Lantern Power, who owns Isabel and Vegas, asked for this one. Here you go, Amiga! Enjoy! :)

Skylanders belongs to Activision. Lego Dimensions and other familiar things mentioned belong to their respective owners. I own nothing.

Rethink Your Path

"Alright, here we go," said Isabel out loud as she readied herself with her purple Chaos Emerald in her hand. She was currently in Skylands practicing her powers with Rattle Shake watching her. Taking a deep breath, she jumped up into the air. "CHAOS BLAST!" She cried out.

The blast demolished the target she had been aiming for, but suddenly the blast went wayward and hit the sky with a loud clap and a sound like something tearing came a moment later and Isabel looked up to see a dimensional rift in the sky.

And that wasn't the only thing. Someone fell from that dimensional rift and landed nearby. The Undead Portal Master's eyes widened at seeing it was Lord Vortech, a villain from the popular Lego Dimensions game. As the rift in the sky closed, Vortech tried to stand up, but after being a year in the rift, the lack of food and exercise caught up to him and he felt to the ground as limp as a wet spaghetti noodle. He then saw Isabel and tried to speak. "T-Th-Than-Thank-,"

That was all he got out before he passed out.

Isabel, having instantly recognized him, felt some pity for him and the suffering he had gone through and she didn't want him to suffer or possibly get killed if she left him. Rattle Shake came up to her and looked concerned. "He doesn't look so good," he said.

She nodded. "Can you help me get him to the Academy med bay?" She asked.

Nodding, he did and Isabel watched over Vortech, who began to wake up after a couple of days, but before he could even think to use his powers, the girl put a charmed necklace with a moon pendant that she had made with her Emerald around his neck. It would restrain his powers unless she granted him permission to use them and it was linked to her Emerald, so only she could release his powers.

Vortech then woke up. "Where am I?" He asked.

"You're in Skylands in the Academy med bay," Isabel said.

Sitting up, he put his hand out to use his powers, but was shocked when nothing happened before finding the necklace around his neck and he couldn't remove it. "That necklace restrains your powers," she said to him. "You can't use your powers unless I give you permission."

He glared at her. "Release my powers, girl!" He demanded.

"No," she said firmly.

He glared at her again and was about to demand she release his powers again when he suddenly felt like he couldn't move and Isabel smirked, holding up her glowing Emerald and a light purple aura surrounded Vortech, keeping him pinned down. "I'm only going to say this once, Vortech, so listen good," she said. "If you continue being evil, no one will help you with anything and you'll forever be alone."

He looked at her, some fear now in his eyes and she glared at him. "That's what you'll be, because just like you said, friendship is a weakness."

Being mocked with his own words stung much worse than having his powers restrained and when Isabel left him in the med bay, loneliness engulfed him and he really felt alone.

And it didn't get better during the week. Other Portal Masters shunned him upon seeing him, calling him a freak, and the other inhabitants shunned him too, not even looking his way or even coming near him. Vortech began to get more depressed and felt even more lonely and sad with his past memories running through his head. It got to the point that when he was alone at night, he would actually cry silently.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't handle being isolated because he feared he might hurt himself and possibly go insane. He saw Mags come in. "Excuse me, Mags?" He said politely.

That made her pause and turn to him in surprise. "I was wondering if I am well enough to leave the med bay. I need to find Isabel," he said.

Mags looked pensive, but checked all the same. "You're cleared," she said and sensed his next question. "Isabel is in the library."

Vortech got up. "Thank you," he said softly before walking out, leaving a rather stunned and pensive Mags in the med bay.

No one approached him on his walk to the library and many sent him very dirty looks and sneers and many gave him a wide berth. These actions only made him feel more depressed, but he held onto a small hope that maybe Isabel could help him. Rattle Shake saw him and glared at him. "What do you want?" He growled.

"I'm looking for Isabel," Vortech said. "Mags said she was in the library."

Rattle Shake's glare increased. "If you try anything, we'll send you back to that rift for good," he said warningly before leaving the villain, who entered the library, finding Isabel reading by one of the windows. As he approached her, she saw him and put aside the book, turning to give him her full attention.

Vortech looked very forlorn as he took a deep breath. "You were right, Isabel," he admitted. "While being isolated in the rift was once thing, to be isolated and shunned among others…it's something I can't bear."

The Undead Portal Master, sensing that he truly meant it, felt more pity for him and watched as he looked at her with a look that clearly showed he was afraid of rejection, but had a small amount of hope. "Isabel, would you reconsider and…be my friend?" He asked in a small voice. "I promise that I will give up my life of evil to get rid of my isolation."

Smiling at him as she could tell he really meant it, Isabel nodded. "I'll accept you as my friend, Vortech," she said. "And as long as you trust me, I'll trust you."

Relief washed over Vortech and he gave her a grateful look, joining her in reading some books until an alert came in that Count Moneybone was causing trouble. Isabel grabbed her Emerald. "Come on, Vortech," she said. "You can help me in this battle."

He nodded and they went out to stop the evil count, but during the battle, Isabel got injured when the Count threw a bone attack at her. That made Vortech angry, but this time, he became very protective of Isabel and in thinking about her, he calmed himself down and felt his power flowing into him and he blasted back the evil Count, finding his powers at the max. This excited him and he began to grow larger and taller as a result, since he had no control over that when he got excited.

But it turned out to be a good thing because he now had the advantage and using his powers again, Vortech struck a severe blow to Count Moneybone's army, a blow that had concussive results, destroying the rest of the Count's army and the defeated villain retreated. Going back to his normal size, Vortech quickly grabbed Isabel and ran back to the Academy to the med bay so that she could heal.

To pretty much everyone's surprise, he never left her side, helping Mags tend to Isabel's wounds and making sure she was comfortable. When Isabel finally woke up feeling completely better, she hugged him and he hugged her tightly in relief.

Later on, they were walking around the Academy. "Isabel, how are you feeling?" Vortech asked her.

She smiled. "I'm fine, thanks to you, Vortech," she said. "Rattle Shake told me about you defeating Count Moneybone's army."

He nodded and then breathed in deep. "You know, being in Skylands is a lot more settling than my own home," he admitted. "I want to restart here and build a better reputation."

Isabel smiled, glad that he was choosing to stay in Skylands rather than being somewhere that he was most well known for being a villain. "It would be better to do so here too," she said. "Instead of somewhere where everyone will see you as just a villain."

He nodded in agreement and the Undead Portal Master took his hand. "And I know just where you can stay," she said, leading him to her and Rattle Shake's home in Skylands. The Undead Swapper met them there and hugged Isabel before turning to Vortech.

"Your actions in saving my girl and helping her get better have shown me that you truly seek redemption," he said with a smile. "Welcome, my friend."

Vortech was overjoyed, thanking both Rattle Shake and Isabel profusely as they went inside and he was shown his new room and was also tackled by a smaller version of Rattle Shake, whom he learned was actually Vegas, Rattle Shake and Isabel's son, who instantly asked if Vortech was his uncle.

"Yes," said Isabel. "He's your uncle Vortech, Vegas."

The joy that filled the former villain made him even more glad that he had changed his ways and he vowed that he wouldn't lose his friendship with Isabel and Rattle Shake, nor would he disappoint little Vegas, his new nephew.

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GoldGuardian2418