and flew off, and Vatra in turn cast his flames!</p><p>The pirates raced for him, but as they did, the flames came for them! The fires latched onto their weapons first, next skin and clothes, and soon they found themselves screaming and flailing about like headless cockatrices!</p><p>The sands heated to a warm red underneath the pirates' feet as they cried for some relief. It seemed as though they were mostly finished when a massive downpour of water crashed down from the heavens, and completely drenched them! The sudden shower sent them off their balance for a few moments, but where did it come from? There wasn't a cloud in the sky!</p><p>A small chuckle and the sound of dripping water came from behind Vatra, and he turned around to find that Dej once again sneaked behind him. However, no longer was he of the living realm! His form turned ghostly once more while his pendant shone from its place on his neck, and his death outfit took its place on the rest of his body. He sneered and rubbed his nose before he strode up, and slapped a hand on Vatra's shoulder.</p><p>"That sure refreshed my memory!" Dej remarked. "Guess all I needed was a good fight!"</p><p>Ah, Dej and his muscles for brains. Vatra tsked and shot him a glare, but made not a word as he turned his hands on the disoriented pirates while they shook themselves dry. He could probably get a sneak attack in now! Vatra strode forward and shot out a disc of fire, and the winds around it grew violent as he did!</p><p>They howled and clawed at the world around as they fed into the disc of fire. The disc grew larger, stronger, and raged bright like the sun as it slammed into the ground! A ring of fire morphed from where the disc landed, and the pirates seemed trapped. They glanced for a moment, but a whistle sounded as a gigantic parrot descended from the heavens!</p><p>The parrot extinguished the flames with a flap of its wings, narrowed its gaze, and darted straight for Vatra and Dej! Its massive talons pinned them both to Thumpback's leg before they could react, and it cawed over them as if it lorded in its victory. Oh, Vatra never liked birds.</p><p>The parrot quirked a brow, and raised its wings as something crashed into the sands below: Vaayu! Vaayu groaned, and staggered up as the pirates surrounded them all.</p><p>Above Vatra, the gigantic parrot flew back up with another whistle, and a particularly decorated seadog staggered up.</p><p>"Ah, good old Polly! Ye can always count on her to get the job done~" he crooned.</p><p>Vatra winced, pressed himself closer to Thumpback's leg, and glanced back up at Thumpback. Despite all the chaos, Thumpback was still as stone! Well, if there was any time to try and get him back in his right mind, it would be now.</p><p>"Thumpback! Now would be the time to help out here!" Vatra cried, but to no avail.</p><p>Thumpback seemed completely transfixed on the waves still while the pirates closed in all around them. Ugh, of all the times for him to be absorbed in his fishing!</p><p>Vatra had half a mind to curse Thumpback out where he stood, but in his current position, Vatra's concern was more so towards the crowds of pirates that encircled him. He gulped as one pirate pressed a cutlass dangerously close to his neck, and then to his pendant.</p><p>"Say, that's a fine crystal yer little necklace's made of!" jeered the pirate. "I bet I could get some nice, shiny gold off of this!"</p><p>The cutlass made its way down the pendant's surface, and its tip gently lifted the wheel. A sudden dizziness came over Vatra as the wheel drew closer and closer to the pirate, and further and further from him. Spots danced in his vision as the string around it frayed.</p><p>Vatra gasped for air, for help, for anything—and the feeling stopped. A shadow cast over the ground in his dizzied moments, and a gigantic fish crashed onto the beach as it flattened the pirates where they stood! The cutlass fell to the ground with a helpless clang, and Vatra's consciousness came back soon afterwards.</p><p>A small chuckle arose up above, and Thumpback smiled as he got up. He tossed his latest catch back into the ocean with only an indent in the sand full of dizzy, sprained pirates as remnant of its existence. He gently pushed the pirates aside, and scowled as the sound of hurried running scuffled across the beach.</p><p>"Essex! What in Davy Jones' good name do ye think yer doin'?" Captain Frightbeard demanded as he shook a fist at Thumpback. "With the way yer actin', it's like ye want to get thrown off the ship!"</p><p>"I do, actually," Thumpback proclaimed. He cleared his throat, knelt down, and glared at Captain Frightbeard with a sort of tranquil anger not usually seen in his small eyes. "In fact, consider this my letter of resignation."</p><p>Thumpback drew back his claws, and shot Captain Frightbeard right into the oceans' waters with a single flick! Captain Frightbeard screamed and spat out all sorts of pirate insults as he splashed around in the ocean waves, but it was clear that he was far from an adept swimmer. He sank with every insult he spat and every splash he made. Soon, Captain Frightbeard disappeared under the bobbing waves, and his cries became nothing more than bubbles on the ocean's surface.</p><p>Thumpback chuckled a low, proud chuckle as he turned back to Vatra, Vaayu and Dej.</p><p>"I've always wanted to do that," Thumpback admitted. He scratched his head and knelt down with a smile. "Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. This place has some good fishing, and I just couldn't resist getting a few throws in."</p><p>Fishing? <em>That</em> was what Thumpback ignored them for? Vatra shouldn't have been surprised, yet he could only shake his head in disbelief. Beside him, Vaayu groaned and Dej sighed as he held his head. Similar sentiments shared, he supposed.</p><p>"Anyways, I'm sure you're probably itching to get off this place." Thumpback slung his anchor over his shoulder. With a grunt, he lifted himself and his gaze towards the pirate ship Frightbeard left behind. "I do believe we have more allies we need to find, don't we?"</p><p>"Indeed," Vatra replied.</p><p>Thumpback drew over to the steering wheel, fiddled with something at the helm, and set the drawbridge out once more. He glanced down as if offering for Vatra, Vaayu and Dej to hop aboard, but only for a moment as he fiddled with a few more ship mechanisms.</p><p>"Now, Captain Frightbeard actually had another place he wanted to stop at before this little detour, but I'm sure you wouldn't mind the trip. How does a trip to the Dinya Jîyan û Mirin sound?"</p><p>Dinya Jîyan û Mirin? That was Nemir's homeland, and surely where he'd currently be!</p><p>Vatra raced up the gangplank without a second thought, and Dej and Vaayu followed in similar thought. The two got themselves settled beside Vatra as the gangplank receded back into the ship.</p><p>With a rattle and a switch's flick, the ship's paddles drew into its body as well! Out from their vacant spots came sails that fluttered with the single breeze they caught, and the ship cast itself into the skies with a single stroke of those sails! The clouds burst as the ship tore through them, but soon, all became peaceful once more.</p><p>The skies dipped into their evening hues of pinks and orange, golds and reds, and the breezes settled along with the peace of the evening. After how hectic things were prior, the sudden calm was a welcome change for Vatra, who sat down and slunk against one of the stray barrels on the ship.</p><p>He would've drifted off for a small nap, but the ship jerked down and nearly tossed him off as soon as he did! He grappled for the railing as the winds carried him up, and slammed against the ship's deck as it finally settled. With a groan, he pushed himself up, and turned around to find Vaayu and Dej who recovered from their own collisions with groans and faces buried in hands.</p><p>"Here's our stop," Thumpback said as he flicked a switch and sent out the gangplank once more. "Sorry about the rough parking, by the way. It's been a while since I've steered something as fancy as this."</p><p>Vatra only groaned out an insult even he didn't recognize in his surge of pain. He stumbled off the drawbridge, and looked up as he touched solid ground at last. Lively conversation swelled in front of him, and the sound of others drew him towards the villages.</p><p>Though he'd just been to the Dinya Jîyan û Mirin, here it looked more like how Vatra remembered seeing it in scrolls and atlases. The buildings were striped in violets and silvers, and glowed with an eerie light that only grew brighter against the dying light of day. The faint smell of undead blooms wafted in the air. Perhaps what was most akin to his prior visions of it, however, was that both the living and dead mingled together as one!</p><p>A skeleton merchant traded idle chatter with an elf at their stand while some ghostly and corporeal children kicked an old ball down the streets. An aged molekin happily nuzzled another molekin's ghost on a bench. Near the end, plenty of living and dead alike crowded and cheered with glee as a certain figure dressed in colorful robes and a monarch's jewels passed through…</p><p>Nemir! He looked almost identical to how he did upon death, yet he almost seemed like a completely different person as he greeted the living and undead around him. The wear and tear of age was no longer present on his body; there was not a wrinkle on his face, or a streak of gray in his hair, and he carried himself with a lively step as he passed through. Yet, there was no denying that he still held the sort of eye-catching presence that royalty tended to carry as all eyes turned to him—Vatra's included.</p><p>"My liege! My liege!" cried a voice in the distance.</p><p>Vatra raised a brow as someone tall and dressed in ornamental robes swept through the streets with an urgent speed. He shook his head as the being came further into view.</p><p>There before him laid Ninjini! Her scarlet hair was dolled up in an elaborate hairstyle, and her usual attire traded off for regal purple robes in similar styles to that of what the village's other residents wore. The other villagers all gathered around her with worried looks and chatter as she cleared her throat.</p><p>"High Priestess Fatimah, what is the trouble?" Nemir asked as he turned to Ninjini.</p><p>"I've received a vision, and it's a grave one." Ninjini clasped her hands and pursed her lips as if she wasn't sure how to break the news, but gathered her breath. "You and I will soon depart from the lands to go on a grand journey, one that will take us far, far away from here. It's uncertain if we'll ever return home, or that we'll even live to be able to do so!"</p><p>The citizens around all gasped, and their cheers of joy turned to cries of worry and sorrow. Faint whispers of the king leaving and fear of what would become of the town reached Vatra's ears, but at his distance, he could barely make out the conversation. Vatra crept forward to try and get a better grip of the conversation, yet Nemir silenced the crowds with a single shush and a motion of his hands—truly a king's power.</p><p>"Fret not, everyone," Nemir proclaimed in an authoritative tone. "I know well what the vision means."</p><p>Nemir raised a brow and smiled as he turned his gaze to meet Vatra's. Vatra glanced away. He was uncertain as to whether or not Nemir truly looked at him, specifically, but when Nemir shifted through to crowds to join Vatra at his side, Vatra became well aware.</p><p>So, Vatra nodded and met Nemir's solemn glance with one of his own. Nemir cleared his throat as crowds gathered around him with worried eyes.</p><p>"It's true that I will have to depart, for Skylands needs my wisdom as much as you did, and the same is true of High Priestess Fatimah." Nemir's gaze faltered, but he picked himself back up with a smile. "Fret not. You have all grown splendidly under my watch, and I have no doubt that my advisors will be able to continue my work for me. The wisdom I've passed on to you, you must now pass on to the new generations in my steed. Most of all, however, keep each other safe, so that I can protect Skylands with an easy mind."</p><p>The crowds all broke in rousing cheers and sobs of joy, but Nemir quickly turned away and joined Vatra at his side. A chilling wind blew around him, and a swarm of ghosts circled around Nemir just to disappear as fast as they came. What was left behind was Nemir, the true Nemir, with his ghostly form and looks aged by all the bloodshed and war he saw. He sighed as he toyed with his pendant, but nonetheless swept down the streets in a way that implied he wanted Vatra to follow.</p><p>"Your subjects seem to hold you in high regard," Vatra remarked as they strode down. "I'm sure you were a fine ruler."</p><p>"It's nothing to brag about. I merely did what was best for them," Nemir replied. He laid down his pendant, and both his eyes and his crown seemed a little duller. "I just hope they'll be happy in the time I'm gone. After all, I wasn't able to protect them back then."</p><p>It was strange to hear Nemir talk about these illusions of subjects as if they were of reality, but Vatra nodded and continued. If it helped Nemir cope with the loss, Vatra supposed it was something he could entertain.</p><p>Not that he had to entertain it much, for they quickly arrived to where Thumpback parked. Ninjini already changed back into her regular attire and teleported there. She stood enthralled in riveting conversation with the others when Nemir and Vatra caught her eyes. She waved them over, and Vatra shared with her a nod as they all boarded the ship and set sail.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Nobody in the village once parted from their everyday activities despite the bright flash of purple light that appeared. It was almost as if they didn't notice it at all, as a matter of fact! No eyelashes batted and no words spoke, even as the light grew brighter before it formed into the silhouettes of Tree Rex, Crusher, and Hot Head, who landed in the village with a thud.</p><p>"So, this is where we're supposed to regroup?" 'Enehana asked as they slid off of Crusher's shoulder and levitated down.</p><p>"Yes, indeed," Sihiri added as she floated down from Tree Rex's palm. "This is my home village" — Sihiri frowned and clutched her skirts as she landed on the ground — "or, at least, I suppose it's an estimation of what it was once like."</p><p>"Charmin' little place!" Jorden chirped as he landed beside 'Enehana. He crossed his arms and whistled as he examined a spear with a violet jade tip that rested to a building's side, but soon grinned as his eyes fell on other weapons adorned with jewelry. Typical Jorden, always one to get distracted by the rocks.</p><p>"It really is," Inochi said as she floated down beside Sihiri. She slipped her arm close, and intertwined it with Sihiri's own arm as she leaned closer. "I could see myself settling down and starting a nice garden here with you."</p><p>Sihiri chuckled as she leaned her head closer to Inochi's. "Funny, I had the very same thought."</p><p>Sihiri trailed off. It was true that she always dreamed of bringing Inochi back home with her after the war, settling down with her wife, and introducing her to all her friends and family—but, she knew she couldn't do that. She didn't even know if her village was still around anymore, and even if it was, the time changed so much.</p><p>There was no doubt in her mind that everyone she once knew was long gone, and everything there would have radically changed beyond what she knew. To think, this illusory world was all that remained of her home, the place where she spent her youth playing in the rivers and running around with the other children. Sihiri wanted to cry again, but before she could, a hand soft like a rose petal brushed against her shoulder.</p><p>"I wonder if the others are back yet," Inochi wondered out loud as she gazed up at the clear sky. "I do hope they're alright, wherever they are."</p><p>Yes, Sihiri had to wonder that as well. She glanced up at the clear blue sky, but as she did, its bright colors turned dark while an airship passed right over her! Something leaped out from the side, and she pulled herself and Inochi back as that thing landed right in the heart of the village and quaked the earth!</p><p>"Sorry for the wait, everyone!" Luz shouted as he turned Sihiri's eyes to the skies once more. "Did you miss us?"</p><p>The airship passed right as Luz finished talking, and unveiled that sure enough, Luz stood right underneath with Bouncer, Swarm, Eye-Brawl, and Fintster all gathered around him! They mostly looked no worse for wear than before, save for Swarm, who was covered in bruises and a few burns while his wings and antennae stood crooked. Just what happened to him while they were gone?</p><p>"Luz, there you are!" Sihiri called as she floated over. "Are you alright?"</p><p>"Right as sunlight!" Luz proclaimed as he stretched his arms to the sky. "We had a couple little bumps in the road, but everything's alright now!"</p><p>"I beg to differ," Swarm grumbled behind Luz as he attempted to straighten out an antenna. "I didn't know sports could be that extreme. My wings still hurt…"</p><p>Inochi chuckled, floated up to Swarm, and laid a hand on his leg as she reached the closest. The green light that sparkled around her flared its brightest, crawled up her body and across Swarm's leg, and finally his body as well! The bumps and bruises all flattened themselves back into his carapace as the light crawled, and his injuries disappeared with one last flash!</p><p>Sihiri's eyes drifted to the harbors in the distance as ships came and left like the wind. She recognized a few of the boats that docked and sailed off, but amid them, she thought she saw something like a pirate ship! What would pirates be doing here?</p><p>She narrowed her eyes and glared it down, yet she didn't need to for long. A purple glow much larger than the one she made manifested right before her! Sihiri strayed back a little as the glow spread around them.</p><p>The glow faded with a pop and a strong torrent of purple sparkles, and unveiled none other than Ninjini! A wide smile stretched across her face as Thumpback flanked her side, while below her, Vatra, Vaayu, Dej, and Nemir all crowded around their feet (or, well, lack thereof in Ninjini's case, but nonetheless).</p><p>"We're back, everyone!" Vatra panted as he wiped sweat from his brow. "Is that all of us?"</p><p>Sihiri did a quick glance around, counted the heads around her and nodded. "It should be," she replied. "So, that begets our next step…"</p><p>"Figuring out how to get out of this place," Luz finished for her as he stepped up.</p><p>Well, that was easier said than done. After all, the Oracle didn't tell them a thing about the trial to begin with, much less how to make their way out! Just what exactly were they supposed to do to make it out of here? That seemed to be the question on everyone's minds as they mused with hands to their chins, flames flickered, and eyes sparked.</p><p>"Well, maybe we just have to think our way out?" Ninjini suggested. "After all, this is a magical illusion, so perhaps it's sustained by our belief in it!"</p><p>Sihiri hummed and stroked her chin. "Well, this world seems to change based on our wishes and desires. After all, it led us all to each other because we desired it, so maybe, if we desire to leave, it'll let us out!"</p><p>"So we just have to think really hard about leaving this place?" Luz remarked, before he crossed his arms and beamed. "Alright, I can do that!"</p><p>A few small hums came from their group as they thought their hardest about home. No, they couldn't really call the present-day Skylands their true home, could they?</p><p>Whenever Sihiri thought about it, all she thought about was <em>her</em> time, the one she so desperately longed to returned to, but she couldn't return there, and that regret wouldn't break her free of this trial. So, Sihiri pushed her longings to the side.</p><p>She envisioned the Oracle's home in the present day, from the marbled blues and golds to the somewhat chilling feeling that ran down her spine with every step she took in the presence of such a powerful being. She could so clearly taste the clean, crisp air with a hint of something sweet on her tongue, and feel the cool flooring underneath her feet…</p><p>The chills overtook her and she opened her eyes, but, what she found was nothing new. She was still stuck in her village! A light breeze passed her and the others by. The confused looks they held, and the murmurs that came from them showed they were just as befuddled as she was.</p><p>"I suppose just willing our way out isn't going to work," Vatra spoke at last as he crossed his arms. "What next?"</p><p>Vatra tapped his feet against the soft earth and heated it with his footsteps. Around him, the rest of her group muttered thoughts under their breath and racked their own brains.</p><p>Sihiri, for her part, just glimpsed over the familiar pathways of her childhood village. She resisted the longing tugs at her heart to run around and catch up with her friends, her family, and even the neighbors she barely knew out of passing. The regrets ate away at her, but she bit back the urge to run off and immerse herself in the illusion—wait, that was it! Surely, that had to be it!</p><p>"I think I might know what we need to do!" Sihiri cried at last. She cleared her throat as the others raised their brows and directed their gazes at her. "This realm recreates our pasts, and gave us to chance to lead the lives we never had and fix our regrets, correct? Surely to escape it, all we'd have to do is let go of that baggage, or at least, convince it we have."</p><p>"Well, worth a shot," Dej remarked as he shrugged his shoulders. "Personally, I'd say I'm pretty regret-free."</p><p>The others mumbled in agreement, some more enthusiastically than others, and Sihiri eagerly glanced around. No, they still remained stuck in the village with no sight of change to be seen, something that caused all faces to fall.</p><p>"It doesn't seem like that worked, either," Vatra said.</p><p>"But, why?" Sihiri whispered.</p><p>She didn't understand. Surely they'd all taken this time to remedy their ills, to fix their regrets, to see the ones they loved one last time before the crushing weight of the present day called them back to reality.</p><p>She knew that while these pains and heartaches couldn't be fixed in a day, surely at least regaining their memories would convince this strange trial that they were fine! It should convince them to send them back to the present day, where they were no more real than the tall fables braggers told, where they were forgotten along with everything they knew, and all they once loved became mere writing in parchment…</p><p><em>Oh</em>.</p><p>It seemed as though one of them had a harder time letting go: Sihiri herself.</p><p>She, she knew she couldn't stay here, that it was all little more than an illusion, and none of this was truly part of the place she called her home. Even though it was all fake, a part of her just didn't want to say goodbye, not yet! There was so much to do, so many people she wanted to talk to one more time, so many places she so desperately wanted to see!</p><p>Skylands couldn't wait forever, though Arkilles was surely finding some way to Arkus for every moment she spent here. Still, what good was there fighting for a world she knew she could never call home the way she used too?</p><p>Sihiri bit her lip. No, that was just selfishness talking! Even if the Skylands she found herself in now was hardly the place she called home, it still needed protection from the Arkeyans. She vowed to protect all from the Arkeyans' tyranny no matter what, and she was by no means going to rescind that vow.</p><p>So, she just had to push aside her doubts…</p><p>"MONSTER!"</p><p>A shrill cry over the horizon shattered Sihiri's concentration, and the fierce shaking of the ground underneath her took her balance next. She fell to her knees and collapsed entirely as her whole body shuddered so fiercely. A few of her old friends passed her by with panicked looks, and she tried to reach out—but they were in such a panic that they didn't even notice her! Sadiq came by next, and that was enough to get her to shout…</p><p>"What's happening?"</p><p>That one cry of hers caught Sadiq's attention, and he paused his panic to help her off the ground.</p><p>"Sihiri, what are you doing?" he demanded. "You need to flee! There's a monster attacking the village!"</p><p>"A monster?" What kind of monster?"</p><p>"That kind!"</p><p>Sadiq pointed over the horizon, and Sihiri gasped at the sight. The birds cawed and flew off in a frightful fit as a giant silhouette of vaguely humanoid shape cast itself over the village.</p><p>The silhouette stepped into the light to reveal a massive, metallic body of red and gold paint! Its eyes glowed with malevolence even under the bright sun, and it raised its fists as its metal body creaked with wear. In spite of said wear, it bore an air of malice as it rang with metallic cries. There was no doubt about it! An Arkeyan Conquertron came to the village!</p><p>"But, how? Why?" Sihiri gasped. "What would the Arkeyans want with this place?"</p><p>"The same thing they always want!" Vatra spat out. Sihiri assumed she'd spoken too softly for him to hear, but she supposed not. "New stomping grounds or resources!"</p><p>A screeching noise raised in the air as Sihiri covered her ears, yet, the action hardly muffled the noise. The screeching dulled as visions of blood flashed in the Conquerton's glass eyes, and it raised to its highest as its footsteps shook the ground below.</p><p>"I have arrived on the behalf of the illustrious Emperor-King Arkilles!" the Conquertron bellowed. Its robotic voice boomed so loud that houses, trees, and statues shuddered in its wake. "He has graciously decided to bless your village with the opportunity to join our growing kingdom! Thus, we request your immediate and unconditional surrender to the glory of the Arkeyan Empire!"</p><p>Those words twisted and turned in Sihiri's stomach with a sickening kind of anger, but the sudden arrival of the Conquertron put her so on-edge that she could barely move. She only stood and watched as people fled.</p><p>Warriors raced through the fleeing crowds, and cried calls to battle as they flung themselves at the Conquertron. Those weapons the warriors held would do nothing against a Conquertron, much less one of the stature that stood before them!</p><p>Sihiri couldn't bring herself to warn them. Something (fear? Shock?) took control of her body, and she only watched in horror as the warriors futilely slashed, slammed, and flung themselves against the Conquertron as it stood motionless with not an injury sustained.</p><p>The Conquertron creaked as it lowered its hand, and it sent the warriors flying like they were little more than pesky bugs with a single swipe! Screams barely rose over the raging roars of the wind as they crashed by Sihiri's feet with bloody cuts and dented armor.</p><p>One woman in particular fell by Sihiri with a body covered in gashes and a helmet dented in. She cried out as her javelin rolled from her hands, yet all she could do was clutch her bruised body. This single sight rallied Sihiri from her nerves, and she immediately rushed down and helped the woman back to her feet.</p><p>The woman still shuddered and bit her lip as she leaned into Sihiri's grip, but not for long. Inochi rushed to the woman's side, and laid her hands on the woman's injuries. The cuts healed themselves so quickly that it was as if they never existed in the first place, and the trembling stopped enough that the woman managed to stand on her own.</p><p>"I, I've never seen such a machine before," the woman gasped. Her eyes fell on the Conquertron as it rampaged and shook off attacks with not even a thought paid. "What kind of demon is that?"</p><p>"Not a demon," Sihiri said at last as her hand formed a fist without her thinking. "An Arkeyan."</p><p>"An, Arkeyan?"</p><p>The woman pursed her lips, and her eyes wandered as she ran this new word in her mind. She knelt down, gripped her javelin once more, and a certain fire burned in her eyes as she pushed herself back to full stance.</p><p>"Whatever these Arkeyans may be, I will not allow them to devastate our homeland!"</p><p>The woman let out a cry of war as she raced for the Conquertron with her javelin raised, but Sihiri grabbed her by the shoulder before she could run further. The woman stopped, shook off the initial surprise, and thrust against Sihiri's grip in a fight to move forward, yet Sihiri refused to let her go.</p><p>"Your weapons won't do anything against something of that stature!" Sihiri proclaimed. "Just look at how your allies are faring!"</p><p>More soldiers collapsed before them as the Conquertron struck another blow. A few bodies rolled across the ground at such a speed that they were akin to rag dolls that fluttered and bounced as children tossed them in the air for simple amusement. Another soldier indented the ground nearby. When the dust cleared, he gasped for air as his bloodied, bruised body laid half-dead in the crater he formed. He cried out something (a name? A plea? A wish?) and then, he fell limp as the dented club in his hands fell beside him.</p><p>"You need to leave!" Sihiri proclaimed.</p><p>"But if I don't fight, if, if WE don't fight, then who will?"</p><p>It was not the woman's question that pierced Sihiri's heart, but the fearful look in her eyes that Sihiri understood all too well. It was one that haunted her every time she saw her own reflection, one of vulnerability and resignation alike—and it was a look that twisted her stomach in knots. Sihiri froze, but a gentle, soft hand brushed against hers, and that frozen spell thawed.</p><p>"<em>We</em> will."</p><p>The woman stared at Sihiri like she grew an extra head, and truthfully, Sihiri couldn't blame her. The people of her home never knew her as anything other than a girl with a gift for magic beyond most of her peers, but never one to take up the mantle and fight for her own…</p><p>Now, however? She was a warrior, a leader, and most importantly, she was far from alone.</p><p>"Tree Rex!" Sihiri called. She craned her head to meet his face, and then to meet the rest of her group. "Everyone, to my side!"</p><p>They all formed in a quick huddle. The Elder Elementals towered over the rest almost as living shields, and Sihiri pushed herself into the center.</p><p>"'Enehana, do you recognize what kind of model that Conquertron is?" was the first thing Sihiri asked.</p><p>'Enehana cast a glance behind their group and turned back without a moment of hesitation. "Mark 12.5," they spat out. "They're sturdy for a model of that generation, but they sap up a lot of energy compared to the newer ones. Run them for too long, and they completely break down!"</p><p>"Just what I wanted to hear."</p><p>Sihiri turned her attention back to the group, and they all curled together as they spoke of a plan in hushed whispers. A warmth bubbled in Sihiri's chest as the plan finalized itself with ease, and everyone broke away with a shared understanding in their eyes. The world shook around them as the armies cried out and fought a losing battle while the Conquertron shook the world around them, but, Sihiri would not be swayed. and neither would her allies.</p><p>Instead, they broke into their groups one by one, and the world thundered underneath them as the Elder Elementals raced into action!</p><p>Inochi left Sihiri's side to tend to the wounded, and Sihiri joined her post-haste. One by one, they rushed to the injured and lifted them up as Inochi healed them; Sihiri brought them back to their feet while the vernal glows of Inochi's magic brushed against the warriors' skin.</p><p>"You need to go," Sihiri insisted as she pushed one soldier back to his feet. "The safe houses should be close by. Just let us handle things from here!"</p><p>The soldier turned to Sihiri as if he wanted to protest, but Tree Rex's towering shadow eclipsed them all. The soldier merely nodded in slight awe at the sight, and t off to the safe houses. He took only a moment to lean one of his less sturdy allies against his own body for support. Their figures disappeared into the distance as the other healed soldiers made their ways to safety, almost like specks of light that vanished as quickly as one saw them.</p><p>A small laugh rumbled from above as Tree Rex watched them leave, and he turned back to where Ninjini hovered beside him. The two raised their hands. A flood of green and purple light burst out from their palms, intertwined, and formed into a barrier of glowing, tightly-woven vines that wrapped itself around the village as a wall between it and the Conquertron.</p><p>Now, the village would surely be safe, so Sihiri nodded and followed Inochi to the safe houses.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>The Conquertron fumbled as the vines nearly caught its foot. A confused string of mechanical noises uttered from its mouth as it latched onto the vines and tugged at them. Despite its mighty stature, its attempts to tear the barrier were futile. No matter how much it pulled and tugged at the vines, the vines stayed firm with no fraying, and bounced back with every push and pull made against them. The Conquertron's eyes glowed with rage, or perhaps the charge of a laser beam…</p><p>"Hey, tin can!"</p><p>A string of stingers and mechanical bullets sniped the Conquertron in the back of its head, and its body groaned as it turned to find Swarm and Bouncer behind it. Luz and Fintster sat on their shoulders as they all sneered, and Swarm's stingers glowed with light as blue as the skies as he locked and prepared to load.</p><p>The Conquertron said not a word, and instead lumbered for them; its body slowed and creaked with every labored step it took, but it quickly picked up the pace as it slugged a punch towards Swarm. Swarm zipped out of the way. His sneer grew wider as the Conquertron labored just to draw its arm back.</p><p>"Gotta be faster than that if you wanna hit me!" Swarm chirped. His wings hummed with a sort of excitement he only held in battle as he zipped back away. "Now, catch me if you can!"</p><p>Swarm's childish jeers were enough to earn the Conquertron's ire, for its eyes flashed red and it creaked after him in long strides. Blades of grass leaped from the earth as the Conquertron closed in on Swarm just enough to throw another punch—but Bouncer swept in and took the brunt of the blow! His metal arms creaked and dented just slightly under the weight, but the pain was far from enough to shake him.</p><p>He tossed back the strike and seared the Conquertron's chest with bright, burning lasers. Heat burned from the Conquertron's chest in a red blaze, and it clumsily stumbled away just to break free. For a moment, it turned to Bouncer…</p><p>"Forgetting someone?"</p><p>Swarm chuckled as he zipped right behind the Conquertron, and it turned its punch at him instead! Swarm zipped right away before the blow could connect, and all the Conquertron punched was thin air. It craned its head to find Swarm, but Bouncer zoomed in front of it and it changed gears!</p><p>Now, both Bouncer and Swarm circled around the Conquertron, and their combined speed created a buzz that rung in the Conquertron's sensors. Its head spun in its socket as it tried to determine which of the two to aim for, or how to track them when they all moved so fast. Sparks burst from its neck's openings, and its body groaned as its eyes started to flare.</p><p>Before it could strike, two orbs—one of solid, blazing light, another of churning darkness—smashed into both sides of its head! The Conquertron let out a noise like a rattling bell as it stumbled back. The light in its eyes faded as it collapsed on its knees with such force that it tossed nearby plant life out of their roots.</p><p>The impact shook Luz and Fintster back to form, and the two shared nods with Swarm and Bouncer. The four cornered the Conquertron at every angle, and one by one, launched a massive onslaught! Swarm launched blast after blast of concentrated air and lightning, Bouncer shot fleets of rockets from his shoulders, and Luz and Fintster circled around the Conquertron as they shot off blast after blast of light and shadow alike!</p><p>The attacks beat upon the Conquertron with no relenting, and its body creaked and dented underneath the battle's blows. Yet, the Conquertron barely flinched! Its eyes glowed once again as it shot a particularly fiery laser at just an angle between Luz and Swarm that they broke their formation to dash away.</p><p>The sudden stop shook Bouncer and Fintster's concentration as well, and the Conquertron took the moment of weakness with gusto. It swiveled its head around, and fired off another laser towards Bouncer, who snatched Fintster from the skies and dashed away as the laser pierced a distant cloud instead.</p><p>The Conquertron rose back to full height, and bounded in earth-shattering leaps towards Swarm. It wound up its arm as it ran, and launched a punch straight into Swarm's gut just as Swarm turned around! The blow sent Swarm flying and tumbling. He came to a stop a short distance later, and held his gut as he sucked the air he lost back in. A shadow cast over Swarm, and he winced as the Conquertron loomed over him with another blow aimed straight for the cranium.</p><p>"Watch it, buddy!" Bouncer cried as he swung in and punched the Conquertron in the knees.</p><p>The blow was barely anything to the Conquertron's solid metal carapace, but it threw the Conquertron off its balance long enough. Bouncer swept Swarm back on his feet and fled with him in tow. The two managed a safe enough distance from the Conquertron, and Swarm wheezed as he clung to Bouncer's body like a crutch.</p><p>"We almost had that hunk of junk, too!" Swarm gasped. He gritted his teeth as his wings buzzed with anger. "Just what's taking the others?"</p><p>"That's what we'd like to know!" Luz proclaimed as he and Fintster flew back up in bright streaks of light and murky clouds of darkness. The two shed their disguises with a <em>POP</em>, and Luz winced as he glanced back at the Conquertron. "It sure it tough for an old model!"</p><p>The Conquertron lurched up. It turned around as if it would make pursuit once more, lifted its leg high, and slammed down into the ground so that the earth cracked underfoot. Another seismic stomp widened the cracks, and the Conquertron launched into a full-blown seismic tantrum! The ground shuddered and cracked further as the Conquertron stomped, but not just that, either!</p><p>Bouncer's gears rattled in his head as the shakes shook him to his core. Swarm collapsed as the quakes loosened his grip. The shaking broke Luz and Fintster's concentration next, and the two screamed as they fell right towards a particularly large crack into the island's core!</p><p>Bouncer regained control, caught Luz and Fintster before they fell in, and shook his head. "Seismic mode, activate!" Bouncer cried.</p><p>His eyes flashed in a few bright beeps, and his body stabilized enough as he leapt off and zoomed across the land. Pebbles from the cracking, shaking earth flung themselves against his metallic body, but Bouncer grit his metal teeth and kept Luz and Fintster close to his core as he zipped around the ground.</p><p>The cracks opened further with another mighty stomp, and tossed Bouncer into the air, but he popped a jetpack out of his back as he zapped across the fields. His optics fixed on the Conquertron as he came in for a landing, and he zig-zagged across the land while he dodged cracks and fissures of all sizes.</p><p>"Bouncer, Bouncer! Wait!" Swarm panted as he tried to fly behind. He clutched the stomach, winced as his flying turned shaky and uneven, and careened one way and the next as he attempted to follow Bouncer's path.</p><p>Bouncer didn't hear. Instead, his optics zeroed in as he prepared another laser blast for the seemingly-unsuspecting Conquertron. The Conquertron, however, craned its head over first and sent another mighty stomp down! It cracked the earth in a jagged shape down Bouncer's path. The sudden shake tossed Bouncer from his focus and the ground, and Luz and Fintster slipped from his grip!</p><p>The two tried to regain their focus enough to fly off, but they didn't need to. Swarm zipped in, and despite his uneven flying, snatched Luz and Fintster out of the air as he zoomed off! Swarm chuckled to himself, but before he could make whatever smart remark he planned, a screech hit the air!</p><p>Swarm ducked down as a searing white laser narrowly grazed his head. "Dude, watch the antennae!" Swarm sniped as he glared back at the Conquertron.</p><p>The Conquertron did not regard Swarm's plea for his antennae with the same grace. Instead, it shot round after round of lasers in every direction Swarm fled, and even some he didn't! It seemed like it anticipated his every move, for though its barrages grew slower by the second, their size more than made up for the lack of speed.</p><p>"Surrender now, Elder Elemental!" the Conquertron cried. "You have violated more laws of the Arkeyan Empire than can be counted! Your insurmountable crimes have earned the ire of the Arkeyan Empire!"</p><p>"Good!" Swarm bit back. "Add another one to that list while you're at it! I'm never giving in, and neither are my buddies! As long as we stand, we'll never let you conquer this place, or anywhere else in Skylands!"</p><p>Swarm gritted his teeth when a sudden blast hit his wings, yet yowled as he finally lost air. He clutched Luz and Fintster close to his chest as he slammed back-first against the ground. He leaped off, but tumbled in large strides towards a massive fissure that nearly split the island in two!</p><p>With no control over his path, Swarm screwed his eyes shut and braced himself for a nasty fall—that never happened.</p><p>The ground sealed itself shut just as he landed. He laid still on solid ground, but his wings surged with renewed pain from their burns. Swarm blinked, pushed himself off the ground, and let Luz and Fintster slip from his hands as he turned around.</p><p>"Wait, what happened? I was sure I was gonna find the bottom of Skylands just a second ago!"</p><p>The air chilled around Swarm as a firm, milky mist crept in, and he shuddered as he turned around and tried to make some sense of the sudden change in weather. His wings fluttered as the cold chilled their laser burns. They regained their strength enough for him to blow a breeze that cleared a path through the mist and straight to the Conquertron.</p><p>The Conquertron seemed just as baffled as Swarm was. Its whole body creaked and cracked as it moved this way and that, but the mist was so thick that it could barely make heads or tails of its surroundings! More than that, the mist made sure the Conquertron could barely stand its ground, either! Its clouds seeped into the Conquertron's joints and cracked them like frail ice. Those cracks spread to its now-rusted carapace and its cracking eyes.</p><p>"Whoever caused this unorthodox change in weather, show yourself immediately!" the Conquertron cried, though its voice grew warped and crackled from the damage to its system. "You are committing unauthorized assault of an Arkeyan official!"</p><p>The Conquertron slugged a punch into the mist, but the mist parted and revealed that all it hit was a gigantic block of ice! The ice block shattered and splintered from the impact, and the spears of ice stabbed right into the Conquertron's body! A metallic yelp echoed from the Conquertron. It scratched at the spears and tried to yank them out, but they were stubborn and transfixed to their places; even the mightiest pull it could manage barely dislodged them!</p><p>"Hey there, buddy!" cried a familiar, rumbling voice. "You look a little chilly there! Need someone to turn up the heat?"</p><p>The Conquertron's head creaked as it turned around, and a voluminous flamethrower burst out of the clouds as it blew the Conquertron back!</p><p>Swarm gasped as the flames engulfed the Conquertron until only the faint silhouette of its body emerged from the fires. The familiar whir of Bouncer's wheel pricked his ears as he did. He turned his gaze just slightly, and found Bouncer beside him with a confident smile, as if he never doubted for a second that their not-so-mysterious rescuers would arrive.</p><p>The mist thinned enough to split as Crusher and Brawl stumbled over and helped Swarm back to his feet. The mist fully cleared by the time he reached full height, the sun shone once more, and just in time, too! The action finally started!</p><p>The screeching, ear-bleeding sound of ripping metal rang out across the island as Thumpback jumped out and beheaded the Conquertron's mangled body with his anchor. The head flew far, far into the distance with a single swing of that anchor.</p><p>A faint denting sound served as the others' alarm, and they all swarmed out in a fury!</p><p>Crusher bolted from Swarm's side with a hand tight around his hammer. With a grunt, he slammed it into the ground, and tossed slabs of fissured earth into the air! He slammed them into the Conquertron's body with another swing of his hammer. One by one, they lodged into the Conquertron's melted joints, and pried out its limbs so that they barely hung on!</p><p>Vatra and Vaayu emerged from the dust and chaos next. Vatra burned away the Conquertron's left arm, and Vaayu used his winds to fuel the fire. Nemir leaped up beside them as he corroded the right arm's joint until it was so weak and rusted that a single punch from Jorden knocked it down to the ground. At the bottom, Dej froze over the leg joints as he stepped back with a proud grin.</p><p>Brawl and Eye jumped into the scene next. One leg laid smashed to bits by Brawl while another melted away under Eye's laser-hot glare.</p><p>With no limbs to support it, the Conquertron's body creaked down like a falling tree. A red flame burned from its melted body, all while a beeping or ticking like that of a bomb sounded! The noise quickly quelled as 'Enehana emerged and laid a hand on the Conquertron's side.</p><p>The red tint to its scarred, burned body faded as it fell over. A wooden hand punched through its back before it hit the ground, and yanked a glowing power core from its insides. It tossed the power core in the air as a string of blades skewered the core until it was nothing but metallic ribbons and torn wiring!</p><p>Tree Rex and Ninjini smiled as the Conquertron collapsed before them with a thud. The Conquertron and all its carnage disappeared with a snap of Ninjini's fingers. The land was still torn up from the battle, all fallen plant life and faint cracks in the earth, but it was at least a little nicer without all that ugly metallic gore.</p><p>"The village is safe," was the first thing Tree Rex said as the others crowded around him. "Sihiri and Inochi are tending to the wounded as we speak."</p><p>Tree Rex made his way back to the village, and the others followed suit. As they passed through a shimmering barrier, they all craned their heads around in a bit of shock and wonder. Despite the massive battle that once raged outside, the village itself was perfectly unscathed saved for the few remnants of the Conquertron's initial ambush!</p><p>Children scurried out from their hiding places and gasped in awe as the Elder Elements passed them by. Their parents joined in a kind of quiet reverence. Soft gossip and gasps of surprise wafted in the airs, but nobody from their team particularly cared to notice.</p><p>Instead, Tree Rex guided them all to a particularly large and round building, knelt down and peered inside.</p><p>"I'm telling you, you're too injured!" Sihiri protested as she and Inochi held back a particularly passionate young warrior covered in bandages in most places. "You can barely even stand, let alone walk! You're in no shape to fight!"</p><p>"But I have to!" the warrior protested. "If I don't, that, that thing—"</p><p>"Is no longer a threat to you," Tree Rex interrupted. All eyes inside turned to him and he smiled. "We made sure that the Conquertron won't touch your village again."</p><p>"So it's gone?" Inochi asked as she passed by with a bowl of poultice in her hands.</p><p>"I personally made sure it was no more than scrap metal."</p><p>The warrior in Sihiri's grip slunk down with a gasp, and Sihiri took that as her sign to take him back to his bed while Inochi moved away. With them gone, they unveiled an entire stretch of beds where injured soldiers laid and rested, most injured, but thankfully, they all seemed to be alive and breathing.</p><p>Tree Rex drew himself back from the makeshift hospital as the others left to clean up the wreckage, but he didn't stay lonely long. Sihiri and Inochi joined him outside, and not just them. The villagers all withdrew from their hiding spots and crowded around Tree Rex, some with worry and some with amazement.</p><p>"Is it true? Is that metal beast gone?" one young girl gasped.</p><p>"Indeed, little one," Tree Rex affirmed.</p><p>He sat down, and crossed his legs as he recounted the tale of the Conquertron's destruction. The children amid the crowd watched with sparkles in their eyes and awestruck smiles, while the adults clutched their hearts or held their heads in sheer wonder or bafflement at everything that just happened</p><p>It was a sight that he often saw in smaller places that never brushed against Arkeyan conquest before, and yet, the sheer shock never failed to amaze him. Tree Rex's tale ended to rousing applause and cheers, but he only smiled and nodded as he glanced back down at Sihiri.</p><p>Now, she was joined by a few folks a bit older than her with similar looks to her own. Family or friends, perhaps?</p><p>"So this whole time, you were protecting us from those Arkeyans?" one woman gasped. When Sihiri nodded to affirm this, the woman gasped and wrapped Sihiri in a tight hug. "Oh, Sihiri, you're so brave! To think, the girl I'd walked around the village would have grown up to be such a courageous leader."</p><p>"It seems the roles have reversed, little sister," chirped Sadiq as he laid a hand on Sihiri's shoulder, "for now you're the one protecting us."</p><p>And yet, none of their praise seemed to ease the worry in Sihiri's eyes.</p><p>"But, I never told you why I left," Sihiri trembled as tears pricked her eyes. "I, I abandoned you for so long…"</p><p>"You had an important reason for it, didn't you? You left to protect us."</p><p>Those words broke the dam. Sihiri broke from the woman's grip, and fell into the grasp of Sadiq next. All the while, she sobbed with all the vulnerability of a young girl who'd left her home far earlier than she would have liked.</p><p>"I, I'm so sorry!" she croaked. "I, I wish I could've stayed with you, I wish I could have stayed here, and been everything you wanted of me, but, but, it was too dangerous! If the Arkeyans knew there was a mage of my power here, they would've torn our whole village down just to take me! I, I wish I was never given this power, I wish I never had to leave you."</p><p>"Oh, Sihiri."</p><p>Sadiq welcomed her embrace, and cuddled her close as Sihiri's other friends joined in.</p><p>"You have nothing to apologize for."</p><p>A small gasp escaped Sihiri, and she peered up to find Sadiq, her friends, everyone from her home smiling back at her.</p><p>"It's because of you that we were able to live safe from the Arkeyans. You've done more for us than we could ever imagine!" said the woman who first embraced Sihiri.</p><p>Another woman popped up beside her and smiled. "Please, don't ever resent the gifts you were blessed with! It's because of them that you were able to do so much for us!"</p><p>"And, no matter how far away you are," Sadiq finished at last, "we will always hold you in our hearts. As long as we stand, your memory will always live with us."</p><p>The crowd came to embrace Sihiri, and their cheers and words of encouragement almost masked Sihiri's sobs of… Joy? Grief? Catharsis?</p><p>Whatever they were, Tree Rex nodded and turned away, as did the others.</p><p>Sihiri needed this moment to herself. This was something she'd waited ten thousand years for, after all.</p><p>The crowd dispersed soon enough, and Sihiri forced a wobbly smile as she wiped away her tears and leaned into Tree Rex's side. The crowd moved away from her, and then to the Elder Elementals, all with awe and gratitude in their eyes.</p><p>"And, to all of you, we cannot thank you enough for protecting us from that beast!" Sadiq exclaimed.</p><p>"Think nothing of it." Tree Rex replied with a nod. "We Elder Elementals vowed on our lives that we would protect Skylands from the Arkeyans' cruelty—"</p><p>"—and we did the same," Sihiri shakily, but solidly finished.</p><p>Mumbles of admiration burst from the crowd, but one wide-eyed child slipped out with a curious gaze.</p><p>"But, what are you gonna do when the Arkeyans are all gone?" the child asked with all the innocence and confidence of youth.</p><p>Tree Rex hung his head. The memories of the modern day, of everything they experienced since the day they returned to Skylands, flooded back to them all, and their faces started to crack as they turned away or bit their lips. Even after all this time, they still weren't sure of what they were going to do—if there was anything left for them to do. Everything they knew and cared about was long gone at this point, so what was left for them?</p><p>They all got lost in thought for a moment, yet perked up at the faint notion of a parent scolding the child with an embarrassed tone. That parent cleared their throat, and peered up at Tree Rex with only admiration in their deep brown eyes.</p><p>"Whatever that may be, as long as you're here to protect us, we will always feel safe, that's for sure!" that parent proclaimed.</p><p>"And whatever happens afterwards, we will always be here to welcome you. After all you've done for us, it's the least we can do!" affirmed another villager.</p><p>The crowds rose with cheers of agreement. For a moment, it seemed like there was knowing light in some of their eyes.</p><p>So, the Elder Elementals and free magicians alike just smiled and stood back to their full height.</p><p>Something seemed strange as they did. The sun grew bright, so bright that it bleached the village in its light until nothing was left, and grew so hot that they all shielded their eyes from the burning sensation.</p><p>They opened those eyes as the sensation faded, and no longer were they in this village. No, they were back in the Oracle's chambers!</p><p>The Oracle watched them with a knowing smile as he hovered before a panel. Below him, Flynn, Cali and the high priest gasped in awe, as if they didn't expect anyone to manifest from that trial.</p><p>"Welcome back," the Oracle said as he clutched his tentacles. "Do you have any questions about your trial?"</p><p>The Elder Elementals and free magicians shared weary, confused looks among themselves, but finally, it was Sihiri who stepped up to the plate.</p><p>"Was, was that all real?" Sihiri asked. "Was that really what our lives would have been like?"</p><p>"Not exactly." The Oracle solemnly nodded. "It was more so an estimated guess based on a mixture of your own pasts, logical conclusions drawn my analysis, or in some cases, a chance for you to make amends for regrets you cannot go back and fix." He turned to float back to his panel, but gave them one last, kind look. "Regardless, I hope it was able to bring you some closure."</p><p>Sihiri reluctantly nodded, as did the others, and the Oracle beamed.</p><p>"You have all provided me with some very impressive data, but the trials have not yet ended." The Oracle motioned for them to join him at the panel, and turned his eye to the screens. "The rest of your allies should start their trials soon."</p><p>So, the group crowded around the panel, where they witnessed two screens: one of the Skylanders, and one of Chihiro. Both parties laid unconscious as the light enveloped them, and the simulation began.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 18: The Oracle Part 1 (Part 2)<p>A soft clunk came from the airship's hull as it docked near the islandside, and with another louder one, its gangplank clattered as it hit the ground. All sorts of beings—humans, elves, trolls, and more that Luz couldn't quite put a name to—poured out from the docks, talked amid themselves, or hurried to their destination, but they were all so tightly packed that their hurried movements jostled Luz around like a leaf caught within a tornado!</p><p>He shouted out as a green arm jabbed into his cheek, and again as someone's hand hit his face. "Hey, watch it!" Luz shouted as the being rushed off ahead.</p><p>"Sorry!"</p><p>Luz barely heard their apology as they disappeared within the masses of parting crowds before him. Soon, the crowds spread out and grew fainter and fainter to the eye. Luz sighed and made his way down the gangplank as his eyes scanned the area around. There was no denying that he was back home; the masses of tall buildings made of stone both raw and paved, and the shopkeeps who peddled wares while others walked along and talked confirmed this. So, his next order of business was finding his place, and then, finding Fintster.</p><p>"Now, if I recall correctly," Luz mumbled as his feet hit cobblestone and he stumbled on forward. "Our house should be right…"</p><p>"Luz! You're home!"</p><p>Luz gasped a little as a weight, not one large enough to disturb him, but big enough to be noticed, clung to his chest. He looked down, and his undead heart almost stopped for a second at the sight. Luz gasped, just barely bit back tears as he fell to his knees, and swept the child into a tight hug.</p><p>Those big brown eyes, that round nose and warm brown skin, dressed in those baby blue and mint green robes, that had to be…</p><p>"Pepi!" Luz croaked out as he held his little brother the tightest he could. His tears started to fall, but he quickly wiped them away and hugged him even tighter. "You're, you're here!"</p><p>"'Course I am!" Pepi chirped as he hugged Luz back. "I've been waiting for you to come home allllllll day now!" Pepi stretched his arms to skies, just to really twist the knife in Luz's heart, but he chuckled and hugged him again. "Let me tell you, it was really, really, <em>really </em>hard! It was so boring! Fintster's been super busy while you were gone, an—"</p><p>"Pepi, slow down!" called another voice from behind that was strained with exhaustion. "Don't, don't run so fast, I, I can't keep up!"</p><p>"Fintster, get up! Luz's back!" shouted Pepi as he turned behind.</p><p>"Wait, Luz is back?"</p><p>When Luz turned away and followed Pepi's gaze, there in the heart of the passing crowds stood three beings. There stood Gerdie in her favorite dress, her golden brown hair still rife with flyaways she could never get to stay down, and her blue eyes so wide that they stood like jewels against the sky. There stood Eurybiades, who dressed in that same mud-stained cloak they loved so much, their big gold eyes wide with wonder, and streaks of their green hair stuck up like fresh grass. Behind them, there stood Fintster. He was bundled so thick that he could barely stand or be seen, but his dark bangs still cascaded over his face the way they usually did, and his nose poked over the scarf he wore as he carried a bunch of sacks in his arms.</p><p>"Luz, there you are!" Fintster shouted as he ran over with his sacks precariously balanced in his grip. "I was wondering why you'd been gone for so long! Where'd you go?" Fintster shook his head before Luz could answer. "Actually, we can save that for when we get home! It's Wardiya's birthday today, so we've been busy getting everything together! Come on, you can help!"</p><p>A pair of sacks found their way into his arms before Luz even knew it, and Fintster already walked off! But wait, his hair! Luz had to narrow his eyes to see it, but it kind of looked like it flickered in and out like a light switch! Had Fintster break the illusion too, or did he still grapple with everything?</p><p>"Hey, Fintster! You do know what's going on, right?" Luz shouted as he ran up beside Fintster and heaved the sacks up.</p><p>"Of course! What's more important than our baby sister's birthday?" Fintster replied with not even a turn away from where he stood at a fruit stand. "Now, let's see, what's the best fruit here for sweet cakes? Starberries are a bit tart, but they've got a really nice aroma when they're baked…"</p><p>"Not that, Fintster! The test!" Luz pushed himself closer to Fintster, and jostled whatever was in these sacks he was suddenly saddled with in the process. "Remember, we met the Oracle, he set us up to this test, and—"</p><p>"Hey Luz! Where'd you go, huh, huh?" Pepi asked as he tugged at the back of Luz's tunic. "Did you go somewhere near, or far? What were the people like? Were they people?"</p><p>Luz grimaced, turned back to Pepi and knelt down. "I'll tell you in a little bit, Pepi, but I need to talk to Fintster about something really important right now, so—"</p><p>The sound of coins clinking against wood caught Luz's ears. He looked up right as Fintster grabbed another sack filled with what Luz could only assume was fruit from a stallkeeper.</p><p>"Keep the change, alright?" Fintster said as he hoisted up the sack. The shopkeep nodded, and Fintster nodded in turn before he handed it off to Gerdie. "Gerdie, you're the most careful of us all, so you hold onto these, alright? Be super careful! These berries are really delicate, and if they hit the floor, they'll splatter!"</p><p>"Got it!" Gerdie chirped as she cradled the sack.</p><p>Luz's face fell, and for a moment, he understood why Vatra and Sihiri were so hesitant to leave. He hadn't cared much for the place he could barely call his childhood home, but the sight of his little sister smiling like that, his baby sibs crowd around Fintster as they clamored about where they would go next, or just how he stood on the streets he'd traveled so many times on errand runs, did deliveries with Fintster, and took his siblings out to play…</p><p>He never realized how homesick he was until he saw the streets he knew like the back of his hand, until he saw the family he hadn't seen in a literal eternity. By the Ancients, it left his heart in an ache. A part of him just wanted so badly to forget everything and run around with his siblings just like he used to.</p><p>"Hey, Luz, you look really weird right now!" Pepi shouted. "You're all flickery and buzzy and stuff!"</p><p>Huh? Luz peered down at himself, and gasped as his hand slowly solidified and his attire shifted, but not to the same robes he wore at his old village, no. Instead, it was the same clothes he wore when he lived with Gramps, that favorite tunic of his and the pants that were just loose and comfy enough to fit. They shifted between that and his robes and armor like a flickering light—in one minute and out the next—while his body glowed and faded like it wasn't sure if it wanted to manifest or not.</p><p>He gasped in a sort of trance as it flickered, but clenched his teeth as he found that Gerdie, Pepi, and Eurybiades watched him with wide, almost terrified eyes. They look about ready to scream, but then…</p><p>"Hey, you three!" Fintster shouted as he pushed them away. "I think there's a honey candy stand over there! Why don't you go pick some up?"</p><p>"Candy, yay!" Eurybiades and Pepi cheered as they ran away.</p><p>"Hey, wait up, you two!" Gerdie shouted. She clutched the sack Fintster gave her close to her chest as she ran. "Don't go too far! You might get lost!"</p><p>With them off in the distance, Fintster nudged his head like he wanted to tell Luz something. Luz placed the sacks down as Fintster did the same. Fintster grabbed hold of Luz's hand as he dragged them into an alleyway, one well-lit just enough to show no danger lurking in its corridors, but dark enough to hide them! The touch of Fintster's hand snapped Luz's body back into its senses, and it returned to its ghostly state once more.</p><p>It happened fast enough that Luz only barely took sight of his surroundings. All he could do was lean down against the walls as he glanced up at Fintster. In this darkness, it seemed like underneath the masses of clothing, Fintster was almost… Sparkling?</p><p>"Careful there, Luz, you almost forgot yourself for a moment," Fintster chuckled.</p><p>Luz slowly blinked. He still couldn't comprehend just what Fintster alluded too, but quickly shook his head as the realization set in.</p><p>"So, you know the truth, don't you?"</p><p>Fintster's hands trembled as he slipped off his gloves, reached for his coat, and unbuttoned it one button by one. The gloves slipped right as the coat itself slipped open, and sure enough, Fintster was little more than a spirit dressed in the same outfit he wore on the day of his death. His body radiated with deep blue sparkles like night stars.</p><p>"Of course I knew! I figured it out the moment I woke up in my old bedroom!" Fintster sighed and fidgeted with his collar. "I, I know this is all fake and stuff, but, I, I just wanna be with Gramps and the others, just one more time. We can break out and find the others quickly enough, I'm sure, but once this is over, I'll never get to see them again!" Fintster chuckled. "So, I guess I'm just savoring it while it lasts."</p><p>So that's why he was dressed up; he probably didn't want anybody to notice the truth! Luz frowned and peered down at his own body as Fintster buttoned up his coat. Luz's light slowly flickered as it cycled between his clothes once more.</p><p>He knew he had his duties, and he knew he'd probably be a huge hypocrite after getting on the others' cases about it, but Ancients, Fintster was right. He did want to see his family one more time! He wanted to play with his kid siblings, hear Gramps' stories, and run around the town just one more time! Luz bit his lip just slightly, not sure how else to respond, but finally, he slowly, reluctantly nodded.</p><p>Yet, neither of them went back out just yet. They both stood in silence. Their bodies flickered in and out of existence while their attire shifted like the changing seasons.</p><p>"Fintster, Luz, there you are!" Gerdie cried as the sound of footsteps drew closer.</p><p>Fintster and Luz both jolted up from the sudden noise, and their bodies returned to their normal, ghostly states right as Gerdie ran into the alleyway! Her hair stood up even more than normal as she still precariously clutched the sack Fintster gave her. Though now, her grip on it slipped some and she had to adjust it before all the fruit spilled out. Her eyes were wide, her face was pale as a sheet, and she panted while sweat crawled down her forehead the whole time! Just what happened?</p><p>"It's Eury! They ran off!"</p><p>"Eurybiades ran off?" Fintster and Luz both shouted in turn before they exchanged panicked glances. Eury was barely even six! They couldn't even put on their own clothes yet! If they wandered off and got lost…</p><p>Gerdie whimpered and stepped back, but quickly wiped away her tears as Fintster knelt down in front of her.</p><p>"Where did they go?" Fintster asked.</p><p>Gerdie winced and shook her head. "I don't know!" Gerdie's voice started to crack, and her lips trembled as she lowered her head. "I, I just turned away for one minute, and when I turned around, they were gone!" A few choked sobs came from Gerdie, and tears dripped down from her face to the sack. "I, I'm sorry, I, I know I should've been watching them, but—"</p><p>"It's alright, Gerdie, it's alright," Luz said as he wiped away her tears. "They probably couldn't have gone far, come on! If we start now, we'll find them!"</p><p>Gerdie nodded between her tears, but still couldn't bring herself to lift her head as she, Luz, and Fintster ran out of the alleyway. Instead, she clutched the sack closer to her face.</p><p>Just the sight of her in tears wrenched Luz's heart. The sight of his little sister upset like this was bad enough, but after their sibling went missing, after he hadn't seen them for ages…</p><p>"Luz, Fintster!" Pepi cried as he ran up to them, "Eury's—"</p><p>"We know," Fintster said as he grabbed Gerdie by the shoulder. "Gerdie and I will check downtown by the docks. Luz, you take Pepi and head over to where the forest is!"</p><p>"Right!" Luz shouted back. He grabbed Pepi by the hand, and ran off west in one swift motion. "We'll meet back here when we find them!"</p><p>Pepi and Luz bolted down the streets, and their sights blurred around even as the others around turned to watch. Luz wasn't concerned about the looks they gave him, or what the path ahead entailed. No, his body moved on its own, and his legs pumped the fastest they could as he and Pepi shouted at the top of their lungs, shouted for only one name.</p><p>"Eury! Eurybiades!" Luz cried as he looked around. "Eury, where are you?"</p><p>"Eury! Eury!" Pepi cried beside him. "Eury, it's your big brothers! You can come out now!"</p><p>A sudden wave of exhaustion came over Luz, and he slowed to a stop as he slouched over. Only his head lifted up as he scanned the area for some trace of Eurybiades. They weren't amid the shopkeeps, or hidden behind the alleyways' assorted garbage. They weren't even playing with some of the other town kids as they ran down the streets! Then again, he could hardly make heads or tails of anything, much less any sights of his own little sibling!</p><p>A firm hand patted Luz's shoulder as Luz pulled himself up. He spotted a big, burly man dressed in red stained clothes, and his heart almost stopped. When he caught sight of the man's twitching black mustache, though, Luz breathed a sigh. It was just the vegetable vendor, and his clothes were likely stained from preparing tomatoes. Luz could never forget the curious face of that man who always supplied them with fresh legumes in exchange for the apples and other fruits they grew.</p><p>"Luz, fancy seeing you in town again!" he boomed. His voice was deep, but warm enough that it relaxed some of the tension in Luz's head. "You've been gone for an awfully long time, you know, we—"</p><p>"Sorry, Mister Faivish, I can't talk now!" Luz shouted back before he cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "Eurybiades ran off, and we can't find them anywhere, and, and—"</p><p>"Wait, little Eury ran off?" Mister Faivish raised a brow and brushed his fingers underneath his bushy mustache. "That would explain why I thought I saw a kid who looked like them running into the woods. Thought I was just seeing things after chopping too many mushrooms!"</p><p>"Wait, did you say they ran into the woods?"</p><p>Luz clenched his teeth so tight they almost snapped, and his eyes barely focused on the thick collection of trees and bushes that made up the mouth to the woods.</p><p>"The big scary woods?" Pepi cried out. "The ones we're never supposed to go to because there's big scary monsters, and mean beings, and stuff in there?" Pepi dashed ahead with Luz's hand still in his grip, and when Luz didn't move, he grunted and tugged away. "Come on Luz, we've gotta go and find them! Or else they'll get eaten by a monster, or snatched by a kidnapper, or maybe an Arkeyan will find them and—"</p><p>"Arkeyans?" Mister Faivish chuckled. He stopped his sentence as Luz glanced at him, and his smile faded in a way that his mustache drooped over his mouth and near-completely covered it. "Now I wouldn't worry about them, little one. We're so far away that they wouldn't even dare to dream of coming here!"</p><p>"Thank you, Mister Faivish," was all Luz said before he ran off with Pepi still clutched close behind.</p><p>Even though he was a ghost now, Luz could've sworn he heard his heart pounding in his ears as he ran. Little Eury, who couldn't even put on their clothes right, always got lost in the fields, and still had to have a lantern lit while they slept because they always said there were monsters under their bed, in a forest like that? The forest known for being filled with wild animals and other beasts? The ones that the over-eager types always prowled around and looked for suckers to capture for Ancients-knew-what? A forest where Arkeyan soldiers could prowl around, easily jump out and cleave someone's head open?</p><p>Even if that wasn't an issue, that forest was so big and things were so dark! It could be ages before he found them—well, unless he lightsteppped. That would give him plenty of speed, but Pepi might not be able to handle it, and he didn't want Pepi getting lost either.</p><p>"Luz?" Pepi called as something tugged on Luz's sleeve. Pepi frowned and tilted his head as Luz glanced down. "What's wrong?"</p><p>Luz frowned back. "Well, there's a way we could go through the forest faster, but, we'll be going really, really, fast. I'm not sure you could handle it—"</p><p>"I can, I can!" Pepi tugged again on Luz's sleeve and shoved his face into Luz's. "We've gotta go really fast if we have to find Eury, right? I'll take it! Even if it makes me really, really sick!"</p><p>Luz chuckled and lifted up Pepi. "Hold on tight, alright?"</p><p>Pepi nodded in turn, and clung the tightest he could to Luz as Luz himself breathed in. The light flooded in Luz's veins once again, and his blood shrieked and boiled within his ghostly body while it beamed out in a bright, yellow shine. Pepi gasped in awe, but Luz barely even heard him as he drew forward and sprung across the forest floor. His body became a lamp that glistened in the dark of the forest's night as he flew ahead!</p><p>Luz didn't lift his head up from the ground, even though Pepi shrieked with glee (hopefully it was glee) beside him. Instead, with the light his body gave off, he scanned the wet, slightly muddy ground for tracks, scraps of cloth… Anything that showed where they went. Still, there was nothing on the ground aside of muddy puddles and leaves, so Luz sprinted again, and bounced from one path to the other until his eyes laid on a trail of tiny, most definitely <em>human </em>footprints!</p><p>"A trail!" Luz shouted as he landed on the ground and drove to a sharp stop. "Looks likes a fresh one too. That's gotta be Eury!"</p><p>Beside him, Pepi burst into laughter and tugged on the collar of Luz's tunic. "Let's do that again!"</p><p>"Not now, Pepi, we've gotta find Eury first." Luz gently let down Pepi and walked off, yet clasped his hand tight around Pepi's as he left. "Follow me."</p><p>Pepi nodded, and the two of them walked ahead with the soft padding of their footsteps the only sound. Thin trails of light poured over the ground as Luz followed the footsteps, and they brushed his face with streaks of warmth in the otherwise-cold forest. The sounds of wind whistling grew louder as the light grew wider with every step he took.</p><p>Soon, the light glowed its brightest, and the tracks disappeared underneath as soft grass stretched over and cushioned Luz's step! The breeze carried a slightly floral air to it, and on their winds, they carried the sound of a small child's laughter, a familiar one!</p><p>Luz yanked his head up and expected a scene straight out of his nightmares, but what he found was Eurybiades as they sat in the heart of a soft meadow, and laughed as they picked the flowers from the ground. Their clothes were streaked with a bit more mud than normal, and a few leaves poked from their hair, but thank the Ancients, they were alright! They clutched the flowers they collected close, and when they turned around and saw Luz, their smile grew even wider.</p><p>"Luz!" Eurybiades called as they ran the fastest they could, enough that they stumbled over their own feet. As they grew closer, they beamed and thrust their bouquet up to Luz. "Luz, Luz, look what I found—"</p><p>"Eury, you're not supposed to run off like that!" Luz scolded.</p><p>Eurybiades stopped short as Luz swept them in his arms. The moment their face met Luz's, they whimpered and hid away in the bouquet they picked. Looks like they knew they were in trouble.</p><p>"Do you have any idea how worried we were? Gerdie and Fintster are running all town looking for you! What if you got hurt and we didn't know? You—"</p><p>A small sniffle came from Eurybiades, just loud enough that it stilled Luz's scolding, and Eurybiades hid their face behind the flowers. "I, I'm sorry, Luz," Eurybiades whimpered. "I, I just thought Diya'd like some nice flowers cause she liked the ones in the flower man's shop, and Gramps said the forest had some really pretty flowers, so…"</p><p>Luz pursed his lips, smiled, and let Eurybiades down. "Alright, if it's for Diya, it's fine. Just tell us before you go off to get them on your own next time, right?"</p><p>Luz gently nudged his hand towards Eurybiades's face, wiped away their tears, and Eurybiades chuckled as they beamed up back at Luz with a gentle smile. Luz nearly cried at the sight. It had been a long time since he saw his kid sibling smile at him like that, and he was almost completely unprepared. Yet, he merely cleared his throat, took both Pepi and Eurybiades by the hands, turned down the trail and left.</p><p>Luckily, his lightstepping left behind faint trails of light that were just strong enough to act as markers. After a few twists and turns, he found himself at the mouth of the forest once more, at the very edge of the line where the town ended and the wilderness began. The crowds within town mostly parted at this point. The only ones who remained were a few spare vendors who tried to get some last-minute patrons in or packed it up for the day… Alongside Fintster and Gerdie, who still ran about town and called for Eury with voices strained!</p><p>"We found them!" Pepi shouted as he jumped up and waved.</p><p>Fintster and Gerdie both froze in their steps. Only their heads moved to meet where Luz stood with both Eurybiades and Pepi in hand. When they finally caught sight, however, both of them heaved heavy sighs.</p><p>"Thank goodness," Fintster panted with breath strained from shouting and calling so much. He strode up to Luz, but it was Eurybiades he knelt down towards, and he hummed as he examined Eurybiades's bouquet between the strands of his thick bangs. "Y'know, I bet Diya will love these flowers!"</p><p>"I know! That's why I picked 'em!" Eurybiades chirped back before their face fell and they glanced aside. "And, I'm sorry for running off and scaring you…"</p><p>"It's alright, Eury, what matters is that you're okay." Fintster chuckled as he ruffled Eurybiades's hair, stood up, and stretched. "Anyways, let's get home before it gets too dark. We've got a party to plan and all!"</p><p>Fintster's suggestion met with a rousing group of cheers, and once more they all strode down the path home. The sun began to set as they made their way back home. Their shadows stretched along the cobblestone paths as they walked and bobbed like bubbles in churning waves as they passed by stalls and cottages and more. They only made a brief stop to recollect their groceries, groceries they kept gripped like the wind would blow them away if they slipped even a tiny bit.</p><p>Thankfully, they didn't, even as they all reached the other side of the town's outskirts where things grew a little breezier and a little chillier.</p><p>The dim candlelight from the windows formed a path ahead, yet Fintster didn't lead them inside. Rather, he motioned for them to stay quiet, and crept around the back, past the gardens and orchards, and into the house itself! The warm smell of fresh-baked bread was the first thing to greet them when Fintster opened the door, and then, and then, what greeted them next was their grandfather, his skin wrinkled with age but his eyes spry and lively.</p><p>"There you all are!" Gramps whispered before shuffling off to Fintster. "Did you get everything we need?"</p><p>Luz bit back tears at the sight. The last time Luz saw Gramps, it was when he was still in recovery, and barely able to even speak to them as they headed off to fight in the war. Just the sight of him again in good health, with that same warm smile Luz remembered… The most Luz could do was force a smile and nod, even though he wanted so badly to bury himself in his grandfather's arms again.</p><p>"Sure did, Gramps!" Fintster said as he placed his groceries on the countertop. "The rest of you, keep Diya busy. Luz and I will take care of the cooking!"</p><p>"But, I wanted to—" Pepi started, but Gerdie simply shushed him and ushered him out of the kitchen.</p><p>Eurybiades toddled behind them, and their grandfather was quick to follow, though not before he shot one last glance and wink at Luz and Fintster. Now, it was just Luz and Fintster alone in this warm, warm kitchen that was perfectly prepped for baking. They had all the ingredients, and they knew their sister waited on them, but the emptiness put a little bit of hesitance.</p><p>"So, what were we making?" Luz asked.</p><p>"Sweetcakes and berries topped with honey and sugar," Fintster replied. He turned to a sack with an almost cold motion and peered through its contents. "We'll start with the cakes first, since those'll take longer."</p><p>So, Fintster stoked the fire within their clay oven and the baking began. They carefully prepared the cake batter, sprinkled their fruit and spices into the flour, and dampened it with olive oil before they rolled it into balls with a kind of monotony. Luz got a bit lost in thought as he baked, for his eyes drifted back to the open door while the sounds of his siblings' laughter rang through and lingered there as he kneaded. Soon, he couldn't even feel the soft texture of the dough underneath his hands. It was only the hard clay and wood of the countertops…</p><p>"Luz, the cake! You're kneading it too much!" Fintster cried.</p><p>Luz gasped, and he glanced back down at the kneaded dough underneath his hands. He poked it a little, but it didn't bend or flex with his single poke. No, it was tight, tough, and barely budged like a rock.</p><p>"Crap, you're right!" Luz spat.</p><p>"Don't worry about it. We'll just leave it be for now." Fintster grabbed another ball of dough and dropped it in Luz's palms. "Take this one instead."</p><p>Luz nodded and kneaded away once more, but this time it was Fintster he glanced at as he worked away. Though Fintster's eyes hid, a sense of uneasiness came from him, the same uneasiness that ruminated in Luz's heart as he worked away. Did Fintster feel the same way Luz did, perhaps? Well, it didn't hurt to ask.</p><p>"This doesn't feel right to you either, does it?" Luz asked at last.</p><p>Fintster stopped in his tracks when he heard that single question. His dough-stained hands lifted from the cake he kneaded for a moment, and his lips pursed in an almost contemplative matter. But, he sighed and went back to kneading as he nodded.</p><p>"I mean, I'm glad to see everyone and be home again, but" — Fintster bit his lip — "it's just, <em>wrong</em>. Seeing them again when I know really, they're all long gone by now, I mean. It's just, it's like I'm just standing with a bunch of people dressed up like them."</p><p>Luz nodded, and put away a kneaded ball of dough before he grabbed another. Fintster explained it better than Luz every could; it was like there were a bunch of actors hired to pretend to be his Gramps and his sibs, and he was pushed on stage and forced to play along with the act. It all felt so real, and he wanted to believe he was truly back home, truly with his family with not a worry or care to be had, but nothing about it felt truly right. There was just the one little feeling of it being off, that nagging feeling in the back of his mind that reminded him that everyone he knew and loved was dead, save for Fintster as he stood beside Luz now.</p><p>"Say, what do you think happened to everyone?" Luz asked as he diverted his eyes to the cakes.</p><p>Fintster's shoulders slumped. "Well, I'm not sure I can say. I hadn't heard a word from home after we left, but I hope everyone got to at least lead happy and healthy lives while we were gone." Fintster stopped for a moment and drew back his hands. "I know I'm probably wrong, but I want to believe they were at least all happy, and got to do everything they wanted, and that all that fighting we did amounted to something for them."</p><p>Luz slightly nodded as he lost himself in thought once more. What did become of his siblings? Did they get married and have families of their own? Did they do the things they always dreamed of, whatever those might be? Would they have even recognized Luz and Fintster if they did manage to come back? Which, actually, brought Luz to another thing…</p><p>"Hey, Fintster. When we finish all this, what are we gonna do?"</p><p>It was an odd question, admittedly. After all, Luz fought so long that he almost couldn't even envision a world where Arkeyans didn't rule, and they weren't constantly fighting by the skins of their teeth.</p><p>Clearly, Fintster felt the same as he himself drew away from the dough.</p><p>"Well, if we had survived the battle back then, I would've said we'd go back home to Gramps, and help out at the orchard again, obviously."</p><p>"But, it's gone now."</p><p>They both sighed and glanced down at the cakes they prepared. That's right, what <em>were</em> they going to do when all this was over? Would they pass on like the vengeful ghosts of legends and exorcisms who finally got their last wishes and needs perfected? Would they wander Skylands, stranded in a time and place like travelers trapped in a foreign land? Would they arrive home to a place that hadn't even been their home in years? Luz didn't know, and just the thought of it left his head spinning. All this stuff about futures and stuff was so complicated, even more so when he was supposed to be dead!</p><p>"Then, I guess I don't know," Fintster sighed.</p><p>Luz only nodded in quiet agreement as he peeled himself away from the countertops and towards the door. He just barely heard the sounds of fire crackling and the cakes shoved into the oven behind him, but he didn't care. He just stepped towards the rim of the door and clasped around. He just wanted one peek, one tiny look at his family, even if he knew it would break him in half.</p><p>"Y'know, I was so sure I was gonna get out and fight the Arkeyans again when I first woke up, and I was so sure I'd get out of here in a jiffy, too," Luz admitted, and his fingers squeezed the door frame as he peered out. "But…"</p><p>Those sounds of laughter and Gramps' storytelling rang in the air as Luz peered around to where his siblings laughed and played in the family room. Gramps sat in his chair as the younger kids chased each other around while Gerdie scolded them, and a few of the older ones laughed as they worked on what were probably Wardiya's birthday presents. They smiled so wide, laughed so hard, and even if it was fake, just the sight tore at Luz's heart because it so far out of reach.</p><p>"It, it, it just isn't fair!" Luz wailed. His face strained as he turned around and buried himself in Fintster's grip. Hot tears poured down his chest as he pushed himself closer into the cold fabric of Fintster's tunic, and he squeezed Fintster even tighter. "I just wanted to come home and see Gramps again, I wanted to see the others again, I wanted to be by their sides when they all grew up, I wanted to pick the apples again, and celebrate the harvest with everyone, but, but…"</p><p>Luz's form flickered and glowed a bit brighter. Heck, it almost became solid before Fintster brushed a hand against his face. Something cold and wet hit Luz's arm—a tear, maybe? He lifted his head and found that small, thin streams of tears ran down Fintster's face.</p><p>Luz gasped, but quickly pursed his lips. There were only three times prior in Luz's life that he saw Fintster cry. The first was when they were kids, when Fintster fell out of a tree and fractured his arm, and though he tried his hardest to pretend he was okay, he broke down in sobs by the time the medic came in; the second was when Gramps got injured, and they decided to leave to train with the free magicians; and the third was the night that they died fighting Arkilles. Every time Luz saw it, it just left him stunned into silence.</p><p>"I know," Fintster croaked as he knelt down and cuddled Luz closer. "I promise, I know."</p><p>Luz wiped away Fintster's tears and they hugged each other tight, for their own tears and choked, stifled sobs buried underneath the sound of burning fire as it crackled and popped. Wait, fire! The cakes! They quickly broke away as if of one mind, and Fintster rushed towards the oven as he hastily yanked out the cakes and left them atop the cooktop. Thankfully, the cakes themselves were perfectly fine, save for the cake Luz over-kneaded which seemed to have a hard, crusty top. They'd be perfect to eat with a little bit of time to cool!</p><p>Fintster waved his hand, and a cloud of darkness engulfed the cakes before it vanished as quickly as it came. He poked one of the smaller cakes, turned to Luz, and beamed as he motioned for Luz to bring the toppings in. So, Luz brought out some jars of honey and what remained of the fruit they bought. They doused the cakes in honey, and carefully arranged slices of fruit and tart berries along their tops until Gramps' famous sweetcakes were made!</p><p>"How about we just enjoy this last night with them?" Fintster said as he levitated the cakes onto a large clay plate, lifted up the plate, and turned around. "Just for tonight?"</p><p>Luz nodded as he followed Fintster out of the kitchen and into the family room. Even though Fintster hadn't called out yet, the sweet scent of honey and berries caught everyone's noses, and subsequently, their attention as they grinned.</p><p>"Cake's done!" Eurybiades cheered as they stumbled for Fintster. "I want one, I want one!"</p><p>"You'll get yours soon enough, Eury," Gramps chuckled as he stopped Eurybiades before they could topple Fintster over. "Come now, everyone! Take your seats at the table!"</p><p>Everyone laughed as they ran off and took their seats at the table, yet their talk was still loud and joyous as before. Just the sound of it, and just the moment where he sat at the table with them and had dinner together just like old times, it tore at Luz's heart, but he tried his best to quell his tears and sit still. But, as Gramps left, and came back moments later while the familiar creak of Wardiya's wheeled chair echoed down the halls, Luz bit his lip just to keep from crying.</p><p>Out from the hall's shadows came Wardiya as she sat in her chair, but it was so long that Luz almost couldn't recognize her. Her warm brown skin shone in the overhead light, and her long, deep brown hair had flowers braided into it. A flower crown made of the same flowers Eury picked rested atop her head. She wore her favorite dress, the yellow one printed with colorful zig-zags of dark blue like mountains that stood tall in front of a sunrise, and a soft, pleasant smile rested underneath the long bridge of her nose.</p><p>"Happy birthday, Diya!" all of Luz and Fintster's siblings cried at once as they rushed to shower her in hugs and well wishes and all sorts of presents: fancy dolls and new clothes, sewing kits and soft plush toys…</p><p>The whole thing happened so fast that Luz barely even comprehended it. He stood silent at the table as Wardiya thanked everyone for her presents, and ate the sweetcakes and other birthday snacks Fintster and the others gathered with glee.</p><p>Warm bubbles of conversation echoed around as the rest of his siblings talked all about the presents they got Wardiya, or asked for seconds, yet something about it felt just a tiny bit off. Maybe it was the blithe, almost glassy looks in their eyes, or the way they smiled just a little too widely, but whenever Luz saw them, all he remembered was that this was all…</p><p>It was all fake.</p><p>These weren't really his family members who sat at the table before him, and he wasn't really in his house! This was all an illusion, and just being here left him in a cold, clammy sweat with trembling hands, swelling throat, and all. All of a sudden, he itched to run outside, to break free, and get out like there was some sort of danger! Sweat fell across his face as his throat seized up, and he turned away—</p><p>"So Luz, how was your trip?" Wardiya asked, her voice soft and sweet as always. "You sure look like you've changed a lot! In fact, I've never seen an outfit like that anywhere!"</p><p>With those two questions asked, all eyes fell on Luz. His siblings flung forward, and bombarded him with all sorts of questions about his looks, his travels, and everything else they could manage! Their beady eyes bore into his soul as they crowded around him; they trapped him tight so he couldn't leave—but he couldn't tell them to stop, either. He locked up just from how he had them all circled around him, and his throat tightened so badly that he could barely squeeze out the tight breaths he did! His head throbbed as they grew closer and closer, his vision blurred…</p><p>"Hey, everyone, calm down!" Fintster scolded as he pulled one of their youngest sisters away from the mob. "Luz just got back from his trip, remember? He's really tired right now, and slamming him with all these questions isn't helping!" Fintster pulled a few more of the younger ones from the pile and held them under his arms. "Besides, isn't it about time for bed?"</p><p>The younger kids all moaned and griped as they crowded away from Luz, but Finster only tsked.</p><p>"No buts!" Fintster proclaimed over the sea of protests. "I'm sure Gramps has a big day planned for everyone, and you need to get your sleep!"</p><p>Wardiya yawned, rubbed her eyes, and her head struggled to stay up. It wasn't until Gramps chuckled and laid a hand on her shoulder that she lifted her head at last, and laughed faintly along with him.</p><p>"It seems even the birthday girl had her fill of birthday fun," Gramps chuckled. "Wardiya, would you like me to take you to bed?"</p><p>"I'll be fine, Gramps, I can wheel myself back," Wardiya whispered back. "Besides, you've gotta get that extra-special bedtime story you promised us ready!"</p><p>"Did I say that?" Gramps asked as he scratched his head. Gramps smiled as the kids erupted into a crowd of eager cheers and shouts. "It seems I did! Come along, everyone, I'm sure you're all excited to hear tonight's story! It's all about your great-grandfather's most famous battle during the war against the Malevolent One…"</p><p>Gramps didn't even get to finish. The kids already flooded past him; some of the older ones took pause for moments to clean the table of utensils and dishes, and put them aside before they flooded out to their bedrooms.</p><p>Luz was a little glad they weren't suffocating him anymore, but a part of him ached as they disappeared under the darker halls that led back to their bedchambers. It was as if they weren't coming back. Luz gulped and glanced over at Fintster, who had Eurybiades and Pepi clung tight to his tunic as they tried to drag him into the bedchambers.</p><p>"C'mon, Fintster, you're gonna help Gramps tell the story too, right?" Pepi asked.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah! You always make it way better!" Eurybiades chimed in. "Like when he was telling us about the dragon, and you were all, all…"</p><p>Eurybiades made a mocking imitation of a dragon's roar, and Fintster himself laughed—though, it didn't sound very happy for a laugh. He almost looked as if he was going to say yes, but then he took one look at Luz, and shook his head before he drew away.</p><p>"Sorry, everyone, but Luz and I have to go," Fintster said. "We've got some important business out-of-town for a while, and we need to leave right now!"</p><p>The kids stopped in their tracks, and turned their attention to Fintster and Luz with cold, somber eyes. A few of them sniffled, but most just stared in a bit of tired disbelief.</p><p>"But, but, Luz, you just got back!" Pepi pleaded, and his lower lip wobbled as he tugged on Fintster's tunic once more. "And you have to go too, Fintster?"</p><p>Eurybiades sniffled. For a moment, it looked like they would burst into tears.</p><p>Luckily, Gramps swept them in his arms and patted their back. "Now, now, everyone, we all know Luz and Fintster are doing their part to help too," Gramps chided. "I'm not as spry as I used to be, and they've been helping us a lot by taking care of the out-of-town business for us. Besides, they won't be gone forever, right?"</p><p>Luz and Fintster forced smiles and nodded. Just like when they left home to join the free magicians, they knew it was a lie to say they'd be back—but, they couldn't tell the truth either, not when this would probably be the last time they saw their family. So, they just stood with those fake smiles plastered on their faces as Eurybiades nodded and clung to Gramps' cloak.</p><p>"Now everyone, be sure to tell them goodbye before you go to bed!"</p><p>A chorus of goodbyes rang out from Luz and Fintster's siblings, but Luz and Fintster couldn't even reply. They just forced their smiles, nodded and waved as they made their way to the back door, and opened it once more. They stepped forward as the cool night air hit their faces, and let the back door fall behind them to muffle the sickening sound of their siblings' voices with its closure.</p><p>The world around them slept with the night. The town streets ahead laid void of passerby save for the odd drunk, and the flicker of candlelight in windows was the only thing that illuminated the dark paths before them. The faint whistles of wind were the only sounds, and the winds themselves carried cool, crisp scents on the breezes as they sang in a way that seemingly urged Luz and Fintster to move, but, they couldn't.</p><p>Here they were, back at their home for what would probably be the last time! Luz knew he had to leave, but a part of him just wanted to go back home and curl up in bed. He wanted to joke and tease his siblings as they all listened to his Gramps' stories with bated breath! He wanted to wake up to the scent of berries over the wind, and the light of a new day with his family, instead of waking up to fight Arkeyans yet again! He took a glimpse at the door, and a lump formed in his throat, a lump so big that he had to turn around and close his eyes just so it would go away.</p><p>Just as he did, the door opened. The creaking sound brought Luz and Fintster's attention back to the door, which closed itself behind Gramps as he stepped out with a wry look in his eyes.</p><p>"You boys are going off with those free magicians again, aren't you?" Gramps asked. He only chuckled as Luz and Fintster stood silent. "I knew it. Those looks on your faces when you left told me all I needed."</p><p>Fintster opened his mouth and went to speak—but his words caught in his throat and left him to choke out strained noises as Gramps approached. Beside him, Luz shuffled away and couldn't even making Gramps' gaze. Neither of them really wanted to say they were leaving, even if he confirmed it.</p><p>"I know you were trying to spare the younger ones' feelings, but don't worry so much," Gramps said. He firmly laid a hand on both Luz and Fintster's shoulders, and his smile grew wide as his eyes twinkled in the moonlight. "You know, we're all the proudest we could be of you boys for fighting out there for all our sakes, and we always will be, even if some of them don't want to say it out loud."</p><p>Luz blinked once and then twice. His face turned numb as he met his grandfather eye to eye, the grandfather he left behind ages ago and hadn't seen in millennia, and saw nothing but a beam of pride that confirmed the very words he spoke. With that single look, Luz's crashing waves of emotion seized him! He pushed himself into Gramps' arms, and sobbed as loudly as he could with not a care to what anyone thought! He wanted to cry that it wasn't fair that any of this happened; that his home was taken away, that he died the way he did, that he never even got to keep his promise…</p><p>But, in his sobbing haze, he couldn't make any words, so he just cried out all his feelings. Another, shriller voice came as Fintster followed him, and the both of them clung as close to Gramps as they could. Gramps only chuckled and drew them into a hug.</p><p>"Now, now, you two, there's no need to cry! You'll be back home before you know it!" Gramps drew back and let them wipe their eyes. "Now, that's better. You can't go off fighting the Arkeyans all teary-eyed and snot-nosed!"</p><p>Both Luz and Fintster whimpered and nodded as they rubbed their faces.</p><p>"Go out there and show those Arkeyans what our family is made of, just like your great-grandpa did when he fought the Malevolent One! Alright?"</p><p>Fintster nodded. "We will, I promise."</p><p>The words he croaked out barely sounded sincere, and more like a desperate plea for him to be right, but Gramps accepted them nonetheless. He waved goodbye as the two of them walked off, and they didn't stop even as they grew so far that he soon became a speck in the distance.</p><p>With more steps, their own childhood town vanished. The place with the orchards they played and harvested in; the house where they ate and slept, shared stories and memories with their siblings and grandfather in; the streets they called their own—those too vanished as well.</p><p>Before they knew it, they wandered into the cold woods that barred off their humble little town from the rest of the island. The winds carried not sweet scents, but the howls of wild animals and the rustling of tree leaves. The crisp, cold area smelled a bit of wild herbs and flowers mingled with damp earth, and the soft ground below their feet buckled slightly with every step they took. A few eyes glinted in the dark before they disappeared so quickly that they could almost pass for illusions.</p><p>Every time Luz caught sight of them, his heart raced just a bit faster. He reached for his shield as a branch cracked, and yanked it off as a few footsteps padded off in the distance. Behind him, a whoosh of energy showed that Fintster was just as on guard as Luz was. A sword of darkness manifested in Fintster's hands, and his teeth clenched so tight that they almost snapped. Surely, this tension wasn't good for either of them, but it was hard not to feel on edge at a place and time like this.</p><p>"Hey, Fintster," Luz whispered. His voice was still a bit hoarse from crying, and it made talking almost painful. "Who do you think we'll find next?"</p><p>Fintster clenched the hilt of his sword with trembling, clammy hands. A rustling sound echoed around them as it shook the bushes around, and Fintster leaped back.</p><p>"Stay back! I'm warning you!" he cried.</p><p>Luz shone a light into the bushes where the rustling was loudest, yet only a dragonbunny hopped out and twitched its nose before it hopped away. Fintster lowered his sword and sighed as they moved on, but the tension hardly dropped between either of them.</p><p>In fact, it seemed to grow even worse as they wandered into the deeper parts of the woods! There, trails of thin mist twisted through the thickets of trees and bushes. The mist smelled vaguely sweet, almost like honey, but its minty blue coloration seemed more reminiscent of a recent storm.</p><p>The mist only grew thicker as they wandered forward. Soon, it laid a blanket over the forest floor, and obscured it from view as its sweet scent grew thick and tiring. Even though it was soft and thin, it felt impossible to wade through with how it covered the forest and turned it into a maze with no foreseeable exit. Cracking sticks and the creaking of trees unseen moaned from its misty veil, as if something wandered in the woods ahead of them!</p><p>Fintster clenched his teeth as he summoned a second sword. He turned to Luz and nodded as Luz raised his shield. Both their legs trembled as they stepped back while the noises grew louder and louder before them. The snapping twigs cracked in a rhythm like footsteps; surely, whatever made these noises came in fast!</p><p>A large shadow formed in the curtain of mist, and both Luz and Fintster shot blasts of light and darkness into the mist! They nailed the creature straight on the head! It yowled in pain and fell down to its knees as it clutched its head. That shrill, young voice it cried with, though, it was familiar!</p><p>"Geez, guys!" whined that same voice. "Can't you take a little joke?"</p><p>The sound of buzzing wings echoed through the air as the mist cleared, and Luz shone a light ahead to find Swarm knelt down before them! A small welt formed on his head where Luz and Fintster struck, and a pout rested on his face as he lowered himself.</p><p>"That's no way to greet your good old buddy Swarm, you know!" Swarm snipped.</p><p>"Well, maybe save the pranks for when we're not in a monster-ridden forest at night!" Fintster snipped. A bit of anger rose in his hoarse voice, but he quickly cleared his throat. "Sorry, it's just, I…"</p><p>Swarm seemed to get the message as he gently ruffled Fintster's hair with his fingertip. Fintster forced a smile as Swarm lifted his finger and smiled back, and the two shared a nod of understanding.</p><p>"Anyways, what've you been up to, anyways?"</p><p>"What have <em>I</em> been up to?" Swarm's smile stretched from antenna to antenna, and his eyes shone giddy with glee in the dappled moonlight. "I've been traveling all around Skylands! Sure I got kicked out of my old place again, but who needs some stuffy old palace when I've seen the biggest ball of corn in all Skylands, all these ancient ruins, cool arenas, old temples, and even more! Where do I even begin? The leaning temple gardens of the Southern Skylands? The gigantic sports stadium in Westmouth? Oh, no maybe—"</p><p>Swarm cleared his throat. "But, I'm getting off track. While I was looking around, I found out where Eye-Brawl went!"</p><p>Luz and Finster gasped, exchanged glances with each other, and turned to Swarm.</p><p>"Where are they?"</p><p>"Well, it turns out those two are the kings of some fancy kingdom near the Etherlands, can you believe it? My folks were talking about going on some fancy royal business meeting for them…"</p><p>"Then we'll tag along!" Fintster proclaimed. "With all three of us, surely we'll be able to get them back!"</p><p>"And I'm happy to take you" — Swarm waggled a finger — "but, there's this really cool sports game I've been dying to go to…"</p><p>Fintster groaned and buried his head in his hands. "Swarm, now's not the time for games! We need to find the others and get back to that Oracle guy, not wander around watching sports!"</p><p>"I know you think it'll be a waste, but it'll be worth your time!"</p><p>"Why's that?"</p><p>Swarm uneasily grinned and twiddled his thumbs. "Well, you'll just have to see when we get there!"</p><p>"<em>Swarm!</em>"</p><p>Luz flinched a little at the stern tone Fintster took, and again as Fintster turned to him and nudged him a little in the same way he always did when he wanted Luz to back him up. On one hand, Fintster did have a point, and finding the rest of their team was the priority; on the other hand, Luz took one glimpse at the look in Swarm's eyes and saw a little twinkle of eagerness, as if there was something he hadn't let on. Plus, getting to go to a game while they were here <em>would </em>be nice.</p><p>"I'm with Swarm on this one," Luz said as he gave Fintster an apologetic shrug. "Besides, the Etherlands aren't that far from here, I think. What harm would it do to go to one little game?"</p><p>"It's decided!" Swarm proclaimed. He swept both Luz and Fintster in his palms before Fintster could protest, raised to his full height, and buzzed his wings. "Off to the games we go!"</p><p>Swarm leaped from the ground, and the trees all swayed back as he vaulted into the air! Now that they left the forest's canopy, the morning sunrise shone through in brilliant shades of orange and gold mixed with streaks of rosy pink.</p><p>Luz didn't really get much time to appreciate it, for that one little vault sprang them halfway across the island! The fields below blurred into a dizzying mass as they sped across at lightning speed, and just the sight at the world around left Luz so dizzy that he crumpled into a ball beside Fintster. The air shrieked around them as it rang in Luz's ears, and forced him to cover them in some faint hope of relief from that awful din, but soon it relented. Didn't it kind of feel like they were losing altitude? Luz uncuffed his hands from his ears and looked up, but Swarm just folded his other hand over them.</p><p>"Actually, we might be in for a rough landing!" Swarm cried. "Look out—"</p><p>Swarm grunted as he slammed face-first into the ground, and Luz and Fintster bumped around in his hands like balls until they finally fell on their backs with a groan. The hands around them unfolded, and they stumbled out to find Swarm planted into the giant trail his landing forged in the earth.</p><p>Swarm groaned and flicked his crooked antennae as he pushed himself off the ground. "Yeah, think I might need to adjust my angle for that one," Swarm grunted as he shook his head. He lifted his gaze, and a smile stretched across his face. "But, it worked!"</p><p>Luz and Fintster turned around as Swarm pointed ahead, and found a giant coliseum made of stark white brick before them! Flags in all colors with all sorts of emblems on them hung from the many gaps in its body while smaller ones lined the top's rim, and the sounds of cheering and shouting rumbled from within.</p><p>"Welcome to the Athennial Coliseum, the biggest coliseum there is, and host to the biggest Roboto-Ball match of the season!"</p><p>Roboto- Ball? Luz's eyes fluttered as he turned to Fintster, who seemed to have the same inkling of an idea that Luz did, going by his gaping mouth. Luz stumbled forward to pry Swarm, but guards in shiny armor immediately swarmed them as he walked! Luz immediately flung up his hands, as did Fintster and Swarm, but the guards snarled back at them.</p><p>"So you're the ones who caused all that ruckus!" hissed one guard as they pushed a spear against Swarm's chest. "What business do you have here? Entry closed an hour ago!"</p><p>"I, I'm here to see a buddy of mine!" Swarm sputtered. "He's one of the players for the game, and I wanted to wish him luck before the—"</p><p>"Likely story!" The guard poked his spear closed to Swarm's chest. "I'll bet'cher here to sabotage the game! We get all sorts of troublemakers and riff-raff like you running around with that excuse all that time! Always saying they're here to see their buddies, and then they slip 'em sleeping potions and knock out the star players, but NOT THIS TIME!"</p><p>Swarm jumped back, and his wings bristled while his brows dug into his eyes. "I, I'm telling you, I don't mean any harm, I swear on my family's name—"</p><p>"BRING OUT THE BIG GUNS, BOYS!"</p><p>Rumbling growled from the coliseum, but not the kind that came with the audience's cheers. No, even more guards rolled out giant cannons, and with a flick of the fuses, they shot sleek, fast cannonballs right towards Swarm! Swarm gasped, dissipated into a swarm of bees, and scattered to the fourteen winds the moment the cannonballs flew!</p><p>The cannonballs that once aimed for him veered well over the guards' heads, and swung for a silver and bronze robot who strolled out to the fields instead! The cannonballs smacked him in quick succession, dented in the back of his head, and the robot groaned as he collapsed with a mighty thud while the cannonballs dropped beside him. The guards all gasped as they rushed off towards the unconscious robot, and Luz and Fintster were now completely forgotten in their minds as they surrounded the robot.</p><p>Their mumbles of panic only barely registered to Luz. The buzzing of bees completely drowned them out as Swarm's, swarm, returned to his side and reformed back into Swarm himself.</p><p>"Quick, while they're distracted!" Swarm hissed. "Into the coliseum!"</p><p>Swarm swept Luz and Fintster into his hands, and with a clap of Luz's hands, they turned completely invisible as Swarm made haste for the coliseum entrance! He lifted off, darted into a particularly large door on the coliseum's side, and darkness blanketed them all as the invisibility spell wore off for moments…</p><p>"Hey, where did the intruders go?"</p><p>Luz frantically clapped his hands and reapplied it! The three of them turned invisible once more as the guards stampeded right in front of them, and rounded a corner to a room with light and conversation billowing out of it.</p><p>"Hey, what's the fire, buddies?"</p><p>Wait, that was Bouncer's voice! At least, Luz thought that was Bouncer's voice, but it was hard to really get a good sense of things with the acoustics of the hall's gigantic, empty walls. He squirmed out of Swarm's grip a little in an attempt to get a better glimpse or notion, but moved a little too fast and slipped right out of Swarm's hands!</p><p>His face planted into a puffy cloud right before he hit the floor, and he floated up right as Bouncer rolled into view! A large number sixteen was painted on his chest, and his eyes flickered with a bit of concern, but it was Bouncer alright! Luz beamed and tried to float closer, but he glimpsed down and gasped—for his invisibility spell wore off in his excitement!</p><p>"Hey, what're you guys doin' back here?" Bouncer chuckled as he wheeled closer to Swarm with a bit of a curious look. "You're a little lost if you're looking for the bleachers."</p><p>Swarm flinched. Luz couldn't tell if he, too, realized they were visible once more, or if he was taken aback by how Bouncer didn't seem to recognize him—but nevertheless, he smiled.</p><p>"Well, er, I—"</p><p>"Ah, actually, before that, you wouldn't have happened to see a guy named Robo-G around here, would you? Tall, all titanium and bronze, like me but less handsome?" Bouncer stifled a laugh. "I kid, I kid, but the game's about to start and the guy's completely hightailed it, too!" Bouncer's smile faltered, and he turned back to where the roars of the crowd echoed from the halls. "It's my last big game of the season, too. I'd hate to miss out!"</p><p>Wait, titanium and bronze? Tall robot? That sounded an awful lot like the robot that the guards knocked out! Luz and Fintster exchanged worried glances as they turned to Bouncer with that almost expecting glint in his eyes.</p><p>"Well…" Luz began.</p><p>"Hey, there's those intruders!"</p><p>Swarm flinched, and in a fit of haste, he completely dissolved into a swarm of bees and raced off the side! Luz and Fintster fell from his hands as Bouncer scooped them up in his, dropped them on the floor, and rushed off.</p><p>"Hey man! Wait up!"</p><p>A roar of fear came from the crowds at the end of the hall, and Luz and Fintster immediately rushed through the halls. They followed the bright, stark white light at the end of the hallway to find themselves within a gigantic stadium!</p><p>That wasn't an understatement. The playing field had to have been as long and wide as three or four islands combined! The walls stretched well past them all, and made Luz and Fintster ants in its wake while its pillars brushed against the heavens and its flags flew high. Around them, spectators of all kinds were little more than blurry spots in the distance, yet raised quite a roar from their spots, as did the gigantic robots with numbers painted on their backs who were presumably the other players.</p><p>As for why they panicked, Luz presumed it probably had something to with the gigantic swarm of bees in the heart of the field that slowly morphed back into Swarm.</p><p>"Phew!" Swarm cried as he reformed at last and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Close one! Good thing I got out there—"</p><p>"And came here!" Bouncer interrupted. He wheeled up, patted Swarm on the back with such force that Swarm hacked, but Bouncer didn't seem to notice based on the giddy grin on his face. "What you did right now was amazing! You've gotta play for us! We're sure to win with a guy like you on our team!"</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>Bouncer grabbed Swarm by the arm before he could even protest, and dragged him back to the left-hand side of the field! The two stood in a triangular formation with the rest of Bouncer's team as a robot in black and white robes flew out and tapped on a microphone. Bouncer eagerly jimmied from side to side, but the way Swarm's antennae and wings twitched showed he seemed to have some reservations about this.</p><p>"Alright, it seems as though the blue team found a substitute at the last minute!" the robot proclaimed in a smooth, charismatic voice. "In that case, the game will now begin!"</p><p>A shrill, ringing noise rang in the air and forced Luz and Fintster to cover their ears for a moment, but the rumbling of the coliseum as the players all raced off drowned it out soon enough!</p><p>The players' eyes set on a gigantic blue and gold ball in the heart of the stadium as the players rushed to and fro, snatched the ball, and tossed it towards gigantic, open nets in the back parts of the coliseum. A few players rammed into each other and dented their metal as they spat over the ball, but in the heat of the moment, the ball shone red and exploded! The burst of flames engulfed them both as another robot flew out, dumped a waterfall of fluffy stuff on them, and left them charred and smoked as they rested under a mountain of the fluffy mass.</p><p>The other players just didn't notice! A new ball popped out from the center of the coliseum, and they went back to running and playing like before as security wheeled out the burnt robots on giant stretchers.</p><p>Luz and Fintster just couldn't even smile, even though the robot in the black and white tunic gleefully narrated the whole thing with the gusto and bravado of a storyteller telling an epic. They cringed with every explosion, every dent, every screech of tearing metal.</p><p>Most of all, they could barely stand the sight of Swarm's playing! Now, Bouncer navigated the fields like a pro; Swarm, on the other hand, left with a bump on his head and a black eye seemingly everywhere he went! He tried to flee one way and a robot jabbed him in the back, he went the other and got squeezed between two particularly burly robots, heck, he even tried to disappear into his swarm of bees, but got pushed to the ground and run over before he could even move!</p><p>"Owch! Hey, watch it! I'm right down—"</p><p>Luz and Fintster both clenched their teeth as Swarm howled in agony as another large robot stomped him down.</p><p>"I don't think I can watch this anymore," Fintster winced as he turned around.</p><p>Luz almost echoed his sentiment as he went to cover his eyes, but right before he did, Bouncer leaped in and snatched the ball! Luz gasped as Bouncer rolled off with a cheetah's speed and the ball kept close to him as he kicked it.</p><p>"Would you look at that, folks?" the black and white-clothed robot cried. "BB-12's stolen the ball at the last minute, and he's making a beeline for the enemy's goal! Oh, but what's this?"</p><p>The robot leaned further, and dramatically gasped as he leaned back up.</p><p>"The ball's getting ready to explode! Will he make it in time?"</p><p>The crowd rumbled with fearful chatter as the ball's blue and gold surface turned a deep, hot crimson, and Luz bit his lip.</p><p>"Bouncer, look out!" Luz cried.</p><p>Bouncer's head swiveled around, and a glimpse of something familiar shone in his optics. Bouncer rushed forward, slammed his whole leg into the giant ball, and knocked it right into the enemy's goal! The ball exploded into a fiery burst and set the net alight with it—but around Bouncer, the crowds only cheered while robots came out to extinguish the flames.</p><p>"And would you look at that, a flaming goal to end the final round!" the announcer robot cried. "The blue team wins the game!"</p><p>The crowd erupted into roars of joy as Bouncer wheeled out and puffed his chest out in pride, and both teams swarmed him with cheers! It seemed even his opponents couldn't resist congratulating him on how well he played and asking him what his secrets were. At least, that was from what Luz could make of the conversation anyways. Soon, their voices soon melded into one while Bouncer pushed past them and towards Swarm.</p><p>Bouncer hoisted Swarm up with one arm, and both of them came up to Luz and Fintster next. "Well, that was my curtain call," Bouncer said as he opened up a hand. "Now come on. Don't we have some teammates to find?"</p><p>Luz and Fintster both gasped, nodded, and climbed as a bright light shone around them! They all gasped as the white, sparkly flash burst around them, and when it faded, the entire coliseum went with it! All that remained were endless plains and forest that just begged to be explored.</p><p>"Where to next, Swarm?" Fintster asked as he leaned against Bouncer's metallic finger.</p><p>Swarm frowned and scratched his head. "Well, thing is, I got bumped around so much that I forgot!" Swarm chuckled, but when the others' glares met him, he gulped. "I'm just kidding, I swear! See, just go over this way…"</p><p>Swarm flew off to the side where the village's buildings tapered off, and it seemed like the rest of the foliage did as well when Bouncer followed with Luz and Fintster in tow. The grass shriveled up, the trees went from mighty and full of lush leaves to withered husks with sad faces seemingly embedded in their grooves, and even the air turned cold and dead around them.</p><p>The endless plains of dead nature stretched on forever, but soon enough, the mouth of a large gate stretched before them. Its cold, gray stone walls stretched so high that only the tip of a mighty palace poked beyond it. The walls blocked off sights, smells, and sounds alike from within the kingdom.</p><p>Soon, the drawbridge with aged wood opened, and unveiled a quaint village with all sorts of underwordly beings strung about its worn dirt paths! Zombies and vampires carried around baskets of undead treats while werewolf pups and ghost children wove between the adults' legs. The air smelled cold and almost sweet despite the presence of death everywhere one looked. It gave the village an almost welcoming presence that beckoned for them to enter.</p><p>So they did, with Luz and Fintster almost masked by Swarm and Bouncer as they made their way through the streets. A couple patrons stopped and gasped. Their whispers rang in Luz's ears as they gossiped with excitement at the sights of the living. Luz didn't linger much on their words; he just trailed after Swarm as they left the village behind, past all the creatures and beasts, and towards that palace that loomed over them all.</p><p>Luz had to admit, the palace seemed even more impressive the closer he got to it. The black bricks absorbed what little light poked in from the foggy overhead sky and gave it a jewel-like shine. Flags with intricate designs of eyes and knights flew like mighty banners in a battlefield's wind. The onyx fencing glistened while renaissance vines curled around it with about as much life as an undead plant could spare. Luz almost wanted to reach out and touch it, but a bony spear flew in front of him before he could.</p><p>"Halt!" cried an eyeball with an emerald green iris who sat in knight's armor. "What business do you have with the kings?"</p><p>"Lemme handle this one," Swarm mumbled. He stepped out in front of the group, straightened his crooked antennae, and cleared his throat. "I am Prince Abejape of the Hymenopteran clan of warrior-wasps, and I have come—"</p><p>"A prince?" the guard scoffed as if he barely held back his laughter. "You seem a little roughed up for a prince."</p><p>Dumbfounded, Swarm stopped short and took a glimpse at his battered carapace with a chuckle. "Well, I had a bit of a rough time getting here—"</p><p>"And how do I know you're not lying about your status to get into the palace and assassinate the kings?" The guard scowled and thrust his spear a little closer to Swarm, even though he really only reached Swarm's leg. "I'm sure a prince coming for an important meeting would take better care of his—"</p><p>"Calm down, brother," demanded a voice with a distinct Siebenbardese accent. "There's no need to be so hostile to our esteemed guests!"</p><p>The guard withdrew his spear and stood aside with almost record speed.</p><p>Before him the gates creaked open, the world pounded underfoot as large shadows cast over the ground, and out from the gates came Eye and Brawl! The two of them were dressed in a king's capes and crowns with bands like the kind couples wore around Eye's wing and Brawl's finger, but it was definitely them!</p><p>Eye popped atop the vacancy in Brawl's head and cleared his nonexistent throat. "Apologies for the trouble," Eye said as Brawl extended a hand to Swarm below him. "My younger brother takes his job very seriously."</p><p>"I'm the older twin," the guard hissed.</p><p>Luz and Fintster both chuckled to each other. They'd seen that kind of attitude among the twins back home plenty of times.</p><p>"Nevertheless, come in! We have much to discuss."</p><p>So, Luz and Fintster followed Swarm and Bouncer into the palace gardens. The town before them soon became little more than a speck in the distance as they hiked up long, tiresome hills of smooth gray stone paths and undead floral gardens, and up to the palace at last.</p><p>It was perhaps even more impressive in person than it was from the distance! The black stone that made up its walls was iridescent underneath what little light peeked in, and reflected shades of purple and blue amid its onyx exterior. Its cony roofs pierced the heavens like arrows, and flags that bore what Luz could only assume was Eye-Brawl's royal crest hung from every one of the hundreds of windows carved into the castle walls. The faintest echoes of talking servants and other nobles rang out from the windows and fluttered the flags. Something sweet like berries trailed out along with it—fresh cooking from the chefs, perhaps?</p><p>"Come, come in! Our cooks have prepared the finest of feasts for your arrival," Eye said as Brawl pushed the door opened and beckoned for them to come forth.</p><p>Luz and Fintster both grinned, and Luz's mouth watered at the thought. A feast! He hadn't even thought about food since he left home, but now that the thought came to him, he started to realize just how hungry he was.</p><p>"The thought is appreciated," Swarm said as he entered, "but I'd like to get straight to the point, if it's alright with you."</p><p>That hungry feeling disappeared right then and there. Luz raised an eyebrow and followed Swarm in, as did Fintster and Bouncer. The doors slowly creaked to a close behind them, and to their front, Swarm and Eye-Brawl stood face to face with arms behind their backs and tense pleasantries written on their faces.</p><p>"As I'm sure you're aware, the Arkeyan Empire has been expanding its reach across Skylands," Swarm began.</p><p>Eye nodded. "Yes, it's quite worrisome to say the least. Every day, news reaches the kingdom of another island that fell to Arkeyan tyranny. Though our armies are strong, I can't imagine how they'll fare against the strength of the Arkeyans."</p><p>"Which is why we were especially glad to hear from you," Brawl signed. "The Hymenopteran Kingdom has stood since the beginning of Skylands, and its warriors are second to none. With our two kingdoms as allies in arms, surely both of us can rest easy."</p><p>"Oh, that's where you're wrong, I'm afraid. I have not come here as an ambassador of my family. I've come out of my own will and wishes."</p><p>Swarm raised a brow, and Brawl tensed as he stepped back.</p><p>"If that's the case, why have you come? Did you not say that you were here to discuss allying with us?"</p><p>"That I did, but perhaps not the alliance you think of. You see, with the Arkeyans expanding their reach, would it not be proactive to fight back against their reach?"</p><p>"That, that's utter nonsense!" Eye popped off of Brawl in shock, but quickly cleared his throat and dropped back down. "What other alliance could help us, if not that of your family's? Yours alone wouldn't be enough by even the slightest stretch of imagination! The Arkeyans have their hands in every corner of Skylands! Our armies, as impressive as they are, don't even hold a candle to the Arkeyans in terms of sheer numbers and raw power! What could you, alone, bring to help?"</p><p>"But, I'm not alone."</p><p>"You aren't?"</p><p>Swarm frowned and steepled his fingers. "In my travels across Skylands, I have had the pleasure of meeting many who banded together to rise against the Arkeyans' oppressive reign. Led by magicians with powers of legend, and those blessed by the Ancients themselves, these beings have gathered together under one banner to combat the Arkeyans' reign of terror."</p><p>Eye hummed in an almost contemplative way as he rubbed his wing against his round body. "Go on."</p><p>"I have been working with them to dismantle the Arkeyans' reign, and we've already had the pleasure of liberating many from their terror! Though the Arkeyans fight, every day we fight harder—and to great results! We've already torn down some of the largest Arkeyan strongholds, like that of the monument in Mabupotamia or the Arkeyan factories in Wavemeet!"</p><p>"Mabupotamia? Wavemeet? I remember those places!" Bouncer whispered and a small chuckle escaped him. "Eye-Brawl and I personally gave the head of that Wavemeet factory a piece of our minds!"</p><p>"Wait a second," Fintster whispered. He parted his bangs to study Eye-Brawl and the pensive look he held. "Does that mean?"</p><p>"Thus, I am asking you to ally under our banner, and join us in liberating Skylands from the cruelty of Arkilles!"</p><p>Eye hummed, popped off of Brawl, and flew around him. The two hunched over, and Eye whispered something so soft that Luz couldn't hear, but he didn't need to! Brawl's signing was enough to key him in on the conversation!</p><p>"Wavemeet and Mabupotamia, those names sound familiar," Brawl signed, "and yet, I don't believe we've ever been there. Something's strange about this prince, Ochiul." Brawl rested his hands for a moment as Eye whispered back and nodded, almost as if he was hesitant to speak. "Do you think we should continue this meeting? I can have the guards escort him out if you think it necessary."</p><p>Luz tensed for a moment as both Eye and Brawl stood motionless, save for the flapping of Eye's wings. Would they remember? Would they just toss them all out? Luz held his breath, for he didn't want to key them in on anything, but when Eye shook his head, that breath escaped and Luz practically deflated with relief.</p><p>Eye popped back on top of Brawl, and both of them turned to meet Swarm's expectant gaze.</p><p>"You pose quite the offer, young prince," Eye replied at last, and he turned down a little as he added, "but I do hold one concern. What will become of our kingdom should we ally ourselves with you?"</p><p>"Fret not," Swarm replied as he held out a hand, "for the Elder Elementals will ensure the safety of your kingdom, Eye-Brawl."</p><p>Eye shuddered, and a bright flash of silver light burst around him and Brawl! Their royal garbs fell to the ground, and all that was left was Eye-Brawl, with all the dents in Brawl's armor from battle, and the same aura of wear and age that came from the years of fighting. Luz knew it in his heart. Even though they didn't say a word, and just looked themselves over in a sort of stunned haze—they were back!</p><p>"Thank the Ancients that worked," Swarm groaned as he finally sat down. "I wasn't sure how long I could keep that up! I don't know how Mom and Dad ever did it."</p><p>Eye-Brawl chuckled, and that laughter spread to Bouncer as they helped Swarm up. Swarm groaned, favored his left side, and leaned on Bouncer while he slouched over.</p><p>"So, what do we do now?" Bouncer asked. "Dunno where everyone else went, unfortunately."</p><p>"And I'm beat," Swarm moaned.</p><p>"Actually," Luz piped up, "I met with Sihiri and Vatra earlier, and we split up to find the others! We were supposed to meet back up at Sihiri's old village, so why don't we go back there?"</p><p>Bouncer cast a glance at Eye-Brawl, who nodded in agreement.</p><p>"In that case, I'll arrange for an airship, and we'll head there," Eye-Brawl said. "Hopefully, the others wouldn't have had too much trouble."</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Within the depths of a massive forest, only the sounds of loving laughter rang out as Inochi and Sihiri ran hand in hand together. The flower petals cascaded around them like a rain of love, the kind of strong love they held for each other as they leaped and spun around the forest. The soft serenade of its winds and the gentle warmth of the sunlight filtered through the trees; they cast a perfectly romantic scene for a perfectly romantic moment!</p><p>Sihiri and Inochi's laughter grew so loud and so passionate that their faces hurt as they spun through the fields. The flowers petals danced with them as they did, but finally, they collapsed on the ground and landed on a massive pile of flowers below them, a soft, downy bed for them to rest on as they embraced.</p><p>Sihiri chuckled as she leaned on her side, and met with the honey-like gaze of Inochi and her sweet, sappy smile. Before she knew it, Inochi sprung forward and sneaked a kiss right on the lips! It was sweet like honeysuckle, and its taste seeped into Sihiri's own mouth as she reciprocated, so sweet that Sihiri just couldn't bring herself to break away. So, she wrapped her arms around Inochi, and buried herself in Inochi's soft, warm body as the petals cascaded around her. It was a simple moment, yet it felt like an eternity. It was as if time itself stopped for just the two of them.</p><p>She almost didn't want to let go, yet Inochi quickly parted the kiss and sat up. Inochi seemed so radiant in that moment as her pink eyes sparkled with the sunlight, and her soft cheeks dimpled with pink so that they brought to mind round, plump peaches. A soft giggle came from her, so sweet and infectious that it spread to Sihiri as well. They both laughed along with the winds and the faint birdsong as they laid together with not a care in the world.</p><p>"Alright, my village shouldn't be far from here," Inochi said as she took Sihiri by the hand. "Come on, I'll show you."</p><p>Sihiri nodded a bit hesitantly as she took Inochi's hand in her own, but when the feeling of Inochi's fingers, soft like the petals of a fresh flower, brushed against Sihiri's own hand, her grip faded and she melted into Inochi's instead. Though she felt it was a bit loose, her hand not once slipped from Inochi's as Inochi led her down the forest pathway. Inochi's geta clacked against the earth below her, and the long, white shirt and green pants she wore fluttered in the winds.</p><p>"You know, it's funny," Inochi remarked as they wandered on. She held a hand to her face, and a sort of lackadaisical smile came across her. "We've just met, yet it feels like I've known you for a lifetime!"</p><p>Sihiri's eyes sparkled even more as Inochi turned to her with that eager look in her pink eyes.</p><p>"Clearly, this must be the red string of fate at work! You and I were destined to be lovers, I'm sure of it!"</p><p>Sihiri's face fell. For a moment, she really thought that Inochi remembered, but, she supposed it wouldn't have been nearly that easy. Sihiri had to admit, it felt a little strange that her own wife didn't recognize her even with the circumstances at hand.</p><p>"Well, er, you see," Sihiri started before she quickly stopped herself. Should she really try and bring up the truth right now? After all, she was no different than a stranger to Inochi right now, and surely, if a total stranger came up to Sihiri herself and talked about all this, she would think they were making fun of her!</p><p>"Anyways, here we are!"</p><p>Well, guess there was no time for that. Sihiri turned around, gasped as Inochi grabbed her by the hand, and raced into the heart of a small village comprised of thatched, triangular huts where beings went to and fro.</p><p>The beings were mostly human, though Sihiri was sure she spotted a few beastfolk amid their ranks. They all donned similar clothing to what Inochi herself wore: simple kimonos and yukata with geta and other sandals clad on their feet. Regardless of appearance, they all had one thing in common, and it was that they were busy as busy could be. Whether they carted materials, made food, or ran around and talked as they ran errands of some kind, none of them had a moment to rest!</p><p>"And who might this be, Inochi?" asked a grizzled voice from behind them.</p><p>Inochi beamed and turned around to face an older person, one muscular and grizzled with tanned skin and visible stubble. They donned a long tunic and a headband around their forehead, and frowned as they scratched their chin with one hand while the other idly clutched a hammer. Their pink eyes were perhaps the busiest part of their body as they rapidly dashed between Inochi and Sihiri.</p><p>"This is my new wife, Sihiri!" Inochi beamed with pride as she brought Sihiri closer to her. "I met her just outside the village outskirts today, and she agreed to marry me! Can you believe it?"</p><p>The person just scoffed. "Marrying a person you just met? Inochi, only a fool would do that! You don't even know her!"</p><p>"And you're just upset that I got a wife before you did!" Inochi's cheeks puffed before she linked her arm with Sihiri's and moved off.</p><p>"Don't pay any mind to him, he's always a grouch." Inochi remarked as she stuck up her nose. "Anyways, just follow me. There's something here that I absolutely must show you!"</p><p>"Inochi, there you are!" shouted an elderly woman in long robes decorated with floral patterns. "Where might you be going on this fine afternoon?"</p><p>Inochi stopped right in her steps, withdrew her arm from Sihiri's, and bowed towards the woman.</p><p>"Just showing my lovely new wife around the town, Miss Himiko," Inochi beamed before she gently nudged Sihiri. "I've only just met her, but I can tell she's a keeper!" Inochi clasped her hands and a dreamy tone sneaked into her voice. "She appreciates plants, and she's so beautiful, and has this sweet, sweet laugh…"</p><p>Inochi gushed about Sihiri with fervor as she rambled on to this Miss Himiko, and all the compliments got to Sihiri a little bit. She had to admit, it was a little embarrassing to be praised this much, especially to a total stranger. More than that, it seemed strange that it came from Inochi. She was always so humble, subdued, and not the kind of woman to go into lengthy rambles and trade snips with random people on the street. She certainly was quite the spitfire back into the day, wasn't she?</p><p>Whatever happened to her, it must've really taken its toll on Inochi. Whatever that was, anyways. Sihiri never pressed Inochi too much about her past back when she arrived at their base curled up in Tree Rex's palm. They all had a lot of baggage and things they lost to Arkeyan rule, and Sihiri was never one for reopening those old wounds.</p><p>Family, friends, homes, and Sihiri lost them all as well. She knew well how much it hurt to leave behind your home, all your friends, and your family as well. For a moment, her mind wandered back to the illusion of her old village, the place where she spent her days playing in the river with her brothers, wandering around town with the older girls as they taught her about all the things she'd get to do at their age, and her heart ached a second more. A part of her yearned to go back there, but—</p><p>"Sihiri, dear, is something bothering you?" Inochi asked with a hint of worry in her rosy pink eyes as she tilted her head.</p><p>Sihiri's eyes fluttered and she shook her head. "No, it's nothing. I just had something on my mind."</p><p>Sihiri drew her gaze back from Inochi in hopes that maybe she'd just leave the topic be, as she always did when Sihiri said this. A warm hand grabbed hers, and Sihiri looked up to see Inochi's eyes sparkling with worry.</p><p>"Don't try and lie to me! You're my wife, and I'd be an awful wife to you if I just ignored you while you're clearly in a sorrowful state of mind!"</p><p>Sihiri clasped her hands and gulped while a tremor crawled up her spine. Sihiri almost forgot that this Inochi was nothing like the patient and reserved woman she knew! Surely, she was going to keep prying, but what would Sihiri say? She couldn't just explain this was all an illusion out of the blue! Inochi's eyes locked on hers, and the heat gathered in Sihiri's cheeks while her mind wandered about for an explanation.</p><p>"Now, Inochi," butted in Miss Himiko as she pushed herself between Sihiri and Inochi, "if she doesn't want to press the issue, you should leave it be. An important part of being in a relationship is understanding your partner's feelings. Forcing them to talk when they don't want to will only hurt you both."</p><p>Inochi apologetically bowed her head to Miss Himiko, turned, and did the same for Sihiri. Sihiri, for her part, just stepped back and nodded as a sort of pardon. It felt strange to be treated with the kind of formality typically saved for a stranger by her own wife, but, as it stood, her own wife barely even remembered her.</p><p>"Please pardon our Inochi. She's always been quite overeager," Miss Himiko said. "I'm sure she wants to be the best lover for you that she can be."</p><p>"It's alright, dear," Sihiri sputtered out at last. "You're only trying to help."</p><p>Inochi stood to full height, and gave one of the gentle smiles Sihiri remembered so well as she took Sihiri in hand. "At least let me get you something to eat. I'm sure you've probably traveled a long way! You must be starving!"</p><p>Sihiri's stomach growled as if to affirm this, and Sihiri chuckled and nodded. She hadn't even thought of food since all this began, but now that the topic came up, it was like a ravenous beast opened up in her stomach! She hadn't even realized she was this hungry!</p><p>Inochi took this as a sign of affirmation, and giggled as she led Sihiri away to another building, one where the scent of freshly-prepared fish and rice spilled out from the door. They stepped inside, and the scent grew stronger, but hardly unpleasant.</p><p>Sihiri found herself within a simple restaurant of sorts. A few others gathered around to feast on freshly-made balls of hot rice filled with all sorts of fillings Sihiri could barely guess from the sights, or they devoured meals of fish and vegetables rich with the aroma of herbs.</p><p>"This place has some of the best fish there is!" Inochi proclaimed as she practically dragged Sihiri to the back of the room. "I'm pretty sure the whole village has eaten here at least once!"</p><p>As they drew to a stop, Sihiri peered up at a grizzly, burly-looking man. He sat at the back of the room, and tended to a pot of soup that brimmed with the very same aroma Sihiri smelled throughout the entire building. He cast a glance up at Inochi first, but raised a brow as his eyes turned to Sihiri.</p><p>"And who might this be?" the chef asked with a voice as tough and grizzled as his looks.</p><p>Inochi gently nudged Sihiri forward and beamed with pride. "My lovely wife~"</p><p>"Finally got'cherself a wife, huh?" The chef chuckled as he tended to the fish and rice he cooked. "Better make this a couple's special, then!"</p><p>The smell of herbs grew stronger, and Sihiri's mouth watered as he pulled together bowls of fish, rice, and that same delicious-smelling soup on one tray before he pushed it in Inochi's arms. Sihiri tried her best to keep her composure as she glanced it over, but, she couldn't stop herself from drooling, just a bit.</p><p>"Hey, you!" the chef said as he gestured to Sihiri. "You better take care of her, alright? Inochi's one of the most important beings in this village!"</p><p>"Oh, I'm not that important! All I do is tend to the Great Tree and the temple gardens! There's plenty of others like me."</p><p>"Hardly! The Great Tree is what watches over our entire village. If not for you, who knows what we'd do. Especially with that sickness overtaking the gardens…" The man winced, and a hint of fear broke through his tough looks. "All the other shrine maidens gave up hope."</p><p>Inochi huffed. "Well, they're just quitters! This pestilence may be stubborn, but I'm sure with enough care and cleansing it'll fade out, just like all the other illnesses that befell the sacred gardens!"</p><p>Pestilence? Sacred gardens? Shrine maiden? Sihiri blinked and took in all the information as Inochi turned around and urged for Sihiri to follow. Not once had Inochi shared an ounce of her past with Sihiri herself, even in all the time they'd known each other, and now it was as though Inochi's entire life story unfolded right before Sihiri's eyes!</p><p>Even as they sat down and ate, Sihiri barely even tasted her meal. Something about this felt hollow, almost. She almost felt like she invaded Inochi's privacy by learning about her life like this, and with Inochi herself none the wiser, to boot! Sihiri almost wanted to break the spell and tell her now, but something in her heart stopped her as she saw Inochi vigorously eating with the widest smile on her face. Inochi seemed so happy and full of energy, so unlike the quiet and reserved woman Sihiri knew as her wife. Even if it was an illusion, surely she was so happy to be back at her old home.</p><p>Sihiri didn't want to ruin that for her, not right now.</p><p>So, they ate in moderate silence. As they finished, Inochi lifted herself from her spot and beckoned for Sihiri to follow. Inochi led her past the village, and through a forest with thick carpets of leaves and vines, ones so thick that Sihiri lifted up her skirts so they wouldn't get caught. Right ahead of her, Inochi wove through them without a single thought! In fact, she was so fast that Sihiri hardly kept her pace, and stumbled over her own feet as she followed Inochi through the forest paths.</p><p>"Now, I'm not supposed to bring those outside the temple here without reason. Sacred grounds and all," Inochi whispered at last, "but, I believe I can make an exception for my future wife" — Inochi turned around and planted a finger on Sihiri's lips — "as long as you don't tell anyone, of course."</p><p>Sihiri just barely nodded, and Inochi giggled as she took Sihiri by the hand. They walked through the forest as the blankets of plant life parted, and passed underneath a large arc painted in a striking shade of crimson. The plant life around grew more pleasant and organized, as if it was shaped by living hands and not just a product of the wild forest.</p><p>It wasn't until Sihiri saw the beam of pride on Inochi's face that she realized they now stood on temple grounds. Now that she saw it, Sihiri could hardly believe her eyes! There before her laid some of the most vibrant flowers she had ever seen, in species she had only ever heard of in tales, or seen in passing in written records. The plants fluttered and bowed within her presence. Something about them shone underneath the dappled sunlight that peeked in from the mighty trees which coated the skies above.</p><p>The flowers bathed in the light like precious gemstones. Their leaves were crisp and rich in a green coloration, and the grassy path underneath stretched its blades up as if not to be outshone by the other foliage's splendor. This wasn't just the one patch; these floral barriers were lamps that stretched and twisted along the lengthy path as they shone like guiding lights.</p><p>"I've never seen anything like this," Sihiri gasped as she turned to Inochi, "and you tended to this all by yourself?"</p><p>"Oh, don't be so amazed. It's hardly work for me when I love it so!" Inochi chuckled. She strode along the path while her geta clacked underneath unseen stone. "When our ancestors came to this forest seeking sanctuary from The Malevolence, it was the spirit of the Great Tree that protected us and brought this forest to life so that we could live in peace. The spirits give us everything we need, and we care for them in turn! We owe them our entire lives and more. What I'm doing hardly compares…"</p><p>Inochi's eyes drifted off to the path, and she frowned as she knelt in front of a particular flower patch. By Sihiri's standards, the glistening blue bellflowers that swayed in faint dance seemed healthy and hardly worrisome. Yet, the way Inochi glanced at them with tight, concerned brows and an equally-concerned frown seemed to suggest otherwise.</p><p>"Is something the matter with these flowers, dear?" Sihiri asked as she knelt beside Inochi. "They seem healthy to me."</p><p>Inochi winced as she ran her finger against a bellflower. "They are, and that's the problem! This patch of flowers was afflicted by the pestilence for days now, and it barely survived. For it to make a full recovery, even with the best care, would have taken at least a week!" Inochi pursed her lips and examined the glittery blue pollen that rubbed off on her hands. "But it's perfectly fine now, as if nothing happened."</p><p>Inochi drew back up, and her frown quivered even more as she glazed over the rest of the gardens. She looked so unnerved by the sights, almost as if her memories were surfacing. Would now be a good time to tell her the truth?</p><p>"I, I have to see the Great Tree!"</p><p>"Inochi, wait!"</p><p>But, it was already too late. Inochi was off on her way, and her clothes fluttered in the wind with only faint tremors as they grew further and further away.</p><p>Sihiri winced and hitched up her skirts as she ran in chase. The soft pound of her footsteps thumped against the earth as she rushed past the rows of sparkling, thriving plants. Though she thought they were beautiful in the moment, Inochi's unease sent chills over Sihiri whenever she glimpsed at them.</p><p>Sihiri gulped, and teleported ahead towards an opening among the trees that brimmed with verdant light. A shrill scream hit the air as Sihiri passed through the gate, and she jumped back without thinking. Her eyes fluttered, and they traced the grotto for any sign of Inochi before they finally landed on the grotto's heart.</p><p>There, Inochi laid sprawled out as she shuddered, while before her stood a tree so tall and bulky that it towered well over most of the others in the forest. It shined with a brilliant green light that flickered through the forest like fireflies. Its rich brown bark was spotted with patches of red that raised almost like armor, and pushed out from its heart and over its branches. Its top laid stripped of any leaves, and instead, all that remained were two branches with rounded ends almost like horns.</p><p>"The Great Tree! What happened to it?" Inochi cried. She forced herself off the ground as she stumbled towards the tree, planted herself against its bark, and frowned as she closed her eyes. Her hands traveled across the grooves in the tree's bark, yet with a sigh she drew back. "It doesn't seem as though the Great Tree's ill, but how could it have changed so greatly?"</p><p>"Now that I think about it," Sihiri ruminated as she approached the tree, "it almost reminds me of Tree Rex."</p><p>"Tree Rex? What's that?"</p><p>Inochi turned to Sihiri with wide, teary eyes now full of confusion.</p><p>Sihiri clenched her teeth. In her moment of contemplation, Sihiri completely forgot that Inochi didn't have her memories!</p><p>"Er, it, it's nothing! Forget I said anything!" Sihiri cried. She went back a step, and forced a smile as Inochi frowned further. "I was just thinking out loud."</p><p>Inochi turned away from Sihiri and hummed. Her eyes fixed back on the tree once more.</p><p>"Tree Rex," Inochi whispered as she laid a hand on the tree's trunk. "That name, it sounds familiar."</p><p>The wind whistled as it carried away the tree's leaves, and Sihiri could've sworn that the grass below rustled underneath Inochi's feet. In fact, it shuddered and trembled as if the wind would carry it away, too! Yet, Inochi's attention laid directly on the tree as she clenched her hand into a fist. She stood perfectly still like the tree itself, so stoic that Sihiri couldn't possibly make out what she felt: confusion? Worry? Sorrow?</p><p>A tremble came from Inochi as Sihiri finally reached out her hand; next, a scream as Inochi fell to her knees and buried her head in her hands! Her body flickered like a dying light as she shuddered. She babbled out panicked nonsense while she clawed at her own face.</p><p>"Inochi!"</p><p>Sihiri fell to her knees and nudged Inochi's back, but Inochi's body flickered and Sihiri's hands fell through!</p><p>"It's wrong, this is wrong, it's all wrong!" Inochi wailed! Choked sobs fell from her as she curled into herself. "This, this, this isn't real, it, it's not—"</p><p>"Inochi, please!" Sihiri cried back. She shook Inochi's shoulders with a bit more urgency, and her own arms shook as she did. "What, what's wrong, I—"</p><p>The sound of ravenous growling came as the speckled light from above dimmed, and Sihiri turned her attention away from Inochi. Glints of light burst from the shadows over the grotto's entrance as the growling grew louder, gruffer even! Sihiri rose from her spot as the magic gathered in her hands, ready to strike…</p><p>But the beasts who lurked in the dark struck first! Mutated monsters made of twisted roots and dead flowers rose from the dark, and squawked as they sprung forward! Their eyes set for Sihiri and Inochi.</p><p>Sihiri readied a charge of magic as she lifted her hands—yet they all planted on their faces with one loud sob from Inochi! They stumbled back up, barely able to stand on the roots that made up their feet as she cried. Their shoulders slouched as they finally stabilized, and their thorny hands curled in as their expressions fell. Their eyes drooped as they fell to their knees and cried with her, for all their desire to fight withered away with their own thinning bodies.</p><p>Their roots and petals dissipated into thin scraps that flew off with a passing breeze, and with them went the entire grotto. That one breeze turned the trees thin and withered with lifelessness; the grass gave way to hard, dead earth; even the sky stood gray and lifeless, a still portrait never to be finished. All time slowed, and all that remained was Sihiri, Inochi, and that tree that still stood strong in the dead earth behind them.</p><p>Inochi curled into herself, and the thick fabric of her robes only partially muffled her sobs. "This is wrong, this was all wrong! The pestilence never went away, it never went away this fast!" Inochi wailed. "It, it never went away at all!"</p><p>Sihiri reached out for Inochi, but a glaring green light emerged and stopped her. In a flash, that green light completely engulfed Inochi in its jaws. Flares of leaves spewed out as the light shined, and died just as quickly as it came to reveal Inochi's true, incorporeal form.</p><p>Now she was the ghost of herself that she truly was. She dressed in the same kimono she wore on the day of her death, and still in a shuddering fit as she laid behind the tree's trunk. Her sobs still echoed out, but they were quieter now, barely even heard over the howling winds that seemed to cry for her.</p><p>"Oh, dear," Sihiri whispered as she fell to her knees beside Inochi.</p><p>Inochi shuddered beside her, and Sihiri wanted so badly to reach out. She wanted to say just the right thing—yet, no words came to mind. Everything she could have said would probably ring hollow, so hollow to Inochi. How do you express your condolences to someone who failed something they cherished with all their heart?</p><p>Sihiri only nudged closer and wrapped her arms around Inochi's ghostly form. The chills of her sorrows bled into Sihiri's own spirit as the words finally came to her.</p><p>"It wasn't your fault. You did everything you could for them, I'm sure."</p><p>Inochi's eyes burned red as she wiped away her tears and forced herself up straight. She still sat with a readied composure even after crying so much, even through the sorrow that rang in her teary eyes betrayed her true feelings. She always forced herself to stay strong and calm, even in such harsh situations…</p><p>"I understand what you're trying to say, dear," Inochi whispered, her voice inches away from cracking despite her calm composure, "but, I'm afraid you're wrong. It was my duty as the shrine maiden to care for them, yet I couldn't even recognize what had happened! If I weren't so simple-minded, if I wasn't so stubborn about protecting this forest myself, I would have realized!"</p><p>"Would have realized what?"</p><p>Inochi brushed her geta against the dead ground, and grabbed a heavily-wilted leaf from the floor.</p><p>"This was all the Arkeyans' doing."</p><p>The leaf crumpled into tiny bits and disappeared along the trail of a winter breeze. It left Inochi's hand empty, yet, she did not draw it back. She just stood frozen and clammy as she gazed at the withering trees that once made up the forest grotto.</p><p>"They installed factories outside the forest, and pumped their waste here for generations, right underneath our noses! I thought it was just an ordinary sickness, that surely, it would go away with the right care, and everyone there believed every word I said about it! I was so foolish, I didn't even realize how their toxic mess mutated the forest into a monster's den!" Inochi's arms trembled next, and she bit her lips before she could burst into tears. "I, I was so stupid! Everyone put so much faith in my abilities, but I couldn't even see the real reason the sacred gardens we all relied upon were dying! In the end, we all had to flee our home because of my foolishness!"</p><p>Sihiri took a glimpse at Inochi, but Inochi only turned her head away. "I, I never deserved the kindness the free magicians brought me, not when I failed my duties so."</p><p>Sihiri hummed for a moment, and gently laid a hand on Inochi's lap.</p><p>"I don't think that's the case."</p><p>That single sentence brought Inochi's eyes to Sihiri once more, and Sihiri drew closer. "You cared for these gardens more than anything, and you did everything you could to save them! The blame lies at the Arkeyans' feet for poisoning them with such ills, not you for trying your hardest to help the ones you cared for so! How could you be at fault for doing all in your power to tackle an issue beyond your control?"</p><p>A single tear crawled down Inochi's face, but Sihiri wiped it away.</p><p>"I don't fault you for not telling me this. I'm sure it's quite a heavy burden to bear, but, please don't blame yourself. After everything you've done, both then and now, I think you can ease your guilt."</p><p>Inochi's gaze softened, and she gave Sihiri a small nod before she drew into her grip. The two sat with arms wrapped tight, and their ghostly forms warm with love as they watched over the ruins. Though everything around was so cold and lifeless, it wasn't sorrow or grief Sihiri and Inochi felt. Instead, an odd sort of peace washed over Sihiri. It was as if the world rolled from her shoulders.</p><p>"I always wished I could've taken you here before it was ruined," Inochi whispered. "It truly was one of the most beautiful places in Skylands. Nothing else could have compared."</p><p>"It truly was, from what I did get to see." Sihiri chuckled as she tucked a strand of silver hair behind Inochi's ear. "What surprised me more was how outspoken you were! I never would have thought you were such a spitfire!"</p><p>A crimson blush dusted Inochi's cheeks. "Oh, I didn't say anything embarrassing, did I?"</p><p>Her rosy pink eyes drifted away from Sihiri as she turned her head, and even then she covered her face with her sleeve. "The village elders always scolded me for being so brash and sharp-tongued back then. If I wasn't a shrine maiden, they would have probably been a lot harsher, I'm sure. Looking back, I can't help but be embarrassed at how brazen I was." Inochi's gaze turned coy as she raised a brow. "That is, unless you <em>liked </em>that~"</p><p>"Well, if I had to pick…"</p><p>Sihiri crooned as she lifted Inochi's head. That crimson blush turned strong as Sihiri and Inochi sat face to face, and Sihiri let out a teasing chuckle as she ran her fingers down Inochi's cheeks, stopping at her chin.</p><p>"I'd say I like the present you just as much~"</p><p>Sihiri stole a kiss in that moment, one ripe with passion that she melted into just as much as Inochi did. The sweet taste of vernal fruits lingered on her lips as she drew back, and when she opened her eyes, all she saw was Inochi.</p><p>Inochi, with those gentle pink eyes like the fresh roses of the vernal season, with her silvery hair and the soft hands she held Sihiri so close with, with the kind heart who fought so hard so that all life could thrive. Inochi, who held her the closest in the coldest, longest nights and harshest of days when all Sihiri wanted to do was give up…</p><p>Her wife, Inochi, stood right beside her once more, and in that moment, Sihiri vowed to herself that she wouldn't lose her again.</p><p>"I suppose it's time we found the others," Inochi said as she stood up and stretched. Her eyes turned back to the gigantic tree behind them. With a solemn stance, she rapped on its trunk and added with a bit of pain, "come on, Tree Rex, it's time to leave."</p><p>The ground shifted, rumbled, and cracked around the tree's trunk as it stretched and shifted out. Its branches become more like arms, and the top of its trunk turned heavy and bulky as a sort of face pushed forward, bringing the horn-like branches with it. A pair of legs with mossy pants drew out from the earth next. A low grumble like that of a tired person waking from a long slumber rumbled in the tree's throat as it rubbed its eyes.</p><p>"I haven't had such a nice and peaceful nap in a long, long time," Tree Rex mused as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.</p><p>His eyes opened at last, and his face fell as the sights of the dead earth that once made up the forest greeted him. His fingers trembled, but he clenched them and only heaved a sigh.</p><p>"I'm glad I could rest here for one moment more." Tree Rex bowed his head, and his thick, wooden lips trembled as if he was going to cry too. But, he shook it off and smiled as he knelt down to Sihiri and Inochi. "Come on, let's find our friends."</p><p>Sihiri and Inochi crawled into the palm of Tree Rex's hand. The two of them crawled up to his fingertips as he lumbered, and peered down at the world below. The trees withered and crumbled to bits from the sheer might of Tree Rex's footsteps, and their splintered fragments littered the otherwise-bland, dead plains until they reached Inochi's village. As they did, Tree Rex halted with urgency, and nearly tossed back Sihiri from how quickly he jerked. She crawled back up, but beside her, Inochi covered her mouth and forced back tears.</p><p>The village that was once so full of life was now little more than ruins. All the houses and buildings were broken and battered from a lack of repair. Their tapestries laid tattered and fluttered only faintly in the breeze. Broken pottery and weapons were corpses on the battlefield, and stained with blood both red and green as they laid to rest. No sounds came but the wind, yet even the air was sterile compared to the fresh scents of food and nature that once blew through the village.</p><p>Sihiri wrapped her hand tight around Inochi's, squeezed it, and forced Inochi back into reality as Tree Rex passed the village by with his head hung low. Yet, he still caught one last glimpse as he reached the village outskirts, just in time for the wind to blow the village's ruins away. The place where Inochi was born and raised, where Tree Rex was planted generations before the birth of her or Sihiri's first ancestors, the place the two of them called home, truly was no more. All that remained was the endless plains of cold, dead rock under overcast skies.</p><p>"I suppose we should think about where the others might be," Sihiri remarked as she toyed with one of her locs, "but, where to start?"</p><p>Tree Rex let out a low hum, the same kind he made when he was deep in thought, and scratched his horn with his free hand. "When Inochi and I first left the village," he said at last, "we stumbled on this little mining town near some caves."</p><p>"A mining town, you say?" Sihiri turned around to meet Tree Rex's gaze. "If mining's their specialty, surely Crusher or Jorden would be there!"</p><p>"That's as good a place to start as any," Inochi said with a shrug. Surely, the sights of her old village weighed on her mind still.</p><p>Tree Rex nodded and forged ahead. His pace picked up as the skies cleared, and sun poured down from the heavens in stretches of warmth.</p><p>Soon enough, a large cave etched into the side of a mighty cliff peeked over the hills. More than that, so did houses, and signs, and even faint mumbles and talking rose in the air!</p><p>Tree Rex skidded to a stop right in front of the cavern, knelt down, and laid his hand on the ground. Sihiri and Inochi hopped out of his palms, and they frowned as he gingerly plucked one of the signs from the ground and brought it close to his face.</p><p>"'Mining work here,'" Tree Rex read, his voice slow as he scanned over every word, "'do not… enter… unless authorized magical personnel…'"</p><p>"I suppose I count as authorized magical personnel," Sihiri remarked with a shrug. "I do know magic like the back of my hand!"</p><p>Inochi and Tree Rex stifled their laughter, but Sihiri chuckled as she floated inside the caves. Inochi and Tree Rex's footsteps followed behind her, Tree Rex's loud and booming ones masking the soft clack of Inochi's geta. Sihiri took it as a sign to move forward.</p><p>The darker parts of the cave gave way to soft light as she rounded the cavern's corner, and the whole world bloomed with the bright light of lanterns strung along the cavern's top! Miners in all shapes and sizes worked away, from bulky trolls and elves who slammed hammers and pickaxes into the walls, to human and mabu sorcerers who used magic to push carts of shiny crystals down the rails. Aside of their work, they stayed completely silent with a steely sort of seriousness in their eyes and bodies as they worked away.</p><p>Sihiri eyed an elf who examined a scroll and floated towards them. They seemed like they were in charge of things here, so surely they'd probably have the answers she wanted. Just before she could open her mouth, however, a large quake rumbled through the cavern, shook the lanterns, and knocked most of the miners off their feet! The scroll-holding elf scurried off, and Sihiri followed them down the way to where…</p><p>Yes! Crusher was there! He still wore his helmet and brandished his beloved hammer tall, but his sash of rock traded off for gigantic armor somewhat akin to the gear the other miners wore. He knelt in the heart of a messy circle filled with the shards of glowing indigo crystals, and lifted one up so that the green of his eyes reflected in its shiny surface.</p><p>"Can confirm, these are Tzo Crystals!" Crusher said at last. His deep voice ruminated with joy as he lowered the crystal for the elf to view. "That glow is their trademark. Only Tzo Crystals glow like that after being pulverized!"</p><p>"Thanks the Ancients!" cried another voice with an undiscernible accent Sihiri recognized. "That's the last batch of 'em we needed!"</p><p>Out from the shadows came Jorden, who dressed in worn and stained miner's clothes, but sill held an unshakable smile on his face! He lifted two of the larger crystals over his shoulder with a grunt. Behind him, a few burly draconics followed as they lifted crystals from the ground. They all poured the crystals into a minecart and caught their breath, but only Jorden stopped to beam up at Crusher.</p><p>"Gotta hand it to ya, buddy! We'd be more lost than lambs if it weren't for your help!" Jorden proclaimed. "With all that fancy rock-spotting knowledge ya got, we're not only way ahead of schedule, but our benefactors will get all the rocks they need!"</p><p>"Oh, it's nothing!" Crusher replied. "Crushing rocks is what I do!"</p><p>"Excuse me, I was wondering about something."</p><p>A couple of firm footsteps shook the earth, and Sihiri turned around right as Tree Rex wandered in! He barely fit underneath the caverns, and had the duck underneath so that his horns didn't push through the ceiling. An awkward grin laid plastered on his face as he waved.</p><p>"You a new miner here, buddy?" Jorden asked as he walked up to Tree Rex. "Sure look burly enough for the part!"</p><p>"Actually, I wanted to know who exactly these benefactors you're getting these crystals for are?"</p><p>Crusher and Jorden both exchanged worried glances as Jorden pulled something vaguely like a scanner from his pocket and held it in front of Tree Rex. The scanner let out a few dull tones, and a red flash glowed from its surface. Jorden nodded and put it away as he motioned for Tree Rex to huddle forward. So, they all huddled together, though their voices were loud enough that Sihiri caught wind of their conversation regardless.</p><p>"See, we're getting' these for the free magicians!" Jorden explained. "We've been put in charge'a minin' some new crystals for them to use with some new weapons sure to kick Arkeyan keister!"</p><p>"Is that so?" Tree Rex chuckled. "How far along is the progress?"</p><p>"Way ahead of schedule!" Jorden beamed with pride as he pounded his fist against his chest. "Those fancy laser zapper thingies will be messin' with those Arkeyans in no time!"</p><p>"Well, that's good! You're among the free magicians right now!"</p><p>Both Crusher and Jorden's eyes widened, and the two traded frantic glances with each other, and then the rest of the mine.</p><p>"Wait, they're here already?" Crusher cried. "We need to get these shipped out!"</p><p>Tree Rex blinked and raised his hands. "Wait, no, that's not what I meant—"</p><p>"C'mon, buddy! Get those carts movin'!" Jorden cried as he rushed towards a minecart and pushed it off. "We've gotta get these crystals shipped out!"</p><p>Both Crusher and Jorden stormed off 'till they were only blurs in the distance. So much for sparking their memory that way. Tree Rex sighed and scratched his horns, and Sihiri in turn frowned and rested her hand in her chin. Her fingers drummed against her arm, and she lifted her head as a presence found its way near here.</p><p>"Was that Crusher and Jorden I just passed?" Inochi asked as she floated up to Sihiri. "Did they regain their memory?"</p><p>"Yes and no," Sihiri sighed. "I've forgotten they're both a bit… Literal-minded."</p><p>Inochi and Sihiri both sighed, but an explosion boomed out as Sihiri went to wrack her brain! The sound rang so loud that Sihiri's ears rang like bells, and she fell to her knees as the caverns rattled! A couple of rocks fell from the ceiling as Sihiri jumped up, but vines burst out and gripped the rocks before she could block them off.</p><p>"The sound came from over there!" Tree Rex cried as he pointed towards the right-hand side of the caverns.</p><p>Tree Rex stormed off, and Sihiri and Inochi floated off in urgency. The caverns rumbled as smaller explosions shook their walls. Ahead of them, an entire crowd of miners pushed and shoved each other aside as they stampeded through the caverns with sweat poured down their faces.</p><p>"A monster!" cried one miner as they stumbled over their own feet, and they held up the back of the crowds as they ran. "There's a monster here!"</p><p>Smoke flooded the caverns with such speed that Sihiri fell into a coughing fit, and the walls heated up as agonized groans rumbled through the caves! The loose stones below Sihiri shuddered as a hoarse scream shook the caves, and with it, the smoke and heat grew so intense that Sihiri fell to her knees. Even as a ghost, this was all so strong that she grappled for breath! Her coughing fit grew stronger as the smoke stung her eyes, but the clouds turned a minty green, and Sihiri's aches disappeared with the smoke's fading plumes.</p><p>A firm but gentle hand brought Sihiri back to her feet. When her eyes met Inochi's, the two nodded and rushed deeper into the caves. The heat rose with every inch they passed, and the screams grew louder, rougher, so much that they rattled the caves and even shattered a few sections! The heat grew dizzying as they stretched further, but relented as they finally passed into an open chamber in the caverns…</p><p>And there within stood Hot Head, who cried in agony as flames burned from every opening and vein in his body! His eyes were puffy with pain as he groaned. He slammed a flaming arm into a large stalagmite, and completely shattered it before he moved on to the next!</p><p>While he screamed and thrashed away, Tree Rex, Crusher and Jorden all stood around him with stances tense as they prepared to fight. A group of miners warily raised their hammers and pickaxes as they stood shaky and sweaty in the corner of the room. To the other corner, another group shouted out as they helped up a limping elf and hobbled away.</p><p>"Hot Head!" Sihiri and Inochi cried out in tandem as they rushed up to Tree Rex.</p><p>A volley of flames burst overhead, and Tree Rex ducked just before he caught fire. He knelt down closer to Sihiri and Inochi, yet winced as he gazed over to where Hot Head screamed and spewed fire at every angle.</p><p>"That's him, alright, but I don't know what happened to him!" Tree Rex whispered. "Whatever it is, he's in so much pain that he can barely think! We've gotta find some way to—"</p><p>"How dare you!" Crusher cried as he lifted his hammer and flung himself towards Hot Head. "Crushing rocks is <em>my</em> job, for the sake of the Ancients!"</p><p>"All of you, get out of here, quick!" Jorden cried as he followed after Crusher. "I'll keep this overgrown furnace distracted!"</p><p>The other miners screamed and cried out as they made their escape, but not Jorden. He rushed headfirst into the fray as he lifted up a sturdy, large rock, and tossed it right into Hot Head's knee! The rock shattered upon contact, but the pain it left sent Hot Head yowling. His leg swung, and he kicked Jorden right into the cavern walls.</p><p>Jorden screamed as he popped out from the walls, and Crusher growled at the sight as he squeezed his hammer. Crusher slid forward, and with one swift strike, flung the hammer's head right into Hot Head's chest! Flames spewed from Hot Head's veins as he flew back into a wall, smashed it to bits upon impact, and groaned as he stumbled up—but he collapsed back to the floor with one slam of Crusher's hammer!</p><p>Hot Head shuddered; for a moment, he slunk down a bit. He growled, and soon, that growl turned to a roar as his flames erupted brighter than before! His teeth gnashed while he turned a flaming palm on Crusher, and a white bellow of flames burst from his palms as they pushed Crusher into the wall behind.</p><p>The flames formed a net around Crusher, and pinned him to the spot while his hammer slipped to his feet with an earth-shaking thud. Crusher grunted as he pushed against flames. The flames in turn brightened and pushed him back against the wall. His stone turned red-hot underneath the heat, and sharp cracks came next as the heat split his rocky skin open.</p><p>"Wait, you two! Calm down!" Tree Rex cried as he ran into the fray with hands held up and eyes wide with worry. "We're all friends! Don't you remember?"</p><p>Hot Head's eyes fluttered, and his mouth gaped open while the flames around him seemed to die. The agony in his voice quelled a bit as he turned his attention to Tree Rex. For a moment, the pained look in his eyes turned to contemplation.</p><p>"What are you talking about?" Crusher groaned. He hobbled up to Tree Rex with his hammer as a makeshift cane. "I don't believe I've ever see you in my life!"</p><p>Tree Rex only smiled. "That's where you're wrong. You two are the Elder Elements of Fire and Earth, and my allies! We fought together through thick and thin!"</p><p>Sihiri and Inochi floated up, held out their hands, and cast an aura of purple and green light which cascaded over Hot Head and Crusher. The magic seeped into their veins and cracks, sealed Crusher's wounds, and calmed the flames that burned from Hot Head's veins, but, neither one seemed to notice!</p><p>Crusher and Hot Head stood transfixed as Tree Rex regaled them with stories of their fights against the Arkeyans, of epic battles where they saved the day, and the small moments they spent laughing and enjoying each other's company alike. If the sparkle in their eyes was of any indication, it almost seemed like the tall tales worked!</p><p>"If it weren't for your solid thinking, Crusher, and your firepower, Hot Head, we probably would've lost the battle against the Arkeyans that day, but thanks to you, we halted their invasion and ensured that Irragin would stand another day!" Tree Rex finished. "I have even more stories where that came from—unless you remember them now, of course."</p><p>Hot Head blinked and looked down at himself. "Hey, I'm not on fire anymore!" he proclaimed before he gasped and grinned, "and I can talk again! Ancients, I was hurting so bad I could barely think!" Hot Head raised a brow and glimpsed down at Sihiri and Inochi. "Did you two do this?"</p><p>Sihiri nodded and floated up. "You are one of our allies, Hot Head!"</p><p>"Hey, who're you calling a hot head?"</p><p>Sihiri and Inochi both chuckled as Hot Head shot them a glare. Well, Hot Head <em>was</em> more of a fighter than a thinker. He pouted as they both laughed some more, but even that remained for only a moment. Hot Head yelped in shock as they floated and laughed, and Sihiri opened her eyes right as a gigantic net zoomed out of the caverns with Hot Head held tight in its grips!</p><p>"After that net!" Tree Rex cried.</p><p>Tree Rex ran off with Crusher shouldered on one arm, and Inochi and Sihiri floated after him with haste. Hot Head's terrified shrieks and screams rang through the walls as they ran, but dulled as they finally exited. They found him held within its now silvery-bluish glow, and crammed so tightly within its netting that he was practically a ball.</p><p>"Lemme out of here!" Hot Head cried as he thrashed and pushed against the net's ropes and cords with little success. The netting just stretched with him, as if it taunted him. "These things are super cold!"</p><p>A shrill beep sounded, and the orbs that linked the netting hissed as they split open! They poured a silvery, sparkling mist into Hot Head's net prison. Frost formed at his feet as he thrashed some more, but his movements grew sluggish as the frost climbed up his legs, and turned them from red to an icy blue.</p><p>"Help, so, cold…"</p><p>"Hot Head!" Inochi cried.</p><p>"Hey, what's goin' on here?" Jorden cried as he rushed out of the caverns. "I get knocked out for five seconds, and next thing I know, everythin's gone topsy-turvy!"</p><p>"Jorden, something's wrong!" Inochi flew up to Jorden, and grabbed him by the shirt with no mind paid to the startled look in his eyes. "Hot Head, he's—"</p><p>"Fret not, innocent civilians of this humble town! Your woes will soon be over!"</p><p>A shadow cast out from a group of trees, and out from the bushes leaped… 'Enehana? Well, it looked like them, but the patchwork clothing and gadgets they wore disappeared! Their goggles were shiny, polished, and sparkled in the sun as they covered 'Enehana's eyes, while a pristine coat and tunic covered the rest of their body. They grinned as they held a remote in one hand, adjusted their goggles with the other, and brandished their remove to the heavens.</p><p>"Thanks to my Instant-Freezer 9000, this foul beast will no longer burn Skylands to its crisps! An icy prison serves as a fitting fate for such a mindless monster that rampages and burns everything it sees to the ground with no thought whatsoever!"</p><p>"Wait, freezer?" Hot Head whimpered as he barely struggled against the netting. "That cold's gonna, extinguish…"<br> "Silence, you flaming fiend!" A scowl formed on 'Enehana's face as they glared at Hot Head, and they clutched the remote close to their chest. "You've been rampaging about and burning villages to the ground for days now! An icy imprisonment is the kindest thing I can give you after all you've done!"</p><p>A puff of cold air burst from Hot Head's mouth as the frost climbed to his waist. He winced as he gazed towards 'Enehana with weak, pleading eyes. "But, I, I was so hot… So much oil… Couldn't control… Myself…"</p><p>"Listen to him, 'Enehana! You two are allies! Don't hurt each other like this!" Tree Rex pleaded.</p><p>'Enehana took a glance at Tree Rex and back at where Hot Head sat with wide eyes and a pleading pout. For a moment, it almost seemed like some kind of realization came over them as they pursed their lips—but, they only scoffed.</p><p>"I've never talked to that foul beast in my life 'till today! What kind of nonsense are you babbling about?" 'Enehana cried as they reached for their remote's dial. "Anyways, I'd best make this quick. I've got plenty more work to do."</p><p>'Enehana's fingers curled around the dial, but right as they went to turn, a blast of magic shot through it. The blow shattered the remote to bits! 'Enehana gasped as the remote's broken bits fell at their feet, and turned their gaze towards Sihiri with her wide eyes and glowing purple hands.</p><p>"You! What did you do to my remote?"</p><p>All eyes turned to Sihiri, and she winced as heat gathered in her cheeks. "I panicked!"</p><p>A low hiss sounded out from the back as the mist cleared up, and with it, the frost that covered Hot Head as well! His rocky body turned bright and red while the heat brimmed from his lava veins in its warm colors once more. Maybe a little too brightly, at that! The colors turned paler and brighter as Hot Head pushed against the netting, and with a roar, his whole body ignited. The flames burned against the nets as his thrashing rolled him backwards, and right towards the edge of the cliff!</p><p>"Hey, don't try to escape me!" 'Enehana cried as they sprung after Hot Head. "I wasn't done with you yet!"</p><p>Hot Head roared as he slammed his arm back with maybe a little too much force than needed, and the whole cliff shook in response! A sharp crack hit the air and the ground alike as a fissure formed in the cliff's side, and it crumbled as it took Hot Head and 'Enehana with it!</p><p>"Wait, those two'll get killed falling from that height!" Crusher cried as he stormed off.</p><p>Jorden gasped and dashed after Crusher. Sihiri herself tried to follow—but she came too late, for they both jumped right off the cliff's broken edge!</p><p>"Wait, you two!" Inochi cried.</p><p>Tree Rex ran off first, stumbled towards the edge of the cliff and reached out. He had no need to, for a gigantic stone pillar shot out from the ether with Crusher at its helm! Hot Head slunk down beside him, and to his right, Jorden made one of his cheesy smiles as he cradled 'Enehana in his arms. 'Enehana, for their part, just sputtered and clutched their arms close.</p><p>"Do I happen to know you?" 'Enehana asked as Jorden walked off the platform with them still firmly in his grasp.</p><p>"Well, uh, I don' believe I've ever seen you 'round these parts," Jorden admitted, and a soft chuckle came as a blush dusted his face. "But'cha know, you've got one'a those really memorable faces! The kind that beins' look at an' they think, 'Hey, I know that bein', even though I've never seen 'em a day in my life!' and, well, uh—"</p><p>"Nevermind, I remember now."</p><p>'Enehana planted a kiss on Jorden's cheek, and Jorden's face turned pink as a vernal strawberry as he hooted and hollered!</p><p>"SOMEONE HANDSOME KISSED ME! IT REALLY HAPPENED!"</p><p>Jorden tossed 'Enehana in the air, and 'Enehana laughed as orange light enveloped their body. Similarly, brown light took hold of Jorden's! Their bodies' mass faded as 'Enehana fell back into Jorden's arms, and once again they were ghosts. They donned the same clothes they wore on their death's date, their pendants sparkled with glee, yet they looked each other in the eye and held as tight as they cold could.</p><p>Another pair of lights, this time in brown and red, shone from the side as Crusher and Hot Head marveled them. When the lights faded, they once again returned to their normal states! Crusher's mining gear fell way to his helmet and sash, and both their bodies bore the cracks and scars of war. Still, the smile they shared with each other as Jorden spun around 'Enehana showed that they remembered all, both good and bad.</p><p>"Alright, what's going on here?" Crusher asked as he walked up to Tree Rex. "All I remember was going into that trial room, and then…"</p><p>"I'm not sure myself," Tree Rex admitted. "I can only presume this is the trial the Oracle laid for us, but why? What for?"</p><p>Crusher and Hot Head traded glances as they scratched their heads. Ultimately both shrugged and sighed, and Tree Rex did the same.</p><p>"Personally, I think we've had enough excitement for now," Sihiri said as she clapped her hands. "Let's just meet up with the others and go from there."</p><p>The echo of her clap rang through the air, and from it, a warp of glistening lavender opened underneath their feet. The light shone its brightest, and in a flash, it wrapped them in its magic and whisked them all away.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 18: The Oracle Part 1 (Part 1)<p>The searing light from the door faded, yet a strange, tingly feeling remained as all around groaned and rubbed their faces. Their eyes opened, and a blurry, faintly blue and gold-colored room met them (though, it was little more than blobs of color to them). The soft sound of whistling breezes echoed through the room even though there shouldn't have been any wind, and it was as warm as a pleasant summer day. Even though it seemed a little eerie, something about this room comforted everyone enough that they let themselves rest; their shoulders slumped, and their weapons stowed away.</p><p>Those blue and yellow blurs and blobs sharpened into a proper room before them, one that held a shiny gold floor while pale blue light spewed from its cracks. Streams of clear magic poured from the sidelines, and left ripples around marbled blue walls decorated with golden arches in the vague shapes of doors. A large hole laid in the center of the floor, yet a geyser of blue magic poured out from it and obscured the bottom it held below—if there was even a bottom to it at all.</p><p>It was a pretty sight, but it brought one question.</p><p>"Alright, did we make it?" Chihiro asked as she stepped forward, hands on her hips and eyes peeled. "'Cause I'm not seeing an oracle anywhere around here."</p><p>"Well maybe he's just getting himself ready!" Flynn chuckled as he brushed off his shoulder and puffed out his chest. "Surely a super smart dude like him knows having Skylands' best and bravest pilot in his quarters is quite the occasion!"</p><p>Eruptor scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Maybe we took a turn in that weird voidy place? I couldn't make heads of tails of where we were going there."</p><p>Raising a brow, Chihiro turned around and shrugged. "I thought it was pretty straightforward, well, when my brain wasn't spinning around in my skull, anyways. Besides, it didn't seem like there's anywhere else."</p><p>"I can assure you, this is the Oracle's residence," the high priest interrupted as she stepped forward. "Just be patient, for he will arrive any moment."</p><p>Chihiro frowned and tilted her head. "I don't know. Did he know we were coming?" she whispered. She stumbled over and peered into the floor's gigantic hole. "Maybe I should drop him a line."</p><p>"Oh, I can reassure you that I am well aware of your presence, heroes of Skylands!"</p><p>A chuckle echoed from within the chamber's heart, one that reverberated and echoed, but not with volume. It was tranquil, almost alien in sound. More importantly, though, it alarmed Chihiro enough that she stumbled back!</p><p>She lifted her head and gasped as the light from the floor grew brighter, but soon faded enough that some kind of silhouette—one round and bumpy with long tentacles, and another, longer stalk of some kind stretched from its top—formed in the pillar!</p><p>The silhouette pressed forward as a single blue eye stalk with a yellow and red eye inside of it poked through the pillar, and it peered down on Chihiro. A round blue body covered with cyan and purple bumps that paired with a slightly-smiling mouth emerged next, and a series of tentacles like a squid's with green undersides came last as the light faded entirely. Though odd in appearance, a kind of divine aura radiated from this being. It was as if the power and knowledge of entire generations wrapped itself into one existence and shone from them like sunlight.</p><p>The strange being chuckled and nodded towards Chihiro, yet lifted themself up as she stepped backwards and bowed.</p><p>"I am Octavius Cloptimus, the Oracle of Skylands' beyond," the being said as he stretched out a tentacle towards Chihiro. "I have watched over Skylands since its infancy. I've seen empires rise and fall, civilizations fall to their destruction and rise from the ashes, the births, lives, and deaths of quintillions, and from it, I have learned almost everything there is to know about Skylands and more."</p><p>Chihiro hastily nodded and raised her mouth open, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. She just stood there, eyes wide in awe as the only part of her body that could move.</p><p>Behind her, the others fell to their knees (or whatever they could) in a slow wave as they bowed towards the Oracle. Those who didn't bow at least offered him a respectful nod, or backed away in sheer awe.</p><p>All but Nemir, that was, who merely strode up by Chihiro's side and gave the Oracle a friendly nod.</p><p>"Ah, wise Oracle Octavius! It has been quite some time since I last consulted you," Nemir said with a tone like he spoke to an old friend and not a near-deity. "When I first came to you for guidance, I was as green as the spring shoots, a young man still grappling with the burdens and responsibilities of kinghood. I'm not sure I'd be the man I am today if not for the wisdom you gave me."</p><p>The Oracle chuckled. "Ah, good king Nemir, the wisest king Molekin Mountain has ever know in its generations. It truly is a pleasure to be in your presence again." The Oracle smiled and shook his head, tsking as he did. "But, you needn't thank me. I merely offered you knowledge, but it was your studiousness and vigilance that turned it to wisdom. If anything, you should take pride in yourself for your hard work."</p><p>"Oh, my!" Nemir chuckled and took a step back as he glanced aside. "To hear that from someone like you—"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, we get it, you're smart and you like to toot your own horn," Flynn butted in as he barged through. Crossing his arms, Flynn quirked a brow towards the Oracle. "But, are you really as all-knowing as you say you are?"</p><p>Nemir clenched his teeth and shot daggers at Flynn! The Oracle's laughter stopped him before he could curse Flynn out. Nemir stepped backwards a bit as the Oracle smiled at him, though he still shot quite a few nasty glares at Flynn as he did.</p><p>"Do not fret, Nemir," the Oracle said, as if he knew exactly what Nemir thought in that moment. "I understand beings will have their doubts about me."</p><p>The Oracle moved towards Flynn as he floated down just a bit until they were somewhat eye-level.</p><p>"To begin with, I know the names of all of you who stand in this room now." The Oracle's eye peered down. "Of course we have you, Flynn Lightcycle, the young portal master Chihiro Hatsuki, who hails from a world far away from where we call home, as well as my acquaintance Nemir…"</p><p>The Oracle's eye moved to the back.</p><p>"To your back, we have the Elder Elementals. BB-12, the star roboto-ball player; Fatimah, the master of magic; Essex, the stalwart whale; Etna, the tamer of flames; Eben, the shaper of the earth; Ochiul and Armura, who together form a most legendary duo; Tree Rex, the guardian of life; and none other than Prince Abejape, youngest son of the ancient Hymenopteran bloodline and the reigning monarch of the skies."</p><p>The Oracle moved his eye down below to where the rest of the ancient portal masters resided as the Elder Elementals gasped and glanced at each other.</p><p>"Of course, we can't forget the portal masters that fought valiantly alongside you, either. Sihiri, who gave up her peaceful life to protect the ones she loved; Vatra and Vaayu, who fight to save the innocent lives they weren't able to save before; Luz and Fintster, the brothers who fought for the safety of their family; Inochi, who wishes to protect the natural world's harmony; 'Enehana, who uses their vast wisdom to protect those from the very things they made; Jorden, a humble woman with a heart as strong as his muscle; and Dej, the traveler who fought Arkeyan tyranny every step of his journey."</p><p>The ancient portal masters shied away from view. Some of them whispered in timid shock, others blushed and played down their accomplishments, and a few just basked. Still, their surprise downplayed itself as the Oracle's eye moved to the Skylanders.</p><p>"And the heroes of today, the Skylanders. Trigger Happy, a gremlin with a past as enigmatic and chaotic as he himself; Spyro, the young hero of prophecy with a legacy stretching across worlds; Gilligan, a name quite fitting for his marine background; Vesuvius, a lava monster who's weaponized his species' explosive disposition for the better of all; Finnley, both a fighter and a lover; Cynder, who fights to atone for atrocities committed when she was not in control of herself; Shizuka, the elven ninja who seeks the secrets of her past; and Celeste, the hybrid who controls the weather at her wills."</p><p>The Oracle passed by the Skylanders' stunned glances, and his eye set on where Cali and the high priest laid.</p><p>"And lastly, we have California Jane, one of the most famous adventurers of her time, and Aikaterine, current high priest of Molekin Mountain." The Oracle chuckled and turned his eye back to Flynn. "Does that put your worries to rest, Flynn?"</p><p>Flynn hummed and flicked his ear as he glanced back up at the Oracle. "I mean, you can read about some guy's achievements in any book, and I'm sure my achievements as bravest, best, and not to mention humblest pilot of all Skylands have reached quite a few ears. But, how can we know you know all this stuff you say you do? Do you really know everything there is to know about everything?"</p><p>"Alright, so I see that you require a bit more evidence of me." The Oracle nodded and cleared his throat. "Well, if you wish to know evidence of my all-knowing knowledge, how about I list off a few facts about you?"</p><p>"Go for it, buddy! I'm sure everyone'll love hearing about my adventures!"</p><p>A smirk formed on Flynn's face as the Oracle cleared his throat.</p><p>"Very well then," the Oracle began, oblivious to the smug look on Flynn's face. "Flynn Lightcycle, you make up songs about your adventures to sing in the shower, you sleep with your favorite wrench at night…"</p><p>Flynn popped his eyes wide. For a moment, it seemed as though his normally-sunset orange fur turned a bright scarlet instead! His ears twitched as a couple chuckles came from the back of the room, and he clenched his teeth and stormed up.</p><p>"And though you claim that you're saving yourself for all your admiring followers alike, in truth, the reason you've never entered a relationship is because you've been nursing feelings for a Mabu named—"</p><p>"Alright, alright, I get it!" Flynn thrust himself in front of the Oracle and frantically waved his hands. "You're all-knowing and stuff, you can stop now!"</p><p>"Very well then."</p><p>Flynn coughed into his scarf and shuffled away. behind him, Nemir stifled a laugh of his own, almost like he relished in Flynn's brush with the Oracle's skills.</p><p>This mattered little to Chihiro, for she took her position to the front once more. "If that's out of the way," Chihiro took a breath in and out. "Then—"</p><p>"I am also aware of why you came to consult me," the Oracle said as he swirled around. "The final Arkeyan Emperor-King, Arkilles, seeks a way to Arkus as a means to revive his empire, and plunge Skylands into the depths of tyranny once more. You wish to stop him, but with no map to guide you, you're at a loss as to what to do next."</p><p>Chihiro's eyes fluttered and she rapidly nodded. "So, you can help us, then?"</p><p>"After all, wise Oracle, you know everything about Skylands' past," Nemir added as he stepped in. His teasing looks from earlier traded hands for a more serious one as he clasped his incorporeal hands. "Surely, you understand the grave danger that lies within Arkus's walls, and what it would do to Skylands to have him take his empire back once more?"</p><p>"Indeed I do, Nemir," the Oracle nodded. "Getting the information is of little trouble for me, and I can easily help you with <em>this </em>problem. But" — the Oracle's eye narrowed as he glanced among their ranks — "I sense something else troubles you as well. Some of you are grappling with the fact that your present is now the past, others are troubled by the resurgence of such strong foes, and one of you was shaken by recent events and is trying to find themself amid all of it."</p><p>Chihiro winced, glanced, and grabbed her vest almost on instinct. She glanced back up at the Oracle, but he just chuckled and spun around. "How, how did he know?"</p><p>"I know almost-all, after all." The Oracle spun around once more. "So, in light of this, I propose a little test to earn this information."</p><p>"A test?" Flynn spat back and snarled as he crossed his arms. "Why d'you need to test us for this, anyways? You just know what's gonna happen since you know all and stuff!"</p><p>"I'm with Flynn on this," Cali added from the sidelines as she stepped from the crowd. "If you know all that there is in Skylands, why do you need to test us?"</p><p>The high priest grabbed Cali by the wrist just before she could break from the crowds. "Do not question the Oracle, young one!" the high priest tsked. "If the Oracle sets you up to a test, surely it's for the best! That's the adage we've adhered by for generations, and he's never failed us in that regard!"</p><p>"Thank you for your confidence, Aikaterine, but they do deserve some insight as well." the Oracle held a tentacle to himself and cleared his throat once more. "You see, I have a bit of a plight myself, one I wish for you to aid me in."</p><p>"A plight? What kind of problems would you have?" Flynn scoffed. "You know everything!"</p><p>"Correction—I know <em>almost </em>everything. I know all there is to know about the past, and to some extent, the present as well." For the first time since they first saw him, the Oracle's face fell and he shook. "However, the future's ever-twining threads are an enigma to me, an ever-churning fog I cannot pierce."</p><p>The Oracle smiled once more and clasped his tentacles, and that eerie aura of power radiated from him once more. "So, I wish for you to help me with a test. I will send you all through several trials, and attempt to predict the decisions you will make. If I do this, the data I get will surely aid my attempts in scrying the future. Once you complete these trials, I will give you the information you seek."</p><p>"Alright, what kind of trials are we looking at, then?" Spyro asked as he flew up from the back of the group. "Fights? Time trials? Obstacle courses?"</p><p>"I am afraid I cannot tell you the exact contents, or else it will bias the data." The Oracle shook his head, but a smile remained on his face still. "That being said, I will assure you that if things grow too dangerous, I will bring you back here as safe as I can—and it will be very safe, for this entire dimension bends to my will and wishes."</p><p>Spyro frowned, and beckoned for Chihiro, Flynn, and Nemir to join him as he flew to the back of the group. By the time the three of them arrived, Spyro already huddled in with the rest. They all squeezed tight as they spoke in barely-heard whispers and glanced between themselves and the Oracle. A few arms jabbed, a few feet shuffled, but it seemed they were stiff as statues aside of their mouths and these small movements. Perhaps it fit, considering what laid ahead of them.</p><p>"I don't know if I trust this guy," Eruptor whispered as he shuffled in closer. "I know he's an all-knowing and all-powerful oracle guy and stuff, but" — Eruptor shuddered, and the lava that bubbled from his veins popped and crackled like fireworks — "he gives me the creeps!"</p><p>"I'm with Ruptor on this one. Something about him doesn't seem quite right," Terrafin added.</p><p>"Listen, I know he's strange," Spyro whispered as he came in closer, "but, like it or not, he's our best bet if we want to stop Arkilles, or Kaos, or whoever he is now! It's not like we can storm his front gates and steal back the map again! If we wanna get to Arkus before he does, we'll have to do it!"</p><p>"How do we know he isn't lying to us? You can't exactly trust weird overly-powerful deity dudes!" Cynder snapped. "How do we know he isn't setting us up for something?"</p><p>"He seems trustworthy enough to me," Stealth Elf added. "If he was acting suspicious, I would've seen through it in an instant!"</p><p>"And he knows so much that he could've hidden it from you!"</p><p>"Yeah, Cynder's right!"</p><p>Spyro winced and craned his head towards Tree Rex's group. "Well, what do you all think?"</p><p>Nemir stepped forward and held out his hand, and his footsteps demanded silence as they clacked against the marble.</p><p>"I'll start by saying that the Oracle is almost akin to an Ancient in power," Nemir said. "If he wished, we'd be zapped to ashes the moment we stepped foot in his realm, and yet we're still standing. He has not steered anyone wrong before. I trust that he has no ill intent."</p><p>"And if Nemir believes him, I do as well," Sihiri chimed in.</p><p>The other ancient portal masters nodded, and the Elder Elementals did as well while they stood above the Skylanders. Cali and Flynn still grimaced a little below them, as if they weren't exactly sure themselves. Their hesitance stewed a bit of unrest in the Skylanders as they shuffled around, but their unease ceased as Spyro turned to the Oracle.</p><p>"Alright, Oracle," Spyro asked. "What exactly will you do if things go south?"</p><p>"It is simple, really," the Oracle said as he clapped his tentacles and summoned a blue light underneath him. "This realm is a realm entirely of my making and control, and I can do with it as I please. In the event that something should happen to you and you need to retreat" — the Oracle clapped his tentacles again and the light faded — "I will summon you back here, and use my powers to heal you of all injury."</p><p>Spyro frowned and flapped his wings as he turned to Chihiro. "Chi, what do you think?"</p><p>Chihiro hummed and rubbed her chin. "Well, we do need that information on Arkus, and it's not like we'll be able to get it anywhere else—not easily, anyways," she started while a more pensive look crossed her face, "and this guy's so smart and powerful that I believe he has complete control over this domain. Plus, he was able to tell something was bugging us, so maybe whatever knowledge he has will help us there, too!" Chihiro smiled and banged a fist against her palm. "I think we should do it!"</p><p>The Skylanders glimpsed and glanced around the room, but reluctantly nodded as they caught sight of Chihiro's smile, and next Spyro's as he beamed back at her. If their leaders had full confidence in this, surely they should as well, right? That seemed to be the prevailing opinion, and besides, the Elder Elementals and ancient portal masters had them outnumbered anyways.</p><p>So, they joined Spyro and Chihiro.</p><p>"Alright, we'll go for the time being," Cynder reluctantly said at last as she trailed out of the group. Her eyes narrowed, and a shock of lightning flashed in them as she glanced at the Oracle. "But make no mistake, I'll personally shock you to death if you <em>are</em> planning something!"</p><p>"I will hold you to that promise," the Oracle said before he swept out of the way.</p><p>The Oracle clapped his tentacles, and the hole in the floor sealed up while the three decorative spaces ahead all warbled and shifted. Soon, they became proper doors right before everyone's eyes!</p><p>One door was red and gold, and covered in ancient-seeming runes and carvings; the second was a periwinkle color and embedded with gems in the colors of all Skylands' elements; the third was a sleek, shiny white and coated in luminescent rainbow glitter; still, each one came with an eerie feeling akin to that of what the Oracle himself radiated. Was it the mystery of the trials itself that propelled this feeling? Was it the mystical feeling this strange dimension held? Whatever it was, it billowed from the doors like smoke from a fire, and spread across the rooms as it chilled the warm feeling of its surface.</p><p>"The Elder Elementals and the ancient portal masters will take the first door," the Oracle said as he gestured to the red and gold door, "the Skylanders will take the second…"</p><p>The two groups spread in lines towards the doors, and Chihiro trailed after Spyro as he headed towards his door. A soft push from the Oracle's tentacle froze her in place! It was not from magic, but from simple shock, for chills ran down her spine before she shook them off and turned to the Oracle.</p><p>"You don't go with them, Master Chihiro," the Oracle said as he nudged Chihiro towards the white door. "This one is for you."</p><p>Chihiro nodded, turned around, and shuddered for a moment more as she reached out to the door and ran her fingers against it. It had no lock or knob, but the surface was light enough that a gentle push flung it open. Rainbow and white light poured out from the doorway! The same light came from the other two groups' doors as they gasped, yet otherwise they stood silent, as if they judged the path before them one last time.</p><p>Finally, it was the Elder Elementals and the ancient portal masters who left first, for they waved farewell to their companions as they entered the door. The Skylanders went next, and waved to them for a moment before they nodded to each other and entered their own door. They all left quickly, so Chihiro just gulped and raced inside.</p><p>The doors all slammed shut behind them, and the sound echoed in a shaky reverberation around the room.</p><p>The Oracle, Flynn, Cali, and the high priest were only left to watch. The eerie silence of the room came once more, for it seemed a lot lonelier without the company. Flynn and Cali both glanced at each other, next the doors as they winced, but it was Cali who stepped up first.</p><p>"So," Cali began as she raised her hand, "what exactly are we supposed to do?"</p><p>"Nothing," the Oracle said as he waved his tentacles. A console formed before him, and he beckoned for them to come. "You will wait here while your friends attend to their trials. Since you are not attending, I may explain the purpose of these trials to you."</p><p>The Oracle chuckled as the three of them drew forward, and pulled up one screen of the console. There, the Elder Elementals and ancient portal masters walked through an endless white void in crystal-clear quality, a sight that seemingly amused the Oracle as he raised his brow. The light around them brightened and flooded in the screen until it was little more than a glowing square. The light brushed against the Oracle's face, and he glanced back down at Flynn, Cali, and the high priest before he quickly turned his attention to the console.</p><p>"You see, the nature of these trials is as such that…"</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Luz groaned and rubbed his eyes as beams of sunlight poured over him. The sun was bright and harsh, way more harsh than Luz remembered it being. He waved his hand to try and dim it a bit; he just wanted to sleep, dang it!</p><p>Every bone in his body ached, his whole body grew heavy and cumbersome, and he didn't know why. Wait, heavy? Since when did he feel heavy? As a ghost, he was as light and nimble as a feather, and able to float with ease! In fact, he could do it right now… If he wasn't so tired and if the sunshine wasn't so harsh. He waved his hand again, but the sun shone even brighter, almost as if it scolded or taunted him!</p><p>"Alright, alright, geez!" Luz shouted out as he pushed himself up while the feeling of thick cloth hit his body. "I'm getting" — Luz opened his eyes and his face fell — "up?"</p><p>Luz's eyes fluttered again, and he clutched that thick cloth as he sat up in utter, stunned silence. He laid in a simple room with a single bed, some clothes hung on a windowsill to dry, and only a few tapestries hung from shelves for decoration. Actually, judging by the thickness and the animal fur textures they had, those tapestries seemed more like blankets? The straw-thatched roof let in mottled dots of sunlight from its tiny gaps, yet the warmth of the outside world poured in and heated the adobe floors and bed around him. Just how did Luz get in this place? He wasn't sure, and he didn't exactly feel comfortable staying here, even if this furry blanket was comfortable.</p><p>"Just, where was I, anyway?" Luz asked as he stumbled out of bed and rubbed his eyes.</p><p>He was sure that he was somewhere else, with someone else, no, some other beings, there were more, he was sure… Or were there? Every time he tried to think about what happened, his head spun and he started to lose his footing. It was like something locked away his memories and threw away the key! He frowned and glimpsed down at himself, but wait, something else was wrong too!</p><p>"Wait, I have a body again?"</p><p>That wasn't right. Everyone had a body, right? Still, the sight of Luz's own flesh left him trembling, as if something about it was eerily wrong. He still wore his clothing, at least! At least, he thought these were his clothes, yet the style felt wrong in a way he couldn't name. He stood in a strange place he couldn't quite remember, he couldn't remember a thing, and the sight of his own body left him shaking! Just what was going on here?</p><p>Well, whatever it was, the first step to finding that out was getting out! He stormed towards the open gap in the wall that he assumed was a doorway, but before he could leave, he ran into someone and fell on the floor! The armor chestplate he wore cushioned the blow, but the surprise left him stunned still.</p><p>"There you are, Luz! I thought you would sleep for an eternity!"</p><p>There before Luz stood a woman tall and skinny like a vine with flowing golden hair as long as she was tall. Her skin was the same shade of brown that Luz's was, but while Luz's nose was large and round, hers was long and thin, and her lips were a bit larger compared to his own. Her face was angular and sharp unlike his round and chubby one. She wore a long and loose white dress with golden triangle patterns weaved into it, and her arms crossed as she tapped her foot and revealed the golden sandals she wore.</p><p>"Come on, the sun isn't going to shine forever!" the woman shouted as she bent down just slightly and urged Luz from the floor. "You've got a big day ahead of you, so—"</p><p>Just as the woman reached out towards Luz, however, he panicked and pushed her hand away! He hadn't really meant to, but it moved by itself. After all, he was in a strange place, and a woman he didn't recognize stood right before him! It was normal that he'd freak out! Luz winced and glanced back up at the woman.</p><p>He expected scorn, yet that wasn't what greeted him when she stared. No, she seemed concerned, almost, as she fell to her knees and patted his face!</p><p>Luz grunted, rolled backwards, and hit the wall once more. "Wait, who are you?" Luz spat at last. His hands grappled at the air around him, as if he reached for something—but what it was, he wasn't certain. "What is this place?"</p><p>"Luz, are you sure you're feeling alright?" the woman asked in turn as she stepped forward. "How do you not even recognize your own mother?"</p><p>Mother? So this woman was his mother? Something about that didn't feel quite right, and just the sight of her sent a feeling of uneasiness down Luz's spine. He couldn't quite recall anything else, so he was in no position to question things, either.</p><p>The woman swept forward and clasped Luz's face in her hands once more. "Luz, are you entirely certain that you feel alright? The—"</p><p>"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Luz spat out with maybe a little more aggression than he intended. Luz forced a smile as the woman glanced at him, and held a hand to her face. "I'm just kinda tired."</p><p>The woman frowned for a moment, but shook her head and turned away nonetheless. "In that case, there's food waiting for you on the table. Come with me."</p><p>The woman rounded the corner and disappeared once more, but Luz didn't follow her just yet. He frowned, rubbed his chin again, and glanced over his room. Was it really his room? Was this really his home? Was she really his mother?</p><p>He tried to think, tried to recall something, but a sharp pain hit his skull the moment he thought even the slightest, and he fell to his knees. He frantically rubbed his head as if that would somehow whisk the pain away, and thankfully, its surge faded quickly. Luz's arms fell limp at his sides as he panted. The faint remnants of pain stung against his skull, and beads of sweat crossed his nose.</p><p>Luz pushed himself up as his breathing slowed, dusted off his clothes, and sighed as he passed through the door. "Well, no use questioning it," Luz mumbled as he walked into the next room, his head held down the entire time. "Might as well go eat."</p><p>Luz lifted his head as sunbeams stretched into the room ahead. They revealed a simple table filled with meats, berries, and loaves of bread where his mother sat. To her side sat a man more like Luz in facial features, but his skin was a shade or two lighter, his body was more bulky compared to Luz's fat, and his hair was short, carefully groomed, and a deep brown the color of rich earth, as opposed to Luz's mop of messy golden hair. He donned a loose shirt and pair of pants, his mustache twitched as he ate a slice of bread and some berries, and a sort of warm feeling like summer sunlight radiated from him. Something in Luz's gut told him this was his father, yet that premonition still didn't feel right to Luz.</p><p>Luz glanced down at himself and frowned deeper. There was a long, loose white shirt and pants draped over him, but Luz wasn't really sure he was wearing this before. Was he? His head spun again, so he shook off the dizziness and stumbled over to the table.</p><p>He scraped a few berries, grabbed some meat, and nibbled away as his parents talked about some big battle, or some nosy neighbors, or something. A flask of water rested to his side, so he sipped it down in turn. He couldn't quite manage more than a few sips before he laid it down along with his barely-eaten meal. He wasn't sure why, but he just wasn't particularly hungry today. Strange, the food itself looked appealing enough, yet just the sight of it left him sick to his stomach.</p><p>"Luz, is something bothering you?" his father asked.</p><p>Luz shook his head and smiled. "Nothing, father."</p><p>Luz's father raised a bushy brown eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?" he asked. "You've been staring at that food like it's rotted before your eyes!"</p><p>"I'm just tired, that's all."</p><p>Luz's father gulped down another slice of bread and raised a brow. "Well, if you say so. Speaking of, weren't you and your friends going to do something today? What were their names?"</p><p>He had friends? Luz wanted to say something, but at the same time, he couldn't quite recall their names, either. When he thought of friends, he thought of some vague figures—humans and those non-human alike—but, just that thought and his head spun!</p><p>So, Luz only nodded in agreement. He fixed his eyes on his food as he took small bites of it once more, in hopes that it would keep his father's attention off of him.</p><p>"So, did you hear about what the Arkeyans did to Gandones?" Luz's mother asked.</p><p>"Oh, I heard alright! Those poor beings, they didn't even stand a chance! The Arkeyans razed their entire village to the ground before they could even fight back…"</p><p>Hearing that, Luz raised a brow. He barely smelled smoke, yet nothing around him burned, and faint cries and shouts rang in his ears. Except, the only ones here were him and his parents, and nothing outside seemed like it would've elicited those smells and sounds! Still, something about it felt like it was happening right here!</p><p>"I swear, they just can't be stopped! Some of the elders in the village fear they'll take the entire peninsula at this rate…"</p><p>"The elders? Like the ones who took us away when the Arkeyans attacked?" Luz piped up at last.</p><p>But wait, when did that happen? Luz wasn't entirely sure, yet something in his gut told him it had! He vaguely recalled wandering through the village and the woods at night with the other children and the elders as the sounds of war raged behind them.</p><p>Yet, the confused look in his parents' faces showed they were just as clueless as he was!</p><p>"Luz, what are you talking about? The Arkeyans are no threat to us," his mother said. She smiled at him, and her gaze turning warm and sickeningly sweet like honey. "You have nothing to worry about. We've fended them off plenty of times before, and we'll do so again if we have to."</p><p>Luz soured as he heard that. Her tone was condescending; it was the kind of tone parents took when they had to pretend to care about things, but he knew for a fact that they didn't take them as seriously as he swore they were, and he <em>hated it. </em>Didn't she remember the fight? How she whisked him away with the rest of the kids in the middle of the night with just a sack of rations to his name? The early-morning arguments? The battle he knew she didn't survive?</p><p>He wanted to argue back, but he didn't remember it all that well either. It only came to him in brief flashes as fickle as the sunlight while it passed through the trees. Every time a memory came to him, it slipped just as quickly and left a searing headache in its place. Luz bit his lip, steeled himself, and glared back down at his mother.</p><p>"But, how do you know that? How do you know they aren't just gonna run up in the middle of the night and catch you off-guard? How do you know something won't happen?" Luz spat, and his words grew more intense as he did. He barely noticed the raising of his voice, or the tears that flowed down his cheeks in tiny drops, or how his hands pounded against the table. "How do you know I won't lose you?"</p><p>That sickeningly sweet look on his mother's face was gone, now replaced by wide-eyed concern. She reached out a hand, but Luz's father stopped her, and instead it was him who reached out to Luz. Luz's mother's eyes still didn't quite leave him as she wrung parts of her golden hair.</p><p>"Luz, is that why you're acting so strange? Are you worried about the Arkeyans?" his father asked as he brushed away Luz's tears with his worn, callused thumb. "I know it's normal to be worried when you hear about things like this, but I promise you, we're perfectly safe. Our village's defenses are the strongest there are, and we've warded off Arkeyan threats more times than I can count! We'll be—"</p><p>"But, don't you remember? Don't you remember when they tore our village down? When they attacked us and you had to send me away when I was little? And, and I…"</p><p>Luz's father's hand drew back from him, and the hairs of his mustache twitched as he sat by the table. They hadn't spoken a word, but the bewildered look in their eyes confirmed what Luz figured: they didn't remember. In fact, it almost seemed like to them, it never even happened!</p><p>"Luz, did you have a bad dream? Are you sure you aren't confused?" his mother asked. "Nothing like that ever happened! We've been living perfectly safe and sound in this village for years. Not once have you ever left the forest!"</p><p>"Your mother's right. Maybe you just had a bad dream," his father chimed in. "If it's bothering you that much, we can contact the priestess and she can help you interpret it—"</p><p>Luz stood up, and took one last bite of his breakfast before he stormed for the door.</p><p>"No, actually, I think I'm going to go out," Luz said with not even a glance back at his parents.</p><p>Figures, they probably wouldn't remember. Surely, when he went outside and saw the village's remains, they would recall at last, and maybe he'd finally figure out what was going on with his memories, and why he felt so strange, and why his head kept hurting whenever he tried to think about it.</p><p>The light hit his face the moment he stepped out of the house, and the first thing he expected was ruin and dead bodies strewn about like fallen leaves.</p><p>What greeted him instead was the picture of idle paradise! The streets warmed pleasantly under the sunlight, the trees' leaves rustled in gentle breezes carried by the blue skies, and the houses all stood as tall as they always did (did they?). Children ran to and fro, and their laughter rang in Luz's ears as they played together and alone on the streets while their parents sat by and chatted with each other. A few of the village elders laid together underneath an aged tree as they fed the birds, a few lovey-dovey couples wandered around…</p><p>But, this wasn't right! This whole village was razed to the ground, just like the one his father talked about! Luz couldn't remember much, but he knew that was the case. He could recall the flames, the sounds of weapons and war cries, of how he ran through the forest and out of the village, of the, the…</p><p>Another thing came to him, something with glinting, glowing eyes filled with malice and something sharp in its possession, but the thought was so distant! He reached for it, grappled for it like it was just out of reach and gone further by the second. A sharp pain snapped into Luz's shoulder as it shook him out of his thoughts.</p><p>"Hey Luz, what's gotten into you?" asked someone to his front. "You didn't forget what we were gonna do today, right?"</p><p>Luz shook his head again, and when he lifted it, he found a trio of people. They were all about his age by a simple glimpse, and dressed in clothes similar to the ones he wore. They all smiled at him like they knew him, so he figured they might've been the friends his parents talked about, but he couldn't quite recall who they were, or where he saw them before.</p><p>Then again, he saw the girl, and the vague flash of a memory came back to him: that of a crying girl who cradled a doll in her arms as she wailed out for her parents. He glimpsed towards the boy that stood beside her, and the taller boy that towered over them both. In their faces, he saw two brothers, one elder and wiser who tried to keep his scared little brother from running back home…</p><p>That sharp glaring face popped back into Luz's memory as he stumbled back! The laughter of children and chatter of adults drowned out in favor of sharp, creaking metal that rang in his ears like the mocking calls of vultures. He just barely saw something drawn from the shadows in his mind's eye. A blade? An ax? What was it, what was it? He could smell the smoke, feel the fire, hear the screams and metal creaks; it was as if he was right back into the heart of the fray!</p><p>Luz fell to his knees. He groaned and whimpered as he dug into his scalp like that would somehow relieve the awful pain he was in.</p><p>"Luis, what's he doing?" the girl shouted as she turned to the older boy.</p><p>"I don't know, Lana!" Luis shouted back. His teeth gritted, and he latched onto Luz's shoulders as he shook him back and forth. "Come on, Luz, snap out of it!"</p><p>"I, I can't!" Luz just barely spat out. His words slurred together from his pain as he groaned. "I, I can hear it, the, the fighting, and the…"</p><p>"What fighting? Luz, what are you talking about?" the younger boy asked.</p><p>"The village, the Arkeyans, they…"</p><p>Luis's mouth slanted into something like a quizzical frown as he scoffed.</p><p>"Oh, so <em>that's</em> what this is about."</p><p>Luis breathed in and out as he knelt before Luz, and slapped both his hands against the sides of Luz's head! The sharp pains hit Luz so hard that his train of thought completely disappeared. He only sat dumbfounded as he started at Luis, who held a smug, smug look on his face.</p><p>"Yeah, I should've figured that's what you were worrying 'bout." Luis stretched himself back to full height and walked away. He beckoned as he walked, and Lana and that other boy both joined his side. "C'mon, Luz, let me show you something."</p><p>Still a bit stunned by all this, Luz only nodded and pulled himself back up as he trailed after them. Whatever he recalled completely disappeared into the depths of his memory, yet he still couldn't quite feel at ease. He glanced at every avenue as they passed out of the village, for he sought out something he couldn't quite name. Escape routes? Places where potential enemies could strike?</p><p>He wasn't sure, but as they approached the forest, that strange feeling of adrenaline and panic rushed through him once more.</p><p>"The forest? What're we coming here for, again?" the younger boy asked.</p><p>Luis gave the younger boy a gentle strike up the head. "Don't you remember, Lope?" Luis scolded. "We're going to show Luz that thing!"</p><p>"Oh, that thing!"</p><p>"What's that thing?" Luz asked.</p><p>Luis chuckled and winked as he turned back to Luz. "You'll see."</p><p>Luz gulped. He had no idea what they talked about, and he wasn't particularly fond of this forest, either, but he was still shaken enough that he couldn't find it in him to protest. He just nodded and trailed along.</p><p>The forest's thickets of trees blocked out most of the sunlight, and only speckles and dapples poked through the few gaps in that thickly-woven canopy of leaves. The sounds of wild animals blended together to become loud and echoing, or maybe that was just Luz's imagination running wild with panic at the sights. Every animal's call sounded like a battle cry, every cracked branch and footstep was a weapon's swing, and every odd noise became the sound of someone coming to kill.</p><p>Something in his head stirred and brought an obnoxious throbbing pain, so Luz massaged his temples as he lowered his head.</p><p>"Are you sure about this, Luis? The elders told us never to go deep into the forest unless we were accompanied by someone else!" Lana cried.</p><p>"C'mon Lana, don't be a killjoy," Luis chuckled back as he turned to the side, parted a thick bush's leaves, and crawled within the space he created. "'Sides, we'll only be here for a few moments. Just gotta put Luz's mind at ease, and then we'll go back and pick berries or whatever."</p><p>"I'm telling you, Luis! If they find out we're here, we'll be in a ton of trouble for sure!" Lana scoffed and turned aside. "You agree with me, right, Lo—"</p><p>But Lope already disappeared, for he tailed after Luis while they both crawled through the thicket! Only the back of his shoes showed as they grew further in the distance, their appearances hidden by the shadows. They almost looked like soldiers that crawled through a trench in the heat of battle, in fact…</p><p>Lana stomped her foot and steamed with rage, but finally she hitched up her skirts and crawled in. "If you two get me lectured for an entire sundown because of this, I'm never forgiving you!"</p><p>Luz whimpered, and wondered if he should follow or just stay where he was. They did this for him, so he just fell to his belly and crawled through the hole. The bushes' branches snapped back into place the moment he exited, and their tips stung his soles.</p><p>For a moment, Luz wished he had his shield again, but wait, since when did he have a shield? He wasn't sure, so he just crawled through and tailed the sight of Lana as she crawled ahead of him. The rustling of the leaves turned louder as he did. They were the charge of an army as their branches rustled and slapped in his face, and he grunted as he pushed them away. The paths were long and winding, or at least, they felt that way with how slow he went, and all the curves and crosses he had to follow. He almost lost sight of Lana a few times!</p><p>Eventually Luz barely made out Luis and Lope arguing near the front, so he poked his way around, and found a pathway with sparse foliage near its end that brimmed with light. Surely, that had to be the exit, so he crawled out after Lana herself popped out, and grunted as he pushed himself up. It was a pointless move, for the sights he saw left him falling to his knees not long after!</p><p>There before him was a small campsite inhabited by corpses of robots dressed in red and gold armor! The corpses laid strewn about with severed body parts half-buried in the dirt! They were no bigger than a person, maybe even shorter than them, and there couldn't have been more than four or five. For that matter, they looked pretty run-down too. Their armor was rusted and dented while the lights in their broken eyes flickered and flashed. Yet, just the sight of them was enough to stop Luz's heart!</p><p>"Arkeyans?" Luz spat out.</p><p>Luis, Lope, and Lana all shushed him, but Luz grabbed Luis by the shirt.</p><p>"What are you thinking? There's Arkeyans here! The Arkeyans know we're here! They'll kill us!" Luz hissed as he thrust his face in Luis's. "Then, they'll find the rest of them and kill them too! They'll tear the whole village to pieces! We need to go find the others and warn them before—"</p><p>Luz trailed off, and his face softened as he glanced at the sickening sight of that twisted smile on Luis's face. His grip loosened, and Luis laughed as he removed Luz's hand from his shirt and pushed him away. His hand drifted to his pockets, and another sick laugh came from him as he gripped something and drew it out.</p><p>"Luz, what're you freaking out about? Did you sleep through the battle or something?" Luis asked. "Those run-down tin cans are all that's left of the Arkeyans after the army drove them back!"</p><p>Lana and Lope both laughed about the Arkeyans' failed battle beside Luz, yet Luz couldn't bring himself to smile. In fact, he wasn't even entirely sure if they were smiling and cheering, or screaming and crying.</p><p>The whole world started to shift. Flames spread around the forest while the skies turned dark as night, lit only by firelight and half-broken lamps strewn along the forest floor. The screams and cries drowned out the cheers—aided by an army's stomping, slashing, and screams of war—and the whole area choked with the burning scents of thick smoke and strong fires.</p><p>In that moment, Luz was eight years old again, and clutched that sack of rations his parents gave him as he hid in the forest. Before him, Luis, Lope, and Lana all stood with those same looks of terror he held. They were tired, scared, worried,<em> alone,</em> and there was a beast that crawled up ahead of them, a beast with shiny red and gold armor and a sharp ax that Luz couldn't fight against no matter what!</p><p>On instinct, something in him called for something: a harsh beam of sunlight to burn it away, a shield to behead it with, <em>anything. Still,</em> he couldn't. He only stood there, his eyes wide in horror and his breath as fast as the rapid beats of his heart. The most he could do was stumble backwards, but his legs shook so badly that he collapsed soon after! His sack spilled, and he struggled to even push himself up!</p><p>"Luz, is something wrong?" Lana called as she knelt down and pushed him up. "Are you feeling alright?"</p><p>Luz lifted his head and the world shifted back to the present. Now, the present, teenaged Lana looking him in the eye as Luis and Lope stood beside her. They both said something about how he collapsed out of nowhere, about how scared and nervous he looked, but Luz could barely discern.</p><p>One moment, they were in the present, and the next, he saw them as children. They were helpless lambs in the wake of the wolf that leered over them and prepared to pounce! Luz just sputtered, for he wanted to scream, to tell them to run, but he couldn't. The words stuck in his throat; they were trapped in a thick syrup and unable to move, and he only watched as the beast leaped over them.</p><p>It swung with its blade shrieking as it launched right for Luz himself! But, it stopped. Its blade froze just inches from his face, and the whole world around him followed.</p><p>The beast disappeared right before his eyes, and it was in that moment that Luz realized something.</p><p>"THIS ISN'T REAL!"</p><p>Luz screamed out the words at the top of his lungs. He pushed away Lana's hands as she gasped, and scrambled to his feet. He panted, and shuddered as he steadied his footing.</p><p>"This village was destroyed years ago! Mom, Dad, the elders, you… None of you are even alive anymore! There's nothing here but ruins anymore!"</p><p>Luz lifted his head to where Luis, Lope, and Lana all glanced at him. Their eyes were stunned with the same shock Luz himself held. They were the ones that were supposedly his friends, but he knew the truth now. They were merely just the ones he ran away with, the ones who might not have been as lucky as he was.</p><p>"Luis, Lope, Lana, if those are even really your names, I don't, I don't know you! I never did! Because all of this isn't real!"</p><p>"Luz, calm down! What are you talking about?" Lana asked.</p><p>"Yeah, did you hit your head or something?" Luis shouted. "What do you mean, none of this is real?"</p><p>Luz turned around and ran off. The forest shifted around him as he did; the brambles and bushes he crawled under to arrive here pushed themselves away and formed a dirt path for Luz to run across. His stomach churned like he would throw up, his head was as light as light itself, and he struggled to stay upright as he stumbled around and tried to keep footing.</p><p>But, when all your memories flooded back to you at once, it was hard to keep focus. His whole brain flooded, for it was unable to discern anything other than what poured from what he remembered.</p><p>They leaked from his eyes as tears, slipped from his mouth as choked sputters, those memories. The battle with the Arkeyans, running away from home, meeting Fintster and finding his family, becoming one of the free magicians, the battle with Arkus, and then, and then what?</p><p>Everything after that was blank. It was a silence so loud it numbed him, yet it was tranquil all the same, and enough that he fell to his knees in reprieve. He remember pirates he saw from the yellow-tinted glaze of his wheel pendant, of a child like his younger siblings with chestnut eyes and a warm smile, strange new beings wearing things and talking about things completely new, riding in a robot… Yes, that was it! He awakened from that long slumber, Arkilles was revived and they had to stop him, and…</p><p>"Luz, there you are!" Lope called from behind.</p><p>Luz turned around, and there before him, Lope ran up the path with Luis and Lana behind. Even with all this, they still chased after him? Stubborn.</p><p>"That's it, we need to take you to see the priestess or something," Lope said as he reached out a hand. "Come on, we'll get whatever it is that's bugging you fixed, and then maybe we can go—"</p><p>Lope's fingers brushed against Luz's, and some kind of strange heat burned against Luz's hand until it glowed with a bright golden yellow like sunlight! The glow spread to the rest of Luz's body in rapid time. It covered his legs and his chest. It engulfed his face so quickly that he only had moments to catch the shouts and terrified looks that Lope, Luis and Lana bore. Soon, a blanketing yellow and the screech of harsh light drowned them out!</p><p>A strange, tingling feeling ran through Luz. He went unconscious for a moment, a faint blink, but surfaced again and his heavy and cumbersome body was now light as a feather! He peered down, and no longer did he wear the robes and clothes of his village; no, he dressed in his armor once more, and his shield attached comfortably to his arm as it should. His body was only somewhat visible and brimmed with golden light like a ghost, yet his wheel pendant sat against his chest, solid as ever. Yes, this was him, the real him, the Luz who lost his first home and fought for his second, the Luz who called himself a free magician!</p><p>"Luz!" Lana screamed. She looked like she was about to faint as she held her hands to her mouth.</p><p>Luis stood dumbfounded, eyes wide and lashes fluttered fast as he stumbled back a few steps. His legs gave out as he collapsed, and Lope, he sputtered and drew back his hand before he quickly shook his head.</p><p>"Alright, that's it, we have to take you to see the priestess!" Lope spat as he grappled for Luz's half-solid hand in some faint attempt to pull him away. "I don't know what's going on, but—"</p><p>"I'm sorry," Luz said.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>Luz heaved a sigh, drew back and stood up.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Luz repeated in a louder voice, and adjusted his shield with a click as he did. He glimpsed at the shocked, terrified looks Lope, Luis and Lana held with a frown, and they frowned in turn. "Maybe if things had turned out better, we probably could've been friends and did all this… But it didn't. This village isn't really my home. It hasn't been for years!"</p><p>Though he knew they called for him, Luz ran down the beaten path, and the warmth of light flooded into his veins as he ran. Its warmth grew brighter, warmer, enough that it shimmered in his eyes as he leaped.</p><p>Before he knew it, he was back at the mouth of the forest, and his friends' shouts and calls for him were nothing more than faint whispers in the wind. Ah, lightstepping, how he missed it. While it was a relief to have his powers back at last, it was only temporary.</p><p>Luz turned ahead as the village disintegrated and blew away right before his eyes, but he only scoffed. Now he remember what went on! They'd consulted that Oracle for the way to Arkus, and he put them up to this test! He remember the white light, the sudden dizziness as it grew brighter, and the shouts of everyone as they disappeared one by one. So this was his trial? Being stuck in some weird guess of what his life would've been like if the Arkeyans never attacked?</p><p>"Heh, he needs to try harder if he wants me to forget about my family," Luz remarked. He felt a bit proud of himself, but his face fell all the same. "But, waking up was probably the easy part. Now, for the hard part."</p><p>Luz bit his lip as the ground before him formed a beaten path straight through the ground where the village once laid.</p><p>"Figuring out where everyone else is."</p><p>Luz took a breath in and strode down the path, shield by his side and clothes fluttering in the wind. This was probably as good a place to start as any, so might as well cross it.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Luz frowned and toyed with his shield as he glanced ahead. "Alright, I'm no expert," he remarked to only himself, "but I'm pretty sure there wasn't a town this close to my old village, and definitely not one that looked like this."</p><p>There before Luz stood a village with buildings made entirely of stone. It was not the warm adobe bricks the houses of his hometown were made from, or even the carefully-constructed bricks and stone used to make the houses from his and Fintster's old home, but simple stone buildings that looked akin to if a child's sandcastles were made of stone. They were solid, and paved so tight that not a crack could be seen. Windows and doors sat carved into their surfaces and lined with clothes and flora. Most of them were medium-sized with roofs made of stone bricks, and each one laid painted by the wear of rain and weather, but still strong nonetheless.</p><p>This place had the same trademarks of a village; it was all lush plant life that bloomed everywhere one looked, and tons of beings that ran around. However, it was a far cry from the quaintness and tightness of Luz's village, or at least the illusion of it.</p><p>Whereas only humans lived in his old hometown, Luz spied a few harpies, centaurs, elves, and more running along amid the humans! They all dressed in tunics and dresses that were much tighter than the clothing those of his village wore, but still loose enough to flow in wind. Some wore veils and jewelry, others donned sandals and simpler headgear, some even wore armor, too—but it was all way more elaborate compared to what the people back home wore!</p><p>Everything was so lively, and bustled with such volume that Luz could barely take it! Even though he traveled all across Skylands with the free magicians, he was a village boy at heart, and the sights and sounds of all these big towns and cities never ceased to overwhelm him. The smell of fresh bread tickled his nose, and he turned around to find that the path he took was gone, replaced by what seemed like the edge of the island! Guess the terrain shifting was part of the trial, so he shrugged it off.</p><p>"Now, this definitely isn't where Fintster and I grew up," Luz remarked as he walked ahead with head down and chin in hand, "so that means someone else is here, but who? Can't be Inochi. She never told us where she used to live, but it doesn't look like this place, I just know it. Dej ran all across Skylands, so it's maybe him, and Sihiri's old village didn't look anything like this…"</p><p>Something hard bumped into Luz and sent him off balance for a bit, but he quickly collected himself. "Hey, watch where you're going!"</p><p>He lifted his head in expectancy of some gangly stranger, but gulped as he found a bulky, imposing drow dressed in armor before him.</p><p>"I could say the same to you! Shouldn't a kid your age be in school right now, or helping your family with their work?" the drow asked, their voice deep and ruminating.</p><p><em>Crap, this guy could probably snap me in half just by speaking! </em>Luz winced as he grabbed his shield, but then released his grip. <em>Wait, did he say school?</em></p><p>"Say, I've never seen clothes quite like yours before," the drow added. They leaned down while their gaze turned more quizzical. "Are you from across the sea?"</p><p>"Actually, thanks! I know just where I need to go!"</p><p>Luz ran aside of the drow, clutched his shield, and beamed widely as he glanced over the buildings. The buildings ahead all seemed like identical stretches of huts and houses—save for one taller, larger one that was more square in shape with several rooms where beings talking rang from the open windows. That looked enough like a school building to him, so Luz turned himself invisible with a snap of his fingers, and slipped through the open doors.</p><p>The whole building was simple, and filled with open stone rooms and halls where beings passed to and fro. The sounds of lessons taught and people mocking their teachers in hushed whispers sounded from the cracks in the stone. Luz wasn't quite concerned with that.</p><p>He slipped between a troll and a dwarf who peddled stone tablets, peeked into one room to catch a glimpse of some kids who gossiped together, another to see a few goblins who caused a ruckus while the tired snake who taught them tried to get them to shut up, and peeked in the room adjacent to that to find… Bingo!</p><p>"Now, class," said Vatra as he clasped his hands, "today, I'll regale you on the history of how our town came to be!"</p><p>At least, Luz thought that was Vatra. Sure, he had that same messy mop of hair, same wiry frame and skin tone, and those same scars under his chest from whatever thing he did to reduce it was called. Aside of that, though, it was like this was an entirely different person!</p><p>The Vatra he knew was a grump who always stormed around with eyes practically sunk into their bags, and was filled with a tired look that made him seem way older than he actually was. This man, however, brimmed with joy and his eyes sparkled as students in all species crowded around him while he chuckled.</p><p>The bandages that Vatra wore around his hands to hide the scars from how his flames burned them were gone too, and revealed perfectly normal hands underneath. Instead of Vatra's usual clothes, he wore a long crimson robe, a white cape accented with strings of red throughout that rested over his shoulders, and a simple pair of red and white boots. Well, simple in style, but the stuff all looked rich and sleek, unlike the worn clothes Vatra usually wore. Even his fashion sense was fancier!</p><p>Luz raised a brow, slipped into the classroom, and tried to take a seat behind the group. But, as he walked, his foot brushed against a pebble and rolled it away! Luz winced and turned to the crowd of students, but most of them seemed like they didn't notice, thankfully. Well, all except for one elf who whimpered as their ears twitched.</p><p>"Teacher!" cried the elf. "I think someone's trying to sneak out!"</p><p>Maybe- Vatra raised a brow, and interrupted some ancient story about a king or something crossing a strange land as he scanned over his students. For a moment, he lingered a little too long on where Luz stood, and Luz was almost certain he saw that sharp, burning look that Vatra always shot him when he caused trouble.</p><p>Maybe-Vatra smiled and shook his head. "Everyone's all hear and accounted for, Ehrendil," maybe-Vatra said as he leaned back a little. "Now, as I was saying…"</p><p>"But, I thought I heard footsteps, and a rock moved around, and I keep hearing breathing and stuff!"</p><p>"Ehrendil, for as long as I've been your teacher, not once has anyone slipped in or out of my classes without notice." Maybe-Vatra turned back to the rest of the group. "Isn't that right, class?"</p><p>A few of the other kids chuckled or turned away as they blushed in embarrassment. Luz remembered that all too well.</p><p>"That's right. Nobody will bother my classes, or I, Vatra, would have to rescind my honor as a teacher!"</p><p>Wait —Vatra! That name rattled around in Luz's skull like a lightning bolt that hit his brain. No doubts about it, he definitely had the right guy now! So, all that was left to do was wake him up!</p><p>"Alright, Vatra!" Luz called. He made himself visible with a stomp of his foot, and all eyes turned on him as he appeared. "Class is over, let's get going!"</p><p>Well, Luz hoped just the sight of him would bring Vatra back to his senses, but Vatra just seemed even more confused! He placed down the stone tablets he drew just moments earlier. The students all gossiped around him, but with a wave of Vatra's hand, they fell silent and watched Vatra as he strode, swift and graceful as always, towards Luz.</p><p>"Excuse me, I don't believe I've ever seen you before," Vatra said. He fixed his cape as he smiled at Luz with a kind of distant friendliness. "Are you one of the new students? If that's the case—"</p><p>"Vats, don't you remember me?" Luz raised a brow. "It's me, Luz! Fellow free magician? That kid you scooped up from the tiny little town in the middle of nowhere? Your self proclaimed pain in the a—"</p><p>Vatra immediately shushed Luz with a burning hot glare that screamed "not in front of the kids", but only for a moment as his warm gaze turned colder. Luz could tell from the way Vatra's eyes bounced between Luz and his class that something threw him off balance. Had he remembered and just tried to hide it? Maybe he really didn't quite recall, and need a little more jostling?</p><p>"Vatra, don't play dumb with me! You're a free magician, and this is all just a big test by some oracle dude!" Luz knit his brows as he held a finger between him and Vatra. "Now wake up and let's get going! We've gotta find the others and—"</p><p>"Look, I have no idea what you're talking about! I'm not some free magician, much less an ordinary one! I'm just a teacher!" That's what Vatra claimed, but he avoided Luz's gaze and pursed his lips. It was almost like he knew something Luz didn't. "If you have no further business here, please go. I have a class to teach."</p><p>Vatra hissed and turned his back to Luz, but Luz wasn't gonna give up just yet!</p><p>"Looks like I'll have to do this the old-fashioned way."</p><p>"Hey, teacher!" perked up one of the kids, the elf who nearly busted Luz just moments earlier. "Who's that guy?"</p><p>"It's nobody," Vatra said, "now let's—"</p><p>Luz slid in and bumped his elbow against Vatra's. "Aw, nobody? What're you talkin' about, Vats? We're the best of buddies, remember?"</p><p>"Wait, you're one of the teacher's friends?" asked a centaur foal as they peered up at Luz with curious eyes.</p><p>Luz beamed and nodded. He knelt down to the kids' height and gave the widest grin he could muster. "You bet I am! I'm one of his buddies from the free magicians! We spend all this time fighting bad guys and protecting Skylands from evil!"</p><p>"Like the Arkeyan Empire?" asked a harpy in the back of the group. "My moms say they're all really bad guys who want to hurt lots of beings!"</p><p>"You bet we do!" Luz proclaimed as he jumped to full height. Beside him, Vatra started to fume, and Luz only gave him the most snide smile he could as he nudged Vatra once more. "In fact, Vats here's fought more Arkeyans than I can count! He's blown 'em up, burned them to bits! Heck, he once melted an entire Arkeyan War Machine single-handedly with his eyes blindfolded! Guy's one of our best!"</p><p>The kids all gasped. They were all wide-eyed as they glanced from Vatra to Luz and back again; seems like Luz had them all hook, line and sinker! Vatra opened his mouth to protest, but Luz already dropped down onto the floor and sat cross-legged as he cleared his throat.</p><p>"In fact, you wanna hear some of those stories?"</p><p>"YES!" the students all cried at once.</p><p>Luz took a breath, cleared his mind, and regaled the stories. He poured out every single one he could remember: the day he met Vatra when they blew up that robot that stormed his town, the fights against countless armies and tools of war, even the stealth missions and rescue operations. Every one he could think of, he spun a tale of, and he emphasized everything he could of Vatra's heroics! With each tale he told, the kids' eyes grew wider, their smiles more eager, and at the end, they'd all glance at Vatra like they looked at their hero! Surely, he'd have to acknowledge Luz now!</p><p>"Of course, don't take <em>my</em> word for it!" Luz proclaimed as he stood up and gestured towards Vatra. "You can ask the man himself, right here and now!"</p><p>A shrill gasp came from every student in the room, and all at once they flooded Vatra, clung to his clothes, and tugged on his cape.</p><p>"Is it true, teacher? Did you really blow up a huge Arkeyan robot all by yourself?"</p><p>"Did you, huh?"</p><p>"If you're fighting all these robots, why are you teaching other beings?"</p><p>Vatra sputtered, stepped back as the crowds grew more intense with their questions, and shook his head.</p><p>"Everyone, calm down! I have no idea what you're talking about!" Vatra cried as he shot a glare at Luz. "I'm not a magician, I've never seen this boy in my life, and I've certainly never fought an Arkeyan single-handedly with the power of fire and nothing more! Now please, calm down!"</p><p>Luz slunk around the back of the room, picked up the stone tablets, and eyeballed them. "I don't know, these tablets certainly say otherwise," Luz said as he handed them off to Vatra. "Take a look, Vats. You're the main character!"</p><p>Vatra turned his ire-filled eye towards Luz as the tablets made their way into his hand.</p><p>"I still have no idea what you're saying!" Vatra peered down at the tablets. "These are just ordinary history tablets, not—"</p><p>Vatra's eyes went wide. The tablets in his hand must have changed shape and text, for they now documented every mission he'd been on! From fighting Arkeyans in Nearon, rescuing fellow rebels in the City of Fire, or backing beings up in Tillydrone, it was all there! Vatra's breath grew faster as he shuffled through each tablet, mumbled under his breath about how incorrect this was and how he could've sworn he brought the right ones, but then, he dropped them! The students gasped as the tablets crumbled to rocky bits before his feet, and Vatra himself fell to his knees and joined them as he clutched his head.</p><p>"This, this isn't right, this can't be right! This isn't real!" Vatra shouted. His voice strained with denial and fear all the same. "I, I'm not some hero, I'm only a teacher! I'd never fight in a war, I don't even know how to disassemble a robot or cast a spell! I'm not a magician, I'm not, I'm not—"</p><p>"Teacher, your hands!"</p><p>Vatra gasped, pulled his hands from his head, and screamed as he found flames bursting from his fingertips! The flames spread from there to the rest of his body quickly enough. Even his screams muffled as the flames ate up his head, and left him in the vague shape of a person!</p><p>The students all screamed and backed away, and the elf girl ran off.</p><p>"I'm getting the other teachers! He needs help!" she cried.</p><p>Before she ran, Luz gently pulled her back so her wide, blank eyes met his. "Don't worry," Luz said. He knelt down and spoke in his best kid-soothing voice, the same he'd use for his kid siblings after they woke up from bad dreams. "He'll be fine, just watch."</p><p>The students all turned to Vatra right as the flames disappeared, and Vatra himself stared wide-eyed. He in the same position he'd been in when the flames engulfed him—hands held aimlessly in front of his body, head hung low.</p><p>Now, he was the Vatra Luz knew. His body was ghastly and clothed in his sparkling pendant and the worn clothes he normally donned, and of course, his singed bandages.</p><p>The students all shrieked and cried out, and Vatra immediately flung his arms out. He seemed for a moment like he would console them, but the sight of arms barely visible startled him enough that he could only gasp!</p><p>"Well, looks like I was right," Luz said with a shrug. "C'mon, Vats, we've gotta get going!"</p><p>Luz reached out a hand for Vatra's, but Vatra yanked it away! Vatra's eyes fell to his ghostly body, and he looked the most terrified Luz had ever seen him as he patted down his chest.</p><p>"What, what happened to me? I'm, I'm not a ghost, am I?" Vatra sputtered as beads of smoky sweat came down his face. "This, this has to be a dream, a very, very, strange dream—"</p><p>Well, he seemed like he was still confused, but, with the tone he took, it was obvious what really went on. Vatra was in denial.</p><p>Luz had to admit, he'd never seen Vatra this in denial before, but, well, he couldn't blame him. So instead, Luz took Vatra aside to the back of the classroom.</p><p>"Your students seem like good kids," Luz remarked as he glanced back to the crowd of students that watched Luz and Vatra in wonder.</p><p>Vatra finally steadied himself, and his eyes trailed over to one of the students in particular: a halfling kid who gleefully swayed back and forth in his seat while oblivious to all the chaos surrounding him. Luz didn't know much about Vatra's old life, but he knew Vatra was a teacher, and he knew that he had a student he lost who became his entire reason for fighting against the Arkeyans. Was that the one?</p><p>"They were," Vatra finally said at last with a solemn nod. "If it were my choice, I'd stay here forever. I could see them grow up, watch them learn, and grow, and become the best they could be…"</p><p>"But we can't."</p><p>Vatra just sighed. His eyes drifted from Luz and down to his feet, and the unspoken truth resonated between them. In the end, this was only an illusion. Vatra could never really do that, even if he did stubbornly choose to stay. Like it or not, he had a job to do, and whichever route he chose, he'd just end up pulled from his fantasy and forced to do it anyways.</p><p>"Well, class, I recede," Vatra proclaimed as he lifted up his hands. "My friend Luz here is right. I'm one of the free magicians, and it's time for me to leave and help the others."</p><p>A string of gasps ran through the class, and their eyes watered as they all crowded around Vatra! They clung to his clothes, buried their faces in his chests, and some even sobbed as they held him tight and pleaded for him to stay!</p><p>"Don't go, teacher!"</p><p>"Please don't leave just yet!"</p><p>"I don't want you to leave!"</p><p>Vatra glanced over to where that halfling kid tugged on the skirt of his tunic, and for a moment, his outfit flickered between his outfit of today and his teaching garb of yesteryear. Vatra cleared his throat and knelt down. The students all stopped and curled around him, their eyes still wide with tears, but he smiled and wiped away each one.</p><p>"Class, do you know why I'm leaving?" he asked.</p><p>A few of the children mumbled and whispered, but most of them glanced away. Finally, it was the halfling who shook their head and tugged at Vatra's pants.</p><p>"Why do you have to leave, teacher?" the halfling asked.</p><p>Vatra sighed, and gently placed a hand on the halfling's shoulder as he glanced around.</p><p>"Ludo, do you remember the stories I'd tell you in class? Of how our ancestors fought against wicked beings and scary monsters to protect their families?" Vatra frowned when a group of nodding heads met him. "There's a lot of bad beings out there, some even worse than the ones in those stories. I'm leaving to fight them so that they don't hurt other beings, so that they can't come here and hurt you!"</p><p>"So you're like the heroes of those stories!" piped up the centaur foal.</p><p>Vatra giggled. His laughter was light, but still with a bit of pain. "I guess that's one way you could put it," Vatra cleared his throat. "Remember, I'm doing this to protect you, and our village, and someday, when I come back, I'll be sure to teach you again. So while I'm gone, be extra good. You take care of each other and listen to your elders for me, alright?"</p><p>"Okay!" the students all cheered at once.</p><p>Vatra stood and nodded, but still he trailed out of the classroom with Luz. Though, he sneaked just one glance behind, just so he could catch his students' smiles and waves goodbye before he left.</p><p>The world around him shifted, the village and the school folded in on each other and left nothing but grassy plains and a beaten path behind, but Vatra didn't even look back. No, he just gulped it down and carried on as he followed the path down. Luz quietly walked behind him. The air around them both turned stiff with simmering heat, and for a moment, Luz almost saw Vatra's veins glowing and warming before they faded.</p><p>"Now, the question is," Vatra remarked as they crossed over a hill, "who exactly do we look for next, and where?"</p><p>Luz hummed as he held his hand over his eyes, shielding it from the harsh sunlight. "Not an expert, but I'd say that village ahead is probably a good starting point."</p><p>Vatra's eyes followed Luz's down to a small village at the end of a path just on the hill's other side, and he nodded as he slid down the hill and stormed ahead. Luz followed behind him, but frowned as they passed through the village.</p><p>He glanced aside as two people with dark skin dressed in loose, flowing trousers and robes with colorful patterns stitched into them passed him by on an ox-driven cart. That same dark skin and the loose clothing reminded Luz a little bit of someone—could this be where she is?</p><p>Luz couldn't help but grin as he and Vatra passed through the village's heart and walked down pathways where people tended to crops and sold their wares. This whole place felt a lot more like home compared to Vatra's old town, with its small, cozy atmosphere, its huts tightly knit and its people active and cheerful. Kids ran along and played with their pets, men talked about the harvest as they passed Luz by, others draped in the scent of sweet perfumes walked arm-in-arm with their lovers…</p><p>Luz coughed as someone with a particularly strong flowery perfume strode right past him, and peered ahead as idle chatter with a familiar tone reached his ears. His attention fell to a few people who sat underneath a tree and talked with each other. Luz almost passed them by at first—but as his sights fell on one person with bright purple hair crafted into a star's shape who dressed in a silky purple dress, he narrowed his eyes.</p><p>"Wait a second," he whispered before he nudged Vatra's elbow. "Hey, Vats, look over there!" Luz pointed to the people sitting under the tree. "Doesn't that lady kind of look like Sihiri?"</p><p>Vatra gritted his teeth, but the moment his eyes fell on maybe-Sihiri, that brief flash of anger was completely forgotten!</p><p>"It does! But, why isn't she a ghost?"</p><p>That was true. Though this person had Sihiri's attire and appearance, she was still all flesh and bone. Had she not broken out of the trial yet?</p><p>"Well, whatever, we can worry about the details later," Luz said with a shrug. "For now, let's just get her and get outta this place!"</p><p>Luz charged forward, and waved with only partial attention paid to Vatra as he shouted at Luz to wait. "Hey, Sihiri!" Luz shouted as he waved and jumped up and down. "Over here!"</p><p>Maybe-Sihiri perked up her head and turned away from her conversation. Though she was super far away, Luz just barely made out how she gasped and floated over! Seems like she recognize him, at least, so he prepared to run over.</p><p>Right before he did, a familiarly hot hand gripped Luz's elbow and he winced.</p><p>"Luz, what are you doing?" Vatra hissed. "We can't just go calling out to random strangers and—"</p><p>"Luz, Vatra, what a surprise!" Sihiri called as she floated over and landed down in front of you. "I'd never expect you two to pay a visit! What brings you here?"</p><p>Yep, that was definitely Sihiri, so Luz cleared his throat.</p><p>"Well, we came here to pick you up!" Luz said. "We went into this trial thing by this oracle dude, and then we all lost our memories, and got trapped in this weird place where—"</p><p>"Sihiri!" cried a deeper voice from behind.</p><p>One of the people who'd sat with her earlier, someone with skin like hers and deep violet hair styled into a short collection of braids who donned purple robes similar to the ones those men Luz passed in the village wore, stopped short behind Sihiri. They frowned, and raised one of their thick black eyebrows as they glanced at Luz and Vatra. "Who exactly are these two?"</p><p>"Oh, pardon my manners," Sihiri chuckled as she turned to the man. "Sadiq, these two are Vatra and Luz, a few friends of mine from far away from here. They'd apparently come to visit!"</p><p>"We didn't come to visit, we came to get you out of here!" Vatra protested.</p><p>Sihiri grabbed him by the hand before he could talk further, and floated away. "If you two were coming, you should've told me beforehand! I could've arranged a nice trip for all of us!" Sihiri chuckled as she took Luz's hand in her other free one. "No matter, I still have plenty of time to show you all around the village! Oh, there's so much to see, I don't even know where to start! But, I'll try…"</p><p>A purple glow surrounded Sihiri, and before Luz even knew it, he'd dropped off near fields rich in vegetables and wheat! They were tended to with care by farmers of all kinds!</p><p>"These fields are the village's pride and joy! Beings come from all across Skylands for our crops! We've grown practically every fruit and vegetable in the local area here!"</p><p>Luz opened his mouth, but once again she teleported off! This time, she fell in front of a tree with leaves painted in a rainbow's colors, and a statue of what appeared to be a person embedded in the back and wrapped in its embrace. At least, Luz thought it a person, but it was so eroded and entangled so thickly that it was hard to tell.</p><p>"This statue is dedicated to our mother goddess, the one who watches over our village and ensures our success every year. We have a special festival next week to honor her, and it's one of the liveliest times in the village! I do hope you plan to stay long enough for it…"</p><p>"Sihiri, we're not—"</p><p>Luz started to protest, but it was fruitless. Another pop, and Luz was back in the heart of the village, and a little dizzier to boot. The moment Sihiri let go of his hand, he stumbled over his own two feet, nearly tripped, and knocked into a box of fruit if he hadn't immediately steadied himself. But, he did, so he glanced at where Sihiri stood with a pensive look.</p><p>"Ah, where to take you next? There's a few moments around this place, and I could take you down to the ports, or—"</p><p>"Sihiri, I'll say this as gently as I can," Vatra said from where he leaned on Sihiri as his legs trembled, "but, none of this is real. It's only an illusion created by the Oracle! This village, all these surroundings, they're all constructs!"</p><p>Sihiri's eyes grew a little wider, and her body seemed to flicker between solid and transparent, but it quickly stabilized and she laughed. "Those seem like good choices, but there's so much more, too! The forests are beautiful at this time, and there's the caves—"</p><p>"Sihiri, didn't you hear me?" Vatra turned around and placed himself right in Sihiri's face. "None of these forests and caves are real! Now, we can't dawdle, we have to get out of here and find the others—"</p><p>"Oh, it'd be silly of me to not show you my house, wouldn't it?" Sihiri pushed past Vatra and hummed. "Why, you could even meet my family, too! They can be a little much, but I—"</p><p>"Aren't you listening to him? This is all FAKE!" Luz shouted out.</p><p>He hadn't even meant to, really, but something in him grew so impatient that he tossed himself in Sihiri's way with face fuming and everything. After all, she was their leader and the smartest of the bunch; how could she be this deep in denial?</p><p>"So why haven't you realized it yet? All of this, these towns and houses and people, they're all just a test! You're the magic lady, you know more about spells and stuff than anyone else! Why can't you just wake up and realize?"</p><p>"Luz!" Vatra scolded as he pulled Luz back.</p><p>It seemed like he would chew Luz out for a second, but Sihiri laughed, and the both of them only turned to watch her.</p><p>Her hand was to her face, and it brushed against her sparkly purple lips as she laughed to her heart's content. When her laughter faded, a kind of sadness came from her eyes, one just barely there. They all must have noticed, for she turned away from their glance as she did.</p><p>"Luz, I was the strongest magic user of us all, the one even the most powerful mages of our group turned to when they needed advanced magic. Only Ninjini surpassed me, and that was with the powers of an Elder Elemental. I know magic like I know the very blood that runs through my veins."</p><p>There was a kind of tense, but teasing tone in Sihiri's voice, one that tensed a bit more as her eyelids lowered and her smile faded.</p><p>"Do you think I haven't realized this is all fake yet?"</p><p>Luz stumbled backwards and out of Vatra's grip. "Well, I mean, you were all caught up in all this stuff, so I thought—"</p><p>"That I hadn't realized? No, I'm completely aware this is all an illusion and nothing more." Her gaze turned colder, and Sihiri placed her hands behind her back as she smiled a clearly forced smile. "But, is this really such a bad thing? It may only be for a short, fleeting moment, but we can have the lives we never got to have because of the war!"</p><p>Sihiri's voice cracked just a tiny bit, and for a moment, Luz almost thought he could see tears in her eyes.</p><p>"We can live peacefully with all our old friends, family, lovers, and we don't have to worry about a thing! No conflict, no battles, no war and strife… What's so awful about that?"</p><p>Luz frowned and lowered his head. Being honest, he didn't really know if he could give Sihiri an answer. He knew they couldn't stay here forever, that they had a job to do and all, but something in his gut told him that arguing with Sihiri about this wasn't the best idea. So, he just stood there, just as lost as she was while she turned away and bit her lip like she tried her hardest not to cry.</p><p>"Sihiri, I—" Vatra started, but Sihiri ran off before he could even reach out for her!</p><p>"Apologies, I have somewhere I need to be!"</p><p>Sihiri spat out her words so fast that Luz only barely heard her! Nonetheless, he followed after—or at least, he tried to. Vatra flung his arm in front of Luz, and shot him a glare that screamed "stay right here and don't move" before Vatra himself ran after Sihiri and called for her.</p><p>Luz wasn't content with sticking around. That wasn't his style, so he charged the light in his body, and turned invisible once more as he tailed after Vatra and Sihiri's footprints in the earth.</p><p>The two of them ran well past the village, into a forest, and past thickets of obnoxiously tightly-packed leaves that Luz tried his hardest not to rustle. He just bit his lip as the leaves sang and moved with every step he took. As, he reached an area where they thinned, Luz met with a cavern where Vatra lingered outside for moments and ducked down!</p><p>When Luz was certain he wasn't caught, he poked his head out, crawled out of the thickets and tip-toed through the caves. He was careful not to make a sound as he crept just inches from Vatra's coattails. Luz clenched his brows as some faint noise hit his ears, and when Vatra parted, Luz pressed himself against the walls and glanced inside.</p><p>The cavern itself was mostly dark, save from the light that poured from its end. It was short, and it sung the songs of rushing waters, and, sobbing? Yes, someone cried inside: Sihiri, who sat in the heart of a small room with plants and flowers on its ceiling and a babbling pool to her right.</p><p>The sights around Luz didn't concern him as much as Sihiri; he'd never seen her cry before. Even as their allies fell in droves, even as places they protected fell to Arkeyan rule just days or weeks after their hard work, even when they were too late to save anyone, Sihiri never cried. She just steeled herself and moved forward. Heck, even when they confronted Arkilles, she always kept face. It felt almost wrong to see her so upset like this!</p><p>Luz wondered if he really should have left her be, but he instinctively pressed himself back to the wall as Vatra stepped in.</p><p>"There you are, Sihiri!" Vatra called as he stepped into the light.</p><p>Sihiri gasped and wiped her tears away, but when she opened her eyes and saw only Vatra, she just sniffled. "Oh, it's, it's just you, Vatra," Sihiri croaked, her voice weak and soft. "I, I'm sorry you have to—"</p><p>"Sihiri, it's alright."</p><p>Vatra knelt down before Sihiri, propped himself up with one leg, and wiped her tears away. "Don't mind what Luz said earlier. He's just a boy, and a stubborn one at that. He couldn't understand."</p><p><em>Speak for yourself, </em>Luz scoffed in the back of his mind as his incident with Vatra played back again.</p><p>"But, I suppose he was trying to get at something," Sihiri replied. She sniffled a little more, yet wiped away her tears again. "I know this is all an illusion, and I shouldn't stay here long, but… But…"</p><p>A few strained sobs came from Sihiri, and before Luz knew it, she buried herself into Vatra's arms and sobbed into his chest in strained, pain-filled cries. She barely kept a grip on him, but he just leaned down slightly so that she could lean into him and cry her heart out.</p><p>"I, I'm tired of fighting, I'm tired of being strong, I'm tired of all this war! I know I need to be strong, I know that everyone's counting on me, but, what am I even fighting for? I had to leave my home, my friends and family, everyone I loved behind without even telling them, and just when I thought this war was over and I could finally see them, all this happened! They're all dead and I'm the only one who survived, and I'll never see them again! They probably didn't even know what happened! They probably think I just abandoned them on a whim!"</p><p>Sihiri's sobbing grew louder and more strained as she curled closer into Vatra's body. If Vatra weren't a ghost, Sihiri probably couldn't even be seen in his grip.</p><p>"I, I promised myself on the day I left that, when all this was over, I'd come home and see them again, and I couldn't even fulfill that! What's going to be left for all of us once this is over? Ten thousand years have passed, and we're just a figment of the past to everyone here!"</p><p>Sihiri turned away and showed a face so pained and eyes tinged a bit red from her crying.</p><p>"It's selfish and childish of me to be this upset, I know. I need to be the leader everyone needs, to protect Skylands, and fight for everyone, but, but, it just isn't fair!"</p><p>"You're right, it isn't fair," Vatra said as his own voice started to crack. He gently pushed Sihiri closer into his grip, and though his head hung, Luz could tell he was upset. Maybe he still thought of his students and of the home he lost?</p><p>"It wasn't fair for any of us, but especially for you. Sihiri, you gave up so much to lead us: your home, the ones you loved, the life you wanted… If any of us deserved to go home to a peaceful life, to survive all of this, it was you!"</p><p>Vatra's head sunk a little lower, and it almost seemed like he shook.</p><p>"But, it just didn't happen. I wish I could give you an answer, but, I'm just as lost as you are."</p><p>Vatra started to shake and sniffle, but his own cries steeled as Sihiri reached up an arm and wiped off his face.</p><p>"Please, don't feel bad, Vatra." Sihiri croaked. "I wish I knew why all this happened. I thought we'd all live happily after the war, I thought we'd finally be relieved… But, it didn't."</p><p>The two of them just laid there and slunk down in morbid silence as they sulked. Ancients, Luz just hated it! Even though he didn't know much about what Vatra and Sihiri were like before this Arkeyan nonsense and all this war stuff, even though he didn't really know what they went through, it wasn't right that they were stuck sulking like this! They were always the ones who led the group, the ones who always talked about the future they'd have when the Arkeyans were gone, the ones who fought their hardest for any of that! It was just wrong to see them so beaten down and defeated!</p><p>"Alright, I don't understand any of this future, and fate, and destiny stuff," Luz said as he stormed in while his invisibility spell lifted in the light, "but, I don't think it's right to just give up right here!"</p><p>Vatra and Sihiri both jerked their heads up and turned to Luz.</p><p>"Luz! I told you to stay behind! Were you listening in on us this entire time?" Vatra hissed as steam burned from his hair. "Besides, what would you understand of something like this?"</p><p>"Not much, I'll admit, but we didn't really know what was ahead of us back during the war either, did we?"</p><p>Vatra almost seemed like he would argue again, but then, Sihiri drew back, and the steam disappeared as she sat by him and wiped her face.</p><p>Luz took this as a sign to continue and cleared his throat.</p><p>"After all, we've never known what was ahead of us back then, but every time something bad happened, we always found a way around it! It didn't matter if it was some fancy new machine, or some Arkeyan trap, or some lost battle! We always made it through, all because of you two! You never gave up, no matter what, and you know what? Sure, we may have ended up dead, and stuck ten thousand years in the future, and have all this weird nonsense going on, but we'll find some way out of it too, and once we do, we'll make our own path! We'll do all the things we wanted and even more!"</p><p>Luz grinned and pointed over to Vatra. "Vatra'll get to be a teacher again" — Luz moved his finger to Sihiri — "and Sihiri, I'm sure there's something about all your old friends and stuff out there! We'll find out what happened to all of them, and I'll bet that once they found out what you did for everyone, they'd be the proudest they'd ever be of you!"</p><p>Luz chuckled and ruffled his hair. "I'm not sure what Fintster 'n I will do, but we'll figure that out too, and so will everyone else, because—"</p><p>"How can you be so certain things will work out?" Vatra asked, his eyes oddly cold.</p><p>Luz smiled and shook his head.</p><p>"I'm not, but, that's never stopped us before, and it won't stop us now. Things might be harder, things might be really different now, but, we'll find a way around it, just like we always have! Besides, if we just sat around and sulked about everything and gave up, we're basically just making that what'll happen to us, right?"</p><p>Vatra and Sihiri both sat in stunned silence, and Luz bit his lip. Did he make things better or worse? He wasn't sure, so he just sat, but beside him, Sihiri wiped her eyes and chuckled.</p><p>"When did you get so wise, Luz?" Sihiri asked as she leaned forward and ruffled his hair.</p><p>"I'm just cool like that."</p><p>Sihiri chuckled again and stood up. "Luz has a point. If we give up right now, we're basically fulfilling our own prophecies," she said. "Come, let's find the others and leave."</p><p>Vatra and Luz both nodded as they stood up and joined hands with Sihiri. A purple light came over them as her body slowly faded, and became the ghostly presence they all were; soon, the purple light spread to them and whisked them away. They were even lighter than they already were, but the weight soon returned and they opened their eyes.</p><p>Once again they were back in Sihiri's village, but the place ahead where Sihiri once laughed and talked with her friends held three paths instead of one. Three paths, three of them, and one glance around showed what the obvious plan was.</p><p>"We'll split up," Sihiri proclaimed as she floated down the center path, "and regroup back here once we get the others back."</p><p>"Understood," Vatra replied as he took the leftmost path. "When we meet again, it'll be as a team."</p><p>"You bet!" Luz chirped and saluted the others as he took the rightmost path. "Stay safe, alright?"</p><p>With their vows proclaimed to the winds, the three of them parted ways down the beaten paths.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 17: Molekin Mountain Part 2 (Part 2)<p>The chilling airs of the temple grew even colder as its inhabitants worked away in near-silence. Only their whispering could be heard amid the howling winds of the outer world, and the chimes that came from within the temple. Havîn and Payiz laid in the heart of the room, and dressed in Bihar and Zivistan's robes as they danced together in chilling silence.</p><p>Bihar and Zivistan watched not, for they laid on the other side of the temple's floor. Their ghostly bodies flared with a little bit more light than usual as they diligently shaped talismans out of worn, cracked clay, and painted warding sigils on yellowed paper. Their completed creations surrounded them both, and formed a sort of wall around them as they laid the creations aside. Bihar and Zivistan both sighed, raised from their spots, and their eyes now turned to where Spyro, Chihiro and Nemir crafted even more talismans in silence behind them.</p><p>"We're ready over here," Bihar proclaimed.</p><p>Though his voice was only a whisper, it spoke volumes within the tense, chilling silence of the room. It was enough that everyone else shuddered just from hearing it.</p><p>Havîn and Payiz both broke from their dance routine and floated over. Their eyes idly drifted over the army of clay talismans and paper sigils that reeked of fresh ink. Havîn lifted up one, but quickly placed it down as Chihiro hopped over and examined the collection as well. Chihiro hummed, and ignored the wary glances Havîn gave her as she bent down and examined the talismans with an almost quizzical glance.</p><p>"Dunno about you, but I'd say we've got plenty of these little guys!" Chihiro remarked, before she glanced back to Spyro and beckoned him over with a wave of her hand. "C'mon, Golden Boy, let's get them juiced up!"</p><p>Spyro nodded and flew over. He captured Chihiro's hand in his paw in one swift motion and squeezed it the next. A soft, shimmering purple glow came from their entwined hand and paw. Its thin streams spread out across the room, and tinted the walls in purple hues before they seeped into the talismans! The talismans pulsed with a purple glow that quickly faded, but their ghastly surfaces retained their indigo and violet colors as they rested.</p><p>"This should buff them up enough," Chihiro said as she bent over, plucked one from the ground, and spun it around between her fingers. "Just in case."</p><p>Bihar winced as he turned his attention to Havîn and Payiz. His mouth twisted into an uncertain frown, almost as if there was something he wanted to say. Was he going to object at the last minute? Did he have doubts? Well, they all did, but the flickers and wilting lights in his eyes suggested he had extra reservations. Beside him, Zivistan tugged on her arm, and her own light flickered as she frowned.</p><p>"Are you two ready?" Bihar asked at last as he turned his sight to Havîn and Payiz.</p><p>Havîn and Payiz said no words. They glanced at each other, their bodies flickering and wavering as they stared. But then, Payiz smiled and held Havîn close, and a sort of peace fell over her circle as she buried her face in Payiz's chest and squeezed her tight.</p><p>"Yes, we are," Havîn and Payiz both said in unison.</p><p>Bihar nodded as he knelt down, and lifted a cloudy purple glass ball from the floor. "In that case, I'd say we should make our leave then."</p><p>A few shaky, tense nods came from their entire party as they stepped out in pairs: Bihar and Zivistan first, Havîn and Payiz next…</p><p>And then, Spyro and Chihiro. Neither Spyro or Chihiro moved a step as they reached the open temple doors. Their bodies froze as they locked eyes on the barrier that flickered and shone before them.</p><p>A faint pang of pain hit the back of Chihiro's head as her encounters with the Odivia came back to her, and then she glanced at Spyro. Like it or not, they were taking a huge risk with this. They were the last line of defense, and if they fell, who would be left?</p><p>As she stared into Spyro's golden eyes, her heart clenched just a bit, and her mind recalled how quickly the Odivia brought everyone around to hate and scorn each other. Would it make her and Spyro hate each other too? She couldn't bear the thought of seeing him and only having anger and rage fill her! Those memories flooded again, and before she knew it, tight breaths sped out of her…</p><p>But then, Spyro placed his paws on her hand. Her whole head cleared as a warm feeling emerged from his paws, and he smiled and peered up at her.</p><p>"Soothing spell," he whispered as he folded his toes around her palm, "to clear the nerves."</p><p>That tense, tight feeling that captured Chihiro faded and she smiled. She took him by the paw and led him down the pathway to the temple. A warbling sound came from above as they ran down, and the two of them glanced up to find the barrier's light fading. Its colors growing paler and clearer, and then, it completely disappeared!</p><p>At the foot of the hill, Havîn, Payiz, Bihar, and Zivistan all gathered. They all huddled together around Bihar, all expressions tense as they glanced down at the cloudy purple orb that Bihar held.</p><p>Bihar raised the orb, and the others drew back as it reached its highest. The orb's colors grew radiant as it brushed against the little light the underworld provided, and with one swift swing, Bihar slammed the orb right against the ground! Its glass casing shattered, and he rushed away as its contents spilled out over the floor. The thick clouds of violet smoke cascaded in a blanket of fog that shrouded the entrance from view.</p><p>Bihar floated backwards, and his one hand clutched something in his pocket as his eyes narrowed. The smoke spread further, left an eye-watering, burning smell in the air as it spread, yet there was no sign of the Odivia! The air chilled above them, and Bihar backed away as he squeezed his hand tighter.</p><p>The ground rumbled, and bounced tiny rocks off the floor as it shook with a mighty fear! The temple itself shook slightly as a roar echoed in the air, and the skies turned purple, or did they? No, their color hadn't changed! Something leaped forward and choked out the skies with its purple fur!</p><p>The Odivia roared, shook the ground as it pounced on the clouds of malice, and blew back everyone around with its landing! It stretched out a long, frog-like tongue, and wrapped it right around the clouds before it ate them up. As it licked its lips, its eyes flashed and it launched itself for Havîn and Payiz!</p><p>"Girls, now!" both Bihar and Zivistan cried.</p><p>Havîn and Payiz gasped, held each other right and spun away as the Odivia landed! A large, dull thud came from the ground as the Odivia crashed down and cast up wispy purple smoke. It growled and flicked its tail as it laid eyes on Havîn and Payiz.</p><p>Havîn and Payiz clutched each other tight in turn as both their hands trembled, but right as the Odivia growled, Payiz pulled Havîn aside in a series of spins and pirouettes! The two of them twirled around the Odivia, and embraced each other so tightly as they spun! The Odivia's eyes spun around in its head as it traced their movements, waiting for a moment to pounce.</p><p>As their spinning slowed a bit, the Odivia charged forward and swiped for them! Its sharp, jagged claws slashed, but a bright barrier of pink and orange light burst forward and blew its paw back! The Odivia wailed and suckled on its now-burning paw, and Havîn and Payiz smiled at each other as they drew to a stop.</p><p>The shield faded as the Odivia roared and charged forward—but this time, Havîn drew herself in front of Payiz, brandishing a talisman like a sword! The Odivia reeled back, and Havîn swept forward as she danced with Payiz.</p><p>The two held each other close as they twirled, spun, and leaped in the air with the passion of a couple that had loved each other for eternity! They embraced each other with soft, tender touches as they danced, laughed with pure elation as they glowed underneath the warm light of their magic dance, and they grew even more passionate with every moment that passed! Their movements became sharper, stronger; their dance moves spread bursts of orange and pink light with every fierce spin and leap!</p><p>The Odivia skittered back, and whimpered like a puppy as the swirls of magic surrounded it! They lashed at its hide like whips, and left the Odivia to cower as magic bled from its wounds! It hid underneath its massive paws as it made itself as small as it could, as if it tried to hide from the lashes! But, the magic shot, slashed and snapped at its back, and its yowls of pain grew strained and small with each cry as it grew smaller!</p><p>Payiz turned away a bit from Havîn and gasped with glee. "It's working!" she cried as she turned back to Havîn. "Keep dancing!"</p><p>Havîn chuckled and squeezed Payiz's hand. She pushed herself in Payiz's face, and Payiz blushed as her eyes grew wider.</p><p>"You don't have to tell me," Havîn crooned.</p><p>She planted a small, quick kiss on Payiz's face, and Payiz gasped as an explosion of orange and pink magic burst from their spot! The dust scattered all across the floor as the two of them spun away, and it left behind the Odivia. Now, it was as small as a house, and whimpered as its body bled with magic!</p><p>Chihiro gasped, not able to make a single word. The bright lights, the swift, elegant dances, they all captivated her, and stilled her heart as she watched in amazement. A tiny, tiny part of her wanted to jump in there and dance again, but another part of her pulled her back as it cried not to, reminding her of her past failures. Her heart throbbed against her chest like it was gonna break free…</p><p>But, when she turned to Spyro, who beamed and cheered with all he had, with that look in his golden eyes that was just as captivated by the scene as she was, everything melted away. The Odivia disappeared, and so had everyone else. It was just the two of them and the dance floor, and it cried out for them to jump on!</p><p>So, Chihiro smiled and gripped Spyro's paw in hers! He gasped and turned to her, but his momentary surprise faded as she leaned up and whispered one thing.</p><p>"Can I have this dance?"</p><p>Spyro squeezed her hand back, and gently pressed his head against her shoulder. "Gladly."</p><p>The two of them swung onto the dance floor. Their movements were small at first; they stepped in sync, hopped and twirled from side to side with short, sharp movements, and clapped their hands together as they met each other face to face. With hearts pressed together and hand clasped in paw, the two of them spun away. The momentary blast of an attack faded away as they spun and leaped in the air! Chihiro landed on the ground, and with a tap of her foot, the floor lit up in shades of purple and white, green and black, and even some stunning, milky silvers!</p><p>The colors shone in brilliance against the orange and pink magic blasts that bombed against the Odivia's back. The Odivia cried out as it shrank another size, now drowned underneath the light Chihiro created. The light grew brilliant and shone so bright that the Odivia's form could barely be made out!</p><p>Chihiro smiled and pulled out her and Spyro's clasped paw.</p><p>"Let's say we finish this with style, Golden Boy."</p><p>"Just my thoughts, Chi."</p><p>The two of them squeezed each other tight, and the magic that burst from the floor leaped out, swirling around their arms. A cannon formed as their light swirled, and its colors grew brighter by the second as they lifted their arms and focused their gaze on the Odivia. The Odivia whimpered, closed its eyes, and covered its face with its paws, clearly unable to fight.</p><p>"Alright, beast of foul hatred!" Chihiro cried. "Prepare yourself!"</p><p>Spyro chuckled and gained a confident sneer. "You're about to be hit with…"</p><p>The light surrounding Spyro and Chihiro shrieked as its colors flared their brightest!</p><p>"THE MAGICAL ALLEGIANCE DOUBLE DECKER SPECIAL!"</p><p>The blast shrieked as it funneled out. It painted the world in bright, harsh shades of purple, white, and green as it formed into a laser and smashed right into the Odivia's side! The wind rose around Spyro and Chihiro, yet they stood steadfast as their laser's light pushed into the Odivia's side, knocking it into the air! Their own light faded as Spyro and Chihiro gasped.</p><p>They stepped back as the Odivia flew in the skies before them, but then a bright orange and pink burst sniped it right out of the skies! The Odivia crash-landed onto the ground. It shrunk as small as it was when Spyro and Chihiro first nearly defeated it before it bounced off like a rubber ball.</p><p>Behind it, Havîn and Payiz drew back from each other as if they pulled out of a long, passionate kiss, all fluttering eyes and faces flushed pink. They craned their heads around slowly, and their movements were hazy as if they barely comprehended the world around them. The cry of the Odivia sounded behind them, and they gasped with glee!</p><p>There before them laid the Odivia, but it was all small and scraggly as it wailed out in strained, pained cries and yelps! Its body twitched, but it didn't even try to push itself up. Perhaps, with how much magic it lost, and how much magic it was still losing from the bleeding gashes and holes in its body, it couldn't.</p><p>"The Odivia! It's weak!" Bihar cried. His eyes fluttered and jaw dropped for a moment, as if he almost couldn't believe his eyes, but he quickly shook his head and turned to Zivistan. "The seal, quickly!"</p><p>Bihar fumbled as he held out his hands while Zivistan floated to his side. The two of them gripped each other's shaky hands, and showed weary glances before they thrust their hands out and chanted in some kind of ancient Skylandian tongue. Their hands shuddered as they spoke while a flare of light slowly formed from their fingertips, but as they chanted, the Odivia growled and staggered up!</p><p>The Odivia shot them one glare and flashed its teeth, and rushed off as they wavered a bit! For its weakened state, it flew with incredibly spry speed, and left trails of purple dust in its wake!</p><p>Bihar and Zivistan's hands slipped out. They nearly collapsed on the floor had Nemir not jumped in and propped them up. Their eyes grew wide as they only watched the Odivia sprint off, and beside them Havîn and Payiz gasped as their own colors faded before they reeled back.</p><p>"After it!" Spyro and Chihiro cried in tandem as they ran off.</p><p>Tracking the trail of purple smoke, their group stumbled back through the winding twists and alleyways that brought them to the temple. The sounds of angered shouting rose in the air as they ran, a sound that left the others with worried looks as they passed back into the broad open…</p><p>And what did they arrive to but the burning eyes of the entire underworld populace? Their faces were red with rage as they turned around. They were shouts and gnashed teeth as they crept onto Chihiro's group, and her group in turn backed away.</p><p>A particularly large growl rang from the back, and Chihiro lifted her head to find the Odivia! It snarled with an almost smug look as if to mock them, and rested in the back of the swarming crowds. The hatred radiated from their bodies, and fed back into the Odivia as it grew in size and strength once again!</p><p>"Dang, I should've known it'd do something like this!" Chihiro cried.</p><p>"But what're we gonna do?" Payiz shouted. Her eyes were wide with panic as she glanced around in short, sharp bursts. "We can't hurt any of them, and there's to many to fight, but, but, if they don't break out, we'll—"</p><p>Payiz screamed as one of the ghosts lunged for her, but before it struck, Havîn flew in front of Payiz and held a talisman in front of them both! The talisman repelled the ghost like a shield, pushed it back into the crowds and knocked it on its back. It was then that it groaned and lifted its head, its eyes turning from red to a milky white!</p><p>Havîn breathed a sigh of relief, turned to Payiz and smiled. "Don't worry, Payiz, we planned for this, remember?" Havîn whispered. She held up the talisman and shook it just a little. "What do you think we made all those talismans for?"</p><p>Payiz smiled and nodded, but both she and Havîn turned serious as they turned to Spyro and Chihiro.</p><p>"Can you two get the rest of the talismans back from the temple?"</p><p>"Already on it!" Spyro shouted as he gripped Chihiro's hand.</p><p>The two of them nodded, teleported away, and teleported back in a flash with arms filled to the brim with talismans!</p><p>Havîn and Payiz grinned, pulled a few talismans from the pile and clasped them together. Their heads nuzzled against each other as they held them, and the pink and orange glow that permeated from their bodies seeped into the talismans, shading them in warm hues. The two of them beamed as the talismans' light bathed their faces, yet it only lasted a moment.</p><p>A few more members of the enraged crowds leaped out at them, and their joy broke! Havîn cried out, flung the talismans right at the enraged ghosts, and smacked them right in the face before they could strike! The talismans' warm light glowed and fed into the ghosts' bodies. The talismans dropped on the ground, and left several confused, but normal ghosts in their wake!</p><p>"It worked!"</p><p>Chihiro nudged into Spyro and grinned as the bright light of their dance flared again, spreading into the talismans that the two of them held. The lights shimmered in violets and silvers, greens and rich blacks, but only for moments. Chihiro rushed forward and flung the entire pile of talismans right into the crowds! Their light shone like an aurora as their magic descended upon the masses, and the cries of the crowds dulled into mumbles and confused shouts!</p><p>The Odivia snarled, backed away as it bore its fangs at the encroaching aurora—but as the light shone, it whimpered and skittered back! The aurora glowed brighter; it bore its colors as a bright, shining banner, a shield to protect those behind…</p><p>Yet that didn't stop the crowds of ghosts from gasping and screaming in panic!</p><p>"The Odivia!" cried one ghost. "What's it doing here?"</p><p>"Everyone, flee, quickly!" shouted another ghost.</p><p>The screams of the crowd rose as they flooded towards the back, and their lights flickered in fear as they piled backwards. The distinct cries and growls of the Odivia behind them only stoked this terror! They practically mushed together as they held up the back of the room, and nearly squeezed out Spyro and Chihiro as the stampede snatched them up.</p><p>The shield of magic strained above the crowds as the crowd pushed its way towards the exit, but the sound of a single whistle brought them back to the front! All their eyes rested on Havîn and Payiz as the mob of ghosts parted away, leaving behind a very frazzled Spyro and Chihiro.</p><p>"Listen up, everyone!" Havîn cried as she took center stage. "I know you're all worried right now, but calm down! Flying around in a panic isn't going to do anything!"</p><p>"What are you blabbering about? Don't you see the Odivia's right there?" cried a ghostly woman who flew out of the crowds. Another <em>thunk</em> sounded off as the Odivia charged against the shield but bounced back, and the ghost woman cringed. "That thing was supposed to be sealed away by the high priest and priestess! What's it doing here?"</p><p>Payiz and Havîn both exchanged worried glances, eyes tense and teeth clenched, but it was Payiz who flew out and addressed the crowds next.</p><p>"There's, there's been a few changes in the ritual this year," Payiz explained. "The high priest and priestess have found themselves unable to do the ritual this year—"</p><p>A wave of gasps and shouts came over the crowd. Eyes went wide as they turned to each other, so Havîn cleared her throat and jumped in.</p><p>"But don't worry, we've got a plan!" Havîn proclaimed. "We'll all harness the power of our love and use it to fight back against the Odivia!"</p><p>"Harness the power, of <em>our</em> love?" asked a ghost in the crowds as they raised their brows. "Did I hear that correctly?"</p><p>"Yep! Surely a lot of you have someone or something you love a lot, right? Friends, family, lovers…"</p><p>Hearing this, a couple of the ghosts grinned and turned around. A few took each other in hand; a couple nuzzled their heads together; a parent beamed down at their wide-eyed and grinning children; one ghost smiled and rubbed the head of a ghostly dog that followed behind him; beside him, an aged, spectral woman smiled and lifted up a loaf of fresh-baked bread. These small gestures of love glimmered like stars in a growing night, and warmed the cold depths of the Underworld just a bit.</p><p>Havîn's grinned stretched wider as the crowds mumbled and their worried glances turned to smiles. "The Odivia's weak to love, so just take that love and show it however you can!"</p><p>The crowds shifted a little, and a tiny ghost dressed in black shuffled through with a gulp as they raised their hand. "And if we don't have anything or anyone we love?" they asked, their voice soft and quivering.</p><p>Chihiro shook her head, smiled, and grabbed a pile of talismans from the floor. "Then take these talismans, find anyone still under the Odivia's curse, and free them!" Chihiro proclaimed as she shoved the talismans into the ghost's arms. "We'll need as much help as we can get!"</p><p>The ghost made a tiny smile and nodded, but their relief was short-lived. The Odivia roared as it scratched against the shield, and this time, it seemed to work! The shield's colors quivered and faded before they brightened with every blow, except now, thin white cracks stretched along the shield's surface! The cracks grew with every blow; they spread further and glimmered, trembled, even, with the Odivia's cries!</p><p>"Alright everyone," Payiz cried as she took Havîn's hand and squeezed it tight, "it's go time!"</p><p>With one last strike, the barrier shattered and the Odivia sprung forward! Its roars grew as it pounced, and it strained with anger as it set its eyes on Havîn and Payiz.</p><p>The crowds around them screeched in fear and scattered, but Havîn and Payiz nodded and held each other tight. Squeezing their hands together, they spun out of the Odivia's way, yet the ground shook underfoot as its paws slammed down. Their hands quivered for a moment, but Payiz squeezed them tighter as she leaned forward and kissed Havîn!</p><p>Havîn's eyes grew wide, yet she quickly melted into the kiss and gripped Payiz tight. The orange and pink lights of before glowed from their body like morning dawn, their colors painting the world around in warm shades. The light grew brighter, and the Odivia screeched and stumbled back as it shielded its eyes!</p><p>The crowd of ghosts stopped in their tracks, all wide eyes and jaws as they gazed in awe of the sights. The simple power of two girls' unyielding love for each other fought back a being of pure hatred, one that lurked in the corners and loomed over their town like a beast ready to strike! A few ghosts just stood and blinked, perhaps unable to process whatever occurred, but a couple others grinned and jumped in!</p><p>An older couple of two men was the first to start. They held each other in hand, and danced together like the ruined square was the finest ballroom! Rainbow light wafted off of them as they danced and laughed like they were still young and just fell in love. The light bolted towards the Odivia, sniping it in its eye!</p><p>The Odivia screeched and slammed back into the wall as it clawed at its smoking eye, but a bolt of white light sniped the other one. The Odivia covered its eyes with its paws as it wailed.</p><p>The ghostly couple turned to the back, and found that a few younger ghosts who wore matching bracelets grinned as they held hands clasped tight to the skies! The younger ghosts folded their hands together and grinned, but their eyes quickly trailed off as an even younger ghost giggled and floated off.</p><p>"Baba, baba!" cried the ghost as they pointed to the wailing Odivia with childlike glee. "I wanna do it, too!"</p><p>An older, slightly aged ghost gasped, flew out of the crowds, and scooped the child in their arms with fear in their eyes. "That thing's dangerous!" the older ghost cried. "Don't run after it like that!"</p><p>A bright white glow surrounded the two ghosts and leaped out, striking right for the Odivia's neck! The Odivia's screams quelled at last as the bolt severed a hole in its neck, and it collapsed right before the startled parent and their child! The parent gasped and floated back, holding their child close.</p><p>The light only grew brighter and stronger as it laid stuck in the Odivia's neck. The Odivia choked again as it collapsed, and the older ghost couple chuckled and waved the rest of the crowds over.</p><p>"Come now, everyone!" cried one ghost as he smiled a smile emphasized by his many wrinkles. "This beast poses no harm to us, for our love is much stronger!"</p><p>Hearing this, the crowds smiled and flooded out not in fear, but love!</p><p>Couples floated out and danced with each other, kissed with passion and embraced with tender joy. Groups of friends cheered, laughed, and bounced around as they quipped and recounted old stories! A few ghosts even joined in with parents, children, and siblings. Older family members tossed the younger ones in the air and snuggled them tight while the younger ones laughed with childlike glee! Some even grabbed their pets and cuddled them tight, or played games with them as they rejoiced!</p><p>As they played, as they laughed, as they showed whatever love they had, the lights around them grew brighter and brighter! The light sprung forward, and tore through the Odivia's pelt while it wrangled and screeched! The Odivia snarled and screwed its eyes shut as it attempted to stand, but then, another burst of colorful light rushed out from the alleyways. It slammed into the Odivia's other side, knocking it back to the floor!</p><p>The faint sounds of panting came out next as another crowd of ghosts that held talismans flooded out, all led by that little ghost dressed in black! A few other ghosts clutched armfuls of talismans beside them, and even more spread out and joined the crowds' ranks!</p><p>"Sorry we're a bit late!" the black-clad ghost cried. "It took a little while, but we got as many from the town as we could!"</p><p>Havîn and Payiz broke from their kiss and gasped with glee. Their eyes turned to the Odivia, and bright, colorful lights burned off its back as it screeched and wailed!</p><p>Its legs and tail janked as it banged its head against the floor, and it clawed at its throat as it futilely tried to sever the bolt of light lodged within. As it struggled, a rain of wispy pink flower petals cascaded down in a torrent over the Odivia's back! The petals melted into a pink mass that burned away the Odivia's back. It coughed out murky magic substance as it collapsed and struggled to catch its breath.</p><p>"Well, well, well," Bihar chuckled as he floated down with a large, empty barrel underneath his arm. "Looks like those old flower petals I swept up had some use after all."</p><p>The simple pluck of a string came next, and Zivistan floated down with a sitar in arm and eyes closed in concentration. A smile crossed her face as she played its strings, and the simple melody that started grew passionate, all rife with emotion as it told a story with no words!</p><p>Chihiro couldn't help but smile as she sat down and bathed in the music. It reminded her a little bit of something she heard when she searched for Kaos in India, and for a moment, she came back to the streets and the joys she saw.</p><p>Now, she stood in a place brought to life by the passion and fervor for life its people held, but stilled just a bit as people gathered to hear a band play on stage while its singer sang with an entrancing voice. She pictured herself back in the crowds, how she watched as the singer spoke of great triumphs, crushing losses, and the high and lows of life, all while the stage itself came to life with both the performance and the audience's cheers! Even though this song was so much different than the one she heard, the sound was somehow so nostalgic all the same.</p><p>But then, the melody changed!</p><p>The sitar morphed in Zivistan's hands, and turned to a shamisen that played a melody a bit like the songs her dad showed her when she was little. Next, it became a guitar that played old songs like what she'd hear over the radio at home! With every pluck and stroke of the strings, Zivistan's instrument morphed into another, sang another melody, and played another tune that brought to mind memories from all across the globe!</p><p>Zivistan's passion, her fervor, and the strong love she held for her craft bled into her playing. Every careful stroke and perfect note left a bright, blue glow that burned off of her. It burst off, and took the form of music notes as it smashed into the Odivia's underside!</p><p>The blasts smashed the Odivia through the wall, and knocked bricks down on its mangled, twisted body as it cried out! The light severed through its neck finally faded, and the magic substance that oozed from its body gushed out. It splattered across the floors and shot off mist.</p><p>Zivistan smiled as she stowed away her musical instrument, and Bihar chuckled beside her.</p><p>"I never knew you were so adept at so many musical stylings," he remarked.</p><p>"I've been practicing," Zivistan replied.</p><p>While all this unfolded around them, Spyro and Chihiro just sat together and clutched each other. So many beings rushed and danced around them, the lights grew brighter and painted the area around in all sorts of bright, overwhelming colors, the cries of festivities around welled up and bubbled…</p><p>Yet, something about it didn't leave Chihiro quite as overwhelmed as it normally would've. Maybe it was the sight of the Odivia dying before her? Maybe it was the feeling of Spyro close to her, with his wings and scales wrapped around her tight as her grounding force? Whatever it was, it kept her grounded; a bit numb, but grounded nonetheless.</p><p>She couldn't speak, so she watched in total, utter, amazed silence, and Spyro watched next to her. He curled close, his head resting against her shoulder. His eyes sparkled with all the color of the rainbow reflected in them, and a small, quaint smile found its way on his face. If not for the raging cries of the Odivia, it almost felt like a perfect, picturesque scene.</p><p>Lifting herself from the ground, Chihiro smiled and held out a hand to Spyro. She couldn't bring herself to speak, but he understood her without a word. Taking hand in paw, the two of them held each other close and danced. It wasn't anything fancy—just a faint recreation of those ballroom dances Chihiro always saw in movies with a few spins and twirls tossed in—but as they stepped in sync and held each other tight, that glow from before burst from below!</p><p>It slipped out from their shadows and moved underneath the Odivia's body. The milky white lights came first, flanked by a rim of shadows with a silvery outer glow. Purple and green smoke wafted out of the shadowy rim, and formed strands that wove together and smashed down on the Odivia! The smoky net dug into its body, pinned it down to the light!</p><p>The Odivia squealed and thrashed with what little energy it had remaining, even as it bled out. As it squalled, a bright pillar of light burst from the circle and engulfed the Odivia in its light!</p><p>The pillar faded as the Odivia shrieked, and when the light shone its last, the Odivia collapsed to the ground. Its body bubbled and glowed with the remains of love's light, and it laid so pained that it couldn't even bring itself to move or shriek. It just groaned, and that magic substance trickled from its jaw as it laid slack and barely alive.</p><p>"It's almost done for!" Havîn cried before she turned to Payiz. "The seal, quickly!"</p><p>Zivistan and Bihar floated forward, and they both exchanged smiles as they laid their hands on Havîn and Payiz's shoulders.</p><p>"Would you do us the honor of finishing this?" Bihar asked.</p><p>"Gladly," Havîn and Payiz both said in unison.</p><p>The two of them held out their clasped hands and closed their eyes. They chanted in some kind of ancient Skylandian tongue while their light glowed so slowly, like a meter filling to its top. The light flooded across their fingertips, spread out to the rest of their hands, and an echoing sound rattled.</p><p>A beam of light flew out of Havîn and Payiz's hands and slammed right into the Odivia! A seal planted on its face while the light came over the bubbling, shaking body of the Odivia, and in one large burst, the Odivia was no more! Its body blew to pieces in a rain of colorful lights and sparkles that cascaded all over the town square.</p><p>The townsfolk broke from their dance and celebrations, and all eyes went wide with glee as the lights rained down on them. Lovers shared kisses and tender hugs, family and friends alike embraced each other and cheered, and even total strangers wrapped their arms together and celebrated.</p><p>In the center of it all, Havîn and Payiz both cried tears of joy as they held each other tight. "We did it! It really worked!" they both cried out.</p><p>"It certainly did," Bihar remarked, "and now that we know it does, I'm certain this town will be in safe hands."</p><p>Havîn and Payiz blinked, and drew back as Bihar and Zivistan nodded towards each other. Bihar took Havîn's hands in his, Zivistan took Payiz's hands in her own, and both of them knelt down with heads bowed in utmost respect as Havîn and Payiz gasped.</p><p>"I truly did underestimate you girls, but where the high priestess and I failed, you succeeded in not only protecting our home, but also making the ritual the strongest it's been in generations!" Lifting his head, Bihar smiled up at Havîn. "I, frankly, should have had more faith in your abilities."</p><p>"As should have I," Zivistan added as she drifted away. "Thus, we are appointing you two the new high priestesses of the temple—if you so choose. If you agree, the temple and all it watches over will be in your care. Do you understand this?"</p><p>Havîn and Payiz both glanced at each other, and nodded with the utmost of serious expressions.</p><p>"In that case, we'll begin the processions for your appointment once the ceremony ends" — Bihar chuckled — "and after this, I think I'll pay a visit back to the old gardens back in the living realms. I'd hope they're as beautiful as I remember them being."</p><p>"And I think I might pay a visit to some old haunts of mine," Zivistan remarked.</p><p>Bihar and Zivistan glanced at each other, with some kind of not-quite-melancholic, but not overjoyed glace. Perhaps they knew this may be the last time they talked? A sort of quiet thank you for all the time they spent together? Whatever it was, they both nodded and floated away with Havîn and Payiz close behind.</p><p>Chihiro smiled and flopped on the ground, which felt surprisingly warm despite being in the incredibly chilly underworld! All around her, beings cheered, ran around, and celebrated, but she didn't quite register them. All that came to her was Spyro, who laid beside her with wings wrapped around her…</p><p>And those words Havîn had said earlier.</p><p><em>There's beings who've never felt an ounce of romantic love in their lives, but they've led perfectly happy lives all the same!</em></p><p>So, there were beings who had never fallen in love their whole lives? Somehow, she never thought of the prospect before—but to be fair, she'd never really thought about romance all that much before, either. Something about the concept felt so new and foreign, yet, something about it eased the anxiety in her heart. It warmed the same shivers that she felt every time beings pushed her and Spyro together as a couple.</p><p>Spyro nudged his wing against Chihiro's shoulder. As she spared him a glance, he smiled and winked.</p><p>"See, Chi? We beat that whole thing just because we cared about each other that much!" Spyro remarked. "It doesn't matter if we're friends, or a couple, or whatever else."</p><p>Chihiro chuckled and sat up. "Well, we had a lot of help," she corrected with a wink, "but yeah" — Chihiro grinned and fell back down on the floor — "we're partners, and that's that."</p><p>Spyro smiled, but his smile quickly faded. "Anyways, I kinda feel like we're forgetting something, but I can't remember what it was?"</p><p>"Hmm…"</p><p>Chihiro sat up again as a shadow cast over her, and found that Nemir showed up seemingly out of nowhere with a strange conductor-like object made of foggy glass in hand.</p><p>"There you two are! Between all the festivities, I almost thought I wouldn't find you," Nemir remarked. "Anyways, the conductor—"</p><p>"THE CONDUCTOR!" Spyro and Chihiro both cried, their eyes practically popping out of their skulls. "WE FORGOT ABOUT THE CONDUCTOR!"</p><p>Chihiro scrambled back to her feet, but as luck would have it, her legs were numb and she fell over herself. Her face hit the cooling floor and she cringed, even more so as Nemir laughed.</p><p>But, he gently pushed her up, and gave her that same kind smile as he held out a tube-like device.</p><p>"Don't worry, I managed to find it while looking for you two," Nemir said. "With this, we should be able to stabilize the semblance's presence."</p><p>Spyro and Chihiro both breathed sighs of relief, and stood back to full height as Nemir drew away. The two of them trailed after Nemir as he made his way back to the entrance, but while Spyro went ahead without hesitation, Chihiro lingered on the plaza. Her eyes traced the faint glows of green and monochrome that came from its floors…</p><p>"Chihiro, are you coming?" Spyro called.</p><p>Chihiro's eyes fluttered, and she nodded as she ran ahead. "I, I'm coming!"</p><p align="center">§</p><p>The faint sound of pattering echoed in the area as the floors below grew warmer. Soon, they shot up masses of sharp spears so thick and tightly-bound that the floor was impossible to see! The spears stood tall like trees, but a sharp, whooshing sound came from below and they all trembled as they retracted into the now iced-over floors. The ice of the floors covered it in an almost crystalline sheet; cracks formed over it from where the spears broke through, and its surface glistened in a whole array of colors as Luz's group crossed over.</p><p>"So, that's what you've missed these past couple thousand years!" Luz finished as he stretched his arms out. "I know, I know, kind of a lot to take in and all, but—"</p><p>Luz turned to Fintster, and his face immediately fell as Fintster stopped in his tracks. Even though his bangs covered his eyes from view, the way Fintster held his head low and his back slouched told Luz enough. He knew this would be a lot to process, but he didn't think Fintster would be this shocked by how much time had gone by! Sure, a lot had changed, but…</p><p>Oh, right. Surely, he was probably thinking of their family members, all likely long dead and gone by now. Luz got so caught up in how happy he was to have his brother back that he completely forgot for just a moment that they were all each other had now.</p><p>Luz's chest tightened up a little bit, and his eyes stung with tears, but he quickly shook it off and forced a smile as he squeezed Fintster's hand. A soft grunt came from Fintster as he lifted his head and turned to Luz, and he squeezed Luz's hand back with a smile. There was a lot to take in and process and they both knew it, but they had each other. That had to count for something.</p><p>The path ended soon after, and all that laid before them was a large, kind of rickety-looking wooden platform. Light poured from the opening above it, and the faint sound of cheering crowds rumbled from the other side. What was it that would await them? Luz wasn't sure, yet he gulped and boarded the platform with Fintster in hand, and the others following behind them.</p><p>The platform creaked from the added weight as they all boarded, and the faint groan of churning gears rumbled within the building as the platform creaked up. With every inch, the light grew brighter and the cheering grew louder, while the faint scents of desert dust rang in the air.</p><p>And then, as the light hit its brightest, the platform raised its highest and locked itself into a dusty arena floor.</p><p>The coliseum they stood in now was lined to the brims with cheering armies of both cyclopes and Arkeyan robots alike, and over on its balcony laid two thrones with two cyclopes decked in crowns and regal garb atop. One of them was short with chartreuse skin and a single blue eye, and was decked in armor.</p><p>To that one's right laid a taller cyclops—but considering that this one had three brown eyes with plump lashes, Luz wasn't entirely sure if they should even be called a cyclops. A pair of amber horns and a crown rested atop this cyclops's head, and she wore an elaborate, queenly-looking red and gold dress while her red-clawed hands clutched a scepter tight…</p><p>But the moment her eyes laid on Luz's team, the scepter slipped from her hands and she jumped from her seat.</p><p>"SKYLANDERS?" the cyclops screeched. Her voice was shrill and aged, and reminded Luz a bit of a meaner version of the old ladies from his hometown. "HOW DID THE SKYLANDERS FIND US?"</p><p>"Oh, I knew this was a bad idea," moaned the cyclops still sitting on the throne as he buried his face in his hands. "I knew causing such a ruckus would get the Skylanders to find us! The last thing I wanted was to see them again…"</p><p>The other, queenly-looking cyclops growled and snapped her head around. "Quiet, Pipsqueak!" the cyclops queen snapped. "The last thing I need is your moaning and groaning!"</p><p>"Hey, uh, not to interrupt your little argument," Luz said as he stepped forward. "But do you and the Skylanders have history or something?"</p><p>"History? Oh, I've got history with them, alright!" the cyclops queen snapped again, turned around, and bore all her fangs as she met Luz's gaze. "They're the reason my collection's gone! I used to have the most wonderful zoo in all Skylands, you know! It had all the rarest creatures you could find in Skylands, some even extinct save for my specimens! It took me my entire reign and all the deals I could muster just to collect it, but then some blowhard storm titan from your ranks came waltzing in and freed them all…"</p><p>Luz blinked, and rubbed his eyes as the cyclops queen before him paced around and ranted something about missing collections.</p><p>"Wait a second, storm titan?" Terrafin whispered to Eruptor behind him. "Was this the same lady Lightning Rod tangoed with?"</p><p>"Dear, please, calm down!" Pipsqueak cried from his throne as he gestured out. "Remember, we still have the arena battle!"</p><p>The cyclops queen stopped mid-step, and a wicked grin spread across her face.</p><p>"Oh yes, that's right!" she cried. She laid a hand on the balcony, tapped her fingers against its rim, and her angry expression turning to something sickeningly wicked. "I almost forgot my little deal! Some strange man claiming to be an envoy for a reincarnated Arkeyan king happened to have a little deal with me, you see…"</p><p><em>SHING!</em> All around them, sharp saw blades raised from the ground and shone under the midday sun, almost as if it emphasized the sharp cut of their spikes and blades. Luz glanced back at one and winced, and only turned back as the cyclops queen cackled.</p><p>"He was an odd sort, but his lord promised me the finest, most rare fauna in all of Skylands if I helped him get this Oracle and dispose of you—and I'd really like to restart my collection!"</p><p>A pathetic-sounded whistle blew in the air, and all at once, the cyclopes and Arkeyans alike cheered as they rushed out of the stands and leaped into the fray! Their armor clunked and creaked as their feet planted on the ground, and they all beamed as they withdrew maces, flails, swords, and more! The gates in the coliseum walls opened next, and the sounds of warped gnashing and growled echoed out as gigantic chompies flew out from their tunnels—literally! Torn, warped wings made of withered leaves barely propelled them up as their half-gooey green bodies hovered above the arena floors, splattered and reformed as they hit the ground!</p><p>"For the king and queen!" a cyclops at the front cried as they raised their flail.</p><p>"FOR THE KING AND QUEEN!" echoed the other soldiers as they flooded in, charging as one battalion of an army!</p><p>Luz snarled, withdrew his shield and held it up—just one shot could take the first row out at least, he was sure. But, before Luz could even spin his shield, Fintster leaped past and grinned!</p><p>"Let me handle these guys!" Fintster cried as he cracked his ghostly knuckles. "I may have just woken up, but I'm sure I've still got it!"</p><p>The mutant chompies roared as they charged for Fintster, their gooey bodies jiggling with every step they took. Fintster stayed still, silent, not even moving as they came their closest—but then, his whole body melted into the shadows! The chompies stumbled to a stop and growled as they loomed over the shadow where Fintster once resided.</p><p>Luz gave his shield a couple quick spins and shot a string of light beams that sniped the chompies' eyes. They squealed and stumbled back as goop burst from their eyestalks, and while they reeled back, their shadows stretched out behind them. One more step, and out from the shadows leaped Fintster! He swung out a hand and lifted the shadows from the ground as sharp blades, slicing the chompies in half!</p><p>Their remains splattered across the floor, shuddered and reformed as a forest of regular-sized, but still gooey chompies that leaped out.</p><p>Fintster sighed and crossed his arms. "Sure are stubborn, aren't they?" Fintster remarked, before he held out his hand and waved it in circles. "Luckily, I have just the trick for garden-variety pests."</p><p>An orb of flickering blue smoke formed in front of the chompies; it bubbled, pulsed, and warped as it grew and stretched out. The sounds of blowing, churning winds came out as Fintster leaned aside. The winds grew with every size of the orb, grew stronger, and even pulled the chompies towards its vortex heart!</p><p>"The rest of you might want to step back!"</p><p>The vortex grew its largest, and turned to a swirling black hole as it sucked the chompies in with a single breath! The chompies lodged and stuck together. They squealed and thrashed as the black hole tilted upwards and spat the chompies over the horizons! The glowing goo from their bodies rained down and splattered across a few of the cyclops soldiers' heads as they disappeared.</p><p>The cyclopes only blinked as they craned their heads up and watched the chompies disappear, but still, they shook their heads and charged in!</p><p>A few cyclopes swung their swords dangerously close as they rushed towards Fintster, and Luz leaped out as he yanked out his shield! Their swords clanged and bounced back, but even more cyclopes rushed in from the back and jabbed with their knives and flails!</p><p>Fintster grimaced, summoned a cloudy sword of solid darkness, and leaped back as he parried their blows. Fintster pushed away with every strike, or every clang that came as Luz covered blows with his shield. As he did, even more cyclopes soldiers rushed in! Fintster growled, stomped his foot, and the shadows that lined the arena shuddered and leaped up, turning to a dark, churning mist!</p><p>The mist coated the battlefield in thick, eye-searing smoke with Luz and Fintster in its eye! The smoke swept out them, wrapped around the cyclopes soldiers like a blanket, and shot out in a short, but powerful snap that flung them into the walls! The coliseum walls cracked and dented as cyclops after cyclops smashed into its aged brick. While most just fell on their faces and groaned, a few others staggered up and raised their weapons as they charged back in!</p><p>Luz and Fintster took hand in hand, and with one stride, the power of light and shadows propelled them until they were inches away from the cyclopes! The soldiers backed away in quaint shock. Their moment of hesitation was long enough that Luz and Fintster bashed them back with shield and blunt sword, and the two of them turned back.</p><p>Above them, the other spectators grabbed their weapons and ran down the steps in a hasty charge. Luz and Fintster turned their gaze down to where the rest of the group readied their weapons.</p><p>"Take care of the rest!" Luz said as he pushed his shield and knocked the cyclops on the ground. "We'll get to the heads!"</p><p>Despite the distance, it seemed as though their words reached, for Gill Grunt and Whirlwind immediately took to the skies!</p><p>They hovered in front of the stands and momentarily brought the crowds to a halt, a few stumbling back to avoid the sudden interruption. Whirlwind flapped her wings, brought storm clouds front and center, and their lightning leaped into the crowds! The shock sent bursts of yellow light crackling into the air as robots short-circuited and cyclopes squealed.</p><p>Above the sound of their cries, the sound of gushing water came in the air! Right beside Whirlwind, Gill Grunt fired up his hose and doused the crowds. The lighting using the water as a current to travel from one to the next with heightened speed!</p><p>A couple cyclopes fell flat on their faces into the arena. Terrafin leaped into the ground as they got up and stumbled about; he swam through it with rapid speed, carved up the earth and ruptured the surface! The cyclopes flew left and right, launched into the air from the rapid speed of Terrafin's strikes, and a few flung back into the bleachers!</p><p>The flying cyclopes rammed into a few Arkeyans in the stands that lobbed shiny grenades in the air, knocking them back and their grenades forward! A group of lava blobs slammed into the grenades as they flew. The shot whole explosions of fiery, warm colors for all to see!</p><p>The cyclops queen and Pipsqueak both squealed and shielded their eyes as the flames burned.</p><p>The cyclops queen scowled as the lights faded. "Pipsqueak!" she shrieked. "Up the stakes! We can't have these Skylanders foil my perfect collection again!"</p><p>"Yes, dear," Pipsqueak groaned. He pulled out a console, groaned and pressed a few buttons. "Whatever you say, dear…"</p><p>The sounds of clicking and clanking rang in the air. It turned all eyes away from the battles and onto the saw blades that lined the area. With a few shudders, the saw blades twitched and rattled, and off like a rocket they shot. They smashed into each other, let out sounds of shrieking, scraping metal, and changed course as they sawed halves into the torn battlefield instead!</p><p>Luz dropped the cyclops he bashed in and leaped away as one saw blade nearly tore him in half. Fintster hopped away from the same. Everyone else, friend and foe alike, broke into shouting fits and pained cries as they danced around the saw blades' ballroom! They narrowly avoided the saw blades' sharp surfaces as they carved away at the floor.</p><p>Judging by the pounding, rattling footsteps that struck the ground, it seemed as though the big guys had just as much trouble as the little ones! The ground shook before their feet as Eye-Brawl stumbled backwards. He tried his best to avoid the saw blades that danced around his feet, turned around right as a shadow cast over him—but not before a particularly large robot body slammed him into the stands!</p><p>Parts of the bleachers caved in underneath him, and crumbled to bits as the robots who laid in the stands flattened underneath Brawl's might. Brawl grunted and stumbled up; he kicked out a few of the saw blades as he came to full height. Shouts came from underneath as the others scrambled to avoid him, but he just tottered around and flattened saw blade after saw blade while the larger robots laughed in his face.</p><p>But, as he finally regained his footing, Brawl swung out from underneath Eye. He slugged one robot in the face and knocked it back into the stands! Seas of greens, golds, and reds poured over the stands as the spectators fled from the wreckage.</p><p>The robot creaked as it pushed itself back up, and while it struggled, Brawl punched his fists together and slammed them into the ground! The earth cracked underneath his blows, and from the cracks shot up bony brambles that ripped through the floor, tossing earth and stone wherever they went. The saw blades flew in the air as the brambles tore apart their trenches. Soon, all the brambles consolidated into several large skewers that smashed right through the robot's joints and chest.</p><p>Its limbs collapsed onto the ground, its body next as it keeled over. With a clap of Ninjini's hands and a flutter of Swarm's wings, the robot's body broke to bits and burst up from an explosion of purple lightning! It soared over the skies before the broken parts rained down over the coliseum! From the ground, a burst of freezing water shot off and drenched the parts. They froze in midair and found themselves coated in a solid sheet of ice!</p><p>The Arkeyan robots down below ran off as the parts smashed through the cyclopes soldiers' helmets. They all scrambled like headless chickens in their attempts to escape, but as they ran, the winds roared. It lifted the saw blades from their place in the air, and shot them right at the robot soldiers! The Arkeyan robots split in half and collapsed as the saws ran past them. Their severed halves exploded. and coated the entire arena in a thick layer of minty green mist!</p><p>Pipsqueak and the cyclops queen hacked their lungs out as the smoke faded. They glared down at where Luz's team lorded over them with the smuggest of smiles on their faces, and the tattered, gored-up remains of their soldiers around them.</p><p>"Alright, so you took care of a few foot soldiers. That's no feat! Stop looking so proud of yourselves!" the cyclops queen shrieked as she stumbled up the edge of the balcony and waved her staff. "I'll just bring in some more reinforcements!" The cyclops queen's staff sparked, and she waved it around as the gem in its center glowed. "Guards, deal with these pests!"