Skylanders for Teens wanted me to do one for Dive-Clops. Thought it would be a nice add-in to the two-parter chapters.
Chapter Twenty-One: Ends of the Earth
He felt sick, spinning around and around. Dive-Clops had wandered into the Whirlpool of Destiny, where no sea creature ever escaped. It was much the same as a black hole, except in water, and everyone knew what it did. The Whirlpool controlled the ocean's currents, though living creatures didn't escape the pull that sucked the water into the center...
Dive-Clops had wandered too close to a dangerous force.
Again.
Dive-Clops flew through the air, enjoying the breezes of the summer day. Next to him was Eye-Brawl, the elder twin brother. They were winged eyeballs, and they both enjoyed life. Eye-Brawl had a blue iris, while Dive-Clops had a green iris, so there was no confusing the two.
The brothers were joined at the hip (For lack of a better term.) They always traveled together. Today, they were racing each other over a large ocean, enjoying the currents that gave them a boost. Eye-Brawl was in the lead, his wider wingspan giving him an eternal advantage. Dive-Clops didn't care. As of a few weeks ago, his older brother had returned from a conflict he had entered, attempting to "secure their family honor". This race was just like old times, and it was great to have him back.
Suddenly, Eye-Brawl stopped, accidentally causing Dive-Clops to crash into him.
"This isn't right," Eye-Brawl stammered. "We should head back."
"Why? What did you see?" Dive-Clops asked, moving out from behind him.
A vast ocean lay before them. There were no islands in sight. There had been islands farther back, and now the sea was empty. Dive-Clops was amazed to see nothing. Maybe something lived in the nothing-ness (If that made sense.)
"You're not afraid of a big ocean, are you bro?" Dive-Clops teased him.
"It's too open out here," Eye-Brawl stuttered. "Something could fly out and attack us."
"There's nothing for anyone to hide behind. We'd see them. We'd see their shadow."
"Please, Dive-Clops. Let's head back. It would make me feel better."
Well, whatever made him feel better. They turned around, heading for home. But stubborn Dive-Clops wasn't done here. He'd spent a hundred years without his brother's protective shadow- surely he could handle himself out there. As soon as Eye-Brawl wasn't paying attention, Dive-Clops turned back around to the open sea. There was still so much to explore.
He flew for a while. Eventually he came across a ship in the water- a pirate ship. Dive-Clops had never seen a real pirate ship before. Against his better judgement, (as he'd been told many times on the dangers of pirates,) he flew toward the ship. It was a beautiful vessel, with its steel-plated hull and giant maw at the bow. Dive-Clops didn't think that steel could float. He wondered why this ship was able to sail.
A Seadog was seen at the crow's nest. Red coat, horned hat, mange in his beard, he was truly menacing. But Dive-Clops knew no fear, and he flew closer. He flew closer to the crow's nest, hoping to speak with the captain.
"Looks like we be havin' flyin' eye fer dinner tonight!" the Seadog shouted. "Thumpback, man the cannons!"
A giant whale behemoth hopped onto the deck. He turned the cannons on board toward the flying eyeball, fear in his gaze. Dive-Clops realized the danger now, and he tried to escape.
But the cannons were faster.
Cannonball after cannonball flew at Dive-Clops. Each one that hit sailed through his wings. He screamed in pain, falling into the ocean. He plummeted down, dropping into the water. Dive-Clops saw red stuff stream out from behind him- blood! His wings had been ripped off! He was dying! Dive-Clops cried for help, but nobody came. He kept sinking, deeper and deeper, and deeper still...
Dive-Clops still felt himself spinning. He'd blacked out at some point- he hadn't known eyeballs could do that. He would've thought he was dead, but something kept poking at his diving suit. His sight slowly came back, and shapes appeared. Blue light, with gray and red...blobs.
"Just stay right there, foul water demon!" a gruff voice yelled.
"Blrgh. Water demon...where...?" Dive-Clops slurred.
The dizziness went away, and his vision came into focus. Dive-Clops saw a flame spirit with red metal wings standing above him. The flame spirit held onto a large stick- the poking apparatus. His expression was dark, though his eyes showed fear. Of course. All flame spirits feared water. Dive-Clops's diving suit clearly had origins from the sea- perhaps this flame spirit thought he really was a water demon, trying to plunge all of Skylands into water.
"I'm not a water demon," Dive-Clops explained. "I won't hurt you."
No comment.
"It's cute that you desire wings."
