Draco kept close to Gerazi as they made their way to the market. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but something in Draco's gut told him that one of Merzai's little wards was nearby.

"Excuse me sir, may I interest you in a little detection?"

Draco paused as a merchant behind a large stand came out wearing his usual leather clothes and gold war paint on his face. He held out a little egg decorated with little rubies for Draco to observe.

"If anything is strange or vile in nature, the egg will have it's rubies turn dark. The perfect detection of anyone who might not want to be found."

Draco got interested, but luckily for him Gerazi intervened.

"Nice decoration, but I'm afraid we'll have to pass."

The merchant wasn't about to give up easily.

"What if I told you I noticed a weird looking saurian pass by here with this dark energy ward?"

That got Gerazi to pause.

"What kind of saurian?", she asked, "What did she look like?"

"Not sure.", the merchant said, "Kept a dark cloak over herself so it was hard to see, but those claws on her foot looked decayed like a fungus was starting to set in. She came by here a while ago heading for the well not far from here. She had a stone totem that looked like it was possessed."

"Sounds like dark magic.", Gerazi said as she and Draco hurried off, "Thanks."

"Any time.", the merchant answered.

Gerazi and Draco made their way through the stands and fellow saurians before they found the large well surrounded by normal looking walls. As they got close, Draco felt a strain on his chest and flinched.

"What?", Gerazi asked.

"Something evil is in that well.", Draco said.

And that was when a rumble made the sounds of the market die down as saurians started looking suspicious and some of the little ones were looking a bit scared. Gerazi bolted up to the well and started drawing runes around it. The rumbling got louder and Gerazi had finished the rune and started chanting in a strong voice. The runes began to dance and the well started to shake. Draco backed off with the other civilians and that was when a large stone totem rose from the well's depths and fungus started appearing on the well's roof. Gerazi kept chanting and soon, a bolt of light shot out of the sky and hit the well causing the totem to crack and it's glowing eyes to shatter. The totem fell back into the well, but the fungus shriveled and died. Only then did Gerazi stop and lift herself up as the runes vanished away.

"It's alright.", she said, "It's gone now."

/

Back in Limbo, the Aerowing landed next to a floating rock and Wildwing led his team out.

"Tell me why we're stopping here?", Nosedive asked.

"It's better on foot.", Canard answered, "Besides, the other teams should be making progress."

The ducks had decided to split up so they could cover the rifts more easily. Wildwing went with Canard and Nosedive and the Aerowing shifted into a key chain which he placed on his belt. The moment they got close to the domain nearby, Nosedive looked a bit worried.

"Hey, isn't this where Thrash and Mook said they tried to cross, but got sucked into another rift and wound up at the Pond?", he asked.

Canard shrugged.

"Well, only one way to find out."

They got close and had just jumped to the edge when all the colors shifted to black and white and a thick fog hung in the air.

"Great, now I feel like I'm in one of those old monster movies.", Nosedive griped, "Who designed this whole place anyway? Dracula?"

The whole area was bleak and foreboding even though it was in black and white, the ducks felt the shiver of fear grip their spines. Something was off about this place, but what? Canard tensed.

"Someone's here."

A wisp of ghostly energy surged from the ground and vanished as quickly as it came.

"That was weird.", Nosedive said, "Any idea where this disturbance is?"

Wildwing reached up and tried doing a scan with the mask only for it to spark and die.

"Darn, can't scan.", he said, "Guess we're on our own."

Nosedive looked a bit spooked.

"Big bro, I don't think we should split up around here. This place gives me the willies."

A loud wolf howl sounded getting their attention. Canard got Aura ready and Wildwing brought out Shield. Nosedive got out Arrow and had an arrow ready to fire.

"Let's move.", Wildwing said firmly.

They started off unaware that a shadow fell on a rock nearby. A large set of claws covered with thick fur gripped the top of the rock and a low growl followed. After going a few more yards, the ducks came to a murky looking swamp with creepy trees lining the sides.

"Get out."

The ducks froze.

"Did you hear something?", Wildwing asked.

"I did.", Canard answered, "And it said-"

"Get out."

Nosedive gripped Arrow tightly.

"Tell me that wasn't a warning.", he said with his voice clearly revealing he was a bit scared.

The swamp's surface started to froth and bubble and the ducks noticed faces in the water that looked decayed and deceased which made them leave quickly.

/

Adam hovered ahead as Klegghorn and Phil jumped to another floating rock.

"Do you have to fly?", Klegghorn asked.

Adam shrugged.

"Any idea where we're going?", Phil asked, "My feet hurt."

