Chapter Fifty-One: The Right Solution

It was a beautiful day at Eon's Citadel. The sunlight streamed through the tiny window of Pop Fizz's personal alchemical lab, illuminating the dank little room. Aside from that, he didn't really know what the outside world currently looked like. He was too busy on his newest potions to check. But that steady stream of sunlight had to indicate a beautiful day!

Pop Fizz mixed a few ingredients together, putting them through the strainer. They gathered together into a sparkly green liquid that bubbled at the sides of the beaker. He held the beaker close, studying this new concoction. He had to test it as soon as possible. It was simply too difficult to resist.

Before he could bring the beaker to his lips, however, the door to his lab opened up. Gill Grunt paused at the entryway, glancing around at Pop Fizz's alchemical equipment, before saying, "Are you busy, Pop Fizz?"

"Um, incredibly busy," Pop Fizz huffed, showing off his new concoction.

"What's that supposed to be?" Gill Grunt asked, scratching his head.

Pop Fizz looked at the beaker, pursing his lips together. "I don't know yet," he admitted. "But won't it be exciting to find out?"

"Hey, why don't you take a break for a moment and come see Master Eon? He wants to talk to you about something."

Their Portal Master wanted to see him? It had to be about something incredibly important. Was it another mission? Was there someone in need of healing? Usually everyone knew to give Pop Fizz his space when he was in the middle of working on his potions. He should probably come see Eon right away.

Pop Fizz placed his concoction on the table, following Gill Grunt out of the lab and shutting the door behind him. He paused as he heard a strange fizzling sound behind the door, but shrugged it off and kept following Gill Grunt down the hall. They travelled up a flight of stairs and turned toward another door. Gill Grunt opened this one, leading them into a sitting room. Eon stood in this room alongside Chop Chop and Stealth Elf, who just finished putting up a banner on the back wall that read "Intervention".

Pop Fizz ran a hand through the blue fur on his head, gulping. Master Eon was standing on his own again, without the use of crutches. Indeed, he had been looking much better since their...incident...with the ninja master wish six weeks ago.

That could only mean one thing…

"M-Master Eon, are you really sure I still need anger management lessons?" Pop Fizz urged him. "As in, really, super, incredibly-"

"Those were the conditions we agreed to," Master Eon insisted. "Until I healed from my wounds, your anger management classes would be postponed. And as you can see, I've made a full recovery."

Pop Fizz grimaced. "Yes, it seems that way."

Stealth Elf furrowed her brow at him.

"N-Not that I'm not glad that you're better, Eon. Far from it!"

Master Eon knelt down to look him in the eyes. "You seem to be lacking self awareness, which is the only reason why I've been giving you those lessons to begin with," he explained. "Pop Fizz, are you aware of what your Beast Form does to your mind? Are you aware of how short it can make you? You've been unable to catch yourself before these outbursts escalate, and I want you to relearn how to control them."

"That's just my Beast Form!" Pop Fizz insisted. "And it only lasts for such a short time! I like to think that I get angry at reasonable things, just like everyone else does."

"It's not a problem to get angry, but it is a problem to let anger control you. Do you even recognize how out of control these outbursts get?"

Pop Fizz crossed his arms, hoping to get out of this conversation so he could get back to work.

Master Eon stroked his beard. "I don't mean to upset you. Indeed, I might be getting slightly cross myself," he muttered sheepishly. "This isn't even the point of our conversation. I just wanted to try out a new teaching method for you. A mentoring system! I'll invite someone to mentor you who's already taken these lessons to heart."

"Who could possibly be like that?" Pop Fizz wondered.

The fireplace suddenly rumbled with a strange sound. An orange-reddish creature plopped down into the grate, causing the fires to roar up slightly. The creature climbed out of the grate, emerging into the sitting room to reveal itself as a lava monster- Eruptor, to be exact.

"Him!?" Pop Fizz gasped in bewilderment. "Eruptor's the angriest Skylander who ever lived!"

Eruptor smirked, crossing his arms. "Maybe, little dude, but I've grown and changed over these many years," he replied. "I know how to be properly angry. I don't blow my top the way I used to, and it's thanks to Master Eon."

"I'm sure Eruptor can make a great example for you, Pop Fizz," Master Eon insisted. "He'll probably be more relatable than an old curmudgeon like me, at least."

Pop Fizz blew air out of his nose. "Does this mean I'm free to go?" he asked.

"You can return to your previous activities," Master Eon nodded.

Pop Fizz jumped for joy, thanking him and leaving the room. He made his way down the stairs, but didn't even travel halfway before he noticed Eruptor following him. The lava monster kept smiling, staring at him as if he was supposed to do something. Pop Fizz glared at him, finding himself growing annoyed by his presence.

"You don't have to follow me around everywhere," Pop Fizz insisted. "I'm sure around the time of my old lesson meetings, you can come and fetch me."

"Right, right," Eruptor nodded. "Except I was thinking of hanging out with you for a day to see what kinds of events triggered your outbursts of anger. You don't think we could do that?"

"I'm thinking we could do it tomorrow. I kind of need to get back to work."

"Alright, alright, I get it."

The two of them scooted closer to the railing as soon as they saw two newcomers come up the stairs. The first was a young woman, racing to the top with great excitement. She had on white armor, though the sleeves and pants had familiar black-and-gold trimmings. A buff penguin followed after her much more slowly, urging her to slow down. He too had armor in that familiar black and gold. Curious, Pop Fizz followed after them, watching as they went over to the sitting room where Master Eon currently was. The Core Skylanders that were in there made their way out, heading to another room to give each other space. Pop Fizz hugged the wall and peered through the doorway, watching as the two strangers cheered in excitement along with Master Eon upon seeing them. In fact, the old Portal Master gave the young woman a spinning hug, managing to lift her up despite his growing frailty.

Eruptor peered through the doorway as well, noting with a whisper, "Aren't those the Sensei Skylanders? Man, those guys are pretty reclusive."

Oh yeah, they had to be. All Senseis wore that black-and-gold armor in some shape and form. Pop Fizz couldn't believe he'd forgotten that. Two different Senseis just visited the Citadel less than a month ago.

"It's great to see you, Uncle Eon!" the young woman smiled. "How have you been!? You look alright- I heard you got hurt a while back!"

"I'm fine, believe me," Eon promised her. "Yes, I did get hurt, but it wasn't too bad. I could still carry you throughout the Citadel if I wanted."

"Oh you!"

Eon looked over at the penguin. "King Pen, how is everything over at the Dojo?" he asked.

"Everyone's doing great," the penguin promised. "Everyone's settling in fine, getting used to their routines. Heck, we're training some kids from the local villages again."

"That's great. I know those children will appreciate those self-defense moves if danger ever rears its ugly head in the future. Maybe they'll wish to become Skylanders when they're grown."

"It always warms my heart whenever we start training children."