The flame spirit looked at his wings. He lowered the stick, confused. "My people created them for speed," he said. "Almost everyone has a pair of some fashion."
"It's also cute that you came to the ocean despite being highly aquaphobic."
"Ocean?"
Dive-Clops struggled getting up- still a bit weak, he only managed to flop onto his back. He could see why the flame spirit was confused with the eyeball's banter. They were in a canyon of sorts. There was no water to be found. Floating islands could also be seen, more of them existing around one particular area than Dive-Clops remembered there being. A few aircrafts also flew by, these ones more advanced than the ones the Arkeyans had built. Those robot overlords were really stepping up their game.
"How'd I end up in the desert?" Dive-Clops gasped.
"Couldn't tell you," the flame spirit shrugged. "Just found you out here. Thought a water demon had left a giant pearl or egg in that suit- and with a colony of Fire Elementals living near here, that's not a good thing."
"Do those ships fly over here all the time?"
Nod.
"I certainly hope the Arkeyans aren't scouting this area, then."
The flame spirit's eyes became quizzical. He put a hand out for Dive-Clops to grab onto, deciding that the eyeball was too insane to be of any danger to him. Dive-Clops accepted, and the flame spirit hoisted him up. The dizzy feeling returned, but that, along with his apparent weakness, disappeared.
"Is the Arkeyan Empire the last big thing you remember?" the flame spirit asked.
"Of course," Dive-Clops said, this time a little irritated. Apparently there was some big clue hanging in the air that he was just not getting.
The flame spirit's eyes widened in realization. "That was ten thousand years ago."
What? No, that couldn't be. Ten thousand years? Dive-Clops had spent ten thousand years swirling around in the Whirlpool of Destiny? No, no, no. Impossible. Things like that just didn't happen.
"A-are you sure?" Dive-Clops stammered. "One hundred percent sure? Give me proof!"
"That's not a good idea," the flame spirit insisted. "I don't want to blow up your...thing that...controls your thoughts. But I am absolutely sure that ten thousand years have passed from what you remember."
"...No...it can't be..."
"As sure as I am that the sun rises in the east."
That fact was still apparent. The sun has always risen in the east. It didn't help in the long run, but Dive-Clops found himself seeking solace in that fact. But the islands around here...the ships that flew by...the flame spirit's decision to build himself wings...of course it had to be true. Ten thousand years must have passed. There was no other way around it.
"...I don't know what to say," the flame spirit said.
"Don't say anything!" Dive-Clops found himself yelling. "Just don't say anything!"
Dive-Clops found himself taken aback by his own tone. He never yelled at anyone. Not even when he was upset about something. He hadn't even scolded Eye-Brawl for being gone for so long.
Oh gosh, he hadn't even thought about his family yet.
"...I'm sorry," Dive-Clops stammered. "You didn't deserve that."
"I know it's a lot to take in," the flame spirit nodded. "Forget about it. In fact, yell at me some more if you think it will help."
No comment.
"Then just scream. I usually feel better after screaming."
Dive-Clops turned away from him. Scream, without any fear involved? Shout, with no reason to do so? Just for the sake of screaming and shouting? Dive-Clops had never heard of such a thing. Did people always scream for that purpose? Oh well, he felt angry enough to do so. Dive-Clops took in a large breath and let out a wind-piercing scream. The sound carried through the air, seeming to land on the rocks. He swore he could feel the echo in his soul.
"Better?" the flame spirit asked.
He wasn't sure. He didn't know how to feel. "Maybe in a little bit," Dive-Clops shrugged.
The flame spirit held his hand out once more. "The name's Spitfire. I'll let you hang out for a while."
Dive-Clops shook his hand. "I'm Dive-Clops. And...thank you."
He would soon discover that Spitfire would be his most important friend in this new age.
Once the thought of his family came in, Dive-Clops couldn't shake it out. Ten thousand years had passed. Everyone he had ever known and cared about had to be dead.
Those Jelly Dwarves that had found him at the bottom of the ocean. Yeah, they had to be gone. Dive-Clops had been all but dead when they found him. They patched him up, and gave him the diving suit he now traveled around with. Had Dive-Clops even thanked them for their help? He certainly didn't feel deserving of it now.
His parents, and the rest of their colony back at their mountain home. They might be gone, too. Flying eyeballs had a long lifespan, and they couldn't be afflicted by undead curses like most other creatures, but eventually they left the mortal coil as well. What had his family thought when Dive-Clops never came home? Had they been worried sick? Had they stopped caring? Dive-Clops hadn't thought of this when he was traveling the ocean- he always assumed he'd find his way back one day.