</p><p>The staff glowed its brightest as the queen waved it in circles, yet, no new guards came. The entire arena still laid quiet and devoid of conflict.</p><p>The cyclops queen winced at the sight. "Alright, guards!" the cyclops queen cried as she waved her staff further. "Come here!"</p><p>Nope, still no guards. The cyclops queen gritted her teeth together, growled and shook her staff.</p><p>"WHERE ARE YOU USELESS GUARDS?"</p><p>"Er, dear…" Pipsqueak groaned as he raised a hand. "I think we may be out of guards."</p><p>The cyclops queen growled, and went to raise her voice for a moment/but as she glanced around the room, she found (surely to her irritation) that Pipsqueak was correct! The stands were plucked clean of guards organic and robot, who instead laid around the floor. Between the smoking remains of the broken Arkeyan robots, and the unconscious or fleeing cyclops guards, her ranks thinned till they were nearly nothing!</p><p>"It seems as though you're correct," the cyclops queen groaned as she jabbed her staff down at the arena floor.</p><p>Pipsqueak frantically nodded as he stumbled out of his throne. "Then, then, well, it looks like I'll have to fight them!" Pipsqueak sputtered. He yanked a thin, worn-looking ax from the side of his throne, and stumbled for the edge of the balcony. "I, I'll have those Skylanders gone in a jiffy!"</p><p>Well, that's what Pipsqueak said as he jumped off the balcony and into the arena, but his looks didn't quite match up. He quaked so badly that it looked like he was made of gelatin, and sweat poured in pools down his body as he clutched his ax! He squealed out shaky cries of war as he spun and stumbled about; he flailed his ax just as haphazardly as he ran.</p><p>Fintster and Luz took one look at each other and shrugged. Fintster waltzed over and flicked Pipsqueak's forehead, and in response, Pipsqueak completely dropped his ax.</p><p>"Ow, that hurt!" Pipsqueak wailed as he ran back into the hollow halls of the arena. "Uncle, uncle!"</p><p>While Pipsqueak disappeared down the halls, and the cyclops queen groaned as he buried her face in her hands.</p><p>"Well, I guess the old saying is true," the cyclops queen said as she grabbed her staff and leaped into the battlegrounds. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!"</p><p>The moment the cyclops queen touched the battleground, she held her scepter to the heavens and waved it around! The light from the scepter pulsed and spread across the arena with every wave of her staff.</p><p>First, it banished the stands and stalls in favor of open fields of dirt littered with weapons. Next, the city disappeared in favor empty plains… With one last wave, flags of war cropped up from the ground, and the arena turned into a proper battleground!</p><p>The cyclops queen lowered her staff and whistled. She grinned as a pair of huge, magical, purple knights rushed up to her with inhuman speed and weapons in hand.</p><p>"Well, now what?" the cyclops queen sneered. "Aren't you just quivering in your boots at the sight of my magic?"</p><p>Luz and Fintster both drew back, and in turn the knights rushed forward—but so did Swarm and Eye-Brawl above them! The three of them immediately rushed to shoulder the knight's blows, and only faint flares of light pulsed from their bodies as a signal to move.</p><p>Luz and Fintster stumbled their way through the massive gaps in the knights' legs. The shadows cast over them and shielded them from view as the battle raged before them. The shouts and clashing of weapons and magic only barely registered in Luz's mind as he turned his gaze back on the cyclops queen, who only stood idle as they came close…</p><p>But, she jolted back and flung her staff!</p><p>A bolt of magic burst from the jewel on its top, and Luz and Fintster both parted. They jumped aside while the bolt of magic shot right between them. Luz leaped to the brighter side and tumbled down, and beside him, Fintster leaped into the knights' shadows and skidded forward. A thin stream of shadows parted from the larger knight as he did.</p><p>The cyclops queen grumbled as she hoisted up her staff. She turned it on Luz once more, but as she fired it up, a shadow cast over her! Fintster's screams rang in the air, and she turned up right as he leaped out of the shadows with his sword in hand. She just swung around in turn and flicked her staff!</p><p>A bright flare of light burst out, ate up Fintster in its bright, blinding light, and a pained scream of his echoed from the light as he collapsed. Fintster grunted as he landed on his side. His sword melted away in his grip as he landed, but he quickly rolled away and jumped to his feet.</p><p>"Well," Fintster panted, turning his head down to the shadow of his on the ground. "Guess I'll have to try something different!"</p><p>With a leap forward, a cloak of black descended upon Fintster, and he himself disappeared from view! A thin shadow streaked along the ground where he once laid. It zipped across the floor in shark, jerky movements as it aimed for the cyclops queen!</p><p>The cyclops queen backed away, waved her staff and held it as high as she could. The gem on its top glowed its brightest, encompassing the entire battlefield in its harsh light.</p><p>Fintster immediately leaped out of his shadows and stumbled back to his feet. Though his bangs masked his eyes, the clenched frown on his face grew tighter as he summoned a sword of shadow that just melted in the harsh light. He cried out as a laser sniped his chest and knocked him down.</p><p>"Sorry, boy, your little shadow tricks aren't going to work here!" the cyclops queen sneered. "Looks like taking me on solo was a bad idea!"</p><p>The cyclops queen raised her staff once more and turned it on Luz. Her sneer grew at a sickening rate as the light charged at its tip. It shimmered and gleamed, pulsed like a heartbeat—but before it could shoot, a golden laser sniped it right out of her hand!</p><p>"You've got one thing wrong there, queenie!"</p><p>The cyclops queen gasped as the staff rolled by her skirt on the floor, and yanked her head around to find that Fintster was alone no longer! Luz leaned down beside him and helped him to his feet now. Luz sneered back at the cyclops queen as Fintster rose.</p><p>"He's not alone!" Luz cried as he held up his shield.</p><p>Luz and Fintster both chuckled at each other as Fintster finally stood tall, and Luz withdrew his shield.</p><p>"So, bro, how about we hit her with our good ol' combo special?" Luz smirked.</p><p>Fintster smiled and summoned a ball of darkness with a flick of his hand. "Sounds like a plan to me!"</p><p>The cyclops queen's lips twitched as she collected her staff. "I'd like to see you try!" she screeched.</p><p>Luz and Fintster rushed forward in tandem, and the dust kicked up behind them as they raised their weapons. Right before they struck, the cyclops queen waved her staff and a string of large, purple eyes cropped up around her! Like a wall around her they stood; their pupils charged with light as Luz and Fintster backed away.</p><p>The frontmost eye shrieked as it shot off a bright purple laser! Luz and Fintster jumped away right before the laser struck, but in the moment they took to float, a shriek of light came from behind Fintster! He only just turned around as the cyclops queen teleported behind him, and she whacked him in the gut with her staff.</p><p>The cyclops queen smirked and shot for Luz as Fintster fell to the ground! Luz yanked up her shield and knocked her back, gripped its rim and spun away—but as she flew away, the cyclops queen waved her staff once more! The tip of its top grew cloudy like a storm as it crackled with golden lightning, and as she flicked it, a bolt of cloudy darkness shot out and exploded around Luz!</p><p>Luz winced as the light surrounding his shield faded away and banged its rim. "Hey, who turned out the lights?" he cried.</p><p>A bolt of thunder leaped out and zapped Luz in the back. He cried out as he fell right beside Fintster on the hard, worn earth, and the two of them coughed before the familiar crack of thunder sounded above them! They both rolled away right before a gigantic thunderbolt singed the earth where they once laid, and winced as they glanced at each other.</p><p>"With powers like that, it's gonna be a lot harder to knock her down!" Luz whispered to Fintster. "She'll just make things super bright or dark and ruin our attacks!"</p><p>"But so can we, remember?" Fintster remarked as he ruffled Luz's hair. "Have you forgotten what our elements can do?"</p><p>Luz winced, and glanced over to where the cyclops queen floated down before he turned to Fintster.</p><p>"I know, but we'll need to get her distracted long enough to do it! How're we gonna do that?"</p><p>The world around warbled, and the illusion of a battlefield wavered for a moment as Pipsqueak stumbled through and panted. He fell to his knees with strained gasps. Pipsqueak lifted his head, gasped and jabbed his hand ahead.</p><p>"Dear, look out!"</p><p>The cyclops queen gasped and teleported away as an arrow of ice screeched for her. The moment she reappeared, she ground her teeth and turned to Pipsqueak.</p><p>"Pipsqueak! Don't distract me!" the cyclops queen screeched as she shot a bolt of magic down into the fight. Another arrow, one made of lightning, shot for her and she blasted it away. "In case you haven't realized, I'm out here fighting because <em>you </em>were too much of a coward to fight back!"</p><p>Pipsqueak sputtered, stumbled backwards, and yelped as the magic flashed before he twiddled his fingers. "But dear, I, I'm awful at fighting…"</p><p>"Then why did you jump in there in the first place?"</p><p>The two's insults and arguments crossing the air in time with the cyclops queen's retaliations against the others' attacks behind her! The flares of bright light melded with shouts of anger and pleas of ignorance… The whole time, Pipsqueak and the cyclops queen completely held each other's attention. Their eyes moved not from each other as the cyclops queen fought back!</p><p>Luz and Fintster both gasped, glanced at the cyclops queen, and then back at each other before they beamed!</p><p>Fintster flicked out his hand and summoned a sword, and with his other, he locked hands with Luz. The two of them held their hands out as both darkness and light crackled around them. It formed into a swirling orb of golden sunlight and murky darkness marbled together at their palms, and with a simple push of their hands, the orb shot up into the sky and blocked the sun!</p><p>Spinning shadows and light cast over the battlefield, and flickered around while those around froze and glimpsed up. Even the cyclops queen broke from her fights and arguments! Her eyes squinted as she craned her head up to glare at the orb.</p><p>"What is that?" she asked as she squinted and shaded her eyes with her hand.</p><p>Luz and Fintster slammed their sword and shield together, and it rang out across the battlefield like a gong. The single little shock wave shook the orb so much that it ruptured!</p><p>The skies around turned dark and light in rapid, flickering, dizzying succession, and the cyclops queen gasped as she rushed away! She held out her staff and flicked it, and in turn its top shone bright—but the shadows and light continued to flicker! They raged like a storm as she flicked her staff in succession. She rubbed her staff, clouded its top with darkness, and flicked it again. However, the light shone over her, and she shrieked as she shielded her eyes!</p><p>"Are things alright over there, dear?" Pipsqueak called from the back.</p><p>"What do you think?" the cyclops queen shrieked as she turned back to Pipsqueak.</p><p>The shadows and light flashed once more, and as the light set over them once more, the cyclops queen snarled and turned her eyes on Luz and Fintster.</p><p>"You!" she shrieked as she waved her staff. "How dare you mess with the light? That's my power!"</p><p>The cyclops queen shot off her staff, and this time, it charged with a luminous violet light that leaped out and spread! The light bubbled as it took the shape of suits of armor armed with swords and shields. Like a commander leading the charge, she flicked her staff and sent them dashing towards Luz and Fintster!</p><p>The knights' bodies rattled as they charged for Luz and Fintster, and Luz and Fintster in turn charged right forward! Luz sped forward first as he lifted up his shield and shouldered the blows of several knights' swords. He tossed the swords off and set down his shield! It charged with light in a few short spins, and Luz thrust it out as it shot a wave beam of light that sliced the front rows of knights in half!</p><p>Another wave of knights charged in as the first wave's top and bottom halves separated and evaporated into nothingness.</p><p>Fintster sprinted to them first, and summoned another sword of darkness as he ran right in front of Luz. He hunched over and panted as he slashed his swords, and waves of darkness pulsed out, completely dicing up the soldiers! The knights faded into magic dust as the shadows cast over the arena turned to bright, harsh light—bright, harsh light with the cyclops queen in its heart!</p><p>Luz and Fintster cried out as they charged for the cyclops queen, and she in turn grunted as she waved her staff and summoned an eye-shaped barrier! The barrier's pupil charged with light and shot its laser. This time, as the laser struck, Luz yanked out his shield and shouldered the blow! The light swarmed into the center of Luz's shield and sparked as it glowed within, and with a single spin, it shot that light right back at the cyclops queen!</p><p>The cyclops queen gawked as it shot right for her. It moved at such a speed that it sniped her out of the air before she could even react! The cyclops queen groaned as she collapsed to the ground, and her staff's gem shattered as it fell beside her.</p><p>"Ugh, maybe Pipsqueak did have the right idea," she moaned as she got up a rubbed her head. Turning tail, the cyclops queen floated off the ground as she bolted off. "It looks like I have no choice but to retreat!"</p><p>"Dear, wait for me!" Pipsqueak cried as he stumbled after her.</p><p>The two of them turned tail and ran off, and Luz and Fintster in turn tailed after them, but, Luz and Fintster stopped as a large shadow shaped like knight's armor cast over the arena!</p><p>"But don't worry, I'll leave you all some little friends to play with!"</p><p>The ground rumbled as the larger knights crashed down onto the arena. Their landing crumbled weaker parts of the coliseum stands, and kicked up massive clouds of dust that blocked off most of the world around. Though, beneath their dusty forms, one could barely spy the cyclops queen and Pipsqueak as they made their way to the exit!</p><p>Luz growled as he eyed the knights and took a step forward. The knights in turn moved to cover the exit, and knocked Luz off his feet with the mighty quakes of their footsteps. Luz's eyes laid on the knights, so still and steadfast as they blocked the entrance, and he gripped his shield as he charged forward. He yelled out as he eyed the exit between the knight's legs, smiled as the knights laid unmoving before him…</p><p>But the knights swung their axes right as he moved to slide through! Luz teleported back to the main group in a flash of light, and panted as he leaned against Fintster's side.</p><p>"Alright, change of plans!" Luz proclaimed. "Get the suits out of here!"</p><p>Luz and Fintster clasped their hands together and pointed out their fingers. They shot out a twisting bolt of light and darkness that separated into two as it slammed right into the knights! The darkened parts of the beam exploded into a thick field of darkness that clouded the knights' views, but the light seeped right into their bodies and shone through their joints.</p><p>"The glowing parts are their weak points!" Luz shouted. "Go after those!"</p><p>With a nod, the entire group split off in two halves as they shot towards the knights! Vaayu, Luz, Swarm, Gill Grunt and Whirlwind tackled towards the first one as Vaayu launched himself into the air with a single leap, and Whirlwind and Gill Grunt flew after him!</p><p>Within their sights, the dark mist clouding the knight's vision began to clear, but the spotlights that streamed out of its joints shone bright still. The knight jerked from side to side as the mist finally dissipated, and the moment it turned its vision on Vaayu's group, it yanked its ax from the ground and charged forward!</p><p>Whirlwind dashed forward and flapped her wings, and the skies above the knight clouded as a torrent of rain downpoured onto its armored body! Patches of rust and corrosion spread like a rash across its armor, and they only spread further as a mighty stream of water shot out and splashed across the knight! The rust bit away at its body, disintegrating it in rapid time.</p><p>The storm grew stronger with a clap from Swarm, and the rain and rust fell further! The knight's hand rusted away, and its ax fell to the ground—a sign Swarm and Vaayu took as their cue!</p><p>They leaped up into the skies, and Swarm's barbs and eyes flashed sky blue while Vaayu waved his arm and summoned an entire battalion of lightning-charged spears. With a wave of Vaayu and Swarm's hands, the entire armada shot into the knight's joints, shattering its already weak and rusted body! The knight fell backwards as its joints' rusted, shattered remains fluttered in the winds. Swarm turned to little more than a golden blur as he struck forward, and he slashed the knight's arms and legs right off of its decaying body!</p><p>Left limbless, the knight descended with a clatter, and shook the entire arena ground as its body dissipated! Swarm floated down in front of it with the smuggest of grins as he lorded over the dying knight, but quickly backed away as the clatter of clashing swords sounded beside him.</p><p>To his left, Ninjini sparred with the second knight, and shielded the blows from its own ax with her wishblades! The ax clattered as it bounced off the wishblades' surface. Ninjini leapt forward as the knight lingered, and slashed a giant gap right through the knight's chest! Sparks of lightning and magic shone from the gaping, gut-bearing gap in the knights' chest as Ninjini planted her hands on it, and she encased it in a magic glow that pushed it back!</p><p>It flew into the back of the stands, shaking the illusion of a battlefield once more as the magic pinned it to the spot despite the strain. While it struggled, Eye shot forward as light poured from his pupil! A silver laser leaped out and slammed into the knight; the laser carved through its body and rusted it up! While Eye rusted it away, Brawl slammed his fist into the ground, and summoned bony brambles that leaped out and twisted around the knight's body, pulling it down to its knees.</p><p>"Now! Get it!" Brawl signed.</p><p>The rest of the team leaped out and rushed for the knight! Dej summoned a gigantic javelin made of ice and launched it towards the left arm's joint, Fintster shot a massive blast of darkness towards the right, and both joints completely cracked! Below them, Terrafin punched another joint to shards, and Eruptor melted the last one away with the heat of his lava!</p><p>The brambles released for a moment as the shattered remains of the knight's joints rained down, allowing the knight to plunge forward…</p><p>And then, the brambles ripped through its body and tore whatever they could to bits! They skewered through its chest and came out with mechanical guts, slashed gashes and holes in its limbs, shattered its glass eyeshield—every little bit of the knight was ravaged. Nothing was left but a torn, hollow carcass that fell on its side, and crushed its companion under its own weight as they both fell to the arena's hollow, empty floor.</p><p>Luz winced a little, but not from the sight of the broken knights. Instead, he directed his eyes back to the now-open coliseum as the battlefield illusion faded and lightstepped out as fast as he can. He jumped back out, and turned around for only a moment as the battlefield faded completely with an ordinary coliseum left behind.</p><p>A puff and a flurry of purple smoke enveloped him next. It sent him into a coughing fit until the smoke cleared, and Ninjini came in with the others close behind. She floated out, summoned a shiny crystal orb, and waved around with a frown.</p><p>"I'll scry and see if I can find the high priest," Ninjini spat out. "Hopefully, they—"</p><p>"Actually, there's no need!"</p><p>The sound of a familiarly cheerful and young voice rang in the air, and Luz lifted his eyes to find… Chihiro! She was back with Spyro and Nemir close in tow, a molekin dressed in fancy, cool-colored robes by their sides, and she proudly held the unconscious, tied-up cyclops queen and Pipsqueak like a prize trophy.</p><p>"Chi!" Gill Grunt called. "You're back!"</p><p>"Yep!" Chihiro nodded as she waved the cyclops queen and Pipsqueak around. "Ran into these guys chasing the high priest when we were coming back from the Underworld" — a particularly smug smile crossed Chihiro's face as she snickered — "and I gave them the what-for!"</p><p>"We've already called on the others to help with cleanup," Spyro explained. "They should be here any moment."</p><p>"Alright then, but that leaves one question…" Gill Grunt asked, holding a fin to his chin. "Just what are you two wearing?"</p><p>Huh, now that Luz got a look at them that wasn't filled with battle-made adrenaline, he was sure Chihiro wasn't wearing those fancy robes and Spyro wasn't wearing nearly as much jewelry as he currently was when they left for the underworld. Seems they noticed, too, for they both looked down and laughed.</p><p>"Well, it's a long story," Chihiro said as she dropped the cyclops queen and Pipsqueak on the ground. Wiping her hands, Chihiro sat down and beamed. "But, I'll start from the beginning."</p><p>So, Chihiro and Spyro sat down and regaled a tale from their journey in the underworld. They spoke of festivals, beings of pure hatred and dancing, and other stuff Luz didn't quite hear. He turned back to Nemir and walked forward, but Nemir got one wide-eyed look at him, and Nemir immediately stuffed the device he held in his pockets as he rushed forward.</p><p>"Fintster, my boy!" Nemir cried as he flew past Luz and planted his hands firmly on Fintster's shoulders. "You, you're alive…"</p><p>"Relatively speaking," Fintster corrected as he took a glance down back at his ghostly body. "But, I'm back. Well, if you could even count being this far ahead in the future back, anyways."</p><p>Nemir chuckled, and the familiar whir of an incoming ship brought their attention to the skies. There, the Dread-Yacht parked itself at the side of the island, but, not before taking out a few of the docks along the way. Classic Flynn.</p><p>The molekin dressed in fancy, colorful robes—probably the high priest, if Luz had to guess—walked out, and rubbed their claws for a moment before they bowed before Luz.</p><p>"Thank you for your aid in saving our village," she said before she lifted herself up. "I was informed that you seek the Oracle's guidance. I would be more than happy to assist you in consulting him."</p><p>"In that case," Luz said as he turned and beckoned back at the crowds. "Let's get back to home base! We've got an Oracle to talk to!"</p><p align="center">§</p><p>A soft clunk came from the tube as 'Enehana set the device into the semblance's resting place. With a wave of Nemir's hand, a silver light glistened from the slots in its body. As the device glowed and glistened, both their eyes glanced up from where the device sat to the semblance as it flickered.</p><p>The semblance's smoke was faint and barely visible for a moment. Nemir and 'Enehana both winced, but then, the semblance shone bright as the clouds grew thicker! Nemir and 'Enehana both grinned and glanced at each other, then their eyes went wide as a door slammed open behind them.</p><p>"So, is that device workin' or not?" Ermit huffed as he stormed in, his brows knitted tight together.</p><p>Nemir chuckled and swept to the side. "See for yourself."</p><p>Ermit sat himself between 'Enehana and Nemir, and slowly gasped as the semblance shone brighter while the tiny wisp gathered even more clouds by the second! The clouds fused together in the semblance's heart. They expanded and consolidated until they formed into a small, shimmering blue orb surrounded by dark, thick clouds right before Ermit's eyes!</p><p>He oohed and aahed for a tiny moment, yet glanced to his sides as both Nemir and 'Enehana gasped before him. Ermit nodded a bit as he took in their wide smiles, and found a weak smile of his own as he sat and basked in the growing semblance—but once more the door slammed open! His beard hairs stood on end as his ears jumped up to the top of his head.</p><p>"Hey, everyone!" Luz called as all eyes turned on him. He waved a bit for a moment, and gently elbowed Fintster who walked in after him. "We're just about ready to meet that Oracle now, and the high priest says she needs everyone on board!"</p><p>"So, you better hurry up and finish what you've got here," Fintster added as he smirked. "After all, we don't want you getting left in the dark and all!"</p><p>Luz and Fintster both snickered at each other, and behind them Nemir just smiled and shook his head. The two of them propped the door open as Nemir and 'Enehana rose from their seats and joined them. All four raised their brows at Ermit, as if they prompted him to join. But, as Ermit just sat and watched the growing semblance, they merely shrugged and left.</p><p>Luz clapped his hands as they reached the outside out of the robot's storage, and whisked them away in a flash. Their feet hit the signature warm, slightly-worn metal of the Dread-Yacht before the light even faded. They stood amid the others as the high priest preached with not a word spoken, but their glances welcoming enough. The high priest beckoned them in, and they consolidated into the group as the high priest cleared her throat.</p><p>"Anyways, as I was saying," the high priest explained as she stretched her hands wide. Her claws glistened as they spread up to the evening sun. "The Oracle is, in many ways, like a feeling. If we wish to receive his guidance, all we have to do is center our minds around him, and if he feels our cause is worthy, he will heed our prayers and come! Now come, gather together and link hands, and think about nothing but the Oracle!"</p><p>Nemir and 'Enehana grabbed hands, and linked with Luz and Fintster as they all huddled in close. Around them, the others linked hands the best they could; the Elder Elementals gingerly held fingers out to the smaller beings on board so they didn't crush them, and others gripped hands as tightly as they could. All eyes closed, some breathed deep, and for a moment, a strange feeling, something numbing but not quite in a sickly or anxious way, came over the group.</p><p>Their breathing stilled as their shoulders slumped, but despite how relaxed they all seemed, their grip on each other's hands didn't release any. In fact, it seemed as though they squeezed even harder as the high priest hummed ancient songs in languages long forgotten under her breath.</p><p>Then, a cold wind blew through! All at once their eyes opened wide. Some even stopped to pat their chests, just to make sure their hearts were still intact!</p><p>Nemir helped 'Enehana up as they lost their grip and stumbled forward, and he blinked as he turned to his side.</p><p>They no longer stood atop the Dread-Yacht, no. in fact, it seemed like they weren't even in Skylands anymore! Instead, they stood within some kind of void that was painted in sparkly shades of blues and yellows one moment, purples and whites the next, and even more shades and hues as the world around continually shifted in color.</p><p>For a moment, some parts even changed to colors that didn't even seem like colors, and rendered the world disorienting enough that keeping balance was a struggle. No smells came from around, not even the breeze could be felt, but, despite the ever-shifting colors and the seeming blankness of the world around, there was one constant.</p><p>A soft voice beckoned from the distance at a volume just loud enough to be heard. "<em>Come… Come here… Come to me…" </em>it whispered, its voice soft and reverberating as the colors shifted once more.</p><p>Chihiro blinked and turned back to the rest of the group. "Did you hear that?" she asked.</p><p>"Yes, yes!" the high priest proclaimed as she beamed widely and folded her hands. "That must be the Oracle! Come, follow that voice!"</p><p>Consolidating into a solid group, they all crowded forward—but it didn't feel as though they were in control of their own bodies. No, the droning noises of the voice piloting them forward, and pulled them ahead like puppets on strings as they walked. Their eyes tensed for a bit as some cast glances at the world around them, still as ever-changing and infinite as before…</p><p>But then, a sharp stop came from the front.</p><p>"Wait, I think I see a door over there!" Chihiro cried as she pointed towards a beam of white light that pierced the rainbows in front of her.</p><p>The rainbow of shifting colors brightened and shifted as all eyes followed the white light, and the white light in turn shone brighter, consolidating into a solid, white door! The door shone brighter as they approached, and practically begged them to draw forward. A doorknob formed from its front As Chihiro reached out a hand towards it, and when that knob twisted open, the bright lights of the door leaped forth!</p><p>The light shone over and drowned out the world around as everyone shouted and cried out before it completely enveloped even them in its grip. It was then that the light faded, and they all disappeared as the world returned to its ever-shifting colors.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 17: Molekin Mountain Part 2 (Part 1)<p><em>"If there's anywhere the high priest would be," Havîn explained as she took Spyro in paw, "it'd be in his gardens. He always loved the plants there."</em></p><p>Spyro nodded, but his gaze was still a bit leery as it traveled the worn paths alongside him and Havîn.</p><p>The thought of that incident with the Odivia still rang in his mind: the tension, the attacks, the sudden anger the crowds fell into… Yet, none of that bothered him nearly as much as those crowds who cheered on him and Chihiro like they watched a sports game. His stomach tied in knots as their shouts and chants pounded in his ears once more, drums that didn't stop beating; on instinct, he pressed a paw loaded with a healing spell towards his stomach before he could throw up.</p><p>Just what was it about romance that freaked him out so much? After all, it didn't freak him out when Gill Grunt talked about his girlfriend, or when the other Skylanders talked about their relationships. why was it that when he was at the center of the conversation, the topic of romance was even more daunting than his dangerous foes? He wasn't sure, but just thinking about it left his stomach churning, so he settled it with another healing spell and flew forward.</p><p>Sparkly, lavender petals fluttered past him, and danced on the chill underworld breezes while their bodies flashed in and out of visibility. They finally faded as they landed near where Spyro's tail dragged on the ground. He flicked them away with his tail, barely even noticed their presence as they brushed against him and disappeared, and lifted his head with a gasp.</p><p>Now, by all means, the Underworld was hardly habitable to anything that wasn't undead, yet, there before him stood a garden so breathtaking that it glowed in his presence!</p><p>Thick, blooming wisteria plants flanked the entrance with their shimmering petals and lush blooms, and occasionally blew in the soft, cold winds as they scattered petals along the cobblestone floors. In the distance, a collection of willow and cherry blossom trees filled with glowing blooms gathered against some kind of clear pond, and flowers of all kinds lined the pathways around, yet were careful not to choke out the teal grass. The faint sound of wind chimes carried on the breeze as it swirled through. It brought the scent of fresh flowers and spring days to Spyro's snout, but between the breezes and the chimes, he could vaguely make out the sound of someone humming a tune as well!</p><p>The pond stayed tranquil as ever, nor did the blossoms shudder or flee, and the wind remained soft as it blew through. If not for the trademark glows of a ghastly presence, Spyro would've almost thought he somehow made it back to the realm of the living!</p><p>"It's impressive, right?" Havîn asked as she floated up to Spyro and chuckled. "I never would've believed you if you said something like this could still bloom in the Underworld, but the head priest proved me wrong! He's tended to this garden for as long as anyone could remember. It's his pride and joy!"</p><p>The sound of humming picked up again, this time coming close enough that Spyro could make out the tune a bit better. It was soft and slow, and he couldn't quite put a name to the song, but something about it sounded just a bit melancholy, enough that his face fell from hearing it. Judging by the raised brows of Havîn behind him, it seemed like maybe that was a good thing?</p><p>"That humming, that's his voice!" Havîn cried as she gripped Spyro by the paw and floated off. "Come on! Follow that song!"</p><p>The two of them practically glided along the stone pathways as Havîn tailed that humming, for its sound grew louder and louder with every patch of flowers they passed. The sound melded with soft breezes, and the occasional chime of ghastly spell bells to give it an almost somber tone. As the humming grew its loudest, Spyro's eyes peeled away from a patch of paling yellow roses and towards the heart of the garden—and sure enough, there floated the source!</p><p>At the edge of a large pond lined with sober-looking flowers stood a humanoid ghost with pale chartreuse ectoplasmic skin. His long, deep green hair the color of forest leaves at night stretched well beyond his face, and down his back. His body was thin, but Spyro could barely tell thanks to the massive bulk of the pink, cherry blossom-print robes and cape he donned, and to his side sat a similarly-colored round hat.</p><p>Something shiny and kind of wet dripped down the bridge of the ghost's long, aquiline nose, and onto the petals of the flowers he tended to. The sound rustled them a bit while he gasped and tended to them. As he did, it gave Spyro a better look at his minty green eyes, which had a tiny bit of a red tint to them. Was he crying?</p><p>Spyro wanted to muse on that, but before he could, Havîn let go of his paw and rushed right towards the ghost.</p><p>"Head priest Bihar!" she cried, her worry straining her voice. "There you are!"</p><p>The humming stop, replaced by a soft noise from Bihar as he turned from the plants he tended to. The soft smile he held immediately faded, replaced by a sour frown.</p><p>"I have a feeling I know why you're here," he said before Havîn could even explain, his voice gentle but icy-cold. "The ritual failed, didn't it?"</p><p>"Of course it did! Only you and the high priestess could ever pull it off!"</p><p>Havîn clasped her hands, and her eyes were wide with worry as she gazed into those of Bihar's.</p><p>"Now we've got a big problem on our hands! The Odivia's rampaging all across the streets, and it's spreading hate and anger throughout the lands! The main street's already filled with rioting and fighting, and if we don't put a stop to it soon, only the Ancients know what will happen!"</p><p>A petal dropped from one of the plants Bihar tended to, and he winced as he drew back. For a moment, it almost seemed like a pang of tension or fear crossed over him, but then he scowled and turned back to his plants.</p><p>"Well, Zivistan should've expected this!" Bihar spat, and raised his voice while his scowl grew tenser. "If she hadn't insisted on gallivanting off and doing as she pleased because she grew tired of her duties, we wouldn't be in this situation right now! To think, she'd act so selfish."</p><p>Bihar reached for his plants once more, but Havîn snatched up his hands before he could even brush his fingers against their leaves! The sudden movement brought his eyes to hers, which now welled with tiny tears as her mouth twisted into a pleading frown.</p><p>"Please, high priest! Please try to make up with her!" Havîn pleaded. She released his hands and fell to the ground as she lowered her head. "We won't be able to seal the Odivia away without you! We, we tried our best to find someone else who could help, but…"</p><p>A cold gaze fell on Spyro, and he shuddered a bit as he turned to find that Bihar's eyes now fixed on him. Bihar regarded him with a sort of curiosity—or maybe judgment? His face was so cold that it was hard for Spyro to really tell, but either way, Bihar scoffed and turned away from both him and Havîn. Instead, he regarded the plants he tended to prior with maybe a bit more force than necessary.</p><p>"It's no use and we both know this. She's too stubborn and selfish to listen, even in a situation like this! She made her choice when she decided she'd rather run off than attend to the temple!" Bihar gritted his teeth, and he gripped the flowers' leaves with such force that they crinkled a bit underneath his grip. He released them with a gasp, watched the plants with a bit of fear before he shook his head, and got up as he floated off. "You're a smart girl, Havîn, and I'm sure you'll be able to do something—"</p><p>"Don't just abandon your own duties because you're mad at her!"</p><p>"I swear, I'm not! There's no means by which the ritual can be completed without a partner, and she refuses to reconcile, so I don't believe I am of any use to you."</p><p>"But, high priest—"</p><p>The arguing faded into the background as Spyro glided over to one particular patch of flowers and glazed them down.</p><p>The renaissance vines were as healthy as an undead plant could be, their stems and branches curling around the posts in tandem with ghost grapes. At their base, death caps cropped up in circles around them, and created a surprisingly stunning sight with their rich, deep purples paired with gentle creams. To their side, rows of hydrosiums and lilies stretched around the rim of the pond, and even more wild flowers than Spyro could name bloomed in an entire rainbow of colors and species!</p><p>Though their colors were paler, and their bodies were transparent like all dead plants were, they were still incredibly bright, and full of… Well, as much life as ghost flowers could have. It was enough that they looked like projections of the actual thing with their ghastly glows. They brought with them a rich, floral scent that was fresh and crisp like the rest of the garden.</p><p>"I have to admit, this is a pretty nice garden," Spyro remarked as he flew up, "I didn't think something like this could even grow in the Underworld."</p><p>A soft chuckle came from behind, and Spyro turned around to find that Bihar pushed past Havîn and floated up to him. The scorning look of pain and anger on his face replaced with a happier one, but, it was a sad kind of happiness, an almost forlorn look that came with bittersweet melancholy.</p><p>It didn't exactly relent as he glanced over at the garden, and the garden in turned seemed to droop a bit. The flowers and trees' colors all faded; they grew paler and duller as if they reflected Bihar's own heart in the moment, proud yet so sad.</p><p>"It definitely took a lot of work. Cultivating plants is already an incredibly strenuous task back in the living realm, to say nothing of cultivating ghost ones!" Bihar explained, and clasped his hands together as he took a seat next to Spyro. "But, I tried my best, and being a Life Elemental in my living years probably helped as well."</p><p>A small sigh came from Bihar, and it paired with a small, sad smile as he held his head.</p><p>"If you think this is impressive, you should've seen the garden that rested at my old temple back when I was alive. It was so beautiful, so full of life and color, it was like I captured a tiny piece of the Great Forest within that one garden! The sights, the sounds of the birds and the crickets as they sang, the colors and the fresh smells… When the vernal season came, it was so full of life! The sprouts would peek their way from the ground, the flowers would awaken from the slumbers with even more vibrancy than the last time they bloomed, and the wild animals would all awaken from their slumbers and bring themselves back into the world with such bright eyes, such hope and youth!"</p><p>Bihar sighed again and his smile fell. "Even with all my hard work, I could never truly capture the beauty it held. Just describing it is beyond even my capabilities. Oh, I'd do anything to see such beautiful, lively blooms and sprouts like those again!"</p><p>"Then why not just go and see them?"</p><p>Bihar jerked his head up, and his smile turned to an enraged, shocked scowl, as if Spyro suggested he commit a murder or something! Spyro jumped back a bit on instant, and Bihar sighed and shook his head, his anger dispersing with the shake.</p><p>"I'm afraid I can't do that." Bihar's tone was soft, and just a tiny bit bitter, too. His foggy tail brushed against a few of the flowers, but he sighed as their petals popped off and floated down to the ground. "My duties as high priest are far more important than my own personal desires and wants, and I understand that, unlike <em>someone</em> I know."</p><p>"Someone? You mean the high priestess?"</p><p>Bihar scoffed and craned his head aside.</p><p>"She'd been slacking on her duties much more often than usual. During cleaning hours I'd find her listlessly staring off, and she constantly fumbled over her own words and steps during the rituals. Even her magic seemed like it'd been disrupted, so I asked her if perhaps something bothered her…</p><p>"And audaciously enough, she said she was tired of being the high priestess! She keeps insisting that she doesn't want to spend the rest of her afterlife stuck in the temple, tending to the gods' spaces and performing the sacred rituals, that she wants to run around Skylands and see the sights! The audacity of it all!"</p><p>Bihar scoffed, and Spyro let off a soft, tiny wince.</p><p>"But, you've got Havîn and Payiz, right? Surely there's plenty of other priests who could help take care of duties."</p><p>"Havîn and Payiz are only apprentices, and not to mention the only ones we have. They're years away from being able to fully helm temple duties. Not to mention, according to tradition, only we, the high priest and priestess can—well, could—perform the sacred sealing ritual that would seal off the Odivia. Even if we—she—wished, she couldn't abandon her position, or our entire homeland would be thrown into anarchy!" Bihar added another scoff as he glanced aside. "But, she decided that her own selfish desires were more important than our town's safety and her duties."</p><p>Spyro hummed, and placed a paw to his chin as he folded his wings. The icy look Bihar gave him showed he dealt with a bit of a time bomb here, but he did need to get them to reconcile. Just what should Spyro tell him, exactly? Just insisting that he was wrong would send him in a rage—and if what he said was right, he did have a point about all this. Bihar and Zivistan had responsibilities only they could uphold, and just running off would be irresponsible, yet it seemed as though there were a few pieces missing to this puzzle.</p><p>Spyro winced, and drew his wings over his back as he glanced back at Bihar. Bihar's eyes softened a little, and he had opted towards staring out at the pond, the smoke from his tail curling up and floating off in sad little wisps.</p><p>That icy look melted, and bloomed into something almost wistful as he gazed out at the pond. A cherry blossom from above floated in Bihar's lap as he sat, and he lifted it into his palms as he brushed its petals with a soft, gentle touch like spring. That sort of sad fondness reminded Spyro of something Bihar said. What was it again?</p><p><em>Oh, I'd do anything to see such beautiful, lively blooms and sprouts like those again.</em></p><p>"That's it!" Spyro whispered. His eyes lit up as he turned to Bihar.</p><p>"What is it, now?"</p><p>"You know, even though you talk about all that and resent her for running off… Deep down, you understand how she feels, don't you?"</p><p>The cherry blossom slipped from Bihar's hands, and his eyes fluttered as he drew back from Spyro. "What exactly are you talking about? I—"</p><p>"You can deny it, but I know that look in your eyes, not to mention everything you said." Spyro stretched out a wing towards the gardens, and the colors brightened a bit, almost as if they took his cues.</p><p>"Just look at this garden! You said it yourself, you made this to replicate the gardens from your old home, right?"</p><p>A cautious nod came from Bihar, and Spyro gave him a small, knowing grin in turn.</p><p>"You wouldn't have put all this work into growing it if you didn't care about it, or want to see them again. Even you admitted that you missed it, too, so I bet she feels the same way."</p><p>"Are you comparing me to her? I can assure you, I'm not nearly as selfish—"</p><p>"Never said that. What I am saying is" — Spyro drew out a paw — "maybe you should try talking to her again, and this time, be a bit more honest with yourself, too."</p><p>Bihar winced, and his teeth gritted together as his eyes' glow faded and brightened. His hands twitched, unsure if they wanted to move or stay, but finally, they reached out and took Spyro's paw.</p><p>"Alright, I'll try again."</p><p>Spyro nodded. A small gasp came from behind, and he turned around to find Havîn with smile and eyes wide and hands clasped in glee.</p><p>"Thanks the Ancients, you finally got through to him!" she cried as she took Spyro's other paw. "Come on, let's get back to the temple! I'm sure the high priestess is on her way!"</p><p>Bihar winced a little at the words, but Spyro paid him no mind. He stretched his wings a little, flicked them twice, and the faint tingling sensation of magic raced through his veins with a kind of comforting, familiar embrace. Spyro closed his eyes, and let the magic do the work.</p><p>A whooshing noise came next, paired with the faint numb feeling that came from after a teleportation spell. When Spyro opened his eyes, he arrived back at the temple's front! Thankfully, it still stood strong with the shield sparkling as it wrapped the temple in its barrier, though, it seemed oddly empty. Chihiro hasn't arrived yet?</p><p>Spyro left the group first, flew up to the temple door, and pushed it open to find that Nemir was the only one inside. Nemir's eyes were a bit glassy as he fiddled with some small, shiny orbs that rolled around in his hand.</p><p>"Nemir!" Spyro called. When Nemir poked his head up and glanced at him, Spyro waved back. "Did Chi and the others come back yet?"</p><p>A couple of footsteps gently padded up from behind Spyro, and Nemir grinned.</p><p>"It seems as though they have."</p><p>Spyro raised a brow, turned around—and sure enough, Chihiro stood with that trademark grin of hers, a wave, and Payiz by her side. Spyro beamed and a waved back, but a soft cough brought his attention to their group's side.</p><p>He glanced over, and a second, older ghost stood beside them, undoubtedly the high priestess Zivistan that Bihar mentioned. She was taller, and with her risen cheekbones and long jawline, she looked a good bit older compared to Payiz. Her long, wavy black hair wavered and fluttered the same way the whitish-blue cloud of mist that made up her feet did. Her cherry red eyes dimmed as she glanced from side to side. She dressed in long, flowing robes like Bihar's, but hers were colored in deep grays and blacks, and printed with white snowflakes rather than the springlike pink cherry blossoms of Bihar's. A kind of cold, sad aura rang around her—or was it a sort of awkwardness that stemmed from coming back here after what was undoubtedly a failed ritual?</p><p>A soft gasp came from behind Spyro. Before he could even turn around, Bihar pushed past him with an alertness he hadn't displayed before!</p><p>Bihar's own eyes brightened with shock as he laid eyes on the high priestess. She, in turn, awkwardly looked away—but, Bihar quickly floated up to her. His own light dimmed as he sputtered a little, and she stumbled over her own mumbled, soft words in turn.</p><p>Spyro backed away, and Payiz and Chihiro quickly followed him as he made his way further into the temple. It was probably best that he didn't eavesdrop on their conversation, after all. It seemed like things were awkward enough as it was. At the same time, nagging, worrisome curiosity egged at Spyro, so he pushed the temple door until it opened to just a tiny sliver of a crack, just barely enough that he could make some sense of what Bihar and Zivistan said to each other.</p><p>"Bihar, I…" whispered a ghostly, soft voice probably belonging to the high priestess.</p><p>"Zivistan!" Bihar gasped before he drew back a bit. "You, you really came."</p><p>Zivistan nodded and clasped her hands. He gaze backed away from Bihar's, but quickly drew back to him.</p><p>"That child and Payiz, they convinced me—or rather, gave me the courage to explain." Zivistan said at last. Her voice was so soft and whisper-like that Spyro almost couldn't hear it.</p><p>"I know it's selfish of me to do this, but, but ever since I was a girl in the land of the living, all I've ever done is tend to the temples and work for other's sake! I was never able to decide anything for myself. I was set to train as a priestess the moment I could speak, I've spent my whole life caring for the temples, and in death I was sent to tend to them here as well, but never once have I gotten to choose!"<em><br> </em>"Neither did I. We were both chosen to tend to the temples the moment we arrived in the Underworld," Bihar scoffed—and though his tone tried to stay neutral, a hint of scorn found its way into his voice.</p><p>Zivistan sighed, and ran a hand through her hair as she lifted her head. "Now, it never bothered me because I genuinely love the temples and caring for the community, but, well…"</p><p>Zivistan's voice started to waver also, as if she was going to cry, but she collected herself with a gasp of air.</p><p>"… A few years ago, word reached the temple that the village where I grew up was completely destroyed in a terrible storm. I, I wanted so badly to at least visit it one last time, and pay homage to the place where I lived and grew, but, my duties at the temple kept me so busy that even now I don't have the time. The trip there is so long, and we have so much to do as the head priests, and you surely would've been upset with me if I left all the work to you."<em><br> </em>Bihar's spirit trembled, and the light in his body faded just a bit. "I, I didn't know," he whispered, his volume just barely loud enough that Spyro could hear.</p><p>"After all that, I started thinking: just how much of my life have a lost to my duties? I couldn't even visit my own childhood home's ruins because of it, and surely there's so much else I missed on because I was so focused on the temple."</p><p>Zivistan shook her head, and even though she was so far away, it seemed like the air around had grown colder.</p><p>"I thought you wouldn't understand, not at all! You're practically married to the temple. Just the suggestion that maybe it's time we left and named successors had you fuming! After all, you insisted that I was being too selfish for wanting to leave, that I was a fool for not devoting myself wholeheartedly to it!"</p><p>This time, Bihar didn't even have any words to defend himself with. He just turned his head, not able to even look at her anymore. Surely, that argument they had played back in his head, and stabbed at him with every single word he had said in his rage.</p><p>"As the head priests, we can't abandon the temple," Bihar whimpered. "It's our responsibility to helm most of the temple's rites, from offerings to ceremonies" —Bihar winced and clasped his hands as he turned his view from Zivistan almost in shame — "And of course, the Odivia's sealing ritual, even though that's been getting weaker lately."</p><p>Zivistan glanced over at Bihar. Bihar shied away from his view, but, Zivistan just sighed.</p><p>"It's alright, Bihar, you don't need to hide it from me. I'm aware the sealing spells have been getting weaker over the years. Only a strong, unwavering love can produce a truly powerful spell, and it's no exaggeration to say things have been tense between us these past few years. Surely, that must be why the Odivia was able to get as powerful as it is. Those weakened sealing spells must have allowed it to feed off of stray hate, and grow even stronger than before."</p><p>Hearing this, Bihar's body trembled. Its light flickered even further as he clutched his robes in hard realization.</p><p>"Zivistan, I'm sorry for acting the way I did earlier!" Bihar spat out.</p><p>Spyro raised a brow, and creaked open the door just a teensy bit more, enough that he caught a glimpse of Bihar knelt down before Zivistan! Bihar's own glow dimmed in shame, but Zivistan's brightened in shock, and brought out her icy blue complexion as she took him in.</p><p>"I, I was so caught up in my own worries, I didn't stop to listen to you or understand how you felt, and I said all those awful things, too. I, I'm not fit to call myself your partner when I ignored your feelings the way I did, and somehow, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."</p><p>Zivistan blinked for just a moment, and a small, sad smile crossed her felt as she knelt down and cupped her hands around Bihar's face.</p><p>"Oh, Bihar," she whispered back as she lifted him back to full height. "The truth is, I haven't exactly been honest with my feelings either. I, should've confined in you more instead of making assumptions like I did."</p><p>"And I'll be happy to listen."</p><p>The conversation devolved into whispers and soft, understanding nods and glances. It was all so quiet and bare that Spyro couldn't really make much out of the conversation. He leaned in to get a better volume, and a soft weight pressed itself against his back just enough that it brought his attention around the temple.</p><p>There, Chihiro leaned against him while Havîn and Payiz peered over her shoulders. They were all with wide-eyed, anticipating glances as they tried to sneak their own glimpses out the cracks. Guess they hadn't heard things like Spyro did, so he just smiled and gave them a toes-up…</p><p>"And that's why I think we should step down and travel Skylands together before we fade!" Zivistan proclaimed.</p><p>… And just hearing that sent Spyro's scales on edge! A gasp came from the open gaps, and Spyro peered outside to see that Bihar broke from his and Zivistan's embrace. His glow quivered as he floated away from her, and Zivistan floated back. Her eyes grew wide, and both their glows grew brighter, as if she hadn't anticipated his reaction.</p><p>"Zivistan, I, I understand where you're coming from, and I understand how you feel," Bihar said, and his voice quivered with quelled anger and hesitance, "but, you know I can't do that—WE can't do that! Reprieves are one thing, but to completely abandon the temple just isn't realistic!"</p><p>"I know you're concerned, but Havîn and Payiz are already coming so far in their training. It won't be long before they can take over the position themselves!" Zivistan brushed forward, and her own smile turned a little bit weary as she reached out her hands. "Besides, you said it yourself. There's so many things in the living realms that you miss! Don't you want to see them one more time, before we pass onto the afterlife, before they themselves are no more?"</p><p>Zivistan reached out to grab Bihar's hands, and he immediately drew them bac. Ooh, not a good sign.</p><p>"It's not just them I'm worried about, Zivistan!" Bihar's voice raised a little, but he cleared his throat and quickly hung his head. "What about the Odivia's sealing ritual? Only a high priest and a high priestess with a strong love for each other can perform it! Without us, nobody will be able to stop it from turning the town into a battleground! That's why we need to repair our relationship and properly perform the sealing ritual!"</p><p>Hearing this, Zivistan floated back, her eyes narrowing. "So that's why you wanted to make amends? Just to perform that ritual?"</p><p>"Zivistan, that's not true, I—"</p><p>"I gave you a chance because I thought you'd be willing to understand my side of things, but it seems that all you care about is the temple! Are you unable to look after yourself or anything else?"</p><p>Bihar's light flared with rage, and burned like the sun as he pushed forward. "Of course I do! Our duties as high priest and priestess protect everyone in this village! Have you gotten so caught up in feeling sorry for yourself that you've forgotten about that?"</p><p>"Why do you say that?"</p><p>"Just look at your shameless display! Abandoning all our duties and dumping them on someone else—"</p><p>The arguing only grew louder, and Spyro winced as he drew back from the door. He really thought for a moment that things worked out, but the sight Bihar and Zivistan before him, but flaring with light as they argued… Oh, dragon gods. He glanced behind to see Havîn and Payiz crestfallen, and Chihiro who awkwardly shuffled herself away from the sights.</p><p>Spyro frowned back as he went to close the door. His paws gripped the side of the door, but something like a low growl rumbled, shaking the area and loosening his grip! Spyro released the door on instinct, and the surprise loss of balance tossed him on his back, right onto the cold floors of the temple!</p><p>The door flung wide open before him, giving him a full view to Bihar and Zivistan's argument. Now, the rumbles drowned their words out. The ground below them shuddered as something like a monster's roar rang out and pounded against the barrier! The barrier's glow shone above them, yet they still argued without a care.</p><p>Payiz winced and floated out a little. She turned her glance outside as the rumbles grew louder, stronger, more like a monster's sounds than quaking earth. She lifted her head, and a sharp, shrill scream left her as she rushed inside; she clung to Havîn while her ghastly form flickered in fear.</p><p>"THE ODIVIA!" Havîn cried as she herself backed away. "It's huge!"</p><p>Just that one cry was enough to break Bihar and Zivistan from their fight. Their ghostly forms' light faded as they turned away and glanced up above to the barrier, as did everyone else…</p><p>And what greeted them all but the sight of the Odivia? It was now as tall as a building as it roared and rampaged about, and its twisted cries rang in the air as it slashed at buildings and downed them! It cackled with a red shine as its glow grew brighter.</p><p>Bihar and Zivistan only watched in terror, but a pair of soft gasps brought their attention back to the temple door. Their eyes locked on Havîn and Payiz in that instant, and they glanced back at each other with a sigh. Zivistan held her head in shame as she clutched her robes, but Bihar only let off a soft, disappointed sigh.</p><p>"I, I'm sorry," Bihar whispered. His voice was weak, hesitant, as if he didn't want to admit the words he was just about to say.</p><p>"But I don't believe we'll be able to reconcile."</p><p>Bihar's words hung in the air, and left it as cold as the broken, hesitant voice he said them with. Their best shot at stopping that thing was him and Zivistan, but after that argument, it was clear things between the two of them were tense enough that they wouldn't be able to resolve it in time to stop that thing—if they'd even reconcile at all.</p><p>Payiz trembled, and collapsed to her ectoplasmic knees as she scratched at her head.</p><p>"Now what are we going to do?" Payiz cried. "If the high priest and priestess can't perform the ritual, that thing'll tear the whole place to pieces, but nobody else here could possibly ever perform it! Oh, what are we gonna do, what are we gonna do? We'll meet our second deaths before we know it, and, and—"</p><p>Bihar and Zivistan both turned away from each other, and shared equally-pained glances as they grappled at the fabric of their clothes.</p><p>Spyro couldn't help but wince as he watched them. He turned his gaze to Chihiro next, who glanced at him with a tiny bit of worry as she squeezed her hands the way she always did when she was nervous.</p><p>She was probably beating herself up for not being able to finish that ritual, and he knew it—but, he didn't exactly blame her. Truth is, the thought of them doing this ritual left him sick to his stomach, and being put under all that pressure snapped something in him. If anything, he was the one who should be taking responsibility for that, but he figured that wasn't what she needed to hear, so he flew over and placed a paw on Chihiro's hands.</p><p>The two glanced at each other with a kind of understanding at first, but a soft hum from behind brought their attention to Havîn. She continued to hum as she examined a scroll she seemingly pulled out of nowhere; her eyes narrowed as she skimmed the text written on its aged parchment.</p><p>"Actually, I think we're not entirely out of hope just yet!" Havîn cried.</p><p>Payiz blinked, and turned her head around to face Havîn while tears of mist streamed down her face.</p><p>"Havîn, I, I know you're trying to lift our spirits right now," Payiz said as she floated over to Havîn, "but, I think you might be underestimating the severity of the situation at hand right now." Payiz gestured back outside. "That thing's as tall as a building, and the only beings who can perform the ritual to seal it are having relationship problems!"</p><p>"But do we need them, specifically?"</p><p>"Don't you remember what happened earlier? Not any couple can just do it!"</p><p>Spyro and Chihiro both winced and glanced away, but a light chuckle from Havîn eased the tension.</p><p>"That's not quite what I meant, Payiz," Havîn said as she pushed the scroll towards Payiz. "Take a look at this."</p><p>Payiz tilted her head as she glanced over the scroll. "The first account of the very first sealing ritual?"</p><p>"Well, I was reading it over and I noticed something. It says that the Odivia is repelled and sealed away by a ritual performed with strong love, but, it never specified what kind of love."</p><p>Havîn drew a hand over the text and narrowed her eyes.</p><p>"Now, I imagine the reason the first high priest and priestess used their own romantic love as fuel was because the village was so small at time that they were feasibly the only ones who could combat it, but lots of beings live here now. Not to mention, there's lots of forms love can come in: romantic, quasiplatonic, platonic… There's beings who've never felt an ounce of romantic love in their lives, but their love for their friends, their family, and the things they do is the strongest there is!"</p><p>"So?"</p><p>"So what I'm getting at is, why do we need to use that specific version of the ritual to seal it away? Why does it need to be romantic love between a man and a woman that seals it away?"</p><p>Huh, somehow, Spyro hadn't really thought of that before, even though it seemed like a kind of obvious conclusion to draw now that Havîn brought it up. He glanced around the room, where Payiz hung her head in contemplation while Nemir himself bent down and glanced over the paper.</p><p>"It does only say that this beast is weak to love," Nemir remarked, and rubbed his chin as he glanced over the paper. "It never specified it has to be romantic love."</p><p>"Exactly!" Havîn cried as she rolled the scroll back up and stashed it away.</p><p>Havîn beckoned to the others to come, so Spyro and Chihiro drew over and huddled in. A warm and cold presence came as Bihar and Zivistan floated in next, and with them all gathered, Havîn cleared her throat.</p><p>"So, here's what I'm proposing."</p><p>Havîn's light faded for a moment, but when she drew her breath, her voice turned clear and serious.</p><p>"I believe that if we modify the ritual to harness the power of love in all its forms, we'll be able to put the Odivia to rest! First, we'll lead the Odivia back here and have a couple perform the ritual, and make sure it's weak. It'll likely flee back to town to try and feast on the townsfolks' hatred, but, we've got instructions on how to make purification talismans in the scripts. With a little extra juice, we'll be able to break the townsfolk out of the Odivia's spell, and get their help to break the spell!"</p><p>Havîn took a breath and floated.</p><p>"I know this sounds very risky, but we don't have many options. It's either this, or let the Odivia rampage."</p><p>The cold, piercing winds of silence rang through the air, but finally it was Bihar who took a breath and floated forward.</p><p>"This all sounds nice in theory, but you're missing one key element here, Havîn," Bihar said as he crossed his arms. "We'll need to find a new couple to perform the ritual, and with its size, surely the Odivia has most of this town underneath its grip. Where will we find one on such short notice?"</p><p>Havîn frowned, her head lowering as she mumbled in contemplation. "I, well—"</p><p>"Actually, I have an idea," Payiz proclaimed as she floated forward.</p><p>She swept up to Havîn's side and took Havîn's hand in hers, and raised them both high. The sudden grip brought a pink flush to Havîn's face, yet Payiz remained serious as ever.</p><p>"I nominate myself and Havîn to lead the ritual's dance!"</p><p>Payiz's proclamation rang loud and clear through the temple grounds, but as she turned to Havîn, her head lowered and she flushed.</p><p>"Havîn, I, I, ever since we started training together, I, I've always admired you more than anything! How diligent you are, how you're always so quick thinking, and how you've always been there for me no matter what… I love everything about you! I want to stay by your side for the rest of my time on Skylands, and not just as a fellow priestess! I, I wish to be your…"</p><p>Payiz's words turned to mumbles as her face flushed pink, but Havîn chuckled and lifted her head.</p><p>"You don't need to say any more," Havîn whispered. "The truth is, I've felt the same way. I'd be more than happy to be your partner" — Havîn raised her voice with pride — "and your lover, if you'll take me!"</p><p>Payiz gasped, but only hastily nodded. Both she and Havîn drew closer, yet another roar from the Odivia above drew them apart. Their eyes trained on the skies with worry before they shook their heads.</p><p>"Actually, we'll finish this later! For now, we need to stop the Odivia!"</p><p>Payiz and Havîn floated back to the temple as everyone else trailed behind them, but as they floated up to the doors, the two of them squeezed their hands tight.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Dej passed forward in the dark tunnel they trailed through, and Luz warily followed him. Their footsteps were the only things to guide them as they passed through, and only faint passes of light illuminated the tunnel as they moved into the next stretch. A warm red and gold light burned from the end of the tunnel. Some idle chatter echoed from within, and Dej halted right in front of Luz before he pushed Luz aside and shushed the others.</p><p>Luz resigned himself to flattening against the walls, and an ear perked up as he listened. He didn't exactly enjoy the idea of meandering about, but maybe, just maybe, whatever these cyclopes talked about could give him some insight into where their leader was—and in turn, where Fintster was.</p><p>"So, why does this dude want us to find this Oracle guy, anyways?" asked a kind of hoarse voice from the other side. A silhouette of someone waving a half-eaten chicken leg stretched in shadows along the tunnel's side, and that voice gulped. "Isn't he just a legend?"</p><p>"That's what I thought, but the queen seems pretty dead-set on it," replied another, shriller voice as they stifled a chuckle. "I heard from some of the palace guards that this guy got so banged up, he had to send his butler to do the negotiations for all this, but I bet he's just a chicken!"</p><p>"Like this?"</p><p>The hoarse voice waved their chicken leg around as they made some squawking, cawing noises that vaguely sounded like an awful imitation of a chicken. It seemed that it was good enough, for the two voices bellowed into shrill, gut-busting laughter, their shadows fell over, and flailed their legs while their cackles echoed around the room.</p><p>The laughter died and one of the shadows propped up. "Well, whoever this guy is, I gotta admit, his little collection of Arkeyan robots gave us quite the upper hand!" the shrill voice proclaimed before it chuckled. "I wouldn't mind keeping a few of these babies myself!"</p><p>"Wait, an outsider providing Arkeyan robots? One who was so beat up that he couldn't even meet them face-to-face?" Dej whispered. He lowered his head, his black curls framing his face. He rubbed a hand along his chin as he hummed with curiosity, lifted them up and winced. "You don't think Arkilles is behind this, would you?"</p><p>"Eye wouldn't be surprised," Eye replied. He flew off of Brawl and met Dej eye-to-eye. "He's not exactly one to give up easily."</p><p>Luz grimaced and pushed himself a little further, perking his ear up to get a better listen.</p><p>"For that matter, what's with that weird pendant the commander's been wearing?" asked one voice.</p><p>"Not sure. I heard the commander scored it from some dig site or something?" replied the other.</p><p>Luz's eyes leaped up in shock, his ghostly body now chill as a winter wind. Just the thought of his brother, weak and powerless in that cyclops commander's grip, left Luz's blood boiling and his heart cold. A raging winter storm and a burning wildfire of emotion both swelled in his chest all at once, but he stilled himself. Stepping forward, Luz poked around the corner, and turned himself invisible with a snap of his fingers.</p><p>His eyes turned towards the owners of the voices: two cyclopes in cruddy armor who sat at a table and shared drinks. Luz's scowl grew wider, deeper with rage. They idly chatted about this commander and how stronger he grew with Fintster in his grasp, how he controlled the shadows with just his fingertips…</p><p>Luz wanted so badly to jump in, to cry out that those powers were Fintster's, not their stupid commander's! That commander of theirs had his older brother, and used him for every ounce of power he could while Fintster suffered! Luz couldn't risk blowing cover, so he just sat, and his eyes glared with heat that he hoped burned into their hearts and souls.</p><p>"Anyways, where'd you say the commander went?" asked the cyclops with the shrill voice.</p><p>Luz gasped, and crawled in further. He was careful not to ram himself on the assorted weapons and armor pieces haphazardly scattered along the base's floor. Even if he was a ghost, he couldn't risk making a fuss.</p><p>"Dunno exactly," replied the other cyclops, "I just know he went on ahead 'cause something was wrong with that pendant or something. He was muttering about how something was messing with it."</p><p>"And that's all I needed to know," Luz whispered.</p><p>Staggering to a stand, Luz gripped his shield, swung it up and smashed it right atop the first cyclops's head! The cyclops wailed before he slumped out of his chair and fell at Luz's feet. The other one screamed in turn—but only for a moment. Luz flung his shield right at the second cyclops's face, knocked him right into the back of his chair, and the second cyclops fell straight on the floor with a bruised face and lolling tongue.</p><p>"What, what cute little birdies," the second cyclops mumbled as his eye ran circles in his face.</p><p>Luz huffed as he turned visible with another snap, and turned his gaze to the closed doors ahead. He made his way over, prepared to open it, but the doors opened for him instead!</p><p>"Ugh, what was that noise?" groaned a tinier cyclops decked to the nines in armor as he stumbled in. "Don't tell me…"</p><p>The cyclops lifted his head, and his eye focused on Luz for only a second before he screamed!</p><p>"Intruder!" the cyclops wailed as he jumped back.</p><p>Luz grunted and rushed for him, swung his shield as the cyclops screamed—but the cyclops was so small that he ducked right underneath Luz's swing! He growled as the cyclops slid between his legs and rushed away, and Luz changed his pace. He dashed after the cyclops as he yanked his arm back, preparing a swing.</p><p>"I knew we shouldn't have made Quick Draw the guard!" the cyclops wailed as he ran with his head ducked. "All that idiot cares about is Skystones!"</p><p>The cyclops wailed and screamed as Luz's shield swung right ahead. The cyclops ducked his head even further as he ran—right for the other hallway, right where everyone else was!</p><p>Luz gasped, and with a single jump, he lightstepped forward; he went from a full sprint to just inches behind the cyclops in seconds. Luz yanked the cyclops up by the foot in that instant, or at least, he tried. The lightstepping spell ended as the dark of the halls reached them, and both Luz and the cyclops planted face-first on the floor.</p><p>The cyclops lifted his head first, groaned as his eye fell on the others, and he screamed yet again!</p><p>"Even more intruders! How did these guys even get here?" the cyclops cried! The cyclops grunted as he tried to push himself up, but the massive weight of his armor pinned him down to the ground. "Gotta, gotta get up and warn the others! I've, I've gotta, urgh…" The cyclops groaned as his stick-like arms trembled like shaking leaves underneath the few gaps in his armor. "Why's, why's this armor so heavy?"</p><p>Luz grunted and reached out further, ready to throw a blast at the cyclops—but before he could, a massive breeze slammed against him and the cyclops flew overhead! Luz turned around as the clamor of denting metal came from behind, and the next thing he knew, that cyclops he reached for was now embedded in the wall behind him.</p><p>A glance ahead showed Vaayu in the front, drawing his hands back. The others glared at him, and Vaayu only scratched his head.</p><p>"Sorry," Vaayu said. "I panicked."</p><p>The whoosh of the sliding doors opening sounded once more, and Luz jumped back to his feet. Ahead of him, the doors laid open while cyclopes poured out from the ranks in droves. They all dressed in shiny red and gold armor, and some had Arkeyan weaponry or robots at their side, but they all looked pretty angry, going by the scowls on their faces.</p><p>"Well, looks like Quick Draw was slacking off again," groaned the cyclops that headed the group as he withdrew a mace crackling with electricity.</p><p>The cyclops banged the mace against the palm of his armor, its electricity bouncing off and crackling like embers, and he growled as he set his eye right on Luz.</p><p>"Sorry, but this is as far as you go!" The cyclops hefted up his mace, and its lightning sparked and crackled like it itched for a fight. "The commander didn't want any unexpected visitors!"</p><p>That commander again! Just hearing this, just the sight of his smug face as he held Fintster in his grip flashed back in Luz's mind, and Luz's rage seized him. His vision turned red as he swept his shield off the ground, and he screamed as he charged forward! The whole world burned red like aestival heat as he lightstepped forward and raised his shield.</p><p>A grunt came, some screams and screeching sounds rang with the blood in Luz's ears, and when he came to, he faced all these cyclopes.</p><p>The one who led their group now laid on the floor with his mace's staff dented firmly in half and its sparks weak. He groaned a little as blood trickled from his mouth, and a massive bruise showed from underneath his disheveled helmet.</p><p>The cyclops that led the group groaned a little more as he turned to the other cyclopes, and the other cyclopes gasped before they turned their eyes towards Luz!</p><p>Their momentary shock turned to rage as they raised their weapons and swarmed Luz; their weapons jabbed and swung for him with such fury that he could barely see them. Luz's body moved on its own, swinging around his shield and bashing it against their weapons. There were so many of these guys, and he was in such a fury that he could barely comprehend what was around him!</p><p>All he heard was the furious buzzing of an angry crowd's shouts, and all he saw were their forms blurring together in a blobby formation that jabbed and poked at him with sparks of color. One of those sparks rammed into his chest, and Luz flung back into the crowds the next. He hacked, and his head spun as they smacked him onto the floor. Something else slammed into his back next and his face smashed into the floor!</p><p>Luz's rage replaced with swelling, burning pain as he coughed further. The blood rushed to his head from his ears, and left the whole room spinning around him as those red and gold blobs all closed in on him. It was then that a shrill, sharp sound came as they thinned out! A few screams came to Luz over the ringing in his ears, and something golden orange streaked above him as it knocked down those red and gold blobs!</p><p>A wave of icy cold water washed over Luz next. It dampened his ghostly form, but woke his mind back up, and Luz gasped for whatever air he could as his eyes cleared. A glance aside showed those blobs—no, cyclopes—now drenched and washed up on the side of the ground. The long trail of water that stretched across the floor led his eyes to Gill Grunt!</p><p>"We'll handle these tin cans!" Gill Grunt proclaimed as he hefted up his cannon and brought it to his narrowed eye. "Just get to your brother!"</p><p>Luz's eyes flickered, but he ultimately nodded and rushed away. His body moved on its own once more before his mind could even comprehend what went on. His feet rushed before he could even plan his steps, and piloted his body towards an oncoming wave of cyclopes.</p><p>The cyclopes all growled and shouted as they lifted up their swords and maces, and readied their guns. Luz smacked his shield, and flung it out as light formed at its core. A bright aurora of light burst forth, and its waves crashed down in a colorful flare that burned away the whole room in its light! It left only the unconscious cyclopes in its wake as it faded.</p><p>Luz hopped over one, and bolted forward so fast that the entire world around him blurred. Maybe that was his mind fading away and growing numb from the adrenaline and the anxiety all at once. Either way, everything blurred out as Luz's head grew heavy, even though its only thought was on one thing.</p><p><em>Find Finster, get him out of here, find him right now…</em></p><p>Those words repeated in Luz's head, the one thing that propelled him forward as the ground beat and chimed underneath his feet, the metal pinging underneath his footsteps. His breath grew heavy as he took another step, expecting the chime of light metal.</p><p>It didn't arrive.</p><p>Instead, his foot landed on little more than empty air, and he barely caught himself before he toppled over. His blurry vision cleared some as the churning of gears of pulling of chains rang in his ears, and what greeted him were boxes!</p><p>A whole bunch of boxes all pulled up, and dropped down in a slow, mechanical motion by large chains. They looked big enough to fit at least maybe two or three particularly small beings, and they could probably hold him. On the other hand, the way they rattled and shuddered every time the chains moved didn't really inspire a lot of confidence in how stable they were. Not to mention how slow those chains went; they chugged up and down at a snail's pace, so slow that there would be no way Luz would get there before word reached that commander of his base being crashed.</p><p>Luz's eyes drifted down to the left, where the boxes descend, and then to the right, where the boxes ascended to the next floor. The individual boxes formed a sort of zig-zag pattern as they trailed up and down.</p><p><em>If I just lightstep from box to box, </em>Luz thought as he clutched his chin, <em>I could probably get up there in seconds!</em></p><p>That is, <em>if</em> they were even stable enough for that. The boxes rattled as Luz glanced them over, as if they mocked him, taunted him with their instability. They clunked and rattled as if they would slip over with the slightest upset—and lightstepping was far from slight.</p><p><em>Hey, Luz! You wanted to see how we pick the apples around here, right?</em></p><p>Luz shook his head, and the world around him shifted! Everything around him grew bigger, and eclipsed his form with their height as a cool breeze rushed in his hair. The sights of the metal fortress traded off in favor of wide-open fields filled with tall apple trees.</p><p>One tree in particular, the tallest of the bunch with crisp red apples, lush green leaves, and tons of shaking branches, stood right before him, and in front of that tree stood Fintster, the same kid Fintster that haunted him this entire trip.</p><p>Fintster chuckled, waved at Luz one more time, and turned around as he gripped hard into the grooves in the tree's bark. He climbed up with surprising speed before he reached out for one of the branches, and flipped on! The branch rustled underneath his weight, and Fintster cried out as he flailed his arms, his footsteps stumbling back and near slipping from the branch.</p><p>"Be careful, Fintster!"</p><p>He rushed forward—but stopped immediately as laughter came to his ears.</p><p>"<em>I'm fine, Luz!" </em>Fintster cried back. Regaining his footing, he turned up to the next branch and chuckled. <em>"I've done this like a billion times!"</em></p><p>Fintster hupped as he hopped onto the next branch, and the branch afterwards in a zig-zagging pattern. Each one he stayed on for only moments, just enough time to pluck an apple or two from the branches' stems. He disappeared into the canopy of leaves for a few moments…</p><p>And then, Fintster truly disappeared, and the world returned back to normal.</p><p>Once again, Luz was back in the present day, and still stuck in front of the churning boxes as they moved so slowly and shakily. Wait, that tree's branches were just like that: thin and weak, just barely able to hold the weight of one being! Fintster moved so nimbly and quickly on them, so quickly that he could get what he needed without even worrying about falling.</p><p>"And that's what I'm going to do!" Luz cried.</p><p>The light boiled in his blood, and warmed his entire body as he leaped onto one of the boxes. What he heard wasn't the clang of its metal, but the rustling of tree leaves and the creaking of its branches!</p><p>Once again, he found himself back in his childhood fields, standing atop the branch. He glanced down at how it creaked underneath him—and the mighty fall that laid below—and Luz squeaked as he hopped off to the next branch. The apples below shuddered a little, and he plucked one off before he hopped up a bit.</p><p>Fintster's laughter echoed from the canopy of leaves above, and Luz chuckled as he hopped up, traveling branch to branch. The breeze blew in his hair, tickled his face along with the leaves. Luz couldn't help but giggle along with Fintster as he chased him up the tree, snatching apple after apple along the way.</p><p>"Wait for me, Fintster!" Luz called, his voice tinged with youthful cheer.</p><p>With one last hop, Luz launched himself into the tree canopy—and exited on the top of the platform.</p><p>Luz's eyes fluttered, and he glanced back to find the rattling boxes before him, still churning away as always. The ringing sound of his and Fintster's laughter stayed in his ears still as he turned ahead. For just a moment, he saw him and Fintster as kids, and how they carried as many apples as their arms could carry while they laughed and talked and ate. Yes, he remembered that day all too well…</p><p>"<em>Man, I just know the harvest today's gonna be great! I'll have to tell Gramps!" Fintster chuckled between bites of apple.</em></p><p><em>Luz chuckled back, but his smile faded as he glanced back at the armfuls of apples he carried. They were all nice and crisp, true, but something egged at him a little.</em></p><p>"<em>Why do you need these many apples, anyways?" Luz asked.</em></p><p>"<em>Well, for one, we're the main farmers for this entire place! The whole town gets their fruits and veggies from us." Fintster kicked open the door and hopped in. "But, you'll see the other reason when you get inside."</em></p><p><em>Fintster disappeared within the door's dark crevices, and Luz gulped as he followed Fintster inside. The whole hall was dark at first, lit only by the faint light of a distant lantern, but then, Luz passed closer to the light, and found Fintster's form before him as he said something Luz couldn't quite make out. The sounds of cheering, shouts, and questions from what seemed like other kids' voices drowned out Fintster's own, so Luz crept in closer.</em></p><p><em>The moment Luz entered the room, he met with tons and tons of kids that all surrounded him in the center of a round sitting room! Most of them looked to be around his age, others younger, and a tiny few slightly older, but none any older than Fintster was. They all wore simple tunic, dressers, and trousers like Fintster did, some more worn than others. They all looked at Fintster with equal attention—and now, Luz as well.</em></p><p>"<em>Hey, who's that?" asked a smaller kid at the front of the group.</em></p><p><em>Fintster turned around and chuckled. "There you are, Luz! I was just talking about you!" Fintster cleared his throat and turned back to the crowd of kids. </em>"<em>Luz, these are my little sibs!"</em></p><p>"<em>Your, your siblings?" Luz asked, turning to the group and Fintster in short, quick motions. "You, you sure have a lot, and, they all look so different."</em></p><p>"<em>Yeah, we get that a lot." Fintster chuckled again, but his smile seemed to have dimmed, turning down slightly. </em></p><p>"<em>You see, my Gramps takes in kids who lost their homes and families, one way or another." Fintster lifted his head, turning back to the kids. </em>"<em>Wardiya was the only one who survived when her family got really sick, Pepi was an orphan all his life before we found him, Eurybiades was living in this really awful place where they could barely take care of themselves and their parents abandoned them… Gramps just couldn't bear to see 'em like that, so he took them under his wing."</em></p><p>"<em>Now what's all this racket?" an elderly voice shouted. "Fintster, is that you?"</em></p><p><em>The stairs at the back of the room creaked, and Luz turned his attention to them right as someone crept down. That someone was an old man! He was all wrinkles and white hairs, dressed in well-worn robes, and held the railing in one hand and a cane in the other. His movements were slow as he crossed down the steps and turned to the group, but the moment he laid eyes on Fintster, he picked up the pace!</em></p><p>"<em>Fintster, there you are, my boy!" the old man cried as he made his way through the swarms of kids. "Did you get the market runs taken care of?"</em></p><p>"<em>Just like you asked, Gramps!" Fintster replied, nodding his head. He parted away, and nudged an elbow towards Luz with a chuckle. "Also picked up a new kid on the way!"</em></p><p>"<em>I was wondering who this little sprout with you was." </em></p><p><em>Gramps chuckled a bit, and leaned down as Fintster moved away, giving Luz a face to face look with him at light. His deep brown, almost black eyes shone with twinkles like stars in a night sky, and his smile was visible even in spite of his thick, bushy beard and mustache. In fact, that smile of his reminded Luz of Fintster, almost. A family resemblance, he thought that was called? Either way, he gave Luz sort of a warm feeling, enough that Luz smiled right back at him.</em></p><p>"<em>So, what's your story, little one?"</em></p><p><em>Luz winced and backed away, his heart pounding a bit faster. The memories started to spill in: the crashing of machinery and the sounds of war. Luz's head pounded…</em></p><p>"<em>I found him in the alleys when I was coming home. He said he had to flee his old village because of the Arkeyans, and he lost his family and home and has nowhere to go," Fintster said. His voice was serious and clear as he addressed Gramps. "So, I was hoping we could take him in."</em></p><p>"<em>Is that so?"</em></p><p>Luz's memory faded and he clutched his shield tighter. He couldn't dwell on the past, not when Fintster needed him. He pressed forward into the halls ahead as they grew cold even for this fortress's standards, and the rooms around him dimmed. The lights overhead grew sparser with every step Luz took.</p><p>A whisper brushed into his ear. On instinct, Luz pushed his shield forward, but all that met him were thick, dark churning clouds that blocked the way ahead! What did they hold? A secret trap door? A long drop? A dead end? An ambush? Whatever it was, the way they churned and bubbled didn't make it seem good.</p><p>Luz's legs locked up, and his body went next as he trembled a bit. Just the sight imposed over him all the possibilities of what they held, and most of them weren't pretty. That mysterious, unknowing dark, what did it hold?</p><p>Luz brushed his fingers against the rim of his shield and bit his lip. Those clouds, they reminded him a little of the ones Fintster made whenever they needed a convenient out: a fear-inducing mist that left anyone within quaking in their boots! Surely, that commander would have made it, and that meant Fintster was close!</p><p>"Hey, Fintster, do you remember when we were little, and I used to be scared of doing the midnight chores because I was scared of the dark?" Luz asked as he lifted his shield. "But then, you showed me there was nothing to be scared of at night."</p><p>Gripping his shield tight, Luz spun it around a few times. The shield screeched as a bright burst of light beamed out! Its golden path stretched along the mist, and cleared it out to reveal a perfect hallway ahead!</p><p>"I just need to shed some light on things!"</p><p>Luz clenched his teeth and rushed forward, even as the mist lapped at his heels and tangled around his feet! Their cold grip faded and grew around him, but Luz flung his shield around, scaring off the mist with his light beam! The beams unveiled near-identical paths of metal floors and walls, but no sign of any other rooms, or anything else. Luz turned his light ahead, and found nothing but a dead end!</p><p>Luz narrowed his eyes, snarled as he drew his light back, and turned it back on the clouds. "I know you're there!" Luz cried as he flung his light aside. "Give my brother back!"</p><p>A low rumble sounded and Luz turned his light to the left, but the mist cleared and he found nothing. A cackle sounded next, and Luz brandished his shield to his back—but right as he did, the shadows moved once more! The cackles grew louder, crawled up the back of his neck, and left chills in his ghostly body as they brushed against him with an icy touch.</p><p>"Oh, here to play the hero, are we?" the commander asked. The shadows masked his voice a bit; they turned it deeper and much more ominous, but Luz could tell who it was from that sickening confidence. "You're awfully stubborn to have come all the way here, but I'm afraid your little trip stops now!"</p><p>A shriek sounded from behind and Luz turned around quickly, but not quickly enough. Something cold and hard sucker-punched him right in the face, knocking him back into the mist! The cold clouds seeped into him, leaving him coughing from both their smoke and the blow.</p><p>Something yanked him up in his moment of weakness, and smashed him into the ground! Luz shielded the blow with his shield right before it made contact, but it didn't do much to stop the stinging, numbing aches that came from hitting cold steel grounds.</p><p>Luz gritted his teeth, turned himself onto his back and yanked up his shield. His shield's light dimmed some, enough that it wasn't exactly a functional flashlight anymore, and definitely not of use against this guy as he bounced within the shadows. After all, he moved so fast, and the clouds were so thick that Luz could barely make out their shapes! His head pounded as another blow knocked him into the wall, and Luz lost enough consciousness that he phased through it for a moment before he yanked himself up.</p><p><em>"Remember, Luz, if you see something weird or scary in the fields at night, just shed a little light on it!"</em></p><p>Luz grunted and gripped onto his shield. "Shed… A little light…"</p><p>Luz turned his shield the best he could with his aching, tired arms. The clicks of his shield came slowly, but their familiar sound revived him, and gave him enough energy that he flung it right in front.</p><p>"That's right!"</p><p>Golden sparks sputtered and spurted from the shield's core as its light gathered. Its light shot out in one huge flashbang, bathing the entire room in solid gold! The cyclops commander shrieked underneath the shriek of the shield's light, and when both shrieks faded, the clouds were gone! All that remained was that cyclops commander, who was unconscious with a hand around Fintster's wheel as he laid on the floor.</p><p>Luz gasped, jumped to his feet, and practically tripped over them as he dashed to the commander. He collapsed over the commander in an instant, and practically crushed the commander's hand in his own as he dug his fingers into the commander's. His fingertips brushed against the cool crystal of Fintster's wheel, and Luz grunted as he pulled and tore against the commander's hand—but the commander's death grip wouldn't budge, no matter how hard Luz pulled!</p><p>Luz leaned forward and panted; his hand slipped just slightly for a moment, and a cold, cobalt glow brushed against his face. Luz glanced down at the commander, but the first thing that met him was a blast of energy directly to his chest!</p><p>He slammed back into the walls, and a heavy ache entered his body as he slunk down. His ghostly body cried out, begged him to move, but he was so tired that all he could do was look up as the commander got back to his feet and chuckled.</p><p>"Got you~" the commander crooned as he stepped forward. He held up Fintster's glowing wheel, and his already-snide smile grew thinner and smugger.</p><p>Luz snarled and pushed himself up a leg, but he immediately fell to his knees, hacking and coughing! A throbbing feeling came from his side, and he glanced to find a stream of sparkling, solid white magic pouring out from him. Wait, his magic energy! Luz grunted and patched the wound with his hand, yet the throbbing feeling grew stronger, forcing him on the floor.</p><p>His shield slipped from his grip, rolled down to the commander's feet, and the commander chuckled as he kicked the s out of Luz's way. "I'd stay there if I were you," the commander sneered as he flicked the pendant, its glow flickering for a moment. "It seems to me like you're in no condition to fight."</p><p>Luz pushed himself up just to collapse again. The room chilled around him in turn, and turned even colder as his body ached further. Those dark misty clouds swirled up again as they took the form of massive beasts! They were tall enough that their heads nearly hit the ceiling, and they all had their eyes on Luz!</p><p>"I knew this thing would be powerful, but I didn't think it would be strong!" the commander's snide voice oozed with spine-chilling glee. "I knew there was something special about this strange little wheel! I had the right idea, snatching it up when I did!"</p><p>Luz's head grew heavier. The rage and pain both forcing him down even though he wanted to fight so, so badly. He wanted to get up, to grab his shield and blast away those monsters, to do anything! But, he couldn't even move a muscle. All he could do was lay there as that smug commander laughed in his face, as those monster closed in on him.</p><p>"Give, give back, Fintster," Luz croaked.</p><p>He reached forward in a sluggish crawl. The world around him grew blurrier as the monsters came in and the commander laughed…</p><p>And then, it went completely dark.</p><p><em>Luz groaned, and opened his eyes as he rubbed his throbbing head. He couldn't quite recall what happened, or even what went on now. His head hurt so badly, and the rush of blood melded with the screaming, and the sounds of crashing and destruction that echoed from those around. Wait, screaming? Luz shook his head and the blood relented</em> <em>just enough.</em></p><p><em>He could make out terrified screams, and his vision cleared to show that he was back in his home—but, no, it was nothing like it should've been!</em></p><p><em>The whole place was in shambles: buildings stood alight with fire, and the smells of smoke, blood and oil polluted the air. In front of him, beings he only barely recognized fled in horror, and clutched their belongings or younger family members while others tried to pull the injured from the wreckage. Some flash of red and gold burst forward, and the screech of metal rang in the air as some knight-looking thing with a mace slammed into an aged elf's gut, knocking them on the ground. Wait, red and gold, those were Arkeyan colors! Did Arkeyans storm the town?</em></p><p>"<em>Luz, we've gotta go!" Fintster cried as he raced in front of Luz, sweat pouring down his face. He grabbed Luz's hand with surprising strength, and yanked Luz right off the floor and onto his feet. "The Arkeyans are here!"</em></p><p><em>The Arkeyans were here. The </em><strong>Arkeyans </strong><em>were here. The Arkeyans were </em><strong>here</strong><em>.</em></p><p><em>Those words cawed in Luz's mind as Fintster dragged him down the streets, down to the alleys where Gramps and the rest of their siblings huddled in the safety of the darkness. The younger kids' eyes were all red and full of tears, but not a single wail came from them as they clung to the older kids. The older ones, they tried their hardest to keep a strong face; some smiled and reassured the younger kids with shaky voices, and others bit their lips the hardest they could to keep from crying.</em></p><p>"<em>Don't cry, Eury," Gerdie cooed as she cradled them in her arms. "The Elder Elementals will be here any moment now! They'll save us!"</em></p><p>"<em>The Elder Elementals?" Luz asked, turning to Fintster.</em></p><p>"<em>They're the ones fighting against the Arkeyans!" Fintster proclaimed, and his voice raised with glee. "They'll send those Arkeyans home crying to their stupid emperor in no time—"</em></p><p>"<em>Fintster, keep it down! They'll find us!" Gerdie scolded as she got up. "Now that's everyone's here, we need to hurry and get to the safe houses!"</em></p><p><em>The faint scent of smoke and screaming rose in the air, yet the screams around Luz warped slightly, sounding familiar in a blood-chilling way. The smell of burnt grass mingled with the smoke, and Luz recalled his old village: the screams, the forest, the battles, and, and everything! Luz fell to his knees, and the world around him warped back into the sights of his old, ruined home. His eyes stung from the smoke that filtered in front of him, or so he thought, but then his face turned damp and he realized he was crying.</em></p><p><em>Why, why did they come back? Why were they taking his home away from his again? He already lost his home and his family once, and now he would lose them all again, all because of these Arkeyans! Luz collapsed without thinking, and his whole head numbed as he fell down and sobbed.</em></p><p>"<em>Luz, look out!"</em></p><p><em>Something pushed Luz back onto the cobblestones, and his head hit the ground, knocking him back into reality. Once again, he was in the alleyways, now forced on his back as he pushed himself up. </em></p><p><em>Everyone else strung themselves out of their little group, yet all eyes stared in horror of what laid in the center.</em></p><p><em>Gramps laid in a slump to the side. Blood stained his clothes while tears in its fabric revealed that bruises formed on his old, wrinkled skin. His breathing turned shallow as blood trickled from his mouth, and he shuddered and groaned with every pained breath he took, as if just breathing took all his effort!</em></p><p><em>A couple of the older kids rushed to Gramps' side and shouted at each other as they tried to hoist him up. One turned to Luz, shouting something at him. What was it they shouted about? Luz's head was so numb from the shock of what laid in the center that he couldn't even hear.</em></p><p><em>For in the center of it all, there laid an Arkeyan robot dressed in red and gold knight's armor. Its eyes glowed as red as the blood that stained the round mace it held. Low, shaking sounds almost like breathing came from it as it stepped forward and raised its mace.</em></p><p><em>Its eyes fixed on Luz and Fintster, yet, Luz could only stand there, frozen in fear. </em></p><p><em>His whole body locked up as the robot drew closer and closer, raising its mace by the second. Visions of that other robot, the same one that sent Luz into hiding flashed back to him. It took the place of the robot that stood before him now, and Luz's breathing grew shallow. It was coming, that thing that destroyed his old home, who killed everyone else, it was coming to finish the job! He wanted to scream, to cry and run away, but he couldn't! All he did was sit and stare as the mace swung down…</em></p><p><em>But it didn't hit.</em></p><p><em>Instead, the clang of metal sounded and brought Luz back to reality. There, Fintster stood in front of him, and breathed heavily as he clutched a dented, dulled metal bar. The robot stumbled back in what seemed like shock. Its own mace was unharmed by the blow, but the robot was seemingly taken aback that someone was willing to fight it.</em></p><p><em>The robot knelt forward and a low, husky growl came from it, and with a running start, it went back towards Fintster and Luz! Fintster grunted and swung his bar once more, knocking the side of the robot's head. The robot stumbled back and its grip on its mace's handle slipped a little, but it quickly caught it back and swung at Fintster once more.</em></p><p><em>Fintster swept underneath it before he slammed the robot in the chest. </em>"<em>Everyone, run! Get Gramps to the safe houses! I'll keep this guy distracted!"</em></p><p><em>"Fintster, what are you doing?" cried one of their brothers. "You can't take that guy!"</em></p><p><em>Fintster jumped away as the mace slammed into the ground, and ducked as it swung a second time. "I might not be able to take him, but I can distract him!"</em></p><p><em>Fintster ducked down, but instead of fighting, he ran! He sprinted down the darker parts of the alleyway. The robot made chase after him, its own metal clanking drowning out the sound of his footsteps…</em></p><p><em>And then, Fintster was gone, and Luz was alone. The whole world around him blurred, dissolved even, and he could only sit there. </em></p><p><em>His older brother, the one who swept him off the streets that day, the one who was always by his side when he was scared and worried, the one who always laughed with him over dumb jokes as they ran errands and did chores, who always looked out for him… </em></p><p><em>Was gone. He was distant, growing further away from the second. His family, they were all gone but him, and his own consciousness slowly faded as the image of Fintster grew more distant. </em></p><p><em>But, then, Fintster turned around and cried out one thing.</em></p><p>"<em>Luz!"</em></p><p>And just like that, Luz sprung back awake! He lightstepped away before he could even really comprehend what happened. He sprung over the paws of a large, shadowy monster that lunged for him, and landed right where his shield laid. Sweeping his shield off the ground, Luz flung it up and shielded another blow from the monster's paws! A numbing, stinging feeling ached from his side, but Luz pushed it aside as he sprung up once more, propelling himself right above the monster. The monster gawked up at him, and Luz flicked off his shield, shooting it like a disc aimed right for the monster's neck!</p><p>The shield slashed right through the monster's neck in a clean cut. It fell to the ground in a mass of melting shadows, but the shield just spun forward, aiming right for the second monster! The second monster roared and batted at it, yet the shield swerved underneath its paws before it jutted up, slashing its body in half! The shield returned to Luz with only slight specks of darkness staining its exterior. Luz flicked them off as he glared at the cyclops commander—or more accurately, the pendant of Fintster's that rested on his neck. The pendant's glow dimmed a bit, and Luz stepped forward in turn.</p><p>"You, what do you think you're doing?" the commander cried as he backed away. "You're in no condition to fight, not with injuries like that!"</p><p>A sharp pain came from Luz's side and he limped down a little, but he quickly forced himself back to full height, and closed his eyes…</p><p><em>And Luz was back in the alleyways, all small and frightened as that robot chased Fintster further and further into the dark. Fintster, his older brother, he was going to die! He may have acted tough, but he couldn't take on an Arkeyan soldier like that! He, he was going to lose his older brother, and then he'd lose his family and his home again, just like before! </em></p><p><em>Luz fell to his knees and sobbed, but right as he did, a clatter sounded from behind him. His crying spell forgotten, Luz turned aside right as a sharp, metal disc dropped down from a pile of metal garbage and rolled in front of him. It was a bit rusted in some places, dulled in others, but its rim was shiny and sharp, enough to easily cut a wooden block! Or perhaps, perhaps even… An Arkeyan soldier?</em></p><p><em>Luz gasped, flipped the disc over, and grabbed it by a leather strap on its inner side. This, this was a weapon! He had a weapon, but he, he didn't know how to fight!</em></p><p><em>But, that didn't matter. </em></p><p><em>Hoisting the disc up like a shield, Luz ran as fast as his shaking legs could carry him into the alleyway. He was guided only by the clanking footsteps of the Arkeyan soldier, and the mocking shouts of Fintster ahead of him. The dark passage started to rise, and from the minimal light ahead, Luz could just barely spy a shape of red and gold!</em></p><p><em>With the shadows as his shield, Luz sprung forward and screamed as he bashed the disc right against the Arkeyan soldier's head! The Arkeyan soldier stumbled forward from the blow, exposing a metallic neck. Luz slashed the sharp rim of the disc against the exposed neck! Sparks flew out from the gash as Luz collapsed. </em></p><p><em>He barely spotted more sparks vomiting out in front of the soldier as it jolted and spewed out garbled, mechanical noises. The soldier collapsed on its front, and all that met Luz was Fintster! His mouth dropped in shock as the pipe he held slipped from his grip.</em></p><p>"<em>Luz, what are you doing?" Fintster cried as he rushed forward and grabbed Luz by the shoulders. "You shouldn't follow me, you need to go to the safe houses! These guys, they'll kill you!"</em></p><p><em>"And if I didn't, they would've killed you!" Luz cried back. He thrust out of Fintster's grip and hoisted his disc in front of him like a shield, a barrier between the two. "I already lost my first family and my first home to these guys, and I'm not letting them take my big brother from me, or anyone else in my family, either!"</em></p><p><em>Hearing this, Fintster just stood aghast, his jaw clenching with his fist. He and Luz just stood each other off in quiet, tense silence, but Fintster chuckled and knelt down.</em></p><p>"<em>Alright then, we'll protect our family together!"</em></p><p><em>Fintster snatched his pipe from the ground, hoisted it over his shoulder and turned ahead. There, the flames of war and the ravaging of the town laid barren before them.</em></p><p>"<em>Come on, Luz! We'll keep these guys busy!"</em></p><p><em>"Alright, Fintster!"</em></p><p>Luz breathed in, and the memories of Arkeyan soldiers and burning flames faded to the present.</p><p>Before him, the commander yowled as he yanked Fintster's pendant from his neck and held it up as high as he could. The pendant's own wheel was completely obscured by the thick masses of shadows that churned from it. The shadows leaped out. They grew bigger and thicker as they formed into the shapes of massive dragons, of hulking beasts and winged monsters!</p><p>All of them blocked off the world ahead as they yowled and cried for Luz, and Luz cried back as he sprung forward and rushed ahead!</p><p>He leaped up and slashed through a dragon's chest with a quick slice! A faint flash of when he slashed through an Arkeyan robot with that worn metal disc came to him, and he jumped up as the dragon snapped its head down after him!</p><p>Another memory came to him, this time of how Fintster leaped up and bashed down on that same robot with his pipe, and Luz sprung himself forward. He shot with the power of light, and moved faster, fast enough that he tackled right into the dragon's head! His shield smashed into it first, rammed its head in, and shot a beam of light that slashed right through the dragon's body.</p><p>The dragon erupted into plumes of cobalt smoke. The other monsters growled as they closed in and parted the smoke.</p><p>That ache in Luz's side throbbed a little harder, forcing Luz's eyes shut as he cringed…</p><p><em>Luz bit his lip. His eyes drifted down to where one of the Arkeyan soldiers grazed his side and left a stinging cut on his chest, but he shook his head. Instead, he turned it up towards the Arkeyans that circled him. He stepped back, and the Arkeyans raised their weapons, fully ready to swing—but a harsh creak sounded and one toppled over on its own feet!</em></p><p><em>"Try picking on someone your own size!" Fintster cried.</em></p><p><em>All eyes turned to where Fintster stood behind the downed Arkeyan. The other robots sprung for him, and leaped over Fintster the way a lion leaped over prey.</em></p><p><em>Luz grunted and flung his disc forward! The disc warbled as it flew through the air, and whipped up currents that propelled it forward with even further speed! The speed and power melded together as it burst into the Arkeyans, slashing through their necks and beheading them in a blink!</em></p><p><em>The disc itself twisted around and returned to Luz's side. He snatched it out of the air right as the beheaded bodies collapsed on the ground. Their heads fell after them and dented as they hit the floor.</em></p><p>"<em>That was awesome, Luz!" Fintster cried as he hopped over the bodies. "You hit them like it was nothing!"</em></p><p><em>Luz blinked, chuckled and glanced down at the disc. Even though he didn't know the first thing about fighting, the moment he picked up that disc, it was like he was one of those super-fancy soldiers out fighting with the best! He wasn't sure how or why, but it was like the disc was a part of him, and bent to his will.</em></p><p><em>For that matter, Fintster fought super well with that pipe! It was like he was a knight who rode into battle with that as his sword! They both grinned as they loomed over the broken robots they destroyed, but then, the ground shook, and they turned around…</em></p><p>And Luz growled as his eyes narrowed. They fixed on the commander with no care for the melting, dispatched corpses of the shadowy beasts he summoned. The commander sputtered out pleas and half-hearted warnings as he dangled the pendant in front of Luz like some kind of taunt, but Luz only screamed as he rushed forward!</p><p>The commander threw out his hands as blasts of solid darkness came forward, but Luz tossed them off with flings of his shield. The ground below him shuddered, and turned shaky and unstable as his vision blurred and his footing slipped. He stumbled down for a few moments, but pushed himself back up.</p><p><em>The ground below him shook and Luz dropped his shield in an instant. He cowered by Fintster's side as he glanced at the massive shadow that cast over the town, and the beast that cast it.</em></p><p><em>Before him laid the biggest Arkeyan robot he had ever seen! It was as tall as two large houses stacked atop one another, no, even bigger than that! Its red and gold metal shone with polish against the flames around it, its eyes glowed white with a tranquil fury, and its whole body shook the ground with every step, every movement! It smashed through houses and tore down the mightiest trees with only a sway of its hand, as if to demand respect for its presence.</em></p><p>"<em>What is that thing, Fintster?" Luz whimpered as he clutched Fintster's tunic.</em></p><p><em>Fintster quivered a bit, yet his shaking subsided as he realized Luz clung to him. "I don't know," Fintster whispered back as he thrust himself closer to Luz, putting his body in front of Luz's own. "I've never seen a robot that big!"</em></p><p><em>The ground shuddered underneath as the robot stomped, and Luz and Fintster separated as the tremors knocked them both back. The shadows grew as the robot stomped further and further towards them, yet Luz and Fintster scrambled back to each other in turn.</em></p><p><em>They both embraced each other, prepared for the end, but a heat brushed across their back! It was warm, but not in a painful way. No, this one was welcoming, almost gentle in its touch as it swept them off the ground!</em></p><p><em>Luz opened his eyes, and found himself staring at a tall, kind of grizzled and tanned man with tired eyes and fiery red hair! His burgundy cloak fluttered in the breeze as he dashed off with such speed that a trail of flames burned behind him, but it quickly extinguished as he came to a stop.</em></p><p>"<em>You two get to safety," the man said as he dropped them behind some boxes and well out of the robot's sight. He tapped his heels, and flames ignited as they</em> <em>ate away at the bandages wrapped around his sandals. "Just leave the fighting to the adults."</em></p><p><em>He was off like a comet! The sizzling trail of fire stretched behind him, and lit up the darker depths of the alleyways as he ran!</em></p><p><em>Luz blinked a bit as he crept out of the boxes' safety, just in time to catch the flames as they extinguished. He knew that man told him to stay hidden, but his curiosity got the better of him. A couple of footsteps from behind showed that Fintster was intrigued as well. The two of them crept back through the alleyways, following the ashy trails left behind by the man's footsteps.</em></p><p><em>Once again, they were at the mouth of the alleyway. They propped themselves behind some stray barrels, their eyes peeked over the barrels' rims, and what they saw was beyond explanation!</em></p><p><em>That mighty titan of a robot, the one that lorded itself over the village, and crushed it like sand just moments earlier… It was held back! </em></p><p><em>All sorts of mighty titans, from a burly ent to a golem made of solid lava and fire, fought it off like nothing else! Their flames and beams of light stripped away the solid metal of the robot. It tilted off-balance while comets of bright, solid light in all sorts of the colors smashed into the robot's other leg! It stumbled a bit, quaking the earth once more, but with the energy of the fight, Luz barely even noticed!</em></p><p><em>"Who are these beings?" Luz gasped, his voice barely even a whisper. "How can they fight like this?"</em></p><p>"<em>It's the Elder Elementals! I knew it!" Fintster cried, and his smile went wide as he shook his fists. "Go get 'em!"</em></p><p><em>So </em><strong>these</strong><em> were the Elder Elementals Fintster talked about? Luz gasped, and glanced back to where their fight continued. </em></p><p><em>The world grew unbearably hot from the flames and the burning lights that danced along the fields, yet Luz didn't even break a sweat as he watched. The way they fought was strong and swift. The remnants of their magic ate away at the robot's armor like it was mere kindling, and slashed through it like leaves! That Leviathan of a robot, the one that towered over the ground and shook the entire world with just its footsteps, it collapsed to the ground with a mighty thud! It laid slunk over, and its eyes dulled while sparks shone from its chest in a flurry!</em></p><p><em>Some shout of some kind came from the ent as they all crowded around the robot's front with weapons drawn and ready to fire. They lifted them up, but lowered as the sparks flying from the robot's chest burst out in a fiery fury. They backed away as the light from the robot's chest grew thicker, brighter, almost like a sun.</em></p><p><em>A sharp, cracking sound, one so loud it practically blew out Luz's eardrums, burst next. The world around grew bright, so bright that the heat burned into him. He and Fintster cowered behind the barrels—not that it mattered, for some strong blast lashed against them next! It smashed the barrels to splintered bits and blasted them across the alleyway. </em></p><p><em>The hard stone tore at Luz as he tumbled across. It left him sore and barely able to register his own existence one moment, and only able to cower and shudder so furiously that he was sure his body would come apart the next. Somehow, the pain subsided enough that he could stand up, just barely. </em></p><p><em>The world shuddered and spun around him as he stumbled through the alleyways' depths. His ears rang so badly that he couldn't hear a thing, and his vision was so, so, blurry, enough that all he could make out were the shadows on the walls.</em></p><p><em>His vision cleared just a little as he found himself back at the alleyway's gaping mouth. It was clear enough that he could at least make out the faint shapes of those Elder Elementals and some smaller figures. They stumbled and ran about as that massive robot stood back up and stomped once more! It shook the world and knocked Luz back on the ground…</em></p><p>A sharp blast knocked the side of Luz's head, and what he hit next was cold, hard steel. He nearly phased through it, if not for how his pendant knocked against the floors. He grunted and pushed himself up; his head throbbed and pounded, but not enough that it blocked out the commander's goading laughter.</p><p>"What did I tell you?" the commander crooned as he summoned another blast of darkness and stroked it like a precious gem. "You're far too weak to even dream of getting your brother back!"</p><p>Luz gritted his teeth. He wanted to cry in protest, but his head numbed again. His blood rushed so quickly into his ears that he could only barely make out the sights and sounds around him. That throbbing feeling in his side returned, and this time it spread from his hip to his chest. It washed over him in a strong, numbing wave.</p><p>He fell to his knees as the commander strode closer to him, or maybe he was still far away, and the way his vision warped made that commander seem closer. The commander drew closer, raised a hand charged with darkness, and as he did, the cobalt glow that beamed from his chest faded just a little. A pained whimper hit the air from a voice Luz recognized all too well…</p><p><em>And Luz sprung to his feet, finding himself safe in the alleyways once more. Before him, those Elder Elementals and those strange people still fought against the robot, but their attacks were shaky, disoriented, even. They constantly missed as they stumbled about, or hazily scattered out of the robot's way. The robot slammed the ground with a searing hot laser, and a blow of fire from the Elementals' group meant for the robot's head swerved aside!</em></p><p><em>Luz cringed, but a soft hum from beside him drew his attention to Fintster. Fintster seemed almost contemplative as he watched the battle, so transfixed that he even parted his bangs to reveal his deep brown eyes.</em></p><p>"<em>Fintster, what're you thinking about?" Luz whispered.</em></p><p><em>Fintster hummed again, held out a hand and pointed towards the robot's shoulder. "Look over there! That robot's smoking and stuff!"</em></p><p><em>Luz peered up to where Fintster pointed, and found that Fintster was right! The space between the robot's shoulder and neck was clouded by thick plumes of gray smoke. They billowed out into the skies, and were only barely disguised by the smoke and fire from the destruction all around it. That wasn't the only part smoking, either! Its other shoulder smoked as well, and so did the spaces between its knees! The smoke there may have been thinner, but it was there!</em></p><p><em>"You see it, right?" Fintster chuckled when Luz nodded. "I'll bet that big attack that robot did took a huge toll on it! Those parts are probably its weak points now!"</em></p><p>"<em>So if it gets hit there…"</em></p><p>"<em>It'll do a whole lotta hurt!"</em></p><p><em>Fintster chuckled a bit more, but his smile faded. "But, that robot's so busy attacking that I don't think the Elder Elementals know that yet…"</em></p><p><em>Fintster grinned and snatched Luz's hand.</em></p><p><em>"So, we're gonna help them!"</em></p><p><em>Luz blinked, shook his head and yanked his hand from Fintster's.</em></p><p><em>"Us?" Luz cried. He gaze snapped from him and Fintster, to the lumbering, colossal robot before them that gave even the Elder Elementals a run for their gold, in a state of almost disbelief. "But how? That thing'd squash us!"</em></p><p>"<em>We don't have to fight it. We'll just distract it a little! If we get its attention, the Elder Elementals will realize its weak spots in no time!"</em></p><p>"<em>But how would we even get to it? There's no way it'd spot us all the way down here!"</em></p><p><em>Fintster frowned and rubbed his chin. "You do have a point. Maybe, if we climbed the rooftops…"</em></p><p><em>A strong, cool breeze blew across Fintster and Luz, and left them both shuddering. Something cold, here? When everything burned up? Where would that even come from?</em></p><p><em>The breeze blew again, and Luz turned to find a collection of winds so solid that their azure light shone against the flames. Their winds roared like lions, propelling themselves in the skies. Now that Luz thought about it, he could've sworn that he saw one of those humans with the Elder Elementals flying around the skies like a bird with that same glow. Did that person make this?</em></p><p>"<em>A wind current, perfect!" Fintster cried. He snatched Luz's hand with one hand, gripped his makeshift sword with the other, and turned to Luz with the utmost of steel seriousness. </em>"<em>I've heard of wind currents like those! They're magic ones that can take you super high up! The Elder Elementals would use them all the time when they fight, so that's what we'll use!"</em></p><p><em>Luz bit his lip, and glanced over at the robot as it shook the earth once more. By all accounts, he should've ran off, should've taken cover, should've trusted every instinct in his gut to run. But, when he was with his brother like this, saw the confidence in Fintster's eyes, and had him safe in his grasp, it was like all that fear went away!</em></p><p><em>So, Luz nodded, and the two of them </em><strong>ran.</strong><em> Their bodies still ached in places and begged to rest, but somehow, the pain they felt only barely registered as they bolted towards the wind current! The ground rumbled below them, tossed their steps off-balance and left them stumbling, but their small size meant these little fumbles were hardly a concern.</em></p><p><em>The robot didn't even see them, and instead focused on fighting the Elder Elementals. The cry of lasers shot, shouts of pain, and frantic orders barked rang in the air. </em></p><p><em>Luz only barely glimpsed behind at the ongoing battle before the lash of cool winds grew closer! He turned around, and the wind current roared its loudest as he and Fintster came within inches of it!</em></p><p><em>They two of them bent down, leaped in, and before they knew it, the winds launched them right into the air! There was nothing underfoot, nothing around but his brother, and the entire town stood eclipsed underneath them as the fires spread. Luz's head spun at the sight, but a quick hand squeeze from Fintster brought him back to his senses.</em></p><p><em>Thus, Luz turned his attention to that robot, the one that now rested just a few feet below them. The robot hadn't noticed them yet, nor did it notice the growing amounts of smoke from its limbs, or even the few sparks of flame that burst from its joints. It was still too preoccupied with the Elder Elementals, still so set on bashing them in and burning them to a crisp!</em></p><p><em>"If we just shoot down and hit it from here, that'll distract it for sure!" Fintster cried. He grinned and turned to Luz. "You ready, Luz?"</em></p><p><em>Luz gulped and slowly, hesitantly nodded. "Ready when you are."</em></p><p><em>The two of them nodded and leaned down. Their eyes locked on the robot as it swung its fist. They breathed in, out, and with a single pump of their legs, they shot off like rockets! </em></p><p><em>They flew so fast that the winds burned and lashed at them. It stung Luz's face and numbed his whole body, but not once did he let go of Fintster's hand. They came in closer, and shot towards the robot as it slowly turned around and creaked.</em></p><p><em>Luz raised up his disc like a makeshift shield. The closer they came in, the bigger and scarier that robot looked! It loomed over them the way a lion loomed over hapless lambs. The robot stepped forward, raised its hand to strike, and Luz gulped as he held up his makeshift shield. It all happened so fast, from them rushing in to the robot coming to kill, and he didn't know what to do!</em></p><p><em>But, he knew one thing: he wanted to protect everyone. He wanted to protect his home, his family, in the way he couldn't do back then! Even though the rest of his body went numb, he could still just barely feel Fintster's hand in his, and that tight grip showed him that Fintster felt the very same way he did!</em></p><p><em>"We're not scared of you!" Luz cried as he raised his shield. His eyes narrowed and focused on the burning, bright light that emitted from the robot's eyes. "Come on! Hit us with all you've got!"</em></p><p>"<em>Yeah!" Fintster cried beside him. "We're not gonna let you ruin our home!"</em></p><p><em>The robot whirred. Its eyes burned their brightest as laser light gathered together, and the light shot out right for Luz! Luz held his shield up the best he could, in hope that somehow it would dampen the blow.</em></p><p><em>The blow never came.</em></p><p><em>The light split as it hit his shield, and instead wrapped around him and embraced him like warm sunlight. Not once did his body burn or melt underneath its blanket, nor did he himself ache; it was just as comfortable to him as sleeping outside in the aestival season! Something cold brushed against his hand, and when he turned aside, he found that Fintster was gone. Instead, a large cloak of shadows draped over him, and hid everything but the hand he gripped Luz with from view!</em></p><p><em>Their light and darkness merged together as they came in closer to the robot. They both cried out as they pivoted aside and slammed right into the robot! The light and darkness consolidated in the front, rammed into the sparking, smoking shoulder joint, and exploded!</em></p><p><em>It boomed across the area and flung Luz and Fintster back! The echoing boom had blown out Luz's ears, and the dizzying fall numbed his eyes and his head, but as he and Fintster collapsed, Luz smiled. </em></p><p><em>Right before him, the goliath of a robot that once towered over their village stumbled backwards and collapsed onto the ground!</em></p><p>Luz shook his head. The heat faded from his face, and his senses cleared as he stood back up. Before him, the commander slammed into the end of the halls, slunk down and panted heavily as he tried to stand. Luz grunted, grabbing his shield. Just one more blow, that would be enough to knock this guy out and take back Fintster.</p><p>Luz grunted as he ran his fingers against the shield's spiky rim, and the numbness spread to Luz's head, pushing him to the floor once more! Luz hacked, his coughs rattling his body as he struggled to stand. Another cackle rang from the commander as he stood. Luz growled, for he wanted to stand so badly, to do anything, but he was pinned. His body was too numb, and the world around him spun as he aimlessly patted around as he tried to get a grip on his shield.</p><p>"Well, looks like you're down for the count!" the commander sneered as he drew closer. "Not surprised. This is what happens when kids like you try to play hero—you get burned!"</p><p>The commander cackled, his laughter ringing in Luz's ears. Luz gritted his teeth. His whole body felt like it faded away and prepared to give out on him, but the sight of his brother fading as he laid imprisoned on that commander's neck, the sight of this commander as he goaded over Luz… It caused the pits of anger to burn within him, and Luz finally pushed himself up as he snatched his shield from the ground.</p><p>"Give… Him… Back…" Luz hissed.</p><p>The commander raised his brow. "What was that again?"</p><p>Luz hissed out hot air and slammed his shield into the ground, tearing through the metal floors. The air around him heated up. It burned up further as Luz planted his hands on his shield, and spun it with every ounce of strength he had left. The familiar shriek of his shield grew shriller, faster, higher with every labored, pained spin. It glowed so bright that its light spilled over its rim, and Luz fell to his knees and panted.</p><p>"GIVE. BACK. MY. BROTHER!"</p><p>Luz slammed his whole weight into the shield, and every bit of light charged into its heart vomited out! It shot all across the room and coated it entirely in hot, harsh light! The commander's pained screams only barely registered above the shriek of light.</p><p>Amid the blinding white and yellow, Luz barely caught that commander's shape collapsing, and Fintster's wheel falling from his neck and rolling away! Luz stumbled out from his shield, ran forward, but collapsing on the ground right as he met with Fintster's wheel. He snatched it off the ground as quickly as he could, gasped as he brought the wheel to his eyes, but then he himself groaned and collapsed.</p><p>The wheel slipped from Luz's hands, and rolled for a moment before it collapsed right in front of him. It was so, so dark, for only the faintest cobalt light pulsed from it in slow, faint beats like a dying heart. Surely, all that attacking must have drained Fintster dry of all his magic energy. He probably barely hung on.</p><p>Though Luz didn't look back at himself, he knew he was in the same position. Half of his body laid crushed together, the other half spilled out of him, and the whole world was blobby and unrecognizable. He could barely keep his eyes open, and just breathing squeezed his chest so badly that his ribs dug into him. He, he was dying for good, wasn't he? They, they both were, weren't they?</p><p>Luz whimpered, but forced himself to crawl closer, just enough to shield Fintster. Just those little crawls took so much energy that he completely collapsed, but at least he and his brother were together again.</p><p>"Hey… Hey, Fintster…" Luz croaked. His voice was so weak and hoarse that it was barely a whisper. "It's me, your, your lil' brother Luz…"</p><p>Luz sniffled, and his head collapsed, falling to the floor.</p><p>"Hey, do you remember that day? The one where those Arkeyans came to… To our place?" Luz gently brushed his finger around Fintster's wheel. "I, I bet you were thinking about it too, huh?"</p><p>Luz sniffled. His head throbbed enough that it forced his eyes shut…</p><p><em>And he opened them once more. He found himself in the safe houses' halls, where that distinct scent of herbal medicine and blood reeked in the air. He had to cover his nose so he wouldn't pass out, but then he removed his hands. His eyes now laid on the bandages wrapped around his arms. A small cough came from beside him, and he found a similarly-bandaged Fintster, who hacked as he fanned away dust.</em></p><p>"<em>Man, those nurses gave us an earful, didn't they?" Fintster scoffed as he crossed his arms. "If we hadn't knocked that thing out, they probably wouldn't be standing here!"</em></p><p><em>"Yeah, but, that was really dangerous," Luz replied as he crossed his arms. "If that windy guy hadn't caught us before we fell, we could've died!"</em></p><p><em>"But we didn't!"</em></p><p><em>Luz rolled his eyes. He felt that Fintster was a bit obstinate, but with the somber air of the area around, he wasn't exactly in the mood to protest. Instead, he just peered into the room beside him, wincing at the sights within.</em></p><p><em>Amid others, Gramps laid bandaged from head to toe in a bed, and all of Luz's siblings choked out the room as they surrounded Gramps' bed. The oldest ones offered Gramps food and water that he rejected with only a raise of his hands, and they only held their heads as they left it on the stands. Gramps, he looked like a ghost! He was all wrapped in white and so small-looking without those baggy robes he always wore. He might've become one for real, if he and Fintster hadn't intervened!</em></p><p><strong>No, </strong><em>Luz reminded himself as he bit his lip. </em><strong>If those Arkeyans hadn't come here in the first place, if they hadn't torn the whole place down, none of this would happen! Nobody would have to rebuild, everyone would be alright, and, and…</strong></p><p><em>A hand rested on Luz's shoulder, and he peered up to find Fintster, who stared at him with a sort of somber tone.</em></p><p>"<em>Hey, Luz," Fintster started, "what do you think those magicians meant?"</em></p><p><em>Luz blinked, and rubbed eyes stung with unshed tears. "Meant by what?"</em></p><p><em>"When they said that we were like them, what do you think they meant by that?"</em></p><p><em>Oh, right. Luz only barely remembered how those humans with the Elder Elementals said something like that before they brought Luz and Fintster to the safe houses.</em></p><p>"<strong>Those boys… Could they be like us?"</strong></p><p><em>He was sure that the lady with the purple hair said that, actually, but what did she mean? Were they also beings who lost things to the Arkeyans, or did they mean something else? For that matter, Luz still wasn't sure what went on with that weird attack he and Fintster did to that robot. He was glad they pulled it off, but, how did they even do it in the first place? They weren't magical, not like them!</em></p><p><em>"Luz, Fintster!" called a voice from within the room, a familiar, aged voice they knew well!</em></p><p><em>Luz and Fintster shot one glance at each other, gulped and entered their Gramps' room. Getting closer now, Luz got a better glimpse of Gramps. He spied the bloody cuts and nasty bruises underneath Gramps' bandages, and he nearly passed out. In spite of that, Gramps just smiled and laughed with that same, hearty laugh he always had.</em></p><p>"<em>What's with that face, Luz? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Gramps chuckled.</em></p><p><em>Gramps continued laughing, yet, Luz couldn't find any of this funny! He sniffled a bit, tried to hide his tears so badly, but then Fintster burst forward crying and Luz completely broke! The two of them rushed right to their Gramps' side and hugged him tight. They sobbed their eyes out just from seeing him!</em></p><p><em>A couple of the younger kids started sobbing behind them. The older ones panicked as they tried to hold back their own tears and comfort the little ones, or scolded Luz and Fintster for crying so much. But, Luz didn't care! Everything that happened today finally set in, and he could barely keep himself together! He nearly lost his home again, he nearly lost his family again, he fought a bunch of those weird Arkeyans, may or may not have weird powers, and it was just too much!</em></p><p><em>It was all he could do just to hold Gramps and sob his eyes out, his tears staining the blankets and Gramps' robes. A wheeze came from Gramps, and Luz immediately jumped back as Gramps coughed again. Had, had he hurt him? Luz gasped and covered his mouth, but Gramps cleared his throat and smiled back at him.</em></p><p>"<em>Don't worry about me, Luz, just a bit of a cough," Gramps said. His smile turned somber as he folded his bruised, wrinkled hands, and then he pursed his lips.</em></p><p>"<em>What you boys was really dangerous. You know that, right?"</em></p><p><em>Luz gulped. A lump formed in his throat and kept him from speaking, but he didn't need to.</em></p><p>"<em>Of course it was, Gramps!" Fintster shouted back. His voice strained and cracked as the tears poured down his cheeks. He sniffled a bit, and took a moment to clean the tears from his face. "But I had too! If, if, if I didn't, then—"</em></p><p>"<em>I'm not mad at you two, you know."</em></p><p><em>That single sentence shocked both Luz and Fintster into silence. The two of them glimpsed back at each other, and then at their Gramps. He, he wasn't mad at them? They were sure just then they were gonna receive an earful.</em></p><p>"<em>Hey, why don't the rest of you go help out around here a little?" Gramps said, turning to the rest of Luz's siblings. "I'd like to be alone with your brothers for a bit."</em></p><p><em>The older kids nodded and herded the entire group out of the room in hushed whispers. Their torn robes and clothing formed a mottled sea of color as they flooded out the doorway, but soon, even the last of the kids left. They closed the door behind them so that is really was just Luz, Fintster, and Gramps.</em></p><p><em>The room turned deathly silent. Its cold quiet grabbed Luz by the throat, and choked him so badly that he could barely breath through his snotty tears.</em></p><p>"<em>Take a seat, you two."</em></p><p><em>Luz and Fintster both nodded as they took a seat on some stray stools by Gramps' bedside. They both gulped as they watched him, for they expected his tranquility to melt into anger any minute now—but, it didn't. Gramps just laid there with that same smile on his face as he watched Luz and Fintster.</em></p><p>"<em>So, boys, what happened back there?"</em></p><p><em>Luz opened his mouth, but not a single word came out. He found himself gasping and grappling for air instead with not a single word slipping. He tried to say something, anything, but all those memories raced back to him, flooded his senses and washed him away. So, he just went silent; he buried his face in his hands and sniffled as his head spun instead. Something rubbed against his back, and he looked up to find an equally-shaking Fintster</em> <em>trying some silent attempt at comfort.</em></p><p>"<em>I, I'll start," Fintster croaked out, his voice trembling and quiet. "Well, after you all ran off, I got that robot to follow me, and…"</em></p><p><em>Luz gulped as Fintster recalled everything that happened prior: the fights, that giant robot and the Elder Elementals showing up, them going on and knocking that robot down… It honestly felt surreal to hear all that coming from Fintster like it was fact. It was like some tall tale, really. Two kids fighting off a whole swarm of Arkeyan robots like nothing, calling upon the power of light and darkness itself, and</em> <em>toppling an Arkeyan the size of a building like a meager castle of sand.</em></p><p><em>And yet, it all happened. The memories played back in Luz's head with every word Fintster spoke, and Gramps seemed equally stunned, going by how his brows raised.</em></p><p>"<em>And, after the Elder Elementals beat up that robot, that man that rescued us took us here, and, well, you know the rest," Fintster finished.</em></p><p>"… <em>My, you boys went through quite a lot, then," Gramps said at last, his voice a bit shakier than normal.</em></p><p>"<em>I, I still can't believe we even did all that, Gramps!" Fintster leaned forward, nearly fell out of his stool, but leaned right back and quickly regained his seating. "We just fought those things like nothing, and all that weird light and darkness stuff came out of nowhere, and, and, they…"</em></p><p><em>"They what?"</em></p><p><em>Fintster gulped and turned his head away. "They, I heard some of those magicians saying weird things when that man was taking us here, saying that we were like them, and I have no idea what it means and, and, and…"</em></p><p><em>Fintster's words turned to strained gasps as tears streamed down his face, but the streams shut off as Gramps chuckled and wiped them away.</em></p><p>"<em>Luz, Fintster, remember those bedtime stories I'd tell the kids?" Gramps asked.</em></p><p>"<em>The ones about those really powerful magicians who would protect Skylands from evil way, way, long ago?" Luz asked at last.</em></p><p><em>Gramps beamed and turned his attention to Luz. "That's right, Luz." </em></p><p><em>Drawing his hand away from Fintster, Gramps sat upright with his hands laid on his blanket. </em></p><p>"<em>You see, even today, there's a lot of beings born with magic power unlike anything other. We don't know why, but if you ask me, I think beings like them are given that kind of power to protect those weaker than them, to help protect those that can't protect themselves from harm. What you boys did today was what those magicians do. They go around protecting others from the Arkeyans when they don't have the strength to fight back themselves."</em></p><p><em>Luz and Fintster both blinked and turned to each other with stunned silence. It was true, they did all this to protect their home and their family, just like how the Elder Elementals always protected others from the Arkeyans. So, did that mean that strange power that came to them was the same as the powers they held, too? They weren't sure, but, the look Fintster had in his eyes told Luz that he was entranced by this the same way Luz himself was.</em></p><p>Luz's consciousness came back to him at last, just enough to glimpse at Fintster's wheel. Fintster's light was barely there. It was just a tiny flicker that occasionally danced like candlelight. He, he wasn't gonna last much longer, was he? Luz's brother was dying for good right before his eyes, and he couldn't do a damn thing about it!</p><p>He could barely even move, his head throbbed so badly that he could barely process the world around him… There was no way he'd be able to get help at this rate, so he just sniffled and crawled over. Grasping Fintster's wheel in his hands, Luz sniffled and clutched Fintster close to his chest.</p><p>"Guess we weren't able to keep our promise to Gramps and the rest of them after all, huh, Fintster?"</p><p>His vision turned spotty again, so Luz collapsed as a single memory flickered back into his mind.</p><p>"<em>You're out of your minds, do you realize that?" Gerdie cried. "Running off to join the free magicians? Do you realize the kind of danger they get in? You'll get yourselves killed!"</em></p><p><em>"Yeah!" Pepi protested as he clung to Fintster's cloak. "We almost lost Gramps already, and we can't lose you too!"</em></p><p>"<em>I don't wan' you to leave!" wailed Eurydias. Tears and snot streamed down their face as they hugged Luz's leg. "Please, please stay!"</em></p><p><em>Luz and Fintster both backed away as their siblings all swarmed around them, their tears, cries, and shouts of protest ringing in their ears. Luz himself tried to raise his voice, but it seemed like every time he spoke a word, they all crowded him out! Beside him, Fintster attempted to peel Pepi from his cloak, but to little success as a few of their other siblings attached themselves to him.</em></p><p>"<em>Everyone, calm down!" Fintster shouted. "I know this is a little sudden, but—"</em></p><p><em>"But what?" Gerdie shouted. "You must've gotten hit in the head or something if you think you're big heroes now 'cause you fought a few robots!" Gerdie's voice cracked, and tears streamed down her face as she clutched her dress. "I, if you die, I, I'll…"</em></p><p><em>"Everyone, calm down, now."</em></p><p><em>Gramps' voice rang loud and clear throughout the air, and the shouts drew to a close as all their siblings parted in time for Gramps to walk in. Though he still leaned into the wooden cane the medics gave him while he recovered, and he looked a lot smaller as a result, his presence still commandeered respect from all of them. His eyes fell on Luz and Fintster, and the siblings that clung to them released their grip.</em></p><p>"<em>Luz and Fintster have already made up their minds, and stopping them won't do any good," Gramps said. "If they want to join the free magicians, that's their choice."</em></p><p>"<em>But, but Gramps!" Wardiya cried. "They, they—"</em></p><p><em>"They know what they're getting into." Gramps turned his eye to Wardiya, silenced her with a single glance, and smiled as he turned to Luz and Fintster. "Isn't that right?"</em></p><p><em>Fintster gulped and nodded.</em></p><p>"<em>Ever since those Arkeyans attacked, I've been thinkingm" Fintster said. "We all thought we'd be safe from them, and we were too far away for them to get us, but then they came here and nearly took everything from us!" Fintster stepped forward and slammed a hand on his chest. "I, I don't wanna leave you all either, but, I don't want that to happen ever again!"</em></p><p><em>His siblings backed away with eyes wide, and Luz cleared his throat.</em></p><p>"<em>Gramps told us that beings like us have these special powers so that we can protect beings who can't protect themselves," Luz said. "As long as those Arkeyans are still running around, none of you are gonna be safe! So, we're gonna go out there and fight them so they'll never hurt any of you ever again!"</em></p><p><em>With that, their entire crowd of siblings fell silent; their eyes and sniffles turned from the ground.</em></p><p>"<em>But, but, I don't want you to go," sniffled Eurybiades.</em></p><p><em>Fintster sighed and fell to his knees.</em></p><p><em>"Hey, Eury, come here."</em></p><p><em>Eurybiades nodded, warily stumbled over and hugged Fintster tight. A few sniffles came from them, and Fintster shushed and hugged them.</em></p><p>"<em>Luz and I are gonna be gone for a while, but, think of it like us going on a trip. We'll be gone, but once the Arkeyans are all gone, we'll come right back home!"</em></p><p><em>"You promise?"</em></p><p>"<em>I do" — Fintster smiled and turned up to Luz — "and so does Luz. Right?"</em></p><p><em>Luz smiled and nodded. "You bet! Once the Arkeyan Empire falls, we'll come right back home!" Luz proclaimed, a smile crossing his face. "While we're gone, if you ever hear about the free magicians fighting the Arkeyans and stuff, just remember that's us, fighting for you all!"</em></p><p><em>Eurybiades nodded and drew away. They rubbed their tears from their face as they forced a smile. "O-okay."</em></p><p><em>Gerdie only huffed and crossed her arms. "You, you better not die out there, or else I'll never forgive you, you got that?"</em></p><p><em>With their siblings' voices rising in a crowd of goodbyes and well wishes, Luz and Fintster nodded and made their leave. Even though everyone called out for them, wished them well and promised all these things… Neither of them could find the words to say.</em></p><p><em>It felt almost wrong, hollow even to promise they'd come back alive, cause truthfully, Luz had no idea if they would, nor did Fintster. The free magicians got into all sorts of dangerous stuff, and that stuff didn't always end with a surprise being saving the day—and they'd been fighting the Arkeyans for years. Who's to say if he and Fintster would come back home alive, if the Arkeyans would fall? </em></p><p><em>It felt wrong to say anything, and it almost made Luz want to change his mind. But then, he remembered his old village as it was razed to the ground, he remembered the screams of his neighbors, he remembered Gramps getting hurt and his siblings crying and screams… </em></p><p><em>And right in that moment, Luz's mind was made.</em></p><p><em>Luz gripped Fintster's hand, and the two of them trailed out to the town outskirts, where the stone paths and houses made way for rich, thick forest. Gramps always told them not to go there by themselves, saying there were always monsters and stuff lurking there, but now, he didn't even say a peep. Had they grown up in his eyes?</em></p><p>"<em>I'm telling you!" cried a voice, a deep, smooth one filled with rage. "I don't care how talented they are, they're only boys! We can't get children involved in this!"</em></p><p><em>"Our ranks are lower than ever, Vatra!" cried another voice, one Luz recognized as that of the man who saved him and Fintster. "Our magicians have been dropping like flies, and we need to take on new apprentices if we'll ever have any hope of keeping up efforts! You saw those boys! They took down a Conquertron with a single blow!"</em></p><p><em>"A half-broken Conquertron, Vaayu! I don't care what you say—"</em></p><p><em>Passing a few bushes, Luz's eyes fell on where those two men from before stood. The two of them were deep in conversation; their eyes were tense as they shouted back and forth while a muscular man clad in blue awkwardly looked away. It sounded like they talked about Luz and Fintster, and Luz honestly considered shying away from how angry he seemed to make them—but Fintster cleared his throat, and Luz forced himself to look at them.</em></p><p>"<em>Uh, hello?" Fintster started.</em></p><p><em>The two men's brows raised, and both of them gasped as they found Luz and Fintster! The windy man (Vaayu? Is that what that guy said his name was?) beamed the moment he laid eyes on Luz and Fintster, but the other man with him, the one clad in red, seemed less than pleased.</em></p><p>"<em>Ah, you're the boys from the other day!" the windy man said as he knelt down to their height. "It looks like the stars have—"</em></p><p><em>"I already told you, Vaayu!" the man dressed in red shouted as he pushed the windy man out of the way. The man dressed in red crossed his arms as he loomed down over Luz and Fintster. "I don't know what nonsense he put in your heads, but you boys need to head back home. We're not taking kids into our ranks!"</em></p><p><em>Luz relented a bit as the man in red's fiery gaze burned in him, but Fintster didn't budge a bit. Figures, he was always the one who handled errands and stuff, so he probably had a lot more experience in times like these.</em></p><p>"<em>With all due respect, mister," Fintster said, putting on his best respectful "talking to the adults" voice, "my brother and I have already made up our minds. We're going to fight those Arkeyans, no matter what!</em></p><p><em>"Yeah!" Luz shouted. "We, we almost lost our home and our family, and I don't ever want that to happen again! If I have to fight Arkeyans for the rest of my life to keep them safe, I'll do it! In fact, I'll do anything! I'll clean, I'll fight… Whatever it takes to keep those guys from hurting anyone else!"</em></p><p><em>"Yeah! We'll do whatever it is you need us to do if you take us in, and if you won't take us in, we'll just find someone else who will! We'll even do it ourselves if we have to!"</em></p><p>"<em>Gotta admit, the kids have spirit," the man in blue said with an approving nod.</em></p><p>"<em>I told you, Vatra," the windy man said as he got back to his feet. "These boys are just what we've been looking for! You said it yourself. We need to take on new apprentices if we want any hope at defeating the Arkeyans, and two prospective ones have practically fallen into our lap!"</em></p><p><em>Vatra frowned. A low, contemplative hum rumbled in his throat for moments as he scanned down Luz and Fintster. Finally, after a few moments that seemed like an eternity, he sighed and went down to his knees. He laid a hand on Luz and Fintster's shoulders as he looked them in the eye, and that burning feeling he gave off seemed… Sad, almost.</em></p><p>"<em>I'll only say this: what we do isn't just some game. These Arkeyans are ruthless, bloodthirsty, and above all power-hungry tyrants. They won't hesitate to hurt you, or even end your lives just because you're children, and as much as I hate to say it, we won't always be able to guarantee your safety. Do you understand this?"</em></p><p><em>Both Luz and Fintster nodded, and Vatra lifted himself to full height.</em></p><p>"<em>Come, follow us, then." Vatra beckoned for them as he turned around. "We'll take you back to our strongholds and discuss things further there."</em></p><p><em>Luz and Fintster glanced at each other with a feeling Luz couldn't discern, but both nodded as they followed Vatra down the forest path. Still, they sneaked one last glance at their ruined hometown before them.</em></p><p><em>The place were they grew up, the place where they spent all their time, was still half in ruins and ashes from the days prior. It wasn't the best picture to leave it on, but they both knew that once the Arkeyans were gone, it'd be the most beautiful place in the world! It would be beautiful, if only because they'd come back victorious, knowing they succeeded. At least, they hoped that would be the case…</em></p><p>But Luz knew it wasn't. He was half-dazed, and barely had a grip on his thoughts, but before he knew it, he'd rambled off everything to Fintster: waking up in Skylands, meeting that strange kid, learning of Arkilles's revival…</p><p>And now, this.</p><p>"Well, I know it's hard to believe all that time passed and all, but, it looks like they're all right. Ten thousand years came and went, and now, we've just got each other," Luz croaked, every word he said a knife in his throat. His whole body burned as if it would evaporate, and he sniffled as he clutched Fintster's wheel. "Everyone else probably died a long, long time ago, and I guess we'll be joining them soon."</p><p>Luz sniffled, his tears dripping down on Fintster's dimming wheel.</p><p>"Hey, Fintster. What do you think the afterlife's like? Do, do you think everyone's gonna be there, waiting for us? Do you think they'll be happy to see us? Will they hate us for leaving and never coming back?"</p><p>Luz's voice cracked. His words lodged in his throat, and made even crying a hoarse pain that burned away at his ghostly body. Just the sight of his brother dying before him without even getting a chance to break free, of losing the only family he had left… This, this was too much!</p><p>Luz collapsed before he knew it. His head planted to the floor as he sobbed his eyes out! The waterfalls of tears burned against his face; they ate away at his skin as he curled around Fintster, shielding him in his dying moments.</p><p>"I, I'm sorry, Fintster! I'm, I'm a terrible brother! I couldn't protect you when we died, I couldn't protect you now, and now we're dying, and, and, and it's all my fault! I, I said I'd protect you, I'd protect our family, but in the end I was too much of a failure to do anything!"</p><p>Luz's tears clouded his vision as his throat strained. His whole body burned, ached, numbed, but it couldn't have been as bad as the pain Fintster endured right now! The world started to darken, and his head grew so, so heavy that even just keeping it on his shoulders felt unbearable. The rest of his body numbed so badly that it was like it wasn't there at all, and Luz could just barely see Fintster still.</p><p>"I, if we really do go to the afterlife, Fintster, please, make sure our family's there. I, I don't deserve to see them."</p><p>That unrelenting heaviness in Luz's head lightened at last, and he could barely speak anymore. Is this what death felt like? He barely even remembered the first time he died, for it all happened so quickly—so he guessed this is what dying was like, then.</p><p>Luz just closed his eyes, let his consciousness fade away, but something warm brushed against him! It was a familiar, warm embrace that he knew too well!</p><p>"Hey, what's all this about dying, Luz? You sure know how to make a fuss!"</p><p>Wait, that voice! Luz popped his eyes open…</p><p>And there before him knelt Fintster! Fintster, he, he was alive! Well, he was a ghost, but he was alive! His brother was here right before him!</p><p>His brown skin was free of cuts and bruises, and his black bangs cascaded over his eyes and his long nose while the rest of his hair trailed down his back. He was gangly as ever, but his cobalt tunic with its white and black-crossed belt and his black and white boots still stuck firmly to him with no cuts. Even his pendant, once dim like a dying heartbeat, sparkled with brilliant cobalt life! He smiled as he knelt before Luz and ruffled his hair, the same way he always did!</p><p>"FINTSTER!" Luz wailed, flinging himself into Fintster's arms.</p><p>Fintster grunted and nearly toppled over, but collected himself long enough to wrap Luz into his arms. Just the feeling of his brother's hug, so warm and welcoming, melted Luz down. He broke down sobbing before he knew it, and buried himself into Fintster's chest as he sobbed. He sobbed tears of joy to have the brother he nearly lost back, tears of relief that all this amounted to something, tears just to cry now that it was all over…</p><p>"Hey, calm down, Luz," Fintster whispered, though his own voice cracked a bit and betrayed his own relief. "It's okay, it's okay. I may not know what's going on, but we're together, and that's what matters, alright?"</p><p>Luz just whimpered, and shakily nodded his head before he held his brother tighter. He wanted to say something, anything, but after all this, he just couldn't find the words. So, he just opted to hug Fintster as tight as he could, and cried his eyes out till he was satisfied.</p><p>"Looks like we arrived just in time!" proclaimed Ninjini's voice from behind him.</p><p>The surprise voice was the only thing that broke Luz's concentration, and he turned around to find the rest of his team behind him! They were covered in scratches and reeked of oil, but, aside of that, they were alive and fine! Dej and Vaayu's eyes grew wide the moment they saw Fintster, but neither of them said a thing. They backed away as Ninjini floated over to Luz.</p><p>"You two were barely hanging on," Ninjini explained as she knelt down. "If I hadn't got to you when I did, you would've been done for, I'm sure!"</p><p>"Ninjini?" Fintster asked as he broke from Luz's grip and stood up. "Where, where are we? What's going on here, anyways? One minute we all fighting Arkilles, then the next I black out and Luz says a ton of time passed, and…"</p><p>"We'll get you caught up on the way." Ninjini turned around a bit, and motioned for Fintster and Luz to follow her. "While we were fighting those goons back there, we found out where the head of this operation is, and now we're going to stop 'em!"</p><p>Luz blinked, wiped away his tears and nodded.</p><p>"Whaddya say, Fintster?" Luz finally asked at last as he grabbed Fintster's hand. Luz cracked a smile, and a kind of bravery swelled in him, just like the very day they awakened their powers.</p><p>"Feels like bashing some bad guys' heads in, just like old times?"</p><p>Fintster frowned for a moment, and in the next, he smiled. His sword of darkness came to him with a flick of his hand, and with the other, he squeezed Luz's hand right back!</p><p>"You bet!"</p><p>Laughing together for what felt like the first time in an eternity, Luz and Fintster raised their weapons to the skies and rushed forward. They raced past the others' ranks and out the door.</p><p>"Follow us, everyone! We're gonna beat those guys' heads in!"</p><p>"Luz, Fintster, wait!" Vaayu called from behind. "You don't even know where you're supposed to go!"</p><p>But, neither of them cared. They just turned to each other and laughed, and their smiles brimmed with confidence as they held each other tight.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 16: Molekin Mountain Part 1 (Part 2)<p>Luz panted so heavily that he practically heaved as he bolted along the beaten stone pathways before him. His shield held up to his shoulder as the blows of exploding plants rang around him.</p><p>Behind him, the cries of the others rang out. The rounder balloon cacti of the paths behind tossed them to and fro, and they shielded themselves from the spikier, orange prickle plants that lined the stone paths Luz ran on. They were common pests, and he'd dealt with them plenty while tending to Gramps' gardens.</p><p>Luckily, they weren't strong enough to withstand a little sunlight. Luz pushed his shield off of his arm and spun it around in a half-circle. Its core charged up and flung a beam of sunlight across the area, one that fanned out and blanketed everything, leaving only singed plants in its wake. With his opposition gone, Luz fixed his shield back on his arm and ran ahead; his breaths grew more shallow as he ran.</p><p>"I almost can't believe this is the same Luz," Luz barely heard someone whisper behind. "He's never this serious!"</p><p>Luz winced, and clutched his shield as he sprung another mile ahead. Of course he was being serious! This was his brother at stake! His older brother, the only family he had left, his, his…</p><p><em>Luz shuddered and hit the cold, hard floors. Except, what he felt wasn't stone, but a carpet of leaves and dirt, one harsh despite being soft to the touch. The world around him was bigger, wider, and thick with forest, and he was so, so small by comparison. His shield vanished from his hands, and left him with a sack mostly emptied of its contents at this point. He couldn't quite remember how long he'd ran for at this point. It felt like days passed, but that couldn't be right, could it?</em></p><p><em>Whatever it was, something in him was so, so, tired. He wanted to collapse and sleep, but the sounds of rustling and stomping around him forced him to run. He had to, for surely they, those things, they were looking for him! They'd find him, and they'd hurt him just like they did the man from his village!</em></p><p><em>That's right, his village—what happened to it? Was it completely destroyed? What happened to his neighbors, or the other kids he was sent to hide with? What had happened to his parents, his mom with her bright smile, and his dad with his kind eyes. Did he have those? He'd been on the run for so long, and Luz grew so, so, tired. </em></p><p><em>He, he couldn't even remember their faces anymore. </em></p><p><em>Luz shuddered again. He wanted so badly to sit down and cry after everything, but more of those rustling noises forced him back in a run.</em></p><p><em>Light poured from outside the path he took, and when Luz rushed out, loud, cheerful noise greeted him. The sights of the forest around him disappeared, and replaced with a busy town where tons of beings ran around. The smell of food was in the air, and with all those beings talking, surely there had to be somewhere he could sleep, right? </em></p><p><em>Something in him snapped from seeing all these strange beings in a place he didn't recognize, or from being alone and lost after running so long. All he could do was cry as he ran ahead, and he didn't even look at the faces of those he passed! He sat down in a cold, dark space between two houses and cried, still clutching his mostly-empty sack tight. He was so hungry, so tired, so cold, and so, so, worried. All he wanted to do was go home, but he was sure his home was gone, and so were his parents, and everyone he knew, and, and—</em></p><p>"<em>Here, you look hungry. You want this?"</em></p><p><em>Something smooth nudged Luz's face. He opened his eyes to find a smooth, shiny, and fresh red apple right before his eyes! This, this couldn't have been a dream, right? He looked up, and…</em></p><p>Luz grunted as held his head, and finally collapsed to his knees as he reached the top of the path. One, one of those memories again? He shuddered, but quickly gripped his shield and traced circles around its surface. The warmth of its body pulled him back into the present. As he finally regained the strength to stand, Luz clutched the shield tight and narrowed his eyes.</p><p>Before him was a large, stone platform with a few sparse houses atop it, but nothing interested him so much as what rested in the center.</p><p>That cyclops, the one that kidnapped Fintster, laid on his knees in the heart of the platform. The cyclops wheezed and clutched his side while his bruised skin rose and fall with every breath. He was so weak that there was no way he could fight off Luz; he was basically a lamb in the lion's wake!</p><p>Luz scowled and clicked his shield. Light formed around his heels, and his whole body warmed underneath the sunlight. He bubbled with heat until he was so hot that he might've melted, and jumped up to find himself right above the cyclops!</p><p>The cyclops lifted his head, his eye wide and his jaw gawked in an off-guard fashion. Luz fell down as the cyclops gawked, and shot his hand out, reaching straight for Fintster's wheel! It was so close, he could just feel its smooth crystal as it—</p><p>No, it wasn't smooth. It was <em>soft</em>!</p><p>Luz brushed against the cyclops, and the cyclops completely dissipated into puffy, soft, dark clouds. Luz crashed against the floor and rolled on his side. Cackling, ugly, snide cackling rang in the air as Luz pushed himself up and grunted, but footsteps and shouting from the other side drowned it out. Good, that had to be the others.</p><p>Luz grabbed his shield and spun it a few clicks. As its light charged, he held it into the air and shot a beam of light. The beam spewed like a fountain, rained light all across the area, and created a barrier of solid light that rose in front of every possible escape route. Its light poured over the area, and that cyclops, the real one, appeared right before Luz's eyes!</p><p>He laughed his head off still, but Luz would fix that soon enough. Lowering his arm, Luz leaped forward, swung his arm around, and bashed his shield against the cyclops's side! The cyclops hacked out a tooth as he collapsed and screamed, clutching his side still.</p><p>He staggered up and gasped the moment he laid eye on Luz. "What, you, you—" the cyclops sputtered, the shock so immense it sent him into a coughing fit.</p><p>The cyclops snatched the wheel from his neck, and wispy, dark clouds slowly churned around him. They swirled like a tornado, but right before he could escape, a breeze flew in and blew them away!</p><p>The cyclops fell on his back and growled as he staggered up. His eye moved from Luz to Whirlwind as she flew up and glared him down. No party said any words, and the only sounds coming from small steps and growls as the cyclops yanked up the pendant.</p><p>"Alright," he hacked. His fingers trembled as they struggled to hold grip of Fintster's wheel. "So you're not intent on letting me escape! Fine! I'm not a general in her majesty's army for nothing!"</p><p>The pendant shimmered with cobalt light, glowing the brightest Luz ever saw, and the cyclops held it the highest he could.</p><p>The light quickly faded, almost stopping Luz's undead heart for a moment. Murky clouds formed in its surface, spewed out of the wheel and consolidated around the cyclops.</p><p>The clouds morphed, shuddered and pulsed as they formed limbs and heads. Their smoke and puffs smoothed themselves out while the took the shapes of an entire wilderness's worth of animals: massive boars, sleek cheetahs, graceful, tall birds and more all stood before the cyclops. Their eyes laid devoid of light, and their stances were statue-like, a chilling reminder of their status as illusions.</p><p>"Come on, you beasts! There's some fresh meat for you to try!"</p><p>The animals screeched and howled as they rushed past the cyclops. Their footsteps pounded against the ground as they charged right for Luz!</p><p>Luz stood frozen, his body completely chilled and unwilling to move itself—but why? He pushed, he thrust, he tried his best to press forward, but his legs wouldn't move. Did they lock themselves in his memories, too frozen with fear to move? Did he exert himself too much?</p><p>Luz's trembling hands reached for his shield and he started to spin, but he lowered it as the pained wail of a boar rang in his ears.</p><p>Right before him, Terrafin punched the boar out, and its body dissipated as he bounced across the floor. He jumped in front of Luz with fists raised. His footsteps were short and spry, full of energy as he punched aside the next few boars, and he hopped aside while bursts of flaming volcanic rock shot forward and knocked out another.</p><p>Terrafin smirked, and stepped back as his back pressed against Eruptor's. The rest of the singular came in for them, but Eruptor simple stepped aside.</p><p>Terrafin leaped in the air and punched the ground below with such force that it buckled and cracked! It formed firm cracks that knocked the boars off-balance and sent them on their sides. They flailed their stubby legs around as they tried to get back up to no avail,</p><p>Terrafin huffed and stepped aside as Eruptor took his place at the cracks' head, but his neutral expression turned a bit warmer as Eruptor clapped his hands. Eruptor sent out spewing lava that flooded the cracks, the light emanating from it burning away the boars like fire. Flames spewed from the lava, but a massive torrent poured in and drenched them quickly enough.</p><p>Was that Whirlwind again?</p><p>No, it was Gill Grunt, Luz realized, when Gill Grunt flew through on his jetpack. Gill Grunt aimed his cannon towards a flock of swans that crowed and raised their wings. He clicked the trigger, and another burst of water blasted them away before some suspiciously-gray clouds that lingered in the otherwise clear skies absorbed every last drop.</p><p>The clouds zipped away, and grew larger in girth as they lingered closer to the ground where Whirlwind backed away from a clowder of large cats. She smiled, not intimidated in the slightest by how they surrounded her, and flicked her wings. The rain poured out from the clouds, and pounded against the cats as they yowled and dissipated into smoke.</p><p>Whirlwind smiled and flew away, but right as she turned, a shriek came! She craned her head as a cheetah leaped from the storm, its claws bared and ready to slash! Whirlwind snarled and lowered her horn as it crackled with electricity, but a sword slashed right through the cheetah's middle.</p><p>The cheetah's severed halves disappeared into smoke as Whirlwind craned up to where Ninjini blew the smoke from her wishblade. The both of them glanced over the battlefield.</p><p>Surely, that had to be the last of it, but the smoke still lingered around the battlefield. It grew thicker and stronger with every second it stayed. It pulsed like a heart, and snaked along the ground as it fused right around the cyclops.</p><p>"What, did you think I was done?" the cyclops remarked, and staggered up as he tossed an empty potion bottle to the ground and smashed it underfoot. Now that Luz looked at him again, his bruises all cleared from his skin, and he seemed a bit more spry compared to when Luz found him. "I'm afraid shadows aren't as easy to get rid of as that!"</p><p>Luz cringed, but finally regained the strength to step back and growl as he reached for his shield once more. Before him, eyes formed in the smoke as they rose in mass and numbers. The shadowy masses towered over even the buildings as they rumbled and shuddered in places. They were big, but, he'd fought bigger—and he'd fight anything, even the worst of foes, just to get his brother back! He clicked his shield, ready to fight.</p><p>Before he could, Brawl charged forward, and pinned one of the shadowy masses to the wall. The shadowy mass Brawl pinned formed into a muscular, hulking cyclops dressed in armor and animal skins! The two grunted as they pressed against each other, but Brawl growled and turned around as he held off another, identical cyclops before it could strike him.</p><p>His strained, and his pained gasps for air grew louder as both cyclopes grabbed his arms and twisted them. The arms' metal strained underneath the weight, but the searing sound of a laser's screech and agonized screams from the side forced Brawl and the cyclopes to relent. Before them, a line of silver light shone through the middle cyclops, and its halves fell apart and exploded into smoke.</p><p>Eye flew forward and zapped the first cyclops in the shoulder! The cyclops yowled as Brawl pushed it against the wall once more, and Eye zapped holes in its surface. Both, however, remained oblivious to how the smoke from the middle cyclops slunk off and rose!</p><p>The smoky remains of the middle cyclops formed more of those bulky cyclops warriors. These warriors only reached up to the waists of the others, but they were far more numerous in numbers. They joined with another tall cyclops as they charged right for Swarm and Ninjini! Swarm and Ninjini snarled as they stabbed the larger cyclopes right through the chest, drew back their blades and flicked the smoke. The larger cyclopes staggered away, and both Swarm and Ninjini shot quickly glances down below.</p><p>"Dej, Vaayu, go get Fintster!" Ninjini cried as the smoke started to rise. "We'll take care of things here!"</p><p>Luz's eyes fluttered as he bore witness to Swarm and Ninjini fighting, but he quickly shook his head, and bolted right for the cyclops holding Fintster's wheel.</p><p>He jumped back as one of the taller cyclopes stomped down, and rolled aside right as Brawl punched it back. Luz staggered up and ran forward as he tapped his feet. Surely, he had enough in him to call upon the speed of light still, just enough that he could jump in there.</p><p>He closed his eyes, and a cool breeze brushed against his skin while his body grew lighter underfoot. The ground became slicker, faster, like he slid rather than ran! Luz opened his eyes, but he didn't find the harsh light that normally enveloped him, nor did he feel the sensation of heat. Rather, the ground below him turned to sleek ice, and a powerful breeze propelled him forward. Luz barely caught a glance to the side, but the sight of Dej skating alongside him, and Vaayu flying beside Dej, told him all he needed to know!</p><p>That cyclops cackled for a moment, but as he turned around and found Luz, he gasped and gripped the pendant! Darkness started to shield him, its wisps swirling like clouds around his body. The darkness almost consolidated right as a large circle of ice pillars burst from the ground with speed so great that the clouds immediately dispersed!</p><p>The cyclops staggered back a moment, and Luz charged his shield, shooting a string of laser beams inside the pillars in the cyclops's moment of weakness. The lasers seeped into the glassy ice of the pillars; the moment they hit, they glowed so brightly that the cyclops screamed and clutched his face! The cyclops fell on his knees, completely weakened and unable to strike!</p><p>Luz gasped, but something clutched his side. He turned around and found Vaayu smiling right beside him.</p><p>"Bring him home, Luz," was all Vaayu whispered as he tossed Luz into the air.</p><p>A powerful gust met with Vaayu's toss, throwing Luz well above the cyclops and the ice pillars. Luz gripped his shield as he pushed himself forward and crashed down!</p><p>He raised his shield, and screamed at the top of his lungs as his eyes fixed right on the pendant that hung from the cyclops's neck. Just one strike, that would be enough to knock the cyclops down and steal back Fintster, to get his brother back, to, to… Have his family back.</p><p>The cyclops turned to Luz right as he raised his shield, and—</p><p>"<em>Here, you look hungry. You want this?"</em></p><p>The vision of a boy, a young boy with tanned skin and long, black hair holding an apple towards Luz came to him. For a moment, Luz found himself in the past. Then, the vision cleared, and he met with the cyclops, who stared in horror as he just barely held Fintster's pendant away from the spikes of Luz's shield!</p><p>Luz gasped, and he thrust his arm aside so that it only grazed against the wheel's surface. Luz tumbled aside and slammed against the searing ice pillars. A cracking, shattering sound hit the air as something both hot and cold stabbed into Luz's back and helplessly fell from his armor. Luz rolled aside and knocked into someone's legs. Struggling to keep his eyes open, Luz clenched his teeth as the proud stance of that cyclops dangling Fintster's pendant laid in front of him, just to taunt him further.</p><p>But then, the cyclops jumped back as Dej slid in and slung a punch! The cyclops hopped away as Dej kicked for him next. Vaayu flew down beside Dej as the cyclops reached for a weapon, and slammed into the cyclops's back! The cyclops fell to his knees and coughed, but he flicked out his arms instead of relenting.</p><p>Both Dej and Vaayu stumbled back. They clutched their eyes while black smoke seeped between the gaps of their fingers, and then, and then, and then…</p><p>The smoke, the cyclops, he was escaping!</p><p>Luz stumbled to his full height and ran after the cyclops as smoke enveloped him. Luz reached out his hand as he stumbled over his own feet, and ran as fast as he could. He resisted the ground's attempts to trip him over it, but by the time he got close to cyclops, he—<br> He disappeared.</p><p>Luz just blinked and he was gone.</p><p>Luz slipped and collapsed in the center of the ground. His face burned and tightened as tears poured once more.</p><p>"I, I was so close," Luz croaked as he pounded his fist against the earth, as if hitting it would somehow bring Fintster back. "It, it, it's not fair! It isn't fair, I, I…"</p><p>"There, there, Luz, deep breaths," Vaayu whispered as he pulled Luz from the floor.</p><p>Luz whimpered, nodded just a little bit as he wiped his tears, and breathed in… Out… In… Out. Taking his last breath, Luz pushed himself to stand, sniffled just a bit, and steeled his glance as he clutched his shield.</p><p>"Now, if I had to guess, maybe the locals would know something about these cyclopes," Vaayu said as he crossed his arms. "We should probably ask around."</p><p>Luz nodded, and wandered off towards a shop decked out in stars, suns, and moons.</p><p>He pushed the door open, and met with shelves that held all sorts of potions and other magical stuff he barely understood. It was all lit in ominous green and purple tones while smoke filtered out. A smell of roses and cinnamon so thick that Luz's eyes watered just from its scent lingered in the air, but Luz shook the tears off and stormed through the halls.</p><p>"A love potion kit?" Vaayu mused behind him. "'Use this potion kit to unveil the identity of your true love! Just pour the completed potion into a dish and state your heart's desire…'" A disgusted scoff came from Vaayu next. "Who would buy something like this? A mere potion can't discern what true love is!"</p><p>"I'm pretty sure those things are just for party activities," Dej remarked behind him. "Then again, Ninjini's the magic expert, not me."</p><p>Rolling his eyes slightly, Luz pressed forward towards the back of the shop. There, a molekin dressed in wizard's clothes sat at the back of a desk. Their large alabaster claws folded together, and a kind of expectant smile rested on their face as they hummed.</p><p>Luz went to speak, but the molekin just tsked.</p><p>"I already know why you're here. You're in pursuit of one of those wretched cyclopes, aren't you?" the molekin proclaimed.</p><p>Luz relented a bit, nodding slightly. "So, do you know where he is?"</p><p>"Of course I know! My scrying abilities are the best in the village! I could find him without even batting an eyelash." The molekin raised a brow. "Of course, though, my services aren't for free. I'll need a little, compensation if you wish to know more."</p><p>Thinking of money at a time like these, when these guys messed with this molekin's home? Luz had some thoughts about that, but he quickly pushed his own irritation aside and waved a hand. He crafted a prism right before the molekin's eyes. He had to admit, it was one of his better ones. Its clear surface had all sorts of colors painted on it, even ones Luz wasn't even sure <em>were </em>colors, and its body shone like a diamond.</p><p>Judging by the grin on that molekin's face, they seemed to agree. "Ah, yes, this will do quite nicely!" the molekin proclaimed as they snatched the prism, clapped their hands and dove underneath their desk. "Now, I just need to get my pondering orb."</p><p>The molekin huffed as they dropped a shiny crystal ball on the desk. They waved their hands, and grinned as its surface flickered and shimmered. A few flashes of light sparked on it, and its reflection changed to the mountain! Yeah, that mountain Luz saw coming in now shone on the crystal's surface.</p><p>"Ah, so it seems that the one you're looking for is hiding out in Mount Mechanogear!" the molekin proclaimed. They grinned as the view changed to a cavern filled with crystals, and then to a cave's open mouth on the base of a stone hill. "It looks like the entrance you seek is just ahead of here!"</p><p>Luz nodded, turned around and slammed his hand against the desk. The sudden sound brought Dej and Vaayu's glances to him. Vaayu frantically put away some pendants and other things covered in hearts while Dej whistled.</p><p>"He's in that mountain with all the gears," Luz proclaimed as he swept past them and made his way for the door. The sunlight poured through, and dimmed the eerie colors of the shop within as Luz left, not even turning back. "Come on."</p><p>Luz turned his attention past the shop, and towards an open cave with crystals poking out of its mouth that wasn't that far ahead. That was probably the entrance to that cave, he reasoned.</p><p>He pressed ahead without acknowledgment of his other teammates or the world around him. He hardly noticing as the light above him dimmed before they returned in a whole rainbow of colors! The light brought his attention to the sights around, and met him with a large tunnel where crystals in all shapes and sizes poked out of its surface. Tall crystal wands, smaller formations, and even some that were sleek and reflective like a mirror.</p><p>Luz glanced in one, but the reflection of him he saw wasn't of him as he saw now. Instead it was his younger self, all wide-eyed, teary, and worn from all the time he spent running.</p><p>"<em>Luz, hey, Luz!"</em></p><p>Luz gasped and turned around.</p><p>"Fintster?" he cried, but his face fell as he realized it was just Gill Grunt shaking his arm.</p><p>Gill Grunt gave Luz a weary smile, and Luz glanced behind him to find the others examining the crystals or talking amid themselves. Heaving another sigh, Luz just glanced back in the mirror crystal to find him and a younger Fintster. His and Finster's younger selves ran together as Fintster lead the charge. Luz jolted a bit as Gill Grunt's cold hand wrapped around his arm.</p><p>"This Fintster person means a lot to you, doesn't he?" Gill Grunt asked.</p><p>"He's my brother, of course he does!" Luz retorted, wanting to lash out all of a sudden. What kind of a question was that?</p><p>Luz glanced in the mirror to find that the illusions of him disappeared. What he saw now was surely a younger Gill Grunt, singing in a rocky lagoon to a mermaid as she laughed. Luz glanced at Gill Grunt to find an almost wistful, kind of yearning look in Gill Grunt's eyes. Had he lost somebody important to him too? Luz's anger quelled, and the two of them stared together as the mirror's reflection faded.</p><p>"Well, no use standing around here," Luz remarked as he strode off. "Come on, he's not gonna sit around and wait for us."</p><p>Luz lowered his head and tried to block out the world around him. Though, the thundering footsteps of Swarm and Brawl behind him, and their whispers, were hard to ignore.</p><p>"Of course this means a lot to Luz! He and Fintster were practically the best of buds!" Swarm said to a party Luz couldn't discern. "I'd never seen siblings get along as well as they did! But, I never really got along with my sibs, so…" Swarm's tone faltered a bit, turning almost sad as his wings started to buzz. "Sure wish I at least apologized to them before I left. I can't imagine any of them are still around. I wonder if Ambrosia was still mad at me for hiding her favorite tiara that one time."</p><p>Luz lowered his head further, but a soft pat on his back lifted him up again. He turned his head around, and found himself lifted in the air as Swarm held Luz up to his face with a beam.</p><p>"Hey, chin up, Luz! We're definitely gonna get him back!" Swarm chirped before his tone turned a little softer. "After all, he's your family."</p><p>Luz nodded, but couldn't bring himself to say a word. He just clung to Swarm as Swarm ducked underneath the cavern's exit. He found himself on a ledge overlooking the mouth of a giant mountain, where a cavern's entrance rested on the other side.</p><p>Cyclopes littered and lingered around the entrance as far as the eye could see. Some of them dressed in armor and wielded axes, others rode atop slobbering muttici, and some much bulkier than the others stood around and orders. If Luz needed any more sign that this was the place, that was it.</p><p>"Just let me handle this," Luz said as he floated out of Swarm's grip.</p><p>Behind him, Luz barely heard the sounds of the others sheathing their weapons and lowering their attacks, and took it as a sign to step forward.</p><p>Luz breathed in as he laid his hands on his chest. The light flowed through his body as it warmed and cooled his skin. He closed his eyes, took a breath, and opened to find that his body had disappeared from view—perfect.</p><p>With a snap of his fingers, he teleported down onto the ledge and hid behind a rock for a moment. None of the cyclopes took any notes or strange glances, so Luz nodded and stepped out. He clapped his hand, and the sunlight around turned hot and harsh as it shone down over the cyclopes. Its light was now a searing white that shielded them away, and only their shouts marked their existence!</p><p>Luz dashed along the floor. He stomped down while pillars made of solid prism rose with every stomp, until they formed a vaguely star-shaped formation among the cyclopes! Luz dashed back to the first prism pillar, held out his hand and winced. The invisibility spell already started to wear off! He'd better act quickly!</p><p>Shooting a rainbow from his palm, Luz stepped back as the white light shifted in a rainbow of bright, eye-bleeding colors. The screams grew even louder, but then, both the light and the invisibility spell faded. All that was left was Luz, who now stood on the edge of an entire platoon of burnt, twitching, semi-conscious cyclopes.</p><p>Luz turned back to the ledge and signaled off to the others, but didn't linger for long. No, he dashed straight ahead into the cavern's mouth, and its darkness was a comforting blanket that washed over him as he ran.</p><p>"I'm coming, Fintster," Luz whispered, "just hang in there for me."</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Chihiro winced as she fell into a room before she even had a chance to speak. Her legs gave out in the moment, leaving the rest of her to collapse on the floor. She groaned as she pushed herself up to her knees, and rubbed her eyes as she glanced around at the decor—or the lack thereof.</p><p>With all the dresses, robes, crowns, and other things that surrounded her, the whole place looked a bit more like a dressing room than something she'd expect to find in a temple.</p><p>She wasn't going to complain. Rather, she wanted answers! What was with that cursed mist? Who were these ghost girls, and what were they doing with her and Spyro? Why was everyone fighting each other? How was that mist monster thing completely immune to her attack? Well, judging by the look Payiz gave her, it seemed Chihiro would get her answera soon.</p><p>"So, I'm sure you've seen that cursed mist, right?" Payiz asked as she floated in and closed the door behind her. When Chihiro slowly nodded, Payiz nodded in turn and floated off towards the clothes.</p><p>"That's the curse of the Odivia, a monster that feeds off of hatred. It uses its magic to instill hate in beings' hearts, and turn them against one another so it can feed and grow stronger. Ages ago, it awakened in our town, and a ritual was performed keep it sealed—"</p><p>"I feel like there's a big but coming in all this," Chihiro remarked.</p><p>"<em>But</em>, the seal itself needs to be reapplied every year by a couple with a strong, unwavering love for one another to stay." Payiz sighed and pulled a colorful dress from the racks. "Normally the high priest and priestess perform the sealing ritual, but they" — Payiz winced and put the dress away — "had a dispute. So, we'll just have you and your partner do it in their steed!"</p><p>"But, is that really gonna work?" Chihiro stood up and scratched her head. "I don't know anything about ancient rituals, and when we tried to fight it, it didn't work at all—"</p><p>"That's because fighting and conflict is the stuff it feeds on! Rather, it needs a special display of love~" Payiz giggled and spun around with all the glee of a schoolgirl as she clasped her hands. "A passionate dance, ending in an act of the couple's passionate romance!"</p><p>An act of passionate romance? Wait, would that mean Payiz thought Chihiro and Spyro were… Chihiro gulped and shook her head, for that feeling of having cold water dumped right on top of her suddenly returned right in that instant. The thought of them being seen as a couple left her stomach churning once more, but, if she didn't do this, that monster would keep raging around and make everyone fight! But, surely she wouldn't have to do <em>that</em>, right?</p><p>Well, before Chihiro could even protest, Payiz pushed her towards the clothing racks with the widest grin. Payiz jumped from rack to rack as she shuffled through the fancy robes, and pulled out a long, flowing gown colored in shades of minty green and white, with layers upon layers of jewels laid over the neck. She pressed the gown to Chihiro, her smile wide with expectancy, and dropped it in Chihiro's arms.</p><p>"Of course, you'll have to look the part, too!" Payiz proclaimed. "The high priestess wore this robe for last year's ceremony."</p><p>So this was the girl's outfit? Chihiro didn't really know why, but something about wearing the girl's one specifically didn't really sit right with her. Judging by the look on Payiz's face, she seemed to understand as well. Payiz gently lifted the gown from Chihiro, put it back on the rack, and grabbed a white gown. This one was a bit tighter compared to the other, and had a red jacket over the chest, a fancy hat, and its own lion's share of jewelry.</p><p>"Of course, you could wear the high priest's outfit if that doesn't fit."</p><p>Chihiro narrowed her eyes as she ran her hand along the smooth fabric of the new robe, but something about that didn't really sit right with her either. She glanced back at the high priestess's outfit as it sat on the rack, and then at the high priest's outfit as it sat in her hands. Maybe, she could do both?</p><p>Chihiro hummed, grabbed the high priestess outfit from the rack, and rushed towards a small door at the back—probably the changing room. When she opened the door and her suspicions were confirmed, Chihiro jumped in.</p><p>Moments later, she jumped back out in the high priestess's robe, with the high priest's jacket and hat fitted over it and its jewels laid around her neck. The fabric was comfortable and loose while not being overly likely to trip her on her fancy new attire. She couldn't help but twirl around a few times in it!</p><p>"Much better," Chihiro proclaimed.</p><p>Payiz clapped her hands, took Chihiro by the hand and floated down. "If that's the case, follow me. We'll meet up with your partner and walk you through the dance."</p><p>that feeling of unrest bubbled in Chihiro's chest as they walked, and she frowned and clasped her hand.</p><p>"Just one question. You and your friend seem to know a whole lot about this ritual and stuff, so can't you just perform it yourselves?"</p><p>"Afraid not." Payiz turned a little more solemn as her hands clasped tight together. "It needs a pair of lovers specifically, and neither of us are in a relationship. There's someone I've been wanting to confess too, for a long, long time, but she…" Payiz shook her head. "It wouldn't work, not for this."</p><p>"It can't just be anyone then, can it?"</p><p>"No, hatred like that of the Odivia's requires a strong romance to beat. The high priest and priestess were in love for so long, and they were one of the most passionate couples around, so they'd always taken it down before the night even began! Them fighting out of nowhere, and on such short notice, took us all by surprise. In fact, we'd been looking for them when we found you! I'd much prefer to try and have them do it, but it seems we'd run out of time."</p><p>Chihiro kinda would have preferred getting them to do it too, but it seemed she had no options. With one more step, Payiz lead her into the heart of the temple, where Nemir, Havîn, and Spyro all stood and talked.</p><p>Spyro got decked out in all sorts of gold bracelets and necklaces adorned with sparkly jewels since. The whole outfit was brought together with a sparkling gold circlet atop his forehead! She had to admit, he did look really nice in it all. It was like he came straight out of a story.</p><p>"Looks like they're here," Nemir said.</p><p>Havîn and Spyro both approached Payiz and Chihiro, but Spyro shied a tiny bit away from Chihiro's glance while his wings twitched. His tail restlessly swayed from side to side. Was he as nervous about this as she was? She was sure of it, so she knelt down and adjusted his circlet's position a tiny bit.</p><p>"You know, you look good in jewels, Golden Boy," Chihiro remarked.</p><p>Spyro chuckled and lifted up the brim of Chihiro's hat. "You look pretty nice yourself!" he beamed, his tension seeming to relent a bit.</p><p>They both giggled, but a chilling touch on their backs quickly quelled their laughter. They turned to Havîn and Payiz, and found them both in a close embrace with hands held tight as they prepared to dance. Looks like it was time to practice, so they both warily nodded at Havîn and Payiz before they could even ask.</p><p>"So, first you start by moving like this," Havîn said. She drew closer to Payiz while they both swayed back and forth, hands held tight against their waists. "Squeeze each other tight." Havîn drew Payiz close, so close that their faces were only inches away. They released as they both floated around each other, not once taking their eyes off of the other. "Now, just spin into each other's embrace…"</p><p>Chihiro couldn't help but smile a bit as the two of them danced. They didn't say a word, yet she could tell that they must've loved each other a lot. They looked at each other so sweetly, so tenderly, and they held each other with such care. Could Havîn had been the being, er, ghost Payiz was telling her about? She couldn't have guessed otherwise.</p><p>The two of them smiled and drew in close. Payiz pulled in like she was going to kiss Havîn, but her eyes went wide, and they both furiously blushed as they drew back.</p><p>"As you can see, that's what you have to do," Havîn explained, and blushed furiously as she snatched glances at Payiz. "You try it, then!"</p><p>"Ah, young love," Nemir whispered, folding his hands together. "Makes me think of when I was a boy."</p><p>Chihiro chuckled, turned to Spyro and held out a hand. "We might as well get some practice in too, while we're here."</p><p>Spyro chuckled and took Chihiro's hand in his paw, his grip soft and gentle as he held her tight. Now, they swayed back and forth first, right? The two of them swayed as she remembered Havîn and Payiz did. Chihiro took a small glance back as Havîn and Payiz glanced over and grinned back at them. They nodded furiously, like they urged her to continue.</p><p>Chihiro beamed, and she and Spyro continued their dance as she recalled Havîn and Payiz did. Honestly, it was kind of fun! The world around them disappeared, and she and Spyro danced together with the biggest grins on their faces. They laughed, and spun around without a care in the world…</p><p>"Alright, now for the big finale: the act of a passionate romance!"</p><p>That single call froze every bone in her bone. Chihiro stopped midway through her spin with Spyro, left wide-eyed like a deer in the headlights. She stared at Spyro while he bore a similar expression. They, they had to do something romantic, right? Oh god, she just couldn't do it! The thought of romance, it, it was just too much!</p><p>Spyro winced and drew away, but cleared his throat as he turned to Havîn and Payiz with a weary smile. "We'll, uh, we'll save that for when the actual ritual happens," Spyro said, but Chihiro could tell from the tone in his voice that he lied. Not that she complained, for clearly, he was as uncomfortable with the idea as she was.</p><p>Havîn and Payiz both nodded, frowned and turned to each other as they whispered something at such low volume that Chihiro could barely make it out. Were they leery of her and Spyro now? Was this not going to work out after all? Chihiro winced as the two of them drew back, and Payiz drew something purple and cloudy from her pocket.</p><p>"This is a ball of condensed malice. We'll use it to lure the Odivia here," Payiz explained as she floated off. "Follow me. We'll lure it just outside the temple, just so we can have somewhere to go if things go south."</p><p>"But, will it actually work?" Spyro asked as he flew after Payiz. "That thing could be anywhere by now!"</p><p>"Oh, it will." Payiz phased right through the barrier of the temple, and paid no mind as it warbled behind her. She laid the orb on the ground and held out her hands. "This stuff's like catnip for it. It can sniff it out from a mile away."</p><p>With a clap of her hands, the orb expanded and bubbled before finally expanding. It let off a scent akin to thoroughly-burnt, smoky food as its remains floated into the sky, and sent trails of smoke amid the clouds. It seemed as though nothing happened at first, for the area around remained just as tranquil.</p><p>Just then, the ground rumbled, and the sounds of angered shouting faintly rang in the air. Stones and dead twigs bounced on the ground like it was a trampoline as the rumbling grew louder. It was only barely drowned out by the shouting and angered insults. The familiar roar of a monster rang in the air, nearly leveling the plants around! The rumbling turned to pounding footsteps as something pink, blue, and smoky tore through the alleyways.</p><p>With one last thud, that, that monster, the Odivia, landed right in front of them!</p><p>Long ears like a bat's stretched from a thin muzzle with insectoid eyes and a pointed snout. Its body was bulky and muscular with clawed paws and torn wings stretching from its back, and its foggy mass formed into something a bit more like fur. A sharp tail with a fin shaped like a pair of intertwined circles with a cross pointing from the bottom end of one and an arrow from the top of the other hung from its rear. Something akin to glowing marks or runes reflected in its fur as it salivated out mist and let out low growls.</p><p>Behind it, a whole village's worth of red-eyed and angry ghosts trailed behind it. Just how many beings did it get to? However many they were, their eyes set on Spyro and Chihiro as they stepped out, and the Odivia stepped out in turn as it roared!</p><p>"The ritual, quick! Start it!" Havîn cried as she waved her hands.</p><p>Spyro and Chihiro glanced at each other, and for a moment, Chihiro saw a bit of hesitance in his golden eyes. Nonetheless, they both gulped and took each other, hand in paw, once more as they began swaying. Maybe it was the high expectations of before, or the fact that everyone's eyes were on them, or maybe just the fact that a giant, salivating monster of raw hatred currently loomed over them, but Chihiro just couldn't move like she did before!</p><p>Chihiro stumbled over her own feet, nearly tripped over herself as she swayed and spun with him, and then, right as they went to spin again, Chihiro accidentally stepped on Spyro's paw and he yelped!</p><p>That was the sole signal the Odivia needed, for it screamed as it launched itself right for Spyro and Chihiro! The two of them gasped and rolled away as it pounced. Chihiro winced as the sound of tearing fabric ripped in her ears. She glanced down for a moment at a gash that formed in her attire's jacket—but before she could mend it, Spyro pulled her away!</p><p>The sound of the Odivia's growls drowned out a few screams from behind as it lashed out, slashed at thin air, and turned back to her and Spyro as they backed away. Chihiro glanced behind as the area behind them grew smaller and smaller, whether the unnatural world or the Odivia blocked them off. She glanced at Spyro. His own gaze was tense as his eyes shifted in a kaleidoscope of colors, like he debated on how to fend off the monster before them off.</p><p>They completely bombed it, but they did just fine moments ago! In fact, it was almost like the world around them disappeared… Wait, that was it!</p><p>"Spyro, listen to me!" Chihiro cried as she pulled him close, taking his paws in her hands once more. "Don't think about the Odivia, or anyone else, or anything else—just focus on you and me, alright?"</p><p>Spyro's eyes fluttered, but he made a small nod nonetheless as he wrapped his toes around Chihiro's hand.</p><p>"Good! Now, let's take it from the top."</p><p>Chihiro took a deep breath in, released, and slowly swayed back and forth as she closed her eyes. Spyro's own grip melted in hers, and he pressed his warm, scaly body against her own as she held him close. She spun away as the Odivia slashed once more.</p><p>Spyro's eyes flashed open, but the moment he laid them on Chihiro, he smiled and swayed along with her. The two hugged tight, and his grip was warm and familiar against her own, easing the last of her nerves. They smiled as they spun backwards, and then forwards as they landed in each other's grip. She had to admit, he seemed a lot more radiant than he usually did. What little light resided in the Dinya Mirin glistened off his scales, and left them a richer purple than they normally were. Heck, it almost seemed like he glowed for a moment!</p><p>A growl came from behind, but it didn't seem like the angered growls she heard before. No, it seemed more like a growl of pain! Chihiro and Spyro glanced back at where the Odivia lingered behind them, but no longer did it rage and lash out. Instead, it whimpered like a dog and clutched its shaking head. A warm, welcoming glimmer shimmered off of its body, reflected by the glowing runes on its fur in a sweet purplish color. Chihiro raised a brow, glanced back down at herself and Spyro, and found the same color glowing off their bodies!</p><p>"It's working!" Chihiro cried as she glanced up and turned to Spyro. He grinned just as widely as she did, and they both held each other once more. "Let's keep this dance party going!"</p><p>But wait, what was she supposed to do next? Chihiro grimaced, bit her lip as she tried to rack her brain, but then shook her head. It didn't matter what they did as long as they danced and kept the momentum going, right? She spun around once more, her steps light and bouncy as she swayed, leaped, spun, and danced the day away. Spyro laughed his head off by her side the entire time.</p><p>The world around her faded away, and all that was left was the two of them. They just enjoyed themselves like they hid away back on Ancient's Peak with not a single eye to see. The cold air of the Dinya Mirin warmed around them, and that warm glow that shone over them grew brighter and richer as they spun together, holding each other close.</p><p>Cheering came from beside them, and they both turned around and grinned.</p><p>The Odivia grew weaker by the moment; its body shrank and bubbled as it whimpered in pain and clawed its ears. Beside it, the curse lifted from the villagers!</p><p>They all cheered, lifted their fists, and shouted in glee as they watched Spyro and Chihiro dance. Seems like they sought for a grand finale, and by god, Chihiro was gonna give it to them!</p><p>She turned to Spyro and chuckled, and he in turn smiled back and lifted up her arms. The two spun in wide strides as they danced their way around the fields, the cheering around them growing louder. They both spun away as magic pooled by their paws!</p><p>Sparkling lights bubbled up from the ground as Chihiro spun away and stomped her foot, tinting their pink shades in brilliant purples and whites instead! Spyro did the same as he fell to all fours and flapped his wings. he leaped forward and glided towards Chihiro, and she in turn lifted her skirt up slightly as she spun forward.</p><p>The two came close, brushing dangerously close to a crash—but instead of colliding, Chihiro spun at just an angle that Spyro swept into her arms, and she dipped him low to the ground with a grin. The two chuckled, and they both spun around and stretched out their arms as the lights shone even brighter!</p><p>Behind them, the crowd roared with cheers and applause, and the Odivia wailed at the top of its lungs! Even that wasn't much, for the Odivia's cries grew strained with weakness. The Odivia was barely able to stagger forward and snarl at the crowds while they cheered. It fell to its side and whimpered; its paws twitched as it barely pressed itself up.</p><p>"It's weak now! Quick, finish the ritual!" Havîn cried. "Do the act of passionate romance!"</p><p>"Yeah, the act!" Payiz cried.</p><p>All of a sudden, Chihiro's heart stopped. The lights around her and Spyro faded as they glanced at each other in cold sweat and wide eyes. All around them, the once-welcoming cheers of the crowd turned demanding. They pounded and screamed against Chihiro's eardrums as they echoed in all sorts of talk about romance, so loud and demanding that the ground shook underneath her. Actually, was that her legs trembling at the thought?</p><p>"Come on, give us the act! I wanna see some fiery romance!"</p><p>"I don't know where they found this new couple, but they're so cute! Why don't we act like that anymore?"</p><p>"I wish I had a boyfriend like that. What's a girl got to do to find a decent guy?"</p><p>"What'll they do? Will they kiss?"</p><p>Spyro shuddered, for Chihiro could feel it in the way he barely clutched her hands. They both glanced around, gulped and closed their eyes.</p><p>"Better make this quick," Chihiro whispered.</p><p>Chihiro drew in. Her stomach churned like she was going to throw up, and her body trembled as she came in closer, closer. Her teeth chattered, her face went numb in parts, and then…</p><p>She opened her eyes, and met Spyro's still wide-open ones. His jaw laid slightly ajar, and his wings twitched and trembled with the rest of him, just as much as Chihiro did.</p><p>"This, doesn't feel right, does it?" Chihiro whispered.</p><p>Spyro whimpered and shook his head. She knew it, he felt as uncomfortable with this as she did. She only drew him into a solemn, shaking hug, and let him bury himself and make himself as small as he could in her grip. The two fell to their knees, still shaking from the sudden pressure and everything else.</p><p>A roar shook the ground around them. and knocked them on their backs!</p><p>Spyro pulled Chihiro close as they hit the ground, and they both pulled themselves up as the Odivia lurked closer to them. Its body grew larger and larger as that sinister glow returned to its body, and something that sounded vaguely like mocking cackles spat from its throat. It flung its head up, howled to the moon as it grew taller in size, and lashed out with another yowl, flinging its tail at Spyro and Chihiro!</p><p>Chihiro pulled Spyro right out of the way. They held out their hands and shot blasts of raw magic energy at the Odivia, but just like before, the blasts harmlessly exploded off of its pelt and it grew even larger! The Odivia growled, but instead of attacking further, it turned its attention to the cowering and panicking masses of undead crowds below.</p><p>It spat out a massive miasma of mist that blanketed the crowds! The crowds' red eyes and angered expressions from before fell over them ones more. The Odivia sneered and flicked its tail, pointing them right towards Spyro and Chihiro!</p><p>The crowds screeched in anger as they charged for Spyro and Chihiro, but one by one, their ranks all groaned and fell unconscious. Low snores came from a few of the mob's ranks, but before Chihiro could figure out what happened, something yanked her and Spyro back into the barrier's safety!</p><p>They both grunted and collapsed on the ground right as the Odivia charged forward. It pounced on the barrier, but bounced off like it landed on a trampoline! Chihiro winced as the Odivia snarled and ran off, and turned back to find Havîn and Payiz frowning. Payiz held the remains of a fading talisman of some kind in hand, and they both looked so disappointed in her, it seemed. They couldn't even look her and Spyro in the eye.</p><p>"I, I'm sorry—" Spyro began to sputter, but Chihiro pushed him aside.</p><p>"No, it's my fault." Chihiro admitted as she hung her head. "I, I tried but the thought of kissing someone, it just made me so sick to my stomach, and—"</p><p>"You don't have anything to apologize for," Havîn said, her tone as gentle as the weak smile that formed on her face. "If anything, we're the ones at fault for putting you on the spot like that. I'm sure even a couple super deeply in love would freak out at something like that."</p><p>"I guess I should've figured just grabbing two random beings off the street wouldn't fix the high priest and priestess's absence," Payiz remarked as the last of the talisman's remains faded from her hand.</p><p><em>We're not a couple! </em>Chihiro wanted to scream, but she still shook so badly that she couldn't even speak, so she just wearily nodded.</p><p>She glanced at Spyro, who nodded in turn with that same timid, shaky glance Chihiro herself held. The sight of him so scared was almost painful—especially when she knew the reason why, and even more so that she felt the same way and couldn't do anything about it.</p><p>It was then that Nemir stepped in, and hummed to himself as he rubbed his chin.</p><p>"It's the high priest and priestess who typically perform this ritual, correct?" he asked as he turned to Havîn and Payiz.</p><p>"Correct." Payiz nodded and rubbed her hands. "Every year, they've performed this ritual to keep the Odivia at bay—but, lately, the seals have been growing weaker and weaker, and it's been making them so tense that they blew up at each other and had a huge argument!"</p><p>"They split up and ran off right before all this happened, too."</p><p>Spyro and Chihiro both hummed. They glanced at each other, and then at Nemir and the glint in his eyes. They two of them grinned and leaped to their feet! It startled the others enough that all eyes fell on them, but Spyro and Chihiro smiled.</p><p>"Then we'll just have to find them and help them make up!" Chihiro proclaimed.</p><p>Havîn grinned a grin shared by both Payiz and Nemir, and she flew over as she took Spyro by the paw.</p><p>"Spyro and I will go look for the high priest—Payiz, you and Chihiro should go look for the high priestess!" Havîn proclaimed before she glanced up. "Good king Nemir, if it's not too much trouble, could you—"</p><p>"I'll make sure to keep the temple safe," Nemir said. "Do not fret."</p><p>"Then it's settled!" Payiz cried as she took Chihiro in hand. "We'll regroup back at the temple, alright?"</p><p>"Right!" Spyro and Havîn shouted as they made their way past the barrier.</p><p>Chihiro and Payiz both nodded to each other. They rushed through the barrier, taking only a moment to glance back at Spyro and Havîn before rushing onward.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Within the heart of the mountain, the first sounds that came to ear were that of the crystals as they reverberated and buzzed. The crystals' bodies shook from the churning of the gears that could only faintly be heard as they whirred inside. Beyond that, even one's own footsteps couldn't even be heard underfoot.</p><p>It was a perfect cover for anyone planning for a sneak attack, and it seemed that Luz's entire group knew this. Their eyes bounced and dashed across the room, as if they waited for a cyclops to jump out and cleave their head in half at any moment. But, nothing came from even the deepest cracks in the walls, so they trailed forward.</p><p>Of them all, Luz was the antsiest as he fiddled with his shield; he pushed it back and forth from where it rested on his arm as he scanned the area.</p><p>The only things that caught his eye were the crystals that lined the walls as they glimmered in all sorts of colors, and the shiny, churning gears that looked to be made directly from crystal themselves as they cranked away. The soft hum of the crystals melded with the much louder cranking and churning of the turning gears. It blocked out all the sound in Luz's ears, yet it seemed as though he heard something else as he glanced around with wide, expectant eyes.</p><p>Luz sighed and hung his head. "Please let him be okay," Luz whimpered, his head still hung low as he stepped forward. "If, if he dies, I—"</p><p>"Luz, look out!"</p><p>Luz grunted as something yanked him back by the back of his chestplate, and he found himself pressed against Dej in a matter of moments.</p><p>"Hey, Dej, let me go!" Luz shouted as he pushed himself free of Dej's grip and shook his head. "What was that for, anyways?"</p><p>Dej scoffed and nudged Luz's arm. "Just trying to keep you from getting sliced in half! Didn't you see those buzzsaws?"</p><p>Luz blinked a bit more furiously, shook his head and turned back to the path ahead. There, shiny crystal buzzsaws infested the once-tranquil stone paths as they bounced from side to side, left to right, up and down... A few even curled in circles. They all glimmered with such intensity that Luz shielded his eyes with his shield, but soon he frowned and lowered his shield.</p><p>"Just give me a minute," Dej said as he stepped forward. Frost formed on his knuckles as he cracked them. "I'll have these things frozen up in no time—"</p><p>"But I can't wait for that!"</p><p>Luz sprinted along the path at the speed of light, and went so fast that all that could be seen was the trail of golden light he left behind! He was sure he heard somebody calling his name, or telling him to look out, but the shriek of the buzzsaws as they trailed along their chosen path numbed out the sound.</p><p>Instead, Luz swerved around one buzzsaw, but jumped back as another burst past him! He stumbled backwards as both his feet planted on the ground, just barely avoiding the graze of another saw.</p><p>His eyes flickered. Before him, he almost saw visions of his younger self, who smiled as he walked hand in hand with Fintster while they both laughed.</p><p>"<em>Now, just turn around this way,"</em> the younger Fintster said as they both side-stepped another buzzsaw.</p><p>Luz blinked as the buzzsaw ahead of him passed by once more while the illusions disappeared. He hopped along the path, wedging himself into a free space between two of the buzzsaws. When he turned ahead. there were those illusions, hopping and skipping right along the path with not even a scratch!</p><p>"<em>Take the third street,</em>"</p><p>Luz teleported behind them, inched away from one buzzsaw, and his whole body pushed forward without him even thinking about it. He trailed along after the illusions once more, and the buzzsaws' screeching noises started to numb a little in his mind as he followed after them.</p><p>Now that he thought about it, he remembered this. It was when Fintster took him home for the first time, wasn't it? He couldn't bring himself to say a word, or do anything but follow. If he reached out, if he said something, surely they'd disappear, so he just quietly followed. His footsteps barely pattered along the path as he trailed forward, and dodged the graze of oncoming buzzsaws.</p><p>"<em>Skip right across here!" </em>Fintster chirped as he bent down and leaped across a small gap, one where a buzzsaw whirred back and forth. He giggled a bit, but his smile faltered as the younger Luz whimpered and stepped back.</p><p>"<em>But, what if I don't make it?" </em>the young Luz asked.</p><p><em>"Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't fall! Just jump!"</em></p><p>The younger Luz gulped. As the buzzsaw passed by him once more, he hopped right across, eyes shut and cheeks puffed the whole time…</p><p>And as he landed on the other side, and swung his arms around, he popped one eye open to find himself on solid ground! He released his breath and beamed as he glanced up at Fintster. His grin only grew wider as Fintster ruffled his hair.</p><p>"<em>I did it, I did it!</em>" the young Luz cried as his body filled with bright yellow light and slowly dissolved into glittering specks.</p><p>Fintster's body dissolved into smoky black clouds, but he didn't even notice. He just laughed with the younger Luz as they both dissolved.</p><p>What had been across there when Luz first arrived? He was sure it was a river or creek of some kind, one that was probably long dried up at this point. Luz hadn't even seen his childhood hometown since he left to train amid the free magicians with Fintster. Was it even still the same place? Was the place he once called home even standing still?</p><p>Luz shook his head, hopped across the gap as the buzzsaw finished rushing past, and grunted as he landed. Once he got back Fintster, he'd find out everything: what happened to their home, their family, to everyone!</p><p>Luz huffed, and turned around towards the still-whirring and traveling buzzsaws. He spun his shield the fastest it could, until the heat and light it accumulated burned against his skin. The heat grew as fast as the seconds themselves passed, and when it grew too hot to even embrace, he yanked it off and flung it away!</p><p>It spun so fast that it burned like the sun, and sliced through one buzzsaw after another as it disappeared further down the path. Only sharp, shattering noises and sparkling crystal shards remained on the path. The faint light that burned near the end of the path was the sole sign of the shield's remains.</p><p>Slowly, the light grew brighter as the shield flew back to Luz, and he lifted his arm right as it came in. It attached back with a click, and after that, soft talking resounded through the cavern. He supposed the others were probably going to make their way in soon, but he couldn't quite wait.</p><p>Luz turned around and gritted his teeth as a different kind of talking came from the path ahead, one that vaguely sounded like the idle chatter of guards as they lingered about. He stepped forward, but stopped as something kind of hard, but warm, brushed against his shoulder.</p><p>"Now, don't tell me you were gonna go ahead and take out all the guys yourself?" Swarm teased behind him. "I knew you were hot-headed, but I'm not letting you get busted up like that!"</p><p>Oh, seems like they all came back. Luz turned around and blinked as Swarm smiled back down at him. He grunted as Swarm brushed a finger against the side of Luz's head.</p><p>"After all, we can't have you getting beat up before you and Fintster meet up again!"</p><p>Luz forced a smile, and Swarm gave him a kind of weak one before they both glanced down at the halls.</p><p>Swarm removed his finger from Luz's head and squeezed his hand. When he opened his hand, a small swarm of bees formed in his gigantic palm, and flew off with a surprising low volume despite being bees. They were so tiny that Luz couldn't even tell if they had left or not, but he didn't really need to. They came back just as quickly as they left, and swarmed around Swarm's antenna as buzzed.</p><p>"Uh-huh, yeah, yeah," Swarm mumbled as he tilted his head and flicked his antennae. He nodded a bit, grinned as the bees disappeared, and turned his attention down to the others. "The bees say they've only got a few guards down there. This'll be a drop of honey!"</p><p>"That's good enough for me!" Luz shouted as he stormed forward.</p><p>His footsteps thumped against the stone floor while the blue and yellow crystals that lined the wall glistened. Their light brushed against Luz's face, and warmed it as he lifted his shield and took it into the shield's core. If there were as little guards as Swarm said there were, surely, one light wave would be enough to put them out of commission! His feet hit the end of the tunnel, and Luz found himself in a much taller sections of the caves free of crystals, but with a few sparse cyclopes dressed in armor littered around the floor</p><p>"Intruder!" one cyclops cried. "Quick, get the defenses ready!"</p><p>Luz snarled, smacked his hand against his shield and spun it around. All it would take was one little wave, just enough to wipe them out. The cyclopes rushed for a wall near the back and pulled on something, and in turn the wall itself opened. Luz just spun his shield further and faster, the shriek of burning light crying away in his ears! The cyclopes turned back at him and sneered, and Luz held up his shield in response, its metal burning against his skin once more.</p><p>"Just one shot, just one shot, that's all it'll take!" Luz hissed under his breath.</p><p>The light shrieked and burned away as it funneled into the core. A bright, intertwining laser of blue and yellow light shot for the cyclopes—but at the last minute, something rushed forward and shouldered the blow!</p><p>A large red and gold robot, undoubtedly an Arkeyan by the looks of its body, fell on its side, slunk over and collapsed. A hole burned through its core and wafted with steam, and around it, the cyclopes sneered and drew their weapons. A few meager beeps came from the robot as the cyclopes swarmed around and over it. They trampled it underfoot as they ran to the back of the rooms, but with its massive size, the most they did was flip it on its back.</p><p>Luz stepped back a bit, the smoke wafting from his shield's core and clouding his vision. He barely managed to keep focus on the cyclopes. They all jeered at him, but he could barely discern their mocking cries as more large, lumbering red and gold things stormed out from the back of the room.</p><p>The robots' faces glowed with dull red lights as they took labored steps forward, and Luz shook his head as he gripped his shield, ready to strike. A sharp, swinging sound came from behind him and he immediately hit the floor!</p><p>The sound of metal splitting and screeching rang in his ears, and Luz lifted his head to find that the large Arkeyan robots that once marched for him tumbled and stumbled over their own feet. The robots were barely able to keep balance thanks to the swords and stingers that lodged into their chests!</p><p>"Luz, are you alright?" Ninjini asked as she floated in and knelt beside him. When Luz gave her a simple nod and stood, she smiled back and lifted herself to full height, a wishblade appearing in her hand with a single snap of her fingers.</p><p>"Hah, that all you got?" Swarm asked as he flew in and sneered, his arms crossed tight to his chest. "That wasn't even a challenge! I'd dealt with stinkbugs worse than that!"</p><p>The cyclopes stumbled back in turn. Their eyes were wide, and sputtered nonsense billowed from their mouths as they glanced at each other, and then back to Swarm and Ninjini. One cyclops decorated in slightly fancier armor than the rest stepped forward and frowned as he crossed his arms behind his back for a moment. His eye fluttered and he dashed back to the panel.</p><p>"It's them! The beings Her Majesty warned us about!" the decorated cyclops cried as he slammed a big, red button on the wall. "Looks like it's time to call in the big guns!"</p><p>The button sank into the wall with a single click, and the room rumbled as parts of the ceiling crumbled down, and dripped on everyone's heads like rain!</p><p>Swarm and Ninjini winced and covered their heads.</p><p>Beside them, Luz bounced away as a particularly large rock crashed down, and splintered into many more right before his face! He grimaced a bit, and gasped as someone gripped his arm. When he turned around and found that it was just Vaayu, who ran in with all the others behind him, Luz quickly breathed a sigh of relief.</p><p>"Just what's doing all this?" Vaayu demanded.</p><p>A single, red light flared from the depths of the open space in the wall, one high enough that it even met Swarm and Ninjini's gazes. It followed up with groaning machinery and even more lights, some red and some gold, that flared out from the wall's inner workings. The ground thudded, knocking the cyclopes and a few of the smaller members in Luz's group off their feet. Something that sounded vaguely like the whirring of a machine ruminated from the cavern as a clawed, red and gold hand emerged from the depths, and grabbed at the air before it.</p><p>That single thud was with another and another as a giant Arkeyan robot, about the same size as Ninjini, labored its way out of the cavern! Its red and gold knight's armor shone in the light the overhead lights had to offer. Its red eyes glinted with fury as it grabbed a shiny broadsword from its back, and charged forward!</p><p>"That's one big Arkeyan defender!" Swarm shouted as he flitted back.</p><p>"Eye've never seen one this size!" Eye cried out as he popped off of Brawl's head.</p><p>"This is only a taste of what Her Majesty's benefactor offered her if she agreed to get her the high priest!" the decorated cyclops cried as he puffed out his chest. He chuckled to himself, but quickly shook his head. "And just to ensure you don't wreck this one, too…"</p><p>The decorated cyclops whistled, and slobbering, huffing noises came from the back of the cavern. A trio of slobbering muttici stormed out of the cavern's depths, and knocked the cyclopes onto their backs! The cyclopes sneered as they took the reins and whipped out crystalline axes. With a snap of the reins, the muttici were off! Their drool pooled below their feet, and steamed away as they charged for the giant defender's feet, yet not once did their steps slip!</p><p>Swarm and Ninjini grimaced and charged forward, Ninjini wielding her swords and Swarm wielding his blades the entire way. Just as they came within inches of the defender and prepared to strike, something bit into Swarm and he collapsed to his knees!</p><p>"That stung!" Swarm cried as he glanced down at his ankles. "Who did that?"</p><p>The answer? A simple mutticus that gnawed away at his foot. The cyclops that rode it slashed away at the wound the mutticus created, just to salt it. Swarm whimpered as he yanked the mutticus from his ankle and tossed it away, but right as he stood, the defender's broadsword swung in for him and he rolled back!</p><p>Swarm slammed into the cavern walls. He cracked it enough that a slab of stone slammed into his head and knocked him down, and the defender lifted its sword as it charged for him again!</p><p>Swarm lifted his head just as the blade came in once more, and Ninjini zipped in, shouldering the blow with her wishblades! Her blades and the defender's sword clanged against each other; their shouts echoed around the cavern as they smashed together. The defender hesitated, and Ninjini went to strike its neck, but stopped midway as something gripped onto her skirt and gnawed away!</p><p>She grimaced and glanced down as two of the muttici sank their teeth into her skirt, dangling from it like leaves on a tree branch. She snarled and turned around right as the defender laid its blade on her! She threw her blades up once more, but floated back as something slammed into the defender's side and knocked it to the ground!</p><p>"You think you're pretty hot stuff, don't cha?" Hot Head chuckled as he lifted a flaming hand and prepared to lunge. "Well, so am I!"</p><p>Hot Head chuckled as his flames puffed and burst, but the sounds of acid burning away rang in the room and his eyes went wide! Hot Head screamed as green flames burned away at his heels, rolled right off the defender and blew them out. All the while, he frantically wiped away the gooey green slobber that fueled the flames as it seeped into his lava veins. He panted as the flames atop his head flickered in and out, patted them a few more times, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. The flames extinguished at last, though his foot was now a bit tattered in appearance.</p><p>Just as he started to catch his breath, more green flames burst from his hand and he screamed! He frantically blew away at the fires. It was in that moment the defender completely bodied him into the wall! The flames coated Hot Head's body quickly burst as he collapsed on the ground.</p><p>With Hot Head incapacitated, the defender turned its gaze on Eye and Brawl. It heaved up its broadsword and wrapped its fingers against the handle as it charged forward. Its blade slashed just barely against Brawl's chest. In turn, Eye popped off of Brawl and zapped the defender in the face!</p><p>The defender reeled back just a bit. It stumbled backwards while its sword nearly slipped from its hand, but it quickly reclaimed its grip and changed direction, swinging the blade for Eye instead! Eye grunted, and hopped up just before the blade could slice him, but the defender twisted it and sliced for him again!</p><p>Eye panted and flew off just as the blade missed him again, retreating to a corner of the room. He zapped the defender's head once more. The defender charged forward, and Eye flew back into the open gap in the wall as he zapped again—but the defender stabbed its sword into the gap!</p><p>Eye grunted again as he bounced around the confined space within. He panted shallow breaths while he ducked and flew into every corner he could. Like a bouncing ball, he sprung from one corner to the bottom, but finally, his balance slipped and he tumbled right out of the corridor! He landed right below the defender's foot, groaned, and rolled himself back upright as the defender turned around.</p><p>The defender hovered its foot right over Eye, but just as the foot landed, a purple shield formed right around him, and caught the foot in midair! Eye rolled backwards as the defender lifted its foot, and Brawl yanked him right from the floor. He popped Eye back on his head as he slid forward, and punched the defender right in the chest!</p><p>The joints holding its shoulders and legs in place started to spark, and a tiny gasp left not just Brawl and Eye, but those below them as well. The defender creaked as it raised its fist and swung a punch. Brawl blocked it with his fists before he jumped backwards. The rest of their team watched in silent awe as Brawl and the defender both punched away, eyes trained on the sparking joints.</p><p>"Those have to be its weak points!" Ninjini shouted as she summoned a new pair of wishblades. "Come on! Once we slice them off, it'll be down for the—"</p><p>"Hold it right there!"</p><p>A volley of arrows rained down, and formed a barrier between where Brawl warred with the defender and the rest of his group. At the other end of the barrier, a cyclops stood and sneered. The bow he wielded changed to an ax so large he could barely hold it, and the cyclops blew all the arrows away with a single strike before he charged in! He leaped in the air, and underneath him, Luz, Dej and Eruptor split right before he could cleave them!</p><p>"You're not scrapping our fancy new robot just yet! We still haven't had enough time to play with him!" the cyclops proclaimed, and his eye turned to where his fellow cyclopes chimed in agreement.</p><p>He sneered as the cyclopes' cheers echoed around, and heaved up his ax as he dashed for Vaayu—but Vaayu chuckled and swept out of the way!</p><p>"Oh, whoops! Looks like you missed me that time!" Vaayu remarked as he clasped his hands while wisps of fog curled around his fingers. "You're not going to see me any more, I'm afraid!"</p><p>With one more clap of his hands, a thick coat of fog billowed over the cavern floor, coating everything underneath Brawl and the defender's waists in solid mist! Even those above it could barely see a thing underneath the tightly-packed clouds that obscured their footing. The thick coat of fog chilled the air a little, leaving the once-warm cavern cold as a rainy day. Even with its thick exterior, the shouting from those below still pierced through!</p><p>"Hey, what happened?" demanded the ax-wielding cyclops as he yanked up his ax. "Who turned out the lights?"</p><p>"Forget that, where's the robot? I can't see a thing in all this fog!" shouted another cyclops.</p><p>A few lights blinked in the distance. They were bright enough that they burned like stars even through such a thick fog, and the third cyclops gasped as they pointed back to the lights.</p><p>"Over there!"</p><p>The cyclopes fumbled with their weapons as they drew closer and closer to the ever-blinking lights. Around them, the fog started to clear! Their smiles grew wider the closer they got, but as the fog cleared, those smiles faded. They screamed and leaped back, for what faced them was Luz's group!</p><p>"Can't believe you fell for the fog-lights trick!" Luz chuckled as he lowered a still-glowing palm. He smiled for maybe one of the first times since he began that mission. "That's one of the oldest tricks in the book!"</p><p>The cyclopes growled, and the one that led their group glanced back to where Eye-Brawl and the defender traded blows still. Brawl and the defender's feet twitched, and they lifted them up before they stomped down.</p><p>As they did, a thick wall of ice surrounded the cyclopes' battling grounds! Its shiny, solid exterior completely blocked the outside world save for an open gap in the back. The world inside turned to a proper arena within—much to the cyclopes' irritation as they raised their weapons and charged!</p><p>Two cyclopes riding on muttici came in first, and Eruptor clapped his hands as he cast spewing pools of lava! The seething heat of the lava was unlike any other, so hot that it crackled and formed bubbles that popped with large, booming noises. They were loud enough that the muttici shook their riders off, and ran up the walls, scaling them like ice climbers!</p><p>The cyclopes both shouted out as they flew through the air. Terrafin leaped up and joined them, punching the cyclopes in the face and knocking them into the wall! A shattering noise came as they slammed into the ice wall, cracked it, and popped off as they planted on the floor. The damage they did was apparent enough, for the wall cracked further, the cracks spreading around the wall and glistening in the light!</p><p>Dej grimaced, froze over the ground underneath him, and brushed his hand against the walls. His eyes slowly turning around them as the cracks slowly filled. The sound of footsteps came from behind, and he formed a pair of chuí out of ice. He turned forward and struck a third cyclops as it swung its ax for him!</p><p>The cyclops grunted as the ax flew back, its handle nearly slipping from the cyclops's grip. The cyclops grabbed it back, swung for Dej once more, but he jumped out of the way. Instead, the ax hit the cracks Dej just sealed, bursting open their wounds and leaving them deeper than before!</p><p>Dej gasped, but raised his chuí and blocked the next blow that came from the cyclops! He glanced from the cyclops as it swung its ax towards him, and then the growing cracks at the wall around with a grimace. The cyclops sneered, swung for Dej with his ax—but yanked it back as a group of fluffy gray clouds rushed past them both!</p><p>The clouds spread in a circle around the wall's edges. They blew cold air and snow into the cracks, and slowly sealed them until they were tightly-packed with crystalline icy snow! Though the walls themselves were now a bit off-color, they stood firm as ever. As their light glistened, the clouds nodded to each other and zipped back to their creator: none other than Whirlwind, of course!</p><p>She grinned, petted a few of the clouds as they disappeared, and nodded as their wisps faded away. With a flick of her ear, Whirlwind flew off and left Gill Grunt in her steed. She straggled over to the side, and smiled as he raised his cannon.</p><p>Gill Grunt spewed out a torrent of steaming water that washed away the cyclops who fought Dej! He drew back as the cyclops slid towards the other two unconscious cyclopes, and the torrent poured in soon after, leaving them all soaked.</p><p>Whirlwind flew ahead of him as lowered her horn, lightning crackling at its tip. However, it wasn't electricity that burst from it; Instead, a stream of storm clouds flew out, and hovered above the cyclopes as lightning struck from the clouds' undersides! The cyclopes screamed as the sudden shock jolted them back to life, the lightning conducting through their wet bodies. They jittered and collapsed once more.</p><p>"Hey, what's all this racket about?" exclaimed a bulkier cyclops as he rushed into the arena's open mouth with a whole fleet of cyclopes at his heels. "You grunts disturbed my afternoon—"</p><p>The bulky cyclops screamed as a massive wind current blew up from the ground below, tossed him and his underlings in the air, and juggled them like they were little more than toy balls! They screamed and shouted as they spun around in midair. They were unable to do anything more than flail their arms and legs in some faint attempt of breaking free. It was of no use, for the wind was too strong for them to break free!</p><p>The bulky cyclops growled as Vaayu strode up to him with the smuggest look on his face. The bulky cyclops went to shout, to scream and curse, but with a flick of Vaayu's hand, the wind roared stronger and blocked out his voice.</p><p>"Luz, how about you finish them off?" Vaayu asked as he turned his attention down to Luz below him.</p><p>Luz nodded, and with a click, he yanked his shield from his arm and flung it like a disc! The wind currents dropped a bit as the shield passed through, and slammed the bulky cyclops in the gut. It knocked the bulky cyclops back into one grunt, and then the next! They all flew off the side, smashed into the ice wall, and fell over each other in a pile. The bulky cyclops groaned as one of his grunts knocked him in the head, but quickly shook off the pain as Luz ran off beside him!</p><p>"Hey!" the bulky cyclops cried as he shuffled through the pile, and patted his around, reaching for Luz's foot. "Get back here!"</p><p>"Luz, what're you doing?" Vaayu shouted from behind.</p><p>Luz only spared them a passing glance as he spun his shield, and heated it up while hot light charged in its core. He held his shield towards the crack that formed in the wall from the cyclopes' collision, and shot a single beam of light that burned right through, forming a hole just big enough for him to crawl through!</p><p>Around the hole, the cracks spread across the whole wall, and shattered it completely.</p><p>Luz drew his shield back and spun it further, its whole body glowing in warm shades. He lifted his eyes towards the defender as it wrestled with Eye-Brawl. That thing was the only thing that stood between him and his brother. If he could just snipe out its weak points, he could get to Fintster!</p><p>Luz grunted, slid past them and flung out his shield. He popped it twice as he rushed right past the defender! Two hot beams of light smashed into the defender's leg joints, and shattering pierced the air as the lights and sparks in them dimmed. Luz slid around, and pushed himself up as the defender stumbled back for a moment. It was enough that Eye-Brawl stepped back in alarm, but the defender quickly regained its balance and turned its attention to Luz instead.</p><p>"Damn, looks like that wasn't enough," Luz panted. "Maybe if I take out the knees next?"</p><p>The sound of rattling, speeding chains caught Luz's ear. He lifted his head up right as a mechanical arm shot forward, and it yanked Luz's shield right off of his arm!</p><p>"Hey!" Luz cried as he leaped up and clutched his shield by its spikes. "I didn't say you could have that! Give it back!"</p><p>With a single flick, the arm tossed Luz off and knocked him on the ground! A sharp pain hit his back as he landed, and his whole body ached with dull, sore pains as he staggered up. He positioned himself just upright enough that he caught the arm as it fed into the defender's back, and dangled his shield right above the defender's face.</p><p>The Defender turned its glance at Luz as its eyes flashed red. Luz raised his hand, ready to fire—but the arm flicked his shield right back at him instead, and shot it so fast that it smashed right into his chest! Luz hacked as the shield fell and rattled right by his side; Luz himself rolled into something cold!</p><p>Luz let out another cough as something sat him against a particularly large rock. He found himself staring right in Vaayu and Dej's faces next. Vaayu's gaze was stern, and Dej's a little more concerned. Soon, Swarm joined the two of them as he smiled and ruffled Luz's hair.</p><p>"Just let us handle the big guys, okay?" Swarm chirped.</p><p>He flew off before Luz could give him an answer. Ninjini flew forward, joining Swarm and charging forward. Their eyes set on the defender as it turned around.</p><p>The defender's eyes flashed red again, and that back arm of its hid away in its back while it reached for its sword. Shining purple blades swung forward just before it could grab the sword, and hacked off its right arm! No longer bound to its body, the right arm fell as smoke and sparking electricity burst from its open end! The defender turned around, and glanced at the missing spot where its right arm once was for a moment. Something hacked off its left arm, and its eyes flashed before it pushed forward.</p><p>Sharp stingers skewed through its front like swords, and it stumbled forward as it unveiled Swarm at its back!</p><p>"Yo, Eye-Brawl, your turn!" Swarm shouted as he saluted.</p><p>Eye popped off of Brawl, nodded, and turned his attention down to the shadow the defender cast as it fell. Eye zapped the ground below! It glowed silver while bony brambles burst forward from the earth and stabbed the defender's front! It left the defender propped up, and it leaked out dull, bluish-silver oil as low, droning noises ruminated from its inside.</p><p>Eye popped onto Brawl's head once more, and the two of them slid forward as Brawl slammed through with a punch. He shattered the brambles and knocked the defender on its back! A sound like sharp, shattering glass came as fragments of shiny bronze glass poured from its limbs. With a stomp from Brawl, the defender's chest caved in and its eyes' lights faded.</p><p>Brawl stomped on the Defender's chest a few more times, and scoffed as he turned to where Ninjini helped up a dizzy Hot Head. Eye didn't join him, instead fixing his attention towards the empty space in the cave's wall.</p><p>"Is something wrong, Eye?" Brawl signed.</p><p>Eye hummed for a bit, and his wings flared as he did. "Eye think eye see something coming out of there!"</p><p>With that single line spoken, everyone's eyes latched onto the wall. Well, save for Hot Head, who cried out as Ninjini dropped him to the floor before she hastily picked him up. Their eyes narrowed as clapping echoed from the open space, and it paired with soft, barely-there footsteps as something stepped out from the wall.</p><p>The hairs of a blue mohawk poked out first, followed by a light chartreuse face with a single large eye closed in pleasure, and out at last stepped a cyclops! They were muscular in a lean way, and dressed in spiked leather armor with a cloth bag attached at their hip.</p><p>"Gotta admit, that was some fine fighting you did there," the cyclops said. They whistled a bit, gulped, and jumped back as all weapons pointed right for their throat. "Wait, wait, hold on! I'm not here to fight!"</p><p>The cyclops raised their hands in the air, their mouth held in a tight, cringing frown. They poked their eye open, and revealed it to be a sky-like blue as the weapons all lowered. They gulped as they glanced back, unsure if they were going to be attacked once more, but when the last of the weapons sheathed, they smiled and lowered their hands.</p><p>"If you aren't here for a fight, what exactly are you here for?" Gill Grunt asked as he crossed his arms.</p><p>The cyclops chuckled and scratched their head.</p><p>"Well, you see, the boss told me to guard his hideout from intruders and stuff, but Ancients, it's so <em>boring</em>!" The cyclops groaned and drew their head back. "All we do is sit around and stare at rocks! That's the most excitement I've gotten since we arrived here!" The cyclops chuckled and jostled the bag on their hip. "You know, I've been itching for a good game of Skystones, so, I have a proposal!"</p><p>The cyclops disappeared back into the dark depths of the wall's open space for a moment, and huffed as they ran back out with… A folded table? With another few short breaths, the cyclops set it up into a full-functional Skystones table, pushed a nearby rock forward and sat on it like a chair.</p><p>"If you beat me at Skystones," the cyclops said as they gestured towards the table, "I'll tell you where the boss is hiding!"</p><p>Gill Grunt, Eruptor, and Terrafin all exchanged wary glances with each other. Behind them, Vaayu and Dej crossed their arms.</p><p>"I'm not so sure about this," Vaayu whispered. "For all we know, that cyclops has a trick up their sleeve."</p><p>"Oh, I'm being perfectly honest here, sir!" the cyclops said as they raised a hand. "All I want is a good, clean game of Skystones!"</p><p>Vaayu winced, clenching his teeth tight. "They could hear me?"</p><p>A few other whispers echoed around, followed by a few grunts as Luz shuffled through and stood at the helms of the group. Taking a breath, Luz planted a hand on the table. It was true, this could be a trap—but, if it would give them a shortcut to where Fintster was, he wasn't going to pass up that chance!</p><p>"Alright, I'll do it!" Luz proclaimed.</p><p>The cyclops beamed and nodded as they pulled out their bag and rifled through, but Luz only gave them a stern glance. That is, until he faintly felt something tapping on his shoulder and turned around. He met with a worried Gill Grunt.</p><p>"Luz, do you even know how to play this game?" Gill Grunt asked as he raised a brow.</p><p>"'Course I do! When I was still stuck in that wheel, I overhead those pirates talking about how to play!" Luz replied before he turned back, and summoned a crystal chair as his seat. "I know the game inside and out."</p><p>Luz clenched his brows as the cyclops pushed some Skystones towards him, and reluctantly took them in hand. The cyclops sat before him, and smiled as they scanned over the Skystones in their hand. Just what were they planning? Luz wasn't sure, but he held his own stones close, just to be safe.</p><p>"I play my enfuego chompy!" the cyclops proclaimed.</p><p>Luz nodded, gulped, and pulled a skystone bearing a spear-wielding drow from the deck as he spiked it up.</p><p>"And I play my drow lance master!" Luz proclaimed as he dropped the drow skystone underneath the chompy. An illusion of a drow popped up and stabbed the skystone above, flipping it to Luz's blue, and Luz gulped as he turned up to the still-smiling cyclops. "Your move."</p><p>The cyclops chuckled, spiked up another stone, and dropped it at the top of the board's leftmost column. "I play my Blaster Troll! Special move: Cannonhead!"</p><p>Out from the stone popped a troll wielding a gun of some kind. Instead of shooting, it pocketed the gun, and whipped out a giant cannon! With a flick of its fuse, the cannon shot a cannonball that ripped through the row below, and flipped all the stones below to red! The troll chuckled as it disappeared, but its laughter lived on as the cyclops sneered.</p><p>Luz winced, but not from the jeers of his opponents. No, it was the whispers of everyone else as they crowded around him and talked! He glared up, shooed them away for a moment, and glanced down at his deck. He had to have something here that could help.</p><p>His eyes glanced over a stone bearing an Arkeyan Bomber, and he grinned as it spiked it up. He just barely recalled that this one had a special move, one some pirate used to con an unsuspecting gillman. Maybe it was a mabu? He couldn't tell by the voice alone, but either way, the poor guy definitely got tricked by this.</p><p>"I play my Arkeyan Bomber!" Luz proclaimed as he slammed it in the heart of the board. "Special move: Bomb Shower!"</p><p>An illusion of an Arkeyan Bomber burst forward from the stone's surface and tossed a rain of bombs down on the board! The bombs smashed into the stones and flipped them back to his blue! He smirked for a bit, but his confidence faded as a soft click came from the board. This time, a tall, green… Person? Zombie? Luz couldn't quite tell what it was, but it dressed in armor with spikes on its knuckles, and looked kinda grizzly as it landed on the board.</p><p>"I play my jawbreaker! Special move: Underground Pound!"</p><p>The jawbreaker slammed its fists and quaked the board, sending three diagonal fissures across and flipping two of the stones over to red! Three to two, huh? Luz winced, and quickly dropped another troll wielding a gun at the bottom of the center row.</p><p>"I play my d. riveter! special move: Burning Bullets!"</p><p>The troll leaped from the stone and shot its bullets across the board, but it only flipped over one stone before it disappeared! Well, at least Luz had the advantage now. He glanced down at the board again, yet shook his head as another gun-wielding troll snatched his troll and flipped it over! He lifted his head to find the cyclops sneering at him, but Luz just frowned and glanced over his stones. All he had left was an enfuego chompy… Hopefully, this special move would work.</p><p>"So, what're you gonna do next?" the cyclops smirked.</p><p>Luz breathed in and out, spiked up his enfuego chompy, and planted it in the board's middle-right section.</p><p>"I play my enfuego chompy! Special move: Festival of Fire!"</p><p>The enfuego chompy leaped from the board and danced around. Fire shot and spiraled from its footsteps; it moved across the board as the red stones trembled! One by one, they flipped over, and turned to a bright blue that shimmered like the sky on a warm day! The chompy flopped over and disappeared, but its stone was still in the grip of the cyclops's attention!</p><p>"Wow, pulling it off with just that," the cyclops whispered, before they shook their head and planted down their last stone. "Anyways, I play my d. riveter!"</p><p>The d. riveter shot off a few round, turning parts of the board red once more—but even so, the cyclops was outnumbered six to three! Luz won and there was no denying it!</p><p>The cyclops chuckled as the d. riveter disappeared. "Well, you beat me fair and square," the cyclops said as they leaned over and shook Luz's hand, "and I have to admit, that was the most fun I've had playing Skystones in a while!"</p><p>The cyclops chuckled, drew back as they swept the stones into their bag once more, and dug in forward as they pulled out a shiny orange key.</p><p>"There's a Tech Element gate just around the corner where our boss hangs out, but since most of us aren't Tech Elementals, we use keys like these to get it open!" The cyclops dropped the key in Luz's palm. "Just slot this in the mechanism beside it, and you'll be good to go!"</p><p>The cyclops chuckled, saluted Luz, and packed up the table as they drew into the shadows.</p><p>"But you didn't hear it from me…"</p><p>Luz only nodded as he drew back from his prism chair, squeezed the key and bolted off. He still wasn't entirely sure if the cyclops was tricking him or not, but still, he had to try! Fintster probably couldn't wait any longer on him!</p><p>Stowing away his worries with a bite of his lip, Luz rounded the corner, and a bright orange light brushed against his face! The bright sight was enough that it slowed his run to just a walk, and then a complete stop as the light glowed its brightest.</p><p>He turned to his left, and found a tall gate with sides made of gears, and a large, orange disc with a Tech Element symbol in the center. It blocked off the place ahead so well that the only notion he got of its identity was the sounds of working machinery behind it. To his right, there laid a round device with a keyhole inside. Luz plugged the key in, twisted it, and the gate shimmered as it unfolded to unveil a mechanical factory of some kind. It held cranking gears, steaming machinery at every angle, and more importantly, pictures of cyclopes plastered everywhere!</p><p>"This is?" Dej asked as he walked up behind Luz with the others in tow behind him.</p><p>Luz nodded and gripped his hand tight. Surely, Fintster had to be somewhere in here, and still in that cyclops's possession. Was he hurt? Strained? Whatever it was, it didn't matter! Luz was going to find him and bring him back home! He was gonna get his brother back, no matter what!</p><p>With that silent vow made, Luz rushed into the hideout.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 16: Molekin Mountain Part 1 (Part 1)<p><em>Luz couldn't quite recall why it was that he woke up so early that night. Perhaps a bad dream roused him awake, perhaps something bothered him in the middle of the night, or perhaps he got sudden pangs of hunger and thirst. Either way, he found himself awake and alone in his family's shared bedroom, stuck in the middle of their bed as he rubbed his eyes. Normally, nights like this were tranquil and free of the day's chaos. This night, he heard something that shouted like frantic crying and screaming, or shouting and ordering, and the smell of smoke burned in the air. Why? What was going on? Were they having a festival? No, they wouldn't have a festival </em><strong>this </strong><em>late. </em></p><p><em>For that matter, where were his parents? Normally, they'd be asleep with him in bed, yet here he was, all alone. He did hear some shouting voices that sounded an awful lot like his parents' own from the other room. Maybe that was what woke him. </em></p><p><em>Rubbing his eyes and creeping out of bed, Luz tiptoed to the door and poked his head out to the heart of the house. There, beside the hearth, his parents shouted and cried with surprising rage! He gasped and hid behind the wall as his heart pounded.</em></p><p><em>What could have made them so mad? His parents never fought like this! He wanted to run, to close his eyes and go back to bed, but something about this drew him in like a moth to flame. Luz peered back around and whimpered.</em></p><p>"<em>I'm telling you, we have to flee now!" his mother cried. "If we stay here, we'll surely die!"</em></p><p><em>"And leave our home to be reduced to rubble?" his father shouted back. "You know we can't do that! We have to fight for our home, our family—"</em></p><p><em>"Our family won't last against them! The Arkeyans have more numbers than us, they're much stronger, and there's no way help will arrive in time with how remote we are! We're much better off fleeing!"</em></p><p>"<em>That doesn't mean we can't try! If we leave now, we're abandoning everything we care about!"</em></p><p>"<em>What about Luz, then?"</em></p><p><em>Luz's mother gestured back to the hall, but Luz gasped and hid behind the wall once more. </em></p><p><em>Arkeyans? He'd only heard the Arkeyans in whispers from the grown-up. Weren't they those really bad beings who went around destroying places, making empires, and taking beings captive? Why would they come to a small village like his?</em></p><p>"<em>Luz will be fine, dear. The elders and children are being sent to a safe haven. It's impregnable and he'll have provisions, he'll be safe!"</em></p><p><em>"But if his parents die, who will take care of him? How will he cope if he grows up knowing that his parents died in a losing battle? What will he—"</em></p><p><em>A soft creak came from the floor, and Luz winced as he glanced down at the toy he accidentally nudged with his foot. The shouting from the outer room drew to a close. Luz gulped and tried to stay as quiet as he could; he hadn't meant to alert them, not at all! Hopefully they hadn't noticed.</em></p><p><em>"Luz?"</em></p><p><em>They had.</em></p><p><em>Luz gulped, crept out of the halls and into the family room.</em></p><p><em>There, the hearth burned bright, and illuminated the wide-eyed, terrified looks on his parent's faces. Weapons laid on the table, all swords, spears, and lances paired with what seemed like armor. On the floor was a sack almost as big as he was! The whole air was hot, stuffy, and uncomfortable, and Luz could barely stand it! He wanted to run back into bed, to jump in there and pretend this was all a dream, for whatever this was, it was certainly a bad one.</em></p><p><em>His father was the first to move, grabbing the bag and shoving it in Luz's arms. It was so heavy, and came so suddenly that Luz almost fell over, but he quickly collected himself and peered inside. All sorts of food, skins of water, clothing, and more laid within, all enough for a few days' trips. </em></p><p><em>Why would he need this?</em></p><p><em>"Good, you're awake," Luz's father said. He knelt down to Luz's height, and laid a hand on Luz's shoulder. "Luz, there's something big and scary happening right now, and all the children need to leave the village. Everything's going to be fine, but—"</em></p><p><em>"Mom, Dad, why are Arkeyans coming here?" Luz asked.</em></p><p><em>Luz's father winced and shared a pained glance with his mother, but quickly shook his head. "There's no Arkeyans coming here, Luz, you didn't hear anything about that. You just need to go, and when everything's alright, we'll come and get you!"</em></p><p><em>Luz puffed his cheeks and clutched the bag tight. "I heard you! You said Arkeyans were gonna come here, and smash our whole village to pieces!"</em></p><p>"<em>Luz—"<br> Before his father could protest more, the deep, bellowing sound of horns sounded off from outside, shaking the floor! Luz's father gasped, turned Luz around and pushed him out the door. Luz struggled as his father pushed him out, but the bag in his arms was so heavy that he could barely protest against his father's strength.</em></p><p>"<em>There's no time, Luz! Just follow the others! We'll come back for you, we promise!"</em></p><p><em>Before Luz knew it, he was outside. Torches were lit across every house, and they and painted the normally-cool night in warm, scary shades of firelight.</em></p><p><em>Luz could barely make out the silhouettes of soldiers who wielded weapons and gathered around the front of the village like a barricade. All around him, the other grown-ups all grabbed weapons and ran out, or they pushed the kids he knew out with sacks similar to his. The kids all cried and protested like he did, save for a few of the older kids he knew, before a few of the village elders took them in hand, and guided away from their homes and families. </em></p><p><em>Luz could barely watch, so the gentle brush of a wrinkled hand against his shoulder gave him some relief.</em></p><p>"<em>Luz, darling," said a voice sweet like honey, "come with me."</em></p><p><em>Luz whimpered, took the aged woman beside him in hand, and didn't even protest as she left his home. She walked him towards a parade of children his age—some older, some younger—and a lot more old people that all walked away. The older people all seemed really quiet; they didn't say a word outside of whispering something to some of the smaller kids as they cried and shouted.</em></p><p>"<em>What's going on? Where are we going?"</em></p><p><em>"I want my mom and dad!"</em></p><p><em>"Let me go!"</em></p><p><em>Luz and the elderly woman came to the back of the group soon enough, right as an old man tried to calm down a little girl that sobbed her eyes out. She barely clutched a doll in one hand while her sack rested in the man's arms—or maybe it belonged to the man? Luz couldn't tell. Either way, Luz clutched his sack with both hands the best he could, and its leather pressed against his chest as he walked in silence. </em></p><p><em>His eyes fixed on his feet as he marched through thickets of leaves and endless forest. The firelight grew dimmer behind him, and left the paths muddied and confusing. He wanted a light now, but he wasn't sure that was a good idea. If Arkeyans really were coming, they'd spy them all from the light, and then they'd hurt them, and do awful things to them like they do to other beings too!</em></p><p><em>But, his mom, and his dad, and all the other grown-ups would protect them, right? Luz was sure help would come! After all, the grown-ups always said that the Elder Elementals, and those magicians they were friends with always stopped the Arkeyans. Maybe they would come and stop them before anyone could get hurt! Luz hugged his sack like a toy and smiled a bit at the thought. It would be really cool to meet an Elder Elemental, and get saved by one, too!</em></p><p><em>A small twinkle of light came from within the bushes as their group rose a hill. One of the old men pushed aside the leaves to show… A hole? A door? A hutch? It was so dark that Luz could barely tell what it was supposed to be. Either way, it creaked open, and the man whispered as he urged people in. The old people were so tall that they had to duck just to get in, but the kids came in just fine, and their group grew smaller and smaller. </em></p><p><em>Luz got ready to walk out, but then one of the older kids stopped and turned around behind him. It was almost like something was wrong.</em></p><p>"<em>Hey, I hear something over there!" the older kid shouted while he pointed back down the hill. "It sounds like marching!" The kid leaned forward and frowned. "And it looks like a whole lot of beings are coming!"</em></p><p><em>As he said this, two of the older men in the group both turned to each other. Though Luz couldn't really see their faces, he didn't need to do that to see how worried they are.</em></p><p>"<em>They're here, already?" croaked out one of the two men. His voice trembled, and was barely above a whisper.</em></p><p><em>"There's no time to panic!" shouted the second man as he ran off. "Come on, everyone, follow me!"</em></p><p><em>Luz couldn't bring himself to run. It was as if his feet stuck to the spot. He was only able to watch as the soldiers poured into his village while more came to fight them. Were his parents among their ranks? </em></p><p><em>A couple of the other kids joined him, and their eyes were teary as they whimpered and shouted. To his right, he barely made out a smaller kid shouting as another, older one held them back from running to the village again. To his left, a few Luz believed were siblings whispered together.</em></p><p>"<em>Come on, young ones!" shouted one of the elderly men as he walked up. "We need to go hide!"</em></p><p><em>"But, my mom! My big brother!" cried a boy from below. "Where are they?"</em></p><p><em>Another girl whimpered and rubbed her eyes before she shuddered and turned around. "Hey, what's that?" she asked as she pointed to the bushes.</em></p><p><em>Luz winced, turned around and hugged his sack tight. He barely spied some glinting lights, like eyes peering out from the bushes. He wanted to think that it was maybe a wild animal, maybe a bat, or a bird, or a gecko, or something. Something about that felt wrong, though;</em> <em>not even the scariest wild animal's glare chilled his heart the way looking at this did. A bunch of weird noises that reminded him of creaking wagons came from the bushes as they shuffled.</em></p><p><em>Luz backed away a bit as the rustling continued. In front of Luz, an elderly man passed by, and winced as he grabbed a knife from his pocket. </em></p><p><em>The elderly man crept closer to the bushes with his knife raised and prepared to stab. Right before he could strike, something leaped forward, and the man collapsed right in front of them! A nasty gash ran across his chest, and his shirt stained red as he gasped for air. All the while, blood poured out and pooled as his attacker landed right in front of them all!</em></p><p><em>It looked like some kind of person, but it couldn't have been that. Beyond the red and gold knight's armor it wore, its arms and legs were made of what seemed like metal, and the cold look that passed well beyond its helmet was anything but human! Its body creaked as it stepped forward into the little moonlight, showing the ax it held in hand. It screeched as it raced forward and swung!</em></p><p><em>Luz's group completely dispersed, and screamed as the ax missed them. The ax lodged itself into the ground instead, and the other kids screamed as they ran off! Their bodies growing more and more distant as they disappeared in the woods, until they were little more than faint silhouettes like the ones in the village. </em></p><p><em>The strange metal person yanked its ax out of the ground and glared at Luz, the sole one who remained, as he fell down and clutched his sack!</em></p><p><em>"Alonso, what's going on—" cried an old man as he pushed through the forest. He gasped as his eyes fell on the sight of Alonso's bleeding body, and the strange metal man. His face went pale as a sheet, and he fell to his knees as he pulled Alonso into his arms. "Alonso, Alonso! Speak to me!"</em></p><p><em>Luz gasped as the strange man turned his attention to the two elderly men, and before he knew it, his legs picked themselves up and ran off! </em></p><p><em>He ran without even thinking, and hardly</em> <em>noticed as the sound of a swinging ax and a pained scream rang in the air. He clutched his sack and kept moving, trying his best not to collapse again even with its massive weight. He had to leave, he had to find his mom and dad and leave! He had to get out of here!</em></p><p><em>More screaming and swinging came all around him. The birds around him all cawed as they flew off, perhaps startled by the strange lights that flashed in the woods. Were those lights more of those strange men? Luz wasn't sure, but he didn't want to know. All he cared about was finding his family and getting out of here!</em></p><p><em>He panted as he adjusted his sack's position. His clammy, shaking hands barely kept hold of the sack as he ran further and further. The forest floor blended together in front of him…</em></p><p>And then, he woke up. Luz sprung out of bed, clutching his heart but feeling nothing but thin, cold air. His vision blurred around him and left him barely able to discern his sights. Cold, icy sweat poured down his face as he panted, and his stomach churned like he would throw up any second now.</p><p>Soon his vision settled, and with it, the rest of his body. He wasn't in a forest, he was in his dorm room in that ship, sleeping in bed. At least, up until a few seconds ago.</p><p>"A dream?" Luz whispered as he held his head. Well, it wasn't entirely a dream, but… "Whatever."</p><p>The sunlight shone from outside his window while birds just faintly chirped in the skies outside, yet Luz wanted to sleep. Even though he rested all morning, he still barely had any energy to him, oddly enough. Maybe that strange dream was at fault.</p><p>Still, it was daylight, and he was sure there was work to be done. He hobbled out of bed, out of his room, down the halls… It was all just as blurry as that forest in his dream was to him.</p><p>Luz groaned and rubbed his eyes as he pushed the door open.</p><p>There he was on the deck, which still bustled with life as those Skylanders, the other magicians, and the Elder Elementals ran across the deck or made small talk. That mabu, Flynn or something, steered the wheel and talked with that other mabu and Sihiri, but they were so distant that Luz couldn't really make out what they said.</p><p>Luz sighed, stumbled over to the railing and leaned against it. His arms crossed as his mind wandered back to his dream. He, he hadn't expected to have a dream about that. Did what happened yesterday still weigh on his mind? Was it the thought that everyone he knew and loved was deader than dirt now, and somehow, he was the only one to survive? Well, it wouldn't be the first time.</p><p>"Hey there, Luz Maguz!" buzzed an upbeat voice Luz knew all too well.</p><p>A faint thunk came from beside Luz as Swarm sat down before him, and he frowned as he nudged Luz's side. "You alright there, buddy? You look like something's bugging you. Well, something beside me, anyways!"</p><p>Luz snorted, smiled without even realizing, and shook his head. "Just had a kinda weird dream."</p><p>"Anything like that one where you were fighting walking bananas?"</p><p>"Not that kind of weird dream. It was… Well…"</p><p>Swarm frowned, and it seemed like he didn't want to talk about it any more than Luz did—so, he yawned and stretched against the deck. Swarm nearly tripped that shark and that lava monster (Terrafin and Eruptor, Luz thought their names were? He was still too hazy in the head to recall) as they walked across. His wings buzzed together a little, making some kind of chirping noise as he sat upright. One of them rubbed against Luz's back.</p><p>"Well, we're almost to that Molekin Mountain place, mostly cause of Cali and the boss lady. If it wasn't for them, we'd probably be at the other edge of Skylands right now."</p><p>Luz smirked, and raised a brow as he glanced at where Flynn steered the ship. Something about the group felt a little empty, but he couldn't tell why. What was it? Oh right, Nemir said he lived there last night during that briefing, so why wasn't he helping?</p><p>"Nemir's working on that ghost's robot body with the others. He said something about finding something something weird in the wreckage, or somethin' like that." Seemed like Swarm read Luz's mind in that instant, judging by the smile on Swarm's face. "But, he left us some instructions. Apparently, only the high priest of the village can speak to the Oracle, so we're gonna look for this high priest, and see if they can hook us up with the dude. That is, if there's even a high priest still."</p><p>"Oh, there is!" Cali said. "I had the pleasure of meeting her personally during my last trip!"</p><p>Luz and Swarm both jumped up as Cali seemingly appeared out of thin air before them, but she laughed. As they settled, Cali turned to Luz and held out a hand.</p><p>"Speaking of which, we're almost at the place! Luz, can you head over to that robot and tell the others?"</p><p>Luz nodded, but Cali frowned and flicked her ear a little. Chances are, she probably wanted to ask if he was down in the dumps, but Luz didn't really feel like answering that.</p><p>Luz clutched his pendant and closed his eyes. The familiar sound of rushing magic surrounded him as light danced over his eyes and warmed his face. When the light faded and he opened his eyes again, he was right inside of that ghost's body!</p><p>The whole place was still pretty banged-up. The walls dented and strained even with repairs done, the control panel dented in half, and half the pipes twisted and broken, but it seemed to be in slightly better condition compared to however it was the night prior. Cracks were sealed, metal was polished, and some parts seemed slightly less distorted compared to the others, even though the whole place still reeked of oil and death.</p><p>Maybe that awful scent was a remnant of the repair works going around. Bouncer sealed up torn metal while Trigger Happy and Jorden offered him gold and other metals as a sealant, and that hermit guy nitpicked every step of the way. Spyro swooped overhead and adjusted the walls back into place. Right in front of Luz hopped Chihiro, who offered drinks and food to those around.</p><p>In the center of it all, Nemir and 'Enehana stood in front of a tall tube set up in the center of the room. There, a small, blue wisp flickered in and out of the light as they held their glowing hands out with eyes transfixed in awe. They slunk over as their light finally released, but lifted themselves up a bit later as Chihiro hopped between them and lowered her box of concessions.</p><p>"So, what is that think?" she asked as they took some bottles of water from the box and drank.</p><p>Nemir's eyes fluttered, and he took a breath as he gulped down his water.</p><p>"Its presence is incredibly faint and small, but I've no doubt that this is a semblance—the remainder of an object ghost when the object that hosts them is severely damaged," Nemir explained. "It will need an immense amount of care to stay stable, but if it's tended to carefully, and if we can repair its body, I do believe we can revive the ghost who once inhabited this body." Nemir frowned and lowered his gaze, turning his head far away from Chihiro. "Hopefully, it'll still be him, at least."</p><p>Chihiro gasped, and the box of concessions slipped from her hands as she knelt down. "So that means this is the Machine Ghost? You can bring him back?"</p><p>"If we can keep this stable and properly repair his body, that is," 'Enehana chimed in.</p><p>"And how's that been going?"</p><p>Nemir and 'Enehana sighed.</p><p>"I'm afraid it's been quite the uphill battle," Nemir replied. "This semblance is incredibly, incredibly weak, and it has to have its essence stoked constantly."</p><p>"As you can imagine," 'Enehana added as they wiped their forehead. "It's been taking a lot out of us. I haven't gotten an ounce of rest since we found it during repairs on the way here. It'll be a miracle of the Ancients if we can keep it up."</p><p>Chihiro hummed and knelt down between them, laying her box to the floor. "Well, isn't there some easier way of doing this? Surely there's gotta be some kind of machine, or something that can do the stoking for you." Chihiro shuffled a bit to the left. "I mean, if magic's what we need, I could just take a turn—"</p><p>"I'm afraid ordinary magic won't do. It needs to be of the semblance's elemental alignment, or else the magic will only sicken it." Nemir hummed, and his head lowered slightly. "The being said, I believe the underbelly of the Dinya Mirin has all sorts of beings selling undead devices and wares. They're bound to have something that could act as a conduit."</p><p>"Then we'll just pick it up while we're there, it's settled!" Chihiro beamed as she patted them both on the back with glowing hands. "In the meantime, here's a little juice for the road!"</p><p>Luz chuckled as Nemir, Chihiro, and 'Enehana all smiled at each other. She was way more of a leader-type than he was at her age. When he was twelve, he was playing pranks with his siblings and goofing off with them, and all he cared about was picking apples at his Gramps' orchard and his… Family.</p><p>Luz squeezed his arm a bit, and his eyes stung without even realizing. His family was gone now, gone for good, and he was all that remained. Then again, Fintster came with him during that fight, so surely, by some miracle he might be alive, right? Where would he even be? Where would Luz even look?</p><p>"Hey, Luz, when'd you get here?" Chihiro asked.</p><p>Luz popped his head up as Chihiro turned to him, and quickly cleared his throat. "That Cali lady sent me," he said as he forced a smile. "She said we're almost here—"</p><p>"Actually, we've just arrived!" Sihiri shouted as she teleported beside Luz.</p><p>Luz gasped and jumped back as Sihiri popped into thin air beside him.</p><p>Chihiro chuckled to his other side. "Perfect timing! Now we can go find that device!" Chihiro proclaimed. She turned back to where the semblance rested, and frowned a little. "But, just to be safe…"</p><p>"I'm right ahead of you," Nemir said as he held out a hand.</p><p>A round ball of smoke emerged from Nemir's palm and rested behind the semblance. Its wisps fed into the semblance as it glowed a bright blue. Seemingly, Nemir was satisfied enough with it that he left the semblance's side for what Luz guessed was the first time since they had liftoff. They all gathered together as Sihiri clapped her hands, and magic surrounded them. It blanketed their vision in purple light while their feet lifted off the ground.</p><p>The magic disappeared right as they dropped off onto the ship's deck. There, everyone gathered and crowded around the gangplank as it slowly churned out of the ship's side, and docked itself onto rocky orange ground. It swayed and bent a little as the smaller members of their group slid down and landed on the islands before them, but settled as they all left.</p><p>The stretches before them were a lot less magical or dead than Luz expected them to be when he heard of this place from Nemir.</p><p>What met him instead were stretches of sun-kissed stone carved into platform formations. They all topped themselves off with dome-like houses. Their chimneys spewed smoke into the air, and rickety wooden bridges linked their islands and lined the sides. A tall mountain stretched into the yellow and pink skies above; though it was so distant that Luz could barely make it out, it almost seemed like there were gears or something like that embedded in it, churning away with the dedication of a well-oiled machine.</p><p>It all looked so peaceful on the surface, but something about the air felt wrong. It wasn't the occasional scent of smoke, or something vaguely like incense that came with it. No, it felt more like, danger. Maybe that just came from the distant screaming that came over the wind.</p><p>Chihiro was the first to break from the group after Luz. She frowned, held a hand over her eyes as she scanned the area ahead, and drew back as she raised a brow.</p><p>"Wait a second, is that…" Chihiro whispered.</p><p>In front of the two of them, something small and stout came stumbling right for them. It nearly tripped over the loose robes it wore, and as it came closer, its form came into better view. It had small, beady black eyes, shiny peach skin, and long claws and teeth. Yeah, that was definitely a molekin, but it had to be an old one, for it was completely bald! Not a hair remained on its head, which shone like a jewel as it raced towards Luz's group.</p><p>"Hello!" Chihiro shouted as she waved towards the molekin. "You wouldn't happen to know where we can find the high priest, do you?"</p><p>The molekin didn't even entertain Chihiro with an answer. It just screamed and ran right past, racing down the bridge without even blinking!</p><p>Chihiro blinked and turned around, gasped and jumped back as even more crowds of screaming molekin ran past her. She turned back to the front and clenched her brows. A sword found its way into her hand with a snap of her fingers, and she raised it as something charged over the horizons, kicking up dust all the way!</p><p>That same creaking noise from Luz's dream rang in the air. For a moment, his body locked up and screamed at him to hide, but he stomped his feet and summoned his shield.</p><p>"Sounds like we've got company, and not the good kind!" Luz shouted.</p><p>The clouds cleared, yet the first to leap from them wasn't an Arkeyan robot. No, it was just a couple of cyclopes in shoddy armor! They wielded out shiny red and gold spears that were definitely Arkeyan in origin as they crowded around the front. It was only then that the robots came out from behind them. The robots' shiny green and gold armor was harsher, brighter in the sunlight. Just the sight left Luz's stomach churning again.</p><p>"Alright, fess up!" cried the cyclops who headed the charge as he held out his spear. "Tell us where the high priest and the oracle are, and maybe we'll let'cha live!"</p><p>Chihiro and Luz both knelt down and prepared to jump, but a cold hand on both their shoulders stopped them. They leaned up, shifted their positions, and stepped back as Nemir passed them by with a clear of his throat. That cold air he always seemed to have seemed icier than usual as he held a hand behind his back, and the tips of his hair started to float. Oh, those guys were in trou-ble.</p><p>"Tell me, what business do you have in this realm?" Nemir asked.</p><p>The cyclops scoffed and pointed his sword up at Nemir, its blade just inches from Nemir's nose. "Why should I tell you, old-timer?"</p><p>Nemir snapped his fingers behind his back, and the ground rumbled as a wall of bones burst from the floor, knocking the cyclops back! He squeaked as his spear landed in the ground, just inches away from his hand, but ducked as the bones leaped out of the ground and rammed into the rest of his forces! The bones skewered through the Arkeyans first, slipped the Arkeyans out and batted them away as they exploded. With another swing, the bones tossed away the other cyclopes.</p><p>All that remained was that single, trembling cyclops, who sat wide-eyed in horror as Nemir strode up to him.</p><p>"I'm sure you realize that those robots tailing you are Arkeyan in nature, correct?" Nemir asked as he crossed his arms. "How exactly did you obtain them? Did it have anything to do with a certain person claiming to be in pursuit of Arkus, capital of the fallen Arkeyan empire?"</p><p>The cyclops gulped and scrambled backwards. His legs and arms trembled so badly that it was a wonder he hadn't just given in then. "I, I'm not telling you!" the cyclops exclaimed, teeth chattering. "The queen, she told us not to tell a soul about her deal!"</p><p>"A deal, I hear? So it's true, then?" Nemir crossed his arms and scoffed. His head hung lower as thick, dark purple smoke churned from underneath his robes. "So it's true that Arkilles hired you lot out? What business does he have here with the high priest and oracle?"</p><p>The cyclops whimpered. His words left him as Nemir grew closer and closer, but then again, who could blame him for being scared? Before him was Nemir, and he was all glowey and smoky and stuff; it was the same way he always got when he was super angry! Not that Luz had personal experience on that front.</p><p>"I'd confess if I were you," Luz taunted from the back of the group. He smirked as he walked around to get a better view of the cyclops's paling face. "If you get on the king's bad side, he might poison you, or feed you to the skelehounds, or suck all the life from your body, or…"</p><p>"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, I'LL CONFESS!" the cyclops wailed. "YOU SEE, WE—"</p><p>A massive plume of darkness erupted right where the cyclops stood, absorbed them in its grasp, and they both to fade away as the wind blew away the smoke. Judging from the way Nemir's face fell as the light and smoke around him died, that definitely wasn't his doing. Even if that were the case, those dark clouds looked nothing like the kind he'd summon, for their deep indigo coloration reminded Luz of someone else.</p><p>"That was strange," Nemir remarked, even though it was obvious.</p><p>"Wait, are those the Skylanders?"</p><p>Nemir and Luz both turned around as the molekin crowds that took sanctuary climbed back up from the bridges below. The molekin approached them with wide smiles on their faces, and now that Luz got a better look at them, he had to wonder just how many old beings lived here. It seemed like all these molekin were bald too, even though most of them didn't even have a wrinkle on their faces! Maybe going bald was just in style now? He wasn't gonna question it.</p><p>Instead, he stepped back as the molekin rushed up to them all.</p><p>"Thank the Oracle, the Skylanders!" cried one molekin. "You arrived just in time!"</p><p>"What's going on?" Chihiro asked as he pushed to the front of the crowds. "Those cyclopes, are they looking for the Oracle?"</p><p>"You bet! They stormed our whole island out of nowhere and demanded to know where the high priest is and how to get the Oracle! It came so fast that we could only whisk away the high priest just before they caught us! With sure brutish attitude, I can only imagine they must have poor intentions at heart."</p><p>Chihiro clenched her teeth, nodded and turned to Spyro.</p><p>"No doubt about it, Arkilles probably set this up to keep us from finding Arkus before he does," Chihiro said before her face fell a bit, "but, we've still gotta get the Machine Ghost's semblance its artifact."</p><p>"Then we'll just split up," Spyro said as he took Chihiro's hand in his paw. "Chihiro, Nemir and I will head down and get the artifact. The rest of you, clean out these cyclopes and see if you can find the high priest!"</p><p>A couple of resounding cheers of agreement came from the group as Spyro parted ways with Chihiro and Nemir behind him. Luz smiled and raised his head as they grew further in view. With a flick of his, wrist he summoned his shield and held it up to the sunlight, its surface glistening as he did.</p><p>He lowered it and beckoned. "Alright, I'm gonna go ahead and clear a path! Who's with me?" Luz cried.</p><p>Swarm grinned and beat his arms together. "You know I'm always ready to bring the sting!" he shouted.</p><p>"And eye'm sure we could easily spot out the opposition," Eye said as he popped atop Brawl's head.</p><p>From below the ground, Vaayu smiled and shook his head.</p><p>"I'd better make sure you stay out of trouble," Vaayu chuckled, before his face softened a little. "Besides, I wasn't able to stop Arkilles from escaping then, and I can't let him succeed now."</p><p>"You couldn't help getting laid up like you did, Vaayu," Dej added as he gently punched Vaayu in the arm. "Don't worry about it! 'Sides, I'll tag along and watch your back."</p><p>Ninjini, Hot Head, Terrafin, Gill Grunt, Whirlwind, and Eruptor all nodded as they stepped out from the ground, and Luz nodded in turn. With his team assembled, Luz held up his shield and raced forward. The sounds of the ground rumbling rang behind him as the others followed in turn. Above him, the sun shone its strongest, the perfect beacon of his oncoming success.</p><p>At least, it would be, if he wasn't still bothered by that cyclops's strange disappearance. His footsteps slowed, and Luz frowned as he glanced at his reflection in his shield. His eyes fixed on his pendant.</p><p>"That couldn't be him, could it?" Luz whispered.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Though the village laid far in the distance, the sounds of battle that came from it roared like thunder. The sights of something in vague, blurry shades of green, gold, red, and blue could barely be made out. Whatever it was kicked, it kicked up dust that shielded it from the distant view within seconds of its appearance. But, it didn't prevent Luz from spying whatever it was when he ran up the road with his shield held tightly in hand.</p><p>"Seems like there's quite the ruckus going on up there," Luz whistled as he absentmindedly spun his shield around. Lifting it up, he set it into place on his arm with a soft clink, chuckled and turned to Dej. "How's about we show these troublemakers the light?"</p><p>Dej smirked while frost formed around his hands and dusted his knuckles. "Sounds good to me. I think they need to cool down a little!"</p><p>"You've got that right! they're sure full of hot air!" Luz grinned the widest, snidest grin he could as he elbowed Vaayu's arm. "How 'bout that, Vaayu? Huh? Huh? Come on, you know that made you laugh!"</p><p>Vaayu groaned and massaged his temples as the two of them laughed, but sprung back up as an explosion sounded! A severed robot arm crashed down beside Vaayu as he jumped out of the way. He cringed as he levitated it up and tossed it aside. With a tap of his heels, he sprinted off with a cheetah's speed, and ran so fast that he left only faint trails of clouds which wafted in the wind.</p><p>"Come on, you two! There's no time for cracking jokes!" he cried, clouds forming around his fists. "We've got Arkeyans to fight!"</p><p>Dej and Luz nodded at each other and beamed as they raced forward. They rushed into the heart of the small village where such big chaos formed!</p><p>Arkeyans and cyclopes alike swarmed the village like flies, ransacking buildings and upturning decorations! The molekin around all cried out as they raced to hide, or were unlucky enough to be found—as was the case for one molekin currently in the hand of a particularly bulky cyclops. Arkeyans crowded around the molekin's cyclops captor as the cyclops held them over the ground, and the molekin's legs dangled as they coughed and choked.</p><p>"Alright, spill it!" shouted the cyclops as it yanked the sweating, shuddering molekin up further. The molekin cried out and kicked their legs in some attempt to escape, but the cyclops gritted its teeth and held them tighter. "Where's this high priest supposed to be?"</p><p>"I, I," the molekin sputtered, "I'll never tell you!"</p><p>The cyclops snarled and brandished an ax close to the molekin's throat with its free hand. Its snarl grew wider while its fangs shone in the sunlight. "You sure about that?"</p><p>"That's what I should be asking you!" Luz cried.</p><p>A few bright yellow lasers shot out, and sniped the Arkeyans surrounding the cyclops. While they collapsed, the cyclops gasped and dropped the molekin! It scoffed as the molekin ran for safety, squeezed its ax's handle as it turned around, but groaned as it laid eyes on Luz's group. Just the sight of Luz at the helm, his shield's core bright within the sun's warmth, left the cyclops shaking—but from fear or rage, Luz wasn't certain.</p><p>"The Skylanders! They're here!" cried some of the molekin who took shelter behind potted plants.</p><p>"We're saved!" cried another molekin as they leaped up from a crate.</p><p>Beside the crates, another molekin beamed and leaped out. "Show those awful cyclopes who's boss!" they cried as they punched the air.</p><p>Luz chuckled and spun his shield, but cocked his head as pounding footsteps shook the earth beside him. A shadow cast to his side and the sun blocked off as Swarm knelt beside him. The two exchanged raised brows and smirks.</p><p>"Sounds like the audience's pretty eager to see us in action!" Luz remarked, and fixed his shield in place with a click as he drew back. "I'd saw we shouldn't leave them waiting!"</p><p>"Read my mind!" Swarm shouted as his eyes and arm barbs started to glow. "And I know just the thing to brighten their day!"</p><p>Swarm thrust a barb to the sky as it glowed its brightest, and shot a bright laser of spiraling yellow and sky blue into the stratosphere! The laser exploded in a shower of sky blue and yellow sparks, but those sparkles could barely be seen, for the sunlight glowed brighter and harsher around Swarm. His carapace shimmered in the bright light, but it wasn't the only thing shining.</p><p>The whole area glowed with searing light, searing light so bright that the cyclopes around squealed in pain and shielded their eyes!</p><p>Swarm smirked as their weapons dropped down the floor, and raised a brow as the Arkeyans that came with them charged right for him.</p><p>"I'll handle these guys!" Luz cried as he swept out hands that glowed a bright yellow. "Let's see if they can take the heat!"</p><p>Luz clapped his hands together, and the light around swirled around him, consolidating in the center of his open palms! The bright orb of yellow light was a miniature sun in its own right, so harsh and warm it was hard to look at. Well, if one wasn't Luz, that was. Luz slashed the orb in its heart with his shield, and its split halves burst into waves of white-hot light that cascaded over the robots. It burned so bright that for a second, the whole world melted away ahead of him.</p><p>He reeled back a bit as a warped, shrill shriek paired with agonized wails burst. The light faded, and the sight of the village returned, except it now held Arkeyans rendered half-melted and deformed!</p><p>The cyclops behind them all wailed as they hopped around, and yanked off their armor, which was so hot that it glowed red and white! One by one, they pulled off helmets, shoulder pads, breastplates, and boots and tossed them off. They left only their tunics and clothes behind, and panted, nursing their burning in the fading heat. A few moaned, rubbed burning red body parts, but turned around right as a torrent of water knocked them backwards!</p><p>The cyclopes tumbled back into a pile as the water formed a shallow pool around them, but quickly jumped to their feet. They snarled as their eyes laid on Gill Grunt, who glared back at them as he hoisted up his cannon.</p><p>Water splashed underfoot as the cyclopes went to charge, but the water around them cooled and crystallized into a sheet of ice, sending them slipping! The cyclopes slid back and forth as they skidded on the ice, all while cold mist wafted from it and swirled around them. The mist chilled the water that drenched their own bodies until the cyclopes froze in a solid case of ice! Not even the slightest echo could be heard from what remained of them; their bodies were little more than gawking statues that only barely moved their arms and legs.</p><p>Dej chuckled as he skated on an ice trail underfoot, spun around and yanked a particularly large icicle from the cyclops ice sculpture. Before he could really admire it, the sound of horns sounded overhead! He yanked his head towards the sight of raging armies as their stomping drowned out the horns, snarled and squeezed the icicle tight.</p><p>His fingers frosted over, and the frost seeped into the icicle as it stretched. It changed shape like it was made of clay, and transformed into a crossbow that fit comfortably in his grip. The crossbow pushed itself against his shoulder as Dej leaned back and drew it. With a single snap of its frosty bow, a trio of icicles fashioned into arrows smashed into the ground, completely freezing it over.</p><p>The first cyclops soldiers to jump down slipped and spun away, but the Arkeyans that followed floated off and charged right for Dej!</p><p>Dej smirked, twirled away on the icy floors below him as they jabbed at his chest, and spun away for a second before he tossed up his crossbow. Dodging a third blast, Dej leaped up as the crossbow fell back down and kicked it right in its center!</p><p>It shattered it into two identical halves that he yanked from the air as he planted his feet on the ground. The broken halves shifted once more, consolidating themselves into fat knives with long, sharp blades. Knives in hand, Dej skated back for two of the Arkeyans that once assaulted him. He slid with such speed that neither of them noticed as he slashed right through their bodies!</p><p>Dej twirled around and punched their broken halves right into the third Arkeyan. It turned around right as the broken Arkeyans exploded into furious, flaming showers! The fire melted away Dej's ice rink and even the iced-over cyclopes, who screamed and ran off as the fires spread around the floor.</p><p>The trails of flames crept along the cracks in the floor, hurtling first for one of the half-melted Arkeyan corpses and setting it alight! The corpse exploded, and fed the flames as they sped for the next Arkeyan. The fires ate away at its body, the next, and the next after that; they absorbed the melted robots until their flames brushed against the sky, and formed a ring of fire around the arena!</p><p>The ring bled further into the cracks, seeped through, and rushed towards several molekin as they screamed in horror. Right as the fires leaped for them, a purple glow surrounded them, and they disappeared as the fires crashed over the docks where they once stood! The molekin reappeared on a stone ledge right as a magical, purple blanket crashed over the flames and extinguished them. They beamed as Ninjini floated over to meet them.</p><p>"Is everyone alright?" she asked.</p><p>"You bet! Thanks, lady!" one of the molekin remarked as they walked up to meet her.</p><p>Beside them, another molekin strode up and hummed as they rubbed their chin. "You know, you look a lot like that Elder Elemental, Ninjini! Are you a history buff or something?"</p><p>Ninjini winced a bit, and clenched her teeth as she floated aside. "I, er…"</p><p>Ninjini pursed her lips as the sound of whirring blades bellowed from overhead. She craned her head up to find a fleet of red and gold helicopters as they flew in. Narrowing her eyes, she turned her gaze towards some spiky orange plants that inflated and deflated, merely cast out a hand, and hit the plants with a blast of magic!</p><p>The plants inflated to the size of a hot air balloon right before her eyes, and flew off like jets. They shot right for the helicopters, knocking them out of the air mid-flight! The helicopters burst into flames, a rare streak of warm red and smoky gray amid the cooling skies.</p><p>A whole rain of small, red things poured down from their smoky remains! The sounds of growling and gnashing teeth rang through the air as burning, bright red chompies dressed in blue and gold armor splattered on the floor, leaped up and bolted across the battlefield!</p><p>Eye grunted as he popped off of Brawl and flew into the eye of the storm, shooting off lasers and sniping them away as much as he could. He was only one eye, and they were many! He panted, tears of sweat pouring down his body and splashing against the battleground. The tears drowned out most chompies, but right as Eye went to shoot, one particularly large chompy smacked into him! It knocked him right into Brawl's arms. Eye grunted as he crashed into Brawl's chest, wiggled his way back up and coughed.</p><p>"Look out below!" he cried.</p><p>Down below, a couple of molekin screamed and ran off as a few chompies bolted after them, but the chompies leaped forward and sank their teeth into the molekin! They screamed as flames danced along their clothes, melding with the scent of blood. The molekin leaped around and futilely tried to flail off the chompies, and in their moment of distraction, another ring of chompies licked their lips.</p><p>The other chompies went in for a taste themselves just to get blown away by a massive gust! The same gust pulled away the chompies that sunk their teeth into the molekin as well, and tossed them all off the side of the island.</p><p>Vaayu and Whirlwind rushed into the scene as the chompies screamed.</p><p>"Here, let me take care of those!" Whirlwind said as she lowered her head so that her horn pointed for the molekin.</p><p>Whirlwind's horn glowed in the colors of the rainbow, shining like a prism as it shot rainbows towards the molekin. Its colors faded as the rainbows sank into the molekin's skin and mended their wounds. Whirlwind smiled and flapped her wings as the molekin cheered for her, yet her happiness lasted but a moment. The sounds of growling chompies aching for another bite echoed from behind, and Whirlwind snarled.</p><p>She flapped his wings as she turned around, her horn glowing in rainbows once more. The rainbow light of her horn glowed brighter, spreading to the tips of her wings as she flew up. With a single flap, a burst of rainbows leaped from her body and swirled around in the heart of the battlefield, forming a vortex of rainbow winds that drew in everything! It was a black hole with a rainbow shield.</p><p>The chompies squealed, and clung to whatever they could as the vortex's winds drew them in, but the winds were mighty and they were not. The winds sucked them in within a moment's passing, and the black hole ate them up in another! The vortex grew with every chompy it ate, and its colors tinged in warm tones as it spewed heat from its hear. The black hole towered over the village as the last of the chompies disappeared, and shuddered as it spewed out a volley of flames!</p><p>Brawl stomped his feet as the flames rained, ducked, and shielded Eye as towering bony brambles burst from the ground. The brambles wove themselves around the village. Their tall, strong bone blocked out the sun and glowed red as the flames cascaded down, but the glow quickly faded.</p><p>The bones crumbled away, and revealed an intact village with only a few stray cyclops invaders left straggling in its midst! The last wisps of rainbow light faded as the cyclopes got to their feet and charged.</p><p>Eruptor and Terrafin stepped forward and let go of each other's hands. Eruptor stepped forward first and clapped his hands, but what came from his hands wasn't a flow of lava. Rather, what emerged was a massive beast with cracked volcanic rock formed in the vague shape of a face at its front!</p><p>The beast roared as it charged for Terrafin, but he didn't run. He leaped up in turn with the beast, who charged right into his back and pushed him forward. Now piloted towards the cyclopes, Terrafin corkscrewed through the air and slammed into them like a bullet. He punched right into them with such force that they smacked right into the wall! Terrafin hopped back down, wiped off his hands as the cyclopes collapsed, and grinned as he gave a thumbs up to the rest of the group behind.</p><p>"Well, looks like things are cleaned up here," Luz remarked as he strode up to some of the barely-conscious cyclopes, and wiped his hands. "Now, for the important part!"</p><p>"What would that be, ghosty?" croaked one cyclops as he pushed himself up. His voice was grizzled with pain as he snarled. "Asking for directions to the underworld?"</p><p>The cyclops yowled as Luz bonked him in the head with his shield, but Luz chuckled.</p><p>"I dunno, you look pretty dead to me too! Didn't know you bad guy types resorted to grave-robbing for your armies! Your leader must be pretty desperate~"</p><p>The cyclops gritted his teeth, and a low growl rumbled in his throat as Luz walked circles around him. "How dare you insult our queen like this?"</p><p>Luz smirked and toyed with his shield; he rocked it back and forth as he paced. "I dunno what she's thinking, raiding a tiny village like this. Surely, she's got better things to do as a queen?" Luz raised a brow. "Unless, perhaps, there's an ulterior motive?"</p><p>"The, the queen—"</p><p>"Don't do it!" cried another cyclops as they slapped their hand over the first cyclops's mouth with what little strength they had. "The queen told us not to reveal anything!"</p><p>Both cyclops gasped as shadows cast over them. The rest of Luz's group encircled them with fists held tight and scowls on their faces, but it was Vaayu who came first. Lifting up one cyclops's head, Vaayu scowled as lightning crackled from his fingertips, and zapped the cyclops's chin as they yelped.</p><p>"Forget it! We already know why you're here, so go on and tell us," Vaayu said as he squeezed the cyclops's chin, shocking it further. "What does Arkilles need the Oracle for, and what is he planning?"</p><p>"I, I, I don't know who you're talking about! Our queen, she told us to storm this place! Said she, she said—"</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>Luz frowned and glanced down at his shield. He spun it back and forth as it ticked like a clock, and hummed a tune as he glanced over to where Vaayu interrogated the cyclops. Luz shuddered and glanced back aside. His eyes narrowed as something akin to dark blue fog started to creep out from the cracks in the ground, and rubbed his eyes for a moment.</p><p>Still, the fog stayed and grew larger by the minute!</p><p>"Hey, Vaayu!" Luz cried as he rushed over and shook Vaayu's shoulder, shooting glances over at the creeping smoke, and then at Vaayu in sharp turns. "We've got trouble!"</p><p>Vaayu didn't move an inch. His glance was still stern, and focused on the cyclops he interrogated.</p><p>"What did she say?" Vaayu asked.</p><p>"Said, this guy… He wants the Oracle, to help him with something… Told us to find some mole to talk with him…"</p><p>"And that would be?"</p><p>The smoke raised further, and Luz winced as he shook Vaayu's side. "Vaayu, Vaayu! Seriously, do you have clouds in your ears?"</p><p>Vaayu squeezed the cyclops's lower jaw, snarling as his hair started to raise, but grunted as something smashed into his back! It knocked him into the floor, and Luz collapsed beside him!</p><p>Vaayu fell on his side and grunted as Luz pulled him up. Both their eyes fixed on the swirling mass of dark blue smoke that now hovered in the air! The smoke churned and growled as it shot bullets of smoke all across the ground. It knocked the others off their feet as the bullets hit the ground and exploded, turned to Luz and shot one for him.</p><p>Luz whipped out his shield, and the smoke smashed against the shield before it exploded into harmless puffs and wisps. Luz shuddered as they vanished right before his eyes, and the shaking spread to his hands and legs as he fumbled with his shield. He spun it with trembling fingers as its core glowed faintly.</p><p>Sparks spat out, cast a single beam of thin, yellow light onto the ground. The beam exploded with one last spin, and created a wall of light that sliced the smoky ball in half.</p><p>Luz shuddered, lowered his arm as the smoke vanished right before him, and clenched his teeth and fist. "I, I know that technique. I'd, recognize it anywhere," Luz whispered.</p><p>"Just where did that come from?" Vaayu groaned as he scratched his head.</p><p>Vaayu turned to his side and back to where the cyclopes still laid, though their shadows grew suspiciously large. He gasped, and jumped back as the shadows pooled around the cyclopes, forming a pit! He could only watch with jaw and eyes wide as the cyclopes fell through while their pit disappeared. Vaayu flinched and turned around as the sounds of cackling came from above!</p><p>"Well, well, looks like we've got a few intruders here!" smirked a cyclops in heavily-decorated armor as he hiked over the cliffs. The ax he wielded was a mock walking stick that thudded against the ground with every step. "Wonder what brings you to this washed-up old place?"</p><p>All around Luz, the others got up and steeled themselves, hands nearing their weapons or charging with magic.</p><p>Luz shuddered, and his lip twitched into a frown as cold sweat started to pour. He panted as he stepped forward, tossed up his head, and pointed right towards the cyclops, eyes burning with hot flames!</p><p>"What do you think you're doing?" Luz screamed at the top of his lungs.</p><p>"Luz!" Ninjini cried as she glanced down at him with eyes wide.</p><p>The cyclops chuckled and ran his finger along the side of his ax. "Isn't it obvious?" he crowed as he spun his ax around. "I'm making sure you don't stop the king and queen from getting what they want!"</p><p>The ax struck the ground, the chime of its thudding metal ringing through the air like a gong.</p><p>Mist formed all around them as the skies dulled. The whole area turned cold and chilly as the mist blocked out the skies, and the scent of cold, dead air ran throughout. The faint sound of footsteps crunching the ground underneath rang, yet nobody moved. They stood in place as their shadows crept out from underneath their feet!</p><p>It was Gill Grunt who finally turned around and noticed as his own shadow stretched well past him with a mischievous glint. It leaped out of the ground and beamed! It towered over him as it bore its fangs and raised sharp, clawed hands!</p><p>Gill Grunt grimaced and shot it with a harpoon, piercing a hole through its heart. It reformed in moments! The shadow lunged, and Gill Grunt jumped away as it smashed into the ground before it pulled itself up!</p><p>Everyone else gasped as they grabbed their weapons, and warred with their own shadows.</p><p>Luz winced as his own shadow laughed in his face! It threw a punch, but he swung away and sliced off its head with his glowing shield! The light burst and burned away the shadow as it squealed. It wasn't its death that shook him. No, it was the sight of the shades around that left him trembling.</p><p>"That, that was his technique, too," Luz whispered.</p><p>His hand moved to his shield. His brows narrowed as he pulled its glowing body from his arm, and flung it like a disc.</p><p>"EVERYONE, DUCK!"</p><p>Everyone else bounced away as the disc flew and curved around the arena, but the shadows weren't so lucky! The shield sliced their bodies in half, yanked heads from necks, and cut off limbs as it circled around. The shadows collapsed as they went to reform. A searing light shone right then, and the shadows screamed as the light drowned them out! The light washed away the battlefield, its warm whites and yellows painting over the cold blues of the battlefield.</p><p>The shield flew back to Luz and latched onto his arm, but Luz scowled as he glared daggers at the cyclops atop the ledge.</p><p>The cyclops blinked, and stumbled back as his ax fell from his hand, clattering along the floor. "How, how did you know what I was doing?"</p><p>Luz grunted as he bashed his shield against the ground!</p><p>The floor rumbled and split as turrets of solid, rainbow-dyed prism burst through. The turrets set their cannons on the cyclops, pelted the cyclops with bullets of light, and knocked him backwards in short work! The cyclops cried out as his back hit the floor and cracked. He staggered up as a burst of yellow light leaped from turret to turret with incredible speed. One moment, the burst rested atop the furthest of the turrets, and the next, Luz pinned the cyclops down with shield raised and bright!</p><p>"GIVE HIM BACK!" Luz screamed as he slashed at the cyclops.</p><p>The cyclops disappeared into shadows, rolled away just as Luz struck, and dashed for his ax as he yanked it off the ground! He screamed as he ran forward and swung, but Luz turned around and tossed the blow aside with his shield. Luz swung next, his shield aimed for the cyclops's chest, but the swing of the cyclops's ax forced him to jump aside.</p><p>"Luz, what do you think you're doing, you numskull?" Vaayu cried. "Get down from there!"</p><p>"What in Skylands has gotten into you?" Ninjini cried. "Please, calm down!"</p><p>"I've never seen him this angry before," Eye whispered. His voice wavered as he rested in Brawl's hands.</p><p>The air turned tense as Luz slashed at the cyclops, who hopped back with every slash and left Luz to strike at thin air! Luz lifted his head, growled, and leaped forward at light-speed. He bashed his shield against the side of the cyclops's head at last! The cyclops hacked out blood as he collapsed onto the ground, yet still grabbed his ax and bounced away.</p><p>"I said, give him back!" Luz cried as he rushed forward and slashed once more.</p><p>The cyclops jumped back again, and pivoted to the side as he chuckled.</p><p>"What're you talking about? I haven't taken any prisoners lately!" the cyclops goaded, and swung back as Luz attempted to slice his head. "None that I can recall, anyways!"</p><p>The cyclops spun aside as Luz sliced again, and hopped back as Luz sliced further. Every blow came only inches towards his face as he escaped. With one last hop, the cyclops spun his ax around and smirked.</p><p>"Now, we've got a couple treasure thieves and loiterers in the dungeons. By any chance, would those be the being you're looking for?"</p><p>"Don't play dumb, you bastard! Give him back!"</p><p>Luz screamed as he charged forward, and the cyclops swung his ax, shooting a blade of darkness right for Luz! The blow came faster than Luz could, slammed into his chest, and knocked him back on the ground while his shield slipped from his grip! The shield rolled around as it rattled on the ground, and Luz fell next.</p><p>He hacked as he collapsed, and his pendant pulsed with light atop his chest. He hacked and coughed again as the cyclops stomped on his chest, yet he still held enough strength to snarl as the cyclops leaned down over him.</p><p>The cyclops hummed, rubbing his chin as he glazed over Luz's chest. His eye fell on Luz's sparkling, pulsing pendant, and he gasped! A wicked cackle rose from him as he fell back, and he chuckled as he dug through his shirt.</p><p>"Ah, I see, I see!" the cyclops crowed as he yanked a string from underneath his shirt. "I presume this is what you're looking for?"</p><p>Luz heaved heavy, labored breaths as he pushed his head up and forced his eyes open.</p><p>It was then that his breath stopped short and his eyes shrank. Their view fixed on the object that dangled from the cyclops's pendant.</p><p>There, sparkling before Luz in the light, was a cobalt crystal wheel as dark as the night sky! It just barely pulsed, and the runes carved into its surface shone in indigo as the wheel aimlessly spun!</p><p>"FINTSTER!" Luz cried as he flung himself up. "GIVE HIM BACK!"</p><p>The cyclops tsked, and the pendant clouded.</p><p>Shadows leaped from the ground and twisted around Luz's body, pulling him back to the ground! Luz grunted as he struggled. He thrust and flailed his limbs as he pushed against them, but the shadows grew larger, stronger as they pinned him down. He glared at the cyclops, who chuckled and drew his ax.</p><p>"Now, I'd say right now's the perfect time to gain her majesty's favor!"</p><p>The cyclops chuckled as his eye laid on Luz's pendant, and he swung his ax in turn, but right before it hit, a burst of wind blew the cyclops right off of Luz's body! The shadows all blew away with the cyclops as he smashed against the floor. his body let off an awful cracking noise, and the cyclops groaned as he staggered back up just to collapse. The cyclops hacked out blood as he clutched his side and snarled; he lumbered down, and just barely grabbed his ax from the ground.</p><p>"Stay away from Luz, you one-eyed creep!" Swarm cried as he flew up and landed on the ground behind Luz.</p><p>Luz scowled, jumped from the ground and rushed forward. Sparkles swirled and glistening around him as he leaped forward, propelled by the speed of light itself! In a flash, he came within inches of the cyclops, and just barely brushed his fingers against Fintster's pendant...</p><p>But, the shadows engulfed the cyclops and he vanished, leaving Luz collapsing wide-eyed on the floor.</p><p>"Luz, are you alright?" Swarm shouted as he crept forward and swept Luz in his hands. "I dunno what you were thinking, blowing up like that! I mean, it was pretty cool, but—"</p><p>Swarm stopped short as Luz screamed, and Luz pounded his fist against Swarm's palms! On instinct, Swarm dropped him back to the ground. A cloud formed at Swarm's feet, catching Luz just before he could hit the ground. Swarm backed away as Luz shot him a glare for only a second.</p><p>With another scream, light sparked at Luz's heels and he nearly ran off—but Dej and Vaayu jumped up just before takeoff, and grabbed him by the arms! Luz screamed and kicked back as he thrust against the grip. The two of them frowned and pulled him back.</p><p>"Let me go! Lemme go already!" Luz screamed, his voice strained with every yell as he squirmed and flailed further. "I, I have to go! I have to find that guy and—"</p><p>"You're going to calm down, is what you're doing!" Vaayu spat. "We can't have you running off and getting yourself hurt like that!"</p><p>"Vaayu's right, Luz!" Dej cried in turn, and frowned as his brows softened. "Just cool your head a little!"</p><p>"I, I can't!" Luz cried. His strained voice strung higher as tears fell down his cheeks. "I can't just sit around here!"</p><p>Luz's voice strained its furthest, until it was all he could do to croak out his words. Finally, the strength left him. His arms slipped out of Vaayu's and Dej's grip, and he collapsed to the floor in a heap. He curled up and sobbed with his face planted to the floor.</p><p>"I, I, can't, not when they have Fintster! I, I have to…"</p><p>Dej and Vaayu both gasped. Their own glances softened as they knelt down, but it was Swarm who took in Luz first.</p><p>Swarm knelt down and gently brushed Luz close to his knees. Luz curled up against Swarm's leg, and sobbed as Swarm brushed a finger against his back. His wings chirped with a soft, soothing sound as Swarm shielded Luz with his hand.</p><p>"Alright, change of plans," Swarm proclaimed as he gained a stern frowned, and the air around him became much more serious than normal. Swarm pumped a fist in the air as the others climbed up the cliffs. "We're finding that cyclops and getting Fintster back, no matter what! Who's with me?"</p><p>Eye-Brawl was the first to hike it up, and Eye nodded as he popped off of Brawl.</p><p>"I'm in," Eye said, before he floated down to Luz, and wiped the tears from Luz's face with his wing. "After all, I know how hard it feels to lose family."</p><p>"And I'm coming as well," Brawl signed.</p><p>Vaayu and Dej both glanced at each other, nodded and stepped forward.</p><p>"Same here. Fintster's one of us, after all," Dej said as he placed his hand on his hips. "We've already lost so many of our friends, so I'm not losing anyone else."</p><p>"Agreed," Vaayu said. A small frown crawled along his face as he glanced down at his shirt's stitched-on sleeve. "None of us are getting left behind."</p><p>Ninjini and Hot Head both nodded as Ninjini clutched her wishblades. Beside them, Whirlwind flew up to Luz and gently patted his shoulder with her wing.</p><p>"Don't worry, we're not going to let them take him," Whirlwind whispered.</p><p>Luz sniffed a bit, and brushed away tears as Gill Grunt laid his hand on Luz's other shoulder. Though Gill Grunt said no words, he had a sort of kind, understand look in his yellow and orange eyes. It rang with sadness too, as if he understood Luz's anguish better than he let on.</p><p>"Well, guess we're going, too," Terrafin remarked as he crossed his arms, chuckled and turned to Eruptor as Eruptor nodded.</p><p>Luz blinked back tears. His eyes were still wide and red, but he quickly wiped off his face and nodded as he stepped out from the ground. His eyes trailed first onto the ground, and then to a string of shadows that carefully snaked along the ground, letting off faint wisps of blue smoke.</p><p>"Just like I thought! It's his shadow-stepping!" Luz shouted as he pointed to the trail. Taking a moment to snatch his shield from the ground, Luz hooked it back to his arm and held it out across the ground; he pointed towards a string of cliffs and bridges ahead. "He ran that way!"</p><p>With his head held low, and his eyes on the faint trial of smoke, Luz snarled and bolted forward, clutching his pendant the whole way.</p><p>"Follow me!"</p><p align="center">§</p><p>"Now the gate to the Dinya Mirin should be here," Nemir said as he fixed his crown and pulled up his robes some.</p><p>He cleared his throat as he glanced over the masses of purple rock and dark, smoky skies that laid before him. The chilled, cool air raised goosebumps along the skin and chilled the very core of one's soul. Nemir's attention wasn't fixed on that; or the occasional dead trees and tumbleweeds; or even the bony brambles that entwined with dead vines, and the sickly purple leaves that burst from the cracks in the floor. No, his eyes instead focused on a gate comprised of spiky bones, and the shiny, silver disc with an Undead Element symbol carved on it in its heart, which beamed with sickly undead energy just from a glance.</p><p>"And here they are."</p><p>Nemir hummed as he strode over to the gate and placed a hand against its disc.</p><p>Behind him, Chihiro crossed her arms behind her back, and hummed as she glanced at Spyro. "So, Spyro, what is this Dinya Mirin place supposed to be like? Think it's anything like the place we had to get the Undead Source from, or is it like that Darklight Crypt place?" she asked as she tapped her foot.</p><p>"Well, maybe not," Spyro replied as he scratched his chin. "Sure, the Underworld has a reputation for being gloomy and morbid, but I read that around these parts, there's a thriving community of natural Undead Elementals who made a living for themselves doing business in the more supernatural fields with the living. It's one of the oldest-lived intermortal communities between the living and the dead, and one of the most diverse ones at that—"</p><p>"And if you want to know, you can find out for yourselves," Nemir said as he stepped back.</p><p>Spyro and Chihiro both blinked, turned away from each other, and found that the gate finally receded in the moments they spent talking.</p><p>Its bones just barely peeked from the earth now, and decorated the top of a long, spiraling staircase made of much smoother and sleeker purple stone compared to the old, cracked stone of the world around. Faint music and the howling of ghosts echoed from the bellows of whatever the staircase ended at. They were sounds so faint that it was hard to hear them over the wind, or figure out whether they were born of joy, mourning, or something else entirely.</p><p>Spyro and Chihiro glanced at each other once more, and Nemir floated over to them as he gently draped two simple pendants over their necks. They were both made of a ghastly ribbon and a single skull for a charm. The two of them lifted up their pendants as a strange, almost chilling kind of energy resonated from them. Protective amulets, perhaps?</p><p>"These pendants should protect you from the Undead energy inherit to the Dinya Mirin," Nemir explained. He beckoned for them as he floated towards the staircase. "Now come, follow me. The Dinya Mirin is just down this way."</p><p>Spyro took down the stairs first, jumping in the air and flying down. Chihiro skipped after him. She hopped down the stairs two at a time to keep pace with his flight. Her hands clasped and released as she glanced down at the walls of sleek obsidian that made up the world around her.</p><p>A faint shimmer of light shone beside her as she ran her hand against the wall, and she frowned. The sounds that echoed from the staircase grew louder, and merrier. She hit the last step as light poured through the path ahead, and crept out while craning her head the entire way.</p><p>As she left the pathway, she stumbled back and gasped, for confetti popped in her face! For a place in the Underworld, the whole area around was filled with life!</p><p>The streets shone in bright shades of purple and cyan, even milky whites and shiny silvers. Ghouls, ghosts, and creatures of all kinds raced down the streets and cheered, all while they brandished party poppers and sparklers of ghastly energy! Stands and stores with signs that bore colorful displays lined the streets, all in a wellspring of undead styles. Crypts from Eastern Siebenbard, houses shaped like giant urns with distinctly Kanokatasenese styles, and even graves and old temples reminiscent of Turkish monuments she'd seen in her travels on Earth! It was a hub of everything Undead, and it warmed the cool air with a feeling of unity and uniqueness alike.</p><p>In the heart of it all, a whole parade stormed down the way, complete with a band of ghosts that performed music on invisible instruments! The smells of baked good rang in the air, and a glance aside showed that it came from a few ghosts in baker's clothes who handed out pies and crepes to couples lined up a stand. Heh, Chihiro didn't think Batterson's chain delivered here, of all places! Music and laughter rang in the air, warming the otherwise-cold winds of the underworld. It was a sight that left Chihiro smiling as she stood and basked in it.</p><p>Beside her, Nemir chuckled and lowered his crown, yet kept it clutched to his heart in lieu of his head.</p><p>"So much has changed here," he whispered, "yet it's just as wonderful as I remember it being." Nemir chuckled, laid his crown back atop his head, and drifted away from the group. "Anyways, the Undead conduction device we need should be sold in some of the shops around here. We'll split up and look. I'll take this end, and you two will take the other."</p><p>"Got it!" Spyro shouted as he took Chihiro hand in paw. "Come on, Chi, we've got a device to get!"</p><p>Spyro and Chihiro both laughed as they raced through the gaps in the parading crowds. Heart-shaped confetti and colorful streamers rained down on them as they passed by. The two of them laughed as they brushed the dying paper out off their heads; Chihiro chuckled as Spyro pulled a streamer from between her bangs and tossed it away.</p><p>Something about the warm atmosphere made the tension of their mission disappear. They hadn't quite had a moment like that in a while. Not to mention, there was so much to see and do that it was hard for Chihiro to <em>not</em> run off and check out all the sights and sounds! She did still have a device to find and a friend to revive, so she grabbed Spyro by the paw and dragged him away to the shops.</p><p>They weaved through some ghouls and goblins to avoid the crowds. Crowds were enough of a pain when shopping on Earth, and she couldn't imagine how much of a pain it would be to try and shop through a pack of beings you could walk right through! Luckily, the few crowds were sparse, and soon enough she slowed to a walk. She stopped right by one shop, gently released Spyro's paw, and pressed her hands against the glass.</p><p>Within the displays, all sorts of jewelry and trinkets laid lined up and sparkling. Their stands peeked out from the thickets of promotional fliers, and posters taped to the walls on ectoplasmic bases. On one display, there stood necklaces, bracelets, crowns and earrings and more. To the other, there were tiny clocks and other strange devices Chihiro couldn't quite put a name to. A place with fun trinkets like this would be as good a place to start as any, right?</p><p>She supposed so, so Chihiro pulled herself off the glass and went towards the door—but she didn't even need to. A ghost with a body the color of honey phased right through the door!</p><p>"Welcome, welcome! Welcome to Bane's Baubles and Bijoux, where every ware is a precious gem in the eyes of the beholder!" the ghost proclaimed, before they chuckled as their milky white eyes drifted from Spyro and Chihiro. "Here to get a little something special for your date?"</p><p>"D-date?" Spyro and Chihiro sputtered, shooting quick glances at each other and then back at the giggling ghost.</p><p>Chihiro stepped forward first, forcing a laugh and shaking her hands a little. "Er, well, we're not here on a date, per say—"</p><p>"Aw, don't be coy!" the ghost nudged Chihiro's arm with their elbow, though, being a ghost, it just phased right through and sent chills down her spine. "You know, we have a special deal going on right now for the Festival of Lovers! You buy one, get one half-off!"</p><p>"The Festival of Lovers?"</p><p>The ghost raised a faint brow, smiled and nodded. "Ah, you must be visitors here. You don't know about the Festival of Lovers, do you?"</p><p>"Not really," Spyro affirmed as he shook his head.</p><p>"Why, the Festival of Lovers is one of our oldest holidays!" the ghost clasped their hands. "Ages ago, when our town was but a small village, a horrific monster rose from the depths and used its powers to turn our entire populace against itself! Family fought family, friends stabbed each other in the back… Oh, it was horrendous!" the ghost mock-fainted for a moment, their body paling as they did. But, they quickly pulled themself up and smiled. "Thankfully, two lovers bravely stepped in, and used the power of their love to seal away the beast! Now, every year we celebrate the power of their love, and the strength of a couple's bonds!"</p><p>Spyro and Chihiro both smiled to each other. That did sound pretty nice, celebrating the strength of bonds. Their moment of enjoyment quickly broke, for the ghost shoved a book of jewelry with ghastly, melting faces reflected in its surface in their faces.</p><p>"So, interested in some rings or a necklace for your little lady?"</p><p>Chihiro winced, backed away, and leaned in closer to Spyro. "Little lady? Are they talking about me?"</p><p>"I dunno," Spyro whispered back. "Maybe?"</p><p>Spyro cleared his throat and flew forward, gently pushing the box out of the way. "Actually, we're here for something called an undead conduction device. You've got a lot of odds and ends here, so we wanted to know if you might have something like that?"</p><p>Hearing this, the ghost chuckled and withdrew with a bit of a sad look in their eyes.</p><p>"Actually, we don't have anything like that here. We just have little house trinkets. If you're looking for supernatural wares, the Moon Cat's Alleyway is your stop! In fact, it's right over there!" The ghost gestured right across the street.</p><p>There, another shop that was decked out in glowing which resembled stars, moons, suns, and other magical things sat. A curved sign that resembled a black cat with crescents for eyes read the shop's name in Common. A few ghosts lingered to and fro at its front; they glanced in the windows, or popped in and out of the shop for mere moments while apparitions of short beings swaddled in cloth offered them cards.</p><p>Yeah, this seemed like the kind of place that would be super magical, and truth be told, Chihiro was starting to get a little weirded out from the way this ghost looked at her and Spyro. It seemed like a good next stop.</p><p>"Thank you for your time!" Chihiro spat out as she yanked away Spyro and rushed into the streets, her head hanging down the entire time.</p><p>All of a sudden, the normally-comforting grip of his paw felt strange, cold and alien, so she released and stormed her way in alone. Not once did her eyes lift from the streets. She didn't look, not even as the sounds of parading cheers, and loud, joyful music that sang about couples and their love for each other rang in the streets; not even as the world thundered around her. She knew it. Something in her gut told her she was going to look up, and she'd meet with someone hounding her about love, about herself and Spyro, about—</p><p>"Chi, watch out!" Spyro cried.</p><p>Something yanked Chihiro's arm back right as a particularly burly ghost passed through. Chihiro shook her head as she turned back to Spyro. She, she hadn't seen that guy there. She got too wrapped up in what that shopkeeper said.</p><p>Spyro chuckled and fixed her bangs a little, but she winced and looked back down. It stung a little, feeling his claws against her skin at a time like this.</p><p>"You alright, Chi? You seem a little out of it."</p><p>"Yeah, I'm fine!" Chihiro chuckled as she scratched her head. "Guess I just got a little lost in my thoughts there."</p><p>A bright purple light brushed against her face, and Chihiro craned her head up to find herself right at the Moon Cat place's storefront.</p><p>"Would you look at that, we're here! Better go ask if they have that device!"</p><p>Chihiro pushed the door open, and the store greeted her with the smell of fresh incense and flowers. The cool lights of the outdoors turned to warm pinks and reds, like her classrooms on Valentine's Day. All around her, pink and red trinkets decked out the shelves in addition to common magic wares like potions, fortune-telling tools, and more. A love potion to the left, a kit to find your future lover's name to the right…</p><p>Her stomach churned at the sight, so she gulped and held her head down as she headed to the back. Maybe the devices and stuff would be there, and she could quickly leave. All this talk of romance felt something akin to somebody dumping a bucket of cold water on her head, and she wasn't quite sure why.</p><p>The sound of soft, flapping wings came behind her, and the familiar touch of a scaly paw brought her back up.</p><p>"Hey, don't worry about what that ghost said earlier," Spyro whispered. "They just seemed a little eager to sell that stuff."</p><p>Chihiro chuckled a bit, but couldn't bring herself to smile. "Don't worry, I'm not," she lied. Well, only half-lied. It didn't bother her, for that itself wasn't what bothered her. It was more that she didn't know why it bothered her in the first place.</p><p>"Have you come to get your fortune told, young lovers?"</p><p>A cold wind whispered in the wind, and Chihiro jolted up as her eyes moved around the store in search of its source. Her eyes locked on a small wisp of blue smoke that came from the floorboards and billowed into a pillar. Chihiro yelped and backed away as it exploded! On instinct, she crafted a shield, but the smoke quickly faded and she quickly released in turn.</p><p>Chihiro turned to where the smoke once rested, and found a ghost so heavily swaddled in robes that only their eyes could be seen.</p><p>"Fortune told?" Chihiro echoed, and straightened her posture as she spoke.</p><p>The ghost nodded, though it was a teensy bit hard to tell with all their clothing. "Yes, we're doing a special deal on love fortunes for the festival of lovers!" the ghost replied. Their voice was a bit shrill with glee as they clapped their hands. "And you, and that dragon boy, I can smell it—you two are deeply in love, aren't you?"</p><p>Chihiro jolted up and backed away as the ghost floated straight up to Spyro and grabbed his paw. Spyro could only sputter out awkward, garbled nonsense as the ghost stared directly into his eyes.</p><p>"Now what concerns might you have? How long will your love last? When your wedding day will be? How many kids your partner wants?"