Fourth chapter incoming! I don't really have any more witty comments to add so...
Watch Seeker: Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story so far! Chihiro's definitely a very fun character for me to write, so I'm glad others enjoy her too!
As beams of sunlight filtered into the room Chihiro slept in, she moaned and turned around. Her body was far too exhausted from the escapades of the previous day, and surely five more minutes of sleep could be excused…
Ugh, getting the golden propeller with the guys was fun 'n all, but I'm TIRREEEEEEDDDDDDDD! Chihiro thought as she turned over again, her pillow clutched tightly in a half-asleep daze, Wait a second, what if it was all a dream?
"Wake up, Chihiro," said a soft, male voice that faintly echoed around the room.
Chihiro groaned and screwed her eyes further shut. Then with a sigh, she turned until she laid on her back and rubbed her eyes.
"Ugh, Mamoru, I had this weird dream that I got sent to the Skylands, and—"
Chihiro moaned as she sat up and finally urged herself to wake.
But when she opened her eyes, however, she found that it wasn't her brother staring her in the eyes—it was Spyro.
"Chihiro, what are you talking about?" Spyro asked as he tilted his head.
Chihiro blinked for mere moments and then tackle-hugged Spyro to the ground with a grip so tight not even a snake could squeeze out.
"Yes! I knew I wasn't dreaming!" Chihiro shouted, her voice filled with pure, unadulterated glee as a wild grin stretched across her face.
"Chihiro, let, go, kinda, choking, ME!"
Chihiro looked Spyro in the face to find his normally-purple scales had turned a sickly blue and let go, though her legs still pinned him down. She hadn't pinned him down very hard, however, as he wormed his way out from underneath her and sprung up… Which promptly sent Chihiro tumbling backwards and caused her to ram her head into the bedpost.
"I'm okay, I swear." Chihiro moaned as she held her head and stood up, "So, Spyro, there's gonna be another mission, right? Can I come?"
"No," Spyro gave her a scorning stare, "One, you're still not that experienced, two, we can't have you getting killed off when we still need a portal master around, and three, this isn't just some ordinary mission."
Spyro walked down to the stairwell while Chihiro pathetically trailed behind him.
"Isn't some ordinary mission?" Chihiro echoed with a tilt of her head.
"Now that we have the propeller, we have to get the Eternal Air Source back from Kaos. It's far too important to take any chances."
"Fine."
The two of them then left the building and made their way through the forest pathway. Admittedly, it was nice to feel the cool breeze against their face and hear the soft sounds of the birds chirping and flapping in the fresh wind, but it only did a little to diminish the sense of urgency that resonated around Spyro. All was quite for a few moments, before Chihiro gulped and piped up.
"Spyro, what was Master Eon like?"
Spyro stopped in his tracks and winced. In response, Chihiro bit her lip—something told her she asked him a question she really shouldn't have.
"I mean, you don't have to say anything if you don't want—" Chihiro frantically shook her hands before she watched Spyro shake his head.
"Oh no, it's okay!" Spyro gathered himself back together, then rose to the skies and flew down the pathway. He heaved a sigh as his bit his lip slightly and tried to find the words to say, then breathed in again and rose his voice.
"Eon was, well, he was just a really admirable person." Spyro's voice cracked just slightly, "He was really wise and really good at judging situations, and he always seemed to know just what to do. He was kind and he cared a lot about the Skylands, but he wasn't afraid to put his foot down when he needed to, and he, well, he…."—Spyro then grabbed his right front leg with his left as he looked down—"He was the kind of person that anyone would look up to."
Wow, this Eon guy sounds really cool, Chihiro thought as a slight blush dusted her face.
Chihiro looked ahead and noticed Spyro, who just solemnly stared at the ground. A frown twitched across her face as she felt the aura of sheer sorrow that came from his body—he was clearly hiding his feelings.
"Hey, golden boy," Chihiro whispered as she hopped up to Spyro, "Were you and Eon really close?"
