This one was another request.

Chapter Sixty: A Weighty Position

It had been an awful day. The Superchargers were still trying to sort out the refugees and ensure that they got settled into new homes, which wasn't always an easy task. Sometimes Stormblade had to seat a few members from rival tribes into the back of her Sky Slicer, dealing with their griping, trying to break them up, and trying to pay attention to her flying at the same time. She always had an enormous headache afterward- she couldn't stand constant, petty bickering. Many of the other Superchargers had to drive bickering refugees to their new homes as well, so at least the sentiment was shared between them.

Then there was the matter of actually finding new homes for the refugees. The Lost Islands had been a go-to spot for the Skylanders to deliver refugees for years, and thankfully, they had survived the Sky Eater's wrath. Of course, many places in Skylands hadn't been so lucky, meaning that space in the Lost Islands ran out quickly.

Meaning that sometimes the Superchargers would have to take refugees back to the Academy until they figured out where to go- or until the Lost Islands grew a new island, which sometimes happened, as rare as it was.

And the Skylanders were finding more refugees every day, meaning that the space at the Academy was also shrinking. The Skylanders that lived there had given up their rooms for as many as they could, camping out with others while they helped them out. Even that didn't seem like enough.

It was driving Stormblade nuts. She always tried to be optimistic. When her friends were feeling down, she tried to cheer them up with jokes or look on the bright side. She always preached that peace would come, and that they should hold on to hope. But these days, it was getting harder and harder to believe in that. There didn't seem to be any light at the other end of the tunnel. There wasn't anywhere to go to escape from the pressure.

So it really shouldn't have surprised her that day when the lid on that pressure finally popped.

It was during the dinner rush, a hectic time made even more so with the edition of thousands of refugees. Having not had a single calm moment all day, Stormblade tried to keep her head down on the way to the mess hall and not talk to anyone. She managed to get her meal without incident, but while walking out with it, she bumped into someone. The force was strong enough to knock her to the ground, scattering her tray across the floor, along with everything on it.

Stormblade stood up, shaking in an assortment of several emotions. She looked over, seeing that it was Nightfall that had bumped into her. The Dreadwalker stepped back, arms out like she was reaching for something, but too hesitant too. Her eyes flicked about, as if she was trying to figure out what to say. Stormblade and Nightfall weren't exactly close- while Stormblade was cheerful and optimistic, Nightfall was pessimistic and brooding. They were as different as two people could possibly be.

Nightfall was normally quick to go after Stormblade with some comment on how annoying and unrealistic she was. Maybe that was her purpose for coming up to her. Well, Stormblade certainly couldn't deal with that right now.

"Don't even say it, Nightfall!" Stormblade shouted, her feathers bristling. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say to me!"

At her shout, a group of Skylanders and refugees started inching toward them. None of them dared get too close, instead opting to watch curiously and worriedly.

Nightfall brushed her elbow, muttering, "I just… wanted to apologize. And maybe… help you clean up if… if you wanted."

Stormblade's feathers drooped back down, her beak slightly agape in some level of shock. That was really it? Nightfall had only wanted to help her? Well now Stormblade felt even worse for yelling at her. What could she even say now to make things better? Admit that her week had been absolutely terrible, explaining that the outburst hadn't been personal?

And essentially admit that hope was a fleeting promise, as Nightfall always believed?

Instead of doing anything like that, Stormblade hurried down the hall, past Nightfall and the other refugees. She stomped downstairs and rushed out of the Academy, making her way to the racetrack where the Supercharger's vehicles were. She hurried over to the edge where the Sky vehicles stayed- where the Sky Slicer was docked. Stormblade quickly found her vehicle, and climbed into the cockpit.

She found herself too upset to confront anyone else right now. She wanted some time for herself, somewhere else. That wasn't too much to ask, was it?

Just a quick flight, she decided. Just one quick flight to help her relax and stop thinking about everything for a while. It would only be an hour, and then she would be back.

Stormblade ignited the engine, taking off into the air. She ascended a few feet from the Academy before going straight, steering away from it. She pushed the acceleration, her heart soaring as the Sky Slicer picked up speed. Stormblade didn't have a destination in mind, simply enjoying the ride. She'd missed flying by herself, speeding along however she liked. The initial appeal of her exploration endeavors in the past was the ability to push her skills to the limits, and to be able to do that again was exhilarating.

