Chapter Fifty-Two: Elementary, Dear Portal Master

Snap Shot rarely got days off as a Trap Master. Since he was the leader, he had to manage what the team did. Even when he wasn't actively working, he had to manage patrols around Skylands, manage patrols around Cloudcracker Prison, make sure everyone else got their days off… it could be rather taxing at times.

So when he did get a chance to relax, he took it immediately. His sanity wouldn't last long without it.

One morning at the Trap Master's base in Cloudcracker Tower, Snap Shot hung out in Wildfire's quarters with a few other friends. He and Enigma poured over the various tomes in the golden lion's collection, while Wildfire himself napped on a bean bag chair. Sunlight streamed through the window, and the air inside felt nice and cool. It really was a pleasant day to spend with friends. Snap Shot couldn't think of any other activity that helped him relax like this.

"The Fire Claws Clan has some interesting fables," Enigma wondered. "Are you familiar with most of them."

"Some of these look different to me," Snap Shot explained. "I heard most of them orally on my travels, so it must be different to him."

"Do your clans have similar fables, Snap Shot?"

Snap Shot shrugged, closing one of the tomes. "We're more water oriended," he insisted. "Our deities usually despised fire or anything similar."

They heard a faint clicking sound, like metal hitting against metal. Snap Shot turned his head to see Wildfire shifting in his sleep. His fur didn't usually clink together when he moved, so maybe he had something underneath him. Snap Shot hadn't noticed anything before Wildfire settled in, so it was admittedly rather odd.

Suddenly, a shout carried across the hall into the room. Snap Shot and Enigma got up and went into the hallway. They found a group of Trap Masters surrounding Master Eon's temporary quarters. That's right, the old Portal Master was visiting for a few days. Did something awful happen to him? Who could've possibly done something within the Trap Masters' abode?

Snap Shot broke through the crowd, making his way into the room. Master Eon was inside, thankfully unhurt. Instead, he rummaged through his quarters, shifting through blankets and cushions in a hurried manner. Indeed, he looked rather frightened.

"What's wrong, Master?" Snap Shot asked.

Eon looked up at him, lightening up a bit. "Th-That's right, you all must be concerned for me," he grimaced. "So perhaps you should help me. I've lost my ring in here."

"Your...ring?"

"My mentor Nattybumpo gave it to me long ago. I'm never without it except for when I'm sleeping. It's supposed to be on my nightstand, but it's not. I don't know where it is."

Snap Shot stepped back, dread filling his gut. His mind immediately jumped to the ring being stolen. He couldn't help it. It came with the job. And considering that the Tower sat just a few miles away from a prison of Skylands' worst felons, it wasn't a far stretch. But they usually had the prison well guarded, using Traptanium to hold the villains at bay. They couldn't have possibly broken in to steal something.

Maybe the thief...was one of them?

But Snap Shot knew better than to express that idea out loud. Such an idea could sow distrust into the Trap Masters, and that definitely wasn't good. Better to stay silent until they had more information.

"Don't worry, Master Eon," Snap Shot announced. "I'll gladly lead this investigation."

"Investigation?" Eon asked. "I really just need help finding my ring."

"And we'll do it by investigating."

Snap Shot then turned to the crowd. "Everyone clear out!" he commanded. "You're all contaminating the crime scene!"

The Trap Masters peeled away almost immediately, with some muttering about looking for the ring elsewhere. Eon looked at Snap Shot confusedly. He couldn't determine the purpose of that glance. The Portal Master had seen their procedures several times, so there was nothing to be confused about.

"You've become quite the leader," Eon noted.

"Do you remember when you last had the ring?" Snap Shot asked. "Tell me everything you know from before this moment."

Eon stroked his beard, humming and looking at the nightstand. "I got ready for bed at around eight last night, and that's when I put the ring on the nightstand. And I made sure it was still there until I went to bed at ten."

"You went to bed two hours later?"

"Most people try to relax for a bit before sleeping, but for me, most of my time is spent meeting up with Skylanders. They usually seek my attention when they're the least bit busy, so my getting ready early is supposed to indicate that they shouldn't take up too much time."

"Okay, so the ring was there when you went to bed. Was it there when you woke up this morning?"

"Yes. When I went down to get breakfast this morning, I realized I'd forgotten it."

"More distractions from others?"

"Of course. And I believe that brings us to right now."

Snap Shot mentally recorded the information. Breakfast was almost two hours ago, so the ring had to have gone missing in that time. Whether it was intentional or accidental, at least it should be easier to determine.