</p><p>Well, at least they didn't assume she was a girl this time. Chihiro would give them that. She didn't know why, but something about the way the other shopkeeper jumped to that left a bitter taste in her mouth. Spyro didn't seem particularly comfortable as he subtly tried to pull his paw away, so she pushed through and pulled Spyro away.</p><p>"Actually, we came here looking for an undead conduction device," Chihiro explained, pushing herself in front of Spyro. "Do you have one?"</p><p>The ghost's face fell a bit, as if they were almost disappointed that Chihiro and Spyro didn't come here for love fortunes, and shook their head.</p><p>"I'm afraid we just sold out of our last one."</p><p>"Ah, I see." Chihiro turned around and made her way straight for the door with Spyro's paw clasped tight in her hand. "In that case, we'll try elsewhere."</p><p>"But wait, aren't you curious about your love—"</p><p>Chihiro slammed the door behind her just before the ghost could finish, released Spyro's paw and sighed as she sat on the side of the street. She watched as a colorful float topped with two ghosts in ceremonial robes passed her by. The two ghosts waved down to the cheering crowds around, leaned in to kiss—and all of a sudden, Chihiro's stomach churned and she turned away before she threw up.</p><p>A familiar scaly embrace came as a wing shielded over her eyes, and Chihiro nodded as she nestled in closer to Spyro. The warmth of his scales pressing against her, but she winced and drew back. The faint recollection of those words came back, and she couldn't help but frown as they echoed in her head.</p><p>"<em>Here to get a little something special for your date?"</em></p><p>"<em>Have you come to get your fortune told, young lovers?"</em></p><p>"<em>You two are quite the item, aren't you?"</em></p><p>Sure, she might've sounded a little stupid, but hearing that about her and Spyro just felt strange. Not once had she really put much thought to it. Sure, she and Spyro said "I love you" to each other all the time, they hung out all the time, and she felt a kind of connection with him that didn't quite feel the same way she felt about the other Skylanders, or anybody else.</p><p>But, being called a "couple," something about the word felt strange to her. Were they in a relationship? She guessed they probably would've been, seeing as how they did almost all the stuff couples did, and the way she felt about him wasn't quite the way she felt about friends or family.</p><p>Something about that didn't feel right, but, why? Was it because they never kissed, or really gone on a date? Well, they'd gone on missions by themselves before, and dates were just spending time alone, right? No, that didn't quite feel right either. Something about their connection came so naturally, yet just that one sentence was enough to make it strange and unnatural in an instant.</p><p>Was it wrong that she couldn't quite put a word to the kind of relationship they had? It should be simple: either they were friends, or they were lovers, but neither word really fit.</p><p>"Chi? Chi?" Spyro called, waving his paw in front of Chihiro's face. "Chihiro?"</p><p>Chihiro hastily shook her head and nodded. "Yeah, Golden Boy?"</p><p>"Are you alright? You were spacing out a little back there."</p><p>Chihiro frowned, turning away from Spyro. Should she ask him how he felt about all that? After all, he seemed kind of weirded out by it too. Besides, regardless of whatever they were, or whatever beings thought of them, she could tell him anything. Well, she supposed she could.</p><p>"Er, well, kind of." Chihiro teased her hair and bit her lip. "Spyro, are we a couple?"</p><p>Spyro blinked and tilted his head. "A… Couple?"</p><p>"Well, I mean, I was thinking about what Boomette said the other day, and what those shopkeepers said, and well, I don't know. I mean, I don't really know anything about romance."</p><p>"Well, I don't really know the first thing about romance, either." Spyro scratched his horn a little, the same way he always did when he was deep in thought. "I mean, being a couple's just like being friends, but you kiss, and go on dates, and stuff, right?"</p><p>"I think it's a little more complicated than that." Chihiro fell back on the platform and sighed. "I mean, people say Marisa and Monika are a couple all the time cause they're together all the time, and they talk about how important they are to each other all the time, and because of how much they care for each other, and how they don't know what they'd do without each other. Heck, they even raised a kid together in one season! We do most of that stuff, right? I mean, we haven't raised a kid together" — Chihiro chuckled a bit — "unless you count taking care of Wrecking Ball, but…"</p><p>"So, well, I <em>guess</em> that would make us a couple, wouldn't it?"</p><p>The two of them sighed, hanging their heads for a bit. Chihiro supposed he was right, but judging by the reluctant tone in his voice, he seemed just as confused and uncomfortable as she was. Something scaly and warm brushed underneath Chihiro's chin. Chihiro turned her head up, and found Spyro smiling back at her with his wing underneath her chin.</p><p>"I wouldn't worry too much about it. We're each other's partners no matter what, right? Doesn't matter if we're friends, or a couple, or anything."</p><p>Well, that was true. Even if she didn't really understand what romance was, or what really made people friends, or a couple, or things like that, she knew she cared about Spyro more than anything! The two of them clicked in a way she didn't really click with anyone else. Heck, if she could only pick one beings to spend the rest of her life with, it would be him, no hesitation.</p><p>That awful, sickly feeling that rang in Chihiro's stomach disappeared. All of a sudden, that yearning to hold him in her arms came back, so Chihiro thrust herself in Spyro's grip and squeezed him tight! He shouted out from the sudden weight, but Spyro quickly embraced her back. He tucked his head in her shoulders, and his legs and wings wrapped tight around her. The whole world melted away, and it was just the two of them, just the way Chihiro liked it.</p><p>"I love you, Golden Boy," she whispered as she squeezed him a bit tighter.</p><p>"Love you too, Chi," Spyro whispered.</p><p>The two of them released as the float passed them by. Chihiro kicked her feet against the pavement as the sounds of music faded and grew in the distance. She didn't really have any idea where to go next, so she supposed she'd sit here and watch the parade while she waited for Nemir to get back. Surely, he'd probably have some idea where to go next.</p><p>A loud crash sounded, and Chihiro winced as she covered her ears from the sudden noise. Just where did that come from? It didn't sound like it came from the music, but more like… Chihiro's eyes glazed back to the other side of the street.</p><p>There, a few ghosts surrounded that jewelry shop's keeper from earlier, except a strange, pink and blue mist wavered and wafted over them as they shouted at each other. A few others gathered together, and tried to pull the ghosts away as they shouted. The mist spread to the mediators, and their eyes glowed red as they shouted and cursed too!</p><p>"A curse!" Spyro cried as he jumped to his paws and flew off. "Hold on, I'll take care of this!"</p><p>Chihiro jumped to her own feet and raced after Spyro, hands glowing cyan just in case. She bit her lip as Spyro held out glowing purple paws ahead of her. He clapped as he sent out strings of lavender mist towards the crowds! They both stumbled back as the mist swirled around the cursed ghosts, flashing and shimmering with light for moments.</p><p>However, the mist froze and shattered completely! The mist's fragments glistened on the floor like fresh snow. Spyro and Chihiro only gasped, and stared dumbfounded at the mist's dusty remains just before they disappeared.</p><p>The curse leaped like a flea around the crowd of ghosts that formed further, dyeing their eyes in swirling mixtures of pink and blue and fixing snarling frowns on their faces.</p><p>The crowds all turned around and glared towards Spyro and Chihiro. They clenched their fists and crept in as Spyro and Chihiro backed away with hands and paws raised in an act of peace. The ghosts just closed in further! Their ectoplasm turned redder and warmer as they came in closer, and they crowded tight around Spyro and Chihiro as they pressed their backs together.</p><p>"Now, calm down, everyone," Spyro began as he held his paws up further. "We mean you no harm—"</p><p>One ghost leaped from the crowds and lunged for Spyro!</p><p>On instinct, he grabbed Chihiro and flew in the air! Spyro's eyes turned azure as he flew off at a storm's speed, dropped Chihiro back down on the ground, and took a breath for a moment.</p><p>"Spyro, I don't think now's the time to take a breather!" Chihiro cried as she pointed ahead. "Look!"</p><p>Spyro lifted his head, and gasped as more red mist seeped out from the ground, infecting the crowd of ghosts ahead! He backed away as the ghosts all slowly turned on each other. Their once cheerful chatter turned to shouts and insults that rang in his ears as his eyes went wide.</p><p>In fact, he was so fixed on them, that he didn't even notice the mist that crept up behind him!</p><p>Chihiro gasped as the mist rose, pushed himself in front of Spyro, and cast a shield out right before it struck! The mist slammed against the shield, thrust it out of Chihiro's hands, and knocked her back into Spyro with a grunt. The two of them winced as they lifted their heads.</p><p>Before them, Chihiro's shield turned pink and blue as it burst into magic, but not the kind of sparkly magic remains that usually came from its expiration. No, this kind of magic was more akin to a murky dough, one that bubbled and popped as it grew legs, horns, and snarling fangs. Finally, it dropped down as a massive beast that roared and swung a claw for Spyro and Chihiro!</p><p>Chihiro jumped to her feet and pulled Spyro away just before it could strike. With her free hand, she pelted its forehead with spheres of energy! They phased right through the monster's forehead, but it reeled back just long enough that Chihiro teleported away, out of the monster's sights!</p><p>The monster roared as it charged away. Not once did its eyes glaze over the old, rotten crates in the alleyway beside it as they rattled.</p><p>Much to Chihiro's relief, for she hid behind them. She poked her head over the crates and winced. The monster long since left her sights, but the smashing of buildings, and the cries of scared beings turning to shouts of rage told her enough.</p><p>"Just what is that thing?" Spyro whispered as he popped up beside Chihiro. "My purification spell didn't even stand a chance!"</p><p>"Hey, what're you doing in our hiding spot?" piped up a tiny voice.</p><p>Spyro and Chihiro both winced, dove behind the crates, and turned around with hands raised and charged with magic, but quickly lowered them.</p><p>Before them sat two ghosts in long robes. One had short hair styled into a small mohawk, and another had long hair styled into some elaborate, voluminous ponytail with two more ponytails hanging from the sides. Their bodies were a pale purple in color, their eyes milky white, and they rang with a kind of magic power that the others ghosts didn't quite seem to have. Perhaps they were Magic Elementals who hadn't quite lost their elemental alignment yet?</p><p>The ghost with the ponytails hummed as they broke free of the other's grip, creeping closer to Spyro and Chihiro in slow motions. They rubbed their hand over their chin as they craned their head back and forth, nodded a bit and smiled.</p><p>"You two have quite the strong bond, don't you?" the ponytails ghost said. "I can sense it, you care for each other deeply."</p><p>Spyro and Chihiro both winced and warily nodded. What they said wasn't wrong, but after those encounters with those shopkeepers…</p><p>Chihiro went to speak, but before she could, the ponytails ghost gripped her hand and pulled her away.</p><p>"I'm Payiz," the ponytails ghost said as they held a hand to themself, and gestured to the other ghost, "and she's Havîn. Follow us, we know how to get to safety!"</p><p>Chihiro just nodded, not even able to speak.</p><p>Payiz dragged her away as Spyro frantically flew behind, and Havîn trailed at the group's back. They ran around winding corners and long straights, all while the sounds of the raging city behind them slowly disappeared into silence.</p><p>All around the sights melded together into lengthy walls, and then, they passed through the end of the halls. There, they met the sounds of whistling wind and the sights of cold, stone hills!</p><p>Dead blue grass coated a hill that stood right before them, and polished stone steps lined the hill's center as they led up to a large building. The building was topped with a heart intertwined with both vines and the bony brambles of the underworld. Ghastly plants that glowed with an eerie aura filled its base, and a crackling purple barrier occasionally flashed and faded into existence around the building. Was that some kind of temple?</p><p>"Luckily, the temple's barrier is strong as ever. No matter how strong that beast is, it'll never break in!" Havîn explained.</p><p>Oh, so it was a temple. Chihiro sighed as she scratched her head; she was still a little dizzy from the running, or maybe just from how hectic today was. She turned aside and frowned as the sounds of panting reached her ears. That voice, it sounded familiar. Could it be?</p><p>"There you two are!" Nemir cried as he floated in, but soon fell to his knees and held his chest. His face seemed a little bit more flushed than usual. It was as if he'd taken a lot of strength out of himself, but he quickly collected himself and stood nonetheless.</p><p>"I'd been looking for you when that strange mist came about, and—"</p><p>"Wait, hold on a second," Havîn gasped as she pushed through the crowds. Digging through a pocket in her robes, she pulled out a scroll and glanced it over, taking quick glances at Nemir for moments. Havîn gasped, and rolled it up before she rushed up to Nemir with stars shining in her eyes!</p><p>"You're none other than good king Nemir, one of the greatest kings our town had ever known! To think, you're still walking amid the dead, even after all these years!" Havîn clasped Nemir's hand in her own and grinned. "I have so much I want to ask you!"</p><p>"Greatest, kings?" Nemir echoed. His own eyes went a bit wide, as if he couldn't believe it himself. "Me?"</p><p>"Of course! Your struggles to balance the needs of your living and dead subjects, your fight for the undead to be properly understood and valued, your guardianship of the gates to the Underworld, your valiant fights against the Arkeyans… They're all some of our most treasured historical tomes! Every king we've had aspired to be as wise and benevolent as you!"</p><p>A roar rumbled the ground and Havîn gasped as she parted away.</p><p>"But, I think I can save that talk for another time! Come on, we have to start the ritual!"</p><p>"Ritual?" Spyro and Chihiro echoed.</p><p>Havîn and Payiz both grabbed Spyro and Chihiro by the paw and hand, and sped to the temple, phasing right through its barrier.</p><p>"Just follow us!" they both cried.</p><p>Spyro and Chihiro both winced, and warily nodded as Havîn and Payiz reached the temple's doors. They pushed it open before everyone rushed inside.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 15: Secret Vault of Secrets (Part 3)<p>The Dread-Yacht creaked as it carried the Machine Ghost's ravaged body far, far away from the vault, till the vault's home island was little more than a blurry mass of stone to the eyes. The evening skies around warmed the colors of its metal, tinting it in warm shades like the golden light of victory. In spite of all that, the ravaged sight of the Machine Ghost's body, broken nearly beyond repair, and the now faint sights of the open, damaged vault below, hardly inspired any smiles or confidence.</p><p>The Dread-Yacht's body creaked once more as it blew off some steam. It knelt down on a grassy, abandoned island and laid the Machine Ghost's body down. It flew back, transformed into a ship as it landed beside the body, and with its mission now at an end, it collapsed. Panels fell off and smoke burst from the windows.</p><p>Everyone coughed and hacked as they left the Dread-Yacht and gathered together on the grass. The moment its soft, natural blanket hit their feet, they all collapsed. Some slunk against each other, others flopped down and fell asleep, but nobody shared a single look of joy. Their shoulders slumped with the sun as they caught their breaths, for nobody was quite willing to speak.</p><p>That is, until Chihiro sighed and stood up. Her face was still red and puffy, and she had to bite back tears, but nonetheless she turned back to the others.</p><p>"So, well," she started, her voice strained from crying still. She gulped, whimpered a bit as she puffed her cheeks, but quickly exhaled. "Is everyone alright?"</p><p>Sihiri cringed as she glanced back at the Dread-Yacht. "Well, thankfully, we, er, well…"</p><p>"Thankfully, most of us got off with only minor injuries," 'Enehana interrupted. They crossed their arms and gritted their teeth together. "If that idiot hadn't panicked, <em>he</em> would've been perfectly fine, too!"</p><p>A few small gasps came from the crowd, but 'Enehana didn't act shocked at all. They still stood stoic, save for their trembling arms, and their similarly-shaking scowl, one just barely visible from their hung head. Their fists clenched like they were going to shout, to say something more, but they merely turned around and huffed.</p><p>"Now, 'Enehana, don't you think that's a bit harsh?" Inochi asked as she clasped her shaking hands and turned aside. It seemed the tension from their looks spread even to her. "I believe he was only—"</p><p>"I said what I said." 'Enehana scoffed and stuck up their nose. "That robot only got as damaged as it because he panicked and tried to run away! He knew what he was getting into when he decided to help us! If he—"</p><p>"But he didn't," Vatra hissed as he pulled himself from the floor and walked up to 'Enehana. "He was a civilian who just got dragged into all this nonsense. Anyone in his position would have likely acted similarly. I know you're upset, but please, calm down!"</p><p>"I won't!"</p><p>'Enehana thrust their face into Vatra's as they cried out, and sparks started to fly from their hands as they clenched them the tightest they could.</p><p>"If he hadn't jeopardized the mission, Arkilles would be long dead and an Arkeyan revival would be the least of our worries right now, but he—"</p><p>"Calm down, you two! Arguing will get us nowhere!" Sihiri shouted as she flew between Vatra and 'Enehana and pushed them aside. "We've already had enough strife for one day, and we don't need any more."</p><p>"Sihiri's right," Spyro added as he flew up. "If anything, it's our fault for roping a civilian into all this, but what's done is done. Now we're just going to have to work from here. Pointing fingers won't get us any closer to stopping Kaos" — Spyro shook his head — "I mean, Arkilles."</p><p>Vatra conceded quietly, only nodding his head and straying away.</p><p>'Enehana just clenched their teeth tight. Their hands still clenched and sparked as if they wanted to lash out or retort, but they merely scoffed and muttered under their breath as they wandered off to the Machine Ghost's broken body.</p><p>Vatra shook his head and sat down as they disappeared within the body's battered corpse.</p><p>"Hey-o!" Flynn called as he strode over the Dread-Yacht's deck. "How's it going down there?"</p><p>Flynn immediately met with a handful of harsh glares. he gulped, turned away and scratched his head.</p><p>"Alright, probably not the best question to ask."</p><p>Flynn swung over the side of the deck, landed on the ground with a hup, and cracked his knuckles as he approached the group.</p><p>"Your amazing pilot is here with an amazing news update. Well, it's more like half amazing news and half… Not so amazing news" — Flynn smirked and rubbed a fist on his chest — "but someone as handsome and awe-inspiring as I am delivering it makes it much better!"</p><p>Flynn got shot a couple more glares and winced. "Geez, tough crowd."</p><p>"Give us the bad news first," Spyro said, clenching his front paws. "Might as well get that out of the way."</p><p>"Well, the bad news is, the Dread-Yacht's super busted, and we're gonna need to crash here for the night so I can do repairs."</p><p>A creak sounded from behind as a few of the Dread-Yacht's panels fell off, and Flynn glanced at them in fear. With a sigh, he turned back to Spyro and started to smile.</p><p>"But, on the bright side, the hermity dude's being treated by Cali and Whirlwind right now, and thanks to those healing rainbow thingies of Whirlwind's, the worst of his injuries are all fixed up! Still gonna need a little bit more time to rest, but he'll be fine."</p><p>Flynn's ears folded down as he turned to the others, but his smile didn't waver. The sight of them with their heads hung low, and their worn, tired eyes wouldn't have inspired a lot of joy in anyone. Not to mention, it came on the heels of such a failure, and from such heralded heroes. It was a little hard to look at, seeing even those of legends so downhearted.</p><p>"Hey, look on the bright side! That map's gone, and that means that Kaos, or that Arkeyan king dude, or whoever in that bald pipsqueak's body right now can't get back to Arkus!"</p><p>"I appreciate your optimism, but I'm afraid that this isn't going to stop Arkilles," Sihiri said.</p><p>Flynn lifted an ear in confusion. "The map's gone, isn't it? How's he gonna get there without a map?"</p><p>"Arkilles is a stubborn man. At most, we've been able to halt his trip for a little while, but he'll find another way. However that may be, he won't stop until he gets back to Arkus."</p><p>"That's not gonna be easy though, right? Cali's told me that even Skylands' best archaeology dudes and know-it-alls couldn't even find it! Of course, if it were me at the helm, I'd probably have it found before lunch…"</p><p>"He already has a way: that Conquertron."</p><p>All eyes turned to the front as 'Enehana emerged from the Machine Ghost's body, and 'Enehana snarled and gritted their teeth.</p><p>"He already scanned the map into its databanks, and prepared to leave when we arrived. All he has to do is repair it, and he'll have a fully-functional map to Arkus! If we had just destroyed that Ancients-forsaken thing, we wouldn't even have to worry about that!"</p><p>Sihiri reached out a hand for 'Enehana, but they turned around and trudged back towards the Machine Ghost's corpse.</p><p>"Leave me alone."</p><p>Sihiri frowned and lowered her hand.</p><p>Flynn winced and turned away. It seemed even he recognized the tension in the air, and how unwise it would be to stir it.</p><p>"Anyways, I'm gonna go back to do repairs, I'll leave the rest to you," Flynn said as he walked back to the Dread-Yacht.</p><p>Flynn smiled and winked back at them for a moment. He climbed back up the Dread-Yacht's side, using the grooves in the fallen panels as grips as he scaled its side, but despite his optimism, it didn't lift the air any.</p><p>"Once you guys get a plan, just let me know and I'll speed things up!"</p><p>Everyone else watched as Flynn finally pulled himself over the side of the Dread-Yacht and disappeared down its docks, and sighed as they all dispersed. Most of their ranks headed for the Dread-Yacht, Jorden drifted away towards the Machine Ghost's broken body, probably to see 'Enehana…</p><p>But while they all left, Tree Rex just sat on the ground. His eyes laid on the sky as evening faded into night, and Sihiri sat right by him.</p><p>"Don't take what Arkilles said to heart back there," Tree Rex whispered as he planted his fingers, growing small patches of purple flowers between him and Sihiri. "He was only trying to get under our bark." Tree Rex forced a laugh and winked. "Luckily, mine's pretty thick."</p><p>Well, that's what he said, but those words Arkilles taunted him with ate through his heart, nagging at him in the dead silence. He glanced down at where Sihiri sat, for she didn't even acknowledge the flowers he grew beside her. She curled into a ball. The skirts of her gown pressed closed against her chest as she glazed over the skies, and her sparkly purple eyes carried a bit less light with them.</p><p>"Do you really think everything we fought for's truly gone?" Sihiri whispered, her voice starting to crack in their privacy. She frowned and clutched her skirt's fabric as she sighed. "It's a stupid question, I know, yet we survived this long by some miracle!" Sihiri's voice cracked further, and tears began to form as she turned to Tree Rex. "Surely, there has to be someone, something that survived from our ages! It can't just be us and him, it just can't! After all, there were others with us, so maybe they're still around!"</p><p>Tree Rex frowned and pursed his mouth tight. Logically, it was doubtful, and all that changed in such a short journey proved that.</p><p>That being said, he was there when they were all banished to Earth. Surely, if all the others were alive, there was a chance that some of the other free magicians of his time could be alive? For that matter, how did the free magicians all get scattered across Skylands, anyways? Tree Rex wasn't quite sure, but maybe there was a tiny inkling in his heart that if they survived, surely more of their ranks could have as well? He didn't quite know why he reflected on this tiny sliver of hope that maybe there was more from his time that survived.</p><p>After all, it was only by sheer luck that any of them even survived death's hand themselves.</p><p>Nobody else would have been that lucky, not enough to survive the end of eras, the loss of everything they knew, and the spread of new generation after new generation. Living ten thousand years was a feat most were surely incapable of…</p><p>Ten thousand years.</p><p>Something about that number seared itself into Tree Rex's mind. Now that he had a quiet moment, it started to really hit him just how much time passed since then. How many generations were born, lived, died without him even knowing? How many of his friends and allies, enemies and foes, were buried? Did they have descendants who lived on in their steed? Did his homelands still bear their same names, or were they called something entirely different, if they even existed at all?</p><p>Just the thought was sobering: the Skylands he once called home was dead, replaced with a land as foreign to him as the Earth he was trapped on. Surely, the others felt the same way. Just the sight of Sihiri, their dear leader, so rattled by the prospects that they were all that was left of their time, confirmed that.</p><p>Surely, Tree Rex had to find some worth in something about this. Skylands managed to live on without him. It was a sure sign that he succeeded in the very mission he vowed on the same day he, the same day they all, were crowned Elder Elementals: defeat the Arkeyan Empire and save Skylands, so he could save his world from a future of Arkeyan tyranny.</p><p>But, here he was, doing the same thing he did before, in a world he couldn't even recognize as his own home. Was it futile to fight when he knew that his efforts could be rendered moot once more, especially in a situation like this? That he fought for a world that didn't recognize him as anything more than a name in a historical tome, something little more than an ancient legend? That he fought for a home he wasn't even sure he could call home anymore?</p><p>What was he going to do afterwards, for that matter? Once upon a time, that answer was easy enough. He'd help the survivors rebuild, tear down the Arkeyans' remnants, and lead a peaceful life in the new era. Would that even be possible anymore when Skylands changed so much, and he knew so little about it?</p><p>Sihiri sniffled beside him, and Tree Rex gently brushed his finger against her, moving as carefully as he could to avoid bowling her over. Surely, this hurt her even more than it did him. Being the mighty tree from an isolated, broken forest that lost most of its population to Arkeyan tyranny long ago that he was, he never had many connections outside of his own allies within their rebellion's ranks. Sihiri had friends, family, and more she had to leave behind for the rebellion, beings she surely desired nothing more than to reunite with once this war was over…</p><p>And now, almost all of them were gone, and only she remained.</p><p>He had no idea how to console her, so he grew a flower with soft petals from the grooves in his bark. Sihiri leaned against it like a cushion. They sat in silence, and glanced up as the sky changed from its warm tone, to the cool blues and purple of night. Massive streams of stars swam through the oceans of the night sky like schools of fish, and twinkled as miniature suns. Just the sight left Tree Rex smiling, and a small chuckle from Sihiri showed that she seemed to enjoy it as well.</p><p>"You know," she whispered, "so much in Skylands has changed, yet the starry sky is still the same as it's always been."</p><p>"That's true," Tree Rex replied, and the starlight poured over his face as he smiled. "It's still just as beautiful as it was ten thousand years ago."</p><p>The two of them basked as the intermingling shadows and light of the night cast over them. The only sounds were that of the wind blowing around them, and the grass whistling and twirling underneath them. The clouds moved in their slow, melancholic paces, as if even the quiet of night left them as tired as the rest of Skylands was. The scent of cool night air slowly drowned out the lingering scents of smoke and burnt oil let off by the broken vessels behind them. All was right for such a quiet moment, even after all the awful that just occurred…</p><p>It was funny, wasn't it? How something so simple as watching the stars could wash away the pain of earlier?</p><p>"There you two are. I was wondering where you went."</p><p>Tree Rex and Sihiri both jolted up as Inochi and Ninjini stepped out from the shade of the Dread-Yacht. They both held weary, but kind looks on their faces. They seemed a little more tired than usual, and Inochi's eyes puffed up a little. Had she been crying? Well, Tree Rex could barely tell, so he scrambled back.</p><p>"We were just keeping watch. Did you need us for anything?" Tree Rex claimed.</p><p>Well, he lied, and he was sure they knew it, but luckily they just nodded. Seems as though none of them wanted to press the issues that just happened even further.</p><p>"We're, well, we're trying to plan out our next course of action," Ninjini said, turning back to the Dread-Yacht and frowning.</p><p>"Unfortunately, nobody's really come to a decision just quite yet," Inochi added, and winced as she clasped her hands. Judging from that, Tree Rex could already tell tensions were high, unsurprising given the prior events.</p><p>Ninjini nodded in agreement, but quickly turned to Tree Rex. "You, you don't need to come in just yet if you're not ready. We haven't really made any progress just yet. I'm pretty sure we still haven't gotten past the initial arguments."</p><p>"No, I'll go."</p><p>The voice came from down below. There, Sihiri wiped away her tears and floated off. She didn't even say a word, nor did her face move beyond its stoic expression as she linked arms with Inochi, and wearily floated over to the Dread-Yacht. She collected herself so quickly, but Tree Rex supposed that was a leader's skill. After all, Tree Rex doubted it would inspire any confidence if she came to the meeting in shambles and tears.</p><p>Tree Rex turned to Ninjini and nodded, rising without a word. The two of them already started to run off, when the sounds of panting and footsteps so soft they could barely be heard over even the still winds came from aside. They stopped in their tracks and turned around. They backed away a bit, half in expectancy another ambush.</p><p>No, what came for them was 'Enehana! Their eyes were wide in wonder, and their strides filled with energy, totally unlike how they were when they left to sulk!</p><p>"Tree Rex, Ninjini, there you are!" 'Enehana cried as they came to a stop. "Where are the others? I've got important news!"</p><p>Important news? What important news? Tree Rex wanted to ask, but Ninjini pushed him aside first, and bent down to 'Enehana's height before he could even inquire.</p><p>"They're in the Dread-Yacht, plotting out our next course of action," Ninjini explained.</p><p>"Then that's where we're headed!"</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Spyro groaned and held his head as he flew into the dormitory's halls, the sounds of yelling and insults past tossed still ringing in his ears. Who knew one strategy meeting would be this stressful? Well, he had, for he'd had his fair share of meetings like this before. For some reason, this one just drained the life out of him. Maybe it was the stress from the unforeseen events of all these past few days: their mission's derailment, Kaos being possessed, and their loss today.</p><p>Maybe it was the high-strung tension that rang in the room, but he was sick of playing mediator. Spyro closed the door and sighed as he fell to the floor on all fours, but quickly scrambled away as it creaked open.</p><p>"You doin' alright, Spy?" Gill Grunt asked as he crept in the halls and slowly closed the door behind him. "That meeting got pretty intense."</p><p>"I, I'm alright," Spyro replied as he hung his head. His temples throbbed, and Spyro groaned as he massaged the pain away with some healing magic. "I, I'm sorry I couldn't calm things down there."</p><p>"Don't blame yourself, little buddy." Gill Grunt patted Spyro on the back. "It's been a tough day for all of us. You did the best you could." Gill Grunt sighed and turned back to the door. "Seems like nobody's in the mood to listen right now."</p><p>"You got that right."</p><p>Spyro and Gill Grunt both sighed, but turned their heads as a distant, sobbing noise came from down the halls. Well, Spyro wondered where Chihiro went during the briefing—guess there was his answer. His heart sank a little at the sound of her dulled, strained cries, still rife with anguish even after all the time that passed. Now that Spyro thought about it, she'd never witnessed a death like this in the field. They had their close calls, but they always bounced back one way or the other…</p><p>And the time they almost didn't, well…</p><p>"Speaking of taking things pretty hard, I've never seen Chihiro cry like that before," Gill Grunt remarked, parting ways from Spyro's side. "I'd better talk to her—"</p><p>"No, let me," Spyro said, holding out a paw in front of Gill Grunt. "I, well—"</p><p>Gill Grunt nodded and stepped away. A twinkle sparkled in his eyes as he turned for the door.</p><p>"I understand. You go talk to her, and I'll see if I can't calm things down back there."</p><p>Spyro nodded as Gill Grunt closed the door, and flew off in a slow pace, as if his body piloted itself. Its target was the sound of her cries as they grew louder and louder. It led him to her dorm room on the right, where they sounded off the loudest, and Spyro jiggled the knob. Chihiro only continued to sob and sniffle, so he sighed and knocked.</p><p>"Hey, Chi? It's me, Spyro!" Spyro shouted as he leaned against the door. "Can I come in for a bit?"</p><p>The sound of frantic sniffling started to dull, followed by the sound someone wiping themselves off, and finally, a small, strained voice.</p><p>"Come in."</p><p>Spyro nodded and opened the door.</p><p>Sure enough, Chihiro sat on the bed with her front to the wall and her head hung, all curled up and sniffling still.</p><p>Spyro winced and flew over to the bed. He quickly set down and gently wrapped a wing around Chihiro's back. She lifted her head a little and turned to meet his glance, her face still just as red and puffy as it became when the Machine Ghost died in her arms. Maybe even worse, if he considered how her hands trembled still, and her entire face was wet and sticky. Heck, the tears still fell even as she looked at him!</p><p>"Oh, Chi," Spyro whispered, unable to do anything else. Just the sight of her so upset left his heart stuck in the depths. She gasped and turned away from him, and Spyro frantically flapped his wings. "No, no, don't turn away, it's, ah—"</p><p>Spyro shook his head, summoned a cloth and gently wiped away her face, cleaning off the tears and snot. She grunted a little, and pouted a bit as the cloth's fabric brushed against her eyes and cheeks. When it disappeared, she just stood in silence.</p><p>She watched as it disappeared into sparkles right between her and Spyro, but as the last of the sparkles disappeared, she sniffed for one moment and threw herself into Spyro's grip the next! She moved so fast that he barely had time to steady himself before they both fell on the floor. Her shaking skin, and the cloth of clothes left damp by her tears hit his scales.</p><p>More cold, damp sensations fell against his shoulder as she buried her face into his shoulder and wailed. She cried as loud as she could—not like she did back at the vault, for her voice strained so much that she could barely gather any volume. In the silence of it all, her voice seemed like the loudest thing there was.</p><p>"I, I, it's all my fault!" Chihiro wailed, and squeezed Spyro tight as she curled closer into his grip. "If, I just got there sooner, if I just fought harder, if I stopped him back then, maybe, maybe he'd, he'd still be—"</p><p>"I know, Chi, I know."</p><p>Spyro stroked her back as he wrapped both his front paws around her and hugged her right back. Chihiro whimpered a little, but her sniffling and sobbing quelled itself as she pushed her head into his shoulders. A small hiccup came from her as he hugged her further.</p><p>Chihiro squeezed him one last time, unwrapped herself just a bit from his grip, and sighed as she fully pulled away. The two of them just sat on the floor. They didn't even look at each other, instead focusing their glances down at the bed's tossed blankets.</p><p>"Spyro… Does this happen a lot for you?" she asked, her voice still barely a pained whisper.</p><p>Spyro winced, but steeled himself and nodded. "Unfortunately. We try our hardest, try our best to save everyone we can, but sometimes, we're just a little too late, come up a little too short…" Spyro sighed and folded his wings. "Sometimes, we just can't save everyone, no matter how hard we try."</p><p>"It hurts, doesn't it?"</p><p>Spyro lifted his head and glanced at Chihiro, but she shied away from his look and turned aside.</p><p>"How do you even deal with all that?"</p><p>Well, that was a loaded question, wasn't it? Spyro pursed his snout shut, and hummed for a moment before he took a breath. He pulled his head aside, a bit uncertain as to whether he should speak to Chihiro or not. After all, she was already so upset, and surely this could easily make her feel worse, right? Well, it was worth a shot.</p><p>"Well, every time it happens, I want to blame myself. I want to get angry at myself, at someone else, at anything. I guess it's easier to think that there was something that could've been done, but sometimes, things don't work out the way I'd like. It's hard, I know." Spyro lifted his head up and turned back to Chihiro. "But, I guess, even if I can't save them, I can save as many as I can. I'll mourn the ones I couldn't, pick myself up, and try my hardest for the beings still here, in honor of all the beings I couldn't save."</p><p>Chihiro stirred a little, shuffled her weight to the left, and Spyro tilted his head.</p><p>"Does that make sense?"</p><p>Chihiro nodded and wiped her face off a little.</p><p>"Yeah, it does."</p><p>Chihiro gulped and hopped off the floor. her hair fluttered, but quickly rested at her shoulders. She glanced to the wall, her lips now steeled. Though her eyes were still red and puffy, that sparkle of determination shone in them like it always did.</p><p>"I, I don't want any more beings to end up like he did."</p><p>Chihiro took a breath, stormed towards the door, and yanked it open with such force that a cold burst of wind flew in! The whole air chilled around her as she summoned a sword, and she raised it to the air as she entered the halls. That same blue glow that always came from her spellcasting trickled around her, lighting her veins in a bright shade of blue, a sight of energy after so long.</p><p>"So while I'm still here, I'm gonna stop that Arkilles guy, no matter what! Even if it's the last thing I do, I'll stop him!" she vowed before she turned around with sword still in hand. "Where's everyone else? We need to get ourselves together and figure out how to stop this guy!"</p><p>Spyro winced, the faint memories of the earlier meeting tension still in memory, but he nodded and flew off after Chihiro nonetheless.</p><p>"We were actually holding a strategy meeting in the lower decks," Spyro explained before he scratched his horn, "but, uh, it hasn't been going well."</p><p>"Take me there, <em>now</em>."</p><p>Fire burned in Chihiro's eyes, and not the metaphorical kind. No, hot blue flames masked around her normally brown eyes, and tinted her skin in a cool cyan tone that burned into Spyro's heart! In fact, just her gaze—cool and tough without relent as she held her sword's hilt the tightest she could—made him burn as well. The Chihiro who cried her eyes out disappeared, and a new determination flooded her. Just being in her presence even left Spyro shaking for once, which said a lot!</p><p>Spyro nodded and teleported them off in a flash. Purple light enveloped them for moments before it disappeared, and dropped them off in the lower decks. Spyro didn't even need to open his eyes, for just the sounds of screaming and arguing were enough to show that he arrived.</p><p>He opened his eyes at last as the light faded, and the first thing he did was lean aside, for a gold coin shot towards him and embedded itself in the wall!</p><p>There before him, crammed into the biggest room they could manage, was almost every member of their team: the Elder Elementals sans Tree Rex and Ninjini on one end; the rest of those portal masters sans 'Enehana and Jorden on the other, and in the back; every other Skylander not named Whirlwind crowded together. They all curled around a simple wooden table practically on the verge of splitting in half. The calmer members of their ranks tense as they pulled a few more… Spirited types away before they knocked anyone's teeth out.</p><p>Gill Grunt hid in the back and winced at the sight of Spyro. Spyro sighed in response. Looks like Gill's mediating session hadn't gone quite as planned, either.</p><p>"I'm telling ya, we need to hit 'em where it hurts!" Terrafin cried as he slammed his fist against the table, cracking its surface. He snarled as wide as he could. His pearly white fangs glistened with hot yellow light that shone in his eyes, and gave them a bit of a murderous glint. "We're going back to that creep's hideout and taking him in!"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah!" Trigger Happy cried as he bounced in the background and spun around his gold pistols. "I wanna blast some robot heads off! Like, ka-pow, ka-pow!"</p><p>Trigger Happy pulled the trigger and fired off a few more golden coins. Everyone else grimaced and ducked as the coins ricocheted around the room and embedded themselves in the walls.</p><p>"That's preposterous!" Vatra cried, oblivious to how Inochi and Sihiri tried to pull him away as he slammed his hands on the table in turn. "We've already tried to storm his hideout once. Surely, he probably thinks we'll go back there again! He'll likely have moved bases or upped the security. Hell, he's probably already prepared his fair share of traps lying in wait! It'd be much better to—"</p><p>"To do what?" Terrafin pushed himself against the table, and cracked it further as his face brushed right against Vatra's. "Run around Skylands looking for something to magically stop him? Hate to say it, but we don't have all the time in the world like you think we do!"</p><p>"Rushing in head-first is going to get us all killed! What good will that do anyone?"</p><p>"What do you care about that? You're all already dead!"</p><p>A few gasps came from the portal masters' and the Elder Elementals' corners, yet Vatra hardly reacted, or so it seemed. His hair started to flare despite the lack of air, and a scent of burning started to waft in the room. In fact, just the tiniest hints of smoke came from his fingertips as he dug then into the wood, kindling it slightly.</p><p>"Take that back," was all Vatra hissed out as he dug his hands further.</p><p>Terrafin scoffed and crossed his arms. "Why do I have to? It's true. Hell, I'd say all those years sleeping in those weird crystals of yours must have messed up your head!"</p><p>"Damn shark!"</p><p>Vatra threw a punch, nearly hitting Terrafin's face if Inochi and Sihiri hadn't pulled him away. Just before Terrafin could react, Gill Grunt and Stealth Elf both yanked him away as well! The two still struggled, and their eyes narrowed and glared with sharp looks amplified by the light overhead. More importantly, they didn't even lock off of each other! Even though they were both held back tight, neither party wanted to give in!</p><p>"Let me go!" Terrafin shouted. "This guy's gotten on my last nerve!"</p><p>"Cool it, Terrafin!" Stealth Elf shouted back.</p><p>Gill Grunt grunted as Terrafin's fist hit him on the head, but he still squeezed tight. "Yes, calm down! All this arguing getting us nowhere!"</p><p>"He was the one who started it!" Terrafin cried, pointing to Vatra. "Tell that to him!"</p><p>"Vatra, what have I told you about that attitude?" Sihiri scolded.</p><p>Vatra grunted and pushed away just enough to lean forward. "I'm telling you, my plan's obviously the better one here! Why are you listening to that meat-headed shark over me?"</p><p>Terrafin's eyelid twitched, but Gill Grunt and Stealth Elf pulled him back once more before he could launch forward.</p><p>"We aren't, Vatra!" Inochi pleaded. "We just want you to calm down a little so we can discuss this properly!"</p><p>"Why should I do that? We've got the fate of Skylands on our hands and Arkilles still at large! This is the least suitable time for idiotic ideas!"</p><p>"Says the guy who doesn't have any idea what we should be doing!" Terrafin shot back.</p><p>Eruptor scoffed and crossed his arms. "I'm with Fin on this one. All this sitting around is making my lava boil!"</p><p>"No, Vatra's right," Nemir said. "We have to calm down and think this through properly!"</p><p>The Elder Elementals backed away as the arguing grew louder. It rumbled the chamber as the shouting flew once more! Snarls and frowns were on pretty much every face as they all leaned in, raring to fight.</p><p>In that moment, Vatra and Terrafin finally freed themselves of their allies' grips! They jumped in to fight, but quickly jumped back as a sword made of magic smashed through the table between them! They backed away as the table's halves collapsed, and glanced back to the door.</p><p>There, Spyro carefully backed away as Chihiro hung her head. She snarled while her fist twitched. The blue glow that once surrounded her dyed itself red with heated warmth, and her clothes and hair fluttered with rage. She breathed in, lifted up her head, and…</p><p>"What the hell do you all think you're doing?" Chihiro screamed, pointing a finger at the group.</p><p>A few gasped and excused themselves to their corners, and others breathed sighs of relief at the final conclusion.</p><p>In the center, Vatra and Terrafin relented and crossed their arms. They both stood stoic as Chihiro stormed up to them, yet neither picked a fight or caused a fuss. They just stood, silent.</p><p>"The Machine Ghost, he didn't die so we could argue and make a big fuss about who's right and who's not! We can't just stand around and bicker when lives are on the line!" Chihiro shot glares at both Vatra and Terrafin. Her eyes glowed blue, and they backed away and gulped. "We need to plan our next course of action to stop Arkilles right now, and that's final! No fits, no fuss, just planning."</p><p>Chihiro stomped her foot, shaking the room just a bit.</p><p>"Understood?"</p><p>Both Vatra and Terrafin cringed for a moment, but finally gulped down their pride with a nod. They both mumbled in agreement and raised a brow at Chihiro. When she nodded, they both lifted up the broken halves of the table, and pieced them together long enough for Chihiro to seal it back together with magic. The three of them gathered at its sides, and the others crowded around the rest.</p><p>With them all together, Chihiro crafted a paper out of magic and laid it on the table.</p><p>"Now, there's no doubting that Arkilles is going to try and find another way to Arkus. He's probably begun work on repairing that Conquertron and extracting the map as we speak," Chihiro said.</p><p>Terrafin laid a hand on the table. "And that's why we've gotta storm his base again and knock him out—"</p><p>"BUT, we've already tried storming his base once. He probably would expect us to try that again, and surely he'd have protective measures in place for that." Chihiro glanced aside as Terrafin reluctantly removed his hand. "Therefore—"</p><p>"We simply find an alternate means of stopping him!" Vatra proclaimed. "I'm sure knocking down a few of his armies would suffice."</p><p>"Not quite. That's only going to slow him down, not stop him, and he'd probably expect something like that too."</p><p>Terrafin and Vatra both glanced at Chihiro and raised their brows. Even the others around her whispered and gawked in confusion.</p><p>"So what are we supposed to do?" the two of them asked.</p><p>Chihiro breathed in and out, and held her hands over the paper.</p><p>"I propose a different route: we beat him to Arkus ourselves, take out him armies, and catch Arkilles right as he gets there so we can stop him for good!"</p><p>A few gasps and nervous bits of chatter raised in the air, and Vatra and Terrafin were both left to gawk.</p><p>"Alright, that sounds all good in theory and all, Chi, but I think you're forgettin' something," Terrafin said as he crossed his arms. "How're we supposed to get to Arkus without a map?"</p><p>"Thought about that too." Chihiro parted her hands, and an illustration of a robot appeared on the paper underneath her. "Theoretically, those Arkeyan robots still in the vault could have the map in their databanks. Once we've got the Dread-Yacht fixed up, we can go back, and send a team in there to hack them and get the instructions. Granted, it might take a little while to find a robot with the map's location, not to mention it could be dangerous in this current state."</p><p>A soft cough came from behind, and all three heads turned back to Nemir as he strode forward.</p><p>"If you'll pardon my interruption, I believe I may have an easier solution," Nemir said as he raised his hand.</p><p>"Go on."</p><p>Prompted on by Chihiro's nod, Nemir cleared his throat. "Back in my homelands, we've all grown up on tales on the Oracle. Now, I'm not sure if any of you are familiar with him—"</p><p>"Wait, you mean <em>that</em> Oracle legend?" Sihiri added in from the back. "The one of the near-omnipotent being who knows practically everything there is to know and more?"</p><p>Nemir smiled and nodded. "Indeed, he knows basically everything. I'd know, for I've communed with him personally, as have every king, every high priest… Anyone who's ever held a position of power in my homeland has sought his wisdom, and he has never once steered us wrong. I have no doubt in my mind that he can guide us to Arkus."</p><p>"Then, where is this place?" Chihiro asked.</p><p>"Well…" Nemir hummed and rubbed his chin. "Back in my time, my homelands were known as the Dinya Jîyan û Mirin—the border between the dead and the living. I'm sure it's undergone a change in name since those times…"</p><p>A door creaked open, and turned everyone's eyes to the back, Cali pushed open the door and stepped in, curiousity in her eyes and a flick in her ears.</p><p>"Dinya Jîyan û Mirin? I know that place!" Cali added. "Well, it's called Molekin Mountain now. See, in all the years you've been gone, a bunch of Molekin moved there, and, well… We can save that for later!" Cali shook her head and grinned. "I should have a map there in my quarters! We can get right there once repairs are done!"</p><p>"Is that so?" Nemir asked, raising a brow.</p><p>"Then that's where we're going!" Chihiro cried, cracking her knuckles.</p><p align="center">§<em>The next morning</em>§</p><p>Dawn just started to crack, but nobody got a single ounce of sleep. In spite of this, the island was still as lively as it was the night prior! Light poured over and painted the world in bright shades of pink and orange, warmed the chilling airs around, and roused the birds into singing their songs as the sounds of hard work rustled the air! Over on the Dread-Yacht, the faint echoes of mechanical works came from within, a symphony of buzzing drills, creaking wrenches, and pounding hammers amplified by the sounds from aside!</p><p>There the Machine Ghost's body laid. It was still in quite the massive amount of disrepair, but it was at least better than it was last night.</p><p>Bouncer and 'Enehana busied themselves as they straightened out its body parts with their technomancy, stretched out arms and limbs like accordions, and smoothed out their metal the best they could. Down below, Hot Head, Spyro, and Vatra used their flames as torches, sealing in new metal. Jorden and Terrafin pried out old parts far too damaged to be salvaged so Trigger Happy and Chihiro could pop in new ones. The metal once burnt and disarrayed at least regained some of its color thanks to Whirlwind and Luz painting it back again.</p><p>At the bottom of it all, Ermit huffed and sat down as he pushed a box of tools their way. His clothes were mended some, and a few of his bruises faded while his cuts all formed their scabs. The bandages that covered his head and body, and the crutches that laid to his side showed he was still fairly worn. Yet, there he sat, striking his frazzling beard and adjusting his dented nose ring while handing off the tools.</p><p>"Are you sure you want to help, Ermit?" Chihiro asked as she levitated a wrench from him. "You still need a lot of rest before you can recover."</p><p>"It's my robot, ain't it? I can make sure it's getting repaired to my liking if I want!" Ermit shouted. "Now hurry up and take the wrench already!"</p><p>Chihiro rolled her eyes and levitated the wrench above her. She tossed it over the shoulder to where a few of the other Elder Elementals tightened in some new tech. A faint clunk and a shout of pain came from the air, and she gasped as she glowed blue.</p><p>"Sorry!" Chihiro cried as she teleported to the back.</p><p>Ermit sighed, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. His frowns and disapproving glances turned a little more somber as he glanced over the robot. "That bloody ghost king or whatever better be taken care of when all this is over," he mumbled. "I'm not spending the rest of my life…"</p><p>"What was that, Ermit?"</p><p>Ermit jumped up and yowled out before he doubled over and clutched his side! As he fell to his knees, Spyro gasped and lifted Ermit up. He levitated Ermit's crutches onto his back as he guided Ermit back to the Dread-Yacht.</p><p>"Actually, never mind. I'll take you back to the infirmary," Spyro said. "I think Flynn's about ready to shove off, anyways!"</p><p>A wave of feedback rumbled in the air, shaking leaves off the trees and sending birds into flight! Everyone stopped what they did to cover their ears, tools dropping to the grass. They peered up as a megaphone emerged from the Dread-Yacht, its crimson color turning brighter against the sunlight.</p><p>"Alright, everyone! This is your dashing captain speaking!" Flynn shouted over the megaphone. "The best airship in all of Skylands is finally done its repairs, which means we're setting off for Molekin Mountain!"</p><p>With a nod, all eyes turned to a simple trailer hooked into the Dread-Yacht's back. Everyone else skidded away as Sihiri, 'Enehana, Bouncer, Ninjini, and Chihiro all surrounded the Machine Ghost's body. Strained, pained groaning came from the team as they held out their hands, and an orange and purple light surrounded the Machine Ghost's body.</p><p>It flew up and carefully inched towards the trailer's open door, its team of movers inching behind the whole way. As it slipped into the trailer, its glow faded, and it rested down while the quintet slumped down and panted. They all rolled down the trailer's door and sighed as they pushed it shut.</p><p>With the last bits of strength in them, they rushed up the Dread-Yacht's gangplank and laid down as the gangplank itself shut. The Dread-Yacht sputtered below them, and they all beamed as it took flight! It sent leaves and grass flying in the dawny pink skies as it soared through a thicket of clouds and past the sun, finally disappearing into the skies as the sun reached its zenith.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>"'When the jet water settles,'" Glumshanks read off the worn book that laid underneath his fingertips, its pages illuminated by the candlestick to his right, "'add the crushed spell bells and ash to the brew—'"</p><p>The door to Glumshanks' chambers slammed open! On instinct, he snatched the book off the table and shoved it into a nearby drawer. He slammed the drawer shut just as the door opened to its fullest and filled the worn chamber with light.</p><p>Glumshanks leaped from his seat. "Lord Kaos—" he shouted, before he stopped himself as he found one of those Arkeyan soldiers standing in his doorway.</p><p>His heart stopped for a moment, as if he still expected Lord Kaos—but no, Lord Kaos was still bedridden, and probably would be for the next few weeks at least. Glumshanks wasn't sure what happened back at the vault, but whatever it was, it left Lord Kaos in the worst state Glumshanks ever saw him in, and that Conquertron in complete disrepair. It was a miracle they were even able to bring it in without it falling apart and disappearing into the skies!</p><p>Besides, right now, Lord Kaos wasn't Lord Kaos. He was <em>that ghost</em>.</p><p>"Butler? Butler!" the Arkeyan soldier called.</p><p>Glumshanks shook his head and nodded. "Yes?"</p><p>"Our resplendent Arkeyan emperor-king wishes to see you in the medicinal bay," the robot echoed, its voice as cold and robotic as its metal body. "Arrive there post-haste."</p><p>The robot disappeared down the halls, and Glumshanks glanced back to where he hid the potion he worked on. He almost contemplated bringing it with him, but no, it wouldn't be any use to him or Lord Kaos, not in its current state.</p><p>So, he just left the incomplete brew in his desk and trailed down the halls, his eyes not lifting from the floor. He wasn't entirely sure if this ghost really was that old Arkeyan king Glumshanks read about, or just somebody with a serious case of mistaken identity, but Glumshanks knew one thing, and it was that he couldn't bear to see Lord Kaos pushed out of his own body. The Lord Kaos that stood before him was no different than somebody wearing his skin, and Glumshanks missed hearing the young lord's over-the-tops schemes and squeals about the doom of all Skylands. He even began to miss all the insults that got flung at him on a seemingly daily basis!</p><p>Glumshanks sighed as his eyes drifted to the medicinal bay's door. He pushed it open to find Lord Kaos laid on a bed, seemingly asleep while two more Arkeyan robots changed the bandages that dressed his many wounds. The swelling and bruising that covered his body went down some, but his legs were still wrapped in tight casts, and he groaned and moaned as he twisted in his sleep, as if just laying down was still excruciatingly painful for him. Seeing him in this state was almost as painful as hearing that ghost's voice from his lips, and Glumshanks couldn't help but wince.</p><p>The slight sound of his voice brought both robots' eyes to him, but they didn't make a sound. they only left the room, and slowly and quietly closed the door behind them until only Glumshanks and Lord Kaos remained.</p><p>Lord Kaos grunted. His teeth clenched and ground as he twisted in his bed, but finally, he forced an eye open and scoffed.</p><p>"There you are, Grabblerabble," Lord Kaos groaned in that awful man's voice. "It took you long enough to arrive. I'd have chewed you out if not for the awful state I'm in."</p><p>Lord Kaos groaned again as he turned on his side, and Glumshanks crept up to him in turn.</p><p>"Is there anything you need, Lord Kaos?" Glumshanks asked—but before he could come any further, Lord Kaos slapped Glumshanks' hands away.</p><p>"To begin with, do not address me by that rat's name! I am your radiant Arkeyan emperor-king, Arkilles, and nobody else!" Lord Kaos hissed, a bit of venom in his narrowed red eyes.</p><p>Glumshanks drew his hands back, warily nodding the whole time. The slap barely made contact, yet it stung so badly. Was it from the presence of that strange man in Lord Kaos's body? Perhaps.</p><p>"Second of all—" Lord Kaos turned on his other side and coughed "—how are repairs on the Conquertron going?"</p><p>"We have the best mechanics in our armies repairing it as we speak. However, it was still extremely badly damaged. It'll probably take…" Glumshanks glimpsed down at his fingers and hummed as he counted them off. "At least a week before it's fully operational again, and that's being generous!"</p><p>Lord Kaos growled and shook his arms in the air the best he could. "Well, tell them to hurry it up! I need that map to Arkus right now! I know it's in the databanks somewhere, and—"</p><p>Lord Kaos's rant cut short from another coughing fit, and Glumshanks sighed and shook his head.</p><p>"We're doing the best we can, but we only have so many mechanics to spare."</p><p>"Then I have a new assignment for you!" Lord Kaos slammed his fist against the bed. "Send out our forces to the Dinya Jîyan û Mirin, look for their high priest, and take them out! We can't have those insolents seeking out their Oracle's guidance! If they do, the plan will be—"</p><p>"Dinya Jîyan û Mirin?"</p><p>"It's probably called a different name now, so find what it is and search for it! I'd do it myself if I wasn't bedridden because of those, those…"</p><p>Lord Kaos pressed his head into his pillow, and mumbled something in a frustrated, undignified manner.</p><p>Glumshanks just nodded at the sight. "Alright then, I'll get onto that," Glumshanks said as he reached for the door.</p><p>He creaked it open and gulped. His spine shook as he avoided Lord Kaos's gaze…</p><p>"Oh, and Grabspanks?"</p><p>Glumshanks froze in his place and turned back to Lord Kaos. "Yes?"</p><p>"Know your place," Lord Kaos hissed as he shot one last glare at Glumshanks. "I won't tolerate any suspicious actors in my armies."</p><p>Glumshanks clenched his teeth. The potion he was making flashed back into his mind, but he forced a smile and nodded nonetheless.</p><p>"I, I'll be sure to keep that in mind… Emperor-King Arkilles."</p><p>Glumshanks slowly stepped out, closed the door behind him, and took a small breath. That name already turned to ashes in his mouth, so sickening with their burnt taste. Did that ghost already catch onto Glumshanks' ploys from before? Glumshanks hoped not. So, he strode down the halls, withdrew his tablet from his pocket, and chiseled in his latest assignment under a long list of added assignments brought on by Lord Kaos's injuries.</p><p>"Next up, send out those Arkeyan soldiers to do negotiations with the monarchs of Tempest Towers. Hmm, actually, that gives me an idea."</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 15: Secret Vault of Secrets (Part 2)<p>The Machine Ghost's body slogged through the rising waters as it traversed the vault's pathway. Its steps were slow and labored as the weight of the risen waters pushed against it. The body's limbs creaked. They arched, and blew off steam as it struggled to pull itself backwards, away from the towering robot that loomed above with its metal of crimson and gold. It took a few steps back, and met with a punch to the chest that knocked it backwards!</p><p>The waves crashed above it, and rained down as it staggered back up. The Machine Ghost's body shouldered another punch that knocked it backwards! It crashed into a nearby building, reduced the building to ocean-bound rubble, and an orange shield burst around it as it finally jumped back into the water!</p><p>From within the body's chambers, everyone crowded around the console. All eyes were either on 'Enehana or the Machine Ghost, or the damages that surrounded. Water and steam leaked from the roof as Bouncer attempted to patch some parts with his technomancy, and every step left the room shrieking and creaking. It was as if the whole body prepared to fall apart!</p><p>At the console, 'Enehana and the Machine Ghost both winced as they fiddled with the controls. One pressed buttons, pulled levers, did anything while the other struggled to move. Another punch slammed into the body as they flew back once more and everyone scrambled. They jumped onto whatever they could, and clung tight before they could get knocked out!</p><p>"What's going on?" 'Enehana shouted towards the Machine Ghost as they gripped the console tight. They winced as the windshield before them started to shatter, but shook their head and focused solely on the Machine Ghost instead. "Why aren't we moving, or punching, or doing anything?"</p><p>"I'm trying!" the Machine Ghost cried back, and gripped the controls tight as he swerved to the side. "All this water is impairing my movements! Just walking is a battle in itself!"</p><p>The metal creaked as another punch came forward, and shattered their shield completely!</p><p>'Enehana snarled. Slamming their hands on the console, they scoured the buttons and levers once more. One hand gripped the console tight as the punches kept coming, but with every punch, their legs trembled, their hands even moreso, as they tried their best to hang on! With one last punch, they grunted as they hit the floor with a hard crash. The Machine Ghost fell beside them, and they snarled as they leaped up and rushed to the console.</p><p>"Oh, forget this!" 'Enehana cried, and gripped the console tight as they took control of steering. 'Enehana flipped aside a few controls, pulled a few levers, and pressed the largest button on their side of the console they found. "If I can't fight this water, I'll just work with it!"</p><p>Another creaking sound came, but not from a punch. Instead, the Machine Ghost's body groaned as it flew up. Water poured down while it raised above the waves just slightly. The creaking continued as the body held out its arms, turned slightly…</p><p>And spun with such speed that it sent everyone spinning around inside, and churned the water outside into a rapid whirlpool! The body flew up as the whirlpool grew even more furious below its feet. The whirlpool ate away at the waves around as it sucked in everything around!</p><p>The opposing robot stumbled back and stood silent, trying its best to keep itself free of the whirlpool's grip. Its legs quivered and shuddered, and the keenest of eyes could spy it moving inch by inch.</p><p>The body knocked its feet together, cast out flaming jets from its soles, and zipped away with the added speed! The flames evaporated the water underneath, and cast out a thick, steamy mist that hid everything from view.</p><p>That included the body itself as it charged!</p><p>The opposing robot turned its head and lifted up its palms. It prepared to fire a laser, but petered out as the body kicked right into its chest! The opposing robot fell back at last, sliding across the waters and towards the whirlpool at a much faster speed than before. The speed became even faster as the body yanked it up, and punched it in the back, knocking it right into the whirlpool!</p><p>The opposing robot's body creaked as the water seeped into its cracks and joints, but the Machine Ghost's body was still perfectly dry and free! The Machine Ghost's body hovered above the whirlpool, and rubbed hands charged with lightning.</p><p>On the other side of the body's cracked windshield, the Machine Ghost gently pushed 'Enehana aside and took back the controls.</p><p>"To add the finishing touch," the Machine Ghost said as he pressed a button. "I'll light things up a little."</p><p>With a single clap, lightning crashed down from the body's palms and into the waters, dancing across its surface and rushing into the opposing robot's body!</p><p>The opposing robot's body turned red-hot as the lightning hit it, flashing like a time bomb. Its body broke apart, and its severed parts swirled further and further into the heart of the whirlpool. As they all hit the center, a dull explosion bellowed underneath the waves. Hot steam geysers leaped up, and formed a rare dry hole in the ground below that completely covered in moments!</p><p>The steam slammed into the Machine Ghost's body, sent it tumbling back from the force—and completely shattered its windshield!</p><p>Everyone screamed as they tumbled out the side of the windshield, and into the depths, but the Machine Ghost's body quickly snatched them from the air and sat down on the canyon tops. As they all jumped back in the inner room, the Machine Ghost's body craned its head around, seemingly in search of some kind of opposition. When none was found, its head slunk over as if it rested.</p><p>Jorden turned around and waved their hand as the others all crawled in. A bronze light crafted a new windshield in place of the old, shattered one, and Jorden hopped down between 'Enehana and the Machine Ghost as he wiped his forehead.</p><p>"Phew! Thought I saw my life flash before my eyes for a second there," Jorden remarked.</p><p>"Jorden, we're already dead," 'Enehana said, before they bit their lip and turned back to the windshield while a slight flash of realization crossed their eyes. "We all are."</p><p>Their face fell for a moment and they cast a glance down at their hands; they flexed and closing them for moments as they faded and brightened in turn, and shook their head. They glanced up at their reflection in the windshield, one barely there if not for the bright, orange lights that surrounded them, and reached out for a moment.</p><p>However, it was another hand that touched theirs next. The cool blue ectoplasm of the Machine Ghost's hand phased right through their own. 'Enehana gasped, and their hand started to twitch before they furiously shook their head. They turned to the rest of the group in back, not even acknowledging the Machine Ghost beside them.</p><p>"Anyways, you said the west dam is taken care of, correct?" 'Enehana asked.</p><p>Bouncer nodded as he sealed a pair of dented panels back in place with an orange laser. "You got it!" Bouncer said as he turned to 'Enehana. "Both those dams are taken care of, and that vault is ours for the taking!"</p><p>"Don't get cocky just yet." 'Enehana's voice turned colder, and they turned back to the control panel once more. Typing away at the controls, their eyes turned glassy for a moment before they shook their head. "The waters may have been lowered, but we can't access the vault just yet. It locks behind whoever opens it."</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body lifted off the canyon and flew over the rivers below. The sound of the canyon it once sat on crumbling was only barely heard in the distance as it flew further and further ahead.</p><p>The air, once warm with intensity, chilled. It turned the inside of the Machine Ghost's body into a veritable and metaphorical icebox as the other portal masters glanced amid themselves.</p><p>Some examined their bodies as they glimmered, flickered and faded. Others opted to turn away and fix their eyes firmly on the ceiling instead. Above them, the Elder Elementals just winced, whether they awkwardly glanced away from their portal masters or shared in their cold, disheartened glances.</p><p>"Say, there's no chance our bodies would have still remained after all these years, right?" Sihiri whispered to Inochi.</p><p>"I'm not sure. I only remembered that big flash after the battle. Everything afterwards was one big blur," Inochi whispered, holding a hand to her chin. "For that matter, how did we even get to all these places after then?"</p><p>"Does that really matter?" Vatra added in. He glanced down at his own hand as it flickered and winced. "The fact of the matter is, if not for those pendants, we wouldn't even be here. We shouldn't have survived, so what'll happen to us now? Will we just completely fade away?"</p><p>Both Sihiri and Inochi glanced at each other, but Inochi was the first to turn back to Vatra.</p><p>"I mean, it could be hard, but theoretically, I could use Life magic to make new bodies for us," Inochi suggested.</p><p>But, as Vatra's fingertips started to burn, Inochi drifted away.</p><p>"Never mind."</p><p>Vatra sighed. He clenched and released his own hand as he glanced at it in tension, but finally lifting it up as Nemir brushed a hand against his shoulder.</p><p>"Calm yourselves, everyone," Nemir said, lifting up and turning to the others. "Our souls survived this long in dormancy. I'm sure we'll find something—"</p><p>"That's not what I mean!" Vatra shouted. He gritted his teeth, grunted as he crossed his legs, and hung his head with a sigh. "Just look at how much time's passed. We've been gone for ten thousand years! To everyone we know, we're dead, hell, they're probably all long dead and in the afterlife now, too! We weren't supposed to be here, and now, and now what are we going to do? Will, will we really have a place…"</p><p>"Hey, chill out, Vats! What's the point in getting worked up about all this?" Luz asked. "You're getting way ahead of yourself! Just worry about getting Arkilles first, and then we can worry about all the weird existence stuff!"</p><p>Despite Luz saying this, nobody loosened their tense glances or relaxed their postures. At most, a few turned away and glanced, the chilling air dropping even further. The other portal masters moved away from one another, leaving each other to stew in their corners. Well, save for Dej and Jorden, who cast aside tiny glances before they turned back.</p><p>"Ten thousand years, huh?" Dej whispered, crossing his arms. "To think, we've managed to get along this long, huh? Wonder how all my old haunts stood up."</p><p>"I'll admit, I kinda have a hard time wrappin' my head 'round all this fancy stuff," Jorden remarked as he took off his helmet and scratched his head, "but, getting' worked up over all this stuff's not really my thing, either. I never really had much to worry 'bout anyways." Jorden chuckled and popped their helmet back on their head. "Sides, I'm sure we'll figure out somethin'! We always did, and we always will!"</p><p>Jorden turned over to where Tree Rex sat in the corner and grinned.</p><p>"Right?"</p><p>Tree Rex raised a brow, but only forced a smile and nodded as he turned away.</p><p>Even though he seemed to agree, the tension still rang—not that it wasn't unwarranted. A bunch of temporal travelers who found themselves years into a future they weren't supposed to witness… What would become of them after this? Would they fade away into the afterlife, or would they lose their souls in the process, and end up in the world beyond, where they've should've gone a long while ago? Would they be able to find lives for themselves in this new, strange world they once called their home? Surely, none of them truly knew, and that was probably the worst part.</p><p>"We're here," 'Enehana said as the robot creaked to a stop.</p><p>The view from the windshield changed to a large pair of golden doors engraved with fancy carvings, and embedded with giant crystals seated within the side of a canyon. The Machine Ghost's body didn't stop there. No, it instead shifted gears, and parked near a spiraling building made of worn, but strong stone with spiral pathways curled around it. A solid stone pathway carved out of the canyon rested to the right, near the beginning of the path itself, and the body's gangplank joined it as it opened the door.</p><p>'Enehana was the first to leave. They pulled themself away from the console, and trudged through the room with their head hung down and fists clenched.</p><p>"Come on," was the only thing they said, their voice as cold as the air around as they left the area.</p><p>'Enehana hopped down the bottom of the drawbridge and crossed their arms; they shook a bit when Jorden laid a hand on their shoulder. The warmth of Jorden's touch brought 'Enehana attention up to him, and he only smiled for a moment before drawing back. They seemed like they would speak, but Jorden swept them into his arms and hoisted them on his shoulder. Enehana was only able to make out a surprised shout.</p><p>"Think you can see that security system thingie from here?" Jorden shouted as he held a hand above his eyes. "I'm not spottin' anything other than rock, personally! There's some sedimentary, and some limestone, ooh, and I think that has to be some really nice stuff! I wouldn't mind makin' a few places out of this…"</p><p>'Enehana chuckled, withdrew a pair of binoculars from their backpack, and peered ahead. "You're right, it doesn't seem like there's anything around. No guards, no traps…"</p><p>"So this'll be easy as pie, right?"</p><p>"Normally I'd say that" — 'Enehana lowered the binoculars down to Jorden's eyes — "but take a look for yourself."</p><p>Jorden frowned and took grip of the binoculars. He held them solidly in front of his eyes, craned a bit to the right and gasped.</p><p>"Holy smokes! That's some wreckage!"</p><p>The sound of stomping came from behind, and 'Enehana nodded as they took the binoculars. They tweaked the binoculars a little, until a projection of the area ahead emerged from their center in bright, sparkly orange. The projection solidified as 'Enehana hopped down from Jorden's shoulder, yet they still held the binoculars tight as they ran up to meet the rest of the group.</p><p>The project cleared a bit, light parting in places, until it unveiled an area pretty much void of anything. The only thing there was the smoking garbage of what was once some kind of machine.</p><p>"Bad news, everyone," 'Enehana winced as they held up the projection for all to see. "The outer unlock system's completely trashed!"</p><p>A few gasps came from the back of the group, but not from Tree Rex, who steeled his face.</p><p>"Chances are, he probably knew we would tail him and tried to keep us from entering," Tree Rex reasoned, yet a twinkle shone in his eye as he glanced down at 'Enehana, "but, something tells me this is the part where you say you have a backup plan."</p><p>"You know me well." 'Enehana stuffed the binoculars in their backpack and walked off. "Just follow me."</p><p>The others nodded, and consolidated back into a small crowd that trekked along the thin passageways with care.</p><p>"We had two unlock systems installed for the vault, just in case something happened while someone else was still in there. The one Arkilles trashed was the outer one, but knowing him, he probably left the inner one intact, just to be safe."</p><p>'Enehana came to a stop at the scene of the security's system's destruction, and their glance soured at the sight.</p><p>Then again, who could blame them? The sight of charred, melted metal that merged and fused together in amorphous lumps, all so indistinct it was hard to tell they were once a machine, would do that to anyone. Only the faint sights of wiring or broken pieces that poked out left any indication, really. The black smoke that emitted from their bodies burned the air, leaving a few gagging in its wake. Even a couple birds flew over it, only to drop dead in that moment. Its smells and sights were so nauseating that they held no other response!</p><p>'Enehana's lip twitched, but they held their head up and scurried away. They conspicuously avoiding the sight as they beelined for a wall on the left-hand side of the area instead. Their fingers withdrew into their hand and reemerged as keys that plugged into the wall. Dust cascaded over them and faded right through, piling at their feet.</p><p>'Enehana didn't stop to brush it away, no. They stayed still and silent as they rested in front of the wall, but finally drew away as a string of beeps emitted in faint tones. The wall before them shuddered as their hand returned to normal, and it slowly drew away. The wall sent even more dust falling down as it parted, and revealed a dark tunnel from which the sound of churning gears echoed in a melancholic rhythm.</p><p>"It should be right in here." 'Enehana turned back and waved to the others, walked through the tunnel, and disappeared into its shadows. "Come on."</p><p>The others followed suit as they tailed 'Enehana into the tunnel. the Elder Elementals had to push and squeeze through just to get in. by the time they all entered, they completely blocked off the view outside and any light that came.</p><p>Everything in the room was covered in shadows. The only guide was the sounds of churning gears that grew slightly louder, and the fainter sounds of other machines working away in the distance. Even the ground underfoot was a mystery; its texture was somewhere between stone and metal, and the exact contents were a mystery otherwise.</p><p>That is, until 'Enehana pulled a lever and turned on the lights.</p><p>The lamps overhead flashed one by one, and revealed that surprisingly enough, the room was much bigger on the inside! Metallic gold lined its whole surface as red floors with machinery embedded into the stone walls. The machines' gears turned away into nothingness despite the rust and grime that formed on them. Past both the pathway ahead and the distinct scent of oil laid a series of round platforms shaped like gears. Each platform had a large key where the center would have been, and several other square platforms with tall consoles on them poked out from the sides. Beyond that, all that could be seen was murky depths shrouded in mist so thick that it shielded the area below. Hopefully, it wasn't very easy to fall off. Hopefully.</p><p>'Enehana grunted as they slid down the path underfoot, and revealed it to be a slope made of what seemed like some kind of worn crystal. They hopped onto one of the clockwork platforms and turned its key. The platform clunked slowly turning around before stopping right where the next platform laid. 'Enehana walked up, turned the key and moved to the next, hopping from platform to platform before finally reaching the end.</p><p>As they hopped off the last platform, they found themself by a gate with tall, pronged tops, and a disc bearing a Tech Element symbol attached to a frame of intertwined gears and wires.</p><p>"Just take care of the Elemental Gate," 'Enehana whispered as they planted their hand onto the disc's surface, and frowned as the gate unfolded and sank into the ground right before them, "and the console should be here."</p><p>The room darkened around them as 'Enehana passed into the narrow passage the gate once guarded. It was lit only by tiny, shining crystals embedded into the ceiling ahead. The path was as short as it was narrow, and led into a rocky dome where the only sign of technology was a rusty pylon charged with electricity that had a control panel seated in the plaque ahead of it. It burned in bright shades of red and gold that painted the otherwise drab stone walls around it in warm, evocative shades.</p><p>Yet, for 'Enehana, just the sight left them grimacing and clutching their stomach. They ducked their head low as they ran for the control panel, and flipped it open just as fast with eyes still glued there. In fact, if they hadn't been a ghost, the panel's flaps would have probably smacked them in the face. But, they were, so it harmlessly phased through, and only left them with a lingering shudder.</p><p>"Just tap this in, twirl those knobs, and that should be it," 'Enehana whispered as they toyed with the console.</p><p>Their hands shuddered with every press and twist, but they still held a good enough grip that their inputs were accepted. The control panel beeped before it folded itself back up and sank into the ground. The pylon, too, lost its shine as it sank back into the ground; its light dulled, and left behind a dark, dully-lit room of brown stone remaining.</p><p>'Enehana breathed a sigh and smiled, holding a hand over their chest before lifting it back. "That's right, ghosts don't have pulses," 'Enehana whispered as they turned around. "Not sure why I expected that. Guess seeing those colors together, it just…"<br> 'Enehana shuddered and turned away.</p><p>"Anyways, that was the admin code, so I doubt it would've been enough to activate any security measures." 'Enehana ducked out of the tunnel and wiped their hands. "I should get back to the rest of the group. The sooner we stop Arkilles, the better—"</p><p><em>FWOOM!</em><br> 'Enehana leaped into the air, but not by choice. Rather, a stone slab slammed down over the tunnel before them with such a crash that the whole room shook! A few gears popped out of the walls, and into the depths of the mist. The platforms shook with such fury that it seemed for a moment they would follow. Rattling metal rang in the air around 'Enehana as they crashed back down, falling face-first and quickly pushing themself up.</p><p>They shook their head as those red and gold colors poured over the room. Sirens wailed over the sound of working machines. It was unpleasant enough a sight and sound for them that they could only bring themself back to their knees. They shuddered, but quickly clutched their arm to quell the motion as they scanned the area ahead.</p><p>Thunking sounds came from underneath the platform, and their glance turned down for a moment as they got louder and louder. Another, closer thunk came right down as a trio of Arkeyan robots flipped onto the platform!</p><p>They looked to be knights dressed in shiny green and gold armor with metal bones underneath, and what seemed like sprouts grew from the few cracks in them. The red eyes in their helmets glowered as they pointed their lances straight for 'Enehana's neck. The handles held so tight that, were they not of made of anything other than hard metal, they would have cracked!</p><p>'Enehana winced and stepped back. "Only three, huh?" they whispered, still squeezing their arm tight. "I thought they had assigned more—thank the Ancients." 'Enehana winced, holding out their free hand. "Just need to take remote control of their systems, toss 'em off the bridge, and I'll be on my way."</p><p>'Enehana held out their free hand as it glowed with orange magic, and the same glow spread to their eyes as they gritted their teeth. Beads of ectoplasmic sweat dripped down from their body as they narrowed their brows. Their strained grunts grew louder as they stepped forward, and they brought their glowing hand close to the robots. They leaped and gripped one of them by the face, and in that moment, their eyes went wide and they collapsed! They rolled back to the wall and grunted as they finally came to a stop, but this time, they didn't pull themself up. Instead, they laid on their side, shuddering and clutching themself.</p><p>"My, my technomancy!" they whispered. "Something blocked it!"</p><p>Shadows cast over 'Enehana as they turned around. They gasped as the very same robot they tried to hack raised their lance above 'Enehana, and got ready to swing! They clutched their pendant and curled their body around it, eyes shutting and teeth gritting in anticipation…</p><p>Of a blow that never came.</p><p>The sharp <em>shing</em> of a skewering blow and the twist of split metal hit the air. 'Enehana opened their eyes to find the robot before had disappeared. Its space got taken by a large crystal slide that ended in a pointed ledge, and that same robot's skewered body dangled from its center.</p><p>"Ena!" Jorden called from the distance. He came into view quickly, sliding across the crystals before hopping down and scooping 'Enehana into his arms. "Are you alright? I heard this awful racket, and—"</p><p>'Enehana nodded, perhaps still a bit too stunned to speak, but stable enough to stand on their own two feet. They slipped away from Jorden's grip. They grabbed a taser from their backpack as the crystals disappeared before them, and leaned forward. The two robots before them backed away with weapons held tight, and 'Enehana stayed still. Their hands twitched, and their legs swayed just slightly as they prepared to leap.</p><p>The robots backed into the golden railings that blocked off the platforms from the depths below, but turned their heads aside while stomping rattled the platforms! They started to tip over, and their weapons finally slipped from their hands as they clung to the railing instead! The platforms slid down and dropped their weapons over the edge as the robots clung. The robots quickly flipped back on right as the platforms stabilized, and met with a fully-charged solar laser cannon!</p><p>"Alright, Arkeyans," Tree Rex hissed. The rest of the group was armed and ready to strike behind him as he pointed his laser cannon closer to the robots' necks. "Burn!"</p><p>The solar cannon shot its laser, the light burning against the caverns as it shot into the robots, but the sprouts that poked out from their bodies grew! These sprouts a full shield around the robots! The shield absorbed the light and disappeared.</p><p>The robots ran right for the platform's key, and spun it around as fast as they could! The platform around them spun so fast that it spread to the rest, and broke them apart. The platforms spiraled, churned, and moved from side to side as they bounced against the walls! The robots stood back and nodded as the sudden speed knocked Elder Elemental and portal master alike off. It was then that the sprouts on their back dove into the deep, and yanked the robots into the depths!</p><p>'Enehana grunted as they grabbed onto a gear in the wall just before they could fall, and glanced down. They first winced as the robots disappeared into the deep unknown below, but gasped as Tree Rex went to follow, and the others of their group slipped in after him! 'Enehana turned back to the wall as their body glowed a bit more orange, and kicked it with a grunt!</p><p>Orange magic flowed through the cracks in the walls as the others fell in, and the gears that rested in the walls dislodged themselves and flew across. The gears met each other in the air and latched together! They formed a full platform in mere moments, swept down into the mist, and shot back out with such speed that it cleared a brief hole in it. The hole showed what seemed like the glint of an eye before it swept back out with the rest of 'Enehana's group in tow!</p><p>'Enehana hopped down as the platform passed them by, and winced as they sat next to Sihiri and Inochi.</p><p>"Just what was that, 'Enehana?" Sihiri asked as she turned to them.</p><p>"Seems like the security systems must have activated," 'Enehana replied as they glanced back at the mists and scratched their head, "but, I don't know how! I used the admin code, and it unlocked like it should've, so the security shouldn't have…" 'Enehana raised a brow and turned to a shuddering Inochi. "Inochi, are you alright?"</p><p>"Yes, dear, is something wrong?" Sihiri asked as she drew Inochi close. "You've been shaking like this since we got here!"</p><p>"The Life energy here," Inochi sputtered as she clasped her hands. "It, it's absolutely horrendous! Just sitting here is giving me chills. It's like everything here's been corrupted!"</p><p>"Well, it won't last for long." Sihiri turned towards the path ahead and smiled as she pointed. "Look, the entrance is… Right there?"</p><p>Sihiri lowered her hand as vines leaped from the ground. The vine split the crystal floors, and wrapped onto the entrance like a spider's threads, so tight and thick that they completely blocked it out! Thorns burst from the vines soon after, and everyone leaped off the platform as it crashed into the vines and bounced off. The platform crashed before their feet, and split into a pile of broken, rusted gears once more. The world around dimmed a bit without the light from the entrance, even though the vines were sharp enough that they almost glowered.</p><p>All they were left to do was turn around and glance back at the path.</p><p>"Alright, something's definitely wrong here!" 'Enehana cried as they bounded forward. "I definitely didn't install something like this!"</p><p>The ground around rumbled, and Inochi yanked them back before they could take a step more.</p><p>"Look out!" Inochi cried. "The platforms, there's something coming from them!"</p><p>'Enehana grunted as they fell on the floor, staggered back up and ruffled their hair.</p><p>The platforms ahead still spun back and forth across the passage, though their speed slowed a little. Groaning, warped beeps and codes entered the air as vines shot up from the mist, and latched onto the platforms! The vines swung up like ropes as Arkeyans of all kinds, all with plants growing from the cracks in their armor, clung to their thick cords and landed on the platforms! The Arkeyans' eyes turned red as they all flew off the platforms, and they bore their weapons as they charged for 'Enehana!</p><p>'Enehana yanked a stray, worn pole from the ground and squeezed it tight. The pole glowed orange as the gears from before flew forward. Their shine and luster returned as they latched onto the pole, and refashioned it into a sharp, shiny spear! It fit comfortably in 'Enehana's hands as they rushed forward.</p><p>The first wave of Arkeyans came in, but 'Enehana's sights set on a knight that turned around and blocked their first blow! The staffs of their spears ground together, 'Enehana whacked its knees, turned aside as the head of the knight's spear flew just inches away from their face, and leaped forward as they plunged their spear right into its chest! Sparks flew from the chest, slapping into 'Enehana's body and leaving them with sharp burns.</p><p>They grunted and pulled their spear out from the knight's chest. A few more sparks exploded with enough power that it knocked 'Enehana back! They rolled around the floor and rested on their knee; they clutched their spear tight in hand as they pushed themselves up, and found that a pair of knights joined their injured ally.</p><p>'Enehana clutched their spear and rushed forward! With one swing, they knocked the whole trio's heads clean off of their bodies. With another, they smacked each body into the crowd right as they exploded! Severed robot bodies rained down from above, but 'Enehana tossed their spear aside and rushed underneath the rain.</p><p>With one last leap, they landed on the first platform and clung to its key, grunting as they tried to turn it—but it wouldn't budge! It just kept spinning. It moved back and forth, up and down, as 'Enehana tried to turn it further. With one particularly powerful spin, however, the key slapped into 'Enehana's gut, sending them flying back into the throes of Arkeyans!</p><p>The Arkeyans held out their weapons, ready to strike, but the sprouts that lurked from their body bloomed into masses of flowers! The sudden growth tore their bodies to shreds. Only the flowers were left behind, a cushion so that 'Enehana landed atop a grave of Arkeyans remains. The flowers faded as Inochi helped them up, and 'Enehana rubbed their head.</p><p>"It's no use! Those platforms are completely locked! In fact, it's kind of like something's controlling them." 'Enehana said before they lowered their head. "If it were those two robots controlling it, it should've faded. Falling from that height would mean death for even the most well-made robot."</p><p>"So what is it, then?" Inochi asked.</p><p>'Enehana hummed, now stroking their chin. "Well, when you were coming out of that mist, I could've sworn I saw an eye, or something like it, underneath there." 'Enehana lifted their head. Their gaze now turned to the mist as it churned below, for both bellows, and the scent of something akin to burning wood and oil emanated from it. "If I had to guess, it's whatever is in that mist, but how do we lure it out?"</p><p>"Eye will handle that!" Eye cried as he popped off of Brawl, and swooped above the platforms. "Just follow my lead!"</p><p>More robots, larger ones that bore shields and swords, groaned as they latched onto the platforms below. The larger robots climbed atop in the dozens, and their combined weight was massive enough that it tipped the platforms.</p><p>Eye hummed as the platforms dipped and surface, and zapped a few robots in the back! The sudden sniping knocked them off the edge and back into the depths. A faint explosion sounded, followed by a howling noise from the depths, one that shook the platforms before it sped them up again!</p><p>Eye hovered down above one platform, and met eye-level with the robots that stood on it as he giggled.</p><p>"Hello, fine fellows, how's the weather today?" he asked, but he gasped and jumped back as one robot swung its sword at him. "Alright, not in the mood for small talk, eye see!"</p><p>Eye chuckled again as he zipped away, and dashed from platform to platform as the robots made chase.</p><p>"See if you can keep up, then!"</p><p>The robots' beeps turned to screeches as they stampeded after Eye. They were all so fast, and so cobbled together, that the platforms below swayed from side to side! The platforms tipped left, pouring robots into the depths; they swayed right, pouring more and thinning out the ranks. The robots charged for the beginning, but right before they could reach, Thumpback swung his anchor and slashed right through their chests!</p><p>Thumpback's anchor flew back and slammed into the ground, sending up a wall of ice. The ice acted as a barrier from the explosion that came next. All that could be made out from its mostly-clouded surface was a flash of warm light and a dulled explosion. The ice melted away soon after, and poured into the misty depths, running around the battered helmets and torsos of robots. Thumpback knelt down, gently pried his anchor from the ground, and stepped back as 'Enehana came forward.</p><p>'Enehana sighed as they lifted a helmet from the ground, and clutched it close to their chest before they tossed it into the depths. The platforms slowed to a stop and hooked back together as they stood. 'Enehana turned around. They frowned a bit as a low rumbling came from the depths, but shook their head.</p><p>"Well, that should take care of that," 'Enehana said as they wiped their hands. A shadow and a small, twisted root brushed by their boot, and they glanced down with a raised brow as it disappeared. "Come on, let's get back. We can't—" Another, thicker and longer shadow ran along the ground as the rumbling returned, and 'Enehana shuddered as they walked ahead. "Can't let Arkilles get away and all."</p><p>The rumbling grew louder with every slow step 'Enehana took. Gears dislodged themselves from the ground and pouring in while the ground shuddered. 'Enehana, for their part, hung their head and ignored it. Instead, they trudged forward, just barely reaching the rest of the group's ranks when…</p><p>"'Enehana, look out!"</p><p>'Enehana turned around as the shadow fell completely over the tunnel, and rolled away right as a massive claw swooped into the ground! Their back hit the wall as shards of shattered crystal flew off to reveal hard ground underneath. They glanced aside as the others crawled back from the onslaught of shattered crystal, and then glanced back to the path ahead—but it was gone!</p><p>Now, it was blocked off by a massive bark demon unlike anything else!</p><p>The bark demon had to have been as tall as the cavern itself. Its withered top smashed against the ceiling and crumbled it to pieces! The broken remains fell around it, sent light pouring through the road, and revealed withered gray bark so pale and wrinkled that it looked more like the skin of a corpse. The only color from it was a faint, muddled, green and orange glow that pulsed from the few parts of exposed flesh left underneath its cracked face. It radiated like it was radioactive and ready to burst.</p><p>Two black voids sat where its eyes would've been, and its mouth held none of the branch-like fangs that bark demons usually held. Instead, it was made of sharp metal swords and spears. Its body seemed bulky, but on closer inspection, it was thin and ragged. The illusion formed from the masses of armor that absorbed into its skin, all rusted reds and golds. Arkeyan armor, maybe?</p><p>'Enehana gasped as the bark demon wailed. It smashed through the walls and the rest of the ceiling, and carved out a battlefield of raw, untouched stone while the light shone down. They backed away, too dumbstruck to grab a weapon or even run as the bark demon plunged its hands into the ground. The bark demon sent withered, radioactive roots tearing through the ground, roots that fused into a round bomb and exploded right where 'Enehana stood!</p><p>They gasped, rushing to their feet right as the bark came for them. A string of stone pillars blocked the bark off first! 'Enehana turned to their side to find Jorden and Crusher, who held their hands out while brown glows burst from them. 'Enehana gulped and stood to their feet.</p><p>"So it was a giant plant?" Jorden cried as he summoned a gigantic stone ax. "Not what I expected, but that's alright! I can do a little weeding!"</p><p>Jorden cried out as he rushed down the hill. He held his ax wide over his head as he bounded forward, and flew straight for the demon's left arm! With one cry, the ax doubled in size and slashed right into the armor—but instead of cracking or slashing it, the ax shattered on impact! Jorden gasped as its crumbling bits fell into the mist below, and the bark demon slapped him back onto the ground!</p><p>Jorden grunted as he slid across the stone floors below, groaned and pushed himself up. "Alright, maybe I should've used diamond instead?"</p><p>Another roar came from the bark demon as it plunged its claws into the ground, and Crusher immediately jumped in as he slammed his hammer down! A shield formed from the cracked remains of the crystal path and landed in front of them. Its body reinforced from layers of extra stone, and stood tall as the bark demon clawed away at it! With every slash, only a few scratch marks remained and vanished as quickly as they came, much to the bark demon's frustration as it roared and scratched away.</p><p>"Tree Rex!" Crusher cried as he turned aside. He grunted and shut his eyes with every blow the shield took. "Now!"</p><p>"On it!" Tree Rex cried as he charged forward. "TIMBERRRRRRR!"</p><p>The ground below Tree Rex glowed green, and out from it sprouted a giant flower! It leaped up, swallowed Tree Rex whole, and set itself forward with a click. With a rumble, it spat him right into the bark demon's path!</p><p>Tree Rex roared as his whole body glowed green, and doubled in size for only a moment. He smashed right into the bark demon with enough force to knock it into the ledges it formed! Tree Rex shrunk back down while the bark demon reeled, cast a thick, curling vine towards a ledge, and swung away.</p><p>The bark demon's armor cracked as it slammed into the ledge; its bark peeled off and fell into the depths. The green, misty miasma spread up, tickling the bark demon's face and leaving it wailing in agony. Its flesh melted and bubbled! It clawed at the miasma in some kind of failed attempt to send it away, but all that accomplished was burning away the bark around its fingertips. The bark demon wailed, bit into the platforms that still hovered, before it spat them out and knocked them into the ground!</p><p>The miasma splintered. Its trails floated over to the path where the Elder Elementals and ancient portal masters laid, and solidified as goopy, green flowers that looked as if they were made of pure acid!</p><p>Tree Rex grunted as he swung back down onto the platform. The flowers shuddered, flicking acid drops everywhere and melting away the stone! He gasped as he glanced over the burning stone, and then towards the flowers as round bubbles ran up their stems, almost like…</p><p>"They're gonna shoot!" Tree Rex cried.</p><p>He slammed down his fist as the ground glowed green. Before he could cast a single spell, a blob of acid shot right for him and nailed him in the shoulder! Tree Rex screamed, and his voice strained and roared with such pain that the world shuddering. He turned over and clutched his shoulder, but the acid spread to his hand! He screamed and panted as he pounded his burning hand against the ground. His bark melted away to reveal flesh, and even that bubbled and pulsed away!</p><p>"Tree Rex!" Bouncer and Hot Head both cried.</p><p>They ran to his side, but got pelted with acid in turn. The acid slammed into Bouncer's chest first, and he fell to his knee as it poured down, melting away his outer metal covering before leaping for the wiring next. It ate away at Bouncer, and sent sparks billowing from his chest like fireworks! Bouncer spat out garbled nonsense as a shower of sparks burst from his throat. He billowed out and spewed towards Hot Head as the acid hit him in turn!</p><p>Hot Head screamed as the acid and sparks alike burnt into his flames. The fire atop his head burst like a volcano as the light around him grew brighter, like a flashbang waiting to happened! The light glowed its brightest as he groaned, but quickly faded as he fell to his knees, and then his side while Bouncer crashed behind him.</p><p>The two of them laid aside Tree Rex, groaning and crying in pain. The acid ate into them, melting away their bodies with every single drip. A bright green glow surrounded them, and formed a dome-shaped shield of light that rained down onto the trio! The light blanketed over their wounds, melted away the acid until not even a drop was left, and wrapped around their wounds as it slowly restored their bodies back to their full status!</p><p>Tree Rex groaned as his once acid-covered hand restored back to its full, regular state, and pushed himself high enough to peer down below.</p><p>Inochi stood there, her hands raising high. More of that sparkling green light poured from her palms as it fed into the shield, and the two only smiled at each other. Tree Rex and Inochi glanced aside as Bouncer and Hot Head's wounds healed enough for them to stand, and Inochi lowered her hands.</p><p>While her hands fell to her side, Inochi took in a breath, whipped around and tossed out her hands. She shot raw blasts of poison that slammed into an oncoming onslaught of acid blasts!</p><p>The poison blasts soared back, nearly grazed past Ninjini as they shot right for the flowers, and blasted holes into their centers! The flowers reformed quickly; the holes that once burned into them quickly filled from the masses of dripping acid that made up their bodies. The flowers bubbled as they prepared to fire once more—but just before they shot, the bases of their stems turned purple, and they froze! They strained and jerked as the purple glow spread from their stems to their tips in rapid speed. They jerked around, and shot their acid blasts at the bark demon instead!</p><p>The bark demon backed away the best it could, snarled, and flung its armored arms in front of its face when it realized it had nowhere to turn. The acid splattered against its armor and spread around, burning away the armor with rapid speed. The acid fell onto the bark demon's thin, withered arms when it ran out of armor to eat!</p><p>Green smoke steamed from the bark demon's arms as they withered away underneath the acid's grip. Their remains snapped off, and plummeted down into the depths while the bark demon screamed! It flailed it arms and flicked off the last of the acid, but the acid's effects still remained.</p><p>Only stumps remained of its arms, ones that bubbled and withered. Sticks poked out of its severed arms, but broke off and crumbled to ashy bits that floated away in the wind! That smell of burning oil and wood grew even stronger with each attempt, and the bark demon's face strained as it panted out labored, tired breaths. With one last attempt, a few more sticks popped out and crumbled into the depths—but this time, it took the rest of the arms with them!</p><p>The bark demon wailed at the top of its lungs. It shook the world around, and nearly blew everyone off the ground if not for Ninjini, who cast up a shield!</p><p>Beside her, Swarm flew up and held his arms across his chest. His eyes and stingers flashed azure before he sprung forward and sliced the wind, shooting blades of solid wind and cracking the bark demon's chest! Swarm dropped down beside Ninjini while the bark demon slammed down and slunk into the misty depths.</p><p>"What's up with that dude?" Swarm cried. He winced as the bark demon staggered up. "I've never seen a bark demon like that before, and I've seen a lot of bark demons!"</p><p>"It's definitely unnatural, alright," Ninjini replied as she held her hands towards the barrier. "With its looks, it should have withered and died long ago!"</p><p>"Not to mention, the energy it gives off is so corrupted, too," Inochi added as she stepped up. She shuddered as she held her hands to her face, and a single tear fell from her face. "It's like it's been placed underneath a curse!"</p><p>A few whispers came from around the group, but 'Enehana was the only one to step forward and raise their voice. Clearing their throat, they pushed themself towards Inochi and glanced at the barrier, their eyes narrowing at the sight of the bark demon. They breathed in, breathed out, and a low hum came. Their eyes fell on what remained of the demon's armor, then towards the stumps that remained of its arms, which now glowed with light in a silverish kind of blue…</p><p>"Or perhaps, it evolved," 'Enehana said.</p><p>"Evolved?"</p><p>'Enehana placed a hand to their chin.</p><p>"Once upon a time, this may have been an ordinary bark demon that got trapped in here, or perhaps, it grew low on prey, came in here, and started feasting on the guard robots as a substitute. Its body would have evolved to accommodate this, but that evolution's proved too much for its simple, organic body to handle."</p><p>'Enehana's hand started to tremble as it fell to their side. "It should have died long ago, yet it's scrambling to find whatever it can to sustain whatever frail remains of life it has."</p><p>A roar bellowed from the front, and a twisted mass of roots tore through the ground as it smashed through the shield! Inochi just barely pushed 'Enehana aside before the roots plunged into them; instead, it was her they took, wrapping tight around her chest and leaping into the air! Green light trailed down the cracks in the roots. It amplified underneath the sunlight, and glowed even brighter as it sped its way into the bark demon's body!</p><p>Thin sprouts of a trunk formed in the spots where the bark demon's arms once rested. They emerged a strong, healthy brown, but quickly dulled and decayed as they grew further. The bark demon snarled as it glanced down at its slowly-regrowing arms, licked its lips and roared once more! More roots burst out from the ground in front of it, lashed forward, and snatched the rest of the group off the ground!</p><p>The roots curled around the others tight. In the center of it all, Inochi's head whipped from left to right, shocked gasps bursting from her with the sight of each stolen ally! She grunted and lifted her head as a brighter green glow, one completely unlike the one the roots held came from her. She strained as it glowed its brightest, but exhaled and slumped over the root as it faded.</p><p>"It's no use," Inochi panted, and her head hung so low that her face couldn't be seen. "I, I can't untie them! It won't respond to my magic!"</p><p>"That's probably because it took in aspects of those robot guards," 'Enehana proclaimed between strained grunts. "The powerful technology must make it immune to the influence of magic spells!"</p><p>"Then we'll just have to do this the old-fashioned way!" Vatra cried.</p><p>He grunted and kicked the back of the root, shattering its bark completely. It shattered the root with such force that it immediately dropped Vatra! The moment he released, he crafted a sword out of fire, and dashed off into the air As he swung it, the sword sent out a massive burst of fire that sliced through the roots—but it didn't stop there! It powered right through, and slammed into the bark demon, shattering the chestplate on its chest and exploding into flames! The fires lingered on its body, burning away its remains: first the bark, and then the flesh, and finally, a pulsing shell of what may have been a heart.</p><p>The flames burned away at the rest of the bark demon's body, and spread along to the chest as the bark demon wailed in agony. Its once powerful cries reduced to shrill wails and screeches just barely loud enough to count as a shout, a chilling sound to any being.</p><p>'Enehana shuddered and turned their head as the cries lowered in volume. The cries faded to little more than a whisper in the wind, and they finally stood up and glanced back at the fog, right as the ashy remains of the bark demon poured into the depths, never to be seen again.</p><p>"Are we like that demon?" 'Enehana whispered, their glance turning down to the pendant around their neck. "Never meant to live this long, only surviving by a sheer stroke of luck? Are we holding on to an existence never meant to be ours?"</p><p>Light poured in from the back of the room, and 'Enehana bit their lip. More weighed on their mind for sure, but they undoubtedly couldn't find the words, so all they did was stand. Still as stone, still as metal, still as the walls that once made up this cavern, they gazed out at the mist as it slowly faded away. Its clouds thinned, and revealed the faint traces of what seemed like a graveyard littered with the remains of Arkeyans robots.</p><p>"'Enehana, we're done here!" Vatra called. "Come on, we're making our leave!"</p><p>'Enehana sighed and turned away just before the mist cleared. They were all slouched over as they trudged back to the outside world. They walked up to Inochi's side, lifted their head as she laid a hand on their shoulder, and forced a smile as they were met with her kind gaze.</p><p>"I understand how much it must hurt, having to fight your own creations," Inochi whispered. "Especially ones rendered in a state like that."</p><p>"Ah, don't worry about me, Inochi," 'Enehana said as they pushed ahead. "Let's just take care of Arkilles."</p><p>'Enehana ran far ahead of the group, far away from their talk and whispers surely about them and their behavior.</p><p>In fact, they ran so far that they arrived back at the Machine Ghost's body in mere seconds, and hopped in before anyone else! They rushed right for the controls, panted as they held a hand to their chest, but shook their head as the others came in.</p><p>Inside, the Machine Ghost hummed as the last of the group entered, took hold of his body's controls and steered it back to the vault. His hands tensed as the vault hissed and opened before him, its doors slowly creaking open into vast darkness. He gulped as it creaked open to its fullest.</p><p>The Machine Ghost turned around, and only one question came from him.</p><p>"Is everyone ready?"</p><p>Varying degrees of enthusiasm came: cheers from Swarm and Luz, weary smiles from most of their group, a half-hearted nod or two from 'Enehana and Vatra… But they all held one, solid answer.</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"If that's the case, we'll be going now. Prepare yourselves."</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body ducked underhead as it crept into the vault, and the doors closed behind it as it trailed into the watery halls.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Within a single, lonely room of the vault, light shone from only the faintest presence of lamps rusted by millennia of dormancy. The light illuminated a sparkly, gold stone tablet that rested on a surprisingly rust-free podium which stretched out from the waters. Its engravings held no signs of erosion in spite of the thousands of years it spent sitting there and gathering dust; the map carved into it was clear as day and shimmered brilliantly.</p><p>That is, until a long shadow fell over the podium. The scent of smoke that floated in from the other rooms came to a close as a large Conquertron landed right in front of the podium. Its descent was so forceful that it splashed water across the cavern, including the podium! The rocking waves nearly knocked the map straight off the podium, but the Conquertron quickly claimed it before it could fall into the waves.</p><p>"Careful now!" chimed Arkilles from within the Conquertron as he gingerly lifted the map to his face. "It would be such a shame if this map was lost to the waves after all the work I did to get it~" Arkilles chuckled to himself, the Conquertron tilting its head in tandem with his laughter. "Anyways, Conquertron, scan this map into the databanks!"</p><p>"Understood, your radiant highness," bellowed a voice from within the Conquertron.</p><p>Its eyes flashed red as they panned back and forth over the map held ever so carefully in hand. Within the Conquertron itself, a map formed in its control room! The bright light of the map stood like a luminescent screen over the windshield, its features slowly drawn over the map itself.</p><p>Before the map stood Arkilles, who chuckled and drummed his fingers together.</p><p>"Oh, it's so close now! Once this map is finished, I can head back to Arkus and get my empire back!" Arkilles proclaimed, spinning around with the joy of a schoolchild. "I'm sure it's just the way I remember it! After all, with all the security there, I doubt anybody's gone spelunking in the past few millennia. All my robots, Arkus's inner workings, I can just feel their presence in this room!" Arkilles laughed again, but his tone turned lower, a bit more malicious. "One I get the fist back, the Arkeyan empire will rise again!"</p><p>Arkilles shuffled back over to the pilot's seat and jumped in. His legs crossed together as he ruffled his head, but he blinked as he lifted his hand.</p><p>"That's right, this body doesn't have any hair." Arkilles shook his head. "Ah, but that doesn't matter, I can make a nice hair growth potion for it once I meet up with the royal alchemists back in Arkus. Have I missed its pleasures… Those bumbling monkey-things and meddling trolls simply don't compare! Why, I can already hear them say—"</p><p>"Stop right there!" cried another voice from behind.</p><p>Arkilles raised a brow, jumped to the controls and swerved the Conquertron around. The downloaded map jumped into a simple round glass dome embedded into the console. The dome flickered with white and blue light as he did, and outside, the Conquertron laid the real map back on the podium as it turned around.</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body flew back in, and planted its own feet on the waters.</p><p>The Conquertron clenched its fists as its eyes dimmed, but quickly released at the sight of the Machine Ghost's robotic body.</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body gained its fair shares of dents, cracks, and bumps still. A bit of steam poured from a few angles, but orange light spread across its body and sealed each gap up, good as new! The body's hatch poured open, and out climbed and flew the Elder Elementals and ancient portal masters. They all seated themselves on the body's shoulders as it closed the hatch, and they drew into fighting stances, fists raised and legs spread!</p><p>"Well, well, look what we have here!" Arkilles teased. His voice was echoed, and a bit more robotic in sound as he spoke. "A bunch of washed-out heroes and some old ghosts of the pasts! I'm surprised you managed to get this far!"</p><p>'Enehana snarled. Their teeth gritting together as Nemir pulled them back before they could do anything reckless. Sihiri turned to them with a nod, and 'Enehana nodded in turn as they stepped back. Their scowl stayed stuck to their face, but they merely crossed arms with tight fists, and let their brows dig into their eyes.</p><p>Sihiri raised her hand to her throat and cast a spell. "Your reign of terror's revival ends here, Arkilles!" Sihiri bellowed, and her voice echoed to one of a thousand as she stared down Arkilles. "Nothing's going to stop us from stopping you—not your armies, not your tricks and traps, not even death itself!"</p><p>"Sure wish it stopped him, though!" Vatra scoffed from the other shoulder.</p><p>"I heard that, you know," Arkilles remarked, piloting the Conquertron directly in front of the podium. Arkilles chuckled as the faint sight of burning flames came from where Vatra stood, stroked the Conquertron's chin and sighed. "Unfortunately, I'd say I'm just as stubborn as you pests are! After all, I'm downloading the map as we speak, and my loyal subjects are just dying for their emperor-king to take the throne back! They've been waiting so patiently, so I'm afraid I can't keep them waiting any longer!"</p><p>The Conquertron drew back, and Arkilles sneered within its depths.</p><p>"So I can't entertain you for long. I'll just have to end your miserable existences right here and now!"</p><p>The Conquertron thrust forward with haste, and its legs leaped from within the water's grip with not a single hindrance from the waters below. No, it was as light and elegant as a swan's flight! It shot forward as it thrust a punch right into the heart of the Machine Ghost's body—but the Machine Ghost's body clapped its hands and created an electrical shield, one quickly reinforced with a bright flash of purple magic! The flash left it so strong and tall that it completely blocked the Machine Ghost's body, and everyone that surrounded it, from view.</p><p>The Conquertron plunged its fist into the shield and blew it to bits. It crated a shock wave that knocked the Machine Ghost's body into the waters. The lightning coursed around the Conuqertron's fist, spread to its chest and head, but the Conquertron quickly stifled itself. The lightning faded as Arkilles chuckled and staggered out.</p><p>"Ah, so you're still not very quick to lie down and die. I should've guessed that when you showed up again after ten thousand years!" Arkilles remarked. "Ten thousand years, and your souls still refuse to rest. My, how miserable. Surely you'd have better, much more enjoyable things to do in the afterlife than fighting little old me."</p><p>"Conquertron destruction formation, now!" Tree Rex cried as he leaped off of the Machine Ghost's body's shoulder.</p><p>The other all cried off and shouted in agreement as they leaped off and followed after Tree Rex. Sihiri and Ninjini were the first to join him as they flicked out their arms and shot purple light. The purple light moved underfoot, consolidated into stars, and landed underneath the feet of those who couldn't fly as it soared forward!</p><p>The stars propelled them right towards the Conquertron. While the rest of the group flew on stars, the actual fliers diverted away and swerved around the back! The ones in front charged for Arkilles.</p><p>Arkilles snarled as golden light formed in the Conquertron's eyes and emerged as sharp lasers. Before the lasers could make contact, the front group split! The lasers hit the walls instead, blasting small holes into their rocky, metal-laced surfaces.</p><p>The golden light formed in the eyes once more, but quickly faded as something smashed into the Conquertron's back and knocked it forward. A creak sounded as its stone casing started to smoke. Arkilles turned around, and met with Swarm, Eye, and Ninjini all shooting hot lasers of colorful light right beside him!</p><p>Luz and Vatra floated in. with a snap of their fingers, the lasers doubled in size, and grew so hot that their colors bled out. Their prior hues replaced with a searing white that melted away the metal in the Conquertron's front!</p><p>The Conquertron stumbled back and forth as the lasers' heat spread to the lower half of its body. With its balance offset, it stumbled right for the map!</p><p>"No!" Arkilles cried as he took control of the Conquertron and swerved it away from the podium.</p><p>The Conquertron crashed through one of the walls instead, sending water pouring through the newborn cavity in its bodice. It quickly stumbled back and slugged a punch right for Swarm, Eye, and Ninjini's group. The group scattered, the punch hitting nothing but thin air and lingering still!</p><p>Ninjini and Swarm jumped onto the arm. They smiled as burning flames sounded off from the side, right as Bouncer flew down beside them! Ninjini summoned a pair of swords, leaped up, and sliced them together as she shot slashes of magic right into the Conquertron's arm casing!</p><p>The arm cracked, bits of calcified metal and rock crumbling into the depths. Strings of sharp, hot, laser blasts pierced through the casing and cracked them further! Parts of the casing peeled off, unveiling rusted wiring underneath. With one last blast of solid air from Swarm, the casing shattered completely! The loose wiring was all that remained.</p><p>Sparks flew from small gashes in the wires, and snapped towards Swarm and Bouncer. They leaped up while Ninjini cast a platform underneath Bouncer.</p><p>Arkilles' growling grew deeper, angrier, by far as he glanced down at the Conquertron's casing-free arm. He lowered it to his side and swung around, his still-intact arm swinging along and nearly grazing the group! They stumbled forward, and fell together onto one star platform while the intact arm swung into the ceiling, smashing one row of its beginning! The ceiling crumbled as its remaining half tumbled towards the ground, threatening to crush all underneath!</p><p>Just before the wreckage could reach, a bronze glow surrounded it! It stopped in midair before it shot forward, slamming right into the Conquertron's chest! The Conquertron flew back, flew straight into the hole it broke into the wall earlier, and collapsed underneath the broken ceiling's weight.</p><p>Sparks flew from its hinges as Arkilles grunted and tossed the rocks away, staggered back up and hunched over into the heart of the fray. A massive dent laid in the Conquertron's chest, one with gashes filled with sparking wires, and steam bellowed from the hinges! The sparks from the exposed arm grew into full-blown electrical fires as water seeped into the wires' gaps, and sirens wailed from within the Conquertron!</p><p>"<em>Error, error! Major damage has been sustained to systems!" </em>bellowed a voice from within the Conquertron.</p><p>"Yes, I'm aware!" Arkilles cried as he jumped to the console. Arkilles winced at its sights, all pushed in and smashed together while half its buttons and levers fell off and piled at his feet. He quickly shook his head and pushed, pulled at anything he could. "Now shut up and give me the button that does something about it! I don't have time to fiddle with useless machines!"</p><p>Back in the outer world, Jorden and Crusher both grinned as they bumped their fists together. They turned around to where the Conquertron creaked up. It lifted its head while steam burst from its back, a glint of malice shining in its eyes, and the two of them readied their weapons in turn.</p><p>Jorden and Crush crept forward on their star platforms as the Conquertron lifted itself higher and charged. Sparkles shone at the back of their platform like an engine revving. They gasped and flew off as a searing hot laser shot for them!</p><p>The Conquertron resorted to spinning around as fast as it could, lasers shooting from every orifice of its top as it did! The lasers smashed through rocky walls and cliffs, boring holes and leveling formations and platforms around. The smell of hot smoke filled the air. The sheer heat evaporated the water, lowering its levels to about half and increasing the Conquertron's speed as it spun further. It rotated like a top around the battlefield, and stirred up tsunamis as its lasers' light cut through the stone around them!</p><p>A few of the others ducked down, but Inochi stood firm and clapped her hands together. Beneath her, a green glow shone underneath the remaining waters, tinting them into a sea foam shade. With a flick of her hand, a whole garden of giant flowers grew around the Conquertron, and shouldered the light's blow!</p><p>Their stems drank up the raging lasers, and their closed buds absorbed the light. They grew in brilliant shades as they unfolded, twisted around the Conquertron and bit into its shoulders! Their stems squeezed around the legs and yanked them out of their sockets. Their heads dug further into the shoulders and tore out parts of its wiring. Even as the Conquertron struggled and tried to break free, its limbs could barely even wiggle!</p><p>Thumpback and Brawl both sped out on their stars, and whooshed past Inochi with such speed that her kimono fluttered in the breeze!</p><p>Thumpback glanced back at her and nodded as he pulled out his anchor. Beside him, Brawl summoned a javelin of bone, and lifted it well above his empty head! They came in close while the Conquertron lifted its head. Its eyes charged with golden light, and they tossed their weapons right through the Conquertron's eyes!</p><p>The glass shattered and poured into the depths, and the cannons inside laid smashed to pieces. In fact, a few of the cannons' remnants clung to the head of Thumpback's anchor as he reeled it back in!</p><p>The flowers finally unwrapped and faded back into the depths. The Conquertron, released at last, fell down against the wall. It stood freed of its legs and unable to move, its left arm was completely fried, its head cannons left in pieces, and anything in its chest surely in the same state. Even its communications garbled, the faint shouts of Arkilles screaming and panicking warbled by thick, heavy static. The water seeped in further and drenched its chest while parts of its armor began to fall again.</p><p>"It's completely defenseless!" 'Enehana cried as they frantically waved their arm. "Get in for the kill, now!"</p><p>The static around communications started to clear, and the first thing that came over its cleared speakers was Arkilles, laughing and cackling with his whole chest! A jetpack emerged from the Conquertron's back and lifted it up, pushing around the waters below. Its damaged body dangled like a puppet over the waters. The others backed away as Arkilles' laughter continued, and the Conquertron raised its right arm, the only intact part of its body left.</p><p>"You haven't won just yet!" Arkilles cried, his voice strained and cracked as he flailed the arm around. "I still have one arm, and by the great Ancient, I intend to use it! Even if it kills me a second time, I won't let you beat me to my own empire!"</p><p>Arkilles's laughter grew frantic as the Conquertron thrashed, and spun its arm around the best it could! It slammed near Tree Rex and Hot Head first, nearly knocking them off the platforms they rode on. It swung to the side and into Swarm's chest, slapping him right out of the air! A pillar of ice rose and splintered as it caught Swarm in its grip.</p><p>Beside it, Dej gasped and jumped up as the arm swung for him, landing on its wrist right as it stopped. The arm's casing froze underneath Dej's feet. He clenched his brows as he summoned a sickle made of ice and leaped up.</p><p>"Alright, it's time you froze for a second!" Dej cried, slashing his sickle in the air. "Take this!"</p><p>Solid ice blasts emerged from the air with every slice, smashing into the arm and freezing it solid! It laid stiff and frozen in its place; it was completely unable to move even as Arkilles cried out and flailed it around. Arkilles grunted, swerved left, and a burst of billowing flames slammed into the arm. It bubbled as the ice melted off, and the arm went with it! Its metal turned gooey as it dripped into the depths of the waves!</p><p>"No! Not my arm! Not my last line of defense!" Arkilles cried as the last of the arm melted away.</p><p>He gasped as the jetpack's flames petered out in turn, and the Conquertron hit the floors with a clunk before he knew it. Arkilles gasped, and sputtered in strained, trilled fear as the Elder Elementals and ancient portal masters all surrounded his broken, hapless Conquertron. They raised their weapons, all aimed for the Conquertron's chest and throat, and Arkilled hyperventilated, his breaths straining and whimpering as they inched in closer.</p><p>"Oh, woe is me, this truly marks the end of my empire! To be beaten in such a shameful fashion, what a disgrace!" Arkilles bawled, and leaned back in a way that almost made it seem like he would faint. "I suppose you are going to wipe my spirit from this plane, deny my entrance into the afterlife, and leave my soul to wither away into nothingness!"</p><p>"It's what you deserve, Arkilles!" Vatra cried, flames engulfing his hands and burning at his hair's tips as he spoke. "Thousands dead, entire islands wiped clean, all those who couldn't even stand a chance against your armies… Have you no shame?"</p><p>"Skylands nearly fell into ruin because of your selfishness!" Sihiri shouted, her voice straining with pain. "All so you could fulfill your own desires of having an empire!"</p><p>Tree Rex stayed stoic, and only raised his solar cannon as it shrieked, charging with light.</p><p>"Ah, so the execution begins now," Arkilles said, his voice quaint and like a whisper. "If these are my last words to be spoken, I simply have to ask… What exactly are you fighting for?"</p><p>"To protect Skylands from you, of course!" Tree Rex shouted, his voice bitter and strained as his solar cannon charged its fullest. "It's our home, and we're not going to watch as it's brought into ruin so you can have an empire again!"</p><p>"But is it really?"</p><p>That single question was enough to raise Tree Rex's brows, and the light in his solar cannon flickered for a moment before it restored. He steeled his glance. His legs shook for a moment before he moved his solar cannon from the Conquertron's chest to its throat. Arkilles laughed, and Tree Rex shuddered as the cannon sparked again!</p><p>"Ah, so you have been thinking about that! In fact, I'd been wondering how you'd feel myself. Getting caught up on what I missed was quite an experience, after all."</p><p>Arkilles cackled. The once strained tone in his voice completely vanished, and its haughty pride returning as he bellowed with laughter.</p><p>"After all, ten thousand years is quite the long time! The places we once called home have changed, been destroyed, vanished to the sands of time, and most of those who lived then are little more than notes in history books. In fact, I'd argue that the Skylands of today is a completely different world from the one we once knew." Another soft chuckle came from Arkilles. "It was quite a shock to me when I discovered it, so I had to wonder how my dearest enemies would take it~"</p><p>"What does that matter to you?" 'Enehana spat. "You lost your whole empire, didn't you?"</p><p>"Ah, but that's fine by me!" Arkilles chided, and cackled as his words left the others wide-eyed before him. "Empires can always be remade, and so many of my forces were finely preserved. I guess it's true that Arkeyan technology was built to withstand the test of time~"</p><p>'Enehana winced, and clenched their teeth while their hands started to spark.</p><p>"But look at you! Everything you've cared about is most definitely long gone now! Why are you fighting so hard to protect a world like this? Regardless if I win or lose, this is no place you lot can call home now!"</p><p>Sihiri winced and flew forward. "That's not—"</p><p>"Oh, but it is true!"</p><p>The Conquertron lurched up just enough that it stood the best it could. It smoked and popped, and it gestured a bit as if it raised arms it no longer had.</p><p>"Those you once loved have been dead for generations! They're only remembered as faint pages in history books, if they made any marks at all. You'll never see them again, no matter how much you wish for it! All that time spent fighting to live in peace with them was futile! Your family, your friends, your lovers and neighbors… They're all dead! Dead, you hear?"</p><p>Luz whimpered, and backed away for only a bit before he rushed for Swarm's leg and started to tremble. A few small sniffles came from him as Swarm nuzzled him close. Beside him, Brawl bowed his head in solemn silence while Eye sank into the cavity on Brawl's top. They only glanced aside a moment as Sihiri shuddered. She shook, and floated back as she clasped her hands over her mouth while tears started to fall.</p><p>"Don't listen to him!" Tree Rex hissed as he glanced from side to side, struggling not to move an inch. "He's just trying to get under our—"</p><p>"And what of you, wise leader of the Elder Elementals?" Arkilles broke in. "The places you once cherish are nothing like you remember them, even if they're still around!" Arkilles chuckled, and the Conquertron's head barely creaked from side to side. "That's true of all of you lot! Your homelands have been left ravaged and changed beyond belief by the sands of time! Their names have been eroded, and their most treasured places are destroyed and unrecognizable! Why, I doubt anyone there would even know what you would were talking about if you tried to come back!"</p><p>Inochi whimpered and bowed her head, and Tree Rex gently swept her into his arms. Nemir floated beside him next; his eyes went wide with shock while he held his crown in his hands, but even he quickly turned away and tried to fix it, as if he hid himself from Arkilles' piercing glare. Nemir shuddered as Arkilles glanced at him. Jorden and Hot Head flew in front of Nemir as a shield, but both of them carried tense, contemplative looks and shuddered themselves.</p><p>"Those aspirations you all held, all those things you surely dreamed of doing once you defeated me, well, what good are they to you now? You're all either fragments of a dead era, or dead! The people of now only think of you as legends, as bedtime stories they tell to their children! This world holds no place for fossils such as yourselves!"</p><p>'Enehana gritted their teeth further, and their hands shook as Dej wearily clasped one and turned away. Vatra's own flames extinguished as he turned away and joined them, his back completely turned to Arkilles. Above them, Bouncer, Ninjini, Thumpback, and Crusher all shared weary, tense glances as they glanced at each other and the others around them.</p><p>Surely, they all held that same conflict: they wanted to refute Arkilles, to cry out and tell him he was wrong…</p><p>But, they couldn't.</p><p>He was right. Skylands changed a lot in all those years. How could they combat his arguments when this world was so different, and they knew so little about it? When everything they once held dear disappeared so long ago? To hear these piercing taunts from their worst enemy, of all beings, tore right through them.</p><p>"Don't try to fight me! You know I'm right!" Arkilles cackled. "You came here all gung ho to fight me again, and didn't think for a moment of what would become of you afterwards! If anything, I'd say you're stupider than you think I am! You rushed in full charge to fight for a world you barely understand, all for purposes that become moot millennia ago!"</p><p>They all stood and watched Arkilles. They expected him to laugh in their faces, or gloat further, but instead, he lifted the Conquertron's head and cried only one thing.</p><p>"Repair system, start operations on this Conquertron!"</p><p>A bright light shone from the ceiling, and everyone gasped. Their eyes went wide as they jolted around while the light rained over the Conquertron.</p><p>Its broken body levitated into the air as the light spread around. The light summoned the Conquertron's broken and busted parts from the waters and wreckage, drawing them to the Conquertron like a magnet. The damage its head and chest sustained completely repaired itself as the light shone down. It even removed the calcification, and brought back its shiny gold and bronze coloration! Its arms snapped back into their spots one at a time. The body lifted itself up, and seated itself snugly on its lower half right as the light faded!</p><p>The Conquertron revived at last, all sparkling and brand-new as it drank in the gasps and shocked looks of those around.</p><p>"Now, don't think poorly of me for doing this," Arkilles said as he raised the Conquertron's arm, and clenched its hand into a fist. "In fact, be grateful! I'm liberating your from your pointless existence, and sending you where you truly belong!"</p><p>The fist came in with a snap, smashing right through the Elder Elementals and portal masters' ranks. Before they could even blink, their bodies flew back and cracked from the punch. Blood dripped from some, and others flickered in and out of existence!</p><p>The Conquertron loomed over them as they sank towards the sea, yet they couldn't even open their eyes. They fell closer and closer to the water's embrace, not even motivated enough to move. Arkilles' cackles ringing in their ears from above, the waters moving and sloshing below, the crushing feeling of their bodies begging to just give out already… It all coalesced into one sinking, crushing feeling.</p><p>"Think of me when you reach the life after, my dearest enemies!"</p><p>"I am afraid that will not be happening!"</p><p>A hand swept down, captured the group just before they could hit the ground, and it lifted them eye-level to the Machine Ghost's body. A light formed from the body's palm, cascaded over them. Their wounds healed and their bodies stabilized in one flash, at least enough that they sat up and glanced at the Machine Ghost within.</p><p>He said nothing. Instead, he swerved towards a ledge in the distant part of the vault, one far away from the conflict, but close enough to witness.</p><p>"I'm lucky I found the instant healing feature of this robot in time," the Machine Ghost said as he dropped them on the ledge.</p><p>He turned away, wiped his hands, and his body's eyes flashed red as he glanced at Arkilles.</p><p>"Do not fret. I will take care of Arkilles from here, so you just sit back and rest!"</p><p>The Machine Ghost grunted as his body swung forward and gripped the Conquertron's side, but the Conquertron swept away! The Machine Ghost's body turned back like it expected a punch, yet stumbled back when it found nothing but empty space to its side. Its head turned to the Conquertron, which had a hand to its chin as Arkilles chuckled within it.</p><p>"My, what a peculiarity. Another one of my robots, rebelling against me? A robot like you only exists to be controlled and nothing more," Arkilles mused. "In fact, you shouldn't even be able to talk, let alone think!"</p><p>Arkilles grunted as the Machine Ghost smashed a punch right into his face. It shattered the glass in his Conquertron's eyes once more, and he jumped back with a snarl.</p><p>"Actually, forget that! Sentient or not, any robot who rebels against its master should be punished!"</p><p>The Conquertron struck with a punch of its own. The Machine Ghost's body turned aside and chopped its elbow, and dented the arm just slightly before the Conquertron elbowed the body's chest! The Machine Ghost hacked as the blow jabbed his body upwards. As he flew, a pair of punches from the Conquertron knocked him into one of the walls!</p><p>The wall shattered beneath the blow's impact. Rocks rained down on his body's head as it slunk down into the waters. Steam blew from the body's joints, and the Machine Ghost grunted as it staggered back up.</p><p>Instead of jumping back into the fight, the body turned tail and ran!</p><p>"That's it!" Ermit cried, his voice echoed from the body's speakers. "I'm not dealing with this bloody robot nonsense anymore! I'm going where it's safe!"</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body stopped mid-run and swung around, nearly falling over itself. "No we're not!" the Machine Ghost cried as his body seated itself down, and rushed for Arkilles once more. "We can't just let him run around and hurt other beings!"</p><p>"That's the heroes' thing to fix, not mine!" Ermit grunted, and the Machine Ghost's body swung back for the entrance once more. "I'm just gonna go where it's safe, and take my robot with me!"</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body came only within inches of the entrance before it completely froze. It stood like a statue: upright and frozen with not even a twitch of its finger! It slightly swung left or right, but every move stopped midway through. All the while, arguing bellowed out and rang around the vault's shattered room.</p><p>"We can't leave, not now! At this rate, Arkilles will—"</p><p>"The Skylanders should be coming soon, so they can deal with this! I'm not letting a robot I worked hard to win get trashed and go down with it! I'm just some writer, not a fighter!"</p><p>"If you don't let those controls go, you really will go down! We're completely vulnerable at the moment! Arkilles could strike at any minute!"</p><p>"You let go first! I only got a robot, I didn't want an annoying ghost who blabs around, and uses it as he pleases! You're just a freeloader who didn't come with the package!"</p><p>The sounds of splashing waves drowned out the argument as something leaped behind them. The Machine Ghost's body turned around right as the Conquertron leaped up, and the Conquertron punched the body right in the chest! An explosive burst of lightning and fire blasted out from the body's chest, knocking both it and the Conquertron across the room. The Conquertron fell to the left, and collapsed in the waters before it staggered back up.</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body hobbled in and clutched its chest. Sparks and flames still burned, but they extinguished with a simple pat of the hand. The Machine Ghost's body charged forward, leaped into the air, and slammed down on the Conquertron just before it could reach full height. The Conquertron collapsed back into the ground, waves flying around it and roaring.</p><p>The waves crashed back down, but disrupted once more as the Machine Ghost's body plunged a fist straight into the Conquertron's chest. The Conquertron's metal and wiring splat right open, and with a twist of the body's fist, a shock wave rang out, and fried what was left inside. The shock blew the wires wide open, their lightning-born flames bursting into an inferno!</p><p>Sirens bellowed from the Conquertron's sound system, and its arms and legs flailed with rapid, hard fury. Its kicks rapped into the robot body's back while its slaps beat against its face the fastest they could. It was as if the hands raced to see which one would knock the body's head off its shoulders first!</p><p>An explosion of furious fire burst from the chest, and knocked the Machine Ghost's body into the water. Its electrical fires dampened the moment the Conquertron crashed. The body skidded across the waves, the steam that came from it turning to smoke. Its metal started to tear, and pained grunts could barely be heard from the fading speakers as it tried to push itself up. A creak and burst came from the back as something blew open, churning out thick smoke.</p><p>The Machine Ghost just pulled his body back up as it clutched its arm.</p><p>"Wait, what's going on with you, ghost?" Ermit cried. "Your body, it's all clear and stuff, and why's it fritzing like that?"</p><p>The Machine Ghost didn't respond. He just leaned his body down, charged forward and raised its fist. The fist charged with lightning as it grew closer to the Conquertron, who shot out its hand and tried to grab the head. Just before the Conquertron could reach, the Machine Ghost's body swerved away and turned for the entrance once more!</p><p>"That's it, we're leaving! This robot's taking too much damage, and it'll take me more gold than it's worth to repair it!" Ermit cried.</p><p>The Conquertron slid forward, and slammed right into the Machine Ghost's body as it ran. The body crashed face first into the waves, and only grunts came from both Ermit and the Machine Ghost over the speakers! The Conquertron stomped its foot into the body's wide-open back; the Conquertron not only squashed it, but pushed it straight into the waters!</p><p>The water seeped into the body's back as sparks burst from all around, spreading across the robot's body and then to the Conquertron's. They both froze, their systems rattling and sirens blaring. The sudden shock forced the Conquertron up long enough for the Machine Ghost's body to stand.</p><p>"Systems… Systems in major disrepair!" the Machine Ghost panted. His voice turning glitchy and distorted as his body struggled to keep balance in his control. It swayed back and forth, its legs quivering and barely able to stand, and his voice strained even further. "Have, have to make repairs!"</p><p>"Yeah, we can do that when we escape, so let's get out of here!"</p><p>A red-hot laser shot from the back and knocked into the body's wounds, setting its back ablaze! The hot embers danced and turned to full flames as they spread and churned out even more burning smoke. The body turned around and slammed its palms together, shooting a shock wave right back at the Conquertron!</p><p>The Conquertron's sirens wailed as it jolted up, but the lightning froze it right in place! The shock wave settled while the Conquertron slunk over, and the Machine Ghost's body almost ran off.</p><p>But, just as it took a step forward, part of its back creaked! The seared wiring and panels of the Machine Ghost's body spilled out their guts, hanging over the splintered back of the body itself. A few parts of its armor that barely dangled from its back finally severed themselves, dropping into the deep, raising pillars of water. Sparks flew and snapped at its systems with every water droplet that brushed against the body's guts.</p><p>"Go already! There's no way you'll be able to finish that bloke in this state!"</p><p>The Machine Ghost panted. He let his body slouch over for moments and clutch itself, but then, he rose.</p><p>"I am afraid I cannot do that," was all he said as he pulled his body to full height and tightened his fists. "I have… Have to finish this battle."</p><p>The Machine Ghost steadied his body, and its eye flashed red as the Conquertron raised before him.</p><p>"I do not remember much of my past, but whenever I see this robot, whenever I hear this man's voice, it fills me with a rage unlike anything I ever felt before."</p><p>The Machine Ghost growled over the speakers. His voice started to raise, and he let out a garbled, glitched scream as his body charged forward.</p><p>"I must, I must defeat him!"</p><p>The body leaped in the air, body-slammed right into the Conquertron, and knocked it off-balance enough that it fell straight into the water. The body plummeted down and crashed again! Its knees dug into the Conquertron's chest; it lifted its sparking arms and wailed away, smashing its fists into the Conquertron's chest and splitting it right open.</p><p>The Machine Ghost's screams and cries echoed through the air, leaving the room to rumble. His body's fists dented and smashed through the Conquertron's chest. With it finally broken open, the body turned for the inner wiring next.</p><p>It ripped out the Conquertron's wires, yanked out its gears and devices before it crushed them to bits, and even smashed them against the Conquertron's splintered chest. The body sputtered and rumbled. Flames, smoke, and more bursting from its joints while its armor popped off and splintered, revealing bright red, overheating metal underneath. The Machine Ghost didn't even relent, for he just gored away at the Conquertron will all he had!</p><p>"R-repair system, start operations on this Conquertron immediately, quickly, hurry!" Arkilles screamed, a stroke of genuine fear in his voice.</p><p>The lights began to shine, but the Machine Ghost's body grabbed a missile right out of the Conquertron's chest, and flung it right at the source of the light! Bright, hot flames burst from the ceiling. The light faded with them as its source crumbled to bits, and both parties lingered on its remains.</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body lifted its hands high. Its eyes fixed on where a shining core rested in what remained of the Conquertron's hollow chest.</p><p>"And now, to finish this!" the Machine Ghost cried as the thickest smoke of them all churned around his body. The smoke would have shrouded it as his body's hands shot for the core, if not for the bright, hot red light that came from it.</p><p>"No, wait!" 'Enehana cried from the stage. "That robot's hit its limits! If you keep going like that, it'll blow and take you all with it!"</p><p>"What?" Ermit shouted back.</p><p>The smoke cleared, and the Machine Ghost's body swerved away—but not with the core in hand. No, it hobbled up and ran away! All the while, it still glowed like a star as it stumbled and swayed on its way towards the entrance.</p><p>"That's it, I'm getting off this wild ride!"</p><p>"I'm afraid that won't be happening!" Arkilles shouted back.</p><p>A kick came from behind, and the Machine Ghost's body creaked and popped in an ear-shattering volume. It flew across and slammed into the wall behind it, the force popping parts of its armor straight off. Dulled, muffled explosions burst from around it. Parts of its armor seeped out, and its right arm fell right out of the socket; its dangling wires were the only thing that kept it connected to the body still. Lightning popped from every orifice and crackled around it as the Conquertron slunk up to it.</p><p>Still, the Machine Ghost's body raised its trembling, rattling left fist, refusing to go down.</p><p>"Oh? And what exactly do you think you're doing?" Arkilles sneered. "Do you really think you can kill me in that sorry state?"</p><p>A low rumble came from the Machine Ghost's body as the fist rattled harder. It pivoted away from the Conquertron—and towards the map! It popped off, rocketed right for the map before anyone could even blink, and blazed even further as it shot straight for the map to Arkus! The fist smashed right into the map's center before its flames petered off.</p><p>The map's shattered fragments rained down as the fist laid where it once stood on the podium. The fist flopped over and rolled right into the water, sinking into the depths along with the fragments.</p><p>A few gasps came from the ledge where the Elder Elementals and portal masters stood.</p><p>The most enraged came not from them, but Arkilles! The Conquertron turned back as Arkilles roared. It yanked the Machine Ghost's body up from the ground and squeezed its head, popping it off its socket!</p><p>"YOU INSOLENT BASTARD!"</p><p>The Conquertron swung the Machine Ghost's body into the wall, and smashed it right through! The Machine Ghost's body flew and rolled along like a rag doll. Arkilles screamed as the Conquertron rushed forward. The Conquertron pummeled against the body's side, and smashed down its metal until most parts flattened. The flat parts only inflated as they split open and spewed out mechanical guts!</p><p>The Conquertron smoked, its own body turning red hot as its casing split open in turn. It spewed out wires of its own that burned and sparked, but Arkilles screamed and pounded away!</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body clanked and clunked with every punch. Its limbs split out as their wires frayed and split open. Sirens half-blared from its distorted, garbled speakers while flames burst and sent smoke flying towards the area.</p><p>With one brush, that flame spread to the Conquertron, setting it alight! Its metal melted and burned away, and the wires exploded one by one as Arkilles pulled away! He screamed as they split and dropped its arms to the ground.</p><p>The Conquertron leaped up, and crashed through the ceiling's remains as his screams echoed through the skies!</p><p>The rubble crashed down, and Jorden and Crusher both lifted up their hands as brown glows pulsed from them—but they didn't need to do a thing.</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body charged forward, flew over them, and took the blow as the avalanche crashed down. The body let out another hard clunk as the rocks flattened it. Its chest smoked and flamed as it popped its door open, and spat out Ermit and the Machine Ghost!</p><p>The two of them laid sprawled and trembling on the floor. Ermit's body was covered in bruises and sores, both his eyes were swollen and purple, and his already-torn clothes ripped even further, unveiling skin covered in bloody scratches. Beside him laid the Machine Ghost, except he could barely be seen!</p><p>The once deep, rich blues of the Machine Ghost's ghastly body painted a faint, nearly transparent white. Only faint streaks of blue barely kept their color or visibility, and the Machine Ghost glitched and fritzed with every move he made, every breath he took. He couldn't even open his eyes!</p><p>Inochi gasped and gently lifted up Ermit. Ermit coughed and hacked as he rested against her, but groaned as she carried him back to their group. With a cast of her hand, she crafted a bed of leaves and laid him down, allotting his coughing to slow some. It lasted for little, for something else crashed through the room, and rattled him so bad that he started again!</p><p>The Dread-Yacht burst through at last! Its body smoked, but in a much better state by comparison. It craned its head, and immediately burst for the ledge!</p><p>Its front opened up, and Chihiro was the first to rush out with the others quick on her tail. The moment she caught sight of the Machine Ghost and Ermit, her face turned pale and she stopped in her tracks!</p><p>"Ermit! Machine Ghost!" Chihiro screamed. Her voice strained to its highest as she lifted the Machine Ghost in her arms and peered up to the others. "What happened? What happened to them?" Chihiro's eyes flickered and she quickly shook her head. "No, we'll, we'll find that out later! Take them to the infirmary, they need medical treatment, stat!"</p><p>Spyro and Flynn both frantically panted as they lifted Ermit's bed of leaves and carried him back to the Dread-Yacht.</p><p>Chihiro almost did the same with the Machine Ghost, but the moment she tried to lift him up, he phased right through her arms and dropped back onto the ground! She lifted her ectoplasm-covered arms, and gasped as the ectoplasm faded away into faint sparkles.</p><p>"Oh no," Chihiro croaked, before she shook her head and turned her gaze to Nemir. "Nemir, you're the undead guy, right? You should know something about this, right? Can't you heal him?" Chihiro turned her head as tears fell down her face, oblivious to how they all stepped away. "Wait, no, maybe—"</p><p>"It's alright."</p><p>A cold hand brushed against Chihiro's own, and she peered down to where the Machine Ghost laid on the ground. He still flickered and fritzed in and out of existence…</p><p>But now, he bore a smile on his face. It was a weak, but kind smile, one that didn't relent even as parts of his body went in and out of existence. Chihiro gasped and lifted him into her arms again, and he smiled as he wiped a tear from her chin.</p><p>"My time was bound to come sooner or later," the Machine Ghost conceded, and made a small nod as the bottom of his body devolved into sparkly, glitchy light. "At the very least… I-I-I, I'm gla-gla-gla-glad that I, I, I mana, to stop… Arkil…"</p><p>The glitching, sparkly light spread further, engulfing the Machine Ghost's chest, and then his arms. Only his neck and head remained, and even those faded soon. Still he smiled, even as his eyes lowered by the second.</p><p>"Glad I met… You… Even if… For a sho-sho-sho-sho-sho-sho—"</p><p>The glitchy infection grabbed his neck next, and his chin started to fade in turn—so, he just closed his eyes.</p><p>"I'm glad I met all of you… Even if it was for just a short time."</p><p>And with that, the infection snatched the Machine Ghost's head far too fast, and his whole body burst! The white light swallowed it glitchy masses swallowed, and they exploded into blue sparkles that flew into the sky, floating up to the exposed evening sun. Even those disappeared in the sun's harsh light. The sun's warm red and gold hues engulfed them, and they flickered out just as quickly as they came.</p><p>The remains of the blue light faded from Chihiro's arms as she glanced down. Her eyes widened, her tears fell, and Chihiro inhaled harsh and sharp.</p><p>Her breath was barely even there as her lip trembled—and with nothing more she could do, Chihiro threw back her head and screamed at the top of her lungs!</p><p>"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"</p><p>The tears streamed down her face as she flung her head back. She buried her head within her knees, and blubbered so loud that the birds in the skies above flew off. Streams of tears poured, and puddled together at her knees while snot streamed down her face and joined it. Her cries rang even further as she slung down, falling down into the puddle and pounding her fist against the ledge. Not once did her volume relent. She screamed, screamed for the loss of a friend, screamed for the failure of a mission, screamed because there was nothing else she could do but that.</p><p>"Why? Why? Why?" Chihiro wailed. She tried to push herself up, unveiled her puffy, teary red-tinged face, yet collapsed onto her puddle of tears once more. "It, it, this isn't fair! Why, why, why couldn't we…"</p><p>Spyro flew out from the Dread-Yacht and landed back on the ledge, but he didn't say a word. He flew towards Chihiro and sat down, gently leaned her against his back, and curled around her. His wing folded over her back as she clutched him and sobbed into his shoulder. A single tear shed as he sat down and wrapped around the rest of her body.</p><p>The others followed after him, and joined the group on the ledge, but nobody said a word. They stared at the battle's remnants, at the rivers thickened and polluted with oil, at the broken walls, at the podium covered in the gold dust from what was once the map to Arkus, at the ravaged, mangled robot body that once belonged to the Machine Ghost.</p><p>"We may have stopped Arkilles from getting the map," 'Enehana whispered as they hung their head to hide their ears, their hands squeezed tight, "but, it doesn't feel like we've really won."</p><p>Though nobody said a word, it was clear that they all agreed as they stood, and took in the ravaged remains of the battlefield.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 15: Secret Vault of Secrets (Part 1)<p>The water below roared, and the powerful winds from above tossed their currents; they rocked as if the fiercest of storms raged, even though it was sunny and clear as day around them. Where did these winds come from? None other than the Dread-Yacht, which flew above the watery canals below as it shifted into its giant robot form.</p><p>The Dread-Yacht charged even further, its line of sight set on the Machine Ghost's mechanical body. Flames burst from the body's feet, brushed against the Dread-Yacht's face, and it swiveled aside as it joined the Machine Ghost's body by its side. Both robots' faces fixed on the sprawling, endless masses of rocky canyons and trailing rivers below.</p><p>Within the Dread-Yacht's cockpit, every single one of its passengers stood crammed as tight as sardines within. They were all frowns, crossed arms, and knitted brows as they tried not to jab into each other, or poke someone in the eye.</p><p>The Elder Elementals all crowded in the back. Vatra, Jorden, and 'Enehana laid Vaayu to a wall beside them. Vaayu, for his own part, rested there as Sihiri and Chihiro tended to him. They fed his soul magic energy while he groaned and slept. To their left, the Skylanders huddled together, discussing plans and strategies in hushed whispers. They only occasionally glanced out the window as they spoke. To the front laid none other than Flynn, still cocky as ever as he smiled and steered, and Cali manned the massive panels of controls beside him.</p><p>"Greatest pilot in all Skylands to metal eyes in the skies," Flynn said into the radio he held in his palm, the other hand nonchalantly steering. "How far are we from this vault thingie, anyways? I don't see any weird robot dudes or anything. It's all rocks and rivers as far as the eye can see!"</p><p><em>"Not long now,"</em> the Machine Ghost replied over the radio, his voice a bit muffled by the masses of static that crackled from the speaker. <em>"According to the map I found within my body's databanks, this secret vault is only a few more minutes away!"<br> "Say, what was a map for that thing doing in there, anyways?"</em> Ermit added over the speaker.</p><p>The Machine Ghost scoffed. <em>"You do recall that this is an </em><strong>Arkeyan</strong><em> robot, correct?"</em></p><p>Ermit growled a bit. Before he could retort, Flynn turned off the radio and whistled as he spun the wheel. Even in such a tense situation as this, Flynn hardly had a care in the world. Didn't do much to lighten the tension in the air, but it was still nice to see.</p><p>"Alrighty, then!" Flynn called. "You heard the ghost! This vault's not that far away, and with your awesome pilot at the helm, we'll be in there and out with that pipsqueak before he can even say a word!"</p><p>A few tense glances crossed the room, and Flynn frowned as he turned around.</p><p>"Ah, I get it. All tense in the knees or however that goes!" Flynn beamed back. "Well, don't worry a thing! Once those robots see me, they'll go screaming and running for their robot moms! Well, if those tin cans even have moms."</p><p>Flynn whistled again as he turned back to the wheel, but Chihiro sighed as she rested a blanket around Vaayu's shoulders.</p><p>"Kaos was possessed all that time, and by the ghost of an Arkeyan king, of all beings!" she whispered. "I know I should probably be surprised, but after everything that's happened, dead beings from ancient times are the least of my worries."</p><p>Chihiro chuckled all soft and small, yet, nobody around her seemed particularly amused.</p><p>"Well, you should be worried," Vatra hissed. "Arkilles will stop at nothing until his reign over all Skylands returns, and with all those robots in Arkus in his hands…"</p><p>Luz winced a bit as Vatra shuddered, but forced a smile of his own.</p><p>"Hey, look on the bright side!" Luz said. "Even if he's got the map, we might be able to catch him before he gets to Arkus!"</p><p>The rest of the ancient portal masters all frowned still. Their hands still clasped tight and tense, and their bodies sparkled a little brighter, more frantically even. A few glares shot at Luz, who gulped and shrunk back while mumbling something under his breath, but for the most part, it was all tense, stoic silence.</p><p>Chihiro gulped, crawled up to Sihiri and sat beside her. "Was Arkilles really as bad as all those books said?" Chihiro whispered.</p><p>"The worst you could imagine," Sihiri whispered back. She only glanced at Chihiro for a moment before she turned around. "He held not an ounce of compassion in his heart, not even for his closest allies, or his most loyal followers. Everything to him was a pawn for him to play, every stretch of Skylands another monument for his empire… Hundreds of thousand died underneath his rule because of that selfishness."</p><p>Chihiro shuddered. She was only able to nod before she pulled away. and crept over near the windshield where the Skylanders all huddled together. They kept their voices low, just to hushed whispers, yet it wasn't quite quiet enough. Just barely, whispers of shock and awe, and mentions of Kaos, kings, and ghosts could be heard between gasps and nervous trills. Seemed as though they got filled in too.</p><p>"So," Chihiro said, raising a hand, and all eyes turning to her in exchange, "got a plan settled on yet?"</p><p>Spyro shook his head and broke from the group.</p><p>"Still figuring it out," Spyro said, his voice carrying a cold kind of seriousness. "None of us really planned for the whole 'Kaos getting possessed by an old Arkeyan king' thing."</p><p>"Oh, who cares if baldie's possessed or not?" Terrafin spat from behind the group as he cracked his knuckles. the sharp pops they made accentuated the fury in his words. "I'll still punch him in the face first chance I get!"</p><p>"That's all well and good in theory, but we have no idea what this person is capable of!" Spyro turned back around and folded his wings against his back. "All I know about Arkilles is that he was just as power-hungry as Kaos was, and ten times more conniving and competent than him. Someone like that, within the body of a portal master with all the powers it offers…"</p><p>A few tense glances came from the others in the group, and even Terrafin crossed his arms and scoffed.</p><p>"Well, I do know one thing." Chihiro took a seat with the group, her legs crossed as she sat at its head. "It didn't seem like that guy was all that used to having a body again, much less using its powers. When he tried to fight us, he had to get Kaos back in just to escape!"</p><p>"So what you're saying is…" Stealth Elf piped up from the group.</p><p>Chihiro grinned and pointed to Stealth Elf. "Without anything else to protect him, he's pretty much a sitting duck! If we can find him, and put him in a situation where it's just him, we could probably take him down and get Kaos with him!"</p><p>"Killing two birds with one stone, I see." Stealth Elf lowered her ears and turned her attention to the windshield. "That's assuming he hasn't made off with the map already, and with the head start he had, I wouldn't be surprised if he already has."</p><p>Chihiro frowned, got up and glanced out the windshield herself. Her frown grew deeper as she bore witness to more identical stretches of canyons and rivers that seemed a bit larger compared to the ones before; maybe the occasional dead tree here and there; but not a single Arkeyan. No soldiers stationed on cliffs or rocks, no helicopters flying in the sky, nothing.</p><p>"Still not seeing any of those robot dudes," Flynn remarked as he leaned forward over the steering wheel. He leaned back, and a smile stretched across his face as he gave the wheel a spin. "Looks like we beat them here!" Flynn chuckled and rubbed a fist against his chest. "All thanks to the greatest pilot in all Skylands, of course~"</p><p>Flynn popped an eye open, hummed, and glanced over the steering wheel once more as something splashed against the Dread-Yacht's legs. His eyes turned wide as saucers! He didn't even peel his eyes from the windshield as he patted around the control panel, and yanked the radio from a nearby panel.</p><p>"Hey, metal eyes in the skies—are these canyon thingies supposed to be flooded?" Flynn asked.</p><p>"Wait, flooded?" 'Enehana called, jumping up from where they sat on the right side of the room.</p><p>'Enehana immediately joined Flynn at the front. They nearly pushed him out of his spot at the wheel as they glanced over, and their face immediately fell.</p><p>"Oh no."</p><p>Their shock inspired the others to converge at the front of the room. They all nearly crowded out Flynn and Cali as all eyes turned to the windshields.</p><p>In front of their eyes laid the canyons of before, but they now had rusted golden gates so massive they almost reached the Dread-Yacht's height embedded in their sides. Rusty red and gold round platforms that lost their luster long ago stuck out from the rocks ahead. Perhaps most importantly, the water levels below them rose so high that they brushed against the Dread-Yacht's knees. Beside them, the Machine Ghost flew up so the splashing waters wouldn't extinguish his body's thrusters.</p><p>"If the water levels are this low," 'Enehana said as they brushed their hand against the console, "that can only mean Arkilles got here before us, and turned the security dams back on!"</p><p>"Security dams?" Flynn echoed.</p><p>"<em>I think I read something about that in this robot's databanks, actually,"</em> the Machine Ghost chimed in over the radio. <em>"The vault was plunged underwater so as to further discourage unwanted guests, I assume."</em></p><p>"Correct," 'Enehana added. "Normally, you can only deactivate them from the inside of the vault itself, but there's a fail-safe."</p><p>'Enehana flipped open their backpack, rummaged through it, and yanked out a worn scroll they quickly spread open. Everyone else crowded around the best they could, pushing and shoving around as they crowded around 'Enehana. They, for their own part, levitated up the scroll and projected its contents for all to see! An elaborate map glowed over the room as 'Enehana turned around and held up a hand.</p><p>"There are two emergency power sources, one for each dam. If we can find and reactivate them, it should redirect power to the dams, and lower the water levels at the vault for us." 'Enehana turned back to the controls, pushed Flynn away from the wheel and gripped it tight. "I'll lead us to the first one! Just follow my lead!"</p><p><em>"Duly noted!"</em> shouted the Machine Ghost.</p><p>Flynn scoffed and crossed his arms, but 'Enehana paid no mind to him! No, their eyes completely transfixed on the console before them. They pressed buttons and switched levers while their hands glowed with an orange light. The orange light spread over the console while it sparkled like it was brand new, and the whole room started to rumble around 'Enehana! The others shouted and cried out, but 'Enehana spun the wheel with a grin.</p><p>"Full speed ahead!" 'Enehana cried as they pointed ahead.</p><p>The Dread-Yacht rumbled, and zoomed ahead with such heightened speed that everyone else fell on their faces—but not 'Enehana! They stood still and silent as they spun the wheel with a steely grip. Their eyes only left the windshield once as the Machine Ghost flew up to their side, just to signal to him, but their grip returned to the wheel once the signal was given.</p><p><em>"That power switch stuff's all well and good and all,"</em> Ermit said over the radio.<em> "But wouldn't they have already done something about these emergency switches if he's already got this thing?"</em></p><p>"<em>I do wonder about that myself," </em>Machine Ghost added.<em> "The map I saw said nothing about emergency power sources, either."</em><br> "That's because they were secret switches, ones installed right under Arkilles' nose," 'Enehana explained.</p><p>"<em>Then how do you know about them?"</em></p><p>"Who do you think designed this vault?"</p><p>The Elder Elementals and ancient portal masters alike chuckled with each other, but the others gasped down below! Their eyes grew wide as they glanced at each other and back at 'Enehana. A few eyes even traveled the room with a curious glance, as if they wanted to ask a question or two, but nothing came of it.</p><p>That is, until Chihiro stepped forward. "Wait, you designed this vault?" Chihiro asked.</p><p>"Not by choice, I'll admit," 'Enehana replied as they gripped the pegs a little tighter than before. "When Arkilles got word of my works, he snatched me up and forced me to design machinery for his empire, including this vault." 'Enehana's voice turned colder. They snarled, and squeezed the pegs so hard that the pegs started splintering by the time they released their grip. "So, I sneaked in a few… Surprises of my own."</p><p>The sound of whirring came faintly over the air, and 'Enehana smiled.</p><p>"Speaking of surprises, it seems we have a few unexpected guests."</p><p>The whirring grew louder, beating against the windshield as a whole fleet of Arkeyan helicopters flew in front of the Dread-Yacht. Cannons deployed from their robotic bodies and charged, the light of their barrels tinting the windshield blue. Just before they could fire, a punch from the Dread-Yacht smashed them to bits!</p><p>"Luckily, it seems security isn't particularly tight. Now, if you'll excuse me—"</p><p>"I'm going to steer my ship from here on out!" Flynn shouted as he pushed aside 'Enehana and snatched the wheel back. He huffed for a moment, but his smile quickly returned. "Now, onto that power source!"</p><p>Flynn spun the wheel, and the Dread-Yacht sped past—but as it did, the sound of bullets smashing came from the side, and the room started to rumble! Flynn turned his view to the front, snarled as another, larger fleet of copters flew in front of him, and slammed down a large blue button to his side.</p><p>"BOOM!" he cried as he released his hand.</p><p>A laser pierced through the fleet and severed its midsection. The copters' remains were left only to fall into the waters' depths. As they fell, even more copters swarmed in! Their ranks refilled with much more girth, crowding out the path ahead. They shot at the Dread-Yacht with bullets of light that banged into its sides and front, leaving flashes of light and rickety, rumbling noises bellowing from the depths!</p><p>Flynn snarled as he pulled back for a moment, and glanced over the controls. His fingers danced over a few buttons, but before he could press one, Cali swept in and slammed it down!</p><p>Swift, quick laser bombs like firecrackers burst out from the Dread-Yacht and into the copters' ranks. The exploded with such ferocity that they engulfed the copters in fire!</p><p>Both Flynn and Cali steeled themselves as the flames' warm light flashed across the windshield, and Flynn smirked back at Cali.</p><p>"Great minds think alike," Flynn said as he adjusted his scarf; he knitted his brow as another ricocheting noise faintly echoed from the side of the robot, "and this incredibly great mind thinks these robots need to stop messing with my ship!"</p><p>Flynn grunted, spinning around the wheel.</p><p>The Dread-Yacht swiveled to face a group of robots that sat on a ledge and fired off. Their blue chassis shone in the sunlight with a much more brilliant light compared to the rusted ledge they sat on. Though, the sparking generator that shone beside them and crackled with blue electricity probably helped.</p><p>"That generator isn't the one we need to find, is it?" Flynn asked.</p><p>'Enehana popped up from the floor and frowned, humming as they leaned against the controls. "Nope!" 'Enehana confirmed.</p><p>"Then I'm going all out, baby! Double boom!" Flynn grinned as he slammed a few more buttons on the panel.</p><p>The Dread-Yacht raised its arms and prepared to strike—but just before it could, even more lasers shot the arm. These ones were so large and fierce that it knocked the arm back! The Dread-Yacht stumbled back, and Flynn clutched the wheel with a shut as he tried not to get knocked back. The others shouted as they slid behind him, and Flynn winced as he clutched the steering wheel further.</p><p>Cali and 'Enehana slid down and hit the walls beside him, but Cali quickly peeled herself off. Launching herself towards the controls, Cali bit her lip as she gripped the console the tightest she could. Her eyes scanned the array of buttons and levers before her.</p><p>"Come on, come on," Cali mumbled. Her ears flicked and folded as the sound of bullets beaning the robot echoed from outside. "The laser buttons have to be here somewhere!"</p><p>Another particularly large bullet burst, and Cali winced as she covered her ears before her eyes fell on a shiny red button! Cali slammed it down, and lifted her head towards the windshield as a mighty, red-hot laser slammed into the canyons. The laser carved through the canyons' stone and fried the robots! A string of explosions burst from the platform.</p><p>Cali smiled, and pulled away from it as the Dread-Yacht slid back to its upright position. A few more pings came from the left-hand side, and she yanked her head to a secondary platform that filled itself with firing robots by the moment! Cali snarled, and her hands hovered above the button as the Dread-Yacht turned around.</p><p>Before she could even fire, the Machine Ghost swung forward and punched all the robots! His punch came rapid-fire, slamming through the platform in the blink of an eye. The robot's smashed remains floated in the air along with that of a broken generator, its electricity coursing around the Machine Ghost's hands!</p><p>'Enehana leaned above Cali, blinked for a moment, and raised their brows for a moment before they scrambled for the radio.</p><p>"Metal eyes, you punched that generator just now, right?" 'Enehana asked.</p><p>Static crackled over the speaker for a moment, but soon a few small coughs came from the other side.</p><p>"<em>I suppose I did," </em>the Machine Ghost said. <em>"I hadn't even noticed until you brought it up."</em><br> 'Enehana chuckled, and a thin smile came across their lips. "Well, there's something really amazing you can do with that extra electric power!"</p><p><em>"There is?"</em></p><p>'Enehana's eyes drifted over to the windshield as even more copters flew in. "See those copters over there?" they asked. "Slam yours fists together, right in front of them!" 'Enehana lowered the radio and turned back to Flynn. "Oh, and you all might want to stand back."</p><p>Flynn warily flew back as the Machine Ghost flew forward, shielding them completely from the copters ahead. The Machine Ghost rubbed his hands, and the static from one coursed to another as it changed to hot, sparking thunderbolts in an instant. With a single clap, a massive shock wave burst from his hands!</p><p>The rusted platforms crumbled to bits along with the weaker parts of the canyons from the sheer shock, leaving only large dents where they once rested. The copters ahead stood charred at every angle. Sparks flew from their now-crooked blades as they collapsed into the sea!</p><p><em>"That truly is amazing!"</em> the Machine Ghost gasped. <em>"Even in all my years of occupying this body, I've never known it held such a power!"</em></p><p>"<em>And I never knew owning a giant robot would be so dangerous!"</em> Ermit snapped in the background. <em>"I told you not to scratch this thing up! We were just tailing Kaos until the Skylanders could rough him up and take him in! Now quit messing with my robot!"</em><br><em>"The robot you abandoned for years in the cold, snowy depths of Skylands' wastelands?"</em> the Machine Ghost scoffed. <em>"Anyways" </em>— taking a warmer tone, the Machine Ghost's voice grew a bit louder — <em>"tell me, do you know of any other powers this body holds?"</em></p><p>A few explosions sounded from the outside world, and 'Enehana cringed for a moment, clutching the console as tight as they could. The Dread-Yacht stumbled back and forth, shaking the world around them. Their finger slipped onto a button, and pressed it just in time for a shield to shield the Dread-Yacht from an oncoming explosion, but not in time to keep them from getting knocked to the floor. The others fell down around them, and 'Enehana staggered up with a grunt.</p><p>Another explosion sounded outside, and Flynn grimaced as he let go of the wheel.</p><p>"Hate to cut the chit-chat short, but we've got bogeys at twelve o' clock!" he cried before he scratched his fur underneath his hat. "I think that's the phrase, anyways."</p><p>"In that case…" 'Enehana whispered as they clutched their arm.</p><p>"ALL HANDS ON DECK!" Flynn cried.</p><p>Immediately everyone scrambled to their console, their hands fixed on the buttons and their eyes on the windshield. Ahead of them, even more copters made chase as they flew further into the vault's paths; the copters were all armed with laser cannons, bombs, and sniper rifles glowing with sheer power. The Dread-Yacht's crew tensed, arms tightly held over their parts of the console and frowns eminent. Beside them, the Machine Ghost's body drew up into a fighting stance, sharing their own tension as they stared down the forces.</p><p>The copters came first. They flew in and charged their cannons as they shone with bright yellow light!</p><p>"Here they come!" Cali cried. "Get the cannons ready!"</p><p>"Right!" Spyro and Chihiro cried back. The two of them slammed a large button on the console, and its click rang through the cockpit.</p><p>The Dread-Yacht yanked up its arms as they transformed into cannons of its own! The cannons shrieked as they charged with light, coating the arena in a bright flash coated the arena and disappearing just as quickly. It moved just fast enough that everyone caught the copters' fried remains cascading into the depths!</p><p>Spyro and Chihiro both grinned and high-fived each other, but jumped back as Vatra pushed ahead of them.</p><p>"There's more to the left!" he cried. His hands twitched as they hovered over the buttons. "Where's the attack button?"</p><p>"<em>Allow me to take care of them!" </em>the Machine Ghost cried.</p><p>Water splashed against the side of the Dread-Yacht as the Machine Ghost's body sprung forward. It punched away a few more of the robots, spun around, and squashed several more between its palms like it squashed bugs! A zooming sound came from overhead as something that looked like a crude plane armed with a missile came over. The Machine Ghost's body craned its head up, and zapped the plane right out of the air! The plane's parcel exploded, and took the plane itself with it as it crashed right beside the Dread-Yacht!</p><p>"Alright, I've let you all have your fun!" Flynn cried as he smacked down an entire row of buttons and pulled down a lever. A twinkle shone in his eye, and he released as he spun the wheel around. "Now it's time for me to lay down the boom on these metal creeps!"</p><p>The Dread-Yacht creaked for a moment, and its body seemed as though it… Twisted? A few glances went to each side of the robot as it creaked, and then spun around at the fastest speeds it could! Like a spinning top, it tore through the waters and the robots, blowing copters, planes, and more into the sides of the canyon, and ripping platforms out of their places!</p><p>The distinct smells of smoke and saltwater mingled together as the Dread-Yacht slashed through the last of the airborne ranks. It creaked to a stop, and crossed its arms as Flynn's laughter bellowed from its loudspeakers, shaking rocks off the canyons and disrupting the waters around it.</p><p>"BOOM! They didn't even see it coming!" Flynn cried as he flexed his muscles.</p><p>"Neither did we…" Chihiro groaned.</p><p>Flynn blinked, and turned back around to find the rest of the group flung all across the cockpit. They all piled together, and groaned as their eyes spun around in their heads.</p><p>"Whoops!" Flynn chuckled and scratched his head. "Forgot about you guys for a second! Guess you couldn't handle my raw power of my awesomeness either!"</p><p>Flynn chuckled for a bit more, but the sounds of banging outside quelled his laughter soon enough. A particularly strong bang came as something dented the inner wall of the cockpit, and Flynn winced as he jumped over to the console. His fingers hovered along the console's controls as more banging noises and dents came from within, and sweat crept from his brow and stuck to his fur.</p><p>"The heck's going on out there? Someone get a visual out of the outside!"</p><p>Ninjini leaped from the pile of crew members, and swept to the console in an instant. She tapped away and grimaced as a screen appeared in front of her.</p><p>"The outer side of the vessel's under attack, and they've brought in a good bit of their forces, from the looks of it!" Ninjini cried. She swept the screen to Flynn, and showcased an outside covered in robots for only moments before she leaped away. "The rest of the Elder Elementals and I will take care of it! Just send us out!"</p><p>Tree Rex blinked, but quickly jumped to his feet and nodded. "You heard her!" Tree Rex cried. "To the outside, right now!"</p><p>"And we'll help as well!" Sihiri cried.</p><p>The rest of the Elder Elementals and the ancient portal masters cried in agreement as they crowded around the back of the room, surely prepared to fight…</p><p>But, as they all ran, Vaayu hobbled behind. He gritted his teeth as he clutched his side. Though he trudged along, he still lingered a bit in the back, as if he struggled to keep up with the rest.</p><p>Vatra turned around, and winced as he pushed Vaayu back. "Vaayu, you stay here," Vatra insisted as he grabbed Vaayu's shoulders. "You're still injured, you need to rest!"</p><p>"Nonsense, Vatra!" Vaayu protested. He pushed Vatra aside, gripped him by the sleeve, and pulled them both into the crowds. "I wasn't able to stop Arkilles before he could arrive here, so the least I could do is stop him from getting away with the map!"</p><p>Flynn pressed a button before Vatra could protest further, and a part of the floor underneath Vatra's group clunked! The Elder Elementals and ancient portal masters alike slunk down for a moment, and in another, the platform shot up.</p><p>It knocked them on a ledge outside of the Dread-Yacht's mouth and into harsh sunlight. They staggered back to their feet and surveyed the area, eyes locked on the masses of robots that banged and tore away at the outside hulls. The robots littered the area like termites that chewed and ate away at the entire chest, crawling up the robot's waist by the second.</p><p>"Ah, fresh air," Vaayu whispered as he clenched his fists. His shoulders slunk, loosened just a bit, and a smile crossed his face as clouds formed around his fists. "Just the thing I needed!"</p><p>Vaayu broke away from the group first. He swept over to the left shoulder as the clouds solidified into tough, tightly-packed gauntlets around his fists.</p><p>"Now I can finally fight these pests!"</p><p>Vaayu cried out as he shot right for a robot on the edge of the left shoulder, and plunged his fist into its chest! The robot's head creaked up as the metal around its chest peeled and exposed the wiring inside, but Vaayu smirked at the sight. His cloud gauntlets turned darker and crackled, lightning bursting from their puffy surfaces and jumping into the robot's exposed chest. His feet swept into its shins as he removed his fist, and the robot flew off right as it exploded!</p><p>Vaayu's feet planted on the Dread-Yacht's shoulder right as the other robots turn and ran for him, yet his stance didn't waver or loosen. He shot forward and jabbed one robot right in the neck, severing its head from its body. He shot around, and kicked a second robot in its side right as it charged him. The robot shot away, curving in the distance while two more robots charged for Vaayu.</p><p>Vaayu took a breath in. Right as the robots swung, he leaped up, pounded their heads into their bodies, and swung his legs around as he knocked their bodies off the shoulder!</p><p>His feet planted on the shoulder once more, and Vaayu panted, clutching his chest and slinking over. His knees fell on the shoulder as he held his chest, but behind him, another robot crept up and raised an ax well above its own head. A volley of fire blasted away the ax right as it swung down, and the robot turned around as another volley tossed it aside.</p><p>"Don't let your guard down, Vaayu!" Vatra called as he tossed a few more flames at oncoming robots and knocked them off the shoulder. "You almost lost your head there!"</p><p>Vaayu grunted a little as he lifted his head aside. He smiled as he caught Tree Rex, Ninjini, Sihiri, Hot Head, 'Enehana, and Bouncer, who all crept on the space between the ledge and the left shoulder before they charged along. Vaayu staggered up a bit, but quickly ducked as another robot's limp body swung around him!</p><p>Behind Vaayu, Vatra snarled, and leaped off the shoulder as he clutched the robot's throat in his palm. Flames burst from the soles of his shoes and propelled him higher into the air! The robot beeped and squealed as its trembling fingers wrapped around Vatra's own palm, a futile attempt to pry his hand off of it.</p><p>Vatra snarled as he squeezed its neck tighter! The black metal that comprised the neck turned red hot, and grew lighter by the second, all while its heat spread as fast as it could around the robot's body!</p><p>The robot turned so hot that it was little more than a hot, white silhouette in Vatra's grip, and its noises turned warped and distorted as it glowed and exploded! The flaming bits of its burnt body burst and rained down all over the deck, one in particular pelting Tree Rex on the head.</p><p>Tree Rex blinked for a moment and peered up, but a larger, more heavily-armored robot tackled into him, knocking him into the Dread-Yacht's neck! Tree Rex grunted, his bark cracking just a bit as he slid down and rolled along the shoulder. He grabbed onto its ledge for a moment and strained as he pulled himself up.</p><p>The robot that tackled him now loomed over him, and set a laser-charged hand on his face. Tree Rex snarled and flicked his other arm a few times. A thick burst of dark green spore clouds burst from below and engulfed Tree Rex! The robot that once threatened to shoot him lifted its arm and beeped in confusion, peering from side to side…</p><p>It was then that a laser of sunlight burst from the clouds, and pierced right through the robot's chest! Tree Rex leaped from the clouds, punched away the robot's body as he landed on the shoulder once more, but ducked as a glob of oil shot for him. The oil splattered against the neck, and Tree Rex turned his attention to the shoulder.</p><p>There, Hot Head cackled as he doused the robots that surrounded him in oil! Robot and ally alike back away as Hot Head's oil storm seceded, and Hot Head pounded his hands together. The oil that splattered around the shoulder glimmered underneath his flames, and even more dripped from his claws while he pounded, coating the shoulder in at least a fine layer.</p><p>"FEEL THE BURN!" Hot Head bellowed as he leaned back, cackling so hard that his chest throbbed.</p><p>Tree Rex blinked, thrust forward and held out his hand. "Hot Head, wait!" Tree Rex cried. "If you use your flames now, you'll—"</p><p>An eruption burst from Hot Head's head, and he stomped the floor of the shoulder, tossing the oil-coated robots into the air! Flames burst from his palms as he torched the robots, setting them alight with such haste that their entire bodies quickly engulfed in cocoons of fire! They crashed down onto the floor, but just before they could hit the oil-coated ground, a burst of purple light whisked them away and flung them into the seas!</p><p>Sihiri wiped her head as the robots flew into the seas behind her. The oil disappeared just as quickly with another snap of her fingers. She wiped her hands, raised a brow and teleported away as crackling came from behind her!</p><p>Reappearing in the air with a pop, Sihiri floated around the back of a robot that swayed from side to side as it turned around and jabbed for her once more. She chuckled and teleported again! The robot squealed and teleported right as she appeared to the front side of the shoulder, but Sihiri laughed.</p><p>"Looks like you can teleport too!" Sihiri remarked before she lifted up a hand and waved it around. "That being said" — Sihiri swept away from another punch and chuckled — "You're not the only one who can throw a punch, either!"</p><p>Above her, swirls of purple magic twisted together, condensing into gigantic fists. The giant, magic fists charged down and smashed right through the robot!</p><p>The robot stuck to the fists' knuckles for only a moment; the next, it shot through the air, flying at rapid speed towards Ninjini.</p><p>Ninjini snapped right around and slashed it in half! The robot's halves remains sparked and crackled by her foggy feet, but Ninjini knocked them away with a spin and waved her hands. A ring of purple orbs flew around her as she spun. The orbs burst out at all directions, and knocked back the robots that remained on the shoulder!</p><p>The robots shrieked as they flew off, but as they flew helpless and undefended, bullets riddled their chests! Their hole-covered chassis collapsed and sparked on the ground, yet flew off as a gold and red blur zipped past and knocked them aside! Their remains tumbled off the side of the shoulder and cascaded into the ocean, and the blur nearly followed, if not for it bumping into the shoulder's rim and collapsing!</p><p>The blur unveiled itself as Bouncer the moment it hit the floor; he groaned as he pushed himself back up. Leaning on his side, Bouncer's optics narrowed as 'Enehana knelt in front of him. They hummed as their eyes scanned the broken, twisted remains of the Arkeyan robots that once fought around them.</p><p>"You know," 'Enehana said as they held out a hand, "I think I can use some of this!"</p><p>The parts glowed orange and rattled as 'Enehana held out their hand, and then smacked together like they were pulled by a magnet! Their parts twisted together as they grew larger, straightening and thinning themselves with every stretch. With one last thunk, they dropped back onto the shoulder as full-fledged turrets! More robots climbed up the shoulder as the turrets turned around. The turrets sniped the robots right off before they could even lay a foot on the shoulder's top!</p><p>'Enehana smirked, grabbed one of the turret's sniper rifles and hopped off. They climbed up the Dread-Yacht's shoulder, scaled the neck, and flipped themselves onto the top of the Dread-Yacht's head! A few robots turned towards them, but 'Enehana sniped off their heads before they pushed aside the robots' bodies.</p><p>"How're you holding up down there?" 'Enehana shouted as they waved.</p><p>Down below, Jorden grunted as he slashed through a few small robots with a pickax made of stone, turned around and beamed. "Just fine, Ena!" Jorden shouted back as he waved. "Don't worry about us!"</p><p>'Enehana frowned, and lifted their gaze up to the rest of the right shoulder. Before them, Brawl, Thumpback, and Crusher huddled together as several larger robots surrounded them with lasers charged. To their side, Dej and Inochi shouted as several robots squirmed their ways out of frozen vines just to get caught by more!</p><p>"I wouldn't particularly say they look okay," 'Enehana remarked as they leaned down to Jorden.</p><p>Jorden grunted, turned around as shouting echoed back from the back, and chuckled as he scratched his helmet with his pickax. "Whoops, looks like I missed a few!"</p><p>Jorden grunted as he heaved his pickax above his head. With one swing, its tip smashed through the shoulder and fissured its grounds! Crystals spreads from the newborn cracks in the ground, piercing right through the surrounding robots before shooting back inside the cracks. Their job finished, the cracks sealed up as if nothing had formed in the first place. All that was left were the robots' smoking corpses, a sole symbol of their battle.</p><p>'Enehana laughed as they heaved themself up, and a few stars crossed by as they sat themself atop the robot's head.</p><p>Before them, Luz cackled as he rode atop a shining star. Occasionally, he bounced around, and made finger guns as he shot bright stars from his fingertips! The stars shot into the Dread-Yacht, which creaked and stumbled back while the sounds of something faintly plopping into the ocean rang in the air.</p><p>"Alright, ten down!" Luz cried as he spun around and sat down on his star. "How many points is that, Swarm?"</p><p>Swarm zipped past him, laughed, and backed up for a bit as he flicked antenna charged with electricity.</p><p>"I don't know…" he shouted as his antenna flicked forward and cast lightning onto the Dread-Yacht! The faint sounds and scents of smoke and lightning rang in the air, and Swarm beamed. "But I'm still in the lead!"</p><p>"Watch where you're shooting, you two!" Nemir scolded as he flew past them on Eye. "We're supposed to be cleaning out these robots, not playing any games!"</p><p>Nemir grunted as he slipped down, but quickly crawled back up Eye and held out a hand! Beams of silver light shot from his palms and Eye's cornea, slamming directly into the backs of the robots! Nemir and Eye both beamed as the robots rusted away and fell down into the ground like flies.</p><p>"Eye believe those were the last of them!" Eye cried.</p><p>Eye flew over to the right shoulder and dropped atop Brawl. Above him, Nemir slid down Brawl's back and strode up to Inochi.</p><p>"Things should be covered over here," Inochi said as she wiped her hands.</p><p>"Same here!" Ninjini called in the distance over the sound of a few explosions.</p><p>'Enehana chuckled and slid down the front of the robot. "In that case," they said, "let's get back inside—"</p><p>'Enehana grunted as the world rumbled, the waters below lashing out like a storm shaking their depths! They churned with fury, tossing themselves and lashing their waves against the Dread-Yacht's knees. With the power they held, the Dread-Yacht was reduced to swaying and stumbling, trying its best to keep balance.</p><p>'Enehana tumbled right off of it, in fact!</p><p>"Ena!" Jorden cried as he rushed forward, but screamed as he himself tumbled down off the shoulder!</p><p>Everyone else quickly followed. They slipped from the sides of the shoulders, and plunged into the depths as the Dread-Yacht lurched forward! Vaayu quickly caught himself and floated up. He leaned forward, and cast out his hands as clouds began to form in his palms, but the Machine Ghost's body rushed in front of him before he could shoot out a single one!</p><p>It caught the rest of the group in swift timing. The Machine Ghost's body flew up, and fed them into its chest before it flew off.</p><p>With their safety ensured, Vaayu frowned and floated back onto the Dread-Yacht's shoulder just as it stabilized. His eyes turned back down to the still raging waters below him.</p><p>"Just what could have caused this?" he asked.</p><p>Vaayu lifted his head and gasped as the rumbling continued, now taking a rhythmic, stomping pattern like a march! He immediately flew over to the Dread-Yacht's mouth platform, stomped it down and fell back inside! He grunted as he crashed onto the inside's floor, and all eyes turned on him as he stumbled in and panted.</p><p>"We, we've got trouble!" Vaayu cried.</p><p>"No kidding!" Flynn cried as he turned to meet Vaayu. "Just look at the size of all those things! There's no way I—" Flynn cleared his throat. "I mean—it might be no problem for the greatest pilot in all Skylands, but for you guys that's way too much!"</p><p>Vaayu tottered back and forth as he stumbled up to Flynn's side at the pilot's seat. Everyone else followed suit as they gathered at the front, all witnesses to the outside world.</p><p>There, the waters raged as the weaker parts of the canyon crumbled, all from the onslaught of one thing: robots! Shinier, bigger robots that were more humanoid in appearance marched in tightly-packed lines down the way, their metal bodies shining in the sunlight. The whole world quaked as they marched, and bowed underneath their feet, as if they owned the world before them!</p><p><em>"Conquertrons, and a whole army of them?"</em> Tree Rex cried over the radio.</p><p>"<em>There's no way we can fight them off and make it in time!"</em> Sihiri shouted.</p><p>Flynn gritted his teeth. His eyes passed over the radio for a moment, and then to the controls. Sweat drenched his fur, sticking it together as his hands started to tremble. He squeezed them tight, and gripped the steering wheel as hard as he could!</p><p>"THEN WE'LL HOLD THE LINE!" Flynn cried at the top of his lungs! His brows tightened as he spun the wheel. "YOU ALL GO AHEAD AND GET KAOS!"</p><p>Chihiro, the Skylanders, even Cali and Vaayu backed away. Flynn, for all his bravado and headstrong nature, never spoke with such a demanding tone, yet here he was! Hands practically glued to the wheel, teeth gritting, and body sweating so hard it began to dampen the back of his jacket. Clearly, even someone as foolhardy as him recognized the threat these Conquertrons packed, yet he refused to budge.</p><p>"<em>Wait, you don't know what you're dealing with!"</em> 'Enehana cried over the radio. <em>"Those Conquertrons are some of the strongest robots they have in their army! There's no way you'll be able to take them all on—"</em><br> "JUST LEAVE!"</p><p>Flynn grunted as he pushed the wheel forward, and yanked down a lever so hard it snapped in half.</p><p>The Dread-Yacht sped forward, and flew so fast that not even the lashing waves before it could quell its speeds! It body-slammed right into the chest of one Conquertron, knocking it back and tipping the rows of Conquertrons below like dominoes. As the Dread-Yacht settled, it turned around and punched another Conquertron in the neck. The punch tipped off the Conquertron's head just enough that its wires exposed themselves, and strung over its back! A third Conquertron punched the Dread-Yacht in the shoulder, knocked it into the cliffs behind, but it popped off immediately and punched right back!</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body just flew ahead.</p><p>Within the body, everyone within its crew crowded around the radio. Teeth clenched and hands tightened as the sounds of screaming, shouting, and creaking metal screeched over the radio. Another pained scream and some faint cries came over the radio as the static reached its loudest, muffling the shouts and questions of <em>"Are you alright?"</em> and <em>"What's happening out there?"</em></p><p>The Machine Ghost winced and slammed a button next to a speaker. "Please, let us fight with you!" he cried.</p><p>And in turn… The radio shut off, but not from destruction, no. It still ruminated with static, leaving an eerie feeling in the air. Undoubtedly, it was manually shut down!</p><p>The Machine Ghost winced. Beside him, 'Enehana turned to the windshield, where the Dread-Yacht smoked as it traded blows. They bit their lip, and their hands twitched as if they debated whether to stay or go. They flinched as Tree Rex brushed their shoulder.</p><p>"Come on," he said, his voice cold as he turned his gaze to the path outside. "We have to get there. They won't be able to hold out for long."</p><p>'Enehana nodded warily, turned to the Machine Ghost, and gently nudged his shoulder.</p><p>"Let's go," was all they said.</p><p>The Machine Ghost warily nodded. With a few pulls and pushes, his body flew off across the canyons once more, but as he flew, he cast a glance out the side of the windshield, the others following suit. The sight of the Conquertron army and Dread-Yacht grew fainter and fainter in view, and their shoulders slumped, a few hands clasped, other hands held to faces as they turned away.</p><p>"May the Ancients protect them," 'Enehana whispered as they brushed their hands against the windshield.</p><p>"And us," the Machine Ghost added, and turned to the front of the windshield as his body powered along the canyons.</p><p>§</p><p>"According to the navigation system, we should be at the first switch's location before long," the Machine Ghost said as his eyes brushed over the map he just activated. As he examined the map, he pulled a lever, and hummed as his body gunned down a fleet of oncoming copters, his eyes not even moving for a second. "Don't get too comfortable now, as they would say." The copters exploded right before his eyes, and the Machine Ghost chuckled as he leaned past the map. "I suppose they could not get comfortable, either."</p><p>The parts fell into the ocean as the Machine Ghost's trudged past. The Machine Ghost smiled as he examined the panels, running his ectoplasmic fingers across their shiny, sleek metal surfaces. His touch was gentle enough that none of them activated, yet he couldn't help but wrap his fingers around a lever. His eyes glazed over, and rose a bit as if he was just tempted enough to pull it.</p><p>"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," 'Enehana warned as they gently removed the Machine Ghost's fingers from the lever. "That lever activates the missiles systems—and last I checked, unless you have missiles, it makes the whole thing blow instead."</p><p>The Machine Ghost blinked and hastily floated away from the lever. "I suppose I will not touch that, then." The Machine Ghost smiled and clasped a hand. "I did not even know it had the capacity for missiles."</p><p>"Of course it does! This design was taken from one of my old prototypes for an all-purpose robot suit, so it's got everything you can think of!" 'Enehana said. "Lasers, shock waves, elemental channeling… You name it, it's got it!" 'Enehana chuckled as they glazed over the Machine Ghost. "Ghosts in the machine are new though."</p><p>Both 'Enehana and the Machine Ghost chuckled for a bit, and the Machine Ghost happily twiddled its fingers. He peered up at 'Enehana, and 'Enehana gently patted his head.</p><p>"How'd a strange little guy like you end up here, anyways?"</p><p>Drawing away from 'Enehana's hand, the Machine Ghost frowned and scratched his head. "I am not entirely sure," he admitted. "I awakened here the day the hermit over there attempted to activate my body, and I've lived here ever since."</p><p>"Yeah, and you were a pain in the rear to deal with!" Ermit shouted from the back, waving his hands. "It was always 'Oh, don't touch that!' and 'Oh, do this to activate something or other!'" Ermit crossed his arms. "If I wanted a bloody helper to nag in my ear, I'd have gone to a life counselor!"</p><p>"And if I wanted an owner, I would have picked someone who didn't dump me in the frozen wastes and leave me to rot!"</p><p>The Machine Ghost and Ermit both glared at each other, huffed and turned away. Ermit scuffled off while the Machine Ghost turned back to the controls.</p><p>"What a bother," Machine Ghost huffed. His cheeks puffed for a moment, but quickly released, and his sour expression softened as he ran his fingers along the console once more. "At the very least, this robot has made quite the cozy home."</p><p>'Enehana chuckled, but it wasn't genuinely laughter, no. It was more forced, kind of sad, almost, as they grabbed hold of a few levers and pulled them down.</p><p>"I'm glad to hear that," 'Enehana whispered. The turned away their head as the remains of broken Arkeyan helicopters cascaded down in front of the windshield.</p><p>The Machine Ghost frowned, turned to 'Enehana and gently brushed a hand against their arm. "Does it upset you, having to fight your own creations?"</p><p>'Enehana winced. They stumbled away for a moment before they turned their head completely away from any glancing eyes. "If they weren't being used for evil, I wouldn't have to in the first place." 'Enehana sighed and crossed their arms. "Besides, it's not bad. I always made sure to include some kind of weak spot, something that even a simple chompy could pick out."</p><p>"That's not what I meant, you know." the Machine Ghost frowned and clasped his hands. "If I were an inventor, I'm sure I'd be very upset if I had to fight the things I worked hard to create, especially if they were being used for evil."</p><p>'Enehana winced, creeping away from the Machine Ghost before finally scurrying to a left-hand panel. Their eyes fell on a simple button, one labeled "AI activation" in ancient Common runes. They frowned and pressed it</p><p>But nothing happened. They glanced around a room that showed nothing out of the ordinary, pressed a few more times with a glance taken for every press, yet, nothing seemed to change.</p><p>"That's strange, I could've sworn this kind of robot had an AI guide. It would certainly be helpful for right now. Those things knew all the quickest routes out of these places."</p><p>'Enehana frowned, lifted their head back up, and gazed to where the Machine Ghost tapped away.</p><p>"Unless—"</p><p>Sharp, wailing sirens sounded around as red light flooded into the room, and the Machine Ghost flickered for a moment! His sudden jump brought his attention back to the windshield, and he gasped as they turned around.</p><p>"'Enehana, it seems more of these Arkeyans have arrived!" the Machine Ghost shouted, even though his own voice just barely strained over talking volume. "Let's finish them!"</p><p>'Enehana nodded. Their hands clenched into fists and steps solid as steel, not wavering a bit as they stormed over to where the consoles laid. 'Enehana planted their hands around its metal. Their fingertips flared with orange light as they selected a few buttons, and pulled down a lever with a grunt. They glanced back at the Machine Ghost as the lever reached its lowest, and pulled another pair of levers down!</p><p>"Engaging the cannons!" the Machine Ghost and 'Enehana both cried as they pointed ahead.</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body slammed its hands together as the Arkeyan copters flew in by the dozens, cannons charging and ready to fire! Its hands peeled back as the lasers fired at it, but they didn't stop for a second. They slid within the bodies' depths while hot white light charged forward.</p><p>The light flared over the robots in a snap, enveloping them in its hot embrace! The sound of frizzing electricity just faintly rang in the air as the light faded, and unveiled the robots as they fell into the depths, but they got paid no mind. The Machine Ghost's body stormed forward. The maimed robot parts brushed against its chest, and rolled down into the depths as it stopped at a bridge.</p><p>Steam burst out of the body's hinges outside and vaults inside. It forced a few members of their group to scurry away before hot steam smacked them in the face. The steam receded and beams of light took its place, pouring in from the outer world as the back door receded.</p><p>"I have to admit, it is quite thrilling to fight within this robot body. I should do it more often!" the Machine Ghost remarked. He turned around, bowed to the group for only a moment, and turned back around to the console. "Anyways, I believe this should be your stop. I will keep the body warm while you take care of the generator."</p><p>"Alright, follow me. I'll lead us to the generator," 'Enehana said.</p><p>They pulled away from the group and marched to the door, all while pulling out a map from their backpack without even looking back. They unfurled the map until it was all its full stretch. In a blink, a monocle formed in front of their eye, and shone light onto the eastern portion of the map.</p><p>"I'll take care of hacking the system, but there's likely gonna be guards. I'll need someone to keep them off my back!"</p><p>"Just leave that to us!" Sihiri and Tree Rex cried in tandem.</p><p>The rest of the group stormed out in tandem. They all shouted and vowed as they raced into the light… Well, almost all of them.</p><p>Within the robot laid Ermit, who just huddled into the corner. "Don't look at me!" he faintly shouted at someone as the robot body's door began to close. "I'm staying where it's safe! All this hero stuff is your job!"</p><p>Another, fainter protest came from behind as the door inched into a close, and steam spewed from it still as it sealed itself shut. Now, the only thing left was a shrieking silence, the kind of quiet that was far too good to be true—especially with the sights ahead.</p><p>The spiraling, brown and orange stone paths surely once made of shiny bronze and copper in their heyday held no guards or traps whatsoever. It just had an empty approach that led to a round platform with a crackling, glowing beacon in its center. The back half of the path fed into some cliffs suspiciously more carved and shaped compared to the rest of their raw brethren. These carved cliffs, in turn, only had a tall, rusted tower that held some kind of faintly-visible apparatus on its base.</p><p>Still, aside of those few devices, there was nothing. Not the scent of oil that came with Arkeyan presence, not the rumbling sound of stampeding feet, or the cries of robots as they raised their weapons! The light was all natural sunlight, not that of harsh lasers, or beaming light cannons, or even the glint that shone off of a metal armor piece. It was just, empty.</p><p>"That can't be right," 'Enehana said as they lowered the map in their hands. "Where in Skylands are all the guards? The lasers puzzles? Anything?"</p><p>"Well, you did say this was secret, right?" Swarm asked as he bent down and shrugged. "It's probably so secret, he didn't think to put any guards here!" Swarm grinned and slicked back his antennae. "That just makes our job a whole lot easier!"</p><p>"That isn't like Arkilles and you know it, Swarm," Tree Rex added. He placed a hand on Swarm's shoulder as he glanced out at the path with a tense glare. "He stations guards at every corner he finds! Surely, there's gotta be something here."</p><p>"We just haven't found it yet," 'Enehana said as they rolled up the blueprints. Stowing away the blueprints in their backpack, 'Enehana tip-toed forward. "Be on your guard."</p><p>The others nodded as they tip-toed along with 'Enehana, larger members moving to the back and smaller ones to the front. Their eyes shifted in every angle, at even the slightest noise that came, and a few summoned weapons or readied spells as they crossed over the path.</p><p>Despite their leeriness, still, nothing came. They stepped foot on the platform where the beacon stood with not a single hitch! A few parties glanced around, others lowered their weapons, and at the head of the group, 'Enehana frowned as they crept towards the beacon.</p><p>"If I recall correctly, this beacon should be what reactivates the power here," they said as they knelt down in front of the beacon's base. They flipped open a panel before they toyed with the wiring within. "I just need to couple these, decouple those, and then…"</p><p>A lightning bolt burst out from the beacon, and slammed into the orbs that lined the back part of the pathway, jumping from orb to orb in a zig-zag pattern before finishing its stop at the tower! It charged right into the tower's apparatus, lighting in in a bright golden share with lights flashing around its rim! It looked even more like a beacon than the beacon itself, for the beacon's light dulled the moment the tower lit up!</p><p>"And that's that!" 'Enehana cried as they stood up. "Just have to re-route the power there, and—"</p><p>'Enehana shouted and stumbled back as the ground below them began to quake. The moment their feet hit the floor, they rushed away from the platform and leaped into Jorden's arms! The platform they once stood on cracked as the rumbling grew louder; parts of it shattered and collapsed into piles of rubble!</p><p>The beacon upturned. Its thick and tough wires shot into the air, but the beacon itself decoupled from the wires and collapsed into the massive rivers below. Rubble tumbled down the sides of the piles as they arched higher, and the quaking upturned the more stable parts of the platform, transforming them into jagged stone borders!</p><p>A large dirt battlefield unearthed itself, and out from it spewed a whole army of Arkeyan robots: knights wielding axes and swords and robots with wheels for legs that held energy bombs manned the front, and large chompies made entirely of metal held up the rear!</p><p>"Should've known this was too good to be true!" 'Enehana hissed.</p><p>They fell to their knees and punched the ground. Orange light pulsed out from their knuckles and burst into a pillar around them! The pillar's light started to solidify as it shone, taking the shape of shoulders, helmets, legs. Soon, they all slammed into 'Enehana as they came to light, forming a gigantic robot exosuit with 'Enehana at the center!</p><p>Their head poked out from the helmet's clear glass. "I'll go on ahead! You just keep these guys busy!" they called.</p><p>Jorden gasped. He blushed furiously as 'Enehana knelt down and punched through a few robot soldiers before they jumped off. Jorden quickly shook his head and ran off.</p><p>"Ena, wait for me!" he cried with the most lovestruck tone in his voice.</p><p>He didn't even noticed the robots that stood in front of him! That is, until one drifted right in front of him. Even then, he just punched it in the face before he chased after 'Enehana and called for them!</p><p>"And we'll keep them out of trouble!" Ninjini cried as she teleported ahead of the robots.</p><p>Bouncer, Crusher, and Eye-Brawl leaped into the skies and bounded over the armies. They disappeared in an instant, along with the rest of the group. The only remnant of their presence was the sound of Ninjini's voice carried on the wind.</p><p>"Just make sure they don't find us!"</p><p>A few robots turned around, still clenching their weapons. They seemed to inch around to where the others consolidated at the other side of the bridge. A few robots sped off, but beams of light pierced through their chests! They exploded in seconds, taking the rest of the robots with them.</p><p>What remained of their forces turned to where Luz knelt in front of his ground. His shield dug tight into the earth and charged up another laser as he sat.</p><p>"You heard them!" Luz called as he yanked his shield up and spun it around, tossing more lasers into the fray with every spin. "We've gotta keep these tin cans off their tail—and what better way to do that than <em>lightening</em> the mood?"</p><p>A few of the wheeled robots swung forward, swerving around the lasers as they came close. They threw green and pink electric bombs back! The bombs soared and stuck to the stone floors below, blowing their stones to pieces as they ignited.</p><p>A few landed right beside Luz's feet! The bombs heated up as Luz scrambled back, their once green and pink surfaces growing redder to the touch! Luz snatched up one bomb with his shield as a tray, yelped and dropped it to the ground.</p><p>"That's way too hot!" he cried as he waved his hand and blew it off.</p><p>Behind him, Hot Head smiled and scooped the bombs off of the ground. Their bodies still glowed red-hot, but Hot Head didn't even flinch. Instead, he chuckled as they grew warmer, igniting his palms with warm light. He giggled once more as he squeezed the bombs in his palms, blowing them to bits!</p><p>Their flames coursed around his hands, and puffs of smoke and embers burst from them. He flicked open his fingers, and shot a volley of fire right back at the robots! The flames grew even larger, completely blocking off the path ahead and engulfing everything in their fires. The only sound that could be heard was the faint sound of something blowing up!</p><p>Geysers of fire spurted, and died from the flamethrower as the smell of burnt, charred black smoke echoed, and the flames petered out. All that was left behind was a charred, broken ground. Its stone top was completely shattered and melted off in parts, and it laid littered with many, only faintly singed metal orbs colored in shades of blue and silver, red and gold.</p><p>The orbs seemed to shudder for a moment, and the dirt and dust piled on their heads crumbled and rolled off as they jostled the earth around. With one last shake, they all leaped out of the ground, unveiling their true form: more Arkeyan knights and chompies!</p><p>The chompies snarled, leaped off the ground with surprising speed despite their large stature, and fixed their sight on the Elder Elementals! Tree Rex got knocked back before he could even react. The others couldn't even call for him, or warn the others, for even more chompies tackled them!</p><p>Sihiri gasped, covering her mouth as Tree Rex crashed onto the ground with a nasty crack. The swoop of an oncoming blade caught her eye! She flung her hands out, crafted a barrier of magic right as one of the knights came for her, but it just slashed its sword right through it!</p><p>Sihiri swept away right as the blade pierced through and nearly stabbed her, but the knight yanked its sword out and slashed again! The barrier was covered in so many cracks that this simple blow not only shattered it, but cast out a wind so great that Sihiri tumbled back! She rolled across the ground and landed right in Inochi's lap, shuddering as her back hit the soft cloth of Inochi's kimono.</p><p>Inochi gasped, cradling Sihiri close and pulling her further onto her lap. Inochi narrowed her eyes as the knights came in closer. She lifted a glowing, green hand, and out from it popped an entire weed of chompies. They were about the size of a person, with the sharpest fangs a chompy could have!</p><p>The chompies yowled as they stumbled forward on their stubby little legs, and the knights raised their weapons and swung—but the chompies leaped up and bit into the weapons' handles! The knights' grip loosened, and the chompies yanked the weapons away. The chompies ran off, dropped them at the feet of the other portal masters, and disappeared in puff of green smoke. The smoke clouded the area around them in a thick mist, so thick that not even silhouettes could be made out.</p><p>"Well, well," Vatra remarked as he lifted a sword from the ground and squeezed its handle tight. "Seems it's time for us to have some fun!" Vatra squeezed the sword once more and flames burst from his hand, coating the sword in a layer of fire. "Now, I'm no swordsman, but I think a flaming blade is enough to take out anything, no?"</p><p>The mist cleared, and a few growls sounded as a couple of smaller, mechanical chompies wove in underneath the knights' feet. The chompies knocked the knights off their balance as they struggled not to trip! The chompies' sharp, metal fangs brimmed in the sunlight as they leaped for Vatra, but Vatra leaped up and rolled through the air, soaring well above the mechanical chompies! The chompies grunted as they fell down, and Vatra slammed his sword in the ground.</p><p>Veins of red hot light formed in the bridge, glimmering hotter by the second and formed zig-zag patterns that crossed right underneath the chompies' feet. The sun reached its peak, and its light beamed down on the veins as it ignited them! Bursts of fire erupted from their veins and burned the chompies alight.</p><p>Luz kicked aside an ax while the chompies burned and melted away, and chuckled as he laid down his shield. The shield's core brimmed with light, and shot a laser that pierced right through the flames before it solidified. It created a square mirror that reflected the fires' light towards a path across, and then another, and a third. Soon enough, it birthed a string of lasers that fed into a whole barricade of mirrors! The mirrors' light fanned over the oncoming robots in a strikingly bright wave. It was bright enough that the robots could only briefly be seen before their singed remains unveiled under the fading light! The robots' corpses burned away as a completely frozen ax sliced them in half in one blow.</p><p>Dej nodded as the robots' top halves flew in the air, and turned to Nemir beside him.</p><p>Nemir nodded and hummed as he held out his hands. Silvery mist fed out from the lines in his palms, making a quick trail for the robot halves before seeping into their exposed wiring! As the mist sank in, rust coated and corroded both the inner and outer parts of the broken robots. Their once shiny armor reduced to a dull hunk of metal covered in thick patches of solid red rust.</p><p>"Sihiri, do it!" Dej called.</p><p>While the robot halves sparked even more furiously, the flames above them relented. They curled away to form as path as Sihiri jumped to her feet! She panted heavy breaths as she sped forward, leaped up and clapped her hands together. As she landed on the ground, a purple light enveloped the broken Arkeyan corpses, and hurtled them right in front of her! In fact, they flew so fast that Sihiri fell to the ground to shield herself. She turned around, and lifted herself up as the Arkeyan robot corpses flew across the floor.</p><p>The corpses' sparking, bursting halves smashed into the legs of the larger mechanical chompies. They exploded with such fury that the chompy who wrestled with Tree Rex slipped and fell off!</p><p>As it stumbled backwards, Tree Rex wound up his arm and punched it right in the gut, sending it flying back. He charged forward and gripped its sides tight, so tight that it cracked the chompy's arm and unveiled pulsing green flesh within. Tree Rex roared as he heaved the squealing, flailing chompy up over his head, and he flung it right into the water with one toss! The chompy fell in, sent a pillar of water splashing up, and Tree Rex crossed his arms.</p><p>"Drop anchor!" Thumpback cried from behind.</p><p>Tree Rex turned around right as Thumpback's anchor flew for him, and he stumbled back just before the anchor could decapitate him! Tree Rex blinked as the anchor swung into a nearby chompy instead, but only for a moment. His footing slipped down into the piles of rubble that bordered their arena, and he shouted out as he flung himself forward and charged back up.</p><p>Thumpback smiled and pulled back his anchor. It now wrapped so tightly around the chompy that the chompy looked about ready to pop. Thumpback chuckled as he lifted up his anchor, turning it around just a bit…</p><p>"Wait, Thumpback, stop!" Tree Rex cried. "This area's too narrow! If you swing it around, it'll knock us all into the ocean!"</p><p>And Thumpback loosened his grip on the chain just slightly enough so that the anchor's grip on the chompy wouldn't loosen. The roaring bellow of mechanical cries came from behind him as another group of chompies came for him. Thumpback grunted as he heaved the anchor's chain over his shoulder.</p><p>"Then I'll just have to change tides!" Thumpback cried.</p><p>With one last heave, the chompy he captured flew over him, and it smacked into the group of oncoming chompies, flattening them like pancakes! Their armor cracked and shattered in parts, and revealed more of that pulsing, glowing green flesh as they whimpered. It pulsed for only a short time before murky water blew from Thumpback's blowhole and completely shattered it! The rain burned away at their armor and flesh alike like acid, and the chompies squealed as they rolled away.</p><p>They ran off from Thumpback and right into Hot Head, who giggled as he stomped his foot! The flame atop his head burned even brighter, becoming a full volley of fire. Embers rained down from it, setting the chompies alight!</p><p>The chompies squealed and hopped around as their bodies burned away. Their arms thinned, and severed from the bodies as those arms plopped onto the ground like dead leaves. The chompies hopped around in pursuit of some kind of sanctuary when sharp winds cut into them, knocking them into the seas!</p><p>The storm of fire relented as Swarm chuckled. He blew off his arm blades while the sky blue glow around them faded, and turned back to the path ahead—a gaze that everyone else followed.</p><p>Ahead of them, a few explosions sounded, and left some to wince as all that remained was the smoke.</p><p>"Seems like they could use some help!" Sihiri shouted as she stepped forward, and waved to the others as she leaped. "Come on!"</p><p>Sihiri spun forward, but the orbs on the bridge ahead lit up, she gasped and flew right back!</p><p>Their lights shone bright as it shrieked with heat. Out from their surface came another, zig-zagging light pattern, followed by a second and third, a fourth and sixth. Soon, a hot laser grid blocked the whole path ahead!</p><p>Sihiri held out her hands, but before she could cast her spell, the lasers' cyan light turned to a milky, whitish color, and they all folded over and parted! She turned to her side, and smiled as she met with a chuckling Luz.</p><p>"You know," Luz remarked as he strode across the bridge with hands behind his back. "I wonder if they've got that dam thing taken care of yet."</p><p>Luz whistled a tune as he took a few more steps across the bridge, hopped off its end and shielded his eyes as he turned ahead. He gasped, and ducked back as the head of an Arkeyan knight flew right above him! He got up, winced as the knight's head exploded behind him, and turned ahead with another wince.</p><p>In front of him, the canyons laid dented, and the floors cracked and ravaged as even more robots fought with the rest of his crew! Bouncer and Ninjini leaned back and sniped them from behind while Eye blasted a few from above. On the ground, Brawl and Crusher pounded into the earth as they stomped and smashed through more of the robots! Amid all the dust they raised, the faintest glow of bronze could just barely be caught wandering through the fog. The bronze light glowed even brighter as stone spires burst out, and the spires skewered tons of robots on their spines!</p><p>"I hate to rush things along, Ena," Jorden called as the mist faded, and the spires receded into the ground around him, "but are ya done with that codey thing yet?"</p><p>At the back of the group, 'Enehana laid knelt on the ground, biting their lip and fiddling with a control panel. They tapped away at the keyboard provided for mere moments, but as lasers and whirring sounded around them, they snarled. They shot out one of their hands, and crafted a laser that seared right through the Arkeyan knights that charged for them!</p><p>"I'm trying!" they shouted back as they turned to the keyboard, growled and shot another robot. "These robots keep sneaking up on me!" 'Enehana winced, and turned back to the keyboard while their fingers wiggled over the keys. "Now, what was I supposed to do next?"</p><p>The sound of charging cannons sounded before them, and 'Enehana gasped and rolled away as a bullet of raw light shot for them! The bullet sniped a hole right through the canyon behind them, leaving only a searing smokey mist. 'Enehana cringed as they glanced at the hole.</p><p>With a stomp, the ground rumbled before them, and spiraling pillars of gears burst forward and churned, blocking 'Enehana from view! They sighed as they sat back down at the keyboard, tapped away, and gritted their teeth as sharp, grinding sounds came from the barrier. An array of bullets slipped through and bounced around the area, forcing them to duck once more!</p><p>On the other side of 'Enehana's barrier, the robots that gathered screeched as they shot and chipped away at the barrier, not moving a single finger!</p><p>"Hey, let them work, will ya?" Jorden shouted as he charged forward and raised his pickax. "Their codey thingies are hard enough without you guys messin' around!"</p><p>Jorden smashed their pickax into the ground, and it quaked and rumbled in turn, knocking the robots onto their backs! The robots clunked and shouted out garbled, distorted noises as they bounced and rolled down the hills. A string of hot bullets shot forward as they finally reached the base, and completely riveted their backs! The robots flailed and jerked their arms around; they squealed out as the bullets ripped apart their backs and exposed their insides. Their noises and lights dulled as they laid limp on the ground.</p><p>Jorden turned back right as Bouncer blew the smoke from his fingertips.</p><p>Bouncer grunted as a larger Arkeyan with round blades akin to halves of a shield leaped up, and slashed him right across the back. He cried out as he crashed to the ground, and Jorden ran off right before he could get smashed underneath! Instead, it was merely the corpses of broken Arkeyan robots that flattened underneath as Bouncer laid down and groaned. The large slash across his back sparked, and turned red-hot as the Arkeyan crept up to him. It raised its blade, the lights in its face burning red as it lowered its blades…</p><p>And Ninjini tackled into it, pushing it aside before skewering its chest with her wishblades! She drew the wishblades out, slapped the robot away with her fog trail, and floated over as she pulled Bouncer back upright.</p><p>Her gaze fixed on the wound in his back. "Bouncer, dear, are you alright?" Ninjini whispered, holding out a hand. "Let me, I can—"</p><p>"Don't worry about it, babe," Bouncer croaked as he patted his back. "I can take care of this."</p><p>His hand felt around his back before it finally reached the edges of the open wound, and he lifted it back as it glowed orange! The sprawled metal of his back turned orange as it curled forward, sealed the wound back up, and seeped into the metal until it was completely invisible!</p><p>Bouncer chuckled, pushing himself out of Ninjini's arms and wheeling up. His eyes turned on the slightly smaller robots that bounced to and fro below his wheel. A clunk came from behind as part of his back swept out, and a rain of rockets burst from his back, raining down on the robots! A flurry of explosions burst from the ground. Flames burned and flashed for moments before they faded just as quickly, and Bouncer wheeled away.</p><p>Ninjini swept in where Bouncer once stood, waved her hands as they glowed purple, but stopped. The light in her hands faded as the explosions did, for she glanced down and found the robots were gone! A string of pops came around her, and Ninjini backed away as the robots teleported around her, floating in a thick ring and choked around her! She held up her hands once more, wincing as their purple glow returned, but swept away as one exploded beside her.</p><p>"Over here! Eye can see you bobbing around!" Eye shouted as he floating above, flapping his wings in an almost teasing manner.</p><p>The robots all squealed, and the fires underneath them burned even brighter as they all zipped up to Eye! With his much more diminutive size, they completely encircled him, forming a tight cocoon. Silver light shimmered between the gaps in the cocoon, and lasers slashed out from parts of it! The robots all exploded as one, and Eye screamed as the explosion vaulted him back! He plopped right back onto Brawl's top as Brawl raced forward, squealing and flailing as Eye burned red.</p><p>"Augh, my eye! It burns!"</p><p>A burst of water washed in and poured over Eye. It dripped into Brawl enough that Brawl himself had to stop and turn around. Atop Brawl, Eye pushed himself up as the redness in his eye faded, chuckled and floated up.</p><p>"Thank you, strange water blast!" Eye remarked before he turned around. "Although, eye do wonder where it came from."</p><p>"Over there!" Crusher shouted as he ran up and pointed to the bridge. "It's the others!"</p><p>Tree Rex charged forward with a roar, his gauntlet held out as its spikes grew long and sharp. He pounded the ground and cracked it underneath his punch! The robots around him flew in the air, and as they did, Crusher swung in behind Tree Rex and spun around, slamming them everywhere with his hammer! The robots fell into the ocean and smashed into the canyon walls. Both Crusher and Tree Rex smiled at each other, but the ground's rumbling left them scowling instead.</p><p>Ahead of them, the robots that once crowded around 'Enehana's barrier now marched towards the two of them, lifting their weapons and turning their eyes red. The robots raised their hands, and their shrieking echoed in the air as they charged.</p><p>Elder Elemental and portal master alike steeled themselves. Though, behind their ranks, they just barely caught a glimpse of 'Enehana, who still dutifully worked away at the tower. 'Enehana's barrier still churning despite how dented it was—and that was enough motivation for their entire group!</p><p>Crusher shouted out as he slammed his hammer into the earth, and beside him, Jorden pounded his fist and summoned pounding machines made of raw stone! The world quaked and cracked underneath Crusher's hammer, and the quaking further fed from the rumbling and pounding of Jorden's machines! Crusher and Jorden backed away as the robots stumbled on their own feet, struggling to keep their balance amid the quakes. The two of them parted ways as Inochi and Tree Rex charged forward!</p><p>Inochi rushed in first, and twirled through the air before she landed down and stomped the ground! The cracks in the earth filled with green light as she floated away, and Tree Rex shouted out as he body-slammed into the earth! The green light shrieked, glowing its brightest. Vines shot from the earth around Tree Rex, and snapped up at such furious speeds that the buds at their tops covered the sun.</p><p>Behind them, Luz clapped his hand as the sunlight glowed even harsher, and Eye shot out lasers not made of silver, but shining gold! The light burned into the stems and sent thin smoke floating from them, so Dej and Thumpback cast out their hands. Clouds covered the skies above them, crackling and thundering and pouring down rain into the plants!</p><p>The sunlight and rain alike parted as the buds' petals unfurled, unveiling flowers with sharp, grinding fangs for centers! The flowers licked their lips as they loomed over the robots, pounded into the ground and snapped their jaws right through the robots. The plants lifted themselves up to gobble the robots down and lick their lips!</p><p>The remaining robots shot for the base of the killer flowers' stems, but skidded to a stop as a burst of fire streaked along the battlefield like a comet. The fire jerking left and right as it flew in front of them, and revealed Vatra at its helm! Flames sparked and popped from the tips of his hair as he thrust out his red-hot palm. The heat around him grew almost unbearable as smoke burned even further around him, and out from his palm shot a flaming comet that tossed the robots back!</p><p>Globs of oil shot down from the skies as the robots flew back, crashed onto the robots, and their flames flared even higher as they skidded up to Bouncer's wheel! Bouncer rolled back a little, waved a hand and cast an orange glow down on the robots. The robots' bodies crunched and creaked as they staggered back up, and smoke burned from all orifices of their bodies as its thick, burning stench filled the air. The once-red lights in their eyes turned orange, and they bellowed out distorted, warped screams as they charged right for their remaining ranks and exploded!</p><p>Another string of explosions rocked the ground, and split it further as the robots broken corpses fell in droves.</p><p>Bouncer wheeled out while the rest of the group converged in the heart of the battlefield.</p><p>The canyons around them all were devastated. Their once thick stone was cracked and bitten out in significant chunks. Their floors were shattered, filled with cracks just small enough that they could be walked on, but big enough to be noticed. The smell of flames, smoke and oil filled the once fresh skies.</p><p>"I'm almost done over here!" 'Enehana shouted from behind their barrier. "Just keep an eye out!"</p><p>"Understood!" Sihiri shouted back.</p><p>The ground shuddered a bit, and a soft thunk like footsteps hit the air.</p><p>Sihiri's eyes narrowed, turning back to one of the walls they cracked during the battle. She cast out her hands, and formed a sparkling barrier right as another robot burst out!</p><p>It was much taller compared to the last, at least a head or two over the Elder Elementals. Its own head was vaguely humanoid in shape, and its body was round and burned with fire. Cannons lined every inch of its body, from across its arms and legs to its back.</p><p>It let out some unholy mixture of a scream and a fan's churning as it turned around and fired! Its cannons burst at every angle, slamming into the barrier and shattering it completely! The others fell back and scrambled away as a laser crashed and exploded just inches away from them, but Bouncer scowled.</p><p>"Initiate launch sequence!" Bouncer cried as rocket cannons dispatched from his back.</p><p>The rocket cannons seated themselves on his shoulders and fired in one swift instant. The burned through the skies and smashed right into the robot's chest—but, instead of blowing the robot to bits, it was the rockets themselves that shattered! Dull explosions burst as their crumbled remains fell to the ground, and the robot roared once more as it fired.</p><p>Crusher grunted and slammed his hammer into the ground. A shield of solid, shiny crystal shot up, and though it was completely clear, not a single laser or rocket from the robot smashed it! He sighed for a moment, turned around and winced.</p><p>"That thing's rock-solid!" he cried. "I don't think an ordinary attack's gonna break it!"</p><p>Sihiri jumped to her feet next, followed by Ninjini, and both of them nodded before clasping their hands. A wave of purple magic pulsed over the area, shaking the crystal barrier with every pulse. More than that, it shielded them from view, their bodies slowly fading away with every magic hit.</p><p>"Swarm!" Sihiri called, and turned to him just before he disappeared for view. "Scout for weaknesses, now!"</p><p>"On it, leader lady!" Swarm cried.</p><p>He saluted her right as he faded from view, and the only indicator of his presence was the beating of his wings. A few lasers shot for him, and he yelped as he flew away. He leaned forward and zipped around the robot, and the air around him pulsed as he dodged lasers and scouted the robot's body. He flew around the back, and a small chuckle just barely sounded off as a string of hard air blasts smacked into the robot's back!</p><p>Golden glass fragments burst out as its lights flickered. The robot groaned as it plunged into the ground, and Swarm floated down next to it.</p><p>The crystal barrier receded as everyone else became visible once more and rushed around the robot. A few of them stepped back as the robot's hand twitched and clawed for them. The hand reached out for a moment as a laser started to charge in its palm, but laser's light faded just as quickly as it came. The hand slunk down to the floor, shifting its arm away and unveiling a suspiciously golden glowing spot behind the shoulder.</p><p>"The next weak spot's in the shoulder!" Swarm shouted.</p><p>Eye nodded, and floated above the robot while silver light charged in his cornea. A laser shot right forward and slammed into the golden spot, and turned its light silver while the sound of cracking snapped in the air! The light faded, only pulsing just enough to be seen as cracks formed in the neck.</p><p>Eye flew back as Nemir stepped forward. Nemir fell to his knees, crawled forward while he patted the area around the robot's neck, and grunted as he ripped out a cracked, silver orb. He tossed it aside, shattered into tiny pieces beside him, and turned around right as Swarm slashed away a spot on the other side of the robot's neck.</p><p>The robot growled, its guttural noises still bellowing and growling. It tried to lift its head up, but then, it silenced and planted its head into the floor. Soft panting came from up ahead as the robot rested limp, and its head smashed in as 'Enehana leaped in and stomped it right down!</p><p>'Enehana grunted as they landed right in front of the downed robot, and beamed as they adjusted their backpack's position. "Alright, power's been restored to the east dam! We should see the water levels rising any second now!"</p><p>Just to prove their point, the sound of crashing, rushing water echoed from behind! Everyone raced to peer over the cliffs as the water levels rose. The water swelled up so high that the once fairly shallow creeks covered most of the pillars hoisting up the bridge ahead! They did it—the dam was restored!</p><p>Ninjini waved her hands while purple sparkles cascaded down, and they teleported back to the beginning of the bridge in an instant. The light faded, and the sound of creaking metal came beside them as they blinked and regained their stances.</p><p>"My knees are a bit damper than usual. I can only suppose you have risen the dams," the Machine Ghost said. Steam hissed as he lifted up his body's chest, and the gangplank spilled out as it slammed into the bridge. "Come along now. We will now proceed to the west dam."</p><p>Everyone piled into the drawbridge. As the last of their group filed in, and the Machine Ghost's chest closed up once more, he turned around. Water sloshed around him as his body took heavy, labored steps across the increased rivers. The east dam grew further and further in view as the tower shone its golden light behind him.</p><p>§</p><p>The Machine Ghost grunted as he pushed up a switch, and as he did, his robotic body sputtered and rattled for a few moments.</p><p>A few bursts of water poured in from the pipes that stuck out around the body. One of them dumped its waters onto a sleeping Ermit's head, splashing him awake! The Machine Ghost chuckled while Ermit flailed around and shouted, but soon the torrent stopped and left a very soaked Ermit in its wake.</p><p>The Machine Ghost coughed and turned back around to the controls. "It seems as though all this water is slowing our progression speed," the Machine Ghost said as his fingers hovered over the controls. He tapped away with furious speed. "Re-routing all power to the thrusters immediately."</p><p>The lights above flickered and dimmed for moments, earning attention and confused whispers from the rest of the group. Finally, the lights completely dulled! The whole room turned cooler and dimmer, now lit only by the light of the windshield ahead while the paneling rattled. The area ahead of them blurred in the windshield's view, and behind them, the Machine Ghost's body roared as it sped up so fast that everyone not in the pilot's seat flew back and pinned to the back of the room!</p><p>Their gums flapped, and their eyelids peeled wide open as steam rattled around them. They only watched as their robot escort powered even faster, so fast that copters smashed against its windshield like bugs! The Machine Ghost's body veered right as bit as they all tumbled right. Another swerve and they all rolled left before they smashed into each other in one big, amorphous pile. One more tip backwards flung them onto the back of the floor once more!</p><p>Ermit grunted, spat out a broken tooth as he crawled out from underneath the pile, and shook a fist. "Hey, watch where you're piloting, you half-dead half-wit!" Ermit shouted. "We're all getting dizzy back here!"</p><p>The Machine Ghost turned around and winced at the sight of everyone crawling out from the pile—eyes spinning around in heads, bruises on bodies, and all—and cleared his throat.</p><p>"It seems as though I may have forgotten to account for passengers in our speeding up," he remarked. "Unfortunately, I cannot bring up any seats without re-routing the power again."</p><p>"Just let me take care of that!" 'Enehana shouted as they waved an arm.</p><p>The floor below glowed orange as it started to rise in pillars and bubbled, but it didn't split or break. Rather, seats morphed from the floor of the room, and lifted the rest of the group inside their comfort. Belts strapped around them as the sunny orange glow that dusted over the floor faded away.</p><p>Some relieved chatter came from the back as everyone marveled, but then, they hit another turn and went flying sideways! The straps strained their hardest to keep everyone in tight. A few grunts and pained, choked shouts came as they swung right, but soon they settled back in, the chairs creaking underneath them.</p><p>"This feels like the worst roller coaster ride I've ever been on," Ermit lamented as he hung his head, his face paling by the second.</p><p>"What's a roller coaster?" 'Enehana asked. They shook their head, smiled and looked to the windshield. "Well, nonetheless, you won't have to stay there for long! I can already see the west dam on the horizon!"</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body's thrusters burst, sparks and embers flying in front of the windshield. The fires disappeared as it charged forward! Its speed started to slow as it came closer to the bridge leading on to the dam, and it moved towards a more upright position. The bridge came the closest it could, and the Machine Ghost's body started to settle in.</p><p>Before the Machine Ghost's body could bridge the gap, it slammed right into something and flew backwards! Its back smacked into the canyon, and a few more steam valves burst as everyone in the back flew backwards. Their seats disappeared underneath them, and once again they smashed into the back wall, bodies shuddering as they piled together.</p><p>"Is this part of the trip too?" Luz grunted as his arms trembled.</p><p>"Shouldn't be!" 'Enehana shouted back as they pulled themselves up with the side of the console as their crutch. 'Enehana rubbed their eyes and turned to the console. "I thought we had enough breathing room between there and the bridge! What could have—"</p><p>A shadow cast in front of the windshield, and the entire room almost completely darkened!</p><p>Those in the back shouted and questioned as 'Enehana and the Machine Ghost clung to their controls. 'Enehana and the Machine Ghost's mouths clenched tight as their fingers twitched. Their eyes didn't move an inch from the front, the sole source of their blocker.</p><p>In front of them laid a robot identical in build to theirs, but much taller and shinier! Its metal was colored in the signature reds and golds of the Arkeyan empire, and its fists lined with sharp spikes around the knuckles while its eyes glowed their brightest. Perhaps most importantly, it completely blocked off the bridge to the west dam with its bulky body! Judging by the way it wound up its arm as if it prepared to punch, it had no intentions of letting them in, either!</p><p>'Enehana pulled the robot back while their opponent's punch crashed into the canyon, and they winced as the wall they themselves had dented completely buckled under the punch's weight, taking the entire canyon ledge with it. They frantically pressed a few buttons to be met with nothing but a faint clicking noise, so they jumped to a lever or two and yanked it down. However, not even those would budge!</p><p>"It's no use, I'm afraid!" the Machine Ghost cried. A wince came from him as he glanced at the control panel. "I re-routed all power to the thrusters, including the power to the weapons system! Until I can supply it with power, all our weapons are offline!"</p><p>'Enehana gasped, and frantically pressed button as if that would do something by some miracle. "How long will it take to re-route the power, then?"</p><p>"At least ten minutes, maybe longer!"</p><p>"WHAT?"</p><p>In that moment, the opposing robot landed another punch! Its spiky knuckles cracked the windshield, and split holes into the inner room as it pushed them into another canyon wall. The Machine Ghost's body creaked as it hit. The sickening smell of fresh air leaked through the newborn holes and cracks, and the group behind 'Enehana and the Machine Ghost smashed into the wall once more.</p><p>"Good going, you stupid ghost!" Ermit shouted. "Your bloody idea's left us sitting ducks! Couldn't you have at least saved power for some firearms?"</p><p>"I wanted us to get there as fast as we could!" the Machine Ghost cried back while his hands fritzed and returned to normal. "We can't—"</p><p>Another punch rattled the robot, and the Machine Ghost and 'Enehana both crashed to the floor!</p><p>The Machine Ghost phased through it for a moment before he jumped up, grabbed the controls just in time to roll away from another punch, and threw a punch of his own! His punch landed right in the opposing robot's chest. Its metal dented slightly as it skidded back, and the Machine Ghost jumped over to the other side of the console.</p><p>"Re-routing power to weaponry now!"</p><p>'Enehana nodded as they pulled themself up and cracked their knuckles. With a snap of their fingers, the holes in the walls and cracks in the windshield sealed up. Their orange glow brushed against 'Enehana's back as they dug their hand through their backpack, and slipped out a warp start. The warp start glimmered in the light only a moment, for another strong blow tossed 'Enehana on the floor and the warp start out of their hands! They pushed themselves up as the warp start landed by the now-upright group, and narrowed their eyes.</p><p>Behind them, the opposing robot wound up another punch and jabbed—but 'Enehana slammed their hand on the console, and orange light flooded the room! The Machine Ghost's body jumped back. The opposing robot's arm laid static, so the Machine Ghost's body grabbed it and twisted it tight, so tight that the arm's metal started to twist and buckle! The opposing robot yanked its arm back, but at that point, it was held so tightly that it only severed the arm. The opposing robot leaned down, and sparks rained down from the empty space where its arm once was.</p><p>"We can't afford to dally!" 'Enehana shouted. "Use that warp start to get en route to the west dam! I'll stay here and help keep this guy occupied until our weapons come back online!"</p><p>"But, 'Enehana! What about you?" Bouncer shouted, wheeling out as he spoke. "You're the one who has to hack these things! You know their code and everything!"</p><p>"You have the Tech Ancient's blessing, correct?"</p><p>'Enehana's smirked as Bouncer nodded.</p><p>"Something like that would be child's play for you, then. Now, GO!"</p><p>'Enehana waved their hand before anyone could protest, and the warp start glowed bright! Its vermilion light poured over the room, and tinged it in warm shades as everyone hesitantly glanced around.</p><p>Finally, Bouncer nodded and wheeled ahead. As he disappeared in the light, Ninjini, Sihiri, Swarm, and Eye-Brawl all jumped on after him! The light warped around them, twisting into a tornado of orange sparkles.</p><p>It covered their bodies in a warm, magical blanket, and when that blanket faded, they no longer rested within the Machine Ghost's body's walls.</p><p>No, they stood on the rusted remains of what was once another strong copper and bronze bridge. Its surface was cracked, and its top was lined with similarly-cracked crystal orbs that probably would've been sleek otherwise. The rocky, rough texture of the ground below pressed against their lower halves as they stabilized their balance. Beside them, the sounds of punching, denting metal and crumbling rocks alerted them to the battle that warred beside.</p><p>In fact, just a glance showed the Machine Ghost's body and the opposing robot punching, swiping, and shooting away at each other! Embedded in the canyons that stretched along the back was a scene near-identical to the one at the east dam: a terminal stretched into the sky along paths carved into the canyon's rock. They all led in from a bridge that spanned from the front of the round platform that rested square in the center of the bridge they stood on now.</p><p>The only difference was that there was no power beacon in the circle. Instead, the terminal already charged and shimmered with light. The air was clean and fresh in scent, but the rumbles from aside, paired with the splashing of water as it was disturbed and lashed against the bridge, showed it wouldn't be for long.</p><p>Bouncer huffed, leaned forward and rushed off first. His gaze was solely on the bridge underneath his wheel. "With all those orbs cracked, I doubt there'll be any security up," Bouncer whispered. "Now, if I make this play quick—"</p><p>"Bouncer, wait! Slow down!" Ninjini cried from the back.</p><p>The crackle of electricity came from behind, and Bouncer turned around right as one of the orbs at the front of the bridge sparked. Electricity leaked from its cracks as a lightning bolt jolted from one orb to the other! The lightning spread from orb to orb with rapid speed, and the electricity that leaked from it left the lightning stronger with each pass. As it jolted past Bouncer, it splintered into four! These four lightning bolt jumped into the orbs' cracks and zapped together; they expanded as they fused, until they formed a wall of solid electricity that seated itself right in front of Bouncer!</p><p>Bouncer winced, wheeled back a bit, and turned around as Ninjini floated up and gripped his shoulder.</p><p>"Looks like they did have security measures here after all," Ninjini remarked. She frowned for a moment, but her frown quickly lifted as she turned around. "Luckily, it seems like the terminal controlling it is over there."</p><p>Bouncer swerved back to the beginning of the bridge, Across from the place that Eye-Brawl, Sihiri, and Swarm stood at was another, shorter terminal. It glowed bright as a few tall robots laid down by its side, and slunk down with dim faces as if they were deactivated. Perhaps, they were dormant as they laid in wait for attackers?</p><p>"We'll draw out the robots, and you see if you can do something about the terminal." Ninjini winked and flew off. "Besides, it'll be good practice for when you re-route power to the dam!"</p><p>Bouncer went to protest, but by that point, Ninjini drew her wishblades and flown off. So, he just sighed and rolled after her.</p><p>"I've never really tried this before. Hacking stuff is usually 'Enehana's job," Bouncer said as he held out a hand. His fingers withdrew, shifted, and twirled their parts around until they formed into something vaguely like plugs. "But, new playstyles are always part of the game." Bouncer nodded and zipped behind Ninjini. "Just gotta figure this one out!"</p><p>Bouncer clenched his hand into a fist as the plug-like tips sank back into his fingers, and wheeled beside Ninjini. Ninjini glanced in turn, and motioned first towards him, and then towards the terminal.</p><p>Bouncer nodded back before he zipped forward, so fast that he knocked the robot that sat at the front of the terminal into the ground! Bouncer yanked open the terminal's panel as the sound of creaking metal and charging guns came from behind, followed by lashing whips and screeching, mechanical noises.</p><p>Behind him, Ninjini and Sihiri smirked as ropes made of magic drew the robots right towards them! The ropes faded away right as the robots pushed themselves up, and Sihiri snapped her fingers. She cast up walls of magic in a circular formation, ones that locked off everyone and everything around.</p><p>"That should keep you from disturbing Bouncer's work," Ninjini sneered. An explosive orb flew over her shoulder, and she ducked away just as it blew a hole in the wall behind her. "Or not!"</p><p>A few more of those green and pink, sparkling, explosive orbs shot for Ninjini, and she waved her hands and cast them back. The orbs shot right into the robots' chest! The orbs exploded right as they reached into the robots' chest cavities, and left only smoldering piles of broken metal where they once laid. Ninjini turned her attention to the larger guards that stood chest-high to her as they held out their hands.</p><p>She readied her own hands, perhaps in anticipation of another strings of orbs, but spun away as a laser shot from one's palms. The laser hit into the wall behind her instead! More lasers shot from around, and formed a precarious spiderweb of hot pink light that bounced from one wall to the next and reflected from that.</p><p>Ninjini yanked her arm away as one came right for her, and jerked her head to the side as another just barely nicked her ear. The lasers spread past and around her, and pinned her to the hot, searing light of the wall as they glowed brighter and brighter! Before Ninjini, Sihiri, Eye-Brawl, and Swarm all pressed themselves to the other parts of the wall.</p><p>The robots that cornered her slowly crept into the center, their hands held out as they brushed against each other's backs. The light around grew hotter, and shrieked like bats as the emanating heat turned it from its pinkish-purple color to a harsh white.</p><p>Ninjini cried out as the wall burned against her back, but pressed herself against it once more as she inched closer to the lasers! Ninjini scowled, fished her arms from the lasers, and slowly crept alongside the walls as she navigated between their precarious strings. Sweat dampened her face as she slid between the close spaces of one laser, and then the other, until finally she pulled one arm in! She beamed for a moment as her left arm broke free, slipped her right arm out, and yanked her bottle from her back.</p><p>Her whole body turned to sparkly purple fog as she leaped inside the bottle. The bottle itself collapsed to the floor with a sharp clang, one that brought the robots' attention down to it.</p><p>The robots lowered their lasers just a bit as the bottle's lip turned to them, and out from the bottle came strings of rockets that smashed through their faces, leaving gaping holes of gutted machinery behind!</p><p>The robots' faces smoked as more rockets slammed into their chests. The rockets flung them through the walls, shattering them completely. Their smoking, hole-ridden bodies laid amid the disjointed remains of their fellow robots. One head landed by Sihiri's feet, another few just barely smashed into Brawl's arm, and one more beaned Swarm in the leg.</p><p>Sihiri, Eye-Brawl, and Swarm only minded the robots for a few moments before Ninjini emerged from the bottle and attached it back to her back.</p><p>As she fixed its position, her glance passed to where Bouncer stood at the terminal with optics wide and a wire in hand. She smiled, set the bottle in place and waved.</p><p>"Is the security taken care of yet?" she asked.</p><p>"Almost," Bouncer replied as he turned back to the panel. "Just gotta do this, and this…"</p><p>Bouncer hummed as he slashed a few wires in half, reconnected them to the other broken halves, pressed a few buttons, fixed some other wires' positions, and closed the panel with a frown. His glance now turned to the bridge.</p><p>Its electric wall flickered, and slunk down sightly as it laid on the bridge's top. The wall flashed one more time, slammed down and exploded in sparks as its electricity fed into the orbs that lined the bridge! Each orb sparked for a moment, but all quickly faded save for the ones at the front. They shot out a beam like before, but this time, it merely bounced from orb to orb in a zig-zag fashion before it fizzled out as it reached its end!</p><p>"And done!"</p><p>Bouncer smirked as he zipped past them, but his speed slowed as he zig-zagged along the bridge in tandem with the laser beam. He came to a complete stop as the others slowly trailed along behind him. Not one pair of eyes moved from the lasers as they walked from space to space.</p><p>Well, save for Ninjini, who sneaked into her bottle, hastily rolled along the floor, and popped back up at Bouncer's side. He smiled and lifted up her bottle as she filtered out of it.</p><p>Bouncer winked as she claimed the bottle from his hands. "Y'know, 'Enehana's right! This hacking stuff isn't so bad." Bouncer said. "If that terminal's as easy as that was, I'll have it finished in no time!"</p><p>Ninjini chuckled as she fastened her bottle onto her back. "Don't get too cocky, now. We still don't know what they have ahead for us."</p><p>A crash came from beside, and they both winced as their gazes turned to where the Machine Ghost's body laid pinned to the canyons by the robot he fought. The robot pushed forward, shattering the canyon and leaving its rocks to fall into the depths below. The Machine Ghost's body punched it away before it flicked out its hand and cast a sword of orange light!</p><p>With the sword grasped tight in both hands, the Machine Ghost's body rushed forward. It slashed away at the opposing robot right as it raised a hand. The sword slashed right through the hand as it became a fist, leaving that fist to crash into the waves below! The opposing robot forged its own light sword in the broken space where its hand once was and slashed back.</p><p>Eye-Brawl, Swarm and Sihiri floated around them and winced.</p><p>"Looks like they've got things under control there," Eye said before he popped off of Brawl and flew off. "Come on, eye can spy the terminal from here!"</p><p>Bouncer pulled himself from the bridge and drove after Eye, though he still cast a single glance back at the battle between the Machine Ghost's body and its opponent. The others came up to his side as he finally hit solid canyon rock instead of rusted metal. He rolled a few steps forward as a massive crash came from behind, and the winds it crafted were so strong that it knocked them all on their fronts! Bouncer groaned and turned around right as the bridge crumbled to bits.</p><p>Not that far from him, the Machine Ghost's body and its opponent tumbled across the canyons! The closer view showed that the opposing robot regained its broken arm, for a giant cannon of some sort took its spot. Its eyes glowed as it thrust the Machine Ghost's body into the wall and cracked it. Despite the dents in its armor, and the steam that leaked from his cracks and orifices, the Machine Ghost's body grunted and pushed against the robot, knocking it back into the other side of the canyon before punching it in the gut!</p><p>Above them, the terminal rocked back and forth in its spot!</p><p>Bouncer jumped to his wheel and rushed off. His optics set on the terminal as it swayed back into place.</p><p>"I've gotta get to that terminal!" he whispered, lifting his hands as he leaned in. "If they keep this up, it'll be scrap before I do!"</p><p>A few robots stumbled out the sides of a cavity in the walls beside him. Their weapons charged with hot light as they turned on Bouncer, but Bouncer held out his hands. His back creaked, and parts of it shifted out as rocket launchers stationed themselves on his shoulders. He gripped his hand tight. The launchers shrieked, preparing to fire, but quickly quelled themselves as sharp winds came from aside!</p><p>The winds slammed into the robots, knocking them into the water! Bouncer zipped right for the terminal as the robots tumbled off the side of the cliffs. He leaped up, and crashed right before it with such force that the smaller rocks around him leaped and crashed back down.</p><p>Bouncer yanked open the panel, perhaps in expectancy of some stray buttons, or some old wires in need of cutting. Instead, what greeted him was a sleek screen with a keyboard underneath it. Its body was made of sleek red and gold metal with no signs of rust or wear whatsoever! A message and a box flashed across its screen in ancient Common, and Bouncer's optics narrowed.</p><p>"'Enter your admin passcode?'" Bouncer read. He grimaced and typed away. "Let's see, what would 'Enehana make the security passcode? Their own name, maybe? Sounds about right to me."</p><p>Nope. The screen flashed red as Bouncer submitted, and the passcode disappeared and the box grew empty once more.</p><p>"May Arkilles burn in the pits?"</p><p>Also brought nothing but a red screen. Bouncer gritted his teeth, shavings of metal peeling off and falling below him, and typed away further.</p><p>"Suffer, Arkeyan Empire?"</p><p>"Let the Ancients reduce this place to scrap?"</p><p>"I hate my job?"</p><p>All nothing but red. His last attempt resulted in nothing more than a flashing red screen, and the sounds of crashing, clashing battles grew louder. Bouncer groaned, banged his fists against the keyboard, and hung his head. Just then, green light flashed against his face while a string of cheerful beeps came, and he lifted his head as the screen changed!</p><p>"Well, that's one way to get in," he remarked as he stood to full height.</p><p>Several boxes flashed across the screen, each with their own icons of pouring water or levers or more.</p><p>Bouncer winced. "Now, which one should I pick?" Bouncer's finger hovered from box to box. "That waterfall looks like it'd work, but—"</p><p>A distinct sound of screeching, crashing metal came from behind Bouncer, and he turned around right as the opposing robot flew past him! The Machine Ghost's body came shortly afterward, but not in pursuit. Instead, it leaned against the canyons while its eyes flashed orange.</p><p>"Bouncer, what's wrong?" 'Enehana cried from within, their voice amplified over the robot body's speaker. "Have you cracked the code yet?"</p><p>"'Enehana, perfect timing!" Bouncer turned back to the terminal. "Which of these buttons controls the power?"</p><p>"The bars in the top-middle! That's the power settings!"</p><p>Bouncer nodded and tapped the button, and in turn it expanded, changing the screen to a selection of sliders.</p><p>"Now, there's a specific input code to re-route the power. You press the down button twice, up button twice, and then press right, left, right, left, and hit the two runes at the top simul—"</p><p>'Enehana grunted as the opposing robot swung forward. It nailed the Machine Ghost's body in the side with a sharp punch, and slid both the robot, and presumably 'Enehana as well, back in turn! The Machine Ghost's body collapsed into the sea yet staggered up, but the robot stomped down on its chest, pushing it further into the depths. The Machine Ghost's body grabbed its foot and yanked it up! Water splashed up in large torrents as the robot fell on its back. Water rained down on the battlefield, and drenched the rocks in its cold, salty liquid while both robots jumped up and wrestled each other.</p><p>Bouncer winced as they crashed into the waters below and fell to their knees. He flinched as water snapped his head, and turned back to the console.</p><p>"Let's see, down, down, up, up," Bouncer whispered as he pressed the keys in turn, "right, left, right, left, hit the two runes at the top…" Bouncer narrowed his optics and winced. "Which two runes?" Bouncer glazed over to two slightly larger, round runes near the top of the keyboard. "These two?"</p><p>Just before Bouncer pressed down, a shriek of purple light came for him! He ducked right as a purple orb of magic slammed against the wall behind him and exploded. He winced and got up as the orb poured down the wall in a cascade of sparkles, turned back to where the others battled swathes of robots below, and balled his hand into a fist. His wheel started to turn, and he leaned aside, as if he prepared to jump into the fray—but stopped as Ninjini turned to him.</p><p>"We've got this covered, Bouncer!" Ninjini shouted as she held back an ax-wielding robot with a pair of wishblades. Ninjini leaned forward, slashed the robot's head off, and flew back into the battle with eyes set on another, larger robot. "Just get that dam taken care of!"</p><p>Bouncer nodded, leaned back at terminal, and pressed a pair of buttons on the keyboard—but the screen only flashed red! Bouncer grimaced as the color faded and retyped the combination, his hands pressing on another pair of keys instead. Still no luck, for once again the screen taunted him with its red glare. A crash sounded behind him, and Bouncer grimaced as a few rocks pelted him in the head.</p><p>"Hey, 'Enehana! Hate to interrupt your match there," he shouted as he turned around and waved for 'Enehana, "but what was the last part of the combination?"</p><p>No use. 'Enehana didn't even acknowledge him as the Machine Ghost's body grabbed the robot and turned around. It spun back and forth before it slammed the opposing robot against a wall! The opposing robot squirmed against the Machine Ghost's grip, trying its hardest to pry his fingers off. Instead, the Machine Ghost gripped it tight!</p><p>Bouncer scoffed and crossed his arms, his optics narrowing. "If only they weren't stopped by that tinhead. This hacking stuff's way out of my league, and only they know the code…"</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body squeezed the opposing robot's shoulders tight as it squirmed. It slipped away at least, wound up its arm before it sent a double punch directly for the bottom of the robot's chest! It sent another double punch up top.</p><p>Bouncer blinked and wheeled forward. "Wait, down, down, up, up…" Bouncer whispered as his optics brightened. "That's part of the code!"</p><p>The Machine Ghost punched away further, and Bouncer cracked his knuckles.</p><p>"Right, left, right, left…"</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body grabbed the robot by the shoulders, swung around, and headbutted it! Its head slammed into the upper-left of the robot's head, smashing the glass of both its large eyes in. Letting go of the robot as it staggered back, the Machine Ghost's body stumbled back and wound up a punch.</p><p>Bouncer's attention drifted away from them with a blink, and turned back to the keyboard as he scratched his head. His eyes drifted back to two, larger keys stationed at the head of the keyboard. They were in a triangle shape, much like the opposing robot's eyes, and he gasped before he typed away!</p><p>"Down, down, up, up, right, left, right, left, and then…"</p><p>Bouncer slammed down the two larger keys, and a green light flashed against his face! He lifted up his head as the sound of something unlocking pricked his auditory sensors, and the bars on the screen grew brighter! He beamed widely, moved his finger across the screen as the bars all slid as far as they could, and the sound of gargling, rushing water brought his attention away from the terminal at last!</p><p>Before him, the river's waters rose even further! They reached up to the Machine Ghost's body's waist, and just inches underneath the remains of the bridge!</p><p>"The dam's up!" Bouncer cried as he pumped his fist. "Score two for Bouncer!"</p><p>Another blast of magic sounded behind him, and Bouncer smirked as he turned his attention back to the battlefield. A clunking sound came as parts of his back shifted open once more, and a twinkle shone in Bouncer's optics.</p><p>"And I'd better rack up some extra points while I'm here!"</p><p>His rocket cannons emerged from his back and shifted onto his shoulders as he rushed down below, their insides charging up and lighting with blazing hot fire. With one sweep down, the cannons shifted back, and fired a whole swath of rockets for the robots ahead of him! The robots turned around as the rockets crashed into the ground below their fight and exploded, blowing their metal bodies to smithereens. Their broken bits soared across the skies and rolled along the ground as the flames quelled.</p><p>Bouncer grinned as he rolled over their remains. "Alright, got the dam taken care of," Bouncer shouted, placing his hands on his hips as he spoke. "What's next?"</p><p>A rumbling avalanche roared from beside as another cliff collapsed beside them—and from what else than the Machine Ghost's body? It pressed tight against the rocks, cracking their stone surfaces and shattering them completely with every further strain and push. Steam bellowed from its neck as it gripped the shoulders of the opposing robot. The Machine Ghost's body pushed back, yet its grip was barely felt as the robot lifted it up, and slammed it back against the ledge. The ledge shattered to bits, and the body's metal dented, caving in and splitting in parts even!</p><p>Bouncer's shoulder cannons folded back into his body, and beside him, Ninjini summoned her wishblades and floated up.</p><p>"If you ask me, the answer's obvious," Ninjini said, pointing a blade towards the Machine Ghost's body before shifting it towards his opponent. "Everyone, formation sixteen!"</p><p>Sihiri jumped up as a pool of lavender magic sparkled below her feet, floated up to Ninjini's shoulder and sat down! Beside her, Eye flew up and sat down right as Brawl ran underneath him, and Swarm floated down not long after. Swarm huddled in close to Bouncer, gripped his hand as he in turn grabbed Ninjini's, and soon, Ninjini joined hands with Brawl. Their hands held tight as the light below them glowed its brightest, and they all closed their eyes right as the sounds of crashing rock sounded in the distance.</p><p>When they opened their eyes, they found themselves on a rocky cliff, well above where the now-destroyed platform they once stood on was.</p><p>"Good thing we made it outta there," Swarm smirked as he rubbed his wings.</p><p>Ninjini and Sihiri made no remarks. They held out their hands, and a set of rotating scopes that churned within each other like gears formed before their palms. The scopes shot out and swung around the river; they hovered around the Machine Ghost's body as it and its opponent trudged through the water, and disappeared for moments. In their place, pillars of lavender light shone across the opposing robot—some from its neck, another from its back, a few more where the hinges were…</p><p>"Those are where its weak points are!" Sihiri cried. "Target it there!"</p><p>"On it!" Bouncer cried. The antenna on his head unfolded, and out from it burst another fleet of rockets that burned with all their might as they zipped across the river!</p><p>Their flames' red light shone even against the midday sun. Their smoke and flaming scent lingered in the air, and grew stronger as they turned around. The rockets smashed into the opposing robot's back! An explosion burst and shattered a few more cracked cliffs as the opposing robot went limp.</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body punched the opposing robot in the chest, knocked it back, and left it stunned enough to body-slam it right into the waters!</p><p>Bouncer winced and closed his optics. "Man, glad I wasn't in there," he whimpered.</p><p>"Eye, Swarm!" Ninjini called. "Target the arms while it's distracted!"</p><p>"Got our eyes on the prize, ninja lady!" Swarm shouted.</p><p>His wings reverberated with harsh buzzing as he flew off with Eye in tow. The two of them jerked and jolted through the skies as they charged for the opposing robot. Their movements were sharp and swift as they wove around its punches and blows, moving towards the Machine Ghost's body.</p><p>A burst of thunder shot down from the skies, and cleaved off the opposing robot's one remaining arm as it disappeared in the distance—undoubtedly Swarm's doing. The opposing robot limped back as it slogged through the water, and leaned towards its right as the electrified arm's charred shoulder crumbled away. The wiring of the arm slunk down, the actual arm itself just barely visible as the rest of it fell into the deep.</p><p>Sharp flashes of golden light shone as the wires snapped, and the rest of the arm went with them! A flash of red and gold light shone from the left arm's open gap, and faded as large shards of what seemed like glass cascaded down from the robot's left side. The glass sank into the river's waters, and on the right side, its arm rusted and corroded before it withered away to bits!</p><p>Ninjini grinned, and held her fingers to her temples as she closed her eyes. "'Enehana, little ghost, if you can hear me," Ninjini whispered, "try to bring that robot here, and we'll finish the job!"</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body paused in midair, and turned to Ninjini for just a moment before it twisted around. It ran the best it could towards the de-armed robot. Its strides were slow, and muddled by the thick masses of water in the river before it, but they were still wide enough that it reached the robot's side in a matter of minutes. The Machine Ghost's body yanked the opposing robot up by the neck! The Machine Ghost's body held it tight and swung it back, ready to toss it—but a laser shot from the robot's eyes and zapped the Machine Ghost's body's neck!</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body immediately dropped the opposing robot. Smoke poured from its neck as it backed away. The opposing robot staggered up as laser cannons burst from the empty spots in its arms! The lasers tore straight through the canyon as the robot spun around and halved the tall rocky walls. The Machine Ghost's body just barely ducked before the lasers could saw it in half!</p><p>Ninjini gasped, and teleported everyone away as one laser shot right into the cliff she once stood on, reducing it to rubble. She ducked behind a large rock and poked out towards the battlefield. Her fingers dug into the sandy grit covering the rock, but she waved her arm and tossed a blast right towards the Machine Ghost's body. Her lip twitched as its purple light faded for moments. A sparkling purple shield formed around the Machine Ghost's body, and she grinned—yet only for a moment. Her smile soon faded into stern, tight-browed observation.</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body drew back, its fists still raised but its body motionless otherwise. The opposing robot trudged for it, ran the best it could in the thick waters, and it raised a laser cannon as it fired a charge. The Machine Ghost's body ducked underneath, and the laser disappeared into the waves. The Machine Ghost's body punched out the robot's knees, and sent it staggering down before it rammed its knee into the hunched-over robot's head, knocking it back.</p><p>The opposing robot landed right in the water before it forced itself back up.</p><p>The Machine Ghost's body stormed forward as it staggered and yanked onto the opposing robot's shoulder. The body's fingers dug into its dented metal before it ripped off the laser cannon, and tossed it into the water below! The cannon slammed into the water with a mighty splash, tossing water against the Machine Ghost's body's back. It ducked underneath the swing of the robot's other cannon, and the body leaped up as it tugged onto the second cannon.</p><p>It pulled against the cannon's hinge, yanked it off and slammed it against the robot's head! The blow came with such force that the robot's head flew clean off, and without a head to guide it, its body fell to its knees. Its headless body barely stood above the waves until the Machine Ghost lifted it up and spun it around. With one last spin, it flung the opposing robot's body across the horizon, never to be seen again!</p><p>"They did it!" Ninjini cheered, and thrust a fist in the air as the others cheered behind her.</p><p>Ninjini snapped her fingers. In a flash, her group found themselves within the Machine Ghost's body once more!</p><p>The lights turned back on, and showed the somewhat sad state the whole room was in—seems that the power finished re-routing. Everyone else laid sprawled across the floor around them; they were alive, but groaned and shook while their eyes spun around their head. The whole area smelled faintly of saltwater while an orange glow shone around the floor and walls. Remnants of a repair, maybe? Nonetheless, at the head stood the Machine Ghost and 'Enehana, who both grinned back at them.</p><p>"The west dam is taken care of, I presume?" Machine Ghost asked.</p><p>'Enehana smiled at the sight of Ninjini's nod, and turned back to the controls, wiping their hands the whole time.</p><p>"Then it's time to unlock that vault!" 'Enehana cried as they pushed the robot forward!</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 14: Kaos's Kastle Part 2 (Part 2)<p>Arkilles gritted his teeth, and clenched a fist as veins popped from its surface.</p><p>"You know," Arkilles mused, stretching out his fingers with red light veins forming along his head, "I've been dying to test out the powers that this body has held even since I grabbed it…"</p><p>Arkilles cracked his knuckles, and smiled as he flung out hands charged with bright red, crackling magic! His eyes glowed even brighter. He licked his lips as the red light completely enveloped his hands.</p><p>"And now, I have the perfect opportunity!"</p><p>Everyone stepped back as the light around Arkilles glowed brighter and brighter, hands clenching and eyes tracing the battlegrounds. The red light spread to the walls, crept along the floors as sparks of lightning burst from it, and the cheers of the Arkeyan crowds only grew more intense as the light glowed its brightest!</p><p>"Look out! It's gonna blow!" Chihiro cried.</p><p>Their group split two ways as the light finally burst, and the light shot towards them in streams of furious red lightning that tore right through the floor! The blasts hit the back of the arena instead. The arena's back blew wide-open while chunks of rock and stone burst from it and rained down on the crowds! A few Arkeyan soldiers cheered as more of them fell unconscious, conked the oncoming blasts.</p><p>Down below, Skylander and portal master alike cringed as they shielded themselves from the blows!</p><p>"Amazing!" Arkilles cried. He glanced down at hands still rife with magic, and a soft gasp escaped from him as he wiggled his fingers. "I knew that a free magician's power was immense, but feeling it first-hand feels like I'm a completely different mage!"</p><p>Arkilles chuckled and turned around as Spyro skidded alongside the battlefield and panted.</p><p>"I simply must try it out more! Until this body collapses, even!" Arkilles cried. His cackling continued as he lifted his still-glowing hands, and his eyes trained on Spyro. "Luckily, I have the perfect test subject in mind!"</p><p>Arkilles cackled as he floated along the battlefield, pumping his arms and shooting burst after burst of magic fire towards Spyro. Spyro grunted and slid away, his eyes flashing red. Arkilles skidded in mid-air, turned around as his bursts of fire soared along the battlefield, and stopped completely just before they hit the ground.</p><p>"Huh?" Arkilles uttered. He stumbled back before he snarled and pointed at the fireballs. "I didn't order you measly embers to stop! Go after that dragon, right now!"</p><p>"Change of plans, buddy!" Spyro cried as he flapped his wings. Spyro flapped his wings once again, and the fireballs screeched as they zipped right back towards Arkilles. "Fireballs, return to sender!"</p><p>Arkilles screamed as the hot firelight came closer into his vision, turned tail, and scrambled away as the flames crashed into the battlefield! One by one, they burst into pillars of burning fire, painting the area in hot red and oranges and glistening against the cheering standees' metal bodies. Below, their flames licked against Arkilles' back, and heated the back of his robes as he panicked and sputtered out! A few embers brushed dangerously close to the back of his head, and he screamed and rolled away; right as he did, a fireball burst forth and slammed into his side, pushing him across the battlefield! Flames burst from his robes, and burned holes in their cloth as he rolled along the battlefield. Arkilles grunted and pushed himself up. His eyes laid on Spyro, and his teeth gritted as Spyro smirked over him.</p><p>"Infernal lizard!" Arkilles hissed. "How dare you burn these robes! Have you no respect for Arkeyan fashion?"</p><p>"Nope!" Spyro chirped back, though the flames that formed around his muzzle muffled his voice.</p><p>He shot off another string of fireballs. Their flames burned and grew brighter as they all circled around and closed in on Arkilles, but Arkilles teleported away! The flames crashed into each other instead, and their fires erupted in a burning, smoking pillar right as Arkilles manifested behind them and chuckled. With a clap of his hands, the flames grew brighter and taller, and Arkilles gasped before he extinguished them with a few more claps.</p><p>Arkilles turned back to Spyro as the flames died, stumbling around their ashy pillars as he did. He flicked his hands while a red glow burst from his palms' veins. He levitated up, prepared to fight, yet a burst of water splashed him in the back and knocked him forward!</p><p>"Who dares splash me?" Arkilles squealed as he swung back and forth, his fists shaking the whole time. "These robes aren't waterproof, you know!"</p><p>Gill Grunt swirled above Arkilles, propelled into the skies by the streams of water that burst from his jetpack as he spun circles! He lifted a fin, gave a thumbs up to the world behind, and smirked as he hovered in front of Arkilles with his cannon held up and prepped to shoot…</p><p>But instead of shooting Arkilles, he zipped away at the last minute and a flurry of gold coins shot into Arkilles instead! They pelted him like bullets, sniping his skin and popping off to reveal burning red marks. Arkilles, barked in pain, once again stumbling in mid-air. He'd collapse and hover up in sharp, jerky movements with every gold coin that smashed into him!</p><p>Down on the ground, Trigger Happy cackled as he fired off in rapid speed, raised a brow and turned aside as Chihiro swayed beside him. She held out a hand, and Trigger Happy grinned as he released the triggers and lowered his guns! She teleported off in a flash, and he yanked out a golden box of popcorn that he munched away at as she reappeared before Arkilles!</p><p>Arkilles gasped, but only for a moment. He swung forward and shot a glowing magic blast at Chihiro—one she quickly swept aside off before she kicked him right in the back! The kick knocked Arkilles back to the ground at last, and she dropped down as he planted into the ground face-first. Arkilles's bones cracked as he pushed himself from the ground, and he himself groaned as he trudged up and crawled across the floor. At least, he would've, if Chihiro hadn't stepped on the trailing cloth of his robe and chuckled.</p><p>"Okay, I don't know if you're Arkilles, or Kaos, or whatever," Chihiro cried as she crossed her arms, "but whoever you are, you're coming with us!"</p><p>Beside him, a green puff of smoke manifested, and cleared away as Stealth Elf jumped out and drew her blades.</p><p>"Just come in quietly," Stealth Elf warned, and gingerly stepped forward while her blades drew closer to Arkilles' throat, "and maybe we'll let you off with only an exorcism and a trip to the reapers."</p><p>Arkilles scoffed, a confident look finding its way on his face despite his situation. He winced a little as he staggered up a bit, yet he still chuckled and smirked despite it all. His arms shuddered as he lifted them up, flicked Stealth Elf's blade away from his throat, and with that he collapsed back to the ground and chuckled.</p><p>"A compelling offer," Arkilles remarked, "but I'm afraid I can't accept!"</p><p>Arkilles disappeared right from between them in a flash of red light! His chuckled turned to cackles as he stood to full height and held out glowing red arms. Their red light turned hot like the sun, and raw with malevolent, bone-chilling energy as they stood. The magic leaped from them with a single slap of his hands! The two blasts twisted together, forming the shape of a dragon with a large, toothy maw and leaping for Chihiro and Stealth Elf…</p><p>As it leaped for the kill, a large, metallic orange wall leaped in front of the blasts and completely dispersed it! Its flickering embers scattered across the battlefield like rain, dripped onto the marble of the battlefield, and vanished as Arkilles gasped and stumbled backwards.</p><p>"Seems you forget you're not the only magician here," 'Enehana remarked as they lowered their glowing orange hands.</p><p>Arkilles hissed, gritting his teeth together and turning to 'Enehana. His eyes narrowed as Vatra and Jorden joined them. Flames almost burned along his eyes before he shook his head, and forced that same confident smirk before. Arkilles stumbled forward, hands glowing and all, yet a simple twitch showed that he knew he was outclassed. There before him stood three of his greatest foes, all portal masters far more experienced than he was, and though he stole the body of a portal master, he had no experience whatsoever in using the powers it held. It was clear who would win… Yet, still he shouted out as he rushed out and shot every magic blast he could!</p><p>"How dare you look so smug in my presence!" Arkilles growled as he dashed forward. "Disappear already, you worms!"</p><p>The blasts of red magic screeched as they came in, but with a clap of 'Enehana's hands, more mechanical walls leaped from the floors and blocked them off! The blasts exploded in a string, one that coated the area in thick, eye-stinging smoke and blocked off everyone from view. The smoke choked out the arena, but the walls rang and thudded just a bit! A few walls barely shuddered and tilted forward as Jorden and Vatra leaped from them, and they slapped their glowing hands on the floor, their own magic presence growing brighter and more powerful!</p><p>The ground rumbled as reddish-brown light shone from the tiles, and Arkilles stuttered and stumbled backwards, hands raising at the sights before him! He took one more step back, and the ground below him rumbled and splintered as a giant volcano burst out and trapped him within its grip! The volcano rumbled for moments, collapsed down, and leaped up as it spat Arkilles right out!</p><p>"You accursed mages!" Arkilles cursed as he patted stray embers off of his tattered robes. "You will rue the day you rose from your graves and challenged me! I—"</p><p>A pair of wooden fingers yanked Arkilles from the ground with such suddenness that it cut off his last words, and left him choking and gasping as the fingers brought him to a pair of blue, cold eyes. Arkilles found himself staring into the icy-cold glance of Tree Rex next, and he gasped and scrambled away. Tree Rex squeezed him tighter, leaving Arkilles gasping and choking for air even more.</p><p>"Stop it, you're choking Lord Kaos!" Glumshanks pleaded.</p><p>Tree Rex didn't relent. His eyes fixed on Kaos—or rather, Arkilles as he struggled and squirmed within the confines of Kaos's body! The others backed away, and even the Arkeyans in the stands ceased their cheers as Tree Rex held Arkilles closer to his eye level. Arkilles turned to Tree Rex for only a moment, and Tree Rex scowled, bearing his wooden teeth in a threatening display.</p><p>"You know, Arkilles," Tree Rex sneered as he squeezed Arkilles a bit tighter. "That was always your fatal flaw. You were too full of hot air to see your own faults!"</p><p>Arkilles gasped and choked out something barely made out. A plea for release? A last speech of defiance? A barely held back insult? Well, whatever it was, Tree Rex turned around and scoffed as he walked away, Arkilles still dangling from his pinched-together fingers by the very thinnest scruff of his neck!</p><p>"Our mission is done here," Tree Rex proclaimed, his voice cold as ice still. "Chihiro, tell Flynn and Cali—"</p><p>"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"</p><p>A loud, demonic screech hit the air, one so loud that it blew the clouds out of the sky! The screech rattled in the Arkeyan spectators' ears, sending sparks blowing from them. The organic beings in the group immediately rushed to cover their ears—and that included Tree Rex! On instinct, he cringed and shielded his ears with his hands, but glanced aside and gasped as Arkilles fell to the ground like a rag doll! Tree Rex reached down to grab him, but a burst of crimson magic shot off from Arkilles' body and singed Tree Rex's fingers, forcing his hand back!</p><p>Arkilles' body stopped in midair just inches before it hit the floor, and instead floated on its back as it laid still like a stone statue. A faint rim of red energy surrounded it like a shield as it floated, and reflected the faces of all those around as they backed away or prepared to attack. The shield lowered to the ground while Arkilles rose upright within…</p><p>And as his feet hit the floor, the shield disappeared and Arkilles fell to his knees! His hands propped him up as he slouched over next, all while he groaned and rubbed his head. The voice that came from him wasn't that of Arkilles' baritone, but a familiar screechy voice. Its high tone was strung with pain as Arkilles rubbed his head.</p><p>"Oh, my evil head," groaned Arkilles, or whoever it was that controlled the body now. He gritted his teeth and hissed as his hand clenched into a fist, and a low growl came next as he stumbled back to his full, albeit unimpressive, height. "When I get that wannabe king for possessing my glorious evil body, I'll…"</p><p>Chihiro blinked, and took a step backwards as the body's eyes turned on her.</p><p>"Wait a second," she sputtered out, eyes flickering open and shut in alarm. "KAOS?"</p><p>The body turned around and gasped.</p><p>"THE POSER MASTER? AND THE SKYLOSERS TOO!" wailed the body, in a shrill, screechy voice that was undeniably Kaos's!</p><p>His own eyes fluttered at the sight of Chihiro, and his jaw slipped open as he jabbed a finger at her.</p><p>"Don't tell me he just INVITED you here into my temporary evil fortress of ultimate doom!" A low, frustrated growl rumbled in Kaos's throat. "That utter buffoon! That blundering bag of ectoplasm! Don't tell me him rifling through my memories to power the security systems was for NOTHING! Once I get him out of my head, I'll make sure to send him to his ultimate evil doom! There won't be enough itty bits of him left for the afterlife when I—"</p><p>Kaos flung his arms in the air, and his eyes grew wide at the sight of his tattered red and gold sleeves. He drew them back to his side, glancing over the rest of his torn, worn robes; his head lurched over next, knocking the crown from its top. The crown rolled around his feet, and he lifted it up with trembling hands. His mouth gaped open wide, but scowled once more as he tossed the crown to the ground.</p><p>"WHAT DID HE DO WITH MY BODY? THESE ROBES AREN'T BEFITTING OF SKYLANDS' ULTIMATE EVIL OVERLORD OF ULTIMATE DOOM AT ALL! THEY'RE FAR TOO GAUDY! NOBODY WEARS BRIGHT RED AND GOLD TO A CONQUEST UNLESS YOU WANT TO LOOK LIKE YOU CAME OUT OF A HISTORY BOOK!"</p><p>Chihiro winced as Kaos rambled on. Yeah, there was no denying it at this point—this was definitely the real Kaos standing before her. Only he could rant that much about Skylands' doom. He continued his rambles, and Chihiro snarled as she bent her knees. He was so wrapped up in his rant that he didn't seem to care about anything else, and that body was undoubtedly still weak from the earlier spats. He was practically a lamb in the lion's wake!</p><p>Chihiro sprung forward and readied a spell, her gaze focused on the back of Kaos's bald head. Just one sleep spell, that would be enough to knock him unconscious, and then she could take him in before he could conquer Skylands again, before he could undo everything they did, before her failure could amount to anything! His head came in closer, and she reached out her fingers. She barely brushed against his scalp, right as he turned around and glared at her with eyes flaring red!</p><p>A massive sound wave came next, a blare so strong it blew her back and shook the area. Chihiro rolled against the floor, landing right by Spyro's paws and groaning as she held a ringing ear with one hand. She pushed herself off the ground with her free arm. Her body trembled, her arms and legs aching so badly that just laying down left her pounding and throbbing. She could barely even see Kaos before her.</p><p>In her blurry haze, Chihiro saw that Kaos coughed and fell to his knees, clutching his sides with hands glowing red. She growled and forced herself up. A sharp noise shot through her head as she did, and next thing she knew, she was on the floor, coughing and shaking with the marble floors' heat burning against her skin. Her vision grew so bleary that her eyes ached just from keeping them open. While she shuddered and cringed, just about ready to collapse, a cool feeling washed over her, and then the warmth of scales. Her strength returned enough that she stood up and leaned against Spyro, and her vision cleared enough to focus on Kaos.</p><p>Now it was Kaos's hands that twitched, his scowl growing wider as he laid on his knees still. Pulsing waves burst from him and warded off those around. His brow twitched next as he gritted his teeth together, and stumbled back as he glanced around. He was surrounded at every angle, whether it was Chihiro or one of the Skylanders in one instance, an Elder Elemental in another, or one of the ancient portal masters next—but, not once did they attack. They met his scowl with confusion, eyes tense as they backed away from the shrieking, ringing waves and pulses of magic that echoed from Kaos's body.</p><p>The light faded from Kaos's hands and he snarled as he stood up. He was at full height now, and the injuries his body sustained slowly faded as he basked in the light. A smile thinned across his lips as he clasped his hand, and not once did he bother to back down, even though he remained completely surrounded still.</p><p>"But, before I can deal with that incessant ghost," Kaos hissed, "I'd better take care of you!"</p><p>Kaos flicked out his wrists, and a blast of scarlet magic burst from his palms, shooting straight towards Vatra, Jorden and 'Enehana! Its light flared against the faces as it came in, and 'Enehana took it head-on. They rushed into the fray, and fell their lowest as they slammed their hands against the floor! The flap of their backpack flung open in response, and spewed out all sorts of metal and machinery that fashioned into a barrier. The barrier blocked the blow right where it came!</p><p>The blow's red light flashed against the floor, its tile turning crimson in one moment, and orange the next as 'Enehana leaped over the barricade and charged straight for Kaos. He snarled and shot off more blasts, but 'Enehana swept to the side and flicked out their arm! A screeching noise hit the air as the barricade behind them rushed to the front, and it blew the blasts back, combining them into one as they hurtled back towards Kaos!</p><p>Kaos gasped, shooting out another, paler red blast that clashed against the force of his old ones. The light turned the floor warm and crimson as the two blasts pushed and tugged against each other. The light burned against him, tinting his face red. Crimson magic sparks leaped from his tense, throbbing veins. A softer crackle came from behind him, and he turned around and split his hands, holding out a second one to shoulder the electrically-charged, gauntlet-bound punch that came from Vaayu behind him!</p><p>Vaayu grunted, twisting his arm as he pushed his fist closer to Kaos's chest. The lightning grew stronger, seeping into the sparks that bounced from Kaos's skin! Kaos's eyes grew wide as he screeched out, and finally collapsed as the magic blasts from behind slammed into him and pushed him across the floor!</p><p>The static crackled off of his body from the holes torn through his robes. Though Kaos couldn't speak, his eyes scrunched and squinted in pain with every shock he got to show his pained state. A sky blue light cast over him as Vaayu stormed up and raised a hand while his gauntlets dispelled, and Kaos barely craned up his head.</p><p>Vaayu reached out for Kaos's collar, but Kaos smirked and shot up his arm! He squeezed Vaayu's wrist as Vaayu gasped, and a burst of red magic shot Vaayu across the battlefield!</p><p>Kaos cackled as he pushed himself up from the battlefield. A red shield enveloped him; it turned invisible for moments, with only the sunlight reflecting off of it a sign of its existence. Cracking his knuckles, Kaos floated up and rushed for Vaayu with red lightning at his fingertips—but a single bullet smashed through his shield! The bullet shattered a hole in the shield's front as it passed over Kaos's shoulder, tore another hole in the back on its way out, and a flurry joined that single bullet!</p><p>Each one smashed through the safety of Kaos's shield, turning it a solid, pale red. It filled with thin cracks as Kaos planted to the bottom to avoid the bullets. The bullets ended their onslaught and the shield shattered completely, leaving faint red sparkles cascading down on the battlefield!</p><p>Kaos gasped, but not for long, for a burst of sunlight brushed behind his ear!</p><p>He yelped as the light beam flew into the sky, and leaped away as the screech of another came! Floating further into the air, Kaos flung out a hand and blocked off another oncoming beam of light, but a rock smashed right through that beam. Kaos tumbled through the skies, and teleported away as even more rocks and light beams paired with bursts of fire from below that all shot for him! The flurry was great, and ascended down on him from all angles, trapping him in a solid bubble of hot, bright stone. It was all he could do to float and teleport away!</p><p>Chihiro smirked down on the ground. She crossed her arms as her eyes drifted over to where Hot Head, Tree Rex, Crusher, and Bouncer shot away at Kaos like they shot for fish in a barrel. Her gaze then turned to Kaos as he shouted and bellowed out curses and insults. She lifted her arms, flicked out her wrist, and the soft brush of magic touched her palm before the familiar hilt of a sword pressed its way in.</p><p>"You know," Chihiro remarked as she squeezed her sword's hilt, "we can't let them have all the fun!"</p><p>Chihiro grunted as she leaped in the air, its cold breeze brushing against her hair and blowing it back. She corkscrewed into Kaos's side and knocked him back! She teleported away just before the burning flames en route to Kaos could hit her, but did catch a hot rock smash into his back and knock him forward! The attacking flurries relented as Kaos rolled up and locked eyes with Chihiro. His eyes' red hue turning hot and venomous the moment they latched onto her.</p><p>"Portal poster!" Kaos cried as he flicked out his hand. "Who do you think you are, knocking into me like that?"</p><p>"The person who's gonna stop you, that's what!" Chihiro cried as she brandished her sword and charged in.</p><p>With one slash of her sword, a bright flare of cyan energy burst out in a wave and shot right for Kaos. Kaos summoned a bright red sword, and shielded the blow with the blunt side of its blade! Cyan sparkles exploded from the burst, but dispersed as Kaos zipped right for Chihiro and swung his own blade in turn—a blow she met as it came with her own sword. Her blade was thinner, and only barely kept the sword from recoiling forward and slashing her head open, but it held it well enough. She pushed Kaos's blade back aside with a single swing.</p><p>Kaos struck next, pulling his whole weight into one swing as he aimed for her neck. Chihiro summoned a second sword and shouldered it off! One swing of the sword pair and the blade flew back again, and went only inches from Kaos's face before he swung it right for Chihiro. She leaped back and held up her swords, but instead of aiming for her, the blade swung right through her swords, slicing them in half! The swords exploded into sparkles and Kaos cackled in her face.</p><p>"Well, well, seems like you've gotten rusty, portal-poster!" Kaos sneered as he held his sword over his shoulder. "As to be expected of a measly apprentice, of course~"</p><p>Chihiro clenched her teeth, jumped back and snapped her fingers behind her back. A surge of power rushed through her again, one like a kind of overwhelming excitement that left her head spinning for moments before it left. As the adrenaline faded, Chihiro smirked at the sight of a single, cyan glow that brushed against the back of Kaos's shoulders.</p><p>"I don't know, I think even an apprentice could see that sword right behind you!" Chihiro cried.</p><p>Kaos grunted, turned around and a large cyan sword swung for him! It shot him with a blast that knocked him down into the skies. Kaos's blade slipped from his hands, and exploded as he plummeted downwards, screaming the whole time. Spyro charged into his back and knocked him back into the skies!</p><p>Kaos steadied himself, rolled in midair before he shook it off, and shot blasts of magic down at Spyro. Spyro flicked his wings, and shot out shields of shiny metal that captured the blasts! As both the magic and the shields exploded, Spyro yanked out his jaw and spat out a bright, burning hot fireball! The fireball shot at Kaos, but Kaos retaliated with a blast of blue fire, splitting the fireball for a moment.</p><p>The white flames of Spyro's fire crawled over the blue fire of Kaos's own fireball as it stretched and straining from the impact. The jaws of Spyro's fireball snapped over the halves of Kaos's own! Its body turned a pale blue for moments, and then back to white as it expanded in size and slammed right into Kaos! A faint screech echoed from within the fires as they burned, extinguished and dropped Kaos down into the depths!</p><p>Kaos shrieked and patted away the hot white embers that clung to his tattered clothing. A stream of water burst from the side and knocked him to the ground! Kaos grunted as he slammed into the marble floors, and cracked them slightly on first impact before he slid across the floor. The water poured out from his dampened clothes, and he snarled as Gill Grunt strode and loomed over him.</p><p>Kaos twisted up, reached out for Gill Grunt—but Gill Grunt swept away, and Stealth Elf leaped out in his place with blades bared!</p><p>Kaos gasped and rolled away as Stealth Elf came down, but a golden blast smashed into his back and knocked him right into her grip anyways! Her blades slashed against his face, leaving nasty, bloody wounds like lengthy scratches across it. Kaos cried out as he covered his face! He finally slouched over and panted; his hands covered his face as he trembled, but he made not a move otherwise!</p><p>"Quick, he's down!" Chihiro cried as she shot out her hands. "Take him in!"</p><p>Spyro swept down from the skies, and surrounded Kaos right as the rest of Chihiro's group crowded around him.</p><p>Chihiro gulped. The magic screeched as it consolidated in her hands, numbing them with raw magic power. Her heart trembled a little at the sight of Kaos reeling before her, but Chihiro steadied herself and threw out her hands. Just one spell to knock him out! Just one spell and this whole mission would be done!</p><p>The beam of magic came out in a massive, flaring burst, like a burning laser so powerful it knocked Chihiro herself back a bit! She reeled up right as it came just inches from Kaos himself—and then, disappeared as a powerful gust blew into the room like the winds of a tornado!</p><p>The gust knocked Chihiro down on the floor, the others across the battlefield, and Kaos on his back, just inches away from where she laid! His hands peeled from his bloody face, and revealed eyes screwed shut as he moaned in pain.</p><p>Chihiro grunted as she yanked his wrist. "I'm not letting you get away, Kaos!" Chihiro cried as she squeezed his wrist tight, so tight that not even the raging winds that lashed down above her could break the grip. "I'm not making the same mistake again!"</p><p>Kaos didn't retort, not even to make a witty remark or break free. He just laid limp in her grip. Chihiro grunted, and the wind relented enough that she lifted him up and squeezed him tighter. His body was nothing more than a feather's weight in her grip, but another gust blew down and tossed her off balance as she did.</p><p>Her head flung itself up as she stumbled back, and there before her, hovered right behind the rims of the battlefield, was that Conquertron! Its polished red and gold metal shone in the burning light, and its figure was so big that its chest only barely poked out over the island. Its eyes flashed a bit brighter as all eyes turned on it, and its mouth slowly drew open as white smoke poured out! It almost seemed like it was going to attack for a moment, but as the smoke cleared, what came out of its mouth wasn't a rocket, or a cannon, or anything like that. No, it was a speaker!</p><p>"Emperor-King Arkilles!" cried some robotic-sounding voice from the speaker. "The preparations for the vault trip have been completed! Your presence is requested immediately!"</p><p>The arm in Chihiro's grip regained its weight and knocked her back! The blow came quickly enough that Chihiro released it before she could even comprehend that Kaos's body jerked out of her grip, and flung itself forward. It wasn't until a low, smooth voice echoed out from it that Chihiro realized Kaos stood in front of her, his consciousness fully regained despite his injuries.</p><p>No, that laughter wasn't Kaos's. That deep voice, it was Arkilles all the way!</p><p>"Perfect timing, minion!" Arkilles cried.</p><p>Chihiro blinked just one tiny blink, and the next thing she knew, hot red light lashed against her and knocked her back on the ground! The light faded as she hit the ground, and Kaos or Arkilles was gone. Only the faintest trail of magic laid, the only sign that he was on the battlefield. A faint red light trailed into the Conquertron, and then, that same mocking, snide, deep laughter bellowed over the Conquertron's speakers. It poisoned Chihiro's ears and the rest of her body with its smug, proud, <em>distant </em>laughter.</p><p>"Anyways, I have a date with the Secret Vault of Secrets," Arkilles proclaimed, "and I'm afraid none of you are invited! So sorry to say" — Arkilles chuckled a bit more — "but, I do have a little parting gift for you!"</p><p>Arkilles cleared his throat for a moment, and the loudspeaker crackled. It shot out a wave of feedback so loud that it forced everyone around to cover their ears.</p><p>"BRUTE! Take care of these pests for me, will you?"</p><p>"Alright, Lord Kaos!" shouted another voice over the loudspeaker.</p><p>"I TOLD YOU TO QUIT CALLING ME THAT!"</p><p>A glimmer of red light formed on the battlefield, and out from it came a tall jawbreaker. He had emerald green skin, blank eyes, a jaw full of jutting teeth, and he dressed from head to toe in fancy leather armor. He smirked as he came up and pounded his knuckles together.</p><p>But, Chihiro couldn't worry about that right now! She grunted, pushed herself up, and narrowed her eyes as she smacked her feet into the ground. The magic flooded into her veins, and she moved to the skies next, shooting right for the open mouth of the Conquertron. If she just slid right into there, she could yank him out and get him! The Conquertron came closer into view as it slowly closed its mouth, and Chihiro leaned in.</p><p>She sped forward so fast that the world around blurred—and then, stopped.</p><p>Something hard and solid smacked right into Chihiro's head. The pain it left behind was so strong and numbing that Chihiro fell out of the skies like a dead fly. She only barely made out Arkilles in her concussion.</p><p>He laughed his head off as he stood on the other end of a sparkling red dome that completely enveloped the battlefield, then he, he… No, he turned away! That Conquertron turned away, surely to fly off and escape, just when Chihiro finally had the opportunity to take Kaos in!</p><p>But, there was nothing she could do about it. The wind pushed down on her as she collapsed, and the most she could do was teleport down to the floor. The cold marble struck her back, and she groaned. She laid on her side as the Conquertron flew up, further and further away from the red tint of the shielded dome.</p><p>It flew off, and it took her chance to catch Kaos with it.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>"There's no way you're stopping Lord Kaos, not on my watch!" Brute cried as he staggered up and wiped himself off. The smoke curled around his limbs, and accented his muscles as he pounded his fists together. "As long as I stand, I'll fight so that Lord Kaos can reclaim his empire! He'll finally have the rightful kingdom he deserves" — Brute chuckled and twiddled his fingers together — "and then, he can take me fishing, just like he promised!"</p><p><em>Talk about skewed priorities, </em>Chihiro thought as she grunted and pushed herself from the ground. Her body still ached from the sores that robot left her as a lingering reminder of her failure, but she shook it off and snarled.</p><p>That Brute stood before her, his body glowing red. Perhaps that was the light of the shield, brimming down on him and reminding Chihiro of her failures with every moment she laid on this battlefield. The Conquertron lingered in the skies, distant, but still close enough that she could probably catch up to it with a running start!</p><p>Chihiro slapped a hand against her shoulder and closed her eyes. She focused entirely on the feeling of running as swift as the wind, taking strides as fast as a cheetah, going as fast as she could until she could reach that Conquertron! The magic popped and crackled in her blood, bursting against her skin in a way that felt like her body was about to burst. She gritted her teeth just to keep from screaming out in agony, but then, it settled. What left was a smooth, swift feeling, chilling like a soothingly cold breeze on a hot day.</p><p>A warm, scaly feeling came to her next. When Chihiro snapped her eyes open and turned down to her free hand, she found a purple paw wrapped around it. Spyro flew beside her now, and his eyes were a cool, calming violet in color as he squeezed her hand.</p><p>"We'll leave this guy to you!" Chihiro cried as she turned back to the others. "We're going after Kaos!"</p><p>Chihiro didn't even wait for a reply from the rest of her group. No, she turned around and bolted immediately, rushing across the battlefield in wide leaps and strides. Not once did her hand release from Spyro's grip; instead, she squeezed it as tight as she could. Her head craned up to the dome, and its bright red light lorded over her as it blocked her off from that Conquertron, from her target, from her chance to fix her mistakes. Her hand shook a little, but another squeeze brought her attention back down to Spyro, and steadied her heart with a single glance of his violet eyes.</p><p>"If we attack with all our power at the same time," Chihiro shouted over the winds that whipped around her as she ran, "we might be able to break a hole in that thing!"</p><p>"Worth a shot!" Spyro shouted back.</p><p>His wings flapped as they reached the edge of the ballroom floor. they sprung from the floor with one last stride, soaring well above the crowds of shouting and gasping robots and the battle below! The brimming red light of the barrier laid inches from their faces, and they both clung tight as Spyro lowered his head, bearing his horns so they'd be the first thing to make contact. With a flap of his wings, they shot towards the barrier and flung out hands and paws. Magic charging around them with such fury that they became miniature suns of raw elemental power, and with one more flap, they both smashed right into the barrier!</p><p>Chihiro's body let off some ugly cracking noise. A sharp pain shot through her hard enough that she let out a bloodthirsty wail! The pain clouded her vision, but left it just clear enough that she caught her magic burst pressed against the barrier, which stretched like rubber as they pushed tighter. Not once did the barrier thin or break! In those few moments, it just stretched back and shot them down to the floor like a catapult!</p><p>Chihiro hugged Spyro tight and turned around, and braced herself for the full impact of the marble floors as the world around her screeched. Something yanked her by the neck, pulling her away from Spyro and across the air. The movement was so sudden that it brought twice the pain, and left Chihiro gagging and gasping for air as her captor pulled her back. Before she knew it, her eyes faced Brute's bloodthirsty ones as he chuckled.</p><p>"Thought you could pull a fast one on me, didn't ya?" Brute chuckled. He tugged a bit on his jacket, and pulled it down to reveal a glimmering red core embedded directly into his chest. Its red light pulsing like a heart's beat as it burned against his skin. "Too bad! As long as I stand, that barrier stands with me!"</p><p>Brute cackled as he slammed Chihiro onto the floor, and she screamed as her head crashed into cold, hard marble! The few shards that broke off slashed into the back of her scalp, and she shuddered as she rolled on her side. She patted the back of her head to be met with something warm and wet—oh, god, she was bleeding, wasn't she? Regardless of if she was or not, her head throbbed so badly she couldn't even see!</p><p>She barely kept her eyes open enough to find Spyro by her side. His wings curled around the rest of his shaking body like a security blanket, and he groaned in pained tones Chihiro could barely make out as he tried to get up. He shook so badly that he couldn't even lay upright! It was all he could do to just lay there, just as it was for Chihiro!</p><p>The blood pounded and rushed through Chihiro's ears like a raging river, and blocked out all other noise as Brute sauntered towards her and cracked his knuckles. He raised a fist, surely ready to strike down—but before he could, a bright flash of chartreuse light burst forward, and shone so bright that it burned against Chihiro's eyes! She winced, planted her face on the floor as the light's heat brushed against her back, and only barely heard Brute scream over the rush of blood in her ears. Chihiro finally turned around and opened her eyes. Though her vision blurred, she barely made out Brute soaring across the sky before diving down below the battlefield's floor.</p><p>Then, something rough and wooden brushed underneath her and Spyro. A cool sensation rushed through her veins, and energized her like she just woke up and was ready to face the day! The haze in her head cleared enough that she could see and hear properly once more, and the first thing she found herself looking at was Tree Rex! He smiled as he carefully cradled her and Spyro in his palm while its grooves glowed with green light.</p><p>"Are you two alright?" he asked.</p><p>"We are now," Spyro said as he stood up and flicked his wings.</p><p>Tree Rex nodded sagely. His smile disappeared as he glanced first over the ballroom, next up to the barrier. Its once bright, imposing red glow faded to a lighter color, it thinned enough that the sky broke through in some places—and then, it flickered! It faded in and out, the red lighting it once imposed on the battlefield relenting in warm afternoon hues. A bright flash came, and it solidified into a burning crimson once more!</p><p>A few small gasps came from down below as the red light washed over them, but the largest of them all came from Chihiro. She blinked as she glanced first to the barrier that stood strong over the arena once more, and then to the empty space over the ballroom where Brute fell. She stilled her gaze, leaped out of Tree Rex's palm, and floated over to the edge of the battlefield.</p><p>"Brute's gone, right?" Chihiro asked. She gazed down into the massive fall below and the pool of water it ended in, which were tinted red by the barrier's light. "So why hasn't the barrier gone done?"</p><p>A soft, barely-heard plink or two came from the pool as its water rippled just so slightly that it could hardly be seen. The ripples grew as the plinks continued, and garbled noise like a babbling brooks came from the waters, shaking the pool even further. It shuddered and lashed against the stone walls it sat in. The noise grew louder, clearer, rising with the waters as they gushed up.</p><p>No, the waters themselves didn't rise on their own! In fact, it was more like something came out of them! The babbling noise cleared into laughter as the pillar of water sank back into the depths. A figure rose from its waves, and cackled as two spell punks clad in gold and green robes strained and lifted him out!</p><p>"You can't get rid of me that easily!" Brute cried as the spell punks heaved him up before Chihiro.</p><p>Chihiro gasped, summoned a sword, and hopped back as the spell punks dropped Brute before her.</p><p>His eyes shone with a new kind of venom, a red pulse not unlike the looming lights of the barrier. The power core flashed beneath his armor, and that red glow quickly spread to the rest of his body as he cracked his knuckles. A sneer crossed his face and he released his knuckles. The glow glazed over his muscles; it highlighted them, and accented his high-held, imposing stature as he crossed the battlefield.</p><p>"I swore on my life that I'd make sure Lord Kaos got his empire back and we'd get our fishing trip!" Brute proclaimed as he drew his hands into fists. "If I let you beat me that easily, I'd be disgracing his good name!"</p><p>Brute pounded his fists together, and the pool shuddered, shaking the arena along with it! The tiles below his feet rattled, yet Brute didn't move an inch from his spot as water splashed and tiles rushed up from the bottom of the arena. The tiles fused themselves to the existing battlefield and formed a proper floor. Brute pounded his fists together once more, this time doing so with such force that it punched the air with a sound wave!</p><p>The force knocked Chihiro on her back. She grunted as she forced open her stinging eyes, and found that Brute's red glow faded. The spell punks who lifted him up now surrounded him, and circled around him as their bodies glowed with a green light!</p><p>It pressed against the red glow that came from Brute before the green ate the red whole. Its light was so bright that it highlighted the dull greens of Brute's own skin before it engulfed him completely in its grip! An agonizing, ear-bleeding scream came next, leaving the barrier shaking and the crowds of Arkeyan soldiers in the stands covering their ears.</p><p>Brute's body warped underneath the blanket of green light that smothered him. His limbs stretched and thinned as his body lurched over. He rose taller, growing like a tree until he stood only a few feet away from the barrier itself. His limbs twisted together like vines while beams of light spread over the cold marble of the battlefield. His hat slipped away, carried off by the winds as the light from Brute faded, and unveiled him at last…</p><p>Well, if that could even be called Brute, anymore.</p><p>His skin turned to some kind of vine-like substance, and his arms and legs became masses of vines that flooded the battlefield below! The armor over his arms and legs fused into his skin as tall, firm thorns, but the rest broke off—or maybe it merged completely into his body too, as the large brown patches that covered his chest. Long, thorny branches like fangs jutted from his massive open jaws. His eyes glowed with that same green glow that transmogrified him for only moments before he let out another mighty, bellowing roar!</p><p>The force of his voice was so great that it shot the spell punks who enchanted him right into the stands, but it lasted for only a moment before he groaned and slowly lifted his arm. Its massive weight cast a shadow over the battlefield as it crashed down with such force that the tiles around cracked! The marble shards from the battlefield leaped up and slashed against his arm, yet they left no marks against its tough hide. Instead, they collapsed down to the broken floor, but as Brute pounded again, the tiles they called home rumbled and collapsed!</p><p>The tiles fell in a zig-zag pattern as they short forward, fell down to the water, and splashed into the depths in droves as the waters came right for Chihiro!</p><p>She gasped, leaping up and preparing to fly off. Right as she jumped into the air, the familiar feeling of rough wood hit her back! Tree Rex swept her into his hands before she even realized. She blinked as he leaped up and landed on the middle part of the ballroom, the sole part that hadn't completely collapsed underneath the weight of Brute's strike.</p><p>She turned to her side as groaning came from it, and smiled when she found Spyro and Gill Grunt beside her. The sharp sounds of a screeching wheel came to her next as Bouncer and Hot Head wheeled up next, followed by another sharp pound as Crusher slammed the top of his hammer into the ground and leaped across on it like a pole vault!</p><p>Hot Head shifted back to normal and grimaced. "That's one big weed!" Hot Head remarked as he lifted his gaze up to Brute.</p><p>Hot Head was right. Even the Elder Elementals were hardly a speck compared to Brute! Someone of that size would take an eternity to pass! Just the sight of him left Chihiro's heart bubbling with rage. Arkilles probably set this all up so he could make an easy getaway! She gritted her teeth, about ready to erupt, but a soft laugh from Tree Rex above cooled her rage.</p><p>"Why are you laughing? There's no way we'll beat that guy before Arkilles makes his getaway!" Chihiro cried.</p><p>Hearing this, Tree Rex gave Chihiro a warm, kindly smile. "He's a pretty big guy, true," Tree Rex remarked, and his smile grew as he glanced towards Bouncer, Crusher and Hot Head. "But, we're—URK!"</p><p>A thick vine slapped around Tree Rex and squeezed him tight, so tight that Chihiro slipped out of his grip! Tree Rex's eyes bulged out of his wooden skull as the vines leaped up and squeezed him tighter.</p><p>Chihiro reached out to cast a spell and free him. Her hand stretched out, but another vine latched around it and squeezed! The pain was sharp and numbing; it joined with a second surge as another vine latched onto her free hands. A third vine squeezed her waist and yanked her from the floor!</p><p>Chihiro's body strained as the vines flew off, and they dangled her above the pits of water before. She couldn't cast a spell or fight her way out. Their grip was tight and constricting, and squeezed her so that her body might've popped in half if it continued any longer! Her eyes blurred, but she forced them open nonetheless and glared back at Brute.</p><p>Brute flung his head back, and cried as his eyes glowed in a toxic shade of green!</p><p>The water splashed and roared below Chihiro as the pools below turned green, and an entire forest of vines shot up from their depths! They were giant snakes that emerged from the leaves and struck for their prey. They lashed out for the others, and yanked them off one by one, slapping weapons out of hands and flinging them like rag doll. The vines themselves teetered across the pools and the battlefield!