Although, with the scenery blurring through the window, maybe she should slow down a bit so she didn't crash. Stormblade eased pressure on the accelerator, trying to slow the Sky Slicer down.

Only it didn't slow down.

She took her talons off of the controls, hoping that would help. It didn't.

Paradoxically, the Sky Slicer seemed to be going faster, despite Stormblade having relinquished control on every device she could think of in the cockpit. Familiar sparks started flickering on the dashboard, as well as outside by the window. Stormblade gasped as she realized what was happening, and she slapped on the side of the cockpit, shouting at the vehicle, "Hey, please slow down! We have to go back pretty soon!"

The Sky Slicer didn't give in to her demands. Soon enough, a rift opened up before them, sucking them in before closing without a trace.

It would have been an alarming experience, if Stormblade hadn't been aware of the properties of the Rift Engines.

Stormblade had found hers on one of the lower islands in the world. She had been trying to track the bottom of their expansive world, going lower and lower until the sunlight started fading. It was a place even the Underworld didn't reach, and many ancient artifacts from ages long forgotten laid on those dark islands. Stormblade found her Rift Engine on one such dark island, just as the power on her flashlight was running out and her tether was getting short. The moment she touched it, a spark jumped between the two, and a rift opened up that led straight back to her ship.

She had yet to know the history behind the strange device, or the powers it possessed. But it did seem like a great tool for mapping Skylands, so of course she installed it into her ship the first chance she got.

With the Rift Engine, the Sky Slicer's speed was incomparable. She could go anywhere at any time. Even to places she had never seen before.

Stormblade currently found herself in some kind of forest, with features she hadn't seen anywhere else she had been. The Rift Engine continued humming, sensing some kind of energy in the area. A river ran past where the Sky Slicer was parked, flowing off of a cliff. Stormblade sensed that something special could be found at the edge of that cliff.

She hadn't gone exploring in ages. This could be a new opportunity for her.

So Stormblade climbed out of the cockpit of the Sky Slicer and started walking. She took in the warm sun and the gentle breeze, smiling as she did so. The sounds of rustling leaves and small animals surrounded her as she went along. It was much calmer out here than it was at the Academy. She could spend a week charting this new location.

Heck, maybe that was why the Sky Slicer had taken her here.

Stormblade paused before reaching the edge of the cliff, feeling the shaking beneath her. She slowly crept closer, watching her footing. She then peered over the edge of the cliff, watching a fight unfold from below. It looked like a triceratops was fighting monsters down there. The triceratops wore black-and-gold armor, and he used his massive club to bat a monster into the air above the cliff. Stormblade ducked as the creature flew over her, landing against a tree and sliding down. Luckily it ran off without acknowledging her presence, having had too much fighting for one encounter.

There were people in this area, too? Most of the strange islands Stormblade visited weren't inhabited by anyone. She looked back down, her disappointment growing. She watched the triceratops walk over to the trees below, where two Mabu children timidly walked out. They must have hidden themselves after encountering the monsters.

Oh goodness, there had to be a dozen people on this island, didn't there? And that meant they had to have… villages full of people.

Stormblade knelt down, letting out a big sigh. And to think she had some untouched land to explore all by herself. She really didn't want to interact with anyone right now. Stormblade stood back up, dusted herself off, and turned around to head back to the Sky Slicer.

Only to pause and turn back.

What would be the better situation for her right now? To deal with the ire of her friends and allies at the Academy? Or to make some strangers hate her and lose the chance to become friends?

Stormblade decided to chance it with the strangers. She leapt off the cliff, diving down, before righting herself and using her wings to slow her descent. The group turned and gawked at her the moment she landed, with the two Mabu children excitedly running up to her. The triceratops looked at her for a moment, then crossed his arms with a smirk.

"You look like a Skylander," he mused.

Stormblade backed up from the Mabu children, their cheerful chatter somehow unbearable- and the chatter was something she would have normally engaged with.

"You act like a Skylander," Stormblade muttered. "I'm Stormblade."

The triceratops held his hand out for her. "I'm Tri Tip," he responded. "Nice to meet you."

Stormblade tentatively shook his hand. Tri Tip pulled away, cocking his head at her. He must have been sensing her poor mood.

"Bad week?" Tri Tip asked her.

He was giving her sympathy. This was going better than she had expected. "It's been… it's been pretty tough where I've been working," she confessed, shaking her head in exhaustion.

"Yeah, things are just starting to calm down for us here. You're welcome to stay with us until you feel better."