Metallic footsteps clanked down the hallway. Snap Shot and Eon looked to see Wildfire stumble down to find them. The golden lion rubbed an eye, blinking to try and focus on them.

"Was the night shift not too kind to you?" Eon chuckled warmly. "It's nice to see you, Wildfire."

"M'fine. Just needed… a little shuteye," Wildfire yawned. "What's with th'commotion?"

"Eon's ring went missing," Snap Shot explained. "Actually, I'd like to ask you for a favor."

That seemed to fully wake him. Wildfire stepped back in shock, muttering, "His ring. I-I'll do anything to help. What is it?"

Snap Shot nodded. "Since I have you here, I'd like you to check the security tapes for this hallway and Eon's room- the footage taken this morning. Maybe even show them to me to look over. Those could help us find the ring."

Wildfire rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll try but… you know I can't really work out the computers."

"That's okay. Maybe you can get one of the Tech Skylanders to help you. Just make sure to get that copy to me."

"You've got it. I'll try to be thorough."

Snap Shot watched as Wildfire hurried down the hall for the security room. He thought he glimpsed something in the lion's eyes as he left. Was it fear? Guilt? Did he know more about this than he let on?

Why was Snap Shot even asking these questions about an ally? There was no one more honest than Wildfire. He would never do anything like that, especially not to a Portal Master.


In spite of his best efforts to secure the hallway and prevent crime scene tampering, Snap Shot grew more fatigued the longer he kept it up. Lunch time came and went, and the hollow feeling in his stomach proved to be too distracting. So Snap Shot left to grab a snack, and when he returned, the area was compromised.

Yarn blocked each end of the hallway, littering the floor. A small yarn man ran about, tying yarn everywhere. The only place without yarn was the doorway to Eon's room. Enigma was currently in there, and he shooed the yarn man away every time he came by.

"Short Cut! Enigma! You're ruining everything!" Snap Shot yelled.

The yarn man known as Short Cut paused in his antics. "I'm trying to help," he insisted. "I'm setting up a trap for the thieving Trap Master."

Snap Shot scoffed, crossing his arms. "What makes you think it's a Trap Master that took Eon's ring?"

"Who else would it be? All of the villains in the area are in the prison. If they came by, we would've noticed. It has to be one of us."

Admittedly, Snap Shot grew uncomfortable as his ally's suspicion settled in. So the others were thinking that a Trap Master stole the ring, too. Snap Shot would be hypocritical if he insisted he wasn't suspicious, but he did his best to push it back. How many other Trap Masters had this suspicion, too? It was up to him to be the peacekeeper.

"I keep telling him not to cause a mess down here," Enigma insisted. "What if someone is trying to get to their room down here?"

"That's the beauty of it!" Short Cut announced. "Trap Masters are hyper aware of their surroundings. If their awareness shatters, that is an indicator of guilt. If anyone falls into this trap, then they are the guilty party."

Snap Shot and Enigma sighed at this. They only thing this "trap" would accomplish was to create problems. Short Cut was rather new to the group, so perhaps his intentions were good. But he really wasn't helping them.

"You don't think someone stole the ring, do you Enigma?" Snap Shot asked.

Enigma shrugged. "I think someone took it, but whether they stole it is another matter. They could've bumped the nightstand or flicked it off when cleaning, or maybe they mistook it as one of their belongings. I couldn't imagine it being done out of malice."

"What do you mean by 'malice'?" Short Cut asked.

"That ring has special meaning for Master Eon. If someone took it intentionally, they would have done it to hurt him."

They noted Short Cut's furrowed brow. He seemed to calm down somewhat, though his mood switched to melancholy. What could that be for?

"Snap Shot, perhaps you should come in here for a second," Enigma insisted. "I want to test something."

Snap Shot followed Enigma into Eon's room. Enigma shut the door behind them, effectively sealing Short Cut out. Snap Shot looked around, finding a strange light fixture on the wall next to Eon's bed.

"That wasn't there before," he noted.

"It's a blacklight that I brought in," Enigma explained. "If we use this, we can see various particles on the surfaces in this room. Things from footprints, fingerprints, perhaps residue from the lost ring. This should help us piece things together and get closer to the answer."

"That's actually pretty smart. Want me to turn the lights off?"

"If you would."