Eye-Brawl...if his family was gone, then so was his brother. He had to be. Oh, Dive-Clops should've listened to him. None of this would've happened if he had. Eye-Brawl had the right idea, and now he was gone, and he had never known what had happened to his little brother. Maybe he hated him for disobeying him.
Dive-Clops felt incredibly lonely during this time, even with company.
Spitfire had taken him in, allowing the eyeball to live in his shack. It was small, with just enough commodities to make the flame spirit's home meet this age's requirements for living, which included a full bathroom and kitchen. (Not a bathroom-kitchen room, because that would be gross.) Apparently comfort was something that all creatures sought out nowadays- Spitfire's room was a pigsty, something that the flame spirit was comfortable with, while everywhere else in the shack looked decent enough in case someone bothered to stop by. Dive-Clops spent his own time camped out in the living room, just thankful that he had a place to stay.
Admittedly enough, Dive-Clops found himself gravitating toward the strange device in Spitfire's home known as the "television". It was a strange metal box that displayed moving pictures with little people in them. (Though the flame spirit explained that the people weren't trapped inside.) Dive-Clops had initially been fascinated with it after discovering the history programs, figuring that he'd had a lot of catching up to do. But perhaps his depression caused him to spend his days around it.
This didn't go unnoticed by Spitfire. One morning, after returning from work of his own, the flame spirit decided to join the eyeball in the living room.
"Back to history, I see," Spitfire mused. "What's this special about?"
"An event called the Cloudbreak Revolution," Dive-Clops sighed brusquely. "Figures undecided on which side their on, which war to fight. It's messed up, to say the least."
"Not much different from today. Different species and factions can't seem to decide which side they want to be on. Which side will protect them the most. I don't care about things like that. I'm on my own side, and whoever wants to join me is able to do so."
"You know, it's scary how things can change. The time I came from didn't used to be history, but it became history in my view before I even knew things had changed. I missed all of this."
"This must all seem frightening to you, then. No wonder you're so glum."
No comment.
Spitfire stole the remote away, turning the television off. "This isn't healthy for you," he insisted. "You know what, it's a nice day outside. Neither of us have had breakfast yet, and it turns out I know the best place around town to get the best omelets. What do you say?"
"I'm not hungry."
"Still a nice day, nonetheless. Let's go for a walk. Just the two of us."
Spitfire seemed so insistent on this. Something seemed to talk to the flame spirit, telling him not to give up on the eyeball. Dive-Clops was thankful for that. If it weren't for him, he probably would've wasted away in this new age, stuck fixating on that television. He had nobody to live for out here. Nobody but Spitfire. The flame spirit's presence ensured him that he shouldn't give up.
It really was a nice day out, Dive-Clops discovered when he and Spitfire walked out. The sky was a vivid blue, with white puffy clouds that looked as if you could touch them. It was warm, with a cool breeze occasionally blowing through. The rest of the town was bustling with activity, excited by the prospect of a good day. Many flame spirits just like Spitfire moved throughout the streets, commuting to different places, or chatting with the non-Fire Elemental travelers that also inhabited the community. Dive-Clops was awestruck by this scene. He used to like days such as this, when it felt like anything could happen.
"Would you look at that crowd," Spitfire gasped. "Better stay close to me so you don't get lost, Dive."
Dive-Clops didn't object, taking Spitfire's hand as they walked. The flame spirit led the way, moving through the street and swerving past other pedestrians. Other flame spirits looked at Dive-Clops, giving him a glance that was different than what Spitfire had given him the first time they met. (Presumably because they could tell he wasn't a water demon.)Though the crowds made him a bit nervous, Dive-Clops was enjoying the activity of the day.
A sound began to carry through the air- trumpets, and maybe a guitar as well. Music! Dive-Clops began leading Spitfire away from the flame spirit's path, curious as to where the melody was coming from. They made it to a crowd that was clustered together tightly, seemingly refusing to move. The eyeball found that his suit was too short to see past everyone much taller than he. If only he still had his wings, then he could just fly up above their heads.
"Can I sit on your shoulders?" Dive-Clops asked Spitfire.