Stormblade wrung her hands together, gulping. "I couldn't do that to you. It would be too much trouble. And-And my team is probably expecting me right about now."

"Well it looks to me like you need a break. I'm sure they can survive a few days without you."

Could they? For the past few days, the Academy had needed all hands on deck. Everyone was needed to help assist the refugees. If Stormblade was missing, who knows what kind of trouble could come up from it. Even so, she wasn't sure if she even had the patience to help at the Academy. Maybe it would be better for all parties if she took some time off.

"I… I guess I could stay for a day or two," Stormblade decided hesitantly.

"Cool," Tri Tip announced, waving her over. "I'll have to drop these kiddos off back at their home, and then I can show you where my team stays."

The Mabu kids ran back over to Tri Tip, and they started walking off. Stormblade followed after them, looking back at the top of the cliff for the Sky Slicer. She wondered if she should do something with it before they left, but then decided she would come back for it once she knew the area a little better.

It turned out that Tri Tip was a member of a Skylander team known as "Senseis", who were tasked with training the people of Skylands to better defend themselves. They were a decently-sized group, although they didn't appear to be quite a full team yet. When Stormblade arrived at their Dojo that evening, she found a few of those Skylanders training some children in the yard. They seemed pretty well established in this area. How long had they been active? Did anyone back at the Academy know about them?

A penguin with large blades on his flippers walked out of the Dojo, making his way over to Tri-Tip and Stormblade. He looked at the lark curiously, and asked, "This is who you called us for? I definitely don't recognize her. How new is she?"

Tri Tip looked over at Stormblade. "On our way here, she said she was on the 'Supercharger' team," he explained. "They formed to fight the Sky Eater."

King Pen's eyes widened upon hearing that. "You're kidding. Kids like her were fighting against that thing?"

Stormblade rubbed at her elbow. "We're not that young," she insisted. "And we did an alright job protecting Skylands."

"Still, my team has been around far longer. It should've been up to us to carry that burden."

"I don't know about that. You guys seem pretty short on Rift Engines."

"Hey, you've been working with Skylanders Academy, right? We've been trying to contact them, so if-"

Tri Tip elbowed him hard, frowning bitterly. "She's here to relax," he argued. "If we must, we can discuss all of that later."

King Pen rubbed at the back of his neck. "Right, right, I just… I wanted to take some of the pressure off."

Stormblade's bad mood lifted at the offer of assistance. Here were allies ready to help take the weight off of their troubles. It was the light at the end of the tunnel- what Stormblade had been trying to see for the longest time. She ought to seize the opportunity while she saw it.

"No, it's fine," Stormblade insisted. "If I could get my team some help, it would really make me feel a lot better. I can relax when we're done."

"You really don't have to do that right now," Tri Tip urged her, setting a big hand on her shoulder. He seemed eager for her to take a break.

"It's fine, I promise. What do we need to do?"

King Pen looked up at the Dojo, brow furrowed in thought. "If you really are fine with it, I guess I can explain the situation," he decided. "We've been having trouble with travel and communications since the Rift Crisis ended. The Portals to the Academy don't work properly, and we can't seem to establish a communication channel with them, either."

"Given how all of the islands were scrambled, it makes sense that we would have to re-establish communications," Stormblade nodded.

"I've been worried about how Master Eon and the others are doing. We've been able to take care of things at the M.A.P, so we're able to lend aid, but without any message that it's needed… well, I'm sure Eon or someone else would've told us if we needed to help. Anyway, Ro-Bow made a new radio with a special channel on it, and he thought we could deliver it to the Academy to re-establish communications with them. He thinks that it'll be easier to contact them through a machine that we built ourselves."

Stormblade put her hands on her hips, beak curled in a smile. "So it's just a simple delivery, then?" she asked. "The way you guys were talking made it sound a lot more complicated. I can deliver that radio."

Tri Tip grimaced, glancing at the grass with a finger to his chin. "I'll come with you, then. I can hold on to that radio, and I'll make sure you're doing alright as we're going along."

"Sounds like a plan," King Pen decided. "When you get there, Tri Tip, say hi to Eon for me."

Tri Tip looked over at him with a smirk. "If it works, you can tell him yourself," he insisted. "I'll fetch that radio."