Snap Shot flicked the lightswitch off, cloaking the room in darkness. Enigma turned the blacklight on, replacing the dark with a harsh violet hue. The floor soon lit up with blue marks on the floor, revealing a history of people that had made their way through it. There was hardly a space free of blue markings, meaning that Eon's accounts of visiting Skylanders weren't exaggerated.

Enigma set his hands on his hips, humming. "This confirms it. I have no idea what to look for," he declared remorsefully.

"I could make it out," Snap Shot insisted. "I've been tracking things all my life."

"Perhaps it's why you were made the leader."

Snap Shot felt a rush of guilt flow through him, though he wasn't sure where it came from. Why did that comment bring it up? "Not...necessarily," he insisted.

Snap Shot's gaze floated over toward the nightstand, his curiosity suddenly piqued. There were blue marks on the surface of the nightstand. That would make sense, if Master Eon was placing his hands on it over the past week of his visit. But he still walked over to it nonetheless. He observed the nightstand, finding several strange marking where the ring used to be. There were Eon's fingerprints, of course, but there were also cloth imprints and… claw marks.

Enigma came over to take a look as well. He soon turned his head to face Snap Shot's, his shoulders stiffened in concern.

"What does that look like to you?" Enigma muttered.

"Like hands...reaching for the ring?" Snap Shot replied.

But the two of them quickly shook their heads, seeming to reach the same thought before one of them could utter it.

"I'm going to get some supplies to save those prints," Enigma decided. "Then I'll access our print files and find out who else those prints belong to. We can calmly address the owners of the prints and help them figure out if they have the ring."

"I can hold down the fort while we wait on you," Snap Shot insisted. "Make sure to dismiss anyone's suspicions about theft if you come across them."

Enigma nodded, and the two of them made their way to the door. They suddenly became aware of shouting on the other side. When they opened it up, they found Short Cut and Wildfire arguing just in front of the doorway.

"We cannot have you impede the investigation," Short Cut insisted, his arms crossed. "Now move along. Your weird glow is hurting my eyes."

"Snap Shot asked for my help," Wildfire growled. "Move aside for a moment so I can give this to him.

"What help could you give him? Gold is so heavy, I'm surprised you never fall through the floorboards."

Snap Shot stepped by the doorframe, holding his hand out. "Do you have a copy of the security tapes for me?" he asked.

Wildfire handed him an electronic tablet. "I found Gearshift in the security room, and she helped me put a copy of the tapes on that tablet," he explained. "I hope this helps you out."

"Good on ya! This really should help!"

Enigma chuckled at that. "It's nice that Gearshift helped him with those tapes," he noted. "He probably would've destroyed our whole feed."

Wildfire rubbed the back of his neck. "I just happened to be there," he muttered. "I'm just as happy being the delivery boy if it helps Master Eon."

Short Cut huffed, stomping away. "I bet you want to help Master Eon," he spat. "Have fun with the others."

The Trap Masters watched him leave. Short Cut wasn't normally this grumpy around the other Skylanders here. Today was turning out to be a strange day.

"What happened between you two?" Snap Shot asked.

Wildfire shook his head. "You tell me. I'm not sure why he blew it up so much," he sighed. "Last night, I came over to talk to Eon, and Short Cut was there at the time. I stood by, let Eon know I wanted to talk to him, and then he sent Short Cut on his way not a minute later."

"What did you talk about with him?"

Wildfire rubbed his arm. "Personal stuff? It's… been personal everytime I called him previously. Maybe Eon thought he needed to hurry and talk to me. But I didn't chase Short Cut out. You can ask Eon yourself."

"That's what Short Cut thought?"

"Seems so."

Enigma made his way out of the room. "It's tough when Eon can only visit occasionally," he thought. "Short Cut probably wanted as much time as possible with him. It's a sentiment I can understand, at least. He'll probably feel better after hanging out with Eon again."

Wildfire nodded. "Is there anything else I can help with?"

"If you want to check on Eon, that wouldn't be so bad," Snap Shot decided. "I know he has to feel pretty worried about that ring. But I think you've done more than enough for now. Take a break, okay?"

Wildfire gave them a weak smile. "A good leader should take a break, too," he insisted.

"I'm sure guarding this room will serve as one to some extent," Enigma mumbled. "I'll be right back with those supplies, Snap Shot."

Snap Shot waved him goodbye. "Good luck," he chimed.

Enigma gave him a thumbs up as he walked off. Wildfire hovered by for another moment. Actually, he stuck around for a long while. What else could he need?

"Hey, you've seemed off all day," Snap Shot realized. "Like you're not yourself. Is there something going on?"