Spitfire gave him an annoyed glance, but nonetheless complied. He knelt down for Dive-Clops to climb on, and after that he stood back to his full height. Up here, Dive-Clops could see the kind of band that was playing the music. A skeletal man stood on a makeshift platform, blasting away on a trumpet. Small blue ghouls played beside him, waving a harmonic blend of melodies. Dive-Clops had never seen these kinds of ghouls before- had they always existed, and he'd never bothered to find out about them? Whatever it was, the band was excellent!
Spitfire glanced above the crowd's heads. "Oh heck, I didn't know Fiesta was playing here!" he smiled. "I haven't seen him in weeks!"
"Is he a friend of yours?" Dive-Clops asked.
"Friend, racing buddy, and all around cool guy. Yeah, he drives cars almost as well as he plays music. Almost."
"Don't think he drives as well as you? I've seen replays of your performance on the racing circuit. You get pretty cocky when it comes to cars and racing, huh?"
"Aw, don't make me blush! C'mon, let's go talk to Fi."
Spitfire pushed through the crowd of now-disgruntled viewers. Dive-Clops, startled, grabbed onto Spitfire's horns to steady himself. The flame spirit waved to the skeletal man, trying to grab his attention. The skeletal man noticed them, and made his way over, ending his band's performance for the morning.
"Spitfire, amigo! Where have you been hiding out?" the skeletal man, Fiesta, greeted him with a smile.
"I should ask the same from you," Spitfire replied. "I tell you I'm out sick, and you don't even bother sending a card?"
"Things got a little busy on the road. Something else grabbed my attention."
A camera flashed on Dive-Clops's right side, blinding him momentarily. He looked and saw a pink-haired faun holding a camera up to her face, having caught an image of the three of them together.
"This'll be a great commemorative piece," the faun mused. "Rookie Spitfire, back on the track, meets up with old friends before he sets off on his way."
"And that something would be Splat," Fiesta reiterated.
"She stalked you or something?" Spitfire wondered.
"More like chased me down in her speedboat and decided to become a road companion. Can't say no to a face like hers."
Splat gave them a smile.
"I'll give you that," Spitfire nodded.
"But it looks like you've found a road companion of your own," Fiesta noticed, directing his attention to Dive-Clops. "Sorry I didn't look at you before, my friend. What do you call yourself?"
Dive-Clops hadn't expected to be talking to the band leader. Or that the band leader would already be good friends with Spitfire. What a weird day. "I'm Dive-Clops," he greeted him.
"You know, you look like someone I might've seen before. Do you have any kind of family we might know?"
Not anymore. "I don't think so."
"He has that look, Fi," Splat pondered, angling her fingers in a sort of frame to look at Dive-Clops. "I swear, the kid looks like someone we've seen before."
"I'm much older than you," Dive-Clops insisted.
This brought about laughter in the faun. "Oh yeah? By how much?"
"Ten thousand years."
"...Okay, that would do it."
"Dive's been hanging with me ever since we met," Spitfire explained. "He hasn't been having the best time adjusting to this place."
Fiesta gave a curt, apologetic bow. "That's too bad, amigo. Do you want to talk about it, Dive? I'm good at consoling people."
"I'm still trying to figure out the right things to say about it," Dive-Clops sighed. "I'll keep it in mind, though."
"Fi's a good guy, Dive," Spitfire promised him. "I trust him with my life."
"What about me?" Splat asked with curiosity.
"Well we just met, so I barely know anything about you."
"But I'm also a good person, right?"
"Yeah, sure, whatever."
Dive-Clops found himself giggling at their banter, thinking of how cute it was. His giggling was the first time he'd laughed in days. He thought that he might've been unable to laugh for the rest of his life. But somehow, listening to the banter between Spitfire and his friend was making him feel better. Maybe he could be a part of their group. Maybe things would be okay out here after all.
Returning home that afternoon, Dive-Clops thanked Spitfire for taking him out to see the town. It would become a habit that he made, thanking others for even the small things he was given- being ungrateful was a mistake he never wanted to make again. Spitfire took this first thanks humbly, insisting that it was his pleasure. He decided to take Dive-Clops out to the garage next to the shack to see the project he had been working on- which turned out to be the racing vehicle that the flame spirit had used.
"The Hot Streak," Dive-Clops gasped.
"Recognize her from those replays?" Spitfire asked with a smile. "We were in an accident a few weeks back."
"Yeah, the replays showed it. You're looking well, though. And so is your car."
"I've spent some time repairing her. But the Hot Streak isn't quite ready to go back out on the circuit just yet. There's still one part that needs fixing, and I'm not sure what that is. I think I could use your help on that."