Once Tri Tip grabbed the radio, Stormblade led them back to where she left the Sky Slicer. They talked about the plants and trees, but not much else. Tri Tip seemed to study his own footsteps as he went along, a slight frown on his face. He had been eager to keep Stormblade from taking on this task, and if she had to guess, he was upset that she had taken it up anyway. Stormblade really didn't mind doing this for them, however. She was happy to help. With aid from the Senseis, the Superchargers' troubles were almost over.

"What's going on with you?" Stormblade asked him.

"I ought to ask you the same thing," Tri Tip huffed. He winced immediately after that sentence came out, and followed it with, "I, uh, I'm sorry for my tone."

"I know you're worried about me. But I really am fine."

"I really don't think you are. You're burnt out. I could tell from the first moment I saw you. I know your team has been responsible for tackling the Rift Crisis, but you can't just take up all that responsibility on your shoulders for that long."

Stormblade shook her head. "We've all been having a rough time. So we all need to stick together to take care of things. My team needs me. I can't just stay away."

"It looks to me like you've taken the bulk of the work."

Tri Tip stopped walking for a moment, prompting Stormblade to do the same. "Listen," he continued, "I've been where you have been before. I was green with the Skylanders, and I took on more than I could possibly handle, and I crashed pretty hard. It took me a while to get back to the place I was after that. You look like you're about to crash in a similar way, and I'd hate for that to happen to you."

Stormblade looked down at her claws. She thought back to the mealtime fiasco with Nightfall, and how she'd completely snapped at her for no reason. Even if they weren't friends, they still had to respect one another, and Stormblade had completely dropped the ball in that regard. Tri Tip's talk about crashing sounded rather plausible given that framing. What if it had already happened?

"It's… it's just a delivery, right?" she muttered. "It's such a small task. I can't possibly crash from that, can I?"

"It's what happened to me," Tri Tip shrugged. "The final straw, I think they called it. But I don't know the limits you can reach. I can just sense that that straw is coming soon, and I'd rather not add to the pile."

Stormblade turned around, looking at the hill up ahead. She could see part of the Sky Slicer just at the top of that hill. She had a job to do, both for the Senseis and for her team. How could she possibly justify taking a break for that? But after everything Tri Tip had told her, and how earnestly worried he was for her… could she really keep pushing on like she had been?

"It's okay if you want to head back," Tri Tip insisted. "King Pen will understand why."

Before Stormblade could respond, she heard the sound of an engine revving up. Her head whipped toward the hill up ahead, and she discovered the sound to be coming from there. Fearing that something was happening to her vehicle, she hurried up the hill. Stormblade rushed up the hill, pausing as she spotted something peculiar.

It was Nightfall and her vehicle, the Sea Shadow. Nightfall was busy inspecting the Storm Slicer, her tentacle hair patting the Sea Shadow to quiet the Rift Engine it held. Her body seemed tense- that kind of appearance looked really strange on the stoic hunter. The Dreadwalker stood up one moment, stepping back the moment she saw Stormblade. And then, she rushed forward after her.

Stormblade stumbled at the sight, and covered her face with her arms to brace herself for what might come. Whether it was a hit or a hug she expected, she wasn't really sure. But neither of those things came to pass. Stormblade set her arms down to look at Nightfall. Her arm was lifted up, her hand twisted as if she'd been trying to reach out to her just a moment ago. From the way her back arched and her tentacles clenched up, she seemed to have restrained herself from whatever she had been about to do. The twitch in her brow, and the gaze beyond her breathing mask, made her look worried over something. Again, it was a really strange look.

"Your… Your absence from the Sky Slicer surprised me," Nightfall muttered. "Where did you run off to in this strange place?"

"I found some Skylanders here," Stormblade told her. "Tri Tip and his Sensei team. You probably haven't heard of-"

"The Sensei team? Yes, actually, I've heard of them. Whenever I get a break, I like to hide in the Academy's archives to read the Skylander Scrolls, and get a better read on the group I had joined. The Senseis' Scrolls were among them, but I didn't realize they were still active. I thought we would have run into them by now."

"I think they mostly patrol this region. King Pen said they've been having trouble contacting the Academy."

Nightfall nodded. "That makes sense, after everything that's happened. And… all you've done is talk to the Senseis?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Uh… no reason, just…"

Stormblade blinked in realization, and then she gave Nightfall a teasing grin. "Ah, I get it," she beamed. "You were worried about me."

Nightfall stiffened in surprise. "What about it?" she asked.

Stormblade rushed after her, attempting to poke her. They chased each other around their vehicles for a moment before Nightfall pushed her back with her tentacles to stop her.