</p><p>The vines that squeezed Chihiro tightened, and she shouted out as hot, shocking pain raced through her body. It shot in bolts, coursed like lighting as her face ached in one spot and numbed in the other. The rest of her body grew so numb she wasn't even sure it was there anymore. The pain clouded her vision, and she struggled to keep sense of the world around her as it numbed her brain.</p><p>A few sparks of light, one red and another orange, caught her eyes, and she turned her attention to the side, where someone just… Slipped from the vines? Wait, those glows that slipped—they had to be 'Enehana and Vatra! The two of them held out their hands, and flares of fire and light came from their blurry bodies as they shot at the vines! The blasts bounced off and vanished soon after, disappearing without a remnant left. Still, 'Enehana and Vatra didn't relent. They shot again and again, their blasts bashing and lashing against the vines' bodies.</p><p>Finally, one vine thinned before it unwrapped, and it sank back down into the ground! A few more vines joined the first one, and a figure with a brown spark glistening from their body leaped out. They clapped their hands so strongly, so firmly that it rang in Chihiro's ears!</p><p>A sharp <em>shing</em> came next, and the pain surging through Chihiro's body relented a little. It was just enough that her vision cleared, and the rest of her body felt like it was attached to her head again. Something like a tingling feeling lingered in her wrists while something cool and solid came underneath her.</p><p>She glanced down to find that the vines which one held her unwound! Instead of the vines, she stood above the pools below on a large, shiny brown crystal that skewered right through the largest of those vines. Chihiro smiled for a moment, gasped and jumped away as the vines twitched and glowed green—but instead of reaching for her, they shot out and repaired their own wounds as they flew towards the battlefield!</p><p>The vines latched around the battlefield as they wove themselves into a tight bridge that covered out the gaps in the floor. their glow faded and they swayed just slightly. Tree Rex dropped onto them as a green glow faded from his own eyes, but the vines didn't even flinch. They stood tall as he made his way to the battlefield, as did the others!</p><p>Chihiro teleported onto the battlefield as they filtered in, but the moment her legs hit solid ground, they completely gave out and she fell to her knees! Her body ached with tingling, stinging pains, and her chest ached with a heavy pain, as if a weight dropped right onto her shoulders. Guess those vines took more out of her than she thought, so she sparked up her hand with a little bit of healing magic and massaged her shoulder with it.</p><p>The sounds of the others plopping, panting, and resting echoed around her, but she smiled and sighed. The healing magic flooded into her body and worked its, well, magic! The aches faded away, and her body swelled with strength and magic in its place, enough that she jumped to her feet and stomped on the battleground!</p><p>Cyan magic lit the ballroom floor. Its tiles glowed like the dance floor it was as the light engulfed everyone around her. When the light faded, they all jumped back to their feet! They all mumbled in awe and flexed a little, just to test the spell—but didn't stick for long.</p><p>Another mighty roar came from Brute and nearly blew them into the walls! Feet just barely stuck to the battlefield as everyone held their own against the blow. They all glanced up to find Brute listlessly swaying from side to side.</p><p>Some kind of glowing green drool seeped from his jaws, and burned against his skin before he roared again! That glowing green spittle splattered across the battlefield, and steamed for a moment before it evaporated under the harsh red light of the barrier. It left behind large, white onion bulbs with withered sprouts poking from the gaps in their tattered skin.</p><p>The bulbs shuddered and rocked back and forth for moments. With one last swing, they pushed themselves upright and shuddered as withered tendrils burst from their ends. The tendrils formed a functional pair of legs while their side sprouts twisted into something like arms! Their faded skin peeled away to unveil fanged mouths and round eyes carved into their bodies, their eyes glowed green, and they yowled as they charged forward! An awful fume burst from their spouts as they ran, and they lowered their tops as they shot off burning, fuming bundles of spores!</p><p>Spyro winced and ducked as once came straight for him. As it flew over his back, his eyes turned cobalt and he dove into the few burgundy shadows that coated the arena. His body disappeared into their dark sanctuary as the last of the spore blasts passed him by. His shadowy form streaked against the ground, and lifted up slightly as he came in for the charging onion monsters! The sudden, speedy dash threw them off-pace and spun then in dizzying circles. Spyro leaped out, and flicked the shadows off his wings as they spun and squealed before him.</p><p>"Stealth Elf, now!" Spyro cried as he lifted his head.</p><p>Stealth Elf nodded, flipped out of the group, and towards the onion monsters with such speed and grace that she was barely seen! With one last flip, she landed right in the heart of the group, and sent out a burst of green spores that engulfed the onion monsters! Only their pained shrieks and the sound of slashing blades echoed from the clouds as slices of the wind cut the mist away. It left behind the chopped corpses of the onion monsters as the spores disappeared.</p><p>Their slashed halves slid off of their bodies and spilled along the floor as Stealth Elf emerged. She flicked the onion juice from her daggers, turned around, and kicked back another, barely-together onion warrior before it could launch itself at her.</p><p>She scoffed as the onion warrior slid into slices behind her, but as she turned around and ran back to the group, a mighty roar sounded from above! She immediately jumped back and brandished her blades, ready to slice—but ducked as a gigantic onion monster leaped right above her!</p><p>It crashed on the ground ahead of her with such force that the whole ground shuddered, and it gnashed its teeth as its eyes fell on Tree Rex. The onion monster fell to all fours like some kind of rabid beast and bounded forward. Its eyes grew wider as it leaped in the air and right over Tree Rex. It jumped in for its landing, but a thick orange laser sliced right through its center!</p><p>The laser cut a perfect hole in the rest of its body, and knocked its face back onto the ground in the process. The two broken parts landed by Tree Rex's feet, and wilted away as he nudged them aside. Even their rotten remains faded and withered away until they were nothing more than specks of grime on the marble floors.</p><p>Tree Rex grimaced as he stepped up. Brute roared again in the distance, and the normally-red lights that tinted the battlefield turned a sickening green as a bright shower of green light rained down from above! Tree Rex held a hand over his eyes and gasped. He slammed his fist against the floor as green vines burst from the battlefield!</p><p>The vines wrapped above his whole group, and intertwined until they formed a tight vine barrier that blocked out the light. The sounds of splattering gunk and the screeches of those onion minions roared outside the barrier's safety.</p><p>Tree Rex squeezed his eyes shut, and snarled as he stretched his fingers out the furthest they could. Their tips glowed green, and bolts of life magic shot out in five directions before they slammed into the barrier's base. With the spell taken in, the barrier shuddered, and grew larger, thicker as another wave of sizzling acid splattered against its outside. A third wave splashed next, and the sounds of growling outside grew as something rammed into the barrier of vines with enough force that it split open!</p><p>The light of the battlefield poured over as Tree Rex opened his eyes, snarled, and zapped off a few of the onion minions with some well-timed solar charges. Even as they flew off and fell into the waters below, Tree Rex didn't smile or rest easy—for he, no, all of them, were completely surrounded!</p><p>While he took shelter, the onion minions coated the entire floor around his group. Their beady eyes pierced into souls while onion juice leaked from their gaping mouths. Tree Rex stepped back and winced as a sea of endless white, cloven bodies faced him, but quickly retracted his foot as its back brushed up against 'Enehana.</p><p>"There's no way we'll take all these guys out in time to catch up!" Chihiro cried as she rushed up behind him. She winced and summoned a sword. "We'll have to get straight to Brute and take him down…"</p><p>Another growl came from behind her and Chihiro slashed it away! That stinging substance that came whenever people cut onions floated forward, and stung her eyes with tears. She quickly wiped it away, slashed a few more, and kicked them off so they would sting her eyes no more. While the onion monsters bounced away, Chihiro winced and turned back to the tightly-packed armies of their buddies that crowded the battlefield.</p><p>"But, how are we supposed to get past all these guys?"</p><p>"Just leave that part to me," 'Enehana said as they walked up beside Chihiro.</p><p>With a few shimmies of their shoulders, they slid their backpack off, flipped it open, and dove inside as they rummaged through whatever was stuck in there. Chihiro could barely make out its contents between the awful sounds of clashing and grinding metal, and it's not like she got a chance. Just as quickly as Enehana took it off, they fished out something small and round and closed it up.</p><p>'Enehana slipped their backpack back on with a grin as they eyed the object in question. Chihiro leaned over their shoulder and raised a brow, for that tiny little marble that now rested in their hand, barely big enough to sit even in the creases of their glove, didn't exactly <em>seem </em>impressive to her. Just then, they stepped forward and slammed it against the ground!</p><p>A bright orange flash of light came, one so bright that it warded off the onion monsters. The sounds of something metallic unfolding and spreading out churned! The light faded to a glisten, the vague shape of an airship came into view, and the light faded to unveil just that! The ship comprised of shiny, clean metal, and looked sturdy and big enough that it could probably carry them all! Wait, why would they have an airship of all things in there?</p><p>"I always come prepared for anything," 'Enehana said, seemingly reading Chihiro's mind.</p><p>They flung themself onto the ship's side, and then on the deck with another flip before they bolted towards the ship's wheel. With a single spin, the engine puffed and creaked. It yowled so loudly that the onion monsters around screeched and backed away; some onion monsters didn't even bother to watch their footing, and fell into the pools! The ship hovered above the ground just slightly. White smoke puffed from its exhaust pipes as its propellers churned with all they had.</p><p>"Now get on!"</p><p>A squeal came from behind Chihiro, and she kicked away an onion monster before she teleported right onto the airship!</p><p>A few rumbles came as Hot Head, Tree Rex, Bouncer, and Crusher all hopped on themselves. The others all stormed forward, taking short moments to blast away the onion monsters before climbing on! The ship tilted a bit with the added weight, but still stood tall as it hovered a bit taller. With a lever pull from 'Enehana, the engines burned faster and the airship zoomed right into the heart of the fray!</p><p>The onion monsters squealed as the airship charged into them, knocking them across the sides and tearing gashes into their bodies. That eye-burning stuff reeked off of their exposed bodies as onion juice bled from the wide gaps and gashes left behind. Even more of the stuff streaked the side of the airship before it streaked off, and rained down on the ground as the airship flew forward!</p><p>The airship climbed across the skies. Its nose pointed right towards Brute as it shuddered and unloaded a few cannons! The cannons shook like they were going to fire, but another, more powerful quake came!</p><p>The battlefield split apart and erupted an entire forest of thick, strong vines burst out! They lashed and slapped against the side of the airship, patting it in some kind of pursuit of something to latch onto. With another push, the airship broke free of their grip and shot towards Brute once more! The vines shot off in turn. They lashed and slapped against the airship's hull as it flew just inches out of their reach.</p><p>'Enehana clenched their teeth and the steering wheel as the sounds of lashing, whipping vines grew louder. A screeching metal noise ripped through the air next, and drew away their attention in time for them to catch a vine ripping off part of the hull's casing. They blasted it away with a scowl and turned towards the controls. Their mechanical fingers twitched as they flicked every switch, pressed every button, moved every slider they could…</p><p>But the airship itself still ran at about the same speed as it did before, and the vines came in fast!</p><p>Another sharp lash came from the back, and both 'Enehana and Vaayu winced as they glanced at the vine that gripped onto the airship's rear! With a wiggle of the airship, the vine loosened its grip and slunk back. Its engine clunked and shuddered as it sped off once more! Its altitude fell slightly, and the vines leaped in—but before they struck, a gust of wind burst underneath the airship and tossed it high in the sky!</p><p>'Enehana gasped and released the wheel in their slight moment of shock. A soft, sky blue light dusted their face, and they turned around with a smile as Vaayu leaned down and smiled back. They shared a nod, and 'Enehana turned their attention to the wheel once more. They dutifully steered the airship so that it lingered above where Brute swayed listlessly from side to side.</p><p>A few small, glowing green satellites rotated around Brute, and 'Enehana raised a brow at them before pressing a button. A telescope emerged from the hood of the airship, and 'Enehana peered through it before they hummed and turned to the others.</p><p>"Everyone, come here!" 'Enehana called as they beckoned for the rest of the group. While the others circled around them, 'Enehana pushed the telescope's lens towards Chihiro and Spyro and urged them to take a peek. "I think I found out what gave him such a boost!"</p><p>Taking 'Enehana's urge, Chihiro peered through the lens, frowned and clenched her brows. Those glowing green satellites grew clearer, revealing that they were those spell punks from before! Their bodies glowed with the brightest green hues they held as they lifted their arms and danced around. Undoubtedly, they probably cast life spells on him!</p><p>Spyro brushed up beside Chihiro, peered through the telescope, nodded and drew back.</p><p>"If we can take out the spell punks, he'll definitely take a big hit!" Spyro proclaimed. He turned to Chihiro with that smug, slightly mischievous grin, the one she knew the meaning of all too well. "Ready to fire things up, Chi?"</p><p>Chihiro smiled and summoned a magic sphere. "You know I am!"</p><p>The two of them grunted as they split, leaping off the side of the airship and zooming off towards Brute in a flash!</p><p>Chihiro zipped in from the left side. She moved so fast that the world around her blurred, and she almost passed out—but, she shook off the dizziness. She flew right behind one of the spell punks, and slammed it in the back with her magic sphere!</p><p>The spell punk didn't even get enough time to react. One moment it cast its spells, next thing it knew, it hurtled down to the floor, careening towards the vines. One vine leaped up and snatched the spell punk. The spell punk cried out and tried to wiggle its way free, yet the vine flailed it around like it was nothing more than a toy! A burst of warm red light came from above, and a second spell punk with ember-coated robes joined the first.</p><p>The second spell punk screamed, fell in the vine pits, and screamed some more as another vine latched onto it and shook it around! The two spell punks' cries grew shriller as the vines squeezed tighter, and then…</p><p>"That's it, we're outta here!" they both cried as they disappeared in puffs of green smoke.</p><p>As they disappeared, the glow surrounding Brute faded slightly. His skin grew duller and his muscles weaker! Though it was barely noticeably, it stunned him enough that he lurched forward. He let out confused grunts and groans as he tilted his head around. His head finally lowered down to the ground as his vines started to cease, revealing the unconscious, shrinking bodies of his onion minions. Brute gently brushed the vines with his finger as he grunted some more.</p><p>Chihiro smiled and teleported back onto the airship with a flash! Spyro reappeared beside her once more, the lingering red in his eyes fading for their usual gold. They both nodded as they turned to 'Enehana.</p><p>"Now's your shot!" she and Spyro cried as one.</p><p>'Enehana nodded, pulled down a lever, and gripped the steering wheel tight as the engines revved.</p><p>"FULL SPEED AHEAD!"</p><p>The airship screeched with fury as it shot towards Brute, cannons unloading from it the moment it moved! It skidded to a stop just inches from him. Brute turned and let out a curious grunt as he tilted his eyes, eyes transfixing on the charging cannons. Their screech rang in the air as their light flooded further. Its golden orange glow reflected in Brute's eyes as he stared with slack-jawed, almost absentminded curiosity…</p><p>But then, he growled and slammed his hand down over the airship, casting a shadow over its top! The airship slid away as Brute swatted at it.</p><p>'Enehana winced as they steered the ship up just before another swat could toss them through the air! They moved in a third time, and Brute swung forward as he yanked his jaws open and crashed towards them. The airship once again zipped off just before he could make its metal his next snack. Not that Brute cared—he just lifted his head and growled as he bared his fangs.</p><p>"It's no use! I can't get in close!" 'Enehana cried as they dodged another firm swat. "He's too aggressive!"</p><p>Chihiro hummed, and then grinned as she held out a hand. "Well, if a close-ranged attack is out of the question," she said as she summoned a magic sphere and squeezed it like a rubber ball. "We'll just go for a ranged approach!"</p><p>"Right ahead of you!" Spyro cried from behind Chihiro.</p><p>Both he and Vatra stepped out from the back crowds on the airship, and Vatra turned to Hot Head with a smile.</p><p>"Hot Head, get on top of the ship and coat him in as much oil as you can," Vatra said. He cracked his knuckles, and his veins heated up with bright, warm light. "We'll take care of the rest!"</p><p>Hot Head nodded, leaned over and gripped the top of the airship. He climbed up to its roof, his presence indicated by the thunking noises that rang dully from the metal. The sounds of splattering came next, and Chihiro's attention turned from the roof, to Brute as sleek, black oil washed over him while he wailed and flailed!</p><p>The stuff coated Brute's body like rain, drenching his arms and his chest in its sticky black ooze and trailing down over his body. Flames joined it next, and lit the world around in bright, warm hues as they hit the oil and exploded! Brute was barely visible under the initial explosion, but the flames relented quickly to reveal his charred body as he leaned over and hacked. Those initial fires quickly quelled, reducing to just thin streaks of flames that ran along the thinning streaks of oil.</p><p>"Looks like they'll need a little boost!" Chihiro cried as she cracked her knuckles.</p><p>She leaped off the side of the airship, this time floating at a distance from Brute. Chihiro rubbed her hands together; they grew tingly and bright blue as her magic flooded to her hands, centering in her palms and fingertips and leaving them with an extra-numb feeling. She shot them out and tossed bolts of thunder right at Brute!</p><p>The bolts slammed him square in the arms and chest, and the spark they provided was enough that the flames ignited with fury once more!</p><p>Brute's wails rang thin, as if he could barely make them out. Still, he screeched the highest he could as the electrical fires burned away at his skin! Parts of green flesh burned and charred as the flames started to dim, and a flash of steaming hot water jumped out as it splashed over the flames—but they didn't extinguish! No, instead, their electrical base crackled and the flames ignited brighter and hotter than they were before. Brute wailed as the flames stretched forward, tickling his neck and chin and crawling up his arms. The flames billowed their highest and exploded, slamming Brute in the face with a hot burst of fire!</p><p>Brute screamed and leaned back. He collapsed over the stands, and completely crushed them under his gargantuan girth as he laid beaten and bruised. He groaned, and raised his jaws like he was about to screech once more. They only laid wide-open and soundless as his head stretched back. That toxic green saliva trailed from his chin as he choked out a few gasps and groans.</p><p>"He's down!" Chihiro cried as she floated down in front of him.</p><p>The airship lowered down to meet Brute's chest. Crusher and Jorden shuffled forward from its ranks, their bodies glowing brown.</p><p>"'N just to make sure that guy stays down," Jorden shouted as he summoned his pickax and set off a few swings. "Let's rock him up!"</p><p>Sharp, thin shards of brown energy darted through the air, and joined with larger blasts as they slammed into Brute's wrists and waist! They swirled around him like thick, choking clouds, but soon, their form grew sharp and spiky as they crystallized into gigantic, shiny, and most of all firm crystals! The crystals hugged Brute tight, pinning him to the stands.</p><p>Brute couldn't even protest. He was so beaten that the most he could do was wince and groan in pain!</p><p>Chihiro chuckled and flicked out her wrist. The sparks of magical lightning that curled around her fingertips shifted, transforming into the shape of a blade. The blade widened and formed into a gigantic cleaver as she gripped its handle. Heaving it above her shoulder, Chihiro turned back to the others and beamed.</p><p>"Now let's finish this guy off!" Chihiro shouted as she shot out a thumbs up. "Everyone, hit 'im with your best shot!"</p><p>Chihiro turned back to Brute and grunted as she slashed her blade, shooting him with bursts of raw energy that hurtled straight for his chest. As they flew, the bursts joined with lasers and flames, large harpoons and gigantic bullets, sharp crystals and more, but they all fused as one as they slammed into Brute's chest! The blow knocked him further into the stands. His wails of agony continued as the combined attack burst into an array of colors, and the sheer agony of the screams shook even the barrier as the light drowned him out!</p><p>The bright, haunting lights eclipsed his form, but below him, the vines and the onion monsters all jolted up. They withered away till they were no more than dust and grime! Their remnants flew off in the wind as the light faded, and then none other than Brute—the normal Brute, not that horrendous monster—collapsed on the broken battlefield!</p><p>"Lord… Kaos…" Brute groaned as he laid beaten on the floor, "I, I, I failed you… I'll never be worthy of that fishing trip…"</p><p>Brute's head slunk down and laid sideways on the floor as some kind of glowing, toxic substance drooled out of his mouth. His hands twitched not, his eyes stayed blank for longer.</p><p>Chihiro sighed and shook her head as she walked over to him, She gently kicked his arm for good measure. Despite the swift blow, Brute didn't wail in pain or react!</p><p>"Guess the dude really is out," Chihiro remarked before she lifted her head towards the arena and winced. "Does that mean the barrier…"</p><p>A flickering sound like electricity shorting out echoed over the area as the red light of before faded in and out. With a sharp crackle, the red light faded entirely! All that remained was the comforting blues of the afternoon sky with its puffy white clouds.</p><p>The sounds that came afterwards weren't that of birdsong or anything normal. No, what came next was a collective, outraged roar!</p><p>The ground rumbled, and Chihiro grimaced as she turned back to the stands. The Arkeyan soldiers that once rested there and cheered went rabid! Their eyes glowing crimson as they all piled out of the stands in floods, and they screeched cries of war as they grabbed their weapons. They poured over the ballroom in such tightly-packed ranks that they choked out everything else in a sea of red and gold, and their weapons glinted in the light as they raced forward.</p><p>"ATTACK THE INTRUDERS!" cried the army that headed the front as they brandished their spears and swords, guns and cannons towards Chihiro. "MAKE SURE THEY DO NOT REACH OUR EMPEROR-KING!"</p><p>Chihiro gasped, slipped out of the way as one soldier nearly took her head off with its sword, and blasted off its head. She leaped back as two more swung for her! The sounds of clunking metal resounded around her as even more of those soldiers surrounded her, and she gulped as she teleported over to the clearer parts of the battlefield. She found herself backed against the soft moss of Tree Rex's leg as the robots shuffled around and turned on her group once more, and swept away as she peered across the battlefield. At the other end, even more Arkeyan soldiers poured in and blocked off the entrance.</p><p>"We're surrounded!" Tree Rex cried, echoing Chihiro's thoughts. He raised his solar cannon, clicked it, and a scowl formed on his face. "Everyone, prepare to fight!"</p><p>Chihiro raised up her hands, and a consolidation of sparkling cyan magic formed between her palms. She needed something big and solid, something that could wipe out entire waves of these guys—but what? A giant sword? A wrecking ball-sized flail? Chihiro's thoughts drifted away to the mental image of Wrecking Ball attached to a flail, and how he squealed with glee as he ate up the enemies with every swing. She giggled for a moment, but a sharp swing pulled her out of her thoughts, and she jumped away as a halberd-wielding robot swung for her!</p><p>The magic dissipated, and she snarled as she readied a blast while the robot swung once more.</p><p>Just then, something shot right through its head and blew it clean off! Its arms fell limp as its body toppled over, and its halberd fell to Chihiro's feet! Chihiro lifted her head as the sound of cannons firing shot in the air, and turned around as even more of the oncoming Arkeyan soldiers fell limp.</p><p>"Wait, a cannon! That would be perfect!" Chihiro cried. She beamed and pounded a fist against her palm, but her smile quickly faded. "Wait, where did that come from?"</p><p>"HEY-OOOOOOOOO!"</p><p>A round shadow cast over her, and in Chihiro's moment of confusion, something snatched her off the ground and heaved her up! Her knees hit something solid and wooden. Her eyes fell on a fluttering red bandanna and a pair of brown leather gloves worn with use—Cali's!</p><p>Chihiro gasped, and lifted her head to find Cali smiling before her. She glanced aside to find Flynn laughing with his whole chest as he piloted the bird's eye with one hand. The other hand of his spam-pressed a button and fired off cannons at rapid speed! The bird's eye lurched down, and Chihiro fell flat on her back with a sharp thunk!</p><p>Her head ached for a moment as the bird's eye tilted upright once more. When she got back up, she found the rest of the group all huddled together the best they could on the bird's eye—which was pretty darn hard given how big the Elder Elementals were. Tree Rex, Bouncer, Crusher, and Hot Head huddled together around the pillar the best they could, and the other, smaller members of their team rested in their laps. The smaller members all clung for dear life as the bird's eye swooped up! The arena below became little more than a speck in the distance as they all flew off, and the cries of the enraged Arkeyan soldiers only a distant wail.</p><p>"BOOM! Now THAT'S one for the autobiography!" Flynn cried as he chuckled and flexed. Both his hands latched onto the steering wheel once more, but his head craned towards the others with that silly grin of his. "Not everyone can pull off a swoop n' swerve like that" — Flynn chuckled and straightened his scarf — "but I'm not just anyone."</p><p>Cali rolled her eyes, and chuckled to herself as Flynn chuckled and flexed again. She almost seemed amused by his antics for a moment, but that little smile of hers disappeared as she turned back to Chihiro.</p><p>"What was going on down there?" Cali asked. "One minute we were making our way in, next thing we knew, Kaos was flying off and the whole place was boarded off!" Cali scratched her head and turned away. "The Machine Ghost was following him, and we tried to catch up, but by the time we got out of there we'd lost them."</p><p>Hearing this, Chihiro instinctively breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god, we still haven't lost him!" Chihiro panted, before she shook her head and glanced back at Cali. "Anyways, long story short, Kaos's making his way to Arkus!"</p><p>"ALREADY?" Flynn and Cali both cried.</p><p>Flynn gripped the pegs of his steering wheel tighter, but quickly released them. "Looks like Skylands' greatest pilot is on the chase again!" Flynn smirked. "Just let me call in the ol' Dread-Yacht!"</p><p>Flynn stuck his fingers in and whistled, and the Dread-Yacht zipped up with such speed that it nearly tossed them off the bird's eye! Flynn turned back to the wheel, and steered the bird's eye back into its spot on the Dread-Yacht in a few flawless spins, seating it in with grace and a snug fit.</p><p>Flynn was the first to hop off, and adjusted his scarf as he bolted over to the pilot's spot. "You might wanna hold on!" Flynn cried as he tapped a few buttons.</p><p>Chihiro stumbled off the bird's eye and slipped onto the deck with the others. She sat down and sighed, but not for long!</p><p>The ground rumbled underneath her. The moment she glanced down, the whole ship shifted and twisted around her, and tossed her and the others around with such fury that the wind blocked out their shouts and cries of shock! The world blurred around Chihiro before she hit solid ground with a sharp thunk, and when the world cleared, she stood on the deck no longer!</p><p>Instead, she and the other members of her group laid strewn about some kind of spacey cabin with a large windshield in the front that peered to the world outside. Behind the windshield stood a large array of controls, and Flynn, who tapped away at the wide variety of buttons with speed and diligence. The sound of shouts and screams ruminated from the top of the cabin. With another loud thunk, the rest of the Dread-Yacht's passengers all spilled out from a gap in the ceiling, and piled over the floor.</p><p>Sihiri sat at their top and groaned as she rubbed her head. The moment she laid eyes on Vatra, she floated down and beamed.</p><p>"Vatra, how did it go?" she asked.</p><p>Vatra winced. He pushed himself up so that he knelt before Sihiri, but his head laid bowed in shame. His hands trembled, their bandages glowed with heat for a moment before they settled, and finally, Vatra took a breath.</p><p>"It's worse than we thought," he spat out at last. "Arkilles, he's, he's alive!"</p><p>A round of gasps came from the Elder Elementals and the ancient portal masters alike. Among the rest, the news met with quiet confusion and solemn silence. Their whole group crowded around Sihiri and Vatra, choking them out from the others' sight.</p><p>"Wait, what now?" Luz shouted, though he could hardly be seem from how tightly-packed the Elder Elementals were around him. "You're kidding, right? That guy should be burning in the Pits right now!"</p><p>"Technically speaking, we shouldn't exactly be here standing either," Crusher remarked under his breath.</p><p>Though, he spoke a little too loudly, and left it heard well enough that everyone else devolved into a kind of awkward silence. A few feet shuffled, and Crusher winced as he trailed away from the group. Seems he realized he may have said the wrong thing.</p><p>"Moving along," Vatra added, breaking the silence at last. "Arkilles' spirit lived on, and he's possessing that rouge free magician and making his way to Arkus as we speak!"</p><p>Sihiri gasped. With the gap left behind by Crusher's absence, she could easily be seen squeezing her fist.</p><p>"If he's going there, surely he's planning to revive his empire." Sihiri's voice was cold as ice as she lifted her head up. She cleared her throat, and her voice raised tall as she turned to Flynn. "Is there any way we can catch up with him?"</p><p>"On it, magic lady!" Flynn shouted back, throwing a thumbs up in the air.</p><p>He tapped his console for a moment. In the next, a wave of static ruminated over the speakers, before it slowly settled as a soft voice crackled over the speakers.</p><p>"<em>Hello?</em>" asked the Machine Ghost over the speakers. "<em>Who is it?</em>"</p><p>"Hey, little ghost dude!" Flynn called back. "So, heard you were tailing ol' big head to that secret vault, and I need you to—"</p><p>"<em>Send you the coordinates?</em>"</p><p>"Took the words right out of my mouth, little buddy! You're almost as great as I am. Almost!"</p><p>"<em>I suppose that is a compliment.</em>"</p><p>"'Course it is! Anyways, can you send them here?"</p><p>"<em>Give me a moment, please.</em>"</p><p>A green light shone over the Dread-Yacht's windshield. It faded for a moment, before it leaped right into the bed of controls rested below the windshield! It glowed and pulsed as Flynn glanced down, and he beamed back up.</p><p>"Alright, it's over! I'll meet you there ASAP!"</p><p>"<em>And I will keep an eye on Kaos until then.</em>"</p><p>The crackle of static filtered out after that, replaced only by the creaks and moans of the Dread-Yacht as Flynn pulled down on a lever. A few clunking and revving noises came next, and the room started to heat up as the Dread-Yacht leaned forward. Everyone around took their seats or preemptively crafted something to cling to.</p><p>Everyone except Flynn, who turned back and smiled with his hands still gripped tight to the wheel. "Hold on to your hats, everyone!" Flynn cried as the engine revved harder. "We're going into overdrive!"</p><p>With that spoken, the engine revved its hardest and the Dread-Yacht sped off fast, so fast that the world around was a blur! While the others clung to their seats, or whatever supports they had, they didn't bear the looks of panic from the speed, or the determination to fight they usually held. No, it was more like… Tension, but from the revelations of earlier, or the fight that awaited, who knew?</p><p>Either way, Chihiro just sat steadfast as the Dread-Yacht flew. She clasped her hands into tight fists as she lowered her head. Hopefully, hopefully they'd make it in time.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 14: Kaos's Kastle Part 2 (Part 1)<p>Chihiro groaned and rubbed her eyes as the light around her began to fade. Her body still ached from the blows Kalamity slammed her with, all shaking and trembling and barely able to stand. Soon, familiar warm scales ran down her back, and the sensation of rushing, flowing magic poured in to ease her aching body. She popped open an eye and glimpsed around.</p><p>The room around was little more than a purple and pink blur, but sharpened by the moment until a bunch of round objects slowly came into view. Wait, round objects? Were those, maybe, portals? Chihiro shook her head and frowned as she shakily pushed herself up.</p><p>Her intuition was right, for she was back in Kalamity's portal room, though it seemed to have gotten a few extra portals. She herself sat on an inactive one alongside Spyro, Trigger Happy, Gill Grunt, and Stealth Elf, who all groaned as they sat back up. That's strange. They touched that orb, didn't they? Why on Earth were they still here?</p><p>"We're still here?" Spyro asked with a hint of disappointment as he crawled off the portal. "But, where did Kaos and Kalamity go?"</p><p>Now that Spyro mentioned it, Kaos and Kalamity completely vanished from the room. It was just Chihiro, the Skylanders, and the faint sounds of shouting that echoed out of the door, which was slid open just a crack. Voices, huh? Guess Chihiro knew where the two of them went.</p><p>It seems like the others noticed as well, for Spyro jumped off the portal and scrambled up to the door, creaking it open a tad bit more as he peered around the corner. Now that Chihiro got a better sense of the acoustics, those voices sounded angered. It was almost as if they were arguing?</p><p>"I'm telling you, I'm getting better by the second!" shouted a voice much akin to the Kaos Chihiro knew.</p><p>"And I'm telling you, your 'training' has gone absolutely nowhere!" cried what Chihiro could only presume was Kalamity's voice.</p><p>Spyro turned around and waved a paw, an urge to carry on, and creaked the door open wider before he slipped out of its doorway and down the halls. The others followed one by one, and Chihiro held. up the back of the group as they slipped back into the halls of Kalamity's castle. They trailed down, but while the others hardly paid any attention to their surroundings, Chihiro took in the scenery.</p><p>The halls had grown messier since Chihiro last stepped foot in them. Their walls were covered in stains, and a few of their floors were dented and broken. Kalamity's many statues of herself became cracked in places, beheaded for some, and a few were gone completely, now replaced with crude statues of Kaos grinning as he donned king's robes and crowns. Flags depicting more crude drawings of Kaos hung from the walls, all with mottoes about him conquering Skylands, and the faint smell of smoke seemingly remnant from failed magic spells lingered in the air. (Not that she'd have any experience with that, no matter how many times Master Eon or Spyro would say otherwise.)</p><p>Chihiro frowned as she passed by the fifth seemingly-identical stain on the wall or flag of Kaos's. As she did, a duo of thin shadows joined her while they thrust back and forth in each other's faces—looks like she found her target. Chihiro went to step forward, but a purple burst of magic got to her first! It swept her and everyone else off their feet, and teleported them behind the free space of two tall bookshelves. Those shelves were broken and repaired more times than they should've been, going by the tape that now held them together!</p><p>Chihiro now sat behind Spyro and Gill Grunt. With a wave of her hand, a few potted plants jumped from their spots and sat in front of them all. It gate her group the perfect disguise as they peered through the leaves, and watched the world outside.</p><p>"Training you up was a waste of my time! I've been teaching you every spell I know, every scheme I've ever tried, all the tricks and trades…" Kalamity cried, and the wrinkles that formed on her face grew even deeper. "All for what? Six years now?" Scowling deeper, Kalamity clutched her hand into a fist. "And in all those years, you haven't done a single thing worthy of a supervillain!"</p><p>"That's not true!" Kaos cried back, waving a finger back at Kalamity. The princely clothes and his thick ginger afro from his teenage years disappeared, and he looked almost identical to the Kaos Chihiro knew, if not maybe a few inches shorter. "Sure, I may have bungled a few schemes, tripped on a few rocks, but those were all just flukes! Once I unleash my true power, you'll see!"</p><p>"See what?" Kalamity crossed her arms. "Ever single blunder I've had to rescue you from? Your little schemes have amounted to nothing!"</p><p>"My schemes were awesome, how dare you insult them!"</p><p>"I'd hardly call putting statues of yourself everywhere, utterly and miserably failing to replace every election ballot's name with your own, and erasing the town mayor's name and writing yours on it 'Awesome.'" Kalamity rolled her eyes once more. "Within my first years of training as a portal master, I had conquered several villages and amassed an army! You, meanwhile, have bungled every spell I taught you, every contraption you've made has blown itself to bits, and your charisma is nonexistent! How do you expect to become a tyrannical ruler of Skylands at this rate?"</p><p>Both Kalamity and Kaos seethed, teeth gritted and eyes locked on each other—and in that moment, Chihiro could see just a teensy, tiny bit of a family resemblance. They fixated on each other as the world around them started to heat up, and magic crackled around them both, Kaos especially. Their robes floated and fluttered while warm red and pink light brushed against the walls.</p><p>"Excuse me, Lady Kalamity, Lord Kaos," Glumshanks said as he stumbled out of the back door with a tray holding a teapot and teacups in hand, "I hate to interrupt, but your tea—"</p><p>"SILENCE, FOOLISH WITCH!" Kaos bellowed at the top of his lungs.</p><p>Kalamity teleported away as a burst of red magic ripped through the room. It shattered pottery, knocked over bookshelves, and even slammed Glumshanks and Chihiro back! The hot, piping tea splattered over Glumshanks' face as the blast tossed him back into the halls…</p><p>And Chihiro herself crashed against the wall with a nasty crack and grunted. She scrambled behind one of the bookshelves and peeked over.</p><p>Kaos lurched over, red lightning still crackling from his clothing as Kalamity reappeared before him; he didn't even lift his head to acknowledge her. No, he snarled and yowled as he yanked his head up. Red smoke flared from his eyes as he turned around and stormed for the door.</p><p>"I'LL PROVE YOU WRONG! I'LL PROVE EVERYONE WRONG!" Kaos cried as he yanked the door open. "I'LL CONQUER ALL SKYLANDS AND BECOMING ITS ULTIMATE EMPEROR OF TYRANNICAL DOOM, AND THEN YOU'LL SEE!"</p><p>"And don't come back until you do!" Kalamity shouted back. Kalamity scoffed, crossed her arms and shook her head. "Not that he'd be able to. That brat couldn't even conquer a sand castle."</p><p>"FINE THEN, I WON'T!" Kaos shouted back, his voice straining still. "AND I HEARD THAT!"</p><p>The doors slammed shut, and Kalamity sighed once more as Glumshanks stumbled in front of her while he wiped off his burnt face with a towel.</p><p>"Glumshanks!" Kalamity called.</p><p>Glumshanks immediately froze in place, towel dropping from his hands, but he knelt before Kalamity. "Y-yes Lady Kalamity!"</p><p>"Go find Kaos and keep an eye on him. I don't feel like having to bail him out again."</p><p>Glumshanks jumped back to his feet and scurried for the doors. "Ye-yes ma'am!"</p><p>Chihiro frowned, eyes still on Glumshanks as he frantically yanked at the doors.</p><p>"I'm not sure what Kaos is up to, but it can't be anything good," she whispered, gripping the surface of the bookshelf a bit tighter. "Come on, let's go tail them."</p><p>Spyro nodded, and the feeling of smooth scales hit Chihiro's hand while beside her, wings flapped. A sensation of magic came over her, one that raised goosebumps down her back, and she peered down at her hands while the magic faded. But, they were no longer there! Looks like he beat her to casting that invisibility spell.</p><p>After she took a glance behind to confirm that nobody behind her was visible, Chihiro leaped over the bookshelf. She sprung through the doors, bolting out right as Glumshanks finally got them open.</p><p>The soft paw and footsteps behind her showed that the others joined in. Even if she didn't hear them, the spell wore off, and they grew visible once more right as the doors drew to a close behind them.</p><p>The air grew cold, perhaps chilled by the cooler seasons, or maybe the tension of the prior fight, and the earth below the castle was soft enough that footprints formed within it. One trail looked like a pair of shoes, another was wider and more like footsteps. Yep, that had to be Kaos and Glumshanks! Judging by the tracks, it seemed like they already had a head start.</p><p>"In here," Stealth Elf whispered as she dove for a few bushes and waved the others over.</p><p>Diving behind Stealth Elf, Chihiro parted a few stray bushes and peered out with a hum. Rain started to sprinkle over the hills, but nothing looked out of the ordinary otherwise. Chihiro closed up the bushes, and teleported to the next set to find nothing but a faint presence of a town in the distance. As she hopped from bush to bush, the town's image grew clearer and clearer, until she could spy it at the foot of the hill! Though, as she got a closer look, it seemed a lot smaller, more like a village than a town…</p><p>"Y'know, that place looks kind of familiar," Spyro remarked as he flew beside Chihiro.</p><p>Chihiro jolted up for a minute but caught her breath. Phew, just Spyro, not her getting caught by Kaos.</p><p>"Hmmm… I think it does too!" Trigger Happy remarked as he hopped on Spyro's back and rubbed his chin. "Can't remember where I saw it, though. It wasn't where we met, or that town I saved from bandits that one time…"</p><p>"I feel like I should know something about this, but it's on the tip of my tongue," Gill Grunt ruminated.</p><p>"What's so special about it? It's just a village. We've been to hundreds of them at this point!" Stealth Elf said before she shook her head. With a wave of her hand, Stealth Elf beckoned for the others as she trailed after the footprints. "C'mon, the footprints lead this way."</p><p>Chihiro didn't want to leave just yet—not till she found out what bugged Spyro. She stayed glued to the spot, only her eyes moving. They drifted towards Spyro while he flew in midair and contemplated.</p><p>Spyro's eyes went wide for just a moment as he gazed over the village, and he hung his head as he groaned, "oh, dragon gods, I remember what this is…"</p><p>"What is it?" Chihiro asked as she turned to Spyro and tilted her head.</p><p>Spyro winced and flew off with eyes set on Kaos's footprint trail.</p><p>"Just follow me."</p><p>Chihiro winced and nodded as Trigger Happy and Gill Grunt chased after Spyro with similarly leery looks on their faces. She followed at the back of the group. The rain poured a little harder, so she summoned a magic umbrella and hid underneath it as she set her eyes on the ground. She fixed firmly on the trail of footprints. It'd be a pain if she lost Kaos from all that rain.</p><p>"I'm telling you, this is the deal of a lifetime!"</p><p>Wait, that voice and its obnoxious tone, that had to be Kaos's! Chihiro ran a bit harder, only the slightest bit of care taken so as to not slip on any newly-formed mud puddles. When she caught sight of Spyro's purple scales, she skidded to a stop, and knelt beside him behind the sanctuary of some bushes and wooden poles.</p><p>They all gathered at the gate of a crude fort made of wood—if it could even be called that. There wasn't even a roof or anything, just a wooden fence with all sorts of stuff spray-painted on it. Inside laid the remains of a campfire extinguished by the rain, the smell of its smoke mingling with that of fresh rainwater. Rusted cans and broken boxes of food laid scattered about alongside damp papers and posters. Of course, that didn't matter as much as the contents inside—there within the heart of the group were a couple of tired trolls and elves dressed in punk-looking stuff that were all drooping eyelids, yawning mouths, and sleepy clicks of their tongues as Kaos rambled to them.</p><p>"Alright, buddy, we get it! You've been ramblin' about this stuff for forever now!" shouted one troll as he lazily finished off an open can of beans.</p><p>"And once again, I have to ask," said a drow dressed in more decorated clothing, probably the leader of the bunch by the looks of it. "What's in it for us?"</p><p>"Well, if you join me and help me conquer Skylands, you'll get to be the loyal servants of my evil empire, and I'll spare you from my awesome wrath of doom!" Kaos proclaimed as he held out his hands. "Isn't that enough?"</p><p>Those punks broke out into rousing laughter, as if that was the funniest thing they heard! A few fell off their seats and slapped their knees, and the head of the group cackled hardest as he got up from where he sat.</p><p>"You must be joking! A little runt like you? Take over Skylands?" the drow cackled as he punched Kaos in the shoulder. "Get real!"</p><p>Kaos grunted and clutched his shoulder as he slid back. "Of course I can take over Skylands! I'm a portal master!"</p><p>The drow laughed even harder, and clutched his gut as tears of joy burst from his eyes! He wiped the tears from his eyes as he stood upright, and shoved Kaos down into the dirt with a scoff. "Your head must be even bigger than it looks! There's no portal masters anymore!"</p><p>Kaos growled as he staggered back up, and wiped the mud from his clothes as a red glow started to surround him. "I'm telling you, it's the truth! If you won't believe me, I'll show you!"</p><p>Chihiro had to admit, she almost felt a little sorry for him, seeing him get laughed at like that—almost. Just barely. She poked her head over the fence, just to get a better look at what went on, but the sound of panting behind her forced her back into the bushes! She dove down right as Glumshanks ran past her, jumped back up and peered over the fence once more.</p><p>"Lord Kaos, there you are!" Glumshanks cried as he pulled Kaos away.</p><p>The red glow around Kaos faded and he gasped. "Glumshanks?" Kaos cried as he tugged away from Glumshanks' grip. "What are you doing here?"</p><p>"Well, I came to get you, of course! Your mother said—"</p><p>"Oh, so he's a mama's boy, too?" jeered the troll.</p><p>A couple more laughs and jeers came from the punks as Kaos seethed. Red steam billowed from his body as Glumshanks winced and continued to tug him away. Kaos's feet stayed stuck to the ground the best they could, but with the ground slowly turning to mud from the rain, it was pretty darn hard for him to keep his grip!</p><p>"Come on, Lord Kaos, let's go home. I'm sure if you apologize—"</p><p>"Absolutely not, Glumshanks!" Kaos cried, finally wriggling himself out of Glumshanks' grip.</p><p>He turned around, and Chihiro got a glimpse of his red-hot face for only a moment. Kaos bent down and grabbed a damp, mud-strained poster from the floor. He examined it for a moment and hummed while the punks' laughter stopped around him.</p><p>Just what was so important about that, anyways? Chihiro hummed, summoned a pair of binoculars and peered closer. The poster had something she couldn't make out written on it, and a picture of a guy dressed in really fancy-looking clothes. More importantly, the guy's image was scribbled on in red marker; his eyes were crossed out and illegible scribbles covered his neck.</p><p>"You don't exactly like this being, do you?" Kaos asked, holding out the poster.</p><p>The drow scowled and snatched the poster from Kaos. "Course not!" he cried. "That mayor dude kicked us from the village 'cause he said we were causin' too much trouble!"</p><p>"Yeah, he sucks!" shouted the bean-eating troll as they tossed their can aside. "Sure we tipped over a few cows, broke a few stores, poisoned the water system, and burned down all the crops that one time—but so what?" cried another punk.</p><p>"He sent me away because I broke his statue!"</p><p>"So what if I enchanted the fruit and made everyone who ate it fall asleep for a whole week? That was hilarious!"</p><p>The drow scowled further as he tore the poster in half, letting the halves fall to the ground before smashing them underfoot.</p><p>"What I wouldn't give to punch his smug face in once or twice."</p><p>"What if I told you there was a way?" Kaos asked.</p><p>Kaos's question got all eyes on him, and Chihiro just barely heard a low cackle from Kaos as he lifted his hands. Red magic flared from his hands, and he cackled as he clapped them together and zapped all the punks at once!</p><p>Lightning crashed, but not from the skies. No, it came from around Kaos as the punks fell to their knees and cried out.</p><p>The punks' bodies warped and twisted from underneath the heat of Kaos's spell as they grew taller, wider… Buffer? As the light faded, the punks stood before Kaos with at least a few more feet, and a whole lot of muscle gained. Their clothes just barely fit them now as they flexed and glazed each other down.</p><p>"That power-up spell should do the trick!" Kaos chirped as he clapped his hands, turned around and flew off. "Now come on, go get your deliciously evil revenge on that mayor!"</p><p>The punks hooted and hollered as they stormed out of their little hideout, some smashing the wooden fence like twigs just to test their newly-given power! Kaos himself eagerly followed after them, shouting out about evil doom or something just to egg them on! Even though the rain poured down over them and chilled the air, they didn't stop or lose traction even once. This newfound power gave them a second wind, one they were happy to chase!</p><p>"Lord Kaos!" Glumshanks cried as he stumbled after Kaos. He slipped over the muddy grounds and planted face-first, but quickly collected himself and shook off the muddy water. "Wait for me!"</p><p>Chihiro gulped and turned to the others as Glumshanks tailed after Kaos, about ready to tell them they needed to go. Spyro seemingly beat her to the punch, judging by how his eyes flared with sparkling purple light! Though, they didn't seem as bright as they usually did; instead, they flickered in and out as Spyro himself cringed.</p><p>"We'd better get there fast!" Spyro proclaimed as he clapped his front paws together. "I know what's gonna happen next, and it isn't pretty!"</p><p>That clap rang out against the rain, and a ring of bright purple light pulsed out as it enveloped them all! Chihiro's body shuddered as the light shot into her and closed her eyes on instinct.</p><p>When she opened them, she found herself in the heart of the village!</p><p>Admittedly, it looked a lot more run-down compared to when she saw it on the hills. The houses' windows stood boarded off as fresh tomato stains ran down their sides, trampled and withered plants laid along the muddy paths, and broken wooden boards or half-beaten carts laid scattered beside them. The air rang of a musty scent that reeked of magic, and the sounds of shouting and terrified screams showed that ahead laid the very beings Chihiro expected to find!</p><p>Kaos stood at the village's entrance. Those punks flanked him at all sides, and mabu dressed in dingy armor who wielded swords and spears thrust their weapons towards his front. The punks' muscles twitched as they cracked their knuckles and flexed their biceps, imposing their muscular status over those warriors with just their stance. Kaos grinned at the sight.</p><p>"Tell us, you strange little man!" demanded a warrior at the front. "What exactly is your purpose here?"</p><p>"Oh, my purpose?" Kaos crowed as he folded his hands together. "I don't have any business here. It's my little friends you should be worried about!" Kaos chuckled and drummed his fingers against his hands. "I've heard they have a bit of a score to settle with you, so I thought I'd help them out a little!"</p><p>"Wait, a score to settle?" the mabu warrior backed away a little, and their glance changed from Kaos to the drow that stood to Kaos's left. "You don't mean…"</p><p>"You bet it's us!" the drow roared.</p><p>In one swift motion, the drow yanked the mabu warrior from the ground and sneered in their face, but the warrior just screamed! The warrior's sword slipped from their paws, clattered by the drow's feet, and the drow smashed it in half with a single stomp! The sickening crack of the sword's splintered handle rang in the mabu warrior's ears, and they winced as they glanced down at the broken blade before the drow flung them into the distance.</p><p>"Come on, boys! Let's crush this dumb town!"</p><p>The other mabu warriors all screamed out as they charged for the punks, yet flew back as the punks charged forward and knocked them aside! More of those warriors spilled in as the punks charged forward. These new warriors brandished their weapons, except they too, did basically nothing! Even though they were much more massive in ranks, the punks still punched through their groups and tossed them aside like they were little more than flies!</p><p>Chihiro winced as a pair of mabu flew past her, teleported into an alleyway between two houses, and poked her head out. Those guys looked tough, but they were just pumped up on magic—and she had plenty of that! If she could just find the right opening and catch them off guard, maybe she had a shot! Chihiro narrowed her eyes and hummed as she contemplated, but the sound of a door slamming open pulled her from her thoughts.</p><p>"What's all this racket about?" exclaimed a mabu in a pompous-looking suit as they stumbled out of the leftmost building and adjusted their jacket. Was that the mayor? Sure seemed like it, especially with how they gasped as their eyes fell on those punks.</p><p>"You lot again? I thought I exiled you from this place!" The mayor cried. They growled for a bit, stormed forward and shook a finger. "Never mind, make yourselves scarce this instant!"</p><p>The drow's ear flicked, and he turned around from pummeling another mabu warrior. His smile faded into a snarl as he dropped the mabu warrior and raised a fist. Right before he could swing, Kaos zipped in front of him and he drew back!</p><p>"Oh, they might consider it," Kaos said as he leaned towards the mayor and sneered. "If, and only if, you hand over complete and total control of your village, and everything within it to the great and powerful Lord Kaos, that is!"</p><p>The mayor sputtered and drew back. "Who do you think you are, demanding that of me?" The mayor pointed a finger aside. "No matter! I have no reason to do business with you if you're affiliated with them! Leave my village this instant!"</p><p>Kaos shrugged with that sneer still planted tight to his face. "Suit yourself!" Kaos turned and winked back to the drow, slowly floated away and cackled. "I suppose my friend here will make a much more compelling argument!"</p><p>The drow cackled and banged his fists together as he loomed over the mayor, who in turn backed away. It seemed as though the mayor finally realized just how outmatched they and their forces were against these guys. The mayor's head craned between the drow before them, and the other punks as they tore through the village's defenses like they were no more than mere weeds! The mayor seemed to have gulped as they glanced aside once more, and the drow immediately yanked them off the ground!</p><p>"Eyes on me, you little rat!" the drow shouted as he shook the mayor! The mayor cried out as gold and jewels poured from their pockets, and the drow smirked as he licked his lips. "Oh, it'll be so satisfying, punching your face in."</p><p>Chihiro gasped, lowered herself down and flicked her hands. "I've gotta get in there!" she shouted as cyan light gathered in her palms.</p><p>Her hands tingled with energy as she took a step forward, but she stopped as a signature of energy zapped into her and a warbling sound hit the air! That presence, that one that felt like space and time ripping itself open, that had to be a portal opening! But, there was no way she could've done that, for she wasn't anywhere near a portal!</p><p>She poked her head back out, and sure enough, all eyes turned back to the village front as cyan light glistened from the beginning of the village path.</p><p>Then, none other than Spyro charged out and slammed right into the drow's chest! The added speed blew the drow backwards while the mayor slipped from his hand and landed right in the mud. Spyro didn't notice. He flew backwards and huffed out thin trails of smoke from his nostrils. Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy both rushed up behind him, yet he still fixed his eyes on the drow as the smoke coming from his snout thickened.</p><p>"Spyro!" Chihiro called as she reached forward for him.</p><p>"Chihiro, there you are!"</p><p>Just before Chihiro left, something yanked her back into the alleyways! She almost hit the muddy ground, but that something propped her up, and instead she hit something solid and hard. Flapping wings sounded behind her, and as she thrust herself out, she turned around to find Spyro standing behind her with Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, and Stealth Elf all lined up close behind!</p><p>Chihiro's eyes fluttered as she glanced at the Spyro staring at her with his warm, kind golden eyes, and back to where the other Spyro traded blows with the drow.</p><p>"Huh?" was all she could utter.</p><p>Spyro sighed and held his head.</p><p>"This place was where we fought Kaos for the first time, back when I first became a Skylander," Spyro explained. His tone was hesitant and strained with all the embarrassment of someone recalling something they really didn't want to. He glanced back as the drow punched his past self out of the air, and he grabbed his cheek as if he could feel the pain himself. "Yeah, it really wasn't one of my proudest moments."</p><p>The past Spyro leaped up, and shot a bunch of fireballs right towards the drow—but the rainstorm completely extinguished them! Both past and present Spyro winced as the drow charged forward, kicking the past Spyro back into the mud.</p><p>"You idiot, it's raining buckets! Why would you use fire?" present Spyro shouted, before he turned around and groaned as he covered his eyes. "Dragon gods, I don't think I can watch this anymore. I was so stupid back then!"</p><p>Chihiro stood there and watched as past Spyro leaped up and charged for the drow once more, just to get knocked down again before he got back up and fought in a never-ending cycle.</p><p>Beside the past Spyro, past Trigger Happy winced as he shot off round after round of golden coins that just bounced off a troll punk's chest and into the mud. To his right, past Gill Grunt stumbled backwards and shot streams of water into the ground. He turned the muddy ground to a proper stream as some of the punks raced forward, but instead of slipping, they slid across the stream and double-kicked past Gill Grunt right in the gut!</p><p>Past Gill Grunt groaned as he collapsed on his side in the mud, and past Trigger Happy and Spyro both joined him as the punks tossed them in one muddy pile. They moaned and lifted their heads only to collapse. Their faces twisted into frowns as both the punks and Kaos's laughter rang in the air with the sounds of falling rain. Shadows cast over their battered bodies as the drow punk loomed over them.</p><p>"That's it, I can't watch this anymore!" Chihiro cried as she ran ahead.</p><p>"Chihiro, wait!" present Spyro called, but it was no use.</p><p>With a single leap, Chihiro slid across the mud and leaped into the heart of the fray! Her shoes slammed against the ground first, and formed a shield right around her and Spyro, Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy's past selves! The punks all gasped and talked among each other for a moment, though Chihiro couldn't discern their conversation as the dome itself was soundproofed. Judging by how they pounded against the dome, it seemed as though they weren't too pleased with it! The dome refuse to relent as they pounded and kicked, and Chihiro scoffed for a moment before she knelt down to the past Spyro.</p><p>Past Spyro coughed for a moment, raised his head and frowned. "Who're you?" he asked as he raised a brow.</p><p>Chihiro gasped for a moment as she racked her brain for some quick way of not blowing her cover, and shook her head. "You could say I'm your…" Chihiro started, before she shook her head again and held out her hand. "Your mentor's friend! Yeah, that's right, I'm one of Master Eon's buddies!"</p><p><em>Phew, close one, </em>Chihiro thought.</p><p>Past Spyro snarled and yanked his head away. "Did he send you after me? I told him I could handle this myself!" Past Spyro insisted. He shot a glare back at where Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy's past selves laid in the mud, and his tail flicked in a short manner. "It's bad enough that he insisted I needed extra help! If they weren't slowing me down, I'd have finished these guys in minutes!"</p><p>"Sure didn't look like that to me." Chihiro chuckled as her hand glowed and rained down sparkles onto past Spyro's body. "If anything, it looked like that guy was wiping the floor with you!"</p><p>Past Spyro snarled, bearing his fangs as he lifted his head to retort… And then, he stopped in wide-eyed wonder as the sparkles seeped into his body and whisked away his wounds in an instant! Chihiro smiled and gently flicked his forehead as he looked himself over, bringing his attention back to her.</p><p>"A word of advice. I know you're used to fighting the bad guys and saving the day yourself, but, you're a Skylander now, and that makes you part of a team."</p><p>With a snap of Chihiro's fingers, twin streams of cyan light fed from her palms and swirled around past Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy. The light fed into them and healed their injuries, but Chihiro smiled and turned her attention down to past Spyro. His golden eyes no longer rang with anger, but a sort of pensiveness as he glanced back at her, and then at past Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy as they rose.</p><p>"So, don't think you have to tackle everything by yourself. Your teammates are always gonna be there to back you up, so don't be afraid to get their help when you need it, alright?"</p><p>Past Spyro rapidly blinked, and turned back to Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy's past selves for a moment before he glanced back at Chihiro. "Alright," he said at last, "I guess I'll take your word for it."</p><p>"Finally done being stubborn now?" past Gill Grunt teased from behind them.</p><p>Past Spyro turned back to past Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy as they rose and bore their weapons with a nod and a weary smile. All three of them huddled together and whispered. Though they packed tight, the slight glimpses of their faces showed they were intent in planning. In fact, they seemed much more in-sync, just like the Spyro, Gill Grunt, and Trigger Happy Chihiro knew! The three of them broke apart with smiles, and though they didn't see her, Chihiro nodded as well.</p><p>"Looks like my job here is done," Chihiro whispered.</p><p>With a snap of her fingers, the dome lowered and Chihiro teleported away, taking sanctuary behind a half-broken cart. She poked her head up as past Spyro, Gill Grunt, and Trigger Happy stood off the punks, frowned and gripped the cart's side. Had he really taken her advice?</p><p>Past Spyro took a step forward. It seemed like he was getting ready to charge, and Chihiro cringed a bit—but instead of running into the fray, he ran <em>off, </em>flying back over to the village's beginning!</p><p>The punks cried out and chased after him. Right as they did, a torrent of water slammed into the mud below their feet, and turned it to slick muddy water so fast that they all splintered and slipped off! They groaned as they slid into buildings and wreckage, and as they staggered up and recovered, a flurry of golden coins pelted them from all directions! They all screamed as they ran right for the beginning of the village once more.</p><p>Behind them, past Trigger Happy cackled as he charged after them with guns blazing! The punks rushed further and further as Trigger Happy's coins nipped and burst at their heels…</p><p>But as they rushed ahead, past Spyro flew out from the village's entrance! He snorted as a sky blue light shone around him. It glowed bright against the dull sights of the rainy day, and with a flap of his wings, that light burst out in a massive gust! That simple light twisted around itself as it charged for the punks, and formed into a tornado that swept them up in its grip as it raged across the village pathways!</p><p>Mud gathered in the tornado's grip, and tinged it in murky shades as the tornado shot right for Kaos, who only stood with wide eyes as the tornado slammed right into him! The tornado's winds dispersed in all directions at that minute. It left the punks and Kaos piled together in the heart of the village as the rain started to lighten up.</p><p>The clouds parted and light shone down once more, unveiling that the spell on the punks relented. Once again, they were their scrawny true selves, and they all groaned as they laid sprawled along the floor. Their torn clothes were coated in mud, their arms were scratched up and bruised, and they were completely surrounded as the mabu warriors gathered and poked their weapons right at the punks!</p><p>"Got anything to say for yourself?" past Spyro asked as he, past Gill Grunt, and past Trigger Happy approached Kaos.</p><p>Kaos snarled and stumbled back to his feet, ready to fire off an insult, surely, but he stopped as a voice cried over the horizon.</p><p>"Lord Kaos, there you are!" Glumshanks cried as he pushed past Spyro and Trigger Happy. Glumshanks gripped Kaos's hand, and he pulled Kaos away with a grunt. "By the Ancients, you look awful! Come on, let's get home and I'll get a bath going—"</p><p>Kaos growled and yanked his hand from Glumshanks'.</p><p>"There's no way I'm going back there, Glumshanks!" Kaos hissed. "Not until I conquer Skylands so I can rub it in mother's stupid face!"</p><p>Kaos gritted his teeth, glared over towards Spyro and pointed a finger in Spyro's face.</p><p>"You, dragonfly! What's your name?"</p><p>"It's Spyro," the past Spyro hissed back as he flicked his wings, "and you can shout all you want, but as long as us Skylanders are in town, you're not getting your way!"</p><p>"Then mark my words, Skylanders! When I conquer Skylands, you'll be the first to taste your evil DOOM!"</p><p>With that vow spoken, Kaos stomped his foot and red smoke enveloped him, the punks, and Glumshanks!</p><p>Everyone else coughed and hacked away as the smoke churned. When it cleared, no trace of Kaos or his allies could be found! All that remained was the fading wisps of red smoke, and the sound of Kaos's laughter in the air.</p><p>Chihiro smiled and snapped her fingers from the alleyways. "Looks like Kaos made his grand escape," Chihiro remarked as an orb of light formed in her palms. "Luckily, I have a handy-dandy tracking spell right here!"</p><p>Chihiro bounced the orb in her palms, and it zipped away, past the alleys and out into the grassy grounds before rounding a corner and disappearing!</p><p>She smiled, and turned to the others before they all followed the trail of sparkles the orb left behind. The muddy paths of before turned to soft, dewy grass as they trailed after the light trails, and one by one, the run-down houses passed them by until there were none. Soon, all that surrounded them was seemingly endless stretches of grass. Though, they could just barely hear the villagers behind them cheering for the Skylanders, a sound that left a humble smile on Spyro's face.</p><p>"You know, that went a lot smoother than how it actually happened," Spyro chuckled as he flicked his wings.</p><p>"It was?" Chihiro asked. She tilted her head as she walked alongside Spyro. "How it'd really go?"</p><p>"Well, Kaos's buddies there beat us within an inch of our lives when we tried to stop them! We'd have been goners if I hadn't come up with that strategy as a last resort!"</p><p>"Talk about a life-saver, huh?"</p><p>"No kidding."</p><p>A chilling breeze whipped through the air, and Chihiro winced as she crossed the path below. The grass underfoot changed to hard stone as she did.</p><p>Something about the world around felt a little eerier. Maybe it was all the cold, hard ground and dead trees with weird, shiny red veins pulsing through them; maybe it was the thick clouds that left the red skies in a dull, overcast state; maybe it was the smell of dead, burnt stuff that lingered in the air, but either way, something just wasn't right about this place. A glance behind showed that she only passed the village a little while ago. Heck, she could even mark the area where the grass started to die and the clouds started to form, a natural divide between the world around! How could this place change states so quickly?</p><p>Chihiro winced and clenched her fist on instinct. She turned around to the path ahead, where Kaos grunted and kicked a rock. She jumped behind a lopsided boulder, poked her head over and frowned.</p><p>"I, I, that was a fluke, I swear! An utter accident!" Kaos cried as he turned to the punks and shook his fist. "If those wannabe heroes hadn't showed up, I'd have won that village! What did they call themselves, anyways? Skylanders?" Kaos clenched his fist. "Yes, that was it… Well, those Skylanders better prepare themselves for an utterly doomy doom! I swear, I'll get the next village, and then—"</p><p>Laughter burst from the punks, and the punk drow stepped out as he patted Kaos on the shoulder.</p><p>"Chill out, little man. That was fun!" the drow said. "I wanna do more of that stuff!"</p><p>Kaos's eyes flickered, and he turned around and frowned. "Fun? So, are you saying you want to serve me?"</p><p>The punks all turned to each other, but soon fell to their knees. "All hail Lord Kaos!" they all cried.</p><p>Kaos's eyes flickering, and he stepped back as if he couldn't believe them. But, he quickly shook his head and cackled, hands pressing to his hips!</p><p>"Of course you do! After all, I am the future evil overlord of all Skylands!" Kaos grinned, and turned back to a tall, run down castle in the distance. "From now on, these wastelands will become full of evil life, and this castle will be our ultimate hideout of EVIL DOOM!" Whipping back around, Kaos pointed towards the punks. "Minions, scout it out for me, right this instant!"</p><p>"Yes, Lord Kaos!" the punks cried maybe a bit too eagerly as they rushed towards the castle.</p><p>Kaos chuckled and slowly trailed behind, and behind him, Chihiro chuckled and laid a hand on her hip.</p><p>"So that's how Kaos became a big-time supervillain," she remarked.</p><p>She chuckled a bit more, but a small twinkle of red caught her eye. She turned to a nearby rock, one that was oblong, but with a large chip that showed off a red light behind it! She skipped over to the rock, peered over, and beamed as she found exactly what she hoped to find: another orb of red light!</p><p>"And here's the teleporter, everyone!" Chihiro called as she waved back to the others. "Come on, let's get going!"</p><p>Chihiro smiled and reached her hand out to the teleporter. As Spyro, Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf all joined her, they planted their hands and paws on the orb, and the world dyed red once more.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>"Alright," Vaayu croaked. He favored his left side still as he leaned against Vatra's shoulder. His eyes glazed over the halls as he lifted a hand, and pointed to one particular door that was left open a crack just large enough to pour out light. "That should be the throne room."</p><p>With a nod, 'Enehana pulled out their console, twisted a few knobs, and pressed a button or two. With a pull of a lever, a tiny satellite burst from the console and sent a pulse from its tip! The pulse covered the entire group in waves of orange light; their bodies disappeared from view with each pulse, until they completely vanished! Now completely invisible, they tip-toed across the hall and surrounded the door.</p><p>Tree Rex reached out to push the door open, but he didn't need to. A few tiny, pink, sort of monkey-like things pushed it open for him! They stumbled into some kind of bedazzled throne room with plates of food held carefully in hand. They blabbed something in some kind of gibberish language as they laid the trays next to a throne, which swiveled around to reveal…</p><p>Kaos! Yes, that very same Kaos from the day he came back to Skylands! Though now, he swapped out the black robes he wore then for finer, red and gold silk ones, and a fancy crown. The aesthetics of it all reminded Tree Rex of someone, actually. Someone he'd rather forget about.</p><p>"Notice anything suspicious about those robes?" Vaayu whispered, his voice coming from down below the other side of the door frame.</p><p>"Mm, well, the change in wardrobe is a bit new. Lord Kaos always preferred black," Glumshanks whispered.</p><p>"Not just the color. The stitching, the patterns, they're all distinctly Arkeyan." Vaayu hummed just a bit. "In fact, those crown patterns were worn by those in the Arkeyan royal family, and that crown's near-identical to the ones their emperor-kings wore."</p><p>Now that Tree Rex got a better look, that did indeed seem to be the case. He vaguely remembered that Arkilles wore a similar ceremonial robe the day they crashed his coronation. Tree Rex winced, and forced himself to keep from crushing the door frame underneath his grip.</p><p>Kaos shimmied off of his throne and addressed the monkey things. "I trust that this is the dinner I ordered?" he asked.</p><p>Tree Rex winced and shook his head. He only saw Kaos once before, so he wasn't sure, but that voice sounded much deeper than he recalled Kaos's voice being! In fact, that baritone brought to mind Arkilles again—but, even if he didn't succumb to his wounds back then, Arkilles should've been dead! Then again, Tree Rex learned not to question the states of those from his time on this journey. Still, it couldn't have been…</p><p>Clenching his teeth next, Tree Rex glanced over as Kaos picked up a chicken drumstick, sniffed it, and yowled as he flipped the whole table! The monkey things screamed as the food fell on them, coating them in stains and mush; they screamed again as Kaos stormed into their faces!</p><p>"I told you, I wanted turkey, not chicken!" Kaos roared, fires of rage burning in his eyes. "How dare you insult me with this utterly inferior array? Go make a new platter right this instant!"</p><p>More chattering came from the monkey things as they frantically nodded and rushed off. They didn't even bother to clean the mush from their faces as they bolted out the door and down the halls!</p><p>Tree Rex planted his back against the wall still, just in case, but then breathed a sigh of relief as the monkey things disappeared down the halls without even a hint of notice paid to them. With them gone, Tree Rex turned back around and peered into the throne room once more.</p><p>"Honestly, what incompetents," Kaos muttered as he hopped back onto his throne. "They should consider themselves lucky! If not for my upcoming trip to Arkus, I'd be in a much worse mood!"</p><p>"If that's his good mood, I'd hate to see what he'd look like in a bad mood," Tree Rex whispered.</p><p>Though, apparently he didn't whisper low enough, for the throne swiveled around!</p><p>"Did somebody say something?" Kaos hissed.</p><p>He peered from side to side, and Tree Rex grunted as he pressed himself against the wall once more. He stilled his breathing the best he could as tiny footsteps pattered in. He held his breath and kept himself frozen to the wall as Kaos stepped out and glanced around the halls! For a moment, Kaos's glance fell on Tree Rex and pierced him with a familiar cold.</p><p>Kaos merely shrugged and retreated back to the throne room. "Must have just been the wind," Kaos mumbled as his footsteps drew further away.</p><p>Tree Rex glanced back into the throne room, and his heavy chest started to relieve itself. Kaos hopped back into his throne, and turned around, so his icy gaze was now far, <em>far </em>away from where Tree Rex was. Good, for just the sight of that glance left Tree Rex tight and frozen! Not a pleasant feeling to have.</p><p>"Anyways, Vaayu," Vatra whispered from down below. "You were hinting at something about our tiny wannabe tyrant here. What was it?"</p><p>"Ah, yes, that," Vaayu whispered back, his soft tone turning a bit more desolate. "You see, this Kaos person, he isn't actually who he claims to be!"</p><p>"Wait, not who he claims to be?" Glumshanks cried. A couple of the others shushed him, and he immediately held his breath. When they all saw that Kaos hadn't moved an inch from his throne, Glumshanks sighed. "You mean, he's an impostor?"</p><p>"Somewhat. You see—"</p><p>"Anyways, I'd got no time to dawdle around here," Kaos remarked as he turned his throne around—and turned all eyes on himself in the process. "If I recall correctly, preparations for my trip to the vault should be almost complete!" Kaos jumped off his throne and cackled as he twirled around. "Once I get that map and head back to Arkus, I'll have my old empire back at last! Oh, how I missed Arkus! Finally, I'll be able to visit its beautiful halls, and have its armies at my fingertips again!"</p><p>"Wait, his empire?" 'Enehana asked. "What's that about?"</p><p>Vatra hummed for a minute. "Yes, that's right! Chihiro said that he conquered Skylands once in the past, and that elf girl said he was planning to head to Arkus and rebuild his empire with their stock!"</p><p>"But, why's he talking about Arkus like he's already been there? There's no way he could have gone there before!"</p><p>"Yeah, that's what I'd like to know myself," Glumshanks whispered back. "It's like he thinks he's already king or something!"</p><p>"That doesn't matter!" Vatra hissed, the soft shriek of his palms heating up entering the air. "He's right before us, and we need to dispose of him before it's too late!"</p><p>"Wait, dispose?" Glumshanks backed away, or at least, Tree Rex thought he backed away based on the soft sound of plodding footsteps. "Did I hear that right?"</p><p>"I wouldn't recommend that, Vatra. Killing him won't do us any good," Vaayu butted in. "If he's the person I think he is, then—"</p><p>"What are you talking about, Vaayu? It doesn't matter who he thinks he is!" Vatra whispered at just a volume Tree Rex and the others could hear. "We have him right in the palm of our hands! All we'd have to do is burn him away, and our mission is done!"</p><p>"And if you do, he'll just be free to run amuck! If what I theorized is right, he's already possessed one person, and if we just kill this body he'll find somebody else to possess! He's not going to stop until he makes his way back to Arkus and gets his empire there back!"</p><p>Tree Rex let out a soft, confused grunt as he traced down the sound of their conflicting voices. A couple of grunts and tiny gasps showed the others were just as baffled. Wait, now that he thought about it, that voice and those clothes, they reminded him far too much of Arkilles!</p><p>"What are you talking about? Lord Kaos isn't that old, and he's never been to Arkus before!" Glumshanks whispered. "We don't even know where Arkus is anymore!"</p><p>"Don't you get it?" Vaayu cried as he raised his voice some. "That's because right now—"</p><p>"— we have to take care of this runt tarnishing the name of free magicians!" Vatra hissed as he pulled back Vaayu. "Fine, we won't kill him, but we should at least capture him while we have the chance!"</p><p>"Kill him?" Glumshanks cried. "Capture him?"</p><p>The sound of soft walking turned to fast running, and footsteps found their way on the carpets—footsteps that looked an awful lot like Glumshanks'!</p><p>"I should've known better than to trust the Skylanders!"</p><p>Vatra gasped, and another pair of footsteps that singed the carpet followed Glumshanks. "Stop him!"</p><p>Tree Rex grunted and moved away from the door, eyes laying on the footsteps. Man, having an invisibility spell started to seem like a bad idea.</p><p>"Wait a second—what was that?" Kaos asked.</p><p>Once again, everyone planted themselves to the walls. As they did, Tree Rex shot a weary glance back at Kaos's throne room.</p><p>There within, Kaos shuffled his way out of his throne room. His eyes glanced around from side to side as he tried to sniff out their very appearance, but soon he groaned and clutched his head once more. The symbol on his forehead pulsed in shades of red and cyan before it finally stabilized in a cyan color as he lifted his head. His lips pursed, his brows tensed as he prodded forward, and he froze in place.</p><p>"That's strange. I can feel a particularly strong magic presence here," Kaos said, and added with a chuckle, "beside mine, of course…" Kaos's brows tensed even further, almost hiding his eyes. "But, there's nobody here but me!"</p><p>The sap in Tree Rex's veins almost froze as Kaos poked his head out of the doorway. As those red eyes locked on him, Tree Rex gulped and took the slightest, most gingerly of steps away. The floor creaked a little underneath Tree Rex, and Tree Rex cringed as he turned back to Kaos. Kaos, in turn, hummed and raised his brows as if he noticed! Kaos opened his mouth, but a powerful, chilling gust burst down and coated Kaos in cold wind!</p><p>"Wh-wh-what w-w-w-w-was that?" Kaos shouted, though he could only barely be heard over the roaring winds even at his highest volume. "Who chilled the winds!?"</p><p>Parts of the winds swirled around Tree Rex, and Tree Rex shuddered as he took a step forward from the sheer Air Element energy that emanated from them. When he did, his footsteps were light as air, so light that they couldn't even be heard! Tree Rex cast a glance back at where the cold winds swarmed Kaos for one moment more, but charged down the halls right as the invisibility spell started to lift. He became visible once more, as did the rest of the group as they appeared in front of them.</p><p>Vaayu ran at the head of the charge. His hands glowed a brighter sky blue as winds swirled around their fingertips, but his run turned to a hunched-over stumble as he rounded the corner. Vaayu took one step forward, and clutched his arm before he collapsed entirely. He fell to his knees as he leaned against the wall!</p><p>'Enehana immediately rushed to his side and propped him up further. 'Enehana opened their mouth…</p><p>"I, I'm fine," Vaayu panted, though the way he clutched his chest showed that he blatantly lied. "I, just, had a lot taken out of me."</p><p>'Enehana closed their mouth into a frown, and turned back to the rest of the group. "Tree Rex, over here!" 'Enehana whispered. "Get him more magic."</p><p>Tree Rex hastily nodded and knelt down down beside Vaayu. He lifted his palm, and flashes of green glowed from his palm lines before they fed out in strings of green magic. That magic turned sky blue as it fed into Vaayu's pendant! The pendant glowed brighter, and Tree Rex relented his healing spell as Vaayu pushed himself off the wall.</p><p>"Much better," Vaayu panted as he adjusted his shirt. His eyes fell to the path and he raised a brow. "Now, where did they go?"</p><p>"Judging by the footsteps," 'Enehana said. "It seems like they went straight ahead."</p><p>A platter clattered behind them! Vaayu and 'Enehana turned away to find a wide-eyed monkey thing frozen in the hallways, a platter full of spilled food by its feet as it sputtered. Wait, the invisibility spell, it wore off! Tree Rex completely forgot, and judging by the worried looks he caught on everyone's faces, he wasn't the only one!</p><p>"Now, now, this isn't what it looks like," Vaayu started as he stumbled off towards the monkey thing with hands raised. "I promise!"</p><p>The monkey thing had none of it! It screamed out some kind of nonsense and raced down the halls. Though whatever it said was complete gibberish to Tree Rex, the frantic look on its face showed it wasn't good! The monkey thing banged on the walls as it screeched, but Tree Rex hit it on the head with a ball of spores and knocked it over! Its eyes drooped as it face-planted on the floor, and soft snoring rumbled from under its face.</p><p>"Phew, the sleep spores actually worked!" Tree Rex panted as he wiped his face free of sweat.</p><p>"'Enehana, get that invisibility spell going again!" Vatra shouted. "We have to get out of here before they find us!"</p><p>The rumble of creaking mechanical joints reverberated from down the halls, shaking the portraits and flags a little. Vatra grimaced as he glanced at 'Enehana beside him. 'Enehana didn't return his glance, for they instead fixed their eyes on their cloaking device as it flashed red and faded altogether.</p><p>"I think it's a little too late for that!" 'Enehana shouted.</p><p>The walls shuddered ahead of them. Paintings rattled against the walls, and flags fluttered as an army's footsteps and the glint of their glowing red and yellow eyes slipped out from the dark of the halls. Smaller robots came out first, all knights armed with guns and swords and polearms. The back held larger defenders armed with tough, thick swords and solid shields, and the light in their eyes danced as they walked. They stood upright for moments as their eyes fell on Tree Rex's group, and then they all turned red as they charged forward!</p><p>"Deactivate!" 'Enehana screamed at the top of their lungs as they shot out a hand.</p><p>The smaller robots all froze and stumbled back. Pillars of sparks burst from the back of their heads as they collapsed on their backs. Their weapons slipped from their hands and their eyes dimmed, but the larger robots charged across the floor and crushed their fallen comrades' bodies underneath their feet! The twisted, sickening sound of crushing and screeching metal rang through the halls. They mixed with the crumbling of the ceiling as the robots pressed their heads up for moments before they knelt down and surrounded Tree Rex's group. Even when knelt down, these robots still stood a whole head—no, a whole <em>body </em>above even Tree Rex himself!</p><p>Tree Rex hopped back as one hand snapped out for him, and another shout came as Crusher smacked away a hand that reached for him. Tree Rex clenched his teeth as he backed away, and slammed his hand against the ground, cracking it open in that instant. A whole forest of thick vines leaped from the group and wove themselves around the group, forming a veritable shield for only a moment. An obsidian blade ripped through the vines, and their parts withered as they tumbled over and hit the ground! The defender wielding the blade aimed for Tree Rex next, and stabbed its sword dangerously close to his chest while he hopped away.</p><p>"'Enehana!" Tree Rex called between dodges of the blade. "Do you have any idea what these things are supposed to be?"</p><p>'Enehana took only one glance from where they charged the cloaking device, and dropped their head back down. "Arkeyan Defenders Mark 2.5! Their armor's solid, but they hadn't fixed that weakness to electricity from the original blueprints! One good charge, and it'll be out for weeks!"</p><p>Electricity, huh? Tree Rex glanced over at Bouncer, who already charged a static blast from his hands as he wheeled away from another defender's blast. Right before he shot, the crack of thunder roared, and lightning struck the defender down right before Bouncer's eyes! The defender's sword dropped from its hand, and its body jerked in sharp, but robotic movements as the lightning leaped from it to the next defender, and the one after that! Bouncer wheeled back into Tree Rex's back as the world around turned yellow, and then sky blue.</p><p>The Arkeyan Defenders lifted themselves up, backed away in a bit of surprise, and formed a gap in the dome they formed around Tree Rex's group!</p><p>Tree Rex knelt down, scooped up 'Enehana, Vaayu, and Jorden from the ground and ran the fastest he could! As he approached the gap, he dropped down and slid through. His hands carefully folded over those in his grip the whole time, but as he escaped, he sprung to his feet and unfolded them.</p><p>"Everyone alright?" he asked. His face fell as his eyes caught wind of Vaayu, all labored breaths and cold sweat as he leaned against Tree Rex's finger. "Vaayu?"</p><p>"I, I," Vaayu panted, before he silenced himself as Tree Rex applied a small spark of green magic to his arm.</p><p>Like a solvent, it dissolved into his ghostly body. Its light shifted from purple to a clear sky's blue before it disappeared, and Vaayu sighed and closed his eyes. His breath steadied a bit, becoming softer and more even as he rested. Tree Rex took this as a sign to kneel down and cast spells further. Applying his finger to Vaayu's shoulder, Tree Rex let out small, steady breaths of his own as he applied flash after flash of green Life magic, each flash shifting in color as Vaayu's body adopted it.</p><p>The sound of pounding footsteps and whirring wheels came closer as Hot Head, Crusher, and Bouncer raced up to Tree Rex's side, but they weren't the only ones! Those pounding footsteps shook the halls again as the defenders charged after them. The halves of their shields still raised, but quickly lowered, almost like…</p><p>"They're gonna fire!" 'Enehana cried. "Duck!"</p><p>Tree Rex hit the floor immediately, and the others quickly followed as the defender slammed the two halves of their shields together and shot off white-hot lasers! The lasers only barely grazed across Tree Rex's back, and left a vaguely numbing, tingling feeling of warmth behind as their screech disappeared. It replaced with the pound of footsteps as the defenders charged at top speed.</p><p>Tree Rex gritted his teeth and slammed a palm against the floor, summoning a giant shield of bark. The shield splintered and caved as the defenders charged through and towered over them. They split their shields once more, and the one at the head of the charge slashed for Tree Rex, who hopped back a few paces, just barely grazed by every swipe.</p><p>Beside him, Bouncer futilely shot off a few rockets, and slammed them in the face of another defender as it swung for him. The most they left were harmless bursts of fire as they exploded against the defender's carapace. He gawked at the failed attack, and the defender slashed against his chest in his moment of distraction, knocking him on his back! His chest sparked for moment as its open gash laid bare, but with a slap from his hand, the metal on his chest folded in and sealed itself, leaving only a thin white scratch behind.</p><p>"Don't aim for the face, aim for the chest!" 'Enehana shouted from Tree Rex's palms. They grimaced as Bouncer wheeled back into the fray, and dug into their backpack before they yanked out a megaphone and held it to their lips. "I SAID, DON'T AIM FOR THE FACE, AIM FOR THE CHEST!"</p><p>The sudden volume shook the room and left everyone else involved shaking. Everyone but 'Enehana, who hovered out of Tree Rex's palms and nudged on Jorden to do the same! The two of them left Tree Rex's hand, and glared over at where the defenders shook just slightly and raised their shields. Their own ghostly bodies glowed a bit brighter in response. 'Enehana turned to Jorden first, hovering up just a bit slightly and whispering into his ear.</p><p>Jorden nodded and punched his fists together. The ground rumbled, and completely split as pillars of stone burst from the floor! They smashed through the wood, and tore the carpet to bits before they pierced right through the defenders' chests next! The defenders' eyes flickered as their bodies laid propped up by the pillars, each arranged so that they left the heart of their bodies completely open.</p><p>While the defenders laid vulnerable, a rain of flaming arrows shot from the other side of the hall. They merged into a trio of larger arrows as they pierced the defenders' hearts, melting away their armored carapaces! The liquid metal bubbled and dripped down. The red tint from the heat brushed against the complex inner mechanisms that supported the glowing core in the defenders' exposed chests!</p><p>'Enehana and Jorden both turned around as red light glimmered against their faces, and Vatra appeared in a pop and flash! He slunk down and panted, ghostly beads of sweat creeping down his forehead. With a pat from Jorden, he keeled over and collapsed!</p><p>"Whoops," Jorden remarked as Vatra collapsed by his feet. He chuckled and propped Vatra back up. "Sorry about that."</p><p>"That Ancients-forsaken troll got away," Vatra hissed, smoke burning from his palms. "I almost had him, but then he found some secret passage in the walls and disappeared! I'm sure he's on his way to tell that Kaos person we're here!"</p><p>Jorden dropped Vatra back on the ground with a wide-eyed urgency. "Then we need to get these things scrapped and get goin'!"</p><p>"And this is where I come in," 'Enehana whispered, holding out their arms.</p><p>Their prosthetic hands glowed a brighter shade of orange, pulled themselves apart and shifted. They became functional cannons in a matter of moments! The glow slunk into the cannons' hearts as they set into place with a firm click, and lasers burst from the cannons, sniping out the cores!</p><p>The glass shattered and raised down as the pillars disappeared, and the defenders quickly followed as they collapsed on their fronts. The dull sounds of them powering down in a warped, twisted manner intersected with that of their pipes bursting and mechanisms crunching as they collapsed. A low rumble swept across the room in time with their slow death. For a moment, one defender's finger twitched, and sent everyone back as it showed one last sign of dying life… But no, the defenders were done for.</p><p>However, a whole <em>other</em> army of robots rested behind them, all eager to fight! The robots all raised their weapons and ran, only to skid to a short stop as a deep voice boomed in rage!</p><p>"Just what is going on here?" Kaos howled from across the halls. "All this racket is ruining my gloating!"</p><p>A few sharp gasps came from the group, and Tree Rex himself prepared to bolt—but stopped as a thick mist coated the halls, obscuring everything ahead from view! He glanced down to his palms to find Vaayu awake and bright. His hand held out and seeped mist by the second, and he glanced back up at where the mist raised.</p><p>Just to be safe, Tree Rex flicked out his hands. A wall of vines stretched from the floor to the ceiling, its thick, thorny exterior choking out any sights. With this done, Tree Rex turned tail and raced back down the halls, the others close behind him.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>The light faded once more, and Chihiro gulped as she found herself in a musty-smelling, darkness-covered room. A faint light came from underneath the door, unveiling a few stray papers scattered across the floor and the sides of what seemed to barrels. Did they arrive back in the present? Well, only one way to find out. Chihiro gulped as she tip-toed along the floor, tried her hardest not to trip over anything, slowly creaked open the door…</p><p>And breathed a sigh of relief as she found herself on the broken balcony!</p><p>"Finally, back in the present at last," Spyro sighed, stumbling forward and leaning against the balcony's banister.</p><p>"I've never appreciated today more than I have now," Gill Grunt groaned. He stumbled to the other side of the balcony, and leaned against the banister as his legs steadied themselves.</p><p>Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf both trudged out of the closet soon after. As they did, smoke and faint yelling poured out from the halls as robots with glaring red eyes spilled out, and waved their weapons at something—something Stealth Elf immediately noticed. Flicking her ears, she flipped onto the banister, rested on its edge as she crouched down and peered ahead, and turned down to Chihiro.</p><p>"Something tells me we're not getting a break yet, though!" Stealth Elf shouted as she flipped out. "Come on, that has to be the other team!"</p><p>"And how do you know?" Trigger Happy flicked. "That just looks like some angry robots to me!"</p><p>A mighty cry rang out as beams of green light burst from the halls, sniping portraits off the walls and burning away parts of the floor! One slammed into the walls just above Trigger Happy's head as he gasped and ducked. He turned around and giggled as its green light pulsed in the dent it left behind.</p><p>"Actually, yeah, that has Tree Rex written all over it!" Trigger Happy giggled. Whipping out his pistols, Trigger Happy spun them around and hopped away. "I'm not gonna leave all the shooting to him!"</p><p>While the others rushed past her, Chihiro summoned a sword and leaped off the balcony! She rushed off the moment she hit the floor, weaving magic into her steps and teleporting from place to place! With only a few steps, she found herself just inches away from an Arkeyan soldier, and slashed it in half right as it turned around. Its halves exploded, and knocked her back into the ground while the static seared her face.</p><p>Crying out as she hit the floor, Chihiro rubbed the pain away with another spell. She pushed herself back up, sword still in hand as she stretched to full height. Another trio of Arkeyan soldiers surrounded her, and she only grunted as she rushed forward and slashed away! The first went down in a blink, and she kicked its halves into the second and third soldiers before she went to slice—but stopped herself as she met face to face with Vatra instead!</p><p>"Vatra, there you are!" Chihiro cried as she lowered her swords. "Did you manage to get Kaos?"</p><p>A burst of fire soared above their heads, and crashed into the wall aside with such force that the resulting shock wave forced them both to duck! Vatra fell first, grabbed Chihiro, and tucked her underneath him as the place shuddered in turn with the blast. Vatra relented for a moment, but as the ceiling started to crumble, he pulled Chihiro further away and winced.</p><p>"What do you think?" Vatra asked, his glance turning over to the raging battle.</p><p>Chihiro squirmed her way out of Vatra's grip. "Point taken."</p><p>Vatra stomped his feet, and blasted a few more robots as flames burst from his soles before he flew off. "This Kaos person is almost ready to go to Arkus! We need to stop these robots and go after him!"</p><p>Wait, already? Chihiro shook her head, and turned back to where the battle with the robots raged. There were a lot of them, and it seemed like they weren't planning to stop anytime soon, but maybe if she gave them a good enough jolt of magic… Chihiro raised her hand, and the cyan magic charged like it normally did.</p><p>She lifted her hands further, until they were just above her head, but lowered them as 'Enehana stepped forward and held their own glowing orange hands above her!</p><p>Bursts of orange lightning jolted from the robots around, striking them one by one with bursts of magic. They all tumbled down in an instant! The stench of smoke and oil wafted through the room as they clunked on the floor and fell to shambles. 'Enehana smirked and wiped their hands in front of them.</p><p>"That's the power of technomancy for you," 'Enehana said as they turned around and fixed their gloves. They scoffed one more time, and turned around to the rest of the group as they stumbled over. "Anyways, those robots said something about a launch room. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that?"</p><p>"Launch room?" Spyro repeated. He hummed and tapped his chin while his wings flicked up and down. "Launch room, launch room…" A light shone in Spyro's eyes and his head perked up. "Well, the only thing I can think of was that ballroom that weird ghost was talking about. Kind of a weird lead, but the only one we've got."</p><p>"Then that's where we're going!" Chihiro cried as she turned tail and dashed off. "Come on! We can't let him escape!"</p><p>Chihiro rushed up to the doors she was sure were the ballroom's, and went to open them—but it was no use, for they were locked shut! But why… Oh right, she was supposed to find the thing to unlock them before she got trapped in that time travel thing! How could she forget?</p><p>"Just leave these doors to me," Crusher cried as he cracked his knuckles. "Though, you might want to stand back."</p><p>Chihiro nodded and rushed back as Crusher heaved his hammer up. With one fell swing of it, the ballrooms doors splintered open! Their wood dented, and formed a cave of sorts around the head of Crusher's hammer before he swung it off in the next instant. The wood splintered further the moment the hammer hit the back of the room, split open the next as it fell to the floor, and revealed the rot it accumulated inside.</p><p>But, the doors were gone, and that meant they had to proceed. Everyone swarmed together into a tightly-packed crowd, but as the crowds passed on, Chihiro lowered her head and brushed her hand against her chin. Something about that strange time traveling bugged her, and not just the strange time traveling bit.</p><p>"Just what was all that about, anyways? Why didn't Kaos remember us? Why didn't it seem like anything changed?" Chihiro mumbled to herself as she passed through what were once the doors to the ballroom. "Was it really traveling through time?"</p><p>Chihiro stopped for a moment, and hummed as she racked her brain for some sort of explanation… But, every thought of it hurt her head. Alternate timelines, other dimensions, all that kind of stuff was way too complicated for her—but then again, she supposed time travel was a pretty complicated thing too, yet she understood that perfectly fine! On the other hand, didn't time traveling usually change things in the future too? It seemed like nothing changed when she met Kaos as a teenager, or even as a young adult! Spyro didn't seem like his memories were affected either. Maybe she created different timelines? Chihiro's head throbbed, and she groaned as she buried it in her hands.</p><p>"All this time stuff is confusing."</p><p>The footsteps grew distant, and Chihiro lifted her head to find that everyone else passed her by! Chihiro stomped her foot and teleported back into the group's ranks; her feet clacked as they hit cool, smooth marble first. The breeze rustled her hair, and she quickly patted it back down before she lifted her head back up.</p><p>The pathway stretched past the castle itself and well into the outside world, its marble checkerboard bridge passing over the clear skies below and towards another castle in the distance. The wind blew, its chilling breaths scattering leaves across the skies. To the front, the sounds of whispers rose as everyone huddled together, likely to discuss their plans. More than that, something rumbled underneath them, like something quaked or shuddered!</p><p>Chihiro winced and turned back down to the bridge. It almost seemed like it shook just slightly before it settled. Her gaze tensed as she tapped the bridge's tile, but when it shook no more, she shrugged and rejoined the group. This place was pretty old, after all. The bridge probably just caught a draft or something.</p><p>"Now, Kaos might be full of himself, but you can't take him lightly," Spyro advised from within the circle, though his face blocked off underneath everyone else who crowded around. "He's powerful—"</p><p>"Of course he is, he's a free magician!" Vatra chimed in from the group.</p><p>"— and stubborn, too. He won't stop until he wins, no matter how underhanded he has to go." A soft snort came from Spyro, followed by the sound of flapping wings. "Adding to that, if his robots found you, there's a good chance he knows we're here, so he'll probably try to stall us."</p><p>Another rumble came from the floor, this one a bit louder and stronger than the last. Chihiro grimaced down. The tiles seemed to rattle a bit firmer than before, but it seemed as though it still stood. Her glance couldn't quite pull away from it as the others discussed their strategies in hushed whispers. She tapped the tiles and they quaked a bit more. This time, it roused up enough that a few beings ceased their talking and glanced over. She didn't even need to turn around and look, for she could feel them crawling along her back!</p><p>"Hey, did anyone else feel that too?" 'Enehana asked, raising their voice up a little more.</p><p>A few mumbled agreements came from the rest of the group, ones drowned out by how the bridge rumbled and quaked even further! It was at that point that looks grew uneasy, fingers clenched in tension, and Chihiro's entire group finally moved off the bridge. They started in a bit of a tumble, one that hastened to a quick run as the bridge's quaking grew its loudest. The bridge's tremors became so heavy and strong that parts of the bridge rattled and tossed beings off balance…</p><p>Finally, the beginning part of the bridge collapsed, dropping down into the skies below! The other parts followed in succession, and everyone else moved faster, scrambling for the end of the bridge! The others made it off quick enough, but right as they ran past one particularly shaky part of the bridge, the floor caved under and Vatra and Jorden both slipped! 'Enehana stopped and flicked out their hands as Vatra and Jorden fell. The hands extended into long mechanical arms that stretched down and yanked the two of them up before they all ran off!</p><p>Chihiro grimaced, and teleported from section to section in quick bursts and zips as each part she passed collapsed in quick succession. The end of the bridge quickly came into view, and Chihiro hopped along the bridge's sections in a slightly faster speed. She was almost there—and now that she was, she could've sworn that cheering came from the building ahead, like that of a crowd's.</p><p>She landed on the marble and reached out for the building's open doorway, but right as she did, the rumblings grew distant and the floor underneath her disappeared! Only solid air remained where she once stood! One minute she leaped for the doorway, the next she collapsed, the wind screeching around her as she plummeted into the depths!</p><p>Screams and shouts came as the others dropped around her. Spyro and Gill Grunt fell first as the wind's pressure pushed them down, and then Tree Rex and Crusher collapsed at a rapid speed! She pushed out her hand, tried to thrust out a spell or anything that could help, yet the pressure and weight of the wind as it pushed her down was so mighty she couldn't! She could barely even reach out her arm as she fell further—and into something soft and puffy?</p><p>Chihiro flinched a bit as her back hit something that vaguely felt like a pillow or a pile of feathers. She opened her eyes to find that she landed right into a fluffy, firm cloud as white as snow. She patted the cloud's springy surface, and pushed herself up right as even more clouds rose from the depths with the rest of her team rested right on them!</p><p>Her own cloud shuddered a little as it rose back to where the bridge once stood, and nudged closer to the one remaining part of the bridge rested near the building. Chihiro hopped off, and met with the figure of a slightly muscular person's ghost hunched over and heaving labored breaths, their hand clutching the fabric of their floral-print blue shirt like a security blanket. She knelt down and brushed away their spiky black bangs to find sweat dotting their brown skin, and a sparkle of sky blue brought her eyes down to where a sparkling azure wheel pendant dangled from this person's neck.</p><p>"Another one of the ancient portal masters?" Chihiro whispered. The person heaved beside her, and she gasped before she propped them up. "Actually, never mind, we need to get you healed first!"</p><p>Chihiro gripped the person's shoulders as magic tinged her hands, and a tingling feeling came over her as the magic flowed from her to them. Their breath slowed and steadied as the magic flooded in, and their body glistened just a little bit more as they groaned and sat upright once more. They wiped their sweat away as Chihiro leaned back and released her hands, and they opened their eyes to reveal a kind, brown color. Their plump lips drew back into a chuckle as they patted Chihiro's head, but their hand was barely there.</p><p>"Who might you be, child?" they asked.</p><p>Chihiro chuckled. "Name's Chihiro! I'm a free magician from today's time."</p><p>The magician nodded. "I am Vaayu."</p><p>A few thuds came and shook the bridge, and Chihiro gasped and prepared a spell. The bridge didn't cave in, so she turned around and sighed with relief. No collapsing bridge parts this time—it was just the others as they landed back on the front gate.</p><p>"Should've guessed that was your work, Vaayu," Vatra said. His cloak fluttered in the wind as he marched for the doors. "That was close, though. Try not to over-exhaust yourself."</p><p>"I'll be fine, Vatra," Vaayu insisted, and pushed himself back to his feet as he followed Vatra to the doors.</p><p>"Not after you got stuck as a living battery for that machine!" Vatra grunted as he pushed against the tall, obsidian doors before him, but they barely budged an inch. "It's a miracle your soul didn't fade back then! We don't know what this Kaos person has in store, so leave him to us."</p><p>Tree Rex moved forward, and pushed the doors open with a single push of his fingers. With the doors wide-open, everyone tensed. Kaos surely waited for them on the inside, and everyone seemed to recognize it, judging by how they pulled out their weapons and clenched their fists.</p><p>Even Chihiro herself tensed a little, for her heart pounded a bit faster against her chest as she peered within. Whatever happened, she couldn't wait! This was her mistake to fix, and by god, she was going to fix it—so she stormed inside. The sound of pounding footsteps showed the others followed suit!</p><p>The sound of cheering and stomping feet shook the world as they stormed into the ballroom. They were greeted first by the chessboard-like marble floors that shone bright as if they had just been polished…</p><p>And then by the armies of Arkeyan robots that flooded the stands, their armor shining in the sunlight and them cheering like eager spectators! Some of them ever pushed their weapons towards the sky and waved them around like flags or foam fingers! But, the most chilling sight wasn't that, no.</p><p>It was what laid in the center.</p><p>There laid Kaos, seated in a red and gold throne with an ever-smug look on his face while a kind of leery-looking Glumshanks stood by his throne and shied away from view. Though, curiously, he didn't don his signature black robes, no. Instead, he traded them out for a silken gold robe with golden crown patterns woven in a somewhat ancient-seeming fashion, and a gold crown adorned with jewels topped his head. It was a look more reminiscent of a king from an ancient history book than the Kaos Chihiro knew. In fact, he carried himself with a stronger aura, one of cool confidence rather than the foolhardy brazenness of the Kaos Chihiro knew. She didn't know why, but something about Kaos didn't seem right, like he was an entirely different person!</p><p>"Well well, it seems we have a few unwanted guests here at my little victory party! Here I thought those holograms and extra robots would be enough to stop you, but I suppose I was wrong," Kaos crooned. Even his voice was different, a smooth baritone that highly contrasted the shrill, screechy voice of the actual Kaos. "I suppose you've come here to apprehend me?"</p><p>Chihiro clenched her teeth and her fist a bit tighter, resisting the urge to back away. She didn't know why, but something was different about Kaos—VERY different. Should she attack? Should she wait for him to speak? Chihiro groaned, but shook her head. Who cared about that? She came here to stop him, and that's what she was gonna do, no questions about it!</p><p>"You bet we are, Kaos!" Chihiro cried, sliding forward and pointing a finger right at his flashy throne. "There's no way we're letting you take over Skylands again!"</p><p>"You have a lot of nerve, showing your face here again!" Spyro shouted, and smoke funneled from his nostrils as he flew beside Chihiro. "We're nipping this plan of yours in the bud! If you come quietly, we might—"</p><p>"It's bold of you to assume you can stop me, hmm?"</p><p>The single question of Kaos's shut both Spyro and Chihiro up right in that instant, their mouths clenching tight. A sudden chill ran down Chihiro's spine, and on instinct her clenched fist released. Her brown eyes trailed back up to where Kaos sat on the throne. Some kind of intense aura came over him, one that left Chihiro shaking in his wake. This was nothing like the feeling the regular Kaos gave off! No, this was more akin to that of a king, regal and demanding. Judging from an aside glance, it seemed Spyro must have recognized it as well, for he too shuddered a bit in Kaos's wake.</p><p>"You know it too, don't you?" Kaos sneered, before he broke into a haughty laugh. "I knew it! You worms are clearly smart enough to recognize that you don't even hold a candle to my awe-inspiring power!" Kaos pushed himself to sit upright, and cackled as he drummed his fingers against the arms of his throne. "You couldn't possibly impair my ultimate plan!"</p><p>Another low chuckled came from Kaos, and Spyro and Chihiro both backed away.</p><p>"After all, it's almost complete! I'll take my Conquertron to the secret vault, retrieve the map to Arkus, and once I get there…"</p><p><em>Oh great, here comes the rambling about Skylands' ultimate doom, </em>Chihiro thought as she rolled her eyes.</p><p>"I will bring about a new age in Arkeyan history!"</p><p>And Chihiro's eyes shot wide! Arkeyans? That's what he was so concerned about?</p><p>"It'll be a glorious day for all my subjects, indeed! The Arkeyan Empire will finally see the light of day once more, and the almighty Ancient's lights will shine upon Arkus once again! The Arkeyans will march across Skylands, and it will expand all across Skylands as it once did during its golden era! All will bow before the mighty will of the Arkeyan Empire! The streets will be painted in red and gold, Arkeyan monuments will tower over every island, and I…"</p><p>Chihiro clenched her brows, and raised one as Kaos continued to ramble. All that talk, and not one mention of doom, or his empire, or anything of the sort. No, it was almost like he was only concerned with reviving the Arkeyans! That… Seemed a little small-scale for Kaos, didn't it? Unless he had a change in aesthetics since Chihiro last saw him, the whole fancy ancient empire thing wasn't really his style, either. Why on Earth was he so concerned with that? A wing nudged Chihiro's arm, and she turned aside to find Spyro's leery golden eyes locked on hers.</p><p>"Is it just me, or is Kaos acting kind of strange?"</p><p>"You're right," Chihiro replied as she shot a glance at Kaos while he went on another tangent about the beauties of Arkeyans or whatever. She winced and raised her voice just a bit. "This isn't like him at all!"</p><p>"That's because it isn't him!"</p><p>A familiar voice rang out, and Spyro and Chihiro both turned around to find Vaayu, who hobbled in with the rest of the group at his heels! His brown eyes were hot with fury now, but his gaze wasn't directed towards Chihiro or Spyro. No, it turned to Kaos instead!</p><p>Kaos popped an eye open and gasped, his latest spiel brought to a harsh stop.</p><p>"YOU?" he exclaimed. "I THOUGHT I BANISHED YOU TO THAT MACHINE!"</p><p>Vaayu chuckled, standing back to full height and pulling himself forward. "It takes more than a little machine to get rid of me, I'm afraid," Vaayu remarked. He cracked his knuckles, and venom seeped into his glance once more as he glared down Kaos. "I had my suspicions before, but this confirms it! You know, I knew you were stubborn, but possessing another being is a low even for you!"</p><p>"Lord Kaos, what's he talking about?" Glumshanks asked as he turned to Kaos.</p><p>Kaos, for his part, didn't respond. He just squirmed in his seat, his eyes bouncing around and teeth gritting and sputters spilling. That confident air he once held was completely gone, and now he just looked like he was about ready to scramble at any minute!</p><p>"Don't, don't say a word!" Kaos demanded. "If you take one more step forward—no, if you so much as breathe, I'll, I'll—"</p><p>"What's there to do? It's not like you've mastered that body's powers yet!" Vaayu sneered, but not out of confidence. No, it was a snide sneer, as if he purposefully drove Kaos into a corner.</p><p>"I suppose possessing a free magician was a bit more than you bargained for, wasn't it… Arkilles?"</p><p>"ARKILLES?" cried out everyone else in the room.</p><p>A string of gasps ran around the ballroom, and the robots in the stands ceased their cheering and lowered. Behind Chihiro, the others whispered and glanced at Kaos in shock, and Chihiro herself changed views from Kaos, to Vaayu, to a similarly-baffled Spyro in sequence. Kaos was possessed by Arkilles? THAT Arkilles? That ages-old king of the Arkeyans who was long-dead?</p><p>Chihiro winced as she glanced to Kaos once more, who sat in shock, or maybe anger, as he glared back down at Vaayu. He now stood atop his throne's seat. His back pressed against the throne's own while his head shifted like he sought out a way to escape!</p><p>"Lord Kaos, is that true?" Glumshanks asked. "What exactly is going on here?"</p><p>And then, Kaos froze. He stayed stuck to the throne for a moment, but finally, a low laugh came from him and he sat down. That same strange aura of confidence came back to him, and his laughter bellowed even louder!</p><p>"Well, I suppose there's no use hiding it anymore! Besides, there's no way you'll possibly stop me at this rate!" Kaos bellowed. "Seems we meet again after all, Lesser Elementals and their little party magicians!"</p><p>Kaos's, or maybe not Kaos's, laughter rang out more, and this time it was Tree Rex who stormed forward! His feet scuffed the floor as he slid forward, and bark shavings peeled from his teeth as he glared down Kaos.</p><p>"It really is you, Arkilles!" Tree Rex cried. "But how are you still here? Shouldn't you have died?"</p><p>"I could ask you the same thing, couldn't I?" Arkilles chuckled, holding out a hand. "After all, you fossils should've been dead and buried millennia ago! You're just as out of place in this era as I am!" Arkilles sneered as Tree Rex faltered a bit. "so, I suppose I wouldn't mind sharing a secret between us ancient folks."</p><p>The tone in Arkilles' voice was sickeningly sweet, as if he talked to an old friend, but Chihiro could see right through it. That glare on Tree Rex's face, that snide posture of Arkilles' as he sat in his throne… Those words of his were anything but friendly.</p><p>"You see, even though you never got to deal the final blow on me, those wounds you gave me were very, very grave indeed! I tried my hardest, struggled with all my might, but in the end, my mortal body gave out on me!" Arkilles pouted a moment, and made some vaguely pathetic, moaning noises before he cackled and continued. "My ghost rose, and of course, the reapers came to take me to the Underworld—but, I couldn't possibly leave! Not when I had so much to do! So, I took control of a Conquertron still standing in the reserves, and fled as far as I could, did whatever I could to shake their grip! If that meant sleeping for an eternity, so be it!"</p><p>"Wait," Glumshanks said, and his tone turned cold as he turned to Arkilles. "So you're saying—"</p><p>"But then, something delightfully unexpected came: this body!" Arkilles cackled, now beside him with glee as he leaned out of his throne and spun his tale. "The loud-mouthed pipsqueak woke me up, and at first I considered crushing him like an insect for it, if we're being honest, but the power he held, the splendid magic power, it made him the perfect vessel!" Arkilles chuckled and stretched to the skies, and the sun poured down on his crown and robes to give them a golden sheen. "Quite frankly, I'll put this body and its powers to better use than he ever did! With the powers of a free magician, and the entire army at my helm, I'll revive the Arkeyan Empire and ensure it never falls again!"</p><p>A few gasps came from beside, most notably from Tree Rex as he froze up, but not from Chihiro! No, she rushed up and tossed out hands flaring with magic!</p><p>"Alright, buddy, I don't know anything about fancy empires, and I could care less about Kaos," Chihiro cried as she clenched her fists, "but there's no way I'll let you revive your empire and take over Skylands!"</p><p>"Chihiro's right!" Vatra cried as he burst forward, flames trailing behind him. "A free magician's power is a gift to be used for the sake of protecting Skylands, not to bring about its downfall!"</p><p>'Enehana, Jorden, and Vaayu all nodded as they backed up behind Vatra and Chihiro, and the rest of their group fell in as well.<br> Hearing this and seeing them, Arkilles hissed. He squeezed his fist for a moment, but floated in front of the sun. A bright red glow radiated from his body, and blocked out the sunlight with magic as he stretched his arms wide.</p><p>"Ah, prattle all you want, it does you no good!" Arkilles bellowed, and the world around shuddered as he spoke. "How about you put your gold where your mouth is and try to stop me, then?"</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 13: Kaos's Kastle Part 1 (Part 2)<p>Back in the hallways, a muffled whoosh came from within a closet door as light poured in from underneath its gap. Soft, tired panting muffled by the door came next, followed by a slow creak as someone pushed it open from the other side, and out stumbled Trigger Happy and Spyro! Their eyes spun in their head as they struggled to stand on their own feet and paws.</p><p>Stealth Elf and Gill Grunt came next, tumbling in and knocking them all down onto the floor. As they all grunted, Chihiro wandered out with arms crossed. Her head hung low, and she almost didn't even notice the pile of Skylanders before her, if not for her accidentally stepping on Gill Grunt's fin! He yowled, and she jolted away and gasped!</p><p>"Sorry, sorry!" Chihiro cried as she helped Gill Grunt up. "I didn't really see you there!"</p><p>Gill Grunt moaned and shook his head as he thrust himself out of Chihiro's grip. "You're good, Chi."</p><p>Beside him, Spyro shook his head and stood to all four paws, his wings folded onto his back. "Just where are we, anyways?" he asked as his tail swooshed from side to side. "Whatever this place is, it definitely isn't Kaos's castle."</p><p>"You've got that right," Stealth Elf scoffed as she flicked her ears. "Certainly looks like a place he'd make, though."</p><p>Well, Stealth Elf was right on that front. The halls they stood in now were thinner compared to the ones in the prior castle, and painted in shades of purple and black and red that pulsed with malevolent energy. Strange statues lined the halls, all different portraits of a gangly, but proud-looking woman dressed in a top with a ridiculously huge collar whose hair was styled into two horns. Red velvet carpets lined with gold stretched across the seemingly infinite halls. The faint scents of smoke and something bitter to the sniff came in the air, and the whole area pulsed with some kind of evil feeling that left everyone shuddering.</p><p>It certainly shared a few of Kaos's aesthetics, yet, it was just off enough that it couldn't have been his. Even aside of the oddities, none of his minions roamed the halls, nor did it have any massive scrolls rambling about the doom of Skylands or crude portraits of him to be found. That begot the question: if this didn't belong to Kaos, who did it belong to?</p><p>Chihiro frowned and rubbed her chin as she stepped forward. Her nails scratched against her skin like they dug through dirt. She couldn't think of anyone else prominent enough in Kaos's life that would have a castle like this, but then again, she didn't really know a whole lot about Kaos. So, she turned to Gill Grunt as he stumbled outside of the closet and joined her.</p><p>"Hey Gill, where are we?" Chihiro asked.</p><p>"Your guess is as good as mine," Gill Grunt remarked. He shrugged a bit, and another chill ran down his spine as he lowered his arms. "Whatever this place is, though, it gives me the creeps!"</p><p>"This feels like some big-time supervillain's lair or something!" Trigger Happy cried, and his eyes bounced from side to side as he whipped out his pistols. "I bet they're gonna jump out from the shadows and laugh in our faces right now!" A faint clunk sounded in the distance, and Trigger Happy gasped as he turned around. "Take this, you dastardly do-badder!"</p><p>Trigger Happy cackled his loudest as he shot off a round of gold coins with such fury that it blasted him back, knocking him into Chihiro's backside and sending them both tumbling. As Chihiro turned around and claimed him from the floor, she found that all he succeeded in doing was shooting up the walls and knocking several of the statues off their stands. Trigger Happy chuckled and scratched his head, and Chihiro smiled and rolled her eyes as she clutched him tight.</p><p>As she stood back up, her gaze drifted first to Stealth Elf, who stared at the halls ahead with a steely, sort of contemplative gaze. Stealth Elf's whole body was frozen, not even a twitch of the finger or ear. Whatever it was that she focused on, it seemed like it was really important.</p><p>"Anyways—" Trigger Happy started before Stealth Elf immediately shushed him.</p><p>He pursed his lips tight as Stealth Elf held out an arm, and she in turn drew it back.</p><p>"Do you hear that?" Stealth Elf whispered as she turned to the others.</p><p>Chihiro frowned, tilting her head. She could just barely hear something that sounded like shouting, or maybe arguing in the distance. However, she couldn't really glean just where it was coming from, nor the exact tone of voice.</p><p>Whatever it was, it seemed to have caught Stealth Elf's attention, for she crept down the halls with her head not even turning to acknowledge them.</p><p>Chihiro clutched Trigger Happy tighter as she tip-toed after Stealth Elf, and only occasionally glanced at the halls while the voices grew louder. Now that Chihiro thought about it, they did start to sound somewhat familiar. There was a high-pitched and kind of scratchy one that argued with a much older, tired-sounding one about… Staying or going somewhere, she supposed? Chihiro glanced aside to the walls as two tall, thin shadows stretched across them, gulped and stepped out of their mouth at last.</p><p>Light poured into the circular room she entered. It held a tall balcony lined with velvet carpets all colored in the same eerie shades of purple, pink, and red that colored the halls before. Unlike the halls, shelves filled with all sorts of books took the place of the portraits and statues that lined the halls prior, and a glowing pink portal sat at the bottom—wait, a portal? Was this place owned by a portal master?</p><p>Chihiro let go of Trigger Happy and slunk behind a few bookshelves, ones that gave her just enough room to peek out. There on the lower half of the room, light poured in from a pair of open doors as two beings stood in their center. More than that, they were two beings she recognized!</p><p>At the left was Glumshanks, who seemed much wearier than the last time she saw him. He was all wrinkly and clad in rags, much like the Glumshanks she knew in the present. Below him was a short, skinny, probably teenaged Kaos, who now donned clothes closer in color to his black robes of the present than the regal garb of his childhood, and a bright, puffy, ginger afro. A pout sat on his face as Glumshanks waved his arms, and Chihiro crooked her head to the side as she shifted closer.</p><p>"I'm telling you, Prince Kaos, this is an extremely bad idea," Glumshanks insisted, drumming his fingers against each other. "Kaossa—I mean, Kalamity's rage is utterly furious, and her temper is far from ideal! We'll be much safer—"</p><p>"Nonsense, Glumshanks! I want answers, and as her son, I'm sure to get them!" Kaos shouted, his voice perfectly confident despite Glumshanks' fearful tone as he strode forward. "Besides, once she sees my awesome magical prowess, she'll absolutely have to acknowledge me! I've brought puppets to life, mastered every advanced spell in the book" — Kaos chuckled, then turned around and pointed to his head — "and I've even grown an impressive head of hair!"</p><p>"Your hair is very impressive, Prince Kaos." Glumshanks smiled and nodded. A small chuckle made its way across his face, but then, he shook his head and frowned again. "But that's not the point! We have to get out of here before—"</p><p>"WHO GOES THERE?"</p><p>A massive voice roared through the room, shaking the bookshelves and even knocking a few over!</p><p>Chihiro herself fell to her knees from the vibrations. She shuddered for a moment before she teleported away as the bookshelf she hid behind fell over! In a puff of magic, she found herself behind a few fallen tables and shelves. Her back pressed against something warm and scaly—wait, warm and scaly? Popping an eye open, Chihiro smiled as the first thing that met her was Spyro's warm golden eyes. The sight of the other Skylanders met her next as they huddled behind the tables, their eyes fixed on the scene just as intently as Chihiro's were.</p><p>"Did you hear that?" Chihiro whispered as she pulled Spyro aside.</p><p>"Hard not to," Spyro scoffed.</p><p>"Not that weird booming voice! What Kaos and Glumshanks were talking about! Apparently this is his mom's place." Chihiro pulled away from Spyro and shuffled closer to the tables. "And I guess the next place we need to get out of."</p><p>Thick, churning pink smoke billowed from the portal. It grew thicker and darker as a pair of eyes opened within its center, and soon it towered over Kaos and Glumshanks! Glumshanks gasped and cowered behind Kaos as it loomed, yet Kaos didn't even move an inch. No, he beamed and outstretched his arms with that confident smirk still glued to his face!</p><p>"What business do you have here in the great Kalamity's castle?" The smoky cloud demanded, its voice still booming, but not enough to blow the room to bits.</p><p>"Why, to have an audience with her of course!" Kaos proclaimed, reaching out a hand. "I wish to discuss with her—"</p><p>"Denied." The smoke cloud scoffed and turned away. "Kalamity has better things to do than mingle with snot-nosed brats."</p><p>"Snot- nosed brat? SNOT-NOSED BRAT?" Kaos gritted his teeth and shuffled forward. He nearly tripped on the cloth of his own gown before he pointed a finger at the cloud. "I'M NO ORDINARY HUMAN, MIND YOU! I'M A POWERFUL MAGICIAN, FAR BEYOND ANYTHING YOU CAN EVEN THINK OF!"</p><p>The cloud scoffed as it started to fade. "That was what the last few claimed—"</p><p>"AND, I'M HER SON! SHE HAS NO RIGHT TO TURN AWAY HER OWN SON!"</p><p>The cloud turned around with eyes raised just a bit as it glanced down at Kaos. It hummed a little, not bothering to speak. Its eyes raised and sank as if it was deep in thought. It hummed a bit more as it swirled around Kaos, and then Glumshanks as he stumbled out and squeaked…</p><p>Before it sank back to the portal and hummed some more! The cloud thinned, and disappeared entirely as it slunk back into the portal without a word.</p><p>Kaos scoffed and crossed his arms, but Glumshanks only grabbed him by the shoulder! Kaos sputtered and shouted as he tried to thrust himself out of Glumshanks' grip, yet Glumshanks didn't even budge. In fact, it was hard to tell from the distance, but Chihiro was almost certain that Glumshanks dug his death grip even deeper into Kaos's shoulder by the second, even though his hands shook so furiously!</p><p>"Alright, we got our answer, now let's get going, Prince Kaos," Glumshanks sputtered, making a beeline for the open doors as he spoke. "I'm sure there's better mentorship prospects out here than—"</p><p>Glumshanks screamed as the doors slammed shut before them, and the whole room turned dark. The only light seemed to come from faint flickers on the walls—some kind of light spell or embedded lamp, perhaps? Whatever it was, this darkness was the perfect cover!</p><p>"Alright, they should be distracted!" Chihiro cried. With a flick of her hand, a sphere of light burst out, and hovered beside her as she stumbled away from the tables. "Now, that light orb thingie that should get us out of this place should be somewhere in here, if it's anything like before. Let's split up and—"</p><p>The lights shot back on as another pair of doors slammed open, and Chihiro squealed as she fell on her back. Her light sphere exploded and vanished beside her, and she shuddered as she tried to push herself up. But, it was hard! Something malevolent, something that brimmed with powerful evil energy, kept her glued to the spot as it entered the room. Just being in its presence was like having the strength sucked out of her! Finally Chihiro pushed herself to stand up, and she poked her head just enough over the tables to catch a glimpse.</p><p>At the top of the balcony, the doors indeed opened, but all that came from them was smoke, thick pink smoke like the kind that made up that strange presence Kaos talked with! The sound of footsteps clacking against the floor rumbled from the halls within, and with every step, shudders ran down Chihiro's spine.</p><p>A part of her screamed at her to run, to get out of here, but something else demanded she stay. Only her eyes could move. They glanced between where Glumshanks panicked and Kaos stood in awe, and where a thin, silhouetted figure manifested from beyond the hallways. A sleek black boot stepped in first, and another shudder came down Chihiro's spine. Spindly black fingers sent the shudder from Chihiro's spine to her arms and legs…</p><p>And then, a person emerged.</p><p>Now atop the balcony, there stood a tall, stick-thin woman with a face near-identical to the woman in those statues Chihiro saw in front of those open doors. Her arms were practically bones, and her fingers were so long and thin they were akin to wisps of smoke. A face sharpened by tall cheekbones and a pronounced chin rested on her head, her red eyes brimmed with malevolence in a way highlighted by her magenta eyeshadow, her nose was longer but still had the same round shape as Kaos's, and blood red lipstick painted her thin lips. Her dark hair styled into the same twin horn shape as the hair of the statue person, and adorned itself with shiny, purple gems that radiated with malevolent power.</p><p>Her body stood draped in the cloth of a black and red gown that practically clung to her skin, with a gold chevron-shaped belt around the skirt, a symbol like the one on Kaos's forehead but made of pink crystal embedded into its chest, and a black collar with gold accents that stretched well past her head. It all accentuated with long, black strips of cloth that stuck out in long and wispy strands. Black opera gloves covered her arms where the dress's sleeves ended, and on one finger she bore a golden ring adorned with a pink crystal. The ring paired well with the golden choker with a pink diamond-shaped gem she wore around her neck.</p><p>Her finger twitched, and the whole room shuddered underneath, as if her presence alone would warp and twist it! Chihiro had never seen anything like it before. Even Master Eon and the Elder Elementals never controlled the room in such a domineering manner! Chihiro wanted to run just from the sight of this lady, yet she couldn't even move an inch!</p><p>The woman's lip twitched, and she scowled as she ran her hand along the balcony's rim.</p><p>"Now tell me again," she hissed, her voice young but confident. "What business do you have here with me, the great Kalamity, exactly?"</p><p>Even Kaos himself seemed to be in awe of her presence. He twitched and shuddered as he stepped back, but quickly he collected himself. With a clearing of his throat, Kaos shuffled forward and pointed to Kalamity.</p><p>"Don't try to act all confident, now! I know who you really are!" Kaos cried. "Your real name is Kaossandra, the disgraced second queen of the East-Western Skylands… And my mother! As Kaos, your almighty, awe-inspiring son, I've come to claim my birthright!"</p><p>Kalamity snarled, fingers curling around the balcony and crackling with pink lightning.</p><p>In spite of all this, Kaos's eyes still fixed on her and his finger still pointed forward. Instead, it was Glumshanks who broke the ice. He pushed Kaos aside and fell to his knees.</p><p>"What Prince Kaos means to say, oh mighty Kalamity, is that he's shown quite the magical prowess for his age," Glumshanks sputtered, continuing to bow up and down as he spoke. "He's surpassed the materials for a boy of his status, and he's read that you're an incredibly powerful and amazing magician, and wishes for something as simple as—"</p><p>"SILENCE!" Kalamity boomed, waving out a hand.</p><p>Glumshanks pushed himself up, and Kalamity scoffed as she strode down her balcony, fingers still running across the railing.</p><p>"I am no ordinary mage. I am one of the most powerful kinds of magicians to ever grace Skylands."</p><p>Hitting the final step, Kalamity released her grip and strode forward.</p><p>"I've leveled entire cities, raised the most powerful of monsters, awakened mighty evils, and conquered islands in an eye's blink! Those petty little mages and their party tricks can only hope to compare to me!" Kalamity crossed her arms and scowled. "Even if you are my son, I am not inclined to take an apprentice on so easily."</p><p>This time it was Kaos who pushed Glumshanks back. Shock rang in his eyes as he pushed himself in Kalamity's face.</p><p>"But I'm no ordinary mage!" Kaos cried, holding out his hands. "I've cast spells that my family could only dream of casting, I've brought wooden puppets to life like I was blinking, and I've surpassed our finest court mages, even my own father and brothers! Isn't that enough for you?"</p><p>Kaos held out a hand forward, but all that greeted him was was a bright pink magic blast headed straight for him and Glumshanks! The two of them screamed as they rolled away, the blast singing the carpet where they once stood instead. As they staggered up, Kaos glared at Kalamity—who returned his scowl with another in turn.</p><p>Kalamity's hand charged up with bright, pink fire that burned like the sun. With a single snap, it leaped and consolidated into a whole ring of pink magic bursts.</p><p>"If you're as special as you claim to be," Kalamity hissed, "prove it to me and beat me in battle!"</p><p>The bursts all flew off from Kalamity with a single wave of her hand, their target locked straight on Kaos! Kaos jumped back and cast out a shield of magic just before they hit. Still, the shield shattered immediately and blew Kaos into the wall.</p><p>"Prince Kaos!" Glumshanks cried as he pushed himself up and reached for Kaos. "Let's just stop this and go home! I'm sure that old canopy's still—"</p><p>Another blast fell by Glumshanks' feet, and he ran off as it exploded before he dove behind a bookshelf that fell on its side in the midst of all the combat. He poked his head up for just a moment as flashes of red and blue, purple and pink shone all across the room. Glumshanks gasped as several bursts of cyan magic came dangerously close towards the shelf, and jumped back behind it!</p><p>The blasts' cyan light painted the walls as they exploded and faded just as quick. Kaos glanced at them for only a moment, for a burst of pink magic exploded by his feet! He cried as the burst tossed him in the air, soon turning to a grunt as he rolled across the floor. As he slowed to a stop, he pushed himself up. With another wave of his hands, Kaos cast a whole blast of hot blue fireballs—but, with a wave of Kalamity's hand, they all exploded in midair with not a trace remaining!</p><p>"Alright, seems like this calls for a change of tactics!" Kaos cried, waving his still-glowing hands. "I've been perfecting this spell all week, and now I have the chance to finally try it out!"</p><p>Kaos's eyes flashed a bright cyan, and he grinned as he leaped forward and planted them on the floor! The ground below rattled as veins of blue spread through the wood's lines, and Kaos cackled as he lifted his hands. The blue veins glowed even brighter, and geysers of magical water spurted and burst while the water formed an entire lake around Kaos's feet!</p><p>"MEET MY ULTIMATE, AMAZING, DOOMSHARK!"</p><p>The whole floor rumbled, and completely burst as a bright blue shark leaped from the bottom of the floor. It split a hole in the ground as it roared and flailed in the air! It set itself upright and bore its sharp, pearly fangs—but before it even moved, a larger, pink orca made of magic rushed forward and swallowed the shark whole!</p><p>The orca cried out as it bolted right for Kaos. He screamed and teleported away as the orca charged forward, and it smashed a hole through the wall instead! The orca dissipated into bursts of pink smoke as Kaos rolled away and panted, his breath still heavy as he turned around.</p><p>His whole body, from his head to his eyes to his feet, enveloped itself in both blue and red magic that flashed and swirled around him, almost as if he was going to teleport. With a wave of Kalamity's hand, the light shot out just as it completely enveloped him, leaving him to sputter and spin around instead! Pink light shone against his face as he finally shook off the dizziness. He raced off just before that pink light consolidated into a blast that smashed against the walls, and left a hole that burst with pink embers behind!</p><p>Even more of the blasts trailed after him as he ran. They shook the whole manor, and knocked more furniture over with loud crashes that rumbled the area almost as much as the blasts themselves! Flares of cyan and pink, red and purple flashed against the walls as the embers spat out…</p><p>In fact, a few got dangerously close to Chihiro, who yipped and ducked behind the tables as the heat flared against her face!</p><p>"Alright, they seem distracted enough," Chihiro said, casting an aside glance for a moment. When it became clear to her that Kalamity and Kaos focused more on their fight than any strays, Chihiro turned to the others. "Come on, let's get out of here before they find us!"</p><p>Another explosion came, this time so dangerously close that it blew the tables away, and Chihiro, Spyro, Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf went with them! They all grunted as they hit the walls. Sharp cracking noises hit the air with them; they rang like every bone in their bodies shattered. No, as Chihiro opened her eyes, she found that noise was only the tables, which were blown to splinters and bits. Wait, the tables were gone, and they were wide open!</p><p>Chihiro panted, and her eyes darted from side to side as she sought another form of sanctuary. Finally, those eyes of hers fell on a stray stack of boxes.</p><p>"Over there!" Chihiro cried as she pointed to the boxes.</p><p>Spyro's eyes flashed purple, and with a flap of his wings, purple magic completely tinted Chihiro's view! When the magic faded, Chihiro found herself cuddled beside Spyro as they all curled behind the boxes, but not for long as they crept away. Another stray blast came for them, and screeched like a firework as it landed and exploded! They flew behind a nearby toppled-over bookcase instead.</p><p>Her legs shook like jelly, but Chihiro forced herself up and prepared to run. Before she could, she collapsed and ducked back behind the bookcase as a few more blasts crashed through the walls behind her. Another blast exploded, knocked her back into the walls, and before she even had time to recover, Spyro swept her onto her back as he ran off. Chihiro grunted, and her arms and legs slowly regained their weight as she leaned forward.</p><p>"Just hiding's getting us nowhere," Chihiro whispered. She clutched Spyro tight as the magic swam through her veins. "Guess I'll just have to take it a little further, then!"</p><p>Chihiro squeezed Spyro tighter, and her head pressed against his back as a wave of magic burst from around her. Slowly, everyone around disappeared from view! Their footsteps were the only things that identified them in front of her, and allowed her to trace their moved to the top of the balcony. Spyro finally joined Gill Grunt, Stealth Elf, and Trigger Happy at the top, and Chihiro pushed herself off his back as she peered down at the world below, just to make sure Kalamity and Kaos didn't notice.</p><p>Below them, Kalamity shuddered and turned around. "I felt a disturbance!" Kalamity cried. "What was it? Who's there?"</p><p>"Hah! You left yourself wide open!"</p><p>Kalamity grunted as a burst of cyan fire smacked her in the face, but she quickly shook it off and turned back to Kaos, still snarling as he waved.</p><p>"You little—you'll pay for that dearly!"</p><p>"Well maybe you should've paid more attention to your opponent! I wouldn't call that worthy of a powerful sorceress!"</p><p>Chihiro frowned and dashed back into the hallways. The sounds of Kaos and Kalamity's bickering growing more distant the further she ran. They seemed distracted enough, so now was the perfect time to find a way out! A few doors came into view as she ran further. She yanked one open and peered inside, but all that sat within the room were a bunch of empty shelves.</p><p>"Nothing here!" Gill Grunt cried from down the hall. "Just a bunch of treasure!"</p><p>"Ooh, treasure? Is there gold in there, too?" Trigger Happy shouted.</p><p>"There's no time to get distracted!" Stealth Elf hissed. "We have to find that teleporter!" A door slammed in the distance and Stealth Elf cleared her throat. "Anyways, there's nothing here but a bunch of statues of that Kalamity lady!"</p><p>Chihiro winced, closed the door, and rushed back down the halls right as Spyro burst out from a door in front of her! She dug her heels into the ground before she slammed right into it, and crept around as Spyro flew out from the door with a shudder.</p><p>"Nothing there!" Spyro sputtered before he shuddered once more. "Kinda understand where Kaos gets his sense of aesthetics from now."</p><p>Raising a brow, Chihiro turned around, shuddered and immediately slammed the door closed. Yeah, that was going to haunt her nightmares for a little while. Chihiro rubbed her eyes in some hope of erasing the image from her brain, and skimmed over the halls, looking for another door to open or any sort of hint as to where that teleporter orb was.</p><p>"Hey, I found something!" Trigger Happy called from down the hall. "Come here!"</p><p>Chihiro followed Stealth Elf, Gill Grunt, and Spyro down to a particularly dark corner of the hall. It was lit only by a rectangle of purple-pink light from an open door. Trigger Happy turned around, waved at them from the front, and disappeared into the room while the other Skylanders all followed behind. Only Chihiro stopped for a moment to close the door before a strange, powerful yet familiar magic presence rushed into her bones! Chihiro shuddered for a moment, turned around and gasped!</p><p>The whole room lit in purple and pink light from a collection of glowing, sparkling portals! They were sleeker than the ones in Ancient's Peak's portal room; their stone borders barely crossed over their center, and their bodies comprised of shiny black stone as opposed to the aged, graying ones of home. Still, there was no doubt about it—they were portals! If Chihiro wasn't convinced that Kalamity was a portal master before, this definitely sealed the deal.</p><p>More than that, the largest of the portals, which sat in the very back of the room—it had that same, red orb from before floating above it and pulsing!</p><p>"There it is!" Chihiro cried as she rushed past the others. "Come on, let's get it before—"</p><p>"I had a feeling there was something amiss here!" Kalamity cried as the door slammed open!</p><p>Chihiro gasped. Her arms and legs shook without her even thinking about it as she turned around.</p><p>Kalamity's glare pierced into Chihiro as she slunk up to her. The fires that burned in her blood-red eyes grew even brighter, and gave them a hellishly bright look. A lump formed in Chihiro's throat as she backed away with all she could. On instinct she threw out her hand, tried to cast a spell, yet nothing came. Not a spark, not a feeling, nada! It was all she could do to stand her tallest in Kalamity's presence while the air sparked and thickened around her.</p><p>"That little brat must have sneaked you in when he started rambling about all this challenge nonsense!" Kalamity hissed, yanking Chihiro up by the throat! Chihiro hacked and choked as Kalamity pulled her closer, until Kalamity's eyes locked on hers and practically burned a hole in Chihiro's face. "Tell me right now, what is it that he wants? Treasure? Ancient spellbooks?"</p><p>"Why would we ever work for that guy?" Trigger Happy spat, jumping to his feet. "Do we look like wannabe evil overlords to you?"</p><p>Kalamity didn't even listen. She snarled, squeezing Chihiro's throat tighter while Chihiro's head spun! Chihiro flailed as hard as she could, and kicked at Kalamity's chest even though she barely made the mark. She flicked out her arms, tried to cast a spell or anything, really, but her head grew dizzier by the moment. The world around her blurred and spun as Kalamity choked her tighter.</p><p>"TELL ME RIGHT NOW, OR I'LL WIPE YOU OFF THE FACE OF SKYLANDS!"</p><p>"Let Chihiro go!" Spyro yowled as he charged right for Kalamity.</p><p>Kalamity snarled, finally dropping Chihiro to the floor. Kalamity spread out her arms, and from them, a massive pink shock wave burst across the room and slammed everyone back! The portals all flared and burned with columns of light as they crashed.</p><p>The light blurred Chihiro's vision even further as the wave smacked into her, and the shock knocked her back like she was little more than a rag doll. Chihiro grunted as she slammed into the back wall. Her whole body locked up as she fell out and collapsed on the ground. The pain surged through the body the same way the stray static from the blast did, pinning her to the ground and barely allotting her to keep her eyes open.</p><p>Around her, Spyro, Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, and Stealth Elf all laid splayed on the ground in similar ways. Pink static crackled and burst off of fur, scales, skin as they groaned. The just barely pushed themselves up before they collapsed once more.</p><p>In the center of it all, Kalamity slunk further with a scowl on her face, and her hands sparked with magic so powerful it shook Chihiro to the bone. Chihiro couldn't even get up. All she could do was watch as Kalamity inched closer and closer, the light from her hands growing brighter by the second.</p><p>"It's time I showed you worms what I do to intruders," Kalamity hissed, flinging her hand in front of Chihiro.</p><p>Chihiro couldn't even more, shout, retort—just the sight of Kalamity froze her to the spot. Her whole body locked down and shook while the light grew brighter. The screeching of magic rang in her ears with her own blood, and the magic itself made the air thick, so thick that it choked Chihiro out until she could barely breathe! Judging by the coughing from the others that she barely hear, she wasn't the only one affected!</p><p>"CHIHIRO!" Spyro coughed out. He tried to push himself from the ground only to fall back over.</p><p>"I'll deal with you next," Kalamity hissed as her hands reached their brightest. "For now—"</p><p>The sound of a door slamming right open echoed around the room, and Kalamity scowled as she turned around. Her hands' light faded, and the atmosphere in the room seemingly lightened. Had something saved them? A glance past her showed that someone else had entered the room, but not a savior by any means, no.</p><p>"There you are!" Kaos cried as he flew forward. "Though you could get away from our epic battle of world-ending proportions, eh?" Kaos snickered as he pointed a finger right in Kalamity's face. "Well, you were absolutely, utterly, WRONG!"</p><p>Kalamity scowled. "I don't have time for your nonsense, brat!" she hissed back.</p><p>With a wave of her hand, Kaos jolted into the air and rammed into the back wall. He was incapacitated, and left Kalamity to scoff and turn around.</p><p>"I'm merely dealing with the intruders YOU let in underneath my nose!"</p><p>"What are you talking about?" Kaos staggered up and gestured to Chihiro. "I haven't seen them in my life!"</p><p>Chihiro frowned and raised a brow. He didn't remember her? But, what about the time prior, when she ran into his kid self at the castle and everything? If they were time-traveling, surely he'd have some recollection of that, right? Chihiro wanted to step forward and argue, but at the same time, given the circumstances, it may have been for the better that he didn't recall who she was. Chihiro just shut her mouth.</p><p>"You're lying!" Kalamity cried, and her voice echoed so loudly that the portals' light flickered from the force. "There's no way my castle's defenses could have let any of these worms in! Clearly, you must have sneaked them in to steal my treasures!"</p><p>"And I'm telling you, I don't recognize them at all!" Kaos snarled as he pointed at Chihiro. "Now can we get back to our ultimate duel of epic proportions?"</p><p>Kalamity growled underneath her breath. Her teeth gritted together as she turned her piercing gaze on Chihiro's group instead. Though, with the way she glared, it was as if she pierced directly into Chihiro's heart instead! Chihiro's whole body locked up, not able to even move a muscle as the sweat crawled down her back. Was this one of Kalamity's fancy evil powers too, or just the nerves of being in such a powerful presence?</p><p>"Then prove it to me, and eliminate them right this second!"</p><p>"Gladly!" Kaos cried, cackling as blue fire burst from his palms.</p><p>His eyes set on Chihiro first as he cackled and shot blasts of magic her way. Chihiro's body loosened on instinct. It allotted her to wave her hand, and craft a shield that blocked off the blasts before they could even get halfway towards her.</p><p>Chihiro growled, clenched her fists as she prepared to take Kaos on further, but instead he leaped away and charged for Spyro!</p><p>Kaos cried out, hands still burning as he went to strike—yet it was Spyro who struck first, for he charged forward and tackled right into Kaos's chest! Kaos grunted as the charge blew him backwards, right into Trigger Happy. Trigger Happy cackled as he whipped out his guns, and blew Kaos back with a burst of golden light! Another couple grunts from Kaos echoed through the room as Kaos rolled across the floor.</p><p>Trigger Happy grinned, but completely froze up as Kalamity slunk behind him out of seemingly nowhere, and she yanked him from the floor! Kalamity snarled as she squeezed Trigger Happy's wrist. She shook him around for a bit of emphasis while he squealed.</p><p>"You can't even knock out an obnoxious gremlin!" Kalamity hissed as she continued to shake Trigger Happy. "What makes you think you can be my apprentice?"</p><p>Kalamity snarled as her hand started to glow, but right then, Stealth Elf leaped out of thin air and kicked Kalamity right in the back! Kalamity grunted, clutching her stomach. She keeled forward while her grip on Trigger Happy started slipping, and Stealth Elf yanked Trigger Happy by the hand as she dashed away.</p><p>"And you couldn't even notice a stupid little elf!" Kaos sneered back as he crossed his arms. "What makes you think you can get on my case, anyways?"</p><p>"I was merely caught a bit off-guard, that's all! Having to deal with an insolent pest like you" — Kalamity snarled and shot off a blast of pink magic — "is much harder than an amateur like you would think!"</p><p>Kalamity gritted her teeth as Stealth Elf and Trigger Happy dodged the blast just as it came into their range. Her eyes turned on where Gill Grunt lifted his cannon with aim fixed on Kaos, and she fired on him instead! Gill Grunt gasped and rushed away as the blast came in for him, and it smashed right through the wall instead.</p><p>Its newborn hole was quickly covered by Kaos as he walked in and scoffed. "If you were trying to shoot me, your aim's ridiculously off! How can you call yourself a powerful magician when you can't even do something as simple as that, foolish witch?" Kaos sneered.</p><p>Kalamity scowled as she failed to zap Gill Grunt once more, and pushed Kaos aside. "Step aside, brat!" Kalamity hissed and shot another blast as she moved. "If you want to do anything productive, focus on getting rid of those intruders!"</p><p>"I don't need you to tell me that! In fact, I'll show you how a true master of magic does it!"</p><p>Kaos chuckled as he rubbed his hands, and burst out and charged with a wave a blast of hot blue fire... Set right for the teleporter! Wait, if it blew that up, they'd be stuck here forever!</p><p>Chihiro jumped to her feet without even thinking, and teleported in front of the orb. She cast out her hands as she prepared a shield, yet the flaming blast came in first and slammed into Chihiro's chest! Her chest flared up as she hit the floor and rolled across, burning like it was hit by the sun itself. The pain spread to her arms and legs, and numbed them until she was only able to curl up and clutch her chest. She clawed at it in some faint hope that it would stop the pain!</p><p>"Chihiro!" Spyro cried.</p><p>He teleported to her side and pushed her to her feet, but it was no use. Her legs were still so numb that she could only stand for a few seconds before she fell to her knees and hacked. Heck, her stomach churned so badly that it took all her willpower to <em>not</em> cough up her guts! Instead, she covered her mouth and hacked away, something wet hitting her palms as she did; she couldn't tell if it was spit or blood. Her head throbbed so badly and she could barely smell. Looks like that blast from Kaos took a lot more out of her than she thought, but, she, she had to defend the teleporter!</p><p>Chihiro tried to push herself up again, but no use. Once more she fell down, this time just barely pushed up by her hands, and something red spat out of her mouth in tiny, metallic-scented drops. Well, guess it was blood.</p><p>"Everyone, to the teleporter, quick!" Spyro cried.</p><p>Cold, hard teeth brushed against Chihiro's sleeve as Spyro bit into it and dragged her to the teleporter. He placed a paw on it as Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, and Stealth Elf sprung forward and joined him. The whirling, numbing feeling encapsulated Chihiro as the world around her started to blur…</p><p>"Wait, no, get back here!" Kaos cried, rushing forward and holding out a hand. "I wasn't done with you interlopers yet! I'm never going to forgive you for—WOAH!"</p><p>Having snagged his foot on his own robe, Kaos cried out as he rolled on the floor and slammed right into the portal. In that moment, a bright flash of cyan and purple light burst from it, intermingling with the red light of the world around! The shock lifted the haze on Chihiro's senses just enough that she could lift her head, and she spied the wide-eyed, jaw-dropped look on Kalamity's face as Kalamity herself stepped back.</p><p>"I can't believe it," Kalamity gasped right as the light completely enveloped Chihiro. "You're a portal master!"</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Tree Rex gritted his teeth, and closed his eyes the best he could as the wind lashed against his bark. His whole body crumpled underneath the weight of the winds, or at least, it felt like it. It was hard to tell when his eyes stung so badly that just opening them was a trial in and of itself. He could only faintly hear everyone's shouting over the howls of the wind, and the awful stench of something or other numbed his face. He tried his hardest to push forward, moving his body inch by inch. The wind slammed into him and knocked him back as he pulled himself from the wall—though at least, the pain shocked him enough that his eyes shot wide open, and it shoed the others were in no better shape than he was!</p><p>All around him, they laid pinned to the stone walls. They shouted and cried out as they tried to push against the wind, just to get blown back and pinned to where they started! Crusher got the furthest, for he was able to at least take a few steps forward. The wind blew harder and smashed him into into the walls, leaving thin cracks in his skin! Crusher screamed out as he laid within the crater his impact left in the wall, and Tree Rex cringed. The sound rang in his eardrums as he turned around.</p><p>Another howling sound came over the wind, but it didn't sound like the prior cries of the winds that blew. No, it sounded a bit heavier, as if something was coming! Tree Rex grunted, lifted his head, and gasped as a group of large, brown, blurry things with faint points rode the wind. They came closer into view by the second. Wait, those things, they were barrels, and spiked ones at that!</p><p>Tree Rex gasped. He banged his head, and then his hands and feet against the wall. His eyes and the solar core embedded into his hand glowed green as the power of life itself bubbled in his sap, and a shrieking noise overpowered the wind as the floor below glowed green.</p><p>A barrier of tall wooden trees flew in front of them right as the barrels came their closest, and the barrels smashed into the trees. The trees' trunks snapped with the barrels. The splintered remains of the barrels intertwined with the tree's halved trunks as they smashed against the wall, and left behind large splinters that pinned Tree Rex and his group right to their spots! A few of the splinters scratched against Tree Rex's own skin, so sharp that they were even able to break bark!</p><p>Tree Rex wiggled his fingers, attempting to get some grasp of the splinters so he could yank them out. The oppressive wind continued to blow over him, and pressed him tight to the wall with only the most limited of movement available. Another faint soaring, flying noise rang over the air, and Tree Rex popped an eye open only to wince. Even more debris, this time in all sorts of large bodies, hurtled towards him, and this time there was definitely no escape!</p><p>Grunting and shouting came from beside him as everyone else struggled to pull themselves from both the wind and the splinters' tight grip, yet their struggles proved as futile as before!</p><p>Tree Rex tried to push further with no luck, so he glanced aside while the others struggled against the grip. The debris grew closer and closer with every push, thrust, every futile attempt to break free! The others continued to struggle…</p><p>But, among them, Crusher managed to lean further than the rest! Did he break free? Tree Rex glanced down to find a pile of smashed splinters underneath. No, he was free to begin with! Those splinters couldn't pin him in the first place with him being made of stone!</p><p>Crusher seemed just as shocked as Tree Rex himself was. He glanced down at his body with wide eyes for a moment, but soon he grunted and pushed himself off the walls. His body slid against the floor for a moment, but it seemed as though the weight of his stone form was enough to keep him on the ground! He stood dumbstruck as he glanced over his body, but a barrel slammed into his chest and splintered, Crusher grunted as he skidded back, but quickly regained his footing and yanked his hammer back from the wall.</p><p>"Time to crush this!" Crusher cried as he slammed his hammer into the ground!</p><p>A booming echo resounded through the hall, and dulled the flow of wind for a moment as cracks formed in the ground. They splintered further, growing deeper as loud rumbles burst from within. A whole row of pillars burst out from them! The debris crashed into the pillars, and rendered it little more than harmless specks of garbage as it fell to the floor. Most importantly, the wind's flow was disrupted! No longer did it beat down with its fierce, oppressive lashes, but the disruption from the pillars left it little more than a gentle breeze.</p><p>The wall behind Tree Rex heated up, and he grunted as his back burned like he was set on fire. The splinters around him turned red and burned to ashes in seconds, and he leapt off and caught his breath while the heat faded.</p><p>Beside him, the others freed themselves from the wall and gathered behind the pillars. Vatra came first, bearing a stern look as warm light faded from his skin—that heat wave was probably his doing, then—but 'Enehana quickly dragged him behind the nearest pillar. The two of them huddled behind the pillar, but yelped as part of it broke off and nearly crashed onto them. That is, were it not for Tree Rex sliding in and catching the broken slab just in time!</p><p>Tree Rex poked around the pillar to where Crusher knelt to the ground. Crusher strained as hard as he could while his normally-green crystals turned brown from the glow of Earth Element magic. It seemed as though he did all in his power to keep those pillars up, yet it was barely enough. Whatever powered these winds had some strong Air Element magic behind it. There was no other explanation for how it could blow away such powerful Earth magic so quickly!</p><p>"Looks like Crushy boy could use some extra juice," Jorden cried as he rushed out from underneath Tree Rex, "and I've got just the thing!"</p><p>Jorden chuckled as he tossed a pickax in the air, and zapped it with a bolt of brown magic. The pickax in tandem turned large and crystalline before it crashed back into the ground, just inches ahead of Jorden himself! The light burst in shades of brown and gold as even more pillars jumped up, and the ones Crusher made found themselves enveloped in a shiny, bronze glow. Their stone surfaces turned as shiny as the light as their cracks sealed up, but that glow faded just as quickly as it came. The strength it gave remained as the pillars stood tall, the winds lowering around them.</p><p>Crusher lifted his head as the wind stopped blowing. With his job relieved, he turned around and crowded behind the pillars. He joined them at Tree Rex's side as he knelt to meet the smaller members of the group.</p><p>"Seems as though there's no going ahead until we turn off that fan," Glumshanks mused.</p><p>Vatra beside him scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Quite obviously," he hissed through gritted teeth.</p><p>"So, how do we turn this darn thing off, then?" Jorden cried, turning to Glumshanks. "You, troll fellow! You work for this guy, do you know?"</p><p>"I, I'm afraid not," Glumshanks replied. He shook his head before he turned to the fan. "This fan must have bee a pretty recent installation. Even I wasn't told about it!" Glumshanks frowned and rubbed his chin. "Then again, Lord Kaos apparently decided that he didn't need me to handle the business aspects of things anymore, so he's been doing all that himself lately. I only seem to stumble upon these things after they're put in…"</p><p>"Well, that's our first option out." Vatra scoffed. "What do we do now?"</p><p>"If you ask me, we'll just have to get closer and shut that windy thingie down!" Jorden cried, and stumbled out from behind the pillar he hid behind. "That seems like the obvious choice to me!"</p><p>Tree Rex shuffled out from behind Jorden, but both of them screamed as the fan's winds smacked into them and knocked them back into the wall once more! The wind scratched against their faces, leaving Tree Rex dizzy and numb. Jorden certainly felt the same as they both shuffled behind the pillars' safety once more. The harsh whipping of wind relented, and they both fell down and scattered into the group's ranks once again.</p><p>"Something tells me we're not walking," Tree Rex panted. He leaned against Bouncer's side as he groan and slunk down to his knees.</p><p>Beside him, Jorden hummed. His eyes not once left Crusher while the wind just faintly rustled his hair. That's right, Crusher hadn't been affected at all. Crusher's body was too rock-solid and heavy to be moved, even with the power of the fan's winds! If only they had something to keep them weighted to the floor like Crusher did.</p><p>Crusher hummed as he glanced down at Jorden, and smiles crossed both their faces, as though they knew exactly what the other thought! They both turned around and beckoned for the others, and Tree Rex could've swore that just a hint of warm bronze shined in their eyes as they did.</p><p>"C'mere, everyone!" Jorden cried as the others crowded around him and Crusher. "We've got a plan!"</p><p>With everyone crowded tightly around him and Crusher, Jorden smiled and nodded. That bronze glint in his dark eyes glowed brighter as he waved his hands. Bronze glows soon shone off of everyone's bodies, their light sparkling and glinting off of the gems on Crusher and Jorden's body!</p><p>Tree Rex turned down at himself as a bright, bronze light came from him. It completely enveloped his body; it slunk around and slid this way and that as it formed something more solid and heavy. Could light even be heavy? Tree Rex hadn't known what to think of that question, but it seemed as though it could, for it weighed down even him as it formed some kind of chestplate over his body. It paired with arm and leg guards… The light glimmered as it grew a bit heavier, and with one last flash, an entire set of knight's armor made of heavy, solid rock formed on his body! The weight was a sudden gain, so sudden that Tree Rex stumbled forward and had to catch himself with his hand. Judging from the looks around as everyone else shouted and stumbled about—save for Glumshanks, who just fell on his back—the others seemed just as taken aback.</p><p>Jorden chuckled as he showed off his own armor, which grew significantly more bulky, and ushered everyone away as he crept away from the pillar. He stepped out from its safety, and on instinct Tree Rex went to cry out. But, aside of a tiny bit of dragging, Jorden wasn't blown away at all! Jorden raced off for the next pillar as the breeze whipped around him.</p><p>Tree Rex raised a brow and shuffled out from behind the pillars. The winds howled and lashed against him as harshly as they did before, but against the armor, they barely even laid a scratch! He trudged along the floor, and his eyes latched onto the next pillar ahead. The added weight of the armor was cumbersome, and his movements were slow as sap still. Still, it was an improvement compared to being pinned to the wall by the raging winds.</p><p>Tree Rex trudged along, stepping in big strides for extra distance. With every labored step the pillar inched that much closer in, and with one more step, Tree Rex reached for its safety—but stopped mid-step. The sounds of incoming garbage came in! He turned around and smashed his fist against a barrel that flew in, and glanced down as its splintered wood and thick, peach-colored liquid blew in the wind.</p><p>"Incoming!" Hot Head cried over the roaring winds.</p><p>A full fleet of barrels flew in next. Their direction was low, and aimed towards where Vatra, Jorden, Glumshanks and 'Enehana all trudged behind them!</p><p>Vatra jumped out first, and pumped his fists as flames burst from his knuckles—but the flames petered out with another howl of the winds! He quickly drew back, just barely escaping the wrath of a barrel as it flew past. The winds roared once more and caught his attention, turning his gaze to where even more barrels flew in!</p><p>"Lemme handle this!" Jorden cried.</p><p>Jorden stomped on the floor, and the ground rumbled underneath his foot! Fissures and cracks formed within the marble, and glittered like diamonds. Entire spiky rows of sparkling gems shot up from the cracks, smashing through the barrels before they could even come in! Their contents splattered across the floor as the wind swept them away with the shattered remains of their barrels. The crystals in turn slunk back into the ground while it sealed its fissures away.</p><p>Vatra drew back his arms as the crystals drew back, but as he did, some more of that thick peach-colored liquid splattered, slipping into his gaping mouth! He blinked as the taste settled in, but quickly found himself hacking and gagging. Whatever flavor that was, it must not have been very tasty.</p><p>"Ugh, disgusting!" Vatra cried as he wiped his mouth. "What kind of drink is this anyways?" A broken piece of a barrel splattered with more of that peach liquid flew towards Vatra, and he snatched it out of the air before he glazed it over with a raised brow. "Sand flavored? Exactly what's delectable about sand, of all things?"</p><p>"I don't know, but I don't think that green stuff's any better!" 'Enehana cried as they raced in front of Vatra with what seemed like some kind of mechanical contraption in hand. "Get behind me!"</p><p>Vatra dropped the shard, turned around and ducked behind 'Enehana as a stream of glowing green liquid soared in on the winds. Jorden and Glumshanks both quickly joined him.</p><p>With all three behind them, 'Enehana grunted and flicked down the contraption, popping it open in a single motion. Its top unveiled itself as an umbrella made of cobbled-together metal and machine parts. Though it seemed haphazard, it didn't even melt a bit as the glowing liquid splattered against its front! While the rest flew backwards, 'Enehana trudged over to the pillar's safety in slow, large steps, their umbrella still held tight in front of them.</p><p>Tree Rex had to admit, he forgot just how long it took those much smaller than him to cross large terrains like this. By the time they arrived, not only had he taken shelter behind the pillar, but Crusher, Hot Head, and Bouncer were all huddled together by him. They watched with intent eyes as 'Enehana's group trudged closer behind the pillar, and when their group finally arrived, they all collapsed into panting fits.</p><p>Tree Rex swept them into his palm as a sort of rest stop, and peered out towards the path ahead. The next pillar stood a good deal away from where they rest now, completely unaffected by the onslaught of harsh wind and flying junk. They would certainly be affected if they tried to trudge there, so he scanned to the left-hand side for some more pillars. He did find one, true, but it was even further than the last!</p><p>"Everything else is a good deal away from here, it seems," Tree Rex said as his fingers curled around Vatra, 'Enehana, Jorden, and Glumshanks in his palm. "You stay in here, we'll carry you the rest—"</p><p>Tree Rex gasped, and his throat choked itself in as his head hung low. Something smashed right into his back, something hard like stone but sleek like metal, and next thing he knew, he flew backwards! The weight of his stone armor ensured that he didn't go for a very far trip, sliding across the floor and just barely grazing a pillar behind him…</p><p>Wait, the others! He opened his palm, and thankfully they themselves were intact. They now laid sprawled against the grooves of Tree Rex's palm with dizzy expressions. Tree Rex breathed a sigh of relief, but pushed his head up as a shout came from ahead!</p><p>Ahead of him, a large, shiny black steel ball rolled down the pathway before it smashed into Crusher and knocked him right beside Tree Rex! Crusher's teeth cringed together as he slammed into the pillar. He shuddered and pushed himself onto his knees. A few cracks formed in his stone body, but they sealed themselves away with a glimmer of brown light, and Crusher regained the strength to sit up and glance at Tree Rex.</p><p>"Take them for me," Tree Rex said as he dropped Vatra, 'Enehana, Jorden, and Glumshanks into Crusher's palms. "I'm gonna try something!"</p><p>Tree Rex grunted and pushed himself up, leaving him eye-level with an oncoming steel ball! The winds whipped at him, and his steps were slow and labored as ever, but nonetheless he trudged forward. He held his arms out as the ball came in faster and faster by the second. It smashed into him, and his bark creaked and ached like it was going to break—but, it, and he himself, stayed perfectly intact as the force of the ball's landing pushed Tree Rex back.</p><p>A furious wind lashed at Tree Rex's back while he held the ball the best he could. He spun once, twice, and on his third spin, Tree Rex grunted and swung the ball right back into the air!</p><p>"Come get some!"</p><p>Tree Rex's cry barely sounded over the roars of the wind, but its message sent nonetheless as the ball flew across the field and slammed right into another oncoming one! That second ball in turn flew towards that gigantic fan while the first fell down and rolled away. The wind added onto the second ball's flight, and pushed it further and further, until it slammed right into the fan! A monstrous creaking noise shook the hallways as the fan dented in on itself. Its blades turned crooked, but the wind was still as strong as ever! Though, now, it carried with it something that sounded like a pained, labored groan, but that didn't matter.</p><p>Tree Rex grunted and narrowed his eyes, focusing on the next steel ball coming in. One or two more, and that should leave the machine little more than scrap metal. As he focused, a warm light brushed against his cheek and turned his attention to his shoulder, where a person's silhouette began to form.</p><p>"Tree Rex, stop!" Vatra cried right as he teleported onto Tree Rex's shoulder. He grunted, gripped the grooves in Tree Rex's bark the best he could, and turned back to him. "Don't destroy that machine!"</p><p>Tree Rex gasped and ducked down right as the steel ball came in for him.</p><p>Wincing as it grazed over his back, Tree Rex's gaze turned back to Vatra. "What are you talking about? We won't be able to move an inch until that machine's done for!"</p><p>Vatra grunted as he climbed back onto Tree Rex's shoulder. "Well, find another way, then!" Vatra grunted as he flipped back atop Tree Rex's shoulder. He panted for a moment, but regained his grip quickly. "When that machine dented, I heard something crying out in pain" — Vatra lifted his head, his fiery eyes not breaking from where the dented fan rumbled — "between that and that strong magic, I think they're using someone to power it!"</p><p>Using a living being to power a machine like this? Tree Rex clenched his teeth and turned back to the machine, where a strong magic presence, one Tree Rex hadn't really noticed before, wafted from its metal. That trace, it undeniably had to be that of a living being's magic essence! If they destroyed the machine…</p><p>"I understand."</p><p>Tree Rex raised to full height the best he could and cleared his throat.</p><p>"Everyone, don't hurt that machine! There's someone trapped inside it—"</p><p>Tree Rex trudged forward as his solar cannon glowed. He shot it out and cast a beam of hot, solar energy that melted right through the oncoming trash and steel balls. As the goop rained down around him, Tree Rex scoffed and charged forward.</p><p>"—and we're getting them out!"</p><p>Behind him, pounding footsteps thudded against the wind as Hot Head and Crusher ran up beside him. A mechanical whir came next as Bouncer wheeled up to Tree Rex's left and winked.</p><p>Their ranks parted with a nod, and Tree Rex lifted up his solar cannon. Curiously, even though it just discharged, a residual warmth tinged its top in a slightly reddish hue, nothing like the warm greens and yellows it usually had. He turned to his shoulder, and Tree Rex met with Vatra, who glanced at him and nodded while his ghastly body glowed with warm light. Tree Rex nodded in turn as he changed his focus to where the path ahead laid. A mound of trash came in for Tree Rex, and he prepared to fire…</p><p>But right before he could, a giant stone pillar leaped up in front of him and shouldered the blow! Even more pillars cropped up like weeds. They scattered in short gaps and intervals along the path, and the marble turned brown from the warm light they cast! Behind one to the left, Crusher laid with hands planted to the floor and crystals glowing brown, and a smaller, duller brown light shone behind him.</p><p>Tree Rex smiled, hopped from that pillar to the next, and poked out as he held out his solar cannon towards an oncoming steel ball. The solar energy within charged at a rapid pace, and burned bright orange before it fired off and pierced the heart of the ball! Its heat melted right through and left little more than a hollow rim in its wake. It shot across the path, melting away the oncoming trash and metal in Tree Rex's path! With that cleared, he poked out from the pillar, hopped over the mostly-melted steel ball, and crept towards another pillar. A screech came from behind, and he ducked as another steel ball flew right between his horns and slammed into an oncoming steel ball!</p><p>The two balls both dented as they flew forward, and melted into warm goop as a plume of flames ate them up! Their metallic liquid poured onto the floor, diverting into thin streams that streaked around Tree Rex's feet. As they faded altogether, Tree Rex gingerly tiptoed over them and turned behind one of the pillars.</p><p>Bouncer and Hot Head both beamed at him. It was a smile he returned for moments before a large thud alerted them all to Crusher's presence. With the group gathered together, they crept out from behind the pillar and glanced ahead at the machine, which now laid only inches from them. It rattled and shuddered while the howls of its winds grew more twisted. More than that, something that sounded akin to panting, or labored breathing, rumbled from within its depths in a voice that sounded almost alive!</p><p>They all traded glances of confirmed suspicion, but another, much closer and louder rumble turned their attention to the place ahead. There, some large, square tube just barely poked out of the ceiling, and shuddered as it vomited out another mass of garbage, one much larger than the last! A few winces came as the garbage mass formed into a rolling ball that sped right past them. Judging by the rattling sounds that came from the tube once more, it seemed like that wasn't the end of it!</p><p>"If we're gonna get any further, we'll need that tube sealed up!" Glumshanks shouted.</p><p>"I'll handle this!" 'Enehana cried in turn, leaping forward and slamming their hands on the floor!</p><p>They shouted out as they lumbered back up. Their hands turned a bronze in color from the orange light that burst from around them. They punched out their hands, and shot the light right as the tube spat out an oncoming garbage storm! The light beams pierced through the garbage, but not once did it break or bend—no, it stuck together, and solidified the trash into a thick wall that completely blocked the fan from view. Only faint breezes spilled out from the tiny gaps in the trash wall, and they barely reached across the halls before they petered out. It seemed as though it was the perfect blockade…</p><p>But then, something spat out of the ceiling. It was something so tiny it could barely be seen, yet, just its force was enough to completely unclog the trash wall and send it all over the halls!</p><p>Jorden grunted and punched into the pillar beside them all, and the pillar stretched and bent before it formed a stone dome around the whole group! The pungent scent of trash floated in the air as the sounds of rushing garbage and roaring wind poured in over the dam, but soon, the noise stopped.</p><p>The trash spilled over the dam in a mighty current, and left behind a stream so deep and large that it would've swept Jorden, Vatra, 'Enehana, and Glumshanks away if Tree Rex hadn't swept them away in his hand as the current hit! Tree Rex smiled for a moment as he placed the four of them on his shoulder before he turned to the current.</p><p>With a grunt, he took one large step up the stream, but his foot sunk into the garbage like quicksand. He grunted and held out his hands. Vines shot out from his palm, and lashed against the garbage and dam alike before they wrapped into a proper bridge over the stream. Tree Rex tapped the bridge with his foot for a moment, smiled as it proved itself stable enough, and hiked up across the bridge. The ones on his shoulder shouted as they swayed and tumbled back and forth across Tree Rex's shoulder, and behind him, the vines buckled and swayed as Crusher, Hot Head, and Bouncer followed behind.</p><p>Tree Rex blasted a path through the garbage, one shallow enough to allot them all walking space, and once again they all trailed behind before they hopped on the platform next to the fan. The garbage stream completely jammed its front, and an odd panel stuck out amid the fan's side. From that panel, a sky blue glow beamed out from the gaps in the panel's rim, one with a strong, fresh feeling like that of a welcome breeze.</p><p>As Tree Rex knelt down, Vatra, Glumshanks, Jorden, and 'Enehana all slid down his side. Glumshanks and Vatra rested against Tree Rex's arm and gathered their bearings, but Jorden and 'Enehana rushed right for the panel!</p><p>'Enehana and Jorden hummed as 'Enehana pulled open the panel and examined in, Jorden leaning over them. Jorden gasped, and yanked out a shiny, sky blue crystalline wheel from the heart of the panel! With the wheel claimed, 'Enehana turned to a lever and hummed before they pulled down the lever with all their might! They cringed as the machine clunked and whirred once again, and turned back to Jorden.</p><p>"Jorden, Crusher, get a barrier up!" 'Enehana cried.</p><p>"On it!" Jorden and Crusher both shouted in turn.</p><p>Crusher slammed his hammer into the ground while Jorden summoned and slammed down a pickax in turn. A shield of solid rock formed around them, and blocked off the light of the world around as it encased everyone in its dome! They all huddled close as the sound of something sucking in air with all its might came outside, followed by awful, grinding and clunking noises that would make anyone's ears bleed, and finally an explosion so loud that it dented into the barrier, cracking its stone!</p><p>Splattering sounds echoed as the stone itself shifted materials. It changed from hard, solid granite (or whatever it was. Tree Rex was never the best at identifying stone) to a shiny, clear material that cast a glance to the outside world. There, the fan laid rendered a smoking hunk of junk with twisted and bent blades, and the trash mush and broken parts rained over the halls!</p><p>While the trash rained down and slid off their barrier, everyone huddled close, all centered around Jorden as he plucked out the wheel and held it in his palms. Its light flashed and flickered, brightening and dimming by the second. Something faintly akin to someone panting echoed from its crystal surface.</p><p>"A voice?" Vatra gasped, immediately claiming the wheel from Jorden's hands. "It has to be…" Vatra cringed. His teeth gritted tight as the wheel's light faltered for just a second more than normal before he yanked the wheel up. "Does anybody here know any magic? Anything that can get some magic energy into this wheel?"</p><p>"I, I know some basic spells!" Glumshanks sputtered as he rushed in and scooped the wheel out of Vatra's hands. "Allow me to try something!"</p><p>The wheel continued to pant. Its breathing became a bit more labored and its light duller than normal, enough that Glumshanks folding his hands completely masked it. Glumshanks hummed, and a cyan glow shone from his hands for a moment. Soon, its colors turned deeper, and became a richer shade of blue that brought to mind clear skies as Glumshanks lifted his hands!</p><p>The wheel floated out of Glumshanks' palms, and hovered in the center of the group as a lean, thin silhouette shaped itself from the light. That silhouette, its tall body lean with just a hint of muscle, that had to be him! The light continued to form as a thin, sparkly string formed in the center of the wheel. The string rested along the figure's neck as clouds and sky blue light burst out, unveiling the ghost within at last!</p><p>"Vaayu!" Tree Rex and Vatra both gasped in turn, their eyes wide and sparkling.</p><p>Vaayu smiled as he fell to his knees and panted, only his arms keeping him upright. His skin was still that rich, dark brown shade even after all those years, and his normally-fluffy black hair was thinned and drenched with sweat. Though, its lightning bolt-shaped, sky blue streak still stuck within, even though his body was somewhat transparent and brimmed with sparkly sky blue light thanks to his ghostly state.</p><p>His ponytail was loose, barely held in place by a gold, round barrette that slipped out for only moments before he fixed it. Sweat dripped down the bridge of his long, round nose and over his cheekbones, curling around his large lips for moments before dripping onto the floor. He still donned his favorite top, the one far too big for him with its silky sky blue fabric printed with flowers, hemmed with the finest of gold fabric over the collar and the sleeves' ends, and blue fabric the color of the ocean at the bottom. Thankfully, the large stitch keeping its left side attached to the right hadn't burst. Vaayu was more attached to that top than life itself. Blue belts in all sorts of shades clung tight around his waist, making his dark blue trousers seem a bit puffier. Though, they weren't puffy enough that they burst over the white and sky blue boots he wore. No, they tucked perfectly inside, the same way a key fit inside a lock.</p><p>"Oh, dear Ancients," Vaayu groaned. His voice was husky, but barely with any weight to it as he crawled over and leaned against Vatra's side. "I, I thought that thing was going to suck all the life out of me."</p><p>"Thank the Ancients we found you in time," Vatra said. He smiled as he hoisted Vaayu up and leaned Vaayu against his shoulder. "I can't imagine what would've happened if we hadn't!"</p><p>"Are you feeling any better, Vaayu?" Tree Rex asked, gently rubbing his finger against Vaayu's back. "Any aches or pains?"</p><p>"I'll manage," Vaayu panted. His legs had stopped shuddering, and he grunted as he stood to full height.</p><p>"Uh, I hate to interrupt your reunion," Glumshanks said, and stumbled forward as he scratched his head, "but who is this? What's going on here?"</p><p>"This is Vaayu. He's one of us," Vatra explained, "and he's been gone for quite a while."</p><p>"Wait, so the Skylanders had moles hiding in here all along?" Glumshanks stumbled backwards, his few hairs standing on end. "Lord Kaos won't be happy when he hears that!"</p><p>"What's a Skylander?" Vaayu asked, tilting his head.</p><p>Glumshanks blinked and glanced at Vaayu. "Wait, so you don't know who the Skylanders are? Aren't you one of them?"</p><p>Vaayu frowned. His foot tapped for moments before he shook his head. "I don't know exactly know what Skylanders are, and I know even less about how I got here." Vaayu stepped forward and held out his hand. "I just awoke within these halls one day, and I've been wandering around ever since. That strange little man caught my eye, so I'd been tailing him—"</p><p>"Wait, you mean Kaos?"</p><p>Glumshanks thrust himself closer to Vaayu, and a frown started to form on Vaayu's face.</p><p>"Yes, I supposed that might've been his name, but he didn't seem to go by it." Vaayu gently scratched his chin, and his head craned down like he was deep in thought. "Something about the way he acted felt off to me, even more than usual. In fact, it reminded me of someone I was all too familiar with, but just as I came close to discovering his secret" — Vaayu turned back and gestured to the firmly-broken fan — "he found me and trapped me in this Ancients-forsaken thing as its living battery!"</p><p>A disappointed sigh came from Glumshanks as he hung his head, but not for long. Jorden pushed him aside just as quickly, and grabbed Vaayu by the hand.</p><p>"Wait, you were wanderin' 'round this place, right?" Jorden asked. "Vaayu, could you take us to that Kaos guy?"</p><p>"We've actually been tracking him down. We'll fill you in on the way," Vatra added.</p><p>Vaayu nodded, knelt to the ground and planted his hands down.</p><p>"If I recall correctly, this passageway is directly underneath the way to his room," Vaayu said, and his hands glowed a brighter sky blue as he pressed them down further. "Just need to make a strong enough wind current, and…"</p><p>A cold, whipping wind burst throughout the room, and before Tree Rex even knew it, he was lifted off the floor! Beside him, Bouncer and Hot Head shouted out as they twirled around, and the ground below them got further and further and the winds raged harder! Jorden and 'Enehana flew up beside him, followed by Glumshanks as he screamed and clung to Vatra's leg. As another powerful gust blew below him, Tree Rex himself lifted far past them and right towards a large hole in the ceiling!</p><p>"And to the next level we go!" Vaayu cried as he passed by Tree Rex.</p><p>Tree Rex blinked for a moment, nodded, and made himself as tall and slight as he could. The wind pushed him further up, right into the large tube that once funneled the garbage in the room.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 13: Kaos's Kastle Part 1 (Part 1)<p>Arkilles chuckled, drumming his fingers against one another as he rested in his throne. His whole body shuddered from the prospects before him, so excited that it wanted to jump up and dance, sing praises to the almighty Ancient, do anything in celebration of his plan's success! However, he knew better than to count his robots before they were built, so he just sat in his specially-made red and gold throne. He found himself comforted by its soft, almost plush velvet as that troll man chiseled away on the tablet.</p><p>"Excuse me, Gladshanks?" Arkilles asked, turning from his throne.</p><p>That troll winced, his ears flicking for a moment. "Actually, sir, it's Glumshanks—"</p><p>Bah, who cares! Arkilles never bothered to remember any of his servants' names; it was too much of a hassle! They could be replaced just as easily as their predecessors! Rolling his eyes at the utter insolence, Arkilles hopped from his throne. The sight of how tall the throne was in comparison to him spun his head for a bit for a moment. Even after several days of inhabiting this body, he hadn't quite gotten used to how… Short, it was, but he supposed he could fix that when he revived his armies and reclaimed his empire.</p><p>"Sir, are you sure you're feeling alright?" Grumblespanks asked. "You've been quite out of sorts lately—"</p><p>"And I've told you every single time, I am perfectly fine! Keep badgering me about that, and I'll toss you into the piranha pits!"</p><p>"We don't have a piranha pit, Lord Kaos. I've told you five times now."</p><p>Gritting his teeth for a moment, Arkilles was almost tempted to blast away that obnoxious troll with this body's fancy portal master powers, as they were called in the modern day. His hands only faintly glowed then immediately faded, so he sighed. Even after several days, mastering this magic had proved futile. It was as if the body itself resisted his attempts to channel its innate power! What a pain. So, he turned back to Glitterspoff and huffed.</p><p>"Forget about that. How are our preparations for the Vault trip coming along?"</p><p>Ah, yes, the thing he really wanted to get to! Arkilles beamed from ear to ear as Grufflesnuffle eyed him for a moment, but frowned a little. Was it just him, or did that side-eye Gramblerank give him seem just a little too suspicious? Arkilles glared him down right back, and Gremblesnemble cringed as he turned his eyes right towards that stone tablet and chisel he held as tight as he could.</p><p>"Well, let me see," Glimmerspanks said, glazing over the tablet while he squeezed his chisel tighter. "Our preparations are going smoothly as ever, Lord Kaos. Though our drilling robot went missing, the armies it unearthed for us have bolstered our forces more than enough. They have been preparing the ships we stole from that town, and as long as everything continues going smoothly, we should have a fleet ready in—"</p><p>A sharp snapping sound burst through the air, and both Arkilles and Gradspatula looked up right as the lights flickered out for a moment before flickering back on. A brief power outage, perhaps, but something about it felt a bit too ominous for Arkilles' liking.</p><p>"All security systems downnnnnn," droned a mechanical, dying voice from the Ancient knows where!</p><p>Arkilles gasped and jerked his head to the side. "Gramblespark, check the defense right now!" Arkilles cried as he pointed a finger.</p><p>"Yes, Lord Kaos!" Grumblebumble cried back. He immediately raced out of the room, yanking the door shut behind him.</p><p>Arkilles sighed as he climbed back atop the throne, and leaned against its soft, plush velvet once more. The truth is, he didn't entirely trust that this bumbling troll would actually get anything of substance done; however, he <em>was</em> tired of that utter buffoon tailing him everywhere he went. The troll always eyed him with those odd looks and strange frowns as if he has suspected something of Arkilles. Mayhaps he already caught on to Arkilles's ploy? Oh Ancient, looking at it now, he absolutely must have! Why else would he act so suspicious? Had he already keyed the armies in? That was it! Arkilles needed to dispose of that no-good, blundering, absolute buffoon of a troll before—</p><p>"<em>Hey, </em><strong>I'm</strong><em> the only one who's allowed to insult Glumshanks around here!"</em></p><p>Arkilles groaned and turned around within the realm of the mind. That pint-sized gremlin who this body apparently belonged to still laid in the prison Arkilles made for him, rattling and zapping the bars as if that would break him free. His scowl grew deeper as he glared down Arkilles, even though nothing he could do could plausibly bring Arkilles any harm. Well, that was false. Just looking at his face was enough to give Arkilles a splitting headache! The runt pounded on the bars one more time, and Arkilles snarled.</p><p>"Silence!" Arkilles cried, shooting a lightning bolt at the bars.</p><p>The lightning bolt split as it hit them, coursing through the bars and shocking the runt as they sparked. The runt cried out. He stumbled back as he fell to the floor, and nursed his shocked hands as static popped from them. Well, seemed that would shut him up for the time being.</p><p>A door creaked open in the outer world, and Arkilles shook his head as he went up to take control.</p><p>"I checked the security systems, Lord Kaos, but nothing seemed to be amiss," Grumslanks said as he walked into Arkilles's view. Oddly enough, his eyes darted from side to side, as if he were nervous, or perhaps hiding something.</p><p>"Are you certain about that?" Arkilles steepled his hands and raised a brow.</p><p>Grumplesparks gulped and quickly shook his head. "I, I'm certain, everything looked perfectly fine when I checked the security systems!"</p><p>Arkilles frowned, pulled his hands apart and dismissed Gruppleguts with a wave. "Go check our preparations, then. I want to make sure everything's perfect before we leave for the vault!"</p><p>"Yes, Lord Kaos."</p><p>Grumblemumble excused himself immediately, but Arkilles watched him the whole time as he left the room and carefully, gingerly closed the door behind him. Not that it somehow eased Arkilles' suspicions. Turning back to his throne, Arkilles frowned.</p><p>"Somehow, I doubt that this troll means what he says," Arkilles grumbled to himself.</p><p>"Of course he doesn't, you buffoon! Glumshanks might be an incompetent klutz, but he's not an idiot!" the runt cried from the back. Somehow, he'd recovered even though that blast would have incapacitated any ordinary person. "Surely, he's already figured out what you're up to, and then he's going to exorcise you and get my body back!"</p><p>"Didn't I tell you to be quiet?" Arkilles hissed, jolting right around as thunder crashed before him.</p><p>Despite the intimidating front Arkilles put up, the runt still scoffed. "A little thunder won't scare me! You may be possessing my body…" the runt snarled and wagged a finger. "But mark my evil words, once I'm free, I'll send you straight to the Pits! No, I'll incinerate your soul and evaporate the ashes! I don't care if ashes can't evaporate, I'll find a way to make them! I'll make sure no trace of your remains will—"</p><p>"LORD KAOS, LORD KAOS!"</p><p>This time, it was one of those minions who cried for Arkilles. Arkilles immediately jumped to take control. Judging by that tone of voice, whatever news they had couldn't have been good!</p><p>"Yes, what is it?" Arkilles demanded. He leaped from the throne and met the minion, a frantic-looking greeble, midway through.</p><p>"We've got bad news!" the greeble shouted back. Its teeth chattered as it spoke, and its eyes bounded from every side of the room. "The, the, Skylanders! They've arrived, and they've already cleaned out our front lines of defense! At the rate things are going, they'll reach us before we can take off!"</p><p>Arkilles gritted his teeth. He had no idea who these "Skylanders" were, but judging from the worry in the greeble's face, it didn't seem like they were particularly fond of the runt Arkilles possessed. More importantly, what were they doing here? That troll told him that the security systems were fine!</p><p>"Don't we have any other forces we can spare?" Arkilles asked.</p><p>"Fraid not—everyone else's been re-routed to the vault project, just like you said!"</p><p>"But I didn't say that!" Arkilles stomped his foot, and the greeble flinched as he balled his hands into fists. "I said to re-route our strongest forces to the vault, and leave the rest here as security!"</p><p>"That, that's not what the troll said, though!"</p><p><em>"Hah, good old Glumshanks!"</em> the runt cried from the back. <em>"Keeping you distracted!"</em></p><p>Arkilles gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing by the second.</p><p>"Scrounge up what you can and keep them occupied!" he hissed as he stormed out of the throne room. "I'll see if I can't do something with the security systems!"</p><p>Arkilles slammed the throne room's door right open, and scanned the halls for only moments before he rushed down. A few twists and turns brought him to the security room's door. Yet, even though the door creaked open, not even a smidgen of light came from it! Wouldn't it at least have something glowing from the security cameras?</p><p>Pushing the door open further, Arkilles crept into the room and met with blanketing darkness. It was so dark he nearly tripped several times on his way to the security console. He turned up to the screens, and all of them were completely blank! Something must have turned them off—but, that troll said they were just fine! Arkilles snarled and pressed a button. He turned the screens back on, and peered over at one showing the front yard, where…</p><p>Wait, no, it couldn't be…</p><p>But there, right on the screen, were, were the Elder Elementals! Four of them—that rockhead, the one with fire for brains, that robotic traitor, and the overgrown weed that led them all—plowed through his defenses like it was little more than child's play! But, how were they even still alive, even after all these years? How were they even here? Arkilles snarled, and a frown snaked its way across his face, for he already knew the answer to the second question.</p><p>"I never trusted that good-for-nothing butler!" Arkilles snarled as he drew away from the screens. "I should've guessed he was up to something!"</p><p><em>"Silence, fool! I already told you, I'm the only one who gets to mock Glumshanks!"</em></p><p>His fist twitched and Arkilles clasped it just as quickly. His attention turned away from the screens, and right to where that runt banged on the bars and shouted at him.</p><p>"Be quiet!" Arkilles hissed, storming over to where the runt laid in his cage and pointing to him. "If you want this plan to succeed, you'll tell me about this castle's defenses right this instant!"</p><p>"Why should I? You told me to be silent!" The runt stuck his tongue out and turned around. "Besides, even if I help you, I'll just end up sitting here while you get to rule! That hardly seems fair to me! I'm the ultimate evil overlord of Skylands, so I should be the one ruling!"</p><p>"I wasn't asking for your permission. You do realize that, right?"</p><p>The runt turned back around with the most stupid gaping mouth and wide eyes, right as Arkilles zapped him with a spell! The bright crimson magic that burst from Arkilles' hand froze the runt in place. It lifted him from the ground as magic burst from his eyes, mouth, ears, even the symbol on his head! The symbol pulsed as the magic clouded and stuffed itself together, forming a scene that slowly flickered into definition.</p><p>With one last spark and flick, a memory formed of the screen. It was of a runt even smaller than the one before him now and dressed in regal-looking clothing; he argued with some svelte-looking boys with long, flowing golden locks and similar attire. Oh, so he possessed a prince? Arkilles wouldn't have guessed it by how he looked.</p><p>"Older brothers, what a pain," Arkilles scoffed as he flipped the screen away. "I know mine was."</p><p>Another memory came up of the slightly older runt as he made wooden puppets, and cheered as they came to life and danced before his eyes; of him running away with Gramplesmacks; of him meeting a tall, very lovely-looking lady clad in a sleek black gown and battling with her, studying magic with her as his teacher, arguing with her… All amusing he supposed, but not quite what Arkilles was looking for. He flipped a few memories back, and focused on the tiny runt as he trailed behind a tall, regal-looking man that walked through the castle halls.</p><p>"As you can see, Kaos," the man said as he held up a hand; his voice was deep and gruff, like the voice of Arkilles' own father, "these halls are endowed with holographic traps. Anyone who activates them is trapped in a virtual world of the maker's choosing, forced to find an exit while their bodies stay suspended in reality. It's one of our castle mages' finer inventions. These realms are so elaborate by the time the crook escapes, our guards have them cornered in an instant!"</p><p>Hearing this, Arkilles raised a brow. Holographic traps, huh? He chuckled small, under-the-breath chuckles as he flipped back through the runt's memories, and then he licked his lips. Oh, he had an idea, alright! It was an absolutely delicious, juicy idea, the perfect way to trick those insolent Elder Elementals and their puny little allies! In fact, his whole body shuddered with delight just thinking about it!</p><p>Arkilles snapped his fingers. The spell over the runt released, allowing him to collapse back to the floor! The runt yowled as he hit the floor head-first, grumbled as he pushed himself up and rubbed his head.</p><p>"What do you think you're doing, scrounging around my memories like that?" the runt shouted. "There's no way you're privy to the mind of an evil overlord as great as myself!"</p><p>Arkilles scoffed as the runt continued to ramble. He took control of the body once more, and turned back to the security panels instead.</p><p>His eyes fell on one labeled "Holographic Traps" in the chicken scrawl that was Modern Common, and with a wave of his hand and a bolt of two of magic, they sprung to life! Whirring, clunking sounds banged from the console as the screens on its side popped to life one by one. They showed off different rooms in the castle, each with pulsing blue orbs sitting inside of them. Another wave of Arkilles' hand, and the orbs on the screen dyed a deep, bloody crimson instead!</p><p>"Ah, the perfect trap," Arkilles chuckled, drumming his fingers against the console. "They won't even know what they stumbled into!"</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Deep within the heart of the East-Western Skylands, in a small kingdom largely abandoned by the sands of time, there resided a castle. The castle itself was a bit worn in some places. A stray large cobweb or two covered its towers, and dust and bits of rocks crumbled from a few of the weaker structures, but it still withstood the test of time otherwise. Its blue-tinted bricks were no weaker than they were the day it was built, its roofs were just as strong, their decor was just as shiny…</p><p>It was an eerie sight in an otherwise overgrown, abandoned place, but it wouldn't be abandoned for too long.</p><p>"Alright, Baldie's castle is in view!" Flynn cried as he spun the wheel of the bird's eye, swaying it closer within the breeze with that single turn. "So this is the place where he grew up, huh?"</p><p>Chihiro hummed as she sat in the center of the bird's eye, and kicked her legs against its side.</p><p>"Seems like something some creepy royal family would have," Chihiro remarked as she caught a glance of the castle. "Just look at all those spiderwebs and weird rings! The whole place practically screams 'We're evil dictators and this is our secret lair!'"</p><p>Beside her, Spyro chuckled and took a seat, wrapping his wing around Chihiro.</p><p>"No kidding," he remarked as he scooted a little closer to Chihiro. "Not surprised this is where Big-Head grew up."</p><p>The two of them chuckled together, gasped, and ducked down as a powerful gust slapped their faces. Underneath them, the bird's eye curved around the castle.</p><p>A turn behind them showed Flynn, who whistled at the wheel while Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, Stealth Elf, and Cali all clung to whatever they could for dear life. Soon, they loosened their grips and sat up as the breeze subsided. Its chills warmed as the bird's eye lowered itself towards a nearby cliff on a small island.</p><p>"Alright, the big ancient guys should have wiped out most of the forces there and got Baldie distracted enough—so here's where you all come in!" Flynn shouted as he parked the bird's eye. "You're going to get his attention while we find the others, and snoop around this castle place to keep him from goin' to that secret vault thingie! You ready?"</p><p>"You bet we are!" Spyro cried back, jumping to all fours as he splayed his wings.</p><p>Chihiro nodded and raised a fist, something Flynn chuckled at.</p><p>"In that case, I'll leave the cronies to you guys!" Flynn spun the wheel of the bird's eye and beamed. "Just leave the rest to your awesome pilot!"</p><p>Everyone hopped off right as the bird's eye unhooked from the island and flew off, scaled the cliff and frowned as they sat up.</p><p>Before them laid the castle's front yard, which, true to Flynn's word, was completely void of any traces of evil minions or the ilk, save for some flattened and severed robot parts. Its stone paths were charred and streaked with tire marks in some places, the grass singed away to leave nothing but burnt earth, and the cool blues of the stone had warmed a little. Yet, despite the clear signs of a battle around it, the tall, wooden front door that laid before them, and the crimson flags bearing some strange, crown-like symbol remained unscathed. Faint burning smells lingered in the air. It traveled along the wind with the singed bits of metal that crumbled in the wind like withered leaves, and left only the tension of what laid up ahead.</p><p>"I wouldn't worry about Kaos too much," Chihiro said as she clenched her fist. "Remember, he doesn't even know we're coming, and Tree Rex's group already tore through a ton of his forces. Besides, we've always got backup at the Dread-Yacht!"</p><p>Even though she said that to reassure the others, Chihiro couldn't help but wonder if it was to reassure herself more than anyone. Here was the culmination of her biggest mistake, of Kaos's return—and more importantly, the opportunity to fix it. Gulping down her fear, she leaped down from the cliff and stormed up to the doors, the sound of footsteps behind her the sole indication of companionship.</p><p>As she drew closer to the doors, she lifted her hand, preparing to blast or push them down. Just before she could, blasts of golden light burst from her sides and completely blew down the doors! Chihiro stumbled back and gasped as Trigger Happy rushed ahead, guns blazing and coins shooting everywhere as he cackled!</p><p>"Alright, this is a raid!" Trigger Happy cried as he pointed his guns to the front. "Gimme all your gold!"</p><p>"And while you're at it…" Chihiro cried as she ran up to Trigger Happy's side and held up glowing hands.</p><p>"Surrender right now! The Skylanders have you cornered!" Spyro finished.</p><p>Inside the manor's polished floors and balcony-laden walls, several organic and robotic guards alike gasped, clutching their weapons tight as they could! Compared to the masses of mutated guards and armed forces from Kaos's prior fortress, Chihiro had to admit, these guys were a downgrade. The soldiers that were obviously Arkeyan in origin seemed polished and powerful enough, but the rest of them were sparse. They were no more than a few stray greebles, spell punks, goblins, and maybe the odd cyclops. They dressed in simple, kind of rusted armor, and only held some worn broadswords and polearms. It was almost disappointing to look at—not that Chihiro complained.</p><p>Chihiro cried out as she charged in fists raised, and several of the spells punk swerved out of her way instead! They chattered as they cast blasts of leaves and ice in her direction. Chihiro flicked out both her hands, crafting a ring of shields that swerved around and reflected the blows right at the spell punks! Their own attacks knocked them into the ground and cracked the tile, but the shields themselves disappeared and left Chihiro to catch her breath.</p><p>A chill ran down her spine as cackling echoed around her at a faint volume. Chihiro teleported away right as a burst of fire seared the place where she once stood! The flames died as a spell punk clad in warm-colored robes teleported where she once stood and cackled. She rolled her eyes as she cast out a burst of magic and blasted it right into the wall. The wall cracked while the spell punk rolled off and groaned, its body splayed across the floor while it rested seemingly unconscious…</p><p>That is, until Spyro stomped on it and it let out a pained squeal!</p><p>Spyro himself swerved away as a string of crackling lightning bursts zipped just over his wings. He slammed into a robot behind him, turned around and snarled. His eyes locked on a quartet of floating blue and gold robots that listlessly swayed from side to side, their undersides crackling with lightning as hot and blue as the blasts they fired.</p><p>He charged right into one robot, but as he made contact, it burst into a puff of periwinkle smoke while the others around it did the same! Spyro skidded to a stop and coughed, hanging his head and fanning away the smoke with his wings. A ring of crackling, popping noises burst around him as the smoke finally cleared, and once more, four robots surrounded him!</p><p>Spyro grunted and jumped into the air as one of the robots tried to slug him, flapped his wings and backflipped away from another. His paws hit the floor, and he slipped from side to side as a pair of robots jabbed at him in succession, but he jumped back before they could punch him right in the snout. Skidding backwards once more, his eyes drifted towards a robot that bounced and jostled a bit faster than the others.</p><p>A ring of red formed in his eyes as he spat out a fireball that hit the jumpier robot square in the chest! The other floating robots burst into smoke as the flaming robot slammed into the ground and exploded. They burst into flames for only a moment, for a wave of water washed over it and quenched its fires.</p><p>Gill Grunt stepped back and grimaced as the water fell over and slicked the floors. His hands held tight to his water cannon as he hosed down a round of oncoming greebles. The greebles squealed as they flew through the air, pushed forward by the oncoming torrent. As they crashed into the wall, Gill Grunt sighed and released his grip on the trigger.</p><p>Water dripped from the barrel of the cannon as he rested it by his hip, but as the ground below him rumbled and shadows fell over the battlefield, he snarled and heaved it back up! Gill Grunt whipped around and got ready to pull the trigger. Right as he did, a giant robot leaped from the balcony and onto the floor!</p><p>Parts of the ceiling fell down around Gill Grunt; they forced him to roll out of their range before he spun forward and fired away! His blasts of water washed over the robot's chest, and dripped down in puddles at its feet, so he snarled. Another pull of the trigger and a trio of harpoons shot forward. They aimed towards a glass window that concealed the cockpit, but the robot swatted them away on sight!</p><p>Gill Grunt leaned away as the harpoons shot back for him, winced as they ricocheted off the wall, turned back and held the trigger tighter. Light formed at the cannon's barrel, swirling in a blue vortex as the faint shape of a harpoon began to form. Right before it could solidify, however, the robot shot off a laser and knocked him aside! As Gill Grunt rolled aside and slammed into the wall, the front of the robot yanked open, and a tiny goblin leaped from it with a cheer.</p><p>Stealth Elf popped behind a pillar where Trigger Happy hid, and narrowed her eyes. A soft, low growl of irritation came from her as the goblin's cheers rang in her ears. She dug her fingers into the pillar a bit tighter as Trigger Happy glanced up at her and grinned.</p><p>Grabbing Trigger Happy by the hand, Stealth Elf zipped from side to side. She swerved around the floor with such speed that she was little more than a blur there, a blink here… Stealth Elf neared the robot's side as the goblin's cheers started to quell, and vaulted Trigger Happy across the room!</p><p>With one swing, Trigger Happy knocked the goblin right out of the cockpit, and Trigger Happy himself into it!</p><p>"Alright!" Trigger Happy cheered as he grabbed control of the steering wheel. "This is more my speed!"</p><p>Trigger Happy's cackles turned to squeals of unadulterated glee as he squeezed the handles tight as he could. His tongue slapped against every button on the control panel and then some before it zipped back into his mouth! The robot spun around while Trigger Happy's laughter grew even louder, and missiles flew from every angle of the robot's spin before they crashed into the world around!</p><p>The guards screamed and ran off as missiles tore holes in the floors, knocked balconies off the walls. Even parts of the ceiling caved in and crashed, taking a few robotic guards with them!</p><p>The robot slowed as a droning groaning noise came from it. Finally, it clunked as it stopped and tipped over, knocking Trigger Happy from the cockpit. He squeaked like a dog's chew toy as he fell out and bounced across the floor, rolling right up to Chihiro's feet. He groaned as she picked him up, but as she held him in her arms, they both chuckled.</p><p>"Man, he must've been really desperate if that's all the help he could get," Chihiro remarked as she let Trigger Happy go. She cracked her knuckles and scoffed. "And that means our job's gonna be easy-peasy!"</p><p>Chihiro chuckled and dashed off with a bit more spring in her step. "Now, if we wanna keep Kaos's attention, the best way to do it is to get to the man himself! So, we'll need to figure out where he is…"</p><p>A few hums came as everyone scanned the halls, peering across the ruined remains of the room. There were still a few balconies and passages that remained intact despite the wreckage left by Trigger Happy, but none of them looked particularly suspicious or befitting of Kaos's aesthetics. It was all humble, kind of run-down wooden doors as far as the eye could see. Where to start was the next question, so maybe they should split up?</p><p>"Hello, friend!" said a voice beside Chihiro!</p><p>Chihiro lifted her head, turned to her side, and bit back a scream.</p><p>Standing beside her was a wilikin man, kind of like the ones she'd seen in the Wilikin Village, but painted to wear a butler's attire instead and with more of an eerie feeling to him! His wood seemed scarred and patchy in places, and a chilling air wafted around him, cooling the area by a few degrees. Heck, she was even sure that frost formed underneath his feet, yet he seemed perfectly oblivious as he stumbled up to her and held out a hand. For that matter, when did he even show up?</p><p>"You must be here to see royal family, aren't you?" the wilikin asked.</p><p>Chihiro nodded and hesitantly reached to grab the wilikin's hand… Only for her own to phase right through his!</p><p>Behind her, Spyro and Trigger Happy's eyes grew wide as they walked up. Spyro seemed to narrow his eyes as he wrapped a wing around Chihiro—just in case, she supposed.</p><p>"Royal family is very, very, busy right now." The wilikin nodded his head in a sort of solemn tone, oblivious to the nasty looks Spyro shot him or the worried looks held by everyone else. "Heard they are playing in ballroom!" The wilikin turned and gestured up to a large door in the center of the halls up ahead. "Will have to unlock switches to enter ballroom, though!"</p><p>Wait, so Kaos was in the ballroom? Well, that solved one thing, she supposed—though they seemed a little odd, wilikin weren't exactly inclined to lie. Looks like this was easier than she thought!</p><p>"Hey, thanks!" Chihiro replied as she smiled and nodded. "So, where are these switches?"</p><p>"Oh, I have to go! The King says I need to go to sewing room!" The wilikin cried as he skipped ahead. His body faded from view, and seemingly grew a bit redder in tint as he did? Either way, he just faded off the moment he hit the stairs.</p><p>"Yippee, I bet King wants me to make him a new cape!"</p><p>The wilikin disappeared in tiny puffs of red sparks, and Chihiro frowned as she crossed her arms.</p><p>"Well, guess we're going switch-hunting," Chihiro said. She took a step forward, but stopped midway of another as something gripped her shoulder.</p><p>"Are you sure this a good idea?" Stealth Elf retorted as she gently pulled Chihiro back. "That puppet thing seemed kind of suspicious to me."</p><p>"It's our best lead, isn't it?" Chihiro shrugged and wiggled herself free of Stealth Elf's grip. "'Sides, we'd be searching the place anyways, so might as well."</p><p>Stealth Elf frowned, raising a brow as she drew back from Chihiro. In her place, Trigger Happy hopped up and leaped on Chihiro's back! Chihiro grunted, stumbling forward from the sudden weight before catching herself and standing back up. Trigger Happy climbed up her shoulders and jabbed out an arm.</p><p>"Look, look, over there!" Trigger Happy cried as he pointed ahead. "That place seems kinds suspicious to me!"</p><p>Chihiro frowned as she followed Trigger Happy's gaze to a particularly worn door attached to a half-broken balcony, and raised a brow as a faint red light pulsed from underneath its broken end.</p><p>"Well, that's as good a place to start as any," Chihiro remarked. Trigger Happy shimmied his way off her back, and Chihiro stretched out before she wandered over to the balcony. "Better get searching!"</p><p>Chihiro hupped as she grabbed onto a particularly sturdy stone that stuck out from the balcony's broken edge, heaved herself up, and grunted as her hands and knees planted on cool marble. She pushed herself up and trudged towards the door, pushing it open with only the slightest touch and frowning as the light from around poured inside.</p><p>The room within was filled with all sorts of trash, from scattered, yellowing papers and tattered notebooks, to waterlogged barrels that leaked out some kind of glowing green liquid—the exact contents of which she wasn't keen on finding. Something akin to musty water wafted in the air, drenching the room in its damp stench. As she walked in, the scent grew so bad that Chihiro plugged her nose. Crafting a sphere of light with a snap of her hand, Chihiro's attention first fell on one tattered notebook that rested by her foot. It came to her front and flipped open with another snap of her fingers. Chihiro claimed it from the air, and frowned as its cold, wet cover nestled itself in her palm. Maybe this would give her a clue or two about those switches.</p><p><em>Dear journal,</em> it read in faded, bleeding ink, <em>Harmonia's funeral was today, a day of mourning nationwide. I tried my hardest to keep face as the country needed, as my boys needed, but it was hard not to cry—the light of my life, my radiant sun, my flower as bright as the seven stars of Skylands, is finally gone. I hadn't seen her up until now, as per funeral rites… But now, it truly has sunk in that her illness has taken her. She fought so hard, and the court doctors and mages did everything they could, but nothing we, what I could've done was enough! Lady-in-waiting Kaossandra assured me that I couldn't have made her a happier woman—</em></p><p>Wait, Kaossandra? That name sounded awfully familiar. Wasn't she that lady who owned the security system to this place? Chihiro frowned, and flipped a few more pages ahead with a snap of her fingers.</p><p><em>Dear journal, it has been a few days since Harmonia's funeral, and business has returned to the kingdom as usual. It's been tedious trying to rule between mourning, but having Kaossandra by my side has eased my pains. She's always been there with the kindest of words to keep me warm, and just the right things to sooth my worries. I daresay she almost comes close to Harmonia in how quickly she earned my heart, but it would be scandalous to remarry so soon. Maybe in a few moons' time.</em></p><p>Nope, nothing there.</p><p><em>Dear journal, today Kaossandra has given birth to a healthy… If not incredibly ugly, baby boy. We've decided to name him Kaos, and though he might not be the most charming in terms of looks… Or smells… I do believe he'll grow into his position. In fact, I think his birth is the best thing that could have happened to the kingdom, a symbol of a new era.</em></p><p>"Wait, so this belonged to Kaos's dad?" Chihiro whispered, gripping the old book tighter. Raising a brow, Chihiro flipped a few more pages and buried her nose deep in the book—this was starting to get a bit interesting!</p><p><em>Dear journal, oh how it pains me to write this. Just thinking of these words makes me stomach churn as hard as the seas on the Stormiest Night, but my Kaossandra was but a fraud! The courthands caught her scheming to poison us at mealtime, and everything came to light:</em> <em>she had poisoned my sweet Harmonia with malevolent magic, watched her slowly die… And bewitched my heart, all to bear an heir to take the throne in her lieu! She was swiftly exiled, but what am I to do? The peasants are still ruminating over Harmonia's death, and the whispers are starting to make their way out of the royal courts. Who knows what they'd think if they knew the truth? Just covering up that is enough, and I'm still unsure of what to do about Kaos. He may have been her pawn, but he's only an infant, and he shouldn't be held at fault for the actions of a mother he couldn't control. Yet, every time I look at him, all I can feel is a seething rage at the actions that led to his birth! What am I to do?</em></p><p>Some juicy stuff, but nothing about a switch—yet Chihiro was entranced all the time. Her flipping and skimming continued, painting a story on its worn pages with every word.</p><p><em>Dear journal, Kaos grows older with every passing minute, and with those minutes, I find it harder to keep his existence secret from the kingdom.</em></p><p><em>Dear journal, today Kaos has done the most utterly insolent thing he could and showed himself to the kingdom! If that brat hadn't run away, I'd have eviscerated him, but he has, and I am left to deal with the mess he made. The peasants are demanding answers, whispers of adultery and worse are spreading…</em></p><p><em>Dear journal, with every day my heart aches to write in your pages. The peasants' trust in me has been severed, and with that, I find it harder to keep going. The first love of my life is dead, the second betrayed my trust, my sons bicker with every passing day over their status and whether or not they'll inherit the throne, if the throne will even exist still… I find it harder to press on…</em></p><p>And after that, nothing. Even with several more page flips, the pages remaining blank, until she reached near the back and paused.</p><p><em>I suppose this journal is the one that Father would spend so much time penning away in while we were oblivious, and I guess it is my secret now. I, Prince Augustus, almighty son of King Konkord and Queen Harmonia and the rightful heir to the throne, mind you, have been driven into hiding by my brother's petty squabbles. Francis has already fled the country with his wife and child, Dominic's been murdered in his own sleep by Benedict, and I fear I will be next. Benedict always knew that I, as the eldest, would get the throne as I so deserved, but believe you not, he thinks he's entitled to the throne! He claims that it was what Father has said, but who would listen to a man that was dying of heartbreak, of all things?</em></p><p><em>Either way, he's gone on a murderous spree. I've locked myself away in the storage chambers until the guards dispose of him, but my resources are running low. I've had to resort to these awful attempts at making soft drinks for nourishment, and I haven't eaten in days! Maybe that awful half-brother of mine has the right idea, running away from his regal responsibilities… Surely being king can't be worth all this…</em><br> "Hey, I think I found something!"</p><p>Spyro's voice rang in Chihiro's ears as she pulled herself away from the journal and dropped it to the floor. Warm, red light like blood sprayed against Chihiro's face, and she drew closer to its source: a mostly-barren spot at the back of the room, where an orb of blood-red light pulsed and shuddered like a heart. Spyro, Trigger Happy, Stealth Elf, and Gill Grunt gathered around it as it shuddered, humming a tune, or maybe, no, it sounded more like a shuddering, vibrating sort of noise? Whatever it was, something about it entranced Chihiro, whose feet moved towards it without even thinking!</p><p>"I think this might be the switch we're looking for!" Spyro shouted, turning towards Chihiro with a smile. "Care to do the honors, Chi?"</p><p>Chihiro slowly, slightly nodded. She reached out her hand towards the orb as it pulsed, wavered, shuddered with some kind of strange heartbeat. Her fingers brushed against its tip, and it burst out in moments! Its blood-red light splattered around the room while the blood in Chihiro's body all rushed to her head, even though she stood upright. The blood spread into her ears, muffling the shouts and cries of those around as the world around her blurred. The floors turned to jelly, and her feet started to stumble and sink within its gooey grip. She finally collapsed to the floor, forced to shut her eyes as her head pounded so hard that it nearly exploded…</p><p>And then, it stopped.</p><p>The dizzying sensation faded from her mind, and she opened her eyes to the gentle touch of sunlight and the birds singing in the breeze. The worn floors of before became a soft dirt path, and all around her rested simple buildings, tall trees and lush, green grass, as if she were in a village! How could she have gotten here? She was in that room not seconds ago!</p><p>"Where are we?" Spyro groaned as he sat up.</p><p>"I don't know," moaned Stealth Elf as she rubbed her head. "I can still hear the blood rushing through my ears."</p><p>Trigger Happy moaned and twitched his legs. Beside Trigger Happy, Gill Grunt stumbled back to his fins and rubbed his eyes.</p><p>"Wherever we are, it seems like there's a town ahead," Gill Grunt remarked as he pointed up to the buildings ahead. "Let's ask around. Maybe we'll find some answers."</p><p>Chihiro nodded, taking a moment to help Spyro back to his paws. Beside her, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf staggered back to their own full grip. With everyone back to their senses, they trailed across the path.</p><p>The grass and trees made way for huts, small stone buildings, and food stalls, the birdsong for the hustle and bustle of town life. It was a bit enchanting, watching the residents of this strange, small town chat about their day. An elf manning a food stall offered fruit to a human dressed in ragged clothing with a few small children clinging to their robes, two mabu in worker's garb leaned against a building as they split a drink, a few children of varying species chased a ball down the way…</p><p>Chihiro chuckled for a moment, but frowned as the sounds of jeering and shouting hit her ears. A cold, familiar chill ran down her spine, and her legs started to lock up almost on instinct. Something about that voice's tone felt familiar to her, and not in a good way. Despite the shaking feeling in her legs, Chihiro sprung ahead; her feet pounded against the dirt as the jeers and laughter grew louder and more coherent.</p><p>In the distance, she could spot some gangly-looking kids with wavy blond hair dressed in stuff way fancier than half these people wore, who laughed as they shrouded someone else from view with mocking, teasing laughter. Just the sight left Chihiro's blood boiling, and before she knew it, she stormed in!</p><p>"Come on, just admit it—there's no way you'll ever really be one of us!" crooned one of the kids, the tallest one of the group.</p><p>"Yeah!" chimed in a second as they crossed their arms. "You're too ugly and smelly to be a prince! Father might say otherwise, but—"</p><p>"Hey, what d'you think you're doing?" Chihiro cried, teleporting into the scene!</p><p>The sounds of sniffling and crying came from behind her, and she snarled as she balled her hand into a fist. "What business do you have, going around picking on someone like that?"</p><p>And then, she met with the bullies' faces. They were all long, wavy, golden blond hair, blue eyes, and button noses—reminded her of her bullies at school. Chihiro's stomach churned with anger at the sight, even more so as they scoffed and held up their noses.</p><p>"And what business does a commoner have, speaking to us like that?" the tallest kid, probably the head of the group, scoffed. "Don't you know who we are?"</p><p>"'Sides, why're you sticking your neck out for some ugly little goblin like that?" jeered a shorter kid who stood next to another kid identical in appearance, save for slightly longer hair.</p><p>"Yeah, don't you have anything better to do?"</p><p>The sobbing behind her grew louder, and Chihiro gritted her teeth, barely keeping herself from punching their faces in.</p><p>"What does appearance have to do with it? You don't have any right to go around picking on others! Can't you see how upset they are?" Chihiro spat, thrusting herself right in the head of the group's face until her eyes locked with his.</p><p>Though she shuddered at the sight of eyes on her, that guy at the head shuddered right back and backed away. It was as if he wasn't used to someone speaking back to him!</p><p>"You can talk about how ugly they are all you want, but the only ugliness I see is your attitude! You may think you're hot stuff, but anyone who picks on someone who can't even fight back is more hideous than that!" Chihiro thrust a finger in the kid's chest, and for a moment, magic seemed to spark at her fingertip before she quelled it. "Don't you have anything to say for yourself?"</p><p>The boy gulped for a moment, however, he quickly scoffed and turned tail. "Whatever, this just got boring. Come on, I'm sure there's better things to mess around with than him."</p><p>The other three scoffed in turn and walked off, and Chihiro crossed her arms. Bullies never seemed to change, no matter the place. Shaking her head, her attention turned to the subject behind her: a kid even smaller than herself who dressed in garb similar to the bullies—was he, perhaps, a relative of theirs or something? Would explain what they were saying. Their face was completely shielded from view; only their bald head was visible as they sniffled and wiped their face…</p><p>"Hey, are you alright?" Chihiro asked as she knelt down and offered the kid a hand. "Here, let me help you up."</p><p>"… Thank, thank you," the kid croaked, their voice harsh from crying, but still with a high, shrill tone to it. "Nobody ever sticks up for me like that."</p><p>"Hey, think nothing of it! It's not right for them to be picking on someone…"</p><p>The kid turned around, and Chihiro's voice faltered at the sight of his face. Those jutting teeth, the red eyes with those black marks around them, that round nose… Wait a second, this kid, he couldn't be…</p><p>"I'm Kaos!" the kid chirped, grabbing Chihiro's hand maybe a little too eagerly and shaking it just as fast. "What's your name?"</p><p>Chihiro's eyes fluttered and she stepped back. "Er, well, that's not really important!" Chihiro exclaimed, scratching the back of her head. "I'm just someone passing through here—"</p><p>"Chi, there you are!" Spyro cried from the back.</p><p>Chihiro jolted up and turned around right as Spyro flew into view, Stealth Elf, Trigger Happy and Gill Grunt all following behind him. She turned back to Kaos.</p><p>"I was wondering where you—" Spyro opened his eyes, and in that moment, he stopped right in the air and stumbled backwards. "Wait a second, is that—"</p><p>Chihiro yanked Spyro away and turned him around, covering his muzzle just before he could finish. He spat out as Chihiro lifted her hand, and she only cringed.</p><p>"Yeah, that kid's Kaos. Just, younger," Chihiro explained, raising a brow and turned to Kaos.</p><p>He waved at her in tandem, and she smiled and waved back before turning to Spyro. The other three joined them in tandem, and Gill Grunt shoved his way in before Spyro could speak.</p><p>"What's going on here?" Gill Grunt hissed, his brow clenching as he glanced over at Kaos. "And what's he doing?"</p><p>"This is just an educated guess on my end," Chihiro whispered back, rubbing her chin. "But, remember that weird orb we all touched in that closet?"</p><p>Gill Grunt nodded.</p><p>"I think, somehow, it must have sent us back into the past to when Kaos was a kid!" Chihiro frowned. "I don't know how, exactly, but…"</p><p>"Ooh, so we're time traveling, like in the stories and stuff?" Trigger Happy giggled as he bounced up and down. "I wanna go see the mineosaurs and stuff next! No, I wanna go back to when gold was invented so I can—"</p><p>"We're doing nothing of the sort, Trigger Happy," Stealth Elf scolded as she pulled him back. "We've still got a mission to attend to!"</p><p>"And we can't get it done until we find a way back to the present," Chihiro said, rubbing her chin. "Now, if I had to guess, if there's any way out, it might be in that storage closet, but, how are we going to get back in the…"</p><p>"Hey, what'cha talking about?" Kaos chirped as he pushed his way in!</p><p>Spyro, Gill Grunt, Stealth Elf, and Trigger Happy all shouted and jumped back, but Chihiro smiled and leaned down.</p><p>"Actually, we were talking about how we've never been around this part of Skylands before, and we wanted to see all the sights!" Chihiro said. She had to admit, even if this was Kaos, she still felt a little bad lying to a little kid like this—but, if she wanted to get out of the past, she'd have to. "We haven't really decided where to go yet, either."</p><p>Kaos hummed and rubbed his chin, but finally beamed. "I know!" he cried, grabbing Chihiro's hand and pulling her away. "I'll show you my house! It's the biggest place in all the island! In fact, I bet it's the biggest place in all Skylands!"</p><p>Chihiro chuckled and rolled her eyes as she followed Kaos down the beaten path. Spyro, Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf carefully trailed behind her. Occasionally they shot confused glances at Kaos, as if they weren't entirely sure what to expect of him. But, that quickly stopped as the sights of the village made way for that of a tall, looming castle with robotic guards flanking the front!</p><p>It had all the aesthetics of the castle Chihiro entered, but unlike that one, this one was brand new! Its stone shined with a bright polish, the long flags that hung from its towers fluttered in the air with not a sign of damage to be found, and the grass was green and bright! It was a far cry from the castle of the present—in fact, it looked almost kind of cool!</p><p>The guards parted ways and bowed as Kaos strode in, and he ushered for Chihiro's group to follow. So, they did, quietly trailing behind. They stepped onto the stark stone pathways and walked up to the front doors. Kaos pushed them open, and as they slowly creaked away, the first sight they found was of—Glumshanks?</p><p>Well, the troll butler that currently stood before then looked like Glumshanks, anyways: same face, same green skin, same lanky build. The lack of wrinkles on his face suggested he was at least a decade or two younger, and the tattered rags he usually wore were traded out for a cream and orange butler suit with puffy shorts, oversized boots over tights, white gloves, and a pristine white dress shirt. He raised his brows for a moment as the doors spread to their zenith, but as his eyes fell on Kaos, he chuckled and laid the tray he was holding aside.</p><p>"There you are, Prince Kaos! How was your day out?" Glumshanks asked. He knelt down and reached out his hands the way a father would reach out for their child.</p><p>Kaos giggled, rushed past them and leaped right into Glumshanks' arms! He giggled even more as Glumshanks spun him around and dropped him on the floor, but the smiles on their faces didn't relent any.</p><p>"It was great, Glumshanks!" Kaos chirped as he gestured to Chihiro and the Skylanders. "I made a bunch of new friends today!"</p><p>"I'm glad to hear that, Prince Kaos. Now remember, before you show your new friends around—"</p><p>"Oh, we're not going in the forbidden chambers or anything! I'm gonna show them all around the castle, and we're gonna play all day, and…"</p><p>"Oh, yeah, speaking of that," Spyro said as he flew forward. He winced a little as he tapped Kaos's shoulder. "We're kind of busy, so why don't we hurry up and start this tour?"</p><p>"And then we'll hide all over the castle, and I'll show them Father's statue collection…"</p><p>"Er, uh, Kaos?" Spyro winced again and gently nudged Kaos's shoulder. "We don't have much time, so—"</p><p>"And then, then, well, I'm not sure what we're gonna do, but it'll be fun! Hey, can they stay over for dinner, too? I wanna show them the chefs' cooking routine!"</p><p>Glumshanks chuckled and knelt down as he fixed Kaos's collar. "Now, Prince Kaos, that's for His Majesty to decide, not me."</p><p>Spyro sighed as he drifted away, flying back to Chihiro's side. "No use, I can't get a word in edgewise!" Spyro whispered.</p><p>Chihiro frowned. Her vision passed them and back towards the endless stretches of halls behind Kaos and Glumshanks, and then, that very same balcony, with that very same door that led to the room that brought them here! That was the easy part, but now there was the matter of getting in.</p><p>"Keep Kaos occupied," Chihiro whispered as magic began to spark around her. "I'll see if I can get that door open!"</p><p>Cyan light flared around Chihiro as she teleported to the balcony, and dispersed as she dropped down on its surface. She walked over and jiggled the door's knob, but it was completely locked! With a frown, she turned it again just to be sure, and when she met with only a dull noise, she rubbed her hands and charged them with magic. An unlocking spell ought to do the trick!</p><p>"Hey, what are you doing there?"</p><p>Chihiro gasped and jumped away, finding that Kaos now stood beside her with wide, curious eyes! Wasn't Spyro keeping him busy? A look behind showed Spyro, Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, and Stealth Elf rushing up to the balcony with a kind of frantic look, but the feeling of Kaos tugging on her sleeve brought her attention back to him.</p><p>"That's Father's forbidden chamber, silly!" Kaos giggled. "You need his special key to get in there!"</p><p>As the Skylanders rushed onto the balcony, Chihiro grinned. A secret key, huh? In that case, she knew just how to get it!</p><p>"Hey, Kaos," Chihiro chuckled, hands behind her back as she drew closer to him. "You wanna play a game?"</p><p>Kaos's eyes lit up, and he giggled as he clapped his hands. "Sure, sure, what're we playing?"</p><p>Chihiro's eyes drifted back to the storage room, and a smile crossed her lips. "How about we play hide and seek? We'll go hide in that locked room over there, and you'll have to find us!"</p><p>Kaos's eyes followed Chihiro, and he frowned as he twiddled his fingers. "Well, I'm not really supposed to go in there. Father says that's his super secret storage room that only he can go in."</p><p>"But I bet a room like that would have lots of cool places to hide, wouldn't it? It would be the ultimate game!"</p><p>Kaos hummed, looking aside as he rubbed his chin. A small smile fell on his face.</p><p>"Okay! We just have to get the key from Father, and then we can go in!"</p><p>Chihiro chuckled as Kaos skipped away—somehow, she knew that would work. Chihiro crept behind Kaos as he strode down the halls, passing identical rows of doors and flags and other regal decor. They finally stopped at one door that was opened just a crack. Chihiro gently pushed the door open just enough to peer inside, and met with the sight of a dressing room where a large man dressed in regal garb fixed his crown in a mirror.</p><p>"Now, Konkord, there's no pressure to any of this," he mumbled at just a loud enough volume that it was barely heard. "All you have to do is convince the kingdom that the royal family is fine, there's been no traitors or poisonings of any sort, that we're not hiding any secrets, and everything isn't falling apart at the seams! There's nothing hard about that!"</p><p>Konkord muttered something else under his breath as he fixed his hair. He shifted his cape just a little as he lifted his arms—and showed that there on his belt laid a sparkling, purple key!</p><p>Chihiro's eyes lit up in an instant, watching as the cape draped back down over the back of Konkord with intrigue.</p><p>"That's gotta be the key we need!" Chihiro whispered before humming. "Now, how to get it?"</p><p>"Just leave that part to me," Stealth Elf whispered as she swept out from behind Chihiro.</p><p>Chihiro jolted as she found Stealth Elf behind her back and the other three behind her in turn, but only for a moment. Stealth Elf turned invisible in an instant, much to Kaos's amazement as he oohed and aahed.</p><p>All eyes turned back to dressing room as Konkord fussed with his hair still. His cape swept aside just a little as he pushed a few strands here, a few strands there. While Konkord fussed with his hair, the key slipped off of his belt and floated out the door.</p><p>"Easy as cake," Stealth Elf remarked as she turned visible once more and held up the key.</p><p>Chihiro and Kaos both beamed first at Stealth Elf as she dropped the key in Chihiro's outstretched hands, and then at each other.</p><p>"Wow, I wish I could do fancy magic tricks like that!" Kaos whispered as he turned back to the door. "Anyways, now we just have to unlock the door and—"</p><p>Kaos's eyes widened, and he frantically yanked his head around.</p><p>"Wait, Father's coming, hide!"</p><p>Chihiro gasped. With a wave of her hand, she, Spyro, Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, and Stealth Elf all disappeared from view! Kaos gasped in wonder as they vanished, but his cheerful look soured as Konkord closed the door and loomed over Kaos.</p><p>"Now Kaos, you know what you're supposed to do during my speeches, correct?" Konkord asked, wagging a finger as he spoke.</p><p>Kaos sighed and hung his head. "Don't leave the castle and don't cause any trouble."</p><p>"Exactly. Now stay put. This will only take a few hours."</p><p>Konkord scoffed as he trailed away; he not once any mind to Kaos, who hung his head as Konkord strode towards the ends of the halls. But, as Konkord grew further and further from view, Kaos snickered and lifted his head. A mischievous smile, the one the eerily resembled the smiles the grown-up Kaos held as he reveled in his schemes, crossed his face as he waved at them, and Chihiro smiled back as she took out the key.</p><p>"Good job! He didn't even suspect a thing!" Chihiro chuckled.</p><p>"I'm used to hiding things from Father," Kaos chuckled as tugged on Chihiro's sleeve. "Now come on, I wanna play, I wanna play!"</p><p>Chihiro herself giggled, trailed over to the door, and slipped the key into its hole, Kaos still tugging on her clothes the whole way. With one click, a soft clunk came from the room, and the key slipped out of the lock as the door slowly creaked open.</p><p>"Oh, wow," Kaos whispered as he trailed in, "I've never been in here before!"</p><p>Chihiro couldn't help but smile, a bit entranced by the wonder Kaos held. It was strange, admittedly, seeing her arch-enemy and the guy who plunged Skylands into despair when he was so young and innocent. Weirdly, she almost saw a bit of herself in him for a moment. She faintly recalled when she had rescued him from his brotherly bullies not moments earlier, and for a moment, she almost considered just snatching him up and running off with him.</p><p>That is, until Spyro flew up and nudged her with his wing.</p><p>"Alright, that teleporter should be in the back of the room, if it's anywhere where it was before. I'd—"</p><p>"Prince Kaos?" Glumshanks called from the back of the room. "Prince Kaos, where'd you go?"</p><p>"Oh crap, he's gonna find us!" Chihiro cried as she leaped into the room. "Everyone hide!"</p><p>Spyro, Gill Grunt, Stealth Elf, and Trigger Happy all followed in tandem. They jumped into the storage room right as Chihiro slammed the door shut and blanketed the room in darkness once more.</p><p>Diving behind a few stray barrels, Chihiro gulped as she poked her head out. Her eyes fixed on the faint light that poured in from underneath the door.</p><p>"Prince Kaos, what are you doing here? You know you're not supposed to go in the storage room—"</p><p>"But, Glumshanks, my friends and I were just, playing a game! Yeah, we were playing hide and seek, and I wanted the perfect hiding spot!"</p><p>Glumshanks sighed, his feet shuffling and blocking parts of the light. "This is a big castle, Prince Kaos, I'm sure you can find plenty of other hiding spots."</p><p>Chihiro frowned, fingers drumming against the barrel's rim. She flicked her wrist, and cast a soft, cyan light out over the room, unveiling its contents at last.</p><p>The room itself was near-identical to the storage room she entered this strange time period from, the barrels and papers scattered like before. Compared to the rotten, leaking barrels and worn, yellowing papers of before, almost everything here seemed crisp and new! It was organized into careful groups and stacks, and arranged in an order Chihiro didn't quite understand. She could spy a few limbs or parts from the rest of her team poking out from the pile, hissed as she waved them over, and they in turn slunk across to where she sat.</p><p>"Wait, where's that light coming from?" Glumshanks asked from the other side of the door. "And did I hear footsteps just now?"</p><p>"Quick, we don't have much time!" Chihiro hissed as everyone gathered together. "Find that thing that brought us here, right now!"</p><p>A few nods came as everyone dashed across the room, pushing aside barrels and sifting through stacks of paper and journals.</p><p>Chihiro herself dove into a collection of journals and pushed them aside, but sighed as she found nothing but more strays papers. She moved over to a few crates and pushed them aside, but winced as something thunked against the door.</p><p>"Do, don't worry about it, Glumshanks! I bet it's just those mice Father keeps talking about!"</p><p>"Mice? Oh, I'd better get in there! I'm sure His Majesty would—"</p><p>"Hey, I thought you said nobody was allowed in there!"</p><p>Chihiro winced and hastily levitated a few more crates aside, a few barrels, a couple more stacks of journals. There was nothing! Not a single sign of the orb that brought them here laid around this room! She gritted her teeth and crawled forward, pushing away scraps and objects as she did. As she pushed away one barrel, a blood-red light fell on her face!</p><p>"I found it!" Trigger Happy cried from up ahead. "Come on!"</p><p>Chihiro lifted her head right as Trigger Happy planted his hand on the orb and disappeared, and Spyro, Stealth Elf, and Gill Grunt followed in succession. Chihiro jumped to her feet as the red light flashed with every disappearance, and rushed to the orb. Just before she could touch the orb, the door thunked once more and she froze!</p><p>She turned her head around right as it flung right open, and Kaos and Glumshanks both fell inside!</p><p>Kaos recovered first. He jumped to his feet and gasped as he wandered around the room, but lifted a brow as something crumpled underfoot. Turning his head down, he lifted a stray paper from the ground and raised a brow.</p><p>"'Dear journal,'" Kaos read from the paper, "'things have grown much more tense in the country since Kaossandra was named queen, but I am grateful for her company nonetheless. In fact, I'm delighted to inform you that she is with child! The royal doctors confirmed that she should be giving birth to a healthy child…'" Kaos raised a brow and turned around to Glumshanks. "Who's Kaossandra?"</p><p>"Prince Kaos!" Glumshanks spat, stumbling to his feet. "You're not supposed to—"</p><p>Kaos stumbled away, turned around and grinned. "Hey, there you are!" he shouted as his eyes laid on Chihiro. His grin widened and he shuffled forward. "I was wondering where you—"</p><p>Chihiro gasped and slapped the orb right in that instant! A searing, aching feeling like all the blood in her head rushing down came over her as the blood red light caught her in its grasp! The faint presence of the world around lingered, so Chihiro's eyes laid on the younger Kaos, the paper still held in his grasp as he watched her disappear in wide-eyed awe.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Around the back of the castle, Tree Rex frowned, and cast out a bright green light as a guide around the dark parts of the backyard. Surely, all the ruckus he caused would've been enough to keep the guards occupied. All he had to worry about was finding a way in, yet, he wasn't entirely sure if that'd be the easiest thing.</p><p>"I have to ask," Crusher whispered as he planted himself against the back of the castle, his eyes darting from side to side. "Why exactly did they make us do the stealth part? We're not exactly stealthy."</p><p>"You might not be," 'Enehana remarked as they floated up on a shiny jetpack, their eyes glued to a console, "but once we get in here and I start up my cloaking device, we'll be completely invisible to the naked eye. They won't even know we're coming!"</p><p>"Does that thing even work still?" Vatra asked from where he sat on Crusher's shoulder. "It has been a while since you've last used your little devices—"</p><p>"And they still work like they're new, tested them myself last night." 'Enehana toyed around with a knob and hummed, but finally stashed the device away in their backpack. "I don't make junk, and these devices are no exception to that rule."</p><p>"That's right!" Jorden affirmed as he sat on Crusher's other shoulder.</p><p>Jorden nodded as furiously as he could, and Tree Rex chuckled before turning his attention back to the walls. Brushing his fingertips against their rough, stone texture, he frowned as he traced the walls for some kind of gap or crack reminiscent of an opening, or something similar. Though, with all the cracks in this worn-down stone, it was kind of hard to tell exactly what was what. Most of the ones that seemed big enough were just fissures left by the wear and tear of time, and nothing that indicated a secret passage of any sort. So, he turned to the other side of the wall and felt his way around, but found no cracks, switches, nothing.</p><p>"Any luck, babe?" Bouncer asked. His warm metal pressed against Tree Rex's skin, giving off a pleasantly warm feeling.</p><p>Tree Rex chucked, but quickly shook his head. "Nothing here," he said, tilting his head towards the corner indicating the wall's end. "I suppose we'll have to try the other end."</p><p>Tree Rex took a step forward, and beside him, the castle started to rumble—but no, not from his own footsteps. Even with its damages, the castle was far too sturdy for something of that sort. Instead, the wall beside him shuddered, slowly sinking in with sand and crumbled bits of rock cascading down!</p><p>The others all circled around Tree Rex as the wall sank further and further in, and it unveiled a totally dark passageway where the wall once stood. A sort of musty smell wafted out from the tunnel, as if it hadn't been attended to in ages, and the walls were filled with cracks and cobwebs. It shouldn't have been surprising, given the worn-down state of the castle, but something about it pricked at the alarm bells in Tree Rex's mind.</p><p>"Well, guess we found our passageway," Hot Head remarked, shrugging as he pushed past Tree Rex. With a flick of his hands, red light poured out and acted as a makeshift lantern, illuminating the pathway ahead in crimson. "Let's go find this Kaos guy and—"</p><p><em>SHING!</em></p><p>Hot Head screamed and ducked as a giant buzz saw burst from the ceiling! It swung ahead before it sunk back into the ceiling, and Hot Head turned on his back while his lit hands thrust towards the ceiling. The sounds of buzzing and churning squealed from high above as even more buzz saws slipped down from the ceiling, their metal tinted a bloody red by Hot Head's light. Hot Head flipped back just before they could saw him in half! He transformed into a motorbike and skidded away as they swung, but turned back to normal as he cowered behind Tree Rex.</p><p>"Should've guessed that was a little suspicious," Tree Rex sighed.</p><p>The saws continued to churn as they lowered from the ceiling, and Tree Rex held up his solar cannon. Surely, one nice, powerful laser beam of raw solar light would be enough to melt these! His solar cannon screeched as it began charging with light, its tip turning a fluorescent green as it did.</p><p>Beside him, Bouncer wheeled up as his eyes glowed a bright orange. Crusher's own eyes turned a bright chartreuse as he squeezed his hammer's handle, and Hot Head jumped out from behind Tree Rex while his palms glowed with heat. A buzz saw swung right down for them, and all four of them readied to attack…</p><p>But as it came just an inch from Tree Rex's face, it stopped completely and leaped back into the ceiling! Tree Rex turned the light of his solar cannon onto the ceiling as it vanished, right in time to catch the other buzz saws as they disappeared. He frowned and lowered the cannon.</p><p>"Just what stopped those things?" 'Enehana asked as they lowered hands glowing with orange light. "I hadn't even used my technomancy yet!"</p><p>"I did, actually."</p><p>A soft, but kind of high-strung and whiny sounding voice echoed from the darker parts of the hall, followed by footsteps and a faint gold light. Out from the shadows came a lanky, green-skinned troll dressed in rags who held a worn lantern in hand. Their long ears drooped down in tandem with the bags underneath his bloodshot eyes, and the only trace of hair was a few worn, oily strands at the top of their head. They looked to be in quite awful shape—did they live in this castle?</p><p>"I forgot those ceiling saws were still there," the troll said as they scratched their head, bowed down and sighed. "Sorry about that."</p><p>The troll chuckled, hummed and scratched his head as they trailed around where Tree Rex and the others stood. They all gave the troll odd looks and mumbled things under their breath as the troll gave them a look-over. After trailing a full circle around them, the troll sighed and trudged back to Tree Rex's front. Actually, now that Tree Rex thought about it, this troll's voice sounded a little familiar.</p><p>"You must be the Elder Elementals, correct?" the troll asked, before they cast a glance up at where Vatra, 'Enehana, and Jorden rested on Crusher's shoulders. "I don't quite recognize you ghosts, though. I guess the Skylanders must have gotten some new recruits since I was last on Skylands."</p><p>"Wait, you know who we are?" Hot Head gasped.</p><p>Tree Rex blinked and took a step back. "Just who exactly are you?" he asked.</p><p>The troll chuckled and ran a hand across his head. "Oh, pardon me, I must have forgotten to introduce myself," the troll said before bowing. "I'm Glumshanks, Lord Kaos's butler and right-hand troll—"</p><p>At the sound of those, words, everyone pointed their weapons forward!</p><p>Glumshanks gasped and immediately held up his hands. "Wait, wait, hold your fire! I don't mean you any harm!"</p><p>"Then, pray tell, what are you doing here?" Vatra asked as he floated down. As his feet hit the ground, he stormed up to Glumshanks and crossed his arms. "I presume that you were the one who lead us into these halls, right? What kind of intentions would you have in leading up to a dark, isolated place full of death traps?"</p><p>"Well, the death traps were unintentional." Glumshanks gulped and twiddled his fingers. "But, I did want to meet with you. You see, I have a deal for you."</p><p>"A… Deal?"</p><p>A few whispers came as the others turned to each other and huddled close, but Tree Rex knelt behind Vatra and Glumshanks. The two of them turned their heads to him, but Tree Rex just nodded and moved his hand forward.</p><p>Vatra nodded back to Tree Rex in turn, and he turned to Glumshanks as warmth dusted the tips of his fiery red hair. "Go on."</p><p>"Normally I wouldn't really do this, but desperate times call for desperate measures." Glumshanks sighed and scratched the back of his ears.</p><p>"Well, you see, Lord Kaos has been acting, odd. Ever since he came out of that Conquertron a few days ago, his voice has gotten all deep, and he's been weirdly obsessed with Arkeyan things, and he always seems sort of out of sorts, I suppose. He insists there's nothing wrong, but I've known him since he was a baby. I can tell when he's lying like I can blink, but I can't get him to tell me what's going on with him at all."</p><p>"So I presume you want us to spy on him, and figure out why he's acting so strangely?"</p><p>Glumshanks nodded. "I can help you get into the castle without getting any attention from Lord Kaos's armies—in fact, I've already diverted them away."</p><p>Vatra frowned deeper, drumming his fingers against his forearms.</p><p>Tree Rex knelt further down, and tapped Vatra's shoulder as gently as he could. "You know, this could work out for us," Tree Rex whispered. "We can get into the castle without any fuss and get some extra information, and once we get it, we can take care of their plans to go to Arkus! We'd be killing two termites with one stone!"</p><p>"Isn't the saying two birds?" Vatra whispered back as he raised a brow.</p><p>"Yes, but I wouldn't want to hurt a bird."</p><p>Vatra chuckled and rolled his eyes. A hint of amusement laid in his normally-solemn stature that quickly faded as he turned to Glumshanks.</p><p>"Alright, we'll help you find out what's wrong with this Kaos fellow."</p><p>"Great!" Glumshanks clapped his hands, turned around and walked deeper into the depths. "Right this way, please, and, er, please watch your step. I thought I deactivated all the traps, but I'm not sure."</p><p>Tree Rex winced, but nonetheless cast a light down on the floor. He not once moved it from where Glumshanks walked as they passed through the halls.</p><p>The light at the back faded by the minute, and the faint sounds of rustling wind outside made way for dripping water and faint drafts. That musty stench strengthened and faded at random intervals. A faint gold light passed over them, one not strong enough to illuminate the path, but bright enough that it gave some semblance of visibility to the paths underneath. It was all dirt and broken stones that looked as if they hadn't been traversed in years.</p><p>"This was a secret passageway Lord Kaos's wilikin used to sneak in," Glumshanks explained as he held up the lantern. "His Majesty never wanted them rummaging around the castle, so he kicked them all out, but they'd always use this path to get around that. Nobody knew" — Glumshanks chuckled for a moment — "well, beside me of course. Being the head butler, I knew this whole castle inside and out!"</p><p>Glumshanks took a few steps forward, paused, and hummed as he rubbed a hand against his chin. "Now, if I recall correctly, there was another trap of some kind here, but I can't remember what it was."</p><p>Glumshanks took a few more steps forward as he hummed—when a saw buzzed right past him! He screamed and jumped back as it came inches from sawing him in half; he gulped and stumbled backwards, backing into Crusher's leg as he did. His whole head coated itself in sweat, and in such short time, too!</p><p>Considering the whole path ahead quickly filled with buzz saws that swung around in spiral formations, and practically churned the whole ground around them as they worked, he had reason to be scared.</p><p>"Oh right, the saws," Glumshanks sputtered. He shook his head, tossed sweat beads everywhere, and wiped himself off as he stumbled forward. "Now, if I recall correctly, the switch to turn them off should be at the end of the path—" Another buzz saw rushed past Glumshanks, and he shuddered before he hopped across. "Well, better make this quick."</p><p>Glumshanks held the lantern as high as he could and jumped again. He shuddered for a moment as a buzz saw zipped behind him, gingerly tiptoed forward, but jumped back as another buzz saw passed in front of him! He clenched his teeth, sweat dripping down again as he held the lantern high once more; finally he jumped forward, narrowly passing another saw before it could slice him. One saw zipped past his front just as he went to jump once more, more chasing after his back and sides… The saws completely caught him in their grip, and he could only stand and clench his lantern as he sought some kind of escape!</p><p>"Looks like he could use some help," 'Enehana remarked as they stretched their hands and grinned, "and I could use something to practice my technomancy with!"</p><p>'Enehana hummed as they stretched out their hands, and closed their eyes as an orange glow consolidated around those metal hands of their! A similar orange glow shone in the saws' metal as their rapid-fire runs slowed to a crawl before they finally stopped in place. In their center, Glumshanks' eyes flickered as he lifted himself up.</p><p>He waved at 'Enehana, hopped aside and pulled a lever on the side of the wall. The saws all sank into the ground while the gaps they raced around sealed themselves up with shiny metal.</p><p>Everyone tip-toed over them just a bit gingerly… Just in case. As they rejoined Glumshanks, they crept into an open door at the end of the path. There, yellow light tinted the world around, and unveiled stone in shades of brown and gray and filled with cracks.</p><p>Tree Rex smiled and lowered his own light source as his group passed through the door. The lights were bright enough that they showed a room filled to the brim with solid stone blocks about half his height. Its sides lined with ledges to other rooms with sealed-off doors. In the center, the ground below was cracked, just like the rest of the room was, but the cracks seemed a bit bigger and thicker compared to the rest. The musty smells and chilling sounds of before vanished, leaving the room in an odd state of tranquility.</p><p>"One of these doors should lead us to the next room, but I can't remember which one," Glumshanks remarked as he scratched his palm. "All of them being sealed off doesn't help, either."</p><p>"Allow me to take care of that then," Tree Rex said, his eyes glazing over one of the push blocks.</p><p>Surely, all it'd take to unseal those doors was throwing a block like that in there—a little brutish a method, but it would get the job done. Tree Rex walked over to one block and grabbed it by the bottom, grunting as he strained to lift it up. Even with all his might, it didn't budge! After a few more tugs, he unwrapped it and sighed, and moved to a second block that would hopefully be a bit easier to move. Just like the one before, he could only strain and groan as it refused to move an inch.</p><p>"Oh, right! I think those blocks have a special enchantment on them. They won't move without a switch," Glumshanks said, drifting off to the side of one wall.</p><p>Flipping a part of the wall open to reveal a panel filled with switches, Glumshanks glazed them over and frowned. "I believe the one to release them was…" Glumshanks flicked one switch and grinned. "This one!"</p><p>A click sounded through the room, and Tree Rex grunted as the block he moved to grab started to shudder. He grabbed onto it and went to pull—but instead of grabbing it, it grabbed him!</p><p>He screamed as the block zipped off with him in tow. It moved with such intense speed despite the added weight of Tree Rex himself, but soon it stopped at a moment's notice. The stop flung Tree Rex into one of the walls!</p><p>He smashed into the wall's side before he knew it, and his whole body crunched as rocks flew out around him. Sand flew into his eyes, and left them burning and stinging as he rolled into a small chamber. Tree Rex placed his hand over his face, healed away the pain in an instant, and pushed himself up to find himself in a small, dome like room with no sort of decoration. Something told him this wasn't what they were looking for.</p><p>Tree Rex stumbled back out of the room, but jumped back as another pushblock zipped past him with Hot Head screaming as he clung to it, and Bouncer hot on its heels. Crusher ran away from another, and Jorden screamed with glee as he rode atop one pushblock before it stopped and tossed him in front of Vatra and 'Enehana. The two helped him up before they ran off as another pushblock rushed forward and threatened to smash into them!</p><p>"Wait, that was the one to move them!" Glumshanks proclaimed. The others shot him glares, and he gulped, scrambled back for the panel and glazed over. "The release switch has to be somewhere in here…"</p><p>"Or, we can just move them the old fashioned way!" Jorden cried as he flung out his hand. "Earth magic!"</p><p>Crusher nodded as he slid back from the running blocks, spun his hammer around and smashed it into the ground! Fissures of brown light formed in the ground's cracks, and with a swing of Jorden's hands, the light glowed even brighter as it spread along the ground.</p><p>It fed into the pushblocks and stopped them in an instant. The pushblocks froze for a moment, hovered out of the ground for another, and smashed into the rest of the tunnels' walls. The impact shattered both themselves and whatever remained! The tunnel trembled from the ensuring shockwave that burst from the impact, one so powerful that the ground below splintered and dropped them all down into the dark below!</p><p>They all grunted as they crashed down into a room completely enveloped in darkness, and hit cold, hard floor of… Some kind. With everything being so dark, it was hard to tell. The only light came from Vatra, Jorden, and 'Enehana's ghastly bodies, which glowed like weak lamps.</p><p>"Let me shed some light on things," Vatra grunted as he stumbled out and cast out a hand.</p><p>Warm, red light spread out from his hand and across the room, illuminating it in crimson tones as torches formed along the walls! The firelight of the torches brightened the room, completely illuminating a glass, checkerboard floor that sparkled underneath the light! Its walls were painted with murals of beings done in all sorts of fancy styles, all of whom danced, and drank, and made merry. Light cascaded down in sparkly shades of pink and purple… Whatever it was, the whole look was far too fancy for something like this! It looked like it belonged in a noble's manor, not an underground passage!</p><p>"Ah, I remember this place! This was the king and queen's secret dance room," Glumshanks said, chuckling as he stepped up. "Whenever they needed some time away from their duties, they'd sneak down here and dance the night away."</p><p>Jorden and 'Enehana both chuckled and turned to each other other.</p><p>"Would you care for a dance then, dear?" Jorden asked, blushing and adjusting the helmet on his hat.</p><p>'Enehana chuckled and took Jorden's bigger, much bulkier hand in their own slender one. "Gladly."</p><p>'Enehana pressed themself close to Jorden's chest as the two of them twirled around the ballroom, stepping from side to side as they swayed and twirled and spun. With one step of 'Enehana's, the normally-pink lights tinged themselves in shades of orange and brown reminiscent of a warm evening as they danced, and soft music filled the room. A few sparkles cascaded down from the ceiling, illuminating Jorden and 'Enehana as they danced like there was nobody in Skylands but the two of them.</p><p>Just the sight made Tree Rex smile—in both senses of the phrases, he hadn't seem them dance like this in quite some time.</p><p>"You know," Vatra chuckled in a sort of weary tone, "this romantic atmosphere really reminds me of someone. He was always quite the lovebird…"</p><p>"Ah, yeah, him," Crusher whispered, his voice faltering. "I… No, that's a stupid thing to ask. There's no way he's still alive anymore."</p><p>"Is something wrong, Crusher?"</p><p>Vatra turned to Crusher with an almost expectant gaze, but Crusher frowned and shook his head.</p><p>Tree Rex sat beside him and frowned—he knew exactly who Crusher was talking about, after all. The man with the wind at his heels, the heart of both a lover and a fighter, and their shared passion entwined in his fists. He was one of their most passionate allies, after all, and not a face that could be easily forgotten. In fact, just looking at this dance floor, Tree Rex could almost see him with his dark as night hair streaked with blues as bright as the sky, rambling about his dreams of bringing his future partner here to dance while Vatra groaned and told him to hurry it up…</p><p>"Hey, babe, something up?" Bouncer asked as he gently nudged Tree Rex's shoulder. "You looked like you were spacing out there!"</p><p>Tree Rex blinked, and shook his head as he pressed his legs to his knees. "Just thinking of an old friend, that's all."</p><p>Bouncer frowned for a moment, but even that frown of his faded as he wrapped his arm around Tree Rex's.</p><p>"If that's all you're doing, come on! We might as well take a shot while we're here!"</p><p>Tree Rex grunted as Bouncer pulled him onto the dance floor, his own wood pressed against Bouncer's hot metal. His legs must have fallen asleep while he was reminiscing, for they shuddered and numbed so much that he could barely stand; they only stayed up from how Bouncer held him tight. The light shimmered in Bouncer's eyes, and warmed his metal as he laughed and spun Tree Rex around. Neither of them fancied themselves dancers, he knew this much. But, after everything that had happened these past couple days, something as silly as this was a welcome escape.</p><p>So, Tree Rex just laughed along, clinging to Bouncer the best he could as they twirled along the dance floor. They both stopped on one corner and shared a quick kiss—though it felt so much longer. He forgot what it felt like to be intimate with a partner… All those years sealed away made him forget what it felt like to do a lot of things.</p><p>"Why don't I take the lead this time?" Tree Rex asked, and took Bouncer's hands in his own as his legs started to steady.</p><p>He took a step backwards, and a soft click came from underfoot, just barely loud enough to be heard. Across from them, 'Enehana and Jorden both withdrew as they turned to the back of the room.</p><p>There, a part of the back wall retreated upwards, and unveiled a dark passageway. Seemed as though that was where they had to go next.</p><p>So, they all gathered together, crowded around the entrance, and ducked inside as Vatra and Hot Head headed the front of the group. Vatra frowned as he cast out flames for a lamp with a wave of his hands, and Hot Head did the same as he held out his hand.</p><p>The dark of the halls caved in, making way for the light. It unveiled masses upon masses of stone tunnels with dirt floors, and walls adorned with torches. These torches were useless to them; they extinguished and rotted long ago. The stale water that dripped down evaporated from the flames.</p><p>An eerie sight, but nothing that dissuaded them as they trekked down. The largest members of the ground ducked down as they tried to squeeze their way through the tunnel.</p><p>Tree Rex himself ducked a little further from the length of his horns, and resorted to crawling down as the tunnels tightened a bit further. A cool breeze brushed against his face as he did, like the refreshingly chilling breezes of spring—but, that couldn't be right! They were inside a solid rock tunnel. there was no way for a breeze to flow through here! Besides, it was the autumnal season, not the vernal one, but he supposed that autumnal breezes were pleasant as well. He recalled his days as a mighty, firm tree, where the autumnal season would paint his leaves in such a splendid variety of colors like jewels in a dragon's treasure hoard. Another breeze slapped Tree Rex in the face, and he shook his head the best he could. His horns stung as their bark scraped against the sides of the tunnel. No, he couldn't get distracted, he had to find this Kaos person!</p><p>Tree Rex crawled through the tunnels. Their sides widened by the second as he crawled further—and more disconcertingly, the breezes grew stronger as well.</p><p>"Hey, is it just me," Hot Head asked, his teeth chattering and sending embers across the floor, "or is it cold in here?"</p><p>"Must be a draft," Glumshanks remarked as he rubbed his own shoulders in some attempt to warm up. "This castle's been abandoned for so long, and we hadn't had time to patch up all the odds and ends. Don't worry about it." Glumshanks' own teeth started to chatter and he shook his head. "Anyways, I think there should be a door at the end of this tunnel."</p><p>"Found it!" Bouncer cried from the front of the group.</p><p>The tunnel grew spacious enough that it allowed Tree Rex to stand at full height. So, Tree Rex stood and glanced over the group.</p><p>In front of him, Bouncer pressed his hand against a wall at the end of the tunnel with a few sparse cracks that were just big enough that light poured in from them. Bouncer moved to push his whole self against the wall. The wall's cracks spread across the surface and thickened with each push, but with those same pushed, the winds that burst and whipped around Tree Rex grew stronger, more furious even! Their cold, harsh breath pushed against Tree Rex, leaving him to shudder as the wall continued to crumble.</p><p>Another push and the winds howled even louder—wait a second!</p><p>"Bouncer, wait—" Tree Rex called.</p><p>It was too late, for Bouncer already shattered the wall! Light poured in, but it wasn't the only thing that did! The winds behind Tree Rex howled and burst through, and coated the walls around in frost as they sprung up and pushed everyone ahead! The light came in fast as they crashed in a pile onto a hard cobblestone pathway. The wall behind them sealed itself back up as they grunted and stumbled back up.</p><p>Tree Rex was first; he crawled out from the top of the pile, pushed himself up and scratched his horns. "Just what was that?" Tree Rex asked. "And… Where are we?"</p><p>Tree Rex frowned and crept across the stones while the others got up behind him. His eyes locked on a large, curious device that looked like a quarter of large, sharp blades bolted to a round center—some kind of fan, he presumed? Whatever it was, it was the only thing besides them here. Everywhere else was completely walled off by thick, stone walls!</p><p>"I don't like the looks of this place," Crusher trembled. He clung to his hammer as he stumbled forward. "We'd better find a way out, quick."</p><p>A soft click resounded, and all heads turned up right as a loud, whipping sound like a roaring mega-lion shook the world!</p><p>The giant fan began to spin right before their eyes. It started at a slow pace before it went fast, faster, fastest, until it was little more than a round, giant blur! With that blur came winds so powerful that it lifted them off their feet, and thrust them back into the wall, pinning them all to the spot as they screamed!</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 12: Troll Home Security Part 2 (Part 2)<p><em>Brawl grunted as he slammed so hard against the chamber that its walls cracked and dented below him, sending chips of gold into his body. The feeling was tingly and unconformable. It was an itch he couldn't scratch—in more ways than one, considering that he was bound tight and couldn't even reach his chest, let alone anything in it! A pedestal shot up from the ground below him. It positioned him right next to Eye underneath that net, and in turn expanded to account for Brawl's height before it steadied. The net squeezed Eye and Brawl tight once more, and they both cast sad, sorry glances at each other before they turned away.</em></p><p>"<em>I can't believe it, that plan actually worked!" cheered one Arkeyan scientist as they clapped their hands before turning to the one beside them. "And you said it was too obvious and they'd never fall for it!"</em></p><p><em>Eye and Brawl both hissed and slunk over in shame as the other scientist scoffed before them.</em></p><p>"<em>Whatever, save it for later," the other scientist scoffed as they tapped away at the console before they lifted their head. A devilish smile crossed their face, and an almost twisted sort of glee bled into their voice as they cackled. "Now that we have two whole Elder Elementals in our captivity, we can finally find out just what it is that makes them tick!"</em></p><p><em>Practically half the room slid open with one last button pressed. Sharp, shiny tools of all kinds burst out from the ceiling, walls, nooks and crannies alike! Needles and saws, blades and scissors, and more all sprung out on shiny metallic limbs; they crept towards Eye and Brawl in a slow fashion. The light glinted off of their blades and almost burned their faces with how bright it was!</em></p><p><em>Eye and Brawl both gasped, grunting and panting as they struggled against their bonds. It was of no use! They were too tightly bound! Brawl snarled as silver light poured from his body, but it faded almost immediately as a red and gold glow shone from his bonds. He gasped, and another burst of light turned his attention to Eye, who panted and fell over as another silver light faded from him!</em></p><p><em>"Struggle all you want, it'll do you no good!" the scientist cried from behind the glass. "Those bonds will take anything you throw at them! There's no way you can break them!"</em></p><p><em>Eye and Brawl both sighed as they glanced down at the bonds, and then, at each other. Eye's wings trembled a bit, and Brawl's own hands started to shake. If, if they hadn't gotten into that stupid fight, they might not have been here, been stuck in the chamber while the sounds of running saws and snapping scissors signaled their oncoming doom! If they had just, if they had just talked things out… Oh, there was no use reflecting on it now, they were doomed anyways. Brawl shuffled his arms, hoping to loosen the bonds some, but nope, his hands were still tied tight. So, he gulped—</em></p><p>"<em>I'm sorry, Brawl," Eye whimpered. He lowered himself so that he practically bowed over the pedestal he sat on. "This is all my fault!"</em></p><p><em>Brawl shuffled back a bit right as Eye rocked up, and Eye swayed from back to forth before he finally stabilized.</em></p><p>"<em>If I hadn't blown up the way I did, and ran off in such a storm, we wouldn't be here! I was so concerned about myself that I wasn't even thinking of what would happen, and now we're both going to suffer for it." Eye's glance shifted away, and his wings drooped a bit underneath the bonds. "I, I can't begin to say how sorry I am. I know you could never possibly forgive me…"</em></p><p><em>Brawl winced, for the sight of Eye in his sulking sight was an arrow right through his armored chest. Talking was never quite his strong point, but with his hands tied, it seemed as though he had no options. Brawl took a few breaths, a few hoarse, croaking noises escaping from the bellows of his inner armor, and finally…</em></p><p>"<em>I, I'm sorry."</em></p><p><em>Eye gasped, swiveling around to face Brawl. This time, it was Brawl's turn to hide his glance—not that he had one to begin with.</em></p><p>"<em>I, didn't think of Eye. Didn't understand how important Eye was. Should have… Should have thought of how Eye felt." Brawl shuffled a bit and bent over even further.</em></p><p><em>"Please, forgive me for being stupid."</em></p><p><em>A small, soft gasp came from Eye, and then something soared, but not the tools that inched closer to then and whirred louder with each inch. No, something soft and squishy soared through the air, and it landed right in Brawl's lap! Eye chuckled, and Brawl turned down to where Eye now sat with him and made the best grin he could.</em></p><p>"<em>Apology accepted."</em></p><p><em>Brawl chuckled and knelt closer, so that the brim of his chestpiece brushed against Eye's soft, squishy surface. "Thank you."</em></p><p><em>The buzzing grew even louder, so loud that it rattled and echoed in Brawl's armor. He lifted himself up to find those, shiny, sharp tools had them surrounded! They were just inches away from cutting them up, yet Brawl didn't fight it. He curled around Eye the best he could. They were both doomed, probably, but maybe he could buy Eye a little more time to find a way out. A sharp pain ran against Brawl's back as the sharp, buzzing noises and the sound of screeching came, yet he didn't scream. He stood there, waiting for the end…</em></p><p>"<em>What is it? Can't you see I'm in the middle of something important?"</em></p><p>"<em>Boss, we're in trouble! The, the other Elder Elementals, they found us! They already wiped out the front—"</em></p><p><em>"BE AFRAID OF THE BARK!"</em></p><p><em>Wait, that voice, that was Tree Rex's! Brawl turned around right as the wall in front of him smashed to bits, the shattered glass spilling across the floor while the tools slowed to a crawl… </em></p><p><em>And they finally stopped! They went limp for moments before brown, bark-covered hands ripped them away! It was Tree Rex's face that met them next, his blue eyes warm and wide.</em></p><p>"<em>Tree Rex!" Eye called. "What happened? How'd you get here?"</em></p><p>"<em>After Brawl left, we called for backup and followed his trail to the fortress," Tree Rex replied. He knelt down and grunted as he fiddled with the bonds around Eye's waist, but then, a purple glow shone as the bonds loosened by themselves and collapsed to the ground.</em></p><p>"<em>With the trail of carnage you left behind," remarked a smooth, kind voice as Brawl's bonds loosened, "it wasn't exactly hard to find you."</em></p><p><em>Brawl chuckled; he scratched his rim as he turned to right where Sihiri floated into view and smiled. They both chuckled for a moment, basking in the silent peace of the ruined laboratory and an escape from death. In that moment of piece, crashing and smashing and shouts came from the door, and they all paired with the smell of smoke and fire burning from the doorway!</em></p><p><em>Eye-Brawl, Tree Rex, and Sihiri all turned around as the flames faded just enough to catch two of the free magicians swinging cloud-clad punches and crystal shards from metal pickaxes. They all turned back to each other and nodded.</em></p><p>"<em>Well, I hope you two learned your lesson," Tree Rex remarked. He skulked up and cracked his knuckles, and his eyes not once left the doorway.</em></p><p><em>Brawl chuckled and popped Eye back on the empty space at the top of his suit. The weight there felt a little heavier, but in a good, pleasant kind of way; it was something he hadn't even realized he missed. </em></p><p><em>Eye turned down, flapping his wings for a little bit before turning to Tree Rex. </em>"<em>We sure did," Eye chuckled.</em></p><p><em>Tree Rex nodded. "I'm glad to hear it." Tree Rex finished cracking his knuckles, and his eyes glowed with a golden light that dyed their normal blues a bright green, the same green that shone in his solar cannon. "Now, let's say we get to scrapping some robot hide?"</em></p><p><em>"Gladly!"</em></p><p><em>And with that, all four of them cried out as they charged into the battlefield...</em></p><p align="center">§</p><p>"And that was the story of how we almost broke up," Eye explained, before he floated down into Brawl's hands and nuzzled his chest, "but, I'm glad we didn't!"</p><p>Dyna smiled and gave a solemn nod. "You're not the only ones who learned something," Dyna remarked, smiling as she ruffled Boomette's hair while Boomette chuckled. Dyna joined her laughter for a moment, sighed and stepped forward. "Anyways, onto more important matters" — turning to the others, Dyna pulled out the console — "we really should rejoin the others."</p><p>A few taps of the console, and a diagram of the building they stood in burst from the screen. It shone in a bright cyan that brushed against everyone's faces while they crowded around Dyna! Dyna hummed as she pinched the screen, and pushed a few buttons. The map zoomed out in tandem, going further and further out until it show a diagram of the whole upper and lower area. Dyna raised a brow at the very sight of it.</p><p>"There's a shortcut through the main defense system right around here," Boomette said as she pointed towards a round tube near the lefthand side. "We take this baby, and it should lead us just outside the main security household."</p><p>"Alright then!" Rizzo shouted, pausing for a moment to adjust his cap. "Lead the way!"</p><p>Dyna and Boomette nodded as they trailed over to the lefthand wall. Boomette yanked off a panel left ajar from the earlier wrath of battle, unveiling a large, round tunnel underneath. Dyna knocked on its top for a bit before they both crawled through.</p><p>The faint sounds of them thumping in the tunnel grew a bit louder as Eye, Brawl and the Mabu Defense Force all joined them. They all crawled through the dark, tight crevices of the tunnel as the world around them shuddered, and rumbling sounds echoing from the tunnel as they crawled through. Finally, Boomette popped up and pushed open a disc at the top of the tunnel! The sun shone through as she crawled out and helped Dyna up.</p><p>Boomette turned around and hummed as she placed her hands on her hips. "The security place shouldn't be far from here, hopefully," Boomette remarked.</p><p>She turned around to the back as the others popped out, and screamed as a laser gun leaped out right in front of her! On instinct she punched it back, sending it flying through the air. As it crashed into the ground, the sound of laser guns charging and machines whirring resonated through the air! Even more of those guns burst from the ground. They kicked rocks and dirt everywhere as they locked onto the party, who all backed into each other as the guns fired.</p><p>The lasers burned red-hot as they came in, but Brawl pounded his fist into the ground before they could fire! The earth shuddered as a thick shield of bones formed around his group and blocked off the lasers' blows. The bone leaped out and spun around as they slashed right through the laser guns' supports! The guns crashed to the ground, leaving only dull moans behind as they petered out.</p><p>"Come on," Dyna said, ushering everyone forward as she walked off. "Let's go meet up with the others."</p><p>Eye chuckled and lingered behind while Dyna, Boomette and the Mabu Defense Force carried on. "It's good that those two were able to reconcile," he remarked, his wings faltering a bit as he glanced over to where Dyna and Boomette happily chatted it up. "After all, when it comes to family, you never realize just what you miss until it's gone."</p><p>Eye let out one last, tiny sigh before he flitted back to the back of the group.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>A door in a shiny, sleek hallway slid open, and Chihiro and Vatra both grunted and glared each other as they squeezed inside. They pushed against each other then whole time before they collapsed on the floor. Chihiro was the first to rise afterwards; she pushed herself up and panted as the door slid to a close behind her. Vatra came next with a grunt. His dark eyes shot a burning glance at Chihiro, and he glanced back at the doors.</p><p>"You saw where that drone took them, right?" Chihiro asked as she wiped sweat from her forehead.</p><p>"Of course not!" Vatra spat back. "You were the one ahead of me! You should've paid attention to it!"</p><p>Chihiro gritted her teeth, and jumped back to her feet as she glared at Vatra. "Well, you were the one making the fire! You were the only one who could actually see anything!"</p><p>"And you said you'd keep watch, now look where that got us!" Vatra gestured back out to the halls, embers glowing beneath his bandages as his eyes laid on them. "We've been running in circles for hours now, and that drone is probably long gone, laughing in our faces while it keeps my allies in its clutches! Do you think this is some kind of game?"</p><p>A sharp hiss came from Chihiro. She clenched her fists, magic bursting from her palms before settling.</p><p>"Of course not! If anything, you're the one who's acting like it's a game!" Chihiro pointed directly at Vatra, laying her accusing finger just inches away from his pendant. "You're the one who's been moaning, complaining, arguing, and messing up every step of the plan! If you'd just followed my plan, we'd have been out the door already and none of this would have happened!"</p><p>"And if you had taken hunting a rogue free magician more seriously, this wouldn't have happened! A child like you can't possibly understand the horrors the Arkeyan empire put us all through!" Vatra stepped back, flames sparking on parts of his body as he gritted his teeth. "We've all had to fight for their lives, escape by the skins of our teeth, and suffered losses you couldn't even comprehend!"</p><p>Vatra hung his head, the flames surrounding his bandages growing bright as his messy hair covered his eyes. "If you actually understood that, you would've actually taken him in instead of fooling around on your hands!"</p><p>Chihiro snarled, getting ready to fight back, but she loosened her hand as she leaned in. There was something a bit different about the way Vatra carried himself. A stroke of pain shone in his eyes, a kind of heartache carried by the strains in his hoarse, shallow breathing and the way his hands trembled. She gulped and stepped back, her hands lowering as a small frown took the place of her snarl.</p><p>"We lost family, friends, our homes and lives, and more! What could you understand about any of that?"</p><p>Vatra's arms shuddered a bit, his legs followed soon after, and he fell to the floor with one sigh. A sharp, strained gasp left him as he hunched over, his bangs shielding his eyes. For a moment, he didn't seem as strong as he did when she first met him on Glacier Gully, or even as angry as he was the whole mission. No, he seemed, <em>vulnerable</em>. It was scary to Chihiro, almost. Even the Skylanders, Hugo, Master Eon, and everyone always tried their best to keep face around her. Here, she was faced with an ancient portal master of legend who was so shaken, weak, and barely able to keep himself from crying.</p><p>"I had the perfect life before I awakened as a free magician. If given the choice, I'd have traded my abilities away in a heartbeat if it meant keeping it! I didn't want to lose that perfect life, so I meandered around, refused to involve myself in any sort of affairs so I could keep it…"</p><p>Vatra sniffled, and a few small tears dripped down his face. The tears echoed as they dripped onto the floor, and Vatra clenched his hand.</p><p>"But, I was, I was so stupid. They, they razed my town, stormed the school where I taught! While I was so busy trying to make my escape, they found my pupils, and…" Vatra sniffed some more. "Ludo, he was a just a boy, but he was braver than I'd ever been! He tried to fight them off, even though he was a, just a boy, just a powerless boy! By the time I found them, I only found the rest of them holding his body, dyed crimson from his blood…"</p><p>Vatra took a small breath as he wiped away his tears.</p><p>"A child like you'd never understand what's at stake! You wouldn't understand the lives lost, or the danger you're putting yourselves through! Children shouldn't be fighting wars, they should be staying where it's safe!" With a scoff, Vatra hung his head once more. "Of course, you wouldn't understand anything I'm talking about."</p><p>Vatra sniffled, and surely he probably anticipated that Chihiro would argue back or leave him; that pained tone in his voice definitely seemed that way. So, Chihiro just sat down with him; she gave him a small smile as he turned down and raised a brow. She gently patted his shoulder. Despite the odd look he gave her, not once did he turn away.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Chihiro whispered, drawing her hand back, "that must've been awful."</p><p>A small gasp came from Vatra, but he stilled himself, resting his hand on the floor.</p><p>"He was one of the brightest pupils I had. He had such a promising future in front of him, and it was cut off in an instant. If I hadn't been so selfish, if I hadn't procrastinated, he might've lived. I can't let anyone else die the same way he did, the same way any of them did."</p><p>Vatra wiped away his tears and shook his head. A small, pained laugh escaped him in the moment. "Ah, look at me, losing my temper and starting petty arguments with a child. I'm supposed to be the responsible one here."</p><p>"I… I understand how you feel, to be honest. When we were recreating the Core of Light, we saw lots of beings who lost their homes, friends, family, and more to Kaos and his cronies, all the ones we couldn't save in time. Heck, because I got so caught up in my worries, I got careless and a few of my friends nearly died because of me!" Chihiro hummed and knocked her knees together for a moment. "You don't want anybody else to suffer from your mistakes, don't you?"</p><p>Vatra stumbled back a little and his eyes grew a bit wider. Not from shock, but rather, he seemed more overwhelmed. Maybe he hadn't expected Chihiro to give him the answers he did, or maybe he was still caught up in all this, but whatever the case, he sighed.</p><p>"Then why did you let this Kaos escape?"</p><p>"I didn't want to" — Chihiro tightened her hand, fingernails digging into her palm as she snarled — "but he put a lot of innocent people in danger, even my mom and my little brother. I, I had no choice but to save them while he escaped." Chihiro sighed, and lifted up her head as she forced a smile. "But, beating myself up over it and getting all worked up isn't gonna do anyone any good. The most I can do is just work as hard as I can to fix what happened before it's too late."</p><p>Vatra's lips twitched for a moment, almost as if he wanted to retort. He took a glance in Chihiro's eyes, his fingers twitched, and he nodded. He pulled himself from the ground, and dusted off his coat.</p><p>"I suppose this is no time for arguing, then," Vatra said, and a smile crossed his face for the first time since that mission began. "Right now, we have allies to rescue!"</p><p>"Mm-hmm!" Chihiro beamed up at Vatra as she jumped to her own feet. "I remember now! That drone went that way!" Chihiro cried as she pointed straight ahead towards a long stretch with a shiny white door at the end. "It probably went through that door!"</p><p>"In that case, we have no time to waste!"</p><p>Flames burst from Vatra's soles, but not from anger or emotion of any kind. No, these flames molded around his feet, and turned into skates that he skid on as he slipped across the room! He reached the door right as Chihiro teleported beside him. The two of them planted their hands on the door, and it slipped right open at the very touch! Hot air burst into their faces the moment the door ended. Chihiro quickly shielded her eyes, but Vatra burst ahead!</p><p>The whole room was hot with warmth. Flames burned and broiled underneath the hole-filled metal bridge he walked on, and they stretched up by the second. Their light painted the room in red, orange, and all sorts of other warm colors, or maybe the coloration came from the heat that seeped into the walls and gave it a warm glow. The fires crackled as intensely as they could; loud pops like firecrackers sounded as they danced and mingled with the sounds of footsteps pounding against the bridge. The whole room smelled of ash and smoke, the kind of taste that rotted in the mouth and nose.</p><p>Of course, no sight was as rotten as the sight of that drone! It cackled as it held the others' wheel pendants tight within a clear sphere that dangled over the fires on shiny metal cords! Though the whole thing was soundproofed and not a voice came from within, the way their wheels glowed and banged against the sphere's surface showed their irritation enough.</p><p>"Found you, buddy!" Chihiro cried as she rushed ahead, now clad in cyan magic clothing not unlike a firefighter's. She pointed a finger ahead and the fires shone in her vision, adding a burning feeling to her already-hot glare. "Now, give us our friends back!"</p><p>"I'd suggest you do as she says!" Vatra added. He popped beside Chihiro as embers from the flames wound themselves around his fingertips. "The fires and I have quite the alliance!"</p><p>The drone gasped, swiveled around and clutched the sphere close to its chest. Inside the spheres, the wheels all bounced up and down, almost as if they acknowledge they were being saved—but, a slap on the top from the drone had them sitting at the bottom in no time.</p><p>"You intruders! I thought I lost you five corners ago!" the drone cried before it wheeled away. "Well, that's no trouble of mine!"</p><p>The drone zipped up to the back of the bridge. With a slam of its hand, a part of the wall popped off and unveiled a panel with a flashing red button.</p><p>"Security!" the drone cried as it practically smashed the button into the wall.</p><p>Sirens flashed as the flames below grew hotter, so hot that Chihiro yelped and bounced from foot to foot as they poked their way through the holes in the bridge. Beside her, Vatra cast out his hand with a strong swipe and a stern glare, and the flames immediately sank back down below. Clanging came from the ceiling as they did, and it earned both Chihiro and Vatra's attention as they drew their heads up.</p><p>They moved right in time, for mechanical arms with laser guns held tight in their grip fell back down! The triggers clicked as the guns pointed down and shot their lasers. This time, it was Chihiro's turn to shoulder the blow! With a spin and a wave of her hands, a pair of shields formed around them and the lasers bounced off in turn. The flames started to burst again below her feet, but soon lowered just barely; their fires crackled eagerly as if they were about to jump for her.</p><p>Straining and grunting came from behind her as Vatra fell to his knees. He planted his hands against the bridge, and the red glow that surrounded his body become even more furious than before! Shallow breaths left clenched teeth as his body heaved itself up and down with each one.</p><p>Chihiro clenched her fist at the very sight of him. Ducking underneath a mechanical hand as it grappled for her, Chihiro wove through the onslaught of laser blasts.</p><p>Her eyes set on the drone as it turned towards her and screeched! The drone yanked out a hand, and transformed it into a charging cannon that prepared to fire. Instead of attacking it, Chihiro leaped on top of its head and jumped up! The drone fell backwards. The blow intended for Chihiro hit a mechanical arm, and knocked it into the fire pits instead. Chihiro barely minded it as she reached the end of the path and yanked the button out of the wall!</p><p>The space where the button once laid sparked and zapped its own wires as Chihiro flung the button into the fire pits. She rushed over and grinned as it fell into the depths and melted away. As she leaned, the sound of something clunking from above thudded against the ceiling.</p><p>Her eyes narrowed, and she leaned closer to the beams holding up the bridge. "Is it just me?" she whispered as the bridge started to wiggle just a bit. "Or does that look a little looser than it was before?"</p><p>Chihiro hummed. That same thud sounded again, and the bridge's beams fell further in tandem with it! The shiny silver chains that kept them suspended unveiled. Chihiro gasped, screamed as the chains slid out and the bridge collapsed down into the ground below…</p><p>Though as the bridge fell, the flames seemed to shrink before her. It was as if the bridge's very presence struck fear into their hearts! They completely extinguished as the bridge finally slammed down, knocking everyone off and onto the charred steel floors of the dome that remained!</p><p>Chihiro grunted as she slammed into the wall and screamed as she rolled down. As she reached the floor, her head brushed against some cool and almost plastic-like in feeling. She pushed herself up with a grunt, mustering all the strength she could despite the numb feeling that coursed through her.</p><p>But, something blew past her and pushed her aside once more as it swept something from the ground!</p><p>"You'll never free them, not as long as I stand!" the drone screamed as it zipped into a hatch at the bottom of the floor and fell down!</p><p>Its laughter bellowed from the open hatch as Chihiro and Vatra trailed over. The both of them knelt down and peered inside the hole. For a moment, they both glanced at each other as if they contemplated following it down, but they peered back down at the hole and rose as they prepared to jump in. As they rose, a massive force burst through the floor, splitting it wide open as the two of them blew back! Cackling sounded as they both hit the floors, and they grunted as they peered up.</p><p>That same drone stood before them with the sphere still intact, except it itself now rested in a larger, more polished suit with only its head visible from the safety of the suit's glass dome helmet. Large cannons and rocket launchers mounted on its shoulders and back, just above the jetpack it hovered across the floor on. Even more conspicuous holes and lines stretched across the rest of its almost knight-like armor, perhaps the signs of more weapons buried underneath. Its chest opened up as it stuffed the sphere in and blocked it away with a clear shield!</p><p>"Of course, I'll deal with them later," the drone said, as the sounds of charging machines came from its cannons, "but, you pests are the first to go!"</p><p>The drone cackled, spinning around as a bright orange glow shone from its body. Amplified by the shiny exterior of the armor, the glow spread. It glowed so bright that a miniature sun wrapped around it. Hot flames fumed and burst as they crackled like lightning around it, and parts of the sun turned white-hot as missiles with flames wrapped around them shot at Chihiro and Vatra!</p><p>Vatra pulled Chihiro into his grip and hit the ground just before the two of them blew to bits. The explosion burst behind them and crackled, but Vatra pulled himself to his feet. He rushed off with Chihiro still tight in his grip. The world rumbled as more missiles blew up behind them, nearly pushing them off their feet as they ran with the trails of flames and smoke snapping at their heels.</p><p>Vatra turned around for only a moment as one missile came particularly close, and leaped aside! The missiles swerved over and smashed into the wall ahead. They exploded in a fury of flames that spread across the dome, heating its metal right before Chihiro and Vatra's eyes as they collapsed.</p><p>"What're you trying to do, blow us up?" Chihiro cried.</p><p>"I'm not an expert, but I don't think this exactly protects this place!" Vatra added.</p><p>"It's all fortified, you idiots!" the drone cackled as it spun around. "I can do whatever I want as long as it wipes you intruders off the face of Skylands!"</p><p>The drone cackled some more as it shot off another round of flames and missiles, ones that slammed into the sides of the dome and exploded in bursts of smoke and orange fire!</p><p>Chihiro and Vatra both leaped forward as the rounds drew closer and closer. They narrowly dodged another blow, and a shield formed around them both with a slap of Chihiro's hands!</p><p>"We've gotta find a way to stop this dude!" Chihiro cried. She cringed for a moment as another missile crashed into her shield and cracked it. With a wave of her hands, the cracks sealed themselves up and she turned aside. "I can't keep making these shields forever!"</p><p>Chihiro narrowed her eyes. She glanced at where the drone cackled and spun around, shooting missiles with every twirl.</p><p>"Maybe…"</p><p>Another wave of her hands, and Chihiro and Vatra both slowly faded from view. The shield faded around them in tandem! Well, not that the drone really noticed, considering how it was more caught up in shooting everything within eye-range.</p><p>Chihiro closed her eyes, took a breath, and teleported just inches away from the drone. Glancing at the sphere still resting in its chest, she leaped forward—but a hot, electrical shock zapped her as she came just within its grip, and tossed her back! Chihiro screamed as she slid across the floor. The heat from her skid burned against her back while the sparks zapped her front, and she bit her lip to avoid screaming out from the pain.</p><p>"Where did the intruders go?" the drone cried. It swerved back and forth while its assault of missiles and flames ceased for just a moment. "Show yourselves! I absolutely heard your voices!"</p><p>Chihiro snarled and pushed herself up. A hot, warm grip wrapped around her and lifted her to her feet.</p><p>"It's got a shield, too!" Chihiro whispered, shuddering as another zap burned her arm. "Looks like we'll need some way to disrupt it—"</p><p>"Duck!"</p><p>Vatra slammed Chihiro to the ground before she could even really comprehend what happened. Her arms cushioned her face so that it didn't slam into the ground face-first. Another loud explosion sounded behind her, followed by heat so intense that her legs almost turned numb—or maybe that came from the shock of the explosion?</p><p>Chihiro shuddered and pushed herself up, eyes laid on her hands, but wait, why could she see them? Was her spell wearing off already? Chihiro held her hands closer to her face, and winced at the vague, almost ghostlike sight—the spell was already wearing off! She had to think of something, fast!</p><p>"Let me handle things here!" Vatra shouted, his own presence slowly growing more visible. "I'll try and use its weapons to break down the shields, and you get the others!"</p><p>Chihiro nodded, and dashed back as Vatra rushed forward and knelt down. She let her numb, shaky legs rest for just a moment. Chihiro gulped, slammed her hands against the floor, and they went from faint, ghastly presences to completely visible once more!</p><p>In front of her, the spell wore off by the second as Vatra stormed in front of the drone, waved his arms and casted fireballs right at it! The fireballs burst the moment they the drone's shields, but they were plenty enough to get the drone's attention!</p><p>"There you are!" the drone cried. With one click, the rockets and cannons burst from its back once more, and its voice raised to a shrill cackle as they charged. "BURN TO DEATH, INTRUDER!"</p><p>With one shoot, the rockets and flames and more all shot towards Vatra—yet he stood perfectly still, not a budge or a hint of fear on his face! The missiles and burning fires alike all swirled around Vatra, drawing closer and closer to him by the second. He stood still, eyes closed and hands in pockets with not a care to the weaponry incoming…</p><p>But just before they struck, Vatra opened an eye and they all stopped. They hovered in place as they stood inches from his face before they turned around and shot right for the drone!</p><p>The drone screamed, clutching its chest as it wheeled off. While it was fast, its own weaponry was much faster! It got sniped in the back and knocked off its wheels before it even reached the dome's walls! Its shields short-circuited and shattered as it flew in the air, and the flames that came in afterwards slammed it into the wall! The sphere slid from its chest as it short-circuited; it rolled down the dome's side before it bounced off. The drone smashed face-first into the ground while its sphere landed and rolled away.</p><p>"Got'cha!" Chihiro cried as she snatched the sphere from the ground. Chihiro chuckled as her feet hit the ground, and she rushed back over to where Vatra floated. "I got them!" Chihiro cried with eyes fixed on Vatra. "Quick, let's get—"</p><p>The familiar shriek of a laser blast hit the air. Chihiro turned around right as something slammed into her foot, leaving her with a hot, searing pain! She screamed as she hopped backwards towards the bridge, and the sphere slipped from her grip as it landed back on the downed bridge with a thunk!</p><p>The heat from the bridge hit her before the actual metal did, and she screamed as it seared into her back and numbed her body from heat. Blood rushed in her ears and nearly drowned out the sound of cackling behind her! A faint rolling sound came, and some shouting after that, but her ears rang and pulsed so badly that she could barely make out the source.</p><p>Below her, the ground shook as the floors turned red-hot again. It was so red-hot that even the faint image of Vatra she could make out zipped up and landed across the bridge's other side!</p><p>The world rumbled around, and the blood in her ears faded out just in time for the sound of rumbling chains to pound against them. The world below her grew smaller and further. Her dizzy head finally cleared, and Chihiro pushed herself up as the bridge reached its tallest.</p><p>The fires burned once more below her, and the heat seeped into her bones and left them to ache, but as the sight of the drone rolling towards where the sphere laid drew closer, that pain disappeared. Chihiro dashed forward! Her arms stretched out as she flung herself towards the sphere, but the drone yanked it from the floor right before she could catch it, and tossed it into the fire!</p><p>The drone cackled as it held it hands up, yet soon screamed as a massive laser blast from Chihiro knocked it into the back of the wall! Chihiro leaped on the side of the bridge while the drone grunted and smashed into the wall. She swung over, reaching out for the sphere—yet it was of no use! Her grip was just far enough that it slipped away from her and fell down into the flames.</p><p>"Everyone! They're falling!" Chihiro cried.</p><p>"Don't worry, I'll get them!" Vatra cried. He leaped on top of the bridge for mere moments before he flung himself off and dove into the flames!</p><p>Chihiro's eyes went wide as Vatra flew down before her eyes. She herself swung down and tried to reach for him—but once again, she could only brush against the sleeve of his pants before he fell into the flames! His ghostly form grew smaller and smaller, dwarfed by the masses of fire as he fell in after the sphere. He grew tinier and tinier, a mere dot eclipsed by the masses of fire.</p><p>The flames exploded, forcing Chihiro to jump up and take shelter on the bridge. "Vatra!" Chihiro cried as she clung the best she could to the bridge's beams.</p><p>The flames grew higher, so high that Chihiro jumped back as they licked at the bridge's sides and tossed it from side to side. Only left to cling to the bridge the best she could as it rattled, Chihiro glanced down at the belly of the flames.</p><p>They still burned the brightest they could… But as the fires shrank and the bridge stabilized, the flames almost started to part, stretching to the sides to unveil a burnt metal space in the middle where a faint, red glow floated up to meet her. Wait, a red glow? Could that be?</p><p>Chihiro blinked, leaned over and rubbed her eyes. The red glow glowed brighter, and started to take a more stable form. Chihiro gasped and beamed! Right before her, Vatra floated up with a shield of heat around him, and the sphere clutched tight in his arms! A smile crossed his face as the shield evaporated, and he floated up beside Chihiro.</p><p>"I did say the fires and I had quite the alliance," he chuckled as he floated a bit higher up.</p><p>Vatra planted a glowing red hand on the top of the sphere. A hiss sounded off as the top half turned red and watery before it melted away! Rummaging through it for minutes, Vatra beamed as he finally yanked Jorden's wheel from the sphere.</p><p>"Catch!" Vatra cried as he tossed the wheel up to the bridge.</p><p>Chihiro jumped on top of the bridge's railing, clinging to the chains that kept it suspended as it started to sway! She shuddered for a moment, leaned forward, and she yanked Jorden's wheel right out of the air with one flick of her wrist! She swung around and leaped right onto the end of the bridge.</p><p>"Got'cha!" she cried, rubbing her hands around Jorden's wheel. "Now, let's get you outta this thing!"</p><p>"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" the drone cried as it dashed right for Chihiro.</p><p>Chihiro's gloves, and the rest of her mock-firefighter outfit dissipated into sparkles that flew right into Jorden's wheel. The wheel shone with a bright, crystalline radiance as each rune on its surface lit up one by one! The cyan light that flooded into it turned to a warm caramel color, and from that light formed a sharp layer of crystals that shot out all around. Chihiro yelped and ducked as a handful of crystals grazed over her head and stabbed into the walls behind her, but the drone squealed and wheeled back as several crystals skewered its chest.</p><p>In the center of it all, Jorden's wheel pulsated and shuddered with light that formed into a bulky, muscular silhouette! A string emerged from around the wheel's center and draped around silhouette's neck. Rocks and clouds of dust burst in tandem with the light, revealing a human ghost with a sparkly brown aura!</p><p>His skin was deathly pale, almost sheet-white if not for the faint hints of peach and the stains of dirt that coated his cheeks. His eyes were so brown they were nearly black, his brown hair was short and messy, and his nose was long and medium-size with a somewhat pointed tip. From head to toe, he donned brown and silver armor akin to a knight's: a helmet that had sides draped over his ears and a cracked, round flashlight embedded into a curved crest; firm shoulder plates attached to a chestplate embedded with sparkly gems in all sorts of colors; firm brown gloves that went up to his elbows; plates that draped down from the sides of the chestplate and over his legs; and sturdy steel leg guards. Underneath that, he wore a yellow shirt with brown sleeves and brown pants, and a brown satchel with a darker brown Earth Element emblem rested on his hip.</p><p>He stood steady for a moment, hands clasped tight. He whipped around, and cracked a smile with a missing tooth as he flicked out an arm!</p><p>"Crystallize!" was all he called as long, thin shards of brown magic shot into the floor.</p><p>A thick, bulky layer of crystal formed above the flame pits; it locked the flames in as the fires tinted their otherwise clear surfaces in warm colors! The fires themselves turned to crystal as well, forming thin, spiky spears of warm reds and orange that spread across the entire floor as their light died. A cold air chilled the area as its warm red walls turned to more of a sullen brown instead, and the only light came from the faint glow of the crystals below.</p><p>"No, the fire pit!" the drone cried, rushing to the side of the bridge. "Now how am I supposed to get rid of these intruders?"</p><p>"Ye don't!" Jorden cried.</p><p>The drone grunted as a massive punch smashed right through the back of its chest! The crystals that poked through its front fell into the crystal pit below and shattered. The drone itself choked out gasps and shouts as it slunk over the side of the bridge. Its eyes dimmed as a cyan glow lifted it from the bridge and tossed it into the crystal pit. As it flew down, a fireball shot into it and blew it up just before it hit the crystals!</p><p>"All security systems… Deactivated," droned a mechanical voice just faintly.</p><p>Vatra, Jorden, and Chihiro all chuckled to each other as the laser guns and mechanical arms above drew back into the ceiling. Vatra smiled as he waltzed over to Jorden and laid an arm around his shoulders.</p><p>"It's good to have you back, Jorden," Vatra said, but soon grunted as Jorden swept him off his feet and squeezed him in a tight hug!</p><p>He gasped, sputtered and panted as Jorden nearly popped him like a balloon. Vatra fell to the floor as Jorden's death grip released, panting and sputtering still as the sphere hit the ground and shattered.</p><p>"Yep, still as strong as ever!" Jorden cried as he flexed his muscles, kissing both his biceps before he chuckled. "Man, I took having a body for granted—floating around in a lil' crystal thingie is just plain weird, even when you like crystals!"</p><p>"You've got that right!" Luz chuckled from behind.</p><p>Jorden turned around as the freed magicians floated around, and flew past Jorden as they shone bright and started to reform. Right as their bodies began to form, they shuddered and collapsed back on the bridge!</p><p>Chihiro chuckled in front of them and scooped them into her hands. "Guess you all need a little boost, too!" Chihiro remarked as her hands shone with cyan light. "Coming right up!"</p><p>The magic from Chihiro's palms bubbled in the air for moments before it seeped into the wheels. Their light glowed even brighter, morphing into the colors of their elements as the runes carved into the wheels shone! One by one, they flew out of Chihiro's palms before they formed proper bodies once more. As the last of them flew out, they all regained their ghastly forms once more! They sighed as they slunk against railing and sat down, faces a bit paler and heads a bit heavier—but they were back!</p><p>"You all alright?" Chihiro asked as she sat beside Sihiri and laid a hand on Sihiri's arm.</p><p>Sihiri nodded, but her smile didn't really ease that odd, curious feeling that Chihiro got as she watched the others all pull themselves from the bridge and chat. Something egged at Chihiro as she watched Sihiri. It was a kind of unsteady feeling that made the sight of Sihiri and the other ancient portal masters a bit more morbid than usual…</p><p>"<em>We lost family, friends, our homes and lives, and more! What could you understand about any of that?"</em></p><p>Vatra's words came back to her and Chihiro bit her lip. That was right, Vatra said that all in the heat of the moment. At the same time, the pained way he said it… Surely, there had to be some truth to his words.</p><p>Yet, the ancient portal masters all seemed so happy talking among themselves. It was like the world didn't come dangerously close to ending right then and there. It kind of reminded Chihiro of herself and the Skylanders, and all the fun times they shared even in spite of Kaos's conquest beating down upon them or all the hard fights they had. Chihiro shifted forward, almost wanting to ask them what he meant. A warm hand gently grabbed her before she could say a word, and its heat cooled the tension she didn't even notice she had.</p><p>"I… Er, I'm…" Vatra sputtered above her before he cleared his throat. "I apologize for my rashness during this mission. I looked down upon you a bit too much, it seemed." Vatra glanced down at the crystals that coated what was once the fire pit below with a sigh. "The Skylands of today is far more different than the Skylands I once knew. It seems I overestimated my ability to handle things."</p><p>Chihiro hummed and joined Vatra in leaning against the railing. "Well, I've still got a lot to learn, myself," Chihiro admitted as she glanced back at the others, and then down below. "But, y'know, I guess that's why we work as a team. I cover the things you don't know, and you handle the stuff I don't."</p><p>"Well spoken."</p><p>The two of them chuckled, and Chihiro spun away as she faced the rest of the group. Chihiro pursed her lips and shook her head. Maybe it would be best not to press further on the issue. They seemed so happy now, and after how hectic everything was, she was sure they were more concerned with getting this over with. She knew she was!</p><p>"Anyways, now that we're all back together," Chihiro said as she strode forward, "it's time we found that shield gun's location and got going!"</p><p>Chihiro clapped her hands, and a massive flash of cyan light enveloped them all!</p><p>They all lifted from the pits in a shimmer and a flash. Soon, they found themselves back in the record room where they had started. The light coated the wall in a faint cyan hue before fading. The whole place remained in an odd peace, mostly intact save for the massive hole Sihiri had blown in the wall.</p><p>That was of no concern to Chihiro. She grimaced as she glanced over the lengthy rows of file cabinets. They were packed tight and even larger in numbers compared to the last!</p><p>"Something tells me this is gonna take a while," Chihiro remarked as she crept over to one and pulled out a drawer. "Well, better get looking…"</p><p>"Or, we can just use this handy-dandy search function here!" Jorden chirped from behind. All eyes turned to Jorden as he himself turned to a panel and tapped away. "'Enehana's not the only techie y'all know!" Jorden smiled as he lifted his hand. "Saw these drones pokin' at this weird lil' thing to find some stuff, so somethin' tells me it should give us just the thing we need!"</p><p>With a few beeps, a drawer in a cabinet near the top yanked itself open and flashed with cyan light! Chihiro teleported over and grabbed the source of the light—a tablet that flashed and faded in shades of blue—from the drawer. She paused as she glanced over its screen. The light stabilized for a moment, and morphed into a digital diagram of a shield gun, a location, and a label with a single pair of names: "Kaossandra and Konkord."</p><p>"Yep, this is it!" Chihiro cried as she waved the tablet in the air. Another teleport, and Chihiro was back amid the portal masters' ranks with the tablet clutched tight. "Let's get going!"</p><p>The floor rumbled with a whistle on Jorden's end, and a gigantic drill made of crystal and metal pierced the floor as it dug its way into the room! File cabinets tipped over while the drill surfaced and swung its metal door open. As everyone piled in, the door shut, and the drill smashed through the wall before it dug its way up to the surface.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>The lingering sounds of smoke and destruction rang in the air as Cali rolled through a door just before it closed, and propped herself up as it slid shut behind her. The sound of deep grunting came as behind her as Flynn pulled the flap of his hat from the closed gate, brushed it off, and smirked as he swaggered up to Cali. That same smug look of his met with a smile and an eye roll from Cali, before she turned back to where the rest of the team laid with arms crossed and frowns twisted against the stone.</p><p>Before her, the looming mass that was Troll Home Security sat tall. Its spiraling steel castles, and rows of cannons, robots, and other defense mechanisms stood strong, yet there was no sign of her teammates to be found. Were they still talking things out? Had they gotten caught up with something else along the way? Could they have been captured, or seriously injured by security, even?</p><p>Cali grimaced, clenching her hands tight at just the thought. She'd hope that wasn't the case. A soft sigh came from beside her, and Cali turned to where Syracuse held her head down and scratched at her arm. Seemed like she was just as nervous about this as Cali herself was, maybe even more so considering how she mumbled and dragged her feet the whole trip around. Even when they fought off security and blew a few things up, Syracuse still seemed super out of it—Stealth Elf had to pull her out of harm's way more than a few times.</p><p>Cali prodded up to her and sat down. "Is something bothering you?" Cali asked.