"But-but I know nothing about cars, let alone the ones from this new age."
"It's not a big task. Just sit in the driver's seat and turn on the ignition. You'll hear a weird clunking sound, but that's just the thing that needs fixing. I'll try to go below to see what it is."
The car had been lifted up off the ground somewhat by a strange kind of cord, so that the flame spirit could go underneath it without hurting himself if something moved. Spitfire hoisted Dive-Clops into the driver's seat, showing him how to turn the ignition on. Dive-Clops did it after the short instruction, and almost immediately after a roar of fire came from the vehicle's grill. The Hot Streak seemed to erupt in anger, recognizing that the driver sitting in it was definitely not Spitfire, and couldn't be friendly. The wheels turned frantically above the ground, and only a gentle touch on the hood by Spitfire made this strange activity cease.
Dive-Clops was speechless shortly after, shaking from shock.
"Sorry, I should've thought of this," Spitfire cursed himself. "She recognized you as a Water Elemental- an enemy. The Hot Streak's first reaction was worse than mine when I saw you."
"It-it-it's alive!" Dive-Clops stammered. "It wouldn't act this way if it wasn't!"
"I'll show you why that is when we're done here. For now, I think she knows you won't hurt her, so we can get to work."
Spitfire ducked underneath the car. Dive-Clops slowly turned on the ignition, fearful that the same event would happen again. Luckily it didn't. Only the weird clunking sound Spitfire had said would be there came out. The flame spirit spent a few moments searching for the sound's source. He climbed out, motioning for Dive-Clops to turn the ignition off.
"The cooling pipe's messed up," Spitfire proclaimed. "Looks fine on the outside, but that's definitely where the sound was coming from. It might be cracked somewhere, so I'll have to replace it."
"I think heat shouldn't be a concern for this vessel," Dive-Clops wondered.
"No, actually. There are many pieces inside the Hot Streak that aren't fireproof. That's what the pipe is for. Now come on out, and let me show you what makes her so special."
Dive-Clops clambered out, still admittedly shaken up. He walked next to Spitfire as the flame spirit opened up the hood. Inside the vehicle was some kind of strange engine, brass or bronze in color. The Fire symbol was embedded on the front.
"It's called a Rift Engine," Spitfire explained. "That's the name I was given for the device when I bonded with it and the Hot Streak. Perpetual energy through magic, and a kind of life that no other vehicle on the circuit has."
"Where does such a device like this come from?" Dive-Clops gasped.
"Not sure. But it was ancient, for sure. Maybe long before you were around. I don't know if you would recognize something like this."
Except he did. He remembered this kind of device as soon as he saw it. There had been a kind of place around the Whirlpool of Destiny, one where devices like Rift Engines had existed, lying out of sight for many years. Dive-Clops remembered that he'd touched a Rift Engine, just before the current sucked him in. His touch had brought the device into the Whirlpool with him, at least for a moment. He'd completely forgotten about the experience before his time in the Whirlpool- at least, until now.
"I might've," Dive-Clops thought. "Maybe one of these things might be in the canyon where you found me."
Some time was spent searching the canyon for the hypothesized Rift Engine that Dive-Clops described. Each crevice was explored. Each rock was turned over. However, Dive-Clops and Spitfire's friends didn't have much luck locating the device.
"Maybe it landed in a different place than you did," Splat suggested one afternoon. "What did you say happened to you? You were stuck in a giant whirlpool for thousands of years?"
"Yup, that's what happened to me," Dive-Clops confirmed. "I almost thought it would be here."
"It could still be here," Spitfire shrugged. "I bet if we got close to the Rift Engine, you'd be able to sense it."
"If I'd formed a bond with it, that is."
Fiesta looked up from a cave he had found. "All it usually takes is a touch," he promised. "Just one touch for you to feel a connection. And once you've connected with something, time can't easily tear it away from you."
"Even family?" Dive-Clops sighed.
"If your bond is strong enough, then yes."
Dive-Clops wasn't sure. Time had torn everything away from him. Everything he had cared about was gone. He had no idea of what this "bonding" phenomenon was. Not even that could save what he loved, could it?
Whatever this all meant, Dive-Clops was thankful that he had been found by these people.
"What are you looking at, Fi?" Splat asked.
"This cave. It goes really far in, too," Fiesta replied. "I think something dug it out long ago. The Rift Engine might be in here."