Wildfire's shoulders slumped, and he studied his claws. "I… this missing ring has gotten me so worried. I'm thinking about what happened to it, what it meant to Eon, why someone might want to take it-"

"You think someone took it, too?"

"I-It's not like I want to think that, but I don't know what else it could be. We have the prison well staffed and guarded, we're practically in the middle of nowhere-"

"...You're rambling."

"...Yeah."

"You really must be worried, then. You don't ramble for nothing."

"...H...How much do you trust me?"

"What?"

Wildfire turned his head away. "It's just...our races never got along really well, and given my...nature...I don't want to do anything that would make you see me in a negative light."

"Wildfire, you have a good heart. I trust you with my life. You never have to worry about me seeing you like that."

"...With...your life?"

"That goes for everyone else, too. Whatever happens with this ring, it won't change my opinion of anyone here. Now go take a break. Maybe find a quiet nook to hide and relax in."

"...Y-Yeah...I'll see you later."

With that, Wildfire walked away. However, it didn't seem like the chat had improved his mood at all. He walked on with slumped shoulders and heavy steps. Snap Shot almost thought to go after him, to ask him to hang out while they waited for Enigma to come back. He certainly didn't want his friend to worry about that ring and what its absence meant.

But he stayed put. He walked into Eon's room and shut the door behind him. He locked the door to ensure that no one else could get in. He did all of that to ensure that no one messed with the prints on the nightstand, to ensure that they could compare those prints and determine who took or lost the ring. That was the mission right now, and nothing else could get in the way of that.

And with that, the guilt in Snap Shot's heart grew much worse.


Snap Shot sat on Eon's bed for the next hour as he waited for Enigma to come back. He spent some time looking at the tablet and reviewing the footage on it. There turned out to be more on there than Snap Shot had asked for, consisting of footage from that morning and the last night. He thought he'd told Wildfire to bring him less, though he decided that the golden lion probably thought it would help with the investigation.

That idea was probably correct.

There was a skip in the morning's footage. One moment the recording would flow and continue uninterrupted, and then a skip would occur between the breakfast hour and the hour Eon returned to his room. It was as if someone had tampered with the footage to hide evidence of a crime. Had someone stolen the ring after all?

A knock on the door sounded off, and Enigma's voice shouted out from the other side. Snap Shot got up and unlocked the door, opening it for him. Enigma walked in with hardly a word, heading straight to the nightstand with a book and a case of supplies. His actions seemed hurried, as if something bad had happened. Maybe...something bad did happen.

"What's going on?" Snap Shot asked.

Enigma took out a canister of powder and a small duster. "A few things, actually," he explained. "Do you want to hear the good news or bad news first?"

"Why is there bad news?"

Enigma sighed, opening the canister and spreading some powder on the nightstand's surface. "The good news is that we found Eon's ring," he continued. "Tuff Luck spotted it in the bushes of the training yard, right up against the wall of the Tower."

"I think that's the last place I would have expected it."

"That's not the end of it. The ring was tied on a large chain with a bunch of other rings, ones with gems and jewels much finer than that. Eon should be coming up soon to show you himself."

"Other rings? I can't recall any of the other Trap Masters having rings."

Enigma dusted the powder off, and then reached for clear plastic tape. "Neither can I. I can only think that those rings belonged to people outside of this region."

Snap Shot grimaced. "Maybe a lockmaster imp made its home in the walls of our tower," he joked halfheartedly.

"I don't want to think about it, either, but I think we really need to consider the possibility that someone stole that ring."

Snap Shot placed his head in his hands. "I bet there's a great hullabaloo going on below us," he sighed.

"To say no one's in hysterics would be a bit of an understatement," Enigma nodded, placing tape on the nightstand.

"I should have been down there to keep things calm before they escalated."

"It wasn't your fault. I was the one who asked you to stay here and keep the nightstand secure."

"I had Wildfire here for a bit after you left. I could've asked him for help keeping the nightstand secure while I make sure everyone stays calm. I'm the leader. It's my job to be neutral and to keep everyone neutral."

"That's a monumental task. And even if a leader should be neutral, they should also know when to face the truth when it rears its ugly head."

Snap Shot let out a heavy sigh, looking at the tablet again. He still couldn't get rid of that guilt, no matter how much he tried to rationalize it. It still didn't feel right to have those suspicions about his allies.

"I feel like I have to face the truth right now," he muttered. "I was just looking over the security tapes on this tablet, and they looked like they were tampered with."