Master Eon released the young woman from their hug, asking, "You two couldn't have possibly come all the way out here just to say hello, right? Was there something you needed?"

The penguin looked to his side, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I needed something from you," he began slowly. "I just thought it would be nice to bring Aurora along so she could say hello."

Eon patted the young woman on her shoulder, and she suddenly spluttered in surprise and embarrassment. "Well I do appreciate that, as she must, right?"

"Of course, Uncle Eon," the young woman nodded, her face turning red.

"What was it you needed?"

The penguin twiddled his flippers together. "I wanted to discuss the new recruits for a minute," he explained. "Basically how they're progressing, and what we can improve to make them feel more at home, you know."

"I see."

The young woman nodded. "I'll give you two some space, then," she decided. "I'll wait by the kitchen, okay?"

"I'll come by to see you later," Eon decided.

The young woman left the room. She paused to wave hello at the snooping Pop Fizz and Eruptor, and made her way back down the stairs. Pop Fizz and Eruptor brought their attention back to Eon's conversation with the penguin Sensei.

"It's been a while since Chain Reaction's boot camp, right?" Master Eon asked. "I'd assume everyone from there is doing well, since they forged bonds with each other."

"Yeah, they're doing pretty great," King Pen confirmed. "Aurora already knows a lot about protocol, so she's been leading the others in following that. They're not quite used to the layout of the Dojo yet, but they're not shy about asking us. Actually, Rory's started helping to train the kids we're working with. They absolutely love her, and she's so patient with them."

"She's always been like that. I'm thankful she's flourishing so much there."

"Barbella's practically begging for a larger role in leadership. She has a commanding attitude about her, and she's eager to get us up in the morning and get our blood flowing. There isn't a single mission she hasn't taken without that same energy."

"I might've expected as such considering her background."

"Buckshot has taken things a bit slower than them. He's taken a bunch of missions, too, but he usually turns down bigger missions in favor of scouting missions. He tries to be friendly with everyone on the team, even those who prefer their space. His cheerful attitude would suggest confidence, but his slow approach is a bit confusing when you consider that."

"Perhaps he doesn't want to overdue it."

King Pen shrugged. "Maybe. But we don't want him to hold back for too long. Especially if this slow approach causes him to be left behind by his friends."

Master Eon stroked his beard. "Maybe he's not as confident as he appears. Next time a big mission comes up and you want to offer it to him, why don't you take it with him? Reassure him of his skills?"

"That could be. I'll ask him about it when I get back."

"Anything else?"

"Flarewolf is doing surprisingly well. He seemed a bit shy the first few nights, but he seems pretty comfortable now. He asks for missions, assists us with anything we need. Actually, Tri-Tip might have helped with that one. He took him under his wing."

Master Eon chuckled. "He's usually pretty gruff, isn't he?"

"As gruff as they come."

Master Eon then grimaced. "And...Wildstorm?"

"Wildstorm's finally coming around. Chain Reaction had to set him straight, but he's finally opening up to us. He's become friends with Buckshot, and he just has the cutest little rivalry with Boom Bloom."

"I can just imagine it."

"And yeah, he takes missions just fine, and is willing to train alongside us. Though he insisted on not helping train the children. Wildstorm actually seemed uncomfortable standing near them. He's probably not ready for that part of Sensei work yet."

"At least he's making progress. I was actually kind of worried that I'd disrupted your guys' normal routine by inviting him there, as mean and stern as he appeared when I met him."

"You disrupted nothing. If we couldn't handle a few bumps in the road, could you even call us Senseis?"

Master Eon smiled in relief.

King Pen stared down at his flippers again. "They're not...why I wanted to speak with you today. Not even Wildstorm."

Master Eon raised his brow.

"It's about Starcast."

"Starcast?" Eon wondered. "I thought he'd adjust to the Dojo the easiest. He seemed eager to come with you."

"It seemed like that, too. First two weeks went great. Starcast understood protocol, understood how missions worked, and he did wonderfully training Boom Bloom. But then a few weeks ago, he suddenly started getting confused and distracted. He stopped taking missions as often, and he always returned quite banged up from the missions he did take. And he was usually so calm before, not usually raising his voice too much if anything did upset him. But now he's getting short with us, snapping about really small things. And after he snaps at us, he just grows super dejected about it, because even he knows that it wasn't right. Something's going on, and he won't tell us when we ask him."

"Yeah, that is strange."

"I was thinking you might know him better than the rest of us. You were the first one to meet him, after all."

"I'm afraid I didn't get to spend enough time with him before he left for your Dojo. Though he seemed to be a completely new being to the world. I can't imagine how much background he might have developed before our meeting. Maybe I could come by and see for myself what is going on."

"You want to? It would be nice if you could. We'll readily welcome it."

Starcast needed help? Pop Fizz remembered liking him, from what little time they spent together. And he did help in postponing his anger management lessons, so that was a nice touch. They were practically friends. And Pop Fizz didn't want to leave a friend to their troubles.

So he knocked on the doorframe, alerting Master Eon and King Pen to his presence, much to the Portal Master's ire.

"I'd like to help," Pop Fizz announced. "I'm sure I could come up with a potion that would remedy the problem."

"We don't exactly appreciate you listening in on what was supposed to be a private conversation," Master Eon said sternly.

"You should've closed the door, then."

Eruptor walked up, his globby lava hands pressed together. "Maybe I can help him work out his feelings," he insisted. "You know, help Starcast acknowledge that his emotions aren't negative. It would be good practice, at least."

King Pen furrowed his brow. "The more the merrier, then?" he wondered.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt, at least for a while," Master Eon decided. "Alright, you two, as long as you promise to be helpful, you can come to the Sensei's Dojo with us."

Pop Fizz and Eruptor gave each other a high five, only for Pop Fizz to recoil as he realized too late why that was a bad idea.


The Sensei's Dojo was quite an impressive place, with several towers connecting the main building, tons of training equipment, and a great plethora of Portals for their convenience. There didn't seem to be as many Senseis here as there were Core Skylanders at Eon's Citadel, making things pretty quiet. If Pop Fizz wanted to set up shop here, he could make as many potions as he wanted without disturbances.

But that would not be the main thing he did during their stay.

He did bring a giant suitcase of alchemical supplies just in case. Pop Fizz was sure that those skills would come in handy.

But Master Eon made their mission quite clear. They were to talk to Starcast and understand what was going on. He didn't want a magic potion to clear an issue just yet. Pop Fizz sort of understood the reasoning behind it, but he still thought a potion would solve the problem much faster.

They looked around the Dojo for a while, eventually finding Starcast in the training yard. The four-armed alien dude fired shurikens at several training dummies, though his moves seemed slower and more calculated than the last time Pop Fizz watched him. Didn't Starcast usually move pretty quickly when it came to training? Maybe his special concoctions were tampering with his memory again.

But still, Pop Fizz decided to greet him. He walked up to him, shouting, "Hi there, Starcast!"

