Air Sensei Realm

Deep in the swamp where the Lair of Kaos resided, the creatures had all settled down for the night. Even the giant turtle was now comfortably asleep in its shell, its gentle snores shaking the castle on its back. Inside the castle, though, a few people were still awake.

While Kaos and Glumshanks had retired for the night, Malefor once again donned the Helm of Ultimate Wisdom to have a mental chat with the Brain. By the time Avarona returned from her duties, Malefor had finished and he turned to address her.

"My Lord, has the Brain helped you come up with a plan to conquer Skylands and the other dimensions?" Avarona asked.

"Yes, and I worked out a way to keep the Weapon Masters distracted from Kaos," Malefor replied, taking off the Helm. "All we need to do is revive Tchang Zu and tip him off that the Arkeyans were the ones that eliminated him. According to their bylaws, the Arkeyans will not interfere with his affairs, so we'll tell them that he tipped off Buck."

"Then we can begin our invasion of Metamoor?"

"Exactly. I would ask you to locate our mad scientist, but Kaos still needs your assistance in attacking the soda factory."

Avarona scowled and shook her head. "Yes, my Lord. I still wish that Azula was with us, but she was destroyed, the Arkeyans saw to that!"

"No matter, we still have our backup plans," Malefor assured her. "I shall hunt down the prisons holding the Arkeyan Empire's most insidious enemies and get them to wreak havoc in the Underworld. In the meantime, has Devina returned from her scouting mission?"

"She has, my Lord. While she failed to kill the Portal Master and his allies, she did sow enough discord to make him question his loyalty to the Arkeyans."

"Good. Tell her to send the Shadowkhan to the Sensei Realms; with luck, the Skylanders will be too busy fighting them off to know of our plans. Until Kaos needs you, you shall locate the rest of Captain Frightbeard's Lieutenants, and the remaining generals that served me long ago. I'll even allow you to invite the Skavengers into the fray too. Once that's done, send Frightbeard and Count Moneybone to me; their powers are needed for my plan."

Avarona smiled maliciously and bowed her head. "Consider it done, my Lord…"

The next morning, at the Academy, Keith and his Imaginators were watching a televised speech by Emperor Drake, learning the news of an upcoming attack on Malefor and their success against the Guacamole Monster. Rose and Sara had already left to attend to some private errands elsewhere on the M.A.P.

When Drake's speech ended, the Imaginators were stunned by what they'd seen. "Malefor must be causing a lot of problems for the Arkeyans if they're resorting to a direct assault," Tech Blast said.

"Well, as long as they're not angry at us anymore, that's no longer our concern," Sir Hoodington replied.

Keith, however, was still staring grimly at the screen. "Drake should have come back much sooner if you ask me."

"Huh?" the Imaginators asked, stunned at his words.

"The moment that stupid lizard Shendu betrayed his own son after the Tenderloins fiasco, Drake should have come to exile him and throw his sisters into the pit. Then I could have helped the JTeens recover the Eternal Sources and put an end to Kaos' plan then and there." Keith sighed and turned to leave the Academy. "It's like we say back on Earth: You want something done right, you gotta do it yourself."

Still shocked at his speech, the Imaginators swapped worried looks then followed Keith out of the Academy. As they walked, Sir Hoodington kept an eye on Keith. "I feel like Keith is starting to act like one of the Arkeyans with each passing day."

"The other Skylanders are beginning to notice, too," Sala agreed. "Chop Chop and Drill Sergeant were the first to pick up on it, and the Giants are keeping their distance. They said that Emperor Drake is reminding them of the Robot King."

"The Giants fought the Arkeyans 10,000 years ago to keep Skylands safe," Aquos added. "And now Skylands and a host of other dimensions are under Arkeyan rule once again. How ironic."

"They certainly proved their power when they destroyed Avalon and every galaxy in its dimension," Wind Shot scowled. "And now everyone's too afraid to dishonor the Arkeyans lest they suffer the same fate."

"I've heard news from the Trap Team," Terra Fist said. "Apparently, the inmates in Cloudcracker Prison are saying that they'd rather stay in jail than face the wrath of the Weapon Masters."

"Considering that Keith has seen the actions of those traitors, I'd say he's adapting well," Nightwing pointed out. "He's become a better Portal Master than the JTeens by far."

"Nightwing's right," Spell Strike said. "And as long as Keith's still in the Arkeyans' good books, then so are we."

"All the same, we should do our best to help Keith," Tech Blast noted nervously. "I have a terrible feeling that things are going to get much worse. If Malefor manages to power up the Dark Rift Engine, then we'll be facing the Darkness, as well as Kaos, Malefor, and his generals."