</p><p>Syracuse didn't bother to look up. She sighed and sat down. Occasionally, she'd glance over a miniature console she withdrew from her pocket, or toy with its buttons. A glance at the screen showed that it sent out some kind of homing signal, as if it called for someone. But, after a few moments, Syracuse sighed and terminated the program with a button press as she hung her head once more.</p><p>"Syracuse, Skylands to Syracuse!" Cali called, waving her hand in front of Syracuse's face. "Are you still there?"</p><p>Syracuse grunted, lifting her head with wide eyes before sighing the moment her face met Cali's. "Oh, it's just you," Syracuse sighed, her eyes drifting back to the console. "Yeah, I, I'm fine."</p><p>"Are you sure?" Cali pressed her legs to her chest and turned her head to face Syracuse. "You've been spacing out a lot ever since we started this mission." Cali brushed her boot against the faint trio of grass blades that poked their way out from the earth. One was smaller than the other, taller two. as if it almost shrank in their presence. "Is that fight they had still bothering you?"</p><p>Syracuse hummed, and turned away for a moment as she fondled that tiny blade of grass. "I, I shouldn't say it. That's their business to resolve, not mine. I feel like if I tried to intervene between them, I'll just make it worse."</p><p>Ah, family issues, always a tricky subject. Cali wouldn't exactly know, but something in her gut told her that prodding it further was only going to make things a bit more tense. With how tension broiled in the air (what with everyone else standing around with frowns and tense, brow-clenched stares), Cali figured it would be best not to press the issue further.</p><p>Instead, she nodded, pushed herself off the ground, and trailed over to where Spyro and Flynn talked at the end of the trail. They stood right in front of the gates that lead into Troll Home Security's more mechanized areas.</p><p>"Still no word from the kid?" Flynn asked.</p><p>Spyro shook his head. "Haven't heard a peep from Chi since they all left to get the location," Spyro replied. He clasped his front paws and grimaced, twiddling his toes together. "If it came down to it, we could probably try to find it ourselves, but" — Spyro grunted and pulled his paws apart — "with how they left, I can't help but be concerned—"</p><p>Flynn patted Spyro on the back with maybe a little more force than necessary. He sent Spyro falling down and hacking as Flynn himself laughed. "Ah, there's no need to worry, lil' buddy! As long as you've got me right here, everything'll be perfectly fine! With my skills, those robots will be running for the hills!"</p><p>Spyro let out a wary laugh, pulled himself away from Flynn, and sighed as he sat down. He had that kind of intense, contemplative stare he tended to get when he was deep in thought. He surely weighed the options and contemplated whether they should run ahead or wait for the others first—and that was assuming the others hadn't gotten themselves into any trouble.</p><p>A low grumble came from the world underneath, and Cali frowned. Her ear flicked as it echoed again, and on instinct she scanned the area around. She hunted for any traces of unruly robots they hadn't been able to shake, but found nothing. So, she just strode over to Spyro, who seemed as if he about made up his mind.</p><p>Cali slipped her hand in her pocket, but froze as another, louder and fiercer rumble came from the ground below. It moved with enough strength that Cali's legs shuddered, and she fell to her knees! She gasped a little, and Spyro jumped up a bit above her before he soared over. The tremors below Cali continued at their pace, growing louder by the second. They steadied into a more stable rhythm, rumbling and shouting over the shocked cries of those around!</p><p>Forcing herself back up, Cali bolted over to the heart of the pathway. There, the ground started to crack as the rumbling grew its loudest! Pebbles and fragmented rocks bounced and leaped against the surface as the cracks spread further out, the rumbling growing even stronger in tandem…</p><p>And finally, something shiny and bright poked through the cracks like a bird's beak piercing its eggshell! The ground split open as a massive drill made of what seemed like crystal and shiny metal broke through the ground. It crawled over the upturned stone pathways and finally stopped.</p><p>Steam poured from its wheels as the door beside it opened, masking the figures of those who came from the open door. The only discernible feature was a colorful array of sparkles that poked their way through the mist. The brightest was a cyan glow that hovered near the bottom, and glowed even brighter as a gust of wind blew the mist away! The mist flew into everyone's faces; it sent them coughing, hacking, and covering their faces as it dispersed into tiny clouds. However, the sound of familiar laughter and chuckling brought them to relax soon afterwards!</p><p>"We're back!" Chihiro cried as she stepped forward. She paused for a moment to whisk away the giant magic fan she held. "Sorry we took so long!"</p><p>Cali beamed and rushed forward, as did the others as they crowded around Chihiro and the rest of those portal masters! Now that Cali got a closer look at them, she frowned and raised a brow—maybe she forgot something, but she was sure someone new joined their ranks!</p><p>There, beside the woman clad in purple, and the person clad in red, was a muscular, pale-skinned person's ghost that dressed in stone armor with messy brown hair, eyes so dark they were black, and a sparkling brown wheel pendant rested against their chest. They grinned as they held a sleek-looking tablet in one hand, yet the moment their eyes fell on the outskirts of the crowds, they shoved it into the purple-clad woman's hands and ran off!</p><p>"'Enehana!" cried the person in what had to be some mix of a rural and eastern Skylandian accent. "'Enehana, is that you?"</p><p>'Enehana sighed as they fiddled with their gloves over in the back of the ground, but the moment they lifted their head, they gasped! Jumping to their feet immediately, they ran over and flung themselves into the ghost's arms. For being as burly as they were, the ghost cried in surprise and nearly toppled over as they caught 'Enehana! 'Enehana took the moment to swiftly capture the ghost in a kiss, one the ghost quickly returned as the two stayed locked in time. 'Enehana's arms locked around their shoulders, and the ghost's arms cradled 'Enehana tight…</p><p>But finally, they drew back and let go as 'Enehana slipped from their arms.</p><p>"And who might you be?" Cali asked as she walked up to the two.</p><p>'Enehana chuckled. "This is my girlfriend, Jorden," 'Enehana introduced, holding a hand out to the ghost who waved in turn. "I, I haven't seen him in so long, I just don't know what came over me… Being honest, I almost thought he was…"</p><p>'Enehana scratched their head, and yelped as Jorden scooped them back into his arms once more!</p><p>"Aw, don't worry! It'll take more than a little blast to take me out!" Jorden cried. "I'm not the toughest lookout woman in our ranks for nothing!"</p><p>'Enehana chuckled, looking down to the ground as they toyed with their gloves once more. Beside them Cali couldn't help but chuckle. They'd only been together for a few seconds, and yet she could tell just from looking that they loved each other a lot! Even though she wasn't entirely sure if she'd want to be in a relationship, she wouldn't mind having a partner like that. A few footsteps came from down the way, and Cali flicked her ear as she turned around.</p><p>"There they are!" Eye cried as he flew across. He stopped in the air for a moment to turn around and flick his wing, as if he signaled someone over. "Eye spy them just ahead!"</p><p>Eye flew down and hovered just over the parts where the ground turned to stone. Brawl was the first to pass him; he bounded past and shook the ground below as he rushed up to joined Tree Rex! The smaller parts of the party shuddered and shook as they stood back up from being knocked down by the force. They moved right in time to catch Dyna, Boomette, and the Mabu Defense Force rush through the path!</p><p>"Apologies for the trouble, everyone!" Dyna shouted the moment she rushed through. "We've sorted everything out now!"</p><p>"Yep!" Boomette affirmed, rushing up beside Dyna and gently nudging her shoulder.</p><p>Dyna smiled back at her, and Boomette only beamed for a moment.</p><p>Boomette ran up ahead, moving to where Syracuse ran over to join them. "Syrie, I'm sorry for getting you caught in the middle of my sister and I's stuff," Boomette whispered as she clasped Syracuse's hands. "You—"</p><p>"Don't worry about it, dear," Syracuse replied, gently brushing away strands of Boomette's hair. "It's all in the past."</p><p>Boomette blinked, nodded and pulled back from Syracuse's grip. The three of them drew into the center, where everyone gathered around the unearthed drill as Chihiro cleared her throat.</p><p>"Alright, now that everyone's back together, we can finally get back on track!" Chihiro shouted. "We managed to retrieve the location for the shield gun powering Kaos's place, so Dyna" — Chihiro's gaze shifted to where Dyna stood between Boomette and Syracuse — "think you can scan it in?"</p><p>"Sure can!" Dyna said as she walked up.</p><p>Chihiro motioned towards Dyna, snatched the tablet from Sihiri and passed it to Dyna. Dyna nodded as she took the tablet, grabbed a console from her pocket, popped open a slot and stuck the tablet in!</p><p>A bright light shone from the tablet as white dots circled around its front. They moved in tandem with the similar sights present on the console, and both lights dimmed as the console beeped! Dyna unhooked the tablet from her console and stowed it away in her pocket. She hummed as blue light pulsed before the screen and formed a map across it.</p><p>"The shield gun we're looking for should be at the end of the battlements, just a straight way ahead from where we are now," Dyna explained as she peeled her eyes from the screen and glanced ahead. "But, they've got cannons up the wazoo there—the biggest in their artillery!"</p><p>A booming, thundering nose came from ahead. Everyone crowded around the gates right as missile shells as big as buildings slowly flew and twirled across the long stretches of marble bridges before them. The noise of cannons firing rumbled the area and left a faint, smoky taste in the air, a sight that may have intimidated most…</p><p>Tree Rex walked solemnly, cracking knuckles all the time he walked through the gates.</p><p>"They may be big, but so are we!" Tree Rex cried. He turned back to a moment to match gazes with Bouncer, Ninjini and Hot Head. "Right?"</p><p>The three of them nodded and joined Tree Rex right as another cannon fired.</p><p>The cannons shook the ground while its missile flew out! The missile swirled through the air, crawling towards Tree Rex as flames started to form at its tip. He snarled as he lifted his arm in the air. Light charged at the base of his solar cannon, forming around him in a hot shield.</p><p>He charged forward, and leaped up before he punched the missile right back at the cannon! The flames surrounding the missiles stirred brighter as the missile smashed through the cannon and blew it to bits—but it was hardly the only one!</p><p>Beside him, Ninjini levitated a swarm of missiles out of the sky and shot them right back at the cannons that fired them. Bouncer moved beside her. He dashed forward along the paths, leaped up and kicked missiles back! A string of explosions ruptured the walls as the cannons blew to bits, their bricks crumbling as they cascaded down into the skies!</p><p>The rest of the group trailed along, beckoned on by Tree Rex as he landed and crept forward. They mostly retained a nonchalant air as they passed along the stone and metal paths. They left the dirt and grass of the lands before behind with not a care. While they all gathered together and walked, Hot Head winced and peered up as shade draped over the world around them.</p><p>"Is it just me?" Hot Head asked as he held a hand over his eyes. "Or did someone turn off the lights?"</p><p>Tree Rex grunted as he peered up, as did Ninjini and Bouncer. The three of them swept the smaller members of their party into their arms and ran off. Not long after they moved, a missile much larger than the rest smashed into the bridge, and completely shattered the place where they once stood!</p><p>Another string of missiles rushed after them as they ran across the bridge. They smashed its stone to bits, and sent chunks of brick and metal flying everywhere with each explosion. Finally, the missiles relented as they reached an intersection, and the group collapsed to their knees.</p><p>"Just what was that?" Eye panted as he rested on Brawl's top. "Even eye couldn't even spot it!"</p><p>Tree Rex hummed, twisted around, and peered over the side of the intersection. He knelt down and plucking 'Enehana from the ground. 'Enehana yelped for a moment as Tree Rex lifted them onto his shoulder, but they quickly steadied themself and clung to his horn.</p><p>"Tree Rex, what was that for?" 'Enehana asked.</p><p>Tree Rex pointed to a large podium attached to one of the still-intact parts of the wall. It was made entirely of stone with a large missile launcher planted on its top. It stood silent for moments, and shuddered just as bit as its whole body rumbled, almost like it prepared to spit something out!</p><p>"I think that might be what's been shooting those missiles at us," Tree Rex said as he turned slightly. "Do you think you can—"</p><p>Another screech hit the air as shadows covered the path. Tree Rex gulped as he ran off, scooping the smaller ones below him into his arms!</p><p>"Actually, hold on!"</p><p>The world rumbled as another explosion burst behind him, and Tree Rex glanced momentarily at the broken intersection before him! Another set of missiles a bit faster than the last charged after him with fires blazing, and he gulped as he rushed faster! A brick wall came into view, and Tree Rex grunted as he sprung over it with the others following behind—but as they left, the missiles crashed through the wall and blew it to bits before carrying on!</p><p>"Those things just won't stop!" Tree Rex cried.</p><p>"Let's see how well they can track us if we're invisible, then!" Ninjini cried.</p><p>With a closing of her eyes, the entire group turned invisible to the naked eye and ducked behind an interway, pausing for a moment to catch their breaths. But, the sound of screeching missiles shot them onto their feet! They all ran off once more. They took a tiny glance behind to see that sure enough, the missiles were right on their tails once more!</p><p>"They're still chasing us?" Ninjini cried.</p><p>"They must be heat-seeking missiles, then!" 'Enehana cried from where they rested on Tree Rex's shoulder. "Normally I'd be able to reprogram them, but the way things are, there's no way I can get close enough!"</p><p>Another explosion burst from behind! It blew the ground behind them to bits with a force so massive that it blew the entire group onto the intersection face-first.</p><p>A couple groans came as they all staggered to their feet, 'Enehana being the first to pull themself up. As 'Enehana groaned and dusted themself off, their eyes moved towards a terminal seated on the stone. Drawing over to the terminal, they tapped their fingers against its keyboard, and grinned as its screen flickered with light!</p><p>"The missiles, they're coming!" Ninjini shouted from behind.</p><p>'Enehana gasped at the shout from behind and typed away, eyes narrowing as they typed. Sweat crawled down their skin as the sound of screeching missiles shook the earth, coming closer and closer away—and then, the missiles turned tail and flew off with one button press!</p><p>"Phew, close one!" 'Enehana panted. "I managed to hack the system and block off our heat signatures. That should keep them off our tails for a bit." 'Enehana chuckled, tapped a single button on the console, and wiped their hands. "And with that button press, that should keep the rest of their security from finding us, too!"</p><p>"Your genius strikes again~" Jorden teased as they sauntered over to 'Enehana.</p><p>'Enehana chuckled as they peered up at Jorden, but their smile faded. "But, that'll only stop the missiles, and only for a little bit of time. We'll have to find some way to blow up the launcher before it happens."</p><p>A screech came from the air, and 'Enehana cringed.</p><p>"Wait, but it wasn't supposed to stop that early! Did my program fail?"</p><p>'Enehana cast a glance back to the terminal, but it still shone with the light of their program's code!</p><p>"That's no missile, Ena!" Jorden cried. "It's a cannonball!"</p><p>'Enehana turned around right as a giant cannonball smashed through part of a small island, and knocked it down into the skies. The cannonball rolled off and disappeared soon afterwards, but it wasn't the only one! Another cannonball hurtled forward, and its path was set right on the intersection they stood on!</p><p>Tree Rex grunted as he charged forward, leaped up, and hastily tossed the cannonball aside before crashing right back down! Behind him, the cannonball soared right through the air, slipped right towards the missile cannon and smashed into its side! Tree Rex gasped as the cannonball rolled off and crashed down below, but grinned.</p><p>"Bouncer, Ninjini, Hot Head!" he cried, waving them over. "Take those cannonballs and toss them at the missile launcher!"</p><p>The three of them nodding, and swept right up to Tree Rex as another round of cannonballs shot off! Ninjini floated forward. and levitated them away so that they swept right across the bridge, just barely grazing them before slamming right into the cannon's side. It tipped over for a moment, but another round of cannonballs slammed into its left courtesy of a kick from Bouncer! The dented sides of the cannon shuddered, smoke and sparks of electricity pouring from its sides.</p><p>The cannon pumped up and down, but with one last shake, it spat out another round of missiles! Hot Head grunted, jumped forward, and punched another round of cannonballs into the missiles—but the missiles smashed through the cannonballs and charged for Hot Head! He and the others screamed as they ran off just in time for the missiles to smash into the bridge!</p><p>Parts of it shuddered and crumbled away as they all ran, but while the others made it to safety, Dyna, Boomette, and the Mabu Defense Force all slipped back while the bridge crumbled away beneath them!</p><p>Bouncer quickly swept the Mabu Defense Force, Dyna, and Boomette into his hands; he wheeled away just as the bridge crumbled and collapsed. Leaning against a wall, he grimaced as they all climbed down from his hands and took cover. He lifted his head as a shadow fell over him, jumped up and dashed away!</p><p>A missile screeched as it crashed down, and smashed through the part of the intersection where Bouncer once stood. It wasn't the only one—another one trailed after the former missile's own vapor trails, its path set right for the platform!</p><p>"I'll handle this one!" 'Enehana cried.</p><p>Leaping atop Bouncer, 'Enehana scrambled onto his shoulder, and leaped off just before he could protest! The flap of their backpack swung right open as they soared through the air. It tossed out a jetpack that jolted down and strapped itself to their back! The flames burned bright as 'Enehana swirled away from the missile just before it could strike them, zipped back, and jumped right onto the missile's back! Orange light shone against their mechanical hands as they planted them on the missile's metal, but it faded just as quickly as a red light pulsed over the missile.</p><p>With a flick of 'Enehana's hand, a sharp knife burst from their palm! Gripping the knife, 'Enehana carved along a thin line just above them. They snarled as the wind in their hair blew more furious. and the cries of those below grew louder!</p><p>"'Enehana, get off of there!"</p><p>"What do they think they're doing?"</p><p>'Enehana grunted. With one last slice, they ducked as the panel flew off and disappeared into the skies! They only cast one glance at the panel, scanned over the open wiring and mechanisms placed inside the panel, and yanked out an oval-shaped device as they slashed right through its heart! The shield around the missile flickered out as the broken device split in two.</p><p>With it gone, 'Enehana turned down, eyes now focused on the missiles as they planted their hands against its warm metal surface! An orange glow glazed against the metal of the missile just as it came inches away from hitting the edge of the bridge. Instead, it spun around and redirected itself right towards the cannon!</p><p>'Enehana grunted and leaped off, landing on the ground without a sweat broken. The missile crashed into the cannon before them, and they staggered up as both cannon and missile exploded. Thick, warm-colored fire and smoke that burned with immense heat gated off the back of the area as 'Enehana adjusted the straps of their overalls. Instead of relishing in the destruction, they pulled the straps of their backpack a bit higher, and signaled to the others as they rushed for the end of the path! The others obediently trailed along, not a mind paid to the shooting cannons and bellowing shouts behind them.</p><p>Cali was the first of the group to push forward as 'Enehana stopped by a tough-looking steel gate. Withdrawing a handful of orbs from her pocket, Cali flicked them towards the gate. She jumped back right as they slammed onto the gate's surface, flashed for mere moments, and transformed into a full-on array of explosives!</p><p>"You might wanna stand back," Cali said as she withdrew a pack of matches from her pocket.</p><p>'Enehana nodded and drew backwards, taking shelter behind a table as Cali lit the fuse! Plugging her ears, Cali joined 'Enehana behind the table as the flames crawled along the fuse, singing it by the second. The flames hit the gunpowder, and an explosive plume of flame absorbed the entire gate! The fires quickly died as bits of burning metal rained down, and Cali and 'Enehana both jumped out from the table as the flames finally extinguished. The two of them passed through the burned, scorched pathway, the cannons finally relenting as they did.</p><p>Instead, what laid before them were thick stretches of stone. Each held a massive gun that shot a thick, bright laser into the stratosphere planted on round stands. The guns were all completely identical in their large size, shiny blue and gold metal exteriors and the hot white lasers they shot out; the only thing indicating any difference was their directions and the plaques near their bases, which all had different runes carved into them. Perhaps those were the names of the ones who purchased them?</p><p>Whatever they were, none of them were the one they looked for. If the console was of any indication, that one was at the very end of the current path, on an island seemingly void of any other mechanical presence.</p><p>The warbling and screeching of lasers rang in the air as they all passed along the paths, some taking moments to glance at the shield guns as if they tried to seek out their objective. A few idle conversations came in the air, just at a volume where they could be heard but their contents couldn't be discerned. Well, save for a yowl from Trigger Happy and a faint scolding, the exact words of which escaped Cali. Something about not touching lasers?</p><p>Cali shook her head, and skipped ahead as the sight of a round, dome-like platform at the end of the pathway came closer into view. She hit the very end of the path, where the cobblestone underfoot traded out for smooth, paved brick, and what she faced left her with a bit of a frown. She expected something huge, grandiose, even. After all, if Kaos's family was royalty like that Ermit guy said, surely whatever guarded their home was bound to be something big and serious with lots of guards and elaborate mechanisms, right?</p><p>Instead, what met her gaze was a shield gun no different than the rest. It shot a beam of light into the stratosphere, and it was almost completely eclipsed by a tower so tall it poked the sky! A few glances behind showed similarly confused and surprised faces, all scratched heads and raised brows. But, she supposed that something being this simple should be a relief, especially after the utter pain in the butt security was.</p><p>"Alright, something easy!" Chihiro cried as she pushed past and wiped her hands. "Just gotta blow this thing up, and we'll be on our merry way!"</p><p>Chihiro beamed and summoned a sword. As she lifted it above her head, it stretched further, growing wider and longer in length until it practically dwarfed her in size! Being made of magic, its newfound size and weight did little to impair Chihiro's grip on its handle. She heaved it back the furthest she could. Her balance slipped a little by then, and she backwards for a few moments before she tilted forward and ran up. With the sword held right above her head, she leaped forward and slashed the gun to bits!</p><p>Well, she would've, had a shield not manifested out of nowhere and shouldered the blade! The sword exploded into sparkles of cyan light as the shield flickered out.</p><p>Chihiro stumbled backwards and huffed as she crossed her arms. "A shield! Should've known this was too good to be true!" Chihiro shouted before she turned to the back. "Gold, Cynder, fly around and see if you can find a shield generator anywhere!"</p><p>"On it!" the two of them cried.</p><p>They both rushed forward and took to the air with a single leap. They became little more than purple streaks in the sky as they swooped around the air! The two of them disappeared behind the tower in the blink of an eye, and moments later, a purple screen formed behind Chihiro, and broadcasted Spyro's face right before her.</p><p>"Found it, Chi!" Spyro cried, his voice somewhat muffled by the screen. Its view turned down, and now reflected a tiny segment at the top of the tower where a beacon shining with gold light sat within its stone confines. "Cynder and I will take care of this in a snap!"</p><p>Spyro zoomed off with a flap of his wings, right down to where a violet, blurry figure that was presumably Cynder hovered to the left of the projector. Bursts of fire and lightning came from the two of them. and slammed right into the side of the projector—but, rather than exploding or burning away, the two blasts completely burst midway through their path! Spyro and Cynder both turned to each other, and a crunching noise burst over the screen, completely eradicating it from the force of its noise!</p><p>"INTRUDERS HAVE BEEN DETECTED!" cried a booming, mechanical voice as the ground rumbled. "PREPARE TO BE ERADICATED!"</p><p>The rumbling and quaking of the ground below grew more furious as parts of the ground split, small slivers collapsing into the skies below as the whole earth shuddered! Ahead of them, the ground surrounding the tower's base chafed and upheaved itself. Stone tendrils burst from the bottom like something crawled out from it! The tower swung back as the tendrils finally crawled over the broken, churned chunks of ground, unveiling that they stuck directly to the tower's base.</p><p>Those tendrils carried the tower as they scuttled across the earth, but finally settled on a place to rest in the center of the platform. This time, the tower itself was what rumbled as parts of it unfolded and twisted around. It formed in the shape of a tall, hulking, vaguely humanoid robot that crashed down and roared, nearly blowing away those down below!</p><p>While everyone clung to what they could to keep their balance, whether it was the most stable thing they could find or took shelter beneath the ruptured earth, the robot's chest flung right open. Out from it flooded an entire waterfall of shining metal that poured and stormed around the platform, raising weapons to the skies as they unveiled themselves!</p><p>Shiny drones equipped with fancy weapons headed the charge. Smaller, less impressive ones whose armor didn't gleam quite as well, and whose weapons were dented and twisted in parts, stood behind them. They interspersed with chompies dressed in armor whose skin was a little too shiny to make them seem real, and strange little ghouls wielding shields shaped like glaring faces that blocked their entire front from view!</p><p>Cries, beeps, and shouts welled from the armies as they thrust their weapons forward. They charged right for the group before a massive burst of thunder and lightning rained down from above, forcing them to stand back! A fence of sparking electricity blocked the armies away from the group now.</p><p>Cynder and a sky blue-eyed Spyro floated down beside Chihiro, who nodded and rushed forward as the electricity faded!</p><p>Chihiro screamed as she summoned a pair of swords and dove into the crowds, fixing her eyes on a smaller drone. She sliced it in half before she swung around and slashed the next. The two of them sparked and crackled as their broken halves fell to the ground, and Chihiro scoffed as she kicked them away! A whirling, buzzing sound came from behind, and Chihiro screamed as she slashed her sword into it.</p><p>Instead of hitting rusted, torn metal, what she hit was sleek, silver metal that cracked her sword's blade! One of the fancier, more polished drones rumbled as her sword exploded. Chihiro grimaced and stepped back, hands glowing in molding shapes as if she nailed down what to do next. The robot got closer and raised a mechanical ax!</p><p>The robot trembled as it held the ax at its highest point, but the ax slipped from its hands as garbled code flashed across its visor! The robot slunk over and powered down as its control panel popped open. Behind it, 'Enehana swung aside and waved for only a moment before they dove back underneath the open panel! The panel swung down a moment later, and 'Enehana hopped away with a grin as the robot rumbled.</p><p>Parts of the robot folded in as it twisted and shifted around, transforming it into a turret. The turret locked onto the oncoming wave of drones and gunned them down! It spun in waves as it shot off red-hot bullets, which only increased in numbers as the other robots around the turret joined its fate! The turrets grew from one, to four, to an entire battalion that stretched along the front and gunned down the oncoming drones!</p><p>The drones that rushed ahead of the turrets screeched. They let out distorted, garbled cries as the blasts blew them to bits, and their parts rained down and smashed on the heads of the shield-wielding ghouls that rushed behind them! The ghouls groaned and collapsed as they rubbed their heads. One in particular groaned and tried to push down the bump that formed on its scalp when the sound of bubbling rushed from aside.</p><p>It turned aside, abandoned its shield, and screamed as lava poured in from the cracks in the ground! The other shield wielders followed after the first as the lava grew closer to them, but just before the lava could pour onto the shields, it retracted and seeped back into the cracks!</p><p>"Alright, Nemir," Vatra said as he lifted a shield and tossed it to Nemir beside him, "got the shields!"</p><p>Nemir nodded, and merely whispered something under his breath as he bowed his head. In response, many small ghosts leaped from the cracks of the ground! The ghosts nodded towards Nemir for only a moment, flew over, and lifted the shields from the ground before they floated over to the battlefield! They planted themselves in the back, just where the rest of Nemir's allies fought.</p><p>A couple of drones leveled blows at the shields that in turn bounced off and soared through the skies, their bright fires catching the eyes of Inochi, Dej, and Trigger Happy! The three of them grinned at each other before they rushed up to the very edge of the battlefield. Dej ran past Inochi and Trigger Happy before he leaped out and flicked his hands!</p><p>Bursts of ice shot from his fingertips and smashed into the floor below, slicking it down as a solid sheet of ice cast over it. The drones that wheeled forward slipped over their own wheels and fell backwards, the ice cracking underneath them. The ice melted away, and vines burst from the ground! They wrapped tight around the drones, pinning them to the floor! As the drones struggled to get up, thorns shot from the vines' skin and stabbed into the robot's metal. They tore open the wiring and set them aflame! The vines sank back into the ground, but the robots laid down as the fires died at last.</p><p>Behind the shields, Inochi smiled and gently patted Trigger Happy. She pushed him forward as he withdrew his guns. Trigger Happy laughed as he leaped right over the shields, pulled the trigger, and sent a wave of golden lasers slicing through the drones!</p><p>The drones exploded in seconds, smoke and fire melting the shields as the ghosts flew away…</p><p>And from the smoke, Spyro and Cynder shot through! The flames danced underneath them as they soared above. Spyro narrowed his eyes as a giant, chompy-shaped robot gunned down the area around with chompies. Cynder glared it down before she lifted her head to face Spyro, and the two of them nodded as they swept down. The chompy-shooting robot's body rumbled as it shot off another round of chompies, but it skidded back as a fireball slammed into its side!</p><p>"Hey metalhead, up here!" Spyro cried from the skies above.</p><p>The chompy-shooting robot shuffled around as it fixed its cannons on Spyro and Cynder. It loaded them for only a minute and shot off! The chompies shot out by the second; they screeched and bore their fangs as they shot through the air—but Spyro's flames and Cynder's lightning reached them first! The raw power struck through, and burned not just the chompies that came for them, but the inner workings of the cannons as well!</p><p>The robot stopped, and loaded its cannons once more as thick smoke churned and spewed out from the barrels. All that came was an empty clicking noise. It loaded them once more but met with that same hollow clicking noise, so it lifted its cannon up and peered inside. Just as it reached inside, a massive gust of wind swept it back and knocked it into the air!</p><p>A black shadow dashed past and spun it around as it hovered up. A black thunderbolt smashed right through its chest and blew it to bits! Chompies spewed everywhere as the robot's broken remains fell to the ground, but the remains spun around as Spyro and Cynder dashed off.</p><p>Sihiri frowned while the chompies flew in by the thousands, held her glowing purple hands together and flung them out! A large, glowing purple net spread across the entire front, and caught the chompies within its ropes. It tied its top up tight and dropped on the ground. The world around shook a bit with its massive weight, but the rumbles quickly ceased as the chompies squealed and wriggled against the ropes.</p><p>"Now," Luz said as he stepped forward and stretched out his hands, "let's shine a little light on this!"</p><p>Luz clapped his hands. Above them all, the light grew brighter, harsher, and heated up the world just a bit as a giant spotlight shone right on the net! The chompies' screams grew shriller, panicky, even, as the light shone on them and withered away their bodies. It left only crinkly, brown leaves and tiny, wrinkled bodies devoid of eyes behind.</p><p>As the light finally faded, the net disappeared and the chompy corpses blew away with the wind as the tower trudged forward. The ground shook with every step as the tower loomed over and snarled, fingers twitching for a fight.</p><p>"Alright, now what are we gonna do about that?" Chihiro asked, clenching her fists. "Thing's as big as a skyscraper!"</p><p>"It's certainly bigger than anything we've ever faced," Tree Rex remarked, the leaves on his back rustling just a bit. "If we just had something its size that could fight it off…"</p><p>"Wait, something its size?" Flynn repeated.</p><p>Tree Rex frowned and glanced down at Flynn. "Yes, that is what I just said."</p><p>Flynn grinned and pushed his way through the group. "I've got just the thing!" he cried before he whistled and waved. "Dread-Yacht, over here!"</p><p>Flynn rushed to the side as the Dread-Yacht zipped over. The tower groaned and went to swat him down, but it was a little too late! Flynn jumped on board right as the tower's hand smashed into the ground, and the Dread-Yacht zipped right off.</p><p>"What does he think he's doing?" Tree Rex asked as he stumbled backwards. "Now's not the time for a flight!"</p><p>Spyro blinked rapidly and shook his head. "Wait a second, I think I know! Stand back, everyone!"</p><p>All those around heeded Spyro's word and skittered backwards, save for the tower! It roared as it stormed forward, the world jumping and rumbling with every heavy step it took! It took one more step forward, threatening to crush those around underfoot…</p><p>But the sound of a button pressing hit the air before it could step down, and another giant robot stormed forward, slugging the tower right in the face!</p><p>The tower roared as the robot flew backwards. The robot showed off a body with armor cobbled together from the Dread-Yacht's parts; it shone and sparkled just a bit in the light, but only for a moment. The tower reeled back, lunged up, and growled as it went to throw another punch. The Dread-Yacht thrust both its arms against its chest, shouldering the blow. It grabbed the robot's arm and body-slammed it into the ground!</p><p>Parts of the floor cracked and quaked underneath as an ear-splitting crunch burst from the tower. The Dread-Yacht relented for a moment as a smile crossed its face—but the tower yanked it down and trapped it in a headlock! The two rolled across the floor, wrestling and pushing against each other. They slammed into nearby towers and completely knocked out their lower halves, leaving the towers little more than crumbling piles of itchy dust and sandy rubble as they rolled off! They flattened a few trees and patches of grass as they rolled just over the edge of the island, teetering precariously with just tiny slips of earth underneath them. The tower screamed as it released the Dread-Yacht and prepared to kick it down! The leg swung, ready to make its blow—but mid-swing, the Dread-Yacht grabbed it and dug its fingers in, crunching and denting the leg's metal!</p><p>The Dread-Yacht slung a kick into its kneecap, knocking the tower back and giving the Dread-Yacht just enough time to leap back up! The Dread-Yacht stormed forward, raised a fist right as the tower skidded back, and the tower in turn stormed forward as it grabbed both the Dread-Yacht's hands! The two of them pushed against each other; their heels dug into the broken earth as they struggled with all their might! For once, they were evenly matched. Neither party budged save for the faint shudder and strain of their hands and legs!</p><p>Down below, Sihiri hummed as she examined the fight, hand on chin and all. She floated up to Chihiro and Spyro. The two of them stayed entranced with the robot fight, eyes locked on the two robots as they pushed and prodded against each other—as did the others.</p><p>"Everyone, I have a plan!" Sihiri cried, earning all attention before she nudged Spyro and Chihiro's shoulders. "You two, help me make some magic ropes!"</p><p>The two of them shook their heads and jumped forward.</p><p>"How many and what size?" Spyro asked as Chihiro nodded.</p><p>Sihiri hummed, rubbing her chin for a moment. She gestured over to where the tower and the Dread-Yacht wrestled against each other. "About that size."</p><p>Spyro and Chihiro both nodded. Chihiro's hands flashed cyan, and Spyro's eyes turned purple as they both flicked out hands and wings. Flashes of magic burst from the tips and snaked around the area; they swirled around for moments before they formed into a giant pile of thick, long ropes! The ropes piled just before the battlefield. They were big enough that they blocked out the lower half of the robot's legs at least, and were surely long enough that they could possibly wrap around the entire island!</p><p>Another pile of purple ropes joined its top courtesy of Sihiri, who rubbed her hands as their own purple glow faded.</p><p>"Tree Rex, you and the others take those ropes and see if you can tie down that tower!" Sihiri cried.</p><p>Tree Rex nodded, turned over and waved for just a moment as he ran off. "You heard her! Get those ropes!"</p><p>Tree Rex was the first to yank a rope from the pile, followed by Bouncer, Ninjini, and then Hot Head! The ropes' tips fluttered and swayed in the wind as all four of them flanked the four corners of the tower with the ropes still held tight in their grip.</p><p>Ninjini floated up, cried out as she spun the rope around like a cowboy's lasso, and tossed it right for the tower's right shoulder! The rope spun out like unraveling yarn as it flew forward and looped around the shoulder. The rope yanked the tower back as Ninjini floated down, and she pinned it to the ground with a large boulder made of magic!</p><p>The tower screeched as it yanked its right arm forward, tugging its hardest against the ropes. Right as the ropes frayed just a bit, another rope wrapped tight around its left arm and drew it back! Bouncer strained from where he floated in the air, and a mechanical jetpack on his back burned its brightest behind him. He floated down and smacked the ground with his wheel. A mechanical stake burst from the ground below, splitting the rope in a way that created a perfect circle around it!</p><p>The tower wailed and thrust as ropes wrapped around its legs and stuck it to the ground. Below it, Tree Rex and Hot Head wiped their brows. The two of them rushed off as the tower screeched and hopped backwards. It still struggling and thrusting against the ropes despite how tightly held it was! It thrust forward one more time, but got slugged in the face with a punch from the Dread-Yacht!</p><p>The tower flew backwards, the ropes fraying a bit as it smashed into the ground below. It tried to pull itself up, but as it started to lift its chest, the Dread-Yacht leaped down and itself head and the earth! Sharp, denting metal sounds came as the Dread-Yacht slung punch after punch at the tower's face, caving it in and leaving it a hot, smoking, dented heap where a head one laid! The head creaked as it just barely hung on its hinge. Smoke poured from its open mouth and eyes the whole time, but the Dread-Yacht didn't relent.</p><p>Instead, the Dread-Yacht focused its attention to the chest as it pounded away! Searing orange light pulsed and burned from the chest as it smashed and pounded. It burned even brighter with every hit, until it was so hot that the Dread-Yacht jumped away, just in time for it to dodge a flaming hot missile! The missile launched itself right out of the tower's chest and shot through the skies!</p><p>"It's weak!" Sihiri cried as she turned back to the group. "Set up some explosives, now!"</p><p>This time, it was Cali, Boomette, Dyna, and the Mabu Defense Force who rushed out. They ran towards the robot as fast as their legs could carry them! Dyna and Cali pushed ahead as they yanked round devices from their pockets, and flicked them into the skies. They rolled forward right as the devices latched onto the robot's side and expanded into formal explosives! The two of them slammed a console down, and wired the explosives to it as Boomette and the Mabu Defense Force worked away on the other side. Boomette and the Mabu Defense Force hooked on another lengthy span of explosives, and all of them rushed back as a ticking noise echoed in the air!</p><p>"We're all set!" Cali cried,</p><p>'Enehana nodded, stepped forward and snapped their fingers. "And just to give things a little more oomph…" they whispered as their hand started to glow orange.</p><p>The broken robots parts behind them rattled and shuddered as they flew forward. They attached to the explosives, twisted around them and formed into even bulkier, larger explosives! 'Enehana chuckled and drew back, but slammed their hands over their ears as the ticking sound grew shriller.</p><p>"You might wanna cover your ears!"</p><p>The others took heed and covered their ears as the explosives burst and the tower with them! Robot parts and bricks flew across the arena. They smashed down and crafted holes in the ground around them as the tower's body disappeared, but amid the ruckus and rummage, a glowing light skated across the skies. It was a bright one, with a shield that flashed and flickered in the skies!</p><p>"The shield generator!" Spyro cried.</p><p>He and Cynder zipped off, becoming little more than purple blurs in the sky as they zig-zagged amid the flying wreckage. They yanked the orange light from the sky and tossed it backwards! The light grew brighter and larger as it came crashing in.</p><p>The generator's body slowly came into view with it, and as it came closer, a whole flurry of elemental attacks—from bursts of magic, to shining lasers, crystals, and more—met it through the air and pierced right through it! The generator crumbled to bits as it fell down to the ground, and a soft gust of wind scattered it to the clouds.</p><p>A flickering sound came from behind as the generator's remains flew off. Everyone turned around and beamed, for right before them, the shield around the shield gun completely flickered out!</p><p align="center">§</p><p>"Alright, everyone, the explosives are ready!" 'Enehana proclaimed as they backed up and grinned. Their orange eyes fixed on the carefully-arranged pile of explosives that surrounded the shield gun. "You may want to stand back!"</p><p>'Enehana's eyes trailed back to where the rest of their crew huddled behind a makeshift fort of barrels, wrecked machinery, and other sundry they could scrounge up. and toss into a haphazard barrier big enough to block even the Elder Elementals from view (and hopefully from danger as well). A thumbs up came from Chihiro on the other side of the barrier before it disappeared just as quickly as it came, and 'Enehana grinned. Their eyes turned back to the explosives, but only for a minute as they drifted down to the remote in their gloved hands.</p><p>"Three…" 'Enehana proclaimed as they skittered behind the barrier themselves. They leaned against Jorden's chest as their finger wiggled over the button. "Two…"</p><p>'Enehana's hand slowly crept down, twitching and fidgeting as it inched closer and closer to the button.</p><p>"Two and a half…"</p><p>With a gulp, 'Enehana balled their hand into a fist and slammed that hand right down onto the button!</p><p>"ONE!"</p><p>A furious explosion bored and howled from the other side of the barrier. The coarse, choking scent of burning metal coated the area so thickly it sent a few into coughing fights while black smoke covered the entire area in a thick mist! The smoke spat out bits of flaming metal and broken machine pieces as crackling flames popped and laughed in everyone's ears. They danced with glee as the flames and smoke billowed higher, and the scent of burning metal grew almost impossible to bear with how thick and pungent it was! The smoke poured over the barrier, seeped down, and even forced 'Enehana into a hack or two.</p><p>They scoffed and turned their eyes back to the smoke. Creeping out of the barrier's protection, 'Enehana knelt down and hovered a hand above the ground. The broken bits of metal and machine extinguished themselves, and cleansed themselves of damage as they latched together. They stuck further and further into each other until they formed a crude, but sturdy fan! With a single spin of the fan's blade, a mighty gust blew away the smoke and fire until all that was left was ashes, soot…</p><p>And the charred remains of the shield gun, which was burned and melted so badly that it was twisted into an unrecognizable lump of metal and salvage!</p><p>A rousing round of cheers came as everyone else piled out of the barrier's shield. Smiles formed all around as the smoke and fire's remains wafted into the skies and vanished.</p><p>But, as they all grinned and beamed in the success of their mission, Dyna coughed into her hand and gently nudged Syracuse with her elbow. Syracuse jolted, but as her eyes turned to Dyna, Dyna gave a small wink. Syracuse returned her wink with a nod. Clearing her throat, Syracuse stumbled out of the tightly-packed pile and pulled Boomette away.</p><p>"Syrie, what's the deal?" Boomette cried in the distance as they disappeared behind the remains of the tower.</p><p>Flynn turned around to where Boomette once stood and crossed his arms. "What're they doing?" he asked as he tilted his head, craning it in some hope of catching a glimpse.</p><p>Dyna walked over beside him and chuckled. "You'll see."</p><p>A few moments of silence painted only by faint birdsong and popping embers in the air stayed for a few moments. It lulled everyone into a weary peace, one quickly interrupted as a single squeal of glee burst from behind the rubble, so loud it rattled bricks and metal alike!</p><p>"OH SYRACUSE, OF COURSE I'LL MARRY YOU!"</p><p>A few shouts came out from behind the rubble as Boomette spun out with Syracuse held tight in her grip. The smile on her face was so wide it stretched from long, pointy ear to long, pointy ear! Boomette came to a stop, stumbling and spinning around as she and Syracuse burst into hapless giggling. She released her arms and Syracuse fell back to the floor. They leaned on each other as they stumbled over their own feet, and the two shared one last kiss as they turned to meet with the warm, knowing smiles of the rest of their party.</p><p>"Well, all's well that ends well," Dyna said as she wiped her hands and turned to Chihiro. "Now that this shield generator's down, I'd say you'll be able to take on Kaos's castle with no problems, portal master!"</p><p>Chihiro nodded, and with one clear of her throat, turned her attention back to the group.</p><p>"You heard her!" Chihiro cried as she pointed to the Dread-Yacht and ran off. "Kaos's place is open now! Let's pile up and set sail!"</p><p>"Hey, I'm the captain here!" Flynn cried. "I'm the one who should be saying that!" Flynn grinned as he charged for the Dread-Yacht. "Alright, everyone, get on board! With my piloting skills, we'll be at that shrimp's place before you can even blink!"</p><p>"And we'll get back to salvaging over here!" Dyna cried, waving as everyone else passed her by and rushed for the Dread-Yacht. "And give that Kaos a good throttling for us, alright?"</p><p>Chihiro stopped in her tracks as she bolted up the Dread-Yacht's gangplank, turned around and waved.</p><p>"You bet we will!" Chihiro beamed as she waved back, but a large rumble sent her shaking as the world underneath her shuddered!</p><p>A small yip came from her as she grabbed onto the side of the Dread-Yacht. She turned around and grinned as the Machine Ghost's robot body settled itself onto the side. Its chest splayed open as the Elder Elementals and ancient portal masters all piled in!</p><p>Hopping onto the Dread-Yacht's deck, Chihiro took a seat by some barrels. She leaned against the railing as the gangplank receded back into the Dread-Yacht itself.</p><p>The Dread-Yacht set off with a few flaps of its oars. The cheers that came from below became little more than a faint sound in the whipping winds! The Dread-Yacht shuddered and creaked as the Machine Ghost joined it, and the two kept tight in pace with each other as they soared through the skies!</p><p>The intense wind whipped against Chihiro's hair and sent it flying across her face. She parted her hair and frowned as her eyes turned to the skies. Her hands squeezed the Dread-Yacht's railing tight, and as the clouds parted, split by the strike of the Dread-Yacht itself, she clenched her teeth.</p><p>"You better be prepared, Kaos!" Chihiro hissed, her volume low enough that nobody else around could hear it. "Once we arrive, you're finished!"</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 12: Troll Home Security Part 2 (Part 1)<p>Brawl grunted as he jumped atop a hill and flattened the grass underfoot, and sighed as the faint sound of mumbling and muttering came over the wind. Behind him, Rizzo, Nort, and Snuckles all groaned as they finally pulled themselves over the side of the hill and fell on their knees. They propped themselves up with only their arms as they slouched over and panted. Brawl had to admit, he hadn't thought that Dyna would take such a steep cliff—or maybe he was just used to taking shortcuts, being as big as he was and all. He peered down at the steep fall below, so tall that the ground was a big blobby blur, and turned back.</p><p>"I can feel the blood pumping in my ears," Snuckles whined as he finally fell on his back. Nort flopped down beside him, and Snuckles groaned as he turned to Nort. "Nort, can you hear anything?"</p><p>Nort groaned and shook his head; he flopped on his side and closed his eyes.</p><p>"Yeah, I think… A nap's a good idea… Too…" Snuckles panted as his own eyes drifted open and shut.</p><p>Rizzo stumbled over and shook a fist as the two of them moaned and closed their eyes.</p><p>"Come on, you two, that climb wasn't that bad!" Rizzo insisted, though the tired slur of his words and the way he stumbled over his own shaking feet soon after said otherwise. With one trip of his feet Rizzo planted face-first into the ground, moaning as he strained to push himself up for a moment before collapsing. "I, as your captain, I…"</p><p>Brawl sighed and shook his nonexistent head at the sight of all three mabu collapsed on the ground when the sound of something alike to mumbling came over the wind. The voice was faint with no trace of what was being spoken heard, yet something about it seemed somewhat familiar.</p><p>Brawl tip-toed ahead, though his massive size ensured that the world around him still shuddered even with the most gingerly of footsteps. The wind whistled and rustled leaves from the sparse nearby trees and bushes; it masked the voice at first, but then the voice came in and louder to boot! Finally, he discerned the voice's words as it ranted something about recklessness and irresponsibility, and with a much more familiar tone! Yes, this had to be Dyna!</p><p>Brawl hopped up another hill, one where the sounds grew their loudest, knelt down and paused at the faintest sight of something green amid the endless stretches of brown earth. Brawl knelt down, gently nudged the green thing, and it yelped as it fell down. It jumped up on the rock and fell down once more! Brawl snagged a closer look. Yes, it was definitely Dyna, though the bags under her eyes made her seem wearier than she was when they arrived.</p><p>"Oh, it's you," Dyna sputtered, "the ancient hero of all Skylands."</p><p>"Just Brawl is fine," Brawl signed.</p><p>Dyna blinked, pulled out another console from her pockets and held it up to Brawl. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"</p><p>Brawl signed once more and the machine's screen flashed.</p><p>"Oh, alright then, er, Brawl." Dyna sat down, though her hands still trembled a little. Whether it was from being in Brawl's presence, or the extra nerves from her argument with Boomette, he wasn't sure. "Good thing I brought that universal translator with me. It even translates sign language!"</p><p>"Quite the convenient little gadget!"</p><p>The screen flashed once more, and Dyna glazed it over before she chuckled. "I'm sure Boomette will be happy to hear that. She's the one who came up with the idea in the first place." Dyna sighed. "I'll tell her" — Dyna shook her head — "no, actually, I don't think she particularly wants to talk to me."</p><p>Brawl tilted to the side and clasped his hands for a moment. He went to sign once more, but the sound of panting and running over the horizons turned his attention to the beginning of the hills. There, three round figures ran in the distance.</p><p>"There you are! I was wondering why you ran off all of a sudden!" Rizzo shouted before he yanked his head over to where Brawl was. "Oh, and there you are, too!"</p><p>"Did something happen between you two?" Snuckles asked. He pushed in front of Rizzo and walked up to Dyna with hands clasped and a frown. "I mean, that fight back there seemed pretty bad, and you were on edge the whole trip—"</p><p>"It's nothing." Dyna's mood changed immediately; her ears flattened against the sides of her head as she turned away with the universal translator clutched tight to her chest. Her head lowered and she pulled herself from the rock. "Just family matters."</p><p>Rizzo blinked and turned around with a grin. "Well, if that's just all it is, we should be on our way! Come on, time's wasting, and we've gotta clear the way for the Skylanders!"</p><p>Dyna cringed, teeth clenched tight as she glanced back at Rizzo, but she quickly cleared her throat and turned further away.</p><p>"I'll, I'll catch up with you later. You go on ahead."</p><p>"Suit yourself!" Rizzo hummed a tune as he strode off, but Nort grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back right before he could run off.</p><p>Dyna sighed once more, and Snuckles sat down beside her rock. His brows knitted a bit, and a frown formed on his face as he twiddled his thumbs, but finally he sighed.</p><p>"Are you sure? That didn't exactly look like something small," Snuckles said.</p><p>"Yeah!" Nort chimed in as he dragged Rizzo back, oblivious to Rizzo's shouts behind him. "You seemed really shaken up! Not to mention you were all huffy and angry on the flight here. You couldn't even look her in the eye!"</p><p>Dyna winced, her eyes perking up for a moment before she flattened them once more. Her lip trembled a bit, as if she wanted to speak, but she still turned away nonetheless. "It's, it's nothing," she insisted, her lips trembling still. "It's a stupid thing, really, not something worth bugging others with."</p><p>"We're not gonna judge you if you don't wanna talk about it, but if it's bothering you that much, it's not something stupid!" Snuckles chirped. "We're all ears!"</p><p>Nort nodded in response, and Rizzo only shrugged. But, with one jab in the shoulder from Nort, Rizzo yelped before he warily nodded as well.</p><p>Dyna sighed, pulled herself off the rock and sat down before them. She sputtered a little; she scratched her palms and toyed with her overalls' straps as she struggled to find the words to say, but finally she breathed in. She glanced at the translator in her hand for a moment, and lifted her head up.</p><p>"Well, you're right. Boomette and I have been growing more distant from each other lately," Dyna admitted. She sighed and turned her head, not even lifting her eyes from the translator. "She's been growing more independent by the day, and it kinda scares me that my family doesn't need to rely on me anymore."</p><p>Nort and Snuckles both nodded, but Rizzo's jaw just dropped as he tilted his head.</p><p>"That's it?" Rizzo scoffed as he stormed up to Dyna. "Why's that such a big deal? So, she's pulling her weight a little more—at least she's not like Blobbers!" Rizzo rolled his eyes and crossed his arms as he scoffed once more. "All he does is gripe and grumble and complain, all because I forgot to pick him up and left a few extra things to him! What's he complaining about? He could stand to pull his own weight a little more!"</p><p>"At least he actually needs you still!" Dyna scoffed and yanked her view away from the translator, though her grip still fixed tight on it. "You say that now, but just wait! You're gonna miss that once they all leave you behind!"</p><p>Rizzo's eyes fluttered and he slowly backed away. "Er, Dyna?"</p><p>"One moment, they're all relying on you and looking up to you, and all you'd ever want is to be there for them, but then they start moving on and you get left behind, and it seems like as far as everyone else is concerned, you're just there to do nothing but stand around! They never remember to keep in touch, seem to act like you never existed, and…"</p><p>Dyna sniffled, rubbed her nose and lowered her head before she turned away.</p><p>"You're just left waiting for the day when they all leave and you've got nothing left. You dedicate your whole life to helping them because nobody else could, because times were hard, and the ones who should've been there to do it couldn't, and now you don't know what else to do! All you ever wanted was to take care of your family, and now you don't know what to do with yourself anymore because they don't need you! You don't want to hold them back, but you can't imagine life without them!"</p><p>"Dyna?" Snuckles and Nort called.</p><p>"And then…" Dyna trudged back over to the rock and laid the translator on the side. Tears started to form, but she wiped them away just as quick. "You find out of nowhere that one's planning to get married and didn't even tell you, and you don't even know what to do!"</p><p>The tears started to fall further, and this time Dyna didn't bother to wipe them away. She instead pressed her face into her knees. "You know it's not your business. She's not a little kid anymore, she can take care of herself, and you know she loves her partner, and her partner's a good troll, and you're sure they'll take care of each other, but she's the only one who stuck around and now she's going off! It feels like your whole family's leaving you behind, like everything you did never mattered to them! And, and…"</p><p>Dyna sniffled a little more, not even bothering to lift up her face.</p><p>"Now you don't know what to do with yourself."</p><p>"Married?" Nort whispered as he scratched his chin. His eyes went a bit wide for a moment, and he shook his head. "Wait, don't tell me..."</p><p>Dyna sniffled a little more, and Snuckles frowned as he prodded over and offered her a tissue from his pocket. As Dyna wiped away her tears, Brawl knelt beside her and gently nudged her back with his finger. What a poor thing, feeling as abandoned and unwanted as she did. It tugged a bit at his heart just to see her like that.</p><p>"I think I understand how you feel," Brawl signed as he sat beside her. "You're so used to taking care of everyone, but now that they're getting busier, doing more with their lives, and don't need your help anymore, you're at a loss about what you should do now, right?"</p><p>Dyna frowned and laid the tissue on the ground. "How'd you guess?"</p><p>She forced a laugh, but Brawl didn't particularly find anything very funny. Dyna must have noticed, for she just sighed.</p><p>"It's true. I just can't imagine a life without any of my sibs and I working together, but now it seems like they're all drifting away. Even though I'm still working with the family business like I always did, doing it with all these trolls I barely know, and with everyone just gone now, it just doesn't feel the same. It's just so... Empty."</p><p>Dyna's eyes drifted back to the translator, but quickly drifted away. "She's gonna propose any day now and run off with her, I'm sure of it. I want to be happy for her, but, I just don't know what I'll do when she leaves. I just wish she could understand how hard this has been for me! She constantly acts like I'm the unreasonable one for being worried about losing the one family member I really have left, seeing as how everyone else doesn't even talk to me anymore..."</p><p>"I understand, I really do." Brawl clenched his hands for a moment, then went back to signing. "But, have you stopped to think about how she must feel?"</p><p>Dyna lifted her head and flicked her ears. "And what exactly does that mean?" she asked, a hint of venom in her voice.</p><p>"Well, she and her partner found this place on their lonesome, correct?"</p><p>Dyna lowered her head. "Yes, they did," she said after a moment of contemplation. "They've been busy scouting out abandoned places where the tech's little more than waste and bringing it here to be repurposed. It was a genius idea. We've been cleaning up so many parts of Skylands, and getting some shiny new stuff out of it, too!" Dyna laughed, and the faintest hint of a smile crossed her face. "I can't believe I didn't think of it."</p><p>"While I'm sure you're just trying to look out for her, berating her and taking over on something she put so much pride in probably hurts her, too. I imagine she probably thinks you're looking down on her despite it all!"</p><p>Dyna frowned, clasped her hands and lowered her ears. "I, I wasn't trying to. I was just trying to keep her safe. This place is so dangerous and all…"</p><p>"Ah, yes, good intentions pave the road to the pits." Brawl chuckled a bit. "You know, this all reminds me of a spat with Eye I had back when we first started really working together."</p><p>"You two, fight? That's ridiculous!" Snuckles cried. "You're one of the most famous team-ups there is! Everyone knows the story of the eye and the headless giant who teamed up and became Skylands' most legendary protectors!"</p><p>Brawl swayed from side to side, signing, "well, that wasn't always the case. Even the most legendary of teams have their rough patches—especially when they're just starting out. You see, this all started right after we destroyed an Arkeyan monument and freed the ones forced to build it…"</p><p align="center">§</p><p><em>Brawl groaned. He leaned against the walls of the base with his arms crossed tight, so tight that they would've almost squeezed and cracked his armor if not for how durable it was. What was Eye thinking, lashing out like that? He could hardly act like he was the one doing all the work here, much less take the credit for it! After all, who was the one dragging his sorry ass out of trouble all the time? Who was the one who did all the fighting while he was off shooting lasers? Who was the muscle </em><strong>and</strong><em> mind of their little partnership, the one who held all the brawn and brains while Eye flitted about? Not Eye, that was for sure! </em></p><p><em>But, Brawl couldn't exactly rant or anything, so he just fumed as he pressed against the rough stone walls—that started to crack! The faint crackling sounds came from behind him, and Brawl gasped as he stumbled forwards. He waved his arms before he turned back to find that only a few small cracks formed. Phew, close one, but he'd better not press it any further. So, he just sat down and sulked, only half a mind paid to the part across the room where Thumpback cleaned his anchor of stray Quicksilver.</em></p><p>"<em>There somethin' you wanna talk about, Brawl?" Thumpback asked, though his eyes didn't lift a bit from where he polished that anchor. "After all, you seemed pretty mad about your little spat with Eye back there."</em></p><p><em>"Was it that obvious?" Brawl signed.</em></p><p><em>Thumpback lifted his eyes, and clutched the rag he polished his anchor with for a moment before he returned to polishing. "I mean, you blew up pretty badly. Everyone else's talking about it over there." Thumpback chuckled as he wrung the cloth over an open wooden barrel, and went back to polishing in a single motion. "Had to leave the room cause all the chatter was so noisy. Maybe it's all those years fishing at sea, but all that noise just isn't for me."</em></p><p><em>Brawl huffed. "Well, guess if Eye wanted all that attention he certainly got it."</em></p><p><em>"Oh? So you think attention is what he wants?"</em></p><p><em>Thumpback raised a brow, and turned away from his anchor with an almost quizzical smile. Brawl had to admit, he found Thumpback hardest to read of all the other Elder Elementals. It seemed like he always had a smile on his face no matter what, but not one of genuine joy. It was a strange tranquility, the kind that was almost impossible to see whether someone was genuinely happy, feigned joy to keep their cool, or silently judged and analyzed your every move while you stood dumbfounded. But, he seemed inviting enough, so Brawl raised his hands.</em></p><p>"<em>What else would it be? Every mission we do, it seems like he's always trying to hog the spotlight: jumping headfirst into danger and fighting without a care, bluffing about how hard he works afterwards, always shoving into the conversation…" Brawl shuddered a little, and leaned forward before he pushed himself back up. "I keep telling him that everything will be fine as long as he leaves all the fighting to me! I'm the one with all the strength! He's supposed to scout and cover any oncoming danger for us! Why's he so caught up about not getting to hog all the glory and fame that he has to cause all this extra fuss?"</em></p><p><em>Thumpback chuckled a little more, and turned to his anchor with that slight smile. He shook his head and tsked as he worked.</em></p><p>"<em>What's so funny about that?" Brawl clenched his fist for a moment, and a bit of heat bubbled in his armor. "Don't tell me you agree with him!"</em></p><p><em>"No, that's not quite it. I just saw things a bit different, is all." Thumpback peered down at his anchor for a bit, and hastily buffed out another spot on it. "You see, the way I see it, it's the opposite. It's not that he does too much. Rather, it seems to me like he feels as if he isn't doing enough."</em></p><p><em>Not… Doing enough? Brawl wanted to retort, but he couldn't quite find the words. After all, from his standpoint, Eye should have been doing less! So he stood, hands laid to his legs with not a finger raised.</em></p><p><em>Thumpback must have taken this as a prompt to continue, considering the aside glance he gave Brawl. </em>"<em>Without factoring in our blessings, he doesn't have quite the physical strength and fancy abilities that the rest of us have. Even then, the two of you split your powers, so he's lacking in that area too. I'm sure he's worried that he's only a burden on us because he's only able to scout at most. If I were him, I'm sure I'd have moments where I'd be concerned that all I'm doing is dragging others down, and feel like I have to compensate…"</em></p><p><em>Brawl hummed and stroked his armor as he did. Now that he thought about it, Eye did seem awfully hurt when Brawl got angry with him—on the verge of tears, even! Looking back at all those other times, Eye seemed so desperate to be praised, so desperate to be acknowledged with those eager looks, proud stances, and headfirst jumps into the fray… Brawl thought he was just being reckless. Brawl winced a little and clasped his fist. He never thought of things that way, and he was supposed to be Eye's partner, too! How could he have not recognized it?</em></p><p>"<em>But, he's not—" Brawl began to sign.</em></p><p>"<em>A burden, you want to say?" Thumpback stopped polishing for a moment, and laid his rag to the side as he frowned and started to turn the anchor. "Even if you don't think of him as such, it's hard for him to believe it. Not when he's surrounded by those he thinks are more capable than he is."</em></p><p><em>Brawl cringed; for a moment, he thought back to his earlier fight with Eye. The things he said in his fit of anger pierced through his armor, and sent pains he never thought he could feel! He recalled the time he blew up at Eye for irritating the guards, and the look of pain in Eye's face when Brawl chewed him out, or all the times he constantly pushed Eye aside. All the times he took everything on by himself, and scolded Eye for wanting to help…</em></p><p><em>"Because you act like you're better than I am! You never appreciate how hard I'm trying to make this partnership work! Do you have any idea how frustrating it is, constantly trying to fight as hard as I can with no body and only half the elemental powers the others have? I have to work twice as hard to do just a fraction of what you can do, and I still fight harder, but all I get from you is complaining!"</em></p><p><em>That angered spiel from Eye flashed back to Brawl, and he clenched his fists as he jumped from his seat. He was so harsh on Eye when Eye was just trying to help them, and he didn't even bother to consider how Eye felt in all that! Not even just that—there were all the times he pushed Eye to the sidelines without even asking him beforehand, painted him as the weaker one without even considering his feelings… Oh, Ancients, he was an awful partner for not even thinking about how Eye felt! If he were in Eye's shoes, he'd have left, too! Brawl jumped from his seat and his hands started to tremble.</em></p><p>"<em>Of course, I'm not Eye," Thumpback added as he glazed over his reflection in his shiny, polished anchor. "For all I know, he could feel a whole lot different!"</em></p><p><em>But, those words were just barely present in Brawl's ears as he stormed out the room and rushed through the halls. All he cared about was finding Eye and apologizing to him. That is, if Eye hadn't completely forgotten about him and abandoned him for someone else, anyways! </em></p><p><em>His footsteps pounded through the base; they shook the floors as Brawl burst through the canopy that hung over the base and disguised it from normal view. Brawl leaped up the cliffs one-by-one. That build site wasn't very far from here, just a pull of an island or two away. Surely, Brawl would be able to catch up, right?</em></p><p><em>Brawl hit the top of the cliffs and stormed through the forest, pushed away trees and crushed bushes underfoot. His breath started to thin as the world around him spun. Every single awful thing he said to Eye started to pound against him. They all dented his armor and left it so weak and fragile that he could barely bring himself to walk another step. What if Eye didn't forgive him? After all, Brawl was so cruel and insensitive to his feelings, given how he acted like </em><strong>he</strong><em> was the one who could handle everything and pushing Eye to the sidelines. Eye'd have every right to, considering how inconsiderate Brawl was to him!</em></p><p><em>The leaves continued to crunch under Brawl's feet as he ran. His vision drifted from place to place amid the muddy spots of brown and green, orange and… Red and gold? Masses of red and gold hiked over the horizons, and Brawl immediately rushed to find a place to hide. His head, or lack thereof, was still in a haze, but he knew red and gold meant Arkeyans, and Arkeyans were the last thing he was prepared to deal with right now. His fist hit something cool and smooth, and Brawl shook his head as he found a large boulder where his hand laid. </em></p><p><em>Just before Brawl could jump behind it, large, thumping footsteps—an entire herd of them, in fact—rattled the earth. Leaves popped off and fell from the trees as more large figures came in the distance.</em></p><p>"<em>Brawl, there you are!" Tree Rex cried as he finally came into view.</em></p><p><em>Brawl glanced behind Tree Rex, and found the entire pack of Elder Elementals behind him. Why did he bring all of them? This was Brawl's issue to sort out, not any of theirs, and that wasn't even talking about the kind of attention it would bring to them! Tree Rex reached out a hand for Brawl, but Brawl swatted it away and shushed him.</em></p><p><em>Tree Rex just winced and drew back his hand before he could make contact. </em>"<em>Brawl, what's gotten into you?" Tree Rex frowned. The wood on his skin creaking as his brows knitted. "First you and Eye can't even look at each other without fighting, you come back to base the angriest you've even been, and then you run off in a fury! What's all this about?"</em></p><p><em>Brawl drew back and ducked a little under the boulder. That's right, he was in such a haze that he couldn't even have time to explain! He went to say something, but then Thumpback squeezed his way to the front and cleared his throat.</em></p><p>"<em>Calm down, Tree Rex," Thumpback started, "there's no need to get worked up. We've already had enough fighting for one day" —</em> <em>Thumpback gestured to Brawl — "and I think Brawl agrees too."</em></p><p><em>Brawl gulped and finally stood up a little. "He's right, I ran off because I wanted to find Eye and apologize," Brawl signed. "I, I wanted to find him before it was too late."</em></p><p><em>Tree Rex's brows lifted a little. A soft frown crossed his face before he smiled, and he laid a hand on Brawl's shoulder. "I'm glad to hear that, Brawl" — Tree Rex's smile faded a little — "but how exactly did you expect to find him, running off like that? It's not like you can fly!"</em></p><p><em>Brawl twiddled his thumbs. "Well, er, I…" Brawl shook a tiny bit more as his fingers fumbled over one another. "I was thinking I could just pull some islands around, and maybe I'll be able to make a chain now…"</em></p><p><em>The other Elder Elementals met him with blank stares and Brawl sighed. </em></p><p>"<em>In hindsight it was an absolutely stupid idea, but what else can I do? Eye could be anywhere right now, and I have no idea where he is!"</em></p><p><em>"Well don't worry too much. We'll find him, I promise," Ninjini said. She summoned a round, sparkly purple orb with a wave of her hands. "With a quick scry, I should be able to figure out his location, then we can—"</em></p><p><em>"There they are!"</em></p><p><em>Brawl turned back over the boulder where that red and gold mass laid—and it was, indeed, Arkeyans! A small pack of large, bulky Arkeyans almost to his height walked forward. They decorated themselves in fancy tassels he recognized as the kind worn by high-ranking Arkeyan generals; judging from the sheer amount of fancy decorations they held, surely they were very high on that ranking list. Oh, looks like he really got himself into it now! </em></p><p><em>Brawl gasped. He readied his fists, and the other Elder Elementals drew their weapons around him, clearly sharing his sentiment. </em></p><p><em>The generals approached the Elder Elementals, but drew back.</em></p><p>"<em>Calm yourselves, we mean no harm!" the general at the head of the group said in an almost snide tone. He grimaced as he immediately met with a wishblade to the neck.</em></p><p>"<em>That's what they always say!" Ninjini hissed.</em></p><p><em>A nasty scowl crossed her face as she gripped her wishblade tighter. Her other hand clenched as if she prepared to summon a second blade while the other Elder Elementals backed in with anger in their eyes.</em></p><p><em>Yet, the general didn't even fight. He</em> <em>held up his hands while the other generals did so in compliance.</em></p><p>"<em>Now, now, why so angry? We didn't come here to fight, or raze villages, or anything. In fact, we came here looking for you!"</em></p><p><em>Ninjini pressed the wishblade even closer to the general's neck. "And why is that, exactly?"</em></p><p><em>The general chuckled, his voice low as he raised a brow. "Pardon me for being on the nose, but you appear to be one missing!"</em></p><p><em>Brawl winced and clenched his fists as he stepped away. The absence of Eye resting on his otherwise headless top weighed on him the moment those words were spoken spoken. The empty space above him was a crushing load that was almost unbearable, and the way the generals glared at Brawl only strengthened it. That snide look in their eyes, those jeers… They knew and they'd be all too happy to rub it in. Thumpback and Tree Rex immediately moved to shield Brawl from view, but that only resulted in a couple of snide chuckles from the generals.</em></p><p>"<em>And?" Ninjini prodded. "What of it?"</em></p><p>"<em>What if I told you we knew where your little friend was?"</em></p><p><em>Wait, knew? Little friend? Arkeyans saying they knew someone was never a good sign, and the way it came off their lips like sweet honey showed it. Surely, something happened to Eye! Brawl's hands began to tremble, and he pushed past the others on instinct, rushing to the head of the group.</em></p><p>"<em>And? Where is he?" Brawl signed so rapidly that his hands bumped into each other. "Where's Eye?"</em></p><p><em>The generals in the back shot raised eye glances at each other, but the one at the front chuckled.</em></p><p>"<em>Easy there, big guy, you haven't even heard the message yet!" the head general said. He cleared his throat and placed his hands behind his back. "Your floating eyeball buddy was found wandering around the forest by our generals, and he's taking a nice little rest in our chambers!"</em></p><p><em>A few gasps came from the back of the group, and Brawl's own hands started to shake. Eye, in their captivity? In chambers? Surely, they must have meant the torture chambers some of the others rebels spoke of in hushed whispers, ones where those kept captive were subject to all sorts of cruel methods and experiments until they coughed up whatever the Arkeyans wanted. That is, if they even survived to cough again! To think, Eye was there all because of this stupid argument!</em></p><p>"<em>Worried about him? I'm sure you are—but don't worry, we're keeping him safe… For now." </em></p><p><em>The general's smile still laid cold as ice on his face while he folded his hands. Brawl heard beings say that only the coldest and cruelest could rise to the rank of a general in Arkeyan armies, and seeing this now, he had a feeling they were right.</em></p><p><em>The general cleared his throat and turned around, revealing a small, crimson red cape hanging from the back of his armor.</em></p><p>"<em>But, our guards have been absolutely itching for something to poke and prod lately, and they've been getting fairly impatient. So I'll just leave you on this note." </em></p><p><em>The general withdrew a charged warp start disc. He only stopped to take one last glance at Brawl, and smirked before he tossed the disc on the ground.</em></p><p>"<em>If you want him back, have the suit come to our fortress in this forest, </em><strong>alone</strong><em>."</em></p><p><em>And just like that, a bright flash of golden light enveloped the generals and whisked them away. Their laughter was faintly heard on the wings of the wind.</em></p><p><em>All Brawl did was drop his fists with arms laid slack at his side. Eye was captured, taken to Arkeyan torture chambers, and surely terrified out of his wits, if he was even alive at all! Not to mention all the awful things that went on in those chambers that could await Eye: the stabbing, drowning, burning, and more… All because Brawl was too selfish and stupid to actually think about how he felt!</em></p><p><em>Brawl leaned over. He clawed at the empty space in his armor where Eye usually laid, and he was almost ready to fall over and shatter! Eye was captured and in serious danger, and it was all his fault!</em></p><p><em>"I need to go!" Brawl finally jumped up and signed at last.</em></p><p><em>His hands shook furiously, so furiously that a faint echo came from them and only grew worse as the others glanced at each other. They were all frowns and unsure looks. It was almost as if they perhaps doubted his wish to go there? But, Eye was one of them too! Surely, they were just as concerned as he was!</em></p><p>"<em>I don't like the sound of this," Tree Rex said as he stepped forward. "It's clearly a trap."</em></p><p><em>Brawl jolted back up, and nearly knocked Tree Rex over as they faced off. "But, we can't just leave Eye there! They'll kill him!"</em></p><p><em>"I know, I know, I'm worried about him too! But, if they only want you and nobody else, surely they'll have a trick up their sleeve. They probably want to eliminate you both!" Tree Rex turned his back to Brawl before he could sign another thing, and faced Ninjini instead. "Ninjini, any ideas what we should do?"</em></p><p><em>Ninjini hummed, waved her hands and crafted a map out of a magic. "The closest fortress is to the west, and it's pretty heavily guarded. If we get a hold of the free magicians, we could probably put together a rescue party, but we'd have to be incredibly careful—"</em></p><p><em>Brawl clenched his fists, legs trembling at the thought. There was no time to waste waiting on parties and assembling and things! Eye was in trouble! Brawl's legs moved on their own before he even knew it, and they carried him to the west as fast as they could. The shouts of the other Elder Elementals grew fainter and fainter. Sure, they could say they needed a plan all they wanted, but Eye couldn't wait on a plan. As Eye's partner, Brawl had to save him! </em></p><p><em>Brawl leaped past a pair of trees and planted on the ground. He knelt down low enough to catch a trail of golden sparkles. Wait, gold, just like the light that came from that warp start! Brawl tailed after the trail.</em></p><p><em>The trees rustled around him, and the smells of the jungle turned to that of oil and metal as the foliage parted. It revealed a large, almost castle-like gold and red building with smoke pouring from its towers. Yes, this had to be their fortress! </em></p><p><em>Brawl slid down the muddy cliffs and stormed up to the front gates. His fists grew tighter by the second. The golden gates shone with bursts of light and smoke every few moments as the sounds of machinery rumbled from within. It all echoed from behind those golden stone walls, and the two tall, poleaxe-wielding Arkeyan soldiers that guarded them.</em></p><p><em>Brawl rushed forward, arm held up like a battering ram. Before he could storm the gate, the soldiers both thrust their poleaxes at Brawl with their eyes glowing red. </em></p><p>"<em>Halt!" cried the first, eyes shining brighter as they put their poleaxe's blade dangerously close to Brawl's chest. "State your business!"</em></p><p><em>The second did the same, but quickly rescinded their poleaxe. </em>"<em>Wait a second!" they gasped, and burst into laughter as they drew the poleaxe back. "You must be that other Elder Elemental! Here for your buddy, are you?"</em></p><p><em>The first shot a glance back at the second, but chuckled along as well. They thrust their poleaxe further, running a cut along Brawl's chest. "Sorry buddy, but you're too late! He's already captured now!"</em></p><p><em>Brawl growled. This time, it was his fists that moved on their own, slugging punches right in the guards' faces! Sparks burst from their necks as they flew into the wall, and their poleaxes flew back, slicing their chests open to reveal all sorts of wires and gears and mechanical guts. This only lasted a moment, for Brawl roundhouse kicked them into the bushes and slammed the door wide open!</em></p><p><em>Golden light shone down and turned red as alarms beeped and flared. Brawl turned up to a round orb that flashed with light, yanked it from its pedestal and shattered it. Its grains and shards cascaded at his feet like rain. The golden halls that stretched before him were more reminiscent of a palace's halls with their shiny golden walls, floors and ceilings; all of them</em> <em>stood propped up via gem-encrusted red pillars and shining chandeliers…</em></p><p><em>But that wasn't important to Brawl right now! He stormed through, rushed up to a pair of tall golden doors and kicked them open! The alarms sounded once more and Brawl ran, thrusting himself all about as he scoured for Eye's location. The stretches of completely-identical golden doors showed nothing new compared to the stretches before, so he growled and burst into the next room. Brawl slammed the doors open so hard that they cracked the walls behind them.</em></p><p><em>The hall before him now was thinner; it was now a shiny cool silver, but still carried all the regal aesthetics of the halls before. Behind the hall's thin walls, the sounds of screaming and shouting came, echoing with the metallic smell of blood. Surely, that couldn't have been Eye's blood, could it?</em></p><p><em>Brawl shuddered and his rampage slowed as he backed away. Above him, a panel on the ceiling slammed open, and out from it dropped a holograph of a robotic scientist draped in regal-looking gowns with a malevolent glint in its eye! It chuckled as its eyes fell on Brawl, and Brawl squeezed his fists in response.</em></p><p>"<em>Well look here, seems like you fell for our little ploy hook, line and sinker!" the scientist cried as it rubbed its hands. "Oh, just look at that rage, that anger! That's the stuff I like to see!"</em></p><p><em>Brawl growled under his breath, and the scientist only cackled further.</em></p><p>"<em>You're here for your little friend, aren't you?"</em></p><p><em>The holograph flickered for a moment as the scientist faded away, as if it changed views. It shuddered and flickered before the image morphed into, into a reflection of Eye! </em></p><p><em>Eye</em> <em>sat on a pedestal; his wings</em> <em>bound tight around his round body, a net kept him flattened as tight as it could without splattering him, and a whole group of other scientists, all wielding different electrically-charged and pointed weapons, surrounded him! Eye grunted. He struggled and stretched as he strained against his bonds—but he was alive!</em></p><p><em>Now that Eye was alive for certain, the fear that filled Brawl turned to anger. His metal heated up at the very sight! He slugged a punch at the holograph, but it only fritzed and faded as he passed right through it! Brawl turned around, raised his fist to throw a punch, but it was only laughter that came from the holograph as it faded into the scientist's image once more and glared down Brawl.</em></p><p>"<em>If you want him, come get him!"</em></p><p><em>The holograph disappeared, and in its place, the tiles on the floor before Brawl lit up in a straight, glimmering white line. Surely, that had to be where Eye was! Brawl grunted as he took a step forward, but right as he did, the panels changed to red while ear-splitting screams came over the alarms! Brawl grunted as he fell to his knees. The walls started to split open around him as the room turned shaky, and whole swarms of red and blue and gold came!</em></p><p><em>"Surrender, Elder Elemental!" the swarms cried as one.</em></p><p><em>Sparkled lights burst from them, and turned on Brawl before they shot out and pelted him in the chest! Sharp cracks rang through the air, and stinging pains consolidated in Brawl's chest as he grunted. He tumbled backwards, and fell to his knees as those sharp, hot lights pelted him once more! Brawl panted; his breath was heavy and his senses fuzzed up. The sight of Eye all wrapped up and struggling to escape came to him, and Brawl jumped up and screamed! His voice bellowed and rumbled the floor with a power he didn't even know he had! </em></p><p><em>He stomped as hard as he could, so hard that cracks formed in the floor and sprouted out a sickly, silver mist. Those blobby crowds collapsed; their sparkly things slipped from them as they shuddered and hacked. Brawl growled, knelt down, and charged right through as the mist surrounded him. It consolidated into something hard and pointy that smashed through the crowds' ranks.</em></p><p><em>Sparks flew around him. The air turned smoky and charred as sparking electricity and explosions came from behind him, and that soon joined with the sound of shattering metal as something crashed behind him and sent blue lights twinkling in the air. The halls switched and distorted in color around him—going from bronze, silver, jewel-colored, and more—yet they were all a blur as he smashed through row after row. Brawl couldn't care! Not right now, not when his partner was in danger! </em></p><p><em>Even as the sirens wailed; even as more of those blobby things he could barely discern crunched and exploded underneath his feet; even as the world around him slipped, his own footsteps light as air and slippery as if he was walking on oil; he, he had to keep running! The red lights that lined the floor shined, and became his only guide as his senses slipped. Finally, they halted at a gold and red, blurry wall that Brawl crashed right through!</em></p><p><em>"Brawl!"</em></p><p><em>Wait, that was Eye's voice! Brawl hunched over as metal and crystals shattered around him and fell to his knees, panting as he planted his hands against the solid, sleek golden floors. The world around cleared up, showing a shiny laboratory filled with all sorts of complex machines…</em></p><p><em>And in the center of it all, Eye! He was still trapped like he was in the holograph, but he was thankfully unharmed otherwise, and he seemed to brighten the moment he laid sight on Brawl!</em></p><p><em>"Brawl, you came for me!" Eye cried. He thrust himself forward, and frantically flapped his wings the best he could. "Brawl, I have something I need to tell—"</em></p><p><em>"There he is!" cried one of the scientists.</em></p><p><em>All of the scientists turned around and drew their weapons, all points crackling at Brawl. Brawl's chest pounded again, yet the sight of Eye struggling and shouting behind those ranks brought him back up. Those scientists were the only thing standing between Brawl and his partner, the one he wronged, but not anymore! Brawl cracked his knuckles, and clenched his fists to distract himself from the growing pain in his chest.</em></p><p><em>He raised his fists, but the scientists all dropped their weapons and laughed!</em></p><p><em>"What, did you really think we were stupid enough to fight you?" one scientist cackled as they reached for a console. "We wouldn't be here if we were!"</em></p><p><em>The scientists all laughed as that scientist at the console pressed a button.</em></p><p><em>A massive gust blew down on Brawl as something dropped from the ceiling and slammed on the floor with a blow so mighty it knocked Brawl on his side! Brawl grunted. The sound of his armor crunching growled louder as the thing yanked him by the arm, and it wrapped its arms around him, squeezing him tight! As his chest cracked, his vision blurred, and his hearing almost bled from the mocking laughter of the scientists, Brawl barely caught sight of a tall, blue and gold Ultron behind him…</em></p><p align="center">§</p><p>"So, what happened next, then?" Dyna remarked, drawing her hand away. Though her gaze tried to remain neutral, there was a sort of fascinated look in her eyes. It was that kind of glimmer that beings got when they were absolutely transfixed by a story, and desired nothing more than the very next word. Alternatively, it seemed a bit more contemplative, given how she shot glances at that translator every time Eye and Brawl's fight came to light.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, what happened?" Snuckles asked with all the excitement of a young child. "Did you and Eye team up and beat those guys?"</p><p>"No, if you asked me, Brawl wiped 'em out single-handedly!" Rizzo remarked as he leaned back and stretched. "Nobody's a match for a tough guy like him!"</p><p>Somehow, Brawl got the feeling that Rizzo completely missed the point of the story, but he shook his lack of a head.</p><p>"Well, you see—" Brawl started to sign—but an awful screech burst across the lands as Brawl lifted his nonexistent head!</p><p>Dyna, Rizzo, Snuckles, and Nort all keeled over and covered their ears as the sharp, harsh sounds of wailing sirens burst across the land. Brawl himself winced as red, eye-burning light fell over the fields! The sirens grew even louder as fields of electricity burst from the ground, and the sound of marching started to echo over the horizon!</p><p>Dyna must have noticed too, for she finally uncovered her ears and pushed herself from the ground. "They found us!" Dyna cried, pointing to the hills. "Look, over there!"</p><p>Rizzo, Snuckles, and Nort all pushed themselves back up and glanced across the hills. Brawl followed them right as the marching sounds grew louder. Masses of white and blue that marched over the horizon in tandem with the sound; these masses leaped and bounded across the cliffs, soared through the skies and crashed down before Brawl's group! The clicking and whirring of machines stirred the air as the masses of white and blue revealed themselves as massive armies of drones, and they all encircled around Brawl and the others while they turned on their weapons!</p><p>"We're outnumbered!" Dyna cried as she backed into Brawl's leg, clutching the translator close to her chest.</p><p>Brawl shook back and forth and stepped forward. That's only what they thought!</p><p>"One minute, please!" Brawl signed.</p><p>The others nodded and hurriedly scrambled behind Brawl, who slammed his palms together as the wind chilled around him. A thick, dark gray and black smog swirled around him while the skies above turned gray, and the grass around wilted as the earth turned cold and cracked. The cracks grew larger, stretching across the ground while the drones beeped and squealed.</p><p>Out from the cracks burst a whole flurry of purple ghosts, and the were all in such a fury that they were little more than a mass of howling purple smog! The ghosts swarmed the skies, blocking out its stretches with their purple smoke. The ghosts split into droves and zipped down into the drones' ranks, spinning and tossing the drones around like they were little more than feathers! The drones' weapons fell to the earth and disappeared within the cracks in the ground, and some of the drones followed as the ghosts tossed them inside!</p><p>Dyna stumbled out from behind Brawl's legs, and blinked for a moment at the sight of entire swarms of powerful robots rendered hapless by swathes of unruly ghosts. She stuck the translator back into her pocket, and pulled out a handful of tiny marbles in exchange! With a swing of her arm, the marbles flew through the air and expanded, becoming full-fledged bombs in the blink of an eye! The bombs exploded quickly afterwards, their flames bursting all over the earth and enveloping the robots in their heat!</p><p>"Now's our chance, boys!" Rizzo cried as he yanked out a laser gun and rushed out with a quick moment taken to wave for Snuckles and Nort. "Quick, let's scrap these drones!"</p><p>"Right, Captain!" Snuckles and Nort both cried as they pulled their own guns out.</p><p>The three of them lined up. Their crosshairs fixed on the flaming robots as they lifted their guns, and with a trio of trigger pulls, hot lasers leaped into the flames and slashed right through the chests of several flaming robots! The robots' burnt corpses exploded. The fires burned brighter and angrier as their flames spread to the remaining robots and seared their circuits; they ate every robot in succession until they blew each one to bits, and formed a veritable wall of fire! The flames quenched with a series of swirls from the ghosts. All that was left behind were seared earth and charred circuits as the ghosts flew back into the earth's cracks, and soon sealed themselves up as the sun poked through.</p><p>Brawl left the ghosts with a small nod of appreciation. Below him, Dyna, Rizzo, Nort, and Snuckles all caught their breath when a set of beeps came from Rizzo!</p><p>Rizzo frowned and pulled something from his pocket, a small device that flashed red. "Wait, my com link was still on?" Rizzo remarked. "I thought I turned that thing off!"</p><p>But here it was, flashing brightly as the sounds of shooting and crashing crackled across its speakers, and muddled with static and feedback!</p><p>"<em>I, I don't think I can hold them back much longer!" </em>Eye cried over the speaker.</p><p>Brawl gasped. He leaned forward as crashing, and shouts, and the sounds of laser blasts rattled. The sounds occasionally mingled with another voice shouting something about robots and trying to contact someone. Brawl couldn't quite recognize it, for the feedback seemed to spark up whenever it spoke, but the worried looks Rizzo exchanged with Nort and Snuckles showed they certainly did.</p><p><em>"Just keep grabbing their attention!"</em> shouted back another voice—Boomette's.</p><p>"Boomette!" Dyna cried. She shoved Rizzo aside as she yanked the com link from his hands. "Boomette, it's me, Dyna! Do you read?"</p><p>Boomette said nothing back; she just cried in pain as something crashed down over the speaker! The com link's light dulled after that.</p><p>Dyna kept frantically poking it, tapping it, and doing whatever she could. "Boomette, Boomette, answer me!" Dyna cried as she shook the com link with eyes wide and fingers shaking. "Please, answer me!"</p><p>No response—the link still laid dead. Dyna breathed a shaky, barely-there breath, and shoved the link back into Rizzo's hands!</p><p>"Trace the call back, right now!" she cried.</p><p>Rizzo hastily nodded and pressed a few buttons. A map flashed into existence above the com link, one that stretched across the plains with a single red light flashing in the distance! Dyna dashed off at the very sight, not even bothering to look any further while the others tailed after them.</p><p>Brawl winced as he followed after. He was sure Eye held up the best he could, but… Brawl gulped and clenched his fist.</p><p><em>Hang in there! I'm coming!</em> was all Brawl thought as he strode across the cliffs.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Footsteps in a hasty, pattering rhythm echoed around the cavern as Vatra and Chihiro stumbled inside, and both of them collapsed on the side. Chihiro left out a soft moan as she retrieved the wheels from her pocket. Though she could barely stand, and her legs shuddered the whole time she even so much as laid down, she still pushed herself up and swayed up to the center of the tunnel.</p><p>Chihiro laid the other portal masters' wheels down and held out her hand. Cyan magic sparked from her palms, glittering like the gemstones that sealed off the tunnel from the rest of the underground. It glowed even brighter as the magic spread out in sparkly, curly wisps that fed into the wheels. As the magic seeped into the wheels' crystal and replaced their sparking, flashing light with something a bit more solid, Chihiro frowned and clasped her hands before she opened them and cast out a bit more.</p><p>"What's taking them so long?" Chihiro whispered. "Is that not enough?"</p><p>"Of course it isn't!" Vatra snapped back.</p><p>Chihiro winced and lifted her head to where Vatra leaned against the opposite side of the wall. He seemed to have gathered his bearings at last, judging by the way his face was devoid of sweat and grime, yet his ever-present scowl stayed as he leaned against the walls. Fingers twitching, he pushed himself from the wall and knelt down to where the wheels rested on the rocky ground.</p><p>"Whatever that blast did, it completely scrambled their magic essence—not to mention all the essence they lost channeling their magic to fight. They must be struggling to reform," Vatra explained, eyes not moving from where the wheels laid. "You'll need a lot more than a few measly sparks to revive them."</p><p>Chihiro nodded and held out her hands once more as their veins glowed cyan. Despite how she locked eyes on the wheels, their crystalline surfaces still reflected the scowl and judgmental gaze Vatra held with eyes that bored into her soul. She knew for a fact that he was probably going to blow up any second now, and berate her for every perceived mistake he thought she made. When he inevitably did, she was half-torn on whether she should snap back, or just take it.</p><p>If he hadn't been so testy and blown so many things up, they might not have had to retreat into a tunnel in the middle of nowhere in the first place! But, if there was one thing she knew about self-righteous people from all the time she had to deal with them, it was that they never liked being told that they were wrong… Or argued with.</p><p>So, she stood with her head hung low, and pumped as much magic as she could into the others' stagnant wheels. Her fingers trembled a bit at the sight, and the memory of there being such a bright flash, and them just… Completely going dormant shaking her core. Still, she clenched her hands again and carried on; she pumped the magic in while she tried her best not to lose her temper, or panic, or let slip, or—</p><p>"So?"</p><p>Chihiro refused to look up still, and instead peered down at the wheels. Their glow started to stabilize once more, faintly shining from the confines of their crystal. The runes that were carved into the surface started to light up one by one. Now that she thought about it, what did those runes mean? She studied older forms of Common with Spyro and Hugo in the library whenever she got bored, but she never quite could remember the runes for it. Her magic slipped, so Chihiro shook her head and pumped some more.</p><p>"Hello? Are you there?"</p><p>Chihiro scoffed and stuck her attention to the wheels.</p><p>With one last burst of magic, the wheels finally floated back off the ground. They shook a little as they reformed and the rest of her team hit the ground as not wheels, but ghosts. Their ghostly bodies stabilized, they didn't seem to have sustained any serious injuries from the looks of it (whatever injuries a ghost could get, anyways). They all fell to hands and knees the very moment they reformed, sweat pouring down their bodies as they panted and struggled to keep up.</p><p>Chihiro winced, shuffled up to Sihiri, and wrapped Sihiri's arms around her shoulders. Chihiro gently leaned Sihiri against the wall, and crafted a few cool pillows for her to rest on. Sihiri's brows clenched for a moment, but released as she moaned and turned over, clearly still worn from the fight. A small wince came from Chihiro, and she reached out for a moment, but then shook her head as a few red pillows burst from behind Sihiri's back.</p><p>Behind her, Vatra lifted from his spot. He knelt down to the others, propped them up against the walls, and magically crafted something soft for them to rest on. Well, at least he did something decent for a change—maybe he calmed down. Actually, no he didn't, judging by the glare he shot her as he led Inochi down by the rest area and laid her next to Sihiri.</p><p>"Are you going to acknowledge me or not, child?" he spat as he turned to Chihiro.</p><p>Chihiro snarled and turned back to Vatra. "I have nothing to say to you," Chihiro spat at last. "After all, I don't need a lecture from the very person who bungled this mission!"</p><p>Chihiro had to admit, the words just kind of slipped from her mouth—but it didn't seem to matter to Vatra, who scowled right back and crossed his arms.</p><p>"And you have an awfully snide attitude for being the one who got us into this situation in the first place! Meandering around didn't get us anywhere! It just set us further back! That Kaos person is probably already en route to Arkus, and here we are sitting in a tunnel, locked in by a bunch of crystals with most of our ranks down!" Vatra gestured back to the beginning of the tunnel, which was still sealed off by its shiny crystals. "And it was all for nothing! All those records were blown to smithereens before we could find it!"</p><p>Chihiro's vision tinged red, but she clenched her fist. She had better things to do, and she couldn't get wrapped up in arguing with this dude (even though she knew he was just as much as fault as anyone), so she turned back to the other portal masters. Their tense expressions lessened, and turned neutral as they rested against their spots. An occasional twitch of the finger and groan came as they rested, a welcome break from Vatra's ranting, and Chihiro sighed.</p><p>"Quite the mission this turned out to be," Vatra scoffed behind her. "If we had all just done as I said, this'd be over with already!"</p><p>Chihiro's brow twitched, and she growled as she turned back to Vatra. Alright, that was it—he has the gall to think that? <em>He</em> does? When he was literally the entire reason this failed in the first place? She was not taking this lying down any longer!</p><p>"And if you just stuck to the plan, we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place!" Chihiro snapped back at last. She bit her lip the way she bit back her desire to blow something up then and there. "I had everything perfectly planned out! If you'd just cooled your hot head a little, we could've gotten those records and left!"</p><p>"And if I hadn't, we wouldn't have found those records in the first place! We probably would've been stuck meandering in the caves with those drones! I actually took some initiative—"</p><p>"—and you taking initiative led to those drones getting all irritated, chasing us down and blowing the whole thing up! If you'd just listened to me, we wouldn't be hiding in an ANCIENTSFORSAKEN TUNNEL RIGHT NOW!"</p><p>Before she even knew it, Chihiro and Vatra were face to face, noses pressed against each other as they both glared! Now that she finally broke from her enraged trance, the very sight of his burning hot eyes locked on her completely locked her up. Her hands shook and her head spun for a moment. A soft groan came from the back, so Chihiro huffed and turned around.</p><p>"This conversation is over," was all she said as she turned back to where the others rested.</p><p>There, Luz groaned and rubbed his head as he pushed himself up from the resting spot, and one hand keeping him anchored to the ground as he tried to shake the grogginess. Beside him, the others slowly began to push themselves from the ground and open their eyes, pendants shimmering just barely as they pulled themselves together. Sihiri was the first to rise. She still moaned and groaned as her shaky legs just barely kept her stable, and beside her, the others began lifting themselves up in turn.</p><p>"What happened?" he groaned, his eyes just barely opened as he rubbed them. "Where, where are we?" Rubbing his eyes again, Luz lifted his head just a little. "Did, did we…"</p><p>"'Fraid not. Those 'bots completely scrapped the place, and almost would've done the same to us if we hadn't escaped." Chihiro said, kneeling beside Luz. "Think you can stand?"</p><p>Luz staggered back up, immediately fell back down and grunted. "Guess not."</p><p>Luz chuckled and forced a smile. He turned to where Inochi sighed and laid down, and Sihiri and now Dej collapsed beside her. Nemir laid his crown on the ground next to them, showing off the silver roots that streaked across the top of his head as he curled back around the fading rest area. Finally, they all sat up and sighed.</p><p>"I'm, I'm still a little dizzy," Inochi admitted, hanging her head, "but, I'll—"</p><p>"No, it's fine, just rest for now," Chihiro interrupted. A few hasty huffs came from Vatra beside her, and they burned up her back as she decidedly avoided his gaze. "We'll need to think of something else for the time being anyways."</p><p>Vatra stormed forward and pushed Chihiro to the side with a huff. "Correction, I'll be the one to think of a new plan since" — Vatra shot a glare at Chihiro — "you are not capable of such important tasks."</p><p>Chihiro huffed and crossed her arms. She clenched her hands tight to prevent herself from any more… Impulsive actions. Sure, she'd love to give the dude a flick in the face or something more aggressive, but if she flipped her crap at him, he'd only use it against her! Besides, how could she hit a ghost anyways?</p><p>"Don't give me that look," Vatra hissed between clenched teeth as he glared at Chihiro and crossed his arms. "In my day, I took down Arkeyan forces by the thousands! There's no way I could bungle something so simple as retrieving a record from a storage room! That would be child's play, and not in the way you perceive it, anyways!"</p><p>Chihiro raised a brow and stepped forward. "Wait, are you saying I'm not taking this seriously?"</p><p>"If you thought something as simple as a little lie would be enough to get what we need, I'd say so! This is something that should be left to the adults, not children barely old enough to conduct themselves! That just leads up where we are now, trapped in a tunnel with nowhere to go! We'll be lucky if we get that record before the day ends at this rate!"</p><p>"You know, it sounds to me like you all could use a little help!"</p><p>Chihiro's eyes fluttered and she turned away from Vatra. That, that was the voice she heard in the office, the one that lead her right to the tunnels! She gasped as a familiar brown light flashed from the tunnels' furthest stretches, one that seemed fairly distant but grew closer with every flash. A soft gasp came from her side, and on instinct she turned to Vatra, whose eyes were just as wide.</p><p>"That voice…" he gasped. "Could it be?"</p><p>So he recognized it, too? But, the sheer wideness of his eyes, the sheer look of wonder in them while his hands went limp and his jaw started to fall, it all suggested that it seemed much more familiar to him to her, something more than a simple savior.</p><p>The brown glow reached its furthest, and its warm caramel light brushed against Chihiro's face the way a friend's would. Finally, something warm and smooth dropped into her hands! The added weight pushed against her enough that she turned down to her outstretched palm, where a bronze crystal wheel with ancient runes carved into its surface now rested! Wait, a wheel? Could it be?</p><p>"I'd love to help ya'll out, but I can't do much when I'm stuck like this," the voice chuckled with an accent that reminded Chihiro of some kind of weird mixture between a southern accent and some fancy European one. "Yer a magician too, right? I'd tell, I can sense the magic coming right off'a ya! So I'm sure—"</p><p>The wheel's glow started to flicker, and it cut itself off mid-sentence as it floated out of Chihiro's palm. Its light stabilized as it glazed over the rest of the tunnel, where the other portal masters all planted their eyes on it with the same awestruck expression that Vatra had. Judging by the way the wheel's own light flickered and flashed, the feeling must have been mutual. It warily floated up to Vatra, who gently lifted the wheel from the air and cradled it in his palms as the others all crowded him.</p><p>"Jorden?" Vatra whispered, cupping his hands further around the wheel. "Is that you?"</p><p>"You bet your boots!" the wheel chirped.</p><p>Vatra's hands flickered out for a moment, and Jorden fell right through with a shout before they floated off. They now hovered back, and positioned themself right in the middle of where Chihiro and the rest of the portal masters stood as they took a bow.</p><p>"I actually woke up like this a while ago—dunno how it happened, really! One minute I was fighting off all those robots, next thing I know, I black out and I'm here, sleeping with the rockfish!" Jorden chuckled and twirled around in place. "But, it hasn't been so bad. I've been travelin' the tunnels, scouting the area out just like the old days! I practically know it like the back of my hand!"</p><p>"That's Jorden for you," Sihiri chuckled as she clasped her hands. "He's the finest lookout woman I've ever had the pleasure of working with!"</p><p>"Aww shucks, you make me blush!"</p><p>Jorden's light turned a bit warmer, but even that tone turned back to normal as Chihiro yanked Jorden from the air. Jorden yelped for a bit, and his light flashed so bright that Chihiro immediately let him go, shielding her eyes as Jorden fell to the floor! Chihiro groaned, rubbed her eyes as the light faded, and Jorden warily chuckled as he floated up.</p><p>"Whoops, sorry 'bout that, caught me a bit off guard!" Jorden floated closer to Chihiro and hummed. "Anyways, back to business. Yer a new face here, aren't cha? Can't recall ever seeing you 'round these parts!</p><p>"Sort of," Chihiro replied as she scratched the back of her head. "I'm a portal master—er, free magician from today's era. My name's Chihiro Hatsuki!"</p><p>"Today's era?" Jorden tilted to the side. "Whaddya mean?"</p><p>Sihiri winced and clasped her hands. "Well, you see, Jorden," Sihiri said as she floated up to Jorden, who in turn tilted to meet her gaze, "to cut a very long story short, while we were laying unconscious in our pendants, ten thousand years have passed."</p><p>Jorden gasped, jumping back a bit. "Ten thousand?" A hum came from Jorden, and he tilted downwards as his light dimmed. "Would explain why the dates were all off on those fancy tablet thingies I saw those drones carryin' around. Here I thought all those sales records were way off!"</p><p>"Wait, did you say sales records?" Chihiro cried.</p><p>"Sure thing! I've been keepin' tabs on this whole place, studyin' the writin' and all that fancy stuff! What can I say, gives me somethin' to do."</p><p>Jorden chuckled, and Chihiro gasped as she yanked Jorden from the air.</p><p>"That's great news! You see, long story short, we're looking for a record for a person named Kaossandra, but when we checked in there we didn't find a thing!"</p><p>"That's 'cause the stuff there ends at the J rune names!" Jorden wiggled out of Chihiro's grip and turned further down the tunnel. "The stuff startin' with K's at the end of this here tunnel!" Jorden twirled around, and bobbed up and down as he floated down the tunnels. "Just follow me!"</p><p>Chihiro gasped and skipped down the tunnel, but turned around a moment to cast a glance at Vatra.</p><p>He frowned still for a moment; his eyes closed as he drummed his fingers against his forearms, but then he sighed and released as he strode along. He cast a tiny glance at Chihiro, but rather than argue, sighed and passed her by. It seemed like he was in no mood to argue anymore. The others slowly pushed themselves from the walls and trailed after Vatra in a tightly-packed line.</p><p>Chihiro skipped along the back, but paused for moments to peer amid the small, round walls of the tunnel.</p><p>The normal kinds of crystal formations lined their rocky, hard walls, and tinted the tunnel in all sorts of bright colors. Amid them stood a few oddities, namely the strange, spiraling stalagmites that pierced the bottom. They all colored in deep, cool, dull shades of brown that were totally unlike the warmer and brighter colors of the rest of the scenery. They each had rune-like scratches twisted into their surface like some kind of marking, a small protrusion compared to the rest of the thin, bumpy stone. Chihiro brushed her fingertips against it, but the sandy, gritty texture was so unpleasant that she yanked her hand away and skipped off shuddering.</p><p>"Now, according to my markers, just gotta veer a lil' to the right, and… We're here!"</p><p>The light ahead of the tunnel flashed bright, this time in searing shades of yellow and white, and Chihiro skipped past the other stalagmites to follow it. As she reached the end of the tunnel and turned around to the light's source, her eyes first locked on the stretches of office floor and cabinets near-identical to the prior record room. Next, they moved to where the other portal masters all crowded around one particular file that had a drawer pulled open.</p><p>"Now, let's see," Jorden said, his brown glow slightly visible as it bled into the others' light. The others all crowded further around Jorden, and his humming became the only thing that marked his presence. "Kadredz, Kaitlin…"</p><p>Chihiro stepped forward, gasped and jumped behind a larger red crystal formation. She could've sworn that she caught something zipping around the office there, but when she rubbed her eyes and peered over the crystals, it was gone! Maybe she was just seeing things? She stepped away from the crystals, and crept a little more hesitantly towards the entrance—when a white blur zipped right before her eyes! Yeah, she definitely didn't imagine that!</p><p>Chihiro dove behind a few large rocks amassed at the entrance and peered around. She was just distant enough that she could see, but couldn't be seen. There, a couple cabinets across from the one the others investigated, she caught a sliver of white, black, and silver hiding behind a cabinet and peering out. Its sleek bodice and the black void that made up its face brought to mind those drones from earlier—wait, a drone!</p><p>"Hey, look out!" Chihiro cried as she slid towards the entrance.</p><p>The others turned around and scrambled as the thing came bowling for them, but Jorden turned around and grunted as it bowled right for him! A cry came from Jorden as he disappeared from view, and the sound of mechanical cackling echoed through the offices! Gasps came from all around as eyes living and dead focused on the drone, who kept Jorden tight in its grip no matter how much he struggled.</p><p>"Target acquired!" the drone bellowed with not a moment taken to watch as Jorden grunted and attempted to squirm out of its grip. "There is no escape from security!"</p><p>"Hey, lemme go, you tin can!" Jorden hissed. He rammed against the drone's palm as his glow grew bright and furious. "I thought I shook you five rooms ago!"</p><p>"No intruders shall escape from my sights! As a security drone, it is in my protocol to ensure that riff-raff like you doesn't escape!" The drone squeezed its hand closed. "And that includes you!"</p><p>"Give Jorden back!" Sihiri proclaimed.</p><p>She leaped out and thrust out hands glowing with magic. Her eyes flashed a bright purple, flaring like fire in tandem with her hands. The others did the same all around her: flames burst at Vatra's hands and feet, Inochi summoned vines that shattered the ground with a single wave, and weapons of bone and ice formed in Nemir and Dej's hands as they pointed them towards the drone. Chihiro rushed forward and crafted a shield out of magic at the front of the group, barring the entrance right as Luz joined her with his own shield!</p><p>The drone was surrounded by an angry, armed portal master at every angle, and it wheeled back. "It seems I am surrounded by powerful intruders." It beeped a bit more frantically, rows of text scrolling across its face before it finally beeped. "In that case, there is only one choice of maneuver according to protocol!"</p><p>The drone glanced over a slight open space between Nemir and Dej, and it revved its wheels as it sped right between them! The two of them gasped and flickered for a bit as the drone passed them by. The drone veered to the front, dashing towards the door at the back of the room with such fury that it kicked up furious clouds from the dust on the floor, and it shouted one thing as it did.</p><p>"ACTIVATE SECURITY!"</p><p>The drone dashed through the doors, and the moment it disappeared down the halls, those same doors slammed shut! The lights hanging above the ceiling turned a deep crimson as sirens blared. Down below, the whole room started to rumble.</p><p>"After it!" Sihiri shouted as she dashed off. "We can't let it get away with Jorden!"</p><p>The others all shouted out in agreement as they dashed after Sihiri, and Chihiro herself teleported to the back of the room and rushed up to the doors. A few pries of its knob showed that it was locked completely shut, so her eyes turned to a keypad beside it as she reached out for its key. The moment she did, a cage of electricity formed around the keypad and sealed it off! The lightning jabbed at Chihiro's fingertips and gave her a nasty little shock. Pain seared through her fingers as she jumped back and crafted a sword.</p><p>"Open sesame!" Chihiro cried as she slammed the sword right into the doors' surface.</p><p>She'd anticipated that even the tiniest gash would've formed inside, but her blade shattered the moment it hit the metal! Chihiro frowned and tossed a sphere right at the door as her blade's crumbled bits turned to dust and disappeared. The sphere too burst into sparkles and disappeared. Chihiro clenched her jaw, and held out her hands as sparks of cyan light formed between them.</p><p>"Allow me," Sihiri said, placing a hand on Chihiro's shoulder as she floated beside Chihiro.</p><p>Chihiro lifted her head, and the light in her hands faded as she hopped behind Sihiri. Sihiri mimicked Chihiro's position in front of her, holding her hands in an almost circular formation as a large burst of purple magic formed between her palms. Sihiri jolted back as that burst turned to a giant purple laser that split a hole right in the center of the doors!</p><p>The doors fell over soon after. Their remains falling just outside of where Chihiro and Sihiri stood right as the others joined them, and they all rushed through the stretches of wide metal halls ahead.</p><p>Chihiro's footsteps pattered underneath her as she ran. They were a measly sound compared to the unrelenting wail of the sirens around, but thankfully, the red lights that blared over relented some. She wasn't sure if her senses could take it. The red lights almost completely faded with every step she took, save for strips and strands of red that shone bright… Almost like, lasers? Chihiro came close to one, but skidded to a stop right as she came within a hair's length of hitting it. She peered over as large streaks of red light intersected, and they formed a tight, abstract grid around the halls ahead.</p><p>"That looks like a laser trap if I ever saw one," Chihiro remarked. She stepped backwards as sparks from one laser popped off and nearly zapped her.</p><p>"Did someone say lasers?" Luz asked as he popped up beside Chihiro. He rubbed his chin, leaned forward, and nodded as he drew back. "Yep, those are lasers alright!" With a wave of his hands, Luz's shield slipped down to his right arm, and he held it to his front as he charged through. "Luckily, I've got just the thing!"</p><p>Chihiro gasped and shut her eyes on instinct. The full expectancy of pained screams awaited her—but what she heard instead was flashing! When she opened her eyes, Luz stood behind her. His shield shouldered the lasers' blows and reflected their light onto the walls, far away from where they all stood in the center of the halls!</p><p>Luz chuckled and dashed forward, his shield reflecting the lasers the whole way. "Behind me, everyone! This won't last for long!"</p><p>Chihiro dashed forward, ducking underneath the lasers overhead as she tailed after Luz. The lasers' light grew hotter and harsher, and tinted the walls in shades of red while the faint scent of smoke wafted through the room. Luz stayed strong; he charged forward with no hesitation as it reflected the lasers onto the wall, yet the sound of panting came from him as he ran, first shallow then heavier by the second. His legs trembled as the lasers glowed even brighter. He fell to his knees with one last pant, arms shuddering as he propped up his shield. Even that shuddered too, for particles of light burst and faded around its rim.</p><p>"Geez, these things sure are strong!" Luz panted, planting his hands on his shield to further steady it. "I don't think even the Arkeyans had lasers like this!" Luz panted as his fingers slipped from his shield. "Don't know, if I, can keep going…"</p><p>"In that case, leave it to me!" Inochi cried as she floated up.</p><p>Inochi rubbed her hands, smiled and cast them out. Soft humming strayed from her lips in time with the green lights that swirled from her palms. The lights fed into a large green orb just ahead of her, one that bubbled and stretched as it slowly formed a large, bulky body, long muscular legs, a round, fluffy tail… With one final stretch, a bear made entirely of green light fell to the floor and roared! The lasers pierced into its sides, but instead of breaking or injuring it, the light turned green and formed into armor that flanked its sides!</p><p>Chihiro gasped and stepped back, almost intimidated by the sight of such a regal creature right out of the stories her mother told her. She stepped back as her eyes locked with the bear. The bear lifted its head up and snorted; it glanced at her with some kind of curiosity before it laid its head down. She reached out for a moment, but shook her head and rescinded her hand. Bears should be treated with respect and all, especially when given the honor to ride one. Instead, she rushed up and jumped on the bear's leg. She climbed up on its back, and scooted until she was inches away from the bear's neck.</p><p>"Alright, everyone, get on!" Inochi cried as she teleported beside Chihiro. "We don't have much time!"</p><p>Everyone teleported onto the bear's back, and the bear roared as it charged right through the lasers! Their light burst off the bear's armor and ricocheted back into the walls, burning holes in them as the bear charged through. The shriek of lasers grew shriller as the walls melted away. Their watery, melted metal pouring onto the floors below, yet the bear not once lost its footing as it stormed through the halls. Its eyes narrowed, and it snorted once more as its eye fell on a wall at the end of the hallway.</p><p>The bear roared and crafted a bright shield right as it charged straight through the wall! A hole split open in the metal as the bear burst through, and its shield disappeared as all four paws hit the ground. Everyone slid off the bear's back in an instant, but while the others dispersed, Chihiro lingered behind and glanced just one moment more at the bear. She shared a slow nod with the bear. It snorted before it disappeared into streams of green light, streams she lingered on momentarily before she rejoined the group.</p><p>The stretch of halls before them all seemed particularly normal. There were no traps or tricks of the trade to be found—just massive, identical stretches of dimly-lit cold metal. No odd sounds came, nor the smell of poison or the taste of toxicity on the tongue. Yet, it was far from inviting to Chihiro, not with the extensive security that befell them prior.</p><p>Judging from the way the others huddled together and whispered, they definitely felt the same. Dej parted from the group first. His eyes narrowed, and he tossed a tiny ice cube into the halls expanses. The moment it hit the floor, hissing burst from the ceiling as thick, green gas poured into the halls! The ice melted like it was splashed with acid as the gas flooded into the halls, and the gas left everyone with watery eyes and hacking fits as they fell to their knees and covered their mouths.</p><p>Chihiro herself stumbled back, but the gas slammed her and she let out some kind of noise between a cough and a scream as she collapsed. Her eyes burned, straining to stay open as her chest tightened. She could barely make a word out as she hacked and coughed! Propping herself up with one arm, she crawled along the floor as the gas grew thicker, clouding out the halls ahead.</p><p>Just ahead of her, Nemir coughed and waved a shaking arm in the arm in small, circular motions. A small, clear vortex formed above him, and it slashed through the air in swift waves! The gas vanished as the air slashed it away until the halls were clear once more. Everyone coughed and shuddered still, so Inochi forced herself up beside Nemir and planted her hands on the ground. Pulses of green burst from her palms and spread through the halls, and slowly the coughing ceased.</p><p>The pulses hit Chihiro, and her chest loosened as the harsh, burning feeling left her face; she finally found it in her to stand. The others sped ahead of her, but her body still shuddered a bit with each step, so she walked along briskly enough that she wouldn't lose sight of them. They passed through the door and into another identical stretch of halls—albeit one with much thinner walls, for the sounds of rolling and rumbling echoed around them!</p><p>"Let me go!" shouted a muffled voice from the end of the hall.</p><p>"It's him!" Sihiri cried before she turned around to the others. "We can't be far now, hurry!"</p><p>Sihiri stepped forward. The moment her foot hit the ground, the ceiling rumbled and down from it came a whole trio of drones! They seemed a bit less sturdy compared to the ones before. Their metal was less polished, and their glass was a bit stained, but with them being so bulky and tall that they only barely squeezed into the hall, they more than made up for it!</p><p>"INTRUDER DETECTED!" they bellowed with voices deep and hollow. "PREPARE FOR ERADICATION!"</p><p>Sihiri snarled as she floated back and held up her hands, but grunted as Vatra pushed past her.</p><p>"Not right now!" he cried as a fireball bright as the sun burst from his hands. "We have a friend to save!"</p><p>The fireball crackled as it soared through the air. Its size grew larger by the second before it finally slammed into the robots and exploded! The robots flew backwards in a pile, bodies crashing and smashing then warping underneath the fire's heat. The fire turned purple and they slammed through the walls, but the hole they made quickly barred off from the weight of their corpses.</p><p>The ceiling rumbled again above them all. Sihiri waved her hands as she teleported everyone to a door at the end of the hall and waved it open. The door sealed behind them as they all rushed in, just in time for more loud thumps to drop behind them. They shook the entire hall before something pounded at the door and dented it!</p><p>"INTRUDER DETECTED! INTRUDER DETECTED!" bellowed the robots on the other sides, their voices not a single bit muffled by the doors.</p><p>Sihiri winced as one dent came inches away from her back, turned back to the halls ahead and floated forward. The path split three ways, each one identical to the last—and of course, lacking any signs of entry! More pounding came from below as Sihiri winced and floated forward. Her eyes drifted between all three entryways as she clasped her hands.</p><p>"I'm tellin' ya, if ya don't lemme go, I'll skewer yer lousy tin can with the biggest crystals I can find!"</p><p>"There!" Nemir shouted as he pointed to the central tunnel. "I hear his voice!"</p><p>With Nemir at the head the group, they all rushed through the tunnel. They moved into a round, domelike room filled with black steel tiles all placed together so loosely that they almost seemed liable to fall apart, yet the tiles didn't budge a bit as everyone stepped on. Across from them, the drone rolled across the floor with its back turned to Chihiro's group. Perfect! It didn't even notice them come in!</p><p>"Silence, you!" the drone shouted as it shook the arm it carried Jorden in. It scoffed as Jorden cried out jolted, jittery shouts, and it drew its arm back. "Nobody will get me scrapped, and that includes a loud-mouthed crystal!"</p><p>"Then how about us?" Vatra cried.</p><p>The drone grunted and turned around. The moment it laid eyes on the portal masters that crowded its doorstep, a decidedly not-robotic shriek emerged from its voicebox as it leaped in the air!</p><p>"YOU AGAIN?" the robot cried as it landed. It clutched Jorden with both hands as bright numbers and error messages flashed across its face. "How did you get through the security measures? They're the finest modern technology has to offer!"</p><p>Vatra chuckled and cracked his knuckles as he stepped forward. "What can I say?" he asked. He drew closer to the drone in a slow, patient motion with every step, and the drone inched away and leaned back as far as it could. "We're a fairly powerful team!"</p><p>The drone's face flickered, and it hummed as it wheeled back further.</p><p>"A team?" A few more symbols flashed on the drone's face, and it cackled as it zoomed away. "That's it! Security measure number 816, activate!"</p><p>A further part of the platform shuddered and rattled as the drone zipped away, but the drone cackled as it hopped on! It fell under the drone's weight for a moment. With another shudder, it floated right towards the ceiling, and the drone cackled all the way.</p><p>"Get it!" Vatra cried as he rushed after the panel.</p><p>Vatra cried out as he leaped forward and went to grip the platform—but right as he did, a mechanical arm burst from the ceiling and lunged for his pendant! Vatra gasped as he slid just out of its reach and fell to the floor, only for two more arms to leap out and jab at him! Vatra teleported away in a burst of flames in that moment, but a scream pierced his ears as he reappeared.</p><p>As he turned around, a mechanical arm bent up and down in an almost taunting manner as Chihiro clung to its base. She grunted and shuddered as she climbed up and reached for its palm despite it flinging as wildly as it could. As it flung, sparks of purple and green shone in its fingers' gaps!</p><p>"Sihiri, Inochi!" Vatra cried.</p><p>Flames burst at Vatra's feet as he spread off in large sprints, bent down and jumped right for the arm. Flames propelled his jump and sent him flying further, but right as he came within inches of the arm, it leaned back and tossed Sihiri and Inochi's wheels right towards the drone. The drone extended its own arm and snatched them out of the air!</p><p>Vatra was only left to watch; his entire body frozen as the arm reached towards him. Before it could catch him, Luz jumped up and flung his shield in front of them both! The hand banged against the shield and flew back, waving around while both of them fell to the floor.</p><p>"You alright, Vats?" Luz asked as he turned back to Vatra.</p><p>Vatra went to reply, but his eyes just went wide as he pointed ahead.</p><p>"Behind you!" was all he could shout as another arm shot right for them.</p><p>The arm yanked Luz's pendant away before he could even reply! Luz's light burst right before Vatra's eyes as the arm swung back and tossed Luz's wheel towards the drone, and Vatra only gasped as he collapsed on the floor. Another pair of shouts came to his side, and he yanked his head up as another arm swung away with glints of blue and silver in its grip.</p><p>"Luz, Dej, Nemir!"</p><p>Vatra trembled as he pushed himself up just enough to reach, yet the three of them disappeared just as quickly, leaving his arm to fall slack. He shuddered. Choking noises coming from his throat as another hand leaped down from the ceiling and shot for him…</p><p><em>Shing!</em></p><p>And a bright cyan glow came next. Its light caressed over him as Chihiro jumped in front of him with a shield held high! Her shield transformed into a drill that pierced into the hand's palm, and tossed it aside as it exploded! Chihiro turned back and wiped her sweat as the hand hit the floor with a crunch and sparked.</p><p>"You alright?" Chihiro panted with barely any breath.</p><p>The sound of cackling rumbled from the ceiling. Vatra stumbled to his feet as he darted across the floor, swaying and dodging underneath the grip of the many hands that grappled and shot for him! Vatra slid underneath as a whole legion of hands burst from the ground and blocked his way, but flung a fireball into the ceiling with a single fling of his arm! The fireball tore through the ceiling, crafting a hole with flaming rims that rained down embers on the ground below.</p><p>Vatra leaped up with flames bursting from his soles. "After it!" Vatra cried, his voice an echo from the ceiling as he flew off.</p><p>Chihiro teleported underneath the ceiling, nodded as she flew up and tailed him—right as one robot hand grabbed her leg! She grunted, yanking her other leg up as the other hands all grappled for her; she summoned a sword and slashed the arm in half at the hinge! With a shake of her leg, the unfolding hand slipped from her leg and fell into the crowds. She floated up and tailed Vatra down the ceiling, with only a moment taken to glance at the sea of hands that grappled and grabbed like vultures below her.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Eye grunted as he bumped into Boomette, and shot a laser that bored into the ceiling on impulse. A part of the ceiling collapsed down below in response. It slammed onto the head of the robot underneath it, bounced off and split in twisted, jagged halves as it hit the floor.</p><p>Shards of metal broke from it and shot into Boomette, who grunted as she grabbed an orb from her pocket and slammed it down. It crafted a shield that shouldered the blow right before the metal shards could even scratch them! The shield sank down, leaving the metal shards to clatter and fall by Boomette's feet. She tip-toed around them as she staggered forward, hands stuck tight in her pockets as she shifted around for any more weapons, shields, anything that could be of use!</p><p>Massive footsteps shook the ground and Boomette stumbled, falling to her side as a whole mass of marbles fell from her pockets. She grunted as she reached out a hand for them. She stretched them out, her fingertips brushing their cool metallic surface, but it was a laser that got her instead! It seared her hand with its red-hot heat and forced her to draw her hand back.</p><p>Boomette yelped as she sat up and blew her hand off, and winced as Blobbers bumped right into her. Sweat tinged his fur and stained his clothes as he fired off his pistol the fastest he could. Its lasers cut right through the chests of oncoming robot swarms and short-circuited them—but to little use.</p><p>As the robots he shot down fell to the floor, their bodies sparking and exploding as they did, even more fleets marched in with bigger, bulkier bodies and shinier armor! Their weapons glistened in what little light the building provided. That said nothing of the largest of their ranks, who brushed against the ceiling and crushed its top with no mind paid to the torrents of dirt and dust that cascaded down as they did. They were more concerned with Eye as he flew around them. He zapped them with everything he could while they flailed their hands and tried to swat him down like a bug!</p><p>"There's too many of these guys!" Boomette cried, taking a moment to scoop the marbles she dropped from the ground. Her head rapidly shifted up and down. Her focus changed from the marbles as she skimmed their surfaces to the onslaught of robots coming in—but regardless of which one she looked at, it didn't lessen her worry as she sweated buckets. "There's no way we can keep up!"</p><p>Boomette whimpered as she peered down at her marbles, and in that moment a pistol's shot came as something hot singed the top of her head! She yelped and ducked down, then grunted as Blobbers bumped into her once more.</p><p>"You're telling me!" Blobbers cried. His hands were clammy and damp with sweat, so wet that he could barely keep hold of his laser pistol. "Eye can barely keep up!" Blobbers winced, shooting a glance at the ceiling as another part of it burned away from a laser blast and caved in. "And I'm not doing so hot either!"</p><p>Boomette gulped, and backed into the wall as she clutched her marbles tight. "What are we gonna do?" Boomette whispered. She glanced down at her marbles, and winced as she cupped her hands further around them. "I, if I hadn't fought with Dyna and ran off, this wouldn't have happened."</p><p>Boomette whimpered and clutched the marbles close to her chest. Her ears flattened against the sides of her head as the sounds of charging laser pistols surrounded her. Their heat warmed the area around her—or perhaps it was the heat of battle that brought the temperature up? Either way, it left Boomette panting and shuddering as she curled into a ball, fully ready to face the end…</p><p>And then, another blow shook the room, but not one from the battle itself.</p><p>No, the walls behind them exploded, and shook the warehouse so badly that a few light fixtures crashed down from the ceiling and smashed a few robots underfoot! The entire area chilled as the robots shuffled around in laborious turns, weapons raised as they faced the open back of the building. They stepped forward, preparing to charge, but what met them was not the blow of an enemy.</p><p>It was a thick, silver mist with a chilling presence like death itself! The mist seeped into the gaps in the robots' armor and clouded their glass faces. They shuddered and dropped their weapons to the ground while their armor corroded and rusted. Sparks began to burst from their joints as the corrosion spread further, turning their shiny new armor to sickly, rotten, rusted metal. Finally, they all exploded! Their flames warmed the area for only moments before a cold wind blew them out, and left only a thin curtain of smoke remaining.</p><p>From that curtain, a large, humanoid, headless silhouette came from the mist!</p><p>Eye gasped as he jolted down, wings flapping in place for only a moment.</p><p>"Could that be?" he asked, fluttering a bit forward as the silhouette grew closer.</p><p>As the silhouette finally stepped from the mist, Eye gasped and shot forward.</p><p>"It is!"</p><p>Eye's short flight came to a quick stop as a pair of black armored arms caught him, and his wings hastily fluttered as he rested against his carrier's chest.</p><p>"BRAWL!"</p><p>A low chuckle came as the smoke cleared, and unveiled Brawl as he stood with Eye in his arms! Eye chuckled as he flew up and planted himself on Brawl's head, and Brawl smiled and gently rubbed his top. Below them, Dyna, Rizzo, Snuckles, and Nort all stumbled out; they coughed and hacked as they fanned the smoke away.</p><p>Boomette popped an eye open as she finally pushed herself up and ran forward—but slowed to a shaky walk the moment she laid eyes on Dyna. Her hands trembled, and she glanced back for a moment, as if she wanted to run off. Boomette gulped and stepped forward; she reached out a hand and parted Dyna's hair.</p><p>"Hey, Dyna," Boomette said.</p><p>Dyna's eyes fluttered, but the moment she met Boomette face-to-face, Dyna gulped and stepped back. That same wide-eyed look rested in her face, and she too seemed as if she was a moment's notice away from running off. But, the moment Boomette grabbed her hand, Dyna's eyes shrank, and a look of wonder seemed to shine in them as she gazed down at Boomette's hand.</p><p>"Listen, I, I'm," Boomette sputtered. Her head lowered for a moment as she scuffed her shoes against the floor, but Boomette gulped and finally raised her head. "I, I have something to say to you—"</p><p>"No, actually, I have something to say to you."</p><p>Boomette gulped, backed away for a moment as Dyna let go of her hand, and yelped as Dyna flung forward and hugged her tight!</p><p>"I'm, I'm sorry, Boomette." Dyna squeezed Boomette tight, burying her face the best she could in Boomette's shoulder. "I've always been looking out for everyone, but ever since the others left, I was worried that none of you needed me anymore! I got so worried about all that, that I took it out on you and tried to take control of everything, but… I just made a mess of it, didn't I?"</p><p>"Dyna!" Boomette gasped.</p><p>Dyna squeezed Boomette a bit tighter, drew away and sniffed. "I'm sorry. From now on, I'll try not to be so overbearing."</p><p>"If that was how you felt, why didn't you just say so?"</p><p>Dyna raised a brow, and this time it was Boomette who leaped forward and hugged her tight! It was so sudden that Dyna keeled over, nearly falling to the floor had she not regained her footing.</p><p>"We might all be busier doing our own things and all now, but that doesn't mean you're any less important to us! You're our big sister, after all. We'll always love you to bits and pieces!"</p><p>Dyna whimpered. A few tears streaked down her face, but Boomette just giggled as she grabbed a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped them away. The two smiled as they left their hug, and the others smiled in turn as they surrounded Dyna and Boomette. As they did, a massive explosion cracked from the back of the room, rumbled the floor and sent another light fixture falling from the ceiling!</p><p>Brawl leaped up and punched the light fixture away. He knocked it into one of the larger robots and shattered it in that instant.</p><p>Boomette and Dyna winced as he landed.</p><p>"Actually, let's save the rest of the talking for when the battle's won!"</p><p>"Agreed!"</p><p>Dyna dug into her pockets, and pulled out a pair of pens before she gave one to Boomette. With a single flick from both parties, both pens turned into full-sized rivet guns! The rivet guns landed in their arms with a single flip back, and Dyna and Boomette both lifted them up so that the crosshairs fixed on the coming swarm of robots.</p><p>Before they could shoot, a whole swarm of tiny eyeballs leaped from the ground, and the eyeballs swept through the crowds! The robots beeped and stumbled about as the eyeballs flew around them in tiny vortexes, running underneath their feet or knocking into their knees. Entire groups of robots stumbled and fell over their own limbs. They crashed onto the floor as the eyeballs chirped and chuckled. Some eyeballs even bouncing on the robots' backs, but they all squeaked and flew off as a whole rain of silvery lasers streaked with blue rained down from the ceiling! The lasers sniped the robots where they laid. Holes burned into their backs, and casted out smoke and flames from the gaps as their wires burned away.</p><p>While the broken robots burned, Brawl stormed forward, grunted as he scooped up robots by the tens, and tossed them into the crowd of robots that charged right for him! The broken robots exploded right as they hit the ground. They lit patches of the floor up in hot, smoky fire that funneled through the room, and tinged the world around in shades of warm red and orange! Amid the hot firelight, a smaller flock of robots zipped in; they dodged the flames and raised chainsaws twice as big as they were with eyes set on Brawl.</p><p>"Looks like it's our turn!" Boomette cried as she leaped out from behind Brawl and cocked her rivet gun.</p><p>Dyna nodded as she jumped out from Brawl's other side. With one more cock, both rivet guns shot out entire waves of white-hot laser blasts, sniped the robots and knocked them back into the fire! Dyna and Boomette beamed and gave each others a thumbs-up, but their guns slipped from their hands as the world around them shuddered. Thundering footsteps came as the largest robots of the ground lumbered in with glowing eyes and loomed down.</p><p>The largest robots' arms raised as they prepared to smash the ground below, but Eye and Brawl turned to each other and nodded! With one flick of their wrist and wing, thick smoky clouds of that silver mist swarmed out and sank into the robots, corroding and rusting their metal chassis with every whiff! The robots froze in place, and Brawl and Eye turned back to Dyna and Boomette with a nod.</p><p>Dyna and Boomette, for their part, scrambled to their feet and yanked their guns from the ground. They planted themselves on both Brawl's sides as they began shooting. However, even with their weakened states, the rivets just bounced off the robots' armor and ricocheted towards Dyna and Boomette! They both gasped and rolled out of the way as the rivets shot back and slammed into the wall, with only a moment taken to shoot worried glances at the smoking wall.</p><p>"Leave it to us!" Blobbers cried as he shot forward, rifled through his pockets, and yanked out a series of small mines. "Mabu Defense Force, assemble!"</p><p>"Hey, that's my line!" Rizzo cried from the other side of the battlefield. He scurried over, huffed as he grabbed more small mines from his pockets, and brandished them against the burning firelight. "Mabu Defense Force, assemble!"</p><p>"Aye-aye, captain!" Nort and Snuckles cried as they pulled out their own mines.</p><p>The four of them all shouted as they leaped in the air and tossed the mines! The small mines swirled through the air like frisbees as they hurtled right for the frozen drones; they grew in size until they were the size of plates before they latched onto the drones' rusted bodies. Red lights flashed in their center for moments, beeping furiously before finally exploding and capturing the drones in masses of fire!</p><p>Snuckles, Blobbers, Nort, and Rizzo all scurried back. The others hid behind Brawl, but Rizzo grunted and slid back as he slammed a disc against the floor! Rizzo rushed to hide behind Brawl as a shining light shield shot up, and the shield divided them from the fires that burned before their eyes.</p><p>The fires fed on the robots and the world around as it melted and burned away, but even those flames seceded, tall and mighty as they were. The fires shrank by the second. They left behind twisted, warped, and burned metal covered in char marks, and walls that folded in, twisting forward and back.</p><p>Dyna smiled as the flames died before her eyes, walked up to Boomette, and placed a hand on Boomette's shoulder. "Nice job out there, Boomette," Dyna drew back and lowered her head. "Something tells me I should say that a bit more often."</p><p>Boomette blinked for a moment, lips pursed as she stood in silence, but finally smiled and nodded. "Thanks, sis."</p><p>"Eye take it you two have finally reconciled?" Eye asked as he popped off Brawl's head and floated down.</p><p>"I'd say so," Boomette replied. Her smile faded a bit and her ears flicked. "But that reminds me, there's one more thing…"</p><p>"And?"</p><p>"You never did finish that story you were telling!"</p><p>Eye spun around for a moment, and flapped his wings a bit more slowly before he sped up. "Oh, that story! That's right, we got interrupted by those robots!"</p><p>"And for that matter, you didn't, either," Dyna added, pointing to Brawl as she spoke.</p><p>Eye and Brawl both chuckled as they turned to each other, and Brawl sat down while Eye rested in his lap.</p><p>"I suppose we really should finish, then," Brawl signed. "You see…"</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 11: Troll Home Security Part 1 (Part 2)<p><em>Tree Rex frowned and parted the leaves from within the massive brush of plants and trees that the Elder Elementals hid inside.</em></p><p><em>There before them all laid a large building site. It was a monument that showed King Arkus himself as he brandished his sword and stood over the piled corpses of those he toppled, a monument to his sick and twisted conquest… Well, if it had been finished, but it had not.</em></p><p><em>Instead, its half-finished state stood surrounded by wooden barriers, and masses of blocks heaved away by mabu, elves, humans, dragons, trolls, and more, who all worked with tired faces as they stacked and built away. Above them all, a massive Conquertron glared over the edge. Its yellow eyes shone with the malice that otherwise couldn't be shown on its blank face. Even though it bore no expression, it almost seemed to revel in the moans and cries of the tired beings that trekked along down below, as they slowly, slowly trudged along in their work.</em></p><p>"<em>It's awful," Ninjini gasped. She shuddered for a moment as she turned away before she turned her gaze back on the leaves. "I heard from the Ancients that this site kept prisoners, but I didn't expect there to be so many!"</em></p><p><em>"I know," Tree Rex whispered back as he pushed the leaves aside. "But, that's why we're here—to take it down." Tree Rex squeezed his fist tight, and stomped further out into the open. "Come on, follow me!"</em></p><p><em>Tree Rex stormed past the brush and on the very edge of the cliffs, a good distance away from the Conquertron but close enough to catch its attention. He hummed as he held out his arm. His one eye closed as he prepared to aim, and the node on top of his arm sparked with sunlight. He sniped the Conquertron with a single shot, hitting its eye! It was solid enough that the light only bounced off its eye, but the laser threw it off-balance enough that it stumbled, and wavered a bit before it stomped back down. It sent a few beings on the ground flying before it stormed closer to the cliffs.</em></p><p>"<em>Who goes there?" the Conquertron demanded as it reached the furthest it could go without knocking over the construction site. "I must inform you that attacking an Arkeyan officer is a felony in the Arkeyan empire! Whoever you are, surrender yourselves immediately!"</em></p><p><em>Tree Rex clenched his mighty jaw shut, and yanked his head down to where the other Elder Elementals backed him up. All eyes narrowed, fists clenched tight, and weapons held at the ready while the powers of not just their elements, but of light and darkness, the core of Skylands itself, even, glowed right from their bodies. A bright, shimmering sight perfectly fit for the battle up ahead!</em></p><p><em>"Alright, just like we planned!" Tree Rex cried. "Elder Elementals, battle formation!"</em></p><p><em>"Right!" the others called as they split… </em></p><p><em>But as they split apart, Eye scoffed and turned to Brawl. </em></p><p>"<em>Don't mess this up, alright? We can't exactly risk any casualties!" Eye said.</em></p><p><em>"Likewise," Brawl signed with fast, furious hands. "Don't go showing off like you usually do!"</em></p><p><em>Eye gasped, and jolted back in the air before he flung a wing in front of his, well, eye. "Eye do not show off!" If Eye had an eyelid, he surely would've narrowed it in anger, but he didn't, so he flapped his wings as angrily as he could. "Don't tell me you're still bitter that I burned down all those robots before you could even punch one—"</em></p><p>"<em>You almost got us caught that time is what you did! You were so busy blowing things up that you didn't even notice the security officer behind you! If I hadn't pulled you out of there, we would've been stuck in Arkus's prisons right now!"</em></p><p><em>"Like I needed you to spot that for me!" Eye shoved himself in Brawl's lack of a face and growled. "If I hadn't noticed, I wouldn't even have the right to call myself a floating eyeball! I could've wiped it out—"</em></p><p>"<em>Cut the chat, Eye! We need you on the aerial team, stat!"</em></p><p><em>Eye grunted as something yanked against his wing, and he got pulled into the skies before he knew it! He grunted and shielded his eye from the harsh winds that whipped around him. Finally, whoever grabbed him let go, and he flapped away as he hastily jumped through the skies before he could fall and splatter. With a few more flaps, he passed through a cloud, and found none other than Swarm and Ninjini floating and flying beside him.</em></p><p>"<em>What was that about?" Swarm asked as he flicked his antennae.</em></p><p>"<em>Nothing a child like you needs to know about," Eye scoffed back as he flew ahead.</em></p><p><em>Swarm spat out some kind of bitter, angry insult in the back, but it was left unheard to Eye as he dove down and caught a glimpse of the ground below. </em></p><p><em>There, the Conquertron babbled out some kind of nonsense and smashed its fists against the ground as Brawl ran off with Thumpback and Crusher hot on his heels. Right as it went to smash them, a group of solar blasts, flames, and robotic bullets hit the Conquertron right in the shoulder! The Conquertron craned its body left and right; it alternated between attempting to smash Tree Rex, Hot Head and Bouncer as they shot away, and then attacking Brawl's team as they led the prisoners down the side of the site.</em></p><p><em>But, Brawl was the only concern for Eye. Oh, he was so full of himself, thinking he was doing all the heavy lifting while Eye just… Wait, what was it that Eye had to do again? Blurs of purple and sky blue passed Eye by with such speed that it spun him around. He teetered in a wobbly circle for moments before he shook himself down, and he turned down to where Swarm and Ninjini flew for the Conquertron.</em></p><p>"<em>Aerial team, attack!" Ninjini cried in the distance.</em></p><p><em>That's right, he was supposed to attack! A round shield of bones formed around Eye with a flap of his wings. He shot down fast as he could, and just barely tailed behind Swarm and Ninjini as they crashed right through the Conquertron's eyes! The eyeglass completely shattered and rain down. Only a few shards remained when Eye crashed into the control room and</em> <em>knocked something against the wall. The bones around Eye shattered, and he immediately found himself face to face with an unconscious robot dressed from head to toe in red and gold garb—definitely an Arkeyan controller.</em></p><p><em>The air turned smoky, and Eye watered as hot, sparking noises burst from behind him. With a few hops, he turned to where Swarm and Ninjini drew their barbs and blades from a broken, fritzing control panel with wiring scattered everywhere.</em></p><p><em>Ninjini swept him in her arms before he could hop further and zipped off. </em>"<em>Quickly now! It won't be long before those core processors explode!" Ninjini cried.</em></p><p><em>The three of the hit the air as the faint sound of explosions echoed in the distance. Eye wormed his way free of Ninjini and took to the skies. Thick, black smoke poured out from the Conquertron's eyes as its legs and arms stiffened; it</em> <em>janked and jolted in almost every feasible direction as it slammed into mountains and structures, knocking them down like sandcastles. The smoke from it poured into the skies, leaving them dark and awfully smoky, so Swarm, Eye and Ninjini floated down to the ground.</em></p><p><em>They all panted as the three of them touched down on the space underneath the cliffs. Footsteps brought their attention to the other Elder Elementals running up, and</em> <strong>ugh</strong><em>, Brawl looked so smug. Surely, he was ready to rub things right in Eye's eye! Thumpback came to them first, and Ninjini immediately floated up to him.</em></p><p>"<em>How's the situation? Is everyone gone?" Ninjini asked.</em></p><p>"<em>Every last prisoner was evacuated," Thumpback said with a nod. "Sihiri's group is bringing them to safety as we speak."</em></p><p><em>A massive, ear-ringing crash came from behind as the robot smashed into the cliffs behind them. Everyone dashed away as a massive landslide reduced the mountains below to a mountainous pile of rubble instead! Plumes of dust clouded around the area like morning mist, choking out everything else in favor of their dusty, eye-watering nastiness.</em></p><p><em>Eye coughed as he floated into something cold and hard. He peered up at Brawl, scoffed and flew off to where Tree Rex stood in the center of the group. Tree Rex paid no mind to Eye; he just peered up at the Conquertron as it smashed into mountains and structures alike, and it sputtered out garbled, glitchy garbage.</em></p><p>"<em>You, are, Arkeyan, conquer, build, destroy, regulations two point five state—" the Conquertron babbled as it smashed another mountain down.</em></p><p><em>Crusher cringed behind them as the mountain collapsed, but the others all had eyes on the Conquertron.</em></p><p>"<em>If that's the case," Tree Rex remarked between cracks of his knuckles, "I'd say it's time to take this thing down!" Tree Rex knelt down, leaped up, and hopped onto one of the still-standing structures. He moved from level to level with ease despite his massive structure. </em>"<em>Conquertron assault formation, go!"</em></p><p><em>"Right!"</em></p><p><em>Once again, Eye took to the skies. His vision tinted silver as he zoomed in, and dashed alongside the Conquertron's neck while searing, hot light burst from his eye. Its heat was so bright and hot that it left him watering! </em></p><p><em>He wasn't the only one burning, either. The Conquertron's neck was left with a bright burning gash across the center of its neck; the rest of it started to rust and decay in shades of silver as the light spread around it, until the light finally engulfed the neck in silver. The neck completely crumbled to dust, and the Conquertron's head crashed down onto its body, casting out dust everywhere while it teetered back and forth in time with its body's sways. The head swung backwards, and a burst of magic slammed into it, knocking it off before it crashed into the ground below! </em></p><p><em>The body stood stagnant, its only movement being the stumbling of its legs. Even that was short lived as Thumpback's anchor wiped out its kneecaps, and a slash of solar light and sharp leaves courtesy of Tree Rex halved it! The bottom half of the legs stood tall while the body fritzed and sparked, and Eye flew down with the others as they stepped back.</em></p><p>"<em>Quick!" Tree Rex cried as he stormed down a path along the back of a mountain. "It's gonna blow!"</em></p><p><em>Eye soared over, and bolted down the mountain's side as a massive explosion rumbled the area. The heat of burning crimson flames beat against his back, and the distinct smells of burning wafted in the air. The sounds of crackling firelight joined with that of crashing rocks and crumbling buildings, and the mountain around rumbled and vibrated in time with the destruction of the structure ahead. With all that ruckus, there was no need for anything to be said or seen. Anyone could tell the monument was gone for good!</em></p><p><em>Eye fluttered down to where the prisoners crowded alongside Sihiri, Vatra and Inochi, and met with a chorus of cheers! He beamed and bowed as he floated up and down, but something shoved him out of the way just before he could speak! Eye grunted as that familiar feeling of cold, hard metal hit him once more, and growled as he turned around to catch Brawl bowing in his place.</em></p><p>"<em>Thank you! Thank you!" Brawl signed. "But please, try not to crowd too much—"</em></p><p><em>Eye shoved Brawl back, chuckled and bowed. "Don't worry, that Conquertron is gone now, and you have me to thank!" Eye proclaimed.</em></p><p><em>"You to thank?" Brawl turned around and snarled. "You hardly did anything! Don't tell me you're taking credit for others' work now, too!"</em></p><p><em>Eye's wings fell down as he growled, and he yanked forward to where Brawl sat. "If I hadn't knocked out the pilot and corroded the neck of that thing, you would be a metal pancake right now! Last I checked, you were busy standing on the sidelines!"</em></p><p><em>"I was busy looking out for any intruders! Besides, bringing everyone to safety is much more taxing than shooting a few lasers!"</em></p><p><em>"I could've done that, but could you take down that robot? I was doing far more of the work compared to you!"</em></p><p><em>Brawl seethed, brought up a hand, and— oh, Brawl did not just give him that gesture! Eye snarled, his eye turning red and swollen as he fluttered in Brawl's lack of a face.</em></p><p>"<em>You take that back! I was the one doing all the heavy lifting while you ran around!"</em></p><p><em>"And I was the one making sure the very beings we came here to save got to safety! That's far more work than taking down a robot!"</em></p><p><em>"And taking down a robot's much harder than you think, especially when you're not a metal-headed suit of armor!" Eye chuckled and nudged Brawl. "Oh wait, without me, you don't have a head!"</em></p><p><em>"Hey, what's going on with you two?" Swarm shouted as he flew down and pushed Eye and Brawl away. "Don't tell me you're fighting </em><strong>again</strong><em>!"</em></p><p>"<em>You two have been bickering ever since we got here," Crusher added as he slid in. "No, for the past week! What's gotten into you?"</em></p><p>"<em>He thinks he did more during this mission than I did!" Eye shot as he pointed a wing at Brawl. "Can you believe that?"</em></p><p><em>"And he thinks blasting things makes him hero of the hour!" Brawl signed before he pointed at Eye.</em></p><p><em>Tree Rex winced, walked up and held out his hands. "Now, now, you two, nobody did more than anyone else. This was a team effort."</em></p><p><em>Eye groaned and turned himself around to Tree Rex. "It's nothing for you to be concerned about. What would you know, anyways?" Eye huffed and glared back at Brawl. "You don't have to deal with the most insufferable partner in all Skylands!"</em></p><p>"<em>Insufferable? how am I the insufferable one?" Brawl signed with hands fast and trembling. "You're the one who's constantly starting things!"</em></p><p><em>"Because you act like you're better than I am!"</em></p><p><em>Eye's wings snapped, shooting bursts of cold air down below. The beings they rescued crowded behind Tree Rex's legs, but Eye huffed and pointed his wings back at Brawl. </em></p><p>"<em>You never appreciate how hard I'm trying to make this partnership work! Do you have any idea how frustrating it is, constantly trying to fight as hard as I can with no body and only half the elemental powers the others have? I have to work twice as hard to do just a fraction of what you can do, and I still fight harder, but all I get from you is complaining!"</em></p><p><em>"Because you're always showing off! You're always jumping in headfirst, and not thinking for a moment how much trouble you're causing for the rest of us! Do you have any idea how many times I've had to pull you out of trouble?" Brawl signed furiously, his hands trembling even more. "If anything, I'm the one who doesn't get enough credit for having to put up with you!"</em></p><p>"<em>So are you saying that you can work without me?"</em></p><p>"<em>Yes!" Brawl's hands spat out at last. "I don't need a partner who's always causing more trouble for me! I don't need a flying load of dead weight who doesn't even do his job right!"</em></p><p><em>Eye gasped. The part of him that burned with rage completely extinguished, and all he could do was float, trembling as he struggled to stay airborne. Beside him, though the beings talked in confusion, the winces and bated breaths of the other Elder Elementals beside him showed they definitely heard it.</em></p><p>"<em>Come on, now, Brawl, don't you think that's too harsh?" Tree Rex winced as he pulled Brawl aside. "You might have your differences, but Eye's just as much a team member as any of us—"</em></p><p><em>Brawl grunted as he pushed Tree Rex away. "No, I don't," he signed, and let out a small scoff as he turned to Eye. "In fact, I'm sure I'd be much better off if I were the only Undead Elemental here!"</em></p><p><em>Eye gasped, and he almost fell down before he collected himself and flapped back up. Something hot and wet dripped down his surface, splashing in pools underneath him—tears, maybe? The suddenness of the whole thing left him struggling to see, much less fly, for his wings trembled and shook. How could Brawl say that about him? He was always working so hard for all of them, for him, too!</em></p><p><em>Eye sniffed, gulped and turned away.</em></p><p>"<em>Fine then! If that's what you really think about me, I'll just leave!" Eye spat. He flapped off with his eye firmly turned to the front so he couldn't see Brawl's reply. "I don't need you either! I'll just find someone who actually appreciates me!"</em></p><p><em>"Eye, wait—" Tree Rex called…</em></p><p><em>But Eye didn't hear. He just flapped further into the jungle.</em></p><p><em>More of his tears poured down, and they formed a quagmire in the dirt below as he dodged through the thin trees. He finally bumped into one, and it hit him with rough, searing bark that knocked him into the mud. Eye sniffled as he wrapped his wings around his body and wiped off the mud. His vision turned bleary, but from the crying or the mud, he wasn't sure, so he hopped onto something cold and gray and kind of rough as he sighed.</em></p><p>"<em>He, he doesn't know what he's missing!" Eye sobbed as he wiped away his muddy tears with his wings. "That metalhead, he'll probably rush into some robot ambush and get himself burnt up, or tossed into a furnace without me! That'd be it! He's always rushing into things like that!" Eye scoffed and rolled his eye. "And he says I'm the one who's always getting into trouble! That hunk of metal's always rushing in, trying to save the day…"</em></p><p><em>Eye's wings drooped down to his sides and he passed a breath.</em></p><p><em>"And he always does."</em></p><p><em>Well, that wasn't wrong. It seemed like whenever Eye got into trouble, Brawl was always there. When Eye got cornered by Arkeyans, Brawl was the one to knock them down and blow them back; if Eye got trapped, Brawl was the first to pull him out. Heck, Brawl was even the first to suggest they stop fighting and team up! He had the smarts,</em> <em>the strength to go with it too, and with the powers of the Undead and Dark Elements at his fingertips, he had it all! He truly was a force to be reckoned with, partners or not, and with powers like that…</em></p><p>"<em>It's like he doesn't even need me."</em></p><p><em>Eye sniffed, and a few more tears drenched the rock's front as Eye cuddled himself with his own wings.</em></p><p>"<strong>I don't need a partner who's always causing more trouble for me! I don't need a flying load of dead weight who doesn't even do his job right!"</strong></p><p>"<em>Maybe he's right. Maybe I am just dead weight." Eye sniffed. "After all, everyone else has all their strengths, all their element's powers at their beck and call, and more! I…" Eye unfolded his wings, and turned down to his reflection in the muddy waters. "All I can do is shoot lasers."</em></p><p><em>Eye's wings sank down again, and he only heaved a sigh—but then, he shook and hopped off with a scoff.</em></p><p>"<em>Wait, what am I saying? If I'm worthy enough to get the Undead Ancient's blessing, I'm worthy enough of a partnership! He just doesn't know what he's missing! Yes, why am I even letting punches for brains gets to me? He doesn't have a head, much less the smarts to see that I'm the best partner anyone could ask for!" Eye chuckled, spun around and took to the skies. "That's it, I'll just find a partner who actually appreciates what I do! Then he'll really know what he's missing!"</em></p><p><em>Yes, that was perfect! He had the perfect plan! He'd find a new partner, a great partner, someone who truly did appreciate all his hard work and power, and then he'd make Brawl so jealous that he'd come crawling back! When he did, Eye'd have the perfect opportunity to rub it all in Brawl's face! That'll show him, that'll show that no-good hunk of—</em></p><p><em>Wait a second, was that rustling Eye heard from the bushes just then? He turned around. His wings drooped a bit at the bush he passed, when the bush across from it began to rustle as well!</em></p><p>"<em>Who's there?" Eye demanded as he jerked over to the other bush. "Show yourself!"</em></p><p><em>Whoever or whatever was in the bushes didn't come out! In fact, the bushes next to it rustled as well, and more rustled and shuddered around him while footsteps stomped around! Eye shuddered, yet snarled as he charged his pupil with eye set on the bushes. If whoever was in there wouldn't come out, he'd make them!</em></p><p><em>A bright, solid, silver laser shot right into the heart of the bush. The laser burned its branches, and wilted its leaves as Eye spun around and coated the bushes around in silver light and death…</em></p><p><em>But right in the midst of it all, a net leaped out of nowhere and wrapped around Eye. It moved so quickly that he couldn't even react! His laser's light faded as he crashed onto the muddy ground, and splashed mud and muddy water everywhere! The net tightened around him while he pushed his wings against its thick, sturdy woven metal cords, and he shot a laser right at it with a grunt. The laser seeped into the wiring and shocked him! Eye cried out, screaming at the top of his lungs as he flailed like a chompy in the grips of a venus flychompy, but the sound of robotic cackling drew him to a stop.</em></p><p><em>"Well, well, boys! Looks like we've got ourselves a nice little catch!" hollered a blue and gold robot of unmistakably Arkeyan origin as it stepped from the foliage!</em></p><p><em>A few more identical robots burst out from the bushes and cackled. Their laughter rang in Eye's ears so badly that he had to cover his sides with his wings. Though he towered over them, he was no more than a scared squirrel to them within the confines of this net. These Arkeyans knew it, for they puffed their chests and cackled as they gripped the corners of the net and lifted him up.</em></p><p>"<em>Hey, let me out of here!" Eye hissed as he pressed and pushed against the netting. "Don't you know who you're dealing with?"</em></p><p><em>"Oh, we know, alright!" the head of the robots jeered. "The weakest of the Elder Elements!"</em></p><p><em>Eye winced as if he'd been stabbed in the pupil and shrunk away from view. "Weakest?"</em></p><p>"<em>That's right, you little floating, er, something!" one other robot cackled from the back. "We may not know who you Elder Elementals are or what you're doing messin' with our stuff, but once we haul you in and show you off to our supervisors, well…"</em></p><p><em>The robot sneered as they lifted the net higher, high enough that their face with their jeering, glowing golden eyes met his.</em></p><p><em>"Then we'll know everything!"</em></p><p align="center">§</p><p>"And the cackling of the birds chimed in, jeering in time with the awful laughter of those robots as they carried me away…"</p><p>Eye cut short as Blobbers shoved his face in Eye's, his own eyes wide and hands clasped.</p><p>"And then what happened?" Blobbers asked. He shook his clasped hands as he spoke. "Did you break free, did they really bring you to those supervisor guys?"</p><p>"Well…" Eye cleared his throat, but just before he could speak, his wings perked up at the sound of thumping.</p><p>"Before eye start, just what was that?"</p><p>Boomette winced, hopped from her chair and jiggled open the door. She peered outside with a few steps, and cast a few glances around.</p><p>"Strange, I don't see anything!" Boomette cried as she turned back to the open door. A looming shadow appeared behind her, but Boomette hardly noticed as she waved. "Must have been some old tech or something—"</p><p>"Boomette, watch out! Behind you!" Blobbers cried.</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>Boomette frowned, raised a brow as she turned around…</p><p>But then, she screamed and jumped away as a red hot laser zapped the ground where she once stood, searing it with intense heat! Boomette gasped and stuck to the wall as Eye and Blobbers rushed out the door. They moved in time for all three of them to catch the massive, glowing red eyes that poked out like stars in the night. The ground underneath them shook, and all three only gulped as the sources of those red eyes stepped out from the shadows.</p><p>Before them were robots so tall they were only a few feet down from the ceiling, and their robotic bodies were rectangular and bulky like their limbs! The robots' eyes glowered as dull, low beeps echoed from them, and their stomps shook the ground as they sent the overhead lights swinging! With one chorus of beeps, their eyes glowered and zapped the ground once more, heating it a hot red.</p><p>Boomette immediately dug into her pockets, and winced as she felt nothing but cloth. "My laser pistol, where is it?" Boomette hissed, digging further… But then, her eyes went wide and she buried her face in her hands. "Oh no, I must have left it on that battlefield!"</p><p>"I, I don't think a laser pistol is gonna do anything against those guys!" Blobbers cried. His arms and legs shook so furiously that they practically would've melted while his teeth chattered.</p><p>Eye snarled, lifted himself up, and shot a silver laser right into the core of one robot's eye. But, it just bounced off, sniped an overhead light and shattered its lightbulb! The shattered glass rained down, only to be crunched underfoot by the robots as they surrounded Eye, Boomette and Blobbers with lasers charged and fists tight.</p><p>"And I'm afraid you're right, Blobbers!" Eye cried as he hopped back down.</p><p>"So what do we do then?" Blobbers cried as he shuddered still.</p><p>Nobody had an answer, so they all just backed up close to the wall, and gulped as the robots glared them down.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Chihiro panted and collapsed on the warm metal floors, and her hands became the only thing keeping her body suspended up. Beads of sweat dripped down on the warm metal floors as the sounds of metal banging against metal and churning, spinning conveyor belts rang in her ears, Her vision blurred as she lifted up her heavy, heavy head to catch a glimpse of the road ahead.</p><p>Amid endless bogs of gray, the lights that shone from the other portal masters' blurry bodies sparkled like stars, a perfect guiding light until the tension faded and her vision started to clear. Chihiro grunted as she crawled over and rested herself next to a mass of green and pink she guessed was Inochi. The chilling feeling of ghastly energy paired with a feeling akin to walking outside on a fresh spring day confirmed it.</p><p>"Are you okay?" Inochi asked, and that same fresh spring feeling grew stronger as cool hands laid on Chihiro's shoulders. "Here, just rest a bit."</p><p>Chihiro nodded and leaned her head against Inochi's side (which was surprisingly solid for Inochi being a ghost and all), and a warm, green glow fell over her. Visions of fresh, grassy fields filled with flowers, clear blue skies, and springs breezes came over her for a moment. When the glow faded, Chihiro found herself staring right at Inochi, the haze in her head fading by the second! Chihiro smiled and leaned against Inochi's body, but pulled away while Inochi nodded and grew less solid.</p><p>Turning her gaze at the massive strips of dormant assembly lines barren of machinery and the tall balconies above, Chihiro frowned and drummed her fingers against her lap for a second. She peered up at the overhead lamps, and then the boxes of what she guessed were machine parts. A couple of groans brought her to the side across from her. There, the rest of the portal masters leaned down and caught their breaths. A red glow came from a few, but quickly faded as they hit cold metal—save for the one surrounding Vatra, which still burned bright.</p><p>"What were you thinking, Vatra?" Nemir sniped, his face turning cross as he finished propping Vatra against some boxes.</p><p>"I don't know, maybe I was thinking about how to save your sorry asses?" Vatra hissed as he slapped away Nemir's hand. He grunted, leaning over a bit as he clutched his chest, but still popped a glance at Nemir. "If I hadn't burned the metal away, you'd still have to deal with all those lasers bouncing everywhere and the robots!"</p><p>"The robots we wouldn't have had to fight if you hadn't agitated them!" Nemir drew back with a scowl on his face as he turned around. "What's gotten into you? Normally you're much more level-headed than this, but ever since you came here, it's like you've been—"</p><p>"Trying to hurry this thing up so we can stop whoever this Kaos person is from causing an Arkeyan revival? Protecting the innocent for the horrors of supervillainy? The things we're supposed to do?" Vatra grunted as he forced himself up. He still swayed from side to side, and his feet slipped from tile to tile as he hunched over and grunted while clutching his chest. Still, he found it in him to push up and thrust his face in Nemir's. "I don't know if all those years spent sleeping made you forget, but the Arkeyans are a serious threat, even moreso in the hands of someone who's conquered Skylands already! I'm not going to stand around and wait for some shoddy talk to end when there's real danger bubbling under the surface!"</p><p>"And I'm as concerned as you are" — Nemir pushed Vatra back, a stern glow in his nearly-black eyes — "but rushing into things headfirst will only make things worse!"</p><p>"And so will waiting around and twiddling our thumbs!"</p><p>A couple of thumps came from the door, and Chihiro winced as she turned to Vatra and Nemir.</p><p>"Uh, guys?" she started.</p><p>Vatra's eye twitched, and he snarled as he turned to Chihiro. "If you're going to start with me about how I should've listened to you—"</p><p>Another, louder set of thumps came as the door began banging. Something on the other side slammed against it so hard that the door stretched out and nearly burst from its hinges! The dents on the door remained, leaving it in more of a crescent shape as something kept banging, and the sound of mechanical shouting echoed as light poured in from the spaces between the door and hinges.</p><p>Chihiro gulped as the thumping from the door grew louder,. "Actually, I was going to say that it looks like they found us!" she cried.</p><p>Both Vatra and Nemir's eyes fluttered, but Sihiri just jumped to her feet.</p><p>"Quickly!" Sihiri shouted, and flicked out her hands while her purple glow consolidated at her palms.</p><p>Around her, that purple glow spread to the assorted parts and crates that littered the room, and in turn they soared past her and piled up at the entrance. Sihiri narrowed her eyes as she conducted the magic with her hands.</p><p>"Barricade the entrance! That should buy us some time!"</p><p>A large crash came as the door burst open. The assorted parts that sat at its feet flew all across the room, and crates splintered as the robots wheeled in! The door laid crushed underneath their spiky wheels as they rolled in, arms at the ready. Beams of red light fanned out from their lenses as they wheeled back in, and the moment those red beams hit the portal masters, the robots spun their heads around and shouted out in angry beeps and cries!</p><p>"Surrender now, intruders!" the robots cried.</p><p>"Actually, let's save this for later!" Vatra cried as he hopped onto the assembly lines and dashed off. "For now, we need to get out of here!"</p><p>"You're telling me!" Chihiro cried as she hopped off.</p><p>Lasers shot out from overhead as everyone ran against the smooth rubber of the conveyor belts. A few gasps came as they ducked underneath the lasers, leaped down, and dodged another before hopping back on! Sihiri cast out a shield as the next round of lasers came screeching in, and left the lasers to smash into the shield and explode into puffs of light as she escaped with the others.</p><p>"There, I see an opening!" Nemir cried as he pointed towards a balcony above the endless stretch of production lines with a door at its very end.</p><p>Sihiri grinned, but soon cringed as the sounds of ramming and cracking came behind her. She clutched her skirts, running and bouncing as fast as she could before she finally leaped up. Her bright violet glow turned even brighter as she floated up and reached for the balcony's edge—but right as she did, a mechanical arm phased right through her, and shook her so much that she collapsed right on the conveyor belt!</p><p>Sihiri grunted as she pushed herself up and dusted off her skirts. As she did, the world around her creaked and groaned like a machine coming to lift. Sihiri lifted her head, her eyes set on the balcony—except it almost appeared to be moving away!</p><p>"Wait a second, why am I moving?" Sihiri remarked as she peered down at the conveyor belts.</p><p>The flaps at the end of the belts fluttered in the wind as assorted machinery emerged from the space behind them. Sihiri frowned for a moment as she and the box moved down the conveyor belt line. A mechanical arm swept down, grappling for the machine as Sihiri ducked underneath it.</p><p>She popped back up and gasped as the sounds of shouting reached her ears! With a jolt of her head, she glanced back at the other portal masters to find that they had just as much trouble as she did! Behind her, they all scrambled over machinery and ducked underneath oncoming arms. Behind them, the robots turned to each other as one released a lever from its grip!</p><p>"Looks like they've started up the belts!" Chihiro cried as she screamed over an engine, squealed, and ducked underneath a mechanical arm as it swept right over her. "Be careful!"</p><p>Another squeal came from behind as one of the arms yanked away Inochi's pendant behind them, and her ghost faded out as everyone's eyes fell on her! The arm lifted up Inochi's wheel, its green light glistening and reflecting on the arm's surface, but that quickly dulled as Chihiro jumped onto the arm and wrapped it tight! The arm whirred, shaking back and forth as Chihiro screamed and clung to it tight.</p><p>Chihiro's fingers twitched and sweated as she flew from side to side, and she dug them in tight as she could while bright purple flares of magic crackled and burst from her. Chihiro dug further in as the magic started to pulsate, and an electrical surge of purple lightning burst from her fingertips as it fried the machine! The lightning coursed through the mechanical arm, shooting sparks into Chihiro's face and showering them down as it janked in every direction it could. Finally, a loud clunk came and smoke burst from its gaps.</p><p>It went limp and dropped Inochi's wheel on the floor! Chihiro dropped down soon after, lifted the wheel from the floor, and charged it with magic with a single rub of her fingers. The wheel floated back out as a green burst of light shone from it, and Inochi fell to the ground and panted. Chihiro knelt down and gently nudged her arm, but Inochi smiled.</p><p>"That was close," Inochi panted as she stood up, "too close."</p><p>Inochi and Chihiro both smiled at each other, but shouted, collapsing to their knees as a bright flash of purple light came from the back! Shattering hit the air as the fragments of Sihiri's barrier fell before the two. They both gasped, and jumped back onto the conveyor belt as the robots zoomed right for them with laser guns readied!</p><p>Beside them, Vatra winced as he glanced back at the robots, snarled and snapped his fingers. Fires burst from his fingers, and he cried out as he shot them back at the robots, but they shifted gears and shot at his flames instead! Massive explosions bombed the entire area; they blew up machines and crates, and even parts of the construction line with their heat.</p><p>Vatra backed away before one explosion burst near him and tossed him off the belt. He grunted as he slammed against the walls while a shadow cast over him, and he only had moments to look up before a massive engine crashed down and smashed right in his place! His ghastly form completely disappeared, crushed underneath the metal weight of the engine!</p><p>The robots beeped, wheeled around the engine, and lowered their weapons. A chuckle sounded around them while a red wheel floated up from the side of the wreckage, and Vatra reformed before them once more!</p><p>"I suppose being a ghost does have some benefits," Vatra remarked.</p><p>The robots snarled as he hopped back onto the belts. He tried to fly right through an engine on the line; right as he did, his pendant banged against the engine's metal and he shuddered, his form dissolving and reforming in minutes! Vatra grumbled, pulled back, yet jumped ahead as a laser burst slammed into the engine and blew it to bits. Vatra winced as he slid away from the wreckage, or at least, tried to, but his pendant slid over a lever on the wall and left him stuck!</p><p>Vatra grunted as he yanked it away, grabbed onto the lever and yanked it down, sliding his pendant off!</p><p>"Finally!" he gasped, catching his breath as his pendant rested against his chest. Vatra smiled and rubbed his pendant free of some stray dust when the sound of fast, furious whirring and churning rumbled around the room. "Wait, what is that?"</p><p>Vatra frowned as he peered up at the ceiling, turned around, and gasped as a screaming Dej and Luz flew right past him on a speeding conveyor belt! Another slew of lasers forced him to duck, but he poked himself up high enough to catch a glimpse of the conveyor belts.</p><p>They now sped faster than ever! Their belts spun so fast that the rubber bounced along the metal surfaces. The other portal masters shouted as they danced around mechanical arms and jumped over engines, all while the laser shows from the robots carried on!</p><p>Vatra gasped, turned back to the lever he pulled down, and immediately pushed it up. Despite his intense straining and grunting as he pushed the hardest he could, the lever wouldn't budge! Vatra ignited his palms. Their bandages turned warmer and hotter as he pushed the lever down further—and completely snapped it off! Vatra gulped as he held the broken lever in his now-cooled hands.</p><p>In front of him, the other portal masters screamed as the conveyor belts flew backwards instead! The robots all beeped at the end of the belts, and readied their weapons, leaving all portal masters wide-eyed and screaming…</p><p>All but one! Luz teleported backwards in a flash of light, summoned a shield, and clasped it as tight as he could with the speed he went! Luz turned his eyes towards a mechanical arm flailing about at the top of the ceiling as the shield turned a hot yellow; he flung his shield and sliced it clean in half! The arm collapsed down on him, but Luz grabbed it and flung it right towards the robots! The robots shrieked as the arm knocked them back into the wall.</p><p>The group of portal masters converged at the base of the conveyor belts, all snarls and tight brows as the robots pulled away from the wall. They all held out hands charged with elemental energy, save for Chihiro who backed away.</p><p>"You hold them back!" Chihiro shouted as cyan light enveloped her. "I'll see if I can find a switch or something!"</p><p>Chihiro teleported away with a pop, hid behind some crates, and pushed them aside with a frown.</p><p>"Nope, nothing here!"</p><p>Ducking underneath a stray ice shard, Chihiro teleported back onto the balcony and tried to yank open the door. The moment she reached out for the knob, all she felt was solid metal! A few knocks against the metal, and she scoffed and drew back.</p><p>"This is just a fake door!"</p><p>Another pop and Chihiro teleported down by the belts. She dove near the back of the machine that housed them, and flipping open a control panel. The first thing she met with was all sorts of flashing buttons and shining lights—and a giant lever labeled "Emergency speed control"!</p><p>"Hey, here's a switch!" Chihiro cried as she reached for the lever.</p><p>But, as she did, something shone in the darker parts of the area and she drew back her hand. Chihiro hopped off the conveyor belts and drew over to the back of the room as the light shone; she summoned a sphere and tossed it into the darkness. The sphere splattered against the wall, and light burst from its corpse as it dusted the room in a glow of cyan glitter. The glitter shimmered, unveiling stretches of stained metal walls. and a single door labeled…</p><p>"Records room!" Chihiro cried. She spun around, pivoting herself on one leg. Chihiro forced herself into a stop with a hollow stomp that echoed around the room. "Hey, everyone, over here!" Chihiro waved her hand up and gestured towards the door. "I found the records room!"</p><p>Nemir gasped, and jumped away from the robot he was locked in combat with—but not before he slammed his hand across the wall! A barrier of bones so tall and thick that it stretched to the ceiling and completely blocked the room behind him from view burst from the floor. It left twisted metal on the sides of the flooring, and Nemir nodded. He rushed off, adjusted his crown's position on his head as he dashed up beside Chihiro, and right in time for her to yank open the door and run inside!</p><p>The portal masters all piled in one by one, and planted themselves against the window as Chihiro locked it tight while Dej mustered up a massive ice cube to act as a barricade. Chihiro wandered off and panted while Dej pushed the ice cube into place, but finally took a seat on a chair next to Nemir as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. The lights embedded into the ceiling shone harsh; they occasionally flickered as they beamed down on the endless rows of file cabinets that lined the room, and on Chihiro herself as she finally sat up and stood tall.</p><p>"That barrier should buy us some time, but it won't hold off those robots forever," Nemir said, still short of breath and catching it between words. "If we want to find this thing before they find us, we need to hurry!"</p><p>The sound of distant thumping and cracking echoed form the back room as if to affirm Nemir's words, a loud reminder of the little time they had.</p><p>A few of them cringing as they all poured over the filing cabinets. Chihiro was the first to approach one. She gingerly grab one by the handle, and gasped as it slid right out.</p><p>"Guess they must've forgotten to lock these things!" Chihiro remarked. She giggled as she snapped her fingers. "Just gotta use a search spell, and we should have the record in no time!"</p><p>The magic swirled around Chihiro's hand before it leaped into the air, and seeped its way into the keyhole at the top of the file cabinet! Chihiro hummed, swaying back and forth on her heels. She eyed the flashing keyhole and its occasional swells of sparkly cyan that faded just as quick as they came. Finally, the magic spat right back in her face, and dusted her in cyan glitter as she coughed and stumbled backwards!</p><p>Chihiro coughed her last as she rubbed the glitter from her face and sighed. "Well, looks like these must be magic-proofed," Chihiro remarked. "Should've thought of that."</p><p>"Let me try first," Sihiri remarked as she swept up beside Chihiro and cast a swirl of purple magic into the keyhole. "A simple spell may not do much, but perhaps a more advanced one will."</p><p>Chihiro and Sihiri both frowned. Their eyes kept on the file cabinet and it rumbled and bubbled in time with the swells of purple magic that flashed and faded from the keyhole. That spell, too, spat out from the cabinet and disappeared! Chihiro and Sihiri both frowned at each other and sighed.</p><p>"Yep, they really are magic-proofed," Chihiro remarked. "Looks like we're gonna have to find another way to search these things."</p><p>Chihiro crossed her arms, and hopped over to a simple white button sitting in the wall, one so small and clear that it could barely be seen. The file cabinets all rumbled with a press from her finger. The others gasped and jumped away as if the cabinets would explode, but all the cabinets did was open all their drawers at once. The drawers stretched forward, revealing shiny rows of tablets not unlike the ones the robots were carrying!</p><p>"Split up, everyone!" Sihiri shouted as she began pulling out record after record. "The one we're looking for has to be somewhere in here!"</p><p>Vatra frowned, lifted up a tablet from one of the drawers, and tilted his head as it flashed on. "Is this supposed to be Common?" he asked.</p><p>"I believe so," Sihiri remarked. "It's certainly changed a lot over these past thousand years."</p><p>Vatra squinted, holding the tablet closer to his face. "Well, I think this says…" Vatra hummed. His eyes squinted further, brows twitching and all, before he sighed and drew back his head. "Alright, I can't read this."</p><p>"Same here," Luz remarked as he shuffled through the tablets he collected. "I don't recognize any of these runes at all!"</p><p>"That definitely poses a problem," Sihiri remarked. She seated her stack of tablets at the top of the file cabinet she drew them from as she rubbed her hands. "I wonder?"</p><p>Sihiri hummed, breathed in and out as she waved her hands around, and swirls of purple magic seeped around the room. The magic coated it in a purple glow before it faded away. Sihiri smiled as she lifted up her stack of tablets, and her eyes trained on the top one as its screen glitched and flashed in an entirely different string of runes.</p><p>"Hey, now it works!" Vatra shouted.</p><p>"This should translate this into our Common," Sihiri remarked as she shuffled through tablet after tablet, and added in a smaller voice, "it's a good thing they weren't magic-proofed, too."</p><p>A shattering sound came from outside, and Nemir winced as he snatched some tablets and rushed. "And not a moment too soon!" Nemir cried as he shuffled through the tablets. "Looks like they finally broke the barrier!"</p><p>"Everyone, get searching!" Sihiri cried.</p><p>So, the search began! Footsteps and frantic panting were just barely heard over the sounds of rolling and robotic cries from the other side of the door. The room was in a flurry as everyone yanked as many tablets from the drawers as they could; they shuffled through the tablets, tossed them aside, and stacked them until the room was coated in stacks. Yet, as the piles of piles of tablets grew, their answers had yet to be found.</p><p>"Nothing here!" Luz cried as he held up a pair of tablets.</p><p>"I'm afraid this one's empty, too!" Inochi shouted as she closed a drawer.</p><p>Nemir glumly shook his head as he closed a drawer, but ducked as a tablet soared over his head!</p><p>To his side, Vatra and Chihiro frantically shifted through tablet after tablet. Their eyes glued to their stacks and sweat pouring as they flung through each other.</p><p>"Nope, nope, nope," Chihiro sputtered, hands clammy as she tossed a few tablets aside.</p><p>"Not this one, or this one," Vatra spat, tossing a few more tablets aside. As his stack came to its end, Vatra reached out for a drawer, shuddered, and phased out for a moment as something banged against the door!</p><p>"It's them!" Chihiro cried as she hastily yanked a bunch of tablets from the drawers and gathered them in her arms. "They found us!"</p><p>"This is pointless!" Vatra cried as he slammed a drawer shut with so much force that it bounced right back open. Vatra grunted as he kicked it right back in, yanked another open, and snarled before slamming it shut. "There's probably millions of records in this place! How in the Ancients' good name are we supposed to find it at this rate?"</p><p>Another bang hit the door, and Chihiro winced as she poured a little faster through the records. "Now's not the time to flip out!" Chihiro hissed as she shut the drawer she held and moved to the next. "The longer we bicker, the more time those things have to break down the door!"</p><p>"And the longer we meander here, the more time the Arkeyans have to be revived!" Vatra slammed another drawer shut, and spun around to face the other portal masters. "Tell me, has anyone found anything on this security system yet?"</p><p>A few shrunk from view as Vatra faced them, and Vatra only scoffed.</p><p>"See, I was right!" Flames burst at Vatra's hands and feet as he stormed back and forth. He occasionally slammed his hands against the file cabinets and dented their metal. "This is a fool's errand and we all know it! If you had just listened to me, we'd be on our way to beat this rogue portal master and prevent Arkus's arrival!"</p><p>Chihiro clenched her teeth and hand. "Now's not the time! The last thing we need right now is you being a hothead—"</p><p>"DON'T YOU LECTURE ME ABOUT WHAT THE RIGHT TIME IS!" Vatra cried as he whipped out his hand. The red hot flames that surrounded it crackled and burning brighter with every moment they had next to him. "YOU'RE THE REASON WE'RE IN THIS MESS IN THE FIRST PLACE!"</p><p>"Vatra, watch where you're tossing that thing!" Sihiri cried.</p><p>The sound of whooshing flames and bursting explosions hit the air, and the whole area turned warm-tinted and hot as flames crackled in the air! Vatra gulped; he slowly turned over to where the room's entrance laid—except it was an entrance no longer! The flames not only completely melted the block of ice Dej used as a barricade, but the door as well! All that remained of it was a giant puddle of water and melted metal that lingered at the front, and sloshed as the robots stormed right through.</p><p>"Surrender, intruders!" the robots bellowed as they smashed through the entrance and raised their weapons.</p><p>Vatra gasped. The flames around him extinguished immediately as he backed away, but with a single gulp, he stormed forward and raised his hands once more! The flames reignited in time with his screams as he charged forward. He punched the robot heading the charge in the chest, but the robot slapped his pendant away and knocked him into the wall! Vatra groaned, and his form flickered for a moment as he slouched over and held his head.</p><p>The robots paid no mind to him. No, they turned to where the rest of the group stood beside the filing cabinets, wide-eyed and frozen in place!</p><p>"ELIMINATE INTRUDERS!" the robots all bellowed as they slammed their charged weapons into the ground!</p><p>A pair of swords were the first to come. They amplified the lines in the tiles, and turned them into glowing cracks, ones that glowed even brighter as a gun slammed in and shot off! The energy that pulsed through the cracks glowed brighter, brighter, brightest! The energy finally erupted into a flash of light so bright it enveloped the world in a hot glaze, as if they were trapped in an inferno! The beeping of robots, screams of others, and whooshing of flames marked the only trace of damage that could be seen amid the white light that completely enveloped the center of the room…</p><p>And then, it faded.</p><p>The light lifted its grip, and left behind a completely devastated room. Cracked, ruptured flooring peeled off and shattered to reveal stone underneath; toppled-over filing cabinets laid half-melted, and filled with cracked tablets bursting from their lumped, misshapen, and half-open drawers; the lights overhead had completely cracked, and left only splintered beams of light to brighter the room. Even that didn't last as a few fell from the ceiling and shattered on the floor.</p><p>Chihiro laid sprawled out and groaning between a pair of collapsed file cabinets. Red burns covered her skin, and her hair frazzled as her pendant fritzed and spat out bursts of magic on the floor. Nearby, Vatra only groaned and shuddered as he forced himself up.</p><p>As for the rest of the group? They vanished, the only traces of their existence remaining being their wheels pendants as they sparkled and floated in the air!</p><p>Chihiro and Vatra both gasped. Their eyes locked on the other portal masters' pendants as they fell. The strings around the pendants disappeared as they hit the ground, and only simple wheels that barely held any light to them remained!</p><p>The robots zoomed in, but Chihiro zipped right in before they could do anything, and scooped the wheels off the ground. She squealed as a robot lunged for her before a burst of fire slammed it in the face! Chihiro rolled underneath the flames' cover as the robot screeched and rolled away, and knelt forward, staying as low to the ground as she could while she bolted back to Vatra's side.</p><p>"We've gotta escape!" Chihiro cried as she shoved the wheels in her pocket. "I don't know what happened to them, but we need to heal them!"</p><p>Vatra grunted as he shot and kicked flames down at the robots. The robots screeched out jagged, angry beeps as the flames hit them and bounced off, extinguishing the moment they hit the metal. He drew back and panted, fists clenched and back hunched over as he snarled; he turned to the back of the room and heaved a heavy breath.</p><p>"I can't imagine how we'll do that, seeing as how this whole place is locked off!" Vatra cried. A laser shot in from a nearby robot, and he gasped as he crafted a shield of fire that ate the laser full blast. "Unless you have some magical solution to beating these robots, that is!"</p><p>Chihiro winced, clenched her teeth as she teleported behind a filing cabinet, and slunk down. Short, shallow pants left her lips as her eyes bounced from the endless walls and fake windows that lined the room, and then back around the cabinets. Flames and lasers burst, and sent smoke burning through the room. Her eyes watered, and she forced herself to keep from screaming as the smoky smell took hold of her head.</p><p>She whimpered as she peered down at the tile underneath the thick coat of smoke that covered the entire upper half of the room and all above it. Her attention moved next to the drawers, and then the lasers that came from the smoke, and then the sounds of banging and screaming that rattled in her ears. It all left her mind completely blank, save for all the overwhelming thoughts and smells and sounds…</p><p>"Hey, over here!"</p><p>Chihiro gasped, lifted her head up and jumped back to her feet. "Where'd that voice come from?" she whispered, before she doubled down and whimpered as the smoke coated her head once more.</p><p>She popped open a watering eye. There in the distance, a faint brown light flashed from a gaping hole in the wall lined with crystals of all sorts.</p><p>"An exit, there!" Chihiro cried.</p><p>Vatra swept around, yelping for a moment as he dodged a laser blow, but ducked underneath the cover of the smoke! He yanked Chihiro by the arm and held her close. The sounds of shouting robots grew louder. Vatra in turn shielded her the best he could as he ran; he paid not a moment of mind to her surprised squeak as he rolled into the tunnel. The shouts of angered robots and firing of laser blasters rang behind him and Chihiro both as they hit warm, hard red rock…</p><p>And finally, darkness set in as the crystals sealed up and closed off the entrance.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 11: Troll Home Security Part 1 (Part 1)<p>Deep within the Dread-Yacht's boarding areas, a small room converted into a makeshift medical bay as whatever medical supplies that could be scrounged up laid in small boxes on a stand. Soft candlelight flickered from a candlestick laid on the stand, giving a sort of warm atmosphere to the room despite the grim sights within. In the heart of the room, Spyro and Ninjini both stood between two beds laden with carefully-made sheets. Those strange, ghostly people laid tucked within those two beds; their cold sweats dried away, and their stature was much more peaceful than before as they snoozed. They seemed so tranquil, yet their very presence carried with it a sort of eerie ring—but maybe that kind of came with the territory of having ghosts in their faux infirmary.</p><p>Spyro frowned as he lifted his paw from the chest of the skinnier person bearing the orange pendant, and then hummed as he sat down and examined them. His tail swayed from side to side, and sent dust flying across the floor while he tapped his claw against his chin. His eyes glazed up and down over their patchwork overalls, and the backpack of theirs carefully laid to the side of the bed. As they did, his tail flicked faster.</p><p>"Is something on your mind, Spyro?" Ninjini asked as she floated over and knelt down beside Spyro.</p><p>Spyro gasped at Ninjini's sudden appearance, scratched his head and turned aside.</p><p>"Oh, it's nothing much," Spyro said as he laid a paw on the person's bed. "It's just, I don't know why, but something about these two seems kind of familiar to me. It's like I know them from somewhere, but it's on the tip of my tongue." Spyro's eyes trailed over to the sparkling pendant around the person's neck, and they fluttered. "Wait a second, now I do!"</p><p>Spyro leaned up towards Ninjini and grinned.</p><p>"I saw pictures of these two in that storybook Chihiro read to Wrecking Ball!" Spyro turned back to the person lying in bed and flapped his wings. "I'm guessing these two were your portal masters, right?"</p><p>"That's correct," Ninjini said with a nod, though her tone was a bit more somber compared to Spyro's as she glazed down the two ghosts lying in bed. "They fought alongside us during the war against the Arkeyans, but…"</p><p>A soft grunt from the skinny ghost cut Ninjini off as they tossed and turned in their bed, wisps of sweat crawling down their face as they bit their lip. Their grunting only continued as Ninjini waved a hand over them, but their frantic turning came to a close as sparkles of purple magic cascaded down from her palm and seeped into their pendant. The tightness in their face loosened and lifted, and they released their teeth's death grip on their lips as they curled on their side in bed. Slow, shallow breaths escaped from them as their death-thin chest rose and fall.</p><p>Ninjini clasped her hand and frowned as they rested. "I had thought they'd be long dead at this point. Even with their enchantments, their pendants couldn't have possibly survived a blast like that."</p><p>Spyro frowned as well, folding his wings against his back as his tail dragged against the floor. He hummed as if he wanted to give an answer, but his tail only steadied and he sighed. "Beats me," Spyro only said.</p><p>Another groan—one lower, older, and deeper-sounding—came from the bed across from the person with the orange pendant. The broad ghost donning the silver pendant groaned, and pushed themself out of bed. They rubbed their head, slowly moaning as they pushed their crowd back to their head's top, and their eyes drew open to reveal a deep, almost black shade of brown within.</p><p>"Urgh, where am I?" the person gasped, their voice gruff, deep but with a sort of hollowness to it. Like a ghost that revitalized itself from beyond the grave, the person pulled themselves from the bed; their dark purple shoes draped with the cloth from their many robes as they gained their footing. "What, what happened?" Rubbing their head, the person trailed down the way as their eyes glazed over the rows of identical metal planks on the floor. "There was, there was an explosion, and a bright light, and everything around was rumbling… I, I—"</p><p>"Nemir!" Ninjini called, her eyes wide as she pulled herself away from the other person's bedside. "You finally came to!"</p><p>"Is that?" The person gasped, turned around and took a step aback as they came face to face with Ninjini. Their shocked eyes and low-gaping mouth quickly drew themselves together, grinning and beaming with joy as they ran right up to her. "Ninjini, you're here! Thank goodness, I—"</p><p>Nemir phased right through the other person's bed, and their whole body jittered in turn before quickly stabilizing. A soft moan left his lips as his body stabilized as well, and he took a seat on the bedside as he rubbed his head.</p><p>"Oh, Ancients, I need to lay down. It seems my body disagreeing with me again." Nemir paused, lifted up his hand, and gasped as it phased in and out like a flashing, flickering light. "My hand!" Jumping from the bed, Nemir's eyes fell back to his hands as they continued to flicker back and forth, and he bit his lip. "Did I perish in battle again? Well, that would explain the out of body sensation."</p><p>Another soft, kind of hoarse groan came, and all eyes turned to the other person as they finally pulled themselves up and rubbed their head. They sat upright at last, and their eyes drifted open to reveal a warm brown color.</p><p>"Where, where am I?" the other person asked before their eyes drifted down to their hands. "Did, did I die? All I remember was—" the person's eyes snapped open wide. "Wait, Arkus! We, we were fighting Arkilles, and then the fist, and the explosion, and—"</p><p>"That's right, 'Enehana!" Nemir cried as his eyes turned to Ninjini. "What happened, Ninjini? Did, did we defeat him?"</p><p>'Enehana janked their head left and right. "And for that matter, where are we, and where are our bodies? How long were we unconscious?" 'Enehana's eyes drifted towards Spyro, who forced a grin and waved. "Who's that dragon? Are they from one of the other strongholds?" 'Enehana rubbed their chin. "I don't believe I've ever seen them before."</p><p>"You haven't," Spyro chimed in as he raised a claw, "and as for your other questions, the answers to those would be, er, well…"</p><p>Spyro turned his gaze to Ninjini as he scratched behind his horns. Ninjini just hissed between clenched teeth, and forced a smile as she planted her hands together.</p><p>"It's a very, very long story," Ninjini said, "but Arkilles is indeed dead, you did indeed die as well, the Arkeyan Empire is no more, and er, about your bodies, well, we don't know…" Ninjini hissed again and brought her hands to her lips. "Because it's been ten thousand years."</p><p>"Ten thousand years!" Nemir and 'Enehana cried as they glanced back at each other, and then at Spyro and Ninjini.</p><p>"You, you have to be joking, right?" Nemir asked, his voice straining some. "There, there can't possibly have been such a passage of time!"</p><p>'Enehana nodded furiously and went to add, but a sudden grunt came from both them and Nemir. They collapsed on the bed and shuddered. Both their bodies flickered as sweat crawled down their skin, and their pendants' lights faded in and out as it forced itself to sparkle!</p><p>"Their magic, it must be fading!" Ninjini cried as she shot bursts of magic with a swipe of her hand. "Quick, into the pendants, now!"</p><p>The purple bursts leaped into the pendants without a moment of hesitation, and both Nemir and 'Enehana's light stabilized as they panted shallow breaths. Glows of purple enveloped their bodies as they released the death grip they both held on the covers, and 'Enehana drifted back to their bed while Nemir slunk back into his. Two pairs of groans came as 'Enehana rolled around in bed, but Nemir propped himself up and moaned as he wiped the sweat from his brow.</p><p>"You also lost an extraordinary amount of magic while dormant, too," Ninjini said. Her voice turned concerned as she uncorked a nearby bottle, and sent more swirls of magic floating towards them. "So just take it easy for now, alright? When you've rested up, we'll tell you everything you want to know."</p><p>Nemir winced, but gave a little nod nonetheless as he dove further into his covers. He took off his crown, rested it on the bedside stand momentarily, and buried himself in the blanket's thick cloth. Beside him, 'Enehana's tossing and turning finally settled. They themself laid in bed, almost dwarfed by their own covers and blankets as soft snoring echoed around.</p><p>The chaos settled, now replaced by only quiet snoring and breaths, yet Spyro and Ninjini couldn't rest. The two of them glanced over at Nemir and 'Enehana one last time, and stuck still as if they were preparing for another sudden loss of magic or spasm. When they met with nothing but sleeping souls, the two of them nodded and trailed over to the makeshift infirmary's door. The door stretched and expanded as Ninjini left, and Spyro turned to blow out the candle before trailing out behind her.</p><p>The door shut right behind him as it fell back to its normal height and size, and Spyro sighed as he wiped his forehead with his wing.</p><p>"So, how're those weird ghost dudes?"</p><p>Spyro perked a brow, and lifted his head to find Flynn standing before him with crossed arms. Flynn's own trademark smirk wiped away for what almost seemed like a look of concern.</p><p>"Shouldn't you be piloting the ship?" Spyro asked.</p><p>Flynn smirked a little and waved his hand. "Relax, little buddy, I put it on autopilot before I came down," Flynn replied, and his smirk disappeared once more as his arms fell down. "Anyways, what was all the racket about? Kinda sounded like how the bad guys scream in fear when I show up!"</p><p>"They're fine now," Ninjini cut in, leaning down to meet Flynn right as Spyro opened his mouth. "They're still a bit shaky from having lost so much magic, but they're been settling in with help from those supplements Spyro and I made. They just need some rest now."</p><p>"Righty-o, glad to hear it!" Flynn gave a thumbs up and lowered it. "So, who are they, anyways?"</p><p>"Our old portal masters, from all the way back then…" Ninjini bit her lip as she gazed back at the door. "It's a miracle in itself that they're still alive." Ninjini clasped her hands, and winced as she pushed herself towards Flynn. "Anyways, we'd better move this conversation upstairs. Don't want to disturb them and all."</p><p>Flynn, Spyro, and Ninjini all trailed down the empty halls. They seemed even bigger and lonelier than usual with only the three of them, or maybe that was just the impression they gave from having expanded to accommodate Ninjini's size. Spyro's claws clacking against the floor, and the faint sounds of creaking metal that whooshed and called like wandering ghosts echoed from the halls as the beginning drew closer. They reached the hallway door at last, and with one push of the door from Ninjini, amber sunlight and the sound of idle chatter and laughter poured in from the open passage like a beacon beckoning for entrance.</p><p>"So, Flynn, how long until we reach Troll Home Security?" Spyro asked as he hopped through the door and onto the deck.</p><p>"Ah, shouldn't be long now, I think," Flynn remarked as he hopped up beside Spyro. His brows jumped up a bit as he rushed up to the pilot's chambers. "Actually, speaking of that, better check the autopilot and make sure it didn't get messed up again!"</p><p>Spyro sighed and shook his head as sparkly purple smoke filtered around him. It almost sent him into a sneezing fit before it quickly passed right in tandem with Ninjini floating off.</p><p>Ninjini moved over to where Bouncer, Crusher, and Hot Head sat at the end of the docks. Their three faces stood somber, and their hands clenched in tense anticipation of the news. Conversely, Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf all seemed surprisingly cheery as they chatted with Cali over lunch picked up on the way despite their unexpected guests.</p><p>Spyro entertained none of it, and instead dragged himself to the side of the deck. He peered over the railing towards the infinite mass of clouds and afternoon sky that passed the Dread-Yacht by. His eyes drifted over a cloud with a vague resemblance to a bee, and he chuckled as his wings drooped and folded against his back.</p><p>"Heh, that kinda looks like a bee," Spyro remarked. "I bet Chi would've picked that out."</p><p>That's right, she would have. If she were here, Spyro was sure she'd be idly leaning against the railing, picking out all the shapes in the clouds, or counting them until they finally grew too numerous to count or something like that. Cynder might tell her then to be quiet so she could get some peace, or Whirlwind would show off herself by making shapes in the clouds, and Terrafin and Eruptor would rib with each other behind the scenes. Spyro wasn't quite sure what the other Elder Elementals would've done, or what that strange hermit would've done either, but they would've probably joined in somehow.</p><p>But, she wasn't here—none of them were. Instead, they were off dragon gods know where with the rest of the team, perhaps not even alive at that point! Maybe they fell into the abyss of Skylands' infinite stratosphere, or got seriously injured from their fall and succumbed to their wounds, or got attacked by raging beasts when they couldn't even fight back…</p><p>Spyro's scales trembled; he gulped down his fears—or at least tried to, what with them still nagging at the back of his mind. It was already bad enough that they ran into such a massive complication on such a serious mission, but to carry on with his friends' fates completely unknown, his <em>partner's </em>fate completely lost to him, when it should have been <em>him</em> in that situation that she was in now! That shaking feeling rumbled in Spyro's scales, and he gulped again as he tried to clear his mind. No, he couldn't get worried. He had to hope that they'd be alright! They were all experienced, and he was sure they could handle themselves in a situation like this. He was sure they were alive somehow, and hopefully traveling to meet them all. At least, assuming his message reached them.</p><p>Spyro bit his lip, and a cold, wet chill shot down his spine. His eyes popped wide as a familiar chuckle came from behind him, but Spyro smiled and let his shoulders down the moment he turned around and found Gill Grunt smiling back at him. Gill Grunt took a seat beside him and leaned back as his eyes passed from cloud to cloud, and Spyro's wings started to relax as he did the same.</p><p>"Do you think they're going to meet us, Gill?" Spyro asked at last.</p><p>Gill Grunt chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure they will, Spy," he replied as the sun shone a bit brighter. "They always do."</p><p align="center">§</p><p>The air outside was cold and dry as the Machine Ghost piloted his robot body through the thinning skies of the area, passing by the occasionally tuft of mountaintop snow or wispy clouds. Though Glacier Gully long since left them by, the area was still freezing cold. The thick layers of snow that surrounded the mountains and islands below, and the thin layers of frost that formed on the body's metal were evidence enough of this, and the cold, crisp scent of winter air lingered still to further it. The faint caw of vultures sounded as the robot dove down, but it turned to alarmed squawks and the flapping of frantic wings as his boosters fired up and zipped forward! The robot's eyes flashed yellow as he sped ahead, tore through clouds at a breakneck pace that heated the air around, and melted parts of the snow!</p><p>Inside, the Machine Ghost hummed a tune as he flipped a few switches. A map popped up before him, and it displayed a bright blue diagram of the path ahead with a small, flashing red dot that inched forward with every mile they crossed.</p><p>"Good news, everyone!" he shouted, almost straining as he raised his voice. "We hopefully shouldn't be far from our target destination. In fact, we should be there within the next half-hour!"</p><p>But from the center where everyone laid, Chihiro only gave him a quick thumbs up. Her eyes stayed glued to the deck of magical cards she held in hand! Around her, Luz, Swarm and Ermit all clutched decks of cards made with magic tight to their chests. Eyes glazed from opponent to opponent with lightning flashing so strong within them that it practically leaped out and zapped those around! Luz hummed beside Chihiro as he shifted through his cards, but finally he leaned in next to Chihiro.</p><p>"So, what am I supposed to do with these things, again?" Luz asked, wiggling his fingers over his playing cards.</p><p>"It's simple, really!" Chihiro beamed back at Luz, laid her cards face-down in her lap, and held out her now free hand. "See, all you have to do is ask someone if they have any cards that match yours, and if they don't, you pick up a card! Like this!"</p><p>Chihiro cleared her throat and turned her eyes towards Ermit. "Got any queens, Ermit?"</p><p>Ermit hummed as he glazed over his cards, and shook his head, his ears flopping in his face. "Gotta go fish, portal master."</p><p>Chihiro leaned up to Luz's ear. "That means I have to draw a card," she explained. Chihiro pulled a card from the stack and tucked it into her deck. "It's simple, really!"</p><p>"Modern games truly are a marvel," Luz nodded sagely as he glimpsed his own deck.</p><p>"Yeah, we never had anything like this back in our time," Swarm remarked as he fanned himself with his cards, "'cause if we did, hanging out at home base would've been a lot less boring! You guys are lucky!"</p><p>Ermit scoffed. "If anything, I'd say you're the lucky ones! Back in your day, you didn't have to deal with door-to-door salesmen and noisy neighbors and obnoxious clouds!"</p><p>"Oh no, we had those too! We had all these people trying to sell us fancy doors, but I'm pretty sure they were Arkeyan spies, looking back."</p><p>"Not door salesman, door to door! Like those obnoxious pests that go around pestering you to buy their latest potions, and spellbooks, and other dribble…"</p><p>Chihiro chuckled, shook her head as Ermit rambled to Swarm, who drooped his antennae in confusion, but the feeling of someone looming over her shoulder left her shuddering! Chihiro huffed, tossed out her free hand, and crafted a solid shield of magic that blocked off Luz's view from her as she clutched her deck close to her chest. Her brows clenched, and she stuck out her tongue even though Luz couldn't see her from behind the thick, bright light of the shield.</p><p>"And no peeking!" she scolded.</p><p>Luz chuckled from behind the screen. "Do you really think a little thing like that's gonna stop me?" Luz asked, snapping his fingers as he spoke. "In that case, I've got a little surprise for you!"</p><p>The shield flashed, growing in brightness before Chihiro's widening eyes. With one last flash, it turned completely clear, a perfect mirror that reflected Chihiro's face—but not just hers either! Luz stared her back down from the other side of the shield. Luz waved back, and Chihiro gasped. Her free hand reached out and brushed her fingers against the side of the shield, but she quickly drew it back.</p><p>"How did you do that?" Chihiro asked. "Did you study the Magic Element too?"</p><p>"Nope!" Luz leaned back and beamed wider as he crossed his legs and slapped his hands on them. "Light through and through!" Luz smiled and waved his own free hand. Before him, the shield turned to solid light, and then clear, and back again. "See, all I did was mess with the light particles inside the magic itself—smear 'em around a little, and it turns a glow completely clear! It's a simple trick, really."</p><p>"That's amazing! I never thought you could do that!" Chihiro grinned, and her cards now laid on her lap once more as she scratched her head. "Guess I still have a lot to learn!"</p><p>"Indeed you do! There's lots of fun things you can do with magic… And lots of little tricks you can do, too!" With another snap, the shield turned clear and Luz raised a brow. "Speaking of tricks, got any fives?"</p><p>A soft, shocked noise came from Chihiro. She peered down at her deck, where a five of hearts rested amid her other cards, back at Luz, back to her cards, and she grunted as she scooped up her deck. "Hey, that's cheating!" Chihiro shouted, though the smile on her face hardly faded.</p><p>"I call it taking advantage of an opportunity," Luz remarked as he yanked the card from Chihiro's deck and chuckled.</p><p>Chihiro chuckled back with him, and their shared laughter bubbled louder, happier, till they both laughed so hard their guts started to ache! Chihiro's cackling continued as she held her sigh, but the slight cough that came from aside of the room stilled her laughter. She hoisted herself up, and her eyes turned to the other side of the room. There, Vatra stood amid the rest of the ancient Portal Masters' ranks with his back to the wall and arms crossed.</p><p>"Something bothering you?" Chihiro asked as she raised a brow towards Vatra.</p><p>Though she hadn't given a name, Vatra immediately nodded. "Yes, actually," he said. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you about…"</p><p>Chihiro nodded, a silent prompt for him to continue.</p><p>"So, this Kaos person you were talking about, you said he's a free magician who uses his powers for evil, correct?" Vatra asked, belting out his question without hesitation. "What exactly is he like? Are we looking at a serious threat, or just some local menace with an inflated ego?"</p><p>"Oh, he's the worst! Not only is he dead-set on becoming the evil emperor of all Skylands, he's got an ego the size of the Jupiter and he's stubborn as a bull!" Chihiro scratched the back of her head. With a scoff, she added, "he was a real pain in the butt, too! Destroyed the Core of Light, scattered the Skylanders all the way to where I'm from, conquered most of Skylands in the blink of an eye… Sure was a pain stopping him."</p><p>"He destroyed the Core of Light? And you say he already has an Arkeyan robot and an army on the rise?" Vatra's eyes fluttered, and his scowl grew deeper as he pounded a fist against the wall—though being a ghost, his arm just phased right through instead. "Then what are we dawdling around for? We have to hurry up and get to his base of operations before he tries anything!"</p><p>Chihiro winced, drew back and sweated a bit as Vatra's eyes burned like fires. Beside her, Luz gulped as well.</p><p>"Well, there's not much we really can do right now," Chihiro explained. "There's a really intense security system protecting his place, and until we can take it down—"</p><p>"Excuses, excuses! If he's a free magician, him having the powers he does puts Skylands in an immense amount of danger, even more so with an Arkeyan! All those robots, they have entire databanks of every Arkeyan stronghold in their systems! He could locate all the Arkeyans he wanted with it, hell, he could even reach Arkus! Can't we just send another team to deal with this security system and take him ourselves?"</p><p>Chihiro gulped and tugged on her collar. "That's the thing, we're already short staffed! We need to regroup with the rest of our team, and even with their numbers those security systems will probably be a huge pain! It's better to get the security out of the way, or—"</p><p>"So you came understaffed?" Vatra gritted his teeth, crossed his arms once more, and squeezed his forearms so hard it wrinkled the cloth beneath his fingers. "What kind of foolhardiness is that? You see someone who's conquered Skylands before, would likely do so again, and even has Arkeyan forces at his disposal, and your first response is to go completely understaffed?"</p><p>Sweat crept further down Chihiro's back, and grew more numerous as she gulped and backed further away from Vatra's view. Her back climbed against the wall as she sputtered. "But, well, when the reports came in they said he barely had an army, so we figured—"</p><p>"You <em>figured</em>? How could you have known that he didn't just make himself seem weaker to trick you into a false sense of security, make you think he's weak so he can wipe you out when you actually arrived? Only a child would think that was completely in earnest!"</p><p>Ermit's ears lowered. "Actually, I—" he started, raising his hand before lowering it as a few flames burst from Vatra.</p><p>Vatra pulled himself from the wall, and stormed over to where Chihiro sat while the flames burst from his feet. Chihiro's hands trembled underneath his looming height, and the cards in her hands completely vanished as Vatra stood over her. His arms crossed and brows scrunched as his eyes burned with those fires, fires that left her whimpering.</p><p>"Don't panic! You knew you were walking directly into a trap, didn't you?" Vatra shouted.</p><p>"Hey, Vats, calm down! You're literally burning up!" Luz cried as he pointed to where flames burst from Vatra's legs.</p><p>"Yeah, buddy, calm down!" Swarm added, leaning down to face Vatra. "Listen, I was there when all this happened, I can tell you—"</p><p>"Silence, both of you!" Vatra cried, tossing out flames with a flick of his arms that sent Luz and Swarm scurrying back. His eyes fixed on Chihiro, who still trembled and sweat before him, and his scowl twitched. "A child your age shouldn't be in charge of protecting Skylands! You should be in school, studying, worrying about other things while those with actual experience handle this! This mess wouldn't have happened if someone more experienced had taken control of things!"</p><p>"But, I—" Chihiro whimpered. She clasped her hands and wrung them as she trembled.</p><p>"Tell me this, then, before you interrupt—if you stopped him, how was it that he came back? Don't tell me you just locked him in a cage and called it a day!"</p><p>"No, we banished him as far as we could!"</p><p>"Then how did he come back?"</p><p>Chihiro gulped, and her face started to pale.</p><p>"Ah, that guilty look." Vatra frowned. The flames in his eyes turned harsher and with a stern look, the kind of stern, worried look a teacher or a parent would give to a guilty child. "I'd seen that in my students plenty of times—surely, it's all your fault that this happened, correct?"</p><p>"But, but, I tried to stop him, I really did, but—" Chihiro pleaded, and tears rolled down her face without her even realizing.</p><p>"But you didn't! Excuses won't make up for the fact that he's running rampant because of your failure!" Vatra thrust a finger just inches from Chihiro's face, and his scowl grew deeper once more despite her trembling and whimpering. "I can't imagine what must've been going through the mind of whoever mentored you, shouldering someone so young with so much responsibility—"</p><p>Vatra cried out in shock as a burst of black lightning exploded, and it sent sparks from the flames that grew beneath Vatra's feet! The flames extinguished as he sat down and rubbed away the sparks on his heels, and a chill ran down his spine. Vatra turned around, and Cynder rose from the shadows before him, positioning herself right between Chihiro and Vatra. A cold look sharp as icicles shone in her eyes, and even Vatra, with all his cold stubbornness, flinched as he backed away.</p><p>"Buddy, I don't care if you're some ancient guy from thousands of years ago with all the experience in the world. <em>Nobody</em> talks to our portal master like that," Cynder hissed.</p><p>Vatra gulped, sweat now dripping from his forehead as he backed away. "But—"</p><p>"Cynder's right," Whirlwind added as she flew down beside him and scowled. "If you'd had actually listened to Chihiro, she would've told you that Kaos is still largely rebuilding his armies and resources aside of this security system. Getting this out of the way will leave him largely vulnerable. It'd be stupid to tackle him head on and waste our energy!"</p><p>Vatra scowled, and the flames started to burst from his gritting teeth. "But, I'm telling you—"</p><p>"And need I remind you," Terrafin added, cracking his knuckles as he lifted his head and shot a glare at Vatra, "the only reason you're standing here is because of our kid finding your stupid wheel on this 'easily-avoided' mission!"</p><p>Eruptor firmly nodded with a frown of his own, and the very sight sent the tips of Vatra's fingers alight! He snarled, but quickly shook his head and turned to Tree Rex. His eyes burned further as Tree Rex peered down from where he sat with Eye-Brawl and Thumpback, and Tree Rex himself gulped a bit.</p><p>"Tree Rex, you agree with me, right?" Vatra spat. "Surely, you think this child's completely unprepared for this sort of responsibility, correct?"</p><p>Tree Rex frowned. He clasped his hands and opening them as he gulped—but Vatra just smirked and turned back to the group.</p><p>"See, Tree Rex agrees with me—"</p><p>"Actually, Vatra, I'm with the little guys," Tree Rex said.</p><p>Vatra's eyes popped open, and his arms fell as he turned to Tree Rex. "I'm sorry, what was that? Did you just say that you agree with them?"</p><p>"If not for Chihiro here, we wouldn't even be back in Skylands in the first place. She came to our rescue when we were stuck on her home planet!" Tree Rex held out a hand. "Not to mention—"</p><p>"Not to mention what?" Vatra seethed. Steam burst from his ears and poured from the spaces in his clenched fists. "Bringing you back to this time may be one thing, but she still—"</p><p>"Stand down, Vatra," Sihiri commanded, her normally calm and pleasant voice with a more serious tone to it than normal. "We don't exactly have the full story here, nor are we inhabitants of this time. Let's just leave this to the ones from this time."</p><p>Vatra grunted, almost about to say something, but he shut his mouth and shuffled over to a rare uninhabited corner of the small, cramped space they all shared. He leaned in the dark parts of the corner and groaned. He mumbled something to himself as sparks and embers burst from his hair, but finally he sighed and turned around as he patted them out.</p><p>Behind him, Sihiri frowned and held a hand to her face. She, Inochi and Dej just trailed back to where Tree Rex sat, and instead embarked on a conversation about the wonders of the modern Skylands as the lights shone above them.</p><p>Chihiro curled up into a ball and caught a glimpse of them, but as her eyes laid on Vatra, she quickly turned away before he could glance back at her. She pressed her legs to her chest as she strung her arms across them. One hand lifted her pendant by the finger as she twirled it around, and she occasionally caught glimpses of herself in its sparkly, druzy surface. She whimpered a bit as the reflections popped up and faded with single flashes, but as the latest one popped up, Cynder appeared beside it! Chihiro yelped at the sight. She pulled her finger from the string as she pressed against the warm metal walls of the robot's inside, but breathed a sigh of relief when she turned and found Cynder beside her.</p><p>"Don't let that guy get to you, alright?" Cynder said, curling her tail around her legs and snarling. "He didn't know what he was even talking about. Guy hasn't been here for more than a day, and he's already acting like he should run the show!" Cynder scoffed, and a puff of lightning escaped her as her wings flared and folded. "Can't stand those types."</p><p>Chihiro hummed, lifted up her pendant, and sighed as she turned it around, her reflection shining back at her once more.</p><p>"Well, he did kind of have a point," Chihiro admitted as she pulled her crystal closer to her face. "If I stopped Kaos back then, or even before that, we wouldn't be in this whole mess." Chihiro's lips began to tremble, but she quickly shook her head and squeezed her pendant. "But, what's done is done. I'm just gonna have to work twice, no, three times as hard to stop him, and that means blowing up that security system, finding the others, and storming his place!"</p><p>Cynder raised a brow, and Chihiro raised her own at the sight of it. "But don't worry, I'm not gonna let him get to me." Chihiro beamed. "I know you all believe in me, and that's all I need."</p><p>Cynder scoffed and smiled back as she stretched out her wings. "Just don't get carried away, alright? You don't need to prove yourself. We already know how hard you've been working."</p><p>A few dings came from an overhead intercom system, and turned the crowd's head up to the ceiling. Though really, their attention should have directed towards the Machine Ghost, who coughed as he held a speaker up to his lips.</p><p>"Attention all passengers," the Machine Ghost said, his normally quiet and whisper-like voice amplified to a normal volume by the intercom speakers. "We should be arriving at Troll Home Security soon. Please stand by while we look for a parking location."</p><p>Everyone leaped from their seats at the very notion of those words, and crowded around the pilot's seat. Their eyes set on the windows as they stormed by the masses of thick clouds and islands of varying sizes that dotted the sky to a small string of islands! The first half of the islands were entirely organic; a mass of rocks covered in grass, flowers, and cliffs with only a handful of stone walls and bridges dotting the area…</p><p>But once it stretched past that, the grass made way for sleek blue tiles and steel walls! They were all topped with castles, gizmos, and all sorts of other contraptions: guns shooting lasers into the skies, robotic arms tossing rocks into the great orange yonder, and even spiraling beacons that spun in place as electricity and magic bursts from the orbs on their tops! Thunder cracked and rumbled from the castles' tips, and the air marked with the pungent scent of oil and grease rather than the crystal-clear airs of before.</p><p>Oohs and aahs came from the crowd as they choked closer in to get a better look. They nearly crushed out the Machine Ghost as he scrambled for the panel and attempted to steer. Their gasps only grew louder as they drove by one beacon, and it nearly zapped them with a huge bolt of lightning! The Machine Ghost quickly swerved under before the electricity could strike, but the swerve came so quickly that the others all collapsed on each other!</p><p>Their noises of excitement turned to groans, but the Machine Ghost chuckled as he swerved in. He docked at a string of wooden docks, and smashed several of them in the process.</p><p>"Oops," was all the Machine Ghost said.</p><p>Steam poured from the back of the chamber as the door opened, and the gangplank spewed out. The light poured out, and everyone scrambled to their feet, all feeding out of the robot in one big crowd. Tree Rex led them out first, followed by the ancient portal masters and Swarm; Thumpback and Eye-Brawl went out with Terrafin, Eruptor, Cynder and Whirlwind. Chihiro sprung to her feet and trailed after them as they all left, gripping her sleeve slightly.</p><p>Had her message arrived? Would the others really meet them there? Had they even gotten there in the first place? Were they running late, or perhaps... No, she couldn't think of <em>that </em>right now. She was sure they were all safe, but the sight of the open door and all the possibilities that awaited tied her stomach in knots. She turned her glance back to the Machine Ghost and Ermit as they stayed in place.</p><p>"We'll keep watch here!" the Machine Ghost cried.</p><p>Chihiro grunted, wiped off her sleeves, and hummed as she left the robot with hands planted on her hips. Behind her, the robot hissed as its body drew back closed with a snail's pace, but the sound hardly registered as she stepped out and joined the rest of the group where they stood on the earth.</p><p>"Doesn't seem like anyone else's here," she remarked. A bit of disappointment seeped in her voice as she scanned over the rest of the docks, which were all void of any sort of vehicle. "Strange, wouldn't there be at least a few employees or somethin'?"</p><p>Luz frowned as he walked beside her. He summoned a telescope with a wave of his hands, and stretched it out.</p><p>"Lemme see," Luz remarked, sticking his tongue out as he craned his head. He hummed a little more as he swerved it from left to right, but finally pointed it out towards a lone corner of the docks. "Hey, I think I see a ship over there, and a pretty big one, too!"</p><p>"Wait, you do?" Chihiro cried.</p><p>Her eyes practically leaped out of her head; with a few taps of her heels, wings formed on her sneakers and she was off like a rocket! Rushing past dock after empty dock, the faint notion of a giant ship parked near the end of the ship grew closer and closer, and Chihiro skipped and leaped at the growing sight!</p><p>"That's gotta be—"</p><p>Chihiro skidded to a stop, turned around to the ship… And her face immediately fell.</p><p>"Them?"</p><p>Well, there <em>was</em> a ship there, but it was nothing like the Dread-Yacht. No, it was a polished ship colored in shades of green and orange with troll faces painted on the sides. Out from it came two green-skinned troll women in mechanic's clothing that helped a few Mabu down from the ship and onto the docks. Wait a second…</p><p>"Dyna, Boomette?" Chihiro cried as she skipped ahead. "The Mabu Defense Force, too! What are you doing here?"</p><p>The first of the troll women, the one with a more wrinkled face and slick black hair tied in a short ponytail, frowned and pulled away with a grunt. She locked eyes on Chihiro, and a grin spread across her warty face!</p><p>"If it isn't the portal master!" she shouted as she leaped from the side of the ship and onto the docks. "Never expected to see a friendly face in these parts!"</p><p>"I could say the same!" Chihiro remarked, forcing a smile as she shoved her hands in her pockets. "I never expected to see you out here!"</p><p>"Is it them, Chi?" Eruptor called from a distance as he ran up with the rest of the team in tow. "Is it" — Eruptor skidded to a stop, and the others stopped in turn — "oh!"</p><p>Dyna raised a brow. Behind her, a slightly younger troll with her hair in twintails skipped up and paused to brush the dirt from her overalls. That other troll had to be Boomette, though she seemed a bit heavier in her step than before, almost like something egged at her mind.</p><p>"So, what're you all doing out this far anyways?" Boomette asked. "This isn't exactly a tourist destination or anything." She raised a brow. "Wait, don't tell me you're on a mission!"</p><p>"You bet'cha." Chihiro nodded a bit solemnly. "See, there's been word that Kaos's back and rebuilding his armies, so we came out to find his base. But, apparently it's guarded by stuff from this place…"</p><p>"That's a surprise," Dyna remarked as she wiped her own hands. "This place went out of business ages ago after all their customers died in the East-Western Regal Wars, and Boomette suggested coming here and salvaging the stuff for reuse. After all, they had some of the finest security tech there was." Dyna smiled. "But, I'm sure we can lend you all a helping hand, too."</p><p>"You can? That's great!" Chihiro grinned and bowed slightly. "Thanks for the help!" Popping open an eye, Chihiro lifted herself up. "so, where do we start?"</p><p>Boomette smiled, and she turned back and waved with a twirl. "Syracuse, darling, it's your time to shine!"</p><p>Out from the ship's quarters popped a troll with orange skin and a short buzz cut dressed in more worn mechanic's clothes covered by a coat. She stumbled out, and mumbled something to herself as she hopped over the side of the boat. Her hands shoved in her pockets as she moved up to the rest of the group, and she pulled a device from those pockets before handing it off.</p><p>"What'cha need, dear?" Syracuse remarked. Her eyes not once peeled from Boomette as she typed before a red flash and a beep from the device turned them back anyways.</p><p>Boomette chuckled and skipped ahead. "Hypothetically speaking, if someone had a security system powered by something here, where would it—"</p><p>A loud beep came from above, one so shrill that it sent everyone doubling down and shielding their ears as it wailed. As the beep cried out, sirens burst from the area and flashed red! Patches of the grass and dirt unfolded to pull out weapons of all kinds: laser guns and cannons, mechanical arms and rocket launchers, and even a few chompy blasters poked out from the earth—and the whole group was their target!</p><p>"Wait, how did we start the security?" Dyna cried, turning to Syracuse. "Syracuse, I thought you were disabling it!"</p><p>Syracuse hissed. Her eyes trailed down to the device in her hands, and then to Boomette. "Well, I, er…" Syracuse's ears flopped down, and a warm blush crossed her face. "I got a little distracted."</p><p>Boomette squealed as she rushed and hid behind Syracuse, and the beeping only grew louder as joined with the sound of weapons charging! The two of them winced, and peered up as Dyna raced in front of them and readied a laser gun.</p><p>"We'll talk about this later!" Dyna cried as she held her laser gun up. She sweated as her own tiny weapon met with the vast array of weaponry before her. "For now—"</p><p>The sound of rockets and guns firing drowned out Dyna as the weapons shot as one collective! All of them rocketed straight for Dyna at the head of the group as her eyes grew wider…</p><p>But the sound of magic flashing hit the air as Chihiro slid in front of Dyna and crafted a shield! The weapons all exploded against the shield, shattered it and sent Chihiro rolling back. Chihiro jumped back up and raced forward, crafting another shield as the weapons fired their second round! Chihiro grunted, shut an eye as the weapons exploded and cracked her shield, but planted her hands on it and sealed the cracks right in time for the third assault to crack it again!</p><p>Veins of cyan flashed on Chihiro's face and hands as she resealed the cracks. The smoke, fire, and ear-shattering explosions seemingly became white noise as she held up the shield with all she could. Her hands and legs trembled furiously as she kept the shield tall, but with one last blast, it shattered so furiously that it blew Chihiro into the crowds! She grunted as Tree Rex swept in and snatched her up, turned around in his palm, and shuddered as the light from her veins faded. The weapons charged up faster than ever as everyone grimaced and knelt down, readying weapons and attacks of their own.</p><p>Just before they struck, a massive blow of fire hit the enemy weaponry, and it all exploded in a plume of flame and burnt bits of metal! The smaller members of the team grunted and dug their heels in as they slid backwards, and all eyes turned to the skies as the shadow of a large ship passed over them.</p><p>"Wait a second…" Tree Rex gasped.</p><p>Below him, Chihiro moaned, pulled herself up, and beamed as she sprung to her feet.</p><p>"It's them! It's the Dread-Yacht!"</p><p>Sure enough, there in the skies was the Dread-Yacht! Granted, it was much more polished compared to the last time they'd seen it, all shiny metal and fancy decor, but it was back!</p><p>With one last swoop, the Dread-Yacht began to dock…</p><p>And as it did, a burst of purple leaped from the deck and slammed right into the crowds! It nearly knocked a few beings off the ground as it sniped Chihiro right out of Tree Rex's hand, and into the grass! A pair of soft grunts came as Chihiro hit the ground, and the blur finally revealed itself to be Spyro with tears of joy in his eyes as he clutched Chihiro so tight.</p><p>"Chihiro!" Spyro cried, practically digging his claws into her clothes as he buried his head into her shoulder. "It's really you!"</p><p>"Spyro!" Chihiro cried. Tears of joy formed in her own eyes as she hugged him tight, and her own head nuzzled against his neck. "You're back!"</p><p>"You bet!" Spyro nodded, sniffed a bit as he wiped the tears from his eyes with his wings, and nuzzled her again. "It feels good to hold you again." Spyro wrapped his wings around Chihiro. "I'm so, so, glad you're alright."</p><p>Chihiro chuckled and hugged him back. "I knew you were gonna come back. You always do." Squeezing him tighter, a few small tears streaked down Chihiro's cheek and hit the earth. "Strange, I almost don't wanna let go," Chihiro sniffed, her voice starting to crack as she buried her face in his shoulder again.</p><p>Maybe the days she spent separated from him made her more sappy or something without even realizing, but she missed being able to hold him like this. She missed being able to have his warm, cozy scales close in her grip and his wings wrapped around her. Something about it made her wanna cry! In fact, something warm and wet dripped down her face; it landed on Spyro's paws, and prompted him to look right back up.</p><p>"Chi, what's wrong?" Spyro asked, wiping away her tears.</p><p>Chihiro let out a few strained giggles, and cuddled him tighter. "I, I'm fine, it's just…" Another sniffle slipped out, and Chihiro cuddled closer in. "I never realized how much I missed you until I saw you again."</p><p>Spyro stuck out his tongue, but quickly rescinded it as Chihiro thrust forward and squeezed him the tightest she could! Finally at a loss for words, Chihiro practically buried herself in Spyro's grip—head in his chest, arms wrapped tight around his back—and hugged him so tight, as if he'd disappear the moment she let go! Thick, blubbering sobs rattled from her as streams of tears poured down her face, diverted onto his scales and her clothes, and drenched them as inelegant sniffling and sobbing continued. Her face started to turn red, yet Spyro clutched her tighter as his own scales started to warm and tears of his own fell.</p><p>"It's okay, Chi, it's okay," Spyro whispered, his wings stroking against her back. "I'm back now, we're back together. It's gonna be okay."</p><p>With one last sniff, Chihiro pulled away from Spyro and smiled as she wiped her tears away. Though her other hand still clutched Spyro's paw tight, and her eyes were still a bit red and puffy, she still smiled and stood for the rest of the team.</p><p>"My, my," Boomette remarked with a shake her head, "you two are quite the item, aren't you?"</p><p>Hearing this, both Spyro and Chihiro's faces turned hot. They both turned to each other and sputtered as they scratched their heads.</p><p>"Well, er, I mean," Chihiro mumbled, her gaze turning aside.</p><p>"I, well, we, we're," Spyro mumbled before his eyes turned to the Dread-Yacht in quick shock and he forced a smile. "Oh look, there's everyone else!"</p><p>At this, all eyes turned to where the Dread-Yacht parked beside Dyna and Boomette's own ship. Its gangplank stretched out and unloaded the passengers, as well as two other ghosts who wore wheel pendants colored in orange and silver!</p><p>"Wait, could that be?" Vatra gasped as he turned around.</p><p>Sihiri blinked once, twice as she stepped back, and finally, she beamed as she rushed forward.</p><p>"'Enehana, Nemir!" she cried as she launched herself towards them. "You're here!"</p><p>'Enehana and Nemir both blinked, grunted as they turned around, and smiled.</p><p>"Sihiri!" 'Enehana called as they raced up, and peered over Sihiri's shoulder to find the rest of the ancient portal masters standing behind her. "And the others, too! You're all here!"</p><p>Nemir chuckled, the bags under his eyes seemingly growing a little lighter at the sight. "I never would have thought…"</p><p>The other ancient Portal Masters chattered and shouted with glee as they gathered together. Above them, the Elder Elementals cried with delight as the reunion. Bouncer wrapped Tree Rex in a tender kiss as they both embraced each other for the first time in days, and the others got caught up from the sidelines. Even down below, the Skylanders chatted it up with each other and Flynn and Cali.</p><p>Spyro and Chihiro watched with smiles on their faces from the sidelines, but Spyro's eyes popped and he rushed away from Chihiro's side!</p><p>"Actually, we should really save the happy reunions for later!" he cried. "I just remembered—while we were on our way here, we found out something important!"</p><p>"That's right!" Stealth Elf cried, her eyes also going wide as she pulled from the crowds. "Not only has Kaos unearthed a bunch of Arkeyans, but he's planning to go to Arkus too!" Stealth Elf shook her head. "Scratch that, he's already preparing to go there!"</p><p>A few gasps came from parts of the crowd, and Vatra scowled as he turned back to the rest of the ancient portal masters.</p><p>"See, what did I tell you?" he cried. "I knew he'd go right for Arkus!"</p><p>Pushing her way through the crowd, Chihiro ran up right to Dyna, Boomette and Syracuse. "You said you might have a clue where Kaos's security thingie would be, right?" Chihiro asked. "What is it?"</p><p>Syracuse hummed as she reached for the device in her hands, but Dyna yanked it away.</p><p>"I'll handle this, considering what happened when you tried to unlock security," Dyna scoffed before she turned back to Chihiro and held out the device. "Anyways, according to the device, most of the stuff powering the outgoing security" — with a few taps, a diagram of an island covered in guns popped on the screen — "is handled here, and guarded by a pretty thick defense system. However, underground there's a record database of exact locations, sales, all that fun stuff…"</p><p>"Hey, why do you get to do it? Syracuse and I are the ones who discovered all this!" Boomette cried as she yanked the console from Dyna and shoved it back into Syracuse's arms. "Isn't that right, darling?"</p><p>Syracuse chuckled, but this time, her smile felt more forced than anything as she peered down. "So, as Dyna said—" Syracuse started, before she yelped as Dyna snagged the console from her once more.</p><p>"— if you want to find wherever the gun powering Kaos's security is, going underground is your best bet!" Dyna finished, and she shot Boomette the stink eye as she pouted.</p><p>Chihiro nodded, cracked her knuckles and beamed. "Alright then!" she shouted, pointing towards the group.</p><p>But before she could speak, Vatra shoved past her and crossed his arms! Chihiro grunted and thrust her sleeve away from his grip—yet for a ghost, it was rock-solid!</p><p>"Hey!" Chihiro shouted as Vatra dragged her towards the rest of the ancient Portal Masters, though Vatra paid her no mind.</p><p>"Seeing as how we have no time to lose, the rest of the free magicians and I will head down and find the location for this shield gun. In the meanwhile, the rest of you, clear the path for us if you will." Vatra swept around, but not before he yanked Chihiro by the sleeve and dragged her back to the docks. "And you, child, will stay on the sidelines, where it's safe."</p><p>"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Spyro hissed as he flew in front of Vatra with eyes burning.</p><p>Vatra quickly gulped and released his grip on Chihiro's sleeve as he backed away from Spyro, and Spyro only huffed.</p><p>"I thought so."</p><p>Floating down to Chihiro's side, Spyro leaned closer to Chihiro and held a paw up to his muzzle. "I dunno who this person is, but if they give you any trouble, just tell me, alright?" Spyro whispered.</p><p>Chihiro smiled and laid a hand on Spyro's shoulder. "Don't worry, I think I can handle him," Chihiro whispered back as she leaned closer to Spyro. "You just worry about getting the defenses taken down, alright? We'll find that shield generator thingie's location!"</p><p>Spyro pulled aside. His eyes lingered on Chihiro for a moment as Vatra shot her a glance and seemed to say something. But then, Vatra reluctantly nodded and left Chihiro's side to join with the others.</p><p>Well, it seemed they'd be fine, so Spyro nodded nonetheless and flew back to the other group. There, everyone else crowded around Dyna and Boomette as the two of them bickered with a whole row of explosives lined up around the tall gates behind them. Spyro himself lingered around the back, and poked his head out as he spectated with a grimace shared by the rest of the crowd.</p><p>"I'm telling you, I can handle it! It's only a few explosives! I couldn't call myself a troll if I couldn't handle that!" Boomette spat, gesturing towards the explosives.</p><p>"It'll be quicker if I just light this and go! Just let me handle this!" Dyna insisted.</p><p>"Girls, girls!" Rizzo cried as he stepped in with both paws held up. "There's no need to bicker! Just let Dyna light the darn things and we'll be on our way…"</p><p>"Actually, why does Dyna get to light them? Boomette was the one who set them up in the first place!" Blobbers cried from the back.</p><p>"Quiet, Blobbers!" Rizzo spat. With a sigh, he turned around and shook his head. "Why's it such a big deal who lights them? All we gotta do is blow this gate to chunks!"</p><p>Spyro groaned and buried his head in his paws as the bickering continued, and everyone not involved covered their ears or exchanged awkward glances.</p><p>"Something tells me this is not going to go smoothly…" Spyro groaned.</p><p>Lifting his head up, Spyro fell down to his paws as Syracuse and Cali pushed through the crowds before him. They lit the dynamite at the gate, and everyone else scrambled back and plugged their ears as the fires trailed along the fuses. A few eyes popped open to catch a glimpse at the display, but then immediately shut as a large explosion blanketed the area ahead!</p><p>Smoke and embers filtered through the air as the gates blew wide open, their stone and metal twisted by the fires and left to burn on the front lawn. Thick, black smoke and the scent of burning metal—all smoky, charred, and sickening—filtered through the air. The clouds spiraled towards the air, and choked out parts of the sky as faint, coughing silhouettes poked their way through the black fog. As the coughing fits cleared, the sounds of beeping took their place as Dyna stepped out of the smog!</p><p>"Alright, we may have busted through the gates," Dyna said, her eyes not moving from the shiny console sitting in her hands, "but that was the easy part."</p><p>Dyna tapped away at the console. A frown found its way on her face as the others crowded around her, and poked their heads over her shoulders and even her own head to snatch a glimpse. With a shine of cyan light, a holographic map of the island burst from the screen of Dyna's console. It earned some oohs and aahs from the Elder Elementals before a tiny red dot popped up with a blip.</p><p>"That's hardly anything!" Rizzo scoffed as he crossed his arms. "We could deal with that in our sleep."</p><p>"Just wait."</p><p>A few more beeps came from the console. Parts of it flashed red as even more red dots burst across the screen, and they chooked out the area ahead with a thick, almost complete layer of red!</p><p>Stumbling back, Rizzo winced and clenched his teeth. "Well, guess I stand corrected."</p><p>"They didn't exactly skimp out on their security, as you can see," Dyna remarked, earning her a few scoffs and a brief mentions of "No kidding" from those around. With a sigh, Dyna brought the map up to the rest of the group as a holograph, its bright red and blue light shining down on them all. "Anyways, we're gonna need a plan."</p><p>"I've got an idea!" Snuckles shouted, raising his hand. "How about we split up into two teams, draw their attention away and beat them separately?"</p><p>Dyna nodded and scratched her head. "That should work. It'd at least be better than taking them all head-on—"</p><p>"Are you sure you're not just suggesting that because you don't want to be around me, though?" Blobbers asked, and shot a glare at Snuckles as he crossed his arms.</p><p>Snuckles winced and held up both hands, backing away as Blobbers glared him down. "I, I didn't mean it like that! I just thought it would be easier than taking them all on at once!"</p><p>"Calm down, Blobbers, Snuckles is right," Dyna intervened, holding out a finger. "If we take all their forces on as one, they'd wipe us out in an instant! It'd be easier if we divided and conquered—"</p><p>"That's what you always say!" Blobbers cried out, Dyna completely ignored as he stormed forward towards a shuddering Snuckles. "But it's always 'Blobbers, do this!' and 'Blobbers do that!' and 'Blobbers, go away!'" Blobbers gritted his teeth, and his eyes turned to Rizzo and Nort behind him. "It's like you never want me around unless I'm doing stuff for you!"</p><p>"Yeah!" Boomette cried as she crossed her own arms. "Give him a break!"</p><p>Rizzo sighed and shook his head. He pinched the bridge of his nose before he stormed up to Blobbers. "Now's not the time, Blobbers! We've got work to do!" Rizzo cried.</p><p>Hearing this, Blobbers' brow twitched and he yanked his head towards Rizzo. "Oh, of course you say that! I never get any respect from you! You make me do all the dirty work, but you're always the first to run off whenever I need help! Some kind of captain you are! Remember when you abandoned me at that carnival?"</p><p>"Show him some respect!" Boomette chimed in.</p><p>"You're still not over that?" Nort cried. "Give the captain a break! We already told you, we were gonna come back for you!"</p><p>"And what's the point of even bringing that up, anyways? We've got work to do!" Dyna added in. "You can settle this after the salvage mission!"</p><p>A few gritted teeth and glares cast amid the group, and before everyone knew it, the whole planning session dissolved into arguments! Petty insults and sharp tongues flew across as Dyna, Boomette, and the members of the Mabu Defense Force all broke into verbal war!</p><p>Spyro winced and flew between Boomette and Rizzo as they shouted and spat, tossing insults left and right. "Hey, everyone, calm down! Deep breaths!" Spyro shouted as he pushed the two of them away from each other. "Whatever issues you have, we can sort them out in a bit, but you'll all need to calm down first!"</p><p>However, the two of them just pushed Spyro away! He grunted as he slammed against the ground, shook his head and flew back in as he dragged Rizzo away.</p><p>Beside him, Snuckles whimpered as he stood between Nort and Blobbers, and Syracuse winced as she pinched the bridge of her nose. A soft light's shine turned Syracuse's attention away from the conflict. As she lifted her head up to the higher cliffs above, Syracuse gasped and rushed up to Dyna and Boomette.</p><p>"Might wanna cut the bickering short!" Syracuse cried as she shook Dyna's shoulders. "We've got trouble!"</p><p>Dyna didn't even budge! The most she did was brush away Syracuse, who grunted as she dashed over to Boomette's side and shook her shoulder in tandem.</p><p>"Oh dearest dear, we've got a situation!" Syracuse hissed, her eyes not peeling off of the sight ahead.</p><p>Boomette gritted her teeth, and yanked her head back to Syracuse.</p><p>"Oh, we do, alright!" Boomette cried, earning a perk of the ears from Syracuse that quickly drooped as Boomette went back to glaring at Dyna. "If this idiot doesn't admit when she's wrong!"</p><p>"I'm telling you, you should leave all this to me and go back to the ship! You don't need to come here and push yourself!" Dyna insisted.</p><p>"But Syracuse and I were the ones who found this place in the first place! You wouldn't even know this place existed if not for us!"</p><p>While the two of them bickered, Syracuse gritted her own teeth, and finally shoved herself between them as she pushed them both aside. "Can you two knock it off for five seconds? We've got bigger things to worry about here!"</p><p>Dyna grunted as she hit the ground, dusted herself off and snarled. "Bigger things? Like what?"</p><p>Syracuse gestured to the back of the area, where several security cameras locked onto them as glints of red glistening in their lenses!</p><p>"I don't know, the security cameras, for one!"</p><p>That simple glint of red in the cameras' lenses glowed brighter as the Mabu Defense Force's members broke away from their own arguments. It flashed all around the area, and drowned it in a sea of crimson as sirens wailed! The bright blanket of red shielded the rest of the area from view, and everything laid trapped in a haze. The ground rumbled underneath, rocks and pieces of broken metal bouncing on its surface! A few beings shielded their eyes or bumped into each other, toppled over legs or tripped on their own feet as the rumbling grew unbearable. The sirens' wails joined with beeping, clunking, and churning sounds, and the faint smell of oil rose over the horizon.</p><p>"Intruder alert, intruder alert!" droned an entire crowd of robotic voices as white and yellow dots burst from the blanket of red. "Eliminate intruders!"</p><p>Tree Rex grunted as he pulled himself from the ground, gasped and plunged his fist into the earth! Cracks formed in the dirt as a shield of thick vines towered over the group, and only faint plinks resonated from its other side before the vines sank into the earth in time with the red lights fading away. The vines' tips disappeared back into the ground, and the cracks sealed themselves up.</p><p>All that was left now were none other than robots: large robots, small ones, medium-sized ones even, all made of sleek, shiny metal and armed to the nines with guns, hand cannons, blades, and more! The solid black spaces on their faces probably meant for eyes flashed red for moments, and they all raised their weapons.</p><p>"Eliminate intruders!" they all cried once more as they began charging!</p><p>Dyna and Boomette both growled as they glared at each other. Nonetheless, they both sprinted from the ground, yanked sleek metal sticks from their pockets, and turned them into full-scale laser pistols with a single toss and flip! They shot one last glare each other as they yanked the pistols from the air and loaded them. The gauges of light that resided on the pistol's sides filled up, going from red, to yellow, and then to a bright, verdant green as Dyna and Boomette both scoffed.</p><p>"We'll finish this later," Dyna hissed.</p><p>Dyna groaned as Boomette scoffed and turned her nose up, but both of them gasped and stumbled backwards. They nearly tripped over their own feet as they scrambled away from the tightly-packed masses of robots charging for them! The two of them were shoulder to shoulder, and then back to back as the robots crowded around them in a circle, a ring where they stood trapped with no escape!</p><p>They gulped, raised their laser pistols and wrapped their fingers around the triggers. Right as they did, a large silver laser shot down from the skies, and sent steam and smoke everywhere as it carved through the robots' frontlines! Bursts of electrical fire heated the area around them as the robots exploded into bits of flaming metal and rained down on the battlefield. Dyna and Boomette lifted their heads, and met with none other than Eye! They blinked in awe, but Eye chuckled and zipped back into the battle!</p><p>The remaining factions of robots robots split in half, forming crowds of their remaining ranks as they all charged right for Eye. As they charged, a shadow cast over them and they scurried back, but not before Brawl landed and crushed them underfoot! Brawl lifted his feet from the ground, grabbed Eye and wrapped his entire body around Eye's form. Brawl became a shield, one that protected Eye him from the onset of fire, smoke, and heat that came as the robots exploded into a massive pyre. While the flames started to die, Eye wriggled his way out of Brawl's arms, popped on top of Brawl, and lifted a wing as sirens sounded.</p><p>"We aren't done yet, I'm afraid!" Eye cried as he jumped back off of Brawl's head and turned down to the rest of the group. "There's more coming over the horizon!"</p><p>Hearing this, Blobbers rummaged through his pockets, yanked out a pair of binoculars and turned his gaze up to the hills ahead. There, a massive blob of lumpy shadows emerged between massive clouds of dust.</p><p>"He's right!" Blobbers cried. "They're already bringing in reinforcements!"</p><p>"Hey, lemme see!" Rizzo shouted as he barged in and grappled for Blobbers' binoculars.</p><p>Blobbers grunted, and snarled as he yanked away the binoculars from Rizzo. "Hey, these are mine! Get your own!"</p><p>"I'm the captain here! Quit talking back and let me get a peek!"</p><p>"The captain should have his own set of binoculars, then!"</p><p>Rizzo and Blobbers both shoved their faces together, binoculars completely forgotten as they locked eyes and balled fists. Right before they could fight, Syracuse shoved them apart and tossed laser blasters into their arms.</p><p>"Cut the chatter!" Syracuse cried. She loaded her own laser gun, knelt down, and shot a robot charging for them right through the chest before she turned back to Rizzo and Blobbers.</p><p>Rizzo and Blobbers both opened their mouths to speak, but right as they did, a burst of fire shot up above them, and the embers and heat from underneath it forced them to duck! As they both took cover, the warmth of golden firelight caught their eyes and brought their attention to a further point of the battlefield. Spyro stood there as flames licked at his wings and horns, and a mangled, flaming robot corpse laid to his front. They both gulped as Spyro turned around to meet them, but Spyro only flared his wings and jumped back into the skies!</p><p>"She's right!" Spyro cried as he zipped overhead. "There's more reinforcements coming by the second! We've got no time to spare!"</p><p>Rizzo and Blobbers both muttered underneath their breath, yet nonetheless they heaved up their laser blasters and rushed into the fray. They took shelter behind lumps of cold, rock-hard metal that were probably robots at one point. Their crosshairs popped up on a fleet of robots that charged forward and they prepared to fire, but just before they did, entire torrents of water poured down and completely drenching the robots!</p><p>Above them, an ocean-eyed Spyro and Gill Grunt both grinned at each other.</p><p>"There's no way they could survive a torrent that strong!" Gill Grunt cried as he heaved up his harpoon cannon just a bit. "They're probably short-circuiting right now!"</p><p>The torrents finally relented. They pooled underneath the robots' feet and turned the earth around them to mud, yet the robots were perfectly fine! Their armor was sleek and shiny underneath the water's glaze, and the most they did was shake their heads and pop water out of their sockets before charging in!</p><p>Both Spyro and Gill Grunt's faces fell, and Spyro only groaned.</p><p>"Unless they're waterproof!"</p><p>The robots cried out hasty, mechanical beeps of anger as they rushed right for Blobbers and Rizzo, and held up swords sparking with lightning. Rizzo and Blobbers shot their pistols, yet the lasers they shot just bounced off the robots' chests and soared into the stratosphere, never to be seen again! So, Blobbers and Rizzo just dropped their blasters and ran off screaming!</p><p>The robots beeped and buzzed as they made chase, but skidded to a stop as Spyro planted in front of them. The blues in his eyes turned to more of an azure shade as lightning crackled around his wings. With a flick, bursts of electricity shot from those wings and hurtled straight into the robots' chest! The electricity from the bursts danced around the robots' limbs. The robots themselves dropped their weapons and jerked in fifty different directions as the lightning tunneled its way through their bodies!</p><p>Sparks jumped from them as their circuits sizzled and fried. Smoke leaked from their chests, and sent an awful scent through the air as a shrill assortment of beeps burst from their bodies. Their bodies burst in a flaming explosion next; it ate them alive as their armor melted and crumpled underneath the flames' weight, and left only smoldering humps of metal in their place.</p><p>A few other robots beeped as they ran over and witnessed the flames, and Spyro smirked. His eyes shifted to red with a blink. With a simple paw step, the flames leaped from the robots' corpses and jumped to their still-walking companions!</p><p>The robots squealed and rushed off as the flames burned around them, and Spyro chuckled. A chill rushed through the breeze while a burst of cold wind hit Spyro, and he turned around right as a vaguely dragonlike shadow leaped from the ground! The shadow dashed right through the way of a robot troll platoon, and sent them spinning in place as their weapons dropped to the ground. Out from that shadow burst Cynder, who flicked her wings and ducked right as Trigger Happy leaped above her!</p><p>"My turn now!" Trigger Happy cried as he spun his pistols. His eyes latched onto a tree branch attached to a miraculously still-standing tree, and he wrapped his tongue around it before he propelled himself in the air and turned his guns down on the spinning robots. "Bang bang bang!"</p><p>One slip of the trigger, and a whole barrage of golden coins and lasers burst from the barrels of Trigger Happy's guns. They nailed the robots right in the chest and tore holes in their bodies! The robots flew backwards from the sheer force and right over the island's edge, only their beeps heard as they plummeted down into the depths. As they flew, Trigger Happy dropped down onto the ground, prodded over, and held a hand above his eyes as he peered over the edge.</p><p>"Yep, they're goners!" Trigger Happy chirped as he bounced from side to side.</p><p>He giggled to himself as he spun his guns, but grunted as something rammed into him and nearly pushed him over the edge! Trigger Happy screamed as he slowly teetered over, yet quickly hopped away and regained his footing as his attention turned to his accidental assailant—Dyna!</p><p>Her brow was caked in sweat as she backed closer to the edge; her teeth gritted, and her laser pistol laid tight as it could be in her sweaty grip as she glared down the large robot that stomped after her and its electrically charged claymore. Dyna winced as she raised her laser pistol, but right before she fired, a gigantic, bright as the sun golden laser tore right through the robot's side! Its shadow cast over her, and Dyna rushed off right as the front half of the robot collapsed on the ground. She herself smiled as she turned to Trigger Happy, who winked back and chuckled before he rushed back into the fray.</p><p>Dyna gulped and lifted her eyes to the rest of the battlefield. The once grassy area became a trench of mud and fire. Flames from desolate robot corpses ate away the sparse grass and flowers that once covered the island, and the birdsong drowned underneath shouting and the clashing of metal and weaponry!</p><p>To her left, Terrafin churned the earth and leaped out before Eruptor poured lava into the trenches Terrafin dug, sending robots tripping into magmatic graves. Above them, Whirlwind tossed down storm clouds that trapped robots in grid of sharp electricity. Thumpback wrapped a couple of gigantic robots tight with his anchor's chains and tossed them into the air behind her, and Hot Head burned them down with his flames. To his back, Bouncer, Ninjini, and Tree Rex wiped out entire rows of robots with rounds of bullets and bursts of light and magic. Stealth Elf tore through robot after robot with her blades underneath their feet, and tossed them towards fleets of other robots right before they exploded and took the whole group with them!</p><p>Dyna frowned. Her eyes went wide and limbs limp as her grip on her laser pistol slipped just a bit from watching. The sound of footsteps caught her ears, and she gasped as a pair of robots charged right for her! Dyna barely ducked underneath the swipe of one robot's electrically-charged lance, the sliced-off bits of her hair fluttering in the wind behind her, and she ducked yet again as another robot swung a mace right for her! She skidded backwards. Her ears twitched as a faint yowl and the sound of lasers colliding with metal came from beside her.</p><p>Dyna jerked her head to the right and gasped as Boomette hit the floor, her laser pistol sliding out of her hand. Dyna dashed over in that instant, slid in front of Boomette, and brandished her pistol high as she nailed the robots right in the heads! The robots' bodies collapsed on the ground, wires exposed and sparking as their heads flew off in the distance, but Dyna disregarded them and faced Boomette instead.</p><p>"I had it under control!" Boomette hissed as she jumped to her feet and snatched her laser pistol from the ground. Boomette shot away another robot with a scoff, spun her pistol around and smirked as she blew the smoke from its tip. "See?"</p><p>Boomette raised a brow at Dyna, but Dyna scoffed and walked aside.</p><p>"Sure, that looks like under control to me," Dyna hissed. She charged her laser pistol with a rub, turned around and shot another robot.</p><p>"Hey, what does that mean?"</p><p>Dyna snarled, leaned down as a group of large, mechanical chompies with flames bursting from their back and cannons for arms marched towards her, and flipped a switch underneath the pistol's handle as she turned it to a full-on blaster! Shrieks and light burst from the blaster's barrel as Dyna heaved it over her shoulder. A gigantic laser burst from the blaster with a single swing and swerved over, cutting the robots right in half! Dyna scoffed as they all exploded into thick bursts of fire and smoke, switched the blaster back into a pistol and turned to Boomette.</p><p>"Just let me handle this, okay? I don't want you getting into any unnecessary danger."</p><p>Boomette snarled, gritting her teeth, but the sounds of yowling and screeching over the horizon drew her attention away from Dyna! She gasped as she turned her own laser pistol up to the skies, pulled the trigger and charged a blast.</p><p>"Boomette, what do you think you're doing?" Dyna cried, her eyes fixed on the pistol.</p><p>"Duck!" Boomette cried.</p><p>"Duck? Why would I—"</p><p>Dyna hit the ground as the laser soared above her head, and it nailed a chompy right about to pounce on her out of the air! Lifting her head, Dyna rolled over and winced as an entire rain of chompies soared down from the skies and hit the ground. Their eyes were beady and hungry as they leaped in! Dyna blew a few chompies away with her laser pistol and backed right into Boomette, but winced as she leaped away from one chompy that tried to sneak a bite of her.</p><p>"Just where did those things come from?" Dyna cried.</p><p>"If I had to guess," Boomette replied as she crossed her arms, "those robots you blew up were probably loaded with them!" Boomette scoffed as a smirk crossed her lips. "So much for having things under control, huh?"</p><p>Dyna growled underneath her breath, and turned around as a faint shriek hit the air! Several larger chompies flew out of the air thanks to a combined blast of light, water and lasers, and the rest of the group stormed in right before her eyes. Dyna gripped the handle of her laser pistol, flung it out as she rushed in and knelt down.</p><p>"Forget about that!" she shouted as she sniped several of the smaller chompies that hit the ground. "Just take care of these things!"</p><p>"Oh, so when you mess up it's not a problem, but when I do, it's proof that I should just leave things to the rest of you, huh?" Boomette shouted back as she transformed her pistol to a rifle and shot away. "How fair is that, again?"</p><p>Dyna clenched her teeth, lifted her pistol and held her crosshairs to an oncoming chompy. "Now's now the time—"</p><p>A laser blast sniped the chompy off the ground and Boomette huffed. "Of course it isn't! You always act like you're so perfect and can do no wrong, and I'm just the one who you have to drag along!" Boomette spun her rifle until it laid over her shoulder, and shot away a few more chompies with maybe a bit more powerful a blast than needed, judging from the crater left behind in the air. A frown crossed her face, and it turned to a snarl as she stormed up to Dyna. "If it were up to you, you'd have me stay home so you can take credit for all my work!"</p><p>"Boomette, that's not true and we both know it!" Dyna tossed her laser pistol to the side. "I'm just trying to look out for you!"</p><p>Boomette tossed her rifle away in turn, and glared it down for just a minute before she turned to Dyna. "I never asked you to!" Boomette cried. "You don't take me seriously at all! I might be the youngest here, but that doesn't mean I'm any less capable! If it weren't for me and Syracuse, we wouldn't be here—"</p><p>"Getting attacked by robots? Arguing like this?" Dyna crossed her arms.</p><p>"That's not the point!"</p><p>Boomette groaned, and flung her head back before she raised her hands and stormed off. "That's it, I give up with you! Trying to argue with you is like trying to argue with an unmade robot!"</p><p>"Boomette, get back here! I'm not done talking with you yet!"</p><p>"Well, I am!" Boomette shouted back, not even bothering to turn back to Dyna. "I don't need you, anyways! All you do is nag me about everything and drag me down!"</p><p>Dyna gasped, but before she could even reply, a hot burst of fire hit her back! She shuddered as a massive explosion blew her onto the ground face-first! Dyna grunted as she pushed herself up. Her eyes met with masses of fire that quickly diminished, sending smoke and ashes flying everywhere as a massive burst of wind extinguished the flames.</p><p>Out from that came 'Enehana, who wiped their hands of soot, with Cali close behind.</p><p>"Quit arguing, you two!" Cali shouted. "We've got bigger things to worry about, you know!"</p><p>The sirens droned once more as if to amplify Cali's statement, but before they could cry a second more, a whole wave of lasers wiped them out! Their broken speakers collapsed to the ground and burned away. Save for one, which Boomette kicked off the side of the island.</p><p>"As far as I'm concerned, I'll be happy if I never speak to you again!" Boomette shouted.</p><p>Dyna huffed, tears forming in her eyes before she wiped them away. Her frown turned cold and slight, and she just sighed as she hung her head and trailed off.</p><p>"That's fine by mine!" she shouted back as she dashed over the hill.</p><p>Cali winced as Dyna ran past her, but Dyna disappeared across the grass right before Cali could even lift a hand! A couple of worried whispers and glances came from the group behind them. A sigh turned her attention to Rizzo beside her as he scratched his head, and Cali raised a brow.</p><p>"I swear, those two have been going at it since we got here!" Rizzo shouted. "I don't know what's gotten into them!"</p><p>"Even earlier than that!" Blobbers remarked, crossing his arms. "They were bickering the whole flight here," Blobbers tsked and shook his head. "Talk about petty."</p><p>But while the others whispered and worried amid themselves, Eye popped off of Brawl's head and perked up as Brawl turned to him.</p><p>"You know, Eye, this reminds me of something," Brawl signed before he turned out to the hills.</p><p>"You read my mind," Eye remarked, "and that gives me an idea!" Eye turned back to Brawl and nodded. "You go find one of them, and I'll find the other, alright?"</p><p>Brawl nodded and dashed over the hill while Eye flitted off. The smaller members of their group jumped up or fell over from the massive winds and stomps Eye and Brawl produced. Rizzo frowned as they gathered their bearings. Adjusting his hat back into place, Rizzo pulled himself to his feet as his eyes fell over to where Brawl ran.</p><p>"Hey, where's he going?" Rizzo remarked as he ran off after Brawl.</p><p>"Captain, wait!" Nort and Snuckles both cried as they ran after Rizzo.</p><p>Blobbers frowned and trailed after Eye. "I wonder where he's going?" Blobbers whispered.</p><p>Cali frowned and walked off as they all left, but 'Enehana just smiled and grabbed her shoulder.</p><p>"Let's just leave them be," 'Enehana said. "I'm sure they know what they're doing." 'Enehana cracked their robotic knuckles, and turned back to the path ahead. "Besides, we've got a mission to take care of."</p><p>Cali drew back, and hesitated for a moment before she caught sight of Spyro nodding in response.</p><p>"They're right, we can't hesitate. Not with Kaos at large," Spyro said as he flew off. "Let's just do what we can!"</p><p>Cali nodded and trailed after the back of the group as they trekked through the remainders of the battlefield. A frown crossed Cali's face as she knelt down and lifted Dyna's laser pistol off the ground, but her eyes turned to where the rest of the group set up dynamite at a gate blocked off by shiny metal. Cali flicked the pistol and turned it back to its dormant state. As she shoved it in her pocket, Cali rushed over and frowned.</p><p>"Whatever it is they're doing," Cali said as her eyes glazed over the battlefield, "I sure hope it works out."</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Chihiro, Sihiri, Inochi, Vatra, Dej, Luz, and Nemir all frowned as they stood before a gigantic boulder that rested at the base of the cliff. Its thick stone surface's dull red coloration was brightened a little, tinted warmer a little by the sunlight that came from ahead. It was free of chips, dents, and scratches and looked pretty solid. It was at least enough that the very glance of it showed it would be a pain to move! Yet, the stone rolled away with little fuss as a faint purple glow enveloped it, and unveiled a dark tunnel bored into the cliff.</p><p>Sihiri wiped her hands and grinned, and Luz smiled with her as he summoned an orb of light with a simple gesture of the hand.</p><p>"Let's light this place up!" He chirped as he nudged the orb into the cavern with a soft push of his hand.</p><p>The warm, yellow light of the orb drifted further into the cavern. Luz prodded forward after it, taking only a moment to beckon for the others to follow. He hummed a tune, hands behind his back as the others walked in behind him. Only Sihiri paused for a moment to roll the boulder back in place, and dimmed the cavern until its only light source was the one Luz himself provided. The soft patter of Chihiro's footsteps as she hopped up beside him raised Luz's brow, and he turned around, stopping his song as he turned down to Chihiro.</p><p>"So, what's the plan?" Luz whispered, though it echoed a bit louder within the silent confines of the cave.</p><p>Chihiro waved a hand, and brought out a replica of the underground crafted with bright cyan light. Its own luminescence tinged the cavern walls in shades of green as it mingled with the orb Luz created. It flickered in and out a bit as it came into existence, but quickly stabilized as a small group of white dots formed in a tunnel near its entrance.</p><p>"So, this is where we are right now," Chihiro said as she pointed to the group of white dots, and dragged her finger across the tunnel, "and this is supposedly where the records are kept. Chances are, there'll probably be a few tech support drones there keeping all the records intact and stuff." Chihiro smirked and toyed with her suspenders. "Luckily, this part should be pretty easy as long as we're clever. All we have to do is fool them into thinking we're associates of Kaos's family, and they'll give us the location pronto!" With a snap of her fingers, the diagram disappeared and Chihiro turned back to the others. "Then, we can go there and smash the things to pieces! It's easy as pie!"</p><p>"And how are you so sure of that?" Vatra asked as he crossed his arms. "The longer we meander about, the more time this Kaos person has to go to Arkus, and that's assuming we don't make the security suspicious!" Vatra pointed a finger at Chihiro. "It'd be much easier to wipe out their security and check the records ourselves! Besides, a few drones shouldn't be much problem—"</p><p>"In your time!" Chihiro pointed right back and clenched her brows. "Tech's advanced a lot since you were walking the earth, and I'll bet these guys are some of the fanciest they come! Getting them angry at us would take way longer than messing with their heads!" Chihiro shook her head and stormed off. "Anyways, come on, we've got no time to lose!"</p><p>Vatra scoffed as Chihiro left him behind, but a soft punch in the arm turned him down to Luz. His eyes flared with anger as he glared at Luz, yet Luz didn't even flinch.</p><p>"What's with you, Vats?" Luz asked, a teasing smile on his face. "Normally, you're the one getting on our cases about jumping in headfirst all the time!"</p><p>"That was before I found out we had Arkus to worry about and not some self-centered aspiring supervillain!" Vatra hissed back before he turned his eyes to where the others' light disappeared around the corner. Uncrossing his arms, he trailed forward and narrowed his eyes. "I don't understand why they'd put a child in charge of such a high stakes mission, especially one that's already jeopardized so much. Children that young should be staying and studying at home, not risking their lives on the battlefield! Besides, I'm not letting our efforts defeating him go to waste because—"</p><p>Vatra shuddered as his foot hit sleek, white metal, lifted his head and gasped!</p><p>The walls of dimly-lit rock turned to sleek, white metal lit with hints of cyan from veins of light in their tiling, and shone even brighter with added light from lamps embedded in the ceiling overhead. To the front, tall, sleek robots with black screens for faces and wheels for legs zipped to and fro. They organized cabinets and passed around thin tablets. Their vision completely fixed on the papers in their hands, and not once did it move from that spot.</p><p>The rows of cabinets themselves were more of a sleek black. Their drawers opened and closed without even being prompted, and stood filled to the brims not with papers or objects, but more thin, shiny tablets. Their sleek screens glistened underneath the light, and occasionally popped out projections of guns and elaborate contraptions. No talk came from any of the robots; it was just the faint sound of wheels turning and the occasional rumble from something overhead.</p><p>Vatra gasped. He craned his head in every direction as he stepped forward and drank in the sights.</p><p>"Even the Arkeyans weren't as sophisticated as this," he whispered.</p><p>He reached a hand out for a robot as he walked forward, but then, his wheel pendant bumped into something and he flew backwards! Collapsing to the floor, Vatra groaned and rubbed his head. He lifted it up right as the vague flash of a cyan wall vanished from view.</p><p>"Looks like it's locked," Chihiro remarked as she crossed her arms.</p><p>"Yes, yes, that's obvious enough to anyone around," Vatra replied as he jumped to his feet. "Surely, there's some kind of mechanism to…" Vatra turned his head aside, and grinned as his eyes fell on a simple platform with glass carved to look like a hand on it. "A-ha! Seems like it has a heat-based sensor system! I'll just take care of that!"</p><p>Vatra grinned as he placed his hand on the glass for a few moments. He turned to the gate and walked through, but grunted and flew backwards as the gate blocked him off once more! With a groan, Vatra jumped back up and went for the plate once more.</p><p>"Must be a bit broken. Let me try again," he muttered as he placed his hand on once more. Vatra walked for the gate, but right as his pendant hit it, he flew backwards once more and hit the ground!</p><p>Chihiro frowned and hopped over his legs as Vatra grunted. "Maybe it doesn't recognize you, since you're a ghost and all," Chihiro said as she reached for the plate. "Let me try it."</p><p>"No, I have this under control!"</p><p>Vatra pushed away Chihiro, snarled as he snapped his fingers, and lit a fire. "If it won't recognize my hands, maybe it'll recognize this!" Vatra cried.</p><p>"Vatra, wait—" Sihiri shouted as she reached for Vatra, but it was too late!</p><p>The flames hit the plate by the time she went to grab his arm! The metal on the plate caught fire immediately. The flames bent and twisted it, and the glass hand on it heated to a bright red. Smoke filtered through the cavern; it sent everyone into coughing fits as it tickled the ceiling, and sent sirens blaring through the room!</p><p>"Fire alert! Fire alert!" bellowed the sirens as the room turned red. "All employees, please take proper precaution as you initiate emergency protocol!"</p><p>Everyone let out sharp gasps as the sirens wailed. Dej immediately pushed past Vatra to toss out a burst of water and dampen the flames! The plate sparked a little from the exposed wiring that came to surface as the melted metal dripped off, but thankfully, the flames were gone. However, the sirens still blared!</p><p>"The fire's gone, so why are those unholy things still screaming?" Vatra cried as he covered his ears.</p><p>"I don't know! It must think there's still a fire!" Chihiro cried back.</p><p>She jumped over to the panel, where the tiniest of flames burst from the sparking, uncovered wiring. With a snap of her fingers, she crafted a magic bandage and slapped it onto the exposed parts of the plate! The flames extinguished instantly as the bandage wrapped tight around the panel, and the sirens finally dulled as the red light faded.</p><p>Everyone around breathed sighs of relief, and all eyes turned to Vatra as he gulped.</p><p>"Geez, that was too close!" Dej said as he nudged Vatra's shoulder. "Be a little more careful there! If those drones found us causing fires, who knows what they would've done!"</p><p>"You're one to talk about safety!" Vatra snapped back. "I distinctly recall—"</p><p>A faint warble caught Vatra's eye before he could speak further, and he turned back to the front… Right as one of the robots wheeled out and hummed.</p><p>"Strange," it beeped, its voice robotic and sharp, "why did the fire alarms go off if there is no fire? Maybe they need repaired?" The robot turned down to the tablet in its hand and tapped away. "Add 'Repair fire alarm' to monthly tasks…"</p><p>"Alright, let me handle this," Chihiro whispered as she leaned towards the others. Chihiro strolled in front of the robot, and waved her hand in front of its face, all while she forced the biggest smile she could. "Hello? Excuse me?"</p><p>The robot's screen flashed cyan a bit, and it lifted its head with a whir. "Oh, customers!" it beeped. The robot stashed the tablet away in a chest compartment before it clasped its hands together. "How may I help you today, esteemed customers? Having trouble with setup?"</p><p>"Actually, that's not quite it." Chihiro cleared her throat, and stared down at her first for a moment before she mustered a smile and stood tall. "I'm with the Kaos family. We came to check up on a security system thingie we purchased!" Chihiro gestured around. "You see, it's been really finicky lately. It'll just start up, and turn off at the most inconvenient times, and it, uh, sometimes it'll lock me out for no reason it all! It locked me out of my house when I went out to garden, and then it locked the fridge when I was getting something to eat… Oh, oh, and sometimes, it, er well, it constantly gets names and faces mixed up, and—"</p><p>Cyan dots flashed across the robot's face as it slouched over, and it propped itself back up. "Serial number?"</p><p>"Eh?"</p><p>As Chihiro blinked, a string of numbers flashed across the robot's face. "Each Troll Home Security-certified security system comes with a serial number. If you wish to have further help with your product, you will need to provide a serial number."</p><p>Chihiro hissed and backed away for a moment, but quickly shook her head. "Well, er, uh…"</p><p>A faint scent of smoke came from behind. Chihiro whipped her head around, and winced at the sight of smoke coming from Vatra's hands!</p><p>"Is there something wrong, esteemed customer?"</p><p>"N-nope, not in the slightest!" Chihiro sputtered as she turned back to the robot with sweat down her face.</p><p>"My sensors indicate intense sweating and heightened nervous reactions."</p><p>"That's just because the trip here was really long it hot! The ship we took had no air conditioning or anything, it was awful!" Chihiro cleared her throat and lifted her head. "Anyways, about that serial number…"</p><p>"Do you have a serial number?"</p><p>Chihiro rubbed the back of her head. "We, er, well, we didn't actually have one. See, they make us run all their errands, but they never actually tell us these things or anything! Employers, right?"</p><p>Those dots flashed across the robot's face once more. "If you cannot provide a serial number to prove your purchase, I am afraid that I cannot help you."</p><p>"But, shouldn't there be something under a Kaos family name or something like that? I mean, we've purchased it, so shouldn't there be purchase records somewhere in your robo-brain?"</p><p>"… Very well, I will check our purchase databanks."</p><p>The robot slouched over once more. A dialing tune came from its speaker as the dots flashed across its screen in a never-ending string.</p><p>"Phew, close one," Chihiro whispered as she wiped her forehead.</p><p>A few other sighs came from behind her, but Vatra frowned and tapped his feet.</p><p>"Just how long is this going to take?" Vatra asked. "The longer we stand around here the longer—"</p><p>Chihiro popped up beside Vatra in a flash of cyan light and shushed him. "Quiet!" she hissed as she turned back to the robot. "If that thing finds out what we're really here for, it might go ballistic! We've just gotta be patient and wait."</p><p>The dialing tune echoed throughout the caverns, a soft droning noise that paired with the running of wheels and opening of cabinets as the robot searched further. A few yawns came from the group as all eyes fixed on the robot, but even they slowly drifted away as the robot searched for what seemed like an eternity. Sihiri paused and crafted all sorts of magic objects, Luz toyed with light spells amplified by Chihiro's magic spheres, Inochi crafted flowers in the cavern's cracks and sent them away with a snap… Yet, Vatra snarled and gripped his cloak while the others idled. Embers burst from his fingertips as he gritted his teeth. For a moment, he raised a hand and prepared to fire off a fireball, but quickly pulled it down as the robot rose.</p><p>"There is a purchase record for a security system by a Kaossandra and Konkord of the East-Western Skylands," the robot droned. "Is this what you are looking for?"</p><p>Chihiro yanked her head around, jumped forward and nodded. "That's gotta be it! Yes!" she cried, rapidly nodding up and down with the biggest smile she could muster. "Just tell us where the thing powering it is and we'll be on our way!"</p><p>"I am afraid I cannot do that." The robot's eyes dulled for a moment. "Before I can show you the shield generating gun, you must provide proof of your affiliation with the buyers."</p><p>Chihiro blinked, drew back and stuffed her hands her pockets. "Give me a second," she said as she disappeared into the crowds of the other portal masters. A soft flash hidden by the sparkles of their bodies came out, and Chihiro returned moments later with a scroll in hand. "Here you go, word from the lord and lady themselves!"</p><p>The scroll unwrapped in Chihiro's gingerly grasp, and the robot marveled over it for a moment. "Physical proof accepted."</p><p>"Yes!" Chihiro stuffed the scroll away and strode along. "Now, if you can just show us that gun—"</p><p>"Now, please present your verbal proof."</p><p>Chihiro completely stopped in her tracks, her smile still fixed on her face as she blinked.</p><p>"Verbal… Proof?"</p><p>"Our protocol dictates that should an outsider want to see any security on behalf of a customer, they must provide verbal and psychical proof of the customer's permission. So, please present your verbal proof."</p><p>Chihiro winced, and backed away further as she hid behind Dej and Vatra. "Forging a person's voice is gonna be pretty tricky when I've never met them," Chihiro whispered as she held up her hands, "but I can try!"</p><p>Chihiro's hands began to glow, but that glow just as quickly faded as Vatra stormed past her. Fire lit in his eyes as he marched right up to the robot!</p><p>"We don't have time for your protocols!" Vatra exclaimed as he shoved his face in the robot's as he held up a burning hand. "There's a hot-headed supervillain of a free magician running around, and he has his sights set on reviving the Arkeyan empire for his own gains! If we can't break through his security and stop him, we could very see an Arkeyan revival on our hands!" Vatra pushed himself further in the robot's face until his very reflection sparkled in the robot's visor. "is that what you want? A revival of the Arkeyan empire's tyranny?"</p><p>The robot wheeled back and began to sputter as a rain of ones and zeroes cascaded down its visor! A few of the other robots paused what they did, and turned to the robot as it propped itself before Vatra and held its hands up. Heck, some robots even wheeled to a suspicious switch behind the robot—an alarm, perhaps?</p><p>"There, there is nothing in my protocols for handling supervillains or Arkeyans, esteemed customer," the robot sputtered. "Please try one of our support networks for your issue—"</p><p>"TRY THIS, THEN!"</p><p>Vatra grunted as he slung a flaming punch right through the robot's face, shattering its visor and sending broken bits of glass flying around him! Sparks burst from the severed wiring inside the robot's broken head, and the sounds of dulling, distorted voices echoed from a corrupted voicebox inside the robot itself. Smoke coated the entire hole as it fell backwards onto the ground! The robot's head exploded the moment it hit the cold, metal floor, and the other robots gasped as they rushed right up to it!</p><p>"Intruders detected! Forced eviction programming, activated!" the robots all bellowed as one.</p><p>Angry faces of red flashed across their visors as their body parts twisted and turned, stretching out and expanding as they grew larger and beefier! Cannons burst from their chest panels and shoulders, shiny helmets topped their sleek heads, and spikes ran down the fronts of their wheels. Guns and swords found their way into the robots' hands as they all banded together, and the visors on their faces turned thin and sharp. The robots all squeezed their hands for a moment just to get a proper feel for their newfound weapons, and they charged right for Vatra with a cry!</p><p>The rest of his group winced as they stepped away. Their hands held up as if they readied shields, but Vatra smirked as he lifted up his own still-flaming hands.</p><p>"Is this the best you can do?" Vatra sneered. "I've dealt with drones like you in my sleep!"</p><p>With another grunt, Vatra punched his hands forward and sent large, flaming fists rocketing towards the oncoming drones. The moment his flames hit the robots, they exploded into puffs of smoke and embers before disappearing! Not a single singe mark or dent was left on the robots' slick and shiny chests as they came in for him and the rest of the group. The robots refused to relent, not even as they crushed their fallen friend's body underfoot and sent it exploding!</p><p>Vatra gasped; he slid away from one robot just as it swung at him with its sword, and a sharp crack hit the air as another knocked him backwards! Vatra grunted and hit the cold metal of the office's inner workings as he groaned and rubbed his head. He peered down at the scattered shards of light around him, looked back up at the office surrounding, and grinned.</p><p>"Alright, so you're fireproof! That's never been a problem before!" Jumping to his feet, Vatra slammed his palms against the wall, and smirked in spite of the sweat crawling his brow. "Just have to turn up the heat!"</p><p>The lighting of the room turned red as intense heat seeped into the walls. It melted away their metal to reveal red stone underneath. Around the room, the file cabinets melted and warped! Smoke started to filter in the air and send a few into coughing fits behind Vatra, yet he stood stagnant. His hands pressed firmly against the wall as he glared at the robots!</p><p>The robots beeped and charged right for him, their spikes digging trenches in the malleable and hot metal of the floor. Not even the intense heat stopped them! They remained lighting fast as ever, and charged and swung for Vatra in only a moment's time with no signs of wear or tear!</p><p>Vatra grunted and jumped away. He stomped his feet with a growl, and sent a small shock wave through the floor! The ground rumbled as miniature red stone volcanoes burst from the floor, and with a snap, lava burst from them and seeped into the trenches the robots dug! The lava trailed quick towards the robots, latching onto their wheels and legs and warping them at last. They melted slightly, and twisted in a canopy over their wheels as those wheels began to deflate!</p><p>Vatra grinned for a moment, but grunted as lasers pierced right through his body and knocked him into the wall! His pendant turned a much shinier crimson and radiated with heat as he screamed out. He slunk down with red sparkly smoke bursting from the holes in his body. The lava he created faded away as the volcanoes sank back into the earth. Vatra keeled over; he fell on his knees, and then face-first on the ground as he gritted his teeth. He clutched his arm tight as he grunted and held back screams. The smoky plumes that burst from his body grew thicker as his form fritzed; they spread out like a glitched projection, and returned back to normal before they flickered again not moments later!</p><p>"Vatra!" Sihiri cried.</p><p>Chihiro teleported forward in an instant, popped beside Vatra, and propped him against the wall before she lifted up his pendant. She squeaked a bit as its hot crystal burned her fingers, but quickly clasped it as her hands glowed cyan and magic poured into the holes. Veins of cyan magic quickly plugged the smoke, and Vatra's projection stabilized as he heaved heavy breaths and sweated.</p><p>"See, this is why I want to keep things on the down-low!" Chihiro hissed. "I knew these guys wouldn't skimp on security."</p><p>"Heh, would you look at that!" Luz chuckled as he teleported beside Chihiro. "Mister serious is the one getting in trouble for once!"</p><p>"Quiet, Luz!" Vatra hissed. One of his eyes shut for a moment as he staggered back up, and he clutched his chest as he stumbled a bit before he finally leaned more to his left side. "After all…" Vatra hobbled forward, and still favored the left side as he forced himself to full height. He held out a hand that crackled and popped with embers. "Those robots aren't showing any sign of slowing down!"</p><p>Chihiro grimaced. With a flick of her wrists, magic swords flickered into existence below her! Chihiro snatched the swords from the air and screamed as she turned them to gigantic cleavers with a single swing. She cut through the robots' ranks, and left halved metal carcasses in her wake as she kicked them back into the crowd! A string of explosions rang around the area, and painted the office in warm shades as fires started and extinguished just as quickly. Chihiro stepped back. Her lips pursed as her eyes drifted back and forth. The sound of a shaft opening above her turned her head up, and she screamed and teleported away as another fleet of guard robots poured down from the ceiling!</p><p>Chihiro gritted her teeth as the robots fell down before her, and tossed her cleavers into the air. The cleavers exploded into masses of magic, and shifted to the form of a bow with swords for arrows as they landed back down. Chihiro snatched them up; she screamed as she loaded and fired away, hands nimble and slick as she summoned sword after sword and fired them into the crowds. They skewered the robots and knocked them backwards—but for every one she severed, two more took its place!</p><p>The other portal masters frowned as they dashed into the fray. Their heads held high as their pendants sparkled in tandem with the raw magic that glistened at the hands, all just waiting to be molded in combat.</p><p>The sight of them drew Luz away from Vatra's side with a grin, and Vatra himself tried to join. The moment Vatra stepped forward, he fell to his knees! Shallow breaths escaped him as he crawled back to a corner of the room and leaned against a warped file cabinet. He clutched his chest and grimaced as he lifted his head.</p><p>Before him, Sihiri flung out hands that glimmered with purple magic, and her eyes set on a pair of robots that charged towards her! Sweat beads rolled down her face, and her teeth gritted tight as her arms shivered. The robots stopped in their tracks before her. Their arms and legs shuddered and strained as Sihiri shuddered further. Sihiri's eyes narrowed, and she spat out strained grunts as she rotated the struggling robots towards each other.</p><p>She forced them on a crash collision as they each sped for each other, but at the last minute, Sihiri's eyes turned wide as she gasped and fell to her knees! She hunched over and panted as the spell over the robots lifted. She herself lifted her own head in turn as the robots screeched and charged for her!</p><p>Sihiri teleported away. In her place, she left large purple crystals that quickly formed into suits of knightly armor armed with lances! The robots grunted and beeped as they slashed the suits with their swords, but the suits turned around and slashed back. The sound of blades crashing and magical whooshes surrounded the entrance as robot and suit alike fought. Yet, as the robots battled away, neither one noticed Sihiri as she popped up behind them. She nailed them in the back with large spheres of magic, and the robots cried shrill, glitchy shrieks as they swayed back and forth.</p><p>Sihiri swept backwards. "Dear, now!" Sihiri cried as she turned to Inochi.</p><p>"Understood, darling!" Inochi cried as she held out her hands.</p><p>A burst of green glowed from Inochi's palms. That single burst turned to thin vines of green light that grew larger and thicker; they solidified into actual thorny vines that whipped around the robots and squeezed them tight! The vines slammed the two robots into each other until they became dented and twisted, and finally slammed them full-force into the walls! Holes smashed in the stone as the robots exploded, and their parts flew in fifty different directions as the flames ate away the vines.</p><p>A robot head flew towards Inochi. She gasped, ducked, and swept aside as another robot nearly nailed her with a gun's laser blast! The blast tore a hole through a filing cabinet instead. Inochi scoffed as she stomped the ground, and she sent giant flowers leaping from the rock instead! Thick green roots quickly sealed the ground's cracks as the flowers' petals unfolded, and the flowers themselves shuddered and twittered before they shot out rounds of large nuts.</p><p>The nuts slammed right into the chest of Inochi's robot attacker, yet all they did was bounce off like rubber balls with not a single dent left! The nuts cracked open as they hit the floor. Their inner fruit smashed to bits as the robot zoomed past the flowers and sent them fluttering! The flowers twisted around, still pelting the robot despite the lack of damage their attack did. The robot veered away, and left the nuts to fly towards Luz as he shouldered robot attacks with his shield!</p><p>Luz gasped as the nuts came in. He jumped from spot to spot as the nuts bounced off robots and smashed into walls behind him! He jerked his head to the right as one came in, raised his shield, and prepared to spin it while its core glowed bright. He planted his hand on its rim, but a robot charged forward and punched him in the gut! Luz grunted as he flew backwards and tumbled across the floor; he hit searing hot metal, jumped up and yowled. Luz staggered back up, and with a wave of his hand, bright, searing light burst from the walls and blanketed the area!</p><p>Screams and beeps came from all around. Though the white-hot light was so bright, the sight of the robots swerving around and bumping into each other could just barely be made out! Luz chuckled. The light consolidated with another wave of his hand, and transformed into solid lasers that rocketed right into the robots' chests. The robots were so sleek that they reflected the light, and the lasers tossed into the walls and bounced across the room! Bright light shot across the room with every bounce, and sent everyone else screaming and covering their eyes!</p><p>Luz sharply gasped, stepped back and winced. "Alright, that did not go as planned," Luz hissed, before another laser shot into the wall beside him and burned bright as the sun!</p><p>Inochi winced as Luz screamed and shielded his eyes from his own attack before her. She gasped, and ducked behind a flower as a light laser shot right above her head. A bright flash of light shone before fading as the laser bounced away, and Inochi turned to the still-shining patch of metal on the walls it came from.</p><p>"The walls!" Inochi cried as she turned to the other. "They're reflecting from the metal on the walls! We have to stop them!"</p><p>In front of Inochi, Nemir held his own with a thick shield of bone as one robot slammed against him. Sparks flew from the robot's wheel as it ground against the shield with its sword, but Nemir tossed it off and grunted as he backed into Sihiri and Dej. Nemir gritted his teeth as another light laser shot above his crown.</p><p>"I'm afraid we can't do that, Inochi!" Nemir cried as his shield turned to a bony claymore in his grip.</p><p>Beside him, Sihiri prepared a trio of magic blasts while Dej created a crossbow of water and ice. All three pairs of eyes fixed on the robots that encircled them.</p><p>"Yeah, we're a little tied up at the moment!" Dej shouted.</p><p>He pulled back his crossbow and prepared to fire, but right as he did, a scream hit the air while something crashed down and sliced the robot clean in half! A flash of cyan came as the robot's two halves collapsed and exploded into flames. A childlike figure parted through the flames, and Chihiro grinned as she faced Dej!</p><p>Dej returned her grin with a wink, and the two of them turned around as they fired bows and magic blasts at the robots who shot back in exchange. Sihiri joined their blasts with burst of magic, and Nemir clubbed away as the blows knocked back the robots. Yet, the most their attacks did was dent the robots! The robots shifted back into gear, charged right for them and forced the four to run!</p><p>And Vatra, he just grunted and pushed himself up. The sweat that once coated his head evaporated long ago. Lasers shot around him and forced the rest of the group to duck, and his eyes turned to the walls.</p><p>"If they're reflecting off these walls," Vatra whispered as he slapped his palm against the metal, "all I'll need to do it melt them away!"</p><p>A red-hot glow burst from Vatra's hand as the heat seeped from his palm and into the metal. It painted the whole room in a hazy red as the heat cranked up! The metal of the walls and floor melted away, and the file cabinets started to sink and melt like ice cream cones on a hot summer day. The portal masters, once spry and agile, sweated and panted as they fell to their knees. The heat burned against their skin and amplifying the light of ghostly sparkles. As for the lasers, they shone bright for moment before they slammed into the rock-hard walls and exploded into sparkles!</p><p>Vatra beamed for a moment, but soon gasped and dashed away as flames burst right for him! He fell to his knees, and crouched below a melting desk for a moment as he gasped and clutched his stomach.</p><p>"Wait, where did those flames come from?" he cried.</p><p>Vatra lifted his head. He hissed first as he hit his head against the desk's top, and again as his eyes fell on the robots! They shone red-hot as they pulled out flaming swords and guns transformed into flamethrowers. Hot fire burst from every orifice as they charged around the room! One dashed right for Luz with a flamethrower ready!</p><p>Vatra gasped as he ran right in the path, and he slammed his hand on the barrel. "Not today!" Vatra cried as he squeezed the barrel tight!</p><p>Flames burst from tiny holes in the barrel, cut through its metal, and blew it up in both the robot and Vatra's faces! Vatra grunted as he slammed into the wall. His pendant phased through his body, and hit the wall before it swung back as he grunted. He snarled for a bit as something grabbed his arm, but loosened his snarl a bit as he faced Luz. Just before he could speak, another flaming pillar burst and the two of them ducked underneath.</p><p>"We've gotta get outta here!" Dej cried as he dashed ahead.</p><p>"Quick, there's a door over there!" Chihiro cried, pointing ahead as the others dashed behind her.</p><p>Vatra snarled as his eyes fixed on the robots that chased after them. He and Luz pulled themselves up, but Nemir grabbed them both by the arms!</p><p>"Nemir, let me go!" Vatra protested, and yanked against Nemir's grip. His eyes refused to move from the robots that still chased them. The robots tossed out flames that nipped at his and Luz's heels with every spin of their wheels, and Vatra snarled. "We—"</p><p>"Have no chance of winning against those things, not in this state!" Nemir cried.</p><p>The door flung open before him, and Nemir pulled Luz and Vatra in with a single tug.</p><p>"Come on, we have to go!" was the last thing Nemir cried as the door swung closed right in front of the robots' faces!</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Blobbers and Eye both panted as they rested against the walls of the sleek facility they took residence in, its cold metal a surprising relief that cooled the sweat from their journey.</p><p>A faint, hollow knocking sound a bit like footsteps, or maybe just a tired machine toiling away for nothing, echoed through the facility. Aside of that, only their breath was heard in the vast expanses of sleek metal tinged blue by the dim lights overhead. Shadows covered the rest of the area, save for the few spaces lit by lamps. The faint light that came from those lamps showed off sleek, tiled floors, and conveyor belts with machinery coated in dust that surely hadn't been active for at least a decade. A faint smell of old oil or gasoline lingered in the air, and added a bit to the eerie feeling brought on by the mist that leaked in from place to place amid the significant parts covered in shadow.</p><p>Eye and Blobbers cringed at the sight.</p><p>"I don't like the looks of this place," Blobbers winced as he rubbed his hands. "Are you sure she ran in here?"</p><p>"Eye'm certain," Eye said as he fluttered forward. "Nothing gets past my impeccable eyesight, after all."</p><p>Blobbers' shoulders slunk a little as he glanced around. His frown grew deeper as his eyes met lengthy stretches of machinery only. The faint sounds of mumbling carried themselves over the sounds of mechanical work, and Blobbers flicked an ear.</p><p>"Hey, did you hear that?" Blobbers asked as he tugged on Eye's wing.</p><p>Eye bobbed up and down, and flew off to the right. "It sounds like it came from here!"</p><p>The sounds of muttering and angered mumbles grew louder as Blobbers and Eye sank into the shadows, and Eye cast out a silver laser to act as a lamp while they walked through. Endless stretches of visible machinery, and metal walls, floors, everywhere appeared before them. The only variance was the occasional corridor or corner at first, but then, soft blue light poured through the path!</p><p>Eye and Blobbers trailed the light to a door that was creaked open slightly. Eye pushed it open with his wing before he flew inside!</p><p>The room inside appeared to a control room of some kind with screens plastered across a metal room with a widely-stretching keyboard set into a rusty counter to accompany. The blue, grainy light of the screens poured over its rusted metal walls, and at its helm was a single swiveling chair. There, the muttering turned to a shocked gasp! The swivel chair spun around…</p><p>And inside sat none other than Boomette, whose wide eyes lowered as she sighed.</p><p>"Oh, it's just you," she remarked, and sounded a bit more disappointed than she seemed as she turned around and muttered.</p><p>Blobbers frowned as he turned to Eye, hopped up, and turned the chair around slightly. "Are you okay?" he asked as he nudged Boomette's shoulder. "You got pretty worked up back there."</p><p>"It's nothing you should worry about." Boomette span the chair back to the front and groaned. She pounded the keyboard with her fist, sending a few keys flying before they fell back in place.</p><p>"It's just, well, Dyna's been way too self-centered! She's always getting on my case for everything and looking down on me! Even though my girlfriend and I found this place, and brought up the whole idea of repurposing this to begin with, she still takes the whole thing for herself and gets on my case for so much as taking a step! She always looks down on me, but she's perfectly happy to take my ideas…"</p><p>"Even though she said that, she's still ranting after all," Eye remarked as his wings drooped.</p><p>Blobbers sniffled and rubbed his nose. "Oh, I totally understand!" he cried. Crossing his arms, Blobbers scoffed. "It seems like the captain never appreciates anything I do! It's always 'Blobbers, do this!' and 'Blobbers, do that!' but when I need help, they just run off!" Blobbers turned to Boomette and leaned against the chair. "They even abandoned me when we got caught at a pirate carnival and left me to be taken prisoner! Can you believe that?"</p><p>Boomette gasped and turned back to Blobbers. "That's awful! How could they do that?"</p><p>"I know! It seems like they only want me around when it's convenient for them!" Blobbers sighed and hung his head. "Otherwise, they're always looking down on me and acting like they'd be better off without me! They just don't know how lucky they are! If I were gone, everything would fall apart! Maybe I should just quit, and then they'll realize!"</p><p>"I know, right? Everyone looks down on me because I'm the youngest. They just think of me as some stupid kid!" Boomette shook her head, turned back around, and frowned as she glazed over the many security screens. "Syracuse and I were just going to tackle things ourselves, but Dyna insisted we wouldn't be able to handle it, and we'd just spend the whole time making goo-goo eyes or something, so she demanded to come along and make a whole scene!" Boomette sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Heck, I'm always running around, looking for new places to make deals with, and supply tech and stuff, but if you asked her, all I do is laze around all day! She never appreciates anything I do!"</p><p>"Yeah! I don't know why I signed up in the first place!"</p><p>Boomette's ears fell, and she sighed and leaned back in her seat. "I stuck around cause I wanted to help out and all, especially since everyone else's doing their own thing now. Trollver's got a family of his own, Boomont's moving out and taking it easy, and Trollance's got a new job making maps and other things that has him traveling all over Skylands. I thought Dyna might've been taking it hard since everyone's going, and she's the only one sticking around to take care of the family business, but if this is how I'm gonna be treated, I might as well leave too!"</p><p>Eye hummed, flew down beside Boomette and took a seat. He nearly crowded out the right-hand side of the room as he wrapped his wings around his base. "Well, have you every really told them how you feel, then?" Eye asked.</p><p>"I've tried, but they don't listen! Every time I talk to the captain about it, he just brushes me off!" Blobbers shouted, throwing his paws in the air. He gritted his teeth, cheeks red as he prepared to rant further, but the sound of Boomette humming silenced him.</p><p>"Well, I…" Boomette twiddled her fingers, huffed and stuck her nose up. "It's not like she'd listen, anyways!"</p><p>"But you care about her, don't you? After all, you said it yourself—you stuck around because you were worried about her!" Eye reached out a wing and gently nudged the chair. "I'm sure she cares about you, but she might not understand how you feel if you don't sit down and tell her." Eye chuckled and drew back his wing. "I know that from experience."</p><p>"You do?" Blobbers chimed in as he poked his head in. "How so?"</p><p>Another chuckle came from Eye, and he stretched out his wing once more. "Well, Brawl and eye weren't always as tightly knight as we are now," Eye gestured vaguely. "In fact, there was a time we almost split up for good!"</p><p>"There was?" Blobbers and Boomette both exclaimed.</p><p>The two of them gasped, and Boomette leaned over in her seat. "That, that's impossible!" Boomette cried. "You two are the most famous team there is!"</p><p>"Ah, that may be true now, but back when we were first christened Elder Elementals and started freeing others from Arkeyan control, we had our fair share of bumps in the road. In fact, it all started during one of our first missions…"</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 10: Drill-X's Big Rig (Part 2)<p><em>BB-12 groaned and blinked as his systems came online, his optical sensors grainy and blurry but quick to clear. He didn't know how, or why, or what was going on, but he somehow found himself in some kind of mine or cavern filled with crystals that glowed in all sorts of colors and then some. It was an awfully pretty sight, but it didn't bring his mind any ease.</em></p><p><em>After all, he had no idea what this place was or how he got here… Or for that matter, who he even was. He only had a vague sense of his own name, and an even vaguer sense of a purpose that he couldn't even remember. Just what was it? Something about it felt just out of reach, so far away that he couldn't recall.</em></p><p><em>BB-12 frowned as he craned his head around the cavern, maybe in some faint hope that getting a look at the surroundings could key him in on what happened. Right as he did, a coarse electrical shock rushed through his systems and sent him fritzing around! He screamed as the shock ceased, and behind him, a smaller blue and gold robot who barely reached up to his chest snarled.</em></p><p>"<em>Guard robot, get back to work!" the robot cried as it waved its staff over yonder. "You're assigned to Quadrant 6-B! Now quit dawdling!"</em></p><p><em>The robot stormed off in a huff, and BB-12's optical sensors flickered as he stood in place. Was he a guard robot of some sort? Well, BB-12 supposed that was the case, so he hastily rolled off to where that other robot indicated. The crystals grew less plentiful the further he traveled, and the sound of something chipping away the rocks and pained grunts echoed around the cavern's silent halls. Something about it tugged at his core processor and gave him an awful feeling, but he traveled on still.</em></p><p><em>As he rounded a corner, the whole room flashed in a rainbow assortment of colors from the colorful crystals lodged into its walls! But, that was the only pretty sight he saw. Down below, tired mabu of all sorts who donned ragged clothes mined away the crystals in a tired melancholy. Their faces sagged from a lack of rest as they mined crystals, and dumped them into shiny red and gold mine carts. Their fur was patched with dirt and grime, and it just barely covered their weak limbs. Their eyes laid bloodshot as they mined away, their hands trembled as they barely clutched their equipment, and they swayed from side to side as if they could barely stay awake.</em></p><p><em>In fact, one mabu groaned and collapsed right on the floor. </em>"<em>No more," the mabu groaned as they yawned, "I need some sleep…"</em></p><p><em>The other mabu winced as they examined the sleeping mabu, and screamed as something leaped out from above! Another blue and gold robot jabbed the sleeping mabu in the back, and the mabu screamed and leaped to their feet!</em></p><p><em>"Get back to work!" the robot cried as it bonked the mabu on the head. "Our glorious emperor-king needs those radiance crystals for his machines, and he can't wait on simple-minded weaklings like you!"</em></p><p><em>"Y-YES, UNDERSTOOD!" the mabu sputtered! Sparks flew from their chattering teeth as they fumbled with their pickax, dashed back over to the wall and mined away. "Right away, sir!"</em></p><p><em>BB-12 winced as his eyes fell on the mabu, and then towards the robot as they scoffed and walked away.</em></p><p>"<em>Hey man, wasn't that a little harsh?" BB-12 asked as he grabbed the robot by the shoulder. "These guys looked like they haven't had a good recharge in ages! Maybe we should let them sleep!"</em></p><p><em>The robot snarled, turned around and jabbed his staff into BB-12's leg! BB-12 screamed out as the electricity coursed through him and singed his circuits once more.</em></p><p><em>The robot's blank white eyes gleaned red as he turned around and scoffed. </em>"<em>Now don't tell me you're </em><strong>sympathizing </strong><em>with them!" the robot scoffed. "Your job is to sit here and make sure these sniveling mabu do their job, not feel sorry for them! Keep it up, and we'll ship you off to the repair center!"