Enigma took the tape pieces, putting them together and looking them over. He opened the book next to the case, muttering, "That's what Gearshift told us just a bit ago. She was busy recovering the lost footage. Whoever did it, apparently, wasn't proficient enough with computers to completely hide their tracks."

"It took me a while to find it. Wildfire brought me back more footage than I needed. I've yet to thoroughly look at that."

Enigma studied the book and the prints. He looked up at Snap Shot and asked, "You mean footage from last night?"

"Yeah. Are you comparing our prints right now?"

"I might know what happened and who took the ring, but I'd like to take a look at that footage myself. You remember that Wildfire and Short Cut weren't on good terms at the moment, right?"

Snap Shot tried swallowing the lump growing in his throat. He scrolled through the footage until he found Short Cut and Wildfire in it. He rewound it and paused the playback, beckoning Enigma to take a look. Enigma came up onto the bed, and the two of them watched the clips together. They watched as Short Cut came into Eon's room, sitting next to him on the bed as they began chatting. They watched as Wildfire came up to the doorway half an hour later, setting himself on the doorframe to wait. They watched as Eon noticed him and sent Short Cut away, the yarn man bumping into the nightstand on accident. They watched as Wildfire walked in, noticing the ring having fallen on the ground from the bump, and placing it back on the nightstand.

"That confirms my suspicions of why Wildfire's prints were on the nightstand," Enigma beamed.

"You're actually not that bad of a tracker," Snap Shot decided. "I'm feeling kind of useless right about now."

"Don't disparage yourself. You narrowed down the search, and you kept the nightstand safe. Let's go find Eon and put this whole thing behind us."

Snap Shot nodded. He tucked the tablet under his arm, and the two of them walked out of the room together. They made their way downstairs, only to be greeted with arguing below. They hurried along and found a crowd of Trap Masters surrounding Wildfire, Short Cut and Master Eon. Short Cut and Eon looked to be failing to try and quell the chaos, and Wildfire stood by completely frozen.

"I've never seen those rings in his room."

"Just 'cause you never saw them doesn't mean he never had them."

"He's close with Eon. He'd never do that."

"You can re-check the math I did to get that trajectory. It flew out from his room."

They were falling apart. Was this what it took? Did it just take one accusation for the team to turn against one another. Soon it was one Trap Master getting this treatment, and next it would be all of them. Something had to be done.

Snap Shot stepped up, summoning magic in his right hand. He created a water ball and lobbed it at the crowd. It was small enough not to cause injury- that was what his tidepool attack was for- but it was strange enough for the crowd to shut up and turn his way. Snap Shot stood as tall as he could, glowering at them. He was their leader, and he had to stand up and keep them in line.

"You all assumed one of you took the ring, didn't you?" Snap Shot yelled. "I heard it from just a handful, but I know you all were thinking it. Shame on you! We're all allies! If we can't trust each other, there's no one in this world we can trust! I should hope that you'd at least ask before jumping to conclusions!"

The crowd relaxed their postures, some of them slumping their heads in shame. They peeled away from the trio, giving them their breathing space. The trio looked at them- Eon gave Snap Shot a smile, Short Cut wiped a few tears away, and Wildfire's anguished countenance didn't change.

"That said, someone did take the ring, but it wasn't to hurt Master Eon," Snap Shot continued. "Whoever took it, you're free to step forward and admit it. If anyone tries to argue otherwise, I won't let 'em have it."

The crowd stood still for a moment. Then Short Cut stood forward, tears falling down once again.

"I took it," Short Cut stammered. "I'm the malevolent one. I was mad that Wildfire cut down my time with Master Eon last night, so I thought I would do something to make Eon mad at him so I could have that attention back. I didn't want the whole team to turn on him."

"I thought it was you," Enigma noted. "Though I'd hoped we could solve this case before everyone lost their minds."

Eon cleared his throat, directing attention back to him. "I hope you all remember to think critically before throwing accusations," he announced. "And I hope you all let me speak next time I try to calm you down. Now let us have our space."

The crowd dispersed, heading back to their own separate businesses. Eon turned to Wildfire, but the golden lion hurried up the stairs before he could say anything. Snap Shot looked over the group, aware of how overwhelming his guilt felt.

"I didn't know how much that ring meant to you, Eon," Short Cut sniffled. "I didn't know Nattybumpo gave it to you. I really wasn't trying to hurt you."