Starcast jumped in alarm, but relaxed when he saw Pop Fizz. His arms sagged when he relaxed them, and his eyes appeared red. He seemed...lethargic. Pop Fizz knew exactly what was wrong with Starcast once he analyzed these features.

"Hello, Pop Fizz," Starcast muttered. "You gave me quite a shock. What are you doing out here, anyway?"

"Master Eon and Eruptor are here, too," Pop Fizz told him. "We thought it would be fun if we came to visit."

"That's...nice."

"How have you been?"

Starcast rubbed his face. "I've been well," he insisted. "I've been rather busy, actually. It's not as if I'm a recruit, they brought me on to be a teacher almost immediately. But it's... been enjoyable."

It sounded like he was leaving something out.

"How have you been, though?"

Pop Fizz smirked, adjusting the straps of his bag. "Life's been pretty good, if I do say so myself," he began. "I've been making potions, going on adventures, the usual. Oh, I could show you some of my potions! Wouldn't that be fun?"

"It sounds quite interesting."

An awkward silence fell between the two of them. Pop Fizz went to reach for his bag, but then he saw Eon and Eruptor walk into the yard. He looked back at Starcast, noting how he stared at the ground with glazed eyes. Did he even notice them coming by?

"Lookie here, it's Eon and Eruptor!" Pop Fizz announced, again causing Starcast to jump in alarm.

Eon and Eruptor noticed them, coming by and greeting Starcast. They engaged in the same greetings Pop Fizz had done earlier, talking about various activities they had been up to. Starcast tried bringing up various missions, though Pop Fizz noted how he constantly stumbled over his words and repeated his sentences. And so Eon brought up the question.

"Are you feeling alright, Starcast?" he asked.

Starcast paused in his current story, freezing up. He stared at them worriedly, though his gaze stayed steady toward their feet rather than their faces. "I might be...a bit weary. It's been a busy few weeks...you know," he stammered. "I want to make sure I get everything sorted out,"

"I think a break might be in order," Eon insisted. "I'm sure you've more than earned it."

"...I'm fine, I promise. Do...do you mind if we meet up again later?"

"Not at all. We'll probably be in the area for a few days, so we'll have plenty of time to spend together."

Starcast nodded, walking away from them and heading elsewhere to continue training. Pop Fizz watched him leave, already thinking up potion recipes in his head. He turned to Eon and Eruptor, his hands clasped together while he gave them a wild grin. The two of them looked at him with furrowed brows. They didn't seem to trust the look on his face.

"I have the perfect potion in mind to fix Starcast's problem!" Pop Fizz announced.

"It's only been a few minutes since we've spoken to him," Eon replied sternly. "I told you to wait before trying to fix this with a potion."

"No no, it's nothing crazy. I just want to make a special sleeping potion for him."

Eon's expression lightened, and he went to stroke his beard. "A sleeping potion?"

Pop Fizz nodded, his whole round body shaking from the effort. "I'm not the only one who saw it, right?" he persisted. "Red eyes, sagging limbs, constantly staring down- and, it was kind of hard to tell since his complexion is so dark, but I'm pretty sure he had bags under his eyes. He's exhausted, and I'm sure that once he gets some sleep, he'll be back to his normal self in no time."

Eruptor looked up at the clouds in thought. "He did look pretty tired, didn't he?" he wondered. "Except…"

Pop Fizz set his hands on his hips. "Except what?"

"You know how crazy some of your potions can get? Some of them are acidic, some cause memory loss, not to mention your beast potion. Any potion too crazy will do more harm than good to poor Starcast."

Pop Fizz huffed in response.

"Besides, he's already pretty tired. He doesn't need anything to induce sleep. He just needs to give himself a moment to get some. We should be working toward encouraging him on that front."

Master Eon looked at the two of them. "It could be anxiety," he suggested. "He could be having difficulty adjusting to sleeping in a new place. Yet, King Pen said he seemed fine the first few weeks. I'll have to find him again to discuss Starcast's current sleeping habits. In the meanwhile, we could try and make something that would work as a coping mechanism."

Pop Fizz eagerly grinned at him.

"...That most likely would include a sleeping potion of some kind."

"Woo hoo!" Pop Fizz cheered. "I better get started!"

Eruptor made a move to say something, but Master Eon already left to meet back up with King Pen. He bit his lip, looking at Pop Fizz nervously. Then he gave him a stern frown, trying to mimic the Portal Master's authoritative stance.

"I think I'm going to go down the safer route," Eruptor insisted. "I'll make him a cozy blanket by gathering supplies from the nearby market. You should probably gather ingredients that you know will give you the desired effect."

"You seem stricter than usual," Pop Fizz frowned.

"Maybe I am, but that's because I'm mentoring, trying to teach. Because this time around, you're not making a potion for yourself, you're making it for Starcast. I'm not sure he has the same tolerance for weird potions like you do, and it's just important to keep him safe. You know, be aware of what he can and can't handle."

"It's possible he could handle a lot of stuff."

Eruptor pressed his glob hand to his face, as if he were pinching a nonexistent bridge to a nonexistent nose. "It's just better to be safe than sorry," he concluded.

Pop Fizz crossed his arms, upset at the leash they insisted he stayed on.

Only to quickly realize… they did have a point. They were here to help Starcast. It wouldn't be of much help if a potion he took caused his stomach to melt or his body to change into that of a beast's. Pop Fizz could be a bit...reckless at times.

This was that "self awareness" thing Eon talked about earlier, wasn't it?

"You've got it," Pop Fizz nodded.


They stayed by the Dojo for several days, hanging out with the Sensei's while trying to work out a solution to Starcast's problem. Eon talked with every Sensei he could in order to analyze the four-armed ninja's sleeping habits, Eruptor worked on the blanket he wanted to make, and Pop Fizz busied himself with making a sleeping potion. The blue gremlin gathered as many ingredients as he could, analyzing each one to thoroughly determine their effects. He gathered as many books on the subject to aid in his search for the perfect recipe for his sleeping potion. In order to ensure Starcast's safety, he had to take all precautions.

Eventually, while doing his studies, Pop Fizz came across an already-existent sleeping potion recipe. So much for guesswork, the most exciting part of his alchemical work. But right now was not a time for fun. He had to help Starcast, and an existing recipe for the preferred potion would do that.

So Pop Fizz stuck closely to the recipe he found, gathering enough ingredients to make dozens of potions, which he promptly put labels on so he could tell them apart from his other potions. He knew he had followed the recipe to the latter, and was sure that it would have the desired effect he wanted. But something still nagged on him. He wanted to ensure that Starcast was safe, so he ought to test the potions out first. But Starcast had a different physiology from most other creatures in Skylands- heck, he came from outer space, didn't he? How could Pop Fizz determine what effect the potion, as it existed now, even had on such a strange creature?