</em></p><p><em>BB-12 winced as the electricity finally faded, and he hung his head as he wheeled off. "Yes, understood."</em></p><p><em>Well, that's what he said, but BB-12 still couldn't help but feel for that poor mabu. They stumbled on their own feet as they clumsily chipped away at the wall, and everything but those shiny crystals that he supposed were Radiance. He supposed this emperor-king guy was super important if they were in such a rush to get these crystals, but couldn't they have given the little guys a bit of a rest? Well, if they wouldn't let these guys rest, BB-12 would! </em></p><p><em>BB-12 lifted the tired mabu into his hands and grinned. The mabu gasped and stumbled backwards in BB-12's palms as they glanced up at him, but the sight of his smile seemed to put them at ease.</em></p><p>"<em>Hey, you alright?" BB-12 asked. "Just rest here for a little bit, I won't tell anyone."</em></p><p><em>The mabu's eyes fluttered, and despite the fact that BB-12 tried to seem as reassuring as possible, they still seemed quite distressed! Maybe that was because he was so big compared to the little guy, or that they were really tired.</em></p><p>"<em>Wait a second, I know you!" the mabu sputtered. "You're BB-12, that super cool roboto-ball player!"</em></p><p><em>BB-12's shoulders slunk. "Huh?" BB-12 uttered. That didn't sound right—he was a guard robot, not someone who played roboto-ball, whatever that was. He had no idea what this mabu talked about, but judging by the shocked and wide-eyed looks all the other mabu gave him, it must have some weight to it.</em></p><p>"<em>BB-12's here?" cried another mabu as they scratched their head. "Man, if I'd have known, I'd have brought something to autograph!"</em></p><p><em>"I went to your game in the Ancient's Crevice! You were really cool!" cried another, smaller mabu. "Hey, hey, show us that move you did back there!"</em></p><p>"<em>Do you think I could be as great a roboto-ball player as you are?"</em></p><p><em>BB-12 sputtered, and his circuits started to spark as he laid the mabu he was holding down and wheeled off.</em></p><p>"<em>I, I don't know what you're talking about, but you've got the wrong guy!" BB-12 proclaimed as he held up his hands. "I'm just some security robot, I'm not a big fancy roboto-ball or anything like that!" BB-12 lowered his hands and frowned. "At least, I don't think I was…"</em></p><p><em>However, the mabu didn't seem to listen at all! They all cheered and swarmed his wheel as they jumped up and raised their hands for him, all manner of excitement in their eyes! Their smiles were wide and bright, so unlike how downtrodden and tired they were prior. Something about it warmed BB-12's core processor—but also, something about their cheers tickled his memory circuits. It brought to mind someplace cool and slick, his oil rushing with excitement unlike anything else at the very notion.</em></p><p>"<em>Hey, BB-12!" cried one mabu as they yanked a particularly round radiance crystal from a cart and tossed it to him. "Catch!"</em></p><p><em>BB-12 lifted his head, gasped as the crystal came for him, and zapped it before it could smack him in the head! Its shattered remains rained back down on the crowd of mabu, and their smiles faded as they examined the remains. Somehow, something about it made BB-12's core processor sink as well.</em></p><p>"… <em>I, I'm sorry."</em></p><p><em>The mabu all sighed as they kicked away the shards, and one grabbed a pickax from the ground.</em></p><p>"<em>Those robots are probably still scuffling around here," that mabu said as they slammed the pickax against the wall. "We'd better get to work."</em></p><p><em>The other mabu sighed and let out resigned mumbles of agreement as they returned back to their own posts. BB-12 hung his head. He hadn't meant to upset anyone, but he had no idea what was going on! If he really was this big popular guy, why didn't he remember any of this? What was he doing down here?</em></p><p><em>BB-12 frowned, twiddled his fingers, and forced a smile as he glanced down at the mabu. "Just what's so great about this BB-12 anyways?"</em></p><p><em>The mabu around all gasped, and the lights in their eyes returned as they glanced up at BB-12.</em></p><p>"<em>Everything! You've been a star player ever since you entered the robot-ball team!" cried one mabu. "You were so fast and strong, and it seemed like you always knew just what to do! Practically all the teams were begging you to join them!"</em></p><p>"<em>Y'know," chuckled another one of the mabu as they grabbed up armfuls of radiance and dumped them in crates, "I saw your game back in Lostlight! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!"</em></p><p><em>"I know, right?" remarked another mabu. "It really seemed for a minute like your team was gonna lose!" A twinkle shone in the mabu's eye as they turned to BB-12. "But then, you just came in and scored the winning point at the very last minute!" the mabu chuckled as they turned away. "You really know how to come through!"</em></p><p>"<em>Oh, that Lostlight game was nothing!" cried another mabu. "Murlayfield was the real deal! That kick he did to score the final point was one for the ages!"</em></p><p><em>"Not to mention how he completely wiped the floor with the opponents at Thorpeness! He was one to ten, and still won by a landslide!"</em></p><p><em>"I still say Erast had the best of the bunch! Every time I think about how he snatched the roboto-ball and scored just before it exploded, my heart starts racing!"</em></p><p><em>BB-12 chuckled, and the sound of warm, cheerful gushing was like music to his auditory processors. Something about those names did feel kind of familiar, but nothing in his memory circuits could pin it down still. Still, he drank in that warm, familiar feeling.</em></p><p>"<em>Man, this guy sounds pretty cool!" BB-12 chuckled, but his smile faded as he clasped his hands. "I can't possibly be someone like that. After all, I'm just some security bot…"</em></p><p>"<em>Au contraire!" cried another voice from the back. "You were never a security bot to begin with!"</em></p><p><em>All eyes turned to the shadows in the corner. There, a tired, scruffy-looking mabu, albeit one in much better a condition than the other mabu scattered around the mines, stood. This mabu had their hands crossed behind their back as they scoffed, yet their yellow eyes rang with a bit of pain as they glared down BB-12.</em></p><p>"<em>I, I'm not?" BB-12 asked, only able to wheel back in shock. "But, then what am I doing here?"</em></p><p>"<em>That's because they captured you and had you reprogrammed, wiped you clean, even!" the mabu spat as tiny tears formed at their eyes. "I was at your last game in Arkaley, and I saw everything!"</em></p><p><em>Gasps came from all the other mabu as they dropped their pickaxes and equipment, but the sour-looking mabu just stood tall.</em></p><p>"<em>Arkus had never been fond of the fact that one of his own creations rebelled against his conquest and made such a fuss doing so, so when you came there, he flooded the whole town!" The mabu shot out a hand and gestured everywhere. "He razed everything down and flooded the coliseum! Everyone else was fleeing, but you stuck around to throw them off so everyone else could escape! You flung all the roboto-balls in the coliseum at them, blew up as many as you could… But, but then, they, they…" the mabu shuddered, fell to their knees and sniffled as they clutched their head, eyes covered to hide their tears. "They brought reinforcements, and…"</em></p><p><em>Two of the other mabu came to the now sobbing mabu's side, and they peered up at BB-12 with those wide, pleading eyes.</em></p><p>"<em>Please, remember who you are!" one cried. "You're the best roboto-ball player ever, not some security drone!"</em></p><p><em>"Yeah! You're the guy who perfected the double-whammy shot, the faster roboto-ball player in recorded history!"</em></p><p><em>"Don't you remember all those tricks you did, or all those games you won? Don't you remember that you're our hero?"</em></p><p><em>The mabu clamored further, and BB-12 couldn't bring himself to look or listen anymore. He turned around and frowned.</em></p><p>"<em>I, I'm sorry, but I really don't remember a thing," BB-12 whispered as his shoulder slunk. "I really, really want to, but there's nothing in my memory circuits about any of this…"</em></p><p><em>"Yes there is!"</em></p><p><em>That same sobbing mabu stormed forward. BB-12 perked up as they glared him down—but not with anger, or sorrow, or anything of the sort, no. It was something that seemed like, hope, he supposed?</em></p><p><em>"You say you don't remember, but if you didn't, why did you try to stick up to that guard? Why have you been so nice to us? If you didn't remember at all, you wouldn't have done that at all!" The mabu pointed a finger at BB-12. "The real you is in there somewhere, I know it!"</em></p><p><em>The mabu turned back to a large, round boulder, gasped and rushed off. </em></p><p>"<em>Wait, everyone, follow me! I have an idea!"</em></p><p><em>The mabu all gasped, and they cheered as they followed that mabu to where that boulder was! They all seemed so happy as they combined whatever strength remained in their weakened bodies to push the boulder right off the cliff it sat on, and straight towards BB-12!</em></p><p><em>BB-12 screamed as the boulder came in fast, until it was inches from BB-12 himself. As it rolled in, he didn't know why, but, he kicked it! The boulder rolled back to the base of the cliff, and the mabu all cheered as it came back to him! BB-12 frowned. Why did he do that? He wanted to blow that boulder up, yet his body acted on its own on instinct! Was there a glitch in his processor or something?</em></p><p><em>The mabu cheered, and pushed the boulder right back towards him again! BB-12 kicked it back again, and they cheered as their pushes and kicks repeated! They'd roll the boulder and he'd kick it back in a simple, repetitive movement. It was nothing too fancy, yet doing it brought a smile to BB-12's face nonetheless!</em></p><p><em>He chuckled as the boulder rolled back to him and he kicked it back—and something flashed in his mind! A coliseum full of cheering beings from all corners of Skylands with sleek floors where towering titans all stood against him, a single gold and blue metal ball the only thing blocking it off… It felt, familiar, almost! BB-12 blinked, and his jaw slightly gaped as more of these memories flooded back to him: rolling across sleek marble, the cheers of the stands, the familiar scent of smoke and the adrenaline rush of victory! Those were all his memories! They seemed so distant before, but the wave crashed over his core processor and brought with it silent awe, silent awakening!</em></p><p>"<em>I remember now," was all BB-12 could gasp out as the boulder rolled by his wheel. </em></p><p><em>The mabu all gasped with sheer glee, wide smiles and eyes and all, and BB-12 smirked. His eyes fell on the large boulder that rested behind him, and he rolled up. </em></p><p>"<em>I'm not some security drone, forget that noise!" BB-12 cried as he zoomed in for the shot. "I'm BB-12, roboto-ball's star player!"</em></p><p><em>BB-12 swung it and slammed right into the boulder, his kick backed up by the force of his run!</em></p><p><em>"AND I'M NOT STICKING AROUND IN SOME RUSTY ARKEYAN MINE!"</em></p><p><em>The boulder crashed right into the ceiling, and BB-12 swept the mabu into his arms as the whole mine rumbled! Gigantic rocks fell from the ceiling as it crumbled away, but BB-12 zipped off without even thinking! In his mind's eye, he could see the stage set, the opposing players all lined up to take him down—but, he wasn't going down today! He zipped right through, and burst out the mine's entrance just as the rocks crumbled in!</em></p><p><em>Rocks filled up the mine's entrance, but BB-12 smiled. </em>"<em>Now I'd call that another star play!" BB-12 chuckled.</em></p><p><em>The mabu in his arms all cheered, yet those cheers came to a sharp silence as electricity and footsteps crackled around! Their eyes turned to the path ahead, where more of those blue and gold robots stormed in with glowing red eyes and tight grips on their swords.</em></p><p><em>"WHAT DID YOU INSIDIOUS FURBALLS DO?" cried the head of the pack, the very same robot that shocked BB-12 moments earlier. He could recognize the venom in its gleaning optics as the robot snapped down its sword and sent sparks flying.</em>"<em>THAT WAS THE ONLY RADIANCE MINE FOR MILES! AND REPROGRAMMING ONE OF OUR OWN ROBOTS TO DESTROY IT! YOU'LL PAY WITH YOUR LIVES!"</em></p><p><em>The mabu all screamed and trembled, but BB-12 snarled as he placed them on a ledge near his height. He cracked his knuckles, and his own optical sensors tinted red. These were the ones who imprisoned him, who stripped him of his memories, who tormented the very ones who looked up to him—and now, they were gonna pay!</em></p><p><em>"You're not laying a finger on them!" Bouncer cried. The robots stopped in their tracks, and Bouncer snarled. "Messing with me is bad enough, but imprisoning all these beings and making them do your dirty work is even worse! I'm not letting you get away with it!"</em></p><p><em>The head of the group snarled himself, and a glint of anger shone in his cool red eyes. </em>"<em>And here I thought taking their hero and making him the very one forcing them into this work would break them." The robot snarled as they clutched their sword. "It seems I was wrong."</em></p><p><em>The two of them snarled as they rushed into each other, and then… </em></p><p>There was nothing.</p><p>Bouncer groaned as his aching head finally came to, lurched up and forced himself to wheel away. His chest pounded just as hard as his head did, and he could barely bring himself to stand up—but, he had to. Something about this place was <em>wrong</em>. He couldn't quite remember why he was here, or what happened, but he knew this was wrong! He needed to get out! He shook his head as his past memories finally cleared from his mind, fuzzy like a dream, and something came to him! A mission, a group of molekin, oil, and gasoline, and banged up metal hangars! Yes, now he remembered; he was taking down some oil rig belonging to that Kaos creep those kids were talking about. He remembered that much, but everything after was one big blur. He held his head as he tried to remember…</p><p><em>You are an Arkeyan soldier!</em></p><p>Bouncer screamed as his head throbbed again, and the whole room around him turned red and gold! Vague images of faces formed in the walls around him, ones just detailed enough that they could barely be made out against the wavering and pulsing light. Their glares pierced through his core processor, and just the sight hurt his head even more!</p><p><em>You are a mighty warrior of the Arkeyan kingdom! they</em> all cried as one voice, one mind. <em>You serve only the emperor-king and nobody else! Cast aside your other desires, for your true purpose is to serve the mighty Arkeyan empire and the mightier king!</em></p><p>Bouncer's head turned fuzzy once more, and something underneath him… Sank? Slipped? He couldn't really tell what, but the whole world around him started to fade and blur, all mushed together so that he could barely make it out.</p><p><em>You serve only the Arkeyan empire! You serve to protect our kingdoms, our wealth, the great legacy we have made! You are one of a collective, of a single soul dedicated to serving the Arkeyan honor!</em></p><p>"I, I, I'm…" Bouncer groaned as the floor sank to his chest, his optic sensors dulling by the second. "I'm, an Arkeyan soldier…"</p><p>Bouncer didn't even know why he said that; it slipped from his mouth without any thought! Those faces continued to glare him down as the world around him dulled again, and his head was so, so heavy, so heavy that he barely keep it up. He prepared to shut down his optics and rest…</p><p>But as he did, cheers came back to mind! The mabu's cheer and cries for their hero echoed in his head, a defying cry that drowned out the words of those around him. More importantly, it completely roused him; all his senses sharpened, and he shook his much lighter head!</p><p>"No I'm not!" Bouncer cried as he shot out his arms and sent the whole floor splashing away. His optics fixed on those faces, and he scowled as he held out his arms. "I'm not your puppet! I'm Bouncer, Elder Elemental and protector of Skylands!"</p><p>A flash of his past memories, of the mine, and the robots, and those who brought him back to his senses, all came back to Bouncer's mind, and his scowl deepened as he charged up his gauntlets.</p><p>"YOU MAY HAVE SUNK YOUR MITTS INTO ME BEFORE, BUT YOU'RE NOT GETTING ME AGAIN! I'M NOT LETTING YOU USE ME ANY LONGER!"</p><p>Bouncer wheeled back, and rockets popped out from his arms and screeched right through the walls. Everything shattered like glass as the color melted away, and a blurry vision of the outside world came! It was fuzzy, but he could tell from looks alone that things weren't good. Guess it was time for him to win the match! So, he sped forward and grinned as he jumped right into the image.</p><p>"Don't worry everyone, I'm coming!"</p><p align="center">§</p><p>"Flynn, look out! Behind you!"</p><p>"Look out for what, CaliIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"</p><p>A crash sounded off, and Flynn's screeches echoed around as the explosions blew him into a nearby wall! Flynn groaned as he collapsed on the floor and pushed himself up, screamed, and ran off as another electro-bomb courtesy of the robot bomber before him! Flynn snarled as the robot sneered in his face, its own grip fastened tight to the next bomb it prepared to throw.</p><p>"Alright, I'll bite, you got that one over me," Flynn remarked as he dusted off his jacket, "but, there's no way you can—"</p><p>"Cut the chat, Flynn!" Cali cried as she rushed in front of him with dagger in hand. "We've got robots to scrap!"</p><p>Cali screamed as she slashed a gaping hole in the bomber's chest, kicked it back into the crowds, and plugged her ears as it exploded into a swarm of blue flames! The fires burned down the smaller robots that littered the area around it, but while they burned, even larger robots came in and stomped them down! The newer robots held round bodies with glowing eyes and round hands, and they all creaked as they turned their hands up and revealed glowing cannons inside!</p><p>"Ultrons?" Ninjini cried as she turned around. "They've got ultrons too?"</p><p>The ultrons' hands screeched as they charged up a shared blast, and Ninjini winced as she held out her hands, prepared to fight or cast a shield. Before she did anything, something giant, red, and gold slammed right into the ultrons and knocked them off kilter! Their intended blast slammed into a few robots behind them and wiped them out completely. The ultrons themselves were completely crushed under their mystery assailant's wheel!</p><p>Massive robotic cries shot out as this mystery assailant held their head, but in spite of this, Ninjini didn't attack! She gasped and lowered her glowing hands.</p><p>"Bouncer?"</p><p>Bouncer wailed as he dug his hands into his head. Behind him, everyone else stood their distance. Nobody was quite sure just what he was going to do: was he going to attack them again? Run off? It was hard to tell with him screaming incoherently and standing there. Bouncer growled and gritted his robotic teeth. While the sparks flew, he zoomed off and crushed another fleet of robots underfoot!</p><p>"Get, get," Bouncer growled as he slammed into the wall and banged his head into it, "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"</p><p>Bright, orange light flooded out of Bouncer's eyes as he screamed and slunk over, and they dulled as he collapsed chest-first onto the ground. A few of the molekin dropped their fights and scampered up to him, but drew back as his head rolled up to face them. His eyes flashed white, and he only chuckled.</p><p>"Sorry I'm late, everyone," Bouncer said as he rolled back up and puffed out his chest, hands planted on his hips, "I just had to get my head back in the game!"</p><p>"Robot dude, you're alright!" Flynn cheered as he and Cali rushed up with the molekin.</p><p>The two of them joined the molekin in cheering on Bouncer's return, but everyone swerved away as a massive skull slammed past them and shattered against the metal walls!</p><p>"I'd hate to interrupt the celebration," Hex spat as she cast another round of skulls from the safety of a wall of hard bones, "but need I remind you we still have work to do?"</p><p>Flynn and Cali both grimaced as the Arkeyans veered forward—but not at the Arkeyans themselves. Rather, their eyes fixed at who headed the charge: Chop Chop and Drill Sergeant! Both their eyes glowed a bright red as they waved their weapons in the air, their voices cold and robotic as ever!</p><p>Bouncer zoomed right past everyone else and immediately shielded the blow! Their attempts at banging up his hull just harmlessly bounced off. Chop Chop and Drill Sergeant stepped back as they drank in Bouncer's tall stature.</p><p>"Get a hold of yourselves, you two!" Bouncer cried. "This isn't the real you, and you both know it!"</p><p>Chop Chop and Drill Sergeant grunted as they faced each other, shrugged and waved their weapons in the air as they went after Bouncer once more. But, Bouncer wheeled away! Chop Chop and Drill Sergeant chased after him still, yet all he did was frown.</p><p>"I know it's hard, but you can do it! You can fight those voices! Don't listen to them! Your real selves aren't mindless machines!" Bouncer grunted as he cast away a rocket's blast. "You're Skylanders, you're heroes! You're not just some mindless drones! You've got hearts of your own, sparks of a soul! Try and remember!"</p><p>Chop Chop and Drill Sergeant stopped mid-charge, and their heads raised. The red glow in their eyes flickered just a bit, but that one little blip was enough to make Bouncer grin.</p><p>"That's it! Just keep digging deep there and remembering! Think about everything that's important to you—your friends, your lovers, your home! Hold onto those things you care about, and awaken who you truly are!"</p><p>Chop Chop and Drill Sergeant groaned as they stepped forward, but that grunt came from them again, and much more pained to boot! Their eyes flickered in color as they slunk down, and strained, pained groans echoed from their bodies. Their limbs trembled as their groans turned shaky and hollow, and finally, they both screamed with such shrill pain that all eyes turned on them!</p><p>Their screams ended as they slunk against the floors. The yellow lights of Chop Chop's eyes flickered on as he groaned and pushed himself from the ground. Drill Sergeant's eyes flickered on behind him, and Chop Chop hummed and frowned as he examined Drill Sergeant.</p><p>"What, what happened?" Chop Chop gasped. "Everything's so hazy. All I was remember was a voice, and, and…"</p><p>"The same is true of me, sir," Drill Sergeant remarked as his drills turned. "It seems there must be a glitch in my memory circuits, for I cannot remember a thing!"</p><p>Bouncer grinned and nudged their heads! They both peered up, and Bouncer gave them a thumbs up.</p><p>"Good to have you two back!" A rocket whizzed past Bouncer's head and exploded beside him, and he winced as his eyes fell back onto the battles below. "Actually, we can probably save the chat for later—we've got a battle to fight!"</p><p>Chop Chop and Drill Sergeant nodded, and the three of them tailed right behind Bouncer as they zipped into the fray!</p><p>Chop Chop leaped beside Cali as she slashed through a string of robots with a shiny dagger, slashed his own sword against their gaping wounds and cut them clean in half! The robots all exploded and send plumes of massive cyan smoke pouring through the fields while Chop Chop and Cali both smirked. They both shuddered, and stepped back as a large robot charged through, swinging for them with a massive fist! Chop Chop shot his shield up immediately, but the robot pushed and ground against it as its eyes glowed bright. Chop Chop's footing started to slip as he pushed the shield forward with both hands, grunts and pants slipping from his mouth the whole time.</p><p>As his feet finally started to slip, a wall of bones blocked the robot off from Chop Chop, and a trio of bright cyan orbs tore holes into the robot's chest as they knocked it into the smaller robots behind! The robot exploded into smoke as Chop Chop gasped, but soft cyan light poured beside him and caught his attention. Hex hovered beside him, and though her face was cold as ever, she still lifted up his hand and clutched it close.</p><p>"It's good to have you back," Hex whispered.</p><p>"It's good to be back, my lady," Chop Chop whispered back as his own fingers folded around hers.</p><p>The two of them stood hand in hand as the bones that blocked off the remaining robot forces from them finally sank back into the floor. The robots screeched right for them. Hex let go of Chop Chop's hand, but the fragments of their embrace remained—for a new power flowed through Chop Chop's body! His sword and shield grew even larger as he slashed away the robots, and beside him, Hex shot out massive skulls that smashed right through the robots!</p><p>Between them, Drill Sergeant zoomed forward as he completely mowed down the robots! Their fragmented bodies and heads shot up into the air, and fritzed as Drill Sergeant skewered the robots' bodies. He swerved around as his laser cannon jolted out of his head!</p><p>"Laser protocols, ACTIVATED!" Drill Sergeant cried as light gathered at the cannons' mouth.</p><p>A flurry of lasers rocketed from Drill Sergeant's cannon with so much force that he flew back. The robots that charged right for him froze in place as the laser shot through and riddled them with holes! Their smoking bodies keeled over, collapsed on the floor, and exploded in a fury of blue fire that engulfed the robots behind them as well.</p><p>Flynn screamed and hit the floor as explosions sounded all around them, but Cali stood tall and winced.</p><p>"C'mon, gotta be something in here," Cali mumbled as she dug through her pockets, grinned and yanked out a bomb. "A-ha!"</p><p>Cali chuckled as the bomb rested in her hand, but Flynn screamed the moment he laid eyes on it.</p><p>"Cali, what do you think you're doing?" Flynn cried. His eyes only grew wider as Cali raised the bomb up. "That's gonna—"</p><p><em>KA- BOOM!</em> An explosion of light burst around Flynn and Cali, and faded to reveal a dome-shaped shield that completely shielded them from the flames! Cali smiled, and below her, Flynn chuckled as he stood up.</p><p>While Flynn and Cali sat in their bubble, the molekin turned their eyes to the masses of sparking robot corpses yet to explode, and then to the larger robots locked tight in combat with the Elder Elementals. They paused and rubbed their chins for moments, grinned as they yanked the corpses from the ground, and tossed the corpses across the air!</p><p>Sparks flew from the robot corpses as they landed right in the middle of the fray. The Elder Elementals dashed off as the corpses exploded and sent blue flames and smoke in every direction! They lifted their heads as the flames faded, and grinned as their eyes fell back on the robots they faced. Now, the robots were burnt and damaged; they could only stand there as the more singed parts of their bodies fell off, completely wide open!</p><p>Ninjini rushed forward and slashed one with her wishblades, and Hot Head shot up beside her as he blew another one back with his flames! As the two robots flew back, they joined with the remaining two thanks to a blow from Crusher's hammer and punch from Bouncer. All four robots crashed right into the terminal and exploded! Blue flames poured out from the back of the room as the Elder Elementals all gasped, and they swept the smaller members of their party up in their arms as the other Arkeyan robots fell inactive all around them.</p><p>"We've gotta get out of here!" Bouncer cried. "This thing's gonna blow!"</p><p>They all panted as they rushed out the halls, but the flames were much faster than they were! Next thing they knew, they were completely blown right out of the cavern, flames smoking and heating as their back as they vaulted through the tunnel, the hangar, everything! They all grunted and crashed just outside the entrance as masses of metal and rock crashed over the doorway and sealed it tight. They all groaned as they pushed themselves up.</p><p>"Yeah, there's no way that thing could have survived that!" Bouncer cried as he jumped back to his wheel and zipped off. "Now come on, we've gotta get with the rest of the team!</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Flameslinger raised his bow and snarled as his fingers wrapped tight around it. Beside him, the others all carried similar levels of concern as they raised their weapons. They were surrounded at every angle by these Arkeyan robots, and all the while, those snide, snide minions of Kaos's just smirked and crossed their arms.</p><p>"There's no way you'll be able to beat us now!" those snide-looking gremlins crooned from the spot behind the crowds.</p><p>As much as the Skylanders all hated to admit it, those gremlins seemed to be right! Not only were they surrounded at every angle by these massive robots—from the knights and brawlers that loomed over them, to the ones in copters above the sky—but these robots were larger and seemed much more powerful to boot! The odds may not always be decided, but right now, things weren't exactly looking in their favor.</p><p>Spyro snarled and huffed out smoke as he prepared his fires as several the robots raised their arms and prepared to fight. The robots stood still and frozen in the moments as their weapons hovered above him… Yet, they didn't move a step more. They stood still as statues in their little circle, and their eyes became the only source of movement as they pulsed in and out.</p><p>Stealth Elf frowned, and lowered her daggers just a little as she eyed the robots before her. "So, is something going to happen, or?"</p><p>Those minions of Kaos's frowned. Amid their ranks, a gremlin wove between the crowds, hopped up, and waved their hand in front of the only robot they could reach.</p><p>"Hello, robots?" the gremlin said. "Skylands to robots! Go beat up those Skylanders for us!"</p><p>The robots in response just continued to stand still, as if they froze in time, almost. The lights in their faces dulled as low creaks came from their bodies, and their weapons slipped from their hands as they fell to the floor! Spyro and Stealth Elf grimaced and jumped back as an ax fell beside them and crashed into the ground. Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy joined them next as a sword slipped out and smashed a hole into the floor. Even Flameslinger lowered his bow as the rows of Arkeyan robots that completely cornered them before fell down like dominoes… Just what was going on?</p><p>"Er, uh, well," another gremlin sputtered back they cleared their throat. "So, those robots turned out to be duds, but we've still got plenty of fight in us!" The gremlin turned back to the rest of the forces and forced a grin. "Right, boys?"</p><p>The other minions forced smiles and warily cheered, but even those faded as Spyro stepped up while his eyes glistened with an almost eerie purple light!</p><p>"Oh, really?" he remarked. The fallen robots beside him glowed with a warbling purple light, and his smirk grew as he sat down. "Need I remind you that we've got a trick of our own?"</p><p>"Hah!" The gremlin forced a grin from chattering teeth as they crossed their arms. "And what could that possibly be?"</p><p>"This!"</p><p>The smug gremlin grunted as one of the unconscious robots slammed right into them and knocked them backwards, and the others screamed! Not for long, though, as robotic body slams knocked them all down by as well—save for one who just rolled underneath the fray and ran off! The gremlin panted and adjusted their lab coat as they ran as fast as their stubby legs could carry them. Before they could get to safety, Trigger Happy popped up right in front of them with robotic arms in hand! He grinned and waved as the gremlin sputtered and stumbled back, bonked them on the head, and slapped them away with the robot arms!</p><p>As the gremlin flew backwards, it slammed into a draconic minion and conked it on the head. The draconic minion roared as it held its aching head, and a snarl crossed its face as it spat out a massive column of flames! The fire burned bright for a moment, but then, a fresh column of water slammed into the draconic minion and knocked them back on the ground. The draconic minion sputtered and stumbled around as steam flew from its jaws, groaned and fell to the floor.</p><p>The minions all screamed and ran off as their remaining forces failed them, but right as they did, Flameslinger shot off his arrows and sent flames bursting at their feet! The minions cried out and jumped off as they blew flames from their bodies, but grunted as spheres of magic, streams of water, and bursts of golden coins tossed them out of the skies and back onto the ground! They all groaned as they planted face, rump, belly-first onto the ground, all plopped down like walnuts fallen from a tree.</p><p>With them incapacitated, Stealth Elf stepped forward and rubbed her hands. She flicked her wrists out, and a massive cloud of misty green spores poured out and cast themselves over the minions. They all groaned and hacked in their semi-conscious state as the spores cast over them, but as the spores faded, their screams turned to snores!</p><p>"That should probably keep them down for a little while," Stealth Elf remarked as she wiped off her hands.</p><p>"There you all are! We've been looking everywhere for you!"</p><p>Stealth Elf and Flameslinger's ears flicked, and both of them turned around right as the rest of their team wheeled in! Everyone looked a bit banged up and dented, and a handful of molekin seemed to have joined them since, but hey, they were alive and well it seemed! So, the five of them rushed up to the rest of the team and grinned.</p><p>"So, did you find anything out?" Cali asked as she stepped forward.</p><p>"Oh, we did alright, and it's not good," Stealth Elf replied, and the faint moment of joy faded away as she crossed her arms. "Turns out, Kaos's been using this place to unearth Arkeyan ruins and beef up his armies with their robots! He's already gotten a ton, and worse yet, he's already plotting his way to Arkus!"</p><p>"Wait, Arkus? If he gets there, he'd have the whole Arkeyan army at his control! And he's already planning to get there?" Bouncer cried as he wheeled back. "Dang it, that guy works fast!" Bouncer blinked, but grinned as he balled his hands into fists. "But, we're just gonna have to work faster! We've already busted that control terminal, so those robots won't be bugging us anytime soon!"</p><p>"Then all we have to do is take on the heart of the rig itself," Flameslinger added. He nudged up beside Stealth Elf as he rolled out his map, pulled up his blindfold just a tad, and frowned as he glazed it over. "The last of the generators should be somewhere around here." Flameslinger scratched his head as he lifted his up. "Problem is, it doesn't seem like there's anything around here where it could be…"</p><p>Everyone else frowned and hummed as they examined their surroundings. As Stealth Elf joined them, her foot brushed against one of the unconscious robots scattered around the facility. Her brows perked up, and she heaved up the robot with a smirk.</p><p>"Actually, I have an idea!" Stealth Elf proclaimed.</p><p>Stealth Elf hoisted the robot up with all her might, withdrew her dagger and slashed its chest wide open! Sparks flew from its wide-open chest as she kicked it back towards a suspiciously-placed wall near the end. She turned around and covered her ears as it exploded into flames! The blue flames ate away around the rig as the explosion ate up the other robots in its wake, but soon, by a massive wave of water from Spyro and Gill Grunt drenched away the flames! As the flames turned to mere embers and smoke that brushed away with a single gust of wind, the wall itself was no more. The flames blew its surface to smithereens, and all that remained was a cold, dark metal passageway.</p><p>"That's what I thought. It must be in a hidden passageway!" Stealth Elf cried as she crossed her arms.</p><p>"We'll stay here and make sure none of those guards try anything," Hex added as she gestured to Drill Sergeant and Chop Chop. "The rest of you, go find that generator."</p><p>Stealth Elf nodded and stormed inside with a wave of her hand. "Come on!"</p><p>So, with Hex, Chop Chop and Drill Sergeant flanking the way in, the rest of them all made their way inside. Some took moments to dodge the remaining smolders and embers, but paused as their feet hit the cold, cool metal. The faint crackle of electricity echoed from down the halls, and paired with the occasional crack and flash of blue light. This had to be where the last generator was!</p><p>They all trekked their way through as the outside light grew fainter and fainter until they stuck to wandering through the dark twists and turns. A faint sizzling joined the crackles and pops as they proceeded. Yet, nothing that could have caused it could be seen!</p><p>"Just what is making that awful noise?" Stealth Elf hissed.</p><p>Hot Head frowned, grinned as he held out his hands and jiggled them. "I don't know, but I think I can shed some light on them!" Flames burst out from Hot Head's hands, and the warmth of red, orange, and yellow completely lit up the halls. "Firelight, that is!"</p><p>Hot Head chuckled at his own cheesy joke for a few moments, blinked and lifted his head as smoke flitted across the halls. "Wait, is something burning besides me?"</p><p>As it turned out, it was! The warmth of Hot Head's flames unveiled entire rows of bombs stuck to the walls and ceiling, and the flames completely lit them! Everyone blinked as the flames ate away at the bombs' strings and drew dangerously close to the insides… And as the fuses disappeared within the bombs, they all screamed and ran ahead! Massive, thundering explosions sounded from behind as the fire of the blasts burst forward, and the flames ate away at the last little bit of strings of bombs they left behind! Everyone panted and sweat as the hot fires tickled their backs and sent sweat pouring down, yet the fires behind burned even brighter as they swept through the entire room.</p><p>Trigger Happy grunted as he snagged his foot and tripped on his face, but Spyro quickly swept Trigger Happy on his back and zipped off.</p><p>"The flames, they're getting faster!" Spyro cried as he whizzed past everyone else. "Keep running!"</p><p>Ninjini winced and turned back as another explosion sent flames around the corner, zipped ahead and grimaced. "At this rate, the fires will get us before we get out!"</p><p>"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Hot Head cried as he stood behind and glared down the flames.</p><p>Hot Head snarled, shouted out as he flung out his hands—and the flames sucked right into his hands, searing his body! The magma veins that fueled him grew even brighter and hotter as the flames warmed their bodies. Hot Head's magma stone skin turned singed and charred as the flames warmed his body. A plume of fire burst from his head as he screamed out, his cries shriller and louder as even more flames fed into him by the second. The last of the flames vanished, and he fell to his knees! His whole body charred and smoked as he fell on his side and sputtered, but he saved them.</p><p>"I'll take care of Hot Head!" Crusher shouted as he knelt down beside Hot Head and rested Hot Head's chest on his lap. "Just get to the generator!"</p><p>Ninjini turned back with a nod. What remained of their team burst through the light that poured from the end of the tunnel, and into a shiny, sleek metal room full of light! The overhead lamps swung to and fro, and cast their light over the sleek checkerboard floor with no doors or windows to be found whatsoever. The only entrances laid on several metal balconies with chains hung from their railings, one that added a slick, metallic scent to the otherwise stark room. More than anything, something that sounded oddly like beeping kept echoing from the room? Yet, nothing in a room as stark and minimal as this could have caused it, right?</p><p>That's what everyone thought, yet the beeping gleefully carried on as they tip-toed across the across the floor. The beeps and their footsteps kept a steady rhythm as they crept from tile to tile, all eyes moving from side to side as they kept eyes trained for any sort of oddities and traps.</p><p>Flynn stepped on a tile without noticing, and screamed as it launched him into the ceiling!</p><p>"Flynn!" Spyro cried. He flew up and caught Flynn on his back just before Flynn could crash back down, but that didn't stop the rest of the tiles from bouncing up and down below them.</p><p>Trigger Happy screamed as one tile sprung up from underneath him, slamming him into the ceiling and ricocheting him right into Spyro's back! Spyro grunted, yanking Flynn up by his arm and straining as he tried to pull Flynn back onto his back. He swept away as Cali flew up and slammed right into the ceiling beside him.</p><p>Cali groaned, her eyes spinning around in her head as she shot back down and right into Gill Grunt's arms. She grunted and shook her head as her eyes met his. His jetpack poured entire waterfalls onto the floor below, slicking down the tiles and sending a gurgling, bubbling noise that echoed through the chamber. Gill Grunt smiled, and flew over to a particularly large balcony and sat down on its railing, allowing Cali to step down with a loosening of his arms.</p><p>"Thanks for that, Gill Grunt," Cali panted as she stumbled out of his arms. She leaned against the balcony's railing, absentmindedly rubbing the bruise on her head that poked its way out of her fur as she glazed over the floors below.</p><p>Spyro panted and fell to his paws as he stumbled over the balcony, sending Trigger Happy and Flynn rolling across the floor. He shook his head and grimaced as he joined Cali in peering over the balcony.</p><p>Down below, the others all screamed and ran as the floor rumbled and popped out tiles behind them, its speed increasing at such a rate that entire rows of the floor behind them disappeared with only dark voids left in their wake! Bouncer and Ninjini took a quick look back at the floor and swept across, scooping Flameslinger, Stealth Elf, and a few of the molekin in their arms as Ninjini's eyes narrowed.</p><p>"The exit's there!" Ninjini cried as she pointed towards one of the balconies.</p><p>She and Bouncer ducked underneath the balcony's crumbling bottom, and began disappearing down the halls. As they ran, one of the molekin tripped over their own feet, and planted face-first onto the ground right as the floor gave way underneath them!</p><p>"Help!" the molekin screamed as they plummeted into the depths.</p><p>A few of the other molekin leaped from Bouncer and Ninjini's arms. They dashed back to the edge of the halls as they grabbed the falling molekin by the hand and pulled them back up, but even with their combined strength, they could barely hold on. Instead, they teetered over and collapsed into the void, hands unwrapping as they scrambled and scratched against the walls before falling in!</p><p>"Hang on, lil' guys! I'm comin—" Bouncer started as he wheeled over.</p><p>Purple and cyan blurs dove right in front of him, forcing him to wheel back! Grunts and strained groans echoed through the room as those blurs flitted back into view, revealing themselves to be Spyro and Gill Grunt, yet not just them either. A pair of dizzy molekin groaned as they leaned against Spyro's back while he strained with all his might to pull them to the balcony. Gill Grunt flew sideways beside him. The streams of water that burst from his jetpack slammed against the walls, and the molekin he collected clung to him for dear life!</p><p>"Don't, worry about, us!" Spyro grunted as he flew out of view. "Just take care of, that machine!"</p><p>Bouncer grimaced for a moment, his metallic teeth clenching together, but finally he nodded. He clutched the remaining few molekin close to his chest as he wheeled down the hallway. Though, it was more a tunnel really, with its almost claustrophobic stone walls of red lit by a warm yellow light coming from the end of the tunnel.</p><p>Bouncer grunted as he ducked underneath the ceiling. As his eyes trailed across the floor of crumbly red brick, he wheeled away from a suspiciously light patch in the otherwise rich, red earth. Red lights like a warning sign flashed in his eyes as he kept his head craned towards the ground, eyes fixed on the bricks.</p><p>In his arms, Stealth Elf wiggled out and pulled a round orb from her pocket. "Just to be safe," she whispered as she windmilled her arm and tossed the orb onto the ground.</p><p>The orb's glassy outer covering shattered the moment it hit the earth. It sent thin layers of smoke cascading through the room before they disappeared into thin air, save for parts that sank into the earth and left squiggly markings on the tiles and spaces underfoot.</p><p>Stealth Elf's ears flattened against the side of her head, and her grip on Bouncer's arm tightened a bit. "Those ones with the marks on them activate traps, everyone," she warned as she wiggled her way out of his grip, and pulled away a molekin before they could step on one of the line-marked tiles. "Try not to step on them!"</p><p>Hearing this, the molekin yipped and stumbled away from Stealth Elf's grip. Right as they did, they stepped right on her feet and knocked her over! The two of them both screamed as they hit the rocky floor headfirst, but underneath the weight of their screams, a small click sounded off! The walls rumbled just slightly, faint tremors barely noticed as Stealth Elf and the molekin both got up and held their heads, yet their low rumbles continued nonetheless.</p><p>Its roars grew in volume at a slow pace, enough to catch Stealth Elf's attention as she got up and flicked her ears. Right as she did, the walls rumbled and shuddered as they drew closer to her! All eyes turned back to the space where she and the molekin landed, and sure enough, a tile covered in squiggles sunk into the ground!</p><p>"Just great," scoffed one of the molekin as they crossed their arms. "Sandy, look what you—"</p><p>"There's no time for arguing!" Stealth Elf spat. She grabbed Sandy and the other molekin by the hand and dashed off. "We've gotta get going!"</p><p>Flames burst and crackled behind her, sending a thick smoky scent through the room as Flameslinger rushed behind her with several of the other molekin in tow! Whistles of magic sparks and the sound of wheels grinding in the dirt joined the symphony as Bouncer and Ninjini rushed behind them. Their eyes fixed on the faint speck of light that shone at the end of the tunnel and grew fainter by the second.</p><p>Stealth Elf winced as the flames from behind nipped at her ears. The walls around her continued to rumble and quake as they gained speed, making the already quite cramped tunnel even tighter as they pressed forward! Stealth Elf grunted as she flipped forward and tossed the molekin ahead. A roar sounded from behind as she transformed into a tiger and rushed forward, knocking them onto her back!</p><p>Behind her, Flameslinger dashed up and leaped onto her back; the added speed gave him enough extra air that he scored the landing even with the molekin who clung to him in tow! The molekin paused for a moment and applauded him as he chuckled and bowed. Well, all but one, who only chewed up their long, sharp fingernails as their eyes fell on the path ahead and its shrinking light!</p><p>"We're not gonna make it!" the molekin cried over the rumble of the squeezing walls. "It's too far ahead!"</p><p>Stealth Elf growled, her eyes fixed on the faint, thin string of light that streaked along what remained of the floor as the walls pressed on even faster than before! A snarl stretched along her muzzle as she leaped across what remained amid the floor, but as she did, the light vanished underneath her paws. She gasped, screwing her eyes closed as she prepared for the inevitable pain of being crushed to death by moving walls…</p><p>But it never came. She only dropped along a gap in the walls, one just big enough to fit her! As all four paws hit the warm stone, the sound of grunting and strained turned her back to the back of the group. There, Bouncer and Ninjini both gritted their teeth as they pressed against the walls! Sweat and oil crept down their faces. Their hands trembled as they fought against walls that, in turn, screeched and pressed against them with all their might.</p><p>"Just hurry up and destroy this thing!" Ninjini cried as she leaned her side against the wall and fought against its push. "We'll be fine!"</p><p>A faint, low noise came from Stealth Elf. Nonetheless, she dashed down the path in large sprints, passing through the restored light. She transformed back into her normal self as she passed through the halls; her feet and hands hit warm, vent-filled metal as she panted and wiped the sweat from her face, but the sound of metal screeching and steam blowing sent her upright immediately.</p><p>Her eyes fell across the much more spacious room before her. It was all fancy, intricate stone and metal pathways filled with vents to an area too dark to be seen through their gaps. The faint sound of bubbling and the heat that came from them was probably a good enough guess as to their contents, however. The whole room lit in warm tones from the flames and hot red steam that emerged from the massive, pulsing generator stuck at the end of the metal platform. With the way that generator rattled and popped, it seemed as though it was already on its way out!</p><p>"Looks like this is the place!" Stealth Elf remarked as she drew one of her daggers and squeezed its handle. "Let's make this quick."</p><p>Stealth Elf grunted as she sprinted forward and drew her dagger high. Her eyes fixed on a weak, rumbling point within the generator that was sure to strike an explosion if hit. Right before she struck, something burst from the shadows and leaped for her!</p><p>A sparking mace crackled, its electricity popping against Stealth Elf's face. She pressed her blades against the mace's handle, her eyes fixed on its wielder. The sleek-looking robot dressed entirely in red and gold armor that wielded the mace sent out some kind of beeping taunt, lifted its leg and prepared to kick. But, Stealth Elf beat it to the punch! She kicked it right in the chest, and knocked it into the floor while its mace slipped from its hands and slammed into its breastplate.</p><p>The robot exploded in a shower of sparking metal as the electricity hit its circuits, and an entire platoon of similar robots leaped in from the shadows!</p><p>Stealth Elf landed on her feet, scowling underneath her mask as Flameslinger dashed up to her side and readied his arrows. He readied his bow, but it was the molekin who raised their weapons and screamed as they charged for the robots! The robots charged right for the molekin; Stealth Elf and Flameslinger were completely forgotten to the robots as they swung their maces and lances against the molekin's own hammers and sickles!</p><p>Stealth Elf and Flameslinger both winced for a moment, turned to the generator and nodded as they raised their weapons. They charged forward—but stopped right as a large shadow dropped down from the sky. The two of them scrambled backwards as a large, armored dark blue robot with glowing eyes and halves of a circle on its arms landed in front of them, groaned and gripped their weapons tight.</p><p>The robot beeped and whirred as it slammed its arms together, crafting a shield with a burning light coming from the glowing core in the shield's center! The light burned brighter by the second; as it reached its brightest, a hot, large laser shot from the core and aimed right for Stealth Elf and Flameslinger! The two of the split as the laser charged for them. Instead, it hit the flames Flameslinger left behind, and sent a massive white hot flame wall bursting from behind them!</p><p>Flameslinger's teeth gritted as his head turned to the giant Arkeyan robot that stood before him, its deep blue carapace tinted in shades of purple and red from the flames that emerged from around it. Its arms creaked as it split its shield back in two, and it slammed a half of the shield down on the ground right as Stealth Elf dashed away from it. Hot steam and fire burst from the dent in the floor that its attack left behind, but the robot lifted its head and turned around at a glacially slow pace. Its footsteps were slow and laborious as it chugged after Stealth Elf, but as it turned its back to Flameslinger, the faint sound of dripping water came from in front of it!</p><p>Flameslinger gasped, pulled down his blindfold, and grinned as his eyes fell on the beads of liquid metal that dripped down its back. "That's it!" Flameslinger cried as he dashed ahead. "Stealth Elf, I know how to beat this thing!"</p><p>"You do?" Stealth Elf shouted back. She rolled away as the robot attempted to cleave her once more, pushed herself upright and squeezed her blades' handle.</p><p>Flameslinger smirked, and was off with a tap of his heels! Flames burst across the floor as he circled around the robot, which slowly turned around, switching from left to right as a ring of flames surrounded it. Flameslinger's laughter echoed all around the robot as its eyes flashed from red to yellow. It slammed its shield's halves together and shot off a massive, blue-hot laser, but Flameslinger dashed away in that moment, and the robot's laser only hit the thick ring of fire he left behind! The flames ignited in a large plume, swallowing the robot whole and burning bright. It earned the attention of all the robots and molekin as the flames finally extinguished, and left a smoking, charred robot covered in liquid hot metal!</p><p>Stealth Elf smirked, transformed back into a giant tiger with a flip, and lunged right for the robot! A loud, guttural growl burst from her throat as she raised her paws, and scraps of metal flew across the arena as her claws raked against the robot in quick slashes! Stealth Elf skidded backwards as the burnt robot fell to its knees.</p><p>The sparks that burst from the robot's open wounds intermingled with the flames that ate away at its body, melting it and twisting it into deformed mounds. Stealth Elf grabbed everyone by the collars of their shirts, and dashed off to the room's door as the robot burst into a fiery explosion of lightning and heat! The flames engulfed the entire room in a searing coat as their flames ate away at the platform, melting and twisting away its metal before finally stopping at the shield Stealth Elf left. Between the gaps in their fires, the generator's wreckage could be spotted as it collapsed and burned along the platform!</p><p>Stealth Elf grinned, turned back to normal with a shake and wiped her hands. The power flickered out and coated her in darkness for a moment; in another quick moment, a few of the lights flickered back on. The flames died somewhat, but their fires still burned enough to provide a comfortable source of firelight in the otherwise darkened room.</p><p>"Hey, the walls stopped!" Bouncer cried from down the hallway.</p><p>Stealth Elf chuckled. Her whole group rushed down the hallways to meet with Bouncer and Ninjini! The two of them were covered in sweat and their arms still trembled slightly, but thankfully, they were intact. Better yet, the walls that once charged for them sunk back into the sides of the hall.</p><p>"I'm guessing that was your doing?" Ninjini asked as she turned around and lowered her head.</p><p>Stealth Elf smiled and lowered her head. Her ears wiggled for a bit before lavender smoke trailed in front of her face.</p><p>"We'd better find the others and let them know."</p><p>They all trailed back out the hall and into the room from before. There Spyro and Gill Grunt's voices faintly echoed as the faint, fuzzy sight of them lowering beings on the reassembled floor appeared in the distance. Their little group turned around and grinned, waving at Stealth Elf as she nodded towards them.</p><p>Another quick walk led their two groups back to the beginning hallway, where Hot Head smiled and leaned against Crusher as Crusher helped him up. The char marks on his stone skin faded significantly. Though it was still a duller shade of red than his normally vibrant crimson, he at least seemed alright compared to when he laid collapsed on the floor.</p><p>"You really had me worried, you know," Crusher scolded as he finally slipped his arms from Hot Head. "Taking on all that fire—"</p><p>"But, it worked! The generator's gone!" Ninjini proclaimed as she slipped between the two.</p><p>The two of them grinned and nodded. With one last walk, all of them slipped back out to where Hex, Drill Sergeant and Chop Chop stood guard outside! The three of them turned around as the sound of footsteps echoed from outside of the tunnel, but no words were spoken. The cold, but knowing look in Hex's eyes, and the lights that flashed in Drill Sergeant's showed that they knew enough. The trio parted as everyone stepped back out into the open, and all eyes turned to the platform at the top of the structure.</p><p>There, the barrier faded, but the large robot that stood atop it drilled away still, bursts of flames and lasers coming from its platform as it worked.</p><p>"Looks like that robot's still kicking," Clay scoffed. "Of course they wouldn't have their biggest one connected to the same thing as the others."</p><p>"Well, guess this is our cue," Bouncer said before he turned to the molekin. "You guys just stay here. We'll take care of their star player!"</p><p>So, the molekin nodded and drew away as the Skylanders, Elder Elementals, Flynn, and Cali marched their way towards the platform's staircase.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Everyone panted as heavy as they could as they reached the top platform. Some collapsed on the floors, and others chose to leans against rails and massive collections of surprisingly-pristine oil barrels.</p><p>"Geez, that's one tall staircase," Flynn remarked as he rubbed his fur underneath his hat. His frowning continued as he straightened out his hat, crossed his arms, and hummed as he examined the platform before them all. "Doesn't seem like there's anyone here, though."</p><p>Disconcertingly, Flynn was right. The whole platform was vacant aside of them! All that remained were large oil barrels strung from cranes, and collections of barrels and crates stained with oil and scattered about in piles. Behind them was some kind of massive gap surely fit for some kind of large machine or something of a similar nature, yet it was completely vacant!</p><p>"What's going on?" Spyro asked as he padded forward and craned his head around. "Did we get the wrong place? Surely, that robot has to be here…"</p><p>Everyone else mumbled in agreement as they looked around and twisted their heads in every angle in some hope of figuring out what was going on. As they murmured, masses of thick steam burst out from the corners and corridors of the area! Coughing fits came from everyone as they tried desperately to fan away the thick smoke that coated the area, but it was so thick that nothing dented it. Well, save for the bright, colorful lasers that pierced through the fog and shone as they swung back and forth!</p><p>Low, rumbling music bellowed from the holes in the floor as the thick scents of smoke and oil ruminated around the room, growing louder by the second. The smoke thinned enough that a faint, but large silhouette started to make its way through the fog! It was bulky with a square body, round shoulders, and triangular hands attached to stick-thin arms, and as it emerged, round glowing spotlights that were probably eyes appeared near its center.</p><p>"Well look what we have here! People sneaking where they don't belong!" echoed from the mist. The voice that came from the mist was mechanical even by a robot's standards, and layered in all sorts of filters and tweaks that echoed a metallic, hollow imitation of a voice.</p><p>More lasers shot into the skies; they exploded into fireworks that cascaded down on the tower, and creaked it slightly! Everyone blinked, stepping back on instinct. The music grew louder, layers of beeps and electronic hooks adding into the base of electronic screech as the lasers continued bursting…</p><p>And came right for the Skylanders' team! The group split in half as one laser zapped right for them, and to another as a second burst right below their feet! Bouncer flinched and held up his arm to block off the ashes that remain. Below him, Spyro snarled and flapped his wings, his eyes flickering to a sky blue.</p><p>"Alright, enough of this!" Spyro cried as he flapped his wings. A mighty gust burst from underneath them, piercing into the fog and blowing its clouds away. "It's time we defogged this myst-ery!</p><p>"Couldn't you think of anything better?" Stealth Elf hissed from beside him.</p><p>With one last gust of wind, the fog completely cleared reduced to little more than thin strips of mist that evaporated in the air. In that moment, pillars of colorful steam burst from behind as the assailant's identity unveiled at last! In the place where the gaping hole once was stood a massive robot made of scratched up orange metal with a round orange face that bore glowing yellow eyes, rusty brown metal eyebrows, and a mouth lined with white cogs for teeth that ground with glee! Silver metal lined the top of his head like a barrel, and gears popped out from the sides of his body. Large metal blocks made up thin arms with drills for hands that stuck firm to the turntables in front of him. There, all sorts of lights and switches flickered and glowed—but none as much as the pair of records that spun and flashed, spitting out lasers into the skies around him!</p><p>"You'd better quake in fear, cause as long as you're here," the robot rapped. His drills diligently spun and scratched at the records as the tunes that bellowed around him grew more intense, their electronic tunes pounding and screeching like knights eager for battle. "You'll be hearing Drill-X's deadly song!"</p><p>"A, rapping robot?" Spyro sputtered as rainbow spotlights fell over the floor, and lit the rusty metal floors—and him—in a mass of color.</p><p>Drill- X's eyes glinted, reflecting that same rainbow that hung over the others. A wider grin stretched across his face as he lifted his drills from his turntables. "Well, what a surprise, Skylanders! I should've thought you'd come here!" Drill-X sang as he stretched over the turntables.</p><p>The lights that shone on the group grew intense, so bright and harsh that the Skylanders' team members all had to shield their eyes lest they burn away. Drill-X grinned ever further as he reached one of his drills towards the turntables. The electronic tune that screeched from the turntables switched, turning harsher and louder with its beats and sounds! A chorus of organ pipes tweaked to sound just as electronic as the rest of the song rang amid electronic screeches and scratching beats. The other drill lifted from the turntables, spinning around as it loomed over the group. Drill-X's smile shone in those rainbow colors for a moment, but quickly shifted to a bright red as the drills spun faster, the churning of their metal blending into the beat!</p><p>"You might be tough, but the going'll get rough when I drop the beat on you!"</p><p>The rainbow lights that fell over the group vanished in favor of a dark shadow. They turned their heads up, screamed and split, dashing away just before Drill-X's drill hand could crush them alive! The metal space they once stood on dented; its metal strained to keep its bolts in and not collapse under the weight of sudden damage. The pipes that acted as a fence caved and exploded, sending oil showering everywhere! The oil rained on Drill-X, who grinned and licked it away from his face; it poured onto the floors, slicked them down, and even rained onto a few smoke-spewing pipes!</p><p>Bouncer zoomed right in front of one, screamed, and zipped back right as the oil collapsed into the smoke and ignited, sending fire spewing just inches below his face! He wheeled away before the oily sweat that poured down his own face could ignite, but as he raced back, his leg bumped into something hard and metallic. It sent out a dull crash as it knocked a few other things over. Bouncer turned around, and his glowing eyes fell on a stack of metallic barrels covered in rust that now laid on their sides, shiny black oil spewing from the rectangular holes in their tops.</p><p>From there, thumping, thudding, denting noises led Bouncer's eyes from the barrels back to the battlefield, where the rest of his group struggled to avoid the drill as it slammed against the floor! Parts of the floor already gave up and caved in, leaving triangular gaps in the floor that everyone else all struggled to run around. Flameslinger dashed around, and nearly knocked Drill Sergeant off his wheels and into a pit, had Hot Head not yanked Drill Sergeant up and tossed him over the gap in a moment of quick thinking.</p><p>It was then that a smile stretched across Bouncer's face as he yanked the oil barrels from the ground, and tossed them across the floor. "Hot Head, Flameslinger, light 'em up!" Bouncer cried over the screeching music and the soaring barrels.</p><p>Both of them turned immediately at the sound of their names, and instinctively shot their own fires right into the barrels' metal surface. It heated the oil within them so quickly that the barrels ignited in that instant! Flameslinger dashed off as the flaming barrels hurtled right for him, but Hot Head screamed and slapped the barrels away, shooting them right into Drill-X's hand! Hot Head screamed and dashed away as the flaming barrels exploded right before his eyes.</p><p>The flaming oil latched onto Drill-X's drills and set them alight! A couple of mechanical screeches came from Drill-X as he waved the flames away from his hands. Though they quickly extinguished, the charred, burnt scars they left on his drills still seared with smoke! Drill-X went to slam the drills on the ground once more, but the moment he did, he screeched again and yanked them back up, blowing them as they glowed red! His metal teeth clenched tight as Drill-X's eyes drifted back over to his turntables.</p><p>"Well looks like I played with fire, and the burns are a little dire," Drill-X sang as he flicked a few switches on the turntables and scratched the records, "guess I'll change my tune, brace yourselves soon, cause the stakes are gonna get higher!"</p><p>Bright lights shot up behind Drill-X, lighting his back in the colors of the rainbow. Lasers arched above him and pierced through the ground below, sending bombs of color and light detonating! The music turned faster, and the beat dropped in time with the lasers' detonation. More lasers shot over Drill-X like fireworks, and the music sped up once more! Drill-X cackled, his eyes lit up with glowing rainbows of glee as the group ran for cover…</p><p>Well, save for one member. Bouncer hummed along to the music while the lights flashed and exploded, and the screams of his companions drowned underneath the sound of creaking, torn metal and detonating lasers. He was completely oblivious to how an orange laser hurtled right for him!</p><p>"Look out!" Spyro cried from beside him.</p><p>Bouncer popped open an eye right as Spyro shielded him from the laser with a shield of purple magic. He carried on humming as Ninjini slid up to him, and reflected the lasers back at Drill-X with another shield! Hot Head yelped as he stumbled away from a red laser, cowered behind the safety of Spyro and Ninjini's shields, and raised a brow at the still-humming Bouncer.</p><p>"Bouncer, whaddya think you're doing?" Hot Head asked as he gently flicked Bouncer in the side of the head. "Now's not the time for a jam session!"</p><p>"Can't help it, Hot Head," Bouncer chirped as he spun around and swayed from side to side. "Song's a bop!"</p><p>Bouncer's hums turned to mumbles as he spun away from the shields, and Drill-X grinned as he prepared to shoot. Drill-X drew away and raised a mechanical brow at Bouncer. His smile softened, turning a bit more sincere as his eyes lit up at the sight of Bouncer singing along to Drill-X's own music.</p><p>"Did I hear that right, Skylander? Was what you said crystal-clear?" Drill-X sang as he laid his drills on his turntables and let the laser show rest. "From the mist and the smoke, has a fan of mine appeared?"</p><p>Bouncer craned his head towards Drill-X's setup, chuckled and shrugged. "I," Bouncer started, but cleared his throat, "excuse me—you've got that right, dude! Your beats are sweets, the music's a treat…" Bouncer pointed towards Drill-X, and his grin spread a little wider. "You really know your stuff!"</p><p>Drill- X let out a haughty chuckle that rumbled the arena. The lights that burst from his back dimmed just a bit. Their harsh aura turned softer, and set the stage as mist burst from the sides of the turntable.</p><p>"You've got some taste, Skylander! Not to build myself up too much," Drill-X scratched his turntables, flicking a switch as a recurring scratch of the disc found its way into his musical backdrop, "but I'm the dubstep king, the best rapping machine, with the music I'm totally in-touch!"</p><p>Drill- X's mechanical eyelids slid open and closed, and his own jaw dropped a bit ajar. Soft sputters slipped from his mouth as he glazed over his turntables. The sight of his reflection in their sleek, shiny surface only deepened the frown on his face. He blinked for a moment, running his drills along them with an almost forlorn look, but shook his head and his eyes glowed red!</p><p>"Wait, what am I doing right now? I can't talk with the enemy!" Drill-X shouted as he lifted his head. His eyes flashed red still as he moved some switches on his turntables up their bars. "I've got the floor, now it's back to the war, and when the floor shakes, it'll rattle you to the core!"</p><p>The sound of organ pipes burst their way into the soundtrack, and just like that, the whole floor started to rumble! Everyone peered and glimpsed down as the remaining panels below their feet rumbled and shuddered. Right as the beat dropped, the panels shot into the skies and took their residents with them!</p><p>A couple beings leaned forward as they flew into the air, preparing to jump. Right as they did, the song started and the panels crashed right back down! A few grunts came as the panels snapped back into place. Everyone's legs were like jelly as they staggered back up, and they leaned against each other to keep balance. This hardly mattered to Drill-X, who only grinned as he spun a knob on his turntables while the sound of sirens echoed through the music!</p><p>Spyro yelped and jumped as the floor beneath him turned red hot. It glowered with a crimson light as it section turned hotter and hotter. Finally, a hole tore through the panel as a gigantic column of flame burst from it! Not just that one, either. Twisted rows formed in the floor as panels of more flaming columns burst in tune with the roar of sirens coming from Drill-X's turntables!</p><p>Gill Grunt grimaced as he hoisted up his water cannon and pulled the trigger, sending torrents of water smashing into the flaming column before him. The flames were so strong that they ate up the water, and evaporated it into steam that billowed into the air alongside the thick smoke the flames created! Gill Grunt's snarl twisted as he held the trigger tighter, but finally his hand trembled and he relented. His cannon slipped from his hands as he fell to his knees. Luckily for him, this cast him right underneath the flames' heat as another pillar burst from the side of the floor, and the flames slammed into Hot Head!</p><p>The flames tossed Hot Head into the air, pushed him right into the side of Drill-X's drills, and both of them screamed as Hot Head plopped right off and bounced right onto the floor! The red heat that lingered on Drill-X's drill glowed a little brighter as he yanked it off the turntables and blew on it. Below him, Hot Head groaned and scratched his head.</p><p>Bouncer's eyes flickered for a moment; he stuck in pause as Ninjini pushed past him and pointed one of her wishblades towards Drill-X.</p><p>"His drills, they're still sore from being set on fire!" Ninjini cried, eyes narrowing as the drills glowed just a teensy bit brighter and redder. "They're a weak point—center your attack there!"</p><p>"Right!" everyone called as they rushed in.</p><p>Drill- X snarled. He ground his teeth so hard that curls of metal peeled off of them and fell to the floor and he smashed his drills against his turntables!</p><p>"Oh no, oh no, not my drill! Now how am I supposed to fight and drill day and night? Gotta hurry up and set this right!" Drill-X sang as he flipped a few switches. His eyes flickered on and off with frantic light for a few moments before he smiled and lifted his head. Flicking one last switch, he cackled a haughty, mechanical cackle that rattled his screws and bolts as his eyes flashed red. "Now that's more like it! Skylanders, you might have made my drills ignite, but even with all your might, you'll never be enough to dim my light!"</p><p>With that one last flick of a switch, the music turned faster, more frantic. So frantic, in fact, that the panels on the floor below rumbled and shook before they popped off to reveal shiny, rubbery blue bounce pads underneath!</p><p>Spyro raised his brows as the panel in front of him leaped into the stratosphere, hopped on top of the bounce pad, and soared into the skies as flames lapped and licked at his muzzle! Beside him, faint boinging sounds came as Hex, Flameslinger, and Drill Sergeant all leaped into the air. Spyro turned to them for a moment before he turned his eyes back down to where Drill-X stewarded and conducted his music at his turntables. Spyro yanked his jaw wide open. A massive, hot as the sun flame burst down right for Drill-X, and smashed right into his searing, glowing drill!</p><p>Drill-X screamed; he yanked the drill up and rubbed it with his other one in some faint attempt to numb the flames. He screamed again as large skulls, arrows, and lasers all rammed into the malleable metal and dented it! Another cry came from Drill-X as he pulled his drill back, but it quickly turned to a snarl as he waved his hand like a conductor's baton over his turntables.</p><p>A dull clunk sounded as cannons shot up from the ground behind him, and fired cannonballs into the skies. Right as the cannonballs launched, they stopped right in midair, enveloped by a purple glow as they smashed into his drill and dented it further! Spyro blinked, but a small chuckle from below brought his attention to the ground.</p><p>There, Ninjini smirked and pointed towards Drill-X. "Attack!" Ninjini cried as she summoned her wishblades with a snap of her fingers.</p><p>Another snap, and the blades shot like bullets towards Drill-X's burning drill, skewered it and slashed gaps through the hot metal! Drill-X yowled and pulled up his drill before the next round of wishblades could come in for it. Right as he did, a storm of bony brambles shot up and pierced through the metal! The music grew intenser, louder, and faster as the brambles tore a large slash through his drills. It shot up again as Stealth Elf leaped in tiger form and tore another gash through the upper component.</p><p>Drill-X's drill drew away as sparks flew from the open gashes in its metal, and those sparks showered down on the ground below. They ignited Hot Head's flames further as he shot them towards the drill! As the flames hit the sparks and ignited the drill, Drill-X screamed and waved it around, but a flurry of bombs hit the drill and ignited it further! As Drill-X screamed and tried to extinguish the flames with panicked flails, Cali frowned from her seat on Crusher's shoulder, removing her hand from her eyes.</p><p>"Alright, he's distracted!" Cali shouted as she slid down and gently nudged Crusher's hand. "Now's your chance!"</p><p>Crusher nodded, slammed his hammer into the ground, and sent a giant pillar of stone flying from a gap in the ground! With a slam of his hammer, the pillar split in three as it hurtled for Drill-X's flaming drill, extinguishing its flames at last as it hit the drill in three separate places! Drill-X yowled as the rocks crumbled into bits and fell below him. His face fell as his drill hand split into three, its body stretched out and only held in place by straining cables…</p><p>But then, he smirked!</p><p>"Oh what a shame, my poor drill! What an epic fail!" Drill-X remarked as he swung his broken drill around. "It's not much use as a drill anymore, but it makes for a perfect flail!"</p><p>Drill-X slammed his broken drill to the ground, rattled the panels, and sent Crusher and Hot Head on their knees! Behind them, Cali grunted as she fell as well; she lifted her head, and dashed away while Drill-X swung his flail around! The music grew even more violent. Its beats were faster, louder, and stronger as he slammed and swung his flail, and knocked everyone off their feet!</p><p>Bouncer frowned as his eyes skimmed over to where Flynn, Cali, and the Skylanders ran for cover. It only grew deeper as he turned to where Drill-X conducted his symphony, cackling and bellowing as he swung his flail around. Hopping over a gap in the floor, Bouncer's eyes and fingers charged with bright light as he set his sights on the drill.</p><p>A large orange laser burst from his hand with a single pop and pierced through the drill, slammed through all three sections, and sliced it in half! Drill-X screamed so loud that it shook the clouds in the heavens as he leaned back in his seat, and he pulled up his broken drill with a whimper. The sound of engines revving drew his attention to Bouncer, and he snarled as he raised his still-intact other drill...</p><p>"Hey, I've got something to ask you!" Bouncer shouted as he wheeled up to Drill-X.</p><p>… And Drill-X perked a brow, slowly moving his drill away from Bouncer.</p><p>"You like making music, right?"</p><p>Drill- X blinked, and his haughty smile grew a bit more sincere as lights sparkled in his eyes. "You bet I do, Skylander! To say I like it, it's not enough!" Drill-X cried. "It's my life's passion, my one true obsession, for me, it's just the stuff!"</p><p>"That's easy for anyone to see, and you're really good at it to boot!" Bouncer cried, but the grin on his face disappeared as he crossed his arms. "So tell me, why are you serving this Kaos dude then?"</p><p>Drill-X faltered. His expression not quite a smile, but not really a frown either as he scratched his head with his drill. "Kaos? Who's Kaos? I only serve the great Arkeyan Lord, allegiance to him is coded into my record, ever since I was restored, I have no choice—it's only him I serve!"</p><p>"No you don't!" Bouncer cried, holding out his hands. "I used to think the same as you, but I managed to overcome my programming!" Bouncer wheeled over to the side, and gestured to the turntables that rested under Drill-X. "If music is what you're passionate about, you shouldn't stay stuck here in this musty old rig! You should follow your dreams!"</p><p>Drill- X blinked, and the music started to lower. "Following my dreams," he whispered, almost amazed as he ran his other drill across his turntables.</p><p>But sparks flew out as he did! Drill-X cried out as he yanked his drill away from the sparking turntables, but soon enough, his own body started sparking and sputtering as well! Code and orange light flashed from his eyes as he curled over his turntables, and he screamed and shuddered while the sparks kept flying.</p><p>Bouncer immediately wheeled back as Drill-X yelled out twisted cries and grunts while he dug his drill into his head. "What's wrong, buddy? Speak to me!" Bouncer cried as he held his arms out.</p><p>Drill-X groaned, his whole body clanking and shuddering as his eyes' lights flashed in and out. "Can't…" he groaned as he collapsed on top of his own turntables, dented them right in half and let out an awful, twisted note as his lights finally shut down. "Can't fight it…"</p><p>Drill-X's eyes grew dim for a moment, and Bouncer wheeled back further. His eyes skimmed the floor; his hand clasped and released as he turned back to Drill-X and reluctantly reached out a hand, but pulled it back as Drill-X glowed with an orange light! The light seeped through Drill-X's injuries, twisted his drill back in place and straightened out the dents in his metal. It polished him up until he was shiny and new! He slowly crept back up from his turntables as the light seeped into them, and brought them to full height and repair. A slow engine rev came from within Drill-X himself, and his eyes flashed open and red!</p><p>"Drill-X, buddy, you're alright!" Bouncer cried as he wheeled forward. "Now what was all that about?"</p><p>However, instead of entertaining Bouncer with an answer, Drill-X narrowed his glowing red eyes and cackled. He shot his drill into the ground and tossed rocks right for Bouncer! Bouncer gasped, zipped away and took sanctuary behind a pile of crates as Drill-X drilled away.</p><p>"It's the end of the track, Skylander! This drill-bot is on the scene!" Drill-X cried as he drilled away. The growing sound of his music mingling with the screams of those down below as they tried to dodge the oncoming rocks. "I'll knock you forward and back with a robo attack 'cause you're messing with the wrong machine!"</p><p>Spyro screamed and dragged Cali away as one rock nearly slammed them both in the face, but another rock pushed them both into a gap in the floor! Ninjini snatched them from the air just before they could fall in, teleported behind Bouncer, and dropped them to the ground as she crept him Bouncer.</p><p>"What's going on with him?" Ninjini shouted, her voice barely heard of the growing volume and violence of Drill-X's music.</p><p>Her fingers clenched. In front of her, the rest of the team struggled to avoid the fury of the drills, which grew more violent and more fast by the second. A few blue and purple flashes came from the field. They moved their light beside Ninjini as the rest of the team popped beside her and Bouncer, with Spyro and Hex heading the charge!</p><p>"It looks to me almost like he's being possessed," Hex remarked as she crossed her arms, "but by what?"</p><p>A few frowns and twisted brows came as glances shot at Hex. Being possessed? Well, it certainly seemed like it with the way he came back to life, but just what controlled him? A couple of low mumbles and questions came from around the ground, but a string of sharp beeps brought all eyes to Drill Sergeant, who fixed his attention on Drill-X instead!</p><p>"Pardon my interruption," Drill Sergeant said as he pointed a drill off to the side, "but I believe I may have found something!"</p><p>Spyro padded up beside Drill Sergeant, and to where Drill-X still sang and rained down hellfire and brimstone itself onto the battlefield. More importantly, beside Drill-X and barely visible amid the chaos was a faint orange glow, one that flashed and burst in slow pulses like the beat of a heart!</p><p>"That's gotta be it!" Spyro cried as the others crowded around him. "Now, all we have to do is—"</p><p>Spyro grimaced, and stumbled back as burning metal crashed down just inches from where he stood and rumbled the ground around. Hex propped his back on his paws right before he could collapse. While Spyro swayed back and forth, she floated beside him and frowned as her own eyes met the flashing orange light that pulsed from Drill-X's side.</p><p>"What we have to do is make a plan," Hex spat as she held up glowing hands. "If it's coming from him, whatever that light is coming from will likely be mechanical in some form" — Hex turned around to Spyro — "Spyro, you hold some mastery of the Tech Element, correct?"</p><p>Spyro scratched the back of his horns. "I wouldn't say it's one of my strongest elements, but I know some Tech spells," Spyro replied. "I could probably take whatever's there!"</p><p>"And I know my way around a machine!" Flynn shouted, and rubbed his chest as he strode out from the oil barrel he hid behind. "After all, I wouldn't be the best pilot in all Skylands if I wasn't the best mechanic, too!"</p><p>"Same here," Cali remarked as she cracked her knuckles. "I've toyed around with a few machines here and there. That'll probably be nothing!"</p><p>"Then it's settled," Hex said, and with a wave of her hands the shield vanished. "The rest of you, draw Drill-X's attention away from us while we disassemble whatever's controlling him."</p><p>With a wave of Hex's hands, a slow ripple surrounded herself as well as Spyro, Flynn, and Cali, and all four of them disappeared from view! Only the faint thunk of their footsteps was barely heard as they made their way towards the strange machine. As they left, what remained of their party turned towards each other and nodded, weapons at the ready and spells ready to be cast!</p><p>Their eyes locked on Drill-X, who cackled as he slid his drills the best he could against his turntables and sent volumes of steam pouring from rattling, rusted pipes in the area! Just as the steam came in, Crusher charged forward, slammed his hammer against the ground, and flipped up panels that blocked off the oncoming pillars of steam right in their tracks! The steam whistled, grew brighter and hotter as it charged against the panels, and knocked them off the side of the building.</p><p>Just before the panels disappeared, a purple glow enveloped them and they stopped right in their place! They floated up as they charged back at the steam and cut right through it; they skidded through the skies until they latched onto the very pipes the steam came from, and wrapped around them! The panels rumbled and bubbled as the pipes inflated from the extra air. Their whistling mingled with the strained grunts that Ninjini made as she struggled to hold the panels in place. The glow of the panels faded, and once again they popped back off!</p><p>As Ninjini slunk down, Flameslinger, Gill Grunt, Chop Chop, Trigger Happy, Drill Sergeant and Stealth Elf all rushed in front of her. They jumped on the flying panels, and knocked them to the ground as they soared right into the skies above Drill-X! Drill-X craned his head up and grunted, and Gill Grunt snarled and locked his harpoon gun's sights right on Drill-X.</p><p>Gill Grunt's narrowed eyes skimmed back to where the six of them floated beside Drill-X. "Three, two," Gill Grunt called as the others all raised their weapons, and his own finger tightened around the trigger as he spoke, "ONE!"</p><p>With one simple tug and release, a massive harpoon shot out from Gill Grunt's gun and spiraled towards Drill-X; the added air from the height it fell at boosted its speed. As it raced faster and faster, a rain of flaming arrows, brambles, shiny gold coins, and clouds of poisonous smog joined it! They all hurtled right into Drill-X and slammed into his chest right as he looked up to catch it!</p><p>Everyone cheered as Drill-X rocked backwards, and screamed out as their combined attack dented his metal. Drill-X snarled and snapped back into his place! With a few flicks of the switches on his turntables, a whole battalion of cannons jumped up from his sides, and shot drills right towards the group! Drill-X's cackles rained in the air, mingling with the smell of burning smoke that brought tears to beings' eyes as it flitted in, and his cackles only rang louder as the drills spun closer and closer in.</p><p>Flameslinger and Drill Sergeant veered out of the way of one drill as it pierced through the air between them. Beside them, others jumped up, floated, teleported away, and did all they could to avoid the drills that homed in on them. Right as the drills passed them by, they turned around and shot right back for the group!</p><p>Hot Head grunted as the sound of screeching and burning flames brought his attention to the grills. He shot out his hands, and sent large bursts of fire and lava hurtling right for the drills! The flames burned bright, warmed the area as their orange light glowed like shooting stars, and slammed into the drills. The lava gripped the drills tight, stopping the drills in their tracks as their own flames petered out.</p><p>The Skylanders all dropped down into the stratosphere as the lava bored into the drills, and rendered them heaps of lumpy, molten metal. Drill-X snarled as reached for his turntables, but the moment he did, Drill Sergeant narrowed his eyes and zoomed in!</p><p>"I am afraid you cannot do that, sir!" Drill Sergeant cried as he veered and swiveled between gaps in the floor. He loaded his drills with a click. He raised his drills, and his eyes glowed even brighter as his engine revved louder, sending smoke burning from his wheels before he leaped into the air. "Ready, aim, and fire!"</p><p>With one more click, Drill Sergeant's drills burst out of his hands, and spun around before they diverted midway through their path. The drills expanded, flames burning around them as they smashed right through the cannons, and blew them to bits. Right before the drills could tear through Drill-X himself, they switched around and zipped right back to Drill Sergeant, latching onto the empty spaces on his hands!</p><p>"Er, sir, I know you are not inclined to take any other opinions into consideration right now," Drill Sergeant said as he fell back down onto the ground, "but, I assure you, you have the power to fight this influence controlling you! You can regain control, so, er, uh…"</p><p>Steam burst from Drill-X as he leaned down and gritted his teeth. His eyes glowed red as he stretched over the turntables, and he huffed steam in Drill Sergeant's face! Drill Sergeant squealed, wheeled back as the steam clouded around him, and waved it away with a few mechanical coughs. He turned back up to Drill-X, and all he did was gulp as he backed further away.</p><p>"As the beings of today would put it, get a hold of yourself?"</p><p>Drill- X inhaled with a low, hissing gasp. Guttural growls echoed from within him as he bellowed out massive streams of fire right for Drill Sergeant! Drill Sergeant screamed, and zipped away fast as he could across the unbroken parts of the battlefield as the flames heated the floor. The metal base twisted and melted behind him, the flames nipped at Drill Sergeant's wheels, and he himself screamed as he zipped right ahead. He screeched to a stop, nearly tipped over himself, but quickly regained his balance before he could fall into the abyss of broken floor before him. His metal started to heat and sweat away as the flames closed in on him. Drill Sergeant let out small, frantic beeps as he swiveled between the pit in front of him, and the flames inches away from his face!</p><p>Chop Chop leaped in just before the flames could burn Drill Sergeant alive, and his shield extended to shoulder them both from the blow! Chop Chop grunted as he pushed against the massive volumes and plumes of red-hot fire that burned against him. It heated his armor into shades of purple as he trudged against the fires.</p><p>The metal around him started to melt and drip underneath his feet, sliding him and Drill Sergeant backwards, but Chop Chop screamed and charged right through the flames. He divided them in half and cast them away! Above him, Drill-X yowled and smashed his drills into nearby barrels, knocking them over and sending avalanches of rocks tumbling towards Chop Chop!</p><p>Chop Chop grunted as he jumped ahead of the first and hopped from rock to rock. As a particularly large one leaped up and crashed for him, Chop Chop raised his sword and slice it clean in half! Its halves crashed into the ground and fell to rubble, but Chop Chop landed on another rock and continued to hop.</p><p>"My companion is right!" Chop Chop cried as he dashed and hopped between the rocks. "You are more than what's controlling you, my friend! You can break free if you only try!"</p><p>Drill- X snarled. The music that played around him grew faster and scratchier, so loud that it forced those around to shield their ears. That included Chop Chop, whose sword and shield slipped from his hands as he went to cover the sides of his helmet! With him immobilized, Drill-X slammed his drill full-force into Chop Chop, and slammed Chop Chop right into the ground! Chop Chop's bones cracked a bit as he pushed himself up with a groan, and he craned his head back towards where that orange glow came behind Drill-X.</p><p>"My lady, I do not wish to rush you," Chop Chop cried as he snatched his sword and shield from the ground, and leaped to a still-standing panel right as Drill-X slammed his drill into the ground once more, "but how much longer will it take to break the spell?"</p><p>Behind the console, Hex and an orange-eyed Spyro winced as it sparked, and it shot lightning towards them right as they drifted away! They drew back to the force field that rested in front of the console. The force field coated it in an orange glow rife with sparks and lightning, and Hex and Spyro's frowns grew deeper as they glanced at each other.</p><p>"We're trying!" Hex cried as she held out her hands, and her eyes glowed as she prepared to cast a spell. "But this force field is much more stubborn than I anticipated!"</p><p>Hex cried out as she slammed a blast of magic into the force field. Rather than breaking it apart, the force field surged, and sent bursts of lightning crackling into Drill-X!</p><p>Drill- X yipped, scratching his records momentarily before setting the music back. His eyes drifted to the back of the console where Spyro and Hex still worked away! His teeth gritted and rained sparks down onto the battlefield; he raised his sparking drills and prepared to fire.</p><p>Right before he could, a bright orange bullet knocked into his forehead! Drill-X yowled as the bullet bounced off and disappeared into the depths of the broken floor. As his eyes opened, the first thing they fell on was Bouncer! Bouncer panted sharp, metallic breaths out, and his shoulders slunk as Drill-X's glowering red eyes focused on him.</p><p>"I promise you, you don't have to do this!" Bouncer cried. Oil dripped down his face as he wheeled back. "You can fight it! You don't have to let yourself be controlled like this!"</p><p>Drill-X yowled, his drills' segments spinning and clanging as they swept across the battlefield! Bouncer gasped, slammed his wheel into the floor, and crafted a gigantic pillar of gears underfoot that the drills smashed through! Bouncer grunted as he slammed on his back into the metal, but he quickly jumped back to his wheel and snarled as he glared down Drill-X. Both parties' eyes glowed as Drill-X continued to yowl and rev his drills.</p><p>"Seems like talking you down won't get you to listen."</p><p>Bouncer sighed and held out his hand. Stray scraps of metal and parts of the floor peeled away and moved towards his palm like a magnet as his hand glowed orange.</p><p>"In that case…"</p><p>Harsh, clanging noises came as the metal slammed against Bouncer's palm and twisted itself until it formed into a metallic microphone, one that Bouncer held up to his lips as he pointed towards Drill-X.</p><p>"I'll just have to tell you in a language you understand!"</p><p>With a slam of Bouncer's wheel, more panels and stray metal flew behind him. Tall, loud speakers formed from them, and blared out upbeat music with every thump and bump! They bounced on the floor as Bouncer wheeled back, cleared his throat, and squeezed the microphone's handle tighter! Bouncer breathed in and exhaled. He held the microphone to his lips despite the furious wails and cries of Drill-X, or the massive, clanging rattles, or screeching tear akin to nails scratching against metal and sparks flying that came from Drill-X's drills all at the same time.</p><p>"Hey, I know you're not thinking, stuff's just not clicking, you can't get a hold of your head!" Bouncer rapped, swaying from side to side as he sang. "But I've got something to say to you, so shut that voice up and listen to me instead!"</p><p>"What does he think he's doing?" Crusher asked as he slammed his hammer down, and erected a metal pillar to block off an oncoming wave of fire. "Why would he be singing at a time like this?"</p><p>Ninjini paused for a moment as she took shield behind Crusher's pillar. A glint of understanding shone in her blank white eyes as it rescinded back into the ground,.</p><p>"Just let him sing, Crusher!" Ninjini replied as she blocked off more oncoming flames with a shield of magic. "Something tells me he knows what he's doing!"</p><p>"You may be working for that blockhead, but his control you can shed!" Bouncer rapped as he spun backwards, stopped between the two loudspeakers and pointed towards Drill-X. "You're stronger than he is, so remember who you are and stop doing his biz!"</p><p>Bouncer's gaze stayed strong, his eyes not wavering from where Drill-X sat behind the turntables and ground his metal teeth! Drill-X erupted into screams as his drills flung into his head. The lights in his eyes flashed in an array of colors as he screamed and slammed his drills further; he banged them as if he tried to dig them in the best he could! Another scream came from Drill-X as he finally slammed his drills onto the turntables, dented them and hung over the set as smoke burst from the burst machine!</p><p>Drill- X's panting grew heavier, and the filters seemed to drop a little as the sweat dripped down and his eyes slowly turned back to yellow. But then, a bright red flash burst in his eyes, and he jolted back up immediately! He held up one drill, smirked as it slowly deconstructed itself and rebuilt itself in the shape of a patchwork microphone, and his other drill rested atop the cracked turntables as the microphone drew towards his mouth.</p><p>"Very funny, Skylander! But you've got it all wrong, this is where I belong!" Drill-X rapped back as the music turned more intense. Screeching dubstep and harsh, loud beats melded into the electric harmony as he played with the turntables. "The Arkeyan empire reigns strong, working under it can't possibly feel wrong! My purpose to serve our Arkeyan lord" — Drill-X raised his mangled hand and slammed it down into the turntables, sending hot smog bursting from behind him — "by raising up his armies on this machine!"</p><p>Bouncer coughed as the smog filtered in behind him. With a smack of his wheel, a loud burst of music from the speakers behind him blew the smoke right into Drill-X's face! Drill-X coughed as he waved away the smog, but his drill smashed into the turntables as he did!</p><p>Behind Drill-X, a whole array of laser guns and cannons burst out and scanned the area. They zapped the ground around Bouncer and the others, and singed it in a barrage of color! Drill-X hacked one last time as he popped an eye open, grinned, and scratched the discs on the turntable as he held the microphone back to his metal lips.</p><p>"And if you don't leave, one scrapped robot you'll be!"</p><p>Bouncer grunted as he swerved away from a twisting twin blast of lasers, and spun out and away of a column of fire that leaped from a broken space in the ground! His metal teeth ground against each other as yet another laser blast soared right above his head. With a snap of his fingers, the music from the speakers behind him grew louder! The speakers swayed along as drum beats and funky rhythms intermingled with their simple electronic tracks and samples.</p><p>Bouncer spun the microphone in his hand around before holding it up tight. "Tell me, man, is this what you really want? Is this really you?" Bouncer cried.</p><p>Drill- X paused for a moment. His drills lifted from the turntables, and the assault ceasing as Bouncer wheeled back and forth with a grip tight on the microphone.</p><p>"I saw your passion, I saw your drive! I saw the light that shined in your eyes!" Bouncer sang as his gaze craned from the floor to Drill-X while his grip squeezed even harder. "Your heart lies in music, not in this banged-up rig, not spending your days doing Arkeyan digs! Dig deep in your heart, each part, remember where it truly lies!"</p><p>Drill-X growled. The lights in his eyes flickered, and his growls turned to a scream as he buried his face in his hands! He held his microphone to his lips and tried to rap back, but all that came out was sputtering, staticky garbage! Drill-X let out a strained, static-filtered yell as he smashed the microphone against the turntables. The turntables' lights flashed and glowered in an assortment of colors, so bright they were like stars amid the murky battlefield. Drill-X's screaming only continued as he smashed some more.</p><p>Bouncer craned his head up as rockets and fireworks shot into the air and exploded, sending hot sparks raining down. He spun out of the way, and wove through them in time with the beat of his own music. "I know what you're going through, I know how it hurts!" Bouncer rapped as he spun out the way of a shower of sparks that burst from the front of the turntables, and zipped away from a whole rain of lasers that shot into panels and knocked them into the void. "The way it converts you, it turns you into something you'd never want to be! The kind of being even your worst nightmares couldn't make, and you feel like you'll never break free!"</p><p>Drill-X's pained screech grew higher. The sound was sharp and tight with pain as he smashed his head against the turntables. A ground of drills burst up, and shot towards Bouncer below as Drill-X pounded his head and drills alike!</p><p>The drills all rocketed, fire burning from their backs as they shot towards Bouncer. Bouncer gasped for a moment as they came in, yet he slid away from the first with ease. He wheeled from the second just before it could tear through his back. The sharp screech of torn metal came from behind as the drills ripped through the paneling, tore through the foundation of the tower, and sent them all swaying with the music! The screams from those around melted into the music and its beats, and even Bouncer broke his serious look for a smile as he swayed along with it.</p><p>"But I'm telling you, you're stronger than you think! You can unlink! Remember who your really are, and push his control to its brink!" Bouncer rapped as he spun, weaved and ducked through the drills. Not once did he turn around to acknowledge how the drills rocked the tower and swayed it, or the flames that burst as they exploded into hot metal bits and took parts of the floor with them. No, his gaze fixed on Drill-X, and moved not once as he swept from side to side.</p><p>"Cause being who you want, it's better than being their drone! There's no worth in fighting for a false king's throne, listen to me! I've seen how much your love to sing, how much joy your music brings—so sing your songs, be who you want to be!" Bouncer's own voice growing loud, strained, and intense as he struggled to be heard over both the music that played, and the clamor from the outer world. "Break free from his control, shake it and be wholly you…"</p><p>Bouncer's hand trembled, and finally he dropped the microphone. Its screech shook the world around as it pierced the air, and Bouncer held out his hands.</p><p>"And that's my plea!"</p><p>Drill- X sputtered. His makeshift microphone switched back and forth between its current state and the drill it once was, and the static barrier that covered his panel vanished.</p><p>Spyro gasped, immediately lifted the panel and glazed over the contents. It was all buttons, wires, and cables trademark of any machine. Hidden in the center was a large, orange wheel that sparkled with brilliant light as it spun with all its might, so fast that it was but a blur!</p><p>Spyro grunted as he latched onto the wheel with both front paws. Hex, Flynn and Cali pulled behind him, and he yanked the wheel out with a single tug! The wheel flew through the air as its spinning ceased, and it shrank until it was just big enough to fit in the palm of Cali's hand as she reached out for it!</p><p>"I- I-I-I'm go-go-go-go-go-go-" Drill-X sputtered as he swayed from side to side, the lights in his eyes flashing and dulling with every motion. His voice clipped and skipped, and its tone rose and fell with every swaying motion he made. "Go-go-go-going to…"</p><p>The microphone that was once Drill-X's hand shifted back into its original drill form, and his glowing eyes finally dulled as he started to tip backwards.</p><p>"Going to shut downnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn…"</p><p>The lights in Drill-X's face faded at last. His mouth gaped wide open as he fell on his back, and dust and clanging kicked up as his metal body hit the rig and sent it shaking!</p><p>Everyone around steadied themselves, bracing for a collapse. When the rig stayed stable, all eyes turned back to Drill-X. He seemed completely lifeless, his eyes wide and dark, mouth gaping open, yet a faint dialing tone emerged from the hollows of that gaping mouth. It was a simple string of beeps that echoed just faintly over the sounds of the rig doing its work.</p><p>"Rebooting, rebooting…" droned a mechanical voice as Drill-X stayed silent. A cheery beep echoed from the inner workings, and the voice turned a bit chipper. "System reboot complete!"</p><p>The others all stepped back as Drill-X's drills began to twitch and spin, and the floor underneath them creaked as the drills' weight lifted from their floors! The creaking grew louder as Drill-X slowly pulled himself from the floor and shuddered, shook his head for a moment, and when he opened his eyes, they turned a tranquil blue.</p><p>"How you feeling, big guy?" Bouncer asked as he wheeled up to Drill-X.</p><p>A low chuckle came from Drill-X, and he turned back to his turntables. "Better than I even have!" Drill-X shouted back as he scratched the discs on the turntables. "I've got that voice out of my head, now I'm me instead, and it's all thanks to your song!"</p><p>"We can't take all the credit, my good machine," Chop Chop added as he knelt down. "You were the one who fought the influences of what controlled you. We only helped the process along."</p><p>"Yes, indeed, sir!" Drill Sergeant beeped. "If you had not withstood the device's machinations, we could not have done anything!"</p><p>A low chuckle came from Drill-X. A few cheery tunes burst from his turntables, but he turned back to the back of the rig and his happy look soured. The remaining parts of the machine poured out smog and fire like they did before, and still chugged along despite the loss of one power source. The very sight sent Drill-X's drills spinning!</p><p>"From now on, I'm not singing evil's song!" Drill-X cried as he raised his drill to the heavens, the drill itself whirling around at such a speed that sparks flew and showered across the floor.</p><p>"That Arkeyan king's got no hold, just as you foretold, so I'm quitting here and chasing my dreams instead!"</p><p>That drill spun faster, faster, now red hot as it shot straight for the heart of the machine.</p><p>"And to prove my words right, I'll end this fight and this rig's heart I'll shred!"</p><p>A mighty slash sounded through the heavens, and it overwhelmed the sounds of churning oil and machinery as his drill ripped through the machine! Halves of its broken body slunk off and crashed below. They unveiled sparking, cut-up machinery that burst into plumes of fire and thick, black smoke as it exploded and sent flames down the entire rig!</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Everyone cheered as the rig crashed into the land below and took the rest of the machinery down with it. As they cheered, the whole world around them creaked and tilted! Everyone screamed as they slid this way and that, all while they grappled for something to cling to.</p><p>"This place is gonna blow!" cried Spyro as he scrambled to the staircase. "Everyone, down the stairs, quick!"</p><p>They didn't need to be told twice! Skylander, Elder Elemental, Flynn, and Cali alike dashed down the stairs while the building creaked and parts of it crashed into the rig below. But, as the other Elder Elementals fled down the stairs, Bouncer turned to Drill-X.</p><p>"What about you, buddy?" Bouncer asked. "Aren't you going, too?"</p><p>Drill- X let out a haughty robotic laugh! Even though the whole rig crashed and burned around him, he still stayed perfectly still, unscathed save for the marks of the earlier battle.</p><p>"Not to worry, Skylander! I already have a plan!" Drill-X sang. "I've got my ticket out, I'll be out and about…"</p><p>The sound of rockets and warbling electronic music sounded off as the floor around Bouncer rumbled, and flaming jets burst from underneath Drill-X! Drill-X grinned as he floated above Bouncer, and shot his drill to the skies as the flames surrounded him. He became a spiraling, flaming rocket as he vanished into the cloudy skies.</p><p>"AND SHARE MY MUSIC WITH ALL SKYLANDSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"</p><p>Bouncer smiled, but another crash and rumble served to remind him of the circumstances at hand! He dashed back down the stairs and wheeled down as the world rumbled. Parts of the ceiling crumbled and crashed behind him. He hopped down the last of the stairs, and soared out right as the staircase crumbled behind him! Bouncer smiled and nodded as the rubble sealed off the staircase. Shouts came from beside him, and his attention turned to where the molekin grinned as Ninjini and Spyro magically patched up their wounds.</p><p>"Thanks a lot, Skylanders!" one of the molekin said as Spyro bandaged up a scrape on their knee. "Now that these robots are off our island, we can get things back to normal!"</p><p>"No need to thank us, it's all part of the job!" Spyro replied as he smoothed out the bandage. His eyes popped open, and his wings flicked as he turned to the others. "Speaking of, we've gotta get going! We've gotta stop Kaos before he gets the rest of those Arkeyans down in Arkus unearthed too!"</p><p>Spyro flew over to the rest of his group, but before they departed, he grinned back at the molekin. The molekin grinned and waved back, and Hex, Drill Sergeant, Chop Chop and Flameslinger all joined them.</p><p>"Thanks for the help, Spyro!" Flameslinger shouted as he waved alongside everyone else. "We'll let everyone back at the base know how you're doing!"</p><p>"Thanks, Flameslinger!"</p><p>Spyro grinned as he flew right onto the Dread-Yacht's deck moments before everyone else boarded, and a small sigh escaped his lips as he leaned against the railing. For a moment, he finally felt at ease, but then, those words he heard resonated in his mind and his smile faded away.</p><p>"If Kaos is already getting this far ahead, we can't afford to rest!" Spyro whispered as he stood back up and slammed his paws against the rails. "We've gotta get to his castle, fast!"</p><p>"I heard ya, little buddy!" Flynn shouted as he dashed back up to the pilot's quarters, manned the wheel and grinned. "Luckily, those molekin fueled up the Dread-Yacht while we were waiting on everyone, so we're good to go!"</p><p>Spyro turned back and grinned as everyone else met their grins with his own, but he stopped and sneezed as something landed on his snout! Purple sparkles flew up as the strange object left his nose and revealed itself to be a butterfly made of pure magic! Wait… A butterfly? A cyan one, at that!</p><p>"That can't be who I think it is, could it?" Spyro asked.</p><p>The butterfly glowed bright as Spyro crept up to it, and its light morphed and stretched until it took the form of a large screen! The screen flickered and shuddered for a moment, but soon enough an image crept across it. It was one of a group of beings resting on a wooden ship as it soared through the skies—but, the one at the front was all he wanted to see!</p><p>"Can you hear me, Spyro?" Chihiro asked from the screen as she waved. "It's me, Chihiro!"</p><p>"CHIHIRO!" Spyro cried as he flew up to the screen and beamed even wider. His gaze constantly shot back from the screen to the others, who all shared in his enthusiasm as they peered up. "SHE, SHE'S ALIVE!"</p><p>"As you can see, I'm alive! We all are!" The recording of Chihiro turned around, and she gestured over to where the rest of their team rested on the boat, all as energetic as they usually were! Chihiro chuckled and turned back to the screen. "Well, a lot happened when we got split up, but I can tell you all about it when we get back together!" Chihiro's eyes grew wider and she held up her finger. "Oh, but there's one super important thing I need to tell you!"</p><p>Chihiro cleared her throat.</p><p>"Turns out, Kaos's castle has a really strong force field surrounding it, and nothing can get through! So, we're gonna have to go to Troll Home Security so we can get the force field disabled!" Chihiro winked and flashed a peace sign as the screen faded. "See you there, Golden Boy!"</p><p>The screen exploded in a rain of sparkles, and all eyes and grins turned to Flynn as the sparkles faded.</p><p>"You heard the kid!" Flynn said as he spun the wheel. "To Troll Home Security we go!"</p><p>The Dread-Yacht creaked as it hit the clouds and blew them to pieces. Everyone around grinned even wider as the wind soared through their hair, or lack thereof. The rest of their team was alive and in one piece! They had a chance at beating Kaos! Everything was working out! Why wouldn't they smile at a time like this?</p><p>Cali chuckled and pulled out that sparkling, orange crystal wheel from her pocket as they smiled.</p><p>"Who knew one little wheel could cause so much trouble?" Cali remarked as she spun it around in the faint sunlight that filtered in from the clouds. She frowned a little, pulled out another crystal wheel identical in all aspects save for its silver color, and held it up beside the orange one. "For that matter, something like this was back at that ghost pirate place too, but what would they be used for?" Cali hummed as she let the wheels rest in her hands. "These Arkeyan-era wheel crystals were only ever used for apparel. How could they carry such strong power?"</p><p>"Wheel crystals, you say?"</p><p>Ninjini raised a brow as she passed by Cali, knelt down and hummed as she examined the wheels. "So these were behind all the things that happened those times?"</p><p>Cali nodded, and Ninjini gingerly lifted the wheels from Cali's hands as she placed them in her own. A frown thin and tense crossed Ninjini's face as she ran a finger over the wheels, and it only deepened the longer she examined them.</p><p>"That strong aura" — Ninjini shook her head — "but, these couldn't possibly be theirs, could they? They've been gone for millennia at this point, and how could they have even survived that?"</p><p>"Er, Ninjini, what are you talking about?" Cali asked as she clasped her hands.</p><p>Ninjini took a breath in as a purple glow poured from her hands.</p><p>"Well, only one way to find out."</p><p>Ninjini closed her eyes and hummed as the purple glow from her hands fed into the wheels, and she gently tossed them in the air. Instead of falling or flying, they just hovered! The purple glow within them changed to a bright orange and silver for each respective wheel, and the color grew paler the further they hovered. The light expanded and formed the shape of a person's body. Strings formed around the wheels and their light dissolved into flurries of gears and mist! Grunts came as the wheels crashed down back onto the deck not as wheels, but as the faint ghosts of people!</p><p>One was deathly thin with sun-kissed, medium brown skin and a choppy, disheveled mop of dark brown hair. They wore a shirt and overalls comprised entirely of colorful patches sewn together with visible stitches around every patch. A massive backpack laid slung against their back, its size so massive that it would suggest a weight far too heavy for someone so frail-looking to carry easily. Their gloves and worn boots were streaked with oil, the gloves' fingers cut off to reveal mechanical fingers underneath, and their orange pendant sparkled as they gasped for air and clutched their body.</p><p>Beside them, a broad man with warm brown skin, and long, stringy black hair that cascaded over his large body shuddered and clutched his trembling hands. His large, triangular nose had sweat creeping down its bridge, and his bushy eyebrows dug closer into eyes screwed shut as he grappled for a single breath. A golden crown adorned with rubies, amethysts, and diamonds just barely stayed stuck around his head, and the robes he wore had intricate patterns woven into cloth fit for a king. Yet, that same silver pendant laid rested around his neck, and indicated his position as one of the other person's allies.</p><p>Everyone gasped, and surrounded the two ghosts as they shuddered and trembled on the deck. Even Flynn abandoned his position at the wheel to rush down and examine the newcomers!</p><p>"Hey, what's going on?" Flynn cried as he poked his head over Stealth Elf's shoulder. "Who're these guys?"</p><p>Spyro frowned and backed away. There were ghosts in those wheels? Ghosts he felt he recognized to boot! He couldn't place a claw on why, but something about their appearances was oddly familiar in a way he just couldn't pin down. But, judging by the way the blood drained from Ninjini's face as she looked down at them, and the looks of shock on Bouncer, Hot Head, and Crusher's own faces, they certainly did!</p><p>"'Enehana! Nemir!" Ninjini cried as she scooped the ghosts in her arms! She winced, bit her lip as they laid in her arms in a cold sweat, and turned her attention back down to Flynn. "Is there an infirmary of some kind here?"</p><p>"No, but we can make one!" Cali cried as she bolted over to the dormitory's door and yanked it open. "Come on!"</p><p>Everyone dashed into the hallways without any hesitation, and slammed the doors shut as they rushed through the halls. All the while, these 'Enehana and Nemir people laid in Ninjini's arms.</p><p>"Don't worry, you two," Ninjini whispered as she clutched them tighter. "We'll save you, I promise!"</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 10: Drill-X's Big Rig (Part 1)<p>The cold, murky skies of the pirate's territory were long left behind in everyone's minds as the Dread-Yacht soared through the skies, yet the endless skies of blue and puffy white clouds hardly put them at ease. They may have escaped ghost pirate territory, but how long would it be before they finally got back on track? Three days had passed, and no familiar sights crossed their eyes at all! In fact, a few grumbles already started about how their captain probably got them lost. Spyro could hear them right at the moment as he leaned over the Dread-Yacht's railing!</p><p>"Flynn, are you entirely sure we're going the right way?" Cali asked as she leaned over and examined the map Flynn had taped next to the ship's wheel.</p><p>Flynn chuckled as he spun the ship right through a cloud and broke it into vapory puffs.</p><p>"Of course I am, Cali!" Flynn said as he steered away from another gathering of clouds. "I'm the best pilot in all Skylands! I know these maps like I know the back of my hands! I'm sure we'll get to Kaos's place in no time at all!"</p><p>"Somehow, I have a hard time believing that."</p><p>Flynn paused and peered at the map again, frowned, and peered over at the window. "Wait a second, were the skies here always this cloudy?"</p><p>Cali groaned and buried her face in her hands (a common recurrence across their trip), but Spyro sighed again and peeled his eyes away from their argument. He couldn't find it in himself to smile, not just yet, he had a mission to worry about, a wannabe supervillain on the loose, lost teammates that might not even be alive still…</p><p><em>Spyro!</em></p><p>The sound of Chihiro's voice rang through Spyro's head again, and he shuddered as he shook it off. That vision of Chihiro sinking into the clouds that marked the ghost pirate's territory during that night, it stuck to him hard and he just couldn't shake it. He could hardly imagine where she was, or what happened to her. Surely, she had to be alive and with everyone else, right? She was a portal master, so Chihiro could handle things, right? But, even a portal master would have trouble surviving a fall that long! Spyro winced at the thought, and his claws wrapped tighter around the railing.</p><p>Smoke flitted across his snout and sent him into a coughing fit. Spyro hacked away as he fanned the smoke away with a flap of his wings, coughed one last time and popped his eyes open. The awful smell of burnt material hit his snout, and he couldn't help but frown further as his eyes fell back on the skies.</p><p>Thick, murky gray smoke clouds intermingled with the puffy white ones as the skies changed from their signature blue to more of a seafoamish color, and then to a sickly, murky green. By that point, the clouds were completely enveloped by smoke, and the smell of oil and burning completely filtered the air! It was absolutely disgusting, and it was all Spyro could do to cover his snout so the smell didn't completely overwhelm him.</p><p>"What's up with this place?" Spyro asked aloud.</p><p>"Don't ask me!" Trigger Happy added as he hopped up beside Spyro and pointed across the skies. "Ask that oil rig up ahead!"</p><p>Spyro unplugged his nose as the others crowded around him, and craned his head across the Dread-Yacht's deck. Sure enough, past the masses of dark, smoky clouds was a gigantic, mechanical oil rig that spat out masses of thick smog as it churned away. The screech of metal and machinery rang from its machines. Though it was distant, the repugnant reek of oil exuded from every angle and well across the area, to say nothing of the strange, awful feeling Spyro got just from looking at it! Just what was that thing doing here?</p><p>"Just what's with that thing?" Gill Grunt asked as he stood beside Spyro, almost as if he read Spyro's mind in that instant. "I don't recall seeing an oil rig on the map!"</p><p>"To be fair, I doubt it's very accurate if our pilot sources his maps that same way he sources everything else," Stealth Elf added as she crossed her arms.</p><p>"I don't know what's up with that place, but just looking at it gives my core processor a glitch," Bouncer groaned as he rubbed his head. "My auditory processors are ringing just looking at it!"</p><p>Flynn grinned as he spun the wheel and pushed on further. "Nice, an oil place!" Flynn remarked as he steered. "The good ol' Dread-Yacht here was getting' low on fuel!"</p><p>The melody of mechanical rhythm grew louder as Flynn soared closer to the rig, and its mechanical platforms coated in oil and rust grew closer in view. The metal was dull in color, but patched in all sorts of shades, and its quality seemed shaky at best. The panels were corroded in most areas, cobbled together, and hardly matched in terms of shapes and sizes. The bolts that held them together were barely fastened; in fact, a few of them popped off and slammed right into an overhead platform, which knocked it down and sent the machines atop it crashing down! Whoever made this thing was clearly short on gold.</p><p>"I'm not sure this is the best place to stock up on fuel, Flynn," Cali remarked as she cast a wary glance at the sparking machinery that hung near the Dread-Yacht. "Something about it seemed a little… Mmm…" Cali stepped back as a cable fell from a machine and sparked in her face, and winced as the machine itself passed her by. "Run-down?"</p><p>"Ah, it's part of the charm!" Flynn chirped as he parked the Dread-Yacht and popped out from the captain's quarters. "'Sides, next gas station is miles away, and we don't exactly have that kind of fuel. We either get it here, or risk plunging into the great blue yonder" — Flynn popped his collar and strode down the stairs — "and I'm not willing to find out what's down there yet."</p><p>The bridge unfurled and dented a plate on the mechanical platform, yet Flynn whistled a tune and strode down. "Anyways, fuel ho!"</p><p>Spyro winced, and flew down the platform with Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf close in tow. Seems they were all of the same mind: something about this place gave them a bad feeling, and they couldn't exactly let Flynn get himself caught up in trouble. They all took a step forward, but as they did, the panels below rumbled and shuddered! Spyro immediately pushed everyone else back, grabbed Flynn with his tail and yanked Flynn back too!</p><p>Flynn grunted as he slammed back into Spyro, and wrangled himself away and scowled. "What was that for, Spyro? What's so scary about a couple of rumbling panels?"</p><p>A screech sounded off as the panels shot into the skies, and out from them leaped a bunch of robots! They were simple ones, with mismatched metal parts that shot sparks from every joint and angle in their bodies, but they were armed nonetheless! More than that, a strange emblem was carved on their chests, one Spyro couldn't piece together. It looked something like a vaguely stylized crown or wreath with all its branches, but nothing about it rang any bells.</p><p>"Halt, intruders!" the robots all cried as one mechanical voice while they pointed sparking spark plug swords at Flynn. "In the name of our great leader, you will be defeat!"</p><p>Flynn screamed and ran behind Spyro as the robots charged forward, but Spyro charged forward as flames swirled around his horns. Right before the robots could strike, a rain of flaming arrows shot down from the heavens and skewered them in their robotic heads! The sparks that flew from the robots grew even more furious as they screeched and beeped, and they exploded in a shower of sparks and fires! Spyro himself jumped back, flapped his wings, and cast mighty winds that blew away the flames with only faint warm mist remaining.</p><p>The mist eschewed most things from view, but it was thin enough that a pair of silhouettes—ones thin and tall and vaguely familiar—crept through its shield.</p><p>"Just where did that breeze come from?" remarked someone with a Francian accent as they tried futilely to fan away the mist.</p><p>The figure beside them, who appeared to be wearing armor of some kind, stopped in their tracks and pointed what appeared to be a sword towards Spyro.</p><p>"Actually, I think I might know, Flameslinger!" cried a deep, haunting voice.</p><p>The mist cleared, and in that instant, it unveiled Flameslinger and Chop Chop! They both stood and peered at each other for mere moments, but as they both turned around, Chop Chop gasped.</p><p>"Spyro, what are you doing here?" Chop Chop cried. "I hadn't expected to see you at a place like this!" Chop Chop craned his head and chuckled. "And the others are with you as well?"</p><p>"I could ask you two the same thing!" Spyro cried as he flew up to Chop Chop and Flameslinger. "What're you doing at this weird place?"</p><p>"Wait, Spyro? That was you?" Flameslinger cried. "You're alive?"</p><p>Spyro turned to Flameslinger and frowned. "Alive? Why wouldn't I be?"</p><p>Flameslinger burst into a smile as he rubbed Spyro's head. "You had us all worried sick when we lost contact with your team! Some of us thought you were all dead!" Flameslinger chuckled and removed his hand. "Of course, I never doubted you for a moment, but…"</p><p>Oh, that. In all that time, Spyro got so caught up in everything that happened that he hadn't even stopped to think about checking in with home base! He felt a little bit bad about it now, knowing how worried everyone must have been, but he could shoot them a message later.</p><p>"Yeah, we um, ran into some complications." Spyro scratched his horn and chuckled. "Long story, we can get you caught up later. For now—"</p><p><em>CRASH!</em></p><p>All heads craned up as the crashes and clangs echoed through the rig, and their eyes immediately locked on the very top where a gigantic robot gleefully drilled away! Its round yellow face with glowing white eyes was practically dwarfed by a large body made of orange and brown metal cobbled together. The massive drills it held for hands burrowed away as mist and bright lights poured from the top! Oil spurted out from around its drills, and the stench of raw, stinky oil it carried turned Spyro away from the sights.</p><p>"Actually, you get me caught up first. Just what's going on here?"</p><p>"Something bad, that's what," Flameslinger replied as he wrung his hands. "This strange drilling oil rig's been running around Skylands for a good bit now, and word on the street is that Kaos's behind it!" Flameslinger took hold of his bow and frowned. "That's why we came to investigate."</p><p>"Kaos, huh?" Bouncer repeated as he wheeled down the bridge. "That's that little guy that's been giving you some big problems, right?"</p><p>Chop Chop stepped back, winced and knelt in Bouncer's presence, but Flameslinger casually adjusted his blindfold's position.</p><p>"You bet'cha!" Flameslinger replied. "That's why we've come here to investigate and, if necessary, shut the place down!"</p><p>A shrill, robotic scream sounded out, and Flameslinger winced as he turned back to where several guard robots stabbed a fleeing Drill Sergeant as Hex chased after them all.</p><p>"Unfortunately, we're a bit short-staffed…"</p><p>"Then we'll just have to offer a hand!" Ninjini cried.</p><p>She grinned as she popped up beside Spyro, Flameslinger and Chop Chop. Beside her, Hot Head and Crusher jumped off board and rattled all the paneling below—it was a miracle nothing fell off. Underneath them, Stealth Elf, Gill Grunt, and Trigger Happy whispered among themselves, grinned and stepped up.</p><p>"And we'll help out as well," Stealth Elf said as she crossed her arms. "If Kaos is running around and causing trouble, then we've gotta stop it!"</p><p>"Took the words right out of my mouth, Stealth," Spyro replied as he turned to them and nodded.</p><p>Flynn coughed, cleared his throat, and his trademark smirk returned to his face as he strode up and popped his collar. "Of course, I've gotta make sure you guys don't run into any trouble, if you catch my drift!" Flynn replied as he flexed his arms. "Once those bad guys see my muscles, they'll go crying for their moms!"</p><p>"And I'd better make sure you don't run into any trouble yourself," Cali mumbled as she left the ship.</p><p>Flameslinger beamed, nodded and turned around. "Great! Spyro, Stealth Elf, Gill Grunt, and Trigger Happy, come with me," Flameslinger said as he knelt down and fixed his blindfold. "The rest of you, go with Chop Chop. We'll reconverge back here when all's said and done, alright?"</p><p>"Right!" everyone else cried.</p><p>With that said, everyone dissolved into their groups and burst off against the rig, all while the sound of drilling poured through the air above them—but hopefully, not for long!</p><p align="center">§</p><p>"I should probably explain what's going on here, shouldn't I?" Flameslinger asked as he lead Spyro, Stealth Elf, Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy through the rig's metal jungle.</p><p>Their feet pattered against the warm metal floors below, and added a bit of rhythm to the endless melancholy of sloshing oil and churning machinery. The other four prompted him on with a nod,. Flameslinger ripped out a map from his pocket and unfurled it.</p><p>"We received a string of distress calls about an island drilling its way through everything it could back at home base," Flameslinger explained. His fingertips brushed against the map's paper, and he frowned in tandem. "We had a bad feeling that Kaos was involved, so we shipped up here to get some answers, but that hasn't exactly been easy with all the security,."</p><p>Flameslinger passed the map onto Spyro, who gingerly lifted it from his hands and frowned as he peered it over. The map itself contained a detailed diagram of the rig itself, from the towering oil machines to the masses of scattered buildings and even the inner working. Most concerning was the emblem printed onto the corners: a fancy thing of vague resemblance to a crown, similar to the emblem that Spyro saw on the robots. It was nothing like Kaos's emblem, yet the presence still struck the same amount of concern it did, even though it still didn't ring any bells.</p><p>"We snatched this diagram of the rig from some robot just before you got here." Flameslinger pressed a finger to the top of the map. "This robot here is the mastermind behind this entire rig. If we can stop it, that should shut the whole thing down!" Flameslinger drew his finger back and frowned. "Problem is, the way to the top is completely blocked off by an electromagnetic gate, and a pretty strong one at that. Any unauthorized personnel try to sneak in, and…"</p><p>Flameslinger grimaced as he drew a finger across his neck, and everyone else shuddered in tandem. Yet, Flameslinger grinned as he tapped the map once more.</p><p>"But, luckily, there is a way to disable it! There's three platforms containing generators for the barrier, and if we can destroy them, we're home free!" Flameslinger drew a finger across the map and tapped one of the circled spots on it. "The first generator should be somewhere around here, I think…" A sharp crack of lightning sounded off from behind, and Flameslinger grinned as he turned away from the map. "And judging by that lightning crack I just heard, we've found it!"</p><p>Spyro rolled up the map, passed it back to Flameslinger, and frowned as he flew forward while bright blue and purple light fell over him. There before him was a massive pillar with a quite-literally electric purple plasma ball at its tip. The ball sparked and cracked with energy as it beamed a gigantic stream of lightning up into the skies! Glowing blue rings that cracked with equal amounts of electric energy surrounded its metal pillar, and shocked everything within range. Yeah, this definitely felt like a generator for an electromagnetic barrier!</p><p>"Guess we know what to do, then!" Spyro cried as his eyes flashed brown. Just a couple of large crystals would be all it took to take this down, he was sure of it.</p><p>Behind him, Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy readied their guns. Flameslinger held out a bow loaded with embers that sparked with fire at their tips. The light of the arrows' fire beamed off of their arrows, and tinged Gill Grunt's harpoons and Trigger Happy's guns in shades of sunset orange, all bright and brilliant like the attack they were ready to give.</p><p>"Ready, aim," Spyro called as the breath in his throat hardened and ached with a sharp sting, "FIRE!"</p><p>Sharp, shiny crystals burst out from from Spyro's mouth and shot straight for the generator, and soon enough, golden coins, anchors, and an entire barrage of flaming arrows flanked them! They all melded together into one bright burst as they hurtled straight for the generator, their power as bright and crackling as the hot flaming energy that spewed from them. Just as they came within inches of the generator, the entire blast completely evaporated! Its components crackled and burst into tiny bits as it froze in midair, only able to rain down on the floor before a breeze whisked them away.</p><p>"What the! What happened?" Spyro cried as he stepped back. "How did that just disappear?"</p><p>A shriek hit the air, and the lines between the floor's panels glowed a bright blue as a cage made entirely of energy formed around the generator! Electricity crackled off of the cage as sirens blared, and down from the rigs hopped even more run-down robot enforcers. Though the lightning that burst from the cage zapped them forward, the robots still stayed still as ever as they clutched their weapons.</p><p>"Halt, intruders! Step away from the generator!" the robots cried as one as they turned their swords and plugs on Spyro's group.</p><p>"… Ah," Flameslinger said as he lowered his bow just slightly. "I had a feeling this was a little too easy."</p><p>Spyro snarled, lowered his horns and scraped his paws against the metal. It tore and cracked underneath his blows, but he hardly cared as he charged forward while fire engulfed his horns! Spyro shouted out as he slammed right into one of the robots and tossed it back into two robots behind him. His eyes turned on the trio of robots that glared him down, and they pointed their sparking, crackling plugs in his face. Spyro chuckled and blinked. His eyes flashed an azure the color of clear skies, and the flames that engulfed his horns turned to electricity instead! A ball of electric energy formed between his horns, and Spyro jumped up and grinned as the lightning shot down and completely fried the robots.</p><p>Flameslinger rolled through the smoke as they sputtered and exploded into fumes of black smoke. He knelt down, and trained his bow's line on sight on the robots who charged right for him. He smirked as they came within his range, let slip the bow's string and skewered their chests with his arrows! The robots exploded into flaming bursts…</p><p>And the cage flickered!</p><p>Spyro blinked, soared back down and grinned as he examined the smoldering spot where the robots once rested. Except now, it only carried a burnt, round object that flickered with orange fire! He circled around the cage with care paid to the ground, where two other orbs rested on the floor, dodged a bolt of lightning, and swept back to Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, and Stealth Elf.</p><p>"Hey, everyone! I've got an idea!" Spyro cried as he pointed his tail fin towards the orbs. "See those orbs?" Spyro grinned as the trio nodded. "See if you can bust up those robots beside them. We should be able to take down the cage that way!"</p><p>Gill Grunt smirked as several robots charged towards him and clanked the whole way, but he shot them with a burst of steaming hot water as they came just inches within the orb! The robots wailed and sparked as the water seeped into their circuit, exploded into an electrical burst, and took the orb below their feet with them. The cage flickered out once more. Gill Grunt smirked as he held his cannon at his side, gasped and flew off as a gigantic green tiger crashed forward.</p><p>"Woo-hoy, ride 'em cowboy!" Trigger Happy shouted as he rid on Stealth Elf's back, his guns literally blazing with golden fire! He leaped off of Stealth Elf's back and grinned as several robots pointed their spears towards him—but his gaze fixed more so on the orb they stood behind!</p><p>"POW POW POW!"</p><p>With one click of his guns, flaming gold coins burst out from Trigger Happy's guns and completely cut off the robots' heads! Their cables and inner machinery sparked and flames as the coins bounced off behind them. A massive explosion burst from their bodies and completely took out the last orb! Trigger Happy chuckled and spun his guns around his fingers as the light faded. Spyro, Flameslinger, and Gill Grunt all smirked with him as they walked right back to his side.</p><p>"Alright, this time for real," Spyro said as he yanked open his jaw. His eyes flashed brown, and that choking feeling came back as the crystals formed in his throat. "Ready, aim…"</p><p>Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy both pointed their guns, and Flameslinger loaded his bow and stretched out its string.</p><p>"FIRE!"</p><p>Once again, their combined attack shot off into the distance and merged together as it hurtled straight for the generator. The burst slammed right into the heart of the generator and forged a hole in its center, but the generator itself sparked and exploded! The lights around them all flickered and dimmed as the generator expired, but quickly restored themselves save for one. Over by a passageway with a large barrier, the twin, ringed pillars that flanked both its sides flickered as the color in their top rings faded!</p><p>All of them grinned as they faced each other, and Stealth Elf leaped down as he returned to normal. She yanked the map out of Flameslinger's pocket, stretched it open, and rolled it back up as she shoved it back shut.</p><p>"The next generator shouldn't be far from here!" Stealth Elf shouted.</p><p>She flipped back into the air, and transformed back into her tiger form with a mighty roar as he crashed back down! Spyro, Flameslinger, Gill Grunt, and Trigger Happy all flinched as she turned around and gazed at them with an open jaw full of sharp teeth, but she just nudged her head aside. Their eyes flickered; they warily climbed her back and clutched her fur tight as she stormed forward.</p><p>The ground underneath Stealth Elf's paws shuddered and panels popped out as she strode forward. Her eyes narrowed on a generator that flashed with blue and purple light ahead, and the blue orbs of light that surrounded it. With a pound of her footsteps, she leaped forward and pounced on one orb, shattering it to bits underneath her paws; raced forward and smashed the next two underpaw…</p><p>As the sight of blue light shone in the air, she strode and slammed right through the generator! Her massive jaws snapped the generator in half and tore it up like it was a chew toy. Once again, the lights flickered as the generator died. Beside her, the middle rings of that passageway's pillars faded away, and Stealth Elf purred as everyone slid off her back. She returned back to her normal form in a puff of smoke, smiled and brushed green fur from her clothes.</p><p>"Thank you for riding the Stealth Elf express," Stealth Elf chuckled to herself, and a chuckle sounded behind her.</p><p>"I never would've expected you could pull off something like that," Flameslinger remarked.</p><p>"Beats walking." Stealth Elf snatched the map from Flameslinger once more and turned around as she examined it. "Anyways, that last generator should be somewhere around" — Stealth Elf tore her eyes from the map for a second, gasped and slammed it shut — "here!"</p><p>Stealth Elf shoved the map back in his arms, yanked out a smoke bomb, and slammed it on the floor! While everyone coughed and hacked around her, Stealth Elf pushed them behind some barrels and frowned as she popped her head over one.</p><p>"What was that for, Stealth Elf?" Spyro spat as he popped his head up.</p><p>Stealth Elf shushed him, and her brows dug into her eyes as she jabbed a finger to the path ahead.</p><p>More robots trekked across the pathways as Stealth Elf's smoke bomb finally cleared up, but they looked nothing like the shabby patchwork robots they all fought against! No, these robots were tall and sleek in build, and covered from head to toe in shiny red and gold armor. They said no words as they clutched their sparking maces tight and trekked down the halls. They didn't need to, for their appearance alone was enough to show their Arkeyans origins!</p><p>"Arkeyans? What are they doing here?" Spyro cried.</p><p>"I have a feeling I know why, but it's not good." Stealth Elf hissed underneath her breath. Her fingers dug into the rim of the oil barrel she hid behind, flipped over it and motioned towards the others. "Come on, we need to find out where those things are going!"</p><p>The others crept out from behind the barrels, and tip-toed across the floor behind her.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>The door creaked to a close behind Flynn and Cali as they joined the others inside, and the first thing they met with was expansive, all-encompassing darkness. The faint sound of toiling machinery could just barely be heard in the distance, and it intermingled with strong stenches of oil and gasoline to create something almost vaguely unnerving.</p><p>"Supposedly, there's a few machines in here that controls the robots scattered around this area, but this path ahead leads to the central one," Hex explained as she crafted as glowing skull. Hex sent the skull floating with a gentle push, and its light glowed bright enough to illuminate a rusted metal path underneath their feet. "If we can access that and destroy it, this should make our job much easier."</p><p>Hex frowned as the skull floated in place, waved out her head as the light grew brighter, yet it still barely touched the world around!</p><p>"Just leave the rest of the lighting to us," Ninjini remarked as her eyes glowed with a milky white light.</p><p>She grinned and pulled her bottle from her back, shook it up, and sent it floating out as pink and blue light poured from its glass. Bouncer grinned as beams of light shot from his own eyes, and warm embers crackled from the pits in Hot Head's hands and head as they brought a nice amber light to the world around. Even Crusher's own crystals and eyes glowed like shiny gems while they added a nice, cooler hue to the warm light that surrounded. More importantly, they could finally see their surroundings with all the light!</p><p>The dark room they entered was not a cavern, but some kind of mechanical hangar with puddles of oil and gasoline scattered around its rusted floors and oily graffiti painted on the walls. Metal lamps with no light swung from the top of the ceiling while barrels and crates made of metal piled up in plenty of places. But, after that was complete darkness yet again. Within that darkness, a handful of small, bright lights like glowing eyes poked out and scurried off!</p><p>Everyone else turned their weapons on while Flynn and Cali gasped and backed away, but Cali winced and clutched her teeth tight. Her eyes skittered over to her left; she gasped and shot out a hand—for the eyes locked back on her again!</p><p>"Over there!" Cali cried.</p><p>All weapons turned on them, but whatever held these eyes disappeared! The sounds of scurrying echoed faint but steady throughout the hangar, and then they disappeared. Everyone turned around in whatever direction they could, but there were no eyes to be found!</p><p>Flynn nudged closer to Cali, winced and rubbed his shoulder. "You think they're gone?" Flynn whispered as he glazed over the eyes' last spot.</p><p>Bouncer frowned and lowered his hands. "Seems like it," Bouncer replied as he clasped his robotic fist. "Let's just get moving."</p><p>They all gulped and held their weapons tight as they crept through the hangar, and up one of the massive metal ramps that lead to its next half. All of them still scanned the area, fingers twitching and hands rested close to weapons as they trailed through the hangar. After all, something latched onto them no matter where they walked; its eyes burned and seared into their souls as they crept. Something was watching them, they were all sure of it, yet they had no idea what it was or where it was from! Maybe they might've just been hearing things, but it sounded like something was whispering, too?</p><p>They hit the top of the ramp, and fixed their lights back on the never-ending stretches of darkness. Just before they could get a glimpse of the surroundings ahead, a bunch of glowing white eyes popped out from the darkness!</p><p>"There they are!" Flynn cried as he pointed to them.</p><p>"I knew something was watching us!" Bouncer cried as he flipped the tops of his fingers open. "Everyone, prepare to open—"</p><p>"MOLEKIN, ATTACK!"</p><p>"FIRE?"</p><p>Screams and footsteps echoed around the hangar, and out into the light burst a ton of molekin dressed in workers' clothing and baring crude hammers and swords! The molekin screamed as they banged their weapons against the base of Bouncer's legs, and Bouncer himself wheeled back and grunted.</p><p>"Hey, what's going on here?" Bouncer cried as the molekin rushed forward and continued to bang away, though they did little other than leave tiny dents. "What's got your processors fried?"</p><p>"Don't play innocent, you big bucket of bolts!" cried one of the molekin as they slammed a hammer against the top of Bouncer's wheel. "You're one of those fancy Arkeyan thingamambobs Kaos is using, aren't you?"</p><p>"We're not letting you destroy our home any longer!" cried another molekin as she banged her fist on Bouncer's rim.</p><p>"Yeah!" cried all the other molekin.</p><p>Bouncer snarled and spun around with such force that it sent the molekin flying! They all grunted as they hit the floors, and Bouncer scoffed and crossed his arms.</p><p>"What are you talking about? I'm not one of Kaos's machines or whatever, I came here to stop him!"</p><p>"That's what they all say, buddy!" cried the hammer-bearing molekin as they waved their hammer in the air. "But you can't fool us!"</p><p>"Yeah!" the other molekin shouted.</p><p>"Wait, did you say Kaos is using Arkeyans?" Hex asked.</p><p>Her skull's light flashed a bit brighter as she floated up to the molekin, who all shuddered in her presence abd finally blinked.</p><p>"Wait, a Skylander?" the hammer molekin exclaimed, gesturing up to Bouncer. "You're with that guy?"</p><p>"Yes, he's one of us." Hex waved a hand around her skull, and increased its light just enough that the rest of the group could be seen behind her. "We came here because we received your calls about Kaos invading."</p><p>The molekin blinked, chuckled and scratched their heads.</p><p>"Sorry 'bout the misunderstanding, then!" The hammer wielding molekin wandered up to Bouncer and patted his wheel. "We've been driven into hiding here for so long that we haven't seen a friendly face in ages!"</p><p>Bouncer scoffed, and loosened his arms as he bent down just a little to face them. "But just what are you even doing hiding down here, anyways?"</p><p>The molekin all sighed, and the one wielding the hammer fiddled with their weapon as they frowned.</p><p>"Name's Clay, I'll handle the explaining here. You see, this island used to be our home!" the hammer molekin explained. "It was a really nice place once, but then Kaos decided to take it over! Said it had everything he needed to rebuild his armies—lots of oil, lots of Arkeyans buried underneath…"</p><p>Clay sighed again. "We tried our best to fight back, but his armies were so powerful that we were forced into hiding! He turned our home into a gigantic oil rig, and worse, a drilling plant to dig up more Arkeyan forces!" Clay scowled, and his hands trembled as he clutched his hammer. "So, we've been biding our time down here, looking for ways to stop his forces!"</p><p>"And luckily, we found one!" perked up one molekin, who chuckled as they placed a hand on their chest. "All thanks to me, Pitts, of course~"</p><p>"And that is?" Hex prompted as she floated towards Pitts.</p><p>Pitts strode ahead and waved. "Follow me, I'll explain on the way."</p><p>Pitts cleared his throat as everyone else followed him down the way. "All these Arkeyan robots are being controlled by a signal-spreading box near the back of this place! Unfortunately, it's too big and fancy for us to take down…" Pitts turned around and winked as he turned to the group. "But, you Skylanders could probably knocked it down no problem!"</p><p>Hex nodded, her face cold and stoic as ever as she clutched her skull tight. She gasped as the lights in the hangar flickered on! Golden light poured above her and illuminated the hangar at all angles, yet she seemed hardly pleased as she floated back.</p><p>"Who turned on the lights?" Flynn cried.</p><p>The sirens screeched even louder, and everyone knelt down and shielded their ears while the lights grew harsher, almost blinding even! Underneath their harsh glare, everyone could just barely spy the shiny glint of armor as something red, gold, and bright all over marched up from the other side of the platform. Wait, no, it wasn't some<em>thing</em>—it was some<em> things!</em></p><p>An entire army of Arkeyan robots with weapons in tow came marching in as the sirens sang and the lights shone. Their eyes glared with a particularly harsh shade of red as they glared down everyone else! Judging by the way they pointed their weapons kept in such a harsh grip, they weren't particularly happy with their visitors!</p><p>"Arkeyans? We must have set off the security system!" cried Clay as he turned back to the rest of the molekin. "Did anyone here press anything weird or something?"</p><p>One of the molekin chuckled, and sweat started to creep down his face at the very notion. "By any chance, would a panel with an angry face count as something weird?"</p><p>"… Muddy, what did you do?"</p><p>The molekin who was presumably Muddy chuckled and stepped away. Sure enough, underneath him was a panel with an angry-looking, crown-bearing face that glared at those above it! It sunk into the rest of the floors, and its color dulled considerably compared to the rest.</p><p>"I may have stepped on this when I wasn't looking."</p><p>Clay snarled as he prepared to chew out Muddy, but he didn't get the chance! The firm thunk of clanking metal sounded behind him. Whirring intermingled with the song of sirens above as the Arkeyans all charged right for them!</p><p>"Intruders will be punished by order of the great king!" the Arkeyans big and small cried as they raised their weapons.</p><p>The molekin all screamed as the Arkeyans came charging for them, but the Skylanders and Elder Elementals alike rushed in after them.</p><p>"We'll take care of this, sirs!" Drill Sergeant cried as his exhaust fumes huffed from his pipe.</p><p>While they ran, Cali yanked Flynn's hand and rushed right in.</p><p>"Wait, Cali, what do you think you're doing?" Flynn cried.</p><p>"You're always saying you're super strong and a super great pilot and stuff, right?" Cali shot back as she drew out a blade with her free hand. "Well, now's the time to prove it! I'm sure they're gonna need backup!"</p><p>Flynn gulped and adjust his scarf. "Yeah, yes, I was about to say, I'm sure they could really use some help!"</p><p>Cali let go of Flynn's hand as she dashed ahead, and the robots immediately swarmed Flynn the moment she did! He yelped as they all closed him in with their sparkling swords and maces and their glaring eyes, but gulped away his fear as he raised up his fists.</p><p>"Alright buddies, I'm warning you," Flynn proclaimed as the robots came closer. Flynn himself just inched further away with every inch they took. "I'm really tough, you know! I could beat twenty of you guys in your sleep, so if you wanna run away now, I'd highly recommend it—"</p><p>Flynn screamed and ducked as one of the robots swung for him; his instincts kicked in and he socked the robot right in the chest! Flynn yowled as he pulled back his pained hand, but at the very least, his punch seemed to work! The robot he socked reeled backwards, and a stray blow from Drill Sergeant wiped it clean in half!</p><p>"Well, I tried to warn you!" Flynn shouted, a look of pride on his face as he placed his hands on his hips.</p><p>But then, another robot swung for him and he was forced to duck! That robot's blow hit another one of its companions and knocked its head clean off instead. Without a head to guide it, the robot completely fritzed! It swung its mace in every which way as it tried to locate Flynn, and knocked down even more of the robots around it! Those robots hit the floor with a clang, screeched as they rushed in, and attacked the mace robot right back! Flynn was completely forgotten to them as they slammed and slashed and smacked each other.</p><p>In the midst of the anarchy, Flynn whistled and crawled out from underneath the heap! While the robots were busy scrapping each other to pieces, he smirked and crossed his arms.</p><p>"Yeah, I knew I was too tough for them," Flynn said with a firm nod.</p><p>A burst of fire exploded inches away from Flynn's face. He jumped away and gasped as bright flames coated the area around! He turned his eyes back to the front. Just ahead of him, the flaming remains of an explosion burned bright, with Cali at the center of it all as she held a shield about as big as she was.</p><p>"Pocket shields, always a good thing to have," Cali panted as the flames quelled themselves.</p><p>The shield became no bigger than a piece of candy with a tap of its top, and Cali smiled as she stuffed it back into her pocket. As she did, the sound of burning, creaking metal hit her ears and she yanked her head back up! Right then and there, the smoke that coated the area started to clear, and out from it came the very robots that Cali set aflame! They were smoking and coated in fire, yet they were no less enthusiastic as they charged after Cali!</p><p>Cali snarled as she yanked a canteen from her sack and uncorked it. "You guys just don't give up, do you?" Cali exclaimed as she tossed the canteen's liquid contents out. "How about you cool down for a change?"</p><p>The water splashed over the robots like a miniature tidal wave, and their flames quenched as the water seeped into their circuits and froze them in place! Sparks flew from their joints as they dropped their weapons, and they exploded for good. Their fried bits rained across the area as Cali wiped her forehead.</p><p>"Cali, behind you!" Flynn cried.</p><p>Cali gasped and spun around as an Arkeyan warrior tried to slice her down. She snarled, and yanked a sword and shield from the ground as the robot lunged for her once more—but she flung her shield in front of it as it struck! Its sword lodged into the melting metal of the shield and froze within, and Cali tossed the shield away as she slashed her own sword across the Arkeyan's chest!</p><p>Sparks and blue smoke flew from the Arkeyan as she kicked it backwards. Unfortunately, it also flew right into where Drill Sergeant chased after a couple Arkeyan imps. The Arkeyan soldier exploded the moment, and Drill Sergeant screamed as he went flying across the room!</p><p>"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" Drill Sergeant cried as he bounced across the floor, and finally smashed into a pile of metal crates. Spirals formed in his bright eyes as he laid dented and upside-down on the crates' dented remains, and his wheels only spun. "My pain processors are at an extreme threshold…"</p><p>"Sorry, Drill Sergeant!" Cali cried as she rushed over and pushed Drill Sergeant back on his wheels. "Are you alright?"</p><p>"Perhaps if my optical sensors would stop spinning!"</p><p>The sound of pounding footsteps caught both their ears, and Cali snarled as she lifted her head. More Arkeyans soldiers charged right for them, and Cali yanked a grenade from her pockets. She jerked the grenade's pin out, and tossed it into the crowd.</p><p>"Eat fire, metalheads!"</p><p>Drill Sergeant squeaked and dashed off, but Cali stood and plugged her ears as the grenade exploded. It sent a burst of flames shooting off in all directions! The fires rained down on the Arkeyans, and burned away their metal arms before a gigantic skull bowled them all down into scrap!</p><p>The skull cackled as it flew back to Hex, who radiated with magic as several other skulls floated around her. That magic aura strengthened, and the skulls cackled harder as they set their sights on a group of medium-sized, shield-bearing Arkeyans. The skulls' glowing eyes rattled in their sockets as they bounced up like guard dogs raring for a bite at something. Hex didn't even have to say a word. She just pointed a finger at the Arkeyans, and the skulls rushed right towards them, jaws chomping and all.</p><p>The Arkeyans screeched and turned on their heels as they rushed away from the skulls, but the skulls caught up and tackled right into them! The whole fleet went barreling right towards where Chop Chop sliced down another mace-bearing Arkeyan. Before they could hit, a string of rockets flung forward and skewered their bodies!</p><p>The Arkeyans' hole-ridden hulls shot right towards Chop Chop instead, and he charged forward and slammed them with his shield. The Arkeyans flew right towards Bouncer, who turned around, smirked and caught them in midair! A faint explosion sounded in his tightened fist. He released it as the crumpled bits of the Arkeyan soldiers cascaded down onto the fields.</p><p>"They call this a defense system?" Bouncer remarked. "I've faced worse stuff in my sleep!"</p><p>Larger thunks sounded off from ahead, ones so massive that the lights above swung and shuddered, and Bouncer turned his head with a frown. Ahead of him, a trio of larger Arkeyan robots poured out from the hangar's doors, ones at least his size and coated from head to toe in shiny metal armor. Their eyes glowed with what was surely laser light as they came to a stop, and Bouncer smirked as they locked eyes with him.</p><p>"This, however, is more my speed!"</p><p>Bouncer's wheel revved underneath him, and he became little more than a blur as he zipped all around the room! Here one way and there the next, it was impossible for anyone sentient to keep an eye on him—much less the robots! They only spun their heads around as they shot off strings of lasers and tried to burn him down, yet they got everything but. They burned the walls, blew up barrels and crates, and even smashed a few lightbulbs in their unsuccessful attempts to nail Bouncer! Their lasers slammed into each others' faces and shattered their eyes; smoke poured out from their broken glass as they reeled back and held their heads! Their bodies creaked and groaned as they staggered up.</p><p>Bouncer chuckled and skidded right in front of them. "Guess you just can't deal with the wheel, huh?" Bouncer remarked as his eyes glowed a bright red. "Now, how about you get a taste of your own medicine?"</p><p>Bright, thick lasers screeched from Bouncer's eyes and latched onto two of the robots' chests, all with such power that it cut a massive midsection right through it! Smoke billowed from the robots' chests as they stumbled backwards. A shing sounded as wishblades shot up from down below, and they slashed the robots' chests to pieces!</p><p>Ninjini teleported up and cast a shield before her and Bouncer as the robots exploded. They both smirked as the smoke cleared, and jolted up as the sound of pounding footsteps chased after them! As it turned out, the last of the robots survived the blow, and it was ready to kill! It bounded forward and summoned a gigantic cleaver as it stormed right for Bouncer and Ninjini…</p><p>Just before it could strike, Crusher flipped between them and blocked its cleaver with his hammer! Crusher grunted as he tossed the cleaver aside, and his eyes glowed bright as lasers from his own eyes seared into the robot! Instead of blowing it to bits, the robot got encased in a casing of solid rock. Hard granite covered it from head to toe as Crusher's eye lasers finally ceased. With a grunt, he slammed his hammer right through it and sent its rocky remains raining down on those below!</p><p>Everyone smaller than a giant screamed and sought shelter any way they could as the rocks smashed down on the Arkeyans below. The familiar rev of a motorcycle's engine stopped everyone in their tracks!</p><p>Behind them, Hot Head had screeched up in his bike form, slid around and winked.</p><p>"Anyone need a ride?" Hot Head asked.</p><p>Flynn and Cali both grinned, climbed onto Hot Head's back, and slowly lifted everyone else on as well, Hot Head cried out in utter glee as the last of the molekin climbed on, and he zipped right past the others with such speed that his tracks burned in his wake!</p><p>Crusher and Ninjini both chuckled as they trailed after Hot Head, and Bouncer was almost quick to follow. However, just as he wheeled after them, his eyes flickered and he grunted as he held his head in his hands! His metal teeth chattered, and his fingers twitched as pained grunts came out at just a loud enough volume to catch Ninjini's ears.</p><p>"Bouncer, is something wrong?" Ninjini asked as she floated up to him and lifted his head.</p><p>Bouncer forced a smile as he lifted up his head. "No, it's nothing," Bouncer sputtered despite the sparks that crackled from his chattering teeth. "Let's just hurry up and scrap this thing."</p><p>Ninjini warily lifted her hands from Bouncer's face, and her lips pursed with a frown. Yet, she didn't press the issue any further as she followed after Crusher. Bouncer winced and wheeled after her. The occasional spark popped from his joints as he held his arms, and his eyes flickered as he wheeled underneath the hangar's door and trailed through its dimly-lit halls.</p><p>"Chop, are you sure you're fine?" Hex's voice echoed from the halls. "You seem strange…"</p><p>"No stranger than your average living skeleton," Chop Chop croaked back.</p><p>"Same thing goes for you, Drill Sergeant," Cali asked. "You've been sputtering and sparking ever since we got in here!"</p><p>"Must just be a minor glitch in the circuits, sir!" Drill Sergeant sputtered. "One of those robots must have hit me pretty hard."</p><p>Bouncer groaned and held his head as he wheeled back in, and all eyes locked on him again.</p><p>"Bouncer too?" Cali asked as she walked up to Bouncer and rubbed a hand against his wheel. "What's going on with you three?" Cali raised a brow. "Wait a second, aren't you three Arkeyans?"</p><p>"Oh, forget about that! We found it!" Clay shouted. "We found the control box!"</p><p>"You did?"</p><p>Everyone else turned away, dashed across the room, but stopped short and ducked as Hot Head flung a massive panel aside and slammed it into the wall! There before them was a giant mechanical box with massive, steam-powered circuity for its inner machinations, all working away with vigor despite the rust that showed its age. Wiring and beeping lights could be faintly spied from within the guts of the machine, and a faint ringing seemed to emit from it.</p><p>"If we trash this thing, then those robots are toast!" Clay proclaimed.</p><p>"What are we waiting for then?" Hot Head asked as embers burst from his hands and vanished. "I've been itching to set something alight!"</p><p>A bright wail burst from ahead, and everyone stopped in their tracks as red light poured down from above.</p><p>"WARNING, UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS OF MAIN SYSTEM! ALL FORCES TO MAIN SYSTEM!"</p><p>"Well you better do it soon then buddy!" Clay cried as they turned to Hot Head. "The alarms are already going off!"</p><p>"Soon's my middle name!" Hot Head cried. "I'll get this thing burned off in an…"</p><p>Sparks and agonized screams shot off from behind, and Hot Head completely froze in his tracks as he craned his head back to the others! Back over there, everyone else jumped out of the way as Bouncer, Chop Chop, and Drill Sergeant screamed so loudly it shattered a few stray glass panels! Everyone else gasped as Bouncer, Drill Sergeant and Chop Chop sputtered out nonsense and fell to their knees. Sparks flew from the trio's mouths as they wailed and battered their own bodies, as if something attacked them from the inside!</p><p>"Chop!" Hex cried as she flew over and brushed his face. "What's wrong?"</p><p>Chop Chop groaned and fell to his knees as his sword and shield clattered before him. His voice warped and crackled like static as he sputtered out nonsense of all sorts! His whole body shuddered, and sparks of undead energy cracked from his bones with every moment he stood further.</p><p>"Something, my mind… Something's digging its claws into my mind!" Chop Chop gasped! His normally strong and wavering voice trilled, and it was barely able to make more than a whisper.</p><p>He groaned, and collapsed back to the floor as his shield rolled out of his hands and spun in a circle. Sparks bounced off of it as Drill Sergeant sparked and popped at every angle! His limbs cracked, bubbled, and shuddered as if they were barely kept together, and all sorts of numbers flashed through his eyes.</p><p>"Error, system protocols malfunctioning!" Drill Sergeant cried as more sparks flew from his grate. "Logic circuits down, reasoning circuits down, memory circuits losing power, all systems shutting dooooooowwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnn…"</p><p>A clunk and a pop of smoke sounded off as the lights in Drill Sergeant's eyes faded out, and his body slunk sideways and clunked over! Behind him, a massive crash so big it kicked up dust everywhere came as Bouncer crashed into the ground!</p><p>"Bouncer!" Hot Head cried. He reached out a hand, and the embers around him faded completely as he rushed for Bouncer—but, the sound of blaring sirens stopped him in his tracks!</p><p>"Hurry up and take care of that box!" Ninjini spat as she and Crusher heaved up Bouncer's unconscious body. "We'll take care of…"</p><p>"YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO DO THIS!" beckoned a trio of robotic, identical voices.</p><p>A bright red flash came from beside Ninjini, and she gasped as she turned back to Bouncer. "Them?"</p><p>Bouncer's eyes turned a bright red, and he merely wheeled out of Ninjini and Crusher's arms. He was alright, it seemed, but he didn't carry the same aura. He seemed much more ominous, malevolent, even as he pushed Hot Head aside and stood in front of the box. Behind him, Drill Sergeant and Chop Chop rose up while their own eyes turned red as well. The two of them said not a word; they just trailed up to Bouncer's sides and turned their weapons on their own allies!</p><p>"YOU SHALL NOT BE PERMITTED TO DESTROY THE MAIN SYSTEM!" they all cried with that same robotic voice!</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Flameslinger, Spyro, Gill Grunt, Stealth Elf, and Trigger Happy all dove behind a wall, yet poked their heads out as the robots they followed trailed towards a distant building surrounded by tons more identical robots. With their red and gold polish and knightly aesthetics, there was no doubt these robots were of Arkeyan craft—but what in Skylands were they doing here on this rig, of all places? Well, there was one very likely answer for that, but it wasn't a particularly relieving one.</p><p>"If Kaos's already gotten some Arkeyans unearthed," Stealth Elf whispered, "that means bad news for us."</p><p>"But are those really things <em>he</em> got?" Gill Grunt asked as he peered down at Stealth Elf.</p><p>Down at the bottom, Spyro frowned and snapped his claws as a pair of magical walkie-talkies manifested in his front paws. He placed one to the ground. It slithered like a snake across the oil-stained metal floors while its sparkles dulled, and sat upright as the Arkeyans stopped before two gremlins wearing… Office clothes? Why would they be wearing something like that in a place like this?</p><p>Whatever the reason, Spyro placed the walkie-talkie still in his paw up to his ear. "We'll find out soon enough," he whispered as he tuned the walkie-talkie and frowned.</p><p>The volume increased as static crackled off of the speakers, but finally, the noise settled as voices crept over their speakers!</p><p>"<em>No intruders to be reported, sirs,"</em> the Arkeyans' robotic voices crackled over the walkie-talkie.</p><p>The sound of smacking lips popped over the speaker, and Spyro winced for a moment as he pushed the walkie-talkie away before he pressed it closer to his ear.</p><p>"<em>No intruders?"</em> repeated one distinctly organic voice over the speakers. <em>"Then what caused two of the generators to go down?"</em></p><p>"<em>Maybe they petered out?" s</em>uggested another, slightly higher voice. <em>"After all, those things did look pretty cheap…"</em></p><p>"<em>Ah, I don't care!" c</em>ried the first being, and the sound of footsteps pattered over the crackle of radio static.<em> "It's the one lunch break Lord Kaos allotted me this week, and I'm going to take advantage of it! That work is for the drones!"</em></p><p>The sound of a door shutting came over the speaker, and Spyro frowned and lifted his head as the gremlins walked inside the gigantic building ahead and slammed the door shut.</p><p>"So this was being run by Kaos after all!" Flameslinger cried before he hummed and rubbed his chin. "But, why didn't it have his emblem and stuff on it? He usually plasters his face everywhere he goes!"</p><p>"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," Stealth Elf added. "Spyro, give me that thing. I'm going in."</p><p>Spyro nodded, and with a single squeeze, the walkie-talkie in his hands transformed into a listening device. He handed it over to Stealth Elf, and she nodded as she took it from his paws and became invisible to the naked eye!</p><p>Stealth Elf leaped out from the barrels, yet one wouldn't have known if not for the faint sounds of rattling metal that gave away her movement. She was so silent as she crept on tip-toes across the metal, and dove behind the collections of barrels and crates scattered about the rig. Stealth Elf took one step forward as she drew closer to the house, but underneath her, a panel creaked and caught the Arkeyan robots' attention! She immediately dove behind a crate, stood still as the Arkeyan robots crept around and peered towards the empty space behind…</p><p>And the Arkeyan robots flew aside with thick slashes covering their chests! They bounced across the rig and fell on its side in moments. Stealth Elf herself dashed up, and planted herself on the side of the building. Her breath bated as she stood silent for a few mere moments, but she skittered aside as the door flung open.</p><p>"Ugh, back to the oil grind," moaned a gremlin in work clothes as they trod out the door.</p><p>Stealth Elf dove in just before the door closed, frowned, and lifted the listening device up as she glazed down the halls. Everything bore a shiny, polished red and gold aesthetic, something completely unlike Kaos's more somber tastes. Portraits and fancy tapestries hung from the walls, jewels lined the floors, and more importantly, gigantic glass windows lined halls of red metal. They all held different sights: workers talking around a cooler of water, Arkeyan robots coming to life through the efforts of scientists in stained robes, other robots getting repaired…</p><p>But which one would give her the information she needed? Stealth Elf slunk down, pressed the listening device to one of the doors, and frowned as she flicked her ears.</p><p>"<em>So then I said, 'Do I love her? I hardly even know her!' But they said…"</em></p><p>Stealth Elf shook her head and pulled away the listening device. "Not this one," she whispered as she crept towards the room with the reanimated Arkeyan robot and pressed the device against it.</p><p>"<em>It's alive! It's alive!"</em> cried the scientist on the other side. <em>"I've revived an actual Arkeyan robot!"</em></p><p>A loud thunk sounded off as the robot punched the scientist into a wall, but the scientist was hardly fussed as they popped out! Though their eyes spun in their head and a few of their teeth fell out, they grinned and gave a thumbs up!</p><p><em>"And it's super strong, too!"</em></p><p>"Not that one, either," Stealth Elf whispered as she passed the door by. Her eyes fell on the room where two scientists repaired busted and dusted Arkeyan robots, and her eyes raised as they fell on two of the sights. She crept up to the door and pressed the device to its side.</p><p>"<em>This thing has all sorts of ancient tech in it! Squeedleblotches and rotary gears, boltentenders and more…"</em></p><p>Stealth Elf sighed, and her ears drooped as she pulled away the listening device. "I didn't understand a word of that."</p><p>Stealth Elf's ears twitched as a faintly familiar voice hit the air. Behind her, two gremlins exited a door at the very end of the hall, but not just any two gremlins were they. No, these were the same gremlins Spyro eavesdropped on earlier! Stealth Elf gasped, pressed herself against the walls, and remained still as she could. Her eyes fixed on the gremlins as they trailed down the halls.</p><p>"Y'know," remarked one to the other, "Lord Kaos has been acting pretty strange lately…"</p><p>"Kaos is already particularly strange, I'd say," Stealth Elf scoffed, but she gasped and shut her mouth as the first gremlin paused!</p><p>"Did you say something?" the first gremlin asked as it twitched its ears. The second gremlin shook its head, and the first gremlin shrugged as it turned back to walking.</p><p>"Ever since that briefing a few days ago, he's been getting dressed up in all those fancy things and talking about kings and demanding all this fancy stuff! If I have to make him another exquisite stuffed turkey with the finest ingredients in all Skylands, I'll just shove it in his face!"</p><p>"Tell me about it," the second gremlin scoffed as they crossed their arms. "Not to mention him ranting all about Arkeyans and unearthing and old ruin sites and stuff! What does he think he's gonna get with all these old robots? Sure they're fancy and all, but I'm pretty sure hiking all across Skylands looking for them in this old junker is wasting our time way more than begging some unlucky saps to join." The gremlin rolled their eyes. "I've even heard he's planning to go to Arkus! Can you believe that?"</p><p>"Arkus?" Stealth Elf barely even whispered. "As in, the capital of the old Arkeyan Empire Arkus?"</p><p>"Going to Arkus, now that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" the first gremlin cried between bursts of laughter. "Even if he has one of those big fancy Arkeyan robots, that whole city's probably sixty feet under! What does he hope to gain from that?"</p><p>"I think that robot went to his head, and now he thinks he's some Arkeyan king or something!"</p><p>The two gremlins laughed it off as they disappeared down the halls, but Stealth Elf didn't find it nearly as funny as they did. Rather, sweat crept down her brow as she scrambled down the halls, and swept out the door.</p><p>"If he's already doing all this, he's way more ahead than we thought!" Stealth Elf whispered.</p><p>She side-stepped the squeaky panel that gave her away before, sprung behind a stack of crates, and flipped out completely visible! The faint sight of Spyro's horns drew her back to her allies' hiding place, and she stopped short as Spyro popped his head out the barrels.</p><p>"Any news, Stealth?" Spyro asked.</p><p>"Yeah, <em>bad </em>news!" Stealth Elf cried. "Not only is Kaos using this thing to unearth Arkeyans, but he's already trying to find a way to Arkus! With the way beings were talking, it seemed like he wasn't all that far off!"</p><p>"All that, already?" Spyro exclaimed. He popped back and away from the barrels, and winced as he clasped his claws. "I forgot how fast that guy works."</p><p>"Well, we're just gonna have to slow him down!" Gill Grunt cried as he hoisted up his water gun.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, Gill's right!" Trigger Happy cried as he bounced from foot to foot. "We'll just blow us this rig! That'll definitely slow him down!"</p><p>Flameslinger smiled, unrolled the map and pulled his blindfold down. "The third generator should be right around here," Flameslinger said as his flaming eyes scanned the map. "Once we take that down, we should be able to take down the whole rig—"</p><p>"HALT, INTRUDERS! IN THE NAME OF THE GREAT LEADER!"</p><p>The map fell from Flameslinger's hands as he hastily fixed his blindfold over his eyes. Everyone else snarled as they turned around, and met with a faceful of sparking electrical swords! Behind them, a quartet of Arkeyan robots glared them down and thrust the swords further.</p><p>"Only four?" Flameslinger asked as he loaded his bow and arrow. "Now I'd hardly call that a challenge!"</p><p>Flameslinger let slip his bowstring, and four flaming arrows shot out from his bow, hitting the robots right in their chests! The robots skidded back, and exploded into flaming pillars as Flameslinger slung his bow over his back.</p><p>"Now, I'd say we get going before we get anymore unwanted attention," Flameslinger said.</p><p>Stealth Elf winced as the flames died. "Actually, I'd say we've already got it!" she cried.</p><p>The employees inside the factory poured out as the flames died, and they all gasped as their eyes fell on Flameslinger, Spyro, Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf!</p><p>"So that's what happened to our generators!" one of the gremlins cried as they pulled a pen from their coat, and morphed it into an electric sword with a click of the tip. "Skylanders happened!"</p><p>"You bet we did!" Spyro shouted as he flew over the barrels, and slammed down in front of the gremlins and ogres that surrounded him. Smoke puffed from his nostrils, and it served as warning enough for them to back away. "And we'll do the same thing to you!" More smoke puffed from Spyro's nostrils, but he grimaced and hung his head. "Okay, that sounded way better in my head, but the point still stands!"</p><p>Purple flames burned at Spyro's lips, and he leaped into the air as he shot a string of purple fireballs down on the ground! The minions below him screamed and backed away as they pointed their weaponry towards the flames. They ran off as suits of armor made of magic leaped from the flames and chased them down. The screaming minions made a beeline back for their building as the suits waved their swords in the air, but Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy slid right in front of them with guns fully charged right as the minions raced for the door! Blasts of water and bursts of golden light shot out from their guns. The minions went flying—all save for one gremlin who slid underneath them and hurried towards the building!</p><p>"That one's getting away!" Gill Grunt cried.</p><p>"But not for long!" Flameslinger cried as he loaded his bow with arrows.</p><p>He arched it high and shot off the arrows, which all rained down in fast pursuit of the gremlin— but the gremlin ran faster! An arrow exploded behind it, tossing it across to the building, yet it frantically opened up a panel and slammed down a bright red button underneath it. Stealth Elf popped up behind it and kicked it away shortly afterwards, but it was of no use.</p><p>Sirens only barely muffled by closed doors sounded off from within the building. the roof of it peeled open and out from it shot legions of Arkeyan robots! The robots all closed in and bolstered the minions' ranks, and Spyro and Flameslinger backed up. Even with Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, and Stealth Elf joining them soon after, they were completely outnumbered.</p><p>"We've had worse," Spyro said as his lips twitched. "This isn't gonna stop us!"</p><p>Right as Spyro said this, the ground quaked below him and shadows rained down from above! Spyro craned his head up, grunted, and slammed into a stack of crates as giant Arkeyan robots crashed down and sent massive winds right into them all. Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, Stealth Elf, and Flameslinger joined him in the pile as they flew down; all five of them winced and pulled themselves up as the minions cackled and climbed atop the large Arkeyans' shoulders.</p><p>"I just had to say it, didn't I?" Spyro grunted.</p><p>Above them, the gremlin grinned and glared them down.</p><p>"What are you gonna do now, Skylanders?"</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Everyone else winced and backed away while Chop Chop, Drill Sergeant, and Bouncer's bright red eyes glared them down. The trio's grip held tight to their weapons, yet they stood still and silent as sparks flew from their joints.</p><p>"Bouncer, Drill Sergeant, Chop Chop! What's happened to you?" Cali cried as she stepped forward. "Why're you acting so weird?"</p><p>The three of them turned their gazes down on Cali, and then, they all screamed and rushed forward.</p><p>"Obliterate the intruders!" they all cried as one!</p><p>Bouncer sped ahead of Chop Chop and Drill Sergeant as everyone else stood and watched; he shot out his hands and flipped down his fingertips! Bursts of orange light shot out and screeched towards everyone down below. Just before they could land a hit, Ninjini teleported in front of everyone else, and blasted the shots away with magic orbs!</p><p>"Bouncer, what's gotten into you?" Ninjini cried. Her mouth twisted into a scowl as she gripped her blades tight, and her scowl only grew as Bouncer glared her down, still and silent as ever. "This isn't the Bouncer I know!"</p><p>"DESTROY ALL INTRUDERS!" Bouncer bellowed as he zoomed after Ninjini.</p><p>Everyone behind her scattered as Ninjini shouldered Bouncer's tackle with magic, pushed him into the wall and floated backwards! Bouncer popped himself off the wall and shot another round of bullets towards Ninjini, but she summoned a group of orbs and shot them right through the bullets. The bullets shattered on impact as the orbs slammed into Bouncer and knocked him into the other wall.</p><p>Ninjini squeezed her wishblades' handles. "You're acting like one of those mindless security drones! What's happened to you?"</p><p>Bouncer grunted as he pulled himself off the wall, and his eyes glowed even brighter as he glared down Ninjini. It was almost as if he prepared to fire down a laser! A gigantic pillar of flames came from the side before he got the chance, and it burned him down. He wailed as the flames seared his metal, but Hot Head hardly cared as he shot off his fires!</p><p>"I'll tell you what's happening!" Hot Head cried as his flames grew even hotter. "I'm gonna flame some sense into him!"</p><p>"STOP, YOU'RE GONNA KILL HIM LIKE THAT!"</p><p>Ninjini slammed into Hot Head and threw him off balance, his flames completely disappearing as Ninjini grabbed him by the shoulders!</p><p>Hot Head snarled as he tried to wriggle his way out of Ninjini's grip. "Lemme go!" Hot Head cried as he squirmed even further, though the lock of Ninjini's magic kept him stuck tight. "I've gotta stop him!"</p><p>"That's not stopping him, that's burning him alive!" Ninjini flung her hands aside, and Hot Head sputtered as she tossed him near the wall. "He may be acting strange, but we can't kill him!"</p><p>Another string of bullets came hurtling for Ninjini, and Hot Head flamed them down with a grunt as he lurched from the wall. He flinched and held his arm as he staggered back up, but the fires in his soul weren't any less bright. "I know what I'm doing!" Hot Head cried. "Now lemme do it!"</p><p>Hot Head screamed at the top of his lungs as he charged for Bouncer, but Crusher placed a hand on Hot Head's chest and stopped him in his tracks!</p><p>"Ninjini's right," Crusher said as he clutched his hammer's handle. "If we wanna get some sense back into him…"</p><p>Crusher gripped his hammer even tighter, screamed and charged forward as he held it over his head!</p><p>"WE'LL JUST HAVE TO HAMMER IT HOME!"</p><p>Crusher screamed once again as he slammed his hammer straight into Bouncer's chest. Bouncer let out an unholy robotic screech as he flew backwards, and slammed into the wall behind him! Sparks flew from Bouncer's chattering teeth as he held his dented chest, his fingers careful to block the thin streams of leaking oil from its open parts. Yet, he jumped back up and zoomed right for Crusher, Hot Head, and Ninjini once more!</p><p>Down below, everyone else had their fair share of issues as well! Chop Chop and Drill Sergeant completely blocked them off from the control panel, and the two of them didn't look particularly happy as they charged forward! Chop Chop leaped forward, and turned his sword down as he hovered inches above Cali—but before he could strike, a glowing skull completely blocked the blow. Behind that skull, Hex strained as she kept it stable and strengthened its glow. Her hands trembled as she glared down Chop Chop, and for a moment, a hint of fear could be seen in her cold, icy white eyes.</p><p>"Chop Chop, get a hold of yourself!" Hex cried as the skull glowed even brighter in tandem with her hands. "This isn't you! You'd never turn on your allies like this!" That hint of fear and desperateness only grew in Hex's eyes as she softened her cold, hard glare. "You, I know you wouldn't betray any of us like this of your own will! Whatever's controlling you, fight it off!"</p><p>"DESTROY ALL INTRUDERS!" Chop Chop cried as he thrust his sword further into the skull!</p><p>The skull shattered completely, and Hex cried out as she fell down and collapsed against the cold, metal floors! Hex pushed herself up and flew out of the way as Chop Chop attempted to slice at her once more. She crafted a glowing cyan orb and sighed as he reeled. Her frown turned more somber as she cast it out, and blasted Chop Chop in the back with it! Chop Chop screamed as the blow sent him rolling and tumbling across the floor. Hex's cold gaze softened as she gazed over his weak, trembling form. He was only able to use his sword as a crutch while he staggered back up, but then, he lifted it up and she gasped.</p><p>"He's preparing to cast his bone brambles!" Hex cried as she levitated everyone else away. "Look out!"</p><p>Chop Chop grunted as he slammed his sword through the metal panels underfoot with such might that it sliced through the floor. The whole panel came next as massive, bony brambles covered in spikes tore up the whole floor! With everyone else evacuated, the only one it hit was Drill Sergeant. Drill Sergeant let out a shrill beep as the brambles knocked him off his wheels, tossed him off the platform, and he grunted as he fell head-first onto the lower platform's floor!</p><p>Everyone else backed away and winced as he laid dormant, but then, he flipped over and revved his engines as he dashed straight for them! Everyone else screamed and split as Drill Sergeant rushed for them—well, save for Muddy, who jumped on his back and held on tight. Drill Sergeant screamed and raced around the floor in circles, all while the other molekin piled on.</p><p>"Molekin, attack!" Clay cried.</p><p>The others all cried in agreement, raised their weapons to the ceiling, and slammed them right onto Drill Sergeant's head! Though their crude weapons did little to damage his hard head, it still bothered Drill Sergeant plenty. His balance threw way off, and his steers became less organized as he flailed his drill hands around. The molekin zoomed right past them, cheering as they waved their weapons in the air, yet Flynn and Cali winced.</p><p>"Hey, knock that off!" Flynn cried as he stepped forward. "Old Drillbot here might be acting a little weird, but he's still our friend!"</p><p>"Yeah! Quit hurting him!" Cali pleaded.</p><p>"Your friend isn't in this hunk of bolts! Not right now, anyways!" Clay protested as he zoomed past Flynn and Cali once more! He snarled and waved his hammer back towards the control panel. "That machine's probably hacked their circuits! As far as they're concerned, they're guard robots right now!"</p><p>Clay cried out as Drill Sergeant spun around in a rapid circle, but soon screamed as Chop Chop jumped back down and pushed Drill Sergeant to run the other way. While everyone else got caught up in a frantic game of chase, Flynn and Cali hummed.</p><p>"If that machine's what's controlling them," Cali whispered, "it looks like we'll have to knock it out to get them back to their senses!"</p><p>"But how are we gonna do that?" Flynn cried. "'Cause right now, our little buddies here aren't exactly keen on letting us pass!"</p><p>Cali frowned, shuffled through her pockets, and pulled out a handful of explosives. "Like it or not, we'll just have to knock them out!" Cali cried as she jerked her head back up to the other levels. "Ninjini, Crusher, Hot Head! See if you can knock Bouncer unconscious for a few seconds! We'll take care of things down here!"</p><p>Back on the first level, Ninjini winced as her eyes fell on Cali. Ninjini jolted back and sliced another wave of bullets from Bouncer in half! As their halved shells clattered onto the torn metal floor, she gulped and grasped her wishblades.</p><p>"I suppose we have no choice, then," Ninjini whispered. She pointed a hand forward as Bouncer came charging for her, and it glowed a bright purple. "Crusher, Hot Head, trio formation!"</p><p>"Right!" Crusher and Hot Head shouted.</p><p>The two of them leaped back and crashed down behind Ninjini. Hot Head thrust out his hands while Crusher crafted a smooth, hard stone with his glowing eyes! Bouncer came speeding in for them by the second, but they stood silent as they raised their weapons. Bouncer screamed as he rushed in, and Ninjini snapped her fingers!</p><p>"NOW!" she cried.</p><p>A burst of magic fled from Ninjini's hand, and bright flames and shattered bursts of crystal quickly joined it! The three attacks slammed into Bouncer one-by-one; he grunted as each one slammed him further and further back, until he finally smashed right through the wall! Bouncer groaned as quicksilver oil dribbled from his gaping mouth. The oil that poured from his chest streamed over it and his eyes flashed in and out.</p><p>"All, systems… Shutting down…" Bouncer groaned as he lunged his head backwards and fell unconscious.</p><p>Ninjini winced as she ran a hand over Bouncer's oily chest and healed away his wounds, but bursts of fire came from down below and caught her attention! She flew over to the balcony and peered down to the floor below. There, the singed remains of glowing skulls scattered around the floor as a charred Chop Chop and Drill Sergeant flew backwards and slammed into the walls. Ninjini grimaced as she squeezed the railing, yet the pound of footsteps turned her aside.</p><p>"We've got them down!" Cali cried. "Now let's hurry up and finish this thing!"</p><p>Ninjini frowned, nodded and flew over to the control panel. She summoned her wishblades as she inched closer and closer to the machine, raised her blades and prepared to strike. Right as she did, the sirens wailed even louder and the ceiling swished open! Ninjini craned her head up, and gasped as legions of robots dropped down and bore their weapons! They all ranged in size and armory, yet they all shared the trademark Arkeyan colors and that red-eyed glare.</p><p>"INTRUDERS WILL BE DESTROYED!" they all bellowed as one.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 9: Glacier Gully Part 2 (Part 2)<p>Noodles snarled as he raised the machine's fist and prepared to strike, but right before he did, the ice below him began to rumble! Noodles drew his fist up and backed away as pebbles of ice bounced against its surface. Below him, everyone else did the same. Cracks formed in the center of their icy battleground, and everyone dashed off as the cracks grew larger! The rumbling grew even more intense while the cracks grew their largest, and everyone curled up and took cover.</p><p>"Look out!" Tree Rex cried over the intense rumble. "It's gonna blow!"</p><p><em>CRACK!</em></p><p>The ice completely shattered! It erupted in a rain of ice shards so sharp that everyone ducked and ran off as they clanged against what remained of the battlegrounds. Even Noodles in his robot suit stumbled back; he nearly lost his balance as the ice got a little too close for comfort, but quickly regained it as the storm settled. He lifted his head towards the top of the geyser, the eye of the storm, and gasped!</p><p>There, Chihiro, Eruptor, Terrafin, Cynder, and Whirlwind all hovered in mid-air, but they weren't the only ones! Beside them were five human ghosts dressed in clothes that looked like they came out of a history book. Surrounding the ghosts were colorful glows only accentuated by the bright shine of the crystal, wheel-shaped pendants they wore!</p><p>"Hey everyone!" Chihiro cried as she waved down below. "Sorry for the wait!"</p><p>The ten of them hit what remained of the icy floors, while a person who donned a blue wheel pendant snapped their fingers and sealed the ice back up in an instant.</p><p>"We just had to pick up some old friends of yours!"</p><p>Tree Rex's eyes fluttered open and shut. His jaw fell ajar just slightly as he crept up to Chihiro's group. He reached out a large, wooden hand for moments, but drew it back as Sihiri peered up and drew back herself.</p><p>"Is, is that really you, Sihiri?" Tree Rex asked.</p><p>Sihiri chuckled, floated up and grinned as she met Tree Rex at eye level.</p><p>"In the magic and soul," Sihiri replied.</p><p>Trree Rex said no words, yet a hint of wonder crossed his face as he extended his palm and let Sihiri rest inside. He was completely frozen in time, only able to stare while Sihiri did the same with a kind of quiet curiosity, but he shuddered as Inochi rammed right into his leg.</p><p>"Tree Rex!" Inochi called as she hugged him the best she could with their comparative sizes. "Thank goodness you're alright!"</p><p>Tree Rex gasped, smiled and gently wrapped his hand around Inochi. "I'm glad to see you too!"</p><p>"Hey, Swarm, old buddy old pal!" Luz cried as he floated up and flitted up around Swarm's head. "Guess who's back and better than ever?"</p><p>"I don't know if I'd call being a ghost back and better than ever," Swarm remarked with a wink. "More like back and deader than ever?"</p><p>Luz just groaned. "I can't believe I didn't think of that!"</p><p>Thumpback and Eye-Brawl both laughed as they lifted up Vatra and Dej for a chat, and for a moment, all seemed kind of well! The cold air turned warm with the feelings of reunion and camaraderie, and everything around seemed to melt away. Tree Rex, Swarm, Thumpback, and Eye-Brawl seemed just so happy to be reunited with their portal masters; their smiles were wide, their gazes were warm and sweet like honey, and their portal masters were equally as pleased.</p><p>A single cough came from behind, and immediately alerted them to the fact that Noodles was still present. His arms crossed as he drummed his fingers against his forearm.</p><p>"Hello, aren't you forgetting someone?" Noodles asked as his eyes flashed red. "The Great Evil Ice Lord is still mad about losing that fishing competition! Nobody beats the Great Evil Ice Lord and gets away with it!" Noodles stomped his foot, and his lips trembled as they snarled. "And you're DEFINITELY NOT TAKING AWAY MY ROBOT!"</p><p>Noodles dashed across the side of the island and waved his hands.</p><p>"Minions, you keep those guys busy for the Great Evil Ice Lord! The Great Evil Ice Lord will take care of the rest!"</p><p>The minions nodded as Noodles flew off, but Sihiri just scowled as her eyes fell on Noodles' robot.</p><p>"He's getting away!" the ghost cried as he swung around Tree Rex's shoulder.</p><p>"But not for long!" Sihiri cried as her hands glowed purple.</p><p>With a snap of her fingers, a purple glow enveloped everyone around, lifted them off the ground, and zipped off! They all dashed in pursuit of Noodles, their magic vessels a warm and toasty shield from the oncoming chills of the winter breeze. The shouts of Noodles' ice ogre soldiers were faint as the soldiers fell into the distance, barely able to keep pace as the orbs tailed Noodles over to a massive, icy platform near snowy cliffs.</p><p>Noodles panted and leaned against the cliffs, and the light in his robot's eyes dimmed some as his breath grew lighter. "Great Evil Ice Lord… The Great Evil Ice Lord thinks they're gone," Noodles panted as he lifted himself up and cracked his knuckles. "Now, the Great Evil Ice Lord will think of the ultimate plan to crush those guys! Yeah, yeah, the Great Evil Ice Lord will crush them like ice bugs!"</p><p>"THINK AGAIN, NOODLES!" Chihiro shouted with a voice so loud it rattled the snow piled on the cliffs.</p><p>Noodles gasped, and jolted his head around as the light in his eyes grew once more. "WHAT, WHO SAID THAT?"</p><p>"We did!" Sihiri boomed.</p><p>Noodles gasped as the purple magic spheres dropped onto the ice below and unveiled themselves one by one! Everyone stood tall, their eyes set on Noodles. Despite the diminutive size they held compared to Noodles, he screamed and backed away.</p><p>"The Skylanders? The Portal Master? Some weird beings the Great Evil Ice Lord doesn't know?" Noodles cried before his eyes skimmed over to where Tree Rex, Swarm, Thumpback and Eye-Brawl had landed. "And those guys from the fishing contest too? You found the Great Evil Ice Lord already?"</p><p>"You bet!" Chihiro cried as she pointed towards Noodles. "Didn't you learn your lesson when we kicked your butt back at Vindlevale?"</p><p>"Guess he's a bit forgetful," Vatra smirked as flames danced across his fingers. "Luckily for him, though, I'd say I'm a pretty good teacher!"</p><p>Noodles winced as he stumbled backwards, but screamed as he tipped over and nearly fell down below! His arms windmilled as he teetered back and forth across the ice, but he stomped his foot and regained control. Snow and ice collapsed in avalanches that fed into the skies below like waterfalls from the force of his stomp, and his further coughs as he cleared his throat shot even more down.</p><p>"MINIONS!" Noodles bellowed. "THE GREAT EVIL ICE LORD REQUESTS YOUR ASSISTANCE!"</p><p>Down on the ice, everyone winced and pressed together. Their weapons drew as they scanned the battlefield for the oncoming onslaught of ice ogres, but they blinked and released themselves when nothing came! No, nobody but them stayed on the ice, nor did anyone join Noodles in front of them!</p><p>Noodles noticed as well, for his eyes flashed red as he cleared his throat. "MINIONS, THE GREAT EVIL ICE LORD SAYS HE REQUIRES YOUR ASSISTANCE!"</p><p>The cliffs rumbled, and chunks of solid snow and ice cracked as they crashed off the side of the cliffs from the sheer volume of Noodles' shouts! Down below, everyone shouted as they fell flat on their faces from the way the ground shook, yet Noodles didn't care a bit for the destruction he wrought! He just pounded his fists and screamed, shaking the whole world around.</p><p>"WHERE ARE THE GREAT EVIL ICE LORD'S STUPID MINIONS?"</p><p>The screams continued from down below as Noodles stomped his robotic feet, and thin cracks even started to form in the ice! While everyone else slid left and right from Noodles' constant stomps, purple and blue light slipped across the battlefield and orbs of similar color burst across the battlefield!</p><p>The light shimmered and twinkled for a little bit as it shaped itself into the form of bodies. Finally, the light vanished as an entire platoon of ice ogres dropped onto the ice! The ones from Thumpback's fishing contest made their return, and they brought reinforcements in addition! Tall ice ogres wielding axes, smaller ones with staffs, even a few oddly-shaped ones wielding backpacks full of weapons stood among their ranks.</p><p>"Sorry for the wait, commander!" one ice ogre cried as it turned around and waved to Noodles. "We just had to pick up a few reinforcements!"</p><p>"Noodles told you to call Noodles the Great Evil Ice Lord when Noodles is in Noodles' robot!" Noodles spat as he crossed his arms and huffed. "Whatever, just take care of the Skylanders!"</p><p>"Got it, comman—" The ice ogre frantically shook their head. "I mean, Great Evil Ice Lord!"</p><p>"What, you think a couple of ice ogres are gonna stop us?" Cynder asked as she flapped her wings. "We've dealt with worse!"</p><p>"Yeah!" Chihiro cried as she cracked her knuckles and sprung forward. "I'll finish these guys in a snap!" Chihiro smirked as she snapped her fingers. "As a matter of fact!"</p><p>Chihiro thrust her hands forward, and a massive beam of cyan light burst forward with sights set on the ice ogres. As she did, the robot latched onto the side of the island and shook it like it was little more than a toy! Chihiro's light beam veered off to the side and slammed into a cliff, forming a hole in the cliff's side. Chihiro screamed and slid backwards, and the others quickly followed! The ice ogres cackled in their faces, their own places held with magic, but Chihiro didn't even shoot them a glare or a smart remark. The sound of screaming pierced her ears, and she grounded herself with magic.</p><p>She turned around as the others tumbled down. Dej quickly forged a platform out of ice, catching the other portal masters and the ghost. The Skylanders and Elder Elementals rolled down and tumbled off the side of the island, down into the depths of the cliffs below!</p><p>Chihiro gasped, leaped up, and summon a sparkling star platform with a leap and a clap of her feet. The star platform fell underfoot just as she landed, and she leaned down on it like a surfboard as she dashed over and caught Eruptor. The star platform expanded as Eruptor groaned and laid down. Chihiro dashed further, snatched Terrafin next, and then Cynder and Whirlwind before her eyes fell down to where Thumpback and Tree Rex began falling!</p><p>"Crap, I don't think my star's big enough for them!" Chihiro cried.</p><p>"Then leave this to me!" Sihiri shouted as she snapped her fingers.</p><p>A purple glow surrounded Tree Rex and Thumpback as they sank into the depths, and it completely enveloped them as they teleported away and landed back on solid ice! Eye-Brawl and Swarm appeared beside them in another flash of light. All five of them grinned as their gazes drifted down to where Sihiri hovered before them!</p><p>"That was a close one!" Chihiro remarked as she flew in. The star platform vanished below her, and she fell onto the ice as the others dropped beside her. "I almost thought we were gonna be the first to discover Skylands' bottom!"</p><p>Bellowing, mechanical laughter rumbled as the island went back to a neutral position, and the robot's eyes flashed as its hands laid on its hips.</p><p>"You Skylanders think you're so smart, don't you?" Noodles gloated as he leaned down over them and pointed a gigantic finger in their faces. "Well, the Great Evil Ice Lord's smarter now! And the Great Evil Ice Lord won't be beaten!"</p><p>Noodles laughed even harder, the laughter of his ice ogres joining in tandem, and everyone winced as they drew together.</p><p>"Alright, just throwing ourselves at this guy isn't gonna do us any good," Terrafin said as he lifted his heads towards the others. "We're gonna need a plan!"</p><p>The others shuffled closer towards Terrafin and nodded, but Eruptor just gasped and pointed away.</p><p>"DUCK!" Eruptor cried as he hit the ice.</p><p>Everyone behind him turned around, gasped, and followed his lead as a massive blasts of magic and a swarm of axes flew right for them! The attack flew into the distance, but as the group got up, the ice ogres that raced in front of them grinned and drew out more weapons.</p><p>"You're kidding yourselves if you think we'd let you anywhere near the Great Evil Ice Lord!" the ax-wielding ogre heading the charge cried. "Ogres, charge!"</p><p>The ice ogres rushed forward as the group split. As the ice ogres stopped and turned around, Terrafin skated forward and clocked one right in the face! The ice ogre grunted as the punch tossed it right into its buddy behind it, but a lava blob slammed them both in the side and knocked them on the ice.</p><p>A group of mages skated in and shot blasts towards them with magic staffs. Before they could strike Eruptor and Terrafin, a combined blast of lightning and rainbows blew the mages' attacks away, then the mages themselves as it crashed into them! Cynder and Whirlwind swept down and grinned as the mages collapsed on the ground. Free of distraction once more, Cynder parted away while Tree Rex rushed towards Noodles and leaped up, followed by Thumpback, Eye-Brawl and Swarm.</p><p>Cynder and Whirlwind zipped towards Noodles as well, but as they flew, Noodles slammed the robot's hand into the ground. His hand sent a shockwave that cracked the ice and blew them back! Noodles cackled as they all collapsed onto the ground and groaned, but another burst of shockwaves pinned them back down before they could get back up!</p><p>While they reeled, the ice ogres leaped to their feet and dashed off for them! A few ice ogres cackled and raised their weapons, but a pair of swords knocked them back before they could strike! The remaining ogres skidded to a stop as a bright flash of cyan light signaled Chihiro's entrance. She panted as she summoned more swords and rushed right for them. Sweat poured down her back despite the cold as she jumped for an ice ogre and slashed, but it slashed back with its ax.</p><p>In the moment of distraction, Tree Rex, Thumpback, Eye-Brawl, and Swarm leaped from the ground and split! Tree Rex led Thumpback, Eye-Brawl and Swarm down to where the portal masters flung their own attacks at Noodles' robot with little luck. Behind them, Cynder and Whirlwind grunted and shuddered on the floor.</p><p>In the back of it all, hidden away behind an icy rock, the ghost trembled as he examined the battle. Whether it was from the cold of the ice or the tension of the uneven fight, it wasn't certain, but nonetheless he quivered. He flickered in and out of existence as his eyes fell first on the ice ogres fighting with Chihiro fighting, next the Skylanders on the ground, and then to Noodles as he swatted away the Elder Elementals and the ancient portal masters' attempts at damaging him!</p><p>But then, his milky white eyes narrowed as they fell on the robot's arms. Though the chills from the ice left frost on his body and turned his mist thicker and cooler, he didn't move from his spot. He zeroed in on the robot, finally forced himself up and floated over to Tree Rex!</p><p>"Mister tree, mister tree!" the ghost cried as he nudged Tree Rex's shoulder.</p><p>Tree Rex grunted as his latest solar blast bounced off of the robot's chest, turned his head towards the ghost and tilted it. "Yes?"</p><p>The ghost leaned closer, until his face was just a hair's width away from Tree Rex's ear holes. He pointed up to the robot's arms, which were dented and twisted in parts and rusted in others.</p><p>"Those arms, they're much more worn compared to the rest of the robot," the ghost whispered. "Perhaps if you target those, you'll be able to stop him!"</p><p>Tree Rex grinned as the ghost flew away. "Good idea!" Tree Rex nodded, but another pound of the ice knocked him down with a grunt! Tree Rex pushed himself off the ground, and winced as his gaze turned to where Noodles pounded away still. "But first, we'll need to find a way to distract him!"</p><p>Tree Rex grunted as he crawled across to where Thumpback, Eye-Brawl, Swarm, and Dej collapsed on the cracked, shattering ice.</p><p>"Everyone, listen!" Tree Rex cried, his voice as high as it could be without being heard—which, given the massive volume of Noodles' pounds and shouts, was quite a lot. "The robot's arms are a lot weaker than the rest of the robot! If we can destroy them, we could probably put that robot out of commission!"</p><p>Another crash sounded, and Swarm winced as he crawled closer to Tree Rex. "But how, boss?" Swarm asked with his gaze turned to the robot. "That thing's as stubborn as the guy piloting it!"</p><p>Dej perked his head up, and grinned as he pushed himself off of the ice. "I take it a distraction's needed?" Dej asked as he skated towards Tree Rex and Swarm. Dej winked, leaped off on a spiral of steaming water and shot towards Noodles before either could reply. "You just get your plan together! We'll take care of this!"</p><p>The cold breeze ruffled Dej's hair as he flew up past the robot's gaze. He held out hands dusted with the blue glow of ice, and shot a freezing beam right into the ground below! The cracks and fragments in the ice sealed themselves and stuck together as the beam carved into it.</p><p>Noodles screamed as he lifted his arms, and his eyes' glow lowered as he tilted his head down. "Was the Great Evil Ice Lord's reflection always that nice?" Noodles asked as he scratched his head.</p><p>A flash of blue light emerged from the clouds, and Sihiri, Vatra, Luz. and Inochi all lifted their heads just as it faded! With a grin, they all floated off the ground and spun around Noodles' head as he admired his reflection.</p><p>"Hey, tin can!" Luz cried as he whipped out his shield and spun it around. "Lemme shed some light on something!" The shield's surface grew brighter and brighter as Luz spun it faster and faster, and he held it up as its light reached its brightest. "Never look away in the middle of a battle!"</p><p>Noodles turned around, and screamed as a massive beam of light shot right through the robot's eyes, completely shattering their glass! The surprise blow sent him stumbling back, yet he growled and stormed right for Luz.</p><p>"How dare you attack the Great Evil Ice Lord?" Noodles cried as he jumped up towards Luz, arms stretched out in preparation to swat him away. "You'll pay for that!"</p><p>Just before Noodles could reach Luz, vines leaped out and completely tied his hands together! Luz teleported beside Inochi in a flash of light as Noodles fell down to the ground with a thud. Inochi released a sigh as she unwrapped the vines from Noodles' arms, but she and Luz both squeaked and flew off as Noodles tried to swat them!</p><p>"Come back! The Great Evil Ice Lord isn't as fast as you are!" Noodles cried as he fruitlessly flailed and swatted at the air. A blast of fire and magic hit the side of Noodles' head, and he scowled as he turned around. "Hey, who hit the Great Evil Ice Lord?"</p><p>"We did!" Vatra cried as he and Sihiri flew up and crossed their arms. Vatra scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Frankly, your icy lordship, you could stand to be a little less sloppy in form!"</p><p>"NOBODY CALLS THE GREAT EVIL ICE LORD SLOPPY!"</p><p>Vatra and Sihiri split off as Noodles swatted for him, but Luz and Inochi laughed in Noodles' face as they zipped past him! Noodles screamed as he swatted towards them, but they just flew right and laughed even harder. With a growl, Noodles flailed his arms around in some attempt at swatting them away, yet they dodged his every move. They buzzed around his head like flies while he shouted and cursed!</p><p>While Noodles was busy swatting them away, Swarm, Tree Rex, Thumpback and Eye-Brawl all lined up in front of him and grinned as Swarm raised his arms!</p><p>Noodles grunted as yet another attempt to swat away Sihiri, Vatra, Luz, and Inochi failed. He grunted as a pair of stingers shot right through the robot's broken glass eyes and stabbed the back of its head's inside! Noodles snarled as he turned down to where Swarm, Tree Rex, Thumpback, and Eye-Brawl stood, shouted out and pounded his fists into the ice. The icy floor below cracked and cratered underneath the weight of his blows, but the five of them skidded off!</p><p>Noodles snarled as he pulled his arms from the ground and prepared to strike—but as he did, vines and whips made of light lashed around his left arm. Raw magic froze his second arm into place as ropes of fire wrapped around it! Noodles grunted as he turned around to find Luz, Inochi, Vatra, and Sihiri straining with all their might as they kept their spells in place. He tried to pull his arms off, but the familiar sound of freezing ice and a flash of blue loosened his focus. He turned back down, and Dej winked down at Thumpback while he hovered beside Noodles' now frozen fists!</p><p>"Talk about an easy catch!" Thumpback smirked as he brandished his anchor, smirked and turned to Dej. "He fell right into our trap, didn't he, Dej?"</p><p>Dej clicked his tongue and smirked. "Fell for it hook, line and sinker!" Dej remarked.</p><p>"NOW!" Tree Rex cried with a smile.</p><p>Swarm jumped off the ground and flew off as Eye popped off of Brawl's head. The two of them flew off and shot right into the robot's shoulders! Their attacks tore through the shoulders' metal and left smoking gaps and dents.</p><p>Noodles cried out as sirens and red lights blared from the robot's head. "Hey, what're you doing to the Great Evil Ice Lord's robot?" Noodles cried as he swung the robot back and forth, wriggling and thrusting in some futile attempt to free the robot of its bindings. "Knock it off!"</p><p>Swarm and Eye just continued firing! Swarm's barbs slashed and tore through the metal while Eye's lasers rotted and melted it away! As they worked, Tree Rex, Thumpback and Brawl readied their weapons down below and fixed their aim on the lower half of the robot's arms. Tree Rex shot out lasers that burned and tore through the metal, Thumpback widened the gaps with slashes from his anchor, and Brawl leaped up and pounded on the metal, denting it and sending bones sprouting through its arms! Sparks and flames flew from the wounds in the robot's arms as the three of them jumped back, and the smoke turned more intense and to a thick, grayish color as it flew out in droves! The robot rattled as the sparks flew further, and Noodles gulped.</p><p>"That can't be good," Noodles gulped, his voice filter now warped and distorted.</p><p>With a pair of loud pops, the robot's arms popped right out of their sockets! Their rusted, charred, and strained wiring stretched as far as it could as the arms hit the floor.</p><p>"Alright!" Luz said as he released his whips and flew down with Vatra, Inochi and Sihiri behind him. "That oughta take him down a peg!"</p><p>"Not just a peg, either!" Swarm said as he and Eye flew down. "I'd say the whole board!"</p><p>"And we've got those ice ogres all wrapped up too!" Chihiro cried as she skated up with Terrafin, Eruptor, Cynder, and Whirlwind close behind. Chihiro chuckled as she turned her head to where to ice ogres she faced sat struggling and wrapped up with magic ropes, turned back to the robot and summoned a sword. "Now let's finish this!"</p><p>"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Noodles cried as those red lights and sirens blared further. "You may have broken the Great Evil Ice Lord's arms, but the Great Evil Ice Lord has plenty of other weapons too!"</p><p>Another loud blare sounded from the robot as its chest unfolded. Out from it came a gigantic board that shot out an entire fleet of burning rockets! Noodles cackled as the rockets charged right towards the floor, but everyone gasped and drew back!</p><p>"Everyone, get behind us!" Sihiri cried as she and Chihiro raised their hands. "We'll handle this!"</p><p>Everyone else skated over and ducked behind Sihiri and Chihiro the best they could. The two of them nodded as their hands glowed; the cyan light of Chihiro's magic intermingled with the purple light of Sihiri's as it swirled away from their palms. The lights fused together, crafting a gigantic shield that shouldered the brunt of Noodles' rocket assault! The rockets exploded and took the shield with it, but another round of rockets came in still with fires blazing and smoke clouding the air!</p><p>"I'll take care of these!" Chihiro cried as she clapped her hands. A cyan glow surrounded them, and she thrust them out as their glow brightened, its light scattered across the icy floors. "Rockets, return to sender!"</p><p>Chihiro snapped her fingers, and the cyan glow leaped from her palms. It infected the rockets as they stopped in mid-air! That cyan glow grew more brilliant, a striking sight against the already-blue sights, turned tail and hurtled right for Noodles!</p><p>The lights in the robot's eyes flickered, and Noodles screamed as he turned the robot around. "Noodles needs to get going!" Noodles cried as he jumped off.</p><p>He prepared to fly right as the rockets crashed into the robot's chest and exploded! When the smoke and fire cleared, the chest itself was left smoldering, blackened and burnt. One single compartment opened up in the chest and shot Noodles right onto the ice! Noodles screamed as he flew off and crashed into the ice, but as he spun belly-first across the ice, he only groaned and lolled out his tongue.</p><p>"Alright, looks like he's almost out!" Chihiro cried as Terrafin, Eruptor, Cynder, and Whirlwind flew up beside her. "We'll take care of this guy!"</p><p>"Commander Noodles!" the ice ogres cried.</p><p>They all skated over, lifted Noodles so that he could at least sit up, and one ice ogre even made a chair out of ice for him to rest in. Noodles shook his head as the cold ice seeped into his skin, and he grinned and sighed in relief as he slunk down in his icy throne. The ice ogres all breathed sighs of their own, but their relieved looks turned to scowls and cross brows as they turned their weapons on Chihiro.</p><p>"You're not getting anywhere near the commander!" an ice ogre wielding a staff cried.</p><p>"That a statement or a fact?" Chihiro cried as she cracked her knuckles while a subtle blue glow burst from her hands.</p><p>The ice ogre blinked, lowered their ax and scratched their face. "I mean, I said it and all, but—"</p><p>A flash of sparkles and cyan light burst from Chihiro's place as she vanished, and a scream hit the air as Noodles' throne exploded into icy chunks! The ice ogres all turned around right in time to catch Chihiro raising a sword as she chased Noodles across the icy floor. They gasped and sped after her, but skittered back as Terrafin, Eruptor, Cynder, and Whirlwind flew in front of them!</p><p>"Sorry, buddies, but we can't let'cha pass!" Terrafin shouted. "Our kid's a little busy right now!"</p><p>Terrafin cracked his knuckles as his eyes fell on the ice ogre wielding the ax, rushed forward and prepared to swing—but with a swing of its ax, the ice ogre disappeared and popped up right behind him! Terrafin gasped and swept aside before the ax could slice him up. Its blade only grazed and scratched the barnacles in his back as he skated back. The ice ogre's mouth twitched as it squeezed its ax tighter, but it swung around and teleported again. Terrafin raised his brow as a faint twinkling sound came from behind, and ducked as the ice ogre appeared once more and swung for him!</p><p>The ice ogre gasped as its swing hit nothing but thin air, and Terrafin jumped up as he punched it right in the face! The ice ogre screamed and held its face as its ax fell and dug into the ice. Terrafin grinned as he skated forward and body-slammed right into it! The ice ogre crashed into the ice and cried out, but Terrafin grinned and wiped his hands. A chill that ran down his spine forced him to swing away! Another ice ogre popped up behind him with an ax held tight in its grip.</p><p>"What the?" Terrafin sputtered as he jerked his head to where the reeling ice ogre was1right as it burst in a colorful array of sparkles!</p><p>Terrafin clenched his fangs, and leaped up as the real ice ogre swung for him once again! His feet landed on the flat side of the ax's blade as the ice ogre drew to a stop; he back flipped and body-slammed right into the ice. The ice around fragmented, cracked into a massive wave of spiky ice that crashed right into the ice ogre, and knocked it across the ice! The ice ogre grunted as it flew backwards and right into a gigantic flower's mouth, screamed and flailed around as it got stuck within the flower's mouth!</p><p>Terrafin chuckled and gave a thumbs up to Inochi as she walked up and patted the flower, but turned around and jumped away as a bomb crashed on the ice and exploded into a plume of flames! The flames melted a hole in the ice and unveiled cold, rocky ground underneath. Terrafin winced and turned his gaze up as another string of explosions sounded off in the distance.</p><p>Across the fields, Eruptor grunted as he flung blobs of magma towards a round ice ogre dressed in leather gloves and boots. The ice ogre dug into the leather backpack on its back, and shot bombs right back at him! Eruptor screamed and skidded away as the bombs bounced off the ice, but that wasn't the end of it. While he lingered around, the ice ogre just shot another round of bombs right for him!</p><p>Eruptor's lip twitched, and he snarled as he clapped his hands together. "All this running is making me hot under the collar!" Eruptor cried as he shot out his hands. "How about I give you a taste?"</p><p>Eruptor's hands bubbled, and out from them burst an entire stream of lava! The lava melted the ice around and turned it to warm, hard rock. More than that, the moment the lava hit the bombs, the bombs burst into pillars of fire and lava!</p><p>The ice ogre screamed and turned tail as the lava and explosions came closer. Before it could run, a bomb fell from its backpack right as the lava crept in! The bomb exploded in a fiery pillar of lava and heat, and the ice ogre went flying!</p><p>Eruptor chuckled and raised a hand over his eyes as he lifted his head. His gaze set on the ice ogre as it went blasting across the skies, but a stray rainbow slammed into its side and tossed it across the floor!</p><p>A couple flashes of light shone from the side as Whirlwind and Cynder backed into each other. Around them, ice ogres wielding staffs and axes had them surrounded. The two of them leaped in the air as one ice ogre slashed for them with its ax, and slipped away as a string of magic blasts hit the skies.</p><p>"Looks like we'll need some cover," Whirlwind cried as she flapped her wings, "and I've got just the thing!"</p><p>A large gust cast over the arena as Whirlwind flapped her wings, and the ice ogres planted their feet in the ice before they could get blown away! They shook their heads and opened their eyes, but they found neither Whirlwind or Cynder—just a massive, misty fog that coated the entire area around them! The ice ogres backed away as cackles and squeals came from within the fog. They gulped as flashes of purple smog came from within the clouds, gasped. and screamed as a bunch of ghosts flew out and snagged their weapons from them!</p><p>The ice ogres shouted and turned tail as they bolted after the ghosts. The moment their backs turned, bursts of lightning jumped from the fog and zapped them in the back! They all screamed as the lightning hit their backs and knocked them on the ice.</p><p>Behind them, the mist cleared as Whirlwind and Cynder flew off, and Whirlwind smiled and lowered her horn. With a few zaps and flaps of her wings, a tornado bursts from the winds she created, and a zap from Cynder sent it flying! The tornado swept the ice ogres off the ground and tossed them all across the arena. They flew into the floors, to the cliffs, and banks of snow. Whirlwind and Cynder just flew off before they could get hit.</p><p>In the midst of it all, Noodles panted as he skittered across the ice. His feet slipped underneath him as he slid from place to place while he zipped away from Chihiro—but everywhere he ran, Chihiro teleported in front of him and sent him running again! He dashed towards a wall and she immediately popped right up with a sword to his neck, so he slipped towards the other side and dashed off. As he skated across the ice, a flash of cyan shone and Chihiro popped up beside him, sword still in hand!</p><p>"You can't run forever, Noodles!" Chihiro cried as she floated in front of him.</p><p>"Yes Noodles can!" Noodles cried.</p><p>He leaned forward and headbutted Chihiro right in the gut. In the moment she screamed and released her sword, he slapped her aside! Chihiro grunted as she tumbled across the ice, but Noodles grinned. His eyes turned to where the others stood budy fighting off his minions, and then to where his robot laid inactive!</p><p>"Time for Noodles to finish this!" Noodles cried as he skated over to where the robot laid. He grinned as his eyes fell on the robot, and his speed increased as it came closer in his grasp!</p><p>With a pirouette, Noodles leaped in the air and reached out to the robot's open chest…</p><p>But right before he could, a blue flash burst past him and zipped right inside the robot! Noodles grunted as the blue flash lingered and pulsed within the robot for moments. The robot itself lurched up and sealed the entrance in its chest!</p><p>"What? What happened to Noodles' robot?" Noodles demanded.</p><p>"This isn't your robot—this is my home!" the ghost cried from within the robot's depths, its voice louder and bellowing thanks the robot's systems. "And you're being evicted!"</p><p>The ghost raised the robot's broken hand with what little power the nearly-severed arm still held. It slapped Noodles down in the ice in one motion swift, yet one so powerful that the ice dented and cracked into large, pointed shards.</p><p>Noodles groaned as he stumbled up from the dent, and the first thing to greet him was a sword in the face! Noodles gulped as Chihiro smirked and pressed her sword a bit closer to Noodles' face. He screamed, stumbling back and nearly falling back into the crater. He whipped out a cannon and hoisted it over his shoulder! With a single slap, a trio of snowballs shot right for Chihiro, but she flipped backwards as they hit the snow below and burst.</p><p>"You want a snowball fight, huh?" Chihiro asked as she released her swords. "Alright, you're gonna get one!"</p><p>Chihiro's swords burst into light and sparkles, but instead of disappearing, they floated up and swirled around her hands! It seated itself in her hands as a dense, magical snowball about as big as Chihiro herself, yet light enough that she flung it right towards Noodles with a single swing! Noodles screamed as the snowball slammed right into him and rolled back down into the ice crater.</p><p>As it drew to a stop, he popped his head out and groaned. "Pretty birdies…" Noodles moaned before his face collapsed into the snow.</p><p>The ice ogres all gasped as they peered over the crater, the sheer shock of the unconscious Noodles enough to drain their faces of color. They all dropped their weapons and scrambled! They haphazardly slid across the icy floor, feet twisted and heads in a panic as they rumbled over the horizons.</p><p>"The Great Evil Ice Lord has been defeated!" the ice ogres wailed. "Flee!"</p><p>While the ice ogres stampeded away en masse, everyone else turned to each other with a few chuckles and a few rolls of the eyes. Their eyes turned up to the machine.</p><p>It still stood with lights bright as ever, but admittedly, it wasn't exactly in the best shape. The dents in the arms caved and formed slits where white smoke flew out, sparks bounced from every gap in the robot's body, and a few patches of metal even peeled down or fell into the depths below! The small of charred metal flew off from it, a disgusting scent that sickened everyone just from its presence.</p><p>"Thank goodness, it feels good to be home!" the ghost remarked. The lights flashed for a moment, but they quickly dimmed as he examined the broken, battered state of the robot. "I… Do wish it ended up in better condition, though."</p><p>A couple of winces and uneasy glances fell upon the damaged robot, but Chihiro rubbed her chin and shrugged.</p><p>"Eh, I'm sure the wilikin could fix it up!" Chihiro remarked. "They might be a little strange, but they know their way around technology!"</p><p>"Hello, friends!" cried a voice from above as a ship-shaped shadow cast over the ice.</p><p>Chihiro chuckled and held her hands over her eyes. "And speak of the devil, looks like they're here!"</p><p>A wooden ship parked beside the ice, and out from the ship came the wilikin and Ermit too! They all shouted and giggled as they skated over the ice—well, the wilikin did. Ermit just scoffed as he fell on his rump and spun across the ice. He muttered something underneath his breath as he got up and brushed snow crystals off of his clothes, lifted his head and scoffed.</p><p>"Couldn't you have gotten this thing back in a better shape?" Ermit asked with a scoff.</p><p>The machine's lights flashed as the ghost peered down, and a purplish tone came to them as the ghost scoffed and crossed its damaged arms.</p><p>"Oh, look who came back!" the ghost remarked, and a sardonic tone crossed its otherwise whisperlike and soft voice. With a faint blue glow, he popped out of the robot and floated down to Ermit. "You didn't seem awfully fussed about the machine's condition when you left it here to freeze!"</p><p>Ermit groaned and buried his head in his hands. "And now I'm starting to remember why I abandoned it in the first place."</p><p>"You know, it was so cold and so lonely here. I had to huddle in the engine room with all the loose pipes just to keep myself warm! Do you have any idea how uncomfortable it was, having to listen to that awful noise they made? The hissing, the screeching, the steam blowing in my face?"</p><p>"Can't we kick him out again?" Ermit whined as he tugged on his ears.</p><p>The others all rolled their eyes, but Chihiro prodded up to a skating wilikin man and tapped him on the shoulder.</p><p>"Think you can fix this robot up?" Chihiro asked as she gestured to the robot, which now had sparks and smoke coming out of its shoulders as the ghost carried on. "It got a little" — Chihiro hissed and scratched her head — "banged up."</p><p>The wilikin man grinned and whipped out a toolbox from nowhere. "Sure can do, friend!" The wilikin man cried as he skated to the robot. "Come on, friends! This robot needs our help!"</p><p>The other wilikin who took to the ice whipped out toolboxes of their own and cheered. They scaled the robot, mending dented metal and tears in the robot body with a cheetah's speed!</p><p>"Those little guys might be a bit strange, but they work fast!" Chihiro remarked as she crossed her arms and nodded. A purple glow shimmered beside her, and Chihiro blinked as she turned to Sihiri. "So, what are you gonna do now?"</p><p>This one question from Chihiro perked up Sihiri's brows, and she hummed as she turned to Chihiro. "Pardon?"</p><p>Chihiro shoved her hands into her pockets as she craned her head up to where the wilikin repaired the robot. "Once we get this robot fixed up, we're gonna head out to where Kaos is and stop him!"</p><p>"Kaos?" Vatra asked as he leaned over Sihiri's shoulder. "Who's Kaos?"</p><p>"Really evil dude." Chihiro cringed and clenched her teeth for a moment. "He's a portal master—er, free magician who uses his magic for evil, and he wants to take over Skylands! He's already gotten his hands on an Arkeyan robot, and he's raising up an army to try and take over!" Chihiro pounded a fist against her palm. "So, we're going to stop him!"</p><p>Both Sihiri and Vatra exchanged worried looks, raised brows and clenched frowns and all. Judging by the looks of similar status that Dej, Luz and Inochi held as they joined the former two, they were all pretty concerned. They whispered amid each other for a few moments, and with a nod, they drew apart while Sihiri strode up to Chihiro.</p><p>"Then, I suppose that we'll tag along!" Sihiri remarked as she laid a hand on Chihiro's shoulder. "If a free magician is using their powers for evil, it's only natural that we step in and stop them, correct?"</p><p>Chihiro's eyes fluttered, and she rapidly shook her head as she turned up to Sihiri. "You, you mean it?"</p><p>Sihiri nodded, and Chihiro grinned as she leaped up and pumped a fist to the cloudy skies.</p><p>"ALRIGHT!" Chihiro cried at such a volume that the snow around shuddered. "WE'VE GOT ANCIENT PORTAL MASTERS ON OUR SIDE NOW!"</p><p align="center">§</p><p>The sound of pounding hammers and creaking wrenches resounded like birdsong against the snowy skies as the Wilikin remedied the kinks and bumps in the robot. All was peaceful now, and everyone below seemed poised to enjoy it as they took in the falling snow cascading above them. Well, all save for one!</p><p>"You were so, so, so, cool!" Chihiro cried as she bounced between all the ancient portal masters at once, her eyes bright like stars. "They way you were all like" — Chihiro bounced around front and mimicked the motions of a fight as she spoke — "Blam! Pow! Wham! Zap! Bang! And he was like" — Chihiro dragged her hands across her face for emphasis — "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"</p><p>"Well, that wasn't quite how it happened," Vatra remarked, then yipped as Luz elbowed him.</p><p>"Ah, don't be such a downer, Vats!" Luz remarked, a brow raised. "After all, we've still got it!" Luz chuckled as Vatra scoffed and rolled his eyes, bowed down to Chihiro and turned his grin to one of pride. "Happy to be of service."</p><p>Sihiri held a hand to her face and chuckled, and Chihiro grabbed her hands as she shoved her own face right into Sihiri's! A small gasp came from Sihiri, but Chihiro's grin stayed fixed as ever.</p><p>"Hey, hey, do you think you could teach me how to do all that?" Chihiro asked.</p><p>Chihiro grunted as Inochi pulled her off of Sihiri and placed her back on the snow, and tilted her head as Sihiri chuckled again.</p><p>"I'm sure you'll learn all these things in due time yourself, young one," Sihiri remarked.</p><p>"Yeah, you seem magically inclined enough," Dej added as he ruffled Chihiro's head, "I think."</p><p>"You really think so?" Chihiro exclaimed as she bounced up and down and tossed snow everywhere.</p><p>Dej and Sihiri both slowly, hesitantly nodded, and Chihiro squealed with utter delight! Her cheers soared across the skies as she bounded around and spun and flung snow everywhere she went. She giggled, and fell right into the fluffy, untouched parts of the snowbanks that started to form! Snow cascaded down over her, but she grinned as its pleasant chills cooled her warm heart.</p><p>"I still can't believe I'm getting to meet actual portal masters of old!" Chihiro heaved a pleased sigh as she kicked her legs in the snow. "It feels like a dream!"</p><p>Another chill brushed down Chihiro's spine, but it didn't come from her excitement or the icy cold of the snow that surrounded her. No, it came from the ghost as he phased right through her! The ghost floated up to the robot and clasped his hands, his head tilted down as his lips trembled. He drummed his fingers against his fist as he lifted his head up.</p><p>"If you don't mind me asking," the ghost said as he lifted his head, "are my body's repairs finished yet?" The ghost shuddered as a chilly breeze hit his body, and he phased out for a moment before he return to normal. "It's getting very cold out here."</p><p>One wilikin man frowned as he hammered another nail into the robot, turned back and waved down at everyone else!</p><p>"The repairs are done now, friend!" the wilikin shouted as he waved back down… Only to lose his footing and fall right into the snow! The wilikin grunted as everyone backed away from him, but he just popped his head out and shook it off. "Your body should be perfect now!"</p><p>The ghost floated up to the wilikin and nodded. "Thank you for your hard work."</p><p>His blank eyes turned up to the robot, and he zipped forward as he slammed right into its chest! The robot lurched over further and twitched for a few moments as its eyes grew blank, but soon, a soft, white glow filtered through as it leaned back up and stretched!</p><p>"Ah, just the way I remember it!" the ghost's voice echoed, its volume amplified by the robot's own speakers. The ghost stretched the robot's arms and legs further, and another chuckle came from him. "It feels good to be home!"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, you're haunting the robot again, everything's back to normal," Ermit remarked as he walked up. "Now, by any chance, think you can take that robot and drive us all the way to this place called, er" — Ermit tapped his fingers against his beard — "Troll Home Security or whatever?"</p><p>The ghost paused his stretching, and his eyes' glow dulled as they fell on Ermit. "Oh, so that's why you came back after abandoning me in the coldest wasteland you could find?" the ghost remarked. "Just to ask me a favor?" The ghost turned around and huffed as he crossed his arms. "What makes you think I'm inclined to do something for you, when you left me to freeze? It was so lonely and cold, sitting here all the time, you know, and…"</p><p>Ermit groaned as he dragged his hands across his face. "Now I'm starting to remember why I left you here in the first place."</p><p>But while Ermit groaned, Chihiro padded up and clasped his hands.</p><p>"Actually, mister ghost, we do really need to go there!" Chihiro explained. "There's a really evil dude trying to take over Skylands, and we need something strong enough to get to this place and disable his fortress's security systems!" Chihiro bowed her head and shook her hands. "If we don't stop him, all Skylands could be in danger, so please lend us a hand!"</p><p>"All Skylands would be in danger?" The ghost repeated. He turned back to Chihiro, and as she nodded and affirmed this, his glowing eyes faded and he paused. "Alright, if the circumstances are that grave, I'll take you."</p><p>Chihiro cheered and leaped in the air, but the world below her shuddered and she dropped right back into the snow! She grunted and pushed herself up right as the robot's chest lowered and opened up. All around her everyone grinned as they prepared to board. Well, all except for Luz, who frowned as he stared into the distance.</p><p>"Luz, is something wrong?" Dej asked. "What are you looking at?"</p><p>"There's something flying in over there!" Luz cried back as he pointed to the distance.</p><p>Everyone turned back to the skies. Sure enough, there in the distance was something purple and sparkly! It gently floated in the distance, so small and unassuming that it could barely be made out amid the snow and clouds.</p><p>"Just what is it?" Dej asked.</p><p>"Maybe it's a bird?" Luz suggested as he turned back to Dej.</p><p>Vatra shook his head and pushed past them both. "No, it's a plane!"</p><p>"Maybe it's a flying flower?" Inochi suggested as she put a finger to her face.</p><p>Chihiro frowned as her eyes fell on the strange sparkly purple object, and she summoned a pair of magic binoculars. She hummed as she lifted the binoculars to her face and narrowed her eyes, but gasped and dropped them on the floor.</p><p>"No, it's a butterfly!" Chihiro cried as she sprinted across the ice and snow.</p><p>The sparkly purple butterfly came in right as Chihiro met its landing spot and held out her wrist. In turn, it perched on her arm and paused for a moment. Its own bright light absorbed it, and it leaped off of her wrist to form a screen! The screen shuddered with static for a few moment, but slowly, an image started to form between the noise.</p><p>"This thing on?" remarked a voice from the screen. It was one slightly fuzzy, but clear enough that hearing it made Chihiro light up!</p><p>"Spyro! That's Spyro's voice!" Chihiro cried as she turned around and waved. "Everyone, I'm getting a message from Spyro!"</p><p>"Spyro?" they all cried as they huddled around Chihiro.</p><p>Everyone got together right as the static cleared. Before them, the screen showed Spyro standing on the Dread-Yacht's deck—but not just him, either! The rest of their scattered party rested on the deck, and they seemed no worse for wear save for a few scratches and bumps! They were alive, they were alright!</p><p>"Hey, Chi!" Spyro proclaimed as he grinned and waved to the screen. "I'm guessing that my messenger butterfly must have finally found you!"</p><p>Chihiro grinned, waved right back in spite of it being a recorded message, and leaned back as Spyro turned around on-screen and held out a wing.</p><p>"As you can see, we're alright!" Spyro turned back to Chihiro and shrugged. "We had a heck of a time, but we managed to get away from those ghost pirates! Funny story, I'll tell you all about it when we get caught up" — Spyro shook his head — "but for now, I'll just say that we're gonna try and get back on our original path!"</p><p>A clunk sounded off and Spyro winced. "That is, if Flynn can figure out where he's going." Spyro shook his head. "Nonetheless, let's meet up soon, alright?"</p><p>The screen's light faded and it completely blipped out of existence. Even though the message faded, the cheer it left them all with didn't! After all, their friends were alive and alright, and they would reunite soon! Well, hopefully.</p><p>"Thank goodness he's alright," Chihiro sighed. "Hopefully, he'll get my message in time for us to meet up at that Troll Home Security place!" Chihiro turned back around. "Speaking of that, we'd better get going—time's a wastin'!"</p><p>They all dashed into the robot with renewed spirits, grinned and sat down as the door sealed behind them. The inside of the robot was surprisingly spacious despite its smaller appearance outside; it held blue and gold metal walls, and sleek, blue velvet floors with plenty of seats to spare. A control panel lined with buttons and levers and all sorts of fancy stuff made up the front, and bright lights dangled from the ceiling.</p><p>"Now, one question," Terrafin remarked as he leaned against the wall, "who's piloting this thing?"</p><p>"I'll take care of that," the ghost's voice remarked.</p><p>The ghost phased through the floor, floated towards the console and worked away! He tapped a few buttons, pulled a lever or two and spun some dials, and in response the robot shuddered and clunked before it flew off! The faint sounds of wind howling sounded outside, all muffled by the thick metal that walled them off, and everyone sighed as they took their seats.</p><p>"I've lived here for so long that I know this robot's controls inside and out. In fact, sometimes it feels like this robot was made for me," the ghost remarked as he floated into a seat and grinned. "Just leave all the piloting to me."</p><p>"Good thing, too!" Chihiro remarked as she took a seat beside him. She chuckled and ruffled her head as a slight blush crossed her face. "Last time I tried to pilot a giant Arkeyan robot, it didn't go so well…" Chihiro drifted off and frowned as she glazed over the ghost. "Say, what's your name, anyways?"</p><p>"My, my name?" the ghost repeated as he turned to Chihiro. He clasped his hands together and rubbed them as he turned away. "I, don't actually remember what my name is. It's been so long since I've talked to anyone, let alone been referred to by it."</p><p>"Then I'll give you one!"</p><p>Chihiro hummed and rubbed her chin as she examined the ghost. "You're a ghost living in a machine," Chihiro said, "so I'll call you the Machine Ghost!"</p><p>The Machine Ghost blinked, grinned and tilted his own head. "Sounds good to me!"</p><p>"Then Machine Ghost it is!"</p><p>And so, they both chuckled as the robot flew full speed ahead.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 9: Glacier Gully Part 2 (Part 1)<p>An ice ogre huffed as it drew lines in the snow between the Elder Elementals and the ice ogre's own ranks. It skittered back to Noodles' side and whipped out a horn. It cleared its throat, lifted the horn to its lips, and sent a mighty bugle to the heavens—a signal for the challenges that laid ahead.</p><p>"Attention! The ceremonial horn has sounded," Noodles proclaimed as he strode out down the middle and held out his arms. "Which means it is now time for the" — Noodles cleared his throat, and his eyes narrowed as he pounded a fist against his palm in tandem, with his words — "ICE. FISHING. GAMES!"</p><p>The ice ogres all cheered and tossed their fishing poles in the air, but quickly claimed then back as Noodles glared at them.</p><p>"The standard rules apply. There'll be three games, and whoever ends up with the most wins outta us all is our winner!" Noodles shot a look towards the Elder Elementals, who glared back at him in return—but even though his glance seemingly glared down them all, it pierced Thumpback specifically.</p><p>"If the whale's team wins, they get that giant robot back there." Noodles gestured back to where the Arkeyan Conquertron parked, and he turned back to his fellow ice ogres. A smile crossed his face as he did, and the ice ogres all grinned back at him. "If we win, the whale'll show us that ancient treasure he was talkin' about!"</p><p>On one side of the line, Tree Rex, Eye-Brawl, Swarm, and Thumpback all stood close together while the ghost hovered above Thumpback's shoulder. All their eyes fixed on the ice ogre soldiers that rested aside from them. A faint buzz came from Swarm's wings as one soldier shot him a particularly nasty look, but Tree Rex just drew Swarm back before he could say or do anything.</p><p>Across from them, the ice ogres all shot them sneers and laughs. The ice ogres were the perfect picture of confidence compared to the quartet's tension—well, most of their tension.</p><p>While the other Elder Elementals and the ghost were fairly tense, Thumpback didn't seem worried at all! He just hummed some kind of old sailor's tune as he polished his anchor with no mind paid to those before him.</p><p>"You seem awfully calm about this," the ghost remarked as he slid off of Thumpback's top and gently nudged Thumpback's shoulder, sending a small chill through Thumpback's arm. "Aren't you worried?"</p><p>"Worried?" Thumpback whispered back as he raised a brow. "Not particularly." Thumpback chuckled, and toyed with his anchor's chains as he spoke. "After all, I've gone fishing in some of Skylands' roughest seas, so a little fishing contest like this is nothing! Besides, one thing that all my years of fishing taught me is that the fish can smell fear. You act nervous, and they'll all know!"</p><p>The ghost nodded, and turned back as his body began to fritz, forcing him onto Eye-Brawl's shoulder next. Below him, Brawl caught Thumpback's attention with a nudge of the shoulder.</p><p>"I suppose you have a point. Still, what are we going to do if we lose?" Brawl signed as Thumpback raised a brow at him. "After all, they have a gigantic robot and the entire terrain on their side! I don't believe it would be a wise idea to upset them."</p><p>"Oh, don't worry," Thumpback tossed his anchor back over his shoulder, while his laid-back smile steadied itself as he clutched the anchor's chain tight. "I may not have fished in quite a while, but I have confidence in my abilities."</p><p>"With that being said, our first challenge is simple!" Noodles proclaimed, still oblivious to the ice ogres' confident jeering, or Thumpback's quiet conversation as Noodles rambled on. "It's a size contest! Whoever can catch the largest fish at the local ice pond is our victor!"</p><p>The ice ogres all chattered as Noodles lead them away to the pond. Thumpback himself frowned and clutched his anchor tight as he trailed after them. A wary Tree Rex, Eye-Brawl, and Swarm followed behind, and that little ghost tagging along, trembling and flickering as he sat on Eye-Brawl's shoulder.</p><p>Thumpback only steeled his gaze as his eyes fell over the horizon of a snowy hill above. There, a pond, one laid still by the thick, cloudy sheet of ice above it, sat amid endless hills of snow and the occasionally ice-coated tree. Its surface shone and glistened as Thumpback drew closer to it, and its cloudy surface cleared enough that he could faintly spy the tails of small fish and ice tadpoles skittering and swimming underneath. Ah, the sight brought back memories of his youth, where he'd spend his calf days fishing in the icy ponds of his home island. It was a little nostalgic, and he couldn't help but grin. That grin didn't relent, even as the ice ogres that were his opponents cheered and snatched their fishing poles from a stand made of ice.</p><p>Thumpback raised a brow as he snatched a particularly large pole from the stand, and tip-toed across the ice, so gentle and quiet enough that none of the fish startled from his presence. A couple of holes were opened in the ice already, and some swarmed with fish, but Thumpback turned away and eyed a hole smaller than the rest. It would barely fit his rod, but the large, shadowy blobs that bobbed underneath its surface seemed promising. Thmpback steadied his rod, dropped the line in, sat down and grinned as he laid his rod beside him.</p><p>"Good things come to those who wait," Thumpback whispered as he twiddled his thumb, "and fishing is no exception."</p><p>Thumpback hummed as his eyes turned to the ice ogres, and he frowned as they hooted and hollered while they yanked out their lines. Didn't they know they were going to scare away the fish? If they wanted bigger catches than the ones they held, they couldn't scare away all the little ones! Surely, that was why the first of the ice ogres only yanked out a measly bluegill. While the first one only sighed at the sight of the fish they caught, the second shouted with delight as they yanked out a much larger sunfish! The sunfish slapped them in the face with its tail, but they seemed hardly displeased as they held their catch for all to see. In fact, they were as proud as ever—until the ogre beside it yanked out a much larger cod!</p><p>Tree Rex, Swarm and Eye gestured and mouthed something to Thumpback as the ogres all spat and quarreled over their catches, but Thumpback shushed them and turned back to his rod. The rod started to twitch as it rolled just slightly across the ice. Did he finally catch something? Thumpback lowered his head as the rod rolled right towards his foot, grinned and yanked it back up. He certainly had! The line tugged and frayed, almost prepared to snap, even, as Thumpback yanked it back and wound its reel as fast as he could!</p><p>Massive cracks formed in the ice in front of him. They were so big that the startled ice ogres immediately fled to the safety of the snow banks ahead, but Thumpback drew back and kept reeling. Parts of the ice drifted away into ice floes, and a low rumble came from within the waters.</p><p>"Yep," Thumpback groaned as he yanked his rod back with all the might he could muster, "this is definitely a big one!"</p><p>With one last grunt, the rod yanked itself up and snapped in half as Thumpback's catch landed on what remained of the shattered ice pond. The catch revealed itself to be a gigantic snow-catfish! It gasped for air as it shuddered the ground below it with a thud. Everyone around gawked in awe at its size, but Thumpback chuckled.</p><p>"That's the biggest snow-catfish I've seen in my life!" Thumpback crossed his arms. "I think this has to be a new record for me!"</p><p>The ice ogres' rods dropped from their hands as their catches scurried back into the waters.</p><p>Beside them, Noodles gnashed his teeth and tugged at his mohawk. "Ugh, fine! First point goes to the whale!" Noodles cried as he stormed off and grumbled. "Onto the next challenge!"</p><p>Thumpback adjusted his anchor's position on his shoulders, and chuckled as Tree Rex, Swarm, and Eye-Brawl joined him. The grins on their faces stretched up to their eyes, and Thumpback only smiled as he pulled up his anchor.</p><p>"That was amazing, Thumps!" Swarm cried as he nudged Thumpback's arm.</p><p>"You have quite the eye for fishing," Eye remarked with a sagely nod.</p><p>Thumpback chuckled as he followed after the ogres, his anchor kept tight over his shoulder. "It was nothing," Thumpback remarked, though he couldn't help but crack a grin of pride. After all, it was nice to know that he still had it, even after all this time!</p><p>The ice ogres glared down Thumpback as he finally caught up, and smirks crossed their faces. The head of their group trailed up to him and crossed their arms, almost as if they were irate behind those sly smiles they held.</p><p>"We're gonna win this, you know!" the head ice ogre cried.</p><p>Thumpback grinned and waved back at them. "Good luck with that, then!"</p><p>However, the ice ogres just scoffed and turned away! They mumbled something about someone being full of themself and the likes. Thumpback frowned; he was just wishing them well, so what got them so upset?</p><p>A warm gust of wind hit Thumpback's face, and he shuddered and shook it off as he lifted his eyes ahead. Warm air bubbled out from the pond ahead, but it seemed seemed more like a sauna with all the hot steam and bubbling water! It was an odd sight compared to the masses of snow that surrounded, which still seemed perfectly frozen in spite of all the heat. Yet, it was a welcome sight compared to the cold of before.</p><p>Thumpback pressed forward, peered in the waters, but flinched and stepped back as one of the bubbles popped in his face. He popped an eye open, and grinned as a large red fish with shiny scales swam away beneath the water! For that matter, it wasn't the only one. Fish in all shapes and sizes swam underneath the depths, and they seemed quite lively, too! Thumpback hadn't seen such a sight in a while.</p><p>"Alright, time for round two!" Noodles cried.</p><p>A metal, frost-covered bucket slammed down beside Thumpback's foot and scared away the fish. Thumpback raised a brow and gingerly plucked a squishy, spongy object from inside. The scent reminded him a bit of fresh bread, and its texture suggested it was warm and just made. Was this bait?</p><p>"For this challenge, you've gotta catch the most fish you can with those twenty-five pieces a'bait!" Noodles proclaimed as he crossed his arms. "And ya don't get any more, so don't ask!"</p><p>Noodles clapped his hands, and his ice ogres all lined up at the edge of the pond with fishing rods and buckets of bait in hand.</p><p>"Now start!"</p><p>The ice ogres all readied rods with five components stuck to one in a way that made them resemble flails more. They were all giddy at the prospect of what they'd catch, judging by the way they chattered and danced, but Thumpback smiled and shook his head.</p><p>Thumpback's eyes turned to a similar rod stuck in the snow beside him, and then to the masses of fish that swam in the pond above. If catching a lot of fish was the name of the game, he knew just the way to do it! Thumpback stuck a bait piece to the rod, dipped it in the water and hummed as he jiggled his fishing rod around. The larger fish zipped past beneath the bubbles and waves the warm water provided, some moving with so much speed that the smaller fish went spinning away! The fish all yanked onto the hooks, and Thumpback yanked them out of the pond and into a nearby bucket! The bucket dinged with every fish that fell into it, but finally brandished a bright thirty—not bad for his first catch!</p><p>The ice ogres all blinked and gasped as they examined Thumpback's bucket, and then turned their eyes to the catches on their own lines. One got five, another got seven, but the third got twelve, the biggest catch of them all from their ranks. It was a little small, but Thumpback didn't understand just why they shouted at each other and waved all their lines around. Scaring the fish away wouldn't give them any bigger catches!</p><p>"Alright, I'm throwing it all on the line!" cried one ice ogre as they shook their catches onto the empty bucket beside them and yanked bait out by the handful.</p><p>They immediately attached all their bait to their rods, tossed it in, and grinned as they yanked out fish by the tens. They tossed their fish into the bucket as it lit up to forty-five, and the grin on their face grew even smugger as they gazed at Thumpback.</p><p>"Think you can beat that, you oversized barnacle-blower?" the ice ogre called from the other side of the pond.</p><p>Thumpback chuckled, stuck the rest of his bait on his line and tossed it in. "Ah, kids, always so competitive," Thumpback remarked as he spun his lines around, jiggling it just so that it mimicked the patterns of swimming fish. "Everyone knows the fun in fishing is getting the catch, not beating the rest!"</p><p>The lines all tugged and yanked at once, and Thumpback yanked them out to reveal what had to have been half the pond at least! Fishes in all shapes and sizes gnawed at his line in some attempt to get their share of the bait. Thumpback tossed them into his bucket, which rattled and spun as the number displayed changed to an eighty-five.</p><p>"Sixty-five fish on one rod?" Thumpback remarked as he scratched his head. "Not bad, not bad!"</p><p>The ice ogre who mocked Thumpback before blinked his wide eye as his rod slipped out of his head. His face turned awfully pale and sickly-looking. Was he getting sick?</p><p>"No, no way," the ice ogre sputtered as he stumbled backwards and fell into the snow. "I used all my bait too…"</p><p>The other two ice ogres both screamed and frantically tossed their lines in. One gasped with glee as his line got a bite, but yanked it out to find that there was no fish to be found—just empty lines. So, he growled and fixed his line with more bait.</p><p>"This time for sure!" the ogre cried as he tossed his line back in. He frowned, gasped and grinned as his line very barely tugged! He yanked it out, but once more, there were no fish or bait to be found!</p><p>The ogre grunted as he prepared to toss his line back in, when his companion screamed with glee as they pulled back on their own rod!</p><p>"I've got something, I've got something!" the other ice ogre cried. Their reel spun out of control as they held the rods tight. "It's a big one, I can feel it!"</p><p>The other ice ogre grunted as they pulled and tugged while they struggled to steady the reel, but screamed as they flew into the boiling waters head-first! Garbled, muffled screams came from the pond as the ogre flailed their legs. Their two companions rushed over and yanked them back onto the snow! Steam burst from the ice ogre's red, boiled skin as they groaned and laid down in a snowbank, and their broken rods disappeared underneath the water.</p><p>Noodles sighed and crossed his arms.</p><p>"Welp, guess this round is over!" Noodles cried as he clapped his hands. "Everyone, bring ya catches here!"</p><p>Thumpback chuckled as he brought his bucket over, and dropped it into the snow with such force that the fish flopped and slapped each other. The ice ogres reluctantly brought in their buckets as well. Even without a formal count, it was clear from the bucket's numbers who won. After all, the ice ogres' buckets were so sparse, with even the most filled one barely breaching the bucket's top.</p><p>Noodles gritted his teeth as his eyes fell on the massive bucket of fish. "Er, er, uh, the, the, the, that…" Noodles sputtered, but finally, he groaned and buried his head in his hands. "UGH, FINE, THE WHALE WINS ROUND TWO!"</p><p>The ice ogres all groaned and grumbled amid each other as Noodles flipped the table and dumped all the fish back into the waters.</p><p>Noodles just patted them on their back as they sulked. "Hey, chin up, fellas! We've still got the final round ahead of us!" Noodles remarked as he raised his brows. "Have you forgotten what we're doing then?"</p><p>The ice ogres raised their brows, and their frustration turned to concerning confident smirks and mumbles of agreement. They all smiled and mumbled to each other as Noodles joined in on their laughter, but paused and peered up as Thumpback cleared his throats.</p><p>"Er, pardon my intrusion on your laughter," Thumpback remarked, "but, just what is the final round, exactly?"</p><p>"Just follow me, whale!" Noodles cried.</p><p>Thumpback gulped, and he and the others all trailed up the vast masses of snowy hills. Snow and frozen plantlife crunched underneath their feet as they trekked up the masses and over the hills. Finally, the masses disappeared for a large, round, icy marble platform with a part free of gating that stretched out into docks. Wispy clouds decorated the skies around them, and bellows sounded from the skies as large, blue, Leviathan-like creature soared along… Wait, those had to be…</p><p>Thumpback gasped as his anchor nearly slipped from his grip. Beside him Tree Rex hiked up and frowned.</p><p>"What's wrong, Thumpback?" Tree Rex remarked as he gently nudged Thumpback's shoulder. "I don't see anything strange."</p><p>"Unless you count sky-fishing strange," Swarm remarked as he flew up and crossed his arms. "I don't see anything other than those weird blue things."</p><p>"That's exactly it!" Thumpback gasped as he wrung his anchor's chain in his hands. "Those aren't just any weird things—those are, they…"</p><p>"Leviathan Cloud Crabs!" Noodles jeered as he stuck out his chest and smirk. "They're the final test! Whoever can catch one of these guys and bring 'em back here automatically wins a bounty of one million points!"</p><p>"ONE MILLION?" Tree Rex, Swarm and Eye sputtered at once.</p><p>"This whole thing was a setup, wasn't it?" Swarm shouted, his face red and incensed as he glared down Noodles. "You were just stringing up along! Why, I oughta—"</p><p>"Just leave him be, Swarm."</p><p>Swarm paused, and the crimson in his face faded as Thumpback pushed him back. Thumpback steeled his lips and calmed his trembling hands. His eyes fell on the ice ogres that flanked Noodles, all of whom peered back at him with the same snide looks that Noodles held.</p><p>"I accept your challenge," Thumpback said, his voice cold and clear as he held out his hand. "May the best fisher win."</p><p>The ice ogres blinked as their eyes fell on Thumpback's massive hand, and then, they fell on their backs and kicked their legs as they burst into laughter.</p><p>"Oh, we're not gonna be the ones fighting you!" one ice ogre shouted between chortles. They wiped tears from their face as they came back to their feet, smirked and gestured over to Noodles. "The commander's gonna do that!"</p><p>"They're right!" Noodles cried.</p><p>With a single whistle, the robot zoomed over, and nearly blew away the rickety boat stationed at the docks!</p><p>"Noodles is catching them in my robot suit and you… Get that boat, Noodles supposes."</p><p>"Hold on, that's hardly fair!" the ghost cried as he got up and hovered over Tree Rex's shoulder. "You've got an advantage!"</p><p>Thumpback didn't particularly fuss himself. He slung his anchor over his shoulder, silent and steady, trailed across the docks and hopped into the boat. Its boards creaked as he manned the wheel, and beside him, Noodles flew up in the robot and sneered.</p><p>"Good luck—not!" Noodles cried as he dashed off.</p><p>Thumpback freed his ship and steered off. The clouds parted around him as his eyes fell on the pod of cloud crabs who flitted and flew without a care in the world, and his gaze only tensed. The Leviathan Cloud Crab, the one thing he was never able to catch—before, that is. He was young and inexperienced when he first tackled the beast, but this time, he would definitely catch it in his grip. His grip tensed on the wheel's pegs, and he only flew further ahead. After all, he had to.</p><p>"Cloud Crabs are pretty tough little things," Thumpback mumbled under his breath. "Not only are their hides incredibly tough, but they're quick to panic and slow to give up. If you aren't careful, they'll be the ones catching you!"</p><p>Thumpback slowed the ship's pace as his eyes fell on a smaller Cloud Crab—a yearling, by the looks of its size. It rested asleep and content on a soft cloud, while bellowing snores emerged from the mouth of the beast. Something like this would probably be the easiest of the bunch. Thumpback crept closer and closer, but the sound of rockets burning screeched across the horizons!</p><p>"What, are you scared of a little crab or something?" Noodles jeered as he zipped past Thumpback. "What's it gonna do, eat you?"</p><p>Noodles guffawed as he paused in midair, and his eyes fell on a particularly large Leviathan Cloud Crab with a hide covered in scratches—no doubt a bit of a fighter. Noodles' fingers clasped and stretched, almost as if he planned something. Wait, he couldn't be! Noodles cried out, latched right onto that Leviathan Cloud Crab, and snatched it in a chokehold!</p><p>The Cloud Crab wailed and screeched as something as big as itself held it tight, and its spines leaped off of its hide as they pierced through everything around! They tore holes in clouds, smashed into nearby glaciers, and bounced off the hides of other Cloud Crabs, who only screeched and swam off in a hurry. One of the even nearly grazed the side of Thumpback's vessel, and forced him to veer away!</p><p>In lieu of Thumpback's ship, the spine instead tore through the cloud that the yearling slept on, and gave it quite the rude awakening! The yearling screeched and zipped off. Thumpback snarled and gripped his wheel.</p><p>"Full steam ahead!" Thumpback cried as he zipped off.</p><p>He caught a glance behind to where Noodles struggled with the Cloud Crab he had caught, but Thumpback only scoffed and pressed on—he had no time to waste! The yearling panted, laid on another thrush of clouds ahead, and groaned once more as it fell back asleep. Its snores rumbled across the skies, yet those skies stayed completely vacant of everyone save for the Cloud Crab and Thumpback. Thumpback had a chance!</p><p>Thumpback smirked, slowed down the ship to a crawl, and dove behind another group of clouds as he inched closer. His movements were slow-paced and careful; he moved just mere inches as he crept around the clouds, and closer towards the sleeping yearling. It only groaned as it occasionally twitched its fins in its sleep with no mind paid to Thumpback's intrusion. He had his catch in his grasp, and now all he needed to do was reel it in.</p><p>Thumpback docked his ship beside the yearling and gulped. The easy part was over, but now he faced his biggest challenge—catching the Leviathan Cloud Crab itself. Thumpback's eyes fell on the anchor in his rugged palms, his one companion through many fights and fishing trips alike. It probably wasn't the ideal rod for a normal Cloud Crab, but it would suffice for a yearling this small. Thumpback lifted up his anchor, swung its chain around like a lasso, cast it out, and looped it around the Cloud Crab's neck! The Cloud Crab grunted, and its eyes popped open as the chain tightened around its neck. Thumpback held the chain's base tight in his grip still, and quickly squeezed it tighter as he rushed off the deck and prepared to leap!</p><p>"Oh no you don't!" Noodles bellowed from below.</p><p>A flash of bright blue light streaked through the clouds as it pierced holes through a row just above the yearling's head, and the yearling squealed! It zipped off across the clouds. The chain still stood tight on its neck, despite its thrashing and flailing in some attempt to free itself of the bindings.</p><p>Dangled below that chain was none other than Thumpback! He screamed, and dug his claws further around the chain's cold silver as he swung from side to side. His eyes fixed on the yearling's underside, and definitely not the massive drop below that awaited him should he let go! Thumpback did cast a quick glance aside to where Noodles still wrestled with that older Cloud Crab, all while Noodles shot lasers in every direction!</p><p>Another fleet of lasers flew above the yearling courtesy of Noodles, and it squealed as it dove down! Thumpback shot up; his hide lashed with sharp blasts of wind, and his gums flapping in the breeze as he ground his teeth. His hand flew up, brushed away from its position on the anchor's chain by the cold breeze that hit him, but he latched onto a link further down the chain and grunted. He let his other hand fly free off, grunted and latched onto another lower part of the chain.</p><p>The yearling screeched as it thrashed its tail, and Thumpback was whipped from side to side, little more than a ragdoll on a thin string as he clutched his anchor's chain for dear life. Finally, one powerful tail slam knocked Thumpback right atop the yearling's carapace! Its tough, thick scales scratched into the side of his chest and left a stinging reminder of the impact, but it left little more than an annoyance in Thumpback's mind.</p><p>Thumpback pushed himself up, and clung to a spine on the yearling's back as a grounding force. The yearling calmed some as it swam through the skies, and thankfully, the chains Thumpback tied still rested around its neck! Thumpback trudged across the carapace, clinging from spine to spine in case of another sudden outburst; as his foot brushed against cold metal, he bent down and clung to the chains like a horse's reins.</p><p>"Alright, little guy," Thumpback cooed as he petted the yearling's carapace, and it hummed as its furious flying slowed underneath his touch. "It's okay, I'm a friend. I just need you to take me somewhere, alright? I'll let you go right afterwards. Can you do that?"</p><p>The yearling cooed back, and its spines flattened against its back. Good, he seemed to have earned its trust! With a gentle tug of the chains on Thumpback's end, the yearling soared up, spinning through clouds before it hit the top of the stratosphere and glazed down. Amid the masses of ice, snow, and mountains, Thumpback could make out the meeting point. It was just a few clicks down from where he was! Thumpback grinned, snapped the chains and sent the yearling flying down.</p><p>The yearling corkscrewed through the skies, cold air twirling around as it dove closer and closer to the meeting point—but something smashed into it, and sent it tumbling across the skies at the last minute! Some of the yearling's spines snapped off; the broken spines fell into the abyss as the screaming yearling flailed and thrashed its fins once more. Thumpback screamed as his grip started to slip from the reins. His claws dug into the holes in the chains' links at just the right moment, and Thumpback gripped back onto the chains as he flipped himself atop the carapace.</p><p>A bellowing cackle scared off the remaining Leviathans Cloud Crabs. While they fled, Noodles floated back down in his robot suit with his own Leviathan Cloud Crab unconscious underneath his suit's arm!</p><p>"Sorry, buddy, but you're not catching any more fish today!" Noodles insinuated as he pointed a finger at Thumpback. "You may have beaten Noodles' minions, but Noodles is smarter than they are!"</p><p>"I wouldn't quite say that," Thumpback spat underneath his breath. Thumpback's eyes turned to the back, where a thick, fluffy mass of clouds blocked off most of the skies—the perfect detour! Thumpback snapped the reins and yanked the yearling around before he high-tailed it towards the clouds.</p><p>"Wait, get back here! Noodles didn't say you could leave!"</p><p>Noodles' cries came a little too late. Thumpback already dove into the clouds and drove through their masses! The scent of cold air brushed against Thumpback's hide, and filtered around him as Noodles' screams came from the outside; the screams muffled from both distance and the thickness of the clouds. Thumpback grinned and popped right out. He took a moment of pause and turned the yearling around. Noodles was no more than a speck in the distance from where Thumpback laid, and better yet, the meeting point wasn't that far.</p><p>"Time to reel in my catch," Thumpback whispered. He cracked the reins again, and his grip tightened as the yearling zipped back off. "FULL SPEED AHEAD!"</p><p>The scenery around blurred as the yearling flew as fast as it could, swerving around clouds and ducking from the odd iceball flung! Aside of those, the skies were clear and perfect for the taking. Thumpback could even hear his companions' cries and cheers from down below despite the altitude, but Thumpback just frowned and squeezed the chains further. If there was one thing his days as a younger fisherman taught him, it was that he should never count his catches before they were caught. So, he just powered through another clouds, its wispy fragments curling up and vanishing behind him as he sped right past it!</p><p>"There you are, whale!" Noodles cried across the horizon.</p><p>Thumpback gasped and yanked the yearling back with such abrupt timing that it leaned back; if not for Thumpback's tight grip around the yearling itself, he might've fallen off! But, he stayed with his grip tight as Noodles fell down in front of him. His moment of pause must have been just what Noodles needed, for Noodles immediately shot a laser right for him!</p><p>The laser slammed into the yearling and singed its underside. The yearling screamed and thrashed around, shaking its fins and tail with all the fury it could! This time, it was so sudden and soon that Thumpback's grip slipped, and he tumbled down along the yearling's carapace! The sharp scales dug into his back, leaving it raw and sore as he slammed into the yearling's side. One last bump knocked him off, and he went plummeting through the skies!</p><p>"Thumpback!" Tree Rex, Swarm, and Eye all cried down below.</p><p>Their cries were nothing compared to the haughty laughter of Noodles from above. He hovered above the yearling and leaned his head down, his eyes bright as he drank in the sight of Thumpback's fall.</p><p>"You lose, whale!" Noodles cackled.</p><p>Noodles' laughter spun around, a crashing wave in Thumpback's ears as he collapsed in the vast seas of the endless skies. His friends' cries resounded in tandem behind him, and the world around turned cold and gray. The voices around melted away to the voices of pirates crying, cawing, and shouting, and a distant memory flashed in his mind as an illusion of a large pirate ship sailed across the sky. He came so close, yet once again, the Leviathan Cloud Crab was the one to catch him and drag him into the depths!</p><p>Wait, no! Thumpback shook his head, latched onto a spine from the yearling's tail, and gripped it as tight as he could! He cast a glance down below to where Brawl seemingly pointed towards him, the exact gesture masqueraded by the distance, but Thumpback pulled his head up and turned back to the yearling's carapace. Large spines shot out from its back, their bodies thick and long enough that they could easily be used as a ladder!</p><p>Thumpback swung around and leaped towards the first, pulled himself atop it and towards the next! The yearling roared and leaned back, and Thumpback himself nearly slipped—but at the last moment, he yanked onto the spine and swung around. He launched himself towards the next spine; with one last swing, Thumpback swung back and leaped onto the carapace as the yearling calmed itself. He dashed up and reclaimed his seat at the yearling's head!</p><p>"Ha! Ha ha! Noodles won, you lost!" Noodles bellowed as he spun around. "Noodles won, you're—" Noodles turned around, and gasped as his eyes fell to where Thumpback sat on the yearling's head. "HERE!"</p><p>"You can't get rid of me that easily, I'm afraid!" Thumpback cried as he tightened the chains and snapped them once more. "If there's one thing a fisherman has to be, it's persistent!"</p><p>The yearling wailed, and it zipped right for the unconscious Leviathan Cloud Crab that laid in Noodles' arms. The yearling crashed right into it, and smacked it right out of Noodles' grip with just enough power that it slapped the older Leviathan Cloud Crab awake! The older Leviathan Cloud Crab shook itself and snarled as its eyes fixed on Noodles, and all the spines on its torn, weathered back rose as one!</p><p>"What the—" Noodles cried right as the older Cloud Crab rammed right into his chest/</p><p>While Noodles tended to his ornery catch, Thumpback zipped right off, turned the yearling around, and dove right back towards their meeting place at the docks! The yearling's hastened flaps and tail wags came to a slow close as it docked itself on the snow, snorted and closed its eyes. A few content huffs came from it as it flopped against the cold snow and snored.</p><p>Thumpback chuckled as he slipped the anchor from its neck. "Thanks for your help, little guy," Thumpback said as he patted the yearling on the belly. "Get some rest, you deserve it."</p><p>Thumpback straightened out his anchor and turned around. His eyes first fell on the other ice ogres that belonged to Noodles' team, all of whom had wide eyes with tiny pupils and jaws left agape. They dropped their own arms, as if they couldn't believe what sat in front of them! Thumpback's view of them quickly blocked off as Swarm rushed in and swarmed Thumpback. (See, even he could make puns if he chose too!)</p><p>"That was awesome, Thumps!" Swarm cried as he slapped a hand against Thumpback's shoulder. "You really pulled a fast one on that dude!"</p><p>"We almost thought you were a goner for a moment!" Eye exclaimed as he popped off of Brawl and floated around Thumpback.</p><p>"Ah, there's no need to worry, you two," Thumpback replied as he turned to them both. "Even though I haven't been out to sea for a while, I've still got it!"</p><p>Tree Rex chuckled as he approached Thumpback, but it was the ghost on his shoulder who really grinned as he floated up to Thumpback.</p><p>"Does this mean I can finally get my home back?" the ghost asked.</p><p>"Absolutely, little one!"</p><p>The ghost beamed, and he sparkled so brightly that he started flickering! He stabilized himself and dodged behind Tree Rex's arm.</p><p>"What's this about taking things?" Noodles exclaimed as he flew down to the docks. The chest of his robot now stood covered in scratches, and it sparked in some areas.</p><p>Thumpback snarled, and he wrung the chain of his anchor as he turned to Noodles. "We had a deal, Noodles!" Thumpback cried as he held his anchor low. "If I won, you'd give us that robot back! So hand it over!"</p><p>"NO WAY!"</p><p>Noodles' cry bellowed through the area, and shook the snow off the ground while everyone struggled to keep footing.</p><p>Noodles' eyes glowed red. "You guys cheated the whole time! Noodles isn't gonna let a cheater take his robot!"</p><p>"But you weren't exactly being fair either, you know!" the ghost hissed from behind Tree Rex's shoulder. The air chilled around him as his eyes glowed. "Not to mention, it isn't even your robot to begin with!"</p><p>Noodles screamed again, and the ghost shuddered as he dove behind Tree Rex's shoulder—but, the ghost was forced to flee as Noodles pounded his fists against the ice! The boat and docks all crumbled underneath the weight of Noodles' attack. Noodles' eyes glowed with an even more furious crimson than before.</p><p>"Noodles is gonna wipe you cheaters off the face of Skylands!"</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Within the depths of Inochi's room, Skylander and portal master alike trekked through with tense, trembling hands and leery gazes. The whole area was completely overgrown! It was covered in such a thick blanket of plants, flowers, and grass that left couldn't be made out from right. The scent of pollen and sweet honey that wafted through the air was so thick and strong that it was almost sickening. Occasionally, rustling and hooting sounds came from parts of the overgrown thicket, sending chills running up spines and goosebumps rising. The moment eyes fell on the source of the sound, however, nothing appeared save for maybe a glint of light, or a faint patch of color amid shadow! From the looks of it, if that Inochi person was here, she wasn't going to be found anytime soon.</p><p>"Something about this doesn't feel right," Dej remarked as he crafted a sickle out of ice, and cut down a patch of particularly tall grass with it. "Inochi's always been so careful with her garden. Heck, she practically treated all those flowers like they were her kids! How could it get so overgrown?"</p><p>"Well, it has been ten thousand years," Chihiro remarked as she nudged a particularly long vine aside and hopped over it. "I'm pretty sure even the most carefully-tended garden would get overgrown after that!"</p><p>Vatra sighed, pushed a leaf out of his face, and gasped as a fanged pink flower dropped before his face and licked it! Vatra groaned and wiped the slobber from his face while the plant cackled. He only scoffed as he strode off.</p><p>"I told her bringing all these plants back was a bad idea, but did she listen to me?" Vatra mumbled. "When we find her, I'm definitely giving her a piece of my mind!"</p><p>"HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!" squealed a voice in the distance.</p><p>A green glow pulsed from the end of the way, and all eyes turned to it. It glowed brighter and brighter, closer and closer, and finally, it took shape! The cries for help grew louder as the light formed in the shape of a seed, but even that light faded as a person's ghost burst from its seed, and tackled Sihiri down! Sihiri grunted and stumbled backwards as a chubby woman with pale skin and snow white, rose-shaped hair who dressed in a pink and green kimono clutched her tight. The woman's eyes screwed shut in horror as she panted and grappled for Sihiri's own gown.</p><p>Dej, Vatra, and Luz all gasped, but Vatra pushed past Dej and scoffed.</p><p>"There you are, Inochi!" Vatra cried as embers popped from his hands. "We've been looking all over the place for you!" Vatra snarled and gestured towards the overhanging vines. "This place is an absolute mess! I told you this would happen if you kept bringing back all those flowers back, but you said" — Vatra grunted as a vine lost its place and fell right on his head — "Owch!"</p><p>Vatra groaned and pushed the vine aside as he rubbed his side, but Inochi only sobbed as she buried herself in Sihiri's grip! Her hands trembled as she tugged on Sihiri's dress, and her teeth chattered as she snuggled in close. Sihiri shot Vatra a look, before she herself ran her fingers through Inochi's hair.</p><p>"Darling, is something wrong?" Sihiri asked.</p><p>"It, it, it," Inochi hiccuped. The tears streamed down her face again, but she turned back to Sihiri and popped open rosy pink eyes that were small with fear and burned with tears. "Sihiri, it's awful!"</p><p>Inochi wailed and sobbed further, and Sihiri just backed away slightly.</p><p>"What's awful, Inochi?" Dej cried as he nudged Inochi's shoulders. "What're you freaking out about?"</p><p>Everyone else clenched their teeth, and the sound of growling pricked their ears in that instance! The growls echoed from all around the garden, low but still loud enough to be heard. Everyone turned their eyes in every direction, yet, nothing could be found: no rustling came from the bushes and leaves, nothing leaped down from the ceiling, and no suspicious figures leaped out from the petals of the massive flowers that sprung from the garden.</p><p>"Just where is that growling coming from?" Cynder demanded. She jolted up and prepared to zap a vine that had trickled close to her paws, but Chihiro yanked her away by the tail before she could!</p><p>"Over there!" Chihiro cried as she pointed to the distance.</p><p>There, over the horizons of leafy green and fuzzy moss, bright yellow eyes formed before they vanished entirely! Chihiro gasped as they disappeared, and behind her, the bushes rustled and shuddered. She immediately jumped to the bushes and parted their leaves, yet nothing showed! Chihiro frowned as she pushed them just a little farther, but as she did, a growl echoed ahead and she yanked her arms out. She narrowed her eyes; in the distance, she barely spotted glowing yellow eyes before they rushed off and vanished!</p><p>"I can't be the only one who saw that, right?" Chihiro asked as she turned to the others.</p><p>Everyone else all nodded and mumbled out words of agreement in tandem. Chihiro frowned and turned her gaze around. Everyone saw it, yet she still couldn't find any trace of where those eyes went! Then again, it was pretty hard to see anything over the thick overgrowth of gigantic bushes and tall grass. Chihiro frowned as she turned her attention back to the bushes where she previously looked, but a soft tap on her shoulder drew her away.</p><p>"Something up?" Chihiro asked.</p><p>She turned around, but instead of meeting a person, she met with a tall, lanky vine! The vine waved at Chihiro for just a moment, wrapped right around her and yanked her off the ground. Chihiro screamed as she struggled and kicked at the vine while it hovered her above ground. It was tough for such a thin-looking thing, and nothing she did made it relent!</p><p>"Chihiro!" Terrafin called as he gazed back up at her.</p><p>He snarled and reached up for her, but the growling noises' return drew him back away. He backed into the others as the growling grew more intense. All around them, the bushes rustled once more while plant monsters leaped out from their leaves! The monsters' mouths gnashed with thorny fangs while their thorn-covered root bodies grew leafy armor and weapons. The plant monsters all snarled as they surrounded the Skylanders and portal masters alike.</p><p>"That's what's awful!" Inochi sobbed. She clung closer to Sihiri while she and everyone else backed down. "I don't know how, or why, but all my plants grew completely out of control! They're all monsters now!"</p><p>The plant monsters snarled, squealed, and made all sorts of nasty noises as they closed further in. Chihiro snarled at them from her place above. She grunted as she kicked against the vine a few more times, but even so, the vine still didn't budge. Looks like she'd have to try another way!</p><p>Chihiro closed her eyes while the magic bubbled within her veins, and a faint glow dusted against her eyes as she closed them. Chihiro screamed, and a loud screech erupted around her! The feeling of tightness around her body withered away, and she fell down to the ground with a thunk. When Chihiro popped her eyes open, the first thing she caught was the withered remains of the vine that once held her captive. Next, she saw the ancient portal masters and Skylanders crowded together as the plant monsters herded them in. Though the ancient portal masters and Skylanders pressed together tight, they held snarls and glints of defiance in their eyes, ready to strike at any second.</p><p>Chihiro was more than ready to join them. "Alright!" Chihiro cried as a bright cyan magic glow flared around her body. She pounded her fist into her palm, and a smirk crossed her face as the plant monsters all turned to face her. "Looks like it's time to do some weeding!"</p><p>The plant monsters screeched and bolted towards Chihiro, but she chuckled and jumped right over them! As she fell on the other side of their assault, she turned around and stuck her tongue out at time. It was a bit of a simple gesture, but it was enough to make them chase after her once again! The plant monsters yelled and gnashed their thorny fangs as they dashed for her, but Chihiro slipped aside and raced around them. She ran so fast that she was practically a blur to their naked eyes, and all the plant monsters could do was yank their heads around in some attempt to find her!</p><p>"Am I here? Or here? Maybe I'm over here!" Chihiro's voice echoed all around the speedy storm. "Actually, the truth is…"</p><p>A pop sounded off as the running came to a cease. Chihiro chuckled as she hovered above the plant monsters' heads! The plant monsters gawked as she waved back at them, but Chihiro winked in response.</p><p>"I'm up here, and you're gonna be stuck down there!"</p><p>With a snap of her fingers, a circle of magic ropes formed around the plant monsters. They screeched as their eyes fell on the glowing ropes, but the realization came a bit too late. The ropes came together and bound the plant monsters tight! The plant monsters screeched and shuffled as they tried to escape; some even resorted to gnawing the ropes open, but nothing made them burst!</p><p>Chihiro chuckled as she teleported beside Eruptor, and gently nudged him with her shoulder. "Eruptor, do your thing!"</p><p>"Well," Eruptor smirked as he pounded his hands together, "I was born to burn!"</p><p>With one last clap of his hands, their round tops turned to molten magma! Eruptor smirked and flung his arms. Round, solid blobs of magma leaped from his hands, and slammed right into the plant monsters! The ropes that kept them bound buckled and burned away as the plant monsters flew off into the distance, but Eruptor smirked.</p><p>"That should take care of those overgrown weeds!" Eruptor smirked as he turned back to the others. A shudder ran down his spine, and Eruptor clacked his hands together. "Now, let's get outta here before—"</p><p>"SKREEEEEEEE!"</p><p>Eruptor gasped, whipped his head around, and screamed as the plant monsters came storming back in! They were burnt to their charred roots, and set alight, true, but they were still kicking! They weren't happy either, judging by the large snarls on their faces,!</p><p>"I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!" Eruptor cried as he scrambled away. The plant monsters surrounded him in that instant, and Eruptor fell to his knees. "Actually, I didn't mean to call you overgrown weeds, I—ACK!"</p><p>A hole opened up in the ground underneath Eruptor, and he gasped as he sunk underneath. The plant monsters eyed the hole for mere moments, but turned their heads around as Eruptor flew out from the ground behind them! Not just him, either: a trace of a gray shadow dove back into the ground as Eruptor collapsed, and he hacked blobs of magma over the ground!</p><p>The magma swept across the earth and turned it hard and rocky. The plant monsters all screeched as they skittered away from the magma—but as they ran, a shark's fin carved through the still-soft earth right underneath their roots! The plant monsters swept right off of their feet, and the churned earth below them became a tripwire that flooded with magma and set them ablaze. The flaming plant monster screamed as they ran off, and behind them, that gray shadow popped from the ground and grinned as it leaned against a tree.</p><p>"Never saw me coming," Terrafin smirked as he crossed his arms.</p><p>His eyes closed, but popped right open as a screeching, sizzling sound unlike the bubbling heat of magma resounded! A bunch of flaming, green orbs comprised of large leaves folded over amid the pools and veins of magma that formed in the earth. Their singular stems fizzled away as they poked up from the center.</p><p>"Just what are those things?" Terrafin asked, backing away right as the stem-like fuses in the orbs vanished under the flames.</p><p>The orbs shot out bright, shiny green seeds that exploded in an instant, and the orbs themselves sprouted legs as they skittered off! A thick, green smog coated the entire area and sent everyone coughing. The magma underneath their feet cooled and hardened in an instant. All collapsed to their knees as the smog choked out the sights surrounding with its thick, flower-scented clouds, but amid the smoke, eyes cropped up and low growling sounded!</p><p>"Ack!" Chihiro cried as something smacked into her side and knocked her on the ground. "Who kicked me?"</p><p>"Wasn't me, I—OWCH!" Eruptor cried before something else slammed into his back and knocked him face first on the floor.</p><p>Whirlwind winced and flew up. Her head snapped from side to side as shouting and trouncing noises came from within the clouds. One by one, everyone around her went out from within! They all collapsed to the ground, punched and kicked in the back without a clue as to where their enemies organized from. Cackling replaced her allies' cries of shout as they cowered underneath Whirlwind's lower paws, and those sparkling eyes and cackling noises all fixed on Whirlwind herself!</p><p>Whirlwind winced and lowered her horn. Massive gusts of wind rang through the area with a few furious flaps of her wings, and completely blew away the smoke clouds! Those shining eyes were none other than those same plant monsters from before; they were still singed and burnt in places, but otherwise still kicking. Despite the loss of their cover, they charged at Whirlwind with the same gusto as before! The plant monsters growled as they flung out their arms and shot vines right for Whirlwind, but she swept up and shot lightning bolts right for the plant monsters.</p><p>The plant monsters screamed as the lightning rushed through them. As the shock ceased, they fell to their knees, fang chattering as sparks flew from their charred bodies. In their moment of weakness, a thin shadow dashed right through and sent them all spinning! The monsters all cried out in jittered shock as they groaned. The faint traces of spores around them cast up in tiny clouds as they fell to the rocky floor.</p><p>Behind the fallen plant monsters, those round plant bombs squealed and skittered off as the larger plant monsters collapsed in front of them! Faint pants and squeaks came from the plant bombs as they stumbled over their own feet while they rushed across the rocky ground. One tripped over itself, rolled right into the others, and sent them all rolling across the floor like bowling balls. They finally bumped into something in a rousing stop, unfurled themselves, and squealed as they found themselves right at Chihiro's feet! The plant bombs scurried backwards and tumbled over each other as Chihiro loomed over them, a smirk on her face as her hands glowed with magic.</p><p>"Time to do some weed whacking!" Chihiro exclaimed as a magical weed whacker fell into her hands!</p><p>The weed whacker shuddered as it revved to life, and Chihiro grinned as she set it after the plant bombs! They all squealed and tried to run off, but the weed whacker zipped right through them in an instant and sliced them in half. The weed whacker vanished in a puff of smoke and sparkles as the halved remains of the plant bombs withered and fell to the floor. Chihiro frowned as she lifted a withered leaf. The leaf's remains crumpled away to tiny, ragged bits as it flew off in the wind, so Chihiro met Inochi's eyes instead.</p><p>"What happened to them?" Inochi whispered as she lifted the plant bombs' own remains in her hands. Her frown grew as those leaves too crumpled in her hands and disappeared with the oncoming breeze, then she perked up as Sihiri laid a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>"Dear, what happened?" Sihiri asked.</p><p>Inochi frowned as she rubbed her hands, and her head lowered as she turned back to Sihiri. "I'm not sure myself. I was drawn here, almost like I was in a trance of some kind. When I finally came to, everything was completely overgrown!" Inochi sighed as her hair drifted in front of her face, and she lifted her head as Sihiri drew the stray strands behind Inochi's ear. "If I had to guess, it's been so long since I tended to my garden that it took on a life of its own!"</p><p>Sihiri and Inochi both frowned. Their eyes turned aside as Chihiro prodded up to them and rubbed her own arm.</p><p>"Either way, we should probably get out of this place," Chihiro remarked as her eyes shifted from side to side. A shudder ran down Chihiro's spine, and she lifted her head up to Sihiri and Inochi. "Something about it gives me the creeps."</p><p>"Agreed," Terrafin remarked as he walked up and brushed spores from his arms, "I'm not in the mood to deal with any more overgrown weeds."</p><p>A few more mumbled agreements came from the rest of her party, so Chihiro crafted a sword made of raw magic and pressed ahead. She swung her sword through the grass until it was short enough that any oncoming enemies could be easily seen. Most of the others quickly trailed after her, but Inochi just lingered on the place where the plant monsters once laid.</p><p>"Just how did this happen, though?" Inochi whispered. "What could have caused them to grow this violent?"</p><p>Inochi pressed a clasped hand to her face, sighed, and shook her head as she reluctantly headed to the back of the ground. Ahead, Chihiro slashed through the grass, and sent both clippings and a pungent scent of fresh grass wafting through the area. Inochi cringed a little at the sight of all the fallen grass scattered amid the overgrown and untamed greenery that surrounded her. Her teeth chattered a bit as she scanned for some sight of oncoming plant monsters—or maybe she was still in shock from what she witnessed prior? It was hard to tell with her being such a bundle of nerves.</p><p>"Hey, I think I found an exit!" Chihiro called from ahead.</p><p>Inochi gasped, and shuffled through the grass right as the others crowded around a green door covered in leaves. The exit, at last! With one last hop, Inochi pushed through and held her hand up to the door, fully ready to leave. A shiver ran down her spine and she yanked her head towards the bushes!</p><p>"Inochi, what's up?" Luz asked.</p><p>Inochi blinked as the bushes' rustling come to a close, frowned and peered down at her sparkling hands. "I, I could've sworn that I saw something glaring at me from the bushes," Inochi said. She shook her head, and gulped as she shot one last, worried glance towards the plant life before she turned to the door. "I'll just get this open."</p><p>Inochi lifted her hands, and they glowed with an even more intense green light as she raised them to the door.</p><p>"Finally, we can get out of this place," Eruptor scoffed as he crossed his arms. "All this pollen's making me stuffy!"</p><p>"OH, YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!"</p><p>A booming voice resounded across the area as vines snapped around the door, locking it tight! Inochi gasped, and her light lowered as she crept away from the door and yanked her head around. Her eyes skirted around the area as skittering noises and the faint scent of flowers came from the crevices of shadows amid plants, yet nothing could be seen! The others around her raised their weapons and prepared spells in alarm, but Inochi just crept back and clasped her clammy hands tight.</p><p>"Who, who was that?" Inochi cried as she backed into the door, squealed and leaped back as vines tickled her back. "Show yourself!"</p><p>"My, my, ever so eager to see me, hmm?" the voice crooned again, but at a lower, much closer volume. "Quite odd, considering that you hadn't been all that eager to make your return, INOCHI!"</p><p>A sharp gasp escaped from Inochi's throat. She turned back around to the front as massive mounds emerged from the earth and shuddered. The mounds rumbled furiously while crumbs of dirt crept down from their tops, and the dirt flew as something leaped out from the earth and fell on the ground! The creature chuckled as it stepped back from the hole that it had leaped from, crossed its arms, and turned its eyes on the group—but its glare seemed fixed on Inochi specifically.</p><p>The creature's face was yellow, comprised of powdery pollen compacted into one hard mold, and slits formed in its face to make eyes and a mouth. Bright pink petals formed a mane around its head while a small, leafy crown decorated with tiny petunias laid atop it. Its body was humanoid, and comprised of vines twisted to form a bodily structure. Atop its body was a pompous dress and cape made of gigantic petals that were folded together, and trimmed with dandelion seeds. Within its one thorny hand was a staff made of leaves and thorns.</p><p>More of the plant monsters from before leaped up behind the creature. Above it, the sound of buzzing poured down as gigantic bees with more stingers than they probably should have floated down from above. With its looks and entourage, it was almost like this creature was the queen of all flora!</p><p>"Geez, that's one big weed," Dej remarked, his frost-covered hands sparkling and chilling as if he prepared an icy blast.</p><p>"I've seen some overgrown plants in my lifetime, but never anything like that!" Sihiri exclaimed. She turned to Inochi and frowned. "Inochi, dear, this couldn't possibly be one of yours, could it?"</p><p>Inochi's hands trembled as she faced the queen flower. "Who, who are you? Better yet, what are you?" Inochi cried, her rosy pink eyes dappled with tears of shock as she wrung her hands. "How do you know me?"</p><p>The queen flower scowled as Inochi's question hit her ears. Her grip on her staff tightened, squeezing it so tight that sap slipped out from its body and poured over her hand.</p><p>"Oh, of course you wouldn't remember!" the queen flower spat, and she drew back her scowl to reveal fangs stained with sap. "You've been gone for so long that you forgot about all of us! If it weren't for my efforts, we'd had all withered and died ages ago!"</p><p>Inochi gasped, her voice trilled and soft as she stepped back. Her eyes laid stagnant, barely moving as her hands trembled further. "It can't be…"</p><p>The queen flower smiled, and her eyes fell on the pendant around Inochi's neck. "But, that won't be a problem for much longer!" the queen flower cried as she held out her free hand. "Because this time, you're not leaving! You're taking root here—PERMANENTLY!"</p><p>Inochi gasped and planted her back to the door. In her moment of panic, the queen flower stretched out her free hand and yanked Inochi by the pendant! Inochi screamed, and her ghostly body dissolved into sparkles! The queen flower drew its arm back and admired the pendant in her grasp. A large pod shaped like a glowing flower burrowed out of the ground with a bang of her staff; it leaped beside her, and she tossed Inochi's pendant in!</p><p>"Inochi!" Sihiri cried as the pendant fell in.</p><p>She whipped out her hand and prepared a blast, but by the time she fired, the pod sealed itself up and completely nullified Sihiri's blast!</p><p>Inochi coughed as she reformed, and let out a sharp, small gasp as she found herself in the pod! She lifted herself up and pressed against the sealed tips of the pod's petals. A brighter green glow tinted the flower's light from inside, and Inochi yelped and collapsed as a small zap hit her! Sparks of static-like pollen burst from Inochi as she pulled herself off the ground. She leaned forward and banged her fists against the pod.</p><p>"Let me out! Let me out!" Inochi cried, her voice muffled from within the flower pod's confines.</p><p>"Yeah, let her out!" Chihiro cried as she stepped forward, hands glowing as she prepared to attack. "I don't know who you are, or what your deal with her is, but we don't have time for this right now!"</p><p>The queen flower scoffed, pulled the flower pod close and stuck her tongue out at Chihiro.</p><p>"And go back to being alone in this place again? I think not!" The queen flower crossed her arms and pouted like a child as she leaned against the flower. "I'm not letting her leave again!"</p><p>With another bang of the queen flower's staff, vines dropped out from the ceiling and yanked Inochi off the ground! Inochi cried as the vines pulled her from the ground, moving with such speed that it tipped the flower pod over. She groaned as the flower pod bounced up and down from its place on the ceiling! Inochi leaned against the pod's walls, but her dizzy expressions turned to a sad scowl as the queen flower stretched up beside her.</p><p>"Minions!" the queen flower cried as she held out her staff. "Exterminate the pests!"</p><p>The plant monsters and bees alike all shouted and growled as they glared down the rest of the team.</p><p>Chihiro gulped as she summoned a sword. "So much for getting out of here quickly," Chihiro remarked as she squeezed her sword's handle.</p><p>"Ah well, this ain't nothing for us!" Luz chirped as he summoned his shield. "Come on, everyone!"</p><p>Luz spun his shield, and a bright light shimmered from it before he shot it out in a sparkling beam towards the crowds of monsters! The monsters all screamed as they shielded and scratched at their eyes. Luz smirked as he dimmed the shield's light with a tap of his hands.</p><p>"Let's do some gardening!"</p><p>Terrafin nodded, jumped out from the crowds and dove into the earth! The ground below rumbled as everyone else charged after him, but Terrafin sawed through the earth. Churned ground and cracked stone flew in his wake as he zipped up to where the plant monsters laid, and leaped out of the ground! His entrance marked itself with a cry of war as he punched one of the plant monsters right in the kisser, dropped down and smacked another in the gut!</p><p>The two of them groaned and collapsed to the ground, wailing as they clutched their injured bodies. Terrafin didn't relent! Another plant monster stormed for him and shot an arm right towards him, so he leaped up and yanked open his jaw. Just before he could bite down and snap it off, something wrapped around his chest and yanked him away. Terrafin cried out as another larger plant monster tossed him up with its vines, and slammed him against the floor! A sharp crack resounded through the room as Terrafin slammed against the floor.</p><p>The plant monster just laughed as it swept Terrafin off the ground; it slammed him down again, and again, and again in a neverending battering. That is, until a magma blob slammed into the plant monster's back and knocked it on its face! Its grip on Terrafin slipped as it prepared to toss him back up, and Terrafin collapsed down into Eruptor's arms! Eruptor grunted as the weight knocked him on his rump, but nonetheless he released Terrafin, who groaned as he laid against Eruptor's shoulder.</p><p>"Fin, you alright?" Eruptor asked as he propped Terrafin up.</p><p>Terrafin groaned again, his eyes spinning in his head. The sounds of groaning and smoldering flames sounded beside him, and he shook his head as both he and Eruptor turned back to the where the flaming, tattered plant monster loomed over them! Its arms raised as it prepared to strike forth, but a gigantic glob of honey leaped forward and pinned it to the ground instead.</p><p>The plant monster crumbled to bits as the honey extinguished its flames, but the battle was far from won! A buzzing sound came in as a bee flitted over and readied it stinger, but a shadow slammed into it and knocked it into a wall.</p><p>Cynder emerged from the shadows as the bee slipped into the massive glob of honey below and smirked. "Knocked that one's lights out," Cynder remarked, yet the sound of buzzing en masse behind her soured her smirk, "but it looks like I've got the rest of the hive to deal with!"</p><p>Cynder scowled as she turned around and glared down the swarm of bees before her. Her jaw yanked open slightly as black lightning bolts burst from it! Just before she could fire, one of the bees yanked up its abdomen and shot a stinger right for her. Cynder gasped, and her lightning strike vanished as she zipped away from the stinger! While that stinger just harmlessly lodged itself into the wall, it was far from the only one. The other bees buzzed even more furiously as they shot their stingers, and Cynder could only fly off!</p><p>"Looks like Cynder could use a little help," Whirlwind remarked as she flew on the sidelines while mist wrapped around her feathers, "and I've got just the thing!"</p><p>With one last flap of her wings, dark clouds charged with lightning flew out from Whirlwind and right towards the swarm of bees that cornered Cynder! The bees buzzed in shock—in more ways than one—as the clouds surrounded them and zapped them with crackles of static. The shock continued as Whirlwind zapped them with rainbows, and blew the clouds up in a colorful explosion! The bees' buzzing turned screechy and pained as they slammed against the floors, the ceilings, and any plants they could find…</p><p>But they weren't the only ones who got knocked away! The blow was close enough that it knocked Cynder back into a wall. She knocked away the leaves, and revealed a honeycomb full of sticky honey underneath! Cynder herself stood trapped within the honey, only her head free as she groaned!</p><p>Whirlwind gasped, and covered her face with her paws as she flew up to Cynder. "Sorry about that!" Whirlwind cried as she pulled Cynder from the honeycomb.</p><p>Cynder groaned and shook the honey off. Whirlwind squeaked and crafted a cloud for a shield beside her, but Cynder frowned. Cynder licked a drop of honey from her paw, gagged and reeled back.</p><p>"That's way too sweet!" Cynder groaned.</p><p>Whirlwind frowned as she flicked honey from Cynder with her wing, but a crash from behind caught her attention!</p><p>Back over by the gate, Chihiro and the rest of the portal masters all grimaced as a few massive seed bombers backed them into the wall. While the others seemed somewhat hesitant, Chihiro smirked as she drew her sword and held it to the ceiling!</p><p>"Time to cut these guys down!" Chihiro cried as her sword changed to a massive cleaver! Chihiro grinned and jumped up. The cleaver shone bright as it rested in her hands, bright enough that it caught Inochi's eye!</p><p>"Wait, don't!" Inochi cried as she planted her hands against the flower pod's walls. "You'll—"</p><p>Inochi's warning came too late, for Chihiro slashed her cleaver and sent massive blades of wind flying down towards the gigantic plant bombs! The blades slashed them right in half. Chihiro smirked and patted her cleaver's blade against her palm as she floated back down, but soon screamed as the halved plant bombs exploded in masses of spores! Chihiro and the other portal masters all hacked as they crashed against the wall, collapsed, and yelped as a smaller plant bomb skittered up to pelt them with seeds!</p><p>Inochi gasped as they cried out from within the masses of green spores. Behind her, the queen flower only laughed! Her petals shone brighter, her colors richer as if just basking in their pain fed her like the sunlight did.</p><p>"Please, stop this!" Inochi cried as she turned to the queen flower. Her pink eyes were teary as she pressed her hands against the pod's walls. "They didn't do anything to you!"</p><p>The queen flower perked up, and her petals wilted slightly as a nasty scowl came across her face. "Yes they did! They tried to take you away from me!" the queen flower cried. She grunted as she yanked away the flower pod, oblivious to how Inochi screamed as she got tossed about within, dashed into the walls and vanished. "But I won't let them! You're not going anywhere!"</p><p>Inochi's screams pierced the air and Sihiri immediately jolted her head up.</p><p>"Inochi!" Sihiri cried.</p><p>Sihiri leaped to her feet. With a snap of her fingers, purple smoke flitted into the spore clouds before they all vanished. Her eyes fell on a particularly suspiciously silhouette that formed amid the leaf-covered walls, dashed into it and vanished.</p><p>"She went this way, come on!" Sihiri cried, her voice hollow as it echoed across the room.</p><p>Vatra, Dej, Luz, and Chihiro immediately leaped to their feet and trailed behind them. Whirlwind, Cynder, Terrafin, and Eruptor all pulled away from their battles as they followed suit. They all jumped into the hole one by one, and slid down through a tunnel covered in vines and flowers that rumbled with the sound of Inochi's screams!</p><p>Their gazes tensed as they sped down towards the golden light at the end of the tunnel—but as they did, a dandelion leaped up from the ground and knocked Eruptor into the ceiling! Eruptor screamed out and hacked a magma blob that burned the dandelion down. He hit the floor and rolled towards Terrafin, who immediately punched the earth and crafted a stone pillar that stopped Eruptor in his tracks! Eruptor groaned and composed himself as the pillar vanished. He turned around, and skittered back as a flower-shaped cannon emerged from the wall and shot globs of nectar at him!</p><p>"Just what's this stuff doing here, anyways?" Eruptor demanded as he tossed a magma blob at the nectar and burned it away.</p><p>"Don't ask me!" Vatra cried as he shot a burst of fire and burned away the flower cannon, scoffed and tossed another one at a catapult of seeds before it could fire. "Ask Inochi! She's the one who brought all these things here!"</p><p>Vatra grunted as he cut away oncoming vines with a burst of flames, but stopped as light brushed against his face! Golden light poured in by the second as they all slid further, and all of them fell out in a pile as the tunnel ended. While everyone around him groaned and pulled themselves off the ground, Vatra frowned and crossed his arms.</p><p>"Looks like it's just a dead end," Vatra remarked, before his eyes fell on a suspiciously light patch of the ground, "or is it?"</p><p>Vatra tapped the patch with his foot. It sank into the ground for moments before the entire floor caved in underneath his feet! Once again, everyone shouted out as they collapsed into the depths of golden light, landed right onto a golden flower and bounced off its surface like a trampoline. They all groaned and rubbed their arms, but the sound of familiar shouts up ahead caught everyone's ears!</p><p>"I'm telling you, let me go!" Inochi cried!</p><p>"That's Inochi's voice!" Sihiri cried as she dashed ahead. "She has to be nearby!"</p><p>The others trailed ahead, the ground rumbling underfoot as they did, but the sights and sounds around didn't matter as much as one—Inochi's! The shouts and cries of hers mingled with that of another, lower and more growling voice as the light grew brighter. The light dimmed as everyone burst through the end of a tunnel, and they all stopped short.</p><p>They found themselves in a massive room covered in vines and flowers. Golden luminaries hung from the ceiling and acted as functional lamps as tinier petunias littered the grass-coated floor. A sweet, nectar-like scent coated the room with such a thickness that it was almost sickening. Its source was, perhaps, the massive throne of vines and flowers that the flower queen stood on like a ladder as she hung Inochi's pod from a vine on the ceiling.</p><p>"Perfect!" the flower queen chirped as she lowered herself. "Now you're not going anywhere!"</p><p>"You can't do this, please!" Inochi cried as she pounded on the pod. "You can't keep me locked up her forever! I need to leave this place!"</p><p>"She's right!" Sihiri cried. She stormed forward as everyone flooded in behind her, and summoned a staff with a frown. "We're not leaving this place without Inochi!"</p><p>"Yeah!" the others cried behind her.</p><p>The flower queen's brows perked up, and her pleased smile turned to a scowl as her eyes fell on Sihiri.</p><p>"So you found me, did you?" The flower queen snarled as she took a seat on her throne. "Well, I applaud you for getting this far, I suppose." The flower queen drummed her sharp, thorny fingers against the throne's armrest, and slammed her arms down on the rests. "BUT THIS IS AS FAR AS YOU WILL GO!"</p><p>The flower queen snarled, and her leafy body slowly unraveled, sinking into the depths of the throne as it rooted itself off the ground!</p><p>"I'M NOT LETTING HER LEAVE, NO MATTER WHAT!" the flower queen cried. Her voice became more distorted and snarling as her face sank into the top of the chair. The throne's petals dyed a rich, bloody red as arms with massive hands of thorns emerged from its armrests. "THE ONLY WAY YOU'LL BE WITH HER IS WHEN I BURY YOU HERE!"</p><p>Inochi gasped, but the flower queen didn't even notice as she slammed her arms into the ground! Her hands sunk into the grass as she yanked open her jaw, and she shot off a round of massive seed bombs! The group scrambled out of the way as the seed bombs crashed into the ground and cast massive clouds of murky green spores everywhere. The flower queen didn't relent; she skittered side to side and cast out more!</p><p>Chihiro squealed and hit the grass as a seed bomb flew over her head. It crashed into the wall behind her, and she pushed herself up as she snarled. Another group of seed bombs hurtled right for her, but she crafted a gigantic baseball bat out of magic and leaped right for them.</p><p>"Batter's up!" Chihiro cried as she slammed her bat against the seed bombs and shot them right back at the flower queen.</p><p>The flower queen screeched like a bat as the bombs slammed into her chest and exploded, slunk back and her vines unraveled once more! They cast clipped grass off the ground as they slammed into the earth, and she panted as the spores clouded around her. Nectar drool piddled from her mouth as she leaned against the wall, and her colors turned just a little lighter.</p><p>Luz and Dej grinned; the two of them dashed up the vines and leaped off! Luz summoned his shield, and shot a mighty burst of light towards the flower queen. Dej thrust his palms together, and shot a massive blast of water into the queen's mouth.</p><p>The queen let out garbled screamed as the blasts hit her, but as they faded… She cackled! Her colors grew brighter and richer; she stretched tall enough to brush just barely against the ceiling. She slammed her hands back into the ground, and a new glow of power brimmed from her.</p><p>"What the?" Dej cried as he floated back. "What happened?"</p><p>"Plants use sunlight and water to grow, you two!" Inochi cried from within her plant pod. "Your attacks are only going to make her stronger!"</p><p>Inochi squeaked as another slam of the flower queen's hands rattled her flower pod. Behind the flower queen, Luz and Dej gulped.</p><p>"We may have made a really bad decision," Dej remarked.</p><p>The two of them screamed as a pair of flower bombs shot out and exploded, knocking them into the grass! While they struggled to push themselves up, the flower queen cackled and sent another round of flower bombs right for them! The two of them gasped, and Luz reached for his shield. Right before he could block the blow, a group of flaming magma blobs slammed into the flower bombs, incinerating them in midair! Luz and Dej both gasped as they turned back to find Vatra and Eruptor standing behind them with a warm glow, one that quickly faded as Vatra lowered his hand.</p><p>"We need to come up with a plan," Vatra shouted as he blew up another flower bomb, "but what?"</p><p>A massive thud shook the grass below and halved it as Vatra lowered his hands. Shadows cast over the throne room! Vatra lifted his head, gasped and dashed away as a massive seed landed in the ground! He snapped his fingers and prepared flames, fully ready for an explosion—but instead of exploding, the seed leaped up from the ground. It sprouted not just arms and limbs, but weapons as well!</p><p>The ground rattled as even more seed warriors crashed on the ground. They dashed after the rest of the group, and Chihiro stood caught in the center of it all. She winced and turned from side to side as her eyes fell on the world around her. There, Skylander and portal master alike warred with the seeds surrounding!</p><p>Dej snatched her hand and dashed off. "C'mon, kid!" Dej cried as he summoned a wave, crafted a surfboard out of coral and leaped on. "We're going for the pest in chief herself!"</p><p>Chihiro gasped, but quickly nodded as she leaped aside and crafted a surfboard of her own. Below her, the wave charged straight for the flower queen! The flower queen cackled and yanked open her jaw, fully ready to take in the water—but at the last minute, the wave turned to solid ice! It glowed cyan as it dove right for the flower queen's chest! The flower queen screeched as the icy daggers twisted into her body, nectar seeping out and freezing across the ice. her twisted hands scratched at the ice while she attempted to free herself. Dej and Chihiro both frowned as they hovered in front of the raging flower queen.</p><p>Dej scoffed as he crossed his arms. "Just what's your deal, anyways? So, she disappeared for a few thousand years, big deal!" Dej exclaimed, his brows tight as he glared down at the flower queen. "It was only a few years, so just let it go!"</p><p>"LET IT GO?" the flower queen screamed.</p><p>Her snarl grew even wider, and the vines that made up her body rippled and pulsated before they bulked up, shattering the icy wave that stabbed into her. Her body reformed with twice the strength of before! It didn't stop there, either; she grew even larger as she growled and shuddered, until she finally hit the ceiling!</p><p>"YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH, PEST!"</p><p>The queen shuddered. With a slam of her palms against the grass, more seed warriors—bigger, bulkier ones with weaponry that dripped with toxic liquid—emerged from the ground! The plant warriors charged after the others still on the ground, and their shouts drew Dej's attention back down to them. As he looked down, the queen yanked him out of the air and put him right up to her face.</p><p>"I was abandoned, left alone, left to die! I had nothing until she found me!" The queen trembled, and she squeezed Dej so tight he nearly popped. "She cared for me like I was her own daughter, promised me I'd never have to be alone again, gave me home and a family! I, I was so happy…" The queen flower sniffled, and tiny (well, tiny for her size) tears formed in the corner of her eyes. "But, but then, she just disappeared! I waited so long for her to return, and now she just wants to leave me alone again?"</p><p>The queen flower yowled as she slammed Dej into Chihiro. She knocked them both into the ground, slammed her fist on the earth next, and shook everything around!</p><p>"I THINK NOT! SHE'S NEVER LEAVING ME EVER AGAIN!"</p><p>The plant warriors squealed in agreement. As Chihiro and Dej started to come to, the plant warriors completely surrounded them! Dej gasped and stabbed them all in their hearts with spears of ice before they could strike, but as those warriors fell, even more burst from the ground and chased them down!</p><p>Inochi winced and sat in her flower pod prison. She looked down to where these plant warriors burst out from the earth, and chased down Skylander and portal master alike while the queen seethed. Her hands brushed against the petals as her eyes fell on the queen, but it wasn't fear that broiled in her gaze. No, it was a kind of somberness, something a bit more concerned than anything.</p><p>"It couldn't possibly be <em>her</em>, could it?" Inochi whispered. "I knew the risks of bringing a sproutling in, but I never thought something like this would happen!"</p><p>Inochi's hand clasped as it laid against the flower pod, and she nodded as she drew it away.</p><p>"I have to fix this!" Inochi gulped, and pressed her hands against the flower pod's walls while a green glow wavered around her. "Let's hope this works."</p><p>Inochi hummed as her flower pod glowed green. That green glow leaped out from the pod's petals and seeped into the ground! The grass around turned a bright, lush green as the glow seeped right to where the Skylanders and the other portal masters stood cornered by those plant warriors. It finally stopped, and formed a massive dome of tight grass around the Skylanders and portal masters' group! The plant warriors squeaked as their weapons were smashed to bits upon impact, growled and pounded their fists against the grassy dome—but it didn't do a thing!</p><p>"Where did this come from?" Chihiro asked. The sound of sprouting brought her attention down below. A petunia bloomed by her feet, and twisted itself until it took a microphone's form!</p><p>"Everyone, it's me!" Inochi cried from the speaker the petunia formed.</p><p>Everyone gasped and knelt down to the petunia's height as Inochi lowered her voice.</p><p>"I think I've figured out how to stop this plant, but I need to break out from this flower pod to do it! Do you think you can do something?"</p><p>"You bet we can!" Chihiro cried as she snapped her fingers. "Just give us a minute!"</p><p>Chihiro and the others all huddled together and whispered. As they nodded, Chihiro broke from the huddle and turned back to the petunia.</p><p>"Alright, Inochi, you can lower the dome now!"</p><p>Inochi didn't need to. A massive explosion rattled the world, and the grass receded to unveil a whole army of floral warriors before them! Those plant warriors from before were armed once again, and beside them were more seed bombers and wavering vines ready to strike. Chihiro, nor any of her companions were intimidated; they just grinned and jumped into the fray!</p><p>Terrafin started first, leaping into the earth and shaving off the grass as he churned up the ground from underneath! Rows formed in the earth as the plant warriors squeaked and stumbled about above ground. In their moment of distraction, bursts of fire came from the ground! The plant warriors all squealed as the flames chased them down to one particularly barren patch of earth.</p><p>As they stepped foot there, the flames extinguished from a massive torrent of water that fell on them! The plant warriors panted as their leaves drooped slightly, lifted their legs and prepared to run—but they couldn't! The torrent drenched the earth into cold mud, and they were stuck tight. They only stayed stuck as blasts of fire and ice blew them to bits!</p><p>Dej and Vatra both chuckled, grinned at each other as the plant warriors withered, but jumped away as a mass of explosions blew behind them! As the two of them fled, a group of seed bombers chuckled to themselves within the mass of misty green spores they created. Soon, they yelped as a mighty gust blew all the spores away! The seed bombers all turned over to where Whirlwind flew in place.</p><p>Beside her, Luz smirked as he tossed a sphere of light so white-hot that it heated the area around by a good bit in his palm. "Hey, catch!" Luz cried as he tossed the sphere right towards the seed bombers.</p><p>The seed bombers squealed and dashed off, but right before they could, the sphere hit the ground and exploded! The world around them was completely incinerated: grass left singed, walls left scorched, and the seed bombers themselves left reduced to ashes!</p><p>Luz smirked as he wiped his hands. "How's about a taste of your own medicine for once?"</p><p>He chuckled to himself for a moment, but gasped as a vine shot forward and sliced of bits of his spiky hair! Luz hit the ground as the vine pulled back, and reached out to summon his shield—but stopped short as Eruptor and Cynder dashed in front of him.</p><p>They tossed both lava blobs and lightning strikes at the oncoming vines. The vines jolted backwards as flames and lightning alike completely singed them. As they turned thin and charred, chakrams of magic and ice shot forward and sliced them in half! The chakrams flew back across the area as the vines collapsed to the ground, and two pale hands yanked them out of the air as Chihiro and Dej smirked at each other.</p><p>At the top of it all, the flower queen yowled and slammed her hand into the ground. Her jaw twisted into a snarl as she overlooked the battlefield, but as she did, she missed one thing! The grass rustled as the faint sounds of someone panting echoed around, yet the flower queen hardly noticed.</p><p>Sihiri pressed herself against the wall and took a breath as she became visible. With a stomp of her feet, a massive magic tower formed underfoot and tossed her into the air, right toward the flower pod containing Inochi! Both Inochi and Sihiri grunted as Sihiri snatched it from the vine, and a floating star formed underneath Sihiri's feet as she flew off.</p><p>"Sihiri!" Inochi cried.</p><p>She grinned as the flower pod floated out of Sihiri's arms and unfolded, and Inochi broke into sheer, gleeful laughter as she leaped into Inochi's arms! The laughter spread to Sihiri as well as they hugged each other tight and spun around. Inochi chuckled as she tapped Sihiri's nose.</p><p>"My hero~" Inochi teased as she drew closer to Sihiri's face and locked her into a kiss! The two of them stayed in pure, pleasant bliss for a few moments as they embraced each other, their grip tender and warm as they kissed with such passion…</p><p>"No," the flower queen gasped.</p><p>Inochi and Sihiri both drew away from their kiss and peered down at the flower queen. The moment the flower queen craned her head up and caught wind, she screamed and flailed! She slammed her arms against the ground while hot tears of nectar burned in her eyes!</p><p>"NO, NO! THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!" the flower queen wailed, smashing her fists and sending the grass flying out of the ground as she sobbed. "YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO TAKE HER AWAY! SHE, SHE, SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO STAY! SHE PROMISED ME SHE WOULD! SHE, SHE TOLD ME…" The flower queen shuddered, and collapsed in a shaking, shuddering heap in the grass! Her cries of rage intermingled with sorrow, a rare sort of vulnerability as she buried her face in her arms. "Muh, ma, she, she told me we'd be together forever…"</p><p>Inochi drew herself away from Sihiri's grip, floated down and drew closer to the raging flower queen. Everyone around her readied their weapons in full expectancy of some kind of attack, but Inochi leaned in and hummed. She shushed the flower queen's rage as she brushed her hands against the flower queen's face. The flower queen's roars and screams slowly drew, and the furious tears of nectar that dripped down her face dried as she peered back down at Inochi.</p><p>"Oh, dear, you must have been so lonely, weren't you? You poor thing," Inochi whispered, and she gently pressed her head against the flower queen's face. "When I found you wilted all that time ago, I promised you I'd never leave you alone again…"</p><p>"AND YOU LIED!" the flower queen roared as she yanked herself away from Inochi's embrace.</p><p>Vines shot out from the wall and straight towards Inochi, but Inochi slipped away and hovered still. The gentle look of sorrow still on her face as she clasped her hands tight, not that it eased the flower queen's rage any. The flower queen slammed a leafy fist into the wall and sent more vines shooting! Inochi gasped and slipped away from one; her eyes fell on the flower queen, and she hesitated before another vine knocked her back.</p><p>"Do you have any idea how agonizing it was, being left on my own all these years?" The tears streamed again as the flower queen slammed her fists against the wall further. "I spent all that time waiting for you to come back, to greet me, to greet us all! It was cold, and painful, and I spent so much time alone and trapped by myself! I could feel myself dying every day, but I endured the agony all so I could see you, and now you're just going to abandon me again?"</p><p>Inochi squeaked as she dodged another vine, clasped trembling, shaking hands and drew closer. "Please believe me when I said that it wasn't a lie! I—"</p><p>"NOT A LIE? NOT A LIE?" The flower queen exclaimed, her face red hot as she stomped into the ground! Her neck stretched out as she shoved her face in Inochi's once more, and her petals turned red like blood and her face sharp and furious. "THEN WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?"</p><p>"I NEVER WANTED TO!" Inochi cried back as she burst forward and hugged the flower queen's face.</p><p>The flower queen gasped, and her angry features softened as she wrapped her leafy hands around Inochi. Wrapped in her tiny embrace, the two nuzzled each other, and Inochi didn't even seem to notice the nectar tears that streamed onto her head.