"I kind of thought it was you when I found my ring on this golden chain," Eon mused, studying the chain in his hands. "I thought you were trying to set up Wildfire as the thief when I saw it on his golden chain."

"Is that the personal thing Wildfire was talking to you about?" Snap Shot asked. "I remember earlier he was worried about what I thought of his...nature."

Eon turned his attention to Snap Shot. "Very few creatures in Skylands are born with metals and gems imbued on their bodies," he began. "Robots and automatons might come close, but even they debate the natures of their births. In most cases, this imbuing of metal and gem is random, and we're still not sure how it happens. But what we do know is that they have affinities toward the metals and gems they're imbued with."

"Affinities? You mean like how I might enjoy being in the water due to having that kind of Element?"

"Yes. It's mostly something that Earth Elementals have an affinity for, but those imbued with metals can have affinities for them even if they're not inherently Earth Elementals. In Wildfire's case… he as affinities toward fire and gold."

Snap Shot thought back to the clinking noise from this morning. Those must have been the rings on that golden chain. "Does Wildfire like to lay on them like a dragon lays on it's hoard?" Snap Shot wondered.

"Fire Elementals can be quite extreme when indulging in affinities," Eon nodded. "A Fire Elemental might be content sitting in front of a fire, or they might throw themselves into it. Anyone else in Wildfire's place might soak in a vat of hot melted gold. I gave Wildfire most of those during his initial training with Buzz. I noticed he seemed to be rather antsy, and his attention kept waning from lectures more than it had been prior to, and I decided that he needed to surround himself with both affinities to mellow out."

"It must have taken him some convincing," Enigma noted. "The tales I read from lions concerning those that like gold are… not nice, to say the least."

Eon nodded. "Wildfire often asks me if it's okay for him to have those rings, probably as a means of reassurance. He probably tossed them out when he discovered my ring among them, because he thought they would pin him to the theft."

Short Cut sniffled again. "I'm really sorry, Master Eon," he moped.

"I probably should have been more tactful in sending you along," Eon noted. "I hope in the future, you'll know me as much as Wildfire does. That said, I'm probably not the one you should apologize to."

Short Cut nodded.

"I think we should give Wildfire his privacy for now. I'll go return his rings to him in a few hours, once he feels better."

The group nodded, heading on their separate ways. Snap Shot himself stayed put, sitting against the wall in exasperation. He wasn't sure how to deal with this guilt he felt. The fact that Wildfire wasn't willing to tell him all of this before, and the fact that Snap Shot doubted his allies, it was a large pill to swallow. He didn't know where the team was supposed to go after this.


A few hours passed. Dinner came and went. No one caught any sign of Wildfire. Snap Shot went up to his room to deliver food to him, certain that he hadn't eaten anything in a while. Instead of finding Wildfire, he found the door to his room slightly ajar. A note was stuck on the door, explaining that the golden lion had left for the lookout viewing Cloudcracker Prison, and that he would be back later that night. Snap Shot decided that he wanted to look for him, to make sure that he was doing okay.

So the crocagator went out to the yard where the team's airships were, hoping to get one to take to the lookout. He found Master Eon heading for the airships, with Short Cut following shortly after. Snap Shot hurried over to them, hoping to catch up with the Portal Master.

"You're not heading home yet, are you?" Snap Shot asked him.

Eon turned to face him, shaking his head. "You know I'd never leave without a mile long goodbye," he chuckled. "I still have two more days to spend with all of you. And I don't think the two of us have had any time together. We'll certainly need to make up for that."

"I'm afraid I'll have to go back to work tomorrow."

"Are you sure you don't want to have a few more days of rest?"

Whenever Snap Shot got the opportunity to relax, he took it immediately. And whenever something came up that needed the leader's attention, he took that as well.

"Today wasn't much of a day off for me," Snap Shot admitted. "I left Ka-Boom in charge of things at the prison. I'm sure he can handle another day or two of work until I get back."

Short Cut looked up at Eon. "I can get your airship ready while you talk with Snap Shot," he insisted. "It looks like you two need to be alone."

"That's very nice of you," Eon nodded. "Thank you, Short Cut."

Short Cut ran off, heading for Eon's aircraft. Snap Shot watched him go, noting this change in behavior. Rather than getting in between them, Short Cut was willing to give them their space. It was much different than earlier that day. He couldn't say that it wasn't a welcome change.

"You think he's learned his lesson?" Snap Shot asked.