"You're really going to act like this after what happened!?" Nightfall yelled at her.

"I can never tease you like this," Stormblade argued. "I have to jump at the opportunity when I see it."

Nightfall sighed, shaking her head. "You know what, it doesn't matter," she decided. "It's… actually good to see you like this."

The mealtime fiasco rushed back to Stormblade, and she shrunk back in response. "Right, I… I'm sorry about earlier," she muttered. "You didn't deserve to be yelled at."

"You say that like you insulted me. I was never mad at you. And the truth of the matter is… everyone at the Academy is worried about you."

Stormblade blinked in shock. "Everyone is?"

"The person who ran off from me didn't look like you at all. That person was so much more… fragile, and… I guess, lost. Our Stormblade had disappeared, and that shook us to our core. I guess… I didn't realize how much we needed our painfully optimistic lark until she disappeared."

So they really just wanted her to be okay? That made Stormblade feel a little better. It even further cemented in her mind how much her team needed her. Even so…

"I don't think I should come back right away," Stormblade muttered.

"No?" Nightfall asked.

Stormblade found herself settling onto the grass, tears welling up in her eyes. "I've felt so sad and tired recently," she admitted. "I've just been looking for something to show us that we were going to be okay. No matter how bad things were, we should have been able to see the end of it. I thought I could just keep the smile on my face, help everyone else feel that hope, and we'd figure it out. But it just kept going on, and I tried taking on more to compensate for it, but I really don't know what to do."

Stormblade started pouting after that. The stress of the past few days really had been too much, even for her. Now she was here, just letting it out.

She heard shuffling right next to her, and she felt a tentative hand on her shoulder. Nightfall was always awkward when handing out affection, and Stormblade knew she would probably never get a hug from her. That was alright, though. It was enough just to have her by her side.

They didn't always understand each other, but when they did, it felt like the wind chimed in harmony with them.

Stormblade calmed down after a minute, wiping away the tears. She looked up to find Tri Tip making his way over to them. He hovered a few steps away from the vehicles, looking on somberly.

"I'm guessing that's one of your team-mates," Tri Tip muttered. "I knew they'd be worried about you."

Stormblade nodded in response, standing up.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm feeling a lot better. I've figured out what I should do, actually."

Stormblade turned toward Nightfall, a slight grimace on her face. "Hey Nightfall, would you be willing to do me a favor?" she asked.

"You've already done so much," Nightfall replied. "I'd be glad to help you out this time."

"Cool, because Tri Tip wants help delivering a radio to the Academy. I was going to do it before, but now I think I really need to take a break."

"Are you heading off to explore the region, then?"

"That's right!"

Nightfall crossed her arms, a rare hint of fondness in her gaze. "That sounds like fun."

Stormblade spent a week at the M.A.P, charting the region. Even though people had settled the region, there were still a lot of places that no one knew that much about. She soared through the air, dove into caves, and swooped through forests as she searched for as many secrets as she could. It felt just like old times.

She sat by a riverbank one afternoon for lunch when she saw someone familiar walk by. Stormblade waved the Dreadwalker over, and was only slightly surprised when she came over.

"Hey you," Stormblade greeted her. "How have things been at the Academy?"

Nightfall laid down on the grass, arms crossed behind her head. "Things are finally calming down," she explained. "Contacting the Senseis was exactly what we needed to do."

"Yeah, I've noticed the Senseis bringing refugees over here. This place has a lot of room for everyone."

"It was certainly lucky that you found the Senseis and the M.A.P. With them helping us out, the Superchargers were allowed to go on vacation."

Stormblade smiled. "That's great! I'm glad everyone's able to get a break now."

Nightfall stretched, closing her eyes. "Yes, and I didn't realize how much I actually needed a break. I feel a lot better than I did before."

"I've found some great lounging spots out here. Maybe we could invite some of our friends to hang out there."

Nightfall turned on her side. "Maybe. But I'd rather rest here for now than discuss it."

Stormblade straightened out. "Right, right. I'll try to be quiet."

"I'm sure you will try."

Stormblade looked out at the river, sighing in content. This break really had been good for her. They were on a team, so it was alright for some of them to take time off when they needed it. She would remember to be careful not to overwork herself in the future.

As she reflected on that lesson, she suddenly realized something.

"Hey Nightfall, why did you come to see me today?"

"Stormblade…"

"Right right, back to being quiet."