</p><p>"I died. I, I passed away fighting those very beings who wanted to hurt our world, and when I awakened, it had been millennia!" Inochi sobbed as she clutched a petal tighter. "I'd never willingly abandon any of my precious sprouts like that!"</p><p>The flower queen sputtered, and her leaves wrapped tighter as she lowered her head. Those nectar tears dripped down and formed pools at her roots, yet all she did was sit there and cry as she held Inochi in her embrace, so snug, so warm, so safe.</p><p>"I'm sorry I caused you so much pain. I can't imagine how awful you must have felt, being alone for so long!" Inochi sniffled herself, and her own tears turned to sobs once more as she squeezed the flower queen's petals. "Please, please forgive me for not being the caretaker I should've!"</p><p>The flower queen trembled, lips quivering and tears budding in her eyes as she gently ran her leaves down Inochi's back.</p><p>"Muh, muh," the flower queen sputtered and spat. Her voice, once so warped and demanding and full of power, grew weaker. Her own body shrank until she was no taller than Inochi herself. "Ma, ma…"</p><p>The flower queen grew smaller as her limbs started to lose their detailing. Her clawed hands and thorny limbs were just simple leaves and roots, and her voice was weak, a whisper. She was not a queen demanding an audience, but a girl crying for the mother she lost.</p><p>"Mama!" the flower queen sobbed at last as she wrapped herself tight in Inochi's grasp.</p><p>The flower queen nestled tight within her arms as her sobbing started to fade into the echoes. The last of her features shrank, receding back into her body until she was once again just an ordinary flower! Inochi gently brushed her fingers against the former flower queen's petals, knelt down and planted her back into the ground. The flower drooped over for a minute. Though it seemed to have wilted, it carried itself with a semblance of what seemed like a smile on its face as it folded into the earth and vanished, at rest at last.</p><p>A soft breeze blew as the armies of flower creatures froze in their places, sank into the earth, and vanished while the world itself came to a standstill. Leaves danced in the air as everyone else walked behind Inochi, but Inochi just stood and smiled as she examined the spot where the flower queen once rested.</p><p>"Rest well, my precious sprout," Inochi whispered. Leaves and flower petals cascaded forward and danced around Inochi, all paired with the faint sounds of a child's laughter that had no source.</p><p>For a moment, everyone stood still, the silent tranquility a rare moment of peace after such a hectic time… But, a cough from Vatra turned their attention back to him.</p><p>"Alright, now that everyone's here, just one question," Vatra asked as all eyes turned back on him. "How are we going to get out of here?" Vatra turned around and gestured to the sealed door behind him. "Because something tells me that isn't budging."</p><p>"I, don't know, actually," Inochi remarked as she turned around and scratched her cheek. "I haven't been down this way in ages, so…"</p><p>"Actually, I know!"</p><p>This time, it was Dej that all eyes fell on. He smirked and wiped his hands as he strode up, no mind paid to the attention as he approached a stick that looked suspiciously like a lever.</p><p>"Now, ten thousand years gave me a lot of time to run around this place. I practically know it like the back of my hand!" Dej remarked as he leaned down on the lever. "It just so happens that there's a little something here that'll give us the air we need!" Dej winked as the lever was pushed down the lowest it could go. "If you know what I mean!"</p><p>Vatra's own face faltered into a frown, and the others just blinked and stared while Dej rejoined them.</p><p>"Dej," Vatra said, his tone flat and colder than his warm appearance befitted, "don't tell me you're thinking what I think you are."</p><p>The ground around started to quiver. The others gasped and chattered among themselves, but Dej just crossed his arms and chuckled. His smirk didn't relent as a gigantic flower popped out from the ground, seating everyone right in its center!</p><p>"You might wanna hold on tight!" Dej cried as the flower creaked further and further down.</p><p>"Why?" Chihiro asked as she sat down and clung to the center of the flower right as it reached its lowest point.</p><p>"We're gonna be in for a wild flight!"</p><p>In one swift motion, the flower sprung from the ground, and the sudden force sent them all flying through the massive hole in the ceiling! Their shouts echoed around the chamber, and rustled its leaves as they disappeared into the heavens above.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 8: Glacier Gully Part 1 (Part 2)<p>Tree Rex frowned as he stepped off the ship, and ahead of him, Chihiro and the Skylanders slowly disappeared into the distance.</p><p>"Well," Tree Rex remarked as he drew his hands away from the rails, "I suppose that finding this Noodles being is our job now."</p><p>"That's your job, you mean!" Ermit scoffed as he strode off and huddled beside a few barrels. "I'm not running around in all that snow, and especially not when there's evil ice ogres about!" Ermit grinned as one of the barrels heated up, and held his hands closer to its warmth. "I'm staying here where it's nice and safe!"</p><p>Tree Rex sighed, shook his head while Ermit cowered, and stomped his way down the drawbridge. Eye-Brawl and Thumpback leaped off the boat and tossed snow off the ground, Swarm flew off and hovered down below them, and they all crossed the snowy land with a single nod. They were completely silent with stoic frowns to match as they passed by the masses of snow, ice, and frost-covered mountains and buildings, all sights that seemingly blended together…</p><p>But then, Tree Rex hit something cool and slick and slid off!</p><p>"Whoa- whoa-whoa!" Tree Rex cried as he slid across the slick flooring and smashed right into the side of a marble building! The building cracked behind him as Tree Rex's head spun, and he groaned as he pushed it up.</p><p>Before him, the endless slopes and slicks of ice and snow made way some. They traded off in favor of carefully-crafted marble buildings colored in sleek, pearly shades of blues and whites; all of them melded with the warmth of shiny gold. Large pagodas and homes shimmered while the snow dusted their roofs like glitter, and tall pillars with all sorts of carvings depicting events long past stood beside these buildings. The floors were made of a strong tile, shimmered with light in rainbow colors, and the snow glistened against their light like pastel jewels. It was a perfect light show in the day! Even those statues of that strange Noodles being glistened amid the shine of the sun, and radiated as if they were made of crystal or diamonds rather than ice. Winter chills burst through crystal windchimes and sent pleasant tunes through the air.</p><p>For such a cold place, the sight of it warmed Tree Rex's heart! He stood up and marveled in its beauty. He hadn't seen a place quite as beautiful as this since he last went to the free magicians' Northern Base while they plotted an attack on the Arkeyans' Winter Stronghold. In fact, the sights around here felt just like it with their crystalline aesthetics and bright shine!</p><p>"Boss, you alright?" Swarm asked as he flew in and crossed his arms. "You took a pretty nasty slip there!" Swarm paused, and his eyes grew and shrank as he smirked. "In fact, you could almost say it was" — Swarm snapped his fingers — "hard as ice!"</p><p>The wind spun past Swarm, and his antenna sunk at the lack of reception. "Geez, tough crowd."</p><p>Tree Rex just chuckled and laid a hand on Swarm's shoulder while Swarm scoffed,. "Ah, don't mind me, Swarm," Tree Rex said as he turned Swarm around and gestured towards the area. "I was just thinking, this place seemed almost familiar…"</p><p>"Hello?"</p><p>Tree Rex smiled and inhaled the cold air, but amid their howls, he was sure he heard something like a soft voice, almost? He turned his head aside, but couldn't seem to find anything! He must have just been hearing things.</p><p>"Hello?"</p><p>Wait, no he wasn't! Tree Rex turned right, yet still couldn't find any source for that strange, soft voice!</p><p>"Did you hear something, Swarm?"</p><p>Swarm's antenna perked up as he turned back to Tree Rex. "Now that you mention it, it almost sounded like someone was calling for me!"</p><p>"Tree Rex, Swarm!" cried a pair of voices in the distance!</p><p>Tree Rex and Swarm both turned around. Thumpback and Eye-Brawl slid in behind them, and with much more elegance than Tree Rex himself did to boot!</p><p>"There you two are!" Eye remarked. "Eye was wondering when I'd spot you!"</p><p>"Ah, don't mind us," Tree Rex remarked as he scratched at his horns, "we were just admiring the scenery."</p><p>Eye chuckled. "Ah, don't mind that. More importantly!" Eye popped off of Brawl, and fluttered down between Swarm and Tree Rex's legs. "Who's this ghastly little ghost that's lingering around you?"</p><p>Wait, a ghost? Tree Rex hadn't seen any ghosts when he came in here! A bone-chilling breeze whipped around his legs, and he peered down with a shudder. Sure enough, a thin, blue ghost with a gear planted firm on their chest flickered in and out of existence with every blink as he floated between Tree Rex and Swarm! Tree Rex wanted to ask this ghost just when they got here, but the ghost completely ignored Tree Rex as he floated up to Eye and grinned.</p><p>"You're the first one to actually notice my presence," the ghost said as he clasped his hands. "Thank you. Everyone else just ignores me."</p><p>The thick blue mist that wrapped around the ghost thinned a little as he turned around and sighed, and Tree Rex himself bowed his head as the ghost flickered once more. The poor thing, just the sight of him seemed so lonely. Tree Rex scooped the ghost into his hands, and grinned as he held the ghost up to his eyes. A soft gasp came from the ghost, but his initial shock softened as he sat down.</p><p>"Who might you be, little ghost?" Tree Rex asked. "You don't seem very fit for the weather around here!"</p><p>"I could say the same of you," the ghost chuckled back, and a twinkle shone in his blank white eyes before he turned around. "But, you are right. I'm not quite accustomed to this weather. Normally I'd brave it out in the robot I call my home…"</p><p>Another crash sounded in the distance, and all eyes turned to where that robot suit smashed off a glacial cliff! Cold white smoke burst from it as it slid down and disappeared into the clouds below, but the robot only cackled as it pumped its fist in the air. Tree Rex couldn't help but wince at the sight, yet the ghost only sighed below him.</p><p>"But then, that awful Noodles stormed my home and kicked me out! That's not even the worst of it. Ever since he took over that robot, he's spent all their time making a mess of this island! All this wanton destruction's left the island in disarray." The ghost curled up into a ball as he leaned against Tree Rex's fingers. "I can't even stop it, either. They won't listen to a word I say!"</p><p>"Well lucky for you, you've got help!" Tree Rex chimed in.</p><p>The ghost gasped and perked up his head, and Tree Rex only winked in response.</p><p>"See, we came here to stop that Noodles guy, too!" Swarm added as he leaned against Tree Rex's shoulder and winked. "Once we're through with him, he won't ever think of touching your robot again!"</p><p>"Really?" the ghost asked.</p><p>Nods came from all around, and normally, any average being would be ecstatic to hear it! However, the ghost didn't seem quite as happy. Rather, he frowned, and his body phased in and out; his hands pressed together as he peered back up at Tree Rex.</p><p>"Are you sure? Those ice ogres placed a lot of obstacles along the way." The ghost drummed his ghastly fingers against his face, which disappeared and reappeared with every phase. "It was a miracle that I managed to get here unscathed!"</p><p>"Don't worry about it, buddy!" Thumpback shouted as he rubbed the ghost's head. He grinned as he adjusted his anchor's position on his shoulder, spun around and strode off. "Whatever they have in store for us, I'm sure it'll be nothing!"</p><p>Thumpback whistled, grunted as he slammed into something cold and icy, and stumbled back! He shook his head and sent water droplets out his blowhole that quickly froze into icy chips, lifted his head and grimaced. His dour look met with his reflection as it shone in the icy object he slammed into.</p><p>"Okay, I stand corrected."</p><p>Above them all, a massive block of ice completely block off the way ahead! It was so tall that it stretched well into the clouds and past the heavens, and it seemed perfectly solid. Thumpback's collision hadn't even put a dent in it, and just its presence seemed to chill the area around.</p><p>Tree Rex frowned, backed up and leaned in as he charged forward—but the ice completely chilled him to the bone the moment he hit it! A cold, numbing feeling rattled his bones as he stumbled backwards while the world around him turned blurry and spun in circles, and something pulled him back to his feet as his vision cleared. Eye and Swarm both frowned and raised their brows at Tree Rex, and Tree Rex himself just giggled.</p><p>"Well, it was worth a shot," Tree Rex remarked.</p><p>"Brute force doesn't seem to be the answer to this problem," Eye remarked as he flew off and glared at the ice block. "Perhaps we need to put a little heat on it!"</p><p>Eye flew back, and with a slight tilt of his round body, a gigantic laser burst from his corner and seared into the block! Its bright, silvery blue light burned and reflected in the block itself, and white smoke drifted off from the laser's body as it disappeared amid the cool skies. Surely, something of that intensity would work, right? The laser reflected back as it zapped Eye into Brawl's arms. All eyes turned to the block then to find that, aside of a few thin wisps of smoke that blew off of its surface, the ice block was perfectly untouched! Not a single sign of damage rested on its surface, and it sparkled like a pristine diamond still. It probably would've been pretty if it hadn't blocked their way, but for now, it was a nuisance.</p><p>"What're we gonna do now, boss?" Swarm asked as he turned to Tree Rex.</p><p>Tree Rex just sighed and crossed his arms as he racked his brain. Normally, he would've called upon Hot Head's flames to melt it down, or on Ninjini to levitate the block out of their way, but neither of them were here at the moment. A faint recollection of the battle that separated them flitted into Tree Rex's mind, but he shook his head and dispelled the thought. His main priority was on this ice block for now, but how to move it? Even with all four of them on deck, it seemed far too heavy for them to just lift and toss away! Surely, there had to be some other way out?</p><p>"When did these crystals get here?" asked the ghost, his voice still faint as ever.</p><p>Tree Rex tilted his head, and turned back to one of those chilly pagodas. There, the ghost fiddled with a massive, laser-spewing crystal that planted in the pagoda's heart. The laser it cast was bright and solid, enough that one burst completely melted the ice around the pillar it shot at, and revealed clear stone underneath! Tree Rex skimmed across the area, where a few other crystals of similar power and stature laid, and his eyes turned back to the block.</p><p>Tree Rex grinned as he pounded a fist into his hand. "There's your answer!" Tree Rex cried as he manned the crystal. "Move all these crystals so that they're facing the block, stat!"</p><p>Swarm, Eye-Brawl, and Thumpback all nodded, dashed across the land, and grunted as they heaved and pushed the crystals around! The crystals' lasers all locked on a single spot in the heart of the block, and Tree Rex himself grinned as he twisted his own and joined in. Their combined laser blast heated the bottom of the crystal into a clear, lightless white, but it still wasn't enough to melt it. Tree Rex joined up with the others and nodded.</p><p>"Just what are you planning?" the ghost asked as he floated up to Tree Rex and placed a hand to his face.</p><p>Tree Rex grinned. "You'll see!"</p><p>Tree Rex thrust out his solar cannon. Beside him, Swarm placed his arm barbs together, Eye popped off of Brawl's top, and Thumpback yanked his jaw wide open. Tree Rex closed his eyes, and the thought of warm, bubbling, bright light came to mind as his blood heated and broiled within his body. A warm feeling mixed with a sharp, shrieking sound came from around him, and he yanked his eyes open to find a world tinted blue!</p><p>"Fire!" Tree Rex cried.</p><p>The screech of fast light came from all around as that bright, blue light turned white, and completely masked Tree Rex's vision, but the massive smash that followed showed him all he needed to know! His vision cleared, and a massive hole formed right in the center of the ice block's lower half as green light faded from his solar cannon! With its foundation damaged, the block itself teetered left, and smashed a hole in the side of the bridge as it fell right over!</p><p>"That's the power of the Light Element for you," Tree Rex remarked as he crossed his arms, and a soft round of applause echoed from below.</p><p>"Bravo, bravo!" the ghost cheered.</p><p>Just then, a loud horn sounded off, and sent the ghost fritzing in and out of existence! The horn sounds grew even louder, so loud that everyone covered their ears just to avoid the noise, but, though their ears were covered, their eyes were wide open!</p><p>They saw something round and white rumbling in from the distance. It was so far away it couldn't quite be discerned, but the bumpy texture it showed as it came closer kind of looked like… Snow? The white orbs came to a screeching halt right at the beginning of the broken bridge; sure enough, they were giant snowballs, or so it seemed. They shuddered as they came in for a stop. Out from the snowballs' tops popped smaller snowballs with angry faces made of coal, carrots, and silver and blue armor over their heads. These weren't any ordinary snowballs—they were snowwarriors!</p><p>"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!" cried the snowwarrior in the center as sticks emerged from its snowy face and formed angry eyebrows over their shiny coal eyes. "All intruders will face our mighty, chilly wrath!" The snowwarrior shuffled to the smaller snowwarrior on its left and flailed around. "Ready the arms!"</p><p>"Understood, captain!" the snowwarrior cried as it shuffled back around.</p><p>Tree Rex raised a brow, but Swarm only cackled beside him.</p><p>"Oh how scary, they sent out a bunch of snowpeople!" Swarm chuckled as he pointed at the snowwarriors and waved his fingers around. "What'cha gonna do, pelt us with snowballs?"</p><p>The snowwarriors' stick arms sunk back into their bodies, and out from them came sleek, silver cannons! The cannons loaded back with a single click. The stick eyebrows the snowwarriors held transformed into miniature logs.</p><p>"FIREEEEEEEE!" cried the head snowwarrior.</p><p>Right as it shouted this, an entire barrage of snowballs flew out and headed straight for the Elder Elementals—but with how hard these snowballs were, it was like they got pelted with gigantic chunks of hail or ice instead! Tree Rex grunted as several of the snowballs hit his chest, and he flung his arms in front of his aching torso. Beside him, Thumpback grunted as he fell on his back. Thumpback tried to push himself up, but another snowball smacked him right in the snout and knocked him back down.</p><p>Eye-Brawl wasn't much better. Eye hit the skies as he flitted away in a panic from the mass of snowballs that came his way. Brawl just squeaked and cowered with his hands over his nonexistent head!</p><p>Swarm wove between the waves of snowballs and clenched his teeth. "Me and my big mouth!" Swarm cried. He narrowly ducked under another assault of snowballs, yet one still pelted him right in the face.</p><p>He grunted and held his sore face as the snow slid right off. "You might be pretty good at hitting a big target, but how about a smaller one?" Swarm cried as he pounded his arms together. "Better yet, what about an entire swarm of them?"</p><p>The snowwarriors all paused for a moment as they turned around, leaned back and squeaked as Swarm disappeared into an entire swarm of angry, buzzing bees! The bees' buzzing turned high and screechy as they swarmed and dashed around the snowwarriors' heads, and the snowwarriors themselves could only flail their cannons to little avail. One shot off a couple snowballs, but the bees zipped out of the way and dashed off. The snowwarriors all frowned and turned back around as the sound of soft, slow buzzing sounded beside them, but the moment their eyes fell on the swarm of bees behind them, they screamed! The bees took the shape of Swarm once more, and in the snowwarriors' moment of fright, he reformed and laid his barbs' sights right on them!</p><p>"Prepare to buzz!" Swarm cried as thundering stormclouds wrapped around his barbs!</p><p>Swarm jumped back right as the barbs fired, split in three, and sniped off the heads of each snowwarrior! Snow, tattered hats, and coal lumps tossed in the air and thunked against the ground as the snowwariors' bodies liberated themselves of their cannons arms, and stood still as ice. The bodies shuddered for a moment as they rocked back and forth, and out from them popped three wide-eyed, teeth-chattering ice ogres!</p><p>"They're tougher than we thought!" the ogres cried as they leaped out of their snowy bodies and dashed between Swarm's legs. "We've gotta warn Commander Noodles!"</p><p>"Hey, I didn't say you could buzz off!" Swarm cried as he zipped after them.</p><p>Tree Rex, Eye-Brawl, Thumpback, and the ghost all dashed right after Swarm. The snow tracked underneath their feet as they dashed down the cold marble of the path below them. They all panted as their eyes fell just above Swarm's shoulder, where one could faintly spot that trio of ice ogres dashing right towards another snowy island that acted as the foot of small, snow-covered mountains.</p><p>Behind them, the Elder Elementals and the ghost charged forward, but then, the ogres hit the snow and stomped their feet! A shriek came from above as shadows cast themselves on the segment of path that stood between the ogres and the Elder Elementals, and down over it came massive hunks of ice! The ice blocks crashed down in sequence and completely barred the way ahead off, their ice so thick and cold that it completely chilled through. Mist came from underneath the blocks' solid white bodies as the Elder Elementals backed off, and the faint laughter and footsteps of ice ogres echoed in the skies.</p><p>Swarm's lip twitched slightly. His wings buzzed like a cicada's as he smashed his barbs into the ice's surface like a chisel—but, that wasn't quite a bright idea. His eyes turned wide as his barb snapped in half, and he screamed as he yanked his hand back from the unbroken block.</p><p>"Owch! Owch owch owch!" Swarm wailed as he rubbed his broken barb, his eyes welled with small tears. He winced as he leaned the broken barb against the ice blocks before him, and breathed a sigh of relief as the chill numbed his wound.</p><p>"Looks like we're not getting through there anytime soon," Thumpback said as he rubbed his massive chins. "Guess we'll have to go back."</p><p>"Or we could take the other way?" the ghost suggested.</p><p>All eyes turned down to him, and the ghost just smiled as he pushed open part of the path's railing like it was a gate's door. As the door slid open, a path of shiny silver stretched out before him, and he floated over and ushered for the Elder Elementals to come.</p><p>Tree Rex frowned as he peered down the path ahead. "That might work for you, but I think it's a little small for us," Tree Rex remarked as he scratched his horns.</p><p>The ghost hummed as he examined the bridge below, sighed and floated back over to Tree Rex's side. "Well, I suppose you're right there," he admitted.</p><p>Thumpback continued to rub his chin as his tiny eyes fixed on the gigantic ice blocks that blocked the way off. A low, rumbling hum came from him, the same kind of hum he always made if something caught his eye. Perhaps he had an idea?</p><p>"Swarm, can you scout the tops of these blocks for any gaps?" Thumpback asked.</p><p>"Odd request, but sure!" Swarm replied. His wings flitted a bit, and he zipped up and away. "If you need an eye in the skies, leave it to me!"</p><p>Swarm buzzed above the blocks and hummed as he zipped from block to block, nodded and zipped back to Thumpback. "There's a few!" Swarm replied as he landed back down and held out his hands. "They're about this big, and there's one between each of those blocks—"</p><p>"Perfect."</p><p>Thumpback smiled, whipped out his anchor and spun it around like a lasso! Snow from the clouds whipped around his anchor and chilled it. Thick, dark clouds seeped out from his claws next, and sank into the anchor itself until it grew so cold that frost formed around its metal.</p><p>"Drop anchor!" Thumpback cried as he tossed the anchor above the blocks.</p><p>The anchor soared over and landed just across the blocks. Thumpback turned back and winked as he gripped its chain tighter. His feet planted against the side of the ice blocks, and he hiked up the side of the ice block like it was a mountain! As he finally reached the top, he sat down on the side and waved back down.</p><p>"How about a little hike, fellas?"</p><p>Tree Rex and Brawl just chuckled, but beside him, Swarm and Eye shrugged as they flew back up in the air.</p><p>"Well, personally, eye'd prefer a little flight," Eye remarked as he swept around the blocks and flitted off. "We'll see you on the other side!"</p><p>Tree Rex swept the ghost off of the path and placed the ghost on his shoulder. "Hang on, little buddy!" Tree Rex remarked.</p><p>Tree Rex approached the anchor, gently lifted its chain off the side of the ice block, and shuddered as its cold seeped into his own body. He winced a little, but gripped the anchor tight, and held it tighter as he slammed into the block below him and hiked up. Funny, beings always talked about climbing trees, and now a tree was climbing! Tree Rex couldn't help but chuckle at the irony as he reached the top, beamed and waved down at Brawl.</p><p>Brawl took no notice to Tree Rex, for he held a hand to his nonexistent face as he stood beside the chain. Tree Rex knelt down as he pressed a hand down on the icy-cool chain, turned back to Brawl and craned his head up. Brawl lifted himself up, gripped onto the chain and hastily skittered up the block. His feet skidded a little on the ice, and Brawl yipped as he clung to Tree Rex while he crawled onto the top.</p><p>Thumpback chuckled as he yanked his iced-over anchor from the other side, and with its body in his hands, the ice melted away and revealed the anchor's normal self! Thumpback leaped across the blocks and hupped with Tree Rex and Brawl close behind. All three of them flipped over and landed at the very end of the path! Snow leaped up from underneath their feet and coated their arms, and Eye flew over and popped back on Brawl's head while they brushed off their arms!</p><p>"Good news, guys!" Swarm proclaimed as he buzzed in front of them and waved. "Scouted the place out, and it looks like it's abandoned!" Swarm turned up and gestured to the robot, which lurched over the mountaintops ahead. "That robot's down too!"</p><p>"That's great news!" Tree Rex proclaimed. He grinned, and his smile made its way to the ghost as well while Tree Rex turned to him. "We'll be able to get your home back in no time!"</p><p>"Thank goodness!" The ghost proclaimed. A chill rushed through his body, and he shuddered as he phased in and out, "I'm getting tired of all this cold and snow."</p><p>"That's what you think!"</p><p>The ground rumbled below Tree Rex's feet and unsteadied him a little, so he leaned against the ice block behind him and snarled as he lifted his head. Up above him, a quartet of large, white snowballs rolled around the rim of a large bowl of ice, spun forward and slammed down in front of him! The balls shuddered as their heads popped up. They revealed the faces of very angry snowwarriors, and ones much bigger than the last batch to boot. They matched Tree Rex in size, and that was saying something!</p><p>Tree Rex's lip twitched; he gently scooped the ghost off of his shoulder, and placed the ghost down on the ground, far away from where the conflict resided. The ghost winced as he floated backwards, but Tree Rex himself quickly lifted his head.</p><p>"Let us take care of these guys," Tree Rex whispered, and he forced a smile before he snarled and turned back to the snowwarriors.</p><p>"You're not getting anywhere near our commander!" the head snowwarrior cried as it rocked back and forth with such fury that its head nearly popped off of its body. It hopped around, and its stick arms flailed as all its fellow snowwarriors turned to face it.</p><p>"Warriors!"</p><p>The snowwarriors all hopped around their commander and saluted, but their commander just hopped back around. It turned its stick arms onto Tree Rex, Swarm, Thumpback, and Eye-Brawl!</p><p>"To arms!"</p><p>The snowwarriors cried out in affirmation, and their arms rescinded back into their bodies before they popped out with weapons made of snow right in their hands! Their axes, staffs, and swords glistened in the light as the snowwarriors screamed to the heavens and hopped ahead. With a single swing, they sent a flurry of snow Tree Rex's way. Tree Rex yanked out his solar cannon and sent a wave of solar energy that melted their snow blasts the moment they hit, but the snowwarriors and their weapons still remained! Their snow shone bright as ever as they leaped for Tree Rex, but Thumpback wrapped his anchor around them before they could strike, and tossed them back. They grunted as they slammed against the icy stone of the mountains before them, yet their snowy bodies didn't break a bit!</p><p>"For beings made of snow, these guys are tough as rock!" Tree Rex cried.</p><p>"You bet we are!" one snowwarrior proclaimed as they brandished their ax. "Commander Noodles didn't make us his personal guard for nothing!"</p><p>That one snowwarrior screamed as they hopped forward and slung their ax at Thumpback; Thumpback brandished his anchor in turn. The ax clanged as it flew back, but the snowwarrior yanked it out of the air and slashed again! Thumpback clutched his anchor in his arms and chilled it with just a touch, until it turned to a solid icy sheet over a heart of metal. It was so icy-cold that frost formed in places over its ice. It was a temperature so chilling that it would have been painful to the touch for most, but with Thumpback's thick layers of blubber, the anchor became his perfect shield!</p><p>He threw it up, blocking another blow from the ax, yanked the anchor by its frosty chain and swung it around. The snowwarrior hopped away from Thumpback's blow as it tossed the ax right towards Thumpback, who pulled his anchor back and blocked off the ax just in time. The ax flew backwards and hit the snowwarrior right in the head; if not for the helmet it wore, which froze to such a point that the ax bounced off, its head probably would've split right open! The snowwarrior's coal mouth formed a frown as the ax landed back in its hands; it screamed as it hopped towards Thumpback with the ax raised!</p><p>Thumpback yanked his anchor back. The barnacles on his arms glowed with a bright shine, one that spread to his anchor and melted away all its ice and frost in a steaming puddle at his feet! A shout from above lifted his attention back to the oncoming snowwarrior. Thumpback tossed his anchor into the center of the puddle and whipped it around! A swirling, furious whirlpool that bubbled and cackled at his feet formed as he spun, and Thumpback grunted as he spun his anchor further. The snowwarrior lunged for him, but Thumpback stepped back right as the snowwarrior lost its air, and grinned as the snowwarrior fell in and screamed!</p><p>The snowwarrior flailed its arms, its ax liberated from its hands as it spun in circles within the whirlpool's grip. Thumpback yanked out his anchor, tossed the helpless snowwarrior in the air, and slashed it to bits as he swung his anchor around. Its ax and armor became scratched and broken while parts of the snow around its body exploded in puffy patches, and one last swing tossed it into the fray! Thumpback smiled as the anchor flew backwards and landed in his hands, but ducked aside a large ax made of pure snow flew overhead. He lifted his head, winced and ran off as another barrage of snowy axes flew off from the distance!</p><p>In the center of the fray, Tree Rex grunted and smacked away another barrage of snowy axes! Before him, a snowwarrior cackled as it whipped out another round of axes and tossed them away. Tree Rex whipped out his solar cannon and shot a bright flare of light right towards them! The snowwarrior screamed, hit the deck as the light blast shot right for it, and lifted its head with a grunt. The light blast crashed into a small cliff behind it, but the snowwarrior was more concerned with its axes—or what was left of them, anyways! The light completely melted the axes, and all that was left was Tree Rex. Tree Rex pounded the ground in the snowwarrior's moment of stupor, and shot a shock wave towards the snowwarrior, who screamed and spun around as the shock wave ran through it! Tree Rex charged forward as the snowwarrior sputtered and spun around, smacked it away, but turned around as the sound of sputtering caught his ears.</p><p>A snowwarrior that wielded a staff smirked and pointed its staff's head right towards Eye-Brawl. Eye and Brawl both popped off and glared it down! The snowwarrior gulped as Eye flew around and glared at its back. Chills went down its already-quite-chilly spine as it hopped between both Brawl and Eye, but it smacked its staff's base against the ground as stick eyebrows emerged from its face!</p><p>"You're not the only one who can split yourself up, you know!" the snowwarrior cried as its body glistened like a diamond.</p><p>A shining rainbow of magic burst from its snowy body, and the body flickered as it split into a whole ring of snowwarriors! The bodies all shone their brightest as they solidified and plopped down on the snow. They all cackled in tandem as they hopped closer around Eye and Brawl, until the two of them stood back to back. Now, they stood caught in the middle of a circle of snowy soldiers, and their staffs pointed towards Eye and Brawl at every angle.</p><p>Brawl winced and twiddled his fingers, but Eye just scoffed and held himself high.</p><p>"And you're not the only one who can call for backup, either!" Eye cried. He lowered his body, and his wings flapped as furiously as they could. "ARISE, MY LITTLE BROTHERS!"</p><p>The snowwarriors all gasped and hopped away as the ground below them rumbled and popped, but a whole swarm of tiny, flying eyeballs burst from the ground and slammed right into the snowwarriors! The effigies all grunted and vanished in puffs of light as the real snowwarrior smacked the eyeballs away with its staff.</p><p>"Back, back!" the snowwarrior cried as it tossed away the miniature eyeballs. "Stay away from me, you weird, slimy things!" A shadow cast over the snowwarrior. It peered up and gulped as Brawl knelt down to face it. "Oh no."</p><p>The snowwarrior went flying with a flick of Brawl's finger! Brawl wiped his hands as the snowwarrior flew into the distance, but flung his arms across his chest as Swarm zipped past. Swarm flew with such speed that he kicked up snow in both Eye and Brawl's faces, yet slowed himself just a minute as he waved back with a wary grin.</p><p>"Sorry 'bout that! I've got a little something on my tail!" Swarm cried.</p><p>His eyes popped open as a cry hit the airs, and he dodged out of the way as a bomb made of snow soared right for him! Swarm slipped away as the bomb hit the ground and exploded in a massive, spiky ice formation, and scoffed as he turned back to the snowwarrior who tossed it. The snowwarrior shouted out as it whipped out even more icy bombs, but Swarm just turned tail and flew off.</p><p>"Get back here!" the snowwarrior panted as it hopped after Swarm, lobbing bombs the entire way. "These bombs aren't infinite, you know!"</p><p>Swarm swerved out of the way of one bomb, corkscrewed away from another, and zipped right up the side of a cliff as he drew inches from smashing right into it! The bomb that trailed him there slammed into the side of the cliff and bounced right back for the snowwarrior, who screamed and turned around as the bomb flew right for it. Just as it hopped off, the bomb exploded by its base and tossed the snowwarrior away!</p><p>Swarm grinned and seated himself back on the snow. He held a hand over his eyes, a shield from the harsh light of the snow that allowed him to gaze over the snowwarrior. Swarm smirked as the snowwarrior crashed into the pile of its fallen comrades, lifted his hand and placed it on his hip. In front of him, the snowwarriors all groaned as they collapsed in the heaps of snow. The snow around their own bodies rejoined the heaps around, and left tired, exhausted ice ogres in its wake! The ice ogres craned their heads up, and closed their eyes as the snows' chills rendered them unconscious.</p><p>Behind them, Tree Rex just smiled and lifted the ghost back from the ground. "That should be taken care of," Tree Rex said as he placed the ghost back on his shoulder. A small chill like a cool breeze brushed against his shoulder as the ghost laid down, but it was more pleasant compared to the bone-chilling colds that brushed around Tree Rex, so he just smiled. "We'll get your robot back in no time!"</p><p>"What's this about getting back a robot?" cried a booming voice from above.</p><p>Tree Rex lifted his head, and gasped as his eyes fell on the top of a large, icy cliff! Ice and snow fell down from the cliff and crashed into the ground as a figure leaped onto the ground. The figure cackled and stepped into the light, but as it did, Tree Rex gasped. That face, those clothes, that hair! It all matched those statues and banners he saw plastered across the island, so there was no doubt about it.</p><p>The one who stood in front of him now, with a smirk on his face and a cackle bubbling from his mouth, was none other than Noodles!</p><p align="center">§</p><p>"Hey, get back here!" Chihiro cried as the cold, fluffy snow kicked up underneath her feet.</p><p>Her hands stretched and grappled after the wheels that floated away right before her eyes. Their glow pulsed and faded as they rounded the corner and disappeared, but the faint streaks glowed against the icy cavern walls! Chihiro rounded the corner and dashed back down, but the wheels flew off faster than ever! The wheels' light enveloped them and transformed them into miniature shooting stars; it reflected against the walls and snow, coloring them in a rainbow of purples, reds, greens, and yellows…</p><p>Which honestly would have been a pretty sight if they weren't getting past Chihiro by the second! The snow kicked up, and the light show faded as she dashed after the wheels. Chihiro leaped forward and swiped at the yellow one.</p><p>"Gotcha!" Chihiro cried as her finger hooked into its center.</p><p>She beamed as she pulled it down, but it wiggled out of her finger and tailed back after the other wheels! Behind it, Chihiro sputtered as she lost her balance; she fell face-first into the snow, but pushed herself up. She spat fluffy white snow out of her mouth as their light faded from the open halls, growled as her fingers dug into the snow, and sprung back to her feet!</p><p>"Get back here!" Chihiro cried as she sprinted back down the halls. "Where do you think you're taking me, anyways?"</p><p>Chihiro bolted down the corner and down the halls. The colorful flashes of light that crossed the walls drew her closer and closer to the wheels' presence! She slid down a small, icy hill, and as the snow hit her feet, she lifted her head.</p><p>Chihiro found herself in a wide room with glassy ice walls, a snowy ceiling and floor, and several open mouths to halls ahead. In the center of it all, her wheels stood bright as ever! They stood idle for a moment, but the moment they caught sight of her, they bent over. It was almost as if they bowed or nodded? Whatever they did, they immediately stopped and zipped right through the left path! Chihiro jolted up, and dashed right down the path after them!</p><p>"Wait for me!"</p><p>A faint scream and rumble shook flakes of snow down from the ceiling, but Chihiro barely even noticed the noise, or the chills that came over her head as she buttoned her magic coat tighter. She just bolted after the wheels! The wheels spun and danced in the air right before her eyes, yet they flew out of her grip as she sprinted forward and reached for them. Her fingers barely brushed against their cold, crystal surface before she hit the ground once more, yet she just bounced right up again. She grappled out for the yellow one, but it just zipped away and giggled right at her!</p><p>Chihiro's cheeks puffed as she dashed right after it. Around her, the walls grew shinier as the lights glowed brighter. She took another step, and promptly lost her footing as she spun across the floor! She screamed as she finally tumbled over herself and rolled into an icy wall, groaned as she staggered up, and caught her reflection in the—floor?</p><p>Chihiro raised a brow as she lifted her head up, where the snowy floors of before was replaced with miles and miles of ice as far as the eye could see! The faint glow of those wheels' shine reflected in the walls above, and floors below as faint flashes that quickly disappeared from the eye, but nonetheless indicated their crossing.</p><p>She had to get them! Well, she tried to; the moment she sprung forward, she slipped again and her legs split. Chihiro groaned and stood up once more, her arms held outstretched so she didn't fall. She took a few steps forward and slid right into a wall (owch). She tried to stand up and walk once more, but she tumbled over her own feet, and rolled right back to the beginning of the icy fields! Chihiro groaned as she pulled her head out of the snow that barred the two entryways and shook it off, sighed and frowned as her cold breath flew across the field.</p><p>"Didn't I do something like this before?" Chihiro remarked as she tapped her face.</p><p>The faintest memory slipped into her mind, and a small smile crossed her face. Yes, she actually did do something like this before! Slam Bam taught her how to skate all the way back when they went to Vindlevale that one time. She vaguely recalled what he taught her back then; hopefully, what she recalled was right.</p><p>Chihiro held her arms out as she stood back up, and her shoes transformed into ice skates with a pair of stomps! Her equipment set, Chihiro leaned forward and let the ice take her. The floor screeched underneath her feet as she slid forward. She bent down and strode across the ice while her blades scratched across its surface.</p><p>"Now go like this," Chihiro whispered to herself as she slid around a corner and bent down underneath an overhead icicle. Her eyes narrowed as she zipped down the hill and across the field, and she swerved around a large ice formation next. "Then do this…"</p><p>A large, icy ramp fell before Chihiro's eyes, but she only pushed further! The ramp came closer and closer, and she took one last stride as she dashed up in the blink of an eye. Flecks of ice and snow sparkled around her like diamonds as she pirouetted in the air, slammed back down and skated off. The faint pulses of yellow, purple, red, and green from ahead grew brighter as she skated forward. She grinned and leaped forward with one last stride! The yellow wheel paused in midair, turned around right as she loomed over it, and she snatched it up in one single grasp.</p><p>"AND YOU'VE GOT YOUR WHEEL!"</p><p>The yellow wheel's glow grew bright as it pressed and pushed against her hand, but Chihiro summoned a bag made of magic and whistled as she stuffed it inside. The wheel pushed the bag in every direction as it tried to escape, yet Chihiro just closed it tight and tied it to her pants. One down, three to go!</p><p>The red, green, and purple wheels' lights flared like a siren, and she drew in to its call! Chihiro leaned forward and skated forward. The ceiling above her slowly started to rumble; it wasn't enough to draw her attention at first. That definitely changed when the icicles above broke off and crashed into the floor!</p><p>Chihiro gasped, ducked as shattered icicles bits flew above her, and turned her head up as the ceiling's groans sent more icicles crashing down. Chihiro yelped and skidded away just before one could slice her in half. She skated off as the rumbles grew more intense and sent not just ice, but massive mounds of snow crashing down to the ground—and right in front of the way ahead, to boot! She stopped so short that she fell right on her rump as the snow piles blocked the way ahead, but scrambled backwards as the snow shook.</p><p>Fanged, snarling faces formed in snow piles' fluffy white exteriors as legs formed underneath them. They swayed side to side as arms popped out from their sides, and finally, their faces popped out and roared! Chihiro gasped and scrambled back further, but while they roared and stomped, she barely caught the sight of colorful glows floating down the halls. Wait, the wheels—they were escaping!</p><p>"Sorry guys, I'd love to play," Chihiro cried as she jumped back to her feet and skated underneath them, "but I've got wheels to catch!"</p><p>With one last pirouette, Chihiro leaped away from the ice, and onto soft, fluffy snow. Her skates disappeared and turned back to regular shoes; she panted out fluffy, cold white clouds as she dashed down the halls. Behind her, roars shook the caverns around her and cracked the smaller icicles that hung from the ceiling to bits! Chihiro cast one glance aside as the icicles' fragments rained down, but the sight of large shadows creeping across the wheels turned her back up front.</p><p>Those monsters caught up, and she had to hurry! Chihiro tapped her heels together as she ran, and gained a burst of speed. She squealed as she ran with such fury that a flurry of snow kicked up behind her. In front of her, the rest of the wheels glowed as they floated down the halls! She had them in her sights!</p><p>"Alright, now's my chance!" Chihiro cried. She leaped forward, and her eyes grew wider as the glows grew closer and brighter. "I've got you—"</p><p><em>PLOP!</em></p><p>"Now?"</p><p>A massive blob of snow dropped in front of Chihiro, and leaped from the ground as its impact blew her back into the snow. It snarled as it grew a body and limbs, and glared Chihiro down! Chihiro snarled back right at it as she readied a sphere, but her spheres disappeared into sparkles as furious stomping and growling echoed from behind her. She gulped as she staggered back up, and lifted her head right as the snow monsters she abandoned caught right back up with her! Their growls and snarls sounded all around her as they sharpened their icy claws against the walls.</p><p>"All of you guys against one, huh?" Chihiro remarked as she summoned a sword and clutched its handle tight. "I've dealt with worse!"</p><p>Chihiro held her sword high as she zeroed in on one monster's kneecaps. One clean blow, and the whole thing would go tumbling down! She cried out as she rushed forward and prepared to cut it down, but her cries joined a chorus at the last moment! Chihiro stopped mid-slice and turned right around, as did the monsters as they lifted their heads to the back of the hall. They all watched dumbfounded as a massive snowball round the corner, bounced off one wall and soared right over their head.</p><p>The snowball smashed right into the monster Chihiro prepared to slice down, and blew it to bits as it crashed down on the floor. The snowball exploded in all directions to reveal its true contents: Eruptor, Terrafin, Cynder and Whirlwind! Their heads spun around as they groaned and forced themselves up, but Chihiro just beamed and tossed away her sword.</p><p>"Everyone, you're here!" She cried. Chihiro giggled as she bounded forward, tackled Eruptor and Terrafin in a tight hug, and grinned as they shook off their dizziness and sat back up. "What're you doing in that giant snowball, anyways?"</p><p>"Well, we <em>were</em> looking for you," Cynder remarked as she flew around and pulled Chihiro away. "Just what were you doing running off like that, anyways?"</p><p>"Beats me!" Chihiro shrugged as she peered back up at Cynder. "Those wheels I had just started glowing and flew off into this cave! I've been tailing them, but—"</p><p>Chihiro raised her brow as a low sizzle came from below her, and lifted up the bag around her belt—except it was hot to the touch! Chihiro squealed and dropped it. In response, the bag burst into sparkles while the wheel inside sparkled and dashed off! Chihiro gasped, yanked herself out of Cynder's grip, and dashed after it, but scrambled right back as one of the snow monsters jumped right in front of her.</p><p>The remaining snow monsters growled as they blocked off the ways ahead. Their icy hands balled into fists while sharp icicle fangs lined their mouths. They snarled as they leaned closer towards Chihiro, Eruptor, Terrafin, Cynder and Whirlwind, yet the five of them only snarled back and readied to fight.</p><p>"Actually, I think we can save the explanations for later," Whirlwind remarked as her horn flared with rainbow light. "We've got bigger problems right now!"</p><p>"You've got that right!" Terrafin spat as he glared down the gigantic snow monsters before him.</p><p>Chihiro chuckled, summoned another sword and rose it to the ceiling. "Skylanders!" she cried as she swung down her sword. "ATTACK!"</p><p>"Right!" Eruptor, Terrafin, Cynder, and Whirlwind all called back in tandem.</p><p>Eruptor sprung in front of the second snow monster, clapped his hands and sent lava spewing over the cold floors! The lava evaporated the snow and ice below into thin streams of steam, and the snow monsters hooted and squealed as it stumbled back from the lava's hot touch. With it distracted, Eruptor just nodded back to Terrafin, who sprung above Eruptor and socked the monster right in the chest! The monster cried out as it crashed into the floor below and collapsed into a mound of snow.</p><p>Terrafin fell down and beamed back at Eruptor, but then, the ground ahead shuddered as the remaining snow leaped up and formed an even larger snow monster! The snow monster yanked its head forward, and roared so hard that it not only blew Eruptor and Terrafin back, but spat icicles right towards them! Eruptor hacked out a storm of fireballs in the heat of the moment. The fireballs slammed into the icicles in the center of the fleet, and they all burst into a massive steam clouds!</p><p>Cynder and Whirlwind, meanwhile, slid out of the way as the icicles slipped past them, stabbed the snow monster behind them in the chest, and shot forward as electricity crackled around them. The two of them spun around each other, moving faster and faster as the lightning crackled. As they drew towards the monster, they formed into one big lightning bolt that stabbed the monster right in the chest! The monster groaned and collapsed into snow as Whirlwind and Cynder split apart, and they smirked as they shook snow from their bodies.</p><p>Behind them, Chihiro laid her eyes on the snow monster before her, who only wailed as it tried to yank the giant icicles from its chest. It was completely immobilized, only able to squeal as its trembling hands fruitlessly tugged on the icicle that stabbed it.</p><p>"Now, how's about we finish this with a bang?" Chihiro asked.</p><p>She held a hand out, and a giant cannon made of magic formed beside her! With a giggle, she snapped her fingers, crafted a match, and struck it against the cannon's fuse. She whisked it away as she plugged her ears.</p><p>"FIRE!"</p><p>The cannon shot out a cannonball with a bang, and the cannonball slammed right through the snow monster with an even louder one! The snow monster screeched as the cannonball shot right through its chest. Its face melted away as it groaned and collapsed into the snow below.</p><p>Chihiro chuckled as the cannon vanished beside her. "That was easy," she remarked, and her face fell as she tapped her foot. "A little too easy…"</p><p>The ground quaked and rumbled as the snow bounced around it in tandem, and Chihiro only gulped.</p><p>"And something tells me it isn't over yet!"</p><p>Growls and roars echoed through the halls as snow monsters sprung up from the ground. They were all so massive that they completely blocked the ways around once more! Their very presence was so cold that mist formed around the area, and even the lava Eruptor sent out chilled and turned to icy-cold rock underfoot!</p><p>Everyone winced, steadied themselves as they leaped forward, and faced the monsters once more! Terrafin dug through the snow and shot through a row with a massive punch, Cynder dashed through another row, Eruptor and Whirlwind combated a group with both fireballs and stormclouds, and Chihiro even dashed below and cut them down with her sword! The monsters all groaned and collapsed into snow around them. For a moment, Chihiro and the Skylanders all took a breather, but the roars sounded off once more and the monsters leaped back up again!</p><p>"There's no stopping these guys!" Eruptor cried. "Every time we knock them down, they just get back up again!"</p><p>"Guess there's only one thing we can do!" Chihiro shouted as she backed up.</p><p>"And that is?" everyone else asked as they turned to her.</p><p>Chihiro gulped, vanquished her sword and down between two monsters' legs.</p><p>"BOOK IT!"</p><p>With a flick of her hands, a toboggan big enough for five manifested in front of Chihiro, and she quickly jumped on as she snatched the reins.</p><p>"Hop on!" Chihiro cried as she turned back to the others.</p><p>"You don't have to tell me twice!" Eruptor cried as he hopped on.</p><p>Terrafin, Cynder, and Whirlwind were quick to follow. All of them clung tight to each other as Chihiro snapped the reins, and she sent the toboggan sliding down the halls! The monsters stampeded behind them, but the five of them just clenched their teeth as they clutched each other tight.</p><p>That is, until a large icicle fell from the ceiling and shattered beside them! Chihiro swerved out of the way just in time, but in her haste to escape, she didn't notice the rocky ramp that laid before her. She turned around right as the toboggan hit the ramp, and all five of them flew and screamed as the toboggan jumped off! They all quickly crashed down on the toboggan, groaned as they sat up and clutched each other one more, but screamed as their eyes fell on an icy floor full of pits before them!</p><p>"Chihiro, Chihiro, turn right!" Eruptor cried as he jabbed his hands at the floor.</p><p>Chihiro clenched her teeth as she pulled the toboggan to the right, screamed, and swerved left just before she could fall into another pit! She sighed and wiped the frozen icicles of sweat from her face, but when her eyes popped open, they fell on another pit that came in dangerously close. She screamed and twisted the toboggan to the left; she just barely brushed against the rim of the pit, and sent everyone behind her screaming as they clung to the toboggan for dear life. They all grunted and slammed into Chihiro they regained their seats, and Chihiro herself stopped a bit short as she swerved out of a wall's way!</p><p>"Give me that!" Eruptor snipped as he yanked the reins from Chihiro's hands (or at least, yanked them the best he could given his lack of fingers). "I'll handle the steering from here!"</p><p>Eruptor pulled the reins away as another pit came in sight, but the toboggan wouldn't even budge despite all the pulling, prodding, and yanking he did. It slid further and further down across the icy floors, kicking up fluffy clouds of mist and snow as it zipped straight for the holes. Eruptor screamed and pulled even more frantically, yet the reins just slipped from his round hands! Eruptor blinked, and he and Chihiro screamed and clung to each other as the toboggan nearly dipped into the pit!</p><p>Terrafin burst forward and yanked the reins before it could! The toboggan slipped right and skirted around the pit as Eruptor and Chihiro drew back from each other. Both of them breathed a sigh of relief.</p><p>"I'll take things from here," Terrafin grunted as he squeezed himself between Chihiro and Eruptor with the reins held tight in his grip. "You just sit tight!"</p><p>Terrafin snarled, his fangs packed tight as his eyes fell on the masses of pits and holes that tightly squeezed together! He hastily yanked the reins this way and that as the toboggan bumped and rattled with every side and tiny hole it hit. In the back, Cynder and Whirlwind both let out jilted screams that vibrated as the back of the toboggan bumped and shuddered with every hole it hit.</p><p>Finally, Cynder snarled as she jumped up and pushed Terrafin away. "Who in Skylands taught you how to steer?" Cynder snapped as she flung her tailfin in Terrafin's face, pushing him away as she yanked the reins up. "You're not supposed to run over every hole you can!"</p><p>Cynder flicked her tail against as she prepared to make another smart remark, but grunted as the toboggan started to tip over. She flung forward, forced to cling to the front of the toboggan. Terrafin slipped back into his place, and yanked the reins from Cynder as he tilted the toboggan back onto solid ground! The toboggan slid down once more, and Cynder and Terrafin both shot glares at each other.</p><p>"And you're supposed to look where you're going!" Terrafin shot back as he fixed his eyes on the path ahead and swerved past another pit. "Just let me take care of this!"</p><p>Cynder scoffed as Terrafin slipped past another hole, gasped and yanked the reins away! Terrafin shouted out as she pushed him aside in her attempt to steer away, and Terrafin pushed back before he could slip off the toboggan!</p><p>"Hey, watch it!" Terrafin shouted as he pulled back the reins, and barely slid past another hole as he glared down Cynder.</p><p>"You nearly drove us right into that hole!" Cynder shouted back as she pulled the reins.</p><p>Chihiro, Eruptor, and Whirlwind all cried out as the toboggan slid left, but another yank from Terrafin slid right! The two of them shouted and groaned as the toboggan slipped left and right amid Terrafin and Cynder's squabbling and shouting. Chihiro herself groaned and leaned on Eruptor, her eyes spinning around in her head as the fighting rang in her ears. The screech of the toboggan sledding against the ice was hardly a footnote in her mind as she shook her head, groaned, and lifted herself up to meet with her own reflection in an oncoming wall of ice! Chihiro quickly yanked the reins away from Terrafin and Cynder, veered off, and sighed as the toboggan slipped down the ice.</p><p>"From now on," Chihiro panted as she squished herself between Terrafin and Cynder and hung her head, "just let me drive."</p><p>The two of them both scoffed. Nonetheless, they shuffled apart and let Chihiro take the reins. The ride itself was quiet as Chihiro steered the toboggan down the cool, icy floors below, which were now thankfully free of pits.</p><p>Instead, the crystal clear ice floors dusted themselves with a thin coat of frost that glistened like diamond dust. The walls crystallized, and reflected them in all sorts of shiny pastel colors as they passed by on the toboggan! Clear, crisp, cold wind flew in from small holes and cracks within the walls; it brought not just a pleasant breeze, but a cool chime as well. The whole area sparkled and twinkled while the reflections fragmented and morphed. It was almost like a hall of mirrors at a carnival!</p><p>The tension from earlier completely melted away as everyone admired their reflection in the mirrors. Well, everyone save for Eruptor, who sulked as he laid on his back. Poor guy probably got so dizzy from earlier that his stomach was in knots!</p><p>Chihiro shrugged as she peered back down at him, lifted up her head and grinned as her reflection slipped from mirror to mirror. As she passed by one, brighter, richer flashes of color burst in the mirrors! Red and greens, some purple and yellows too, and they were far brighter and clearer than what the mirrors offered! Chihiro gasped as a twinkling sound hit her ears, and turned her head around to find those wheels hovering right beside her.</p><p>"There you are!" Chihiro cried.</p><p>She leaned forward and snapped for them, but the wheels just spun around and zipped off right before her eyes. The wheels twinkled and left behind a trail of sparkles as they rounded the corner.</p><p>Chihiro scoffed and tossed the reins in Terrafin's arms. "Actually, you take the reins, Fin!" Chihiro cried as she leaped off the toboggan and smacked her feet together. "I'm getting those wheels!"</p><p>Chihiro's shoes glowed as she hit the ground, and a magic snowboard formed right underneath her feet! The icy floors glowed cyan as Chihiro leaned forward and skated down the way, the faint flashes of red and green light her guide as she pursued them down the halls. The wheels came just a bit closer in view, enough that Chihiro could catch glimpses and slivers of their crystal amid the light, so she leaned in and prepared to jump!</p><p>But, as she pressed forward, her legs bent over a little too quickly and she fell over her own feet! A nasty chill hit her bones, and sharp twinges of pain fell over her body as she crashed face-first into the floor. She tumbled over and rolled down the hall! Her arms numbed from the cold as the ice slammed against her body. She screamed as the world around her spun, dizzying, spiraling, and darkening aside from the flashes of color. She slammed into a wall, rolled off the left while the world grew darkest—but something yanked her by her back and pulled her into a smooth, strong grip!</p><p>"You alright, Chi?" Terrafin asked.</p><p>Chihiro shook her head. Though the world around her still blurred and danced, she barely made out Terrafin's face! Chihiro weakly nodded, her head still spinning too badly to talk. She crawled over to a reddish blur that she guessed was Eruptor and leaned against him.</p><p>The warmth from his body unfroze her numb, cold body, and her head finally cleared enough to catch a glimpse of the path. Except, something was wrong—the lights, they were completely gone! Did the wheels finally shake them? Well, that wasn't much of a concern to Chihiro, for a massive icy ramp formed in the stretch ahead!</p><p>Terrafin grunted as he tried to steer away, but he cane in so fast, and so soon, that he didn't get a chance! The toboggan dashed up the ramp, leaped up as everyone onboard screamed, and dipped down as it crashed like a comet towards a thin, icy floor! The toboggan came in so fast that it completely smashed through the floor; its body reduced to sparkly, crystalline shards as the toboggan vanished in puffs of sparkles, and painted those shards in shades of blue.</p><p>With the toboggan gone, Chihiro, Terrafin, Eruptor, Cynder, and Whirlwind could only scream and tumble down into the dark abyss below! The screams echoed, ruminating around the chamber as they sank into the realms below…</p><p>And as they disappeared, only silence rang.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Tree Rex, Thumpback, Eye-Brawl, and Swarm all gasped as Noodles leaped down before them, their eyes wide as they fluttered open and shut. This Noodles being finally shown himself at last, with his icy blue eyes fixed on them! His green skin and tall, black mohawk tinged with patches of frost; snow covered the dark blue, amber-encrusted sash and gloves he wore; it was notably absent from his black snow pants and blue boots, however. He grinned a grin that showed all his sharp, white fangs as he crossed his arms, but that was far from the most notable thing about him.</p><p>No, it was that he, he, he was… Small!</p><p>When they heard word of this awful being known as Noodles, they expected a giant, a titan even—but he was no bigger than the average cyclops! With him being so diminutive in size, his haughtiness seemed hardly threatening as he glared down Tree Rex and uncrossed his arms.</p><p>"Well, well, look what we have here!" Noodles cried as he hopped down from his cliffside position and glared down the quartet. "Some intruders poking around where they don't belong!"</p><p>Noodles leaped down from the cliff and grinned as he crossed his arms. He barely even reached their ankles, yet he still carried himself with an air of confidence as he stood them down. He was either very full of himself, very dumb, or maybe just a little bit of both.</p><p>"You may have been able to get past my defenses, but there's no way you'll get my robot! Noodles, the great and powerful evil ice lord—" Noodles paused mid-rant and turned around with a frown. "Wait, what's with those looks?"</p><p>Tree Rex, Thumpback, Eye-Brawl, and Swarm all blinked as they faced down Noodles, and Swarm burst into utter, hapless laughter! He slapped his knees, clutched his chest, and wiped away his tears with a grin.</p><p>"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just," Swarm cackled. "You're just this little guy, and you're acting like you can beat us?" Swarm cleared his throat and smirked. "I mean, there's four of us, and we're all way bigger and more powerful than you are! There's no way!"</p><p>Eye and Tree Rex both reluctantly nodded.</p><p>"That's kind of a haughty way of putting it, but it's true," Eye remarked.</p><p>"At our size, being threatened by something so small is like having a kitten hiss at us," Tree Rex remarked. He cleared his throat, and his eyes narrowed. "But, that's of no matter right now!" Tree Rex shoved a finger right in Noodles' face and snarled. "Give that ghost his home back and leave this place! You have no business tearing it apart this way!"</p><p>Swarm, Thumpback and Eye-Brawl all nodded in tandem. Noodles only gulped as he stepped back. It seemed as though it finally clicked for a moment how unevenly matched they were as his legs started to tremble, but then, he grinned!</p><p>"It's true, you guys are pretty big," Noodles remarked as he turned around, "but, Noodles has a robot that's even bigger than you guys!" Noodles dashed off with a grin. "Once Noodles gets in it, you'll all be flatter than icecakes!"</p><p>"He's running away!" the ghost cried. "Quickly, before he gets in the robot!"</p><p>Noodles cackled as he dashed up the ramp across the mountains, and Tree Rex only snarled as he bolted off. Thumpback and Brawl sprung forward behind him while Swarm and Eye flew on both sides. All their eyes fixed tight on Noodles and sent chills down his spine. He turned back around as their pounding footsteps shook the area, screamed as he turned forward, and frantically whistled!</p><p>"Snowballs cannons, start!" Noodles cried as he dashed ahead.</p><p>While Noodles fled the scene, parts of the icy wall beside them all shuddered and completely vanished. Gigantic cannons made of ice popped from their vacancies, hovered above the path, and shuddered as they fired off rounds of massive snowballs—all of which had their sights set on Tree Rex, Thumpback, Eye-Brawl, and Swarm!</p><p>They all gasped and ducked as the snowballs sprung forward, and bolted down underneath their massive onslaught of snow. The cannons swiveled around and shot down below. The five of them all sprung back, flattened themselves against the walls as a row of snowballs shot forward, and bounced off the wall as another one hurtled straight for them. They ducked under another blast, leaped above a second, and practically twisted themselves into pretzels as a third came!</p><p>One snowball smacked Swarm right in the face, and he snarled as he wiped it off. "That's it!" Swarm cried as thunderclouds formed around his barbs, "I've had enough of this!" Swarm thrust his arms forward and set his electrically-charged barbs on the cannons ahead. "I didn't come here to play dodgeball!"</p><p>Swarm slid backwards as barbs shot off from his arms and slammed right through the snowballs. The snowballs exploded into snow as the barbs sliced clean through them, and they slammed into the cannons! The cannons frizzed and sparked as the electricity fried their insides, and puffs of smoke popped out of their bellows as they slunk down!</p><p>"I spy an opportunity!" Eye cried as he zipped forward.</p><p>Eye glowed with a light so bright that he looked little more than a glowing orb with wings, flew back as a massive laser came from his center and completely obliterated the cannons. Their fried remains crashed down onto the icy path below and rolled down the mountain. Eye turned around and hummed, but cried out as something shot him in the back! Eye hurtled right into Brawl's arms, his body sore and chilly and as he moaned.</p><p>Beside him, Thumpback withdrew his anchor and frowned. At the end of the rope, another snowball cannon gleefully fired snowballs away with all sorts of gusto. Thumpback charged ahead as the snowballs flew, and swung his anchor forward! The snowballs broke to bits under the might of his anchor's metal, but the anchor slammed into the cannon's base and wrapped tight around it. With one pull from Thumpback, the anchor yanked the cannon off the mountain's side and released.</p><p>The anchor slid back into Thumpback's hands as the cannon bounced off the side of the mountain. Thumpback sprung forward once more with everyone tailed close behind him. Just above the horizons, his eyes fell on Noodles, who hastily skated up the side of an icy bowl…</p><p>And leaped right up to where the robot sat idle! Thumpback's eyes popped up at the very sight, and he quickly turned back to the others.</p><p>"He's almost there!" Thumpback cried as he hit the top and leaped into the ice bowl. "We have to" — Thumpback's legs skittered and tapped against the sleek ice, and he screamed as he slid down the side — "HURRY!"</p><p>Thumpback screamed as he slid and slipped across the ice bowl. His arms held out as he tried to steady himself, but to no use! He rolled around the bowl, slid across it and leaped right onto the other side!</p><p>"Thumpback!" Tree Rex cried as he bolted forward, "Don't worry, I'll get" — Tree Rex slipped forward and fell on his chest — "YOUUUUUUUUUU!"</p><p>Tree Rex's screams quickly joined Thumpback's as they both spun in large circles around the rim of the ice bowl.</p><p>The ghost only floated onto a snowy platform and winced. "Calm down, everyone!" the ghost cried, though even his loudest voice was barely a whisper over the winds. "Just stand up and bend down! You should stop then!"</p><p>Thumpback and Tree Rex didn't even hear him! They continued to scream and slide around the ice bowl, and the ghost sighed as he shook his head.</p><p>"Well, I tried to tell them."</p><p>Swarm and Eye-Brawl both cast worried glances at each other as the reached the rim of the bowl. Swarm hovered in the air and zipped down to the bowl.</p><p>"You take care of that Noodles guy!" Swarm shouted as he dashed down. "I'll get everyone else!"</p><p>"Aye-aye!" Eye cried as he zipped off.</p><p>Swarm buzzed as he floated down and grappled for Thumpback's hand right as Thumpback slid underfoot. Thumpback quickly jumped back up as Tree Rex crashed into him, and yanked Swarm down by the foot! Swarm screamed as both he and Tree Rex slid across one end of the ice bowl, leaped up the rim, and slid back across as they fell back down.</p><p>Brawl gently tapped his foot against the ice, slid down, and held his hands behind his back as he skated across the bowl! He carried himself with grace as he glided across the ice—but planted face-first into the ice as Swarm and Tree Rex crashed into him. They all screamed as one blow from Thumpback slammed into them all, pushing them across the bowl and right onto the snow! They all groaned and spit out snow as they staggered up. Their bodies remained covered in burns and throbbing red spots from all the slipping and sliding they did against the harsh cold of the ice.</p><p>"Is everyone alright?" the ghost asked as he floated before Tree Rex.</p><p>"Maybe," Tree Rex panted back as he shook snow off of his head.</p><p>"I don't think I'm made for ice skating," Swarm remarked as his eyes spun around in his head.</p><p>"This reminds me of when I caught the two-faced ballerinafish in the middle of a storm," Thumpback groaned. "No, this was much worse."</p><p>They all groaned as they finally collapsed back onto the floor, but their pain was forgotten as a snow-covered Eye crashed right before them. Brawl gasped and swept Eye up in his arms, and a firm cackle echoed from across the way. All eyes turned to the end of the platform.</p><p>There, Noodles grinned as he climbed into the chest of the robot and disappeared as the door closed behind him! The robot's eyes flashed bright as the robot heaved itself up, and those cackles grew louder and more booming, enough to send snow flying all across the area! Though Tree Rex, Thumpback, Eye-Brawl, Swarm, and ghost clung to the ground in some attempt to avoid flying off, Noodles hardly cared!</p><p>"Now you're really in for it!" Noodles cried, his voice amplified and robotic thanks to the robot's filters. "You're all gonna get crushed!"</p><p>"We'll see about that!" Tree Rex cried as he leaped to his feet.</p><p>Thumpback and Swarm popped up beside Tree Rex and snarled. Brawl popped Eye onto his head and stormed up. Tree Rex cast a glance back and squeezed his fist. The ghost flitted away and winced, but a smile from Tree Rex eased his fears enough to take sanctuary down in the ice bowl.</p><p>"Everyone, get into the robot suit dismantle formation!" Tree Rex cried as he turned his attention to the robot.</p><p>"Right!" Thumpback, Swarm and Eye-Brawl cried back.</p><p>Tree Rex cried out as he charged forward, and bright light and churning green smoke alike swirled at the tip of his solar cannon. Beside him, Swarm and Eye flew off while Thumpback and Brawl charged at the robot's eyes! They all screamed as they leaped forward and prepared to fight…</p><p>But Noodles just sighed, and smashed his fists down onto a pair of snowy cliffs that flanked their sides! The cliffs rumbled as their icy halves smashed off. They crashed into the ground, which trembled as their shattered remains crashed down below in an icy avalanche!</p><p>Brawl, Thumpback, and Tree Rex stopped mid-strike, turned around, and charged out of the way as the first avalanche stormed through! It coated the ground below in a thick mass of ice, and the second avalanche stormed through as it swept them up in its grasp before they even noticed! They all groaned and popped their heads out of the snow as the second avalanche settled, but leaped into the air as Noodles slammed his fist onto the ground!</p><p>They all screamed as they flew forward. As the robot's hand flew above them, Tree Rex latched onto its finger and flipped himself onto the hand's base! He cried out as he stormed up the robot's arm, flung out his solar cannon, and sent blasts of thick green smog and bright sunlight right across its chest. The robot cried out as it flailed its arm and tossed him back to the ground, but it didn't dislodge the searing bursts Tree Rex planted in its chest any.</p><p>Swarm grinned as he hovered in front of the robot, held out all three of his stingers, and sent out a barrage of barbs that slammed right into the bursts, detonating them! Swarm flew away and cackled as the bursts exploded into bright green lights and smog, but the robot only cried out and stumbled backwards. As the robot did, a bright laser shot out from its head and slammed into an icy cliff!</p><p>A part of the cliff crashed down onto the ground and fell aside as the rest of it crumbled, but Eye-Brawl and Thumpback just perked up. The two of them dashed up to the ice chunk, grunted as they lifted it up, and flung it straight into the robot's chest. The robot screamed and reeled back as the ice shattered and dented its already burning chest, but it quickly regained its balance and leaned forward.</p><p>"You think messing with Noodles' robot is funny, huh?" Noodles cried as he flailed his arms. "Well, Noodles'll show you funny!"</p><p>The robot screeched as its eyes glowed brighter, and massive lasers shot out from its eyes as they carved into the icy platform below! Thick cracks formed as entire chunks of the ice collapsed underfoot and crashed to bits. White smoke leaped up from the cliff and coated the rest in a thick fog.</p><p>Swarm, Eye-Brawl, and Thumpback all jumped back as a massive crack formed underneath them and sent part of the platform crashing down. As the platform fell, Tree Rex slipped down and went falling with it! His hand latched onto the side of the cliff at the last minute, but it was so cold and slick that he could barely keep his grip. He gulped as his eyes fell on the shattered ice miles underneath him, grunted as he swung up, and grappled for the cliff with his other hand.</p><p>"Boss!" Swarm cried. He fell to his knees, and strained as he tried to pull Tree Rex up, but he could barely yank Tree Rex up even with all his might!</p><p>Thumpback and Eye-Brawl lined up behind Swarm and pulled along with him. The three of them all grunted as they pulled Tree Rex back onto the platform, and Tree Rex groaned as staggered up. The four of them smiled as Tree Rex stood to full height when a massive shriek sounded from aside. They turned around, screamed as a laser crashed below their feet, and they shot into the cliff behind!</p><p>A <em>crack</em> sounded behind them as they popped off of the cliff and collapsed onto the ground. They all groaned as they laid cold and sprawled. Though they tried to push themselves up, the weariness of battle and the chills of the area around sapped all their strength. They could only lay on the ground. The most they could force themselves to do was glare at Noodles while he loomed over them.</p><p>"That's what you get for trying to challenge the great evil ice lord!" Noodles boomed. "Now, let's get this over with!"</p><p>Noodles' eyes flashed with brighter light as shrieks came from their panels. Their lights grew brighter and warmer as he charged up another laser blast! Noodles cackled as the Elder Elementals glared him down…</p><p>Save for Thumpback, who just staggered up and dashed in front of the others!</p><p>"Wait, don't do it!" Thumpback cried as he flung his arms in front of the others, limbs still trembling from their injuries but standing nonetheless. "It's not a good idea, I'm telling you!"</p><p>"Huh? Says who?" Noodles shot back as his eyes' light glowed even brighter. "Give one good reason why Noodles shouldn't just wipe you off the face of this glacier!"</p><p>"Because" — Thumpback placed a hand on his chest — "as a member of Captain Frightbeard's crew, I know where the treasure he buried here is!"</p><p>"Treasure?" The light in the robot's face faded completely, but a sparkle still shone as it clapped its hands. "Noodles likes treasure! What kind of treasure is it?"</p><p>Thumpback smiled and cleared his throat. "Why, a bounty with only the finest treasures you could dream of!" Thumpback proclaimed. "Rare jewels, mountains of gold as far as the eye can see, ancient artifacts and weapons… It had practically anything you could ever imagine! In fact…"</p><p>Eye-Brawl, Swarm, and Tree Rex raised their brows and frowned as Thumpback continued on his spiel, but Noodles was absolutely enamored! He bounced up and down and clapped his hands together with every word Thumpback spoke, as if just the very notion made his heart do flips in his chest. Of course, with Noodles being in the robot still, this also caused the entire valley to shake, and nearly knocked everyone else off their feet, but Noodles paid it no mind as Thumpback continued to ramble.</p><p>"And that's just the things I remembered!" Thumpback proclaimed as he crossed his arms. "For all I know, there could be much more out there!"</p><p>"Where is it, where is it?" Noodles begged. "Noodles wants to know where the treasure is!"</p><p>"Oh, I'll tell you —" Thumpback released his crossed arms — "but, only if you beats me in a fishing contest!" Thumpback placed a hand on his chest. "And, if I win, you'll give us that robot!"</p><p>Noodles hummed and placed a hand on his robotic chin. Finally the robot slunk over and fell inactive as Noodles dashed back out of its chest! Noodles paused to hop over a crack in the fields as he scurried over, leaped up and grabbed Thumpback's hand.</p><p>"It's a deal!" Noodles cried as he furiously shook the hand, dashed over to the ice bowl and slid down. "Noodles is going to prepare now!"</p><p>Tree Rex, Swarm and Eye-Brawl frowned as Noodles cheered and disappeared down the bowl. Their strength returned just long enough for them to claw their way out of the snow and crowd around Thumpback, who only hummed as he crossed his arms.</p><p>"Hey Thumps, is there really treasure buried here?" Swarm whispered as he flitted up to Thumpback's earhole.</p><p>The cool, calm look that Thumpback held faded into a frown, and he only shook his head. "Actually, no. I was just bluffing to buy us time."</p><p>Everyone else's eyes popped open, but Thumpback only smiled as he held his anchor.</p><p>"But don't worry. I'm sure I'm going to win this. I didn't spend all those years fishing for nothing, after all."</p><p>They all frowned as they followed Thumpback back down into the ice bowl... And then, screamed as they slipped and went sliding once more!</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Chihiro groaned and brushed the snow off of her head as she finally pulled her cold, almost numb body off the ground. The whole room around her was dark as night and icy-cold, but the faint sound of moaning and groaning, and a soft crackle of amber light in the distance, showed that she wasn't alone. In fact, that soft, amber light came with a kind of heat, one that drew her in until it glowed brighter and brighter and a faint shape formed in its light! Chihiro crawled over to where it was brightest, held up her hands and drank in its heat.</p><p>"Eruptor, is that you?" Chihiro asked as the warmth tinged her cheeks rosy with frost.</p><p>The source of the amber light groaned, and flipped out of the snowy grounds as the soft snow melted and evaporated into steam on its warm, rocky body. Sure enough, it was Eruptor! His eyes spun around in his skull, but they quickly settled themselves with a pinch of his brow. How that was achieved was uncertain, considering that Eruptor didn't have fingers, but bygones were bygones.</p><p>"Think so," Eruptor grumbled with a shudder. "Whatever this place is, whoever owns it needs to turn on the heat!" Eruptor shuddered once again, and rubbed his shoulders while his amber light grew brighter and warmer. "It's freezing in here!"</p><p>"You've got that right." Chihiro turned her eyes up to the never-ending dark of the ceiling, and the down to her palms. "How's about I shed some light on this place, too?"</p><p>Chihiro clapped her hands, and out from her palms came a bright, warm cyan sphere of light! She nuzzled it against her cheek for a few moments, and bounced it in her hands before she tossed it to the ceiling! Its warm light exploded and coated the area around in a cyan tint as it lit the way.</p><p>It revealed that around them, Terrafin, Cynder, and Whirlwind laid in the snow! The three of them groaned as they shook off snow and dizziness. They pulled their faces from the snow; they were tired and trembling from cold, but they were alive still!</p><p>"You all alright?" Chihiro asked as she stood up.</p><p>Moans and grumbles came from them as they finally stood on their own feet, but then they all nodded and grinned.</p><p>"Yeah, pretty sure we are," Whirlwind remarked as she brushed powdery snow from her wings and peered up, "but where are we, anyways?"</p><p>Chihiro frowned, turned back to the walls around her and grinned. The walls around were made of solid, pure crystal unlike the cold ice of before. They all shone with a radiant rainbow light that flashed in all sorts of pastel shades, each tinted cyan by the light Chihiro cast! Their light reflected on the snowy floors as they lit in a rainbow array of color. The gentle, colorful sparkles gave a kind of tranquil beauty, one accentuated by faint chiming sounds and what appeared to be the sound of dripping water. Wait, why would water be dripping in such a cold place? Shouldn't it have frozen over? Ah well, it was so pretty that Chihiro couldn't mind it too much.</p><p>"It's beautiful here!" Whirlwind remarked as she padded through the snow, and admired her rainbow-tinted reflection in one of the crystal walls. "All these colors remind me of the auroras back in Winter Keep."</p><p>Eruptor and Terrafin both silently nodded in agreement, and even Cynder, for all her coldness and grump, still cracked a smile.</p><p>"It's pretty, I guess," Cynder remarked as she walked between Chihiro and Whirlwind. Her smile faded, and Cynder brushed her wing against Chihiro's arm as she turned to her. "But we can't stay here forever. We've still got a mission to attend to, you know."</p><p>Chihiro sighed as she drew her hands away from the cold, but gentle grip of the crystal walls. Cynder was right. They did come here to get that robot back, to say nothing of the whole mission they had ahead of them. but Chihiro couldn't rest until she got her wheels back!</p><p>Except, that posed another problem. Just where did those wheels go, anyways? Chihiro sighed. She slid back down to the snowy floors when a soft flash of purple light turned her, and everyone else's, attention aside! Pulses of purple light came from an open mouth carved into the crystals walls. A way out, maybe?</p><p>"Well, only one way to find out!" Chihiro remarked as she dashed down the path.</p><p>The sound of footsteps and flapping wings behind her indicated the others' presence. She didn't care so much for that, so much as she did the bright, purple lights that shone across the crystal walls around and lit the paths below in shades of indigo and violet! The light carried with it a semblance of magic, a kind of mesmerizing aura, even.</p><p>It drew Chihiro across the snowy paths as the lights faded and glowed in time with her own footsteps. She panted as the faint chills wormed their way into her legs and numbed them a bit, but still she strode forward… And sank into the snow? Chihiro frowned, and peered down to find a trail of footsteps just her size that embedded into the snowy paths! She turned aside, and the open mouth that led back into the room where she fell still shone with its cool rainbow light.</p><p>"How did I get back here?" Chihiro asked.</p><p>She rubbed her chin, but grunted as something hard and warm knocked her into the snow! Chihiro pushed herself up and grunted as Eruptor rolled into the snow beside her, frowned and turned around, Terrafin, Cynder and Whirlwind ran up beside her, and towards a soft, white light the came from the wall.</p><p>"Chihiro, what'd you run off for?" Cynder asked as she flew up to Chihiro.</p><p>Chihiro cast a glance at Cynder, but only for a moment before her eyes fell on the walls before her. A single white crystal stood embedded amid the shiny purple ones, and it shone with a light unlike the cool purples that the area drank in. it was small and faint, yet carried with it a stronger sense of magic than the others! Suspicious crystals like those were never placed without reason!</p><p>"Whatever this place is, it seems like there's no other ways out," Whirlwind remarked as she glanced back at the room where they came from. "Looks like we'll have to retrace our steps—"</p><p>"Or do we?" Chihiro chimed in.</p><p>Everyone crowded around Chihiro as their eyes fell on the crystal as well, and Chihiro took it as a sign to press the white crystal in—so she did! The crystal groaned and dimmed as it sank into the wall. The wall glowed like normal for a few moments, but then, the crystalline panels all folded into each other as the wall opened up before them! A fainter purple glow pulsed from within the opening's dark walls. It flashed runic symbols unlike anything Chihiro saw before, or anything that anyone else saw before, judging from their wide eyes and gaping mouths.</p><p>"A secret tunnel!" Whirlwind cried. "Where does it go?"</p><p>"Only one way to find out!" Chihiro chirped. Chihiro spun around, kicked up snow, and giggled as she raced down the tunnel.</p><p>The bright purple runes flashed and glowed brighter with every step Chihiro took, and the whole place shone with a magic aura much stronger than the tunnels before. From the strange glow of the runes on the walls, to the cold, dark purple stones to the eerie dimness, the air of mystery it carried gave Chihiro a sense of belonging. It felt like home, almost, but maybe it was only natural that she felt that way given her choice to study the Magic Element.</p><p>Chihiro skidded to a stop as the path below her completely ended, but the runes gained a steady glow that highlighted a path of lavender snow beneath her. A hill, perhaps? Chihiro giggled, jumped up, and knocked her shoes together to craft a snowboard underneath her feet! The board sloped down, screeched down the hill while snow kicked up around, but disappeared as it hit the base of the hill.</p><p>A shining glow from the room ahead drew Chihiro in, so she passed inside and frowned. The floors below her were made of firm, but not cold, stone. The lighting here was a plain and simple whitish color compared to the fancy multicolored light of before. Even the walls and ceiling were made of simple, unassuming snow compared to the fancy crystals and ice. The stone walls in front of her held a mural, one that depicted humans donning wheel pendants and all sorts of fancy, ancient-looking garb. These humans fought Arkeyan robots with all the powers of the elements at their disposal, and the one leading the charge was a woman with deep brown skin dressed in purples that held a purple wheel pendant rested on her neck.</p><p>Chihiro frowned, drew closer to the mural and pressed her fingers against it. Something about it seemed somewhat familiar, but it was on the tip of her tongue and she just couldn't get it off. She drew her fingers further across the mural, and the whole area glowed with a lavender tint! She gasped and stumbled back as the purple glow shone down and tinted the area, but a few thunks turned her attention back to the front of the room.</p><p>"What is this place?" Terrafin remarked as he wiped the snow from his arms while Eruptor, Whirlwind and Cynder came in behind him. Terrafin crossed his arms and hummed. "Doesn't look like there's anything here."</p><p>"Well, nothing except for that fancy painting!" Eruptor remarked as he skipped up beside Chihiro and tilted his head. "Yep, that's one fancy painting." Eruptor raised a brow at Chihiro. "Hey Chi, what're you thinking about?"</p><p>"Whatever it is, it can wait for later," Cynder remarked as she turned back. "You can look at paintings of old humans all you want when we get out of here and get that robot back." Cynder wrapped her tail around Chihiro's arm. "Now let's go."</p><p>Cynder tugged at Chihiro's arm, but Chihiro didn't even budge! She kept eyes steady on the portrait while an inkling of a feeling bubbled in her mind. It was something familiar, something with a bit of an old-fashioned feeling...</p><p>"Wait a second, now I know where I recognize that person from!" Chihiro exclaimed as she pointed to the woman in the mural. "She's one of the free magicians! I saw her in that book!"</p><p>"Quite correct, young one!" boomed an echoing voice.</p><p>Cynder froze in her tracks, zipped back up to the mural and snarled. "Just where did that voice come from?" she asked.</p><p>"From right here!"</p><p>The purple lighting in the room glowed even brighter, tinting the mural in all shades of purple. A warble came from its center, and out from it popped… The purple wheel! It shone even brighter than before as everyone backed away in the presence of its light, and a powerful magic aura radiated from its surface!</p><p>"There it is!" Chihiro cried as she basked in the wheel's light and reached out for it. "There's the wheel! I've been looking all over for you!"</p><p>Chihiro brushed her fingers out as she went to snatch the wheel, but gasped as a glowing lavender hand reached out from the wheel and grabbed her right back! Normally she'd scream and jump back, but something about its presence felt… Calming, and almost familiar. So, Chihiro held the hand as the wheel's light morphed into the shape of a person's silhouette, and a sparkly, translucent string formed around the wheel's surface!</p><p>A soft chuckle warmed the room as the light faded away from the silhouette, and from it came a person's translucent ghost! It had a sparkly, purple glow of magic aura around it, and it took the form of a thin woman, Her kind purple eyes brought to mind the very essence of magic itself with their sparkles, and her cool brown skin, deep and radiant as it drank in the purple light. Her long, purple locs were carefully braided together to resemble a star in shape; a bow stood in its back, and more locs like ribbons or a shooting star's trail running down her back. Her eyelids and round, plump lips were painted with sparkly purple makeup. The wheel pendant rested against her chest, and it snuggled tight within the many layers of purple silk and fabric that formed into an elegant gown.</p><p>The woman only chuckled as she rubbed her fingers, cold like a ghost but still with the warmth of magic, against Chihiro's own palms. In that instant, a kind of smallness from awe came over Chihiro. This woman, she carried herself with elegance and grace, yet with the same air of confidence that a leader held. She reminded Chihiro of Master Eon, in a sense—wise and calm, but still with a hint of whimsy and mystery to her.</p><p>"Thank you for waking me, young one," the woman remarked as she finally let go of Chihiro's hand. "I can't imagine how long I spent sleeping in that pendant, but it must have been quite a while. Last I checked, the Northern Base hadn't been this frozen over."</p><p>The woman's eyes popped up as her eyes fell on everyone's shocked faces, and she chuckled. "Oh my, how rude of me, I forgot to introduce myself!"</p><p>The woman clutched the sides of her skirt as she fell into a curtsy. "I am Sihiri, leader of the free magicians and guardian of the Magic Element."</p><p>Chihiro's eyes fluttered, and she clasped her hands and bowed her head. So she <em>was</em> one of those free magicians! Chihiro wanted to ask further, but something about being in Sihiri's presence left her a bit small and overwhelmed. Guess she kind of understood how everyone else felt when they met the Elder Elementals.</p><p>"Excuse me, Miss Sihiri," Whirlwind remarked as she flew up to Sihiri. "Just what exactly is going on here? What is this place, and why were you in that wheel?"</p><p>"I'll explain on the way," Sihiri turned back to the mural and ran her hand across the mural's surface, "but first, we need to find the others. I can feel their presence in these caverns."</p><p>The mural rumbled as it halved itself and sank into the rest of the wall, and the space that once held it unveiled a room full of pure magic and wonder! The whole room seemingly had no bottom; it was all just endless stretches of sparkly purple, pink skies with puffy, sparkly candy-colored clouds, and rainbows that swirled and stretched around the way like windy breezes! Fireworks and strange orbs burst into bright colors on occasion while cubes, orbs, and other shapes with runes carved into them spun in endless propulsion. There was no sort of traditional pathway through the area, but some of the purple cubes that scattered about aligned in a way that looked suspiciously like a path. Heck, a few of them even floated in front of them all as if offering a ride!</p><p>"Follow me!" Sihiri remarked as she leaped onto one of the cubes and took a seat. "Don't worry, it's perfectly safe. I crafted this room myself, after all."</p><p>Sihiri winked back and Chihiro chuckled. Something about how at ease Sihiri seemed eased Chihiro's own tension, so she hopped onto a block and knelt down. Terrafin, Eruptor, Whirlwind and Cynder joined them, and the blocks revved like cars as they soared around the area.</p><p>"You see, these pendants were more than just our symbols," Sihiri explained as she held up her wheel pendant, which sparkled as a burst of rainbows flew by her. "Though we may have had the Ancients' gifts at our disposal, the Arkeyans were much mightier than we were, and they had no problems wiping out forces out in droves. Their machines brought the end of many of our allies, and without the magic our bodies provided, we had no means of fighting the Arkeyans from beyond the grave."</p><p>Sihiri stopped short as the blocks stopped off at a single platform made of lavender stone, hopped onto the platform and waved as the block beeped back at her. The block flew backwards, but in the process, it slammed right into Eruptor and sent both blocks both spinning! While the passengerless block was quick to recover and went on its merry way, Eruptor screamed as he spun around and slipped off.</p><p>His round hands clung to the side of the block as best they could, but he flung backwards and slammed right into Terrafin! The two of them screamed as they fell down into the abyss, but Sihiri snapped her fingers and they stopped in midair! A bright, sparkly purplish-pink glow surrounded them as they floated in midair and landed beside Sihiri, who only grinned. A soft blush dusted Terrafin's face as he scratched his head and turned around, and Eruptor only chuckled as he rubbed his own.</p><p>"That was a pretty nasty fall!" Chihiro remarked as she zipped up and hopped off her own block. "You guys alright?"</p><p>Terrafin chuckled as he forced a nod, and he lifted his head as the sound of flapping wings soared above him. Cynder and Whirlwind dashed off ahead of him, and before him, Sihiri chuckled and trailed down the stone path that spiraled ahead.</p><p>"As I was saying," Sihiri explained as Chihiro, Terrafin and Eruptor followed after her, "the Arkeyans wiped our forces out in droves, and we needed something that could combat this. That was when one of our ranks suggested an idea: what if we had something that contained our magic essence, something that would allow us to harness the full range of our abilities even without our bodies?"</p><p>"And what was that, exactly?" Chihiro asked as she pushed herself between Terrafin and Eruptor and trailed up to Sihiri.</p><p>Sihiri chuckled and lifted her pendant by its string. "Take a guess!"</p><p>The soft crackle of warmth burst ahead while embers spat out, and Sihiri smiled even though Chihiro jumped back.</p><p>They reached the end of the room, and all that stood before them was a door made entirely of warm molten rock! Stagnant lava veins formed through its surface, tiny embers burst out of cracks within the stone, and its whole appearance heated the room by at least ten degrees. The presence didn't intimidate Sihiri in the slightest, for she held her hand out while it glowed purple.</p><p>The door rumbled and sank into the ground below as Cynder and Whirlwind took a seat beside Chihiro, and Terrafin and Eruptor hopped up beside Sihiri right as the door vanished.</p><p>Out from the door's open mouth came a massive realm of volcanic rock. Entire rivers and waterfalls made of lava poured like water and stretched through the realm; large bookshelves carved out of the masses of volcanic rock made up the room, and they stocked themselves to the brims with stone tablets and books; it even had sitting areas perfect for an afternoon read improvised from the materials surrounding. If not for the oppressive heat, it would have been a pretty cozy area, in all honesty.</p><p>"Now, Vatra should be somewhere in here," Sihiri remarked as she stepped in and crossed her arms, "but where?"</p><p>Everyone else paused, turned around as they stepped into the room, and reeled back as orange light burst from ahead. A geyser of lava burst from the floor, shattering a stone pillar to bits, and the flecks of lava rained down right over them! Chihiro gasped, immediately cast a shield around everyone, and gulped as the lava smacked and sizzled against it.</p><p>Sihiri downed part of the shield, and chuckled as she stepped forward. "And there he is!"</p><p>Out from the diminishing shower flew that bright red crystal wheel, which shone with an aura of heat as a pale red silhouette formed around it! A string dropped around the silhouette's neck as its light burst away in batches of fire, and from it emerged a person. His skin was tanned and slightly red in undertone; it was if it was kissed by the sun itself, save for a pair of curved scars on his breasts that were lighter in tone. His brown eyes were warm and tinted red under the heat. His red hair was a bit messy and disheveled. However, it did little to diminish the pristine look of the rest of his attire, from the trousers, sandals and lengthy jacket drenched in shades of crimson, to the pendant that still hung firm from his neck. The only thing not drenched in red were the bandages wrapped around his hands; they singed black in some places and tinted yellow in others, yet they still stuck tight to his hands.</p><p>He chuckled as sweat dripped down his long, triangular nose, and an aura of warmth burst from him as he fixed up his hair and stretched.</p><p>"Ah, that was a nice nap!" this man remarked as he let his arms fall down and chuckled. "I can never escape your notice, can I, Sihiri?"</p><p>Sihiri chuckled as Vatra brushed a finger against her cheek, so close and intimate. He paused and raised a brow as his eyes fell on Chihiro below him.</p><p>"I'm sorry, can I help you?" he asked, and his warm tone became cooler.</p><p>"Are you two a couple or something?" Chihiro asked. She stumbled back and chuckled as Sihiri and Vatra raised their brows. "I mean, you two were getting so close, and that's what people say couples are supposed to do, right? Get all super close and cuddly and stuff?" Chihiro jolted up and turned away. "Ah, I mean, sorry, I said something super weird, didn't I?"</p><p>Vatra chuckled and knelt down to ruffle Chihiro's hair. "Ah, don't fret, child. No, we're not lovers, just close allies as one would say." Vatra stood up and smiled as he placed his hands in his jacket's pockets. "That strange aura of yours… You're one of us, correct?"</p><p>Chihiro blinked and furiously nodded. "Yeah, I'm a portal master! That's what you guys are called in our time!"</p><p>"Our time?"</p><p>Vatra frowned, and Chihiro was the one to laugh as she spun around.</p><p>"I can get you up to speed later!" Chihiro replied as she skipped across the molten rock platforms. "For now, Sihiri was telling me about those pendants of yours and how you made them, so tell me more!"</p><p>Vatra chuckled as he trailed after Chihiro. "I suppose I'll enthrall you," he remarked as he spun his wheel around his finger.</p><p>"We took the pendants we used as our symbols, and infused them with part of our own magic essence. Once activated with a spell, our ghosts would awaken, and use the essence inside to fight and thrive until our bodies could be healed and revived!"</p><p>Vatra grunted as something pushed against him. He peered down as Chihiro gazed up at him with the widest of grins, and the brightest of sparkling eyes on her face.</p><p>"That's so cool!" Chihiro cried as she bounced up and down. "I've never even thought of doing something like that before! It's like having infinite lives in a video game, but in real life!"</p><p>"What's a video game?" Vatra asked, but the soft bubble of lava caught his ear and he pulled Chihiro back. "Actually, hold that thought!"</p><p>A massive plume of lava burst from the lava river, but Vatra just snapped his fingers and sent the lava right back into the river! While it gurgled and passed on, Vatra smiled and waved his hands. In tandem, the river flooded forward and sent massive rock platforms floating before him.</p><p>"It's nothing too fancy, I'll admit. Any trained magician can do it as long as they're careful."</p><p>Vatra hupped as he hopped across the rock and onto the other side, strode over to a door made of shiny white and yellow marble, and hovered his hand in front of it as the others followed suit. The door buckled and burst into sparkles underneath his presence. He smiled as he urged for the others to come along with a slight of his hand.</p><p>The dull thud of warm stone underfoot turned to the clean sound of clacking marble, and everyone left Vatra's realm in favor of one much more shiny and polished! This new area was made of white marble with golden streaks. It was all carved into neat little cubbies, towers, and pillars that shone just as brightly as the warm light that made up the world around! Pale yellow stone floors lined the area around, forming ramps, platforms, and all sorts of nooks and crannies. The whole area seemed simple, yet held so many secrets.</p><p>"Luz, Luz!" Vatra called as he stepped into the room. "Where are you? I know you're in here, so come on out!"</p><p>"I can feel his presence," Sihiri remarked as she stepped forward and rested a clasped hand on her chest, her head craned back and forth, "but where?"</p><p>Chihiro frowned, poked her head between Vatra and Sihiri, and narrowed her eyes. A faint sparkle of golden light came from a cubby in one of the many marble pillars scattered amid the area. At first she thought she might've imagined it, but then, it sparked even brighter!</p><p>"There!" Chihiro called as she pointed towards the cubby.</p><p>Sihiri and Vatra's eyes fell on the golden spark, and it giggled as it zipped out and revealed itself to be the yellow wheel.</p><p>"You'll have to catch me first!" the wheel chuckled. It laughed as Vatra stumbled forward and tried to yank it out of the air, but zipped right off as he stumbled!</p><p>Whirlwind flew up and zipped after the wheel as Vatra regained his balance. "Just leave it to me!" she cried.</p><p>Whirlwind zipped after the wheel as it dove back into the cubby, and popped out of a door in one of the platforms as the wheel dashed off! It hovered above, zipped up and down across a series of ramps while Whirlwind tailed right after it. Just as it stopped to catch a breather, Whirlwind burst out from a door in a pillar and snatched it out of thin air!</p><p>"Caught you!" Whirlwind cried as she flew back up to Sihiri and Vatra and opened her front paws.</p><p>The wheel sighed as it floated out of Whirlwind's paws, and its light formed a solid silhouette of pale gold that matched a person's body.</p><p>"Ah, looks like I'm beat!" the wheel remarked as a string formed around the silhouette's neck.</p><p>Its light beamed out in all directions, and burst as it revealed a chubby ghost with a golden aura like sunlight! His brown skin had a warm, sunny undertone to it, one that perfectly matches his spiky blonde hair and golden brown eyes. He donned white and gold robes occasionally accentuated by pieces of armor, from shoulderpads to a chestplate and arm and leg guards. He chuckled and rubbed his round nose while a youthful smile crossed his face, but it quickly fell the moment he faced Sihiri and Vatra.</p><p>"Hey, where's Fintster?" Luz asked as he craned his head around. "And everyone else, for that matter? Heck, how did we end up at the Northern Base? Last I remember, we were fighting in Arkus!"</p><p>Vatra paused and rubbed his chin. "That's a good question, actually," he remarked. "I don't remember anything—just a big explosion, and everything going numb and dark."</p><p>"Likewise," Sihiri remarked as she turned an eye on Chihiro, "you said that some time had passed, right, young one?"</p><p>Chihiro blinked, sighed and twiddled her fingers. "Looks like it's my turn to do the explaining," Chihiro said through clenched teeth. She hissed a bit, and sighed as she faced Sihiri, Vatra and Luz. "See, it's been ten thousand years since your big battle with Arkilles. Skylands changed a lot since you were around last…"</p><p>The three of them gave Chihiro frowns, and she chuckled as she raised a finger.</p><p>"But, on the bright side, you did end the Arkeyans' reign of terror!" Chihiro turned aside and rubbed her hands. "On the flipside, you kinda also died, I guess, and got banished to all parts of Skylands, too? I found your wheels scattered all over the place while the Skylanders, the Elder Elementals, and some of our buddies went to stop Kaos…"</p><p>"Wait, did you say the Elder Elementals?" Sihiri asked. "Are they alive too?"</p><p>"Yep!" Chihiro nodded furiously, and her eyes went wide. "Speaking of, I've gotta get back to them!" Chihiro stormed forward and climbed up a platform. "Where's the exit to this place? We've got a mission to do!"</p><p>"A mission?"</p><p>"Yeah! Long story short, our enemy's trying to bring his empire back, and we need to stop him, but our transportation got stolen by some dude and he's making a whole mess of the place! I think I kinda left the Elder Elementals to deal with it…"</p><p>Sihiri, Vatra and Luz all turned to each other and nodded.</p><p>"Just follow us. We'll show you the way!" Sihiri proclaimed as she stormed ahead. "After all, we've got some friends to reunite with, too!"</p><p>"And if someone's causing trouble on our turf, then we've gotta deal with them, right?" Luz remarked with a wink.</p><p>Chihiro giggled, and bolted after them with Eruptor, Terrafin, Cynder and Whirlwind hot on her heels! They all caught up right as Luz opened a door made of solid ice, and dashed forward—only to slip and fall into a heap! Everyone groaned as they sat up, greeted their reflections in the icy path below their feet, and jolted up as the door slammed shut behind them.</p><p>"Oh dear Ancients," Vatra moaned, "I forgot whose room was after this…"</p><p>"Whose is it?" Eruptor asked as he tilted his head, and gasped as the floors started to slide.</p><p>"JUST HANG ON!"</p><p>The ice that made up the halls turned cooled and slicker, and everyone went sliding down before they knew it! They screamed as the hall turned into a ramp that dipped down and tossed them up in the air, zipped down the halls, and spun around in place with fury!</p><p>"Just what is this thing?" Terrafin shouted as he spun around.</p><p>"I'm getting dizzy!" Eruptor cried between hacks.</p><p>"I can hear my brain rattling around in my head!" Chihiro whined. "Somebody stop this!"</p><p>A whir came from above as parts of the ceiling parted, and Chihiro lifted her head right as cannons emerged from their open slots! She screamed, ducked as one of them shot a giant snowball right at her, and leaped up as another slammed into the ground below!</p><p>"Dej did always like to keep our skills sharp!" Sihiri cried as she tossed aside a snowball with magic and slammed it into another oncoming one. "I just wish he had less dangerous ways of doing it!"</p><p>"You're telling me!" Eruptor whined as he teetered back and forth between the snowballs that barraged him. "I want off this ride!"</p><p>The ceiling whirred further as a part of it collapsed and crumbled to bits, and out from it came a gigantic snowball cannon! The cannon shuddered as it sprung to life, shot out a gigantic snowball and completely shattered part of the path ahead. Everyone screamed as the icy remains crumbled down into the caverns.</p><p>"Jump for it!" Vatra cried.</p><p>They all did, but their jump was fruitless. The gap was so big that they only made it about halfway before they collapsed. Everyone screamed and clung to each other as they fell down, but just before they collapsed, Chihiro shot out her hand and crafted a giant net out of magic. Instead of falling into nothing, they all slammed against the net and bounced right back on course! They all slipped onto paths of ice through a solid tunnel that walled off everything else, and sighed with relief as they slipped through. At least falling into the abyss was of no concern this time.</p><p>Chihiro groaned, held her head, but lifted it as a twinkle of blue passed her by. She jumped back up to her feet, summoned a magic sticky hand and tossed it right at the glimmer! The sticky hand yanked it out in an instant, snapped right back and dropped the glowing blue object in her palm—a shiny blue crystal wheel!</p><p>"Took you for a little ride, didn't I?" echoed a chipper voice from the wheel as its blue glow grew brighter.</p><p>The blue wheel flew out of Chihiro's palm as its bright glow formed a pale blue silhouette of a person's body, and the glow melted into a torrent of water as a string formed around the silhouette's neck! The silhouette dripped with water as it transformed from a silhouette to a ghost with a chilly blue aura.</p><p>The ghost was of a muscular person with pale skin, and sleek black hair that cascaded down their chiseled jaw in loose curls that brought to mind ocean waves. Their deep blue eyes with epicanthic folds shone with a twinkle. Their wheel pendant sparkled against their bare chest, one accentuated by the puffy blue vest tied around the ghost's chest just enough to cover it while still showcasing their pecs. Dark blue trousers kept their place around the ghost's waist with a tightly-tied baby blue ribbon, and the moment their bare feet hit the ice, the floors transformed to fluffy snow instead.</p><p>"Name's Dej," the ghost said as he crossed his arms, "I hope you enjoyed the little ride I set up for you!"</p><p>"Enjoy it, my ass!" Vatra spat as he stormed up and shoved a finger in Dej's face. Smoking fumes burned from his ghastly form. "You nearly got us killed!"</p><p>Dej chuckled and pushed away Vatra's hand. "Chill out, Vats!" Dej teased with a single poke of his tongue and a wink. "I just wanted to make sure your skills were still sharp before I caught up with you!"</p><p>Dej walked ahead while Vatra crossed his arms and mumbled, but Chihiro ignored them. Instead, she looked down at her hands and counted off her fingers.</p><p>"I think that green wheel's the only one that's still missing," Chihiro remarked as she lifted her head.</p><p>"That must be Inochi," Sihiri remarked as she clasped her hands against her heart and chuckled. A soft giggle escaped her lips, and she seemed a little more coy as she wrung her hands together. "Oh, I can't wait to see her again." Sihiri lifted her head. "Her room, actually, shouldn't be that far."</p><p>"In fact, it's right here!" Luz called from the end of the tunnel.</p><p>Everyone dashed down, and Luz grinned and made a peace sign as he presented them with a door made of flower-covered vines.</p><p>"Knowing her, she's probably off tending to her flowers or something." Luz waved his hands in front of the door while its vines peeled away. "Bet this place is still sparkly-clean as ever. She's a real stickler for that…"</p><p>Luz gasped and jumped back as the door opened up, for out from its spilled masses of twisted, overgrown vegetation!</p><p>"Stuff!"</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 8: Glacier Gully Part 1 (Part 1)<p>The cool breeze ran through Chihiro's hair and caressed her cheeks as she leaned against the ship's rails. Beside her, Tree Rex shuddered as that same chilly breeze hit him. The wilikin hummed their songs in the distance as they sailed the ship through vast seas of endless sky and puffy clouds that rained snow down like, well, rain, onto the chain of snow-coated islands below them. Around them, their songs mixed with idle chat from the rest of their crew.</p><p>Thumpback regaled tales of past fishing trips to several wilikin children who stowed away onboard and Ermit, who listened with only half an ear as he shot glares at the clouds that passed by. Swarm laid on his back beside Thumpback as he counted the snowflakes that fell from the clouds. Eye shuddered and hopped over to where Eruptor sat on the ground as the wind chills passed by. Cynder, Whirlwind, and Terrafin joined as well while they held their hands and paws out. Not that Eruptor was pleased with this, judging by the scowl he shot Eye.</p><p>"Do I look like a campfire to you?" Eruptor scoffed as he crossed his arms. The warm light from his lava veins provided him with an equally-warm glow, and the frown on his face gave it a bit of an angry edge.</p><p>"Hush it, Eruptor," Cynder snarled as she glared right back at him. "This ship doesn't have any heating, and it's freezing cold around here!"</p><p>Eruptor and Cynder both shot glares at each other, but Chihiro only giggled as she witnessed the whole thing. Seems like things were getting pretty chilly! She'd have to whip up some coats and scarves for everyone soon. For now, she glazed over the masses of peach, pink, and blue skies coated with falling snowflakes that glistened like diamonds in the night. She wasn't sure when they'd find this robot, for all the islands they passed were practically identical, and she did need something to pass the time.</p><p>Chihiro hopped up to Tree Rex and leaned against his leg. Chills shot through her body from the cool temperature of his legs, but their fuzzy, mossy textures were pleasant enough that she didn't entirely mind.</p><p>"Hey, Tree Rex!" Chihiro called. Tree Rex perked up and leaned down at her with a brow raised, and she giggled as she spun around and sat down. "I've been wondering about something."</p><p>"What might that be, Chihiro?" Tree Rex asked as he gently nuzzled her head with his finger.</p><p>Chihiro giggled, grasped Tree Rex's finger and swung from it like a tree branch. "Ever since you all came here, I've been meaning to ask" — Chihiro came to a stop and dropped down as she shoved her hands in her pockets — "what really happened during your final battle with that Arkilles dude?" Chihiro coughed into her hand and turned away from Tree Rex's piqued gaze. "Of course, I want to know entirely for historical accuracy reason!" Chihiro chuckled, and that wide grin of hers returned to her face as she turned back and punched the air. "Was that battle really as big and fancy as all the books say?"</p><p>Tree Rex himself chuckled in response, but Thumpback jumped in and leaned against Tree Rex before he opened his mouth.</p><p>"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to regale you. I do love a good story and all!" Thumpback remarked as he stroked his chin. He cleared his throat, and crossed his legs so Chihiro could climb up on his knee and sit oh-so-attentively, eyes wide and all. "Thanks to our allies within, so to speak, we were able to locate the capital of the Arkeyan empire itself, Arkus. We all traveled long and far to stop him, fighting so many of their forces along the way, and soon we faced with the lowest of the low: Arkilles himself."</p><p align="center">§</p><p>"<em>We'll see about that!" Arkilles cried! His eyes glowed in tandem with the bright power core that resided in his fist, a piercing glare hot as the oppressive sun itself and held with the fury of a king. "After all, I have the power of the entire Arkeyan Empire in my palm!"</em></p><p><em>Arkilles swung his mighty fist down on the ground, and the earth splintered underneath the weight of his bearings! The ground cracked and crumbled away; it became broken and torn as those who laid on the ground fled with all the strength they carried in their bodies. The world around turned red, red, so red that it brought to mind blood from the wounds of a slain army, and the pounding screech of their alarms rang in all ears, the true sign of a dying battle.</em></p><p><em>Thumpback himself snarled and glared down Arkilles, his anchor clutched tight in hands worn and calloused from many days at sea. In all his years where he rested on Skylands, he faced many formidable foes—from cloud crabs and sky-orcas, rivaling pirates, and the most massive and most powerful of the Arkeyans' armies—and yet, none of them chilled his heart the way the sight of Arkilles did. His own giant size was completely dwarfed by the massive height of Arkilles's own body, and in that moment, Thumpback wondered: was this what the common felt in the presence of a god? The utter smallness; the shrinking, humbling feeling that brought to light how, in the grand scheme of Skylands' existence, he was little more than yet another speck in existence? That in the presence of Arkilles, whose eyes cracked with lightning, lightning dyed red with the blood of those he crushed underneath his own berth, Thumpback was no more than a minor pest? That even with his powers, Thumpback was no more important than any others who resisted Arkilles's conquest? Thumpback himself had never thought much of it, for even his own status as an Elder Elemental kept him from inflating his own importance. He fought hard to protect Skylands as all his other allies did, for the same reasons they all did: to prevent the Arkeyans' tyranny and to ensure a brighter future for all those they oppressed. But, as Thumpback stood silent, only able to gaze dumbfounded as the lights in Arkilles's eyes grew brighter, he finally came to realize just how daunting a task this was. They were all smaller, and weaker, and iller-equipped compared to Arkilles's might…</em></p><p>"<em>He's preparing a laser blast!" cried one of the magicians beside Thumpback as she thrust out her staff and spun it around. "Get back!"</em></p><p><em>A sharp wail echoed around the room, a cry like death itself, as bright hot streaks of red lasers fired right down from Arkilles's eyes and burned the room around! The cracks that formed in the ground set ablaze with fire, and melted several of the robot soldiers around, all collateral damage in the grand scheme of Arkilles's ploy to defeat the Elder Elementals! Thumpback himself got pushed out of the way by Brawl as one of these lasers crashed before him; his bones ached as he crashed into a pile of rubble left behind from the earlier battle. Bouncer and Eye swung forward in front of Thumpback as another laser carved through the marble and reduced it to rubble right before Thumpback's eyes, drowning the shouts around in an ocean of screeching, crashing, and calamity. Bouncer and Eye shots streaks of hot light from their own eyes. A pair of reds and one streak of silver intertwined as their lasers shot into the ones Arkilles himself shot, and they both pressed into each other in a battle of lights! The deep reds and cool silvers of their lights pressed against each other, a battle akin to many. A fisherman fighting for a fish's reel as the fish futilely fought for its own freedom; two beings who fought for the insurance of their own survival; leaders who waged wars for the sake of territory, resources, their own kingdoms' survival. What did they all have in common? They all fought furiously, determined, and poignantly for their own sakes, with all their might for the things they dreamed of, they wished for, they desired! The imagery struck Thumpback's mind as he witnessed Bouncer and Eye straining, screaming, as they pushed forward and brightened their own lights. And yet, Arkilles simply shot one more blast and blew them off the surface of the area! Bouncer collapsed on a pile; parts of his chest melted away, and his circuitry exposed as he slammed against a wall and collapsed into a pile of rubble. Tree Rex gasped and lifted Bouncer from the ground, cradling his companion, his dying soldier. Bouncer coughed out sparks and oily quicksilver for blood; the flecks rained down against his broken, twisted chest while he sputtered and failed to make words.</em></p><p><em>"Augh, my eye!" Eye wailed as Brawl caught him and stroked his top. Eye's wings wrapped around his body, which burned and pulsed with a throbbing red glow. "It burns!"</em></p><p><em>One of the magicians flew up, winced as she laid her hand on Eye's body, and slowly rubbed away the coarse, burning red of his injuries. The ceiling rumbled, and all three swept away in a massive collision of rubble! Chunks of the ceiling like hellfire from above crashed down and smashed away, blocking off the armies from their enemies and burying all underneath their crushing weight. The end had come, and Thumpback's judgment would come soon! His own body, twisting and aching with pain as he could barely seat himself upright, cried out for mercy, and he himself could only close his eyes and hope that the afterlife would be kind...</em></p><p align="center">§</p><p>"Geez, Thumper, you're way too dramatic!" Swarm shouted as he flew down beside Tree Rex. "Can't you tell a single story without going into all those spiels?" Swarm gestured to where Chihiro nodded off in Thumpback's lap. "You're gonna make Chihiro fall asleep if you keep rambling like that!"</p><p>"What?" Chihiro exclaimed as she jolted her head up and whipped around. "No, nope, I totally wasn't sleeping, no, not at all!"</p><p>Thumpback's eyes turned a little wider as he pulled himself out of his story and turned to Swarm. "Then how would you put it, Swarm? As I recall, that battle lasted for ages!"</p><p>Swarm rubbed his puffed-out chest and smirked. "I'll take care of that!"</p><p align="center">§</p><p><em>Rocks poured down from the ceiling as it rumbled, and cracks formed in its intricate marble and metal surface! Swarm winced as he swept two of the magicians, one bearing a shield and another bearing a sword, into his arms just before a particularly large chunk of marble could knock them out. Swarm scoffed as it crumbled to bits before them.</em></p><p>"<em>What am I doing standing around here?" Swarm demanded. </em></p><p><em>His brilliant eyes shimmered in the little light provided. That same light reflected off his sleek body, and highlighted its muscles in a way that made him look ultra-strong—just as strong as Arkilles seemed, even! Those bright, shiny eyes of his zeroed in on where Arkilles held back his chest and cackled like the supervillain he was, all high, snide, and haughty. It was a disgusting sight, but it wouldn't last for long!</em></p><p>"<em>I've gotta stop him!" Swarm cried as he flew up, and his snarl turned to a wide smile. "Super Swarm, to the rescue!"</em></p><p><em>"Don't forget about us!" the two magicians cried in tandem as they floated out of Swarm's arms and sat on his shoulders.</em></p><p><em>A twinkle shone in sword-bearing magician's eye beneath the thick black hair that masked it, and he turned to the shield-bearing magician as that twinkle glowed bright. "You know, Swarm, brother," the sword magician remarked as he drew his sword and raised it to the ceiling, "I think I have the perfect way to get this hardhead's </em><strong>eyes </strong><em>off of us!"</em></p><p><em>The shield magician perked his brows, and that same twinkle shone in his golden brown eyes. "Why, I think I may have had the same idea, brother!" he remarked as he drew his shield.</em></p><p><em>The two of them nodded, leaped off of Swarm's shoulders, and zipped across as they flew around each other while trails of light and darkness spiraled behind them. They were so in-sync, it was almost kinda creepy—but then again, that could be said of the eerily connected way that they always held themselves with.</em></p><p>"<em>Swarm, see if you can catch Great King Arkie's attention!" the magicians cried in sync. "We've got an idea!"</em></p><p><em>"I heard you the first time," Swarm buzzed, yet nonetheless he flitted up to Arkilles and drew his barbed arms. "But I've got just the thing!"</em></p><p><em>Arkilles continued to cackled as he shot down laser beams, and sent everyone screaming and running for the hills, all while flames burned down from the spots that had been warmed by the lasers! His robotic laugh dripped with pride as he held his hands up, so snide and so full of twisted confidence. Well, not for long!</em></p><p><em>"Ha! Ha, ha!" Arkilles cackled, and the robotic filter that covered his voice only served to make him sound even more twisted than usual. "I, Arkilles, am all powerful! Nobody can beat my ultra powerful eye lasers of doom!"</em></p><p><em>"No </em><strong>body, </strong><em>huh?" Swarm remarked as he flew up right in Arkilles's face. "What about no </em><strong>bee</strong><em>?"</em></p><p><em>Arkilles gasped, growled as he swung his fist, and tried to swat Swarm away! But, the great, mighty Swarm wouldn't go down so easily! He just zipped away and rubbed his chin!</em></p><p><em>"Huh, that sounded better in my head," Swarm remarked as he zipped away from Arkilles's blows and the crumbling ceiling all at once. A tough task for most, but Swarm wasn't like the rest!</em></p><p>"<em>Argh, stand still, stupid gnat!" Arkilles cried as continued to fruitlessly swat Swarm, who dodged every blow still. "Get out of my sight!"</em></p><p><em>Swarm giggled as he leaped right above Arkilles's fist and did a split right on top of it. He chuckled as he pressed his hands down on its surface, and stood upside-down.</em></p><p>"<em>Alright, you asked!"</em></p><p><em>With another laugh, Swarm spun around and completely dissolved into a swarm of buzzing bees! The bees all buzzed even louder as they turned their sharp as knives stingers right on Arkilles, who only gulped as he drew back.</em></p><p>"<em>Uh oh," was all Arkilles said.</em></p><p><em>The bees sprung forward and jabbed their stingers into Arkilles's metal body! His metal dented and caved underneath the stingers' might. Arkilles himself only fruitlessly flailed his arms and ran around in circles!</em></p><p>"<em>Noooooooooooooooo! Not bees! Anything but bees!" Arkilles wailed like a terrified child. "I'm allergic to bees!"</em></p><p><em>Swarm's own bee swarm just buzzed with laughter as they jabbed away. Bright bursts of golden light and smoky shadows cackled as they flew right past him! Swarm gasped; his swarm drew away and formed into a vague shape of his own body as they transformed back into him. Swarm panted as he buzzed in place, and before him, Arkilles reeled and held his head. Arkilles's armor was cracked in some placed, lined with bumps in the others… Swarm really did a number on him!</em></p><p><em>Arkilles groaned as he lifted his head, his eyes so cracked that red light seeped through the cracks, and he growled once more as he glared at Swarm. </em>"<em>You'll pay for that!" Arkilles cried as the red light that came from his cracked eyes glowed even brighter. "Once I fry you with my ultra-powerful eye lasers of doom, you'll be nothing more than a grilled bug!"</em></p><p><em>Arkilles screamed as his cracked eyes glowed like suns. Just before he could fire, a bright yellow laser shot right into his left eye and completely cracked it! Arkilles's screams came not from anger, but pain as he held the injured side of his head. Above him, the shield magician hovered and chuckled as he drew back a glowing shield.</em></p><p>"<em>Your turn, brother!" the shield magician shouted as he waved to Arkilles's other side.</em></p><p>"<em>Gladly, brother!" the sword magician shouted back. He grinned as he drew his sword up, and with a couple slashes, ripples of darkness shot through the air and shattered Arkilles's other eye!</em></p><p><em>"AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! MY EYES!" Arkilles wailed as he shielded his broken eyes with his massive, mechanical fists!</em></p><p><em>The magicians both cackled as they gazed upon Arkilles, left so helpless as he covered his eyes—but while they laughed in the air, Arkilles snatched them and yanked them back to him! Their eyes popped out of their heads as Arklilles' massive head gazed upon them, and they both squirmed as they tried to escape his grip. Arkilles squeezed them tighter and they could only scream!</em></p><p><em>"How about we play a game of pop the magicians, huh?" Arkilles remarked as he squeezed them!</em></p><p><em>Swarm gasped and leaped into action! </em>"<em>Oh no you don't, Arkilles!" Swarm cried as his body glowed with a bright power. "Time for me to bring the sting!"</em></p><p><em>As Swarm called out, the bright, golden light enveloped his body, and he grew twice his already-gigantic size! With his new height, he completely towered over Arkilles, who now looked very nervous indeed. Quicksilver oil crept down Arkilles's head as he released the magicians, and he only gulped as he came in Swarm's presence.</em></p><p>"<em>Oh no, not the almighty Swarm!"</em></p><p><em>Swarm let out a haughty laugh that shook the room around, and with a single slice from Swarm's barbs, Arkilles got cut in half! Arkilles's mechanical wails resounded around the room as he exploded in a fury of flame, while everyone cheered as they surrounded Swarm!</em></p><p><em>"Swarm, you're our hero!" they all cried at once!</em></p><p align="center">§</p><p>Swarm clasped his fists and shook them in the air. "Thank you, thank you!" Swarm cried.</p><p>Chihiro's eyes sparkled as Swarm basked in his imaginary glory. But, Thumpback and Eye both sighed as they shot him glares—and though Brawl didn't have a face, the way he crossed his arms was enough to show his displeasure.</p><p>Swarm grinned as he lowered his fists, tilted his head and twitched his antenna as he gazed back at the others. "Wait, what's with that look, guys?"</p><p>"That isn't how we defeated Arkilles and you know it, Swarm," Eye remarked as he plopped back on top of Brawl and crossed his wings.</p><p>"Is that true?" Chihiro asked as she tilted her own head.</p><p>Swarm's eyes grew wider, and a soft blush came over his face as he chuckled and scratched his head. "Er, well, I, may have embellished the details just a little bit."</p><p>Tree Rex, Eye, and Thumpback all sighed and shook their heads.</p><p>Chihiro just turned her gaze back up to Tree Rex and Eye-Brawl. "So, if that wasn't how you defeated Arkilles, then, how did you?"</p><p>Tree Rex cleared his massive throat and sat down. "Ah yes, I remember it quite well," Tree Rex remarked. He rubbed his throat and a small nod came to him. "Well, you see, it actually happened a little something like this…"</p><p align="center">§</p><p>"<em>Augh!" cried the magicians' leader as she crashed into a pile of rocky rubble! She stood back up and swayed from side to side as she bared her staff, but alas, she could only collapse despite her show of determination.</em></p><p><em>Around her, the other magicians all writhed in pain and laid still on the floor. Their bodies were grave with injury as they heaved shallow breaths with all the might they had. They all fought their hardest, yet it still wasn't enough!</em></p><p><em>Above them, Arkilles cackled as he brushed away their combined attack like it was little more than a fly. Though his eyes were rid of their glass, they still shone bright as morning stars while they trained on the weakened magicians! His cackles filled the room with dread as he lifted his fist, and his massive cape fluttered in the wind as he turned it down.</em></p><p>"<em>I'll give you credit, you did fight pretty hard," Arkilles remarked as he twisted his fist around and let out low chuckles, "but it wasn't hard enough!" Arkilles raised his fist as it glowed, shot it down and pointed towards the injured free magicians. "Minions, finish them!"</em></p><p><em>The sound of clunking metal and shuffling feet echoed from the halls as masses of Arkeyan robots poured out from the halls, all armed with glowing rifles that were pointed right at the magicians! They were charged and ready, and there was no way the magicians could fight back with them in such a weakened state! They could only groan as they lifted their heads and faced their laser-borne death.</em></p><p>"<em>Say hello to your precious Ancients for me, stage magicians!"</em></p><p><em>The rifles shrieked as they charged further, their glow pulsing and fading with every cycle, and the magicians just stood silent still. A few of them held their heads or turned away; some pounded their fists against the ground. It was like all hope had been lost, and yet, a tiny pair of feet dashed through the wreckage and screamed.</em></p><p>"<em>Leave them alone!" cried a young voice as a burst of magic shot from the crowds!</em></p><p><em>This tiny little ball of magic ricocheted off the robots' head and disappeared in a flash, but it was enough that the robots lowered their weapons and craned their heads around in confusion. Though they scanned the battlefields below, nothing could be seen save for one tiny little child with their pale skin, torn clothes, scarred and scratched up body, and soft, sky blue hair! Their silver eyes were puffy and filled with tears as they flung their arms in front of their fellow magicians. Though their legs trembled so hard that it seemed like they would collapse, they still stood tall in front of the opposition.</em></p><p>"<em>Le, leave," the child sputtered between sniffles and sobs. They lowered their head for a moment as they wiped away their tears, but they still turned to the Arkeyans and faced them nonetheless. "LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE!"</em></p><p><em>"Varonis, what, what are you doing?" demanded one of the magicians between sputters and coughs. His dark hair fluttered over his face, but between its strands, worry cleared showed in his brown eyes. "Get out of here! Those things will kill you!"</em></p><p><em>"No! I'm not gonna do that, Vaayu!" Varonic cried as they turned back to the portal master. "I'm not leaving you behind! You told me that as free magicians, it's our duty to protect Skylands and all inside it from the Arkeyans' evil, even if it means we die!" Varonis turned back to the Arkeyans, and a hint of courage shone in their teary, swollen eyes as they faced the masses of Arkeyan armies once more. </em>"<em>SO THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA DO!"</em></p><p><em>Arkilles only chuckled as he glanced down at Varonis, and a hint of amusement shone in his broken eyes. </em>"<em>My, my, the kid thinks they can play the hero! Give them a round of applause!" Arkilles cackled as he clapped his hands.</em></p><p><em>The robots all turned to each other, shrugged and dropped their weapons as they clapped alongside Arkilles.</em></p><p><em>Arkilles scowled and screeched so hard it nearly blew everyone off their feet. </em>"<em>I DIDN'T MEAN IT LITERALLY, YOU BUFFOONS! TAKE UP YOUR ARMS!"</em></p><p><em>The robots all whirred and beeped as they scrambled to yank their weapons from the floors. They cocked their rifles and pointed them all out once more. Their weaponry fully charged once more, and with a single pull of the trigger, anyone in the line of fire would be toast!</em></p><p>"<em>Now, minions," Arkilles cried as he pointed to the magicians, "show them what we do to heroes around here!"</em></p><p><em>"YES SIR!" The robots all chimed as they readied their weaponry. "Three, two, one…"</em></p><p><em>Varonis only gulped as their arms joined their legs in shuddering with fury, but they still stood tall and waved their hands as the robots prepared to fire. Bursts of cyan magic sparkled and shone from their palms, yet disappeared just as quickly as they appeared! All that was left was for them to stand still, and face the robots as their guns' barrels shuddered with light.</em></p><p>"<em>FIRE!" the robots cried!</em></p><p><em>Varonic screamed and prepared to cast a shield as laser bursts came straight for them, their eyes screwed shut as they surely prepared for the end. Just before the laser came, a gigantic purple shield sprung between them and the robots! The robots' laser blows slammed into the shield and reflected back at them, tearing them to bits as they exploded upon contact.</em></p><p><em>Varonis's eyes fluttered open as shadows cast above them, and something lifted them from the floor. They finally lifted their head, gasped and grinned as Ninjini lifted them into her palms—she came to save them all! More than her, the other seven Elder Elementals flanked her from behind, all with smiles on their faces and weapons clasped tight!</em></p><p>"<em>Are you alright, Varonis?" Ninjini asked.</em></p><p><em>Varonis furiously nodded, but their grin fell as their eyes drifted down to where the other magicians laid sprawled against the floor. Arkilles's haughty laughter drained the color from his face, and Ninjini lowered her hand as she let Varonis tend back to their fellow magicians.</em></p><p>"<em>Well, well, look who's here!" Arkilles remarked. "Come to save the day again, Minor Elementals?"</em></p><p>"<em>More than that, Arkilles!" Tree Rex bellowed as he pounded his fists together. "Your reign of terror ends now! We're not going to let you bring any more harm to Skylands!"</em></p><p><em>"My, such confidence!" Arkilles called as he waved his glowing fist around. "But, I wonder—will you still act so high and mighty when you face my CONQUERTRONS?"</em></p><p><em>The entire world rumbled around them as the halls below smashed to bits, and out from their rubble came massive, humanoid machines! They were taller than buildings and towers, and their eyes glowed with a menacing yellow light as they flanked Arkilles on each end. They leaned down and put themselves in fighting positions; with a single snap of Arkilles's fingers, they were off like rockets!</em></p><p>"<em>Their legs are their weak spots!" Ninjini cried. "Aim for those!"</em></p><p><em>Ninjini summoned her wishblades as she burst forward, tossed them out and zapped them with purple magic bolts! A bright purple glow surrounded the wishblades as they zipped around on their own and sliced the first few Conquertrons' legs in half. The Conquertrons themselves just flew into the air and crashed back down! Just before they hit the ground, an anchor's chain wrapped around them and swung them around.</em></p><p><em>In the center of the storm, sweat poured down Thumpback's body as he strained and swung his anchor around; finally, he released and sent them crashing back into the rest! The pile of Conquertrons twitched and strained as they rested on the ground and sent clouds of dust floating around. A burst of flames shot forward and set them alight. Strained, screeching beeps and whirs came from them as the flames ate away, and they all exploded to bits with one single laser blast!</em></p><p><em>Smoke and fire covered the room while Arkilles broke into a coughing fit, and under the smoke's cover, the Elder Elementals all charged forward! Crusher nodded and swerved away from the rest of the group as they burst through the smoke, a bright glow of light around their bodies as their signal. They all stood tall as Arkilles fanned the smoke from his face, and growled as his eyes fell on them!</em></p><p><em>Arkilles lurched forward and went to stomp Tree Rex, but Tree Rex just ran aside and disappeared in a murky, shadowy smoke that burst from his solar cannon! Arkilles gasped, pounded his foot around, and dented the floors as he sought out Tree Rex, but he just couldn't find Tree Rex in spite of Tree Rex's laughter!</em></p><p>"<em>Where are you, you overgrown twig?" Arkilles demanded as he continued to stomp. "I demand you show yourself this instant!"</em></p><p><em>Though Arkilles fixed on Tree Rex, Crusher was the one he really should've worried about! Crusher sneaked out of the shadows with his hammer clutched tight in his hands. He leaped up and slammed his hammer right into the back of Arkilles's leg! Arkilles wailed as he fell to his knees; his hands pressed against the floor as he pushed himself up, and a bright glow from below caught his attention! </em></p><p><em>He snarled as his eyes fell on Eye's glowing eye, swung his hand and grappled for Eye—but Eye popped off and zapped Arkilles right in the face! Arkilles reeled backwards and slammed into the wall, but Eye just floated back as Ninjini zipped ahead of him. Ninjini shouted out as she slammed a magic orb into Arkilles's chest and knocked him aside, and Arkilles growled as he leaned up to his feet. Sparks flew from the injured wiring in his leg, but he hardly cared as he raised a glowing fist and shot a storm of lasers right at her!</em></p><p><em>Ninjini chuckled and teleported away, but the lasers phased right through the cloud of smoke she left behind and blew up a part of the ceiling! Arkilles clenched his fist as rocks and marble crumbled down, and a </em><strong>POP</strong><em> from the side showed Ninjini's return. She giggled and waved at Arkilles as she hovered next to a wall, but Arkilles screamed as he slung a punch at her—except it never landed! She disappeared at just the right moment, and he just lodged his glowing fist into the wall. Arkilles grunted as he tried to yank it out, and Ninjini teleported back onto the ground.</em></p><p>"<em>Tree Rex, Swarm, now!" Ninjini cried.</em></p><p><em>"On it, Jeannie!" Swarm cried in the distance,</em></p><p><em>The sound of buzzing resounded across the floor as Swarm zipped forward with Tree Rex hanging from his arms! Swarm grunted as he zipped past another portion of crumbling ceiling, and snarled as his eyes fell on Arkilles. He swung his arms back and forth, and...</em></p><p>"<em>Jump for it, boss!"</em></p><p><em>With a grunt, Swarm tossed Tree Rex right for Arkilles! Arkilles turned around as Tree Rex's screams hit the air, and just in time for Tree Rex to punch his head clean off! Arkilles's head spun across the fields and slammed right into the wall. Without a head to guide it, the body slunk backwards and severed itself from its glowing, dislodged fist as it collapsed on the ground!</em></p><p><em>A low, decidedly unrobotic groan echoed from within the hollow body as a red and gold glow came from it, and it slowly shrunk down until it was no bigger than an average human. A pop of red and gold sparkles came and unveiled Arkilles once more—the true Arkilles. His snow white skin was covered in bruises and bloody cuts, his hair was disheveled and his clothing was tattered. His kingly image was torn to shreds, and all that remained was a sad, sad shell of a man.</em></p><p><em>The Elder Elementals all snarled as they surrounded Arkilles with weapons raised, but Arkilles only gritted his teeth and pounded his bloody, bruised fist into the floor! Arkilles glared up at Tree Rex. Despite his eyes both being bruised, he still found it in him to muster a look of defiance in his blood red eyes.</em></p><p>"<em>I, I, I—" Arkilles croaked before he hacked out blood and collapsed on the floor!</em></p><p><em>Tree Rex only held up a glowing solar cannon and snarled as Arkilles coughed and hacked.</em></p><p>"<em>Your reign ends here, Arkilles," was all Tree Rex said as he prepared to fire…</em></p><p><em>When a shriek and a bright flash of light caught his attention!</em></p><p><em>All eyes turned around to where the Fist of Arkus laid lodged in the wall, except it grew unstable! Sparks flew from its interior, and it glowed with a harsh light akin to the sun itself. Massive winds whipped around the interior as the light glowed bright, and it expanded in a full on rift! Arkilles was forgotten in all the Elder Elementals' minds as they scrambled for something to cling to, but it was too late. The winds whipped them right off the ground, and in that instant, a bright flash of light drowned out everything else as they got sucked in…</em></p><p align="center">§</p><p>"And that's how Arkilles was defeated," Tree Rex explained as he patted Chihiro's head.</p><p>Chihiro giggled as Tree Rex lifted his hand, and hummed as she rubbed her chin. "I'm guessing that rift must've been what took you all to Earth," Chihiro remarked as she pulled her wheels from her pocket and levitated them around, "but, that leaves me with one last question."</p><p>Tree Rex raised a brow. "And that is?"</p><p>"What exactly happened to your portal masters?"</p><p>Tree Rex sighed and held his head. "I'm not sure. All I remember was that bright flash of light, and then, nothing. I hadn't seen anything else." A small frown crossed Tree Rex's face. "If I had to guess, at this point they're probably long dead…"</p><p>A sparkle of light caught Tree Rex's eyes, and he frowned as he turned back to where Chihiro toyed with her miniature wheel collection! She giggled as they spun in place and bounced in midair, but soon the show ended. They dropped into her lap as she peered up at Tree Rex.</p><p>"Say, Chihiro," Tree Rex remarked, "where did you get those wheels?"</p><p>"Oh, these?" Chihiro lifted the purple wheel up to her eye and grinned as it shone in the light. "I've been finding them all across Skylands ever since we started running around here!" Chihiro hummed as she turned around the wheel, and its purple color grew even more brilliant in the sunlight. "I don't know why, but it felt like they were calling to me, so I've been keeping them safe!"</p><p>Tree Rex grinned. "I'm not surprised," he said as he examined the other wheels that Chihiro held. "Back in our times, our portal masters used these wheels as their symbol!"</p><p>"Really?" Chihiro's eyes sparkled with awe, and she lowered the wheel down to her chest.</p><p>"Indeed! It was a subtle way for them to show those around just who they were without drawing Arkeyan attention. They had our motto engraved on their crystal, so anyone who saw them would know they were safe." Tree Rex frowned and rubbed his chin. "Now that I think about it, I think they had another purpose too, but I can't quite remember what it was."</p><p>"Attention, friends!" cried the wilikin who piloted their ship. "We have now arrived at our destination!"</p><p>Another burst of cold flurries came from the side, and covered everyone in thin coats of snow as the ship docked. Everyone shuddered as they shook the snow from their bodies. Yeah, they definitely arrived, for right past them were endless miles of snow and ice as far as the eye can see! Its paths were clean and free of tracks, which allotted them to sparkle bright in the sunlight above. It was a pretty sight, but it wouldn't last for long. They had to get going, after all!</p><p>Chihiro waved her hands as everyone else broke away from huddling for warmth or whatever else they did, and crafted magic effigies of all sorts of warm winter clothes! Fluffy hats topped with pom-poms, cozy scarves, and puffy jackets all came to her in a snap, and she donned a few before she passed the remaining pile off to Terrafin.</p><p>"Be sure to bundle up, everyone! Don't want anybody catching a cold and all!" Chihiro shouted as she waved back to them. Chihiro grinned as she drummed her gloved fingers against the ship's railing, but her grin faded as Ermit walked up beside her. "Hey, Ermit, by the way" — Chihiro placed her elbows on the railing, and pressed her hands against her face — "where is this giant robot of yours, anyways?"</p><p>"Well, last I recall, I parked it at the end of the island," Ermit replied as he scratched his beard. "Sure hope nobody's messed with it since I've been gone."</p><p><em>CRASH!</em></p><p>A massive avalanche poured down in the distance, and everyone leaned over the railing as the sight of something large, gold and blue crept over the horizon—a giant Arkeyan robot! Its squeaking joints echoed as it lifted its arm. It pounded down mountains of snow like they were made of clouds, lifted itself up, and jiggled as if it laughed while the avalanches collapsed below its mighty stature! More importantly, judging by the reaction of Ermit—all wide eyes and tight, cringing teeth—that was definitely <em>his </em>robot!</p><p>"Yeah, it definitely wasn't doing that when I left it here!" Ermit cried. "Heck, it didn't even move at all! What's gotten into the thing?" Ermit's ears flattened as he shot an aside glare. "Don't tell me <em>he's </em>behind all this."</p><p>Chihiro quirked a brow, but as she scanned over the area, her own eyes fell on something odd. Hung from a wall of ice was a flag of an ice ogre with a mohawk, two large blue eyes, and attire covered in gems for clothing that proudly puffed out his chest. He wasn't just there, either: the ice sculptures and snowmen littered around the area all bore his face, his flags hung from every fixture they could, and even banners strung across snow-covered buildings bore it! That face seemed awfully familiar, too.</p><p>"Hey, Rupty!" Chihiro called as she waved Eruptor over. "Come look at this!" Chihiro pointed a finger towards the various ice ogre-themed decorations as Eruptor squeezed himself between Chihiro and Ermit. "Don't those faces seem familiar to you?"</p><p>Eruptor tapped his hand against his chin, and his lava burned brighter as his brows raised. "They do!" Eruptor cried as he waved his hand towards the statues. "It's that Noodles guy!"</p><p>"Knew it!" Chihiro cried. "Something tells me that robot going wild with these around is no coincidence" — Chihiro heaved a foot over the ship's railing — "I'd better go—"</p><p>"Wait a second!" Ermit cried as he pulled Chihiro back by her jacket. Chihiro yelped as Ermit pulled her back to his side, and he only scoffed as he gestured back to the various flags and statues. "Just who is this Noodles guy, anyways?"</p><p>"Noodles was one of Kaos's cronies back in the day. He and his ice ogres trapped an island in an eternal winter before, and we nearly got frozen alive trying to stop him!" Chihiro's eyes tensed, and she leaped onto the ship's railing once more. "Something tells me he's up to something here too!" With a grunt, Chihiro leaped right off the side of the ship and flipped down onto the land below! Snow burst from the ground and cascaded back down as she landed, but she only scoffed. "Whatever it is, we're gonna stop it, 'cause I have a sneaking suspicion it's nothing good!"</p><p>Chihiro leaped out of the ground and manifested snowshoes onto her shoes with a snap of her fingers, and prepared to run forward, but a bright glow from her pocket stopped her! Chihiro whipped around right as this pocket glow shuddered and rumbled, and gasped as her wheels burst out from her pocket! They hovered right before her as their glow became even brighter, almost enchanting, and zipped right off before her eyes.</p><p>"Actually, change of plans!" Chihiro cried as she tailed them towards a large, icy cavern entrance. "The rest of you, take care of Noodles! I've gotta see where these wheels are going!"</p><p>"Chi, wait up!" Terrafin cried as he shuffled past the others and dashed down the ship's drawbridge with only a moment of pause taken to fix his scarf.</p><p>Eruptor, Cynder and Whirlwind all tailed after her, and the others only paused and peered over the deck as they dashed closer to the caverns.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 7: Aerial Attack! (Part 2)<p>Gill Grunt groaned and sat up. His vision was so blurry that all he could comprehend was massive blobs of whites, blue and purples, all so glassy and soft that they merged together in his mind. He blinked, and the blurry colors started to settle a little more in his mind. Their blurry features sharpened to reveal a sleek room with a massive window to a duller, darker room on the other end, but, just what was it?</p><p>Gill Grunt shifted around and tried to move his arms, but thick, coarse rope kept them tied tight to his chest. For that matter, his legs were tied as well, and somewhat numb to boot! He could only flop around like a fish in a barrel, which wasn't exactly ideal when he was in a strange room with a massive headache.</p><p>It seemed as though he wasn't the only one with this plight! The sounds of soft groaning came from beside him, and Gill Grunt turned to his right. Beside him, Spyro, Trigger Happy, and Stealth Elf all laid on platforms much like the one he himself sat on. Their limbs were bound and tied while their tired heads swayed from side to side.</p><p>"Guh, what happened?" Trigger Happy groaned as he flicked his ears straight. "I feel like I got hit by two trucks at the same time."</p><p>"Good question," Spyro grunted as he rubbed his head, "I just remember flying around, and something about pirates, and it getting really wet…"</p><p>Wait, pirates? Just the word was enough to bring the events back to Gill Grunt's mind! The earlier moments, of him scouring through the rapids for Rita all flashed back to him, and then it changed to him hunting through prisons and cold, bitter air lashing at his scales, then… Gill Grunt's mouth gaped slightly and he lowered his head. Rita. He remembered now. He found that cell with her scales, the others all barren save for remnants of the dead.</p><p>"That's it!" Stealth Elf cried. "We were going to save Gill Grunt's girlfriend, but that pirate knocked us out cold before we could!"</p><p>"That's right, now I remember!" Spyro cried as he turned around. "Gill, did you find her?"</p><p>Gill Grunt winced, hung his head lower and shook it just slightly.</p><p>"I looked everywhere, but," Gill Grunt croaked, and a single tear slid down his face, "all I found were a couple of scales."</p><p>Spyro frowned and leaned backwards. "Wait, are you saying—"</p><p>"Oh, just what I like to see, prisoners with broken spirits!" shrieked a voice filled with glee.</p><p>All four of them turned their attention back to the glass. There, that very same air mage pirate from before sat in front of them! The mage cackled as his eyes fell on the four of them, all bound, helpless, and only able to glare at him from within the confines of their stark, white prison. He chuckled as he stroked his chin, and wagged a finger. Tiny embers flew from Spyro's mouth and sizzled as they hit the glass, but the mage just chuckled against as if he basked in their anger! The sharp glares that Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf shot him did little to dissuade his confidence, either, for he just continued to laugh!</p><p>"Laugh all you want now, but once we get out of here, we're wiping that smile clean off of your face!" Stealth Elf hissed.</p><p>"And how do you think you're gonna do that, missy?" the mage sneered.</p><p>Stealth Elf snarled as she wiggled her arm just slightly freer of the ropes, dove into her pockets and patted them down. She gasped and yanked them out empty-handed! Her eyes turned wide as she checked her second pocket, but it only brought about similar results.</p><p>"My daggers!" Stealth Elf cried. "They're gone!"</p><p>Trigger Happy grunted, scratched his back against the platform, and gasped as well. "And so're my guns! And my safes and coins and everything else!" Trigger Happy cried.</p><p>"That's right, mateys!" the mage proclaimed as he stroked his beard, "I made absolute sure to disarm ye before we had our little fun here!"</p><p>"Just what are you talking about?" Spyro cried back.</p><p>The mage just rolled his eyes as another snicker left his mouth. "Ye best not worry too much about me, mateys," the mage remarked. "If anything, ye should probably be more concerned about yerselves!"</p><p>"What does that mean?"</p><p>The mage turned around and held his hands behind his back. "Well, ye wanted to get off me little ship so bad, right? So, we're getting ye off" — the mage turned around and grinned as lightning crashed behind him — "BY DROWNIN' YE IN A BOILING WATERY DOOM!"</p><p>The mage cackled as he pressed a couple of buttons. The ceilings opened up, and poured water so hot that steam burst from its popped bubbles right into the room! The whole area around heated up and simmered to the point where it felt more like a sauna than a prison, but not in a good way. No, the heat was oppressive and dizzying, the kind that spun heads and numbed bodies with its warmth!</p><p>The thickness of it all choked Gill Grunt; his scales shriveled and dry and his eyes stung from the heat. Was it heat? He couldn't tell, for the thought of Rita kept a grip on his mind.</p><p>"Any last requests, mateys?" the mage asked as he steepled his fingers and leaned against the console.</p><p>"Don't need any!" Spyro cried as he leaned forward. "We're not going to die here!"</p><p>"Yeah!" Stealth Elf and Trigger Happy cried.</p><p>"Suit yerselves." The mage rolled his eyes and scoffed, but that sickening smile returned to his face the moment he laid eyes on Gill Grunt once more. "What about you, little fishy?"</p><p>Gill Grunt paused and lifted his head, which felt a bit wetter than normal—was he crying? He hadn't realized, but his head was so fuzzy that he couldn't even notice. His love, his one true pearl of the sea, the one he promised to save… Was gone. She died alone and helpless, and he was none the wiser!</p><p>Spyro huffed and cast out smoke as he glared down the pirate, but his gaze softened as he turned back to Gill Grunt.</p><p>"Gill," Spyro whispered.</p><p>Gill Grunt sighed, lifted his head and stared down the mage. The usual animosity that filled his heart when the sight of those swashbuckling goons disappeared in favor of tranquil numbness. He couldn't quite bring himself to feel anything else, after all.</p><p>"Just one," was all Gill Grunt said.</p><p>"Gill, what are you talking about?" Spyro cried. "We can't give up here! I know things look a little tough now, but we've been in worse positions, but—"</p><p>"Spyro, just be quiet."</p><p>Spyro gasped, shut his mouth and inched away. The wide look in his eyes gave him a bit taken aback a feeling, but nonetheless he obliged Gill Grunt's request and leaned back.</p><p>"Rita's dead and gone and I had no clue!" Gill Grunt croaked, and his voice started to crack as those tears began dropping down his face. "I promised her I'd save her, I traveled to the ends of Skylands and back for her, but in the end, I couldn't be there for her when she needed me!" Gill Grunt hiccuped, and he hung his eyes as his eyes started to sting. "I might as well just give up here. At least we can be together in death."</p><p>"Gill Grunt, stop talking like that!" Stealth Elf spat. "You're—"</p><p>A glare from Spyro zipped Stealth Elf's lips shut, and Gill Grunt just curled into a shuddered ball the best he could. The pound of rushing water and screech of hot steam filled his ears as the boiling waters grew below him, but all he did was close his eyes and let the heat evaporate his tears. He was in no position to argue.</p><p>"Tell me, pirate," Gill Grunt sniffled, "how did Rita die?"</p><p>The mage cackled and he drummed his fingers together.</p><p>"The same way all of ye will meet yer graves, of course! She boiled to death in the hottest of waters, screaming and pounding as she tried to escape with no luck, spittin' insults all the way!" The mage hooted, and that smirk crossed his face once more. "She was one of the feistier ones we've gotten, that's fer sure! She put up a pretty grand fight, to boot. That slippery lass broke her way through the glass, sneaked back on deck, tried drownin' us all with some fancy water spells, even! She even took the first mate's own cutlass from him and used it like she was a pro! Had the whole crew on deck tryin' to get her back, but it was a struggle, that's fer sure!"</p><p>The mage cackled and stroked his beard, and his gaze almost turned a bit pensive?</p><p>"Almost makes it a shame that she wiggled her way out and escaped through the cannons. That would've been an execution for the ages!"</p><p>"Wait, she escaped?"</p><p>The mage gasped, and turned around all wide-eyed as he glanced back at Gill Grunt. "Did I say that out loud?"</p><p>Gill Grunt's eyes fluttered, and that numb feeling that overtook him before started to ease. So, that was a lie! She really had escaped!</p><p>"Hear that, Gill?" Spyro asked as he turned back to Gill Grunt, his golden eyes bright and sparkly like the real thing. "She might still be alive after all!"</p><p>"Oh, I heard it alright!" Gill Grunt cried as he jumped to his feet!</p><p>The mage gasped, scrambled backwards and waved his hands. "For, forget about what I said!" The mage cried as sweat dripped down his brow. "She didn't really escape, we absolutely executed her! She died screaming in a boilin' water grave! We carved off all her scales and used 'em to line our robes, we made her into fish filet! That lil' mermaid you were lookin' for completely died in our clutches!" The mage puffed out his chest, and his beard and mustache fluffed up like his clothes did as sparks cracked from their ends. "Had the honor of de-scaling her myself and everything! I swear! I swear by Captain Frightbeard's locker!"</p><p>Gill Grunt completely tuned the mage out. He didn't have time to care about that guy's babbling—after all, he had to get out of here! Gill Grunt sprinted forward, leaped into the heat of the boiling water with a splash, and flapped his legs like a mermaid's tail as he swam underneath. The heat seared his scales and burned his eyes, but Gill Grunt just gritted his teeth and bore it as he swam closer to the base of the window. There, tiny white cracks formed. The heat already started to chip away at the window, and he was gonna speed it along!</p><p>Gill Grunt swam backwards, and rammed himself against the cracked part of the glass! He drew back and slammed against it again as the cracks grew bigger in response to the stress, and the cracks speared all across the window! From within the waters, the wavy vision of the mage screamed and panicked as he toyed with the controls. Gill Grunt could also vaguely hear the shouts of Spyro, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf above, so he slammed himself into the glass one last time!</p><p>This time, the sheer force spread the cracks across the glass, and the whole thing shattered! The water rushed out in a massive tidal wave, and Gill Grunt, Spyro, Stealth Elf and Trigger Happy all rode the top. The four of them screamed as they washed up on the other side of their prison, hacked out water and shuddered as the waves dried up with only puddles remaining. They were burnt and sore from the heat of being nearly boiled alive, but thank the Ancients, they were alive!</p><p>"Now hold it right there, mateys!" the mage cried as he turned around. "Ye may have escaped being boiled, but I'll still filet ye!"</p><p>Gill Grunt scowled, and his eyes trailed over to the corner where a pile with all their weapons laid! He gasped, jumped up, and leaned forward as he bolted right towards the pile. The mage's shouts sounded behind him, but he just shifted through, yanked Stealth Elf's daggers out with his mouth, and tossed them straight to her.</p><p>"Catch!" Gill Grunt cried as the daggers soared across the room.</p><p>Stealth Elf yanked out her hands from the ropes, leaped up and grabbed her daggers right out of the air! With a single slash, the ropes that bound her got sliced in half, and cascaded down to the floor right as she landed. Stealth Elf smirked, slashed Spyro and Trigger Happy's ropes open, and flipped over as she sliced Gill Grunt free as well!</p><p>All four of them grinned and glared down the mage as they stretched their freed limbs. Spyro flapped his wings and sent a purple glow pulsating through the area! All at once, their burns and scars from being nearly boiled alive healed. A new energy filled their veins as they jumped up and stretched! The smiles they all shared showed that they were all of the same mind as to what to put this newfound energy to: beating down that mage!</p><p>The mage snarled and held out his hands. The puddles of boiling water around him shuddered and leaped from the grounds! They all swirled together into massive tsunamis, but ground to a stop, and flicked drops of boiling water everywhere as they transformed into melting monsters! The winds howled and chilled the area as they swept around the mage, and his snarl only grew wider.</p><p>"GET READY TO MEET YER GRAVES, LANDLUBBERS!" the mage bellowed as the winds completely engulfed him and turned him giant!</p><p>"How can I be a landlubber if I'm a fish?" Gill Grunt remarked.</p><p>Spyro chuckled, but the roar of the water monsters as they charged towards him broke his cockiness! He flew aside as they came in close, and his eyes flashed red as he flapped his wings. An aura of heat radiated off of him, and not just from the confident smirk on his face. No, the whole room heated up, and the water monsters' faces fell as they completely evaporated! They fell into massive puddles on the floor and cast steam across the room, and their muffled, guttural cries rumbled around.</p><p>Spyro smirked as he leaned down and examined the shrinking puddles, but screamed as a large gust of hot air blew him backwards! A crack sounded as he crashed into the wall and collapsed on all fours, yet Spyro just jumped up and snarled, wings flared as he glared down the mage! Beside Spyro, Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf warily raised their weapons and turned their eyes towards the mage.</p><p>The mage only huffed and took a step towards them. His whole body turned red hot, and his eyes were bloodshot—or maybe burned? The red aura of heat that glowed from him only further fuzzied the matter as he heaved heavy, steam-filled breaths and balled his hands into fists.</p><p>"They may not be able to take the heat, but I'm still full of hot air!" the mage proclaimed.</p><p>He took a massive breath in, blew out and sent hot air bellowing through the room! The walls screeched and turned red as Spyro, Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf all crashed and collapsed, their bodies red in places with heat as they groaned and pushed themselves up. While the others grunted and forced themselves to their feet, Spyro jumped to all fours as his eyes changed to an icy blue in color!</p><p>"How about you cool off?" Spyro spat as mist swirled around his fangs.</p><p>Spyro breathed in, exhaled, and out from his mouth came a mighty gust of cold wind! The room chilled to icy temperatures. They were so icy that frost crystals formed on the walls and floors, icicles drooped down from the ceilings, and even the puddles that remained on the floor became solid ice!</p><p>The mage gasped and stumbled backwards as the ice drew closer to his feet, but exhaled a mighty hot gust of his own! The walls changed from cold to hot in flickers as the two gusts fought against each other, Spyro straining with all his might to fight the mage's own blast. Finally, one last breath from Spyro prevailed, and his own ice breath blasted away the mage's hot air! The mage screamed as the cold air hit him full force, and the heat swept away from his body as it turned an icy, cold blue. The ice formed a solid coat around the mage, one that locked him inside completely! He stood frozen in a terrified scream, unable to move!</p><p>Stealth Elf smirked, yanked her daggers back off the ground and slashed right through the air! Her blades chipped across and left icy white streaks and scratches against its solid filter. As she smashed, slashed, and chipped away further, wind and smoke leaked from cracks that formed. The frozen mage rattled and tipped back and forth.</p><p>Stealth Elf just flipped back and smacked Trigger Happy on the arm. "Your turn, Trigger Happy!" Stealth Elf cried as she vanished into the back of the room.</p><p>Trigger Happy grinned, whipped out a golden machine gun and clung to its side. "Let's end this with a bang!" Trigger Happy cried as he wrapped his hands around the trigger.</p><p>A ballista of golden coins shot out from the gun and smacked right into the statue, and the cracks Stealth Elf created buckled at last! A hole forced in the icy statue as even more smoke leaked out. A massive golden coin smashed the statue in the back of the wall, and completely shattered its icy coat! A burst of mist funneled through the room.</p><p>Hacking came from within the clouds as the shuddering mage stumbled out—and back at normal size to boot. "As I was saying," the mage snarled, but blinked as he found himself eye-level with the Skylanders once more!</p><p>He jolted back and breathed in, but before he could grow larger once more, a fireball slammed onto him and knocked him down. He groaned and sat back up as he held his head, but yelped as he touched burning fires instead! The mage screamed and rolled around as the lingering flames from the fire burned around him.</p><p>Behind him, Gill Grunt chuckled and lifted his harpoon gun up! With a single pull of the trigger, a massive stream of water slammed into the mage. The water completely drenched the mage's fires, and it was so heavy that it knocked down the mage as well! The mage grunted as he collapsed on his back and shouted as he tried to lift his arms, yet could barely lift an inch before he got pinned down once again! The pirate shouted and cursed as he struggled, but Gill Grunt just scoffed and lowered his cannon.</p><p>"You alright, Gill?" Spyro asked as he nudged Gill Grunt's shoulder with his wing.</p><p>Gill Grunt just nodded, hoisted his water cannon up and strode over a frozen puddle. "Come on," he said, "let's get outta here. I'm sure everyone's waiting on us."</p><p>"Yeah, about that," Trigger Happy asked as he raised a hand, "just how are we supposed to get out of here, anyways?"</p><p>"Maybe through that teleporter over there?" Stealth Elf asked.</p><p>She pointed to a teleporter in the corner of the room. Above the teleporter, a sign that had "Teleporter" scrawled on it pointed to the teleporter from above.</p><p>"Oh, that's convenient!"</p><p>They all nodded, and hopped on the teleporter one by one before they vanished into the distances in bursts of light and sparkles.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Chills ran down everyone's spines as the pirates lead them off the ship, though whether that was because of the misty, chilly atmosphere of where they were led, or the tension from Ninjini's oncoming confrontation with this Solavita person, remained to be seen. After all, for all the tension the battle wrought, the graveyard itself had it fair share of creepiness to match!</p><p>Thick mist coated every angle of it, and instead of floors, it held chilly, slimy, green water that squished and sloshed with every step. Strung across the sides were old ships in all shapes and sizes from tugboats and cargo ships, to full-on tankers and airships in every make and model; all of them held notable wear and tear, like they hadn't been used in ages. All the ships bore the ghost pirates flags and sails, and their hulls decorated with a ghastly glow. The rotting stench of death reeked from every angle with an eye-watering intensity, and dead trees and gravestones covered in cobwebs occasionally cropped up of nowhere amid the mist. Perhaps, they'd always been there, but stayed masked by the mist. Either way, the sight was enough to put anyone on edge.</p><p>Flynn shuddered as his eyes fell on the rows of ghost ships.</p><p>"Geez, these ships gives me the creeps just looking at 'em," Flynn whispered as he leaned closer to Cali. "They look like they haven't been repaired in ages!"</p><p>Cali scoffed as she glazed over the ships. "Somehow, I get the feeling repairs aren't exactly first priority in these pirates' minds."</p><p>Flynn shuddered again, and he opened his mouth—but quickly bit his tongue before he could speak! His eyes swelled with tears as he held back a scream, and Cali raised a brow.</p><p>"Flynn, what's wrong?" Cali asked. "Bit your tongue again?"</p><p>Flynn nodded, and his eyes popped wide as he frantically shook his head! He grunted as he nudged towards Cali, but she in turn snarled as he pushed against her and pushed back!</p><p>"Geez, Flynn, don't need to push!" Cali rolled her eyes and turned aside. "What's got you in such a—" Cali gasped, and her eyes turned wide. "The Dread-Yacht!"</p><p>"The Dread-Yacht?" the Elder Elementals cried as head turned in every direction. "WHERE?"</p><p>Cali and Flynn both hastily shushed the Elder Elementals. as everyone's cries drew to a close, the two of them pointed their heads off to the side.</p><p>Sure enough, the Dread-Yacht laid there! It didn't have the ratty condition it was in during the ambush at all, or even the disheveled and disrepaired condition the other ships did. No, it was completely shiny and brand-new, almost! It even bore those ghastly decorations that all the other ships held too!</p><p>"I can't believe it, she's alright!" Flynn whispered, his eyes bright before they fell on the sails. "Not liking the taste in attire though" — Flynn shook his head — "but, I suppose we can fix that when we get it back!"</p><p>"How are we gonna get it back, though?" Cali whispered as she nudged Flynn's shoulders. She gestured to the many pirates that crowded around them and marched like zombies. "We're surrounded by pirates at every angle!"</p><p>Ninjini leaned down and frowned. "Actually, I think I know!" Ninjini whispered. "Once I go to fight Solavita, see if you can distract these pirates and take it then. I should be able to keep her occupied long enough to keep these pirates—"</p><p>"What exactly are you whispering about?" asked the pirates behind Ninjini in Solavita's booming voice.</p><p>Ninjini gasped, turned around and chuckled as she hid Flynn and Cali behind her back. "Nothing, nothing at all!"</p><p>The pirates gave Ninjini an odd look as they walked ahead, eyes raised and frowns paused and all, but a rumble shook the area and they all became groaning zombies once more!</p><p>Ninjini gasped and turned around. There, she found that at the end of their path was a rusted gate with all sorts of fancy undead decorations carved in it: rotting roses, ghosts, skulls, bats… It was much more befitting of a manor that a graveyard such as this by design, but the eerie glow it held fit all the same.</p><p>"I suppose this is the place," Ninjini remarked as she untied Flynn and Cali and handed them off to Bouncer.</p><p>The two of them shared a nod, and Ninjini turned around right as the doors slowly creaked open. Ninjini's hands trembled, but she settled them with a tight squeeze. Everyone around her frowned and tilted her heads, yet she only smiled.</p><p>"Don't worry about me," she said as she turned to the gates and glared them down. "This is my fight to face, after all."</p><p>Ninjini gulped and dove right through the gates! The others tried to follow, but the gate shut back up the moment she entered, and a massive stone rose behind Ninjini—she truly was alone now. Ninjini tensed; on instinct, she whipped out her hands and summoned her wishblades as she crept in the hall ahead.</p><p>"Solavita, I've arrived!" Ninjini cried as she stepped into the light of a round, cavern room and pointed her wishblades ahead. "Show yourself!"</p><p>But, Solavita was nowhere to be found! The only thing that laid in the cavern room besides Ninjini herself was a simple stone throne that lacked a carrier. All seemed oddly peaceful for a moment, but then, cackling sounded off as red smoke flooded into the room!</p><p>"Why, I'm right in front of you, Fatimah!" Solavita cackled.</p><p>A puff of red smoke popped out from the throne, and as it cleared, those cackles grew less booming, less cackling, almost normal. The smoke finally all vanished, and in its placed it revealed… Oh dear Ancients!</p><p>There on the throne laid what could only be described as a living corpse! Its skin was bone white, so thin and ragged that it clung to the bones; it could have been mistaken for the actual stuff if not for the wrinkles! Its red hair was thin and strained, and its eyes were little more than sunken sockets with no color to them. It wore a tattered purple and red dress that draped over its body like a sack, so thin that the sparkling silver crystal wheel pendant it wore could barely be seen, and the matching-colored headdress it donned barely fit its head. This, this couldn't have been Solavita, could it?</p><p>That same cackle sounded off again as the corpse sat upright in its throne, and the laugh perfectly matched—yes, this was Solavita alright!</p><p>"My, my, why the surprised look? I know it's been ten thousand years, but I haven't changed that much," Solavita chuckled as she waved her hands back and forth. Her eyes narrowed, and she drew a hand to her face as she chucked. "If anything, I'm more surprised by you!" Solavita pointed a wrinkled hand towards Ninjini. "All these years and you haven't aged a bit!"</p><p>Ninjini hissed through her clenched teeth, and furrowed her brows as she pointed a wishblade towards Solavita. "Nevermind that!" Ninjini cried. "Answer me, Solavita! Why are you doing all this? Why are you taking innocent lives for your own gain? How are you still alive after all these years?"</p><p>Solavita broke into a hearty laugh, though it was more chilling than anything with her warped, twisted cackle, or perhaps, the sight of her old foe just threw Ninjini off guard. Solavita quelled her laughter in that instant, lifted herself up and hovered off of her throne.</p><p>"I'll tell you alright!" Solavita cried. She hovered for a moment, zipped right up to Ninjini and shoved her face in Ninjini's own. "After I sealed you away in that little bottle, I'd thought I'd be satisfied!" Solavita turned away and scoffed. "Now that you were out of the picture, I was finally the strongest sorceress in all Skylands! I thought I'd feel proud, confident, powerful even…"</p><p>Solavita scoffed, and the smug smile she held on her face disappeared. She held her head and squeezed her hands into a fist.</p><p>"But, I only felt nothing!" Solavita turned around, and a bright red glow burned around her eye sockets.</p><p>"You may had been gone, but I never truly bested you! I couldn't rest knowing that my title hadn't truly been earned, that it was only won by sheer deception. So, I went to unleash you and truly earn the title for myself…"</p><p>Solavita narrowed her eyes and the glow became even brighter.</p><p>"But you. Were. Gone!"</p><p>Ninjini gulped, leaned backwards and gave Solavita a small nod. "That's right," Ninjini whispered, "I broke free of the bottle you trapped me in, and was crowned one of the Elder Elementals soon after."</p><p>"Do you have any idea how demeaning it was to hear that?"</p><p>Solavita shuddered and panted. The red glow that once laid around her eyes spread to the rest of her body. She screamed and her voice gained the volume of a thousand!</p><p>"That bottle was one of my strongest spells, yet you still broke free of it like it was nothing! Worse, you were chosen by the Ancients! You! Even though I was the most powerful sorceress in all Skylands by then, you still found a way to get ahead of me!"</p><p>Solavita's body shuddered, but she breathed in and floated back down to the ground.</p><p>"I knew then that I couldn't rest until I proved myself by defeating you, but by that time, you disappeared," Solavita said, and a wicked smile crossed her face as she chuckled again. "Everyone around me was completely convinced that you perished, but I couldn't believe that." Solavita's smile turned to some strange combination of a grin and a snarl. "After all, my fated rival couldn't possibly have died, not when she still owed me a final confrontation!"</p><p>Solavita chuckled, floated back to her throne and sat down. She drew her fingers across her face, and Ninjini only shuddered and floated back. Just the sight of this withered, wicked corpse that was Solavita sent chills down Ninjini's spine—but, Ninjini couldn't bring herself to turn away.</p><p>"So, I spent these past few millennia traveling Skylands, capturing others, and absorbing their life essence to keep myself alive and powerful, all so I'd be prepared for the day when we could finally have our fated battle." Solavita sighed and peered down at her bony arms. "But, as time passed and I grew older and older, it became harder and harder to sustain my body. It wasn't something I could keep doing alone."</p><p>Solavita clasped her hand and sighed, but her forlorn status disappeared as she turned back to Ninjini with a smirk.</p><p>"So, I implemented the bodies of those I stole life essence from with my spells, and fashioned them into a formal pirate crew! With them as my puppets, I can just sit back and let them do the work while I get all the spoils!" Solavita cackled and placed a hand to her chin as she grinned. "Brilliant, is it not?"</p><p>Ninjini's face paled; her wishblades nearly slipped out of her hands, but she gripped them back and gulped. She was sure Solavita could smell her fear, shock, and disgust—just the sickening smile on Solavita's face was enough to show that. Instead, Ninjini snarled.</p><p>"It's horrendous, that's what it is!" Ninjini cried! She squeezed the wishblades once more, and her snarl grew deeper. "You killed so many beings all for the sake of a confrontation that might not have even happened! Not only that, but you robbed them of their very souls, of a chance to live on after death as well?" Ninjini's vision turned red and hot, and she swung a wishblade just inches away from Solavita's face, "You're not brilliant! All you are is selfish!"</p><p>"Call me that all you want!" Solavita cackled as she hovered over her throne. A sickening mixture of red and purple light radiated from her body. "I finally have the chance to prove myself the superior warrior I've yearned for" — Solavita's eyes shrank as she summoned swords of her own — "and now that I have it, I'm going to take it!"</p><p>"Bold of you to assume I'd lose to a wretched corpse such as yourself!"</p><p>Ninjini rushed right towards Solavita and slashed forward, but Solavita teleported away as Ninjini cast her blows. The only thing Ninjini sliced was Solavita's throne! Solavita growled; with a snap of her fingers, she summoned blasts of magic that shot straight for Ninjini! Ninjini turned around right as the blasts closed in on her, and she summoned purple orbs that shot right back—but the orbs cracked and shattered the moment they got caught in the magic blasts!</p><p>Ninjini gasped and rolled away just as the blasts smashed into Solavita's throne and blew it to bits, but bright red ropes wrapped around her as she caught her breath, and they squeezed her tight! Her wishblades clattered against the floor as she squirmed and struggled. A powerful zap of electricity came from the ropes, and Ninjini knelt down, shuddering as the static coursed through her veins. Her flesh pulsed and seared with intense, throbbing heat as she panted.</p><p>"Ah, that throne ran its course," Solavita chuckled as she held a hand to her face, "but what a pity, I'd have thought you'd last longer, at least."</p><p>Ninjini scowled as Solavita's smug smile glared her down. Ninjini stretched out a glowing hand from the confines of her roped self, but only screamed as the lightning shocked her once more! The sharp buzz of electricity set her body on fire, yet she still kept her focus as she fixed her attention on her scattered wishblades. If she could just get even one of them over to her side… Ninjini narrowed her eyes, and one wishblade rattled as it fluttered off the ground! The wishblade dashed over, slashed the ropes apart with a single slice, and Ninjini claimed it just before it hit the ground.</p><p>"And for a walking corpse, you still have quite a lot of fight in you!" Ninjini remarked as she summoned her second wishblade back and pointed it at Solavita's face! Solavita drew back a bit, and Ninjini herself tensed as she lowered her wishblade.</p><p><em>Looks like I'll have to get a bit more creative than I thought,</em> Ninjini thought as she clasped her wishblades' handles a bit tighter</p><p>"My, my, Fatimah, didn't all those years as an Elder Elemental teach you to pay attention during your fights?"</p><p>A thick shadow cast over Ninjini. She craned her head up, and screamed as a gigantic skull crashed down towards her and yanked its jaws open! The skull ate her up with a single gulp; it chuckled as it hovered just inches above the ground, but completely shattered as sparkling bottle rockets smashed its cranium to bits! In the center of it all, Ninjini's bottle hovered where the skull once laid, and Ninjini herself popped out as she glared down Solavita.</p><p>"How did you do that?" Solavita cried as she floated backwards, jaw agape.</p><p>Ninjini scoffed. With a wave of her hands, lavender sparkling smoke burst from her bottle and covered the entire room! The faint sound of cold, rattling coughs echoed from between the sound of hissing, screeching smoke, but Ninjini just waved her hands.</p><p>The smoke transformed into all sorts of weapons: missiles, swords, drills, and cannons all formed in their grip, and they all pointed straight at Solavita! Solavita was none the wiser as she hunched over and hacked. Solavite lifted her head as the sound of screeching echoed through their fighting chamber, and screamed as a missile slammed her right in the chest! She shot her into the wall with a sickening crack; Solavita groaned as she slid down, and parts of her skin torn off to reveal cracked, brittle bone underneath. Solavita fell over and collapsed as smoke poured from her face.</p><p>Ninjini held a wishblade to Solavita's throat, lifted Solavita's face to hers, and scowled.</p><p>"Your reign of terror ends now, Solavita!" Ninjini proclaimed as she pushed the blade closer to Solavita's throat. "No longer will you take any more innocent lives and manipulate them for your own selfish gain! Your petty grudge has driven you to evils innumerable." Ninjini's brows narrowed, and her gaze almost faltered into something more somber as she looked away. "All I can hope now is that the Pits are harsher to you than I was."</p><p>Ninjini drew her blade and prepared to chop, but a rattling, bone-chilling scream from the other side of the door caught her ears! She turned around and glanced, but the crack of lightning, and a massive flash of red light drew her attention back to Solavita. Ninjini gasped as the red light stained the walls like blood.</p><p>In the heart of it all, Solavita hovered from the ground—but more than that, Solavita changed! Her dying body grew spry and flush with color once more; her death-white skin became a warm peach, and her hair long and silky. Blood red eyes popped from what once were empty eye sockets, and even her clothes fitted and adjusted as if they were brand new! Solavita cackled as she hovered back down to the ground, and an aura of red energy flared around her.</p><p>"Ah, finally!" Solavita cried, her voice booming, and fresh with youth and power. She held up a glowing hand, splayed it to admire her lively form, and stretched out the hand as it glowed with bright red magic. "Now, I can finally get serious!"</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Hot Head, Crusher, Bouncer, Flynn, and Cali all pressed their ears to the massive, gritty stone wall that blocked them off from the world inside. The sounds were muffled, and the five of them could barely make out what was going on, but from what they could glean… It wasn't good. The cries of shouting, clanging weapons, and shattering rock all came from the other side, and they sounded pretty intense despite the muffled volume!</p><p>Cali winced as she turned herself away from the wall. She hummed as her eyes turned back to the masses of pirates behind them all, who only stood mindless and wide-eyed like zombies. Her hums continued as she waved her fingers, and she gently nudged Bouncer's head.</p><p>"Guys, guys!" Cali whispered! They all turned to her, and she grinned as she pointed back to the legions of ghost pirates. "It looks like her control on them broke! Now would be the perfect time to get the Dread-Yacht back!"</p><p>Bouncer, Crusher and Hot Head all grinned as they turned to each other, but Flynn just cringed back on Bouncer's other shoulder.</p><p>"I'm not so sure about this," Flynn remarked as he glanced back at the ghosts and shuddered, then shook his head and forced a proud, but still quivering smile. "I mean, there's a lot of ghosts out there! Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not worried at all—I'm one of Skylands toughest, I'll be fine! Probably." Flynn shot a wary eyeball down at the ghosts, and his smile faded as he turned back to Cali. "But I don't know if you all could do it!"</p><p>Cali sighed and rolled her eyes, her arms crossed and pressed tight against her chest. "In that case, we'll need a diversion." Cali craned her head up to Bouncer. "Think you guys can come up with something?"</p><p>"Oh, I already have," Bouncer remarked. He winked as he placed Cali and Flynn down on the ground, held out his fingers and grinned as their tops popped open. "Hey, ghost guys!" Bouncer called as he turned around. All their eyes fell on Bouncer, and Bouncer's opened finger started to glow. "Catch!"</p><p>Bright red bouncy balls leaped out of Bouncer's fingers right as he said this, and they bounced in every direction! They leaped from the walls and slammed into the pirates' backs; they hit the pirates in the guts and exploded upon contact; they even jumped from wall to floor and back again in a hectic, hasty single motion. The pirates all screamed as they raced around in circles and shouted as they took cover, yet the balls' reign of terror wouldn't relent!</p><p>With the pirates distracted, Hot Head transformed into a bike, and slammed into the murky waters with a massive splash! His engines revved in spite of the muddy water that dripped off his body and evaporated in a flash. He grinned and nudged his head aside as he glanced at Flynn and Cali.</p><p>"Hop on!" Hot Head urged.</p><p>Flynn and Cali did just that! Flynn clung to Cali as she clutched onto Hot Head. Hot Head, in turn, jumped up and revved his engines, mud and water screeching and splashing behind him as he raced across the swamps!</p><p>The shouting in the distance grew fainter underneath the splash of mud and water. Hot Head zoomed past rows and rows of abandoned ships, snarled and slid underneath a ship that freed itself of its chain as it flew off. Hot Head flung himself back up as he passed underneath the ship's hull, right as the living passengers of the ship grinned and shouted something about freedom. Hot Head scoffed and lowered Flynn and Cali to the ground with a gasp.</p><p>"There it is!" Flynn cried as he poked his head over Cali's shoulder and pointed towards the ships. "The Dread-Yacht!"</p><p>Sure enough, the Dread-Yacht's green hull poked out from the massive rows of dully-covered, cobweb-coated ships! better yet, it looked completely unmanned, to boot. Getting it back would be a piece of cake!</p><p>"Alright, time to blaze this trail!" Hot Head cried.</p><p>His engines revved ever further, and with so much power that smoke poured from the exhaust. He zipped off with such speed that the water below him evaporated to make way for his blazing fire trails! The Dread-Yacht grew closer and closer with each roll of Hot Head's tires, so close that he completely passed it and zipped back around before he transformed to normal.</p><p>Flynn and Cali screamed as the sudden transformation launched them in the air, but Hot Head just snatched them out and tossed them right towards the Dread-Yacht! Not that their screaming ceased any, though. In fact, it grew even louder as they bowled straight for the deck and slammed face-first onto it. They both groaned and sat back up. Behind them, Hot Head gave them a thumbs up, transformed back into a motorbike and zoomed off.</p><p>"Talk about a rough landing," Cali remarked as she got up and brushed herself off, "but, at least we got here."</p><p>Both their eyes fell on the engine room's door. Surprisingly, it was open still, in spite of the fact that everything around it was closed tight. For that matter, a kind of eerie feeling wafted from it, something that chilled the air around—or maybe it was just the chilly breezes that rushed out from its halls. Either way, it wasn't exactly a welcoming sight.</p><p>Flynn shuddered as he forced himself to puff out his chest. His teeth chattered so furiously that it was a miracle they hadn't worn themselves down yet.</p><p>Cali grabbed a flashlight from her pocket and turned it on. "Come on!" Cali said as she held out her flashlight. "We can't dawdle around!"</p><p>Flynn reluctantly nodded, and gulped as he tailed Cali down the stairs, their sole source of light the flashlight in Cali's hands. The air grew chillier the further they went down, to the point where it was a miracle the area hadn't frozen over. Though, the thin streams of mist that hovered across the area indicated the chill enough. For that matter, soft, gentle moans whistled through the hallway's panels, ones that sounded more like actual voices than the cold songs of wind.</p><p>Cali glanced from side to side and held her flashlight ajar. Beside her, Flynn puffed his chest out and forced a smile.</p><p>"Do you hear that, Flynn?" Cali asked, her eyes still stuck on the halls themselves. "It kinda sounds like voices."</p><p>Flynn winced as another howl resonated through the halls, yet forced himself to smile and hold his head high still—even if his arms and legs trembled furiously still.</p><p>"Oh, I hear it alright! Sounds like it's one of those ghost dudes!" Flynn proclaimed between the chatter of his teeth. His eyes fixed on the walls as he trekked down the stairs, and they were wide as they took in the mist and howls. "Don't worry, Cali! Whatever they throw at us, you'll be perfectly fine as long as you have me by your side! After all, I am the—"</p><p><em>CRACK</em> went the path ahead as a fury of bright lights shone from ahead, and Flynn screamed as he leaned backwards! He completely lost his balance, left to flail as he tottered back and forth across the steps, but finally, he fell forward and rolled down the stairs!</p><p>"Flynn!" Cali cried as she bolted down after him.</p><p>Flynn screamed as he hit his head on the floor and bounced off, groaned, and sat up as thin, wispy, mist birds circled around his head. He leaned back as Cali came down with a frown.</p><p>"Did… You know… You look extra pretty today?" Flynn groaned as his head spun in circles.</p><p>Cali rolled her eyes and shooed the birds away with a wave of her hands. The crackle of electricity above snapped both her and Flynn back to their senses! Cali turned her flashlight on the source of the light ahead, and found none other than the engine. Bright lightning burst from its open heart in shades of yellow and purple, while its panels and wires had turned charred from the heat and shock! Heck, the heat that radiated from it was so hot that it warmed the room in bursts, crafting clouds of steam and mist with every pulse and rattle.</p><p>"The engine! Those ghosts must have done something to it!" Flynn cried as he jumped to his feet and adjusted his hat. "Luckily for us, I know just how to fix it!"</p><p>He stormed over to the side of the wall, punched it, and grinned as a panel fell out, offering him a toolkit. Flynn yanked the toolkit from the walls, dashed over and yanked a wrench out, his eyes fixed on the engine… But he screamed and jumped backwards as another flash of lightning burst from its inner workings!</p><p>"Maybe?"</p><p>The sound of howls and moans echoed from around the halls once more, and Flynn gasped as he turned his head around! He glanced from left to right to back again, and yet not a single direction lead him to the source of the howling—in fact, it seemed as though it was coming from all over the place! It whistled from the holes in the left wall, echoed from the ceilings and floors…</p><p><strong>WhoooOOOOooooh!</strong></p><p><strong>OOOOOOoooooohhhhhHHHHHH!</strong></p><p><strong>AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!</strong></p><p>Flynn gritted his teeth. His trembling hands fumbled with the toolbox's handle, but the engine before him rattled and shuddered! He screamed as bolts flew out of its confines and banged against the walls, and ducked back down as one nearly slammed him in the face!</p><p>"I'm warning you, engine!" Flynn cried as he held the wrench with both trembling hands. "You don't wanna mess with me! I'm the greatest pilot in all Skylands, and I've dealt with way worse than an angry bunch of bolts!"</p><p>The moans grew louder and louder as the engine rumbled more furiously than before. The engine clunked, and even more mist burst from its confines as ghosts leaped out! The ghosts all moaned and wailed as their eyes fell on Flynn, and their fanged jaws unhinged as they floated closer to him. Flynn screamed and ducked as one ghost glazed over his back, then he turned back and rolled out of the way as another one tried to snatch him up!</p><p>"Ghosts in the machine are new, though!"</p><p>Cali grimaced and jumped aside as one of the ghosts tried to snatch her up as well. She shone her flashlight right in its eyes! The ghost wailed, shielding its eyes and writhed in place, and Cali dug her paws into her pockets in its moment of distraction.</p><p>"C'mon, c'mon, there's gotta be something in here," Cali whispered. Her brows leaped up as she hit something cool and hard; she yanked her hand and grinned as she found a dagger in her palm. "Got it!"</p><p>Cali twisted her flashlight and intensified its glare so that it lit the entire dim room. She tossed it aside and grinned as she held up her dagger.</p><p>"Flynn, you just worry about getting the engine working again!" Cali cried as she dashed forward with her dagger held tight. "I'll take care of things here!"</p><p>"Roger that, Cali!" Flynn cried as he saluted Cali back! He yanked his toolbox off the ground, claimed his wrench from the floor and glared down the engine. "I'll have this baby ship-shape in no time!"</p><p>Cali nodded, jumped aside and rolled across the floor as another one of the ghosts lunged for her! The ghost grunted and swayed from side to side as she staggered up. Cali screamed as she leaped forward and slashed it with her dagger in its moment of hesitation, but her eyes popped wide as she phased right through the ghost. Cali shuddered, rolled across the deck while all the ghosts turned their eyes on her, and jumped up just as they raced back for her. She slid apart and slashed at them again, yet her blade phased right through their bodies once more! Cali winced and stumbled backwards as the ghosts moaned and hovered back for her, diving into her pocket once more.</p><p>"Guess I'm gonna need something a little more powerful!" Cali cried as she yanked out her hand and showed off a trio of grenades. "Good thing that trip to the Angolmois Ruins taught me to always have a couple of these handy!"</p><p>Cali leaped back and slammed the grenades into the ground. They exploded in flashes of shining light! The ghosts screamed, shying away as the lights seared against their bodies and sizzled their ectoplasm. Cali smirked as she basked in their horror. She yanked out a vial from her pockets, popped a cork, and poured its deep purple liquid over her dagger.</p><p>"This ghost-repellent oil should give me just the boost I need!" Cali cried. She tossed the bottle aside, dashed right up to the ghosts and leaped in the air. "Take this!"</p><p>Cali slashed her dagger right across the ghosts' bodies—and it actually worked! The ghosts let out unholy screeches as they shot backwards and slammed against the walls. Murky teal smoke poured from their wounds. They groaned and gnashed their teeth as they floated upright; their bodies turned red hot as they charged after Cali!</p><p>Cali slid out of the way just before they could ram into her. Two of them slammed back into the walls and shook their heads, but one dove right into the engine! The engine shuddered and tossed out bolts and screws as the ghost shook within, and beside it, Flynn screamed and clutched his wrench. The ghost popped out and shook its head, oblivious to how Flynn attempted to hit it, and zipped right back after Cali!</p><p>Cali gasped, jumped out of its way, but spun aside as another ghost narrowly charged into her! She ducked down as the third ghost zipped right over her head, then staggered up and wiped her head. Just then, a fourth ghost popped up behind her and blasted her in the back with a ball of ectoplasm! Cali screamed as she tumbled backwards and hit the wall, pushing herself up.</p><p>Right as she tried, the ghosts swarmed her and pinned her down to the floor! The cold metal brushed against Cali's fur and set it on edge as she squirmed and wiggled against their grip, but they held her down too hard. She couldn't escape, not with all four of them on her! Cali yanked her dagger off the floor with her teeth and stabbed one of the ghosts right in the eye. The ghost wailed and flew backwards as it held its leaking eye, but Cali spat the dagger back out and jumped to freedom!</p><p>"Flynn, are you done yet?" Cali cried as she yanked her dagger off the ground and slashed at the ghosts once more. "I can't keep this up forever, you know!"</p><p>"Getting there, Cali!" Flynn cried back as he screwed a few bolts back into the engine. "I think she's almost back to normal!" Flynn grimaced as the engine released a mass of thick smoke from its pipe with a ka-put. "That can't be good."</p><p>Cali winced as she drew another dagger and ghost-repellent oil bottle from her pocket. "Well, guess now's the best time to practice dual wielding," Cali remarked as she reached for the bottle's cork.</p><p>Just before she opened the bottle, a loud crash and howl sounded off out from outdoors! Cali turned around, gasped, and flung her arms across her face as the ghosts all dashed up the stairs. She lifted her head as the last of the ghosts disappeared up the stairway, leaped forward and hiked the stairs two at a time.</p><p>Cali panted as she rushed out the open door and back to the deck. There the sight of ghosts flying off in the distance could barely be seen—but, the sight of Hot Head's flames and Bouncer's lasers was clear as day! Cali grimaced as she climbed off the side of the deck, latched onto one of the many tires hung over the Dread-Yacht's side, and swung the tire around as she leaped back into the muddy water.</p><p>The mud clung to her boots the best it could, but it didn't impede Cali's speed any as she raced across the floor. The world rumbled as the sound of Bouncer, Crusher, and Hot Head's shouts resounded across the battlefield, all melded with the gnashing and blood-curling screeches of angry ghosts, while the mist around thickened and gained a sickly aura to it. But, just amid the mist, Cali vaguely spotted the coattails of fleeing ghosts that leaked with smoke! So, Cali bolted past the mist and right into the heart of the area where Bouncer, Crusher and Hot Head had laid…</p><p align="center">§</p><p>A bolt of magic leaped from Solavita's palm and slammed right into Ninjini, and Ninjini screamed as she hit the ground and quickly pushed herself up, but Solavita was even quicker! Solavita immediately zipped right up to Ninjini, her hands now prepped with blades of solid purple and red crystal!</p><p>"Off with her head!" Solavita cried as she swung her blades with her aim fixed for Ninjini's neck.</p><p>Ninjini flung her wishblades forward before Solavita struck, and tossed them right in front of Solavita's own sword! Their blades screeched as they ground and pushed against each other, but Ninjini flew back and tossed a slice of her own. Solavita slashed back, their blades clanging and clattering as they traded blows once more. It was an even match, with every blow received and every block countered…</p><p>But finally, as Solavita flew backwards and prepared to strike, she screamed and hunched back down to the floor! The red glow around her body faded as she heaved body-shaking breaths. Ninjini paused in her own attacks and raised a brow. Was Solavita losing her power?</p><p>Solavita grunted and yowled as she clutched her chest, and her blades slipped out of her grasp. Her breath turned labored, forced even, as she stood up and swayed from side to side. As her balance finally stabilized, she held out her free hand and scowled.</p><p>"I can't play around any more!" Solavita cried as a purple and red wave of magic enveloped her hands. "Swords, finish this!"</p><p>Twin bolts of magic energy burst from Solavita's hands and fled into her blades. The blades shared their glow as they flew off from the ground and zipped right for Ninjini! Ninjini waved her hands and summoned spheres of magic, transformed them into shields with another wave, and leaned back as they tossed off the blades like they were mere balls.</p><p>But, Ninjini soon gasped and teleported away as two magic lasers shot into the shields and shattered them! Ninjini reappeared right behind Solavita, who turned around and scowled as she held up hands that shone with bright red and purple energy. Solavita shot off her laser again, and Ninjini shot out a purple beam of magic energy of her own! The two lasers slammed into each other and pushed against each other in a battle of wills, with neither caster willing to relent. One moment it seemed as though Solavita would prevail, the next, Ninjini would push right back, and they both locked in a stalemate!</p><p>"Just face it, Fatimah!" Solavita cried as the light from her palms glowed brighter. "I was always the superior sorceress! I should've been the one who held your title! I should have been the one chosen by the Ancients! I should have—"</p><p>Fatimah's eyes went wide, and a screech like a dying animal came from her body as she collapsed! The red glow around her body finally faded as she lurched over; her body' colors drained, and her skin shriveled as it clung to her bones once more. Her eyes faded away as she glanced down at her withered, corpselike hands, and Ninjini's own beam blasted into her, tossing her back into the wall!</p><p>Ninjini floated over and scowled as Solavita slunk down. A massive cavity formed in the center of Solavita's chest as purple smoke flew out from all angles, and her skin tore off like paper to reveal cracked and shattered bones. Solavita was a shattered shell of herself, and she could only groan as her head slunk down at such an angle that it seemed barely attached to the rest of her body. Ninjini scoffed as she witnessed Solavita's dying state, and held her wishblade up to Solavita's throat.</p><p>"Solavita, you've ended countless lives, captured beings in numberless amounts, sapped them of their life force, and robbed them of their free will, of their very existence and forced them to act as your puppets, all to fulfill your own selfish desires!" Ninjini proclaimed. Ninjini scowled further as Solavita only hacked at the blade that hovered before her throat. "The only thing I have left to say to you is" — Ninjini's eyes narrowed, and she pushed the blade closer to Solavita's throat — "any last wishes?"</p><p>Solavita hacked and coughed, but when she lifted her head to face Ninjini, she, she smirked! She seemed perfectly elated despite her dying state, her smile twisted and devious.</p><p>"Yes, actually!" Solavita proclaimed. She yanked the wheel pendant she wore right off of her neck, and tossed it in the air with the last bit of strength she held. "PENDANT, FINISH WHAT I STARTED!"</p><p>A burst of magic shot from Solavita's palm and slammed right into the wheel. The wheel grew to a massive size, and slammed right back into the ground with a powerful undead aura! It screeched as it churned through the stone and smashed the door behind. The sound of screams and shouts came from the newly-opened door, and whatever it was, it couldn't be good!</p><p>Ninjini gasped and turned away, but a pained hack turned her back to where Solavita laid on the ground. Solavita's face drew towards a more neutral expression as she slunk against the stone floor, but finally, a sharp crack resounded. Her body crumbled and collapsed into a pile of bony fragments, all caressed by the cloth of her dress. Solavita expired, yet the remnants of her wretched existence remained.</p><p>"She died as she lived," Ninjini scowled as she wrung the handles of wishblades, "petty and pathetic."</p><p>Ninjini scoffed again, turned back around and dashed through the open door. Though Solavita may have died, her work outlived her.</p><p>"But not for long," Ninjini whispered as she left the tunnel.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Cali panted, fell to her knees as she finally arrived back at the manor's gate, but jumped up and scurried away as a fireball crashed below and evaporated the waters! Cali dove behind the remains of a withered ship's hull and winced as she poked her head out. It seemed like Bouncer, Crusher. and Hot Head had everything under control when she and Flynn left, but since then, it became a war zone!</p><p>A massive, shining, silver crystal wheel hovered in the center of the area, and glowed with an undead energy as the ghosts around brawled with Bouncer, Crusher, and Hot Head. More than that, the ghosts were more powerful, too! They grew giant-sized, their teeth stretched into fangs too large for their mouths, and wicked claws crept out from their fingers. A new aura of power resonated from them, and it definitely showed as they razed Crusher, Bouncer and Hot Head down like they were just chompies!</p><p>The three of them crashed against a tall, dead tree and split it in half. The sight was enough to cheer up the ghosts Cali tailed! They all hooted as they flew into the center of the battle, but Cali slashed them in half before they could join in. They disappeared in puffs of teal smoke as Cali dashed into the fray, and she just snarled.</p><p>"Something tells me these guys could really use my help right now!" Cali cried. She frowned for a moment more as the ghosts closed further and further in, and dug out a collection of red spheres from her pockets. "Luckily, I have just the thing!" Cali squeezed the spheres, and they expanded into a small pile of dynamite sticks. "Pocket explosives, always a good thing to have handy."</p><p>Cali's eyes trailed to the vial of ghost-repellent oil still in her other hand. She popped its cork off and drenched the dynamite sticks in the stuff! A bright, warm orange light poured from the space above, and Cali smirked as a flaming blast surely courtesy of Hot Head shone conveniently above her.</p><p>She tossed the dynamite sticks right into the flames, and they exploded the moment they hit the fire! Their explosive, flaming fury crushed down onto the ghosts below, and tossed them all over the place, from the floor and trees to the walls around. Most importantly, those ghosts were now far, far away from Bouncer, Crusher and Hot Head!</p><p>"Something tells me that they'll be down for a while," Cali remarked as she walked up to Bouncer, Crusher, and Hot Head as she wiped the oil from her gloves. "That ghost-repellent oil is some serious stuff."</p><p>The three of them smiled towards Cali as they got up, turned around and gasped as a silvery white glow shone from the ghosts around them. The ghosts all groaned as they slowly hovered back up; the light around them throbbed as their burns and injuries completely disappeared! Once the glow faded, they all squealed and raced back for Bouncer, Crusher, Hot Head, and Cali!</p><p>Cali gasped, jumped out of the way as Bouncer nearly skidded into her to try and avoid a ghost blast, and spat out the murky water as she glared towards him. "Just what was that?" Cali cried. "That blast should've gotten them out of commission!"</p><p>"Beats me!" Bouncer shouted back. "Might have something to do with that wheel and all the Undead Element energy it's giving off!"</p><p>Cali fixed her eyes back on the wheel and the eerie glow of Undead power it gave off, frowned and scratched her chin. Well, that was as good an explanation as any.</p><p>"In that case, we just need to get that wheel in its grave!" Cali cried.</p><p>Her eyes fell to a series of dead trees that got knocked over in the conflict. They stacked in a way that made them a pretty convenient staircase, so she bolted forward and hopped them one at a time! The chill and cold white light of the wheel before her grew more intense as she hopped further.</p><p>Cali yanked a chisel from her pocket and prepared to stab the wheel with one last leap—but as she drew closer, her whole body drooped over and the chisel slipped from her hand! The world around her spun as she fell back down into the murky waters with a splash. she herself groaned and trembled furiously as she tried to stand.</p><p>"Ugh, that's right," Cali groaned as she barely got back to her feet and swayed around. "Undead Element energy's some serious stuff, too."</p><p>Cali screamed as a ghost tackled her back into the water, yet the ghost hardly cared. It snarled as grabbed Crusher by the leg, swung him around and tossed him right into Bouncer and Hot Head. The ghost cackled as the three of them flew into the hull of a ship and dented it. It floated towards them as they rested against the ship's hull. The three of them lifted their heads and winced as the ghost came closing in—</p><p><em>CRASH!</em></p><p>—but the ghost turned away as the gates behind it were smashed to pieces! Purple, sparkly smoke cast over the area and blocked everything from its view—everything but a massive silhouette that towered over it with lancing eyes!</p><p>"Surprise!" called a familiar voice as the smoke cleared around and sent the pirates into coughing fits.</p><p>Bouncer, Crusher, and Hot Head shielded their own faces as the last of the smoke vanished. They lifted up their heads and grinned as Ninjini floated down before them!</p><p>"Timah!" Bouncer cried as he jumped up. "What happened back there?"</p><p>"I can tell you all about it later," Ninjini replied as she cast a glare back down at the rising ghost pirates. "For now, we need to take care of these pirates!" Ninjini turned back to Bouncer, Crusher, and Hot Head, then smirked as she raised a brow. "Say, do you happen to remember what I told you about illusions earlier?"</p><p>The three of them all nodded, and Ninjini's smirk stretched further.</p><p>"How about we play a few magic tricks?"</p><p>Ninjini leaned in and prepared to whisper to them as Cali trudged over. Ninjini lifted Cali from the ground and placed Cali on her own shoulder before she started. The five of them huddled together tight as they whispered.</p><p>Around them the ghosts just frowned and titled their heads. The ghosts gazed and scratched their faces as the group dismissed. Soon, they screeched as Crusher, Bouncer, Hot Head, Ninjini, and Cali broke apart and dashed across the area! The ghosts all snarled as they shot their eyes around in some search for the others, but little did they know that their foes were closer than they thought!</p><p>Behind a particularly large dead tree, Hot Head and Cali grinned at each other, but Cali shushed him as they turned their heads around the tree's trunk. Their smiles soured as they glazed down the ghosts. Cali grabbed some smoke bombs from her pockets while Hot Head waved his arms. With one fling, she tossed the bombs out, sending thick smoke pouring out from their assault and onto the area!</p><p>The hallow sound of rattling coughs and hacks came from all around as the smoke blocked the ghosts off from sight, and sight off from the ghosts. Their coughs and hacks turned to confused screeches from within the cloud; though they couldn't be seen, the high volume of their voices showed they were in quite the panic!</p><p>Amid that panic, Bouncer grinned as he wheeled his way out from behind the tree, and he brandished smoking fingers guns! His eyes zeroed in on the thick, cloudy smoke that shielded the ghosts from view. With a single cock of his fingerguns, he shot hundreds of balls into the smoke clouds at rapid speed.</p><p>The ghosts' screams turned from confused to pained as the balls bounced around and zapped them! The flashes of orange light from the balls became the sole visible thing among the smoke; it paired with occasional silhouette of a ghost that screeched as they rubbed their back, or one that got beaned in the head with a ball. They were in a total panic now!</p><p>Crusher smiled, stomped his feet and pounded his hammer with all his might. Weaker tree branches snapped in half and crashed across the mud, thick splashes of water left in their wake, and the water shuddered while its mud splattered everywhere. Inside the smoke cloud itself, the ghosts all screeched!</p><p>"Now, for the grand finale!" Ninjini cried as she flew in front of Crusher.</p><p>Ninjini rolled her hands while they charged with bright blue magic, and she cast them out and into the smoke. The smoke cloud that shielded the ghosts grew stagnant in place. Quickly, it bubbled and stretched until it molded itself into the form of a massive dragon! The smoke dragon leaned down in front of the terrified ghosts, who all trembled as they screamed and grappled for their weapons. In the back of it all, Ninjini chuckled as she piloted the smoke dragon! She grinned as she prepared to thrust her hands forward.</p><p>The sound of a massive foghorn turned her away, and she and the others practically leaped out of their skin as they ducked for cover. The ghosts all screamed and charged with their sights set on the dragon, but right as they struck, the Dread-Yacht bowled forward and slammed right into the them! The massive crystal wheel that powered the ghosts flipped and spun in the air as the Dread-Yacht slammed right into it; its glow faded as it shrank in size and landed right into Cali's palm!</p><p>Cali blinked and examined the wheel over, then turned her attention right up to the Dread-Yacht, where a proud Flynn strode out!</p><p>"Hey down there, I fixed the Dread-Yacht!" Flynn cried as he waved at them from the deck. "Now, let's say we get out of this dumpster!"</p><p>"Gladly!" Ninjini cried. Ninjini lifted Cali back onto her shoulder as she, Bouncer, Crusher and Hot Head leaped onto the Dread-Yacht's deck.</p><p>Flynn dashed back up to the pilot's quarters and manned the wheel. "Righty-o!" Flynn cried as he spun the wheel. "Just need to find the Skylanders and we'll be out of here in a jiffy!"</p><p>The Dread-Yacht creaked as it spun around, but instead of starting, a thunk sounded from the hull and it stayed stuck in its path! Flynn grunted and spun the wheel some more, but even that stuck in place.</p><p>"Strange, I know for a fact I fixed the engine!" Flynn scratched his head. "What's the big issue now?"</p><p><em>Thunk! Thunk thunk!</em> The sound of thunking grew louder and more prominent as growls intermingled as Flynn turned around and gasped.</p><p>"I don't think the engine's the problem, Flynn!" Cali cried as she scrambled up Ninjini's shoulder!</p><p>Back on the decks, the ghost pirates swarmed the Dread-Yacht and they came in fast! A good part of their ranks already climbed up the side of the ship and jumped onto the deck; even more of them crowded around the hull like barnacles. With so many of them stuck together on its body, the Dread-Yacht stuck tight!</p><p>The Elder Elementals all readied their weapons, and Cali slid down Ninjini's arm, flipping off as she drew her daggers. Just as they all prepared to attack, a mighty torrent of water rained from up above and washed the ghosts off the sides of the hull! The ghosts all screeched as they fell into the murky waters above, and everyone else just turned their heads up as the sound of flapping wings came from the skies.</p><p>"Looks like they got a little washed up, huh?"</p><p>The ghosts on deck frowned and tilted their heads, but Flynn, Cali and the Elder Elementals just grinned.</p><p>There in the skies were none other than Spyro, Gill Grunt, Stealth Elf, and Trigger Happy! Spyro flapped in place as Trigger Happy laid on his back, Gill Grunt held a water cannon dripping with cold water, and Stealth Elf flew beside him on magic wings. They all looked a tiny bit banged up from the windburns and scratches across their bodies, but most importantly, they were back!</p><p>"Hey everyone!" Spyro cried as he landed on the Dread-Yacht's deck with a thunk. "Are we late to the party?"</p><p>Behind him, Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, and Stealth Elf dropped onto the deck. They grinned as they brandished their weapons, a grin shared by Ninjini as she peered down at them.</p><p>"Not at all!" Ninjini cried as she held out her wishblades, and turned back to the masses of ghost pirates that boarded the ship. "In fact, I'd say you've arrived just in time!"</p><p>Bouncer, Crusher, and Hot Head all gathered around the five of them as they glared down the masses of ghastly pirates that took residence aboard their ship! Though Solavita was long defeated, her crew was still kicking plenty. The pirates were all gnashing teeth, howling, and scratching against the Dread-Yacht's steel floor. The Skylanders and Elder Elementals held their arms out in tandem, and Ninjini's eyes shifted from side to side.</p><p>"On my mark!" She cried. With a snap of her fingers, rockets burst out of her bottle and hovered over her shoulders like attack dogs waiting to strike.</p><p>"Three, two…" they all chanted in tandem as they readied their weapons, brows tensed and eyes stuck tight on the oncoming pirate swarm.</p><p>"FIRE!"</p><p>With one motion, an array of blasts all burst from their group of eight and fused together! Lasers and bursts of water, flames and spores, orbs made of pure magic, and even sharp stone shards flew from their ranks. The attacks all blasted right through the pirates like they were bowling pins! The pirates cried out as they flew off the side of the deck, but the Skylanders and Elder Elementals alike just grinned as their ship became clear once more.</p><p>"Alright, this time for real!" Flynn cried as he frantically spun the steering wheel. "Let's blow this pop stand!"</p><p>The Dread-Yacht creaked once again as Flynn spun the wheel, and the oars on its side paddled at a frantic pace as they dashed across the waters! Water and mud sloshed everywhere while trees that strayed a little too close got leveled in half from oar strikes. Massive pulses of winds blew all but the sturdiest of structures away as the Dread-Yacht took off! It cut through the clouds and mist as it hit the skies, and a last gust of cold wind sent it soaring!</p><p>Everyone cheered and thrust their fists towards the murky, cloudy heavens as they sailed through the skies, but Flynn just brushed the sweat from his face.</p><p>"Phew! Gotta say, that was one of my more intense bouts in the realm of piloting," Flynn remarked as he adjusted his hat and grinned, "but, as the best pilot in all Skylands, all I have to say is…"</p><p>An explosion sounded behind Flynn, and he grimaced as he clutched the ship's steering wheel tight. A screen popped out beside him. Flynn grimaced as he glazed over the triangular arrangement of red dots that came in fast.</p><p>"It's not over yet!"</p><p>The sickening sound of cackles hit the air, and all eyes turned to the decks behind them. Between flashes of orange and blue flames, an entire fleet of ships emerged and glowed with a ghastly aura, their cannons set and ready! The first few in line shot off their cannonballs, and everyone screamed, clinging to whatever they could as the Dread-Yacht swerved out of the cannonballs' way!</p><p>"Ye really think ye could escape us, could ye?" bellowed a voice in the distance.</p><p>The largest of the ships zipped right up to the Dread-Yacht. Down from its bird's eye flew a ghost pirate, but not just any ghost pirate, no—it was the same one who collected them from their cells, except he looked furious! Though he had the widest of grins on his face, the flames in his eyes and the twitching of his lip gave away his true intentions well enough. He reached for his cutlass, and his smile finally faded.</p><p>"You escaped our clutches, freed your ship and made a mess of our hideout! That's bad enough already, but killing the cap'n is unforgivable!" the pirate proclaimed as even more of his crew dropped behind him. A scowl fell across his face as he glared down Ninjini, and his grip on his cutlass tightened. "If I'd known I'd end up finding the cap'n remains in her quarters before I could tell her ye were here, I'd have never captured yer ship! I'll bring vengeance for our cap'n, I swear it on my honor as first mate!"</p><p>The first mate cast out his cutlass, and his bushy beard lit with ghastly fire.</p><p>"MATEYS, ATTACKKKKKKKKKKK!"</p><p>The ghosts pirates all shouted and cried in agreement as they chased after the Skylanders and Elder Elementals alike, who only grimaced as their enemies came in quick!</p><p>"These guys just don't give up, do they?" Spyro cried as he narrowly dodged a pirate's bite. He skidded back just a bit as the pirate toppled over, and Spyro turned his gaze back to the others. "Everyone, prepare to—"</p><p>An explosion rattled the side of the Dread-Yacht, and Spyro tumbled in midair as the ship tipped over. He landed right in Ninjini's arms, pulled himself up, and winced as his eyes fell on a massive plume of smoke that burned from the Dread-Yacht's side. He turned his eyes back on the skies, where smoke billowed from the lead ship's cannons.</p><p>Cannonballs shot from the side ships' cannons and dashed through the skies, and the Skylanders and Elder Elementals all ducked for cover! The Dread-Yacht itself rattled and shook back and forth with every cannon shot; another particularly tough blast shot straight into the hull and sent them spinning! Screams came from all around as they twirled across the skies, but finally, the Dread-Yacht heaved around and stood down the massive pirate fleet before it. A lone ship against an entire heavily-armed fleet packed with the highest grade of weapons…</p><p>"What are we gonna do now?" Cali cried, her daggers at the ready as she glared down the pirates that encircled them all.</p><p>"We're surrounded at every angle, outnumbered, and stranded at sky," Crusher remarked as he clutched his hammer. "Odds aren't exactly in our favor."</p><p>Everyone else gulped and hesitated as Crusher spoke, and even the cheeriest of their ranks' fears got betrayed by their forced smiles. Like it or not, Crusher was right. Things weren't exactly looking in their favor, and even with all the power they held, the pirates had a lot more up their sleeves. It would take a miracle to get out of a situation like this!</p><p>Flynn just stared down at the console and grinned in spite of everyone else's pessimism! The faint light reflected off of the Dread-Yacht's shiny new console buttons and into his eyes. He smiled as he puffed out his chest!</p><p>"I'll tell you what we're doing!" Flynn cried as he smacked a hand against the console. All eyes turned to him, and Flynn leaped from the wheel. "We're not going down without a fight!"</p><p>"Huh?" everyone else uttered.</p><p>"Flynn, what are you talking about? We're completely outmatched!" Cali cried as she gestured to the pirates encroaching on them!</p><p>"That might be true, Cali, but we've been outmatched plenty of times before and we've made it out perfectly fine!" Flynn cried back! His normal smile disappeared, and his mouth clutched into a serious glare as he paced back and forth. "Besides, you're acting like we've already lost! That kind of attitude isn't like the heroes of Skylands I know!"</p><p>Spyro perked up, and he grinned as he turned back to Gill Grunt. "Flynn's got a point!" Spyro remarked as he nudged Gill Grunt's shoulder with his wing. "If there's one thing Skylanders never do, it's give up!"</p><p>"And it's not something we're gonna do, either!" Ninjini affirmed as she flew up.</p><p>Flynn grinned and pounded a fist against his hand. "That's the spirit!" Flynn cried. "This is our ship, and we're not letting them take it from us! Heck, we're not gonna let them take us down when we've got a super-duper important mission to finish! We've got friends to find, bad guys to fight, enchiladas to eat! We can't stop here, not when we've got so much to—"</p><p>A cough came from the other side as the first mate snarled. He crossed his arms and tapped his leg.</p><p>"Really rousing speech, lad, but are we going to fight or not?" the first mate asked.</p><p>Flynn scoffed. "Hey, I wasn't done yet!"</p><p>Flynn scoffed a second time, cleared his throat and steeled his gaze.</p><p>"As I was saying, we can't give up, not when we've got so much we've still gotta do!" Flynn proclaimed! He snarled as he pointed to the pirates before him. "Skylanders, attack!"</p><p>"Aye aye, captain!" Spyro cried as he dashed into the fray with Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, and Stealth Elf by his side!</p><p>"Don't forget about me, either!" Cali cried as she snatched another vial of ghost-repellent oil from her pockets.</p><p>Flynn smirked and crossed his arms, but another cannonball rattled the ship and knocked him down! He grunted and pushed himself off the ground. A snarl crossed his face as a screen popped out of the wall, and showed him the damaged ship quarter.</p><p>"Crap, I forgot about their artillery!" Flynn cried.</p><p>Ninjini raised a brow, grinned and turned back to Bouncer, who returned her grin. As Hot Head and Crusher joined them, the four of them raced over to one of the doors and yanked it open!</p><p>"Just leave that to us!" Ninjini cried as the door expanded in size enough to let all four of them cleanly pass. "We'll knock those ships out of the skies before you can even wish for it!"</p><p>Ninjini dashed into the door right as it slammed shut and returned to its normal size.</p><p>Flynn smiled and rushed back to the pilot's wheel. "And I'll keep this baby floating!" Flynn cried as he spun the wheel. "Now, ALL HANDS ON DECK!"</p><p>As Flynn spun the wheel and turned the Dread-Yacht around, a couple of pirates snarled and rushed right after him—but Spyro zipped in front of them before they could reach, and smirked! His golden eyes turned to a more pure yellow, and they sparkled as he landed on deck!</p><p>"Sorry buddies, but that's the wrong way! He's not your opponent," Spyro remarked as he lowered his head while his eyes shone with an even brighter light. "I AM!"</p><p>Burst of bright light flew from Spyro's eyes as he cried out. The pirates all screeched and flailed as the light shone over them, blocking their vision! Behind them, Spyro smirked as his eyes turned to silver. While they writhed, he flew up and flapped his wings. Trails of mist cascaded down from his wingtips, and solidified on the ground as hulking wraiths. The wraiths all screeched to the heavens as they charged after the pirates, who only stood in shock as the wraiths yanked them off the deck and tossed them overboard!</p><p>"Nice! Gotta thank Cynder for teaching me that trick when we meet back up," Spyro remarked as he gently floated back down, yelped and flew aside as a cutlass nearly skewered him. Spyro grimaced and turned his head towards the right.</p><p>There, Cali locked in combat with a cutlass-wielding squid ghost. The ghost gnashed and groaned as it slashed at Cali, who could only block with the oil-coated dagger she held in hand. Her dagger was a toothpick in comparison to the squid's own mightier sword, and it was all she could do to hold it just inches from her face! Cali fell to the floor and rolled backwards. The squid yowled and waved its cutlass in the air, but Cali smirked as she yanked a bomb out of her pocket.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm not particularly fond of you either, buddy!" Cali cried as she doused the bomb in oil and set it alight. "I'm fact, how about you go take a flight?"</p><p>Cali flung the lit bomb right at the squid. It screamed as the bomb exploded, and sent it flying right off the deck—but, it wasn't the only one that got taken out! Several other ghosts cried as they tossed across the deck.</p><p>Behind them, Trigger Happy screamed as he flew forward and bounced against the deck! Trigger Happy grunted as he hit his head with every bounce. Finally he slammed into a barrel and rubbed his head right as the pirates all shoved their weapons in his face! Trigger Happy chuckled and dug into the depths of his fur.</p><p>"Easy there, boys! Let's not get too hasty," Trigger Happy replied as he pulled something shiny and gold out from his fur. "In fact, why don't we settle things with a nice little gift?" Trigger Happy grinned and raised his brows. "How do a bunch of gold coins sound?"</p><p>The pirates' eyes flickered, and then sparkled while the pirates nodded as fast as they could! Pleased grunts came from them as they clasped their hands. They gave Trigger Happy the biggest of grins—but soon, they screamed as Trigger Happy whipped out a golden pistol!</p><p>"Okie-dokie!" Trigger Happy cried as he latched his finger around the trigger. "Here you go!"</p><p>Trigger Happy burst into cackles as a blitz of golden coins shot out from his pistol and shot the pirates back, but he wasn't done yet! While the pirates screamed and fled as they shielded themselves from the coins' onslaught, Trigger Happy whipped out a second pistol and added on! The striking sight of golden light burned across the deck as Trigger Happy fired away. The pirates squealed, and took a sharp turn left to unveil Stealth Elf and Gill Grunt instead! Trigger Happy gasped, dropped his guns, and leaped up and down as he frantically waved his arms.</p><p>"Gill, Stealthie, look out!"</p><p>Stealth Elf yanked her head aside and flipped away right as the coins came right for her, but Gill Grunt wasn't so lucky! The coins that set their path on Stealth Elf shot right into the wall behind and embedded themselves in tight, but he hadn't turned till the very last second and got blasted away!</p><p>Gill Grunt cried out as the coins shot him across the deck, groaned and patted the floor in search of his harpoon cannon. Something stomped on his hand and Gill Grunt screamed. he frantically tried to yank his hand away from the thing that stomped it—but somebody grabbed him by that hand and yanked him off the floor! A low cackle came as Gill Grunt came face to face with the first mate, the very head of the assault, who smirked at the sight of Gill Grunt's shocked look.</p><p>"Looks like I caught me a little fishie!" the first mate chuckled.</p><p>"Gill Grunt!" Stealth Elf called.</p><p>She grunted and narrowed her eyes as she prepared to dart into the fray, but just before she could, more of the pirate ghosts raced in front of her and blocked off her view! The ghosts all growled and snarled as they inched closer to Stealth Elf, who snarled as she gripped her smoke bombs.</p><p>"I don't have time to play with you!" Stealth Elf shouted as she slammed the bombs against the floor. "Now shoo!"</p><p>The bombs crashed against the floor and exploded into a cloud of green spores. Stealth Elf escaped underneath its cover while the other pirates coughed and hacked, but more pirates ran in her way and blocked her off. Stealth Elf drew her daggers and slashed away.</p><p>While she brawled, Gill Grunt just struggled and squirmed as he tried to escape the first mate's grip. The first mate held on tight as he could, his smile wider by the second; it was as if he reveled in Gill Grunt's struggles! He bellowed with laughter as Gill Grunt snarled, and something pounded against his muscular chest, something shiny and silver. The sight of it caught Gill Grunt's eyes as his struggling drew to a close.</p><p>"Y'know, I was thinking something about ye looked familiar," the first mate remarked as he lifted up the silver object. "Now that I got a good look at ye, I know just what!"</p><p>The silver object brought to the faint light, and Gill Grunt's eyes grew even wider as he saw just what it truly was—a locket! A simple one held by a silver chain, but a locket nonetheless! It was rusted in some spots, yet otherwise it seemed perfectly intact, and its front was carved to vaguely resemble a seashell. It spun around in circles as it dangled from the first mate's fingers, and he only cackled as he tucked it back into his shirt.</p><p>"That locket," Gill Grunt whispered.</p><p>"Ah, so ye recognize it, mate?" The first mate smirked. "Snagged it off some mermaid that got out of our highest-security dungeons!" The first mate raised a brow as he chuckled. "You know, the lass seemed awfully upset that I took it, too, so I've been keepin' it just to spite her for escapin'! She'll never get this old thing back as far as I'm concerned!"</p><p>Gill Grunt snarled, and his teeth gritted as he fixed on the silver chain that still hung from the first mate's neck! His eyes twitched; he swung backwards and kicked right for the first mate's chest! The first mate gasped and turned away, but his grip on Gill Grunt's arm slipped just enough that Gill Grunt turned it around and flipped right out of his grip. Gill Grunt skidded backwards, but just before he hit the ground, he started up his jetpack and screeched right for the first mate! The first mate gasped as Gill Grunt flew right past him and pulled him forward. As Gill Grunt disappeared, he grunted and patted his neck to find that the locket was completely gone! The first mate gasped, and snarled with twitching lips as Gill Grunt grinned and held the pendant.</p><p>"Why, ye thievin' scoundrel!" the first mate cried as he whipped out his sword. "Ye'll pay for that!"</p><p>"That's what I should be telling you!" Gill Grunt cried as he held out his water cannon.</p><p>Gill Grunt's finger latched onto the trigger, and the first mate cried out as he dashed straight for Gill Grunt! His sword waved in the air as he drew closer and closer, he prepared to strike—but, before he could, Gill Grunt released the trigger. He sent a gigantic anchor shooting right towards the first mate!</p><p>The first mate grunted as the anchor tossed him back into the wall, slid down and groaned as he held his head. Gill Grunt smirked, but flew aside as a pirate greeble flew forward and smacked right into the wall beside him with a massive claw mark on its face! His eyes nearly popped out of his head, but he turned around, and smiled as his eyes fell on a massive green tiger that shook and tossed the pirates around it like they were chew toys.</p><p>"Oh, just Stealth Elf."</p><p>Another pirate skidded across the floor and right by his feet. A green flash of light shone, and Stealth Elf walked up to him as she wiped off her hands.</p><p>"Seems like that should be all of them!" Stealth Elf remarked as she placed a hand on her hip.</p><p>All around the deck, the pirates that hadn't been cast overboard laid writhing and weak on the floor, their bodies covered in sores, burns and scratches. They all groaned as smoke wafted off their bodies, and a few even raised their hands and groaned in some hope of breaking out of their trance. But, they just groaned and collapsed!</p><p>The first mate blinked and scrambled backwards at the sight of his fallen crew. He screamed and leaped to his feet! With a whistle on his end, his ship screeched right up to the side of the deck!</p><p>"Retreat!" the first mate cried as he dashed up to his ship. "This is the cannon masters' problem now!"</p><p>With a snap of his fingers, the first mate's ghastly crew vanished from the decks and reappeared on their own ship's deck, just in time for the ship to skedaddle! Everyone else grinned and glanced over the side of the Dread-Yacht as the ship dashed back to its fleet. Soon, they screamed and fell back as another cannonball rattled the deck!</p><p>Flynn clung to the wheel and winced as the others slid across the deck! He pushed himself up as the Dread-Yacht steadied, tapped a few buttons on its new console, and grimaced as a grainy screen popped out from the walls.</p><p>"Ninjini, how're things holding up down there?" Flynn cried. The sound of firing cannonballs yanked him away from the screen, and he winced as he frantically steered out of their direction. "'Cause we've got a bit of an artillery problem here!"</p><p>"We're on it, Flynn!" Ninjini called, his voice left fuzzy by the transmission quality.</p><p>The screen's grainy, fuzzy surface finally cleared, and on it was none other than Ninjini. She grinned as she waved to the screen, steered away, and lifted out her arm to present an entire row of cannons enchanted with magic! Their wooden surfaces glowed with bright purple light, and Magic Element symbols resided on their wooden tops.</p><p>"Just had to make a few adjustments, but our artillery should be ready to go!" Ninjini smirked as her eyes fell on the oncoming ships. "I'd say I know the perfect way to test it!" Ninjini turned aside and snapped her fingers. "Let's show them what we've got, boys!"</p><p>"Roger that!" Bouncer, Crusher, and Hot Head cried as they all scrambled towards the cannons and took their seats.</p><p>Ninjini took a seat at the cannon which led the charge, gripped its handles tight and grinned.</p><p>"FIRE AWAY!"</p><p>The Elder Elementals all pulled back the handles of their cannons, and a fury of attacks burst from their cannons with sights set towards the ships! Magic orbs and flurries of stone tore through the opposing ships' hulls; waves of gears combated oncoming cannonballs and knocked them out right in mid-flight; to top it all off, a gigantic flame cast out from Hot Head's cannon, and burned over the sky in waves as a bright orange burst that set the ships ahead alight! They all grinned as smoke and falling ships screeched in the distance.</p><p>Ninjini turned to Flynn and winked as the ships turned around and retreated. "See, we've got it all under control!" Ninjini remarked as she gave Flynn a thumbs up.</p><p>"Wait, what's that?" Bouncer asked as he scratched his head.</p><p>"What's what?" Ninjini turned around, gasped and turned back to Flynn. "Actually, I'll get back to you about that!"</p><p>The communications cut in that instance, and Flynn winced as he turned his gaze on the ships ahead. Though they were flaming, beaten, and battered, they still stood the best they could, stubborn as ghost ships always were. They drew closer and closer together, then they all sent out their cannons, their missiles and guns and in one simultaneous move, they all fired right for the Dread-Yacht!</p><p>Everyone screamed as the blow came right for them, while the Dread-Yacht fired a combined blow of its own from its cannons. But as the combined blast of fire, gears, orbs and rocks hurtled straight for the mass of missiles and weaponry, it was crushed to bits while the enemy assault zoomed past!</p><p>"That's it, we're doomed!" Trigger Happy cried as he raced back in forth in circles. "We're all gonna die!" Trigger Happy yanked a pen and paper from his fur and frantically scribbled away. "First, I'm giving all my treasure to my pet turtle…"</p><p>Flynn winced as he scanned the control panel; his nails gnawed down fast as he looked for something, anything that could fight off the oncoming storm. But then, his eyes fell on a glossy button with a person's picture planted on it and he grinned.</p><p>"We're not done yet, Trigger Happy!" Flynn cried. "I'm fact, I've got a secret weapon right up my sleeve!"</p><p>Trigger Happy turned around and blinked, as did everyone around him.</p><p>"You do?"</p><p>Flynn chuckled, slammed down on the glossy button and leaned back. "You might wanna hold on tight!"</p><p>Everyone paused and frowned, but soon they skidded backwards as the Dread-Yacht creaked and tilted back! They all frantically grappled for crates and boxes to cling to, yet even those proved less than helpful as the Dread-Yacht tilted back and creaked again! With every creak, they tilted, whirled, and spun around—just what was going on?</p><p>"Robot mode, activated!" cried a mechanical voice.</p><p>With one last shift, the Dread-Yacht's front slid down, and out from the top popped the captain's quarters! It transformed, going from an ordinary boat to a massive robot. Its sides evolved into formal arms and legs, and out from its hull-shaped chest came the window for a second room. Everyone else screamed as they dropped into this new room with a thunk, peered out the glass window they were provided, and screamed again!</p><p>"Since when could the Dread-Yacht turn into a giant robot?" Spyro cried as he pressed his face against the glass.</p><p>"Beats me! Those pirates must've done it!" Flynn boomed from the upstairs. He chuckled as he observed their shock from a screen, smirked and raised his brows as he turned his gaze on the oncoming assault. "But now, it'll be what stops them!"</p><p>Flynn pressed a couple of buttons as the missiles, bombs, and other weapons came within inches of him. As he did so, the Dread-Yacht yanked the pirates' weaponry out of the air and tossed it right back at the ships! The ships all turned around and screeched away—but they weren't fast enough, and their own weapons crashed into them in an explosion of fury and fire!</p><p>Flynn grinned, and with another button press, the Dread-Yacht hastily shifted back into its original form. Screams echoed from all around as the Dread-Yacht shifted back to normal, and everyone else popped up from a panel in the floor. Flynn grinned as he gazed out the window.</p><p>"Just what was that?" Gill Grunt groaned as he held his head.</p><p>"I don't know," Trigger Happy moaned back. Trigger Happy blinked, grinned and tossed his pen and paper away, "but look!" Trigger Happy pointed up to the flaming pirate ships and grinned. "It got rid of those guys!"</p><p>Everyone else followed Trigger Happy's gaze and grinned, for he was right! The pirates' ships set alight and decayed in the fire with every second they floated. Not even a ghost ship could come back from that! They won!</p><p align="center">§</p><p>The smell of smoke stung everyone's noses as the pirates' ships engulfed in flames. The pirates' cries were as hollow as ghosts as their ships slowly sank further and further into the abyss. Their flames were a single burst of warmth alongside the murky, cloudy skies as they disappeared among the mist, no more than a speck amid the clouds and vast skies. Even the screams cut off, and all that was left were the howls of wind as everyone else watched the fall end…</p><p>But despite the morbid circumstances, they all cheered and leaped up! They escaped ghost pirate territory with the lives and ship (not an easy feat by any means), and by the Ancients, they were gonna cheer! They all hugged each other tight, spun around, Trigger Happy shot golden fireworks in the air, and even Stealth Elf managed a grin beneath her mask as she crossed her arms.</p><p>"Welp, looks like that ship's down for the count!" Flynn remarked as he wiped his hands. He grinned for a moment, but his grin slowly fell as his eyes popped open. "Actually, though, being a ghost ship, there's a pretty good chance it'll come back!"</p><p>Flynn gasped, jumped back to the Dread-Yacht's steering wheel and swung the Dread-Yacht around! It slowly creaked into motion and soared across the skies till the dying ghost ship down below vanished from view. All that was left were endless expanses of clouds and sky once more, and with the pirates gone, everyone took a breather and sat down.</p><p>Ninjini leaned over and quirked a brow as Gill Grunt admired the locket in his palms. "Were you not able to find your lover?" Ninjini asked as she leaned in closer.</p><p>Gill Grunt shook his head, yet he still kept that simple, gentle smile on his face as he traced hearts in the side of the locket. "'Fraid not," Gill Grunt whispered, and his grin grew a bit larger as he examined the locket's inside, "but, she's alive!"</p><p>Ninjini frowned a little bit, and a look of disappointment shone in her eyes. though, she dispelled her somber look with a shake of her head and examined the locket's inside.</p><p>On one half of the locket, there was a picture. Its paper was a bit worn and faded, yet the illustration on it was crisp and clear as day: a young gillman dressed in a marine's outfit wrapped in a mermaid's embrace while they kissed with the passion of lovers much older than they were, as close as close could be. On the other side, G and R runes stood carved into the locket's rusted metal.</p><p>"She still kept this old thing, even after all this time." Gill Grunt chuckled as he closed the locket and held it close to his heart. "Rita, once I find you, I'll make sure I get it back to you."</p><p>Ninjini chuckled and sat back up. "I'm sure you'll find her someday."</p><p>Gill Grunt nodded as he tucked the locket into his pocket, and shook his head.</p><p>"No, I'll definitely find her."</p><p>Ninjini smiled and rubbed Gill Grunt's shoulders with her finger, a rare moment of peace after such a hectic time. Even that was fleeting as the crackle of static echoed over the loudspeakers.</p><p>"Alright, everyone! This is your captain speaking!" Flynn boomed. "Now that we're making our way out of ghost pirate territory, onto our next objective: finding the rest of our crew and getting back on track!" Flynn's voice lowered just a bit. "That is, if I can even figure out where the heck we are in the first place…"</p><p>Sighs and eyerolls came all around, and some even buried their heads in their hands. In all their elation over finally making their grand escape, they forgot one thing: they had no idea where they were! Surely, it would take them days, weeks even, before they even remotely got to somewhere familiar.</p><p>"Yeah, this is gonna take a while," Spyro remarked as he shook his head, jolted it back up and gasped. "That's right! I'd better let Chi know we're alright!"</p><p>Spyro bowed his head and clasped his front paws together. A purplish-pink light shimmered from the gaps in his toes, and glowed even brighter as Spyro lifted his paws to reveal a butterfly! The butterfly sparkled as it flew away from Spyro's grip, hovered and flew in midair as if it waited for Spyro's next command.</p><p>"Find Chihiro, and tell her that we're alright and going to find her!" Spyro said.</p><p>The butterfly nodded, and Spyro grinned as it flew off from the Dread-Yacht's deck! He waved goodbye as it disappeared beyond the clouds, but even that momentary glimpse of happiness disappeared as he lowered his paws and frowned.</p><p>"Hopefully."</p><p>"Alright everyone, you might wanna hang onto something!" Flynn boomed over the loudspeakers. "I'm about to shift this baby into overdrive!"</p><p>Everyone turned around and frowned as they gazed at Flynn, but that happened a little too late. With the crank of a lever, the Dread-Yacht dashed off fast a bullet! Screams were the only thing that could be heard as everyone flew forward and pinned to the walls.</p><p>Flynn was perfectly oblivious despite their cries; he just cheered from the pilot's seat as he spun the wheel around. "Hoo baby!" Flynn cried as the Dread-Yacht burst through a particularly large cloud and split it in two. "Let's see if this can go any faster!"</p><p>"NO!" everyone else cried as the Dread-Yacht disappeared into the distance.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 7: Aerial Attack! (Part 1)<p><em>Drip, drip, drip… </em>The soft melody of dripping, leaking water echoed through the dark and chilly halls of a ship's prisons. The wooden boards creaked with every flight the ship took; they reeked of drenched wood and swamp water. Everything around was so, so, dark, and only lit by the faint beams of moonlight that drifted in from the holes in the ship itself. Footsteps patted here and there, yet not a single soul could be seen underneath the cover of shadows. Several, however, could definitely be heard, for the sound of groaning stirred from a single cell with rusted bars, and faint beams of moonlight trickled in to unveil its unlucky residents.</p><p>"Ugh, what happened?" Spyro groaned as he sat up and rubbed his waking eyes, oblivious to the scratches that covered his body. "How'd we end up in here?"</p><p>"Your guess is as good as mine, lil' buddy," Gill Grunt mumbled as he popped water out of his earholes. "My head's a blur!"</p><p>"And my core processor's completely jammed!" Bouncer moaned as he tried to sit up, winced and ducked underneath as the ceiling started to cave from his height. "I can't remember anything" — Bouncer paused as his eyes glowed brighter and softer in time — "well, save for something about a ship…"</p><p>Ninjini pursed her lips as she finally opened her eyes. She turned her attention to Bouncer as she leaned herself against his arm, trying to push herself up, but the sight of a sparkling amulet on Bouncer's chest stopped her in her tracks.</p><p>"Wait, what's with this amulet?" Ninjini asked as she gingerly lifted up the amulet with her fingertips and turned it around. "I know for a fact that you weren't wearing this before." Ninjini's brow raised as her eyes fell to her own chest, where a similar amulet rested on her top and sparkled with just as intense a light. "And neither was I!" Ninjini turned back to the others, who all had similar amulets pinned to them. "Or any of you!"</p><p>A few eyes raised as everyone turned down to the amulets, but a soft cough from aside turned their attention towards the bars!</p><p>"Don't get yourselves in a fuss, they're just protective amulets," remarked an aged, worn voice from someone adjacent to them. It came from someone hidden in the shadows of the dark prison corridors so that only their glinting white eyes were seen. "Can't have the prisoners getting drained of all their life force before the cap'n gets to them!"</p><p>"Wait, cap'n? Like a pirate captain?"</p><p>"No, no, Ma, I don't wanna go to school," Flynn sputtered as he stumbled off of Crusher's lap and shook himself awake, gasped and leaped back as he found himself in the cell. "Wait a second, this isn't my mom's place, and it isn't the Dread-Yacht, either!"</p><p>All eyes glittered. The silent realization struck everyone as they lowered their heads, and they glazed around in some attempt of making out whatever they could of their surroundings.</p><p>"That's right! We got ambushed by those pirates!" Stealth Elf remarked as she and Cali slid down Ninjini's arm and craned their heads around. "By the looks of it, they won."</p><p>"Forget about the pirates!" Cali cried as she crossed her arms. "We need to find the Dread-Yacht and get out of here!" Cali winced and peered out towards the endless night sky from a small hole in the woods. "Wherever here is, anyways."</p><p>"Just leave it to me!" Trigger Happy cried as he balled forward and whipped out his pistols. With his finger hot on the triggers, Trigger Happy released and fired out golden coins, their paths set towards the bars. "I'll bust us out and we can get the Dread-Yacht in a" — Trigger Happy grunted as the coins bounced off the bars and slammed him right in the face — "jiffy!"</p><p>Bouncer knelt down and grunted as Trigger Happy rolled backwards and right into Hot Head's leg. "Regular old weapons might not get us out, but I know what can!" Bouncer cried as his wheel spun and screeched. "ALL SYSTEMS GO!"</p><p>Bouncer grunted as he slammed right into the mechanical bars that blocked them off, but rather than breaking free, the bars sent a massive electrical shock right through his systems! Sparks flew off his robotic body as he spun backwards, teeth chattering and mouth sputtering and all. As the sparks finally ceased, a burnt and tired Bouncer groaned as he landed in Ninjini's arms. Ninjini frowned and leaned him against the wall. She ran glowing hands over his injuries and whisked them away, but the sight of those white eyes glaring her down brought her to a stop.</p><p>"There's no hope, you know," remarked that aged, worn voice once more as the eyes closed and shook. "There's no way you're getting out of here!"</p><p>"How can you be so sure about that?" Ninjini asked. Her own blank, white eyes narrowed while a small pout crossed her face.</p><p>Spyro frowned, snapped his claws and crafted a ball of light. With a simple bounce on his end, the ball of light slipped between the cell's bars and illuminated the creaky, run-down wooden halls. With the light unveiled, it revealed that across from them was another prisoner!</p><p>The prisoner was a thin, feline creature, probably a mabu from looks but it was hard to tell. They were run so ragged that their tan fur clung to their body, and patches of their moon white hair fell and scattered across the floor. Their clothes were stained and torn to where they looked more like bags or blankets with the way they draped over the prisoner's skinny frame. Their blue eyes were dull and worn, and made a perfect companion to the dull, despondent frown on their face.</p><p>"There's no going back for you once you've reached the ghost pirates' hideaway." The prisoner sighed and scratched their head as even more of their silver hair fell out. "Your ships get stowed away in the ship graveyard, and as for you yourselves…"</p><p>The prisoner shuddered and clutched their thin, shaky body. Spyro just pursed his jaw and clasped his paws.</p><p>"What happens to the prisoners?" was all Spyro asked as he furrowed his brows.</p><p>"If the cap'n likes you enough, she'll make you part of her crew, whether you like it or not," the prisoner explained. "And if she doesn't, well" — the prisoner gulped and broke into a shuddering fit as their dull eyes shrank — "I can't even bear the thought!"</p><p>"We're not joining any pirate crew!" Trigger Happy insisted as he bounced up and down. He paused for a moment, and chuckled as he rubbed his chin. "Even though I would look good in the hat" — Trigger Happy shook his body and crossed his arms, a firm pout on his face — "but that's not the point! We're busting out of this place and getting our ship back!"</p><p>"That's what the last person who had that call said before, too." The prisoner shuddered and buried themself in their coat. "And the guy before him, and the one before him, and the one before that one too!" The prisoner scoffed and turned around. "What do you think you have that they don't?"</p><p>"Well for one, we're Skylanders! We're not your ordinary dudes!"</p><p>The prisoner turned back to Trigger Happy and blinked, and burst into guffaws so loud that they rolled on their wet, chilly stone floor! Their laughter devolved into a coughing fit as they pushed themself up, and a smirk crossed their face. "Skylanders, you? Don't make me laugh!" the prisoner cried. "What would Skylanders be doing in a place like this?"</p><p>"Well, you see," Spyro winced, "we kind of got a little" — Spyro shot a glare back to Flynn, and so did everyone else who shared a cell with Flynn at the moment — "<em>off course</em>."</p><p>"But, more importantly, we've gotta get our ship back!" Gill Grunt remarked as he walked up between Trigger Happy and Spyro. "We're gonna bust out of here no matter what!"</p><p>"Well, good luck with that is all I have to say!" The prisoner scoffed as they crossed their arms. "This pirate crew here is one of the meanest, the toughest in the Outlands, and anyone who opposes them gets sent to" — the prisoner shuddered again — "the rapids." The prisoner gulped and turned away from Spyro and Gill Grunt's prying eyes. "The rapids, they're some of the awfullest places there! The currents are high, there's guards at every angle, and their torture chambers… I can't even bear the thought! Some say you can even hear the prisoners' screams in the distance."</p><p>The prisoner sighed and turned around. "I wonder if that mermaid girl who they tossed down there is alright. Rita, I think her name was?"</p><p>Spyro and Trigger Happy both craned their heads, but Gill Grunt gasped and dropped his jaw.</p><p>"Wait, correct me if I'm wrong," Gill Grunt asked as he lowered his hands, "but did you just say that there was a mermaid named Rita here before, and she got taken to those rapids?"</p><p>The prisoner turned around and slowly, hesitantly nodded, but gasped and scrambled backwards as Gill Grunt latched onto the cell's bars!</p><p>"Just where are these rapids?" Gill Grunt demanded! He snarled as he squeezed the bars harder, but another electric jolt surged through him! He reeled back, gasping for air as he crashed back on the floor!</p><p>Spyro gasped and immediately went to Gill Grunt's side, but Gill Grunt just pushed himself up. His teeth gritted while the static crackled and popped from his wet scales, and he could barely keep his eyes open, but he still forced himself to stand and glare down the prisoner.</p><p>"What's got you in such a fuss, son?" the prisoner asked. "This Rita girl—"</p><p>"She's my girlfriend!" Gill Grunt spat, his voice hoarse from pain but still with fighting spirit. "If, if she's here, I, I, I have to find her!"</p><p>Another jolt of lightning surged through Gill Grunt's body, and he cried out once more as he collapsed to the floor! The lightning's surge dimmed enough that Spyro and Trigger Happy could prop him up enough for Spyro to heal him. Spyro cast a healing paw and dismissed the static from Gill Grunt's body, but Gill Grunt just snarled and wrangled in Spyro's grasp. He itched to escape as he struggled away, so unlike the cool and collected gillman he usually was. No, a fire lit in his eyes, and he was rared to go!</p><p>In spite of his eagerness, the prisoner didn't seem encouraged. Instead, they seemed more somber as they dove deeper into their baggy clothes and turned away.</p><p>"The rapids' gates are on the upper decks," the prisoner warned as they popped their collar, "but be warned, it's heavily guarded, and from what I hear, locked off by an Elemental Gate as well."</p><p>Gill Grunt's eyes fluttered, and his temper ceded as he clasped his hands. The prisoner shied away from Gill Grunt's view, but Gill Grunt just nodded.</p><p>"Thank you."</p><p>"And what about this ship graveyard?" Flynn asked as he pushed past Gill Grunt and Spyro. "We kind of need to get our ship back, too!"</p><p>"That's just ahead of the docks," the prisoner explained. "If you can get past the guards, then go—"</p><p>"ALRIGHT, TIME'S UP!"</p><p>A deep, booming voice rattled the floorboards and shattered the few windows around. Ahead of the halls, white light poured in as someone slammed the door open! In from the open doors came several ghastly pirates clad in tattered coats and hole-filled hats. They were all headed by one pirate dressed in some amalgamate of a mage's getup and pirate clothing, a look only accented by his long, bushy beard and a twinkle of silver that shone from his neck.</p><p>The prisoner let out a sharp gasp, curled up in their tattered clothes, and shuddered as the pirates strolled from cell to cell, block to block, with their blank, glowing eyes alert and ready.</p><p>"Please don't be me, please don't be me," the prisoner whimpered as the pirates strolled closer to the cells.</p><p>Beside them, everyone tensed as their eyes fell on the oncoming pirates. Ninjini dove into her bottle in a flash of purple smog! Bouncer gasped and clasped the bottle just before it could hit the ground, lifted it up and frowned.</p><p>"Timah, what's wrong?" Bouncer whispered as he held the bottle close.</p><p>"I've got a plan," Ninjini whispered while her bottle shook in tandem, "just trust me!"</p><p>The pirates came to a stop at the space between the Skylanders' prison and the prisoner's own. Their eyes glowed a bit brighter as they fixed on the shuddering prisoner. The prisoner gasped as they peered up for a sole second and dove back into their clothing, but they completely froze as their cells doors opened!</p><p>"Haul 'em in, boys!" the pirate heading the team cried. "The cap'n needs some new blood!"</p><p>The prisoner gasped again, and their already-quite-pale face turned sheet white as the pirates strolled out like zombies and grabbed onto them! The prisoner screamed and squirmed as the pirates latched onto them and pulled them out, but they were unable to escape despite their protests. The pirates' grip held tight in spite of the blank looks they held as they presented the prisoner to their head!</p><p>"No, no, no!" the prisoner screamed at the top of their hoarse, terrified voice. "No, please, let me go! I'll do anything, just let me go! I don't want to go like this!"</p><p>The pirate head frowned, yanked out his cutlass and twirled it around. "Well, there is one thing ye can do," he said as he leaned forward and grinned.</p><p>The terrified prisoner rapidly nodded, the sweat trailing fast down their gawking face.</p><p>"DIE!" The pirate grinned as he cast his cutlass to the ceiling. "Take 'em away!"</p><p>"NO, NO, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"</p><p>The prisoner's screams echoed down the halls as the pirates dragged them further and further down the halls, and the head pirate himself turned over to the Skylanders' cells! Flynn gasped and trembled, yet forced a smile as eyes fell on him, but everyone else just snarled as they glared down the pirate head. The pirate head hardly seemed concerned, for he just smirked.</p><p>"My, my, ye all seem quite lively! I'm sure me cap'n will be pleased with…" The pirate trailed off as his eyes fell on Ninjini's bottle, and they immediately sparkled. "That bottle!" The pirate gasped, shook his head and hastily slammed the cell open. "The cap'n will wanna see it immediately!"</p><p>The pirate bolted forward and latched onto the bottle, but as he pulled on it, Bouncer just snarled and pulled it back. The two of them shot nasty glares at each other while Ninjini's bottle became the rope in their game of tug-o-war, and neither party was willing to forfeit!</p><p>"I'm not giving this up!" Bouncer cried.</p><p>"Then I'll just make ye!" the pirate cried as he drew his cutlass and stabbed it right into Bouncer's side!</p><p>His eyes sparkled, and all of a sudden, Bouncer's circuits completely fried! Lightning glowed from his shiny, metallic body while sparks popped off and showered around, and his grip slipped as the pirate yanked away Ninjini's bottle. Bouncer groaned and fell to the floor, his body singed and popping off lightning still, but the pirate just grinned and swung around.</p><p>"The cap'n will be very pleased to see this!" the pirate chuckled as they ran down the halls.</p><p>The cell's bars shot back up immediately, and the pirate's cackles were the next sound to echo through the halls as the pirate disappeared. The darkness seeped in once more as the door slammed shut. Within the cell itself, Bouncer only groaned as Crusher and Hot Head helped him up. Bouncer winced and slid down while the others dodged the sparks that rained down from his chattering teeth…</p><p>And the sound of crashing came from across the way! Though it seemed far-away, it was hardly muffled. It joined with a cacophony of screaming, smashing, whooshing, and summoning weapons—just what could it have been? All eyes turned to the bars as the sound finally dulled, and the door slammed open as purple smoke flew into the halls!</p><p>Ninjini chuckled as she flew over, held up a keyring to the others and jangled it around!</p><p>"That's my lady!" Bouncer chuckled as he made a fingergun towards Ninjini and winked.</p><p>Ninjini chuckled and finger-gunned right back, then with a simple click, the cell bars opened and everyone bolted back out! The purple smoke Ninjini left behind acted as their cover, so they huddled together and grunted.</p><p>"Alright, here's the plan," Ninjini whispered as she cast a glance towards the open door. "Flynn, Cali, Hot Head, Crusher, Bouncer and I will head to that ship graveyard and try to find our ship." Ninjini turned her glance back to Spyro and Gill Grunt. "The rest of you, go to those rapids and see if you can find this Rita person. We'll meet up once the Dread-Yacht is retrieved."</p><p>Ninjini broke out from the huddle, and with a snap of her fingers, everyone around her glowed with a bright purple lights! Their wounds sealed up as if they never existed, and their scuffed clothes patched themselves up all shiny and new. Grins came from all around and they stretched and flexed, and Ninjini herself couldn't help but smile as well.</p><p>"Good luck, everyone!" Ninjini cried as she dashed off with the rest of her team hot on her heels!</p><p>Spyro and Gill Grunt turned to each other and nodded. Spyro, Gill Grunt, Stealth Elf, and Trigger Happy dashed right after Ninjini's team, the creaky, damp and cold atmosphere of the prison no longer a damper on their mood.</p><p>"Don't worry, Rita," Gill Grunt whispered as his team dashed out the door under the smoke's cover, "I'm coming!"</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Ninjini winced and ducked underneath the shield of a particularly large building on the ship as she, Hot Head, Crusher, Bouncer, Flynn, and Cali crept across the upper deck. The smoke was a decent enough cover, enough that it kept the pirates from noticing their grand escape, but now, they ran into a <em>bigger </em>problem, pun not intended.</p><p>"We're too big!" Hot Head cried as he flailed his arms in the air. A snarling Crusher shushed him, and he frowned as he lowered his hands. "I mean" — Hot Head cleared his throat and lowered his voice to a whisper — "<em>we're too big!</em>"</p><p>"Hate to say it, Hot Head, but I think you're right," Crusher whispered back as he ducked behind a post that he was a few sizes too large for.</p><p>Crusher winced as the sound of pirates screeching like monkeys sounded behind him. He collapsed into a pile of rubble, and rolled behind a collection of barrels beside a particularly large building on the ship itself! Pebbles popped from his forehead as the pirates' shrieks continued, but then the shrieks devolved to mumbles and they walked off, much to Crusher's relief! He breathed a sigh as the patter of footsteps sounded in the distance, reformed and crouched down behind the building's shade.</p><p>"We stick out like sore thumbs here, man!" Bouncer scoffed as he wheeled over and sat beside Crusher. "If we're gonna find our ship and get outta here, we're gonna have to find a better way to do this!" Bouncer clenched his teeth as he shot a glance towards the open decks. "Because it seems like this ship wasn't made with beings our sizes in mind!"</p><p>Bouncer craned his head back, and a shrill screech turned it back around! He gasped as a ghastly monkey in pirate getup screeched and pointed towards him, but its eyes started to glow and it completely froze! Bouncer gasped, and bright red lasers burst out from his eyes as he zapped the pirate! It screeched and howled as the lasers surged through its body, but soon the very tired pirate collapsed on the ground as smoke flew from its body.</p><p>Bouncer just sighed and wiped oil from his face. "Close one."</p><p>"You all make a good point," Cali remarked as she leaned against one of the barrels and tugged on her gloves. "With your size, it won't be long before we're spotted. We'll have to find another way of doing this, but what?"</p><p>The six of them all frowned and hummed as they knelt down, but finally, Flynn grinned and lifted a hand.</p><p>"Actually, I've got an idea!" Flynn remarked. He fixed his cap with a grin and puffed his chest out—which would have probably looked cooler if he wasn't in pajamas still. Flynn grinned, wandered over to Cali, and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Cali and I will scout ahead and find the Dread-Yacht while the rest of you keep these pirates occupied! Then, we'll bring the Dread-Yacht back in and lay the BOOM on them!"</p><p>Cali blinked, frowned and tapped her chin. "Actually, that doesn't sound that bad an idea!"</p><p>"I agree!" Ninjini said with a nod before she turned to Bouncer, Crusher and Hot Head. As they all nodded in agreement with her, she turned back to Flynn and Cali. "Just wait for our signal, alright?"</p><p>Flynn grinned and saluted Ninjini. "Righty-o, genie lady! We'll just wait right here!"</p><p>Ninjini nodded. Bouncer, Crusher and Hot Head followed her around the corner with an urge of her hand, and they all turned invisible with a snap of her fingers! Their bodies eschewed from view, they poked around the corner and frowned as their eyes fell on the crew. The crew just shuffled and groaned as they trudged upon in the deck in a harmonious monotony, almost like zombies. They mindlessly mopped the same clean spot on the deck over and over, opened and closed the same barrel, stared at the skies…</p><p>"Keep working, you buffoons!" cried a deep, booming voice as an elven pirate with glowing eyes stormed over and waved a cutlass in the air. "This place needs to be ship-shape before you go on your next raid!"</p><p>The other pirates all screamed and jumped in the air, frantic grunts heard all around, and they scrambled off to clean!</p><p>The elf pirate just scoffed and turned away while the other pirates mopped and dusted and organized. "It's so hard to find good help nowadays," the elf pirate grunted, but the light in its eyes faded and it fell slack! It grunted as it shuffled away.</p><p>Ninjini frowned behind the elf pirate. "Not the brightest stars in the sky, are they?" Ninjini remarked as she clutched the side of the building. "Luckily, I've got just the thing to deal with them!"</p><p>"Throwing a rock?" Crusher asked.</p><p>"Making a weird noise?" Bouncer suggested.</p><p>"Blowing the entire ship up?" Hot Head guessed.</p><p>Crusher and Bouncer both shot surprised glances down at Hot Head, and Hot Head in turn only shrugged.</p><p>"Hey, it was worth a guess!"</p><p>"You're close, but not quite," Ninjini chuckled as she turned back to the other three. "Do any of you want to take a crack at doing illusions, by perchance?"</p><p>"Illusions, like illusion magic?" Bouncer asked before he shook his head. "There's no way I could pull something like that off! I can't even do a card trick!"</p><p>"Me neither," Crusher remarked as he swung his hammer over his shoulder, "fancy magic just isn't my thing."</p><p>"I only know how to set things on fire," Hot Head remarked with a shrug.</p><p>Ninjini tsked and wagged her finger. A sparkle shone in her eyes as she lowered her hands, and she chuckled as she placed them behind her back.</p><p>"Ah, don't be silly! You don't need magic to trick the eyes!" Ninjini remarked as she flew off. "In fact, I'll show you! Hot Head, come follow me!"</p><p>Hot Head shrugged as he turned back to Bouncer and Crusher. The two of them shrugged back in return, but nonetheless, Hot Head trailed after Ninjini as she hid behind a pyramid stack of barrels. The two of them knelt down and peered to the side, where a couple of ghost pirates sat down and spoke among each other in grunts, squeaks, and other odd noises. With the invisibility spell, Hot Head and Ninjini were completely unnoticed to the pirates! They had the perfect chance!</p><p>"Hot Head, can you send some smoke out?" Ninjini asked.</p><p>Hot Head frowned and jiggled his hands. "I'll try."</p><p>With one last jiggle and a few pounds, thick gray smoke burst out in puffs from the hearts of Hot Head's palms. It intermingled with the mist that surrounded the area, but, its harsh and fiery scent wasn't quick to relent. The scent trailed through the deck while the smoky mist coated the area in a fine cloudy smog, one where barely anything could be made out from down below!</p><p>The pirates that littered the deck all screamed and ran in circles as the smoke took over. The pirates that once talked among each other? They took one whiff of the smoke, grunted, and screamed as they bolted off! Though their grunts were most unintelligible, vague cries of "Fire" and "Help" could be made out between the screams and shouts!</p><p>Ninjini chuckled, yanked her bottle off her back and shook it up like it was full of soda! She popped the cap off, and a trio of sparkling pink bottle rockets soared across the skies like comets in the night. Ninjini corked her bottle back up as they disappeared, and her eyes narrowed as she cast them across the fog. The vague figures of Flynn and Cali could be made out between thick, rumbling clouds of smoke as they dashed across the deck!</p><p>"So far, so good!" Ninjini cried as she slung her bottle back onto her back and turned behind. "Crusher, stomp your feet as hard as you can, and hit everything around with your hammer!"</p><p>"Like this?" Crusher asked. He pounded his feet, sent rumbles and quakes through the floorboards, and slammed his hammer into a metal building as he dented it in!</p><p>The pirates all screamed as the thunderous noise of giant footsteps and creaking metal rang across the battlefield, but they could barely make out a thing with the whole deck covered in smoke. All they did was scream as more footsteps sounded, barrels smashed into nothingness, and structures dented and caved right before their eyes with no pressure at all! They screamed in tandem as the barrel pyramid toppled over and smashed right before their eyes. Its groggy liquid fell over the floor in a massive puddle as the pirates scream, but then, they all completely froze while their eyes glowed!</p><p>"WHAT IN THE ANCIENTS' NAME IS GOING ON HERE?" cried that booming voice from before!</p><p>The pirates drew their weapons and snarled, and an aura of intimidation they lacked prior started to flare. Ninjini just chuckled, teleported behind the pirates and wiggled her fingers. Down below, the swords, knives, and blunderbusses they held all flew out of their hands. and right over the deck. The pirates screeched as one as their weapons fell out of reach, and thanks to a nice little <em>POP</em> from Ninjini's bottle, all the pirates screamed and whatever kept hold of them broke! Now mindless zombies once more, the pirates screamed and fled off in a panic; their forms gathered together so tightly that they'd have practically merged together if they came any closer!</p><p>The smoke flew off and cleared behind them as they ran. What it left behind was none other than Bouncer, Ninjini, Hot Head and Crusher, who were completely visible and smug! Well, most of them were. Bouncer just frowned and narrowed his eyes as the last of the pirates stumbled over their own feet and sat back up.</p><p>"Something wrong, dear?" Ninjini remarked as she turned to Bouncer.</p><p>"Yeah, actually," Bouncer whispered as he pointed towards the pirates right as they finally got back on their feet and ran off. "Those pirates, they're all wearing bottles just like yours!"</p><p>Ninjini raised a brow, and turned a more attentive gaze towards the pirates as well. Bouncer did have a point. Strapped to their backs were bottles much like Ninjini's in shape, their only difference being that they were a translucent white, and hey glowed with ghastly energy.</p><p>"But how?" Ninjini gasped. She frowned, pulled her own bottle off of her back and looked it over. "This bottle was specially-made for me by the one who trapped me in it all those years ago" — Ninjini ran her hands over the bottle's smooth surface and clutched its base tight — "but surely, that person would be dead and in the afterlife by now!" Ninjini slung the bottle onto her back once more, snarled and summoned a wishblade. "I have a bad feeling about this."</p><p>"HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" screeched someone in the distance!</p><p>Ninjini gasped. She cast another invisibility spell as she turned to Bouncer, and dashed across the deck! The air turned eerier and mistier the further she went, and the strange feelings that surrounded it only grew more intense—not helped by how barren that part of the deck was. There were no decorations, no barrels and crates, or structures, and definitely no pirates! Why was it so clean?</p><p>Another shriek pierced the air, and Ninjini slid behind a rare crate pile and peered over—for she got her answer! There, several ghostly pirates kept trembling prisoners wrapped in rags. One of those prisoners, a shuddering ice ogre, got prodded forward by two pirates' cutlasses. The ice ogre's teeth chattered, but it still glared down the elven pirate before it in spite of this.</p><p>"I, I'm telling you! You're making a big mistake!" the cyclops cried as it stomped its feet. "Once the Great Evil Ice Lord finds out about what you did to me and my crew—"</p><p>"SILENCE!" cried the elven pirate!</p><p>Their whole body glowed as their cries echoed out. Not just their eyes, but a strange red and purple glow pulsed from their body, an aura of strength like nothing else! The sight of it was nothing short of unnerving to Ninjini, who backed off a bit and gasped.</p><p>"That power," Ninjini whispered. "It's far too strong to be natural!"</p><p>The ice ogre screamed and struggled as the other pirates tied it up. The elven pirate closed its eyes, and chanted an eerie, arcane chant as its hands flung to the skies. A bright red orb of light formed between the palms, and the light orb leaped out as it seeped right into the struggling ice ogre!</p><p>The ice ogre screamed as harsh red light beamed out from its eye and mouth, all while it struggled and shuddered as red lightning crackled around its dulling body. The light faded and it slipped out of its chains, its body now silent and still. Its eye closed shut as its skin turned a dull, chilly gray, and its body shriveled and wrinkled up like a corpse! Above it, the red light it expelled from its body swirled and spiraled as it formed into a screaming ice ogre face!</p><p>However, the elf paid no mind. With a snap of its fingers, the screaming head whisked off into the distance, never to be seen again!</p><p>Ninjini gasped, but hastily covered her mouth as her eyes fell on the cold, lifeless ice ogre. She'd seen plenty of deaths in her time as an Elder Elemental, but such a gruesome display of magic, and such a ruthless ritual chilled her to the bone… Using the gift of magic for something so cruel just shook her to the bone! More worrisome was that essence she'd felt; on top of its strength, its energy signature seemed awfully familiar too, a ghost of someone she couldn't quite name.</p><p>The elf pirate smirked and wiped off its hands. A ghostly greeble handed off another one of those bottles towards the elf pirate, one akin to the bottles strapped on every crewmate's back. The elf pirate smirked as it uncorked the bottle, and stepped back as the bright spark within leaped out! The spark jolted left and right as if it looked for something, and the elf pirate merely pointed towards the dead ice ogre.</p><p>The spark leaped right into the ice ogre's mouth, and the ice ogre's hands started to twitch. Its eye turned blank and bright with white light as it let out a shrill, ear-bleeding screech! It rolled back and forth as it screamed and clawed at its face, as if it fought an invisible enemy. A burst of rainbow light shot from its face as its once-gray body turned a ghastly green and translucent. Its fits and fuss came to a stop as it sat up, and that same eerie glow of power that surrounded the elf pirate now surrounded the ice ogre as it grinned.</p><p>"Welcome to the crew, mate!" the two cried in tandem, in the same voice as they shook hands.</p><p>In that moment, the voice's filter dropped and it took on a different tone, a cold, sultry voice that Ninjini knew all too well!</p><p>She gasped, snarled and leaped out from the crates she hid behind. The pirates all fell and cracked against the floor as she drew her wishblades, and her invisibility spell dropped in that very moment! Her grip was tight, and her face hot with rage as she turned her blades on the pirates. The pirates drew their weapons and screamed while their prisoners fled, their glows fading away instantaneously.</p><p>"SOLAVITA!" Ninjini cried, her voice cracked and ripe with rage. "EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT YOU ARE DOING THIS INSTANT!"</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Spyro's footsteps pattered against the wooden deck below him, their sound almost completely muffled by the raging wind and rain around. He and his team left the lower decks of the ship behind a long ago, and the upper decks with their polished wooden boards and shiny metal detailing took their place. But, the sheer amount of guards didn't change from below! In fact, Spyro was fairly certain that the forces got even more numerous than before, or maybe they just seemed more intimidating. Massive, bulky pirates lurked around the deck, and their chains and weapons dragged behind them like toys as they groaned and hulked over.</p><p>One pirate passed right behind Spyro's team, and the four of them all gasped and dove behind some crates right as the pirate did a double-take! The four of them snarled and readied themselves to fight as a shadow cast over them, but the roaring sound of footsteps pounding across the deck turned the pirate away. Loud shouts and grunts came from the crowd of pirates that fled to the lower decks, and the pirate that stalked Spyro's team joined them in the ruckus. That pirate drew up a hand cannon and made a beeline for the stairs below!</p><p>Spyro wiped his forehead. He breathed a sigh of relief as he popped his head over the crates, and beside him, Stealth Elf popped up and sighed.</p><p>"So, do you think we're going the right way?" Stealth Elf remarked as she narrowed her eyes and glazed over the emptied decks. "'Cause I'm not seeing any Elemental Gates here."</p><p>"Patience, my dear elf!" Trigger Happy remarked as he whipped out a solid gold deerstalker cap and pipe. Bubbles flew from the pipe as Trigger Happy blew into it, but he smirked and held it aside as he donned the cap. "We've only just begun our hunt! Oh, how I do love the smell of a good hunt…"</p><p>Stealth Elf quirked an eyebrow. "Where did you even get that?"</p><p>"Trig does have a point though," Gill Grunt remarked as he drew out from behind the crates and adjusted his water pack. "The thing should be around here somewhere. I'm sure of it."</p><p>Stealth Elf seemed like she was about to protest, but Gill Grunt started up his jetpack and flew off before she could. However, it was not before he shot a harpoon right through one of the ship's sails and tore it to shreds. Stealth Elf sighed, drew out from the crates and buried her hands in her pockets.</p><p>"Guess we're following Gill then," Spyro remarked as he flew up and right past Stealth Elf.</p><p>Trigger Happy giggled, and hopped after Spyro as he stowed his cap and pipe in the back of his fur.</p><p>Stealth Elf just sighed and trailed up to Spyro's side. "How are we even certain we have the right place?" Stealth Elf asked. She turned her head down as she kicked a piece of splintered wood away, and casually ducked aside as a blast of water blew a dummy shaped like a pirate into her former spot. "All we're going on is that prisoner's word, and for all we know, they could've been lying through their teeth, or even just plain wrong! After all, they seemed like they were locked up there for a while."</p><p>Stealth Elf teleported away as another barrel's splintered remains washed over her old path in a wave. She scoffed as she cast a glare at Gill Grunt—not that Gill Grunt cared, as he was too busy muttering under his breath and blasting away barrels with his water cannons.</p><p>"And our leader here seems a bit trigger happy."</p><p>"But that's Gill Grunt!" Trigger Happy cried as he pointed to himself. "Trigger Happy's me, and I'm right here!"</p><p>Stealth Elf scoffed again and rolled her eyes. "Not what I meant."</p><p>Spyro sighed and clasped his front paws. He dropped back down to the deck and folded his wings in.</p><p>"I can't blame Gill for being worked up, though," Spyro remarked, and his frown tensed further as he watched Gill Grunt. "He's been looking for Rita ever since those pirates took her away, and hearing she's in a place like this… He must be worried sick about her."</p><p>Spyro winced as Gill Grunt smashed another barrel, and winced again—but not from Gill Grunt's strange rampage! No, a burst of chilly wind slammed into him and sends chills down his spine. Stealth Elf shuddered and held her arms beside him, and Trigger Happy's fur stood on end before he frantically patted it down. Fallish chills, perhaps?</p><p>Spyro frowned, but a soft sky blue glow garnered his attention. He lifted his head towards the path before them, and grinned. There just ahead was an Air Element Gate, so they were on the right path after all!</p><p>"Looks like this is the place!" Spyro shouted!</p><p>With one flap of his wings, Spyro flew over to the gate while his eyes shifted to a cool sky blue. He reached his paw out as gentle winds swirled around it, but his eyes narrowed and he whipped around! Behind him, a tiny greeble pirate tilted its head and glazed him down until a burst of wind that came from a flap of his wings blew it off its feet. With the greeble taken care of, Spyro placed his paw on the gate and grinned as it unfurled before his eyes!</p><p>Stealth Elf, Trigger Happy, and Gill Grunt all hopped up beside him as the gate sank back into the ground. The four of them nodded as they stepped inside. The gate closed back up behind them, and they took one step forward as they landed straight on a warp. Light swirled around them as the world shrieked, and they whisked away in a flash!</p><p>They all gasped and craned their heads around as the light faded away around them. After all, the world around was absolutely beautiful! The skies were a crystal-clear blue with hardly a cloud in sight, the islands around were lush and full of grass and flowers, and even the waterfalls that poured over the islands' sides were crystal clear, shiny, and so bright a blue they practically blended in with the skies! The smell of fresh flowers and cool air wafted over gentle breezes that kissed the face. Everything around was so peaceful, from the way the grass danced in the wind, to the clouds float across the sky's oceans…</p><p>"It's beautiful," Spyro gasped as he took a step forward.</p><p>"I'd hardly call a place like this a prison," Stealth Elf remarked as she crossed her arms and gave an approving nod.</p><p>Gill Grunt, however, wasn't quite as accepting. He cocked his harpoon gun as he stepped forward, and his brows tensed as he glared down a butterfly that flew past him.</p><p>"There's probably some kind of trick to this," Gill Grunt reasoned. "Be on guard."</p><p>Spyro frowned as he glanced at Gill Grunt, but Gill Grunt just fixed his eyes on the archipelago ahead.</p><p>"It doesn't look like there's any way to get around besides flying." Gill Grunt smirked, and adjusted the straps of his jetpack. "Good thing I've got a jetpack!"</p><p>Gill Grunt leaped in the air, and behind him, his water jetpack rumbled as it shot out pumps of scalding hot water! He grinned and cheered as he zipped forward—but, he completely stopped in midair just as he hit the skies! Gill Grunt frowned, lowered his head and jiggled his jetpack's straps.</p><p>"What's going on with this thing?" Gill Grunt snarled as he fussed with the straps some more as his eyes fell to the skies below. "Wait a second… I forgot!" Gill Grunt blinked, and his snarl turned to a wince as the water started to peter out. "Without any ground to fly off of, I can't FLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"</p><p>Spyro gasped as Gill Grunt fell into the depths below, and immediately leaped off the side of the island as he raced into action! The wind snapped at his face as he plunged into the cloudy depths after Gill Grunt, but with a few flaps of his wings and a shift in eye color to sky blue, he was off like a rocket! White streaks like a comet enveloped him as he burst through the clouds and latched on tight to Gill Grunt. Spyro came to a sharp stop and hovered in place.</p><p>"Close one, Gill!" Spyro remarked as a cloud manifested underneath his paws. The two of them dropped down, and Spyro grinned as the cloud floated back up. "But in places like these, just leave the flying to me."</p><p>The cloud split in half, forming one for each party. Spyro and Gill Grunt floated up to greet Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf, and two more clouds formed between them all! Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf both hopped on the newborn clouds, and the four of them zipped across the skies. The sound of birdsong became their soundtrack as they glazed over the islands. Not that there was anything remarkable; it was all just the same stretches of islands, waterfalls, and clouds wherever they went.</p><p>"Doesn't look like there's any prisons or anything here," Spyro remarked as he shielded his eyes with his paw, and turned back to the others. "Keep looking, we're bound to find it somewhere!"</p><p>"Find what?" asked a chilly voice from behind!</p><p>Spyro's eyes popped open, and he turned around as a cold cackle came from behind him! There before him laid a ghastly man dressed in some mixture of mage and pirate clothes. His clothes were all covered in spiral markings that brought to mind the Air Element's emblem and cloudy patterns. The man's icy blue eyes were as cold as bitter winter winds, and the sharp, sly smile he held on his face only exemplified it!</p><p>"You must be jailbreakers," the mage pirate cackled as he held out his glowing sleeves, "but you're not getting away on my watch! I've already had my perfect record broken once, and I'm not letting it happen again!"</p><p>The mage cackled as bursts of wind shot from his palms and headed straight for Spyro and Trigger Happy, but the two of them swept away just before the blasts could land! Spyro snarled and leaned down as the blasts slammed into the side of an island and exploded. His cloud zipped off with a racecar's speed. His eyes flashed red as he shot a fireball right for the mage, but the mage just cast a blast of wind with a simple swipe of his hands, and that blast blew the fireballs to embers!</p><p>Spyro cried out and stumbled backwards as the winds hit him. As he sat upright and came to, Trigger Happy and Gill Grunt zipped right past him with such speed that he went spinning again!</p><p>"No gold, no glory!" Trigger Happy cried as he whipped out his golden pistols and clutched the triggers. "Bang bang bang!"</p><p>"Fins of fury!" Gill Grunt cried as he shot a trio of spiraling harpoons right for the mage.</p><p>A swarm of golden coins burst from Trigger Happy's pistols, and shielded the harpoons as they all came right for the mage, who gulped as they came in! The mage's eyes shrank. For a moment, he seemed genuinely scared, but then, he just smirked and blew the storm aside with another burst of wind!</p><p>The harpoons and coins flew off to the side inside. They nearly blasted Stealth Elf off her seat as she flew across! Luckily, she dove underneath just in time; she thrust out her palms, and shot a burst of green spores towards the mage. Just as the spores went to hit, the mage turned around and blew them away with another gust of wind. Stealth Elf dodged out of the way, grunted as the spores disappeared, but gasped. She dug her hands and knees into the cloud itself as a mighty gust spiraled around.</p><p>Everyone screamed as the winds swirled around and took them with it. They all tossed around in the tornado as their clouds disappeared into thin puffs of smoke, but finally, the winds stopped and they breathed sighs of relief. That is, until they all looked down and realized their rides were gone! Once again they screamed as they plummeted into the depths, but just before they could fall to their doom, Spyro snapped his claws and his eyes flashed purple! Magical purple wings appeared on Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, and Stealth Elf's backs. All four of them flew up and glared down the cackling mage.</p><p>"Looks like we're gonna have to try something different!" Spyro cried as his eyes turned to sky blue.</p><p>Spyro took a deep breath in, exhaled and shot out a massive, funneling tornado. He blew backwards as the tornado's winds raged straight for the mage, whose eyes popped open as the sound of screeching winds hit his ears. Te mage gasped and shot back a tornado of his own! The tornadoes pressed and pushed against each other as their winds grew stronger and stronger, so strong that the grass around them cut clean in half, and everyone else nearly got tossed aside.</p><p>Finally, the two tornadoes burst into one last, chilly gust of wind and vanished! Spyro and the mage both panted and lurched over. Spyro lifted himself up and flapped his wings with all his might! The gusts of wind that burst from his wings hurtled towards the mage, who in turn just shot off wind blasts of his own. Each blast slammed into each other and exploded with only faint shockwaves left remaining; they were perfectly matched, and nothing they did would work!</p><p>Spyro drew back and bit his lip as his last blast got completely nullified. "Maybe I should call on some good old firepower instead!" Spyro cried as his eyes flashed red. He chuckled, and flames burst from his muzzle as he yanked it wide open. "Hope you're ready for some SPYROMANIA!"</p><p>Right as Spyro finished his cry, a bright burst of orange flames shot out from his mouth and slammed right through the mage! The mage squealed as the flames seared a hole right through his chest, looked down and gulped as he lifted his head up.</p><p>"Oh no," was all the mage said as he burst into winds with a scream.</p><p>Spyro gasped as the mage disappeared and lowered his paws. "Okay, maybe that was a little too much firepower," Spyro winced as he turned around. "Either way, that guy should be gone now. Let's get going before we get any more unexpected visits."</p><p>Spyro glided forward…</p><p><em>"Oh ho ho, but the party's far from over!"</em></p><p>… And stopped in his tracks as a chorus of cackles ruminated around the skies! He turned back around to where the piles of winds the air mage pirate left behind laid, except they formed into a ball of pure wind and split. An entire ring of these windy orbs formed and stuck in place; a bright azure glow came from them, formed a vaguely humanoid shape, and the lights burst as from them came identical clones of that same mage!</p><p>Spyro gasped and flew back, but a massive burst of wind knocked him backwards and sent him tumbling into Gill Grunt! The two of them wheezed as they crashed into each other, and gathered their bearings. Around them, the cackling only grew louder and louder! The winds turned bitter and chilly as the mages all flickered and burst into blue, and the mages divided even further! There were so many of them now that it could make one's head spin. Worse yet, they had Spyro, Gill Grunt, Stealth Elf and Trigger Happy completely surrounded!</p><p>"We're not giving up until we get you jailbreakers corralled back in!" the mages all cried at once.</p><p>"We're outnumbered!" Stealth Elf cried as she flitted backwards.</p><p>Spyro grunted and flew out of Gill Grunt's grip. "In that case, there's only one thing we can do!" Spyro cried as he turned tail and zipped off. "RUN!"</p><p>Stealth Elf, Gill Grunt, and Trigger Happy all zipped off after Spyro. The mages cackled and zipped after Spyro's team, all while they shot off bursts of wind and blasts of solid breezes. Spyro and his team members were quick to swerve and dodge, but with so many shooting at them, it wasn't exactly easy! Every blast dodged with just a hair's breath, every blast filled with two more, and the attacks were all so tightly packed in that Spyro and his teammates could barely move! Elbows jabbed against each other as bursts of wind soared narrowly over their heads; screeches rang along with minute cries of pain; cold wings nipped at exposed skin, fur and scales; and the cackling only grew louder and closer with every moment they dodged!</p><p>"Alright, this has gone on long enough!" Gill Grunt cried as he turned around and cocked his harpoon cannon. "EAT HARPOON!"</p><p>A trio of harpoons shot from Gill Grunt's cannon. With the extra wind, they gained so much speed that they slammed right into a trio of mages, and blew them into thin air without even stopping! The other mages gasped as the last traces of their fallen brethren vanished, but they wouldn't be alone for long. Bursts of flames and shiny gold coins shot forward, and even more of the mages' rank fell to their wrath!</p><p>Trigger Happy and Spyro grinned and high-fived each other. Trigger Happy screamed as an azure blur slammed into him and rammed him into the side of an island!</p><p>"Ugh," Trigger Happy groaned as his eyes spun around within his head. He popped off, straightened out his crooked wings with a few flaps, and his ears pricked up as something beeped behind him. "What was that?"</p><p>Trigger Happy turned around as a fan emerged from the side of the island. He mused it over as he rubbed his chin, screamed and tumbled off as the fan spun off a massive gust of wind! Luckily, Spyro flew over and caught Trigger Happy in the nick of time, but that didn't make Trigger Happy any less dizzy. While Trigger Happy groaned and sat in Spyro's arms, Spyro teleported out of the wind stream and turned back to its path with a grin. The wind blew away the other mages as well! Only the original remained, and judging by the way he held his arms in front of his face, it seemed as though he barely hung on!</p><p>"Alright, he's distracted!" Spyro cried as he zipped off. "Let's get going!"</p><p>Gill Grunt and Stealth Elf nodded and flew back after the Spyro, the mage long forgotten in their minds. Just then, another powerful gust blew from behind and dragged them back! They all screamed as they tumbled backwards and clung to the side of a nearby island, but even that wouldn't last. Though their hands dug tight into the island's top, the wind was so powerful that it pulled them backwards and drug their hands through the earth.</p><p>"What's going on?" Gill Grunt cried as he tried to pull himself onto the island, but slid back down.</p><p>Stealth Elf turned her head around and winced. "I'll tell you what's going on!" she cried, her normally-quiet voice strained as she tried to shout over the gust's roars. "Looks like that mage isn't quite done with us yet!"</p><p>Behind them, the mage they abandoned sucked in the gust like it was an afternoon snack. As he ate the last of the winds, he grew huge! He was now a giant's size, so big he would have towered over an entire island—in fact, he did! He loomed over the entire string of islands that dotted the skies, all pleased with himself as he wiggled his hands above, and he cackled with all his might. With his gigantic size, his cackles became bigger, too. They were so powerful that the islands below flew off like tumbleweeds at the mercy of his breath, and Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, and Stealth Elf were quick to follow!</p><p>Gill Grunt clung to Spyro's leg as the cackles continue, and Stealth Elf and Trigger Happy clung to the others' legs in turn. Even with their grips held tight, they barely hung in there, and Spyro wasn't much better off! Spyro snarled and dug his claws further into the earth while the island around him rumbled. As the cackles died, he slung against the side of the island and panted, as did the other three.</p><p>Gill Grunt snarled as his eyes fell on the gigantic mage. He whipped out his harpoon gun and shot a round of harpoons at the mage! The harpoons twirled in the air as they slammed into the mage's gut, dug in, but bounced off like they were nothing! Gill Grunt gasped and swung everyone aside just as the harpoons shot back and dug into the side of the island.</p><p>Trigger Happy smirked below him. "Alright, so harpoons didn't do the trick," Trigger Happy remarked as he whipped out a golden pistol with one hand, "but what about the golden treatment?"</p><p>Just a few squeezes of the trigger from Trigger Happy sent his golden coins shooting off like golden comets, but they fell to similar effects. Once they hit the mage's belly, they bounced off and tumbled down below! Trigger Happy gasped, snarled and dug into the back of his fur with both hands.</p><p>"Alright, some gold coins might not take you down, but how about these?"</p><p>Trigger Happy windmilled his hands, and screamed out gibberish while all manner of golden weaponry came from his arms: golden safes, golden pots, gigantic gold pennies, gold rockets and cannons that fired out gold cannonballs… Even a gigantic golden hammer! No matter what he threw, it was of no use. The moment they hit the mage, they just bounced off like the rest! Trigger Happy's jaw dropped wide open as they all fell down like the rest, but the wind ruffled his fur and he looked down to find that he clung to Stealth Elf's leg no more!</p><p>He turned back up, gulped, and screamed as he fell as well. He frantically flapped his wings in some attempt to fly again, yet the wind's power was so great that it pushed him back down. He didn't have to worry much, for somebody snatched him and yanked him back up! Trigger Happy wiped the sweat from his brow as he lifted himself upright, but a low cackled turned him to his savior's face. He gulped as it came to light that he hadn't been saved at all, for the one who caught him was the mage!</p><p>Spyro, Stealth Elf, and Gill Grunt all gasped as Trigger Happy's shrill screams blew several nearby clouds to bits. The three of them flew off the island's side and huddled together.</p><p>"Gill, you go on ahead!" Spyro cried as he zipped away. "We'll get Trig back and meet up with you later!"</p><p>Gill Grunt nodded as he zipped right off, his blue form barely visible among the skies themselves, and Spyro craned his head back as he winced. Spyro shook his head and narrowed his eyes as the mage came in view.</p><p>"Hey, blowhard!" Spyro cried. "Over here!"</p><p>The mage frowned, turned around, and screamed as a fireball as big as the sun itself slammed into his face! The mage screamed and wiped the flames off his face as the fireball exploded, and completely dropped Trigger Happy in the process. The mage grunted and grappled his open hand as a screaming Trigger Happy fell right into Stealth Elf's arms. The mage snarled and blasted Spyro with puffs of solid, stormy clouds!</p><p>Spyro's eyes flashed sky blue as the clouds glowed and rammed themselves into the mage's gut, but with little effect still! Spyro just turned back and winced as Stealth Elf rammed into him in her giant tiger form, and Trigger Happy shot the mage once again to little effect. Gill Grunt was no longer visible in the distance, and the lack of him deepened Spyro's frown. Spyro clasped his paw for a bit, but a massive gust of wind blew him backwards! Spyro screamed as he tumbled backwards, hovered in place and shook his head as the mage cackled. A snarl crossed Spyro's face, and flames circled his horns as he screamed and rammed into the mage's gut! Once again he bounced off, and Spyro tensed as he shot a round of fireballs at the mage.</p><p>"I hope Gill can pull this off," he whispered just slightly.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Hot Head, Crusher, and Bouncer winced. They stepped out from where they hid as all eyes turned to Ninjini, but Ninjini herself hardly seemed to care that she was the center of attention. She gripped her wishblades tight, and the snarl on her face grew uglier as she leaned towards the ghost pirates, winced and drew backwards. The wishblades pointed right towards their faces, and all anyone could do was gulp.</p><p>"Where are you, Solavita?" Ninjini demanded as fires burned in her eyes. "What exactly are you doing to these beings? How in the Ancients' names are you still alive?" Ninjini pressed the wishblades closer to their throats while those flames grew brighter. "ANSWER ME!"</p><p>The ghost pirates all screamed as they scrambled back from Ninjini's wrath, and the glow around their bodies faded! They all groaned and lurched over as their bodies dulled. They lifted their heads, took one glance at Ninjini and screamed like rabid monkeys as they swarmed her! Ninjini spun around and tossed the ghost pirates off at all edges of the ship!</p><p>"Get back her, Solavita!" Ninjini boomed as a bright purple flare of magic formed around her. "I'm not finished with you yet!"</p><p>A couple of the pirates snarled, leaped forward and went to attack Ninjini, but she just summon shiny purple orbs and blasted them off the deck! As they fell off-ship, Ninjini snarled and clasped her wishblades tight, whipped around and slashed through a particularly large pirate that poised to jump on her! Ninjini heaved heavy pants as the pirate slammed backwards and collapsed against the floor, her brows scrunched and her lips twitching with every breath.</p><p>Someone laid a hand on her shoulder as she did. She turned around and prepared to slice, but dropped her blades as Bouncer pulled her away from a blast of ghastly energy! While the energy blast slammed against the floor and dissipated, Bouncer shot down the pirate that shot it, and frowned as he turned to Ninjini.</p><p>"Breath, Timah, breath," Bouncer panted as he pulled them both back up. "Whoever this Solavita lady is, I have a feeling she's long gone now."</p><p>"I doubt it, Bouncer," Ninjini replied. Her lips kept pursed and tense as she summoned one of her wishblades, and drew it across the deck where all those pirates laid still. "I wasn't sure at first, but now, I'm certain" — Ninjini slashed away a greeble pirate as it tried to attack, leaned back and snarled — "all these pirates, they have parasitic spells with her essence in their bodies!"</p><p>"Parasitic spells?" Bouncer repeated as he tilted his head. "What are those?"</p><p>"Only one of the worst kinds of forbidden magic."</p><p>Ninjini shuddered, and her grip on her wishblades nearly slipped. Her shudders only continued As she caught them just before they hit the floor.</p><p>"It's a spell that destroy the victim's soul from within, and replaces it with an extension of the host's own soul. When it's completed, it renders the victim little more than an extra body for the one who cast the spell, with their very essence and existence completely destroyed!"</p><p>Bouncer gasped, and Crusher and Hot Head did as well behind him! Their eyes were wide, and Crusher and Hot Head's faces started to pale. The air around them chilled even more than before, and not from the fallish weather that surrounded. All these beings that surrounded them were once living beings who had their souls, the core of the very beings, eaten away and wiped out of existence!</p><p>"I'd never have imagined that she'd stoop to such a low," Ninjini shuddered as her eyes narrowed. "I have to find her and put an end to this!"</p><p>Ninjini leaned forward and prepared to rush off, but low zombie-like growls and rumbles from behind her caught her attention. She turned around right as the pirates all slunk together. The pirates all leaped into piles and melted together until their ectoplasmic bodies formed gigantic mish-mashes dressed in pirates' clothes! These fleshy blobs with fifty faces and more eyes than they probably should have all snarled, leaped forward and aimed straight for Ninjini! Ninjini flicked her wrist and summoned an entire ring of large purple orbs. With another flick of her wrists, the orbs all crashed into the monster pirates and tossed them away—all but one, that was!</p><p>One of the pirates, the smallest of the bunch, but still around Ninjini's size, swept underneath the orb Ninjini summoned and barreled straight for her! While the others splatted on the walls, it just grabbed a massive twin-bladed cutlass from its belt and sliced for her. <em>SHING</em>! Ninjini whipped out her wishblades and pressed them against the blade just before they could take her head off.</p><p>The two of them both strained and groaned as they pressed against each other's weapons, and just behind them, the other pirates pulled themselves off of the walls and prepared to engage! Ninjini swept away and turned around as the pirates growled and licked their lips.</p><p>"Bouncer, Crusher, Hot Head!" Ninjini cried as she ducked underneath a slash from her opponent's sword. "Cover me, I'll take this one!"</p><p>Bouncer smiled as Ninjini blocked another blow with her wishblades. "You heard her!" Bouncer cried as he cracked his knuckles. "Let's roll out!"</p><p>Bouncer's wheel screeched as he streaked against the floors below, and Crusher and Hot Head cried out as they pounded after him! With his allies at his heels, Bouncer smirked and fixed his eyes on several of the pirates that set their sights on Ninjini. Those eyes of his glowed a bright red, and he mowed them down with bright lasers! The pirates collapsed and screeched as they held their sides, yet two of them jumped up nonetheless. They wailed as they charged after Bouncer, but he just blasted them away with rocket fists! Bouncer smiled and reloaded his fists as one of the pirates fell off the deck, yet the other one just skidded to a stop. It gripped his fist, tossed it off deck, and it waved its own fists in the air as it charged after him!</p><p>Bouncer smirked and drove backwards. "Hey, Crusher!" Bouncer shouted as he held up his hand. "Think it's time for you to drop the hammer!"</p><p>"GLADLY!" Crusher cried.</p><p>The pirate squealed as it came just inches away from Bouncer's face. Before it could lay a single hit on Bouncer, Crusher leaped forward and slammed it into the deck with his hammer! Crusher lifted his hammer up, and shook the ectoplasm for it while the flattened pancake of a pirate glared at him.</p><p>"How's that for hammering it home?" Crusher remarked as his eyes glowed with bemusement.</p><p>The pirate didn't seem quite as pleased with his puns, for it just sprung up and wailed to the heavens. Crusher gasped and jumped backwards as it swiped at him. He snarled as his eyes glowed brighter. They shrieked and shimmered for a moment, and out from them came a green laser blast that shot right into the pirate's chest! The blast tossed the pirate backwards. It squealed as it landed on its feet and skidded; it got up and prepared to move as it finally came to a stop—but it couldn't!</p><p>Its legs were solid stone, and this stone infection spread to the rest of its body in moments! It only screamed as its body encased completely in stone. While it stood still and silent, Crusher slammed the stone pirate into a nearby wall! The stone casing cracked open as the pirate slammed into the wood and dented it, and the dizzy pirate inside only moaned and whimpered as it slunk down, falling unconscious.</p><p>Crusher smiled as he slung his hammer over his shoulder, but screamed as Hot Head rammed into him and smashed him into the deck! Crusher exploded into a bunch of smaller rocks as he made contact and bowled down several smaller pirates. He reformed immediately and scoffed as he glared down Hot Head.</p><p>"Watch where you're going, Hot Head!" Crusher scolded.</p><p>"Sorry, Crusher!" Hot Head cried back as he stepped in front of Crusher. "Got a bit of a problem here!"</p><p>A roar so massive it spat out spittle like rain nearly blew Crusher and Hot Head down. As it settled, both of them winced and glanced up at the massive ghost pirate that hovered above them. It had to be twice their size, and probably just as powerful to boot. Judging by the way it licked its lips, it was definitely itching for a fight too!</p><p>"This thing's been on my tail since the battle began, and I can't get it off!" Hot Head exclaimed. "Nothing I do stops it!"</p><p>Hot Head snarled as he shook his arm, shot it forward and doused the giant pirate in a thick coat of shiny oil! The pirate wailed and flailed around as it tried to wipe the oil from its face. While it struggled, Hot Head shot a pillar of fire and set it alight! The pirate screamed and writhed as the flames coated its body, but it dropped back to the ground and yowled as it bolted straight for Hot Head. Hot Head screamed as his flames' volume increased, yet even the brighter flames did nothing; they just made the pirate burn brighter and stronger! Hot Head just screamed and transformed into a motorbike before he zoomed across the deck.</p><p>Crusher just sighed and shook his head while the pirate made off after Hot Head. "Looks like I'll have to deal with this myself," Crusher remarked as he squeezed his hammer's handle. With a mighty groan, Crusher slammed his hammer into the ground and fissured the decks!</p><p>The pirate hooted and scrambled right onto the cracks. It screamed as massive rock pillars burst out from the cracks, and it flew backwards onto the ship's deck! As it rolled backwards and groaned, all the flames on its body extinguished, and all that was left was a very charred, very pained pirate who moaned as it slunk down.</p><p>Bouncer and Hot Head wheeled up to Crusher and grinned as Crusher held his hammer tight, but a burst of lavender smoke flew in and sent them all into coughing fits! As the smoke faded and they regained their breath, all three pairs of eyes turned to the lower half of the deck.</p><p>There, Ninjini snarled as she faced off against the pirate she claimed before! It still rared to go, but Ninjini herself seemed a bit more battered with her frayed hair and the scratches on her face. The pirate growled as it sprung forward and grappled for Ninjini, yet she just escaped into her bottle and fell to the ground! The pirate's eyes went wide as it flew right over her. It screamed as she sent bottle rockets soaring into its gut, and the pirate itself rolling across the deck! The pirate hit the edge of the deck and moaned as it stood up, buy screamed as another round of bottle rockets flew forward and exploded right in its face!</p><p>While the pirate squealed and held its face, Ninjini emerged from her bottle and waved her hands around. Orbs formed and floated around her with every wave. With a snap of her fingers, they shot forward and smacked right into the pirate one by one! The pirate squealed with every blow; as the final one struck it, it groaned and fell unconscious, tongue lolled out the mouth and all!</p><p>Ninjini scoffed as she flew beside Bouncer, who only frowned as his eyes scanned the battlefield and the groaning, shuddering, beaten pirates that coated it.</p><p>"Isn't there anything that can be done for them?" Bouncer asked as he placed a hand on Ninjini's shoulder.</p><p>Ninjini only shook her head. "I'm afraid not," Ninjini explained as she clutched her blades' handles tighter. "The original souls died long, long ago. At this point, they're nothing more than puppets."</p><p>The pirates around all groaned and glowed as they split back into their original components, who were still just as beaten and bruised as the originals, and Bouncer hung his head at the sight of them.</p><p>"Well, seems as though they're beat." Bouncer lifted his hand from Ninjini's shoulder and wheeled off. "We'd better find Flynn and Cali" — Bouncer squeezed his hand into a fist — "and while we're at it, give this Solavita lady a piece of our minds."</p><p>Crusher and Hot Head nodded in agreement as they trailed after Bouncer, but Ninjini shuddered and frowned.</p><p>"This isn't over yet!" Ninjini proclaimed as she squeezed her wishblades' handles tight. "I can feel her presence!"</p><p>Crusher, Hot Head, and Bouncer all whipped back around. The ghosts floated upright right as they did,—and as the ghosts floated, their eyes shot wide open! They dropped back down to the deck with glowing eyes, but they didn't seem as confident as they usually did. Rather, their eyes flickered and they groaned as they held their heads.</p><p>"What in Skylands happened?" their booming voices cried as one, "The connection has never been severed before, and not with such speed! Could it be that I…"</p><p>One pirate turned around as Ninjini shoved a wishblade between its eyes. Soon enough all eyes faced her yet again! The pirates' jaws all dropped in tandem as they faced her, but they only smirked and bellowed with laughter! Ninjini hardly found it funny, for she only scowled as they floated up to face her.</p><p>"Fatimah, it really is you!" they all cried at once, and their voice filters lifted so that they echoed this Solavita's voice once more. "You're alive, I can hardly believe it!"</p><p>"But you won't be for much longer!" Ninjini cried as she held her wishblades out. "Doing something as awful as robbing beings of their lives, of their very souls… It's unforgivable!" The soft glow of magic glinted against Ninjini's wishblades as she turned them around. "You'll be lucky if I even leave your own soul after this! Now, give me some answers—why are you doing all this? How are you still alive after all this time?"</p><p>The pirates all just cackled and reeled backwards as they kicked their legs in laughter! They all wiped ghastly tears from their eyes as they leaned forward. One elven pirate tapped Ninjini's nose as as reeled backwards in disgust.</p><p>"I've been waiting quite a long time for this moment! To think, it's finally come!" The pirates all chuckled and turned around. "If you want your answers, meet me at the ship graveyard for a duel. I'll explain everything then and there" — the elf cocked a brow — "and, I'll give you back those little mabu that I caught wandering around there talking about you too! I can only presume they must be friends of yours." The elf chuckled. A few of the other ghosts fluttered up and smirked in Ninjini's face as the elf talked. "I'm sure you're so eager to get them back!"</p><p>"Mabu?" Ninjini gasped, though she quickly stowed her shock away as she turned around. "Don't tell me, does she have Flynn and Cali?!"</p><p>Crusher, Bouncer, and Hot Head all winced and turned towards each other.</p><p>Bouncer wheeled towards Ninjini and nudged her shoulder. "I'm not so sure about this," Bouncer whispered as he leaned closer to Ninjini. "This seems kinda suspicious."</p><p>"I'm with Bouncer on this one," Crusher added as he walked up and shot a glare towards the pirates. He wrung his hammer's handle tight as they chuckled, and he turned back to Ninjini. "Something's not right about all this."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah! This whole thing is giving me cold feet!" Hot Head cried as he gestured towards his feet, which turned chillier and nearly hardened as they trembled. "Just look!"</p><p>Ninjini paused and pursed her lips, but she nodded and floated towards the pirates. "Very well then, Solavita," Ninjini said, "I accept your challenge."</p><p>The pirates all cackled, and with a snap of their fingers, an orb of greenish-white light burst before them as it manifested none other than Flynn and Cali! The two of them stood tied together and cringed, teeth chattering and eyes dashing and all, but they grunted as they dropped into Ninjini's palms. They both shuddered a bit, and winced again as they found themselves looking straight at Ninjini.</p><p>"Oh, hey there, genie lady!" Flynn cried with a wide grin. "Good news, we found the ship graveyard! Bad news, is, uh, we" — Flynn clenched his teeth and hissed — "ran into a bit of trouble along the way." Flynn coughed and held his head. "Of course, I, as the greatest pilot in all Skylands, wasn't too tied up by it, but—"</p><p>Cali shot Flynn a glare, and he only turned away and gulped.</p><p>"Shutting up now."</p><p>Ninjini shot another glare towards the pirates, but the pirates only smirked and floated off.</p><p>"Follow me," they all said as one.</p><p>Ninjini took a breath, and clutched Flynn and Cali tight as they all followed the pirates through the ship's depths.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Gill Grunt grunted as he collapsed on soft, fluffy grass, and turned around right as the Water Element Gate behind him closed and locked once more. He sat up, frowned and scratched his head as his eyes turned to the path ahead, or rather the lack of one! In lieu of say, open sky, rocky paths, or even fields of endless grass, what laid before his eyes were rushing streams of clear blue water. Unlike the waterfalls before, the rivers' waters were a deeper blue that brought to mind liquid sapphire, and struck out beautifully against the azure of the skies around. Their waters rushed so fast and so furiously that their beauty did little to mask the danger of their depths.</p><p>"Yeah, there's no swimming in this," Gill Grunt remarked as he jiggled his jetpack, "but maybe…"</p><p>The familiar rush of water sounded behind him as warm water burst from his jetpack. It sent him flying in the air, and he leaned forward as he zipped straight for the waters! It was all smooth sailing as he crossed over the grassy paths at first, but the moment his own water streams hit the rapids, he went spinning! The world around him blurred as the waters tossed him from side to side, and he just screamed as the water from his jetpack gave out.</p><p>Gill Grunt soared right across the rapids. Well, not that he noticed, for his head spun so badly that he couldn't even make heads or fins of the sights around him! The closest he could make out was the furious cries of the rapids, and the distinct texture of wood as he dropped into something rough but solid. He shook his head right as the place where he landed went for a ride down the rapids. Now that his vision cleared some, he sat up and rubbed his fins against the floor. Seemed like he landed inside a barrel, judging by the round appearance. Not that it was the most ideal of transportation vessels, but it was better than nothing.</p><p>Gill Grunt grunted as a swerve right tossed him to the barrel's bottom, and his fins flapped as the gargling and screaming water grew louder. He popped his head up, clung to the side of the barrel, and gulped. Right at the end of the path before him was a waterfall, and with how fast the rivers and streams ran, he was gonna come in fast! Gill Grunt clung to his barrel tight as he could, and the barrel in turn jetted across the streams. Rather than taking a nice, long drop down the falls, it just leaped right over the waterfall's top and crashed all the way down below!</p><p>The wind flapped against Gill Grunt's fins. He screamed as he clung to the barrel as hard as he could while the wind threatened to pluck him right off! Their harsh breaths lashed at his fingers as he clung to the barrel's edge. Gill Grunt himself just nudged his fingers towards any kind of notch or nudge he could find. The wind pulled further, and one hand of his finally got windburned enough that it flew right off—but luckily enough, he found a hole in the barrel just in time! He grabbed onto it tight right as the barrel crashed down into the streams below with a massive <em>SPLASH</em>, and he himself slammed right back down into its hull.</p><p>Gill Grunt sat up and wiped his brow, but screamed as a massive wave pushed the back of his barrel! The wave's pressure spun it right around the rare tranquil part of the stream he landed in, and the rapids pulled him in once again! He only screamed, his cries jittered and bumpy as the barrel haplessly spun and rattled while the streams tossed it back and forth between their waves and currents!</p><p>The thing was spiraling completely out of control, and worse yet, there wasn't any sort of steering or anything—how was he supposed to regain control? Gill Grunt's eyes spun around as the barrel bounced between several rocks like a pinball, but a faint memory flashed back to him and he grinned. Now he remembered; he did barrel-riding drills during his time in the Gillmen Marines! He knew exactly what to do!</p><p>Gill Grunt gripped the front of the spinning barrel, and grunted as he shifted all his weight to the right of the barrel, right as it seemed poised to crash into a large stone. The barrel's spinning came to a halt. It veered to the right and just barely skirted around the rock's smooth surface!</p><p>"Alright, it worked!" Gill Grunt cried as the rock passed him by. Gill Grunt smirked, then he turned back down to the barrel and squeezed it tight. "Looks like it'll be smooth sailing from here on out!" Gill Grunt lifted his head as even more smooth rock formations came to into view, and he only narrowed his eyes. "Now, let's see."</p><p>Gill Grunt moved backwards, and his barrel's speed grew just a bit slower. He pushed it left and between twin formations that formed a doorway of sorts in the center of the river! He steered right and around the round circle that made up the heart of the island, pressed forward and zipped down the rushing streams before him! The cool river waters splashed at his face and against the barrel's surface, but the feeling of their fresh water on his scales was more refreshing than anything. In fact, it almost let him forget he was on a serious mission… Almost.</p><p>The waters behind him gurgled and roared with a monster's cries, but Gill Grunt just clenched the barrel tighter. "It's just the water, Gill," Gill Grunt whispered to himself as he steered left of another large rock. "Don't let it distract you."</p><p>The roars sounded off again, and around him, the waters started to grow more furious! Their sprays were furious whips that lashed against his barrel and churned the waves like whirlpools. In fact, whirlpools already formed in the streams ahead! Gill Grunt dodged one, but two more flanked the path ahead of him—there was no way to escape their grip! Gill Grunt steeled his gaze; he caught sight of a large stone positioned like a ramp in the waves and beamed! He leaned forward, and his barrel rushed through the waters and zipped right ahead of it. The barrel leaped straight over the whirlpools, and crashed safely on the other side!