Spyro's eyes went wide for a mere moment before his expression faltered and he looked more upset than before.
"I… guess you could say that," Spyro sighed as he stopped in his place, "As Skylanders, we have something of a special bond with our portal masters—Master Eon, well…"—Spyro made a weak chuckle—"It's a little embarrassing to say, but Master Eon was kind of like the father I never had."
Chihiro's expression fully turned to a frown as she saw Spyro paw at the dirt while his wings drooped.
Wow, no wonder he was upset when he found out that Eon dude died, Chihiro pondered, If my dad died, I'd be really upset too. I wish I could help him, but…
"Anyways." Spyro flew on ahead the pain in his voice diminished, "We need to get moving. Now that we've got a portal master on our side again, we need to get the portal network back in working order."
"The portal network?" Chihiro bounced up to Spyro's side and leaned in front of him, eyes wide with wonder.
"The portal network. The name speaks for itself—it's a network of portals that we use to send our troops out on missions. And as you can guess…"
"Only a portal master can use it." Chihiro playfully shot a finger-gun at Spyro.
"Ten points." A small smile crept across Spyro's face, and the aura of sorrow and urgency diminished for just a second.
Guess he's okay for now, Chihiro thought as relief flooded into her heart, I just hope it stays that way.
The two of them then looked over and found themselves in the heart of the island. Large stone buildings surrounded them as the heart bustled with activity, and people of all shapes, sizes and species hurried around while they did this and that. It seemed like nobody had a moment to rest!
"Hugo should be waiting for you in there. He'll tell you what to do next." Spyro pointed to a large, stone tower that loomed over the rest of the area.
"Got it, golden boy!" Chihiro exclaimed as she gave Spyro a thumbs up.
Chihiro then ran off to where the tower's door was with a spring in her step and an occasional spin in midair as she darted across the grassy green fields. She was so cheerful, so carefree!
Spyro just intently stared for all of five minutes as Chihiro ran before he flew off with his eyes fixed on the ground. With no attention paid at all, Spyro continued down on his path when he bumped straight into the unsuspecting chest of another person and both parties stumbled down onto the ground.
"Ack!" Spyro exclaimed as he dusted himself off and pushed himself up.
He then found himself staring in the orange eyes of Gill Grunt, who was dusting himself off as well.
"Sorry for running into you, Gill," Spyro apologized as he helped Gill Grunt back up, "You okay?"
"I'm fine, Spyro," Gill Grunt replied, a warm smile across his face, "But are you doing alright?"
"Oh, it's nothing, Gill," Spyro denied, even though his sudden look away betrayed his surprise.
"Are you sure?" Gill made an awkward frown, "You look like a crab without a claw!"
"I gotta go." With a turn of his back, Spyro flew off as quickly as he could with not one more word spoken.
§
The minute Chihiro opened the door of the tower, she was greeted by the sound of Hugo's footsteps as he drew closer and closer to her.
"Good morning, Chihiro! Did you sleep well?" Hugo asked as he pulled his jacket further over his body.
"Like a panda after a four-course meal!" Chihiro chirped as she gave him a wide smile, closed her eyes and stretched her arms out wide, "Anyway, where's this portal network I need to fix?"
"Oh, yes, right this way please." Hugo walked down the halls and urged Chihiro to follow him with his hand.
Chihiro obediently trailed after Hugo as he guided her throughout the hallway as they walked through its almost maze-like corridors. It was so long, so repetitive that it seemed like they were walking in circles, and Hugo's ramblings certainly didn't help that effect.
"Master Eon had a whole network of portals that he used to send anyone or anything to wherever necessary. Each portal is enchanted to send its passenger to a certain location in Skylands, and they could all be activated at Eon's beck and call. As you could guess, it was quite useful for sending the Skylanders on missions!"
As Hugo rambled on, Chihiro spaced out and stared at the stone walls. The pathways that followed all started to blend in her mind the further they walked—it almost made he wanna go back to bed and sleep for the rest of the day.