"Ooh, creepy caves," Spitfire said with disinterest. "Not really something I'm in the mood for. Besides, we don't really have the equipment for-"
Dive-Clops was swayed. He ran up to Fiesta's side, the two of them walking in together.
"Of course, we've checked everywhere else for the Rift Engine, and it's not here," Spitfire decided, quickly following after them.
"Hey, don't leave me out here!" Splat yelled as she followed Spitfire.
The four of them walked out of the canyon, traveling into the cave. It was damp in there, with water dripping from the ceiling. A few stalactites and stalagmites had grown close together, forming into pillars. The minerals in this cave were much like the ones outside, though the reddish hues were mulled by the dampness.
"Definitely not how I want to spend my time," Spitfire mumbled fearfully, hugging his arms to his chest.
"Don't worry about your eternal flame, amigo," Fiesta insisted. "There's hardly enough moisture in here to put it out."
"Hey guys, do any of you feel that?" Splat wondered suddenly.
Everyone stood still. Nothing happened.
"It feels like moving water," Splat continued.
"Out in the desert?" Spitfire asked.
"Sure. There are hidden sources of water in the desert all the time. That's why you can find plants out there."
"But there are no plants out here," Dive-Clops remembered. "And the canyon is dry."
"This one. But I swear I can feel rushing water nearby."
"Lead the way, then," Fiesta obliged her.
Splat took the lead, walking deeper in the cave. Dive-Clops stayed behind for a moment, noticing how scared Spitfire looked. "You don't have to come with us," he insisted. "Not for my sake."
"I couldn't stay away," Spitfire insisted. "What if something happened to you guys and I wasn't there to help you?"
They continued onward. The cave started becoming narrower and narrower as they pressed on, despite Fiesta's hypothesis of something digging it out. Something couldn't have simply shrunk down and eaten its way through, right? Or was it just the earth growing around itself? There was so much Dive-Clops had missed out on the world, he realized. So much he had yet to learn, having missed all this time.
"It's getting rather dark," Dive-Clops noted. "You know, Spitfire, you're kind of illuminating the passage."
"Right, because I'm just a big torch for you guys," Spitfire mumbled.
"Hey, you were worried about us, weren't you?"
Splat halted them, kicking at the ground for a second. A hollow sound was heard.
"You definitely heard that, right?" she persisted. "There's something down here."
"Water," Dive-Clops agreed. He could now feel his suit pick up the movement under their feet.
"Except there isn't a river down there. Where this cave ends is the same as the cavern below, but I can feel the water circle back around. Maybe whatever is causing it is where your Rift Engine is."
"But there's no way to get down there."
Splat motioned for everyone to step back. They did, watching her closely. The faun took her place, and stomped on the ground as hard as she could. Cracks were seen when she landed, forming on the ground. Everyone took another step back, fearful that they would all fall. Splat stomped hard once again, and this time she broke through.
"SPLAT!" everyone gasped as the faun fell through.
From the new hole, they heard a splash! Dive-Clops walked up to the hole and hopped through, falling for a moment before he too landed in water. The water was deep, and he struggled to right himself, but this was a small feat accomplished once he broke through to the surface. He found Splat swimming toward the cavern wall, motioning the eyeball over to where she was. Dive-Clops paddled over to meet her.
"You're not hurt, are you?" Dive-Clops gasped.
Splat took his hand, helping him onto a small rock that she had found. From here, they could see the entirety of the cavern. The rocks seemed to sparkle green, glistening from the water. A kind of stream moved through here, moving in to the left, and exiting out to the right. Even the water had a sparkle to it.
"Isn't it the most incredible thing you've ever seen, Dive-Clops?" Splat smiled. "I have the ability to sense magic, and that is the source of the water's strange activity. There's no known fall for this water to be coming in at, so it must all originate from the same pool."
"The Whirlpool of Destiny," Dive-Clops stammered.
"I don't know about that, but maybe a lesser channel of-"
"You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"
Splat looked at the exiting stream with a cocky smile.
"No no no, you don't know what you're planning! The Whirlpool takes everything you care about! It takes everything and leaves you with the nothingness left over!"
"But your Rift Engine could be out there."
"I feel alone out here, even with your guys' company! I can't do this again!"
Splat touched his shoulder. "Well, we'll be together, then," she promised. "The Whirlpool of Destiny will just have to take us together."
Dive-Clops tried not to cry. "You don't know if that will happen."
"We'll just see it try to tear us apart."