</p><p>Gill Grunt grinned and leaned against the barrel as the whirlpools disappeared into the distance, but that loud, gurgling sound moved his attention back to the front! The waters rumbled and shook with a stormy rage. As they did, a cool azure color formed in their dark water, a simple pair of slits that stood silent for a moment. The waves raged further as Gill Grunt drew closer and closer. With a massive roar, they bubbled with fury as the slits yanked open and formed into the shape of eyes! Gill Grunt immediately yanked out his harpoon gun and shot the waters, but his harpoons bounced off the bubbling water and disappeared into the skies!</p><p>He rushed right through the bubbling water, but then, it exploded and screeched as a trio of gigantic, serpentine monsters made of solid water burst from the pillar! One monster flung its head into the air and let out a mighty roar; it zipped right past Gill Grunt and sent his barrel spinning! Gill Grunt screamed as the barrel spun in place, and when it finally settled, he gasped and leaned back as all three monsters hovered before him. Gill Grunt clenched his teeth, and he yanked his harpoon gun from the barrel's floor as he shot the monsters down in an instant! They all exploded into water and rained down on the streams as he passed by, but he just sighed and leaned against the barrel.</p><p>"That was a close one," Gill Grunt remarked as his arms flopped over the barrel's side. He sighed with relief yet again as his head rested on the barrel, but the sound of gargling from behind shot him back into place. "But I get the feeling it isn't over yet!"</p><p>The monsters' roars hit the air yet again as they burst from the streams and zipped right for Gill Grunt. He shot them down once more, but just as he did, his barrel spun out of control! The harpoons he shot scratched the monsters on their forehead and cut holes inside, holes that immediately filled as they rushed after him! His harpoon cannon dropped to the barrel's bottom and bounced around as the waves flung Gill Grunt from side to side. This time, they were so strong he couldn't take back control! It was all he could do to cling to the barrel itself while the waves tossed around him.</p><p>A burst of water shot forward and spun him aside! Gill Grunt yanked his harpoon cannon from the bottom of the barrel, and shot it right for the monsters behind him. Another wave crashed against his barrel and threw him off course. His harpoons shot right over the monsters' heads, and the monsters just cackled as they tackled right into his barrel! Gill Grunt screamed as the barrel got tossed right out of the water and him out of it; he fell right back in as it hit the waters with another splash! Gill Grunt groaned as his barrel slowly spun across the water, but something sucked him in and spun him around as fast as a jet!</p><p>"WHO-WHO-WHO-WHOA!" Gill Grunt cried as the body of water spat him out and shot him right towards a whirlpool!</p><p>The speed was so great that he could only clutch the barrel the best he could as he flew right into the whirlpool's heart. He got spat out to the next, then the one after that! It was a dizzying ride full of screaming and spinning as he zipped straight through the string of whirlpools, but finally, the last one pushed him back to the waters!</p><p>He shot like a bullet, and yelled at the top of his lungs as he flew right towards a bubbling, steaming pool of water. Wait, was that what he thought it was? Gill Grunt gasped, and tried to pull his barrel back, but the waters just pulled him right into a bubbling water pit right as it erupted! A massive geyser burst from the waters, and tossed Gill Grunt into the air as he peered down and winced.</p><p>Those water monsters were right on his tail the whole time! They cried out as they charged straight for the geyser, but while two of them veered out of the way just in time, one crashed straight into the geyser itself and completely exploded! Its watery remains poured into the stream and formed a dark puddle with sad eyes as it melted away.</p><p>Gill Grunt grinned as the geyser dissipated and he was sent back down into the rivers. "That's it!" Gill Grunt cried! He smirked as he pushed against the front of his barrel, zipped right down the stream and past the water monsters!</p><p>Gill Grunt yanked out his harpoon cannon as his barrel flew past, and shot harpoons right between the remaining two monsters. They didn't land a single hit, but that was perfectly fine—for they brought the monsters right to him! They roared and wailed as they slithered through the air like snakes, but he just turned back to the streams ahead.</p><p>Before him, another geyser bubbled and popped as it prepared to erupt, and Gill Grunt was right in its way! He leaned his barrel forward and sped towards the geyser. Behind him, roars shouted as bursts of water nipped at the barrel's base! These bursts tossed it out of the water, and right into the geyser's heart as it erupted and jumped up. Gill Grunt cheered as he landed in the air, but his cheers quickly muffled under the pained wails of the monsters below him! Gill Grunt turned around as he landed back in the ground, and smirked as the other two monster's remains melted into the water.</p><p>He leaned forward and steered the barrel back down the streams. A small waterfall dropped him down from the rushing waters, and into a small pond that dropped him into a second waterfall. He crashed at the second waterfall's base, and bobbed up and down as he steered across the more peaceful waters, which only bubbled and gurgled with pleasure as opposed to the screams of the ones before. In fact, it was so peaceful that Gill Grunt even leaned against his barrel and almost went to sleep.</p><p>Just as he prepared to doze off, the faint sight of greenery in the distance caught his attention! Down below laid a large island with grassy hills that surrounded a watery base, and what looked to be rooms barred off with bars made of water. Surely, these had to be the rapids' watery prisons, the ones he sought for this whole time! Gill Grunt grinned, and the energy returned to his body as he pressed his barrel forward and sped down the stream!</p><p>"FULL STEAM AHEAD!" Gill Grunt cried as he burst through the stream.</p><p>His high-speed swim tossed him right off the side of island and out of his barrel, but Gill Grunt just yanked his cannon from the air and tugged on his jetpacks! Their watery streams shot down below and pierced the more peaceful waters. He slowly floated down and dropped back onto the waters below. Their chilly, icy pools lapped at his ankles while they washed away the splintered remains of his barrel, but Gill Grunt hardly noticed as he rushed through the ponds.</p><p>Gill Grunt narrowed his eyes as he trekked through, and behind him a faint, gurgling sound rose with the waters. His scales shuddered as a familiar roar sounded off; he immediately whipped around and shot his harpoons, but all they did was splash in the waves. Gill Grunt frowned, lowered his cannon, and scoffed as he turned around.</p><p>"I'd better find her and get us out of here soon," Gill Grunt whispered. "This place is doing things to my head."</p><p>The soft twinkle of light caught his attention, and Gill Grunt frowned as he stopped in front of a sparkling teleporter. Whatever this thing was, surely it would take him to wherever their prisoners were kept. He could feel it in his scales!</p><p>He hopped on and closed his eyes as the light whisked him away. When the tickle of warm light left his face, Gill Grunt popped his eyes open, frowned and clutched his harpoon gun. All around him, the skies turned gray and murky while the waters completely dried off, save for the solid water bars that blocked off the many cells that surrounded him.</p><p>"Yep, this is the place," Gill Grunt whispered. He cocked his harpoon cannon, and Gill Grunt snarled as he held it tight. "Now, to get down to business!"</p><p>Gill Grunt dashed towards a nearby cell and clutched its bars. "Anyone in there?" he cried as he peered between the bars, frowned and drew back as he found nothing more than some stones. "Guess not?"</p><p>Gill Grunt wandered over to the cell beside it, but found nothing there either save for a pile of feathers. A sinking feeling rose in his heart, and his fins flicked as he gazed over the other cells—but like the ones before, they were all empty! Nothing but bones, torn clothes and stray coins, claw marks left on the ceiling, and… Gill Grunt stopped at one cell, and his harpoon gun clattered to the floor.</p><p>Scales. Hidden within the cell was a couple of pulled-off or shaven scales that amassed in a tiny pile, and they were colored, they were, they were…</p><p>Seafoam.</p><p>Seafoam green.</p><p>The same color as Rita's scales, so radiant like jewels shining in the light of the sun, but these were dull and dead. They, they couldn't have been her scales, could they? Surely, surely that had to be someone else! It couldn't have been her! In fact, he'd check just to make sure!</p><p>"Rita!" Gill Grunt cried as he jumped right towards the adjacent cell and gripped its bars, grunted and fell back as they lashed at him. But, he just jumped from the next cell to the one after in a frantic haze!</p><p>"Rita? Rita? Rita, are you in there? Rita, please, it's me, Gill!" Gill Grunt cried as he jumped towards the last cell.</p><p>Its watery bars slapped him and tossed him on his back in the center of the dungeon, but this time, he didn't have the will to fight. Instead he just laid there. His eyes were wide as he heaved shallow breaths so weak that he could barely breath, but so heavy that he pained his chest.</p><p>He could see Rita, with her wide smile and her beautiful sapphire eyes, sitting in the lagoon and singing to him… Then, he saw her screaming, crying, writhing as she tried to escape her pirate captors. What, what happened to her? What became of her? Had he been too late? Could it be that she was killed already? Shocked to death, fried to bits, ripped of her very soul and left to wither?</p><p>With every thought of Rita's possible fate that passed by, Gill Grunt's breath grew so strained that it choked him. His fins, so cold and numb, finally shook as he laid on the floor. Gill Grunt's heart thumped against his chest as the world around him blurred in tandem with his numbing head. Rita, surely she—</p><p><em>SPLASH!</em></p><p>The shock of cold water snapped Gill Grunt back to his senses, and he immediately jumped to his feet as he whipped out his cannon. A wide snarl crossed across his face as he glared from left to right. All around him, the cages' bars melted onto the ground and gurgled with an ominous aura. Dark pools formed in the water as roars echoed around the chamber!</p><p>Gill Grunt growled and loaded his harpoon cannon. "I don't have time for this!" Gill Grunt cried as he fired his harpoons at the nearest dark pool!</p><p>Gill Grunt rolled aside as the harpoons splashed into the water, but they were of little use. Nonetheless, the monster whose pool he disrupted formed and leaped towards the heavens with a screech, as did the ones around it! They all grinned and snaked in front of Gill Grunt. Their mouths yanked wide open to reveal fangs made of solid pearls, surely ready to tear him alive! Gill Grunt clenched his teeth as he backed up further, and pointed his harpoon cannon towards the monsters with trembling fins.</p><p><em>How in the Ancients' name am I going to stop these things? How did I do it the last time again?</em> Gill Grunt screamed at himself, his head still dizzy from his early discovery. He winced as his eyes fell on the shaky pools the water monsters came from, and his eyes popped open. <em>That's right!</em></p><p>Gil Grunt leaped to his feet, dashed across the pools and whipped around as he set his harpoon cannon on the monsters once more! He loaded his harpoons first as they snarled and prepared to attack. Instead of firing, he shifted to his water cannon and aimed it down at the water below! With a pull of the trigger, a massive stream of water burst from his cannon, and sent the water below his feet blowing up as a massive geyser! The water monsters screeched as they smacked right into the geyser's side and dissolved into the water.</p><p>Gill Grunt only scoffed at their disappearance. He turned around and clung to his cannon as he wandered away, but then, a guttural growl rumbled the dungeon and stopped him in his tracks! He lifted his head, and another one of those water monsters formed right before him! The sounds of splashing and growling behind him only alerted him to the forming of the rest. He just backed up and fell to the ground as the water monsters spawned further and encircled him. There were so many of them, and they were so big to boot! He was completely outclassed!</p><p>"I wish the others were here right now," Gill Grunt whispered as he clung to his harpoon cannon.</p><p>A faint twinkle reached Gill Grunt's ears, and he lifted his head to find a white streak shooting through the skies and straight for him! Gill Grunt gasped and jumped back as the streak crashed in the ground, while the light faded to reveal—oh no. Spyro, Stealth Elf, and Trigger Happy all laid battered, bruised and windburnt in the shallow pools. All they could do was groan as they leaned against each other and passed out! Gill Grunt dropped his harpoon cannon in the waves, leaped forward and grabbed their shoulders.</p><p>"Spy! Trig! Stealth Elf!" Gill Grunt cried as he shook them. "What happened?"</p><p>While Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf were largely unresponsive save for soft groans and twitches, Spyro only lifted his head and flickered his eyes open.</p><p>"I'm, I'm sorry, Gill," Spyro groaned as Gill Grunt leaned forward and shifted his weight up. "That, that guy, he was just, too strong…"</p><p>Gill Grunt gasped as Spyro fell unconscious in his arms, and frantically shook Spyro the best his numbing arms could.</p><p>"Spy, Spyro! Wake up!" Gill Grunt cried. The sound of growling rumbled behind Gill Grunt as wavy shadows crept up the waters, and Gill Grunt winced as he shook Spyro harder. "You can't nap, not right now!"</p><p>"Sorry to say, little fishie, but your friend's gonna be out for a while!"</p><p>A burst of wind and clouds formed above the four of them as Gill Grunt lifted his head. the mage pirate that he ran into earlier manifested in an explosion of cloudy fluff! The mage held a wicked smile on his face as he leaned down to face Gill Grunt, and he flicked Gill Grunt's face as he smirked.</p><p>"I'll admit, you've gotten pretty far for jailbreakers—I'm impressed!" the mage chuckled as he leaned to full height. He crossed his arms and scowled as thunder crashed behind them. "But, your little joyride ends here!"</p><p>Gill Grunt scowled in return, dropped Spyro and made a beeline for his harpoon cannon. "I'm not going down without a fight!" Gill Grunt proclaimed as he dove forward and grappled for his cannon.</p><p>Just before he could snatch it out of the water, something blasted him in the back and knocked him right into the walls! Gill Grunt howled as he popped off the wall, and collapsed in the shallow waters. It seemed as though all the pain, frustration, and anxiety he held finally caught up to him. His whole body ached, so numb and pained at the same time that he could barely keep his bleary eyes open, and shudders ran down his back while he struggled to breath even the shallowest breaths. The growling of those water monsters and the cackling of that pirate rang in his ears, a melody that sickened his stomach, but he couldn't even fight back. Black spots danced in his vision, and his whole body burned and throbbed like it was ready to shut down.</p><p><em>I'm sorry, Rita, </em>Gill Grunt thought as he clenched the ground with his hands, shuddered and let go as the very action burned him to the bone.</p><p><em>I couldn't save you.</em></p><p>Gill Grunt just lifted his head, groaned and collapsed back into the waters as his vision faded to black.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 6: Wilikin Village (Part 2)<p>Chihiro groaned and rubbed her head as she finally came to. "That was one rough landing," she remarked. "Everyone here still?"</p><p>Groans and moans came from all around, and Chihiro sat up as she tried to get a sense of where she landed. The walls around were rocky and made of some mixture of stone and earth—a cave or tunnel, perhaps? It wasn't an uninhabited one, as simple lanterns stood nailed to the walls and provided a faint sense of light. Around her, everyone else laid down and tended to their wounds. Well, save for Seraphina, who was happy to skip around and examine the odd drawings on the walls.</p><p>"These drawings are strange," Seraphina remarked as she tapped the walls. "Wilikin did not make them."</p><p>Tree Rex frowned as he leaned down and examined the drawings. "Strange," he remarked as he rubbed his chin, "I feel like I recognize this style…"</p><p>Tree Rex hummed in contemplation for a few moments longer, yet the sound of squealing from behind sent him back up! He turned around and readied his laser cannon, but lowered it as he found that it was just Whirlwind, Cynder, Eruptor, and Terrafin bouncing around on the floor.</p><p>Chihiro sighed and lifted the cage that fell from her back from the ground as they growled and snarled. "I know, I know, we need to get going," Chihiro remarked as she slid the cage onto her back. "Just let me heal everyone up, and we'll be on our way."</p><p>Chihiro clapped her hands, and a faint orb of light emerged from her palms. The orb hovered above her for a moment; it fluttered up next, and sent waves of light pulsating through the tunnels and into everyone else's bodies. Their wounds sealed themselves up as blood retracted back into their bodies, and bruises vanished like they never appeared!</p><p>Thumpback and Eye-Brawl both got up and stretched, but Tree Rex only wandered up to Swarm and helped Swarm back up.</p><p>"How're you feeling, Swarm?" Tree Rex asked, his eyes gentle as his hand twitched in anticipation of Swarm's answer. "Any better?"</p><p>Swarm jumped out of Tree Rex's arms and grinned as he flexed his own. "Better than ever, boss!" Swarm cheered. "That poison's gone now!"</p><p>"Then I suppose we can get going!" Chihiro remarked as she skipped ahead and crafted a torch to guide them out of magic. "Seraphina, lead the way!"</p><p>Seraphina chuckled, and beckoned to the others before she skipped away. The others were quick to make chase as she skipped and disappeared down the halls; the cyan light of Chihiro's torch was their guide as they followed Seraphina down the stone tunnels. Occasionally, the torch's cyan light mingled with the faint, warm orange and yellow that came from the torches before, but those torches' own light was faint and weak as if they hadn't been tended to in a while. That being said, it was enough light to showcase the drawings on the walls!</p><p>They were all fairly simple drawings, but they had enough detail to tell a story. They showed beings gathered in villages, singing songs, harvesting from fields, and playing games, a window into the past in its own right. Chihiro herself lingered on one of these drawings, and Tree Rex did as well. While Chihiro grinned as she ran her hands along the cool, bumpy walls, Tree Rex just seemed discontent. His eyes fixed on them in cold analysis.</p><p>"Something bugging you, Rexy?" Chihiro remarked as she lifted her torch to his face.</p><p>Tree Rex sneezed as the embers touched his nose, chuckled and wiped it off. "Ah, it's nothing, Chihiro," Tree Rex replied as he stood tall and wandered down the path. "Just felt a bit familiar, that's all."</p><p>Chihiro frowned. Something about the way Tree Rex talked seemed like it was bothering him a little more than that, and the somber look in his eyes seemed far too great to be ignored. He didn't really seem as if he wanted to press the matter further, so she just sighed and trailed along.</p><p>The torches left them behind quickly, and the cavern turned a cool blue, illuminated by the warmth of Chihiro's torch. Soon, though, it turned red as well! The red light that beckoned for them came from up ahead, and it was too strong to have been anything from a torch. Chihiro skipped ahead as their group jolted to a stop; she herself jumped to the front, and frowned as her eyes fell on the stream ahead.</p><p>There, a mass of glowing red orbs skittered like roaches across a less elevated road that laid before them. The orbs' group was a firm block between the path Chihiro stood on now and the path ahead. These orbs looked harmless enough, yet something about them didn't seem quite right. Chihiro frowned, jumped on a part of the path that was free for a quick second, and got slammed by an orb in that very moment!</p><p>A massive jolt of electricity rumbled through her body as it exploded into puffy red lights. "YIKES!" Chihiro cried as she hopped backwards and blew on her aching foot. "That stings!"</p><p>"That is because the red orbs are bad. They will hurt you," Seraphina explained as she patted Chihiro's aching foot.</p><p>"No kidding." Chihiro rolled her eyes, frowned and turned aside as Seraphina skipped off.</p><p>"But, we can fix that!" Seraphina grinned as she stood beside a switch not unlike the one they all saw at the beginning of the village. "Just press this switch!"</p><p>Seraphina tapped the switch, and with a quick warble, the orbs shuddered and flipped over to a bright, serene blue.</p><p>"Now, they are friends too!"</p><p>Chihiro raised a brow, dropped her still jittery, still numb foot on the ground, and dragged it across the floor. It was a lot more offsetting, having to walk when her foot fell asleep from being zapped so hard. The moment the blue orbs rammed into it, though, it woke up immediately! Even better, they filled her with a new energy too, like she just woke up and rared to go!</p><p>"You're right!" Chihiro cried as she bounced on the orbs and leaped to the other side. "This feels great!"</p><p>"It does!" Seraphina chirped! Seraphina tapped a button on the switch, and the switch shrank till it could fit in one's pocket. "Now, before we leave, I will take this." Seraphina lifted the device and skipped along. "Switch could be helpful in future."</p><p>Seraphina joined up and hopped on Chihiro's back, but Chihiro squealed as Seraphina offset her balance and sent her stumbling back and forth! Chihiro windmilled her arms as she finally caught her balance, grinned and lifted Seraphina off her shoulders. A couple of squeaks and shouts came down from below.</p><p>Chihiro craned her head down, and grinned as she met eyes with Eruptor, Terrafin, Cynder, and Whirlwind. They all stacked atop each other as they tried to reach up to where Chihiro stood—but alas, they couldn't reach without fingers! So, Chihiro just levitated them up and back into her cage backpack.</p><p>Behind them, Ermit winced as he eyed the stream. He gently tapped it with his foot, and as the orbs ran over him and seeped into his body, he just grinned and strode along! He climbed up the rock and joined Chihiro at her side with a smile. A massive thunk sounded behind them all, and nearly knocked them off as the Elder Elementals crashed down behind them!</p><p>Eye flew off as he pushed everyone back to their feet one at a time, cast out a laser, and flitted down the dark caverns. With him guiding the way ahead, everyone else trailed down as their eyes occasionally trailed to the stone walls beside them. The cavern drawings remained still, but this time, they turned much more somber.</p><p>Eye paused in front of one. There, a village, surely the one the prior drawings depicted, was attacked! Other people bearing larger suits and devices chased after helpless villagers and knocked them down, and their houses and fields got set ablaze. Eye winced as he flitted away from it.</p><p>Tree Rex blinked and followed after Eye, his footsteps a steady pound that echoed within the cavern itself. Eye shuddered as Tree Rex thunked beside him, lifted himself up and shone the laser's light over Tree Rex's face.</p><p>"Is something bothering you?" Eye remarked as he spun around.</p><p>Tree Rex frowned, twiddled his fingers and looked aside. "Nothing much. Just wanted to see what happened next."</p><p>Eye flitted his wings and turned his light back on the walls, where a new illustration stood carved on the walls. The village was still on fire and bodies littered its floor, but now, the ones who threatened the village had company! Larger beings jumped in and stood in front of the villagers, and though they shared the same stick figure-like style, they had a few discerning features. One had horns like a bull, some others had wings, one had a more lopsided head, another's head was on fire…</p><p>"Hey, these kinda look like you guys!" Chihiro remarked as she popped between Tree Rex and Eye and ran her fingers across the wall. "See, this one's got Tree Rex's horns" — Chihiro pointed towards the horned figure on the wall, and dragged it across the wall — "and this guy's got Swarm's wings, and I think this one might be Thumpback."</p><p>Swarm, Thumpback, and Brawl all crept up over them, and Swarm beamed as he examined the walls.</p><p>"You're right, Chi!" Swarm chuckled as he pointed his barbs towards the wall. "I think this guy's supposed to be old Hot Head, and I'll bet this is Ninjini the Great herself!"</p><p>Swarm grinned and rambled on, but Tree Rex didn't share in his joy. In fact, his jaw dropped by the second while his eyes went wide with realization. He blinked for a few moments, and stormed down the halls with a speed no one saw out of him before! Heck, he nearly trampled Chihiro and Eye in the process!</p><p>"Hey, watch where you're going, Tree Rex!" Eye cried as he flapped his wings with a little more indignity. "What're you in such a hurry for, anyways?"</p><p>Brawl knelt down and signed to Eye. "Don't you think these look familiar?" Brawl asked Eye before he pointed towards the walls again. "These drawings, they remind me of that one village."</p><p>"That one village?" Eye remarked as he craned himself towards Brawl, and examined the walls again. "Now that I think about it, this style does remind me of something."</p><p>Eye scanned the walls again while everyone followed behind him, now a teensy bit more wary than before. His lasers skimmed over the walls, and as they did, the cave drawings grew more and more somber: the larger protectors of the village fighting against the intruders, being wounded and broken, but still fighting their hardest. Finally, the intruders' devices drove them into a corner, and the protectors fled! Eye stopped right in front of a drawing of the village residents fleeing themselves as the intruders wreaked havoc on their home, and finally, it seemed as though the realization dawned on him. He fell down to the cavern floor. Brawl scooped Eye up in his arms and let Eye snuggle close to his chest. Eye frowned the best an eye could as he wrapped his wings around his round body.</p><p>Beside them, Swarm and Thumpback examined the drawings, and Swarm started to frown as his antenna drooped.</p><p>"We'd better find the boss," Swarm remarked as he strode away from Thumpback, his usual cheer forgotten. Even his wings didn't sing with the gentle buzzes and hums they usually carried. "Something tells me he's not really happy right now."</p><p>"Geez, what's got them in a twist?" Ermit remarked as he crossed his arms. "What, did these old cave drawings scare them or something?"</p><p>Chihiro frowned as she tugged on her suspenders' straps. She didn't really understand what went on—were those really the Elder Elementals? She crafted an orb of light and examined the walls once more, and her eyes lingered on the drawings of the supposed Elder Elementals fleeing and leaving the villagers to their doom. If that really was them… Chihiro frowned, and clutched her sphere close as the series of drawings continued.</p><p>Beside her, the drawings showed that the villagers who hadn't been killed fled into what seemed like a cavern of some sort, and they all seemed to try and continue their daily lives. But, things were wrong. They no longer sang, played, or harvested; they just sat and sulked until they died. Slowly, the numbers dwindled, until all that was left was one person surrounded by the bodies of those they surely once called friends, neighbors, family, and then… Nothing. All the walls were barren and untouched, save for a couple of scratches that were probably incomplete drawings themselves.</p><p>Chihiro's spheres glimmered just a little bit duller than before as she ran her hands across the wall, but the spill of gentle yellow light from the path ahead caught her eyes. She whisked away her sphere with a snap of her fingers, dashed into the source of the light, and found none other than Tree Rex, at last!</p><p>He knelt beside the corpse of a rotting, dead tree, its leaves surely haven fallen and rotted a long time ago. Despite the death of the tree itself, the orb that its roots curled around seemed bright as ever. Its jewellike seafoam surface sparkly and bright as Tree Rex ran his fingers against its smooth surface. Stone markers stood all around the tree and Tree Rex, and on them were carvings that resembled some kind of Ancient Skylandian text—graves, perhaps?</p><p>Either way, Chihiro just sat beside Tree Rex and ran her hand against his moss-covered leg. Though her touch was probably small and unnoticeable, Tree Rex broke out of his stupor nonetheless. He looked down and forced a tiny grin.</p><p>"Oh, Chihiro, it's just you," Tree Rex whispered as he lifted his hand from the orb. "I didn't see you."</p><p>Tree Rex's voice, normally so powerful and kind, carried with it a kind of weakness. It was so hoarse and pained as he sat in the center of it all. While he turned back to the orb, Chihiro just rubbed her hands against his legs and leaned in closer.</p><p>"Tree Rex," Chihiro whispered as her eyes turned to the dying tree. "Just what is this place? What's wrong?"</p><p>Tree Rex sighed, and once again he lifted his hands from the orb and forced a smile. "Well, it just so happens that I knew this place."</p><p>He didn't seem particularly happy to have said that. Tree Rex clasped his hands, and his eyes turned a bit glossy like he would cry.</p><p>"Ages ago, when we first became the Elder Elementals, we received a cry for help from a small village in the furthest outskirts of Skylands that was attacked by Arkeyan forces. We arrived as fast as we could, but we were too late."</p><p>Tree Rex's hands started to tremble, and he clasped them tight while his solar cannon flashed in and out.</p><p>"They had already stormed the village, and though we all fought our hardest, they had us outnumbered and outpowered. We fought our hardest, but they completely wiped the floor with us. In the end…" Tree Rex just shook his hung head and rested his hand on the ground. "I panicked and ordered for us to flee."</p><p>So the stories on the wall did happen! Chihiro gasped as her eyes fell on Tree Rex's, which carried with them a somberness and tenderness she never really saw in him before. She pressed herself closer and tried to hug him the best she could. Though really, all she did was clutch the moss on his legs.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Chihiro whispered as she rubbed her head into the moss, "I'm sure you did everything you could."</p><p>"BUT IT STILL WASN'T ENOUGH!"</p><p><em>SLAM!</em></p><p>Chihiro squeaked and jumped away as Tree Rex smacked his fist into the ground. Sap-like tears crawled down his face, but as he caught sight of Chihiro's shocked expression, he wiped them away and forced a smile. Even as he grieved, he always tried to save face, it seemed. Tree Rex examined the engravings on the markers, sighed and laid his hand on his legs.</p><p>"They fought their hardest to survive, but even after fleeing underground to rebuild their home, they still perished," Tree Rex whispered, "and if we, if I hadn't given up then, they might not have even had to! They might've gotten the chance to live, to be free, to not resign themselves to dying where the light didn't even reach!" Tree Rex held his head. The tears plopped down onto his knees and turned his mossy legs sweet in scent, but choking nonetheless. "All because I gave up and ran off."</p><p>"There you are, boss."</p><p>Tree Rex's eyes widened, and he turned back to the entrance to find Swarm, Eye-Brawl, and Thumpback all standing in the doorway! Swarm gave him a friendly wave, but one a bit more diminished compared to his usual cheer. He flitted over and sat beside Tree Rex. Though Tree Rex was pretty hefty, he completely melted into Swarm's grasp. Swarm propped Tree Rex's head on his shoulder.</p><p>"So, this was that place, wasn't it?" Thumpback asked as he knelt beside the monuments.</p><p>Tree Rex's eyes fluttered, and he slowly, gently nodded, just barely enough to be seen. Eye laid in his lap while Brawl placed himself beside Thumpback, and all five of them sat in a quiet vigil as they all glazed over the monuments. Their faces grew somber, their heads bowed in remembrance as frowns and tears crossed their faces, but Tree Rex grunted as he pushed himself off the ground.</p><p>"This is no time to mourn," was all Tree Rex said, his voice cold as he lifted himself up to full height and held out his hand. All eyes turned on him, yet he only frowned and laid a hand on his chest. "Everyone, listen." Tree Rex held out his hands. "We may have failed this island's residents once, but we're not going to fail them again! This island's peace, its beings' safety, they're all being threatened just like before—and this time, we're not going to run away! We can't let history repeat itself!"</p><p>Tree Rex extended a hand and a smile crossed his face. "This time, we're going to save them! Who's with me?"</p><p>Swarm blinked, but grinned and sprung to his feet as he slapped his hand on Tree Rex's. "You can count me in, boss!"</p><p>"I'm in too," Thumpback replied as he placed a hand over the others and squeezed it tight.</p><p>"And eye as well!" Eye remarked as he popped on top of the hand pile, and grinned as Brawl waved.</p><p>Chihiro beamed, floated up and slapped her own hand on the pile! It was tiny compared to the others, and probably not much to remark on, but the quiet show of bravery was enough to earn her excitement.</p><p>"Same here! We'll all make sure to save everyone!" Chihiro proclaimed as she swung from the hands, while Eruptor, Terrafin, Cynder and Whirlwind cheered from their place on her back.</p><p>Behind them, faint panting echoed around the halls, and Ermit and Seraphina came bursting right out!</p><p>"What, what's going on here?" Ermit panted as he sat down.</p><p>Seraphina twirled around and giggled. "I don't know, but it looks fun!" Seraphina chirped as she skipped ahead. "We should be by Lower Facadeville now!"</p><p>Seraphina gently tapped a wall, and beside them, the stones rolled away as light poured in from the outside world! Everyone around gave each other cold, determined glances, and with one last nod, they all burst out the door and into the outside world. Their weapons bared as they landed on the grass, in full expectation of the armies or tricks that awaited them…</p><p>But all they found was a ghost town! Though it didn't look too ravaged, the windows stood coated in a thick layer of dust and cobwebs, and tumbleweeds ran through the grassy paths. The stone fountains in the heart of the area were completely dry, and no sort of sound came but the rustling of wind.</p><p>Chihiro frowned and lowered her sword. Beside her, Seraphina frowned and clasped her hands.</p><p>"This village has no more friends in it," Seraphina explained. "They have all become chompies."</p><p>Though Seraphina's words were simple, they set a feeling of melancholy through Chihiro's humble little team. Frowns and aside looks came about everywhere as they all looked away, and even Cynder, Whirlwind, Eruptor, and Terrafin seemed a bit more sad than usual as their eyestalks drooped.</p><p>Chihiro knelt down and smiled as she patted Seraphina's shoulder. "Don't worry, Seraphina!" Chihiro said as she lifted her hand and beamed. "We'll make sure we save everyone and turned them back to normal, I promise!"</p><p>"Really?" Seraphina's eyes glistened with awe.</p><p>"Indeed. We're going to stop this Chompy Mage's evil ploys once and for all!" Tree Rex vowed as he cocked his arm like a gun and glared over the surroundings. "Now, where is his hideout?"</p><p>"Follow me!"</p><p>Seraphina's early sorrow completely vanished as she hummed a tune and skipped along, and the others warily followed her. The icy breeze ran across their heads and sent chills down their spines as they passed through the barren ghost town. Soon enough, even that left them behind in favor of a single cliff face, but whatever it rested over seemingly vanished! Its surrounding were blocked off by a gigantic castle front made of leafy vines and a single dark opening where a door should have been. The faint sound of squealing chompies came from within the castle. No doubt about it, this had to be the place!</p><p>With a shared nod, everyone trailed inside the open gate, the cover of the leaves above a shield from the sunlight outside. Specks of light peered in from gaps in the leaves, almost as if they traveled into an actual forest, and the gentle rustles of a cool breeze paired with the song of chompies served to accentuate the feeling. If that wasn't enough, the massive walls of leaves and vines, and the carpet of thin moss underneath really set the mood!</p><p>Yet, nobody was at ease. Their hands clenched as if they prepared to attack at any given moment, and with every slight noise, they turned their arms right at the source! A birdsong? Arms bared at the walls from which it sung! The faint skitter of tiny feet? Weapons pointed towards the ground! The massive rumbling of the ground below them?</p><p>Well, they actually didn't touch upon that at first, for something massive jumped out of the ground and knocked them all backwards! A roar shook the leaves right off their vines as a trine of massive, green flying worms with a vague resemblance to chompies hovered in the air. They roared and set their eyes right on the heroes!</p><p>"Chompy worms?" Ermit cried as he cowered behind Chihiro. "How can they survive outside of the desert?"</p><p>"I don't know," Tree Rex cried as he staggered back to his feet and cracked his knuckles, "but I'm not letting them stop me!"</p><p>The chompy worms snarled and gnashed their teeth as they came in fast, but Tree Rex only chuckled and waved at them.</p><p>"Come and get me, you oversized parasites!" Tree Rex chuckled as he charged off!</p><p>The chompy worms snarled and growled as they zipped off after Tree Rex, but he just took a sharp turn left! While two of the worms were quick to change direction, one wasn't as lucky and crashed right into the wall! Tree Rex took a glance back and scoffed as the leaves came down and coated it,. The other two chompy worms were hot on his tail, but as they ran, one of them flew ahead and intercepted Tree Rex where he stood. Just before it could bite him, Tree Rex dashed away and let the remaining two ram into each other!</p><p>With the three chompy worms down for the count, Tree Rex wiped his hands. "Looks like I took them to the wood shed!" Tree Rex cried as he laid his palms on the ground. "And just to make sure they stay down…"</p><p>Tree Rex closed his eyes and hummed while a green glow surrounded his body! The glow pulsed for a few moments, spread across the ground and formed veins of green light in the earth. These veins flickered and shuddered, and out from them sprouted vines that wrapped tight around the chompy worms!</p><p>"Come on!" Tree Rex cried as he lurched up. "We need to get going!"</p><p>Tree Rex stepped forward, but before he could go forward, the walls rumbled and an entire swarm of chompies burst out! They tore though the leaves that shielded them, and snarled as they leaped forward with teeth glistening in the light! Tree Rex snarled and readied his solar cannon, fully prepared to fire.</p><p>Just before he could, Chihiro leaped in front of him! She summoned a massive laser cannon, spun around and fried the chompies to a crisp! The first wave fell down, but the others were more than raring to go. Tree Rex backed up just inches from Chihiro, and shot off blasts from his own cannon as well yet, the chompies wouldn't relent despite the intense light show. More flooded in every time a wave went down, as if there were an infinite amount spawned!</p><p>"There's too many of them!" Chihiro cried as she punched a chompy away just before it could bite her face off. "We need more power!"</p><p>"Just leave it to us!" Swarm and Eye-Brawl cried.</p><p>Behind Tree Rex and Chihiro, Swarm and Eye-Brawl grinned and held out their arms! With a cock of Swarm's barbs, a massive swarm of bees rushed out from underneath him, scattered around and stung the chompies. The chompies turned from fighting to panicking as they tried to escape the bees' stingers! While they panicked, Swarm just stepped back and nudged Eye-Brawl's shoulder.</p><p>Eye popped right off of Brawl's head, and spun around as thick lasers shot out from his pupil! Smoke wafted to the ceiling as a dizzy Eye popped right back onto Brawl's head, but the damage he did was more than enough—for the chompies were completely fried! Brawl just patted Eye's top while Eye panted and snuggled into his seat.</p><p>With the chompies no longer a problem, the journey continued once more. The forest canopy grew bright as Chihiro's team sneaked past the front gates, and the leaves and vines turned more condensed and more akin to an actual building's walls. They passed by halls lined with rooms full of chompies: egg-filled nurseries, gardens where full-grown chompies played, and even specialized habitats for all sorts of rare varieties! It was a veritable chompy sanctuary, and it would have been quite the pretty site anywhere else, but it still seemed a little eerie at a time like this. After all, the sound of gnashing chompy teeth and faint, jilted cries came through the air. The smell of blood wafted in from the leaves, and melded in with the scent of maple syrup and flowers in a way that churned stomachs.</p><p>As the halls came to a close, their last segment got blocked off via a flower-covered open door flanked by two particularly large, armor-bearing chompies. The chompies themselves only seemed half-alert as they half-heartedly turned their heads around and yawned. They paid not a single moment of attention to the intruders that stood right before their faces!</p><p>Ermit trembled and stumbled backwards as his eyes fell on the massive chompies. A squeak slipped from his mouth and bounced around the halls! The chompies jumped up and snarled as their eyes fell on the floors, but Tree Rex whisked everyone behind a particularly large flower before the chompies could spot them. The chompies blinked, shrugged as they sat back down, and scratched their backs.</p><p>"This has to be where the Chompy Mage is," Tree Rex whispered as he peered up from behind the gigantic flower.</p><p>"Then just leave the guards to me," Thumpback remarked as he popped up beside Tree Rex. "I'll leave them washed up!"</p><p>Thumpback whipped out his anchor, spun it around and wrapped it around the first chompy guard! Both chompy guards squawked as they witnessed the sudden attack, but they didn't linger on it for long—for Thumpback slammed them right into each other and against a wall! The disarmed chompy guards collapsed onto a pile of leaves that was once a wall, and Thumpback reclaimed his anchor.</p><p>Everyone nodded as they rushed up to the gate, and Tree Rex punched it open. They all rushed inside, paused, and peered down to find that the ground below their feet was no more! No, all that laid underneath was a massive tunnel comprised of leaves that twirled in the breeze and accompanied the sound of whistling grass! A few blinks came in that moment, and everyone screamed as they collapsed onto the tunnel's floor and went sliding down.</p><p align="center">§</p><p><em>CRASH</em> went the ground as Swarm, Thumpback, Tree Rex, and Eye-Brawl fell through the leaf tunnel one by one and slammed down onto the forested ground. They all snarled and banged their fists together as they took solid footing, but parted as Chihiro floated down beside them. Chihiro grinned and stretched as her feet hit solid, leafy ground, but quickly turned around as screaming echoed from behind her. She herself screamed as Ermit and Seraphina crashed right into her! The whole group fell in a leaf pile and grunted as they sat back up, but Chihiro just pulled her cage backpack off her back.</p><p>The tunnel dropped them into a single wide room. The floor was made of solid ground rather than the moss that made up the other rooms for once. The leaves were either so tightly packed that they were barely distinguishable from wallpaper, or perhaps were wallpaper itself! Orbs of light hung from the ceiling and cast a warm glow over the entire area, from the walls to the large throne of leaves at the very back of the room. The scent of thick maple syrup wafted in the air. It was so intense that everyone scrunched their noses and groaned from the scent, and it almost clouded Chihiro's own vision too, to boot!</p><p>So, she just turned her head down to the cage backpack. "You guys alright?" Chihiro asked as she tilted her head towards the chompyfied Terrafin, Eruptor, Cynder and Whirlwind. They all bounced up and squeaked, and Chihiro grinned as she patted their cage. "Don't worry, we'll definitely turn you back once we get this guy taken care of!"</p><p>"What's this about turning things back?" cried a voice from further down the room!</p><p>Chihiro slipped the cage onto her back as she jumped to her feet, snarled and readied a sphere. "That voice!" she cried as her sphere grew bright. "That's gotta be him!"</p><p>"Indeed! It is I, the Chompy Mage!" the Chompy Mage cried as he hobbled out from behind the throne! He snarled, and waved his staff at Chihiro and the others. "And you're still not chompies, so I still don't like you!"</p><p>"What do you think you're doing here?" his puppet demanded as it shook a fist at Chihiro!</p><p>"It's simple!" Chihiro cried back as she pointed a finger at the Chompy Mage. "We're here to stop you and turn everyone back to normal!"</p><p>"Yeah!" Tree Rex cried as he pounded his fists against each other. A snarl wide and sharp crossed his face. "Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way!" With one last pound of his fists, Tree Rex narrowed his eyes. "You can just turn everyone back now, or we'll make you!"</p><p>"No way!" the Chompy Mage's puppet cried. "Everyone here's much happier as chompies, anyways!"</p><p>"Somehow, I doubt that!" Tree Rex hissed. He lowered his fists slightly, lowered his head next and snarled. "If that's the case, I'll make you turn them back!"</p><p>The Chompy Mage cried out and leaped in the air as Tree Rex charged right for him, and his puppet only stuffed its hands into its mouth as it whistled! The walls around shuddered. Tree Rex immediately drew to a stop and caught a glimpse of the shaking leaves, which was just enough time for the Chompy Mage to teleport away! Tree Rex gasped as the Chompy Mage vanished. While the Chompy Mage disappeared, out from the walls burst massive chompy pods in all sorts of colors and shapes, and they were all led by an army of wooden chompies! The wooden chompies chattered like wind-up toys as they bounced from side to side, more robotic than alive, and they all turned as they barked at Tree Rex!</p><p>"Don't hurt the chompies!" Chihiro cried as she summoned a sword. "They're still wilikin somewhere in there!"</p><p>Chihiro grunted as a chompy pod skittered up to her, lowered itself and shot chompy eggs towards her like a cannon! With a gasp, she slashed the eggs away one by one, flicked her sword and sent their goop splattering across the floor.</p><p>"But these guys are fair game!"</p><p>Across from her, a group of gigantic chompy pods blocked the way off to the Chompy Mage's throne, and shuddered as they spewed off chompies just as big as they were! The chompies snarled and bounced up and down. It was enough to send mini shock waves rushing through the area, but not enough to sweep the Elder Elementals off their feet!</p><p>"We'll take care of these guys!" Tree Rex cried. "You worry about the rest!"</p><p>Chihiro nodded, but just before she herself could jump into the fray, the cage on her back rattled something fierce! She teetered back and forth as the shaking cage upset her balance. The cage's lip flipped over, and it knocked her in the head as Terrafin, Eruptor, Cynder, and Whirlwind leaped in front of her! Chihiro groaned and rubbed her head as the cage's lip flipped back down, frowned and tilted her head as they chattered before her.</p><p>"Wait, lemme guess. You guys wanna fight too?" Chihiro asked.</p><p>All four of them all beamed and rapidly nodded, their grin only shared by Chihiro.</p><p>"Alright!" Chihiro cried as she dove underneath the giant chompies with Eruptor, Terrafin, Cynder, and Whirlwind tailing along. "Let's kick some chompy tail!"</p><p>Chihiro leaped forward, and grunted as she cut down a row of icy blue chompies just before they could chew her up. She gasped as her eyes fell on the Chompy Mage's throne—and more importantly, the Chompy Mage as he sneaked away from it! She leaned in and charged for him, but before she could reach him, a row of wooden chompies leaped up and bore their fangs at her!</p><p>She immediately reached out her hands and prepared to craft a shield, but before she could, Terrafin body-slammed one chompy into the rest! The wooden chompies all collapsed to the ground and jumped back to their feet; their bodies jolted up and down like janky robots as they turned around and snarled! Terrafin curled up his leafy arms like fists as he yowled and screeched at the wooden chompies. The wooden chompies returned his cries with garbled nonsense as they charged for him instead!</p><p>Just as they stepped forward, a geyser of lava burst from the floor and tossed the wooden chompies everywhere! Behind them, Eruptor chuckled as he jumped up and down, but screamed and ran away as one flaming wooden chompy nearly crashed into him from the skies. The chompy hopped up and ran in circles as the flames burned away, but a massive torrent came from the skies and drenched it down!</p><p>The wooden chompy groaned and fell on its back, and Whirlwind just floated down in front of Eruptor. The two of them grunted, squeaked, and bounced up and down as another round of screams came from the rest of the chompies, all of whom still flamed! Whirlwind gasped and clapped her leafy hands. Rain clouds burst to life all across the fields, and they rained down on the flaming wooden chompies. As the wooden chompies collapsed, purple ghosts rose from the ground and glared them down!</p><p>Cynder whispered something to the ghosts, but Chihiro just ignored them. She instead grinned and clutched her sword, her eyes fixed on the oblivious Chompy Mage. She rubbed her hand against the sword, transformed it into a laser cannon, dove underneath the fray and dashed right towards him!</p><p>Seraphina blinked as Chihiro rushed past her, giggled and skipped into the heart of the fray. "That looks fun!" Seraphina chirped as she disappeared between the chompies. "I'm coming too!"</p><p>"No you aren't!" Ermit cried as he yanked Seraphina from the ground and rolled underneath a particularly large pile of fallen leaves. Ermit whimpered as he piled the leaves over the two of them, though his fierce trembling made his position obvious nonetheless. "We are staying right here where it's safe!"</p><p>Tree Rex snarled and lifted his hand, his solar cannon charged with a bright, flashing light! He cocked it once, swung his arm around, and sent a massive solar blast cutting through the chompy pods. A nasty squelch came from the halved pods as they exploded in a rain of slimy green gloop that splattered everywhere, but while everyone around him fled, Tree Rex just lowered his arm and snarled.</p><p>"Geez!" Eye cried as he popped off Brawl's head just before the slime could hit him. "All this slime is awful for my eye!" Eye's wings flitted a bit more as he zeroed in on a chompy pod that shuddered and pumped up and down. "But, eye know what's even worse!"</p><p>With one last pulse, the chompy pod burst open and gigantic chompy eggs leaped from the air! They cracked and shuddered as they prepared to open, but before they could hatch, a massive silver laser shrieked forward and completely halved them. Their gooey shells and the masses of green chompy blood splattered everywhere, from the walls, to the floor and the ceiling, and it left a grassy scent around the area. Not that anyone noticed, given that they were more busy getting splatted!</p><p>Eye turned around and gasped as he caught sight of Brawl. Brawl rushed away as several large chompies tailed after him—and right towards a pool of bright green blood!</p><p>"Brawl, watch out!" Eye cried, but it was too late.</p><p>Just as Brawl turned around, his foot hit the pool and he went skating! The chompies tried to chase after him, but they, too, lost their footing and went sliding away! Brawl went away to the left from the current. One by one, the chompies slammed into the walls, screamed as a large tree branch fell on them and knocked them out cold. Brawl chuckled as he skidded backwards, but the sound of growling and smashing turned him backwards, and right as he crashed into a gigantic chompy that Thumpback brawled with! The chompy slammed right into Thumpback and knocked them both into a wall, but Brawl only planted on the floor and moaned.</p><p>"Brawl, are you alright?" Eye asked as he hovered down beside Brawl.</p><p>Brawl just groaned, stumbled up and waved a hand to Eye. He shuffled his headless body as if he was nodding.</p><p>Eye chuckled. "If that's the case," Eye said as he popped back down on Brawl's head, his eye fixed on the trails of chompy blood around them and the chompies that lingered beside, "eye say we do a little skating!"</p><p>Brawl hesitantly tapped the trails, leaped forward and skated around as if they were an ice rink! As they swung from corner to corner, Eye himself spun around and shot silver-hot lasers at the chompies around. The faint scent of smoke wafted in the air as the chompies collapsed in droves! A wave of green blood crashed over one particularly large chompy just before it could bite Swarm, and Brawl leaped forward and punched it down as it turned around!</p><p>The world around shuddered as the chompy crashed into the wall with a loud thud and knocked the leaves right off. The Chompy Mage snarled as it slouched down and collapsed! His grip on his staff held tight as he examined the chompy, but he quickly jumped out the way of a bright blue laser.</p><p>"Hey! We're still in the middle of a battle, you know!" Chihiro cried as she cocked the laser cannon on her arm!</p><p>The Chompy Mage blinked, but squealed as his puppet grabbed onto his beard and practically yanked it off his face! The Chompy Mage shrieked as he fruitlessly tried to yank his puppet away, but no matter how much he grappled and pulled, the puppet refused to leave.</p><p>"Hey, hey, what's gotten into you, chompy puppet?" the Chompy Mage demanded as he finally pulled his puppet off his beard!</p><p>"That!" the chompy puppet squealed as it pointed right towards Chihiro—or rather, the shining blue laser that she prepared to fire!</p><p>The Chompy Mage squealed and ducked right before the laser could blast him right in the face, but screamed and leaped up as another laser singed his feet! While he squealed and hopped from hot foot to hot foot as he blew them off, the cackles of Chihiro from beside him sent him snarling. He turned around and pulled out his staff, ready to cast a spell. Just before he could, another massive laser courtesy of Eye-Brawl grazed over him and singed the ground below! The Chompy Mage hit the floor once more, rolled aside, and dove underneath the shade of a mossy rock as the laser storm continued. He clenched his staff's stick tight, but skittered away as a massive shadow cast over him.</p><p>The mossy rock that was once his shield got kicked aside as a massive chompy pushed Thumpback against a wall, but Thumpback snarled and gripped it by the shoulders! While the chompy blinked, Thumpback swung it around and tossed it into the wall in front of him. The chompy screamed as it crashed through the wall and broke a gigantic hole in it, and the wall ahead of that, and the next one after that… Soon enough, all that could be heard of it were its faint cries and the sound of splintering wood.</p><p>More chompies poked their heads out and chattered from the gigantic hole, their beady eyes shiny and round with curiosity.</p><p>"Ah, yes, perfect!" the Chompy Mage cried as he turned around and waved his staff. "Chompies, come and help your leader!"</p><p>"Not a chance!" Swarm cried as he zipped forward and cocked his barbs. "Time to get buzzin'!"</p><p>Swarm unleashed his clenched hands. From them, a massive swarm of bees came forward and chased after the chompies, whose eyestalks practically leaped out of their bodies! The chompies screamed and ran off. The bees tailed them through the holes as they disappeared in the distance, and Swarm only smirked as he placed his hands on his hips.</p><p>Below him, the Chompy Mage was far from pleased! His brows clenched so tight that they nearly blocked out his eyes as a nasty, twitchy snarl crossed his face, and his grip on his staff was so tight it almost split in half! His chompy puppet growled and clenched its teeth in tandem; it leaped forward and nearly bit into Swarm's leg! Swarm jumped out of the way just in time, but that didn't exactly quell the puppet's rage.</p><p>"You stupid fleshies!" it cried as it hopped up and down the best it could. "You might think you're so high and mighty now…"</p><p>"But once I turn you into chompies and have you under my wing, you'll be singing a different tune!" Chompy Mage cried! His staff sparked with bright green magic, and he flung it right towards Swarm as it glowed bright. "Take this!"</p><p>"How about you take this?" Chihiro cried.</p><p>The staff's light faded as the Chompy Mage turned around, and Chihiro tackled him right down as she knocked his staff right out of his hands! The Chompy Mage grunted as the leaves that fell on the ground flew up from the pressure; he pushed back against Chihiro, but she pinned him tight to the ground. So, the two of them did the next best thing they could: rolling along the ground through faint streaks of chompy blood, piles of leaves, and the occasional wooden chompy as they tried to push each other off!</p><p>Chihiro grunted as they both slammed into a wall's wooden base, and the Chompy Mage growled as he flailed his legs in some futile attempt to kick her off. She just pinned his knee down and prepared to headbutt him! Just as she swung her head, the Chompy Mage wrung away his own and yanked out his free hand!</p><p>"Staff, come to me!" Chompy Mage cried.</p><p>The staff rattled against the ground and glowed with a green light. It zipped across the ground and right back into Chompy Mage's hand! Its green light migrated to its top as the Chompy Mage turned it on Chihiro, and she only screamed as she leaped away! Now free at last, the Chompy Mage jumped back to his feet and spun his staff around as he sent a fleet of green blasts straight towards Chihiro. Chihiro flung out her hands and tossed her own cyan blasts right back at him! The blasts collided at once, and dropped down to the ground as sparkling cyan chompies made of pure magic. The chompies blinked for a moment, but completely vanished in puffs of cyan smoke!</p><p>"Hey, hey, let me do the fighting!" the chompy puppet cried as it bounced up.</p><p>"Why should I let you? I'm doing just fine on my own!" the Chompy Mage cried as he shot the puppet a glare. The Chompy Mage waved his staff towards Chihiro, but screamed as a laser shot right into his belly and knocked him down.</p><p>"That's why!" The chompy puppet scoffed, cleared its throat and turned a deadly gaze on Chihiro. "Now, feel the chompy power!"</p><p>The chompy puppet shuddered for a moment, sprung forward and hacked out massive, glowing acorns! The acorns' shells bubbled and shuddered as they screeched across the battlefield. They turned red-hot as they shattered, and sent burning blasts of magic hurtling towards Chihiro! Chihiro slipped away just as the first one crashed behind her and sent flaming chunks of acorn meat flying, but leaped right as the second one flew underneath her. The third one came in fast, yet she just vanished away in a puff of magic!</p><p>The Chompy Mage and puppet both gasped, and the Chompy Mage whipped his head towards the puppet.</p><p>"Where'd she go?" the Chompy Mage demanded.</p><p>"I don't know!" the puppet cried back as it flung its arms in the air!</p><p>"You told me you'd take care of it! You stupid puppet, I knew I should've never let you do it!"</p><p>"Like you were doing any better! She was going to wipe the floor with you!"</p><p>"Well, I'll—"</p><p>The Chompy Mage grunted as a flash of blue light shone on his face, and turned around right as Chihiro slugged him in the face! His face turned red and swollen as he stumbled backwards, and a bright cyan magic sphere punched him in the gut as it knocked him on his back! His staff rolled out of his hands and onto the forest canopy as he groaned and writhed.</p><p>Now was Chihiro's chance! She grinned as she teleported over, and went to yank the staff off the ground—but something bit into her arm just before she could! Chihiro yowled and reeled back as she rubbed her aching arm. Beside her, the chompy puppet chuckled as the Chompy Mage staggered back up.</p><p>"You really thought I'd fall for that, didn't you?" Chompy Mage cried as he lifted his staff off the ground and turned it on Chihiro. "Ha! Well now I'm the one who fooled you!" The Chompy Mage's staff turned a bright green. "Enjoy chompyhood!"</p><p>The staff shrieked and whirred as it prepared to fire. Before it did, something black and white slammed right into it and sent it twirling across the area! While the Chompy Mage screamed and chased after his runaway staff, that black and white blur spun across and landed straight in Chihiro's arms, then uncurled itself and revealed that it was none other than Terrafin!</p><p>"Thanks Fin!" Chihiro chirped as she rubbed his head. "You really saved me back there!"</p><p>Terrafin chirped back, leaped on Chihiro's shoulder, and snarled as they both glared at the Chompy Mage. The Chompy Mage claimed his staff back, gasped and stumbled backwards—for he finally realized he was outnumbered! All around him, his giant chompies were knocked out and beaten down by Swarm, Thumpback, Tree Rex, and Eye-Brawl. The wooden chompies he summoned earlier were locked in a wooden cage by Whirlwind, Cynder and Eruptor! Now, it was just him against all of them, and he was plenty outmatched.</p><p>The Chompy Mage snarled as Whirlwind, Cynder, and Eruptor shared a few satisfied clicks, and squeezed the stick of his staff.</p><p>"It looks like I'll need to discipline you naughty chompies a little!" Chompy Mage cried! He spun his staff above him head, and hit the ground with its base while it rattled with a sparkly green glow. "CHOMPY POWER!"</p><p>A trio of green shockwaves pulsed out from underneath the shaking staff's base, and as they spread across the area, the wooden chompies, Eruptor, Cynder, and Whirlwind all stood straight and silent! Their beady eyes glowed a bright green, the only sign of energy in their otherwise-silent bodies, and the chompies the Elder Elementals knocked out stood up and joined them! All was eerily peaceful as the wooden chompies walked up to the edge of their case, their footsteps mechanical like robots…</p><p>And all at once, the wooden chompies bit the cages' bars in half and raced off in a rabid storm, their sights set on the Elder Elementals! Dust and leaves kicked up behind them with fury as the wooden chompies all latched onto their legs and gnawed away. Swarm, Thumpback, Eye-Brawl, and Tree Rex themselves screamed and bounced from foot to foot as they tried to shake off the chompies! That wasn't the end of it, either. While their eyes were on their feet, they hadn't stopped to check their backs, and that gave the bigger chompies the opportunity to attack! Tree Rex cried out as one of the larger chompies bit right into his shoulder, and beside him, the others struggled to break free of their wooden chompy assailants and avoid the larger chompies at the same time!</p><p>"What, what's going on?" Chihiro cried as a low growl sounded off beside her.</p><p>She turned back around, screamed and jumped back as Terrafin tried to bite her face off! Terrafin landed face-first on the ground with a plop, but that didn't deter him. He jumped back up and lunged for Chihiro once more! She gasped and jumped back once more. With a hasty snap of her fingers, a burst of magic shot from her hands and trapped him in a solid bubble! Terrafin snarled as he bit, chewed, and headbutted away, but no matter what he did, the bubble just wouldn't burst. As he struggled, Chihiro lifted him in her arms and winced while the Chompy Mage laughed before her.</p><p>"All these little chompies are under my complete control now!" the Chompy Mage cried.</p><p>"That's right!" the puppet chimed in as it pointed a hand towards Chihiro. "You're all toast!"</p><p>Chihiro winced as Terrafin slammed the bubble into her face. As she reeled back and held her face, she glanced over across the battlefield.</p><p>The Elder Elementals were completely outnumbered. Their legs were bound tight by the smaller chompies that gnawed away at them, and the bigger chompies beat them down. Among those swarming, tiny chompies were none other than Eruptor, Cynder and Whirlwind! So mindless and vacant, they just gnashed and gnawed away.</p><p>"Whirlwind! Eruptor! Cynder!" Chihiro cried, her voice strained with desperation as she stepped forward. "Get a hold of yourselves! This creep's controlling you, but I know you can fight it!"</p><p>"It's no good, kid!" Ermit cried from his sanctuary underneath a pile of fallen leaves! He grimaced, ducked back down as a chompy flew over his head, and poked back up as he glanced at Chihiro. "They're not gonna hear you! That guy's got complete control over them!"</p><p>Chihiro stepped back and winced. Eruptor, Cynder, and Whirlwind still gnawed away as if Chihiro's words were nothing more than a faint song on the wind, the Elder Elementals were kept captive, and this Chompy Mage had an entire army of chompies ready to fight her if she made one wrong move! What was she supposed to do? Chihiro clenched her fist and teeth as her eyes drifted across the battlefield… And then she gasped, but quickly silenced herself!</p><p>There, out underneath the sanctuary of Ermit's leaf pile, was Seraphina! She crawled across the floor, and with the way she went, was headed straight for the Chompy Mage! Seraphine turned back to Chihiro and winked before she continued her crawl. Chihiro's confidence soared once more, for now, she knew just what to do!</p><p>"You really think you've won, don't you?" Chihiro asked as she glared down the Chompy Mage with her chest puffed out and her hands clasped tight.</p><p>The Chompy Mage frowned and tilted his head. "Well, of course I have!" the Chompy Mage replied as he waved his staff around. "All your little friends are defeated, and soon they'll all be under my control!"</p><p>"That's what you think!" Chihiro pointed a finger towards the Chompy Mage and smirked. "But we haven't lost yet! You may have stopped the others, but I'm still standing!" Chihiro's eyes narrowed, and her hand glowed as if she was preparing to attack. "And as long as I'm alive, I won't let you win! I'll make sure to save everyone and stop you, no matter what! You're not turning anybody else into stinkin' chompies on my watch!"</p><p>"I don't like this kid!" the chompy puppet proclaimed. "Chompy Mage, do something about her!"</p><p>"Gladly!" the Chompy Mage cried! He waved his staff in the air, and pointed it right towards Chihiro. "Chompies, attack!"</p><p>Right as the Chompy Mage said this, several of the wooden chompies that previously fed on the Elder Elementals plopped off and fell on their backs! Their eyes' glow faded for a few moments, and they leaped to their feet as they lunged after Chihiro. Chihiro's glowing hand lost its light, and she screamed and jumped up as a chompy bit right into her foot! She shook it off just as she landed back on the ground, but the other chompies still prepped to get a bite. She screamed and danced across the floor as the chompies all bit at her heels, a frantic dance from place to place as she bounced inches out of their grip!</p><p>While Chihiro struggled to free herself from the Chompies, the Chompy Mage just chuckled and held out his staff.</p><p>"Not so braggarty now, are you?" the Chompy Mage asked as his staff started to glow. "Now, hold still!" The Chompy Mage smirked as the staff glowed bright. "You'll be joining them here in a second!"</p><p>A soft giggle sounded from behind the Chompy Mage, and he grunted as something leaped right onto his back.</p><p>"Hello, friend!" Seraphina giggled as she crawled up and sat on his shoulders.</p><p>The Chompy Mage gasped and whipped around, but every time he did, Seraphina slipped just out of his view! He looked right and she turned left, she turned right as he looked left, and as he lifted up his head, she just slid back down! The whole time, Seraphina just giggled as if she played a game.</p><p>"Who are you? What's going on?" the Chompy Mage demanded.</p><p>Seraphina flipped back onto his shoulders and patted his head. "I'm playing with you, of course!" Seraphina responded. Her eyes fell on the staff, and she giggled as she wiggled her wooden fingers. "Why don't we play catch next?"</p><p>The Chompy Mage grunted and turned aside, and he finally caught a glimpse of Seraphina—right as she yanked his staff right out of his hands!</p><p>"Catch, friend!" Seraphina cried as she tossed the staff right towards Chihiro!</p><p>"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" the Chompy Mage cried as he grappled for his staff.</p><p>But it was too late, for Chihiro already snatched it out of the air!</p><p>"Thanks, Seraphina! I'll take it from here!" Chihiro cried as she waved the staff around. "Now, turn everyone here back to normal!"</p><p>The staff glowed bright once more, but instead of green, it shone in Chihiro's trademark cyan! Its glow sparked and pulsed around it. From the staff came a massive shockwave, one big enough that it shuddered the leaves and dried the blood on the ground. More importantly, everyone who was turned into a chompy turned back to normal! The wooden chompies returned to their true wilikin forms and slid down the Elder Elementals' chewed-up, battered legs, and beside them, Eruptor, Whirlwind and Cynder sat down and hacked up leaves!</p><p>The Chompy Mage's eyes flickered, and he fell to his knees as his jaw dropped wide open. He sniffled and flung himself up towards the ceiling!</p><p>"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, NOT MY BEAUTIFUL CHOMPIES! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THEMMMMMMMMMMM?"</p><p>Chihiro chuckled, rolled her eyes, and shook the staff around a little. Out from its mouth came a sparkling, purple crystal wheel with runes carved on it! The wheel fell right into Chihiro's palm, but its light didn't dim any as it sat there. In fact, it seemed to glow even brighter next to her, as if it responded to her presence!</p><p>"This's probably what he used to make his staff so powerful," Chihiro remarked as she examined the wheel, and stuffed it in her pocket. "Better make sure it doesn't cause any more trouble."</p><p>With the wheel taken care of, Chihiro snapped the staff in half over her knees, tossed its broken halves aside, and raced up to Eruptor, Cynder and Whirlwind.</p><p>"Are you alright?" Chihiro asked.</p><p>"Somehow," Whirlwind panted as she flicked her wings. "Man, am I glad I'm not a chompy anymore!"</p><p>"Agreed!"</p><p>"I still feel kinda funny…"</p><p>"I never wanna do that again," Terrafin groaned as he trudged up behind them.</p><p>Chihiro just chuckled and rolled her eyes, but an angered growl from the Chompy Mage turned her and everyone else's attention back to him! His brows clenched tight, and his battered hands clenched into fists while a deep frown crossed his face. Finally, he let out another roar!</p><p>"You may have destroyed my staff, but you haven't defeated me!" the Chompy Mage vowed as he stood tall. "I have plenty of other tricks up my sleeves too!"</p><p>The Chompy Mage inhaled, and as he did, a massive wind kicked up around the area! Everyone dug their heels in as the winds swirled around the Chompy Mage and lifted him off the ground. The Chompy Mage just cackled and glowed a bright green! The winds grew even more powerful as they completely enveloped him and formed into a tornado, one so strong that it blocked out all noise but its own howls—and one single cry.</p><p>"CHOMPY POWER!" cried a deep, bellowing voice from within the tornado!</p><p>The winds all slashed away and knocked everyone on their backs. In that moment, the Chompy Mage dropped back down, but not as himself—no, he came back as a gigantic green chompy instead! He landed on the ground and sent everyone around jumping up. As they crashed down, he broke into bellowing laughter that blew massive winds throughout the forest!</p><p>Everyone screamed as they dug their hands and feet in the ground in some faint attempt to keep their footing, but the winds were so powerful that they got knocked right into the skies! They all screamed as they tumbled like leaves, but Swarm, Thumpback, Tree Rex and Brawl leaped in the air and snatched them out of the skies before they slammed into anything. The four of them slammed into the walls. Leaves shook down from the canopy and cascaded onto them all as the winds died. They all lifted their heads, but much to everyone's disdain, the Chompy Mage was far from done! He just cackled still and leaned down as his eyes glowed red!</p><p>"Say goodbye, pests!" the Chompy Mage bellowed! He puckered his lips, and spat out waves of bright red, glowing spheres!</p><p>"Wait, those spheres!" Chihiro cried as she climbed over Tree Rex's arms. "They can't be!"</p><p>Chihiro winced as the faint recollection of the cavern's spheres and the pain they caused came to her, and she only gulped.</p><p>"Oh boy."</p><p>Everyone gasped as the spheres came crashing down, and some eyes squeezed shut as they prepared for the end. But then, the world around them rippled and shifted, and the spheres changed to a pleasant blue! Sighs of relief and pleased breaths came over everyone as the spheres seeped into their bodies and healed their wounds. All around them, the forest disappeared! Its wooden posts and stands turned to cardboard, and the leaves that practically coated the entire area became mere paper that fluttered away in the breeze!</p><p>The Chompy Mage hastily blinked, jumped back and gasped. "What?" the Chompy Mage cried. "How did you do that?"</p><p>"With this, friend!" Seraphina chirped as she crawled out of Swarm's grip, and waved the pocket-sized switch in the air!</p><p>Chihiro grinned as Seraphina held the switch up. Chihiro jumped to full height and pointed towards the world behind them.</p><p>"Ermit!" Chihiro cried as her eyes fell on where he laid in Thumpback's arms. "Take the wilikin to safety! We'll handle this guy!"</p><p>"Gladly!" Ermit cried as he slid off of Thumpback's chest and waved towards the others. "Everyone, follow me!"</p><p>Chatter and creaking keys sounded in the fresh, cool air as the wilikin all fled—all save for one. Just before she left, Seraphina tossed the pocket switch to Chihiro, grinned and followed after a few wilikin children as the crowds disappeared back into the town below. Before they could make their grand escape, the Chompy Mage leaped in front of them! They all screamed and stumbled backwards, some even tripping over each other as the Chompy Mage loomed over them.</p><p>"Oh no you don't!" the Chompy Mage hissed as he stomped up and down. "I'm not letting you get away after everything you did to me!"</p><p>The Chompy Mage snarled and went to inhale—but before he could, Tree Rex bounded forward and punched him in the gut! The wind got knocked right out of him as he crashed into the cliffs and sat back up, but Tree Rex just cracked his knuckles.</p><p>"Get out of here!" Tree Rex cried as he glanced aside to the crowds behind him. "Before he recovers!"</p><p>The wilikin and Ermit all hastily nodded and rushed off to the sides, but while they escaped, the Chompy Mage stood back up and snarled.</p><p>"Do you really think you can stop me?" Chompy Mage asked as he loomed over Tree Rex. His body stretched so that he was a tower compared even to the massive height of Tree Rex himself. "After all, I'm much more powerful than you!"</p><p>"THAT DOESN'T MATTER!"</p><p>Tree Rex snarled, stormed forward and socked the Chompy Mage right in the gut! Of course, the Chompy Mage's skin was so rubbery that his fists just bounced off, but Tree Rex just punched and punched away in some futile attempt to stop the Chompy Mage.</p><p>"All I know is that I have to protect these beings!" Tree Rex snarled as he continued to punch away. "I already failed this island's residents once, and I'm not going to let it happen again! I promised that I'd protect them" — Tree Rex drew his arm back and wound it up, and punched the Chompy Mage right in the center of his stomach — "AND I INTEND TO KEEP THAT PROMISE!"</p><p>The Chompy Mage grunted as he slammed back into the cliffs, hacked and popped back off! A smirk crossed his face still, yet he swayed from side to side while his rubbery body jiggled along with him, Tree Rex landed a hit!</p><p>"Hey, that tickles!" Chompy Mage giggled! He jumped back to full height, and drool dripped out of his mouth as he unhinged his jaws. "Was that supposed to hurt me?"</p><p>"THIS WILL!" Swarm cried.</p><p>The Chompy Mage turned away from Tree Rex, and screamed as a massive barb flew forward and jabbed him right in his stomach! The Chompy Mage wailed as he bent down, yanked the barb out with his mouth and spat it away, but the effects were quick to remain. His belly became red, swollen, and more importantly, solid!</p><p>"Tree Rex is right!" Swarm said as he flew up to Tree Rex's side. "It doesn't matter how big or strong you are! We're gonna take you down!"</p><p>Swarm punched the Chompy Mage right in the gut, and this time, he wailed in pain—the hit landed! That wasn't the only hit coming, either. Thumpback's anchor flew out from the depths and slammed the Chompy Mage right in the gut, while a laser made the Chompy Mage's belly red-hot! The Chompy Mage wailed and flailed his stubby, leafy arms as Thumpback and Eye-Brawl ran up to face him, but soon he slunk down and panted.</p><p>"After all, we're the Elder Elementals!" Thumpback cried as he yanked his anchor back!</p><p>"As long as we exist…" Eye started.</p><p>"We'll make sure to protect Skylands from evil!" Brawl signed before he pointed to Chompy Mage.</p><p>"And that includes you!" Tree Rex finished as he punched the Chompy Mage once more!</p><p>The Chompy Mage cried out and hacked as the blow slammed him right in the gut. His eyes fell to the cliffs, where the last of the wilikin disappeared just over the horizon! He snarled as they disappeared from view, and broke into an ear-shattering wail as he leaped up and stomped up and down! The ground cracked underneath his feet as he stomped. Things smooth and green cropped up from the cracks, and with one last stomp, their true identity unveiled— they were giant chompy eggs!</p><p>The chompies all hatched in mid-air, and as their eggs remains crashed on the ground and dissolved into the cracks, the chompies themselves leaped forward and attacked! The Elder Elementals all grunted and swerved away just before they struck, but got blown away by a massive gust from the Chompy Mage! As the Elder Elementals grunted and skidded across the ground, the chompies loomed over them and chirped. Then, the chompies' eyes practically popped out of their stalks as a strong wind kicked up!</p><p>The chompies all screamed as the wind blew them off their feet, but not just them. The Elder Elementals, the Skylanders and Chihiro all got swept away as well! They all screamed as the winds pulled them closer and closer to the cliffs, and right towards the Chompy Mage's open jaws!</p><p>Chihiro turned back and screamed as her eyes fell on the Chompy Mage's pearly whites and massive jaw. She yanked the switch out of her pocket and frantically jammed on its buttons.</p><p>"Come on, come on, do something!" Chihiro cried. "Anything!"</p><p>With one last jam, reality shuddered once more! The world around didn't seem to change much, save for the fact that the chompies the Chompy Mage summoned changed from regular chompies to enfuego chompies! The newly transformed chompies blinked as they glanced down at their new forms, but they didn't get much time to contemplate. The Chompy Mage sucked them right in! Right as he did, the Chompy Mage's jaw yanked back shut while his eyes watered. His gut rumbled as a string of faint, muffled explosions sounded off; he yanked open his jaw and screamed as a pillar of burning fire shot out!</p><p>"HOT! HOT HOT HOT!" the Chompy Mage wailed as he ran in circles, his eyes watery while the flames burned bright. "I'M ON FIRE!"</p><p>More importantly, he shrank as well! With every run, with every burst of fire, he grew shorter and shorter! Finally, as the flames stopped and he got a chance to breath, he was no bigger than the Elder Elementals themselves. The Elder Elementals certainly seemed to notice this, for they all surrounded him!</p><p>"Well, lookie here!" Eye remarked as Brawl cracked his knuckles. "It seems like now, you're just. Our. Size."</p><p>Tree Rex, Thumpback, and Swarm all chuckled in agreement as they glared down the Chompy Mage. The Chompy Mage, for his part, only chuckled as sweat dripped down his forehead.</p><p>"Er, well, um," the Chompy Mage sputtered, before he turned to the sun and screamed. "Oh, would you look at the time! I really must get going now!"</p><p>The Chompy Mage panted as he bolted straight off, but Swarm just flew in front of him and smacked him right in the stomach! The Chompy Mage screamed as he flew backwards, and right into the grip of Thumpback, who smirked as he readied his anchor! Thumpback swung his anchor out and wrapped it around the Chompy Mage, spun around and took the screaming Chompy Mage with him.</p><p>"Eye-Brawl, catch!" Thumpback shouted as he tossed the Chompy Mage towards Eye-Brawl.</p><p>Eye- Brawl chuckled, latched onto the Chompy Mage and spun him around once more! The Chompy Mage screamed as his eyes spun in circles within his eyestalks, but Eye-Brawl only chuckled as he turned towards Tree Rex. He shot the Chompy Mage right towards Tree Rex!</p><p>"Tree Rex, finish him off!" Eye cried.</p><p>Tears ran from the screaming Chompy Mage's eyes as he hurtled towards Tree Rex, but Tree Rex only held out his hand and charged his hand cannon with solar energy.</p><p>"GLADLY!" Tree Rex cried.</p><p>Tree Rex cocked his cannon right before the Chompy Mage could tackle him down, and a bright burst of solar energy slammed straight into the Chompy Mage! The Chompy Mage screamed as he went soaring, crashed and bounced across the vast, open fields. Finally, he came to a stop! His body turned battered and bruised as he groaned. Bright green magic sparkled around him as he shrank, and he morphed back into his original form. The Chompy Mage whimpered as he sat up and rubbed his head, but gasped as the sound of footsteps echoed.</p><p>"We'll take it from here!" Chihiro cried as she and the Skylanders dashed right for the Chompy Mage.</p><p>The Chompy Mage screamed, and his puppet just jumped out and shot acorns right towards Chihiro. Before the acorns could hit, Cynder swerved right in front of the herd and zapped the acorns with black lightning! The acorns exploded right on the spot, and the Chompy Mage went flying in the air!</p><p>"Alright, how about this, then?" the Chompy Mage cried.</p><p>With a wave of his hands, a ring of red spheres circled around him and zipped right for Cynder, but Whirlwind zipped right in front of them. Whirlwind blasted them back with a mighty gust of wind from her wings! The spheres shot right back to the Chompy Mage, and he only gulped as they came in.</p><p>"Oh no."</p><p>The spheres all slammed into the Chompy Mage, and he screamed and jittered as their red lightning coursed right through his body! As the lightning faded away, a puff of smoke emerged from his body and he crashed back down to the ground. Dust kicked up around him as he swayed around, but finally he groaned and collapsed.</p><p>"Alright guys, he's down for the count!" Chihiro remarked as she cracked her knuckles. Her eyes trailed between Eruptor and Terrafin, and all three of them smirked. "Let's finish this!"</p><p>"Agreed!" Eruptor and Terrafin replied in tandem.</p><p>Chihiro whipped out her hands as she crafted a sphere of light, and Eruptor tossed a lava blob inside it! The blob turned into a solid blue ball of lava rock and magma that glowed and pulsed. With a punch from Terrafin, the ball flew straight for the Chompy Mage! A bright blue burst of light came from the crater where the Chompy Mage laid.</p><p>All three of them grinned towards each other as the Chompy Mage went flying, but Tree Rex was less than pleased as he snatched the screaming Chompy Mage out of the air and held him up to eye-level! The Chompy Mage gulped and scrambled back as Tree Rex glared him down, but Tree Rex's grip on him was so tight that he couldn't escape.</p><p>"What, what's with the angry look?" the Chompy Mage asked as he started to sweat. "I, I don't see why you need to be angry! I, I was only" — the Chompy Mage grunted as his puppet knocked him on the head — "owch!"</p><p>"Why am I angry?" Tree Rex mused, and a small chuckle came from him before his snarl returned. "Now, let's see. You attacked a village full of beings who couldn't fight back, kidnapped its residents, and transformed them all for your own personal amusement!" Tree Rex jolted his head and scowled as the Chompy Mage shook in his grasp. "What do you have to say for yourself?"</p><p>The Chompy Mage's hands trembled, and his eyes peered in every direction as he sputtered out gibberish and half-formed words. The sweat crept further and further down his brow as he tried to make some sense of his words, but he smiled as his hand slipped into his cloak's pocket!</p><p>"All I have to say is this!" the Chompy Mage cried as he yanked out his hand. "You may have defeated me now, but I'll be back!"</p><p>The Chompy Mage held his hand high and revealed a smooth green sphere within it! With a simple squeeze, the sphere exploded in a burst of smoky green spheres that completely shielded him from view! Tree Rex hacked and coughed as he fanned away the spores with his free hand. When he turned back, the Chompy Mage disappeared, and all that was left was a handful of leaves that cascaded down on the ground!</p><p><em>"Chompies forever!" </em>the Chompy Mage cried in the distance, his words carried by the cold autumn breeze.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>"Well, that guy's taken care of," Chihiro remarked as she made her way back to the town. "I guess."</p><p>"Hopefully he won't show up again," Terrafin remarked.</p><p>Terrafin crossed his arms as he nodded his head, and a massive stampede caught his attention! Terrafin clenched his fists, perhaps prepared for another round with the Chompy Mage—but instead of him, what came was a crowd of joyful wilikin!</p><p>"Three cheers for our new friends!" the wilikin cried as they yanked everyone up and tossed them into the air. "Hit hip!" The others fell down, and the wilikin immediately tossed them back up. "Hooray!"</p><p>Tree Rex cried out as the wilikin tossed him up and down in spite of their diminutive sizes and his massive one, but the others just grinned and basked in the joy. After all, they succeeded! The wilikin were saved, the Chompy Mage driven away, and everyone was back to normal. Yep, this was definitely a cause for celebration! Heck, even Tree Rex grinned as he basked in their smiles.</p><p>As the wilikin ended their cheers and let everyone fall back to the floor, a couple of the wilikin children giggled and swarmed around Tree Rex's legs.</p><p>"Thank you, friends!" they all cheered as they beamed up at Tree Rex. "You saved us all!"</p><p>Tree Rex grinned in return, a gentle grin that stretched from horn to horn as he knelt down before the wilikin. "It was nothing," Tree Rex remarked as he gently rubbed a baby wilikin's head. "That's what we do here!"</p><p>The wilikin all cheered and climbed over Tree Rex's legs, and Tree Rex just burst into hapless laughter as he nearly toppled over.</p><p>"Hey, hey, that tickles!"</p><p>Chihiro giggled as the wilikin knocked Tree Rex over and climbed him like a jungle gym. She stretched her arms to the skies.</p><p>"Well, nice as this is, I'm afraid we can't stay," Chihiro remarked as she peered towards a wilikin man. "There wouldn't happen to be any ships here or anything, would there?"</p><p>"Yes, but," the wilikin man pondered as he frowned and tapped his chin, "why are you in such a hurry, friend?"</p><p>Chihiro frowned and stuffed her hands in her pockets. "Well, you see, we need to reunite with the rest of our team!"</p><p>Tree Rex gasped, sat up and gently laid the wilikin children down on the ground. "That's right, I almost forgot!" Tree Rex remarked, and his grin turned grave as he knelt down to the wilikin's height. "You see, we ended up here because we got tossed overboard when our ship was attacked, and we need to find the rest of our crew!"</p><p>"You mean, you were separated from your friends?" the wilikin man asked.</p><p>"Yeah!" Chihiro interjected with a nod. "We need to get back to them so we can find Kaos's hideout and stop him!"</p><p>All the wilikin around gasped the moment Chihiro brought up Kaos's name! Their normally-blank eyes were wide with shock, and a few of them even dropped the things they held right on the grass. They all blinked for a moment, and one wilikin man stumbled up to Chihiro as he grabbed her hands.</p><p>"You know Kaos?" The wilikin gasped, his eyes still fluttering as Chihiro nodded.</p><p>"Yeah, he's the super evil dude and" — Chihiro paused, shook her head and gasped as she turned her eyes back on the wilikin — "wait, YOU know Kaos?"</p><p>"Kaos is the creator," a wilikin woman said as she shifted through the crowds and walked up to Chihiro. "He made us long, long, time ago! We spent much time playing in his castle before we were sent away."</p><p>Chihiro blinked again and shook her head. "Wait, so if you know him, you know where he is, right?" Chihiro clasped the wilikin man's hands tighter, and a sparkle shone in her eyes. "Can you take us?"</p><p>The two wilikin peered towards each other, and they drew away from Chihiro with a solemn shake of their heads.</p><p>"I am afraid not, friend," the wilikin man said. "The creator's castle has very strong security from Troll Home Security, and nothing we make can stop it!"</p><p>"We have tried many times," the wilikin woman added, "but every time we are stopped by security." The woman shook her head. "They are not fun. Many cannons and guns and shields, very powerful."</p><p>Chihiro frowned and rubbed her chin with a sigh. "So much for that," she remarked. "Even if we did catch up with everyone, I doubt the Dread-Yacht could handle that. If only we had something that could compete with mass security…"</p><p>Chihiro turned back to the rest of her group, and raised a brow as the faint sound of panting and shuffling came from behind them! Ermit grunted as he popped out between Terrafin and Cynder, and raised a hand.</p><p>"Wait, we do! I mean, I do!" Ermit cried.</p><p>Chihiro gasped, raced up to Ermit and grinned as she knocked her fists together. "Really?"</p><p>"Over in the Glacier Gully, I've got an Arkeyan Robot I won in a Skystones game some time ago! It's huge!" Ermit nodded and pointed up to Tree Rex, who just shied away and scratched his head. "It's even big enough to fit these guys here!"</p><p>"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Chihiro's eyes sparkled even brighter as she turned back to the wilikin and gestured to Ermit. "Could you guys take us to where he said, then?"</p><p>"Indeed, friend!" the wilikin man replied.</p><p>The wilikin man whistled, and a large shadow cast over the area as a gigantic wooden ship flew in and docked at the edge of the town! For something of wilikin craft, however, it was far more impressed than what was to be expected for something made by wooden dolls. It was as massive as any other ship with colorful flags strung across its hull and fancy metal detailing. Its body was shiny, and carried a polish that made it look brand-new. With a single snap, a shiny metal gangplank shot out from its side and crashed into the side of the island, beckoning for someone to board it!</p><p>The wilikin man hobbled off, dashed up the gangplank, and jumped up to the wheel as he waved. "All aboard, friends!" the wilikin man called.</p><p>Chihiro chuckled as she turned back to Ermit, and she teleported right on deck with a snap of her fingers! A grin crossed her face as she leaned against the side of the deck and waved down to the crowds of wilikin that chased after her. She grunted as something crashed down on the deck and nearly knocked her off from the force. Just before she crashed down, Cynder and Whirlwind zipped up to Chihiro and pushed her back upright. She stood tall enough that she caught Swarm as he scratched his head and blushed.</p><p>Chihiro chuckled as Terrafin and Eruptor dashed up, and Ermit just groaned as he hiked up the gangplank.</p><p>"Alright, when're we shoving off?" Ermit asked as he crossed his arms.</p><p>A trio of large shadows coated the deck, and everyone scrambled as Tree Rex, Thumpback and Eye-Brawl leaped on the deck. The three of them knocked everyone on their backs! Eye chuckled as he popped off of Brawl, flew up to Ermit and nudged him back to his feet.</p><p>"Now we can," Eye remarked as he pushed Ermit further onto the deck.</p><p>The wilikin man piloting the ship pulled a lever, and a whistle sounded off as the ship departed from the island! While the ship's flags blew in the breeze, the wilikin still on the island all cheered; they shouted their thanks and well wishes as they waved towards the ship. Everyone aboard all grinned as they waved at the wilikin with smiles like they left old friends—except for Chihiro, who paused while her eyes went wide!</p><p>"Oh, that's right! I'd better let the others know our new rendezvous point!" Chihiro cried. Her hands flared with cyan light, but the light faded a little as she frowned. "If they're even alive still." Chihiro clenched her fist tighter as the light faded away, but the light quickly returned as she shook her head. "No, I'm sure they're alright!"</p><p>Chihiro hummed as she clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. A butterfly made of solid magic energy emerged as she opened her hands and eyes! The butterfly flew in place as it stared down Chihiro, and with a nod of both heads, it flew off into the distance. Chihiro grinned and waved as the butterfly flew further and further up till it was little more than a barely-visible speck in the sky. As it disappeared among the clouds, her grin faded and her hand fell down.</p><p>"Looks like it'll take a little longer to get to Kaos," Chihiro whispered as she clenched her hand into a fist. "Hopefully he's not doing anything too evil right now."</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Back in the depths of Kaos's base, Kaos himself was very pleased… Oddly enough, despite his less than ideal circumstances. He laid snug in his plotting chambers as some greebles fitted him with elaborate red robes the color of royal blood and detailed with golden thread that shimmered like it was made of the real stuff!</p><p>"Ah, this is just what I needed!" Kaos proclaimed as he spun around! His robes fluttered in the faint wind. He grinned and popped his collar as a greeble placed a golden, ruby-encrusted crown on his head. "The elegant reds and golds befit of a king truly make me feel like myself again!" Kaos grinned and clasped his hands as he leaned towards Glumshanks. "Don't you think so, er…" Kaos pursed his lips and raised a brow. "What was your name again?"</p><p>"Glumshanks? Your butler and caretaker since you were a boy?" Glumshanks responded as he waved a chisel towards Kaos.</p><p>Kaos's eyes flickered and he grinned. "Ah, yes, right!" Kaos leaned backwards and nodded. "Red and gold truly are the finest of colors!"</p><p>"But Lord Kaos, your favorite color is black!" Glumshanks pushed himself closer to Kaos and raised his own brows. "For that matter, when did your voice get so deep?"</p><p>Kaos drew back, chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "Er, uh, I've got a bit of a cold?"</p><p>Glumshanks reached forward, brushed his hand against Kaos's forehead, and pulled his hand back. His brows dug further down into his scalp as he glazed over Kaos, and his nose twitched just a bit as he clutched his chisel even tighter.</p><p>"Your temperature's fine, Lord Kaos." Glumshanks' brows knitted tighter, and his frown stretched further as he finally raised one of those tight brows. "If you ask me, you've been acting strange ever since you came out of that robot—"</p><p>"Oh, nevermind that!" Kaos spat as he flung himself in Glumshanks' face! A stray hand of his knocked the tablet out of Glumshanks' hands, but Kaos gulped as he drew back and cleared his throat. "How are our armies?"</p><p>Glumshanks winced and leaned back away from Kaos. His hands opened and shut as his brown eyes fixed on Kaos, and sweat drew down from his brow. Glumshanks opened his mouth for a moment, but then he just sighed as he drew the tablet and chisel back off from the ground.</p><p>"Well, we've been spreading our recruitment drives across the Outlands, but not many have come." Glumshanks tapped the chisel against the tablet and hummed. "We've got maybe ten newcomers in so far, and we're thinking of expanding to places outside the Outlands. I still say we should have used aliases instead of plastering our names everywhere."</p><p>Kaos nodded as Glumshanks droned on. A smile stuck to Kaos's face while he drummed his fingers against his belly. He seemed oddly peaceful for the moment with his patient position; his eyes eagerly drank in everything Glumshanks said, and the smile on his face was almost unfitting of the situation he was in!</p><p>But, within the confines of Kaos's mind, where sheep bearing his face leaped across cackling picket fences, and faint whispers and ideas for evil schemes danced on the winds like birdsong, Kaos wasn't the one in control at all! Another taller, leaner man grinned as he sat within a satin throne. His hand pressed to his face while his other drummed against the throne's arms. His legs kicked against the throne as he hummed a tune, and that same stupidly giddy grin plastered on his face as he drifted away from Glumshanks!</p><p>"My, my, this new body has everything I could want!" the man remarked, a hint of joy in his baritone as his gaze shifted to the walls around. "To think, not only do I have armies and castles at my steed…"</p><p>The man waved his hand, and grinned as a sphere of pulsing red magic burst from his palm, bright and radiant as the sun while raw malevolence pulsed from its every beat. Glumshanks shuddered in the sphere's presence, yet the man hardly noticed as he whisked the sphere away with another wave and leaped from the throne.</p><p>"… But, I've possessed a free magician as well! I've really hit the jackpot!"</p><p>The man hummed and rubbed his chin, but the moment his eyes fell on Kaos's portraits on the wall, that haughty tune of his stopped.</p><p>"It could use a little more polish, though, and some hair…" The man crossed his arms and drummed his finger against his forearm. "I suppose I can call up someone to make myself something to obscure this body's awful shiny bald head. Perhaps some nice, long flowing golden locks as bright as the sun!" The man shook his head. "No, that's too obvious. Maybe an even more elaborate golden crown! No, a crown made entirely of the finest gems Skylands has to offer and more!" The man chuckled to himself, and a smirk crossed his face as he patted his shoulder. "Yes, now you're thinking—"</p><p>"What are you talking about?"</p><p>The man blinked, turned around and frowned as his eyes fell across the way. While another pair of evil sheep baaing in a twisted voice leaped over a singing voice, Kaos snarled and jabbed a finger right at the man.</p><p>"My glorious evil body is perfect, mind you!" A snarl cracked across Kaos's face. Kaos trudged up and jabbed it into the man's leg, for he was far too short to reach anything higher. "And more importantly, what the heck do you think you're doing in it? Just who do you think you are, anyways?"</p><p>The man's smirk turned to a snarl of his own, and he growled as he slapped Kaos away! That one little slap normally shouldn't have done much, but it was powerful enough that it knocked Kaos on the floor. Kaos gasped and wheezed for air as he stumbled back to his knees. Kaos's palms hit the floor; Kaos himself kept wheezing as he lifted his head, and finally, he caught sight of the man who invaded his mind, the man who loomed over him as thunder and lightning cracked behind!</p><p>"Who do I think I am?" the man bellowed. Another crack of thunder crashed down, tinting the room purple, and the man gritted his teeth as he stormed towards Kaos. "Who are you to demand this of me, you insolent worm?"</p><p>"Insolent WORM?!" Kaos gasped and leaped back to his feet, brows clenching as flames formed at his fingers. "THAT DOES IT!"</p><p>Kaos screamed as he tossed his flames at the man, but the man just scoffed and raised his own glowing palm. A burst of light slashed right through Kaos's flames, slammed right into Kaos's chest and shot him right into a wall! Kaos screamed a hoarse, harsh scream as he fell back down and curled in a shuddering circle, clutching his head and gritting his teeth as his head throbbed and pulsed. A shot of pain ripped through the man himself, and a scream came from behind him as the body collapsed!</p><p>"Lord Kaos!" Glumshanks cried as he rushed forward and went to collect Kaos in the outer world.</p><p>But, the body simply raised itself up as the man snapped his fingers!</p><p>The man strode forward, hands behind his back and his body held upright and tall with a king's grace as he stood over Kaos once more. Kaos only gasped and scrambled backwards into the wall as his hands lit up once more. A flash of pink lightning struck behind him, and the faint light it provided brought to light the man's proper appearance.</p><p>The man's hair was white as snow, his skin deathly pale, his eyes blood-red, and he was all decorated with kingly getup like fancy jewel-encrusted crowns, and silk robes made with only the finest of dyes and materials. But, their shiny looks offset from how busted they were! His crown was crooked and dented while most of its jewels were cracked. Parts of his robes were torn, and they unveiled scarred, scratched, and bruised limbs that were frightfully thin. Still, he held himself with a king's confidence, his head high and posture upright as he cleared his throat.</p><p>"I am the glorious leader of the Arkeyan Empire, the sun of Skylands, the one who brings with him the enlightenment of the era!" The room rumbled as a burst of thunder crashed behind the man, but he just grinned and stretched his arms to the ceiling. "I AM KING ARKILLES!"</p><p>Another crack of thunder fell over the mind, but Kaos just sat and sputtered in utter awe! His eyes fluttered, and only half-spoken nonsense spilled from his lips as Arkilles smirked and turned away.</p><p>"Dumbstruck, I see? I tend to have that effect on people." Arkilles chuckled. He strode away from Kaos, and grinned as his eyes fell on the screen that showed him the outer world where his body laid. "Anyways, now that I have a body again, it's high time I finish what I started!" Arkilles gestured towards the screen and clenched his hand into a fist, one held and squeezed tight. "Those awful Elder Elementals won't know what hit them!"</p><p>"Sorry buddy, but you're ten thousand years too late for that!" Kaos shouted from the back of the room!</p><p>"What was that?"</p><p>Arkilles blinked, turned around and dropped his mouth just a little as Kaos dashed in front of him.</p><p>"You heard me!" Kaos exclaimed. "It's been ten thousand years since the Arkeyans last ruled! The Elder Elementals are all dead, and all your little Arkeyans have been buried under the ground for millennia now!"</p><p>Kaos flailed his arms and legs as he bounced up and down in some kind of heated ramble, but Arkilles just blinked and drew away. A frown crossed his face for moments, yet he quickly pursed his lips and hummed. Arkilles drew his hand across his face and stroke his bony chin.</p><p>"Buried, you say?" Arkilles remarked at just barely a whisper, barely loud enough to be heard. "That reminds me of something."</p><p>Kaos tilted his head, but not towards Arkilles. No, he pushed right past Arkilles and towards where Glumshanks looked at him, no, them both from the outer world!</p><p>"Lord Kaos, are you even listening to me?" Glumshanks asked, a frown on his face as he gently tapped the body's head. "Are you feeling alright? You nearly passed out back there."</p><p>"Glumshanks, what perfect timing!" Kaos cried as he rushed up to the screen. "You—"</p><p>A burst of magic sniped Kaos from above, and he screamed as he smashed into a wall! The crumbled rubble remains of the wall fell around Kaos as he shook his head. In that moment, bars of stone crashed down from above and locked him in. Kaos screamed and cursed as he pounded against the walls of his newborn cell.</p><p>Across from him, Arkilles, the guilty jailer, scoffed and fixed his robes as he turned up to the screen.</p><p>"Ah, yes, that's right!" Arkilles proclaimed, a grin on the face. A subtle shift and groan came as the body heaved itself up, and Arkilles adjusted his crown's position as he chuckled. "You know, Glumshanks, I have just the idea for how to bolster our armies!"</p><p>"You do?"</p><p>"We have a Conquertron in our possession, correct?" Arkilles grinned as Glumshanks slowly nodded. "Well, with that, we can use its databanks to unearth the locations of other Arkeyan armies scattered around Skylands! We'll use those to help bolster our ranks, and once we're stocked, all we have to do is get the Iron Fist of Arkus and revive the Arkeyans resting in its depths! All will be helpless before our robotic might!"</p><p>Glumshanks' jaw fell, and his eyes fluttered as Arkilles sat back in his throne. Back in the outer world, the body cackled and leaped on both feet. It turned around and dashed off, a spring in its step as it hummed an old song!</p><p>"But, sir, is that even possible—" Glumshanks sputtered as he stumbled back.</p><p>The body completely stopped in its tracks, and thunder crashed as it yanked around and shot a glare at Glumshanks. "DO IT!" it bellowed with the voice of a thousand.</p><p>Glumshanks gasped. He leaped back as his chisel and tablet slipped from his hands and clattered against the floor. Glumshanks gulped, and fell to his knees as he gathered his tablet and chisel in his arms. "Y-yes sir, right away, sir!"</p><p>"While you're at it, expand our recruitment drives across as many corners of Skylands as possible!" The body held a hand behind its back and nonchalantly waved the other. "Until we can get to Arkus, we'll need as much help as we can get!"</p><p>Glumshanks hastily nodded as he pulled his tablet and chisel from the ground and carved away. "Yes sir!"</p><p>"Also! Redecorate around here a little, it's too dreary! I want a nice throne, and assistants who will agree with me no matter what, and the finest of feasts for dinner tonight…"</p><p>Stone pebbles flew off from the chisel as Glumshanks hastily carved away, all sweating and chattering teeth as he wrote. A chill raced down his spine, and he gasped as the body flew in his face!</p><p>"And I want it all done" — the body bellowed as thunder and lightning crashed once more — "NOW!"</p><p>Glumshanks let out a sharp gasp. Once again, his chisel and tablet nearly slipped from his hands! Just before they hit the ground, Glumshanks snatched them back up and dashed right off.</p><p>"Y-yes, yes, right away sir! I'll get to it immediately, sir!"</p><p>While Glumshanks became little more than a speck in the distance, the body just chuckled and tapped its fingers together.</p><p>"At last, my empire will return to me," Arkilles whispered from the body's throat as he turned around, his already quite deep voice even deeper as that wicked grin cracked across his face.</p><p>The body leaned back, and let out a massive, howling laugh that shook the world around as the world drew to a standstill!</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 6: Wilikin Village (Part 1)<p>The night long since fell, and the gentle caress of starlight poured through Chihiro's bedroom window as she laid on her makeshift bed. The wheels she amassed spun above her by magic. Their own crystal surfaces intermingled with the light, and sent off sparkles of green, red and yellow color, a simple light show for herself alone. A good thing, too, for she found it hard to sleep.</p><p>"It's nice that the Dread-Yacht has an autopilot setting so Flynn can get some sleep," Chihiro whispered, and cringed as a couple of strange thunks and bumps sounded off in the distance, "but, I'm not really sure that I trust it."</p><p>Memories of the recent crash came back to her, but she quickly shook it off. She was sure their newly-repaired engine was more than enough to ferry them to Kaos's new base, and besides, they'd already dealt with so much in one day! Nothing else could possibly—wait, wait, no, she almost said the dangerously tempting words! So instead, Chihiro pulled her wheels closer and grinned as they twirled over her palm. They were awfully pretty, but, at the same time…</p><p>"Just why do I keep finding you everywhere?" Chihiro remarked as she lifted the green wheel up and spun it around in her palm. "It's almost like you're drawn to me or something!" Chihiro tilted her head and frowned. "But, that can't be right, right? I mean, that would be super weird—"</p><p><em>CLUNK!</em></p><p>Chihiro winced as the ship thunked yet again, and the magic she cast completely broke! Chihiro gasped and turned back to the other two wheels. Oddly enough, they still propelled themselves in their air, their light bright as ever, and it only seemed to get brighter by the second, to boot! Chihiro stood mesmerized as the light flickered and pulsed, almost as if something would to happen. Their magic glows bubbled and stretched as if they took form...</p><p>But then, a massive crash sounded off, and the whole boat started to tip forwards! Chihiro screamed and snatched the other two wheels from the air as her bed slipped down, leaped away and went to run! Of course, with the boat tipped down, she just slammed into her bookshelf instead. Chihiro grunted as her back slammed into its wooden shelves, and another cry escaped her as a book fell on her head.</p><p>"Owch!" Chihiro cried as she grabbed the book and tossed it aside. She frowned as the ship started to creak. In fact, it almost felt like it moved, <em>backwards</em>?</p><p>Chihiro frowned, but gasped as the ship slipped back into position and sent her sliding downwards! Chihiro screamed once more, but as she slid, she latched onto her door's knob and yanked it right open. Right as the ship finally turned stable, she dashed back outside and down the halls.</p><p>"That's it, I have to figure out what's going on here!" Chihiro cried as she stuffed her wheels into her pocket.</p><p>The doors flung open behind her, and Chihiro looked back to find out that she wasn't the only one. Behind her, the Skylanders all poured out of their respective bedrooms, eyes wide with shock!</p><p>"Alright, just what's going on here?" Terrafin exclaimed as he and Eruptor stumbled out from one room.</p><p>"Beats me!" Spyro cried as he flew out of another. "The ship just started creaking and sliding out of nowhere, and I keep hearing these weird noises!"</p><p>"Calm down, everyone!" Cynder hissed as she flew up beside Spyro. "This ship's a hunk of junk. It's probably just having its issues again."</p><p>"I don't know about that, Cynder," Whirlwind remarked, and her gaze faltered as she looked aside. "Those noises were anything but natural!"</p><p>Another two doors rumbled, and out from them came Flynn and Cali! Both of them were wide-eyed and frantic as they dashed up behind Chihiro and the crowd of Skylanders. Heck, Flynn was still in his pajamas and nightcap! Flynn gasped as he swapped his nightcap for his pilot's helmet, and he nearly tripped as he tailed behind Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy.</p><p>"Hey, what's all this ruckus about?" Flynn slurred as he practically tripped over his own feet. "One minute I'm taking a well-deserved night's sleep, next thing I know the ship's sliding from side to side!" Flynn paused and tapped his chin. "Although, that would explain why I was dreaming about being stuck on a ship in the middle of a storm."</p><p>"That's what we'd like to know!" Gill Grunt exclaimed as he turned back to Flynn. "We all got a pretty rude awakening!"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah!" Trigger Happy cried as he hopped up and down, "I was counting my gold when all this happened, and I completely lost count because of all this spinning!"</p><p>Chihiro winced as the conversations grew below her, teleported ahead and yanked open the door to the deck. The Elder Elementals stood guard for the night out there; surely, they'd know what was going on here? Chihiro frowned as she went to exit, but just before she could, she jumped aside as a bright purple magic orb whizzed straight through the door! The orb spun around and forced everyone to duck before it slammed into a wall and exploded. A glance outside showed right where it came from!</p><p>There on the deck, the Elder Elementals wrapped tight together as they battled with ghastly ghouls dressed in tattered pirates' clothes! Swords clashed with laser blasts and anchors, bursts of fire and ghoulish energy shot out from the deck like fireworks. Worse yet, the skies around were green and misty, with clouds just thin enough to show the ghost ships that surrounded them!</p><p>"What's going on here?" Cali cried as she shifted through the crowds and burst out beside Chihiro.</p><p>Ninjini grunted as she slashed away a particularly large pirate, turned around and gasped!</p><p>"There you are!" Ninjini cried! She blocked another pirate's blow and tossed them from her wishblades, flew over and crouched in front of the door. "I've been meaning to ask!" Ninjini cringed as a burst of molten rock exploded behind her, and ducked just before a smoldering rock could bean her in the head. "Were we supposed to go through ghost pirate territory?"</p><p>"Ghost pirates?" Flynn cried before he rapidly shook his head. "No ma'am, our path was nowhere near ghost pirates!"</p><p>"Tell that to your navigation system!" Ermit cried as he popped out of a large box's cover and poked a finger in Flynn's face. "Your little ship here flew straight into their turf! I've been hiding under a box for the past hour while everyone's been fighting them off!"</p><p>Flynn shook his head, pushed past Ermit and bolted off. "Give me cover!" Flynn cried as he wove through the battle. "I'll see if I can get us out of here!"</p><p>"There's a cannon system below deck!" Cali cried as she clutched her knives tightly. "I'll man that and see if I can't take down some of these ships!"</p><p>Chihiro nodded as Flynn and Cali disappeared into the depths (though Flynn's screams of shock rang clearly still), turned back to the others and lifted her head. "You heard him!" Chihiro cried as she crafted swords out of magic. "Let's get these pirates off our boat!"</p><p>The Skylanders all nodded, and cries of battle shouted out as they all stormed across the battlefield! Their guns blazed as they joined the Elder Elementals in combat, and the bright colors of flames and water, poison spores and golden coins shimmered in the light, but they weren't the only ones. Down below, cannonballs shot out and glistened against the faint moonlight as they slammed into the hulls of the ghost ships that surrounded. It really did feel like a valiant battle!</p><p>Chihiro smirked, grunted as she raced up to a ghost pirate and slammed her swords into its cutlass! The trio of blades ground against each other for moments. While the blades fought, Chihiro kicked the pirate in the gut and tossed it across the deck. As the pirate reeled, Chihiro bound over, yanked the pirate up by the scruff of its neck, and tossed it into the sky!</p><p>"Golden Boy, catch!" Chihiro cried from down below.</p><p>Spyro grinned as his eyes flashed with a stunning violet. With a single blink, arms made of shining purple magic sprouted from his back and snatched the pirate right out of the air! Spyro grinned as he lifted the trembling ghost pirate to his face, but his eyes soon fell towards the trio of pirates that flew straight towards him on miniature ship mounts. With a snarl, Spyro wound up his magic arms, tossed the pirate he once held tight right towards the airborne ones, and knocked them all down!</p><p>"STRIKE!" Spyro called as he swooped down and loomed over his fallen foes. Spyro huffed while smoke burst from his nostrils, and his eyes shifted from purple to a bright red. Just before he cast his flames, Ninjini came flying right for him and he scrambled away!</p><p>Ninjini skidded against the deck, her bottle scraping against its metal floor like nails on a chalkboard. Her wishblades held back a blow from a massive ghost pirate. The ghost pirate moaned like a zombie as it lifted its massive hands and prepared to strike, but she disappeared back into her bottle right as it went for the hit. The ghost paused mid-strike and blinked, groaned and scratched its face as it peered back down at the bottle. Right as it did, shining rockets made of magic shot out from the bottle's spout and hit the pirate right in the eyes! The pirate wailed and shielded its eyes as it stumbled about, and Ninjini leaped from the bottle as she slashed it in half!</p><p>The pirate's ectoplasmic remains soared between Tree Rex and Hot Head as they brawled it off with a swarm of pirates, but while they were quick to dodge, the ectoplasm slammed right onto the pirates! The pirates wailed and stumbled about as they tried to wipe the gooey, glowy stuff off their faces. Tree Rex and Hot Head smirked and cocked their arms as they turned to each other! As the pirates finally wiped the gunk off, they turned around and flew off the ship as a combined blow of light and fire from Tree Rex and Hot Head hit them!</p><p>The pirates' cries echoed through the skies as they fell behind Crusher, who only clenched his jaw and gripped his hammer tight! His eyes fixed on a large blob dressed in a pirate's hat that jiggled up and down in front of him, but it quickly swept away every time he swung! Left, right, up, down… No matter the direction, it just skidded off and tossed blobs of ectoplasm right at him! Crusher gasped, narrowed his eyes, and shot bright green beams right at the blobs and turned them to solid stone!</p><p>"Time to hammer it home!" Crusher cried.</p><p>Crusher slammed into the solid ectoplasm rocks like they were baseballs. The rocks shot right back to the pirate with such force that it tore holes into the pirate's gelatinous body, and before it knew it, it deflated like a balloon! The pirate whined as its hat slipped off its head, but its cries turned squeaky and terrified as a massive wave of water washed it and plenty of others away!</p><p>Above it, Gill Grunt grunted and cocked his harpoon gun as the soaked pirates flopped and reeled all over the deck. Cynder and Whirlwind swept down beside him.</p><p>"How about we give them a little taste of volts and lightning?" Whirlwind teased as she glanced back at Cynder.</p><p>"Hey, that's my line!" Cynder shot back, but a twinkle remained in her eye still. "I'll let you get away with it, just this once!"</p><p>The two of them breathed in, and from them came massive bolts of black and rainbow lightning that swirled down like a vortex from above. The lightning rammed right into the shallow pool of water Gill Grunt's tidal wave left behind. A charge of electricity swam through the water, and not only did it leave a veritable death trap, but the soaked pirates got shocked from head to toe until they collapsed!</p><p>The other Skylanders, the Elder Elementals, and Chihiro all turned around as the electrically-charged water's light show commenced, and they all grinned as they glanced back at the pirates they fought! One by one, they tossed their foes right into the water, and those pirates were only able to scream as the lightning coursed through their bodies! Soon, the entire pirate armada was shocked to the bone, and laid unconscious on the ground!</p><p>"Alright!" Flynn cried as he ran up to the steering wheel and gripped it tight. "Now, just hang on, everyone! We're gonna be in for a little ride!"</p><p>Flynn snarled as he yanked the steering wheel and spun it away. Right as he did, the cannonballs that Cali shot down below swung around as well! The ships that surrounded the Dread-Yacht sank down into the depths as the cannonballs ripped holes in their hulls and blasted out their sails.</p><p>"Alright!" Eruptor cried as he absentmindedly shot a lava blob aside and straight into a rising pirate's face. "We've won!"</p><p>"There's no time to celebrate, you oaf!" Ermit cried as he poked out from the crate he hid under. Ermit shuddered as the pirate Eruptor hit flew over him and slammed right into the wall, quivered and hid back under the box. "We can celebrate when we're out of this place!"</p><p>"Righty- o!" Flynn shouted as he spun the wheel around. "Just leave it to me! With my piloting skills, I'll have us out of here in a" — Flynn gulped as the skies glowed bright green — "jiffy?"</p><p>Flynn gulped as he peered out the captain's chambers' back window. There, a massive vortex had opened up and even more ships flew out. They were just as large as the Dread-Yacht, some even larger, and worse yet, they were completely filled with pirates! They all swarmed around the Dread-Yacht, and everyone around gulped.</p><p>"Looks like we're not done yet!" Thumpback cried as he readied his anchor, "Prepare to be boarded!"</p><p>But, the ships didn't board at all! Everyone just hesitantly lowered their weapons, and they glazed around as the ghost pirates started at them with those blank, zombie-like eyes. The vortex grew wider and louder behind them, and its winds blew much more furiously than before! Everyone slammed into the walls, and all fixed their eyes on the larger vortex as something slowly emerged!</p><p>It had a ship's front with a mast shaped like a skeleton fixed to its front and cobwebs for nets, but it was completely ghastly and intangible. Another ghost ship? The object pulled out further and further, and finally emerged in full to reveal that it was no mere ghost ship—it was a ghost <em>tanker</em>! It was as big as five ships or maybe more, armed with more weapons than one could shake a stick at, and the other ships all hastily skittered away in its presence!</p><p>Everyone gulped aboard the Dread-Yacht.</p><p>"That can't be good," Swarm remarked as his wings rubbed together.</p><p>A ghastly howl came from the ghost tanker as its mast receded back into the ship itself. Out from its front came a massive cannon charged with bright green light! The cannon screeched as its light grew bright like an evening star…</p><p>"It's preparing to shoot!" Flynn cried as he climbed onto the wheel and started spinning around. "We've gotta get out!"</p><p>Flynn was too late! In that one minute, a bright flare of green and white light forced everyone to shield their eyes and cover their ears. The next, their ship tore into pieces and collapsed!</p><p>"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ermit cried as he and his box tumbled backwards and vaulted right off the ship's deck!</p><p>Everyone screamed as the ship tipped over, and the Elder Elementals were next to fall! They all grabbed onto the railing as they heaved themselves up. Tree Rex held out an arm and caught Eruptor, Terrafin, Stealth Elf, Chihiro, and Trigger Happy in his arms.</p><p>"Everyone!" Tree Rex cried as he tried to pull himself onto the deck. "Just hang on, we'll, we'll…"</p><p>Tree Rex grunted as the ship tilted further against him. Before he knew it, his grip slipped! He screamed out as he fell into the skies below, but not before he launched the ones in his arms into the skies!</p><p>"Tree Rex!" the other Elder Elementals cried, but they didn't get much time to worry about him.</p><p>Their own grip started to slip as well, and it slipped fast! Thumpback was the first to fall into the abyss, and Brawl went right down with him. Swarm and Eye both gasped and jumped down after them, but all the pressure from the wind around made it impossible for them to fly. They just ended up falling right down!</p><p>Ninjini was quick to whisk the remaining Elder Elementals back on deck with a cloud of magic. Above her, Spyro, Gill Grunt, Cynder, and Whirlwind grunted as they held onto Trigger Happy, Stealth Elf, Eruptor, and Terrafin!</p><p>"GUYS, HOLD ON!" Spyro cried as he flew further up the skies, "WE'LL GET YOU" — Spyro grunted as a stray box slammed into him and knocked him out of the skies — "ACK!"</p><p>Trigger Happy slipped out of Spyro's grip as he crashed onto the deck, and Spyro himself grunted as he spiraled down into the abyss! His eyes flickered open and shut as he shot down like a bullet. Though the others tried to chase after him, a stray breeze knocked Cynder and Whirlwind out of the skies and sent them tumbling beside him. Another breeze knocked Gill Grunt and Stealth Elf back on deck!</p><p>"SPYRO!" Chihiro screamed.</p><p>Without even thinking, Chihiro leaped after Spyro, latched onto him and tossed him back onto the deck! He landed with a grunt on the deck and rolled onto the few stable parts of the railing still, lifted his head and shook himself off. But, Chihiro just smiled as she lost her air, and fell right down into the abyss!</p><p>"CHIHIRO!" Spyro cried as he jumped up on the railing and prepared to jump, but another stray breeze knocked him backwards!</p><p>He scrambled back to his spot, screamed and crumpled downwards. He was only able to watch watch as Chihiro and the others fell further and further down below.</p><p>"CHIHIROOOOOOOOO!" Spyro cried as he reached out for her, just as she disappeared into the abyss.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh," everyone groaned as dawn came and poured its warmth on their cold, unconscious bodies.</p><p>Chihiro moaned as she found herself on something wooden and tough with grooves and bumps all around its surface that made it hard for her to get comfortable and sleep. Her whole body ached and burned, but she couldn't recall for the life of her why. All she knew was that something happened last night, something big and awful that nagged at the back of her mind as if she was supposed to remember it. Every time she tried to remember, she drew blanks! What was it?</p><p>Chihiro eyes fluttered open, and she found herself right on Tree Rex's chest! She wasn't the only one: Ermit, Terrafin, Eruptor, Cynder and Whirlwind all laid around her, and their own bodies ached with exhaustion as they pulled themselves up. A splintered wooden box laid to Ermit's side, and Tree Rex himself was pinned down by Thumpback, Eye-Brawl, and Swarm, who all laid on his limbs! How did this happen?</p><p>"Ugh, is everyone alright?" Tree Rex groaned as he lifted his head and promptly dropped it back down. "Everyone besides me, anyways."</p><p>"I, I think so," Chihiro groaned as she sat back up and shook her head. Chihiro turned back to the others as they sat up and moaned. "You all?"</p><p>A faint, pained, but definitely alive chorus of voices chimed back in agreement, and Chihiro grinned as she turned back to Tree Rex.</p><p>"If that's the case," Tree Rex groaned as a bird came over and pecked him on the head before flying off, "I'd really appreciate it if you could get off of me."</p><p>A few gasps and hasty apologies came from around as Thumpback, Eye-Brawl, and Swarm leaped off Tree Rex's arms and legs, and Chihiro, Ermit, Terrafin, Eruptor, Cynder and Whirlwind slid off the side of his chest. With the extra weight lifted, Tree Rex himself sat up and shook his head, winced and lurched down as a crack sounded off! He hastily covered his side as he reeled up, but streams of sap-like blood poured down across his fingers and dripped onto the grass below.</p><p>"Oh geez!" Whirlwind cried as she flew up to Tree Rex's side. She flew in place for a moment as her horn glowed with a rainbow light, closed in and pressed its tip close to Tree Rex's wound. "Hold still for a moment. I'll get that patched up!"</p><p>Whirlwind closed her eyes. A bright burst of rainbow light leaped from her horn, and it seeped into the wound! The sap dripped backwards as it seeped back into Tree Rex's side, while his wound patched itself up and grew bark over its surface, as if it had never been injured in the first place! And with it recovered, Whirlwind flew back and grinned as Tree Rex heaved himself up.</p><p>"Thanks for that," Tree Rex panted, yet the kind smile across his face turned to a frown nonetheless as he scratched his head, "but, that begets the next question—what happened?"</p><p>Yeah, that was the question on everyone's minds, wasn't it? All around their tiny group, they mumbled and muttered to themselves as they racked their brains for some sort of clue as to what got them into that situation. A chilly autumn breeze rushed past them and sent chills down their spines.</p><p>As Chihiro shook and shuddered, her eyes shot open and the memories finally came back to her. "I remember now!" Chihiro cried as she turned to the others and started gesturing. "We got ambushed by those ghost pirates, and there was that ship, and those cannons, and that vortex, and…"</p><p>"Hey, I remember too!" Terrafin proclaimed as he snapped his fingers.</p><p>"Guess we landed here when we fell overboard," Cynder remarked as she flapped her wings, turned around and frowned. "Wherever 'here' is, anyways."</p><p>All eyes turned back to the world around them, and just about everyone around shuddered. After all, the island they landed on did have a bit of an eerie feeling to it. Beyond the vast grassy fields were not buildings, but cardboard stands made to resemble them, and not just those, either. The fences, trees, fountains, streetlights, and other decor, all those were made of cardboard too! The only things not made of cardboard beyond the grass they stood on were masses of wooden dolls all carved to resemble people! Adults in bridal wear and suits, children in dresses and trousers, babies with single curls of hair, all of them laid strewn about on the lawn.</p><p>"Strange, something about this place feels oddly nostalgic," Tree Rex remarked as he scratched his chin, "but I can't tell what."</p><p>"Suit yourself, but I don't like the looks of this place," Whirlwind remarked as her feathers stood on end.</p><p>Cynder snarled, and gently pushed away a wooden baby doll with her tail. "It's giving me the creeps, and that's saying something," Cynder remarked.</p><p>"I think that one blinked at me!" Eruptor cried as he jabbed his hand towards a doll carved to resemble a girl with red hair who wore an orange dress.</p><p>Chihiro tilted her head, and grinned as she skipped over and lifted up the doll Eruptor pointed towards. "I don't know what you're talking about!" Chihiro remarked as she snuggled the doll. "I think they're kinda cute!"</p><p>"Cute?" Whirlwind, Cynder, and Eruptor echoed as they turned towards each other with tired eyes.</p><p>Chihiro placed the doll back down on the ground with care, and gently patted its head before she stood back up.</p><p>"More importantly, somebody had to make these dolls!" Chihiro gestured down to the town. "I'm sure there's a good chance whoever created them is here, too! If we can find that person, maybe they can help us get out of here!"</p><p>"One problem there," Ermit scoffed as he raised his hand. All eyes fell on him, but he just scoffed and crossed his arms. "Everything here's just cardboard! Who in Skylands would live here?"</p><p>Ermit did have a point. Chihiro frowned as she examined the cardboard town with not a single place that seemed apt for someone to live. Maybe the creator lived further on? Chihiro was about ready to mount an expedition when behind her, Eye leaped off of Brawl and flew past her.</p><p>"I spy with my little eye," Eye remarked as he came to a stop, "a switch!"</p><p>Chihiro followed Eye down, and found herself in front of a round switch—but wait a second, something about that switch seemed familiar!</p><p>"Wait, I recognize that switch!" Chihiro cried. "Back in Darklight Crypt, they had these switches that let us switch between the Underworld and our world!" Chihiro rubbed her hands and hopped on. "I'll bet these switches do something similar!"</p><p>The switch beeped the moment Chihiro landed on it, and as its top spun around, the world around began to shine! With cheery pops and whistles, the cardboard stands turned to fancy, but somewhat old-fashioned houses and other sorts of buildings, trees full of rich green leaves, shiny lampposts, and fountains that spewed out rich, clear water! Chihiro herself couldn't help but step back and gawk in amazement.</p><p>"Skylands never fails to amaze," Chihiro whispered as the lights cascaded down onto her.</p><p>The surprise didn't end there! One by one, the dolls that littered the area started to come to life. It started with a twitch of the fingers and toes, and then a few taps, and before they all knew it, the dolls jumped to their feet! Though their eyes were still void of emotion, their voices were full of cheer.</p><p>"Welcome, welcome, welcome!" cried the dolls all at once as they swarmed around Chihiro. "This is Wilikin World, and we are the wilikin!"</p><p>"Where do you come from, friend?" asked a woman wilikin as she shoved her face in Chihiro's.</p><p>"Is it near? Or far?" asked a boy wilikin who jumped up and down behind Chihiro.</p><p>"Would you like some refreshments?" a wilikin man suggested as he shoved a platter of strange-looking glowing, bubbly drinks with eel tails in them in Chihiro's face!</p><p>The wilikin all crowded further and further in as they bombarded Chihiro with their questions, but Chihiro just wheezed and forced a grin as she backed away. There were so, so, many, so much that she couldn't find an easy out. Everywhere she turned, there was a question to be asked, a wooden face pushed in her own, and wooden limbs jabbing into her body! It was so crowded, and loud, and uncomfortable that Chihiro's mind started to go blank and fuzzy. Tears stung her eyes and her brain shut down, like she couldn't speak or gather her thoughts. She clenched her teeth while sweat crept down. She wanted to ask them to calm down, but the words just wouldn't come, and—</p><p>"Hold it, hold it!" Terrafin called as he shoved himself through the crowds of wilikin and pushed them aside. "Calm down!"</p><p>"Please, one at a time!" Whirlwind cried as she flew behind Terrafin and held up her paws. "I think you're overwhelming our portal master!"</p><p>Chihiro jolted up as a firm hand came down on her shoulders. She peered up and grinned as Terrafin stood by her side.</p><p>"You alright, Chi?" Terrafin asked as he gently shook Chihiro's shoulder.</p><p>Chihiro chuckled, grinned and patted Terrafin's shoulder back. "Yeah, thanks to you!" Chihiro scratched the side of her head as the wilikin opted to surround a nervous Whirlwind instead. "Those wilikin are pretty friendly, maybe a little too friendly."</p><p>Whirlwind chuckled as she gently pushed the wilikin away, but right as she did, a massive crash came down from behind! All eyes turned to the back of the town, and Whirlwind gasped while the wilikin screamed and fled in panic!</p><p>There at the town center laid several green chompies the size of giants! Now, Chihiro wasn't sure if chompies could ever get that size, but right now she didn't have time to worry. The chompies already launched into their attacks with a snarl! One bit right into the fountain and not only snapped it apart, but sent water gushing upwards in a geyser. The others that flanked it opted to munch down whatever they could find: trees, houses, streetlamps, nothing was safe from their wrath!</p><p>The wilikin wailed out as they jumped in nearby bushes and hid. As they did, Tree Rex, Swarm, and Thumpback all stormed forward and snarled.</p><p>"We'll handle these guys!" Tree Rex cried as he stormed forward!</p><p>Tree Rex latched onto one chompy's arms and wrestled it away from the bank it attempted to eat. The chompy wailed and attempted to bite Tree Rex's face right off, but, he held it at just an angle that it couldn't even reach! The two of them struggled against each other while Swarm and Thumpback pinned down the other two chompies beside them.</p><p>While they fought, several smaller chompy pods skittered out between their legs, and took root in the town square! The chompy pods rumbled and shuddered, and they sent out rains of chompies in all species with a single spit—but not just them, either!</p><p>From the largest pod came a man with pale skin, a long white beard, a large rectangular nose, and green eyes with bushy white eyebrows! He dressed in a green cloak that resembled a chompy, which rested over a green shirt with a brown belt that had a gold, square belt in the center, yellow trousers, and green chompy-shaped slippers with brown cuffs. A wooden staff with a chompy rested in his left hand, a chompy hand puppet laid on his right, and he didn't seem particularly happy as he scanned from left to right.</p><p>"Ah, it seems like you wilikin brought some friends!" the man cried as he pointed towards the cowering, his voice a bit squeaky and strange in tone. The man narrowed his eyes as the wilikin gasped and dove back into the bushes. "I've never seen you around, but" — the man narrowed his eyes — "since none of you are chompies, I, the Chompy Mage, don't like you!"</p><p>The Chompy Mage jabbed his staff at whee Chihiro, Ermit, Terrafin, Eruptor, Cynder, and Whirlwind stood in a group. "Chompies, attack!"</p><p>The chompies that amassed around the Chompy Mage grumbled and growled. With their shiny pearly whites bared, they leaped forward and prepared to bite! Just as they came in range, Chihiro cast out a shield and tossed them backwards! Chihiro turned back to Ermit as the chompies crashed onto the grass,.</p><p>"Ermit, get the wilikin—" Chihiro started, before her face faltered as Ermit dashed into a house with such speed that grass blades kicked up behind him.</p><p>"You're the professionals, this is your problem!" Ermit cried as he shut himself inside and locked the door tight.</p><p>Chihiro only sighed and shook her head. "Out of here."</p><p>Chihiro pinched the bridge of her nose, but a loud cry distracted her from her momentary irritation. Above her, Tree Rex winced as the chompy he brawled with bit right into his arm and drew sap from its surface! He grunted as he punched right into its leafy flesh with his free arm, but his blows were hardly enough to shake it. The chompy happily lapped up the sap it drew from Tree Rex, but a laser zapped the back of its head and yanked it off!</p><p>Both it and the chompies beside it forgot their current occupations as they turned around, and immediately greeted with Eye! Eye chuckled as he flapped his wings, and he turned down while his eye sparkled.</p><p>"Eye suppose you didn't see that one coming!" Eye cackled as he turned tail and flew off. "Now catch me if you can!"</p><p>The chompies growled and leaned forward and they dashed right after Eye, but met with a swarm of smaller eyeballs instead! The eyeballs leaped from the ground and pelted themselves at the chompies, who wailed as they tried to swat the eyeballs away with their stubby, leafy arms. The chompies watched their front plenty, but they didn't watch their back enough. Brawl sneaked up beside them and punched them right down the way!</p><p>"Look out below!" Eye cried as the chompies flew towards Thumpback and Swarm.</p><p>Thumpback and Swarm immediately turned around. Thumpback whipped out his anchor and spun it around like a lasso! With one last fling, he wrapped it around the giant chompies, swung them and sent them flying in the air. While the chompies wailed and flailed as they hovered in the skies, Swarm zipped right up and shot them right back into the ground below with a single shot of his barbs!</p><p>The chompies groaned and tried to lift themselves up from the crater they formed in the ground, but their damage and shock was great. They only lifted their heads up, groaned and fell right back in. while the bigger chompies were taken care of, the smaller pods were still alive and well!</p><p>They skittered all around as they shot out chompies of all kinds, chompies that immediately circled around Terrafin and Eruptor. Eruptor narrowed his eyes on several bright red chompies, and with a clap of his hands, he sent out a massive pool of lava that took them out. Instead of burning, the chompies exploded in masses of flame! Eruptor gasped, jumped backwards as the flames burned around, and stumbled forward as they exploded behind him, too!</p><p>Up in the skies, Whirlwind winced and flapped her wings. Rain clouds came from her feathers and circled around the grounds below. With a single clap of thunder, their rain poured down on the explosions and nullified their flames with only thin smoke left in their wake. Whirlwind floated down and wiped her forehead as her clouds' storm carried on, but jumped up as something bit her tail!</p><p>"YOWCH!" Whirlwind cried as she leaped up in the air.</p><p>She glared down at the icy blue chompy that bit on her tail. Whirlwind lowered her horn and zapped the chompy away with a single blast of lightning. She wiped her tail free of the frost it left behind as she floated down, but jumped back up again even more of those icy blue chompies leaped for her once more!</p><p>Whirlwind snarled, and lowered her horn once more as it crackled with lightning. "Looks like my lightning'll have to strike twice!" she cried as the lightning crackled louder. The air crackled with static as Whirlwind's lightning blast zapped the chompies' feet and sent them flying.</p><p>A gaggle of ghosts zipped from a purple blur that flew behind the chompies, and grabbed their by their scruffs! Cynder smirked as she flew in front of the ghosts, and with a clap of her front paws, the ghosts vanished and took the chompies with them. Only purple puffs of smoke remained in their place, and even those vanished as bone chompies sprung from the ground and leaped towards Terrafin and Eruptor.</p><p>Terrafin snarled, rushed forward and punched the bone chompies away. Eruptor grinned beside him! With his hands kept close to his chest, Eruptor punched away the chompies, or at least, he tried. Eruptor was slow enough that the chompies dodged his every blow, and most of them soared right past him! Well, save for one that leaped up and tried to bite his face off, but Terrafin quickly took care of that one quickly enough.</p><p>"You know, your form could use some work," Terrafin teased as he gently tapped Eruptor's face.</p><p>"Then we'll just have to work on that~" Eruptor teased back.</p><p>The two of them leaned in close for just a moment, but jumped back as a wooden chompy soared right between them! The sudden blow turned their attention backwards.</p><p>There, Chihiro used magic to toss several wooden chompies wearing wooden clothes out of her way, but, as she did, she lowered her glowing hands and frowned.</p><p>"Something about these chompies seems odd," Chihiro remarked as she yanked a wooden chompy out of the sky and glazed it over, oblivious to how it snapped at her. "I've never seen chompies like these before! Haven't even heard about them in books, either." Chihiro tossed the chompy aside and frowned as it hobbled off almost robotically. "Something doesn't seem right about this."</p><p>Chihiro frowned as she examined the wooden chompy a little more, but the sound of whizzing turned her attention back to the battlefield! In front of her, the Chompy Mage leaped up and shot an orb of green magic at her from his staff, and it came in fast! Chihiro gasped, summoned a magical baseball bat and parried it away.</p><p>The green blast flew off to the side, and Chihiro grinned, but then a scream caught her ears! Beside her, the blast slammed right into a nearby wilikin, who shuddered and twitched as the green light surrounded them! The wilikin beside them gasped and watched in horror as the green light enveloped the other wilikin whole. Finally, the light exploded into chompy-shaped clouds and the wilikin emerged a mechanical wooden chompy! Chihiro gasped in horror as the chompyfied wilikin snapped and chased after its former friend, but the Chompy Mage only laughed.</p><p>"Now that's an improvement!" the Chompy Mage cried!</p><p>Chihiro snarled and glared down the Chompy Mage. "How awful!" Chihiro cried. "Is that what you did to those other chompies too?"</p><p>The Chompy Mage scowled as he waved his staff around. "What do you have against chompies?" The Chompy Mage's staff glowed green, and he fixed it on Chihiro like a gun. "Whatever it is, maybe you'll have a change of mind when you're one, too!"</p><p>"Chompy power!" the puppet on his hand cried in a high-pitched voice as the staff shrieked with green light!</p><p>The Chompy Mage shot glowing green blows right towards Chihiro, but Chihiro just summoned a staff of her own and spun it around! At the speed it spun, the staff became a veritable shield that knocked the blows well aside of her and right into the nearby trees. Chihiro stopped as those trees glowed and dropped chompies from their leafy branches. Chihiro squeezed her staff while it glowed with a brighter blue light, and it transformed into a longsword, shiny and sharp!</p><p>She leaped forward, sword held high as she prepared to cut the Chompy Mage down, and he screamed and waved his staff around. Its bright green light warded Chihiro off in that instance, but instead of striking her, it struck him! Pulses of bright green light rained down over him, and he transformed into a gigantic chompy! The Chompy Mage cackled as he slammed down on the ground, and he sent Chihiro and the buildings around him jumping. Chihiro grunted as she fell down to the ground, and whisked away her sword with a snap of her fingers!</p><p>"Looks like I'll need to get some air on this guy!" Chihiro remarked as the sparkles that once comprised her sword swirled around her shoes. "Luckily, I have just the thing!"</p><p>Chihiro's shoes glowed a bright cyan, and around them formed bouncy platform shoes. Chihiro giggled as she squeaked her shoes for a bit, leaped up into the air and slammed down right on the Chompy Mage's giant head! The Chompy Mage yowled as she bounced off and hovered in the air, but she turned around and summoned hand cannons made of glowing magic!</p><p>"Ready, aim," Chihiro whispered as she fixed her aim on the flailing Chompy Mage's back, "FIREEEEEEEE!"</p><p>Her hand cannons glowed bright, and out from them came a string of shining blue magic blasts that slammed right into the Chompy Mage's back! He cried out as the force from the blasts tossed him into the ground, but he quickly leaped up and turned his eyes back on Chihiro! His large, toothy mouth broke into a nasty scowl as he leaned down; he leaped up and spun, all while his body slowly shifted in color. Its rich, grassy greens turned to an icy blue in an instant, and as he landed down, he blew a chilly wind right in Chihiro's direction!</p><p>Chihiro screamed as she tumbled down, but just before she could hit the ground, a pair of magical wings manifested on her back. Chihiro soared back up, corkscrewed through the air, and tackled the Chompy Mage right in the stomach. The extra force from her flight sent him skidding backwards, and he was vulnerable for a moment!</p><p>"Quick, now's my chance!" Chihiro cried as she flew backwards, rubbed her chin and frowned. "What should I take him down with? A giant weed cutter? A big bottle of pesticide?"</p><p>A massive roar that spat lava flecks everywhere nearly blew Chihiro out of the air, and she turned around and winced. The Chompy Mage's skin turned to volcanic rock while veins of warm lava covered it like cracks, and his whole body burned with a new heat!</p><p>"Actually, I know just the thing!" Chihiro cried as she held out her hands.</p><p>The Chompy Mage roared and bounced up and down, and chompy eggs made of molten rock leaped out from behind him and flew right towards Chihiro! Chihiro gasped, held out her hands and shot a round of large aqua energy spheres right towards the eggs. The sheer heat of the light completely melted them within and sent their liquid remains pouring down over the town. She summoned a bucket of magic water and zipped right for the Chompy Mage!</p><p>"Why don't you cool down some, buddy?"</p><p>The Chompy Mage's eyes fluttered as he bent down and examined the melted remains of his eggs. He screamed as a waterfall of cool, magical water poured over him! Steam hissed from every angle of his body as the water rained over him, and as it amassed in a puddle by his feet, he reverted back to his original giant chompy form. Even that didn't last long, for soon he spun around, and turned back to his regular, human form as he collapsed in the puddle.</p><p>"Purifying water," Chihiro remarked as she floated down and tossed her bucket aside. "Works every time!"</p><p>The Chompy Mage groaned and rubbed his head with his staff as he sat up. His puppet bonked him right in the head and squealed! The Chompy Mage grunted as he struggled to pull his puppet away from his head, but finally he yanked it off and glared it down.</p><p>"Chompy puppet, what's gotten into you?" the Chompy Mage demanded.</p><p>The puppet practically ripped the Chompy Mage's arm out as it gestured to the town around. "Just look!" the puppet cried. "Our chompies are getting chomped! We need to get out of here!"</p><p>The Chompy Mage winced as he turned around, for his puppet was right! All around them, his chompies got wiped out by the Skylanders and Elder Elementals alike with no sort of contest. Leaves and teeth scattered everywhere as the chompies got razed to the ground, and chompy bodies laid strewn everywhere one could look!</p><p>The Chompy Mage cleared his throat. "Well, well, it seems that you folks are more trouble than I bargained for!" the Chompy Mage proclaimed as he soared into the air. "I suppose I'll be making my leave now!" The Chompy Mage grinned while his staff turned a bright green. "But before I leave, how about I give you a parting gift?"</p><p>The Chompy Mage spun his staff around, and bright green orbs of light shot down from it as they slammed into as many as they could! Bursts of green light flared below as the unfortunate victims morphed into chompies, their screams echoed in the air alongside birdsong! Amid the light and chaos, the Chompy Mage whisked himself and his chompies away in puffs of green smoke, but the effects of their tour were plenty.</p><p>Chihiro gasped and jumped out of the way as one orb nearly grazed her, but a pair of familiar screams from ahead quickly returned her attention. She lifted her head up, gasped and covered her mouth—for where Eruptor and Terrafin once stood laid two chompies with their colors! Beside them, two other chompies that resembled Whirlwind and Cynder fell flat on their faces, but jumped up without a care.</p><p>Wooden wilikin chompies ran around and bit into whatever they could. They tore down buildings and stoplights, or just chased the few wilikin who hadn't been transformed down the streets. Screams were the only thing heard even over the massive pound of footsteps from Tree Rex, who stumbled over and watched in shock. Thumpback, Eye-Brawl, and Swarm all lowered their weapons and joined him, but as their eyes fell on Chihiro, she only winced and turned away.</p><p>Chihiro lowered her hands, and screamed as something bit into her foot! As she lowered her head, she snarled and yanked the chompyfied Cynder off her boot.</p><p>"Come on, Cynder!" Chihiro exclaimed as she held Cynder at arm's length. "You may be a chompy, but you don't need to act the part!"</p><p>Cynder gnashed her teeth and growled, so Chihiro just sighed and shook her head. With a tap of her foot, a cage with an open lid manifested by her feet, and she quickly dropped Cynder inside. Cynder paused and turned her head around as she sat in the cage, but she wasn't lonely for long. Chihiro snatched up Whirlwind, Terrafin, and Eruptor and dropped them inside too!</p><p>"I hate to do this to you," Chihiro said as she closed the cage's lid, "but we can't have you running off, not until we can figure out what's going on here." Chihiro winced as she turned back to the rest of the town, where the other wilikin all cried as they chased and were chased by their old, chompyfied friends. "If we can figure it out, that is."</p><p>Chihiro highly doubted that any of these guys would be willing to talk in the state things were in! She needed to get all these chompies rounded up, but with all of them scattered around, it would take a while. Wasn't there an easier way? Right as Chihiro went to contemplate, a door slammed open beside her and out came Ermit!</p><p>"Hey, is everything done here, because—" Ermit started, but as soon as he saw the town, he screamed and scrambled back for the door. "HOLY SMOKES! YEAH, I'M GOING BACK INSIDE!"</p><p>But right before he could, Chihiro yanked him by the collar of his tunic and pulled him back!</p><p>"Hey, what's the big idea, portal master?" Ermit cried as he struggled against Chihiro's grip.</p><p>Chihiro dropped Ermit down on the grass, and donned a magic-crafted cowboy outfit with a snap of her fingers!</p><p>"Actually, I need you for something, Ermit!" Chihiro proclaimed! She summoned magic food effigies with a snap of her fingers, and leaned them towards Ermit with a grin. "Can you hold these for a minute?"</p><p>Ermit raised a brow as he tucked the food into his grip. "Er, sure. Why?"</p><p>The sound of snarling and squealing came from the wooden chompies around as they all fixed their eyes on Ermit, and Ermit just gulped.</p><p>"Oh, and one more thing—run!"</p><p>"You don't have to tell me twice!" Ermit cried as he dashed off.</p><p>The chompies all squealed as they dashed right after Ermit. Ermit, he tried his hardest to outrun them, but he tripped and fell flat on his face! He grunted as the food effigies rolled out of his hands and burst into shimmers, but he was more concerned with the storm of chompies that threatened to descend upon him! He gasped as the chompies came in close—but right before they could take a bite or two out of him, a magical lasso wrapped around them all and pulled them back. The chompies all squealed as they landed right in the cage, and its lid latched on before they could jump back out. Laughter sounded off from above them, and all their beady little eyes looked up to find Chihiro.</p><p>"Get along, little doggies!" Chihiro giggled as her cowboy getup disappeared. "I've always wanted to say that."</p><p>Chihiro chuckled a bit more, and lifted up the cage as a worried wilikin man trailed over and examined it.</p><p>"I should probably be able to lift the spell on them," Chihiro remarked as she trailed off to a large building at the end of the town. Chihiro turned to the wilikin man and frowned. "In the meanwhile, what exactly was up with that Chompy Mage dude?"</p><p>The wilikin just frowned and clasped his wooden hands.</p><p>"We will tell you inside the town hall, friend," the wilikin man exclaimed as he shot the bushes a wary glance. "The Chompy Mage has friends looking around everywhere!"</p><p>Chihiro nodded, and she and what remained of the town headed towards that large building.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Chihiro rubbed her hands together as she glared down the yellow wire cage where all the chompies amassed. The anxious chompies all shoved and pushed each other, and some even gnawed on the cage's wire bars as they tried to escape. Luckily, that cage was reinforced plenty, and they weren't getting out anytime soon. Chihiro frowned for a moment as her eyes fell on the chompyfied forms of Whirlwind, Cynder, Terrafin, and Eruptor, but she just shook her head and continued to rub her hands.</p><p>"So you're saying that Chompy Mage guy just showed up out of nowhere one day?" Chihiro asked as she turned to the wilikin man beside her.</p><p>"Indeed, friend," the wilikin replied with a nod of his wooden head.</p><p>"Ever since the Chompy Mage came here, he has attacked our homes and turned us into chompies," explained a wilikin woman who walked up beside the man. "We have been hiding, and finding ways to keep us hidden from him like our switches, but he always finds us anyways!"</p><p>"That's awful!" Tree Rex cried. "Doing that to beings when they can't even fight back…"</p><p>"If we see that Chompy Mage fellow again, eye'd like to give him a piece of my mind!" Eye remarked as he popped off Brawl's head and flew around him, and Brawl only nodded in response.</p><p>"What a jerk," Chihiro replied, a slightly disgusted look on her face as she held out her hands. Her hands pulsed and glowed with bright cyan energy, and her eyes narrowed. "Now, you all might wanna step back!" Chihiro's glow grew even brighter while sparkles fluttered from her hands. "This might get a little messy!"</p><p>Chihiro cast out her hands, and bright cyan burst of magic blasted out from her palms as it fed into the cage! A bright light show shone from the open spaces in the cages while sparkles and lasers flew about, and everyone else oohed and aahed in amazement as the light glowed brighter. Their light soon faded, and revealed that the chompies were still chompies!</p><p>Chihiro's jaw dropped, but she shook her head and huffed. "That can't be right! That spell should have undone any transformation spells cast on them!" Chihiro exclaimed. She placed her hands on her hips, and her brow piqued. "But, maybe I just didn't use the right kind of spell?" Chihiro cast out her hands once more, then gulped. "Alright, how about this?"</p><p>Chihiro shot a shining purple spark into the cage, tensed as it exploded in a flare of purple light, but groaned and slunk over as it faded to reveal nothing but chompies.</p><p>"Nope." She cast a cyan laser in the cage. "Maybe this one?"</p><p>Well, that one has some effects, but not the one they all desired. It left a couple of fried chompies in her wake, but they were still chompies!</p><p>"What the heck?" Chihiro exclaimed as she glanced down at her still-glowing hands. "Those spells should have completely restored them! What's going on?"</p><p>"Don't try," a wilikin boy mumbled as he scuffed his wooden shoes against the floor. "Chompy Mage's magic is special. Nothing you can do will stop it."</p><p>Chihiro's eyes flickered, and she hummed as she rubbed her chin. "The Chompy Mage's magic is special, huh?" Chihiro whispered. She chuckled as she drew her hand away from her chin. "If that's the case" — Chihiro pumped her fist to the ceiling — "maybe he's the key to fixing all this!"</p><p>"What do you mean, friend?" the wilikin boy asked as he tilted his head.</p><p>Chihiro turned to the boy and held out her hands. "It was the magic from his staff that caused this, right? If we can get that staff, maybe we can undo the spell that's turned everyone into chompies!" Chihiro chuckled and placed her hands on her hips. "Yep, that's a perfect idea! In fact, I've already got a plan!"</p><p>"You do?" Tree Rex exclaimed as he knelt down. "Already?"</p><p>"But, what exactly are you going to do?" Thumpback asked.</p><p>"It's obvious, isn't it?" Chihiro asked as she turned back to the Elder Elementals. "We're gonna find the Chompy Mage, stop his plans, and turn everyone back to normal!"</p><p>Chihiro leaped in the air and pumped her fists, and the sheer amount of enthusiasm in her words spread to the wilikin crowds as well! They all cheered and mirrored her, pumping their fists in the air as they surrounded her and—okay, okay, they were getting way too close! Chihiro backed into the cage as the wilikin crowded in, yelped as the chompies snapped at her, and waved her hands in front of her body.</p><p>"Alright everyone, calm down!" Chihiro exclaimed as she lowered her hands. "I still need to know where this dude is, you know!"</p><p>The wilikin all nodded and pulled away, and one of the wilikin men hummed as he rubbed his blocky chin.</p><p>"The Chompy Mage made a forest down back in Lower Facadeville," the man explained as he held out his hands. "He and all his chompies live down there. I think that's where the friends he turned into chompies are, too!"</p><p>"Then that's where we're going!"</p><p>Chihiro pumped her fist in the air and grinned, but the wilikin hardly seemed to share in her enthusiasm. They all looked from side to side as they clasped their hands; their jaws chattered and their eyes practically popped out of their sockets! Finally, that same wilikin man winced and turned back to Chihiro.</p><p>"But are you sure, friend?" He took Chihiro's hands in his own, and though his eyes were completely blank, they still rang with a level of concern. "The journey will be very scary! The Chompy Mage is very, very strong, and no matter what we do, he always finds a way to stop us from hurting him!"</p><p>"Will you really be alright, friend?" a wilikin woman asked.</p><p>Chihiro grinned and rubbed a fist against her chest. "Of course I'll be fine!" Chihiro proclaimed. "I'm a portal master, after all! He might be powerful, but I'm a pretty tough cookie myself!" Chihiro grinned as she gestured up to Tree Rex. "Besides, I'll have the Elder Elementals here on my side, too! With them here to help me, it'll be a breeze!"</p><p>"That's right!" Tree Rex proclaimed as he nodded, and behind him, Eye-Brawl, Thumpback and Swarm nodded in tandem. "We're not going to stop until we save your friends and bring an end to the Chompy Mage's reign of terror, we promise!"</p><p>"Yeah!" Swarm cried! He thrust his hand in the air, winced as its barb jabbed itself into the ceiling and slid it back out. "We won't stop!"</p><p>"After all, that's what we do!" Thumpback affirmed as he cracked his knuckles and hoisted his anchor over his shoulder. "When the weak and innocent are in trouble…"</p><p>"Eye—I mean, we," Eye proclaimed as he popped off of Brawl, "will step up to the plate!"</p><p>Chihiro gasped, rapidly nodded her own head as a means of silent affirmation, but jolted up as the cage behind her rattled! She took a peek behind, sighed and crossed her arms as Eruptor, Terrafin, Cynder and Whirlwind banged on the cage and growled. But, they acted not with the usual malice and rage that chompies held, no. Instead, they seemed much more enthusiastic than anything; their beady eyes bright with fire, and though they couldn't say any words, the message they sent was loud and clear.</p><p>"You wanna help too, right?" Chihiro asked. Chihiro crafted a cage-shaped backpack out of magic and opened the lid as the four of them rapidly nodded and squealed. "Just hop in, I'll carry you guys there!" Chihiro winked and chuckled. "We can all tell him what's what!"</p><p>The four of them hopped in the cage backpack. Chihiro chuckled as she sealed it back up, and holstered it on her back! She turned around, and met with the bright-eyed, wide-smiling faces of wilikin all around as they basked in the presence of her, the Skylanders, and the Elder Elementals…</p><p>And Ermit, too, but he seemed pretty darn hesitant as he backed away. "Well, er, you know," Ermit remarked as he twiddled his fingers. "Somebody's gotta keep up the fort back here, I mean, what if that Chompy Mage guy comes back? I don't wanna get out there and get bitten by chompies, that's your line of work—"</p><p>The wilikin all dug behind their backs, slapped thick, angry-looking eyebrows onto their faces, and circled around Ermit.</p><p>Ermit gulped, and sweat crept down his shiny bald head as the wilikin came in closer and closer. "But, I guess it wouldn't hurt to come along," Ermit whimpered as he scratched his head. He shuffled up beside Chihiro and forced a grin, yet it immediately faded the moment the wilikin yanked off their eyebrows and cheered. "Stupid puppets," he grumbled as he crossed his arms.</p><p>Chihiro sighed and rolled her eyes as she hoisted her backpack higher up on her back. She skipped up, turned back and grinned as she glazed over the party amassed: a portal master and hero of Skylands, four ancient heroes of legend, the Skylanders who, while chompyfied, were definitely still raring to go, and Ermit too.</p><p>"Personally, I'd say we have a pretty good party here!" Chihiro whistled as she turned around for the door. "Now, time's a wasting! We've gotta to this Facadeville place before the Chompy Mage comes—"</p><p>"Wait a second, friend!" perked up a small wilikin girl as she skidded in front of Chihiro!</p><p>Chihiro gasped and stumbled backwards. When Chihiro caught sight of the girl, she slunk over and wiped the sweat from her brow.</p><p>"You will need a guide if you wish to make it to Lower Facadeville." the wilikin girl hopped in Chihiro's arms and grinned as she twiddled her wooden toes. "Let Seraphina show you the way!"</p><p>Chihiro rapidly blinked, shrugged and grinned. "Alright then, Seraphina!" Chihiro stretched out her arms and allowed Seraphina to hop out. "Lead the way!"</p><p>The cries of wilikin wishing them goodwill and safety were their backdrop as they left the town hall and made their way to the gates. As they raced up to the town gate and yanked it open, none of them paid any mind to the bushes! There, something sinister brewed as something with green eyes that sparkled like emerald watched them from the leaves' safety, and it chuckled.</p><p>"Yes, yes," the creature spoke in the Chompy Mage's voice as it stepped forward, and unveiled itself as a chompy with glowing eyes. "I'll have plenty of tricks planned for you, my non-chompy foes!"</p><p>Sinister, low laughter escaped from the chompy's mouth as the glow in its eyes faded. It collapsed over and popped up moments later as a chompy with normal eyes! The chompy blinked for a moment, turned back around and hopped back into the bushes, not to be seen again.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Just on the outskirts of the village, the ground shuddered as Tree Rex, Eye-Brawl, Thumpback, and Swarm trekked up the path, but the ground wasn't the only thing shaking! On Chihiro's back, the cage where she kept Whirlwind, Cynder, Terrafin, and Eruptor rattled and trembled as they bounced within.</p><p>"Calm down!" Chihiro spat as she turned around and straightened out the cage. "You're just staying here until we can get out back to normal!" Chihiro scoffed as the four of them barked back at her, and sighed as she heaved the backpack a little further up on her back. "I'm not exactly happy with their either, you know, but we're just gonna have to deal with this until we can get you fixed."</p><p><em>If we can get you fixed, </em>Chihiro thought as she trudged back up the path. She sighed again, and paused as she ruffled a hand through her hair. <em>I sure hope we can find that Chompy Mage again soon.</em></p><p>"Say, Seraphina," Tree Rex asked as he knelt down to Seraphina's height, though he still towered over her quite a bit. "Where exactly is this Lower Facadeville place, to begin with?"</p><p>Seraphina chuckled as she skipped forward.</p><p>"It's right up this path!" Seraphina proclaimed with a finger pointed ahead. "Just keep walking!"</p><p>They all continued their trek up the path, and Chihiro groaned as the cage started to rumble once again. The noise grated on her ears like nails on a chalkboard, and she needed a distraction before it drove her bonkers! She skipped up to Seraphina and gripped the cage's straps tight.</p><p>"Say, Seraphina," Chihiro remarked as she kicked a pebble ahead, "just who created you wilikin anyways?"</p><p>"Oh, the creator?" Seraphina replied. She chuckled, and twiddled her thumbs as her head swayed from side to side. "I did not know the creator. I was created after he left us here."</p><p>"So he doesn't live with you guys or anything?"</p><p>Seraphina shook her head. "The creator made the first wilikin long, long, time ago. They used to play with him and be his friends, but creator's family did not like them very much." Seraphina sighed and shook her head. "So, creator left wilikin at this abandoned island and never came back. The wilikin made more wilikin, and now we all live here!"</p><p>"Geez, that sounds awful!" Chihiro remarked.</p><p>"It's not bad! Wilikin have lots of fun living here and playing together!" Seraphina skipped forward and twirled around, but her spinning came to a stop as she sighed and sat down. "At least, we did until Chompy Mage came here."</p><p>Ah, the Chompy Mage again. Speaking of that guy, Chihiro couldn't help but wonder if they inched any closer to where he was based, but she asked that question like five times since the journey began, so she just sighed and clutched the cage backpack's straps. Beside her, her eyes fell on the rich grass beside…</p><p>Though, a closer look showed that stalks or sprouts manifested among the grass! Chihiro blinked and crept closer to the sprouts, just to get a better look. Right as she did, the sprouts shuddered and disappeared back into the ground! Chihiro frowned and raised a brow as she stood back to full height, but the rattling and shuddering of the cage behind her pulled her away from her thoughts!</p><p>"Alright, alright, I'll get going!" Chihiro said as she patted the cage. With a sigh, Chihiro turned back to the path ahead, but not before giving the odd patch where the stalks once rested a raised brow.</p><p>Ahead of her, Ermit, Seraphina, and the Elder Elementals congregated at a particularly tough-looking wall. There, Tree Rex and Thumpback grunted as they pushed a large, dark blue and yellow bomb towards the wall while its fuse simmered away. At least, Chihiro thought it was a fuse. She couldn't see one anywhere, but she could hear the sizzling sounds, so it had to have one, right?</p><p>"I'm telling you, this is a bad idea!" Ermit cried as the bomb inched closer and closer to the wall. "Bombs don't just pop out of nowhere!" Ermit gestured towards the bomb and scoffed. "Besides, I didn't exactly see a fuse on that thing!"</p><p>Cynder growled and snapped at Ermit from the cage's limits, and Ermit winced and jumped backwards right as the bomb exploded! Bits of brick and wood flew everywhere as the flames burned, and the way ahead was perfectly clear. Despite Tree Rex and Thumpback's relief as they wiped their foreheads, Ermit just frowned as he glared down the path ahead.</p><p>"Something up, Ermit?" Chihiro asked as she clutched her backpack straps.</p><p>"Yeah, actually!" Ermit pointed ahead and twitched his nose. "Why's that bomb still here if it exploded?"</p><p>All eyes fell on the way ahead. Sure enough, the bomb laid firm and with a scratch, as if it never exploded in the first place! More than that, it shook and shuddered as tiny nubs formed on its sides. Those nubs twitched and wiggled as the bomb continued to shake, and they stretched out as they formed into arms, legs, eyes…</p><p>Wait a second! The bomb leaped up, and it revealed that it wasn't a bomb, but a gigantic chompy with an uncanny resemblance to one! The chompy slammed its stubby feet into the ground, and it roared with all its might.</p><p>"A chompy boomblossom?" Ermit cried as he stumbled backwards and nearly fell over his own feet. "But those only live in the Cloudbreak Islands!"</p><p>"Try telling that to him!" Chihiro cried as she jabbed a finger back at the boomblossom.</p><p>The boomblossom roared, and red light flashed against its skin as it leaped right towards everyone! The sizzling sound from before rang again as it soared through the air, all while the flashing red lights on its body pulsed brighter and brighter, like a heartbeat. It was almost as if…</p><p>"It's gonna blow!" Swarm cried.</p><p>Tree Rex gasped, and he immediately charged forward as he gripped the sides of the boomblossom! The boomblossom grunted while its eyes stood straight and tall, and in its moment of shock, Tree Rex spun around and tossed it right in the air. He held his massive hands over his head as the boomblossom exploded and sent sparks raining down. He lifted his head and grinned as the sparks faded out just before they could hit the ground.</p><p>"That was close," Tree Rex remarked as he wiped his hands. He smiled as he rested his hands back at his side, but his smile turned to a frown as he glanced back at the road ahead. "But, for that matter, just what was it doing here?"</p><p>"Do you think that Chompy Mage guy set it up?" Swarm asked as his wings flitted with anxiety. "Did he know we were coming?"</p><p>"Well, you heard what those creepy wooden dolls said," Ermit remarked, oblivious to how Chihiro covered Seraphina's ears and glared him down. "That guy knew whatever they had up their sleeves! I wouldn't be surprised if he had eyes everywhere."</p><p>Growling and screeching echoed from the ground around, and eyestalks sprouted from the ground right in the places where all those shoots stood just moments prior! Crap, Chihiro thought there was something suspicious about those things!</p><p>Ermit gasped, immediately turned around and scrambled right behind Tree Rex's leg. "And it looks like he brought us some company, too!"</p><p>The eyestalks twitched and shuddered, and from the ground leaped none other than chompies! Chompies in all shapes and colors sprouted from the ground at all angles, and they all leaped right for Chihiro and the others with a collective growl. Their pearly whites shone in the sun as they yanked their jaws open and shut, fully ready to feast!</p><p>Chihiro snarled and flung out her hands. "Oh no you don't!" Chihiro cried as cyan light flared from her palms. "Shields, activate!"</p><p>Right as the chompies came within inches of eating them alive, a massive shield bubble formed around Chihiro and her team! The chompies all slammed into the shield face-first, and grunted as they slid down. Their drool streaked across the shield's exterior as they popped off and flopped on the ground. They all grunted as they lifted their heads and caught glimpses of Chihiro, who strode up from within the bubble's safety and smirked.</p><p>"Sorry, buddies!" Chihiro remarked as she snapped her fingers. "We're not becoming plant food today!"</p><p>With that single snap, the shields exploded into bright puffs of cyan magic, swirled around Chihiro and hovered above her head in a bubbling mass. Like clay, it shuddered and shifted as if it was shaped by invisible hands, and finally it took some kind of solid form and shuddered with light. A bright burst of light popped out from it, and it crashed down on the ground as a functional steamroller!</p><p>"TIME TO DO SOME GARDENING!"</p><p>The steamroller revved like a race car as it leaped up. It zoomed forth and spun all around the circle of chompies with such speed that it kicked up a massive ring of dust, one that clouded the entire area from view! From within the ring's safety, everyone coughed and covered their noses while the dust choked them out—even Cynder, Whirlwind, Eruptor, and Terrafin covered their faces and shut their watery eyes. While they couldn't see the steamroller's effects, the wails and cries of pain made it clear just what happened!</p><p>The dust cleared with one last skid, and revealed that the chompies were completely flattened. They clung so tightly to the ground that they could barely be discerned from the rest of the earth! The chompies moaned and whimpered as they eyes drifted open and shut, and green blood poured from their gaping mouths while their tongues lolled over. With one last closing of their eyes, they expired.</p><p>Whirlwind whimpered from within the cage as the chompies' remains sank into the ground before her. Beside her, Cynder just groaned and crossed her leafy arms. Whirlwind snapped and growled at Cynder while she gestured back towards the ground, but a chill hit the air and both of them shuddered as they examined the circle!</p><p>Chihiro shook, and rubbed her hands against her arms as she curled in on herself. "Is it just me," Chihiro remarked as she lifted her head, "or did it get really cold here all of a sudden?"</p><p>"It's not just you!" Eye shuddered, and behind him, Brawl pointed towards the chompy ring. "Look!"</p><p>All eyes turned back to the chompy ring. Soft chatters and cackles echoed around the skies, or maybe that was just the wind? Well, actually, it definitely wasn't the wind, for shortly afterwards, ghastly blue chompy ghosts leaped out from where the chompies' remains decayed! The chompy ghosts giggled and cheered as they danced on their own graves. With a snarl, they all licked their lips and turned their beady eyes on Chihiro!</p><p>"Oh geez, these guys just don't give up!" Chihiro cried as she crafted a sword in her palm. "Any more chompies wanna show up while we're here?"</p><p>The ground rumbled around her, and Chihiro squeaked as she fell to her knees! Behind her, Eruptor, Terrafin, Cynder, and Whirlwind all squealed and bounced in their cage, and Chihiro just grunted as yanked them to her front.</p><p>"Geez, what's going on with you?" Chihiro cried over the quaking, rumbling earth.</p><p>They only pointed to the horizon overhead. There, several large orbs rolled down from the hills and leaped off! They were so big that they blocked out the sun as they soared along the sky, and when they crashed, the entire world bent itself in their presence. Grass split in half, and all those around fell to their knees! The orbs shuddered in response to the sudden burst of attention, rocked back and forth, and finally, they came to a sharp stop. They burst open to reveal they weren't orbs, but gigantic chompies!</p><p>"I just had to ask, didn't I?" Chihiro moaned. She grunted as she pinched the bridge of her nose, blinked and lifted her head as Tree Rex stepped in front of her.</p><p>"We'll take care of the big guys!" Tree Rex cried as he cracked his wooden knuckles. "Just get to safety!"</p><p>"Don't have to tell me twice!" Ermit cried as he yanked up Seraphina and rushed off. "Come on kid, we're not sticking around here!"</p><p>Chihiro snarled as her eyes fell on the ghostly chompies. Around her came a rumble, but not from them, by any means! Rather, the cage on her back shuddered, and its lid burst open as out in front of her flew Eruptor, Terrafin, Cynder and Whirlwind! Chihiro gasped and stepped back for a moment, but when they all looked back at her and grinned, she just nodded and clutched her sword tighter.</p><p>Eruptor was the first to leap into the fray as he jumped around, hacked, and coughed, but nothing seemed to come! He paused and blinked as the ghostly chompies all laughed at him, slapped his leafy hands together and attempted to cast out lava, but that didn't work either. The chompies around held their bellies as they pointed and laughed even more furiously. Eruptor seethed and gritted his teeth! Eruptor yowled out and pounded his feet against the ground while he spat out all kind of angry gibberish, and in that moment, lava burst out from his veins and splattered everywhere!</p><p>The ghost chompies all screamed as the lava waves washed over them, but they just phased through the lava like it was nothing at all. Both sides blinked as the lava cooled around them. The ghost chompies giggled and leaped right for Eruptor, who screamed and dashed off just in time. The chompies only crashed into solid rock!</p><p>They jumped back up right in time for Terrafin to try punching them—except for one tiny problem: he had no fists! His leafy arms curled up and down as a chompy headbutted him, kicking him back! Terrafin bounced backwards like a rubber ball and squeaked the whole way, sat up and snarled as he leaped forward. He tried to attack them back, but his attempt at headbutting just phased right through them! Terrafin only plopped down onto the cooled volcanic rock.</p><p>A swinging blade twirled through the air, and phased right through the chompies as it landed back in Chihiro's hand. Chihiro winced as she gripped the blade tight. The chompies' bodies warbled and shuddered in front of her, yet they were perfectly fine aside of that, and even those wounds healed quickly!</p><p>"Geez, everything we do passes right through these guys!" Chihiro cried as she squeezed her blade so tightly that it exploded into sparks. "What'll it take to knock 'em out?"</p><p>Cynder hopped in front of Chihiro, snarled and bounced up and down. As she did, purple, smoky ghosts giggled and rose out from the earth, and all of them swirled around Cynder with eager, eager looks on their faces. Cynder simply pointed at the ghostly chompies, and her own ghosts were immediately on the case! They all tackled into the chompies, and with them both being ghosts, this time it worked! The ghost chompies squealed as they flew in the air, but a bright light forced them to shield their eyes.</p><p>Above them, Whirlwind flew so high she covered the sky—but with her tiny wings, it was more like she hovered at just the right angle. Her tiny horn emitted with bright rainbow light. Rainbows screeched through the air with a single shot of it, and they blasted the chompies into nothingness!</p><p>Chihiro gasped, but grinned as she examined the glowing sparkles that laid down at her feet. She took one last glance at the rainbows that still hovered in their air, waved her hands and levitated the sparkles off the ground. As the sparkles swirled around her and bounced with glee, Chihiro snapped her fingers and consolidated them into a screeching laser cannon!</p><p>"Help, they're after me!" Ermit cried from behind as several ghostly chompies chased him and Seraphina! Ermit was in a frenzy as he ran as fast as he could, screeching as the chompies bit at his heels. Seraphina, however, giggled with glee and waved at the chompies as if they played a game of tag!</p><p>"WHERE'S A WEED WHACKER WHEN YOU NEED ONE?"</p><p>"Seems like he could use some help!" Chihiro remarked as she clutched her newborn laser cannon with a smirk. "I've got just the thing!"</p><p>Chihiro grinned and skidded backwards. A massive trine of lasers swirled and spun across the skies before they zipped right through the chompies! Smoke wafted off their ghastly forms as holes formed in their bodies. The chompies looked down, blinked, and groaned as they toppled over and dissolved into smoke.</p><p>"Alright!" Chihiro cried as she pumped a fist—but before she could cheer further, the ground shuddered and she fell to her knees! The laser cannon she held collapsed to the ground and exploded in moments, but she only looked up and gasped.</p><p>Tree Rex charged forward above her, and he locked in combat with a chompy about as big as he was! The two of them pushed against each other, so evenly-matched that they could only grunt and push forward, but finally Tree Rex let go of the chompy and stumbled backwards! The chompy growled and immediately stormed towards him. Tree Rex charged forward, and slammed his arm right into its gut! The chompy hacked and coughed as Tree Rex dug his arm further into its gut, and with a single swing, he tossed it right into the ground! The chompy slammed down and fissured the ground with a single smash; though it itself fell unconscious, the quake it caused was alive plenty! The cracks in the ground spread across, and it rumbled as it buckled and shifted underneath everyone's weight.</p><p>"That's not good," Tree Rex remarked as the rumbling grew even more intense!</p><p>He took a step backwards, and an entire garden of chompy pods sprung out from the largest spaces in the cracks! The chompy pods trembled, and their petals peeled open as out from their hearts came an entire rain of chompy eggs. The eggs soon burst open as they sent a massive tsunami of chompies flying towards Tree Rex! Tree Rex stood in wide-eyed awe as the chompies came raining down—</p><p><em>SPLASH!</em></p><p>—but a massive burst of water washed the chompies away! While their squeals rang in the distance, Thumpback raced forward and fell to his knees, breath heavy and sweat creeping down his face. Tree Rex knelt beside him and gently rubbed his shoulder, but Thumpback only looked up and grinned.</p><p>"I'm, I'm alright," Thumpback said, though the heavy panting said otherwise. "Haven't done a wave like that in a while—AUGH!"</p><p>A gigantic, icy blue chompy slammed into Thumpback, and it knocked him forward! The chompy pods squashed down underneath Thumpback's weight, but Thumpback just pushed himself up and snarled as the chompy licked its lips. Surely it planned to take a bite out of him, so Thumpback leaped forward and bit into its shoulder instead! Thumpback shook the squealing chompy back and forth for a few moments, and spat it right into a nearby wall. While the chompy popped off and fell on its face, Thumpback just sputtered and picked the ice chips out of his teeth.</p><p>"Chompies taste awful," Thumpback remarked. "Too much water."</p><p>Thumpback grunted as something back into him and nearly knocked him off his feet, and the sound of buzzing rang in his ears!</p><p>"Sorry about that, big blue!" Swarm cried as he cocked his arm barbs and glared down the trio of gigantic green chompies before him. "These guys gave me the run-around!" Swarm smirked, zipped forward and thrust out his palms. "Time to go to plan BEE!"</p><p>The buzzing around him grew more intense right as Swarm spoke, and out from underneath him came a massive swarm of huge bees. The bees buzzed with rage as they turned their stingers towards the oncoming chompies, who just blinked and squealed! Two of the chompies immediately fled, but not before the bees repeatedly jabbed them and swelled up their bodies. The chompies squealed as they flailed their stubby arms, ran off the side of the island and fell into the abyss.</p><p>Swarm smirked and laid his hands on his hips, his eyes closed and pleased. "Buzzin, right?" Swarm remarked. "That should take care of those guys" — Swarm popped an eye open as a shadow crept over him — "huh?"</p><p>Swarm forgot one! The last of the chompies jumped over him, and it bit right into his shoulder with a nasty crunch and a vicious squeal. Swarm screamed as he flailed his captured arm in some futile attempt to free himself; he jabbed his free arm right into the chompy's side and blasted it away! Both Swarm and the chompy groaned and stumbled about, disoriented from the sudden freedom, and they both collapsed! The chompy's eyes closed as its tongue flopped out of its mouth, and Swarm groaned as he collapsed on his belly. His eyes flickered open and shut while he panted, and he tried to push himself up, but his arms trembled and collapsed in an instant!</p><p>Both Eye and Brawl gasped. Eye yanked himself off of Brawl and cast a glance back!</p><p>"You go get to Swarm!" Brawl signed before he nudged his shoulder towards the giant enfuego chompies that stared them down. "I'll take care of these guys!"</p><p>Eye nodded, zipped over to Swarm's side, and gently propped up Swarm's head.</p><p>"Swarm!" Chihiro cried as she teleported beside Swarm and examined his bleeding wound. "What happened?"</p><p>"I, I don't know," Swarm groaned as he struggled to lift his head. "That chompy bit me, and now I just feel so, so tired…"</p><p>Swarm indicated the chompy corpse beside him with a trembling hand. As he groaned and collapsed, Chihiro rushed over to the corpse! She levitated up to its teeth and frowned as she glazed them over. They were mostly pearly white like any other chompy's teeth, but were also stained with the crimson of blood, and some kind of purple substance, like…</p><p>"Poison!" Chihiro cried.</p><p>Tree Rex gasped Behind her, as did everyone else around! He immediately dashed to Swarm's side, heaved Swarm only his shoulder and winced.</p><p>"Chompy poison's no laughing matter!" Tree Rex cried as he cradled Swarm in his arms. "We need to get him healed, quick!"</p><p>"Just leave it to me!" Chihiro cried as she flew up and held out her hands. "I'll get a healing spell working!"</p><p>Chihiro's hands pulsed with cyan light for moments, but the soft rumbles and growls that came from the battlefield below drew away her attention! She glanced down while the blood bubbled and broiled, and gasped as it swirled into an army of giant, sticky chompies! The chompies growled as they charged straight for Swarm, Tree Rex and Chihiro—but Thumpback jumped in front and swung them away with his anchor before they could strike!</p><p>Thumpback snarled and wrung the anchor's chain as the chompies collapsed and burst, yet instead of turning back to liquid, they just split into even more chompies! Thumpback screamed as he leaped forward and slashed through their ranks with his anchor, yet every time he did, they just split into more. Brawl joined in as he stomped away the chompies, but Eye wasn't as quick! He just peered over the horizon, gasped and zipped back down.</p><p>"We've got trouble!" Eye cried as he jabbed his wing back to the horizon. "Chompies at two o'clock!"</p><p>The ground shuddered as shadows blocked out the sun. All eyes turned back to the horizons, where gigantic chompies loomed over them with an army of even smaller chompies behind them! They were surrounded, and the chompies flanked them on every end!</p><p>"Now what are we going to do?" Chihiro cried as she swept up the Skylanders in her arms. "We're surrounded!"</p><p>"Not yet, friend!" Seraphina cried from where she sat in Ermit's grip. She hopped out of Ermit's arms, tugged on Chihiro's sleeve and dashed to the rock wall beside them. "There's a secret way here!" Seraphina gently knocked on the wall, waved back and grinned. "Just stand here!"</p><p>Everyone exchanged worried glances, but with the oncoming storm of chompies and the ground quaking underneath them, they had no choice! They all rushed to where Seraphina stood as the ground's rumbling grew even more intense, and the floor shattered underneath them! They all screamed as they went crashing down below, while the shine of light above masked from their sight as the ground above closed itself back up.</p>(Skylanders/CHS) Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants! Chapter 5: Cutthroat Carnival (Part 2)<p>Chihiro kicked a pebble across the rocky ground, sighed, and leaned against what was probably the seventh unmanned food stand she saw. Though the last path she faced was long forgotten in her mind, it hardly felt like she'd gotten anywhere in this darn carnival! Everything blended together, from unmanned food stand and game after unmanned stand, and every flag-covered pole after flag-covered pole! It was like they walked in circles!</p><p>Thumpback and Swarm mumbled to each other above her as they cast glances around the area, and it seemed as thought she wasn't the only one who felt that way! Swarm and Thumpback both seemed just as confused as she was, and she could catch faint whispers of them asking about paths and directions from their conversation. Well, she wasn't sure if it'd be a good idea to ask for directions, but…</p><p>A soft rumble interrupted Chihiro's train of thought, and she blinked.</p><p>"Was that rumbling sound coming from you guys?" Chihiro asked as she peered up at Thumpback and Swarm.</p><p>The two of them frowned, whispered something to each other, and shook their heads. "Wasn't us," they admitted.</p><p>Then who was it? Chihiro frowned and rubbed her chin. She could hardly focus or gather her thoughts, but why? That same rumble came again, and now that she paid attention, it sounded pretty close too! As it sounded off a third time, Chihiro frowned, looked down at her stomach, and finally, the realization hit!</p><p>"Oh wait, it's just me!" Chihiro cried! She giggled and scratched the back of her head. "Guess all this running around is making me hungry!"</p><p>Not just that, either. She hadn't really gotten to eat much before their unfortunate crash, and now, it really started to bite her in the, well, stomach. She really needed to get going and find this engine, but she was so tired and hungry that it finally started to sap the life from her. She could only trudge along, and it felt like a struggle every time she did. What she wouldn't give for a burger right now…</p><p>Chihiro sighed and sat down. As she did, one of the sweetest scents she ever smelled wafted around her nose! It was a fresh, cinnamon-y scent, mingled in with something that kind of smelled like berries and sugar, and it came from right ahead! Chihiro grinned, and her mouth started to water as the scent grew stronger and stronger. The thought of carnival sweets completely renewed her energy, and she dashed down the trails without hesitation! As she raced down, Chihiro gasped and grinned.</p><p>There all around her were stands lined with fresh carnival food! Hot dogs and popcorn, cotton candy and funnel cake, candy apples and ice cream… None of the stands were manned, but all the food looked so good, and she had a hard time holding back with her empty stomach!</p><p>"There you are, Chihiro!" Thumpback cried as he and Swarm ran up behind Chihiro. "I was wondering where you ran off to!"</p><p>"Heaven, that's what!" Chihiro cried as she gestured towards the stands around them. "Look at all this carnival food!" Chihiro clasped her hands together and giggled. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I took a little bit~"</p><p>Thumpback grimaced as he shot a glance back at Swarm. "I don't know about this," Thumpback remarked as he backed away from the stands. "Something about all these stands doesn't feel right."</p><p>"I'm with Thumper on this one," Swarm remarked as his wings buzzed. "Why are all these stands empty if all the food here's fresh?"</p><p>Chihiro blinked, frowned and rubbed her chin. True, they did have a bit of a point. Besides, she wouldn't really be able to pay considering that she didn't have any of those fancy pirate chips. She still had a bad feeling though these stands were abandoned, too; it was as if somebody watched her! But, her rumbling stomach only served to remind her of how hungry she was.</p><p>"Well, there's nobody here. I mean, they wouldn't mind if I just took one plate of funnel cake or two," Chihiro mumbled to herself as her eyes fell on the funnel cake stands! She snatched a plate from a stand, and grinned as she leaped to the cotton candy stands. "And maybe some cotton candy would be nice!"</p><p>"Chihiro, no!" Swarm scolded as he tried to snatch her off the ground, but she slipped out of his hands right as she finished her cotton candy and made a beeline for the hot dogs. "I'm pretty sure suspicious abandoned food is abandoned for a reason!"</p><p>"Besides, I'm pretty sure we don't have enough chips for any of this!" Thumpback remarked. He knelt down, examined an ice cream cart's sign and shuddered. "I don't know much about modern money, but five hundred seems like a little much for a tiny ice cream."</p><p>Chihiro chuckled as she zipped in front of Thumpback, and snatched a chocolate-covered ice cream cone from the stand. "Ice cream, my favorite!"</p><p>She took one lick, and Chihiro couldn't help but hum her praises as the sweet, silky-smooth mixture of chocolate and cream hit her tongue! It was so sweet, fresh, and totally unlike the stuff her parents got from the store all the time!</p><p>"I'm telling you, Chihiro, this has bad idea written all over it!" Swarm proclaimed as he crept up behind her. His antenna twitched and he turned around. "Wait, I think someone's coming!"</p><p>Chihiro perked up, turned away from her half-finished ice cream cone as talking hit the air, and quickly jumped behind a stack of crates. She tossed her ice cream in the air, leaped up and snatched it with a gasp. Chihiro giggled and licked it clean.</p><p>"Phew, I almost dropped my ice cream!" Chihiro remarked as she chucked the cone into a bin and cleared her throat. "Anyways" — Chihiro poked her head around the crates, and her eyes fixed on a seadog in pirate getup who leaned against an alley's wall — "who the heck is that?"</p><p>Chihiro frowned and drummed her fingers against the crates. The seadog seemingly pulled out some kind of walkie-talkie and spoke, yet the distance was too great for her to pick anything up. All she could glean was faint whispers marred by the sounds around her. The pop of frying oil behind her rattled in her ears, the wind chilled her face with its cold slaps and even colder howls, the wood around creaked and howled as some of it collapsed in loud, crashing piles, and it all jerked the seadog's head away! Chihiro gasped and dove back underneath the boxes, but when she found that no footsteps came, she poked her head back over the boxes to find the seadog still deep in conversation.</p><p>"All this background noise is a pain," Chihiro grumbled as she cast out her hands.</p><p>She crafted a square listening device small enough to fit in the palms of her hands, popped the earbuds attached to it in, and tapped a few buttons. A small satellite popped out from the device's top and scanned the area around. It brought those same sounds from before to her ears: the popping oil, the creaking woods and whistling winds, and they all intermingled with the sound of faint conversation!</p><p>Chihiro raised her brows, and spun a knob on the device around as the other sounds all lowered in tone while the conversation came to the forefront of the stage! She paused for a moment to shush Thumpback and Swarm as the conversation lulled, and turned back to the seadog. She carefully lifted the listening device up over the crates, just enough that it couldn't be seen, but it could hear clearer.</p><p>"So, ye got those other mabu that tried to turn tail on us? Glad to hear it, matey!" the pirate crooned. The faint sound of chattering came from the other side of the speaker, and the pirate chuckled. "We've already get one of those fellas hangin' in the dungeons, so if ye could just drop 'em off shortly—"</p><p>Dungeons? They took prisoners? Chihiro knew there was something fishy about this place! She hummed and twisted her listening device's knobs a bit more.</p><p>"<em>Hey, let us out of this thing! It's cramped in here!</em>" c<em>ried a voice from over the walkie-talkie.</em> "<em>See, Snuckles? I told you not to get those hot dogs!"</em></p><p><em>"But, Captain Rizzo! They said the hot dogs were free!" whimpered another, weaker voice.</em></p><p>"<em>Yeah, free for five hundred of those weird chips! Because of you—"</em></p><p>"<em>Silence, lads!" cried another pirate over the walkie-talkie.</em> "<em>Keep that up, and we'll put ye in the next batch of funnel cake batter!"</em></p><p>"Rizzo? Snuckles?" Chihiro gasped. "That, that couldn't be them, right? What would they be doing in a place like this?"</p><p>Those were definitely Rizzo and Snuckles' voices that she heard over the walkie-talkie! Whatever it was, Chihiro lifted up the listening device and craned it just a bit more, her hands trembling just a bit as she twisted the knob further—but her fingers slipped, craning it in a full spin around the device! A massive burst of feedback shot out from the device. Chihiro screamed as she fell on her back, and her ears rang from the sound! Her hands dug into her ears, and nearly tore them off just to get the ringing to stop. As her vision blurred from the massive pain in her chest, the faint, blurry sight of someone running towards her came into view.</p><p>"Who, who the heck are you?" Chihiro asked as she forced herself back up—but only met with a cutlass in her face in returned! Her blurry vision started to sharpen, and it revealed the image of a snarling seadog clad in pirate clothes. Wait a second!</p><p>Chihiro shook her head again, clearing the extra static from her brain, and her eyes fell on the walkie-talkie barely gripped in the seadog's other paw. Oh crap, this was the same guy! She was spotted!</p><p>"I could ask ye the same thing!" cried the pirate seadog as he pushed the cutlass's tip closer towards the space between Chihiro's eyes. "What're ye doin' snoopin' around me carnival? Ye a spy or something?"</p><p>Chihiro's little lunch started to sicken her stomach, or maybe that was her nerves, who knew.</p><p>"Er, well, I, er, uh," Chihiro mumbled as she backed into Thumpback's leg. Thumpack gave her one of those tired looks, the ones that just screamed "I told you so," and Chihiro just scoffed before she turned back to the pirate. "Oh, I'll tell you something alright!" Chihiro cried as her hand flared blue. "Eat this!"</p><p>With a flash of blue light, a pair of energy spheres knocked both the cutlass and the walkie-talkie right out of the pirate's hands. The pirate blinked as he crept towards Chihiro. His amber eyes sparkled with confusion as he sniffed the air, but they shrank as he leaped back and screamed again.</p><p>"I know ye!" the pirate cried. "Yer the portal master the cap'n warned us about!" The pirate panted as he scrambled towards one of the stands. "Yer not getting' out of here alive!"</p><p>Chihiro gasped, summoned a sphere, and gripped it tight as the pirate prepared to slam down a button on the stand. Chihiro squeezed the sphere, and she smashed it on the ground! Cyan light tunneled through the earth underneath her feet, and bars of light shot up right in front of not just that stand, but all those around. The faint tint of cyan brushed against her and everyone's faces as the terrified pirate sputtered and stumbled back, but Chihiro just smirked and summoned a cutlass of her own. The heavy shadows that cast down around her from Swarm and Thumpback looming over her probably added to the super-intimidating aura she surely gave off.</p><p>She held the cutlass up and squeezed its handle tight, sending sparkles off as she narrowed her eyes. "I heard your little conversation, you know." Chihiro's voice was cold, almost monotonous as she twisted the cutlass further. "Sounds like you've got a couple friends of mine in your clutches!" The cutlass shot forward in Chihiro's clutch until it was the one that pointed close to the pirate's face. "Mind telling me where they are?"</p><p>The pirate sputtered for a moment, his eyes darting from side to side as he patted down his pockets. "Sure, laddie, they're, erm," the pirate began as he dove into one of his pockets. He shuffled around it, smirked and yanked out a remote!</p><p>"Like me'd really tell ye that!"</p><p>He tapped the button, and sirens blared all around the stands with such intensity that they blew Chihiro's light bars to sparkles as the button sank into the remote! Surely, he prepared to send in the guards, but luckily, she had plenty of energy now! She prepared to run as the world around shook surely in anticipation of the pirate armies slated to come.</p><p>The rocks on the ground bounced as their floor rumbled, and…</p><p>They unveiled a Skystones stand? That's right, out from the ground came a humble Skystones stands with a blank board and a stack of Skystones next to it. There were no pirates, tricks, or any other dangers in sight! The sirens' wail came to a cease as the pirate strode up to the stand, and he grinned as he sat down and patted its boards.</p><p>"If ye really wanna know, then ye'll have to beat me in a game of Skystones!" the pirate proclaimed, his eyes like daggers as they dug into Chihiro. "Not like ye have any chance a' winnin'!" The pirate chuckled as he leaned closer. "I'm the best Skystones player here short of the cap'n himself, and ye've got newbie written all over yer face!"</p><p>Chihiro scoffed, but nonetheless nodded and took the seat in front of her. She did kind of have to find that info out, after all! The Skystones board shimmered as she and the pirate set up their decks, and finally she took a deep breath in. She may be new to Skystones, but she wasn't going to let that stop her!</p><p>The pirate grinned as he held out a paw. "I'll let ye go first."</p><p>Chihiro winced, nodded and drew out her chompy stone. Something about the way he smiled didn't seem quite right, but she might as well take the opportunity when she got it!</p><p>"I play my chompy!" Chihiro cried as she slammed her chompy Skystone on the board!</p><p>She grinned as she gazed it over for a moment, but gasped as a drow lance master slammed beside it! An illusion of a drow lance master stabbing her Skystone glowed from its sleek stone surface, and as it faded into sparkles, her stone flipped over to her opponent's striking red!</p><p>Chihiro shook her head as the pirate cackled, the smugness in his voice like nails on a chalkboard to her. "Fine then! That was only one stone!" Chihiro cried as she spiked up another stone and slammed it beside her chompy. "I play my inhuman shield!"</p><p>As Chihiro made her proclamation, an illusion of an inhuman shield leaped from the stone and rammed right into her chompy! The chompy returned to her side in an instant, and with its job done, the inhuman shield nodded and vanished!</p><p>"How do you like that?" Chihiro leaned back in her seat and smirked, "My inhuman shield has a passive effect too, so nothing you do will take it away!"</p><p>"Are ye sure about that?"</p><p>Chihiro paused and raised a brow, her leg wedged so that her chair wouldn't topple over. Just what was he talking about?</p><p>"I play me drow blade witch!"</p><p>Chihiro leaned forward, gasped and toppled over while her chair went with her! Back on the board, the pirate's drow stole away her inhuman shield—but, she was sure that one would be immune to anything! What happened?</p><p>"Shocked, aren't ye?" the pirate sneered as he crossed his arms. "Only an amateur wouldn't know about how the drow blade witch can counterattack any passive effects!"</p><p>Chihiro gulped, and spiked up her drow archer and slammed it on the board, all while she dodged his gaze. After all, she was sure this dude could smell fear.</p><p>"I play my drow archer's special move!" Chihiro cried as her Skystone started to glow. "Flaming Arrows!"</p><p>Out from the card popped an effigy of a drow archer. It cackled as it fired its bow and arrows to the heavens, and its arrows rained down as they slammed into the cards! One by one, the cardsall flipped back to her blue as the effigy vanished, and Chihiro wiped the sweat from her brow. She had the entire board on her side now, and this victory was in the bag! The pirate placed a stone on one of the lower corners, and Chihiro in tandem put another on an upper corner.</p><p>"My, my, ye look awful happy, don't ye?" the pirate crooned as he twiddled his fingers. "Probably think ye gots this in the bag, don't ye!"</p><p>Crap, that guy completely read her mind! Cold sweat came from Chihiro's brow as she glared back at the pirate, who chuckled as he leaned forward and snatched a Skystone from his deck! He didn't even take his eyes off of her as he cackled and spiked his Skystone up. Just what did this guy have planned?</p><p>"I play me mohawk cyclops's special move!" the pirate cried as he slammed down a mohawk cyclops stone. "Ax Pirouette!"</p><p>As the pirate cried out, the Skystone he laid on the board twirled around and shot an ax that spun around through the board. Its ax slammed into the Skystones that Chihiro claimed, and they immediately flipped back to red! Now, bright crimson stones outnumbered Chihiro's blue once again—and worse yet, she only had a space left!</p><p>"Don't count yer chickens before they hatch, laddie!" the pirate cackled. "Bet'cha regret challenging me now, huh?"</p><p><em>Not like I had a choice… </em>Chihiro thought as she rolled her eyes. Her eyes fell towards her Skystones deck, and she frowned as she drummed her fingers against the table.<em> I only have one move left, so I've gotta make it count, but how?</em></p><p>Chihiro's frown grew larger as she glazed over her stones. She only had a few, and none of them would be enough to win her this match: a chompy, a troll, an enfuego chompy she snagged from the carny from before… Wait, an enfuego chompy, that was it!</p><p>"Actually, I'm not finished yet!" Chihiro cried as she snatched her enfuego chompy off the deck and spiked it up, "I play my enfuego chompy's special move" — Chihiro slammed the Skystone on the board right as it started to glow — "Festival of Fire!"</p><p>As Chihiro lifted her fingers from the Skystone, an effigy of an enfuego chompy leaped from the stone and bounced around! Flames burst from its feet as it did, and shot out all around it as it flipped all the red Skystones over to blue! Its flames vanished along with it, but their effect was well-noticed, for it won Chihiro the match!</p><p>The pirate's eyes fluttered, and he gasped and fell back into his seat as he clutched his chest!</p><p>"But, but, I'm second to almost none!" the pirate cried between short, frantic pants. "How could I have lost?"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, spare us the sob show," Chihiro remarked as she pounded a fist on the table and leaned over. Her eyes narrowed and a snarl forming on her face. "Speaking of others, you wouldn't happen to know where we could find our friends, would you?"</p><p>The pirate gulped as Chihiro glared him down, and he whimpered as he sunk further into his seat. "Er, well, they're on the second loading dock! It's right past here, across the shipyards on the way to the captain's manor!"</p><p>Chihiro just grinned and waved towards Thumpback and Swarm as the pirate groaned and flopped out of his seat.</p><p>"TB, Swarm, hear that?" Chihiro shouted, "We're not that far!" Chihiro leaped out of her seat and grinned as they ran up to her. "Come on!"</p><p>The three of them grinned as they ran off, but with how big they were, Thumpback and Swarm left Chihiro in their dust in an instant! Chihiro smirked as she swiped a few more Skystones and spikes from the deck, and stuffed them in her pocket as she ran off.</p><p>"Hey guys, wait for me!"</p><p align="center">§</p><p>"The Skylanders!" Blobbers gasped as he wiped his tears away and gripped the bars of his cell tight. "What are you doing here?"</p><p>"Forget that, what are <em>you</em> doing here?" Whirlwind asked as she flew up to Blobbers and tilted her head. "How you get in these cells?"</p><p>Blobbers flicked his ears as Whirlwind asked, and broke into sniffles. "Oh, that? It, it, it…"</p><p>Blobbers sniffled, whimpered, and soon broke into full on sobs! Waterfalls poured from his eyes, and though he tried to muffle his cries with his arms, it hardly worked.</p><p>"IT WAS AWFUL!" Blobbers wailed between sneezes and sobs. "I, I, the rest of the MDF and I stopped here just to have some good, old-fashioned carnival fun after a patrol here, but, but, this whole thing was just a big old shame! They overcharged us and the others left me to pay…" Blobbers sobbed into his sleeve. "And when I couldn't pay them, they locked me up here with all these other beings they conned! They make you stay in these dungeons, and make a bunch of stuff for their carnivals, and then they sell it to everyone else and we don't even see a cent!"</p><p>"So that's what that pirate meant!" Eruptor gasped as he turned to Gill Grunt.</p><p>"That's horrible!" Whirlwind cried as she clasped the bars with her paws, "Locking others up, conning them into working for you, and taking all the profits for yourself… It's unforgivable!"</p><p>"I know!" Blobbers wailed as he buried his teary, snotty face in his paws. "I just wanted to have a good time at the carnival, but look where it got me!" Blobbers sniffled as his voice cracked and strained even further. "Now everyone left me and I'll be locked up forever!"</p><p>A chorus of moans and whimpers came from all the other cells as Blobbers devolved into sobbing and pounding his fists on the floor. There, even more beings stayed locked up, and they dressed in stained clothes and teary eyes.</p><p>"I just wanted one little candy apple," sniffled an elf as they drew circles on their dusty floor. "I thought I had enough, but I was off only by one chip, so they sent me here!"</p><p>"I haven't seen my family in ages," bemoaned an anthropomorphic dragon as they scratched their horns, their wings twitching on their back. "I wonder if my sister is still doing alright."</p><p>"They knocked me out and dragged me here before I even knew what had happened!" exclaimed a more feline mabu as they kicked the wall. "I took one step on the island, and they immediately decided I was in debt to them!"</p><p>Everyone around sighed and slunk against their walls, their voices strained and laced with defeat.</p><p>"What were we thinking? Now we're gonna be trapped here forever!"</p><p>The cries and moans and sobs began once more, but this time they were interrupted! The mighty crack of lightning came from a stormcloud above, and all eyes turned to Whirlwind as she sent the cloud away!</p><p>"Oh no you aren't!" Whirlwind vowed as she puffed out her chest. "We'll break you out and bring you back home in no time!"</p><p>"Yeah!" cried Gill Grunt as he hefted up his cannon. "Those pirates aren't gonna get away with this!"</p><p>"Alright, everyone!" Eruptor shouted as he pounded his fists together. "You might wanna stand back for this!"</p><p>The prisoners did as told as they leaped back in their cells, and Eruptor just smirked as he shot magma blobs out from his hands! The blobs smashed into the cell's bars, splattered and turned their metal red hot, but more importantly, they also completely melted the metal away. The lava cooled almost immediately and formed a bridge to the open world!</p><p>Whirlwind, Gill Grunt and Terrafin dashed inside and pulled the prisoners out as the prisoners grinned and cheered. Freedom, at last—or at least, that's what they thought would happen. The moment they left the cells, sirens blared and the whole room turned a blood red!</p><p>"Attention, attention, all faculty at hand!" a pirate's voice blared over the loudspeakers. "There has been damage to the cells in the holding chambers! I repeat, there has been damage to the cells in the holding chambers!"</p><p>The prisoners gasped as the siren's voice grew louder by the second, but before they could panic, a feline mabu dashed out of Terrafin's arms and punched a brick in the wall! They screamed and waved their hand around as it turned red and sore, but one simple creak set the pain aside in their mind—for they opened a hole in the wall!</p><p>"Come on, everyone!" the feline mabu cried as they waved back, and dashed into the tunnel. "I've been mapping out an escape route from this place for forever now!" The mabu's voice grew fainter as they disappeared further into the halls. "This way!"</p><p>Whirlwind's horn flared with rainbow light, and everyone nodded as they followed her down into the depths of the tunnel. Her horn's light was the only thing that brought some sense of the tunnel's inky black. Luckily, it in itself was a pretty straightforward path, and shortly it brought them away from the dungeons and to the foot of a large, spiraling staircase!</p><p>The feline mabu already began their trek up its stairs, and seems like the others head to follow! Whirlwind was the first as she silenced her horn's light and dashed ahead, and the prisoners warily tailed behind her. Even though they made their great escape, they still seemed awfully wary! Their eyes shifted from side to side as they hiked up the stairs two at a time, and not just from the height.</p><p>"Is this really a good idea?" the dragon asked as they peered down at the flights of stairs below. "What if the guards find us?"</p><p>"Now I doubt that'll happen!" Terrafin remarked as he leaped up behind them and ran up the stairs. "We blocked off the way to those dungeons before we got here, and pretty well, too!"</p><p>"I doubt they'll be able to get through before we get out of here!" Gill Grunt added as he hopped up beside Terrafin. "It'll just be smooth sailing from here" — a scream echoed around the room, and Gill Grunt's face fell — "on out."</p><p>Everyone hit the top stair in tandem, gasped and backed away; some of them nearly tumbled back down the stairs in shock if not for others grabbing them!</p><p>An entire squadron of bulky pirate guards with rippling muscles stood and glared them down right at the upper floor. Worse yet, one had the feline mabu tight in their grip! Though the mabu tried their best to get out, the guard just wouldn't relent no matter how much they struggled. Ultimately, they stepped as the guard squeezed them tight and forced them to catch their breath instead.</p><p>"But, I didn't think they'd have guards here, too," Terrafin admitted as he clenched his fists.</p><p>One of the pirate guards spit into an empty barrel aside, and cracked his knuckles as he stormed forward.</p><p>"I had a feeling something was brewin' when I heard all that rattling coming from the downstairs," the guard growled as his veins pulsed in his muscles. "So ye thought ye could get away with our employees, huh?" The pirate scoffed as he slipped a pair of brass knuckles on his hands. "Har de har har! Don't make me laugh! Ye'll just end up joining them!"</p><p>"No way!" Gill Grunt cried as he cocked his harpoon cannon. "We're not going down without a fight!"</p><p>While all four Skylanders stepped forward, Terrafin turned a glance back at the quaking prisoners and smirked. "You guys might wanna stand back," Terrafin remarked as he squeezed his fists. "This could get a little messy!"</p><p>The Skylanders and pirates both glared each other, and the pirate who kept the mabu tight in his clutches snarled and drifted away. Whirlwind noticed this immediately and nearly drifted off, but before she could, loud footsteps drew her back to the other pirates!</p><p>"BRING IT ON, SKYLANDEES!" the pirates roared as they jumped into the fray!</p><p>Terrafin snarled, jumped right in and immediately blocked off one pirate's path! The pirate snarled and slugged a punch, but he just slid out of the way and flung a punch back at the pirate—or so it seemed! Terrafin just stopped his punch inches away from the pirate's face as the pirate immediately went to shield it!</p><p>"Made you look!" Terrafin smirked!</p><p>With a grunt, he leaped, flipped into the air, and bodyslammed the pirate right into the ground! The guard grunted and stumbled up as Terrafin leaped off of him. Just before the pirate could recover, a second pirate rammed straight into him and knocked them both back on the floor.</p><p>"Watch where ye're stumblin', ye buffoon!" the second pirate chided as he pushed the first pirate away and wiped his hands!</p><p>"I don't know, I feel like you should be looking out for yourself instead!"</p><p>The second pirate grunted, and turned around right as a massive anchor hurtled straight for him and collided with his chest! The pirate grunted as the anchor tossed him back down the stairs, and he went rolling down with a scream. His jittery cries echoed more and more faintly as he disappeared down the staircase, but it didn't matter to the other pirates, for they had reinforcements on the way! Several more pirates stormed down the staircase, and they were just as bulky and built as the others!</p><p>"Oh no you don't!" Whirlwind cried as she flew up to the door ahead and lowered her horn!</p><p>A burst of electricity shot out from her horn and slammed into the doorway. The moment it made contact, it formed into a grid of electricity! The pirates all stopped in their tracks, grunted as they examined the electric grid, and one tapped it. The grid zapped the pirate who touched it so hard that he fell unconscious on the floor with fur on end and smoked with electricity! Just the sight was enough to send the other pirates screaming and racing back up the stairs.</p><p>"Cowards!" hissed one of the first pirates as they glared down the fleeing pirates. They hissed through their fangs as the last of the pirates scurried up the stairs, and jumped back to their own feet. "They may have fled, but I'm not giving in!"</p><p>"Neither are we!" Eruptor, Whirlwind, Terrafin, and Gill Grunt retorted as they went to fight, but footsteps coming from the side froze them in place!</p><p>"I wouldn't be so hasty if I were ye," said another pirate as they held a cutlass to the feline mabu's throat. "One wrong step, and this guy gets it!"</p><p>The four of them winced, and laid down their arms and fists. They did need to go past, but it they did, who knows what would happen to the mabu! They shot glances towards each other, as if they were ready to plan, but then something pink and round tossed out from the crowd!</p><p>"Take that!" Blobbers cried!</p><p>As soon as Blobbers shouted out, the bomb exploded and sticky cotton candy wrapped around the pirate! He grunted and groaned as he tried to pull himself out of the sugary mess, but no matter what he did, he couldn't break free!</p><p>"Don't just stand there and gawk at me!" the pirate hissed as they glared at their comrades. "Get me out of this!"</p><p>Another pirate hesitantly nodded and rushed to the stuck pirate's side, but another bomb flew forward and exploded before they could even tear into the cotton candy! Now, both of them were trapped tight in the cotton candy, and neither of them would get out anytime soon!</p><p>Eruptor paused, turned around and grinned as he caught sight of the prisoners behind him. The prisoners in turn all grinned as they surrounded a barrel filled with cotton candy bombs!</p><p>Terrafin and Gill Grunt rushed forward, tore apart the cotton candy, and pulled the feline mabu out with a grunt as they carried the feline mabu to safety.</p><p>With them safe, Eruptor just smirked and held out his hands. "Feel the burn!" Eruptor cried as he shot out two lava blobs.</p><p>The lava blobs conked the pirates right in the heads! As the pirates both fell unconscious, the feline mabu stumbled over to a nearby wall with a suspiciously dark panel amid the others, pressed it down and grinned.</p><p>"This should give us another route out," the feline mabu remarked as they rubbed their chin, "but I feel like there was something about this I was forgetting…"</p><p>"Forget about that!" Blobbers cried. "The electric's not gonna last forever, and neither will those pirates' comas!"</p><p>The ground rumbled as the Skylanders and the other prisoners all piled in. The feline mabu turned around right as the others all toppled on them! Everyone groaned and collapsed in a pile as the door slid behind them, but frowns fell on all faces as they stood up and shook themselves off.</p><p>"So, where are we supposed to go again?" Eruptor asked with a shrug. "Because I can't see a way out with the sights around here,."</p><p>Eruptor was right. The whole place was a mirror maze, and mirrors that occasionally flickered and flashed blocked off all ends. There seemed to be no way out, but it wouldn't be a hidden passage if it was just a dead end, right?</p><p>"That's right! This one was a mirror maze!" the feline mabu proclaimed before they yanked something out of their tattered pocket and unfurled it. "Luckily, I have a map! There's a path out here that should take us to the docks behind the captain's manor. There's airships there that can get us out!"</p><p>Everyone followed the feline mabu down as they trailed across the maze's paths, eyes occasionally drifting towards the masses of shiny mirrors as they glowed in the sparse light provided from the glowing crystals overhead. The faint twinkles earned a few oohs and aahs from the prisoners as they admired their reflections in the mirrors; some even tapped the mirrors and sent sparkly dust cascading onto the dark blue stone hallways. Their focus on the mirrors quickly disappeared as they joined the group in trailing through the halls.</p><p>The faint sounds of wind howling sang through holes on the way. Its tone was low and echoing as it brushed against the mirrors. It sent even more sparkly dust cascading down, and some dust even fell onto the floors as the breeze sent a few mirrors creaking down.</p><p>Another howl sent the fur on a few prisoners' backs up, and Blobbers' teeth chattered as he clung to one of the more lizard-like prisoners while they gnawed on their claw.</p><p>"What was that howling just now?" Blobbers sputtered between his chittering, chattering teeth, and yelped as another, louder breeze run through the area.</p><p>Terrafin waved a hand aside ahead of them. "Probably just a draft or somethin'," he scoffed as he lowered his hand. "Don't worry about it."</p><p>Blobbers frowned as another breeze, one that sounded more like laughter than howling, knocked a few prisoners' hats off their heads. Blobbers clasped his hands as they went to reclaim their hats. His eyes trailed towards the walls, their cobalt rock so thick that the holes were barely visible, if there were even any at all. The mirrors around him creaked from side to side—but more than that, a silhouette unlike any of theirs giggled as it passed through the mirror's reflection, disappearing in an instant!</p><p>"Wait, I know I saw something there!" Blobbers cried as he turned to the other prisoners. "That had to be one of you, right?"</p><p>Nobody was anywhere near the mirror in question—not enough that they could be seen in it, anyways. They all shrugged as Blobbers gulped, and the dragon captive just chuckled and patted his shoulder.</p><p>"Calm down, buddy!" the dragon captive hissed as they flicked their wings back and forth. "Breakouts put everyone on edge. You're probably just seeing things!"</p><p>As the prisoners left Blobbers behind, Blobbers himself just crept up to the mirror and frowned as he examined his reflection inside it. He tapped the glass with his finger, tilted his head, and even waved and stuck out his tongue as he pulled on his cheeks! Every action he made was perfectly mirrored with no signs of any odd characters or strange magic to be seen. There weren't any odd reflections in the mirror, no strange faces looking back at him, and no motions that weren't perfect copies of his own! Blobbers frowned and rubbed his chin, but warily shrugged as he stepped aside from the mirror…</p><p>Yet, his reflection still stayed in its place! Blobbers turned back a little, frowned as he narrowed his brows, but screamed and collapsed as his reflection laughed right at him!</p><p>"Blobbers, what's wrong?" cried Whirlwind as she flew over and helped him back up.</p><p>Heavy breaths pushed Blobbers' chest up and down. His fur turned pale and ghastly as he hastily jabbed a finger at the mirror. "My, my reflection! It's moving on its own!"</p><p>All eyes turned to Blobbers' reflection as it cackled and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Around them all, the howling of the winds grew louder, yet the winds themselves didn't grow any more furious than before—if they were even winds at all! The breezes blew no faster or stronger than before, and the only thing intensified was the sound of howling, yet the whole area chilled significantly! The dust changed to frost as the mirror's surfaces glazed over, the chills sending fur on end and goosebumps running up people's spines.</p><p>The source of all this? It was none other than the mirrors, from which the frosted, murky glass showed glowing eyes!</p><p>Blobbers sputtered and scrambled back. His limbs trembled as the reflections in the mirror glowed brighter and brighter. The reflections took on wispy, faint forms, ones with those same shiny eyes and cackling teeth full of fangs! Not just in those mirrors, either. All the mirrors around froze over and gained ghastly reflections in their glass, their laughter multiplying and layering onto the howling sounds that already echoed through the caverns!</p><p>Terrafin gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists, but beside him, Eruptor's legs trembled as his veins of exposed lava crackled and popped! Gill Grunt winced and lifted up his harpoon cannon, his hands wrapped around the trigger just in case. Their eyes all locked on the mirrors, which only flashed in an array of bright colors as they rapidly spun in their places.</p><p>The mist condensed around the mirrors as they spun until they stood trapped in an orb of thick white fluff. Only the tips of their tops were barely visible as the mirrors rattled and shuddered in the mist, and out from the mist shot wispy, translucent creatures that giggled with glee as they flew around the ceiling!</p><p>"GHOSTS?" Eruptor cried as he leaped right into Terrafin's arms and knocked them both over. "Nobody told me this place was haunted!"</p><p>"It won't be for long!" Gill Grunt cried as he hoisted up his harpoon cannon and pulled the trigger. "Anchors away!"</p><p>A sharp shing pierced the air as a trio of harpoons burst from Gill Grunt's cannon. The harpoons spun in place as they dashed right for the circle of ghosts flying overhead. The moment they reached the ghosts, the harpoons phased right through the ghosts and hit the ceiling, ricocheting off and smashing right through three of the mirrors!</p><p>The harpoons harmlessly clattered against the floor, their silver surfaces tinting with light reflected from the mirror's shattered shards, and everyone gasped! Their eyes bounced between the ghosts still howling and cackling as they swirled around the ceiling, and the harpoons that laid on the ground. With one last glance up, they all gasped and scrambled as the ghosts zipped down from the ceiling and came right for them!</p><p>One ghost cackled as they flew right up towards Terrafin. Terrafin slugged it right in the chest with a snarl—except, he didn't! His fist phased right through the ghost's body with only a ripple remaining, and as he gasped, the ghost cackled and spun him around. While Terrafin shouted out and stumbled over his own two feet, the ghost just cackled and zipped right up to Eruptor!</p><p>"I, I'm telling you!" Eruptor warned. His legs shuddered, and pebbles popped from his body as he lobbed lava blobs at the ghosts. "You, you really don't wanna mess with me! I, I, I, I'll—"</p><p>Eruptor screamed and hacked out a lava blob as a ghost cackled in the distance! Of course, the blob just passed through the ghost and slammed against the wall. The blob cracked the wall and left its stones a hot, molten mess with shattered, melting rocks strewn about, but Eruptor hardly cared as he screamed and stumbled backwards!</p><p>"BOO!" the ghost cried as it flew in front of Eruptor!</p><p>Eruptor screamed and leaped to his feet as the ghost cackled. His screaming carried on as he dove behind Gill Grunt and Whirlwind, and cowered along with a few of the prisoners. They all sputtered and shuddered, knees knocking together as they huddled. Their eyes fixed on the ghosts that howled and cheered as they spun around the ceiling!</p><p>In front of the group, Gill Grunt and Whirlwind snarled as they fixed their cannon and horn on the swirling ghosts. With a slight of the trigger, Gill Grunt sent another anchor shooting right for the ghosts, but it just phased right through them and smashed right through the ceiling! Rocks and rubble poured down, slipping right through the ghosts' bodies and smashing the windows underneath.</p><p>Gill Grunt just grunted and stepped back, his hands still wrapped tight around his cannon. His view shifted from the ghosts, next to where Terrafin fruitlessly tried to land a punch on the ghost that swept around him and taunted him with every move he made, and then Gill Grunt's gaze turned back to Whirlwind.</p><p>"It's no use!" Gill Grunt cried, his teeth gritting against each other. "These ghosts just slip through everything we throw at them!"</p><p>"Everything, huh?" Whirlwind cried as she lowered her head. "How about something they can't slip through?"</p><p>Whirlwind flattened her ears against her head, and a bright rainbow leaped out from her horn! The rainbow screeched as it soared, and it gained the attention of one ghost. The ghost turned around, examined the rainbow, and screamed as the rainbow nailed it right between the eyes! The ghost covered its eyes, and the circling ghosts above stopped in their tracks as they surrounded their reeling teammates, a few propping up the ghost's back.</p><p>"Waythe, what's wrong?" cried one ghost. "What did those mean living ones do to you?"</p><p>Waythe didn't reply. He just wailed, squealed and dashed right back into one of the mirrors, melting the frost that formed on its glass with a ripple! The rippling came to a stop as the ghosts scowled, and the air chilled further as they turned their gazes on Gill Grunt and Whirlwind!</p><p>"Seems like you're not as easy to scare as you seem!" cried the ghost as they waved their arms and crafted a ring of ghastly blue fire. "How about this, then?"</p><p>The ghost flicked their arms and sent the flames crashing down, their fires growing bright and lighter by the second! Gill Grunt and Whirlwind both gasped as flames now the size of miniature suns came right for them, but the fires just passed right through them and exploded! The fires vanished in wispy fog with the faint scent of burnt flesh lingering. Gill Grunt and Whirlwind gagged at the scent, but as they glanced down at each other, they blinked and tilted their heads. They were perfectly fine! They had no scratches, burns or bruises to be found. The only thing that accumulated was some faint frost from the chilly atmosphere around, but even that melted away with a single flick!</p><p>The ghost blinked, floated back and chewed on their fingers. "I forgot, that's only good for other ghosts! The living aren't affected by it!" the ghost cried.</p><p>"Let me try this, then!" another ghost cried as they tugged on a large icicle that formed on the ceiling. "Look out belowwwwwwwwww!"</p><p>Well, that's what they said, but the icicle wouldn't even budge! Despite all the pulling, prodding, and pounding they did on the icicle's surface, it wouldn't even move! So, the ghost moved on to a slightly thinner one and tugged away, but it refused to move as well. The ghost huffed and puffed as they bounced from icicle to icicle in some hope of dislodging them, yet not a single one moved! The ghost panted, slid back down from the thin icicle they hung from, and wiped frost from their brown as they huffed.</p><p>"You know what, this is getting boring!" the ghost proclaimed as they turned to the ghosts around them. The ghost sneered as their eyes turned down to the quivering prisoners that hid behind Gill Grunt and Whirlwind. "How about we make things a bit more interesting?"</p><p>The other ghosts giggled and cheered around them, but the first ghost just cackled as they dove right down past Whirlwind and circled around the quivering prisoners! Whirlwind gasped and stepped towards them, head lowering by the second as her horn flared with light, but a hard, frozen orange beaned her in the head just before she could fire,!</p><p>"Owch!" Whirlwind cried as the orange landed by her paws. "Who threw that?"</p><p>Cackling and giggles turned Whirlwind's attention back to the mirrors. There the ghosts giggled and stuck out their tongues as they poked halfway through! Whirlwind snarled and turned her horn on them instead, and they all dove back into the mirrors. The ghosts tossed whatever they could get their ghastly little hands on right at her: fruit and vegetables, swords and scabbards, pirate clothing, and cheap carnival toys sprung out from the depths of the mirrors. Whirlwind just screamed as she dashed away before she could get buried under the array!</p><p>Cotton candy crashed and froze against the stone walls behind her, and fruit splattered as it left behind juicy splatters and sweet aromas. Whirlwind winced as her eyes briefly fell upon the wreckage, but flicked her ears as a faint shing rang through the air! Whirlwind turned around, gasped and dashed away as a sword hurtled right for her—but her paws slipped onto the splattered fruit remains and she slid right into Terrafin. The two of them grunted as they both crashed on the ground, rolled away and jumped to their feet right as a cry came from beside them!</p><p>Their heads craned to the side. There, amid the bright glints of mirror's light, a ghost cackled as they yanked Blobbers into a mirror with them! A few of the other prisoners stood silent and shocked, and even more ghosts jumped up behind them as they pushed the prisoners into mirrors!</p><p>Terrafin and Whirlwind gasped and ran off, but right as they took their first step, bright flashes of light burst from the mirrors! The light reflected from the sparkly dust and the other mirrors as it coated the room in a searing light. The two of them stopped in their tracks and shielded their eyes. Their eyes popped open as the light faded, and they found Blobbers and the others prisoners curled up on the ground. Blobbers and the prisoners were all chilled and motionless outside of their still, kind of chilling moans!</p><p>"Hey!" Terrafin cried as he and Whirlwind dashed over, and they both sat Blobbers upright. "Are you alright?"</p><p>Eruptor and Gill Grunt helped a few of the other prisoners back to their feet as they groaned a bit and hung their heads. As Eruptor leaned one draconic captive against the wall, his eyes turned back to the mirrors and he screamed!</p><p>"Ruptor, what's the big deal?" Terrafin asked.</p><p>Terrafin turned back to the still-glowing mirrors and gasped! Their light faded some, and it was just enough to show Blobbers and the other prisoners pounding against the glass and glazing around in confusion!</p><p>"Look out, Skylanders!" Blobbers cried. "They aren't really us! Well, those are our bodies, but you've got the wrong guys!"</p><p>Those around still gasped, but Blobbers' body only laughed as it staggered back to its feet with glowing eyes!</p><p>"Now this is what I'm talking about! Finally, something solid!" the ghost cried from within Blobbers' body, its voice morphed to match his but with a malevolent tint. It stretched its arms to the sky, and chuckled as it spun them around. "Feels a little strange to be in an actual body!"</p><p>Terrafin snarled, dove away from Blobbers, and cracked his knuckles. "You're not keeping that for long!" Terrafin cried as he sprinted towards the mirror. "Hold on, I'm—"</p><p>"Not doing anything, if you want your buddy here in one piece!" the ghost in Blobbers' body cried as it slid in front of the mirror. "You break these mirrors, and they'll be trapped in here forever!"</p><p>Terrafin winced, clenching his teeth as he drew his fist back. The ghost just chuckled as it went to swing a punch at Terrafin! Terrafin was quick to block the blow, and jumped back while the ghost yowled and waved its red, sore hand. In that moment, the other possessed prisoners cackled and surrounded Terrafin! He raised his fists, almost as if to fight for a moment, but lowered them and snarled as he backed away despite the way his fingers twitched.</p><p>Eruptor, Gill Grunt, and Whirlwind all trembled as they backed up behind him as screams sounded off from their sides! More ghosts leaped out from the mirrors beside them. The ghosts grinned as they chased the prisoners through the mazes, or attempted to drag some into mirrors!</p><p>Eruptor, Terrafin, Gill Grunt, and Whirlwind tensed, and the ghost possessing the draconic captive cackled as they breathed fire right in all four faces! The four of them rolled away as the fires crashed and extinguished against the rocky walls, yet they kept their tension as the possessed prisoners crowded around them, cackled and raised fists!</p><p>Blobbers gritted his teeth as he pounded his fist against the mirror's glass, his eyes narrowed on Terrafin, Whirlwind, Gill Grunt and Eruptor. "Forget sitting and watching!" he cried, swiveling the glass back and forth as he pounded. "Let me out of this thing! Give me my body back!"</p><p>Blobbers grunted and shouted out as he pounded away on the glass, and a beam of light caught on it! Blobbers screamed and collapsed as the light glinted across the mirror's surface.</p><p>The light beamed over to where one ghost taunted Whirlwind, and sent searing light right into its back. The ghost screamed as smoke burned and hissed from its body; it fell to its knees while its ghastly soul leaped out, and the ghost screamed as it clutched its head! Whirlwind winced and drew back at first, but then her eyes fell on the beam of light from the mirror, and her brows jumped up her face!</p><p>"Wait, that's right!" Whirlwind gasped as she turned back to Terrafin, Eruptor, and Gill Grunt. "Those ghosts, they're weak to light!" Whirlwind flapped her wings. A thin smirk formed on her face as she turned around and wrapped her wings against Gill Grunt and Terrafin's shoulders. "I've got an idea!"</p><p>The four of them huddled together and whispered, and behind them, the ghosts and prisoners alike just frowned and scratched their heads.</p><p>"What do you think they're doing?" one ghost whispered to the other.</p><p>The other ghost only shrugged in response, but they both gasped as Whirlwind, Gill Grunt, Eruptor and Terrafin dashed off in four different directions!</p><p>Whirlwind immediately yanked an empty mirror and spun it around. The light from above glinted onto the mirror's glass as it turned towards the possessed prisoners! The moment the beams hit their backs, steam wafted off of the prisoners as they broke into unholy screeching. They fell to their knees, clawed and scratched at their heads, and the ghosts leaped from the bodies as they wailed! Whirlwind gasped, dashed to another empty mirror and turned it just so it hit the light. The ghosts' screaming grew even higher, cracking a few mirrors as their spirits stretched further and further out of the bodies!</p><p>Behind them, Gill Grunt, Terrafin and Eruptor all huddled around the mirrors. They twisted the mirrors so that the beams of light that burned into the ghosts multiplied from two, to four, to an entire burning sun in the heart of the maze! Steam burst from the ghosts as they wailed.</p><p>In the heart of it all, Whirlwind turned her attention to the mirror beside her and lowered her head. "And for good measure," Whirlwind whispered as rainbow light flared from her horn. "How about some purifying, too?"</p><p>A rainbow burst into the mirror from Whirlwind's horn. its light spread to the next mirror, and the one following… And in that moment, the milky white light beams that came from the mirrors shifted to a brilliant rainbow! A wailing cacophony rang throughout the hall as rainbow light flooded the room; it washed out the snow, and it drowned out the mirrors, walls, and everything else!</p><p>A few beings took cover behind rocks as the storm raged further and threatened to blow others away, but Whirlwind just stood still. Rainbows funneled from her horn, and her wings and tail flowed in the breeze as she continued to fire away! The mirrors amplified her light, frying the wailing ghosts that fell to their knees around her.</p><p>"STOP, STOP, PLEASE!" one ghost begged. "WE'RE GOING TO BURN AWAY WITH ALL THIS LIGHT!"</p><p>"Not until you give everyone their bodies back!" Whirlwind cried. "If you don't, I'll just keep this up!"</p><p>"FINE! I'LL GIVE THE MABU HIS BODY BACK, JUST MAKE IT STOP!" the ghost shouted back.</p><p>"SAME HERE! I DON'T LOOK GOOD IN SCALES, ANYWAYS!" shouted another.</p><p>"BODIES ARE OVERRATED!"</p><p>"But, I was having so much fun," whimpered one ghost as they twiddled their thumbs. A round of glares came from Whirlwind and the ghost's companions alike, and the ghost gulped. "Fine, fine, I'll do it!"</p><p>A howl shook the room around as the ghosts leaped back into the mirrors. Their cries soon joined with the body-napped's startled shouts as their souls ripped from the mirrors and flew back into the bodies! The ghosts' wails continued as they hid in the mirrors, but the rainbow light seceded with a bang! Rainbow sparkles dusted the room and rained down from the skies, intermingling with the shiny dust and the mirrors' glass.</p><p>Below, prisoners all groaned as they stumbled to their feet and rubbed their heads!</p><p>"Ugh, that was awful," Blobbers groaned as he dusted his clothes off and scratched his head, his eyes still spinning around in his skull. "I never wanna see another mirror in my life."</p><p>A few muffled agreements came from the prisoners around Blobbers as they stumbled back to their feet. Their eyes fixed back on the mirrors as they rumbled and shuddered, and the prisoners all screamed and jumped back as the ghosts jumped back out!</p><p>"We promise, we didn't mean you any harm!" one ghost pleaded as they floated down in front of the prisoners and shook their clasped hands. "We were only trying to have a little fun!"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah!" added another ghost as they floated beside the first. "We've traveled through practically every inch of this carnival through these mirrors, and we've seen everything there is!" The ghost gestured towards one of the mirrors, changing its reflection to that of the carnival's alleyways. With a snap, the mirror returned to its normal glassy appearance, and the ghost drifted ahead as they leaned into Whirlwind's ear. "And between the two of us, pantsing pirates and swapping their tools when they're not looking really loses its charms after the first five times!" the ghost whispered.</p><p>"No harm? NO HARM?" Blobbers cried. Red tinged his face as he stormed up to the ghosts and shoved his finger in their faces. "You stole my body! You nearly locked me in a mirror for all eternity! I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty harmful to me!"</p><p>"Yeah!" cried a few of the prisoners behind Blobbers, some crossing their arms and scowling as they spoke.</p><p>The red fully spread over Blobbers' face as he gritted his teeth. The ghosts only winced and backed away from him; ectoplasmic sweat dripped down their foreheads and formed glowing pools at the ground below them. Blobbers and the prisoners closed in as they grabbed a few shiny mirror shards from the ground.</p><p>Whirlwind flew between them and flared her wings before Blobbers or anyone else could do anything hasty. "You said you can travel anywhere in those mirrors, right?" Whirlwind asked, her wings folding.</p><p>Blobbers raised his voice a bit, but a single glare from Whirlwind, and he only winced and scuffled back.</p><p>The second ghost's eyes flickered, and they nodded as they floated up to Whirlwind. "Yes, yes indeed!" they cried. "These mirrors have a special link with this land! We can go everywhere!" The ghost stretched out their fingers and counted off. "Bathrooms, bedrooms, factories and halls… You know, there's this one manor owned by this pirate, I guess he's the head of everything" — the ghost snickered — "but between the two of us, he's a total scaredy-cat! One time, we managed to convince him that Captain Frightbeard haunted his manor, and he's slept with one eye open every since!"</p><p>"Wait, a manor? That has to be Dreadbeard's place!" the dragon called from the back!</p><p>"And where the docks are!" the feline mabu added.</p><p>Whirlwind flicked her ears, turned around and grinned. "Tell you what, then!" Whirlwind said. "If you take us to Dreadbeard's manor with those mirrors, we'll forget this all happened, alright?"</p><p>"Sounds good to us!" the two ghosts cried. They both floated up to one of the mirrors, waved their hands around its glass, and changed the reflection to that of a stone pathway with a dim light beaming at the very end of the tunnel. "Just go through this mirror and you'll arrive at the tunnel! At the end of the tunnel, there's a path that takes you right to the manor!"</p><p>Whirlwind beamed, but soon shouted out as several of the ghosts flew beside her and pushed her right through the mirror!</p><p>"Now don't dilly-dally! That path's not going to wait forever, you know!"</p><p>The mirror's glass rippled as Whirlwind slid right through, and she collapsed onto the ground. A string of shouts and thunks behind her showed that the others arrived as well! They all grunted and sat up, brushing dirt and shaking themselves off as the mirror warp sealed itself shut. A few cast wary glances at the space where the mirror warp once rested, but Whirlwind turned their attention back to the front with a flap of her wings.</p><p>"Well, might as well see if they were right," Whirlwind remarked as she flew off.</p><p>The sound of footsteps and flapping wings echoed through the tunnel as they crept through and scattered dust. The faint streams of light from overhead slowly grew in intensity until they were as bright as a regular light! They cascaded over a dead end at the end of a tunnel with a rusted platform attached to a large rope rested over it.</p><p>"After you," Whirlwind said as she flew aside and gestured towards the platform.</p><p>The others all took their seats, and with a single creak, the platform drew up to the top of the tunnel as the light grew brighter and brighter.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Chihiro grunted and pulled herself higher onto Swarm's shoulder as he flew ahead. Her grip on him stayed tight as he flew at the speed of light, or maybe the speed just felt that way with how big he was, and how small she was. Either way, they made good headway across the stands, and she was sure they would be at the end of this stretch soon! Hopefully she'd be able to find out just where the MDF were kept.</p><p>Chihiro frowned as she glanced down at Thumpback, who slid across the roads on his belly while Swarm flew. She magically summoned a telescope and held it to her eye. The telescope zoomed around for a bit as it glanced over food stands, games, cells, a dock filled with ships at the end of the road—wait, a dock? Chihiro turned her telescope back on the dock, grinned and whisked it away.</p><p>"Keep going, guys!" Chihiro proclaimed as she patted Swarm's shoulder. "I can see the docks from here!"</p><p>Swarm and Thumpback grinned and nodded as they sped forward, but Chihiro didn't entirely share in their enthusiasm as she drew circles on Swarm's shoulder. With how much of a pain these pirates had been, she couldn't help but wonder—just what was going on around this place? Beings being kidnapped wasn't exactly a good thing, but just what was their plan for all this? Chihiro had a few ideas, and none of them were particularly pretty. She sighed, climbed further on Swarm's shoulder and sat down, but Swarm came to an abrupt stop right as she did! The sudden jolt offset Chihiro's balance, and before she knew it, she went flailing and screaming as she tumbled right off of Swarm's shoulder!</p><p>Luckily, her fall was brief, for Thumpback stood up and she fell right into his blowhole! Chihiro caught herself on its edge, grunted and pulled herself back onto the top of his head.</p><p>"Hey, what's with the holdup?" Chihiro asked as she shook stray saltwater from her body.</p><p>Swarm pointed over towards a large, gigantic, even gap between the path they stood on now and the path ahead.</p><p>"That," Swarm replied as he lowered his hand, "that's the holdup." Swarm frowned as his wings flitted and fluttered. "Even though I could probably fly over it, there's no way I'd be able to carry the both of you over it—too much weight."</p><p>"We'll just have to find another way around it, I suppose," Thumpback remarked.</p><p>Chihiro frowned, teleported onto the ground and slid her suspenders' straps back onto her shoulders. An alternate route, huh? Chihiro laid a hand on her elbow, and rubbed the other on her chin as she glazed over the area around her. Her eyes fell towards a small, unassuming hut off to the side with a sign beside it.</p><p>"Intriguing," Chihiro whispered. She teleported over and glazed over the sign and grinned. "Guys, I think I might've found our way through!" Chihiro tapped the sign as Swarm and Thumpback turned to her. "There's a shipmaster here! Maybe, if I challenge him and win, I can get him to ferry us through!"</p><p>Chihiro chuckled, snapped her suspenders, and strode off to the hut as she prepared to open the door. Just before she even grabbed the knob, heavy footsteps caught her attention instead!</p><p>"Actually, I have a better idea," Thumpback remarked as his eyes fell on an empty ship parked just aside from him. Thumpback smiled as he slung his anchor over his shoulder, dashed over to the ship and heaved up its chain. "If we don't have a bridge, I'll just make one!"</p><p>Thumpback grunted as he heaved the chain over his shoulder and trudged forward. Swarm flew behind him and grabbed on the chain as well! Their shared strength made the ship little more than a light piece of paper; it was unable to fight as the two of them heaved up the ship's chain and tossed it—and the ship—right through the gap! Of course, as they did, the ship's doors flung open and a bunch of seadogs flew onto the decks! Huh, guess it wasn't as abandoned as it looked.</p><p>Chihiro chuckled, and teleported a few paces before she finally arrived at the ship's deck! Thumpback and Swarm walked ahead, and the ship's terrified crew members screamed as they ducked behind crates, barrels, and whatever they could from sheer awe—or maybe fear—of Thumpback and Swarm's giant sizes!</p><p>Swarm paused as he caught sight of the quivering crew members, grinned and knelt down. "Heh, sorry for the little ride! We just need to borrow your ship for a moment," Swarm explained as he teased his antenna. "Hopefully you don't mind?"</p><p>"N, not at all, Mr Giant Bee!" quaked a seadog with knocking knees. "Just, please don't stomp us!"</p><p>"Or eat us!" cried the other terrified crew members.</p><p>Swarm sat up and shrugged as he flew off. Behind him, Chihiro just chuckled and skipped after him. She wasn't quite sure why they'd find Swarm that scary, but to be fair, having a gigantic bee and whale send your ship for a joyride wasn't something that happened every day, she supposed.</p><p>She waved to the terrified crew and hopped down off the ship, but the moment she did, the air chilled and everything around turned misty and ominous! Chihiro shuddered; she summoned a magic jacket and slid it over his shoulders as another breeze shook her down and reminded her of its chills. Right as she slipped the sleeve on, though, she frowned and dropped it. She didn't know why, but she was sure that she could hear shouting in the distance.</p><p>"Do you guys hear that?" Chihiro asked as she slipped her jacket on.</p><p>Swarm and Thumpback both perked their heads up, frowned and nodded.</p><p>"Kinda sounds to me like there's a fight going on," Chihiro remarked as she flipped her jacket's hood over her head. "We should probably lay low."</p><p>Chihiro slipped behind an abandoned stall, as did Swarm and Thumpback. While Chihiro could easily dive behind its stand, the two of them still stood out like sore thumbs as they knelt down! Chihiro winced, and crept behind a particularly tall stack of barrels with them close behind—but once again, Swarm and Thumpback's size betrayed them. They knocked over the stack with one little shrug! Chihiro winced as the barrels toppled over and burst, sighed and shook her head. Above her, Swarm chuckled and scratched his head.</p><p>"Sorry," Swarm whispered, "it's kinda hard to lay low when you're building-sized!"</p><p>"No kidding," Chihiro chuckled. "Maybe we'll have more luck hiding behind the actual buildings!"</p><p>Chihiro hopped into Swarm's hand, crawled up his arm, and onto his shoulder as he and Thumpback tip-toed behind the massive, abandoned buildings that lined the area much in the way buildings did on the streets back on Earth. Though the sights couldn't really be made out between the tall buildings and thick mist that lined the area, the shouts Chihiro heard before got much more audible! In fact, she was sure she could make them out!</p><p>"You can't keep us locked in here forever, you know!" cried that same familiar voice she heard on the walkie-talkie before as it paired with the sounds of rattling chains!</p><p>"Of course I can't!" cried another voice, one that sounded distinctly pirate-like in tone. "After all, ye'll need to work off yer debt!"</p><p>The voice from earlier growled, and the sound of rattling chains grew even more intense. "LET ME OUTTTTTTTT!"</p><p>Chihiro frowned, and teleported on top of Swarm's head just as they passed by the last of the buildings. The mist around her finally let up some with only thin trails dotting the area around, and she could finally catch a glimpse of what went on down below!</p><p>There, a seadog pirate cackled and leaned against a Skystones stand as they glared down a large, metal cage. Inside the cage were several beings kept trapped and angry! A few prisoners rattled and kicked the bars of their cage, but for the most part, they all just sat in utter defeat—all except for three ursine mabu around the front who bickered among each other with no mind taken to the pirates or prisoners around them! With those markings on their faces and the hats they wore, there no doubt about it. Those mabu were definitely Snuckles, Rizzo, and Nort!</p><p>"There they are!" Chihiro remarked as she whisked away her telescope. "I'm gonna check this out!"</p><p>"Wait, Chihiro!" Thumpback cried. "What happened to laying low?"</p><p>In a flash of light, Chihiro teleported back down onto Swarm's shoulder, slid down to his hand and hopped off! As she floated down onto the ground, Chihiro stormed right up to the pirate and shoved her face in his. Despite the odd look he gave her, she didn't relent in her fury!</p><p>"Hey, buddy!" Chihiro cried as she gestured to the cage. "What's the big deal here? Why d'you have these guys locked up?"</p><p>"Thank goodness, a friendly face for once! What a sight for sore eyes!" Rizzo cried. He pulled away from Snuckles and Nort, grinned as he sneaked his head through the bars, and waved. "You see, we've gotten ourselves into quite the pickle here!" Rizzo clenched his teeth as his eyes glazed over the rusted cage bars. "I knew the food here was just way too overpriced, but did Snuckles listen to me? Not a bit, even though I'm the captain!"</p><p>"Forget about that," Chihiro said as she pushed past the seadog and strode up to Rizzo with a brow raised. "What're you guys even doing here?"</p><p>The seadog cocked a brow, and chuckled as he leaned against his stand.</p><p>"Oh, it's the same old story," the seadog remarked as he spun around a cane. "These fine chaps here came to the carnival empty-handed and didn't even realize it! They've racked up quite the debt, so they'll just have to pay it the old fashioned way" — the seadog's eyes narrowed — "by working for us for the rest of their lives!"</p><p>"You cheated us, that's what you did!" cried an elf man who pounded on the cage. "You didn't even tell us that gold wasn't accepted here until after we played!"</p><p>"Yeah!" cried another elf woman. "I saw you change the price of those popcorn balls to five thousand chips when you thought nobody was looking!"</p><p>"You lied to me!" cried another person in the back. "You said that game was free to play!"</p><p>The seadog growled, slammed his cane against the side of the cage, and sent a massive ring through it! The prisoners immediately jumped from the bars and covered their ears, but the seadog only laughed.</p><p>"Ah, technicalities, technicalities~" the seadog sing-songed as he spun his cane around. "That's what you get for coming to our carnival!"</p><p>The seadog whistled to himself a little more, but Chihiro just gritted her teeth as her blood boiled and popped beneath her skin. She balled her hand into a fist, and she turned her attention back to Rizzo with a snarl.</p><p>"They speak the truth," Nort sighed as he walked up beside Rizzo and took off his cap. "We came here because we'd been hearing reports of a lot of disappearances in this area, and stumbled upon this carnival, literally! It just popped out of the ground right before us!" Nort chuckled as he rubbed his hat. "We'd been running around so much that we thought it'd be a good way to just kick back and relax!"</p><p>"But, the whole thing was a huge scam!" Snuckles cried as he jumped between Nort and Rizzo. "They roped us in with food and games, and before we knew it, we had the wool pulled over our eyes—"</p><p>"What he's saying is," Rizzo scoffed as he pushed Snuckles aside, "we found out that this was how they were roping beings in and trapping them here with extensive debt! We tried to stop 'em, but there were too many, so Blobbers stayed behind to handle things while we tried to get out and get help. But, they enticed Snuckles with hot dogs, and next thing we knew, they had us all surrounded!"</p><p>"The furball's got it all wrong!" the seadog cried from the back. "We knocked their buddy down the chute before we got the rest of 'em!"</p><p>Chihiro gritted her teeth as she glared down him down. The seadog forced a smile as her eyes pierced into his while sweat crept down his matted fur. How could he just sit there and smile, knowing he cheated so many beings into working for him? Chihiro snarled, stormed up to him and slammed her hand against a barrel, denting it as her hand flared with blue light. Chihiro just steeled her gaze further as the seadog yipped and jumped in the air.</p><p>"You're awful, you know! Tricking others into racking up debt just to make them do your dirty work, it's unforgivable!" Chihiro cried as she shoved her face in the shocked seadog's. "As portal master and guardian of all that is good, I won't stand for it!"</p><p>The seadog gasped and immediately backed away as his eyes grew small. "Wait, did, did you say portal master?" The seadog stammered. His eyes fluttered, and he immediately dashed towards a row of cells. "You're not getting towards the cap'n, no sirree! Not when I call in the guards, you won't!"</p><p>The seadog slammed down a large red button with his fist, and the gates ahead shut down immediately! Everyone gasped, but the seadog didn't relent—not just yet! His eyes turned to another flashing button as he reached out to press it, but before he could slam it down, Chihiro yanked him back by the wrist and squeezed it tight. His eyes turned tiny, and the sweat poured even faster than before as Chihiro glared him down.</p><p>"Alright, buddy, I'll give you till the count of ten to let these guys go," she hissed, her grip around his wrist turning even tighter as blue light flared in her eyes. "One, two, three…"</p><p>The seadog winced as he struggled in Chihiro's grip, and he yanked his head around. "System, activate!" he cried.</p><p>The button beeped and sank right into the wall with a flash, and a harsh, screeching noise ran through the carnival! Chihiro gasped as the sound rattled her eardrums, and the seadog slipped from her grip as she moved to cover her ears. Red light pouring down from all around her as the carnival stalls around her all sunk down and flipped into the ground!</p><p>The rocks below her knees rumbled and danced across the cold earth, almost as if a kind of quake shook it. Though her vision was fuzzy from all the shaking and screeching, and the way her head spun, she could barely make out some spots around her… Opening up? Yes, the ground started to split, and open pits of black formed slowly in the ground. Faint, low rumbles that were more like growls than shaking quakes echoed from within the deep pits. Chihiro screamed and rolled back as the pits opened up further, but before she could completely roll away, her back hit something cool, bumpy and wet!</p><p>"Chihiro, what's going on?" Swarm cried as he yanked Chihiro from the ground and nestled her in his palms. Both his eyes and Thumpback's beside him fixed on her. "The whole place just started shaking and screeching out of nowhere!"</p><p>Chihiro winced, then popped one ear open. "I don't know! I grabbed the guy, and he just shouted at the systems to activate and—"</p><p>"GRROOOOOOAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"</p><p>Chihiro tumbled down in Swarm's grip, and yelped as a louder, harsher growl echoed from the pits below. It was one so loud that it sent Swarm and Thumpback stumbling over their own feet while it knocked the seadog and all the prisoners off theirs. As Chihiro pushed herself to her feet, a string of blurs hopped out from the grounds below!</p><p>The blurs crashed down on the ground and rattled everything around; they broke windows and completely leveled the few stands and banners that remained! Shattered glass and splintered wood fell by their feet as the blurs shook, and they unveiled themselves to be large, hulking furry seadogs dressed in torn and tattered pirate clothing! Their fur coats were tinged in sickly shades of green, blue, and tan, their blank eyes were swollen and bloodshot, and drool poured from their jaws in a torrent that streamed down onto the grounds like rain, washing away the wreckage!</p><p>Chihiro gasped and curled up further in Swarm's hand, but Swarm just smirked. He buzzed his wings together as he laid Chihiro behind a stack of splintered barrels.</p><p>"Alright, so you let the dogs out!" Swarm shouted as he cracked his knuckles. His antenna twitched as he stepped further. "A few mutts never scared me! In fact, I'll put your little doggies—"</p><p><em>SNAP!</em> Out from the pits snapped out thick steel chains that wrapped right around Swarm and Thumpback's arms and legs, locking them right where they stood!</p><p>"In the doghouse?" Swarm gritted his teeth as he turned down to the chains that hugged his wrists and tugged at them, yet they barely budged. "Where'd these things come from?"</p><p>"Beats me," Thumpback added as he slid his hand down some, and yanked his anchor from his back, "but they won't be here for long!"</p><p>Thumpback grunted as he sawed the anchor's blade against the chains, but the chains pulled tighter and Thumpback fell off his balance! His anchor slipped from his grip and crashed onto the ground, kicking up dirt. Thumpback himself followed as he tripped over his own feet while the chains yanked him down to the ground.</p><p>A shadow cast over Chihiro, and as she peered up, she screamed and teleported away just before Thumpback could crush her underneath his weight! While the dust and dirt leaped up behind her, Chihiro flashed back into existence and winced as the world shook underneath her feet. She stumbled a bit, leaning against a barrel to regain her balance. Her gaze turned to where Swarm struggled to even stay on his knees, and she winced as she pushed herself from the barrel. She stumbled forward, and met with a cutlass right between her eyes!</p><p>Chihiro gulped and staggered backwards, her eyes now fixed on the seadog who now sneered. His mutated seadogs all sat behind him and snarled, their bloodshot eyes seemingly growing an even deeper red as they glanced down at Chihiro! The chills ran down her spine, and Chihiro gulped as her quivering back hit the rough, scratchy wood of the barrel. Her legs started to numb as cold wind slapped against her, and the sound of the growling mutant seadogs rang in her ears along with the sirens.</p><p>"Not so tough now, are ye laddie?" the seadog asked as he pushed his cutlass further with a sickening sneer on his face. His words fought to be heard over the roar of his growling army and the sirens that still blared alike, and yet they still twisted a knife through Chihiro's chest all the same. "What're ye gonna do now?"</p><p>Chihiro gulped as she leaned further against the barrel, those chills still running up her back while sweat crawled down from her face. Her vision blurred a bit as it jumped from that seadog, next to the mutant seadogs that dug their claws in the ground, prepared to strike… And then to the Skystones booth that rested before her, which was still shiny and pristine despite the world crashing and shifting around it!</p><p>"How, how about a bet?" Chihiro sputtered. The cutlass lowered from her path a little as the seadog raised a brow, and Chihiro forced a smile. "If I beat you at Skystones, you'll let everyone here go free and let us pass!"</p><p>The seadog winced a little, turning his view from the prisoners in the cage and then to the deck, but finally shrugged. "Well, I can't pass up a good bet," the seadog said as he took his place at the booth and set up his deck, "but I'm not letting me guard down!"</p><p>Chihiro gulped, and the sweating started to recede as she dove her hand into her pocket. "Neither will I!"</p><p>Chihiro snarled as she took her place at the deck, whipped her Skystones out of her pocket and spread them across their container. Her eyes occasionally drifted up to where the pirate sat, but the low growls that came from the mutant seadogs behind her fixed her attention firmly back on her Skystones. The seadog's low chuckles rumbled a bit above her, yet she squeezed her hands into fists and rested them on the deck's smooth crystalline surface.</p><p>"Why don't ye go first, laddie?"</p><p>Chihiro gulped and waved her fingers over the Skystones she set up: an inhuman shield, an enfuego chompy, the mohawk cyclops she snagged from the previous pirate, a chompy, and a spiderling. She wasn't sure what kind of arsenal this guy had up his sleeve, but hopefully these would be what she needed. She gulped, picked up the spiderling and pressed it on the center of the grid.</p><p>"I play my spiderling!" Chihiro cried as she drew back a bit and crossed her arms, hugging them tight to avoid any tells. "Your turn!"</p><p>The seadog sneered, grabbing a stone from his deck and spiking it up. "I play," the seadog said, licking his lips as he slammed the stone just above Chihiro's spiderling, "my blaze brewer!"</p><p>Flames crackled around the stone, and they popped as a holographic image of a blaze brewer leaped up from the stone! It cackled while it cast flames out from the gigantic flamethrower it hefted up. The fires burned and danced, lighting the sleek dark blue crystal of the board in a hot red as flames in the shape of an X burned all across the grid… Including where Chihiro's spiderling stone sat!</p><p>The flames roasted the card alive, and a faint, twisted screech intermingled with the scent of burning flesh as the card reduced to a charred version of itself. It completely shattered as the blaze brewer disappeared! The spiderling on its front disappeared, and it left behind only a broken stone to obscure the middle spot. Bright red Fire Element symbols glowed on the stones in the corners around it, tinting the area around them in faint reds and purples!</p><p>"Now that's the power of a blaze brewer!" The seadog grinned and slapped the booth, sending the stones shaking just a little. "With all these Fire Element spaces on the board, yer finished unless ye've got a Fire Element deck like mine!"</p><p>"We'll see about that!" Chihiro hissed.</p><p>Though, as she turned her eyes to her Skystones, she paused and bit her lip. She sounded confident enough, but looking over her deck, her enfuego chompy was the only one of the Fire Element! Something in her gut told her that anything that lacked a match to those glowing Fire Element symbols wouldn't befall a pretty fate. So she winced, spiked up her regular chompy, and placed it on one of the few squares free of Fire Element symbols.</p><p>"I play my chompy!" Chihiro cried. She lifted her fingers from the board, gritted her teeth and gasped as the seadog cackled!</p><p>"And I play me boom fiend!" the seadog cried as he slammed down another stone right above her chompy!</p><p>A boom fiend burst from the surface of the stone, and it cackled as it yanked a bag of bombs from out of nowhere. The bombs rolled over the battlefield and exploded with a single spill! Small bursts of fire lit the battlefield in a warm array as the boom fiend disappeared, but even the flames themselves quickly extinguished as Chihiro's chompy flipped over from blue to red!</p><p>With a gulp, Chihiro turned her attention back down to her remaining Skystones, yanked her enfuego chompy and spiked it up. "I play my enfuego chompy!" Chihiro cried as she dropped the stone on a corner with a Fire Element symbol burning bright on it.</p><p>A yowl burst from the stone as an enfuego chompy jumped up and sank its teeth into the blaze burner beside it, flipping the stone over to blue as the chompy disappeared, Chihiro paused and glazed over the battlefield. Two stones rested on her end of the battlefield, and two more laid in the pirate's grip; they were evenly matched, so she should have this in the bag!</p><p>"And I play me level three enfuego chompy's special move, Burning Ceremony!"</p><p>Chihiro gasped as another enfuego chompy Skystone, one with a shiny golden rim around the card's artwork, slammed down onto the field. From it leaped a trio of enfuego chompies who danced in a circle, and with every step they danced, flames burst around them and flipped the Skystones on the board to the striking crimson of the seadog's! The seadog's cackles rang in Chihiro's ears as the chompies disappeared from the board, and she bit her lip as a faint snarl came from behind her!</p><p>She turned around, immediately gulped, and turned away as the mutated seadogs snarled and breathed down her back. Their hot breath blast against her and raised chills, ironically enough, against her skin. Faint shouts and grunts came in the distance from what were surely the terrified and confused prisoners, or Swarm and Thumpback as they fought against their restraints, and everything clouded her head. Every time she tried to think of something, something distracted her, and the noise became a reminder of the tense situation at hand! Chihiro gulped and slammed a fist against the desk, rattling the Skystones as she snarled and turned down to her deck.</p><p>"Having a bit of trouble there, laddie?" the seadog teased.</p><p>Chihiro wanted to tell him to shut his trap, but the words just couldn't quite leave her mouth no matter how much she wanted to say them. She instead turned her eyes back down to her deck. She was down to two stones now, and neither of them were Fire Element-aligned! What was she going to do with a drow witch and a mohawk cyclops? Wait a second, the drow witch! Chihiro lifted it from the deck, and grinning as she turned the stone's cool body in her surface. That was right, it canceled out any passive effects, so surely she could use it for something like this!</p><p>Chihiro grinned as she picked up her spikes and went to spike it up, but paused. She only had enough spikes left for one more attack! If she played this one, she wouldn't have anything left, and then she'd really be screwed! Chihiro gulped. All the outside noise, the growling, the shouting, the grunting, the whistling of wind, and rattling of chains rang in her ears.</p><p>Her vision turned blurry and… Yellow? A soft golden light that was as warm as the sun brushed against her face, but not from the outside of the world, no. It came from her pocket! Chihiro warily laid the Skystone back on her deck, dug into her pocket and raised a brow.</p><p>The wheel she collected along with her deck laid still in her pocket. That soft golden light flashed and illuminated the rest of her pocket, showing a whole wealth of spikes that remained! Chihiro gasped, and smiled as she swept the spikes from her pocket and laid them on the desk.</p><p>"I'm not done yet, you know!" Chihiro cried as she spiked up her drow witch and slammed it against one of the few free spaces that remained. "I play my drow witch's special move, Blade Storm!"</p><p>A cackle rang though the air as a hologram of a drow witch leaped from the air and slashed around the board with its blades. It claimed the stones around the board by drenching them in Chihiro's blue, but more than that, it sent out a breeze that blew everything on the board away! The Fire Element spots flickered out until they were normal tiles again. Even the broken stone in the middle was completely blown over, and returned back to the field as a normal spiderling stone once more!</p><p>The seadog gasped, growled and gritted his teeth as he yanked out another stone. "Ye think yer so clever, eh? But what kind of Skystones player would I be if I didn't have a better strategy up me sleeve?" the seadog cried as he slammed his stone down. "I play me blaze brewer!"</p><p>Once again, a blaze brewer leaped from the stone and cast the battlefield in its fires—but just as it its flames formed their Xs, they quickly extinguished! Not a single Fire Element zone formed on the board, and it had no effect aside of collecting a stone or two!</p><p>"What?" the seadog cried as he tugged on his fur. "What happened?"</p><p>"That's the good thing about drow witches. They have a special little skill," Chihiro remarked as she picked up her mohawk cyclops and spiked it up. "They cancel out any passive effects, so your little fire zones are extinguished!" Chihiro chuckled and raised up her spiked stone. "Now, time to finish this!"</p><p>Chihiro slammed down the stone on a corner and smirked as it glowed. "I play my mohawk cyclops, special technique—Seeing Double!"</p><p>The stone glittered as a projection of a mohawk cyclops leaped from it and spun around, twirling across the stone like a dancefloor as it swung its ax. As it spun, the hologram on the stone duplicated, and an identical clone manifested as it slashed the stolen stones back into Chihiro's blue! With not a space to the seadog's name and the rest to Chihiro's, it was clear who the victor was here!</p><p>"That wasn't even a challenge!" Chihiro smirked as she whisked her stones back into her pocket with a snap of her fingers. "Now, about our bet?"</p><p>"This, this can't be! I lost at Skystones!" The pirate sputtered. His eyes drifted up and down, and his face seemed a bit more pale than before. "I, I feel dizzy…"</p><p>The pirate groaned as he fell unconscious. He slipped from his chair and hit the floor, and in that moment, the mutant seadogs finally lost their patience! They all snapped, falling on all fours as they howled and rushed off at such a speed that they knocked Chihiro right on the ground! Chihiro screamed as she hit the cold grass, grunted and brushed the dirt from her sleeves. She jumped up and whisked the stones and spikes back into her pocket.</p><p>"Just what do those things think they're doing?" Chihiro snapped as she turned back around. She followed the sound of pounding footsteps and howls, and they led right back to where Thumpback and Swarm still laid chained!</p><p>"Thumpback, Swarm!" Chihiro called.</p><p>The two of them both grunted, lifted their heads from where they attempted to saw the chains from their bodies, and they both scowled as the dogs came in! Swarm turned his attention back down to the chains. With a click of his cannons, gigantic stingers burst out and pierced right through the chains that wrapped around his legs! They snapped like twigs as their metal remains fell down to the ground. Swarm grunted as he stood to full height, and uprooted the chains around his arms with a single yank!</p><p>"'Bout time I caused a buzz!" Swarm cried as he jumped up and zipped right for one mutant seadog!</p><p>Swarm shouted out as he stabbed the seadog right in the gut. It screamed and winced as he flung it off to the side, only for another seadog to jump on his back and push him to the ground! Swarm gritted his teeth. His antenna rubbed together and sung with a frantic buzz as he rolled onto his back. He glared down the seadog and kneed it right in the gut. A pained whimper came from the seadog as Swarm kicked it right into another pair of mutant seadogs remaining. He leaped to his feet right as a whole pack of mutant seadogs jumped on him, burying him underneath their fur and torn clothes! Swarm's muffled screams echoed from the pile of fluff and teeth as his hands wrangled against them, but even those sunk in soon enough!</p><p>Thumpback gasped, snarled and clapped his hands together. The coral gauntlets that rested against his arms glowed with a blue tint as water burst from every little hole and cranny in them. The water soaked the chains that rested around his arms and legs until a thick layer of rust covered them! The chains rumbled and shuddered, barely able to stay around Thumpback as he trudged forward. With one last charge, they completely shattered and evaporated into dust! Thumpback leaped up and fell on his belly, slamming right into the seadogs. The seadogs and Swarm all flew into the skies and screamed as Thumpback slid past them…</p><p>And while the battle raged, Chihiro teleported back to the cage and dove behind the control panel.</p><p>"C'mon, there's gotta be something here that can unlock these cages and stuff," Chihiro grumbled as she pulled down a wooden panel. An entire mechanical panel of buttons, levers, and knobs shone in the light, and Chihiro grinned as she rubbed her hands. "Perfect!"</p><p>Chihiro grinned and pulled down a bright red lever that seemed like the trick, but all it did was cause a few soda stands to pop out of the ground! She cringed, summoned an umbrella as Thumpback smashed one stand with a seadog and sent soda raining down in a monsoon, and let her umbrella float above her as she turned back to the panel.</p><p>"Maybe this one, then?" Chihiro asked as she flicked a few switches, but that just sent sirens blaring everywhere! Chihiro screamed and covered her ears, as did everyone around her. She flicked the switches back up and sighed as the sirens went away, through the ringing in her ears still remained as she turned to the prisoners. "Would any of you happen to know what stops this thing?"</p><p>A round of shrugs met Chihiro's view. She groaned as she turned her attention back to the panel, and then, to the suspiciously large blue button that glowed as it rested in the panel's center! Chihiro paused as her finger hovered above it, and slammed it down with a shrug. A wave of blue light washed over the area around, and all the buildings and stands that disappeared cropped right back up!</p><p>The mutant seadogs all drew back and grunted as they wandered around and sniffed the buildings, but behind them, Swarm and Thumpback sneered and cracked their knuckles.</p><p>"Let's finish this, Thumper!" Swarm cried as his wings started to buzz.</p><p>"Gladly!" Thumpback shouted back.</p><p>A gigantic pillar of water erupted from Thumpback's blowhole and rained down on the streets below. Swarm slashed against it as it landed, casting out massive bursts of wind that kicked at the waters and sent them spinning, raging right through the streets!</p><p>The seadogs grunted, turned around right as the waves came in, and screamed as the waters crashed into them and washed them away! Their yelping grew fainter and fainter as the waves washed them into the distance, but Swarm and Thumpback just smiled and turned back right as the cage rescinded!</p><p>The prisoners all cheered and ran off, splashing the puddles left behind from Swarm and Thumpback's tsunami as they raced to escape. All but three of them, that is! Snuckles, Nort and Rizzo just stumbled out and adjusted their hats while the others ran off, and they all walked up to Chihiro.</p><p>"Thanks for that, portal master!" Rizzo chirped as he patted Chihiro on the shoulder. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we're gonna be on our way!" Rizzo turned around and adjusted his lapel. "The captain's manor is at the hill at the end of this carnival, and we've got a few things we'd like to tell him!"</p><p>"Then we'll join you guys!" Chihiro beamed back as she crossed her arms. "After all, you're not the only one who has a few choice words for that dude!"</p><p>Both Rizzo and Chihiro grinned, but soon gasped as Thumpback swept them, Snuckles, and Nort into his hand and laid them on his shoulder.</p><p>"In that case, hold on tight everyone!" Thumpback shouted as he yanked his anchor off the ground and squeezed its chain. His eyes turned to where the gates ahead rescinded into the ground, and a twisted frown crossed his face. "I'll have us there quicker than a flash flood!"</p><p>Chihiro smirked as she took a spot beside Rizzo, but right as Thumpback and Swarm strode ahead with them in tow, the doors of the houses ahead all slammed open! Out of the houses came an entire crowd of pirates. The pirates snarled as they whipped out their weapons, and Thumpback and Swarm just winced and drew back.</p><p>"Well, looks like we've got a fight on our hands!" Chihiro cried as she cracked her knuckles.</p><p>"Yeah!" Swarm and Thumpback cried.</p><p>The six of them screamed as they ran straight for the pirates, and the pirates straight for them…</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Within a massive row of abandoned houses, there stood a simple, unassuming alleyway lined only by stained, sticky barrels, and decaying cardboard boxes. Not long ago, these old, dead articles were probably filled with all sorts of things. Now, though, they were completely empty and abandoned, only left to decay as they sat in the alleyways…</p><p>That is, until a trapdoor on the floor burst open and tossed them into the back!</p><p>"Geez, that was the worst maze I've ever had to run through," Eruptor moaned as he crawled out of the trapdoor and rubbed his head, "and I've been through a lot of awful mazes!"</p><p>"It's a miracle we even got out of there," Whirlwind remarked as she flew out of the trapdoor and pulled Blobbers up. "If I have to look at one more mirror, I think I'll scream!"</p><p>"At least we got out of there," Terrafin panted as he and Gill Grunt hopped out of the trapdoor.</p><p>The two of them heaved up the remaining prisoners with a grunt. Gill Grunt frowned and craned his head around as the trapdoor slammed down.</p><p>"Just where in this darn carnival did those ghosts send us? I thought we were going to Dreadbeard's manor!" Gill Grunt asked.</p><p>The dragon unrolled their map, rolled it back up and sighed. "Not sure," they replied, "I only had the underground mapped out."</p><p>Terrafin frowned, walked forwardm and shot a few wary glances at the walls as he disappeared further down the alleys…</p><p>"Actually, I think I found our answer!" Terrafin shouted!</p><p>The others all gasped and bolted down after him. In response, Terrafin only gestured across the grassy lawn that the alleyways lead out to! Just behind it, a large, white manor with sparkling gemstones roofs stood tall. Atop it, flags and banners bearing the face of a seadog pirate captain fluttered in the breeze! It hadn't seemed remarkable to most, but judging by the way Terrafin scowled and the prisoners panicked, it wasn't exactly a good sight!</p><p>"So they did take us Dreadbeard's manor!" Blobbers cried as he clung to a trembling captive. "I, I think we should get going now!"</p><p>"You guys can get moving, but we're staying here!" Terrafin remarked as he cracked his knuckles. The light shone against his pearly white fangs, and he looked a tad bit scarier than normal as he drew them aside. "I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!"</p><p>"But, but, he's really scary when he's angry! The other pirates said so!" Blobbers cried back.</p><p>Terrafin's scowl faded a bit and he just glanced back at Blobbers. "Listen, buddy, we've sent this guy running with his tail between his legs once, and we can do it again!" Terrafin smirked and knocked on his chest. "'Sides, I'm not just gonna sit around and let him keep doing this!"</p><p>"Terrafin's right!" Gill Grunt cried as he raised his cannon, and the harpoon loaded into it shimmered in the light. "If we just leave him be, he's only gonna rope even more beings into doing this! We have to stop him!"</p><p><em>SLAM!</em></p><p>All eyes turned up to the manor's balcony. There, the doors shot open and a seadog stumbled out—the very seadog whose face was plastered on every banner and flag hung from the manor before them! He groaned and rubbed his eyes as he stumbled out on the balcony, and his tongue clicked as he grabbed its rail.</p><p>"Now what's with all this racket here?" Dreadbeard groaned as he finished rubbing his eyes and glanced down the balcony. "I keep hearin' yapping and yapping outside me front door right in the middle of me afternoon nap! Who could it be at this…"</p><p>Dreadbeard blinked once, twice, and gasped and drew back from his railing.</p><p>"SKYLANDEES? IN ME CARNIVAL?" Dreadbeard cried as he reached for his pocket. "HOW'D YE GET IN HERE?" Dreadbeard blinked, stumbled back down to the railing and narrowed his eyes. "Wait a second, I know ye!" Dreadbeard snarled and pointed a twisted claw right at Terrafin. "YER THE SKYLANDEE THAT HELPED TAKE ME DOWN AT PLUNDER ISLAND!"</p><p>"You bet I am!" Terrafin cried as he stepped forward. "What do you think you're doing here? I thought you learned your lesson after we beat you back then!"</p><p>"Ye wish!" Dreadbeard slammed a fist on the rails, and it twitched as he slid it away. "Because of ye and that lass, I lost everything! Me crew, me riches, me base" — Dreadbeard's brows tensed — "I had to start from scratch because of you!"</p><p>Dreadbeard's snarl lingered for a few moments more, but then it turned to a smile as he drew back and held out his arms.</p><p>"But, I have to thank ye. Because of what ye did, I got the idea to start to carnival here and rope others into working for me for all eternity! Because of this little setup here, I've made more riches than I ever did looting and plundering, it's genius!"</p><p>"No thanks needed," Terrafin hissed.</p><p>Dreadbeard scoffed, and he yanked a bright, red button from his pocket. "And this time, I won't let ye Skylandees ruin it for me!" Dreadbeard cried as he slammed the button down. "GUARDS, DEAL WITH THESE PESTS!"</p><p>Right as Dreadbeard said this, the bottom doors to his manner flung open and out flew an entire platoon of burly pirate guards! They growled and snarled as they whipped out their weapons and flexed their muscles. Their beady eyes fixed on Eruptor, Terrafin, Whirlwind and Gill Grunt, but the four of them just snarled and stepped forward as the prisoners cowered behind them!</p><p>Gill Grunt scowled, leaped forward and cranked up his cannon. As he held it out and pulled the trigger, a massive burst of water shot from it while he spun around. All the pirates around were soaked to the bone! The pirates groaned and sputtered as they spat out water and wiped it from their fur, but Gill Grunt just drew to a stop and grinned as Whirlwind flew in front of him.</p><p>"And away you go!" Whirlwind cried as she flapped his wings in a fury.</p><p>Our from her wings' blows came rolling, gray stormclouds that drew towards the pirates like magnets, but the pirates themselves just blinked. They glanced over the stormclouds for moments, yet screamed as lightning burst from the clouds and shocked them down! Sparks flew from their fur as the stormclouds poofed out of existence, but they wouldn't get to rest just yet!</p><p>Eruptor grinned, and with a few clap of his hands, scorching lava leaped out and coated the ground ahead. The grass burned away, and the earth turned hot and hard as the lava crept towards the unsuspecting pirates, who didn't even notice until the lava hit their toes! They all screamed and leaped in the air as they blew off their toes, but grunted as Terrafin leaped in and punched them down. The pirates slammed into the walls and cracked their paint as Terrafin leaped down on the cooled lava, but Terrafin just grinned and rubbed his fist against his chest.</p><p>"Hey, I just got those walls painted!" Dreadbeard cried as he shook a fist at Terrafin.</p><p>Terrafin smirked and winked at Eruptor. "That combo never gets old," he remarked.</p><p>"Never does!" Eruptor chirped as he laid an arm around Terrafin's shoulders. The two of them shared a loving glance for a moment, but both their gazes turned cold as they glared down Dreadbeard… Though, they still sneaked in one little hand squeeze.</p><p>"You're beaten, Dreadbeard!" Terrafin cried as he glared up at Dreadbeard.</p><p>"Now knock this whole carnival off!" Eruptor cried.</p><p>Gill Grunt and Whirlwind both nodded in affirmation, yet Dreadbeard just cackled and clapped from the safety of his balcony!</p><p>"Well, I'll give ye points for beating those folks, I suppose," Dreadbeard smirked as he ran his paws against the balcony's railing, "but, we're just warming up!" Dreadbeard smirked as his eyes narrowed. "After all, what kind of a pirate captain would I be if I didn't have more guards?"</p><p>Dreadbeard slammed his button down once more, and in came more, bigger guards. They were so big, in fact, that they tore off the door with their very exit! Their fur, scales, skin, and more were in sickly shades of green and blue while their eyes were blank, and drool poured from mouths lined with sharp, jutted teeth in foamy waterfalls. They looked more like zombies in pirate clothing in anything, and the way they just absentmindedly stood and groaned only further solidified it!</p><p>"GUARDS, ATTACK!"</p><p>The guards hooted, hollered, and fell to all fours as they bolted forward! Terrafin, Gill Grunt, Eruptor, and Whirlwind immediately went to arms and prepared to attack, but, the guards just pushed them aside. Instead, the guards set their eyes right on the panicking prisoners as they tries to make their getaway!</p><p>"HELPPPPP!" Blobbers screamed as one of the snarling guards launched straight for him!</p><p>His eyes turned wide as the guard came in for the kill, teeth and fangs sharp, but Terrafin flung forward and punched it aside just before it could strike! Terrafin grunted and fell to the floor, yet just before he could gather himself, another pirate rammed into him and sent him tumbling across the floor!</p><p>Gill Grunt gasped and flew in front of the pirate, his crosshairs between his eyes, but another pirate just slashed through his jetpack's tanks! Gill Grunt gasped as he turned around, and screamed as he corkscrewed into a pole! Beside him, the guards tossed Whirlwind and Eruptor back as they flew in front of two other cowering prisoners. Whirlwind and Eruptor both grunted as they shot Gill Grunt a tired look.</p><p>With the four of them out of the picture, the guards all snarled as they turned their eyes on the prisoners. The prisoners only whimpered as they backed up further and further, but finally, their backs hit cold metal! They were completely surrounded with the guards at one end and nowhere else to run. Surely, they were doomed!</p><p>The dragon's scales turned cold, and they only gulped as their knees quivered. "We're doomed!" they cried as their knees knocked together. "There's no way we're getting out of this!"</p><p>"I knew this was a bad idea!" cried an elf as they grabbed onto the dragon!</p><p>The two of them both sobbed into each other's arms as they curled in a shuddering ball. Their faces buried in each other's shoulders while they rendered themselves undignified, blubbering messes, and Blobbers himself just trembled as his eyes fell on them. Around him, the other prisoners all wailed and whimpered. They cowered the best they could and lamenting to the skies, their wails ringing in his ears while he trembled further.</p><p>"This really was a bad idea!" Blobbers cried as he fell to his knees. "I really am a goner, and there was so much I wanted to do, to!" Blobbers trembled as he pulled up his hands and counted off his fingers. "I never got to travel the world, never got famous, never revolutionized the world of mathematics…" Blobbers' hands quivered, and he broke into sniffles as he buried his head in his hands. "And now it'll never happen! It's all over!"</p><p>The mutated guards whimpered and shielded their ears as Blobbers cried. Blobbers wailed, yet his eyes fell to where Terrafin, Eruptor, Gill Grunt and Whirlwind laid on the ground, all shuddering and trembling as they pushed themselves off the earth! The other monstrous guards wandered off and closed in on the four of them, and yet, the burning, fiery looks in their eyes didn't fade! They just stood their ground the best they could as they snarled and stood with all the power in their bodies!</p><p>Blobbers gasped at just the sight, and with one last sniffle, he wiped his tears. "Wait, what am I doing?" Blobbers exclaimed. "I can't just stand around here and cower! Not when I got this far!"</p><p>With a mighty scream, Blobbers bolted forward and pounded his fists on the knees of of one monster guard! The guard grunted as it turned down and glanced at him, and Blobbers relented as he snatched the cotton candy bombs from its belt!</p><p>"This is what you get for messing with a member of the Mabu Defense Force!" Blobbers cried as he lobbed the bombs right at the monster guards. "Eat cotton candy, suckers!"</p><p>Right as Blobbers shouted out, the bombs exploded and trapped the guards in front of him in a sticky mess of cotton candy! The guards all grunted and struggled, but once again, the candy kept them bound tight! Blobbers smirked and puffed out his chest as they writhed before him, and a soft chorus of gasps and whispers came behind as the other prisoners wiped their tears and came up to their feet. They gasped in wonder at first, but then the dragon yanked another string of cotton candy bombs from one of the prisoners and tossed them in the air!</p><p>"Skylanders, look out!" the dragon cried as they shot a mighty burst of fire out and singed the bombs' fuses!</p><p>Terrafin, Eruptor, Gill Grunt, and Whirlwind all jumped up and rolled away, and with good timing, too. The moment they made their escape, the bombs exploded and coated the monstrous guards that surrounded them in cotton candy! The guards grunted and snarled as they pushed against the sticky mess of sugar and glue, yet no matter how much they thrashed, the cotton candy sealed them inside!</p><p>Terrafin scoffed at the pirates while they moaned and groaned, side-stepped the sticky mess and grinned as he walked up to Blobbers. "You did good there, buddy," Terrafin remarked as he patted Blobbers on the shoulder.</p><p>Blobbers beamed right back and nodded, but a loud groan and the sound of a tight rip sent his fur on end! His eyes glazed back to the guards as they ate their way through the cotton candy and lurched ahead, and Blobbers screamed as he leaped in the air. He stumbled backwards, legs shaking so badly it was a miracle that he was even standing at all. Beside him, Terrafin just smirked and cracked his knuckles, and Blobbers just smiled and nodded.</p><p>"Now, let's say we send these pirates packing!" Terrafin cried.</p><p>"Gladly, Skylander!" Blobbers shouted as he grabbed a stick from the ground and brandished it like a sword. Blobbers swept the stick down and his eyes narrowed. "Everyone, time to fight for your—ACK!"</p><p>A mighty crash sounded off as twisted metal and wood scattered everywhere, and the resulting gust of wind was so strong that it knocked everyone alike onto the ground! The monstrous guards fell onto each other like dominoes, the Skylanders and prisoners alike collapsed in a heap, and even Dreadbeard stumbled as he stood atop his balcony! The only ones left standing, it seemed, were two large silhouettes that emerged from the massive cloud of dust spanning over where the crash originated…</p><p>"Hey guys!" cried a familiar voice. "Sorry we're late!"</p><p>All eyes turned to the front of the lawn, where the gates were completely torn down, and in their place stood none other than Thumpback and Swarm with Chihiro, Rizzo, Nort, and Snuckles riding on their shoulders! The six of them grinned as everyone gawked in their presence, and Chihiro slid down from Thumpback's shoulders as she waved.</p><p>"Man, what happened here?" Chihiro remarked. "Did you have a party without us?"</p><p>"Don't worry, Chi," Terrafin smirked as he pushed himself off the ground. "It wasn't really exciting."</p><p>Rizzo, Snuckles and Nort grunted as they slid down Thumpback. As they stretched and caught their breath, Rizzo turned to find himself right in Blobbers' face!</p><p>"Blobbers! Thank the Ancients you're alright!" Rizzo cried as he leaped up and planted his hands on Blobbers' shoulders. "I was so worried about you, you know!"</p><p>Blobbers snarled and slapped Rizzo's hands from his shoulders. "If you were so worried about me, why'd you leave me to get captured by the pirates while you ran off?"</p><p>Rizzo blinked and stepped back. "I, I wasn't leaving you for dead or anything!" Sweat crept down Rizzo's face, and he chuckled as he ruffled his wet fur. "It was just a diversion! I figured you could probably handle things while we—"</p><p>"Ran off and left me to do all the dirty work?"</p><p>"I'd never do that!" Rizzo huffed and crossed his arms.</p><p>"Really? Then what about that time with the blob monsters? And those rowdy chompies? And the garbage collection? You're always—"</p><p>A large thump tossed Rizzo and Blobbers into the air, and they both screamed as a monster guard came charging right for them! Rizzo yanked a pen out of his pocket, and with a single press of its top, it transformed into a pellet cannon that knocked the pirate on its back as they hit the ground. Blobbers rushed over, examined the guard's toolbelt as it groaned, and hummed as he yanked a lollipop from one of its slots.</p><p>"A lollipop?" Blobbers remarked as he shook the lollipop back and forth. "What's this supposed to" — Blobbers grunted as the lollipop shimmered in his hand, and it expanded into a gigantic, lollipop-themed hammer — "do?"</p><p>Gripping the handle with both hands, Blobbers sputtered as the hammer's added weight sent him scuttling back and forth. Around him, the guards licked their lips and howled at the sight! Blobbers turned around and screamed as the pirates charged for him, but the hammer's weight sent him falling backwards. The hammer's top hit the unconscious guard right in the chest while Blobbers hung from its stick. Blobbers himself just grunted as he heaved the hammer up, and slammed it right on one guard's head! Blobbers grinned and chuckled as he just barely lifted the hammer from the pirate's head, sweat still creeping down his face, but screamed and slammed the hammer's blunt end on the head of another guard as it jumped right for him!</p><p>Rizzo just chuckled and placed his pen aside as that guard fell unconscious, and the others jumped right for him. "Put your back into it, Blobbers!" Rizzo cried as he waved to Blobbers. "Your form's a little off!"</p><p>Blobbers snarled, tripped on his own two feet, and grunted as his hammer slammed into the gut of another pirate!</p><p>Rizzo sighed as the guard slid backwards, and crossed his arms. "Hold that thing upright, too! You're not gonna get anywhere just teetering around like that!"</p><p>Blobbers heaved heavy breaths as he held the hammer up, gritted his teeth and glared at Rizzo. "Well, if you know what you're doing, why don't you fight these guys? I can barely hold this thing!"</p><p>Rizzo hummed, scratched his chin, and shrugged. "It's your fight, buddy, not mine! I'm sure you can handle it!"</p><p>"Just like I could handle the bill? And being captured by those awful pirates?" Blobbers grunted and slammed the hammer into another guard, knocking it into its partner and tossing them both into the wreckage. "It was so cold and wet down there, you know! It was awful!"</p><p>"But you got out, didn't you?" Rizzo crossed his arms together and scoffed. "Now quit complaining and fight so we can get out of here!"</p><p>"Well, excuse me, captain, but I don't see you doing anything to help!"</p><p>A bright blue flash of light shone in the battlefield, and the faint shing of swords' blades sounded as the guards flew back and bounced against the dirt like balls! Blobbers grunted and dropped his hammer as he shielded his eyes from the light. As he finally popped them open, the sight of a gigantic magic cleaver greeted him, and underneath it was none other than Chihiro!</p><p>"Save the bickering for later, guys!" Chihiro cried as she grabbed the cleaver's handle tight, so tight that it dissolved into raw magic energy. "We've got pirates to" — Chihiro grunted, reshaped her cleaver into a hammer as she swung around, and knocked a guard right in the face with it — "fight!"</p><p>A few reluctant mumbles came from Rizzo and Blobbers as they picked up their weapons and jumped into the fray. Their own arguments were barely heard above the cries and shouts of war, but Chihiro paid them no mind. She had her own fight to attend to!</p><p>She grunted as she slammed right into one guard's chest and knocked it on its back, slammed her hammer into the chest of another and kicked it back! A shadow crossed over her person, but she just flipped backwards, and knocked the hammer right into another guard's face. She smirked and dropped back to the ground as the guard fell to its knees. The guard coughed and spat out rotted fangs as it crumpled behind her.</p><p>"Chi, duck!" cried a voice behind her.</p><p>Chihiro gasped and ducked. Right in that moment, Terrafin corkscrewed in front of her and punched down a guard in front of them both! Terrafin fell to the ground as the guard whimpered and scratched at its aching chest. Terrafin jumped back into the ground and tunneled through fast as he could, churning the earth and tripping the guard underneath their own feet!</p><p>Two of the prisoners smirked at each other while the pirates stumbled and struggled to stay afoot. One prisoner sneaked a roll of licorice ropes from the belt of an unconscious guard, and whipped them out! With a few twists and snaps, the licorice ropes flew out and swung around the uprooted guards, tying them together with a quick squeeze! The guards all jolted back to life as they nudged against the ropes, but both prisoners smirked as they gripped the ropes tight, and slammed the guards into the fence's remains! The two prisoners cheered and fist-bumped each other as the guards groaned and collapsed on the ground, but the roar of whipping winds brought their celebration to a quick close!</p><p>The two of them screamed and ran off as a giant tornado ripped through with a while pack of mutant guard trapped within its winds, snarling and howling as they scrambled for some faint means of escape! Who headed the charge? Whirlwind of course! She sat behind Nort and Snuckles, her horn glowing as she strained and sweated while she guided the tornado around the yard, and she picked up as many guards as she could! She bit her lip as sweat dripped down from her forehead; her eyes could barely stay open, fighting with all their willpower not to end the tornado and shut off!</p><p>"Skylander, the pit's ready!" cried two molekin prisoners to Whirlwind's side as they hopped out of a large ditch and waved. "Bring 'em in!"</p><p>Whirlwind gulped. Her horn glowed even more furiously as cold wind whipped around her and sent her feathers fluttering! The tornado charged right across the floor with a single pulse, its winds lashing at everyone and everything in its path as it hurried for the pit! It jumped into the endless pit, and its winds completely dispersed as it dropped the guards inside with a thunk! Whirlwind panted and hobbled over to the molekin prisoners as she wiped her sweat with her wings. Her eyes turned to where the guards howled and scrambled up the pit's walls, only to slide down the cool, smooth earth.</p><p>"I didn't think I could make a tornado that big," Whirlwind remarked as she sat down and folded her wings against her back. "I guess… Even I…" More sweat fell across Whirlwind's face, and she just sighed as she pressed her belly against the churned earth. "Oh geez, I need to lay down."</p><p>Whirlwind groaned as she rested her head underneath her wings, but right as she laid down, icy water splashed against her face and sent her screeching. She stumbled backwards as a wave washed right past her with Gill Grunt chasing after it. He fed it with his cannon as it charged right for a mutated sea sponge dressed in pirate garb!</p><p>The sponge grunted as the water poured right into it, and pulled it down to the ground from the added weight. It screamed as it slid across the battlegrounds, and it knocked a couple of other guards on its back—yet its speed didn't lessen any despite the additions! No, the sponge charged full force for a few of the prisoners, who only chuckled as they grabbed lollipop hammers from the ground and shook them to full stature!</p><p>"FORE!" the prisoners all cried as they swung their hammers right into the pirates!</p><p>The guards screamed as they soared through the air, and they slammed into the legs of two particularly burly monster guard! The monstrous guards snarled and gnashed their teeth as they knocked the smaller pirates into the earth, but the moment they did, Thumpback and Swarm immediately surrounded them. Before they could make a single move, the monsterous guards got conked right in the heads and collapsed to the floor!</p><p>With those pirates defeated, Dreadbeard was defenseless! All his guards laid strung across the ruined front lawn of his manor, unconscious and unable to move, much less fight. Surely, he was done for!</p><p>"You're finished, Dreadbeard!" Chihiro cried as she glared up at him. "It's time we shut down this place!"</p><p>Dreadbeard blinked, a bit bewildered by Chihiro's proclamation, but then, he just broke into cackles!</p><p>"Am I, really?" Dreadbeard asked. "Are ye sure about that?"</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>Dreadbeard strode out from his balcony, and down through the open gap where the manor's door once was. Out before him came a Skystones booth, all sleek and shiny and new. Gold encrusted the crystal surface, cushions of red velvet rested on its seats, and even the desk stood encrusted with jewels of all kinds! Around it, an ominous ring held. It was not quite like a feeling, but more like… A beeping? A soft, beeping sound that echoed faint and hollow.</p><p>"Well, I suppose I am! I'll just have to pack things up," Dreadbeard sneered as he took a seat and patted a table, "but, before we part, how's about we play a little Skystones together as an act of goodwill?"</p><p>Chihiro blinked, frowned and stepped forward.</p><p>Just before she could take up his offer, Terrafin grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back. "I don't like the looks of this," Terrafin remarked before his frown deepened. "Is it just me, or do you all hear beeping?"</p><p><em>Beep, beep, beep…</em></p><p>Everyone around blinked and craned their heads around, and Dreadbeard only cackled and rubbed his head.</p><p>"Oh, dear me, that must be the bomb under the Skystones table! Seems I forgot to turn it off before I started!" Dreadbeard cried.</p><p>"THE WHAT?" everyone cried as all eyes turned to him.</p><p>Dreadbeard smirked as he laid his hands on the table. "This little bomb here will only defuse if ye best me at Skystones, but that's quite unlikely!" Dreadbeard's eyes narrowed. "And if ye try anything funny, it'll go off anyways!"</p><p>Gasps and insults cast under breath went all around as all eyes fell on Dreadbeard. For a moment, everyone paused, but then Chihiro stepped forward and pulled out her Skystones deck.</p><p>"Fine then!" Chihiro replied as she sat down and set up her deck. "I'll take you on!"</p><p>"Very well then, laddie!" Dreadbeard remarked, his mouth twisted into a sick grin as he drummed his fingers against the table. "Be warned, winning against me isn't an easy feat!"</p><p>"We'll see about that!" Chihiro hissed, her eyes piercing into Dreadbeard's own.</p><p>Dreadbeard chuckled as he waved his fingers over his deck, grabbed a stone from it and spiked it up.</p><p>"I play me amazibarrel!" Dreadbeard cried as he slammed a stone bearing a simple wooden barrel on its front. "Special technique, Deck O' Fun!"</p><p>A holographic barrel emerged from the stone's front and rested atop its cold surface, and Chihiro only frowned as she leaned in and raised a brow.</p><p>"So, is that supposed to do something, or what?" Chihiro asked.</p><p>"Just wait, laddie." Dreadbeard twiddled his thumbs and whistled as he leaned back in his seat.</p><p>Chihiro frowned and tilted her head as she examined the barrel further, but squeaked and leaned back as the barrel exploded into plumes of smoke that scattered around the desk! She hacked and covered her mouth as the smoke coated the battle and flew off. When she opened her eyes, she gasped. The explosion left elemental zones scattered around the desk! The corners all bore shiny element symbols on what was once a blank space, and the barrel itself remained no longer. All that rested in the center was a shattered stone!</p><p>"Alright, elemental zones! Nothing I can't handle!" Chihiro cried as she plucked a stone from her deck and spiked it up. "I play my drow witch!"</p><p>The drow witch fell on a square just underneath the shattered Skystone. In a flash of light, the drow witch popped out and cast out its fans, blowing strong winds against the board. But, the symbols just glowed and blew the drow witch's winds back at it, leaving it to scream as the winds slammed into it and completely shattered it! Chihiro gasped as the light faded, but a chuckle from Dreadbeard steeled her shock.</p><p>"That's the fun part of this little barrel here! Nothing ye can do will stop it!" Dreadbeard smirked as he picked up another stone and twirled it around. "Anyways, I play me d. riveter!"</p><p>A Skystone of a troll bearing a rivet gun fell on one of the free squares of the battlefield, and Chihiro gritted as she slapped a square with an enfuego chompy on a Fire Element space underneath it.</p><p>"And I play my enfuego chompy!" Chihiro cried over the sound of crackling flames!</p><p>Dreadbeard scoffed and pulled out another stone as the chompies claimed the d. riveter for Chihiro. "A few meager chompies aren't gonna stop me, laddie!" Dreadbeard slammed another stone on the board, this time on a Life Element space at the top of the row. "I play me root runner!"</p><p>The root runner roared as it sprung from the fields and dug its roots through the row, flipping both the stones to Dreadbeard's red before it disappeared! Chihiro gulped as her eyes fell back on the field. Two broken stones rested amid three stones that shone in a bright crimson, and nothing was on her side! The tick of the bomb below rang in Chihiro's ears as she gulped and scanned her deck, but breathed a sigh of relief as her eyes fell on her mohawk cyclops.</p><p>"Phew, forgot I had that one!" Chihiro cried as she grabbed it and spiked it up. She dropped her mohawk cyclops Skystone on the righthand side of the board. "I play my mohawk cyclops!"</p><p>A giggle came from the cyclops as it leaped up and spun around. It tossed an ax across the battlefield that spun well past the broken Skystones, and into the crimson ones, flipping those crimson colors to her blue! A soft smirk crossed her face as the cyclops disappeared, and a low growl showed that Dreadbeard wasn't nearly as pleased.</p><p>"Four to zero, how about that?" Chihiro remarked as she leaned back in her chair.</p><p>"Don't think ye've won yet, laddie!" Dreadbeard cried as he slammed another stone down. "I play me Trog Wanderer!"</p><p>A green zombie-like creature arose from the stone Dreadbeard laid down. Chihiro gulped as it slammed into her mohawk cyclops, and it flipped the mohawk cyclops over to Dreadbeard's side! With three to two, she still held an advantage, but it was a close one, one that could easily be upset! She gulped as her eyes fell to her deck, where only a spiderling and an inhuman shield remained. What to do? Chihiro gulped, spiked up her inhuman shield and dropped it in the top of the row of broken Skystones.</p><p>"I play my inhuman shield! Special move: Head Bash!"</p><p>The inhuman shield groaned as it rose from the stone, and it charged into the two broken Skystones, tossing them back into their owners decks as if they were never used! The inhuman shield disappeared as the spaces cleared, and Dreadbeard only cackled.</p><p>"Ye played right into me hand, laddie!" Dreadbeard cried as he polished another Skystone and dropped in the center of the board. "I play me amazibarrel once more!"</p><p>Chihiro gasped as the amazibarrel popped up once more, but instead of exploding and disappearing, its spikes split off towards the corners and shattered the spaces within its range! The broken rock fragments rested in pieces over the board, a crushing show of the situation at hand. Chihiro and Dreadbeard were evenly matched; they both had equal stones to their name, and no opportunities seemed to arise! What was she going to do? Chihiro gulped as she leaned back and glazed over the board, but Dreadbeard only cackled, his laughter intermingling with the sound of the ticking bomb.</p><p>"Might as well forfeit now, laddie! It's not like there's anything ye can do!"</p><p>Chihiro gritted her teeth as the beeping screeched in her ears, yet gulped as her eyes fell back on the battlefield.</p><p>"There's gotta be something," Chihiro whispered as she glazed over the board, her stones, and then the board again. And then, she stopped. "Wait a second!" Chihiro's eyes narrowed on an open side of the amazibarrel card with not a single spike to its name. "That side doesn't have any spikes!"</p><p>"What?" Dreadbeard cried as his eyes fell down on the amazibarrel card. He gasped and stumbled back in his chair, nearly falling out. "How could I have forgotten?"</p><p>Chihiro chuckled, spiked up her spiderling and slammed it on the open square. "I play my spiderling card!"</p><p>The spiderling yowled as its effigy struck and took Dreadbeard's stone—and with it, his chances of winning! Chihiro won out the board, and the game as well! The bomb clunked as it defused and hit the floor, and cheers cried all around her as she leaped from her seat. While she jumped out and basked in the cheers, Dreadbeard slunk back in his seat.</p><p>"I, I can't believe it... I lost…" he sputtered as the bomb's ticking dulled to a stop.</p><p align="center">§</p><p>Dreadbeard's eyes went as small as ants as he gazed over the Skystones board before him, the blue stones that dominated it amid cracked and shattered stones shining like stars. His eyes trembled, and he lifted his head to peer at Chihiro, who only grinned and crossed her arms. Around him, Chihiro's own allies just cheered and grinned as they tossed their hands in the air. Dreadbeard lost, and they won. It was a simple statement, but one worthy of their celebration!</p><p>"Have, have I lost my touch?" Dreadbeard sputtered as he held a hand to his his face, "Oh, I don't feel so good…"</p><p>Dreadbeard groaned as he collapsed out of his seat. As he did several of the unconscious pirates finally came to their senses, and gasped as their eyes fell on Dreadbeard!</p><p>"Cap'n!" they cried as they surrounded Dreadbeard and lifted him up. One shook him as if to rouse him awake, but to no luck. Dreadbeard just sat unconscious as he slunk down in his seat.</p><p>"Speak to us!"</p><p>"It's no use, buddies!" Chihiro cried as she crossed her arms. "Your captain here was so shocked by losing to me that it knocked him out cold!"</p><p>The pirates gasped, and Dreadbeard slipped from their grip as they stood up and glared down Chihiro.</p><p>"So YOU did this to the captain?" one pirate cried as he held out his cutlass. "You're not getting away with it!"</p><p>Chihiro scoffed, and summoned an energy sphere as she turned back to the others. "You know what to do, everyone! Let's—"</p><p>The pirates slammed a button and the world around them rumbled! Chihiro gasped while her energy sphere slipped from her hands and vanished into a puff of sparkles. Her eyes turned to the manor as the doors flung open from deep within its limits, and a massive flood of carnival sweets came rushing in! Chihiro gasped, eyes so wide they practically popped out of her skull. She turned around and crafted a star platform as she zipped off.</p><p>"RUN!"</p><p>Whirlwind took to the skies while Swarm and Thumpback swept up the others in their arms, and they all ran fast as they could as the sweet tidal wave stormed after them! Behind them, the pirates screamed as they chased right after. Before these pirates could even lay a scratch on anyone, the sweet tidal wave swept them up and sent them spinning! Its sticky-sweet waves swept up everything in their grip, from buildings to pillars and game stands. with everything it ate up in its grip, it seemed like it only added to its speed! The sweet tidal wave's waves lapped at Swarm and Thumpback's heels, and splashed sticky goop like water against the others.</p><p>"It's coming faster!" Blobbers cried as he climbed up Thumpback's shoulder and pointed to the wave.</p><p>"We're gonna get swept away!" the dragon cried.</p><p>"Not on my watch!" Swarm shouted! He held out his arms, and his stingers slammed into a building and knocked it over.</p><p>Swarm grinned and turned back as the building fell right over the tidal wave's path. Its pink waves were completely blocked off, and they could only lap at the building's surface with a rumble.</p><p>"That should keep it away for a bit!"</p><p>Swarm drew back as the rumbling grew louder and cracks formed in the building's surface! Pink ooze bled from the cracks the tidal wave pushed against the building even more furiously. The building shuddered so heavily under the weight that finally, it cracked and buckled entirely! The pink ooze came in faster than before as the building's remains sunk into its depths, and it disappeared amid a sea of syrup and cotton candy.</p><p>Swarm leaped into the air. "Or not!"</p><p>Swarm winced and flew faster, as did Thumpback who matched his pace with a run, but it did little to help them. The tidal wave gained speed and threatened to wash them away! The waters leaped up and nearly blew Swarm out of the sky. Thumpback flinched as he held the other close to his chest while the waves crashed against his back. Thumpback's eyes trailed over to a distant island, and with a soft grunt, he shoved the others into Swarm's arms.</p><p>"Carry them for me for a moment!" Thumpback cried as he whipped out his anchor. "I'm gonna try something!"</p><p>The tidal wave's roars only grew louder as Thumpback stood, but it did little to shake his concentration as he whipped out his anchor. He grunted, tossed the anchor out with a few swings, wrapped it around the island and pulled! Strained sweat poured down from his brow as he tugged on his anchor's chain, dragging the island out of the skies!</p><p>"What does he think he's doing?" Rizzo cried. "Heck, who does he think he is, an Elder Elemental?"</p><p>"He is, now shush!" Swarm shouted as he nudged the passengers in his arms. "Let Thumps work!"</p><p>"Wait, he is?"</p><p>Another loud splash hit the ground, and Chihiro winced as she floated down by Swarm's shoulder. Though, her focus wasn't on him so much as it was on the candy wave!</p><p>"Don't mean to alarm you, Thumps, but that wave's coming in really fast!" Chihiro cried as the wave raised up and roared. She gasped, and flew off as the wave slammed in and rushed for Swarm. "Swarm, look out!"</p><p>Swarm jumped out of the air just before the wave could hit him. As he hit the skies, the waves leaped up, brushing against the soles of his feet as if they beckoned for him to come down! Swarm winced and flew up higher, but as he did, his and everyone's eyes turned down to where Thumpback stayed steadfast on the ground with his hands clung tight to his anchor.</p><p>"Thumpback, watch out!" everyone cried.</p><p>Thumpback grunted and strained as he pulled on his anchor, but the sound of their shouts broke him out of his concentration just enough to catch the oncoming wave! Its sticky, gooey masses charged right for him, yet Thumpback just narrowed his eyes and yelled. He yanked the island out of the sky, and slammed it right between them and the wave in a move that shook the entire carnival grounds and everyone around!</p><p>Buildings crashed and crumbled as the distant island slammed right onto the middle of the carnival grounds. it not only forged a barrier, but knocked a couple of sheep off the island and onto the stray grounds! The sweet tidal wave smashed into the side of the island; its pink goop trickled down the island's grassy top and around its rocky bottom—but in an absolutely miracle, the wave completely stilled! A couple of drenched, sticky pirates crawled onto the island and collapsed, and others surfaced from the waves on broken, soggy boards and planks as they groaned.</p><p>"Looks like they got a little washed up!" Chihiro chuckled as she hovered before Thumpback, leaped from her platform and onto his shoulder.</p><p>"And just to make sure they don't con anyone else," Blobbers remarked as he pulled out a device. With a few taps, the device flashed on and he tossed it down on the ground. "This should alert General Robot by the time we leave! He'll have them taken care of in an instant!"</p><p>Everyone else chuckled as the pager flashed, and paused as their eyes laid on the broken carnival, which was now so quiet and still without the pirates rummaging around. Their safety seemed guaranteed, but just to be safe, both Swarm and Thumpback high-tailed it across the grounds until the background changed from carnival fare to grassy earth!</p><p>They both panted as they hiked up the hill that lurched over the carnival and strode across the grounds. Their steps were so heavy that grass popped out from the earth and flew around them. The fresh scent of cut grass and the breeze in their faces chilled their heads, and better yet, the Dread-Yacht could be spied over the horizon! As they all drew closer, the faint images of Flynn, Cali, and the others who stayed behind repairing the ship came in over the horizon!</p><p>With one last stride, Swarm and Thumpback leaped right in front of the Dread-Yacht and deposited their passengers on the deck. The Dread-Yacht's own passengers glanced over the side of the ship.</p><p>"What happened to you all?" Flynn asked as he scratched his head with the wrench he held in his hand. "And where'd you get the extras?"</p><p>"That can wait!" Cali cried as she pushed Flynn aside. "Were you able to get a new engine?"</p><p>"It's a long story!" Chihiro said as she teleported onto the ship's deck and scratched her head. "But" — Chihiro's eyes popped wide open, and she buried her face in her hands — "the engine! I completely forgot!"</p><p>"Wait, you're having trouble with your engine?" Blobbers asked as he tilted his head to Chihiro. He only grinned when she nodded. "Don't worry, we'll get it fixed up in a jiffy!"</p><p>"Really?" Chihiro's eyes sparkled.</p><p>"It's the least we could do after you saved us!" the dragon remarked as they popped their head over Blobbers!</p><p>Blobbers chuckled and nodded, but his grin turned sour as he glared at Rizzo. "Besides, unlike some mabu who I won't name, we actually try to be somewhat reliable!"</p><p>"Hey, give it a rest already!" Rizzo shouted back as he shook a fist!</p><p>Rizzo and Blobbers both snarled and shoved their faces in one another's, but Nort and Snuckles just sighed and pushed them both apart before things could get ugly.</p><p>"Come on, you two," Nort groaned as he and Snuckles dragged Blobbers and Rizzo into the engine room. "Bickering won't get that engine fixed."</p><p>A gleeful Chihiro cleared her throat and sat in the center of the deck as the prisoners descended into the engine room. Everyone else gathered around her.</p><p>"Alright, so!" Chihiro cried as she slapped her legs, which crossed together as she smirked. "This all started when we went out in search of a new engine!"</p><p>A faint chuckle came from Chihiro, and she leaped over Trigger Happy before she dashed up the stairs! As she hit the top of the stairs, she grabbed a metal post and swung around with the gusto and glee of a dashing pirate. A chuckle left her mouth as she crafted a pirate's hat out of magic, and with a snap of her fingers, the sound of faint, but jolly music echoed down from the depths! Everyone below frowned and turned their heads around in search of wherever the music came from, but Chihiro just grinned and donned the hat as her boots clicked against the metal.</p><p>"We scoured the fields far and wide, not a sight to be seen! The vast green was empty and plain as could be~" Chihiro sang as she leaped from the pole and spun around, clicking her heels in tune with the beat. "We searched hard, we searched long, and yet it seemed we failed! There was no life upon this isle, or so it seemed!"</p><p>Spyro chuckled and clapped his paws, and Trigger Happy giggled and leaped up as he joined along! The others clapped along, and Chihiro just drank in it as she tipped her hat and danced, swinging around poles and tapping her feet! She chuckled as she spun around and winked, and with a snap of her fingers, blue mist trailed out from her palms and swirled around her audience!</p><p>"Upon the hills of rolling green, we found quite the sight! A carnival full of dreams within its rugged stands!"</p><p>Chihiro sang, and the mist warped itself, changing before her eyes! It took the shape of her and her crew entering the carnival in utter enchantment with its sights. Pirates strode up to them, and they all chatted it up with smiles on their faces.</p><p>"It was quite the sight, quite one to be seen! But unfortunately, it was, it was, it was…" The mist cleared in an instant, and Chihiro's magic hat disappeared as she rubbed her chin. "Crap, I don't know what to say next."</p><p>A few chuckles came from the audience, and Chihiro herself chuckled as she skipped down the stairs and took a seat. "But anyways, yeah, we ended up at this weird carnival that was run by pirates, and it turned out that these pirates were all signed on by this Captain Dreadbeard guy, and this whole thing was a scam to get others to rack up a ton of debts and stuff and—"</p><p>The engine room's door slammed open! Rizzo popped out and whistled as he brushed soot from his paws. He opened his mouth to speak, but Blobbers pushed him aside before he could.</p><p>"Alright, took us some elbow grease, but your engine should be good as new!" Blobbers proclaimed as he pushed back against Rizzo, a forced, strained smile on his face as his voice strained to keep its cheerful tone. "Give it a spin!"</p><p>Flynn grinned, jumped out of the little circle around Chihiro, and back to the pilot's quarters. He gave the wheel a spin, and the Dread-Yacht lifted off with a creak! The wind soared against its hull while the ship drove into clouds and smashed them to wispy bits. Smiles crossed the faces of every passenger aboard as it flew!</p><p>"We have liftoff!" Flynn cried as everyone aboard cheered.</p><p>Chihiro grinned as the last of the prisoners emerged from the depths of the engine room, and snapped her fingers. "Alright, and since you fixed the engine up for us," Chihiro remarked as a pile of warp starts fell into her hands. "It's time I sent you all home!"</p><p>This time, it was the prisoners who all cheered! Chihiro started up the warps and sent them away, but her gaze lingered over to Blobbers, Nort, Snuckles, and Rizzo and her smile disappeared. Blobbers and Rizzo still glared each other down, and they looked like they were just moments away from tearing each other apart! Well, hopefully they'd get over it soon.</p><p>"Alright, you four! You're the last ones left!" Chihiro shouted as she waved them over. "The warp's ready for you!"</p><p>Nort and Snuckles just chuckled. They dragged Rizzo and Blobbers away from each other and onto the warp Chihiro created, and they all disappeared within a flash! A handful of sparkles rained down as the warp itself faded, but Chihiro didn't linger on it for long. No, the sparkles reminded her of something!</p><p>So, she dashed down to the Dread-Yacht's dorms and yanked the door open, rushing into the halls just as the door closed behind her. Her eyes glazed over the halls for moment before she dashed into her temporary bedroom, but she didn't stop to rest.</p><p>Rather, she drifted over to a dresser and opened its drawer, dropped her yellow wheel inside the draw alongside the green and red ones, and tilted her head. Green, red, and now yellow. That was the third of these strange wheels that she ran into!</p><p>"Just what are these wheels, and why do I keep running into them?" Chihiro whispered as she closed the drawer and ran her hands over it.</p>