"But unfortunately." Hugo tugged on his lapel, "When Eon died, the portal network was basically shut down. But, now that we've got you, we can hopefully get it working again!"
"Yeah, that's nice and all." Chihiro placed a finger to her cheek in contemplation, "Question is, how do I work this thing?"
"I'll tell you when we get there." Hugo turned around and broke into a smile, "And we're there!"
Chihiro followed Hugo inside the room he was now in and gazed around.
The room itself was a large dome-like room made out of dark blue stone walls and gray stone floors, and inside it were tons of stone portals much like the one that landed in her backyard that fateful day. However, they were much larger, and at the moment were currently dull, gray and clearly inactive. In front of all these portals was an even larger portal that was seemingly twice the size of the others and glowed with a faint pink light that resounded with magic.
"Oooh, what's with that big one?" Chihiro pointed to the large portal that faced off against her and Hugo.
Hugo cleared his throat and looked onward.
"This was Eon's portal, which also happened to be connected to all the portals you see here. All you have to do is activate it, and all the other portals will reactivate!"
"Sounds simple enough!" Chihiro jumped over to where Eon's portal was and gazed it over with an inquisitive look, then smirked and slammed her hands onto the portal's side, "Abracadabra!"
Chihiro looked excitedly at the portal for all of five minutes, as did Hugo until they both realized that the portal hadn't activated at all.
"Shouldn't it be working by now?" Chihiro tilted her head and made a confused frown.
"Are you sure you actually activated it?" Hugo asked with a dry tone.
Chihiro gave him a frustrated shrug.
"I did everything I did when I did it the last time!" Chihiro's voice turned quiet and she awkwardly scratched the back of her neck, "I think."
"Chihiro, casting portals is more than just slamming things and shouting magic words!" Hugo chopped one furry paw against the other as he spoke, "You have to have utmost focus and—"
"Spare me the lecture Huges." Chihiro moaned before she gave the portal an angry look, "If I did it once I can do it again. Now work you stupid thing!"
Chihiro then pounded her fist onto the portal, which wasn't the wisest idea given it was made of stone and all that fun stuff. With a yowl of pain, Chihiro whimpered and rubbed her throbbing hand, before she moaned and face-planted onto the portal's top.
"Bad idea. REALLY bad idea."
"I'll go get an ice pack from the infirmary." Hugo only sighed and rubbed his temples, "Try and see if you can get it working while I'm gone."
Hugo quietly made his leave as Chihiro sat upright and watched her reflection in the portal.
It was so easy when I did it the first couple times! Why can't I do it now? Chihiro ran her finger across the portal's surface before she frowned and narrowed her eyes, Think back, Chihiro. What did you do the last couple times you activated a portal that's missing here?—Chihiro sucked on her lip as she rubbed her fingers against her chin, now in the deepest amount of thought she could be—Slammed it? Nah, tried that. Shouting? That too. Magic words? Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
Just then, while she lost herself in her thoughts to the point where it exhausted every last drop of her energy, a thought struck Chihiro and her eyes went wide.
"Now I remember!" Chihiro hopped off the portal and grasped its rim with her hands. Once she had a firm grasp, she closed her eyes gently and breathed in deep.
Now, Chihiro, focus. Remember what you want it to do.
Her mind meditated on one singular thought—an open portal that shone with the colors of the rainbow in bold, brilliant light. A portal that brimmed with so much magic, it could probably power an entire city twenty times over and then some! As this thought stuck to her head like fresh gum, she felt a powerful magic course through her veins as cherry red blood did.
NOW!
"Portal, open!"
As her hands flew off the rim, Chihiro watched as the portal continued to stagnant and remain a dull, defeated gray in color and sighed.
"Did it not work?"
Just then, a pale blue flash emitted from the portal!
Chihiro squeaked and jumped back as the light got intenser before a bright flash of light emerged from the portal and engulfed the entire room.