The other Imaginators gulped collectively, fearing the devastation that would follow.

By then, they had arrived at the entrance to the Air Sensei Realm. Keith's Sensei Reader activated, showing him the faces of Air Strike, Wild Storm, and a familiar skeleton spirit. "Alright, let's bring them out!"

After summoning Air Strike and Wild Storm, Keith used his power to bring out the third Air Sensei. The spirit wore a skull-shaped mask with blue and purple striped metal dreadlocks, golden earrings, a gold-trimmed collar, and a purple robe, and carried two blue-steel swords. A smaller skeleton spirit floated by her side, regarding the world with wide-eyed curiosity. "The Spirit is Willing!"

"Okay, let's get down to business," Keith said. "The Trap Team has told me who you are, and the Senseis would have told you about me. But please introduce yourself to the Imaginators."

"I am Bad Juju," the ghostly being replied. "The spirits have chosen me to make your Imaginators strong, Portal Master Keith! And teach those Swashbucklers a thing or two, with my special Secret Technique Voodoo Magic!"

"I'm glad to have you on my side," Keith said. "The Arkeyans may have given me the freedom to summon you and the other Villain Senseis, but they're not giving you any slack."

"Don't remind me," Bad Juju murmured. "Governor Ventus threatened to use me as target practice for his lightning, and to fry me like they did to Shendu's ghost and the ghosts of all those who dared to betray the Empire. It wouldn't do for Juju Junior to grow up without his mother."

Keith looked down at the smaller spirit. "Wow. I had no idea you had a child."

"I conjured him up one day after I was captured," Bad Juju explained, smiling and patting her child's head. "That's when I decided to change my ways and set a better example for him. And Eon had just happened to be looking for another Swashbuckler."

"Well, let's see what you can do for us now," Keith said, turning to his Imaginators. "Wind Shot, you're with me. The rest of you, stick around and train with the Senseis. We'll be back soon."

Arriving on a balloon floating high in the clouds, Keith, Wind Shot and the Air Senseis were treated to a worrying sight. Jet-Vac was blasting away a group of Bat Khan, Blades fought off another group of Khan with his Cyclone Swirl, and Whirlwind soared over their heads, using her rainbows to fight the Khan or heal her allies. There were a few Shadowkhan left, which meant the battle was over just after Keith arrived.

After the Shadowkhan were cleared out, Jet-Vac spotted Keith and went to talk to him. "Thanks for meeting us here, Keith, Skylanders."

"What's going on, Jet-Vac?" Keith asked. "Why are there Shadowkhan in the Air Sensei Realm?"

"They're here because Malefor sent them," a new voice answered.

Keith turned and saw an Arkeyan sorcerer walking up to them. The new arrival wore a green tunic marked with a symbol of the Eternal Air Source and a cap over his blonde hair. His white pants fitted neatly over his legs and were tucked into his brown boots. "Who are you?"

"Keith, Senseis, this is Link," Whirlwind replied, landing next to them. "He's Ventus' cousin, and a Sorcerer of the Wind Element."

"Governor Ventus sent him here to investigate Shadowkhan activity in the Sensei Realm," Blades added grouchily. "They attacked us as soon as we arrived, and it took all our efforts to clear them out."

"Thanks for that," Keith said. "So, what did you need us for, J.V.?"

"Well, guys, I realize that this isn't quite related to the main adventure, especially with the Shadowkhan attacking, but I assure you that this is important." Jet-Vac turned to look at the sky around their balloon. "It's about the very quality of our air itself. I'm not saying that all of our machines and fossil fuels are polluting our environment but, well… Well, I guess that is exactly what I'm saying, huh?"

"Yeah," Keith replied, looking at the noxious purple and green clouds. "It does look pretty awful."

"Indeed. Luckily though, wind power is the solution." Jet-Vac pointed to an enormous fan on the other side of the area. "More specifically, turning on this giant fan and blowing the pollution away. I'll need your Mind Magic and of course my giant fan fixing abilities."

"We'll go with Jet-Vac and meet you there," Link said. "And do not fail this. Ventus is still harboring resentment to Rose and Sara, and he won't be happy if you mess this up."

"Understood," Keith retorted. "But I still need their help against Malefor."

"Anyway, turn on all the little fans in the area that you see. The more fans, the merrier," Jet-Vac finished before taking off into the Air Realm, followed by Link, Blades, and Whirlwind.

"Hey guys," Wind Shot called, joining them. "While you were talking, I found a Troll Radio and got the Imaginite Chest."

"Good work," Keith smiled. "Now let's get going."