"You'll get over it.", Klegghorn said firmly, "Wildwing said the disruption should be around here somewhere."

They went a few more feet when a floating house came into view. After going up to the door, Adam gave a few knocks. There was no answer so Adam knocked again.

"Guess nobody's home.", Phil said, "Well, I think we should-"

Adam opened the door and looked Phil's way.

"You first."

Phil went pale.

"Me?", he asked, "But what if there's a rift to another dimension in there? What if a horrible monster lives there?"

Klegghorn smacked Phil on the back of the head.

"Suck it up Palmfeather.", he said firmly, "You're a duck. Start acting like one."

Phil could see that Adam and Klegghorn were not going to be swayed so he cautiously went up to the door and held the handle still looking nervous.

"Can't we just-"

"Open the door.", Adam said firmly.

Phil did quick and ducked. Nothing happened as Adam and Klegghorn came to the door and looked in.

"Hey, look at the art.""

Phil opened one eye and saw that the door led to a fine art gallery with fine paintings hanging on the walls, sculptures in marble and stone, and many more.

"Wow.", Phil said forgetting his fear, "What's an art gallery doing here?"

Adam and Klegghorn entered with Phil following. Not long after, a voice came out.

"Welcome to the audio tour of Artistry Realm."

At that moment, a painting nearby shimmered and a person stepped out. Her hair looked like it was a rainbow of colors and she was dressed in a flowing gown with abstract art decorating it, and fancy high heels.

"Please follow me.", she said, "And please don't wander off cause it's easy to get lost in here."

She started walking down a hall with the ducks following. As they passed a painting, Phil touched one and it rippled like the surface of water.

"And we reach the first stop on our tour: the art of cave painting.", the guide remarked.

There was cave paintings all over the walls like the ones that cave people used to draw. As Phil touched one again, it rippled again.

"That's amazing.", he said, "It's almost like you can walk right in."

The guide grinned.

"Oh, but you can. Go ahead. Jump right in."

Adam paused, but observed as Phil did so. He vanished for a second and then the painting on the wall drew Phil which moved.

"Hey look, I'm art!"

Then the paintings of the sabertooths came alive also and started chasing him. Phil screamed and Adam reached in and pulled him out. The moment Phil came out, the painting went back to what it was before Phil went in. Klegghorn looked a bit miffed.

"Maybe we should try and not to touch the art while we're here.", he said before turning to the guide, "Lady, did you notice anything weird going on around here?"

"Please hold all questions until the end of the tour.", the guide said cheerfully, "Thank you."

/

Duke led Mallory and Clyde towards a landmass that looked like a forest trapped in the season of fall with the leaves being red, yellow, orange, and gold.

"Are we there yet?", Clyde asked, "I'm going to have to sharpen my saber really soon."

"Clyde, you should've done that before we left.", Mallory said firmly, "Besides, we have a job to do. That rift is just beyond these woods so keep your eyes open for anything suspicious."

The moment they went in, the ducks felt the place grow cold and the whole forest shifted to winter with blankets of snow and ice hanging like ornaments on the branches and making the flowing streams stop.

"That was weird.", Duke said, "It's like this place shifts now and then."

They hadn't gone far when the snow grew soft and started to melt. The floor became green and flowers bloomed as the snow vanished away and spring took it's place.

"Any idea where the way out is?", Clyde asked.

Mallory looked around and noticed an archway made of two trees bending and joining at the top. It looked promising and the moment she and the two others went through, they came to an open area with yet another landmass floating a good several feet away. This one had a tower that looked old and abandoned for many years. They had just jumped away from the forest as summer was setting in and the warm rays got warmer. They landed on a bunch of floating rocks that became bikes and they started peddling towards the new area.

"I'm guessing the tower is where it's at?", Duke guessed.

Mallory checked a scanner that Quasleet had designed and a beep went off as she aimed it towards the top of the tower.

"It's there alright.", she said, "We go in, find this rift, close it and get back to the Pond."

"Well that doesn't seem so tough.", Clyde said, "Duke and I are skilled in places such as these when we have to be."

Mallory groaned.

"I know.", she said, "But did Wildwing have to pair me off with the two con men of the teams?"

Clyde looked a bit offended.

"Hey, we prefer unappreciated vigilantes. Looks better on the resume."

Duke however didn't react. He had grown to Mallory not liking working with him, but he got why she did after that one time he had to be on the straight and narrow side of the law. Once they got to the tower's base, a door appeared and opened.

"Guess we go in?", Clyde guessed.

"Keep your guard up.", Mallory said firmly, "We don't know what's in there."

/

Tanya hopped to another rock with Grin and BRAWN before a blip on her radar came up.