"Chihiro, I got the ice pack—HOLY ANCIENTS ALMIGHTY!" Hugo screamed as he dropped the fabric ice pack in his furry hands and watched the show evolve before him.
The portals that hid behind Eon's portal shone brightly in a brilliant blue and lit up one-by-one in each row. It felt like the opening to a concert with all the shining lights, almost as if the entire stage was anticipating its star's arrival. In that same moment, as if the show's star had made their arrival, bright blue beams of light shot from the portals alongside loud screeches!
With an eager smile, Chihiro turned back to Hugo and gave him a thumbs up. Hugo's worried look then turned into a wide smile as he came to realize what Chihiro had done before he rushed off.
"I'll get the Skylanders!"
And as Hugo ran off, Chihiro looked back to the network of portals. The lights had dulled and shone gently across the room, which lit it a pale shade of blue so serene and comforting it made her heart melt into the day.
Yeah, I'd say that was pretty impressive.
§
Several minutes later, Hugo stumbled back into the portal room while a small crowd of creatures in all shapes, sizes and species followed behind him. All sorts of chatter came from the crowd as Hugo turned around and looked them in the eye, then caught his breath for a few moments. After his bearings had been gathered, Hugo tried his best to look at serious as possible and cleared his throat.
"Alright! Now that our portal network is back in working order thanks to Young Master Chihiro…" Hugo proclaimed as he gestured towards Chihiro.
Chihiro turned around and waved at the Skylanders with a big, goofy grin plastered onto her face.
"It's time to start up our daily patrols!"
Cheers, whoops, hollers and all kinds of happy noises were heard from the crowd.
"QUIET, PLEASE!" Hugo clapped his hands and in response the crowd quickly silenced themselves.
When they were completely quiet, and all that was left was the white noise of the portals' whirrs, Hugo pulled a paper list from an inner pocket in his jacket and cleared his throat once more.
"For the first patrol, we have eggs, butter, milk, sugar, apples…"
As Hugo dragged on, everybody else in the room gave him a confused look.
"Huges, you might wanna double-check that list you've got," Chihiro remarked as she nudged his shoulder and caught his attention.
Hugo gave her a stern stare before he looked down at the list and read it over for a few moments.
"Wait a second…" Hugo proceeded to slap his forehead with his paw, "This is my shopping list from last week! Why do I still have this?"—Hugo put the list away, pulled out another, identical list from his other pocket and cleared his throat for the third time that morning—"Now, this is the list I was looking for! First off—Whirlwind, Warnado, and Jet-Vac—"
"Actually," piped up a deep, gruff voice from the crowd, "Jet-Vac isn't here."
"He isn't?"
Mumbling was heard among the crowd before they all nodded simultaneously in agreement.
"For that matter, we're missing a lot of people—Pop Fizz, Chill, Star Strike—"
"Okay, I understand, we're a little short-staffed." Hugo bore an awfully forced smile, "But that shouldn't stop us from getting these mission done. We'll just have to work extra-hard!"
Hugo wrung his paws and crumpled the list before he realized what he was doing and squeaked. While he giggled, Hugo tried his hardest to regain his composure as he straightened out the list and read from it once more.
"Anyway, Whirlwind and Warnado will be headed to the Stormy Stronghold to regain the Eternal Air Source," Hugo said with a barely-repressed trill, "Due to the nature of the storms there we won't be able to send a portal out, so Flynn will have to take them."
And out of the crowd stepped Whirlwind, a dull blue-colored air dragoness with feathery wings, ears, and tail, blue eyes and a cream-colored horn, and Warnado, a cyan colored turtle with a mint green spiky shell, a mint green spike on his nose and crimson-colored eyes. The two of them emerged from the crowd with an air of cool silence before they stood next to Chihiro.
"Good luck!" Chihiro whispered as she gave them a wide, genuinely excited smile.