One morning, Pop Fizz invited Starcast to perform some tests for him. The blue gremlin gauged his speed, his heart rate and blood pressure, his strength, and put him through a few cognitive tests. Pop Fizz collected as much data as he could so he could determine the effects of the potion on Starcast's body.

Only to reject every piece of data he collected.

The results were already skewed due to Starcast's sleep deprivation. Multiple studies in Skylands already existed that determined what lack of sleep did to a creature's body- how it affected blood pressure, cognitive function, and everything else. So far, he didn't seem any more alert than any other sleep-deprived individual already living in Skylands. Pop Fizz was sure that the cognitive tests he gave Starcast were already bunk, due to how confused and distracted he clearly was. Why wouldn't the rest of the data be messed up, too?

He had to trust that sleep deprivation affected Starcast the same as everyone else. Why couldn't he trust that the sleeping potion would give him very few bad side effects?

It happened just shortly after the conclusion of the tests, however, that Starcast caught on to the reason for Eon and the Skylanders' visit. (Pop Fizz hadn't told him the exact reason for the tests.) While Pop Fizz had been going over the results to determine their lack of value, the four-armed ninja had been lazily looking at the pile of books and notes left around the floor. Among those, he had come across the sleeping potion recipe and asked Pop Fizz about it.

Pop Fizz grimaced, aware that he had been caught. If it were just him, he would have been honest about it immediately. But Master Eon had urged the Skylanders not to bother Starcast about his sleeping problem until they had found a reasonable solution for it. In trying to clear up his confusion, Pop Fizz had no choice but to come clean.

Starcast frowned bitterly upon hearing it. "I don't need the whole world prying into my problems like this," he shouted. "Everyone else at the Dojo has already harped on me about how tired I look, and I hoped that friends wouldn't come visit just to do the same!"

Pop Fizz looked at him in shock. So there was that snapping that King Pen had mentioned before. Starcast did seem to be pulling away from conversations when he started appearing irritated.

Indeed, even now, Starcast seemed to realize it. He turned away sheepishly, muttering, "Sorry. It's been getting on my nerves, and I've wanted a break from it."

Pop Fizz scratched behind his ear. "So you do want a break after all," he wondered.

"Look, I know how to take a break. I take an hour long break each night, where I might doze for a few minutes before starting work again."

"There's twenty four hours in a day, man. And most studies estimate that around eight hours are needed for the fullest benefits of sleep."

Starcast crossed his arms.

"It's alright to take a longer break. You've earned it."

"...I really don't want to."

Pop Fizz scratched his head in confusion. "Look, there are dozens of other Senseis here that can take the load off-"

"It's not just about the work we have to do here. It's...don't you know how big the world is? How much there is to see and do? I want to experience as much of my new home as I can, and I want to be conscious of everything I see and do. There's just never enough time in the day, and why should I waste what little time there is by sleeping?"

Pop Fizz furrowed his brow, biting his lip. "I think we all get it, but it's not healthy. You have to accept that you can't-"

"I don't want a lecture from you! Unless one of your potions can keep me strong and alert while negating the need for sleep, I don't want to hear another word of this!"

Starcast then rubbed his face. "...Sorry, again…"

Pop Fizz had one other potion in his collection that might do that. It was a simple potion with only two ingredients in it- which was the only reason he could easily remember it. But it was a personal potion. Starcast probably didn't have the tolerance for it. But Pop Fizz couldn't find a solution that would satisfy the four-armed ninja.

"I might have an idea, but I don't know if it'll agree with your body…," Pop Fizz muttered.

Starcast looked back at him, surprised and delighted. "Show it to me," he urged him.

Pop Fizz dug through his supplies, finding the necessary ingredients and mixing them together, creating a potion that glittered like crystals. "I use this one to keep me alert during the day, when I need to get a lot of projects done," he began. "Have you heard of caffeine?"

"I'm not sure from where…"

"Have you heard of coffee?"

"I've definitely heard of that."

"Well caffeine is the stuff they put in coffee that's supposed to wake you up. One day, though, I decided that this 'coffee' business wasn't really doing it for me. So I found some liquid Radiance and decided to add a few sprinkles of caffeine to it, and that turned out to heighten the caffeine's power. Just one drop of this stuff helps keep me alert all day. I theorized that taking one drop a day would keep me awake for six years."

Starcast excitedly went to grab it. "That sounds great! Let me try it out!" he begged.

Pop Fizz held the beaker away from him. "Thing is, I've only tested it on myself," he elaborated. "I don't know how this will affect you."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. It's only a single drop, right?"

Pop Fizz studied the beaker, dread growing in his gut. He then looked at Starcast's pleading eyes. He sighed, handing him the beaker. "Remember, just one drop. Don't exceed that amount," he warned him.

Starcast gleefully took it from him. "You've got it!" he cheered. "Thank you so much."

Pop Fizz nodded, but he was certain that he'd made a big mistake.

The rest of the day went by without too much incident. Pop Fizz, Eruptor and Master Eon reconvened at the Dojo's entrance to discuss their findings. Eon sat on the front steps appearing quite dejected, while Eruptor notably didn't have any special items on his person. Pop Fizz brought his sleeping potions to them to show off, explaining the recipe he found.

"Glad you found one," Eruptor smiled. "I was still pretty worried you'd just test random things and hope they worked."

"It's for Starcast. I couldn't possibly do that," Pop Fizz promised him. "What happened to your blanket?"

Eruptor sighed, crossing his arms. "The plan fell through," he moped. "The thread kept snapping apart in my hands. I think my hands are too hot for them, but the cloth pieces I was working with didn't even get singed."

"Thread is pretty thin. Maybe you should've asked someone to help you."

"Maybe. But even all of the Senseis are so busy. They have those kids to help train, and you guys have been busy too, and there wasn't much opportunity to ask."

Eon rubbed his temples. "I'm not sure I'm any closer to an answer than I was when we got here," he sighed. "I've asked every Sensei here about Starcast's sleeping habits. They all said he slept perfectly fine the first two weeks, and it just changed one day. There wasn't any change in routine, or any great events they hadn't prepared him for. They've all asked him what's going on, and he's brushed them off as he has with us."

"Is there anything you've sensed around him?" Eruptor asked. "How did you say it worked? You can sense the emotions of people you've bonded with? Can you do the same with Starcast?"

Eon shook his head. "It's part of the reason why I wanted to come here and see him," he explained. "It came as a complete surprise to me that Starcast was having such a difficult time. Even when a Skylander is far away, I can usually sense a small part of what they're going through, whether it's joyous or troubling. I should've been able to do the same with him. But I had absolutely no clue of how he was feeling, and when I meditate and focus on him in specific, all I see is this blank gap where he should be."

"Is it his sleep deprivation that's causing it?"

"I can't imagine so. I've dealt with sleep-deprived Skylanders before, and I could always sense that they were tired and why they were tired. I can't even sense that Starcast is sleep-deprived. If I hadn't come here, I would never have known. I might have to spend a greater amount of time here in order to establish a firm bond with Starcast."