"Well the rift is right over the hill.", she reported.

BRAWN's shiny face lit up.

"Well ain't that a relief. Usually I don't mind the exercise due to me being a robot, but even I have limits."

Grin however looked a bit unsure.

"One must not judge by outward appearances.", he said sagely, "I'm sensing a disturbance in the area ahead."

They went up the hill and came to a landscape that looked like everything was made of clear plastic. The grass, the flowers, the trees, even the rocks looked like they were plastic. After they landed on the grass, a few blades bent and then broke into puzzle pieces which got the duck's attention.

"Well that certainly isn't normal.", Tanya said.

BRAWN's eyes lit up and it's arm became a four barrel cannon.

"Warning: unidentified life form approaching!"

The ducks got ready as the grass nearby rustled. Then out came a bunny with a plastic carrot in it's plastic paws. BRAWN quickly put it's cannon away.

"Never mind.", he said, "False alarm."

The bunny turned and hopped back into the bush and the group continued on til they came to a large lack that looked like it was plastic also. BRAWN stepped on to it only to sink like it was water and then lifted his metal foot out and reveal it wasn't wet.

"Now what?", he asked.

Tanya noticed a bunch of clear puzzle pieces nearby which were brown and an idea came to her.

"Looks like we build a boat or something."

Grin picked up a piece and looked a bit nervous.

"These pieces are strange even for my inner strength."

Tanya observed another and after a bit, she put another with it and BRAWN looked observant.

"Apparently this is a three dimensional which would explain the weird piece formations and in order to get across this lake, we need to put the puzzle together."

With Grin and BRAWN helping, Tanya got an entire boat crafted and built from the puzzle pieces and after they all got in, the boat drifted across only to get a bump halfway to the other side.

"What now?", Tanya asked looking over the side.

And that was when a large shark that looked like it was made of gray plastic puzzle pieces jumped out of the waves and was about to open it's large mouth, but Grin punched it hard on the nose and it fell apart into a pile of pieces that fell into the lake and sunk.

"Wrath and pride destroy a mind while honor and wisdom enforce it.", Grin said sagely.

BRAWN did a check on his radar and pointed to a huge plastic puzzle castle far off.

"Rift detected! Castle at twelve o' clock."

/

The color materialized itself near Temporal Caverns where the keepers resided and his smile broadened.

"Ah, no place like home.", he snickered.

Before he even stepped into it, the keepers materialized before him.

"Go no further.", Observer said harshly.

"You have no business here.", Phage added.

The color chuckled.

"Long time no see boys."

The keepers gasped.

"Tempus?!"

Tempus smiled and nodded his tentacle mouthed head.

"Glad you remember me. I never forgot the result of our endgame. How could I? Chroma interfered when he shouldn't have."

"I only did what was best for the time line.", Chroma said firmly, "And in my new position, Observer, Phage and myself will defend it. Even from you."

Tempus' smile didn't flinch.

"Like I said before Chroma, you can't kill the future. I've now inherited a great deal of power that managed to keep death from claiming me, but you probably already knew that."

"And we know how this confrontation is going to end.", Phage said firmly, "You're actions can not be overlooked like before Tempus and you know it."

"I agree.", Tempus said, "And that's why I'm here."

And that was when Tempus launched himself forward and the keepers retaliated. Even though it was three against one, the fight was even. Observer had materialized a battle staff while Phage brought out a ball and scythe. These held on for a bit as Chroma got out his katana blade.

"Remember this?", he asked.

Tempus frowned and ran a hand over a large scar on his chest that looked foreboding and still healing.

"The blade that you used to sever my being. Still, I brought another familiar blade myself."

Several large scythe blades materialized and went on the offensive, but Chroma kept these at bay. After about several more confrontations, Tempus backed off and the keepers did too.

"Show offs.", Tempus said firmly.

"That was a warning.", Phage said coldly, "You may have repaired your shattered form, but your power is limited for being cut off from Temporal Caverns."

"For now.", Tempus answered just as cold, "But this is only a start. We'll see who outlasts who."

And in a huff, Tempus and his blades vanished away. Chroma turned to his fellow keepers.

"We know.", Observer said, "We thought the same too."

"Should we tell the ducks what's going on?", Phage asked.

Chroma brought up four baubles that showed the four teams in their respective locations and the keepers all smiled.

"Nah.", Observer said, "Why ruin the fun?"

"And if Tempus tried to interfere here again, we'll be waiting.", Chroma added.

"Like we never are?", Phage asked, "Besides, this could make good entertainment to pass the time wouldn't it?"

To be continued...