As they set off up some steps, the clouds billowed over them. Keith began to cough and splutter at the pollution. "Jet-Vac wasn't kidding. This smells worse than the Secret Sewers of Supreme Stink."

"Here's the first fan." Wild Storm pulled a lever and switched on the fan, which blew away the smog and revealed the path ahead.

On they went, switching on any fans they found. Wind Shot discovered one of the treasure chests along the way and collected it for himself. They then jumped onto some balloons that carried them to another path.

"Hey, there's a Soul Gem over there," Air Strike said, pointing to a stationary balloon. "Birdie, go get it."

With a screech, the falcon flew over, grabbed the Gem in his talons and brought it to Keith. "Thanks, Birdie." Keith scanned the Gem with his Reader and got a preview of its owner. "This is Wild Storm's Soul Gem. Your new ability could come in handy some day."

"The power is strong with this one," Wild Storm agreed.

"Let's keep going, guys," Air Strike called. "The fight waits for nobody."

As they set off, Wind Shot looked back and noticed Bad Juju floating at the rear. "Hmm, she hasn't said a word since we met Link. Is she concerned for her safety, or perhaps that of her son?"

Just then, the group heard a series of screeching sounds and looked up just as a flock of Bat Shadowkhan burst out of the pollution. Then a crowd of Inflatrators ran towards them, surrounding the area. "We've got a fight on our hands," Keith cried, drawing his swords.

"Time to meet your destiny," Wild Storm growled.

"Spinning Bird Fist!" Air Strike sent out his falcon who flew around the Inflatrators, forcing some of them towards its owner. Keith helped out Air Strike in fighting them.

Wind Shot fired a scatter shot at the Bat Khan, but the bullets were blown away before they could hit. "What the…? Something's blocking my shots!"

"The spell's coming from the smog," Wild Storm cried, zapping some Trolls with lightning. "Bad Juju, see if there's a fan nearby!"

Though Bad Juju shook nervously, she dashed through the enemies, slashing the Trolls aside, until she found a fan and switched it on. As the smoke was blown away, Keith spotted a pair of floating figures on the paths. "Air Spell Punks! They're the ones casting the protection spells!"

"Ooh, you awakened the wrong spirits now!" Bad Juju declared. "Go out and play, son!"

"Playtime!" Juju Junior cried, zipping towards the nearest Spell Punk. While Bad Juju dealt with the second Spell Punk, Juju Junior's mischief forced the other into the range of Wild Storm's sword.

Wind Shot then turned to the Bat Khan and fired again, taking a few out. "Twisting Tornadoes!" He then summoned a pair of powerful tornadoes at the other Bat Khan, finishing them off.

Just as Keith and Air Strike finished off the Inflatrators, another flock of Bat Khan swooped out, firing lasers from their hands. Air Strike, Wild Storm, and Wind Shot were hit, while Keith summoned a shield in front to protect himself. Juju Junior barely dodged the lasers as he hurried back to his mother.

"Summon Sensei Weapons!" Keith yelled, switching his swords for the energy pistols. Wind Shot joined his creator in shooting down the Bat Khan. But a third flock dived in to attack.

"Three waves of Shadowkhan?" Wind Shot gasped. "What's going on?"

"Malefor's trying to wear us down," Keith guessed. "But we can't fail! You all know what happens if we do!"

Bad Juju started to tremble again, but she stood her ground. "Bad Juju take it from here. Snack time, Junior!"

"Yay!" Juju Junior cheered, as his mother fired a bolt of lightning at him. He then floated up to the Bat Khan and blasted them with a wave of electricity, ending the fight.

"Whoa!" Keith gasped. "How did you get that?"

"Bad Juju found a treasure chest while looking for the fan," the Wind Spirit explained. "There was enough for me to buy two upgrades for my son." Juju Junior floated back to her and received a pat on his head. "Mama so proud of you, my boy."

Keith went over to Wild Storm and Air Strike, wincing when he saw their wounds. "Are you alright?"

Before they could reply, a rainbow shot out of the clouds and hit the two Senseis. Keith stared in amazement as their injuries faded then he looked up with a smile. "Whirlwind!"

"Hey guys," Whirlwind called, hovering over the group. "Link saw the number of Shadowkhan in the area, so he sent me to help out. I'll do my best to provide my Rainbows of Healing, but I can't stay too long in one place or the Bat Khan will attack me."

"Okay, thanks a lot," Keith replied, waving at her as she flew back into the clouds.

After Bad Juju gave the rest of the treasure to the other Senseis for their upgrades, the group pressed onwards and soon arrived in the Balloons Balloons Balloons zone where they ran into yet another large army of Bat Khan, flanked by Buzzard Barons, Snot Snatchers, and Inflatrators.