"Didn't you say that the Core of Light was your main priority? What would happen if you were away for such a long time?"

"I don't know. Nothing good, I'm sure. But the Skylanders are one of my priorities too, no matter how far away they are from the Core of Light. I can't simply ignore Starcast if I can help it."

Eon stood up, looking at Pop Fizz. "At the very least, we can start by helping him get to sleep again," he announced. "Pop Fizz, how did he react upon taking the sleeping potion?"

Pop Fizz looked at the ground, gritting his teeth together nervously. Oh, he really was in trouble, wasn't he? Maybe he could lie and make something up so it didn't sound as bad. But Eon wasn't exactly the easiest person to lie to, especially not if you were a Skylander.

Indeed, Eon already seemed to guess that something happened just due to his posture. "It didn't go well?" he asked.

Well, there was no getting out of this, Pop Fizz decided. He might as well come clean.

"Um… funny story, actually," Pop Fizz laughed sheepishly. "Starcast didn't… want the sleeping potion. He said it was a waste of time for the things he actually wanted to do, which included exploring. He wanted something that could keep him alert without the need for sleep, so-"

"You didn't actually give him anything like that, did you?" Eruptor grumbled sternly.

Pop Fizz didn't reply immediately.

"What exactly did you give him?" Eon asked.

Pop Fizz bit on his claws. "I remembered I had a formula for a potion to keep myself alert," he mumbled. "I told him about it, and-"

"You didn't give him anything that only you've used, did you!?" Eruptor shouted.

"I told him how best to use it! And it wasn't as if I immediately jumped to that as a solution, either! I told him how important sleep was, and I warned him that I had only tested the potion on myself, but he didn't care!"

Eon looked to his side, coming up with a response. He then asked, "Did he get angry with you?"

"He did snap at me a couple times, just trying to change the direction of the conversation. Starcast admitted that he was getting annoyed with everyone asking him about his sleeping routine."

"Maybe their worried pleas have turned into pestering for him. It still doesn't get to the heart of what's actually going on, though. Sleep doesn't get in the way of exploring the world, no matter what anyone thinks of it."

"He wouldn't listen to me about it."

"Well, all I can say is, if you did everything you could, I can't be too mad at you."

So he was still mad at him. Pop Fizz looked at his hands, still growing guilty about the situation. Had he done everything he could to help? It really didn't feel like it. How was he sure that he didn't make a bigger mess than there was when they had arrived?

That idea came to a head in the middle of that night. The Sensei's told the three of them that Starcast had completely disappeared from the premises, though one of them had spotted him at the edge of the M.A.P while making their scouting rounds. The scouting Sensei had also noted how...hyper...he seemed. Immediately wary of what might have happened, Pop Fizz decided to snoop around Starcast's room. He found an empty beaker in the middle of the floor, noting that the few drops left in there glittered like crystals.

Just like the alertness potion he had given him earlier.

"But I told him just to take a single drop a day!" Pop Fizz shouted to himself.

And when it came out that Pop Fizz's potion had caused something of a caffeine rush in Starcast- which had caused him to soar across the M.A.P with little regard to the world around him- the rest of the Senseis didn't look at the blue gremlin all too kindly. Their glares basically told him that he wasn't welcome there anymore. It wasn't a reaction Pop Fizz wasn't used to, but it still hurt all the same.

He should have just trusted his gut and not given it to him.


Pop Fizz returned to Eon's Citadel before Eruptor and Eon had, deciding that his presence would only cause more problems. When the two of them came back the next day, they explained that the Senseis thought they'd be able to handle things from there. Apparently once they brought Starcast back to the Dojo, he'd crashed from his caffeine high, waking up embarrassed and a bit more conscious of what was going on. He'd promised to try and get back to a regular sleeping pattern, meaning that the Senseis could take care of things on their own again.

That was nice to hear, at least. All Pop Fizz really wanted was to try and help him out. Turned out Starcast was better off without his meddling.

Two weeks passed since their visit, and Pop Fizz returned to his normal routine of potion making. He had to replace his old alchemical table with a new one, because it turned out that the potion he had made before leaving for the Senseis' Dojo had dissolved the wood. It was a warning to him to be more cautious about where he placed his potions. Pop Fizz experimented the way he used to, and he spent a lot of time alone in his lab, away from pestering Skylanders. He wasn't exactly in the best mood after coming home, and everyone he passed asked him if he was okay. He figured that staying on his own would keep people from bothering him when he didn't want them to.

It was a little lonely, and he wasn't exactly happy at the moment. Yet...should...he feel happy among them?

One morning, Eruptor came by and knocked on the door to his lab. Rather than open the door, Pop Fizz called out from the other side, "I don't have time for any 'mentoring session' right now."

"It's not about that, I promise," Eruptor insisted. "Eon wants you to hang out with Boom Bloom for a while."

His ears perked up upon hearing that. "She's back? That's neat," he replied. "Why does he want me hanging out with her?"

"A few more Senseis came by wanting his help for something, and they wanted Boom Bloom to give them space. She actually asked to hang out with you in specific. 'Pop Fizz is the funny one' she explained."

Pop Fizz pursed his lips in thought. Well, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to hang out with Boom Bloom for a while. At the very least, she probably wouldn't annoy him as much as everyone else was. Pop Fizz walked up and opened the door, making his way out.

"Alright, you've got a deal," he decided.

"Great! I'll show you where she is!" Eruptor decided.

The two of them walked down the hall together. Pop Fizz then noticed a glance from Eruptor. It was a familiar glance- one everyone had been giving him once they asked if he was okay.

"I'm not the most social person, you know," Pop Fizz told him. "I like having my own space. Is that such a problem?"

"No no, not necessarily," Eruptor stammered sheepishly. "It's just...I was thinking about something Eon told me earlier, in regards to his bonds with us."

"And that is…?"

"It's not just Starcast he's having trouble sensing. It's you, too."

That was certainly strange, wasn't it? But Pop Fizz didn't see why he had to worry about that. It wasn't as if he was a Portal Master. It wasn't something he could relate to, even if he did decide it was of his concern.

"I hope he figures out what's going on with that," Pop Fizz insisted. "Just let him know I'm okay, got it?"

Eruptor nodded.

Pop Fizz met Boom Bloom in the Citadel's garden, where they played a few games with each other. Boom Bloom made up all of the rules, many of them inconsistent with each other. She insisted that, in order to win, one would have to zigzag through the mass of trees, skip through the lilies while counting by prime numbers, all while kicking the ball she'd brought with her and making sure the ball didn't fall to the ground. Neither of them were able to complete the necessary rounds in order to win. Pop Fizz didn't think he'd ever heard of this game, but it was still pretty fun.