Whirlwind turned to Chihiro with a smile before she gently nudged Chihiro in the shoulder with her head. Chihiro then giggled and turned around.
"Now, Gill Grunt, Terrafin, and Stump Smash." Hugo motioned for them to come forward, "You are to return to Shattered Island to help with the relief effort—mostly rebuilding structures that were destroyed by the tornadoes."
As the three of them pushed their way to the front, Hugo lead them over to a portal that shimmered with a pale white light while Chihiro tailed behind them with curiosity in her chestnut eyes.
"Chihiro," Hugo prompted as he turned around and looked her straight in the eye, "Will you please?"
Chihiro awkwardly turned away from Hugo's line of sight and bit her lip as she approached the portal.
"Remember, Chihiro," she whispered as she placed her hands on the portal and grasped its stone rim, "Just focus. You can do this."
As she breathed in, Chihiro gently closed her eyes and focused, then her heart pounded as she flung her arms up and a bright flash of light emitted from the portal. This flash of light died after mere moments, and the portal now reflected an image of an island covered in rubble and debris. This island was covered with various mabu in white and red robes and construction worker outfits that moved piles of the debris out of sight with the utmost of care and strength.
"Gill, Fin, Stumps, there's a portal to Shattered Island with your names on it." Chihiro bowed in a gentlemanly manner and winked.
Gill Grunt chuckled, gently ruffled Chihiro's hair then jumped onto the portal and was whisked off. As Terrafin and Stump Smash followed him and were quickly whisked away by the portal, Chihiro stood up straight and clasped her hands into fists.
"That wasn't too tough! Who's next on the list, Huges?" Chihiro turned next to Hugo.
Hugo smiled and managed a slight chuckled.
"Well, let's see…"
§
Outside, Flynn toiled away in the cold autumn breeze and worked hard to attach the propeller to his balloon. He was awfully diligent, with his focus so fixed on the beloved machine.
Spyro, meanwhile, had just walked back in from whatever task he had been doing earlier and was greeted with complete silence, save for the sound of Flynn's hammer pounding away.
"Where did everybody go?" Spyro asked aloud as he looked over the eerily-vacant hub with concern.
"Missions," remarked a soft, gentle voice akin to the sound of whistling wind, "Chihiro finally got the portal network up-and-running, so everybody's been going on patrols."
Spyro whipped his head left and right and tried his hardest to find out who the voice belonged to before he looked in front of him to find Whirlwind approaching him with Warnado by her side.
"Whirlwind!" Spyro looked her in the face and made a toothy grin, "What are you doing here?"
"We were assigned to get the Air Source back." Whirlwind's tone serious and to-the-point as she stood tall, "That is, once Flynn finishes his repairs."
The three of them all looked at Flynn, who was still toiling away on his balloon, then looked back at each other and gulped.
"Good luck."
"We'll need it." Whirlwind gently nudged Spyro in the shoulder, "Anyways, you should probably get to the portal room. I'm sure there's some kind of mission needing your attention."
Spyro nodded quietly and flew off in a hurry while Whirlwind and Warnado looked at each other.
"So, when do you think we're gonna shove off?" Warnado asked as he turned to Whirlwind.
"Hey!" Flynn shouted from across the fields as he turned around, "There you are, and just in time too!"—As he met them where they stood, Flynn cleared his throat—"I, the dashing, courageous, and not to mention popular with the ladies Captain Flynn…"
Whirlwind playfully rolled her eyes.
"Have finished making my balloon awesome enough to be worthy of an equally-awesome pilot!" Flynn grabbed Whirlwind and Warnado's paws and dragged them over to where his balloon sat. As he let go of their paws and stretched his arms wide, Flynn took a deep breath.
"Look at her, she's got a fuel-injected croc-a-tron, a vacuum seal-a-tron, jet-steamed thrusters, electro-stabilizers, magneto-flappers—"
"So the point is, you're done upgrading and ready to go hunting for the Eternal Air Source?" Whirlwind watched Flynn nod eagerly.