"You punks are looking for a fight, you sure found one!" Air Strike cried, raising his fists.

"Let's kick this fight off by Gunslinging it!" Wind Shot lifted both pistols and shot a concentrated barrage of bullets at the front ranks, wiping out half the Snot Snatchers. "I learned that from Tidepool and Dr. Krankcase."

Wild Storm leapt into the middle of the army and slashed at the Buzzard Barons with his sword, before head-butting through them to go again. He managed to find another fan and switched it on to clear away the pollution.

Bad Juju surged forward and slashed at the Inflatrators endlessly. "Get them, son!"

"Here I come!" Juju Junior cried as he flew out, zapping the enemies with bolts of lightning.

"Summon Sensei Weapons!" Keith's swords were replaced with boxing gloves, these ones now equipped with sharp spikes. "Whoa, looks like my spell is getting stronger."

"Before long, you can summon any Sensei Weapon, like Rose and Sara can," Air Strike replied, helping Keith fight off the Shadowkhan.

Before long, the first wave was defeated, but a new wave of enemies and Bat Khan appeared, this time aided by Air Spell Punks.

"Guess we're not finished yet," Keith sighed. "Wild Storm, now would be a good time for your Sky Chi!"

"Right on!" Wild Storm cried. "Out of thin air! Sky-Chi: Unchained Lightning!"

His sword opened up and began to spin, shooting a bolt of lightning into the sky. Wild Storm raised it up and began to run around the field, zapping all the enemies around him. "Are you blown away yet?"

As Wild Storm's Sky-Chi attack ended, a third army of Shadowkhan flew out of the clouds to attack. "Okay, this is officially getting ridiculous," Keith groaned. "Air Strike?"

"Say no more, Keith," Air Strike replied. "Sky-Chi smackdown: Fight and Flight!"

Air Strike leaped onto Birdie's back and the pair soared towards the Bat Khan, leaving a trail of tornadoes in their wake. Dodging their claws and lasers, they struck hard and fast at the Shadowkhan, wiping them out in a matter of seconds.

"Nicely done, Air Strike," Keith called.

The Air falconer landed back on the balloon with a weary but satisfied smile. "Who wants some more of that, huh?"

"Well done, guys," Whirlwind called, swooping out over them. "The Bat Khan numbers are diminishing quickly in this realm."

"Thanks, but this has not been easy," Keith panted. "We're practically running on empty."

"Here, Link wanted me to give you this." Whirlwind drew closer and threw an assortment of food at Keith then used her rainbows to heal the Skylanders. "You're almost at the big fan. Keep it up."

As Whirlwind flew back into the clouds, Keith and his team ate some of the food and were soon feeling recharged. They then continued their journey across the Realm, switching on more fans to clear the way.

At one point, the fan blew away the smog and revealed a rather strange sight. "Is that… Eruptor?" Keith cried, seeing the Fire Skylander floating in the sky.

"No, I think that's a balloon shaped like Eruptor," Air Strike replied. "And look, there's another Selfie Spot right in front of it."

After Keith took a Selfie with Wind Shot and the Air Senseis, they set off again, and soon they reached the Hazy Maze. They took their time getting through the area, fighting off Snot Snatchers and Buzzard Barons, switching on fans to blow away the contaminated clouds, and collecting more treasure to upgrade their attacks.

At the end of the maze, they ran into another large group of enemies and Bat Shadowkhan. "Alright, team, divide and conquer," Keith decided. "Bad Juju, Wind Shot, go look for some fans. We'll need a good amount of visibility for this. Air Strike, Wild Storm, stick with me and recharge your Sky-Chi; we're going to need it."

"Understood," Wind Shot and the Senseis replied.

"Summon Sensei Weapon!" Keith cried, his twin swords transforming into a single larger sword. "Let's get 'em!"

He and Wild Storm charged into the fray, slashing and swiping through the enemy ranks. Air Strike helped out by punching and sending Birdie out to scatter his exploding feathers.

While they fought, Wind Shot ran around the outside, shooting down Trolls and Spell Punks. At last, he found a switch and pulled it, activating a hidden fan. Bad Juju found one on the other side and sent out her son to switch on.

"Great job," Keith called, seeing the smog billowing away. "Alright, Senseis, let them have it!"

"Out of thin air!" Wild Storm cried.

"Sky-Chi smackdown!" Air Strike yelled.

Air Strike jumped onto Birdie and went to attack the Bat Khan, while Wild Storm helped out by zapping them with lightning. Keith, Wind Shot, and Bad Juju focused their attacks on the other enemies, ending the battle.