Of course, trying to keep the ball in the air with his stubby legs was a difficult task. He often had to exert more energy with his kicks so the ball would stay in the air while he regained his balance. One time, he misjudged the strength of a kick, and sent it soaring into the branches of a nearby tree. The two of them waited for a few minutes to see if the ball would come out on its own, which it didn't. Boom Bloom insisted on retrieving it, telling Pop Fizz to stand by. While she was getting the ball, Pop Fizz noticed Master Eon walk through a nearby path, trailed by King Pen and a tree-like Sensei. Once the three of them paused in the path, Pop Fizz snuck over to eavesdrop on them.

"...Well, maybe if we try again after lunch," King Pen insisted.

"You don't think I've been trying as hard as I can?" Eon grumbled. "I've been putting every ounce of effort I can into locating him. I'm telling you, I can't see him through the Portals."

"This seems to have been a bust as well," the tree man sighed. "We've been searching everywhere on our end to locate Starcast, but we've run out of ideas as to where he might go. And if you can't see him through the Portals, I'm not sure what else we can do."

"Are you sure you can't simply wait for him?" Eon asked. "He might eventually feel better and return home."

"It's been days," King Pen argued. "He's probably not coming back on his own at this point."

Pop Fizz didn't know what to think. Starcast was in trouble again? Had Eon not done enough for the several days they were at the Dojo?

He made a move to return to Boom Bloom- only to find that she had run up to his side to eavesdrop on the three as well. She held the ball closely to her chest, studying it forlornly. Indeed, she had suddenly become rather dejected. This subject troubled her deeply, it seemed.

"What's going on with Starcast?" Pop Fizz asked her.

"I think it's my fault," Boom Bloom sighed. "It started a few days ago, a few hours before dinner time- we usually eat together in the evenings, you see. I promised to help Ambush with preparing it, and I was making my way to the bathroom to wash up. Before I got there, I found Starcast and Wildstorm in the middle of a pretty bad argument. It sounded like Wildstorm rejected Starcast's offer to play Skystones with us on...some certain day, I didn't catch that part. Starcast accused him of not wanting him to hang out with us, and their shouting evolved into this shoving match. I yelled at them to stop, but they didn't even seem to recognize I was there. Ambush eventually came by to break up the fight and scold them for their actions, and the two of them left to sulk in their rooms. But before Starcast left, he tried to talk to me- I told him to leave me alone because I was mad that he ignored me."

"Starcast got into that kind of fight? He didn't seem like one to escalate petty arguments like that."

"He's really not. But that argument and my attempts to stop it caused all of this. Starcast didn't come downstairs for dinner, and he didn't come out when I went to say goodnight. That next morning, we found his bedroom completely vacant, and it almost looked like he left sometime in the night to go somewhere. He didn't come back the next day, or the day after, and he still wasn't back when I left with King Pen and Ambush."

"You think he feels guilty about upsetting you?"

"I'm sure he does. And it was just a stupid thing we all got upset about. I'm not even mad at him anymore. I just want him to come home safely."

"...Did they take you here to get your mind off things, by chance?"

Boom Bloom nodded, her eyes growing misty.

Pop Fizz rubbed his chin, trying to come up with an idea for where Starcast might be. "He isn't anywhere on the M.A.P?"

"Not at all," Boom Bloom insisted.

"You seemed to spend a lot of time with him. Was there anything he really liked to do? Maybe things he liked doing with you?"

"He said he was growing fond of reading. And he really liked taking me on scouting trips. Starcast said he wanted to explore as much of the region as he could, and even explore the greater Skylands once he got the time."

Maybe he went off to explore. It was difficult to call for a hot air balloon to pick you up, especially in a far away region like the Cloudbreak Islands or the M.A.P. The trains were always running, and were usually a more viable option. "Is there a train system nearby?"

"I wouldn't say a train 'system'," Boom Bloom explained. "We only have one train in the M.A.P that's used to take people out of the region. Are you thinking he took that?"

"Pretty sure. At the very least, I might have an idea on what he's trying to do."

Pop Fizz spotted Eruptor walking toward Eon's group. He grabbed Boom Bloom by the hand, racing her over to the lava monster before he could reach that group.

"Eruptor, I have a favor I need to do for Boom Bloom," Pop Fizz explained. "Could you watch her while I'm gone?"

"You're the one who's supposed to be watching her," Eruptor reminded him. "What's this favor?"

"It involves running around Skylands to check a bunch of places. I don't think the Senseis would appreciate it if I dragged her along on a wild goose chase."

Boom Bloom's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean you're going to look for him?" she asked.

"Look for who? What's going on?" Eruptor asked, completely confused.

"Boom Bloom can explain everything," Pop Fizz promised him. "I'll contact you once I find something, okay?"

Boom Bloom nodded. "Good luck!"

Pop Fizz waved them goodbye, running back toward the Citadel to make his way to the Portal room. He would search the entire world if he had to, just to make up for the blunder at the Dojo.


Pop Fizz spent an entire day riding on Skyland's vast Sky Train system, visiting town after town in search of Starcast. He asked around at every train station, every building and every home, but most anyone could say were to describe vague moments of them spotting something similar to Starcast. But a lead was a lead, no matter how vague, and Pop Fizz searched until his allowance ran low. Eventually he found someone with a straight answer to give him- an individual who had told the four-armed ninja of the fun to be had in Soda Springs. Hoping to find him there, he used the last of his money to take a train ride to Soda Springs.

The blue gremlin searched around the main village for a while, eventually coming across a market where vendors were currently brewing their specialized sodas. He found Starcast around there, talking to the vendors and trying out the various sodas on sale. The four armed ninja appeared surprised every time he took a sip, apparently not used to the fizzing drink. He looked much more rested and alert than the last time Pop Fizz saw him, and although he was enjoying himself, there was a kind of sadness around him as well. Pop Fizz quickly called Eruptor to inform him of the good news, and ran up to greet Starcast.

"Fancy meeting you here!" Pop Fizz beamed. "You're looking well, if I do say so myself!"

Starcast turned to look at him, blinking in surprise. "What brings you out here?" he asked.

Pop Fizz thought that asking him right away about his earlier argument would only sour things and make it harder to get him to come back. So instead, he fibbed, "Oh, I just wanted to look at the sodas on display. I'm quite a fan of things that are soda-licious, you see, and you can't find more soda-licious brews than in Soda Springs."

Starcast chuckled, though this ended in a sigh.

"What brings you out here? Are things slowing down at the Dojo?"

Starcast shook his head. "It's still as busy as ever," he explained. "I'm just...taking a break."

"Oh, finally taking our advice on it?"

"You all spent a lot of time trying to put it in my head. I thought I might apply it to my life at some point. So I've...just been travelling around, drinking in the sights. Sometimes I ask around for things to do, and that's how I ended up here."

"I bet you've been on quite the awesome field trip. You have to bring back some souvenirs to show the other Senseis when you get back home."

Starcast's shoulders slumped, and he appeared quite dejected again. "Right," he muttered.