Well, they had gotten this far. It was all a part of seeing something in that nothingness. Before, Dive-Clops had had no idea of what was in the great unknown. Now he did- out there was his Rift Engine. He could feel it. But he wasn't brave enough to chase after it on his own. That was why his new friends were here.
"All of us, right?" Dive-Clops asked.
Splat nodded. She called up to the hole, "Fi! Spitfire! We're alright! Come down here and see us!"
The next person down was Fiesta, who plummeted into the water in swan dive fashion. He struggled to get upright as well, but was quickly there as soon as he broke out above the water. The skeletal man then spread his arms out, beckoning for the flame spirit to join them.
"Come on, amigo, I've got you!" Fiesta hollered.
"I-I don't know," Spitfire replied hesitantly. "It looks deep. I don't know if my eternal flame can survive that."
"I'll catch you, I promise,"
"Spitfire, please!" Dive-Clops yelled after him. "The next part of our search is one I'm terrified by, and I'm not going without you. Who's going to kick me in the shins when I feel like a task is too big to accomplish? That's the kind of person you are! The one who helps people keep going!"
Silence, for a moment. Then Spitfire hollered down, "I did say I trust you with my life, Fi."
And then the flame spirit jumped down, falling into the cavern. Fiesta caught him in his arms, accidentally falling back into the water upon Spitfire's landing. They quickly reemerged, smoke coming up from the flame spirit. His tail had shrunk, now licking orange instead of blue. The flames from his metal wings had also gone out. Though the blue fire in Spitfire's eyes still remained, and he was absolutely fine.
"That wasn't so bad, huh, amigo?" Fiesta insisted.
Spitfire moved himself onto the skeletal man's back, hugging his body this way. "I'm going to stay here, if it's all the same to you," he argued as his flames retained their blue tint.
"I guess swimming really isn't an option for you," Splat shrugged meekly.
Fiesta paddled over to where Splat and Dive-Clops were. "Where to, now?" he asked them.
Dive-Clops pointed to the cavern with the water rushing out.
"I really hate you right now," Spitfire grumbled to Dive-Clops. "But I guess this means we get to fight our fears together."
The four of them continued down the cavern, moving out with the current. A light broke out at the end of the cavern the farther they swam. The water seemed to become more shallow the farther they went, until their feet could touch the bottom. Dive-Clops could see out the exit, taking in a sunset scene of a pool surrounded by a grassy island. Water seemed to spray out the center, magic picking it up into the opposite cavern. A few things seemed to spray out of it- metal things, reminding him of the time period he had been born into.
"I don't understand," Dive-Clops gasped. "Why is the water just getting sucked back into the caverns?"
"Maybe it's the kind of thing that carves out new islands," Spitfire shrugged. "At least, one of the ways this happens. Do you think your Rift Engine is down in that pool?"
"I know it."
"Then let's go."
They hopped down, falling for a little while until landing in the pool. There was a current here, though definitely not as strong as the Whirlpool of Destiny. Dive-Clops saw a crack in the earth while he was underwater, which spurted out certain objects from the magic it held. He swam back to the surface, where his friends expectantly waited for him. Spitfire's flames had turned orange once again, though he hadn't been put in any danger.
"This isn't the Whirlpool!" Dive-Clops cheered, excitement filling his entire core. "No, it just spits out old trinkets that it collects in its current through places like this. Spitfire, this is where I came out!"
"That's great, man!" Spitfire congratulated him. "And...ouch at the same time."
"You guys just swim to shore. I can find the Rift Engine on my own."
They complied, paddling to one side of the pool. Dive-Clops went back under, swimming as fast as he could. He found something at the bottom of the pool, too heavy to float- he knew it to be his Rift Engine. Dive-Clops swam deeper, getting a hold on the precious device. He could see the Water symbol embedded on the front, feeling a forgotten bond as soon as he touched it. Dive-Clops tried carrying the Rift Engine back up, but it was too heavy to lift down here. Remembering the spout, he kept his grip on the device, steering toward the spray of water. Dive-Clops had entered the next spray, being shot up several feet in the air. Dive-Clops let go of the Rift Engine, spinning it away from him so it would land in the grass, while he allowed himself to fall back into the water. He fell back down several feet with a large sploosh! and swam back to the surface, making way for shore.
Dive-Clops quickly clambered onto the grass, running to where the Rift Engine had landed. He tried picking it up, but still found it quite heavy on land as well, only managing to push it around. He caught sight of his friends, who were sitting near the edge of the pool, and called them over to him.