"You can't grow older and wiser without making some mistakes," Eon insisted. "I'm sure he still has many hurdles to overcome before being a Trap Master the world can be proud of. He thought to pin the theft on Wildfire partly because he was made of gold."

"If Wildfire were to steal that ring for the gold, I doubt he would've touched it. Isn't it made of brass?"

Eon studied his ring, which was now back in its rightful place on his finger. "It is," he nodded. "I still have faith that he'll get there. I remember you were just as brash and impulsive during your training."

Snap Shot blew air out of his nose. "I...I'm still not sure I'm where I need to be to be a proper leader," he admitted. "I had suspicions about the other Trap Masters all day, and I had to bury them in to make sure they didn't influence me. I wasn't around when I was needed to keep the peace. I couldn't quash those concerns out of the other teammates, and I don't know how to keep the team together."

Eon set a hand on his shoulder. "I think you're being too hard on yourself," he insisted. "From what I've seen during my time here, you've done very well as a leader. You broke up the fighting when you needed to. You helped gather the pieces together to solve this mystery. And you're concerning yourself with how everyone is doing."

"Is it really enough, though?"

"You'd made enough strides in your growth by the time I made you leader of the Trap Team. You became so selfless and open-minded. You're so much different now than you were back then. I can only see you growing more from here. As for now, I think you make the best leader the Trap Team could have asked for."

Snap Shot nodded, feeling slightly better. "And then there's Wildfire. He never told me about those rings before. Did he not trust me enough? Was that too personal to share?"

"It was something Wildfire feared for a long time," Eon insisted. "It stems from where he grew up. Lots of people have fears buried within that take a long time to express to those closest to them. Wildfire told me at least a few times that he was scared of losing you if he told you about his gold affinity."

"He...he admitted that he was scared of losing me, I think. He said he didn't want me to view him in a negative light."

"Maybe he'll soon be ready to talk about his gold affinity with you. It simply takes time, and with time, we can all grow."

Perhaps that was why Wildfire talked to him earlier. Perhaps that was why he decided to gather so much footage. That was his way of taking steps toward growing, toward being a more honest person by admitting these fears to someone so close.

It did take time, didn't it? Time to grow, and to learn? Maybe the Trap Team could still hold together. Maybe Snap Shot really wasn't such a bad leader. There was always something to improve on, and tonight was no exception. He would be sure to talk things out with Wildfire.

Snap Shot and Eon made their way inside the airship that Short Cut picked out, and they made their way to the lookout. On the way there, Snap Shot asked if he could speak with Wildfire first, and the others agreed to it. Once they landed at the lookout, it wasn't hard to spot where the golden lion was. Snap Shot followed the glow of dying firelight to find Wildfire's camp. Once he arrived, he found that the golden lion was busy putting the fire out.

"There you are," Snap Shot greeted him. "Does all that mean you're heading back?"

Wildfire jumped at the sound of Snap Shot's voice, clearly not expecting him to be there. He turned around, tear streaks staining his cheeks. He was standing straighter than earlier, and he almost looked to be back to his old self, but there was still that hint of melancholy in his eyes.

"Did you guys need me for a job?" Wildfire asked, his voice a bit hoarse.

"We just wanted to make sure you were okay," Snap Shot insisted. "I know it can't feel nice to be treated the way you were this afternoon."

"What are the others thinking of me?"

"I made the rounds, and they all feel guilty about thinking ill of you. You really do have a good heart, Wildfire, and everyone sees that. Doesn't matter what you're made of, or what Element you have, that's clear to everyone."

Wildfire glanced at the dying embers. "I was about to make my way back," he continued. "I needed a place to build a fire so I could bask in some strong heat, and there aren't a lot of places to do that at the Tower. I think...even if everyone thinks I'm a monster...I can't just abandon the Skylanders."

"Because you're made of gold? Was that the thing you were afraid of?"

Wildfire nodded.

"Were those rings helping you alleviate stress the way campfires do?"

"Yeah."

"Are you going to take them back?"

"...I don't know. If they tarnished my image, then probably not."

"..You know...I think I figured out why you gave me so much footage to look over."

Wildfire blinked in surprise. "Yeah?"

"You knew I'd help protect your reputation, right?"

"I really freaked out when I found that ring on my gold chain. I thought if anyone found it, it would be all over for me. I was heading for the security room when I heard Enigma talk about getting a blacklight to find prints, so I thought of asking Gearshift to help me download all that footage. That way you'd see it, and have proof that I didn't do anything wrong."