He started walking away from the vendors, moving toward a nearby bench. Pop Fizz followed after him, confused about what he implied. What was running through his head right now? Was he focusing on his previous argument, or something else completely?

"What's the matter?" Pop Fizz asked.

Starcast sat on the bench, looking away from him. "It's...it's nothing," he insisted. "I probably just...look a bit more tired today."

"I heard you were sleeping regularly again."

"I am. I...it probably just looks like I'm tired."

"Well I mean...a look doesn't quite define a mood. You can talk to me about it, if you want. Only you really know how you feel."

"You really don't have to hang around me if you don't want."

"Oh no, I want to. But if you're having a problem, I'd like to help you with that, too. It's alright to be upset sometimes. You just…"

Pop Fizz paused. He just caught on to what Eruptor wanted to teach him earlier. That "proper" way of getting angry.

"Yes?" Starcast urged him.

"It's a balance, you see," Pop Fizz quickly continued. "Just like everything else in Skylands. Like...if you're angry at someone, you can shout to express yourself, but pay attention to yourself if you find yourself screaming at them. Be self aware of what you're doing at a given moment."

Starcast looked at him for a few moments. He then chuckled halfheartedly, slouching. "It's probably too late for that," he muttered.

"I'm ready to listen. Tell me what happened."

Starcast rubbed the back of his neck, and began, "I'm actually out here because...I got into a fight with another Sensei. During my difficult weeks, I hadn't been given Boom Bloom the attention she needed. I used to play with her after training, and when I was putting everything into work at the Dojo, Wildstorm seemed to take my place in giving her what she needed. Once I got my regular sleeping pattern back, I realized I'd neglected her, and I wanted to start making it up to her, and I wanted to start slowly. I asked Wildstorm one evening if it would be okay of the three of us played Skystones at some point. He said no, insisting that he was still uncomfortable in the big group of Senseis and preferred one-on-ones with the friends he was making. It was...a reasonable explanation, right? I knew he was uncomfortable with being in the midst of the big group, and I should have just accepted that."

"Did something not rest right with you?"

"Not at first. I simply asked again, insisting that if it was only the three of us together, it wouldn't be as uncomfortable. Wildstorm firmly denied it again, saying he'd feel uncomfortable hanging out with Boom Bloom if I was there. I don't think he meant it personally, but it...sounded personal when I first heard it. Something...snapped. I don't know what or how, but that's when I blew up at him. I accused him of not trusting me, and he argued that it wasn't the case. Neither of us would listen to the other, and we just went on like that for several minutes until Ambush split us up. We didn't even notice Boom Bloom standing by as she tried to end our argument. I wanted to apologize to her immediately, and she insisted that she didn't want anything to do with me for a while."

"Really?"

"I went off to my room to be alone for a while, contemplating what happened. My head cleared, and I realized that Wildstorm didn't mean anything bad by not wanting me hanging around the two of them. That whole argument was my fault, and I chased Boom Bloom away. I left the Dojo in the night, deciding to explore on my own."

"So you wanted some time for yourself that you felt you couldn't get there. That makes sense. And it probably helps to let some time pass before you come home to apologize to them."

Starcast lowered his head, obscuring his face so Pop Fizz couldn't see him. Then he said something quite shocking.

"I'm not going home."

Pop Fizz scratched his head, trying to sort out his thoughts. Starcast wasn't going to go home? That couldn't be possible. Didn't he like it there? Wasn't he concerned about all the work he had to do just a few days ago?

"...You...you can't just...not go home," Pop Fizz stammered. "You were brought here to be a teacher. You're supposed to be Boom Bloom's mentor and friend."

"We were also pretty sure I was brought here to postpone your lessons with Master Eon," Starcast retorted glumly. "A teacher wouldn't get so riled up and confused like I do. A mentor wouldn't abandon their pupil like I abandoned Boom Bloom. A Sensei wouldn't muck things up the way I did. I don't belong there, plain and simple."

"But-But it's only been a few weeks. It takes a while for one to feel-"

"I've already made my decision. I don't need you to try and convince me otherwise."

"Where are you going to go?"

"Wherever I feel like. I've wanted to explore Skylands for a while now. On my own, I can go wherever I want, and I don't need to worry about bothering anyone."

"You're not even going to say goodbye to them?"

"It's better this way."

Pop Fizz bit his lip, trying to figure out what to do. He couldn't just let Starcast leave because he was feeling upset. How could he convince him otherwise? How could he let Starcast know that everyone was worried for him without chasing him away with what he already knew about the situation? Pop Fizz glanced around, wondering where Eruptor and Boom Bloom were. Hadn't they gotten his message? It would be great if they came soon. If anyone could reassure Starcast at this stage, it was Boom Bloom.

He suddenly heard a familiar sound behind him, like that of a Portal activating. Pop Fizz turned around, surprised to see King Pen and Ambush there. Ambush hurried over to Starcast immediately, while King Pen brought his attention to Pop Fizz. The penguin Sensei looked at him with shock and surprise.

"So you had a hand in helping us, after all," King Pen wondered.

"What do you mean?" Pop Fizz asked.

"We asked Eon to try and help us look for Starcast. He was having trouble locating him through the Portal of Power, and then just a minute ago when we were trying again, he just popped into view!"

Ambush stood directly in front of Starcast, though he gave him a foot of space. Starcast looked up at him, eyes widened with shock.

"I was only trying to warn you to treat Boom Bloom with more respect," Ambush began. "You didn't need to leave. You made us quite worried."

"You were...worried about me?" Starcast stammered.

"Yes. We've been looking everywhere we could think in order to find you. We didn't know what had happened, and we didn't know what to do in order to reassure you. Boom Bloom's not mad anymore. You don't need to hide from her."

Starcast lowered his head down, his breathing becoming uneven as he tried to suppress pouts. "You shouldn't have put in that trouble. It's not worth it," he choked.

King Pen walked up to them, his brow furrowed in concern. "Not worth it? Starcast, you're part of the team," he insisted. "We care about you, and we want to see you do well."

"It wasn't until I took Pop Fizz's potion that I realized the trouble I've been causing," Starcast stammered. "I tried putting in more work to keep an eye on things, but that effort only caused a mess that you needed to clean up. I failed Boom Bloom, and I lost respect from everyone. I kept getting short with everyone who was just worried about me, when all I wanted was to try and make things easier. I ruined everything. It's all my fault. It's always been my fault."

"You just made a few mistakes, is all. People make mistakes all the time. You just have to remember to atone for them when you can. And you don't have to hide what you're feeling from us. If you're angry or upset, just tell us. Because if you keep it in, it'll build up until you just explode, which is what I think has been happening to you. So just tell us what you've been feeling. I promise we're not going to judge you for what you have to say."

Starcast looked up at them, tears streaming down his face. "...We've been pretty busy lately. Each day, there's always more work to be done. I couldn't stop dwelling on how...things, in general...just happened each and every day. I needed to be aware of it, because when I wasn't aware of what was going on around me I...I hurt someone without meaning to. I wanted to get the jump on the work we had to do, and I didn't want anyone else to have to worry about it or me. But I didn't realize that what I was doing was actually hurting everyone. I wasn't aware enough, and I realized I'd messed everything up."