"Is that it? Wow, it's amazing!" Splat cheered, running up to Dive-Clops's side. "What are you going to do with it?"
"I'm going to build a boat!" Dive-Clops beamed. "I'm going to build a boat and sail the ocean that way!"
"You know, it's pretty tricky, building a boat. It's tricky to build anything, actually. I'll be glad to help you with it."
"I'd like that a lot, actually."
Spitfire and Fiesta came over, inspecting Dive-Clops and the Rift Engine. "A boat, you say?" the skeletal man smiled. "That sounds quite fitting. Not leaving us behind just yet, though, are you?"
"Why would I do that?" Dive-Clops scoffed playfully. "I just found you."
"Well we won't go anywhere, if that helps," Spitfire smiled, playfully scuffing Dive-Clops on the shoulder.
He'd made it through. Dive-Clops had made it through the nothingness and found this Rift Engine. He had no idea what it could do yet, but it had to be something amazing. Heck, what he had just gone through to get this far was amazing in itself.
"Hey guys," Splat said in realization. "How are we going to get this thing back into town?"
Right, they still had to do that.
As the stars began to come out, Splat remedied this problem rather quickly. She took water from the pool and mixed her own magic into it, creating a makeshift signal for the Skylanders to see. It really wasn't fair to call these newfangled heroes to their aid- from what Dive-Clops had learned about them, they had more important things to do. Nevertheless, he was excited by the prospect of meeting a Skylander face-to-face. They had only been a rumor when he had fallen into the ocean, and now they were practically celebrities. He was curious to know if they truly were the kind, selfless individuals they were made out to be.
When one of them finally arrived...he found himself shocked as to who it was.
One single Skylander had teleported into their vicinity. It was a "Giant", like the ones from Dive-Clops's day, though he had never seen this one before. The giant had black armor with bronze highlights in certain places. A flying eyeball sat where the head should be. The eyeball's attention had been brought to Splat, the one who had sent the signal. Dive-Clops immediately knew who he was.
"Hey Skylander, sorry to be of trouble for you," Splat greeted the Giant. "We just got stuck out here, and need some help getting this Rift Engine back to our town."
"You four aren't hurt at all, are you?" the Giant asked.
"Of course not. We just...planned poorly, is all."
Dive-Clops couldn't stop looking at him. He couldn't believe it. He thought he was dead. He thought that everyone he cared about was dead.
This didn't go unnoticed by Spitfire, who asked him, "Do you know him?"
"...My brother," Dive-Clops stammered.
"Your brother's a Skylander?" Fiesta gasped, having overheard the comment. "What did I tell you? Time can't tear close bonds."
Dive-Clops didn't reply.
"Why don't you go talk to him? It's been long enough, for certain."
He didn't know if he could. He didn't know what his brother would do. He didn't even know if his brother hated him. But...Dive-Clops had to say something to him at one point or another. He coughed to clear his voice, and shouted, "Eye-Brawl!"
The Giant looked at Dive-Clops, who was no standing so he could be better seen. The eyeball started looking misty, and he flew off the giant to meet his brother directly. Dive-Clops looked at him directly, himself also getting a bit misty.
"...Dive-Clops?" Eye-Brawl gasped.
"It's me," Dive-Clops nodded.
"But...how? I don't understand."
"It's a long story. I'm...I'm so sorry to have put you through this. I was attacked by pirates out there. I searched for danger, even after you wanted none. I understand if...if you hate me. I understand. I wasn't fair to you, even after how good you were to me."
He could never know what Eye-Brawl had been through. He could never know of the strange magic that brought Eye-Brawl to this time period- magic that was nothing like the Whirlpool of Destiny. But he did learn what his brother felt.
"You're always so apologetic," Eye-Brawl began. "You blame yourself for the smallest things. Truth be told, I should've had a closer eye on you. Who knows how things would've gone if we had stayed together. But when I did realize you were missing, I didn't waste a day. I searched for you everywhere I could think. When I thought you were dead, I still didn't stop, thinking there were places in the world where your spirit might've gone. I love you, and nothing in this world could change that."
Dive-Clops jumped forward, hugging Eye-Brawl. They both let out tears of joy, happy to have found one another out here.
There was still so much Dive-Clops didn't know about the world. But he knew that a bond was a powerful thing.
Title for this chapter comes from the song "Ends of the Earth" by Lord Huron.