"Phew, that was intense," Keith sighed.

"Yeah, but at least we leveled up from it," Air Strike replied.

"I've reached Lv. 6," Wind Shot replied. "Now I can use Epic Gear."

"Portal Master, an Imaginite chest has appeared," Bad Juju called. "That's sure to lift our spirits."

Keith opened it and received a pair of Doomlander Barbarian Arms, but he didn't look happy about it.

"Something wrong, Keith?" Wild Storm asked. "We got a new piece, didn't we?"

"Yeah, but it's not part of a set," Keith replied. "And I need one to create a new Imaginator… an Undead Imaginator."

The Senseis all gulped nervously. "Oh man, we all know who the Arkeyan Governor of that element is," Bad Juju murmured, shaking in fear.

"Yep, all the more reason to find a full set ASAP," Air Strike agreed.

The team jumped onto a balloon which took them up to another switch. Keith switched it on and as the smoke was blown away, they found themselves looking up at the Really Big Fan.

"Hey, guys, you made it!" Whirlwind called, flying down to meet them. "The Bat Khan have retreated for now, and we guessed you had something to do with it."

"That's great," Keith replied. "Let Link know that we're coming up."

"Okay," Whirlwind said, flying back to the fan. "Jet-Vac is just about done with the repairs. Don't take too long though."

With that, the group continued onwards and upwards, locating the third treasure chest and two more fans to clear away the pollution. Eventually, they found Jet-Vac, Link, Blades, and Whirlwind waiting for them by an enormous electric socket and plug.

"Well, guys, I think I've got the main fan all fixed up and ready to go," Jet-Vac told them. "We just need your famous Mind Magic to turn it on."

"Roger that." Keith, Wind Shot, and the Senseis pointed their hands at the plug and focused. Link watched as the plug began to glow and then floated into the socket.

Instantly, the giant fan began to turn, slowly at first but gradually gaining speed. "Brilliant! It's working!" Jet-Vac cheered.

Keith turned and saw the noxious clouds disappearing against the unrelenting wind. "We did it!"

"Yes," Jet-Vac agreed. "All the air pollution is being blown to…well, I'm not quite sure but the point is, it's no longer here anymore and I can live with that."

"As can the rest of Skylands," Link added. "Well done, Keith. Ventus will be pleased to hear of your success."

"I should hope so," Keith said.

"You deserve a reward, Keith, and I'm not just talking about breathing clean air again. I was thinking more something like this instead." Jet-Vac held up an Imaginite Chest. Keith opened it and unlocked the common Air Elemental Aura and an Ultimate Sorcerer Weapon, the Eaglewise Scepter.

"This will be great for when I make a Sorcerer Imaginator," Keith said. "Come on, guys, let's head back to the M.A.P. I've got some great ideas for my next Imaginators…"

Hidden in the clouds above the Sensei Realm, Avarona watched as Keith and the Skylanders teleported away. Next to her hovered the shadow dragon that'd attacked Keith in the Sky Fortress. "I'm sorry, Avarona. Our plan has failed."

"It hardly matters, Devina," Avarona replied. "It seems that the Villain Senseis are still terrified of the Arkeyans."

"And you have further news from our Master?"

"Yes. We've received a message from a different version of Malefor from another dimensional timeline. He's sending his version of Tchang Zu right to the Arkeyan Empire to tip them about the dishonors committed by the exiled Arkeyan Princesses." Avarona then gave a sinister smile. "What's more, we've discovered that his timeline is currently at the day after the Tenderloins Fiasco."

"Perfect!" Devina cried. "So, this was before the Arkeyans learned of what the foolish JTeens were up to. This gives us a chance to change that universe's future and put it under that version of Malefor's control. Now, tell me about that scientist that Malefor found. Doctor Eggman Robotnik, wasn't it?"

"Our Master managed to rescue him just after his Mega Death Robot was destroyed," Avarona explained. "And he's been putting his remaining piece of the Phantom Ruby to good use. Thanks to Doctor Eggman, Malefor has been successful in wiping out the other versions of the JTeens, without any interference from the Oracle or the Congregation of Candracar."

"Nice," Devina laughed evilly. "But we still have to do something about Keith."

"Don't worry, there are other Realms he has to visit," Avarona reassured her. "For now, we must report back to Malefor. Then we can plan our next assault."

With that, the two dragons flew away from the Air Sensei Realm…

Author's Note: Sorry for the late post. I've been dealing with college. Either way thanks to all who took the time to read the story and a big shout out to BentleyGirl for helping to edit.