"It took me awhile to get to, admittedly. I wasn't expecting all of that. I'm really sorry for that."

"But you're sure you didn't think ill of me at all?"

"I actually didn't consider you as a culprit for a second."

Tears started forming at the corners of Wildfire's eyes, but a smile started creeping at his mouth.

"...I...I actually didn't consider that you'd face problems for being made of gold," Snap Shot sighed. "It just never came to my mind. And to think you were going through all that pain alone...I wish I would've realized that sooner. When you're ready, feel free to tell me about it. I want to know."

"I can't believe we've come so far. I remember a time when you wanted nothing to do with me."

"I cringe when I remember it."

The two of them chuckled about it, their laughter filling the night air. Then they quieted down, and a thick silence fell between them. During that silence, Wildfire stepped closer to Snap Shot. He then set his forehead on Snap Shot's shoulder, his breathing becoming ragged with the effort to suppress sobbing.

"I should say it now," Wildfire pouted. "I should've said it a long time ago. I shouldn't have just let my nature sit in the group without fighting to defend my name. I shouldn't have waited to let everyone's assumptions of golden creatures influence their view of me. I-"

"You were scared," Snap Shot insisted, setting a hand on Wildfire's back. "You didn't know what would happen if you admitted you had a gold affinity."

"My clan, they… we have fables about creatures that seek gold and treasures. We detail the vile actions they take to accrue those items. We say that creatures who seek out wealth are vile in nature, and creatures born made out of treasures must have their very souls tainted from conception. I've felt...vile...my whole life. From the time I could remember, I've felt that way. When I first heard about my mother, I...I felt like it was my fault for my parents' suffering."

Snap Shot didn't cut in. Wildfire sounded like he was going to enter another bout of rambling, and perhaps that was what he needed to get this fear off his chest.

"Lions aren't supposed to be born made of gold. Most creatures aren't. Most can't handle the stress of delivering such a creature. After I was born, my father had to bear the brunt of the clan's scorn and hatred alone. He raised me, cared for me and stood up for me all alone. He fought for my life's value from the day I was born to the day he died. He tried to give me the benefits of clan life that no one else would give me because of what I was. He never showed any resentment toward me- he even bequeathed his shield to me."

"Your Traptanium shield?" Snap Shot noted. "I heard you case a Traptanium shell on the shield you normally use. Was it that one?"

Wildfire nodded, no longer trying to hold back sobs. "I thought about it my whole life. I thought that people suffered due to my existence. Everyone I cared about appeared to suffer when they were around me. I felt that my golden skin was the catalyst for that suffering, and for a while, I simply did heroics on my own. It went well enough, and I couldn't find any sign of my presence making things worse for people who were already in pain. But you can't begin to imagine how I felt when I first met Eon. I don't know how to describe the way he made me feel, when he said there was nothing wrong with me, when he insisted that I could have a few golden things without being a vile creature. It was the first time I felt like my existence wasn't a burden, that I deserved to be here as much as anyone else. But there was still that part of me that was scared of how everyone else felt, that they might see me as a monster. I thought if they heard about my gold affinity, I'd lose everyone I cared about."

Snap Shot rubbed Wildfire's back, allowing him to pout for as long as he needed. Whatever guilt he felt was now gone. He was here for those that needed him, for whatever happened.

After another moment, Wildfire pulled away from Snap Shot, wiping his tears away. "I swear I was feeling better before," he said with an uneasy scoff.

"Maybe that's why you cried just now," Snap Shot decided. "I know none of that can be easy, especially when it follows you for so long. But you know you can always talk to me, right?"

"Yeah. And you can talk to me about whatever's on your mind, too."

With that affirmation, the two of them walked on together, with Snap Shot telling Wildfire of two other guests that wanted to check in on him.


Well this has been a long time coming. Once again, I remain inconsistent with uploads. Looking through today, I found a typo in my last chapter that I apparently let sit for half a year. Whoops.

A couple things kept me from posting. One was probably sadness at the state of the franchises I usually write fanfictions for. For Skylanders at least, it feels like things are a lot quieter than they used to be. I suppose I have some part to play in that, given my absence, but its still something that makes it hard to upload.

Another thing, more on the lighter end, is that I've been working on some original stories. I've always loved writing and creating, and I always wanted to share some of my own creations with the world. I've spent a lot of time this year focused on those, and that also put fanfiction updates off as well.

I won't be giving up on Skylanders, of course. I promise to keep this story active, and to get back to my other works sometime in the future.