Pop Fizz jumped up in realization. "Wait, you're not thinking back to the incident with Master Eon, are you?" he asked. "Starcast, that was just an accident. You couldn't have-"

"I'm sure if I'd just been more aware of my surroundings that night, I could have just...maybe angled myself away from that balcony," Starcast sniffled. "I didn't even consider that I might hurt someone."

"He's not even mad at you for that. Actually, he forgave you a long time ago. He doesn't even consider that event to be your fault. You have nothing to feel responsible for."

Starcast looked at him in shock, and then studied the grass in thought.

"There is currently a lot of work at the Dojo right now, but none if it should be one person's undertaking," Ambush insisted. "You're not alone. You can come to any of us for anything, whether it be assistance or just someone to talk to about a problem."

The two Senseis sat next to Starcast, setting a hand or flipper on his back. Starcast burst into pouts, muttering apologies as the Senseis muttered forgiveness. Pop Fizz heard excited shouts from nearby, and turned to see Eruptor and Boom Bloom run down the path to the bench. Boom Bloom excitedly ran up to Starcast, and the two of them began reconciling with one another. Pop Fizz walked over to Eruptor, hands on his hips.

"Took you guys long enough," Pop Fizz muttered with a smirk.

"We had to wait a few minutes to make sure Eon didn't try and seek us out and make us come home," Eruptor explained. "Things are looking good over here, at least. You think Starcast will be okay?"

Pop Fizz looked back at the Senseis, who all embraced one another. "I think he has everything he needs now," he nodded.


That night, Pop Fizz and Eruptor returned to Eon's Citadel, their mission finally complete. Pop Fizz went up to Eon's bedroom, finding the old Portal Master sitting in bed with a book in his hands. The blue gremlin tapped his claws on the doorframe, hesitant on going in. He knew he had to talk to Eon at some point, but for some reason he was nervous. He didn't have anything to fear from what conversation they had, right?

Eon eventually looked up from his book, spotting Pop Fizz standing in the doorway. "Is there something you need?" he asked.

Pop Fizz jumped in surprise. He cleared his throat, asking, "Could I come in to talk to you?"

Eon set his book on the nightstand next to him. "Of course. Come up here."

Pop Fizz walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. He walked up to the bed, climbing up and sitting on the side. Eon sat up, putting his focus on the blue gremlin. The two of them sat in silence for a moment, both trying to work out their inner thoughts.

"So...I heard you were finally able to sense Starcast," Pop Fizz began.

"Indeed, and I believe I have you to thank for that," Eon nodded.

"How so?"

"It actually came from an old theory my teacher Nattybumpo had on the subject of Portal Master bonds with Skylanders. He called it the Rejection of Emotion. I never understood until now what that meant. I knew that no matter how hard any creature tries, whether they be an elf or a robot or anything else, they can't reject their emotions. No, what he meant was that a creature might reject their right to have a certain emotion, and that would cloud the bonds they shared with others- Rejection of Emotion probably sounded better than Rejection of a Right to Express Emotion, I suppose. Anyway, what that means for us is that Starcast rejected his right to feel sad or angry at things. His guilt over what happened to me suppressed those feelings, clouding the bond we made and making it difficult for me to sense him. Once you reassured him that it was okay to feel sad and angry, I was able to sense him and see him through the Portal of Power."

"Emotion sounds like a wicked thing."

"It's the most important aspect of a bond. How a creature feels for another creature, how they can sense another creature's feelings to help them cope, how each of them can return the favor. Bonds are the heart of how Portal Masters and Skylanders work together to protect the world."

"...That means you're pretty worried about not sensing me, right?"

Eon's eyes widened in surprise. "...Eruptor told you about that, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah. I think he was worried about you, if you were losing your touch or something," Pop Fizz replied.

"...It's not quite the same as with Starcast. With Starcast, I couldn't sense him upon us striking up our bond. With you, I stopped being able to sense you shortly after we struck up our bond. One day, you just went blank, and I was unable to tell where you were or how you were feeling at any given time. I just looked at you with any given group to try and determine how you were feeling, and that's how I determined that you were having anger issues."

"...I wanted to talk to you about that, actually. You think my Beast Form influences my personality, but that's not it. I...influence the Beast Form's personality."

"Explain."

Pop Fizz twiddled his thumbs together. "I made that formula at a time when I was angry at the world. I've always liked my space, but I knew I wanted company sometimes. I felt lonely, and no one would be my friend because of how crazy my potions seemed. I wanted to make a potion that would make me more appealing by drawing out the strongest aspects of my personality. And the strongest aspect turned out to be my anger. I didn't change the formula much because I was happy with the physical attributes it gave me- I could run really fast, climb tall mountains, lift thousands of pounds, all that good stuff. Nothing needed to change, as far as I was concerned."

"What happened next?" Eon asked.

"I became a Skylander, and I found a group of people ready to be my friends. I was happier than I'd ever been. But I worried I was going to lose my Beast Form powers, and that I was going to muck things up with the friends I'd made. I didn't want to lose everything, so I made sure to stay as far away as possible. I didn't want anything to change, even if those changes would make me happier. So instead of being happy, I stayed angry, and even then, I didn't want to feel angry anymore. I wanted that to go away. And after spending time trying to help Starcast be honest with himself and his friends, I realized that my anger wasn't going to go away unless I was honest with you and everyone else here. So...yeah."

Eon set a reassuring hand on Pop Fizz's back. "I think I understand," the old Portal Master nodded. "You were rejecting your right to be happy, all because you were scared of the future."

"I know becoming a Skylander means it's not about me anymore. And it's frightening to think I might mess everything up."

Master Eon patted him on the back. "I always thought it was your joy that fueled your powers before," he explained. "Your joy for adventuring, making potions, transforming into a Beast, everything you did. If you wanted, I could help you train in a method that didn't require your anger, rather than trying to help you control it. I wish I'd known about this much sooner, so I knew how best to help you."

Pop Fizz sniffled. "I'm sorry for not telling you. I was just so scared about this."

Eon pulled him into a hug. "You're not alone, either," he promised him. "You can always count on us, for whatever it is you're feeling."

Pop Fizz pouted into Eon's shoulder. He liked being in this hug, deciding that he wanted to stay like this for a while. He was ready to accept his friends here. He wasn't going to hide away from them any longer.

Eventually Pop Fizz pulled away, wiping his tears. "Thanks, Eon," he smiled. "This really did help."

"Of course," Eon nodded. "Anytime you need me, I'll always be here."

Pop Fizz noticed Eon set a hand on his chest, studying it closely. "What's that about?" he asked.

"What I'm doing right now?" Eon replied. "I just realized I can finally sense you again."