"I'll tell you about all the other cool features later." Flynn snapped his fingers and a part of his balloon swung open in tandem, "Just like the new sound-activated door I installed!"
Whirlwind and Warnado both oohed and aahed.
"I'll admit, that's pretty cool." Whirlwind nodded as if to affirm her statement.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Ready to help Skylands' best pilot save the Eternal Air Source?" Flynn turned back to Whirlwind and Warnado and adjusted his scarf.
"Of course." Whirlwind chuckled and rolled her eyes.
And with that, all three of them piled into the balloon. The door on it swung shut soon after, and they all flew off, their hearts focused on the mission in store…
§
"And that should be the last one!" Chihiro exclaimed as she wiped her forehead and watched the last patrol group get whisked away, "At least, I THINK that's the last group."
Chihiro turned back to Hugo and gave him a prompting look, while he nodded and she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Y'know, Huges," Chihiro chirped, a happy smile on her face, "You really know how to handle yourself in front of a crowd. With how feeble and anxious you are, I wasn't sure if you'd be able to handle the pressure!"
Hugo just gave Chihiro a look that mixed both confusion and indignity.
"I'm not sure if I should take that as an insult or a complement," Hugo remarked.
"Hugo!" Spyro called from the doorway, "What'd you need me for?"
This earned Hugo's attention as he recomposed himself, turned around and met Spyro at eye level.
"Spyro!" Hugo shouted before he cleared his throat, "You, actually, were among the Skylanders assigned to stay here and guard the island in case Kaos came calling again!"
"So all I really need to do is stay here and watch the place?" Spyro looked over Hugo and tilted his head.
"Exactly."
Chihiro's eyes lit up and she looked directly at Spyro.
"Wait, Spyro," Chihiro said with excitement in her eyes, "If you're not doing anything, do you think you could show me around the island? Pleasepleasepleaseplease—"
Chihiro bowed down, clasped her hands together and shook them pleadingly when she was grabbed by the back of her shirt and drawn back by Hugo.
"Young Master Chihiro, you can't go wandering off all haphazardly! You need to stay here in case we need you to—"
"Actually." Spyro broke in and held out a paw, "I wouldn't mind showing her around. After all, if she's going to be our new portal master, she'll need to know her way around, and by showing her around I'd be able to patrol the entire island. It's a win-win."
Hugo pondered this for a while before he sighed.
"Well, I guess if you think it's alright," Hugo conceded as he let go of Chihiro.
Chihiro inhaled sharply and gave Spyro the most excited look she could muster before she bounced up and hugged Spyro tightly.
"THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU—"
"Chihiro, please, you're, kinda, CHOKING!" Spyro wheezed between desperate gasps for air and tried desperately to pry Chihiro's arms from his body, but it was no use—her death grip was far too tight.
As she felt something dig into her arms, Chihiro saw the breathless look on his face and carefully let him go with an awkward chuckle.
Spyro breathed in and out and finally caught his breath, then cleared his throat and looked back at Chihiro with the most serious gaze.
"Now, stay with me and don't go running off, alright?"
"Alright!"
While the two of them bounded out of the portal room, Hugo watched them leave with an attentive gaze. He then sighed and pulled a book out of his jacket's lapel once he was sure they were out of sight before he ran his furry paw against its leather cover.
"I don't know what we're going to do. Kaos has us completely outnumbered, and he's already conquered most of Skylands. Even with a new portal master and most of the Skylanders back, I don't think there's any way we could stop him," Hugo croaked as tears started to fall down his cheeks and he hugged the book tightly, "I wish you were still here, Master Eon."
§
"So, Spyro, where does the tour de Eon's island start?" Chihiro asked as she stretched her arms to the clear skies.
"Right here, actually!" Spyro announced as he stretched out a leg and presented the island's heart to her, "You've already been to the heart of the island, which is the essential first stop while you're staying here. From here, you can get to almost everywhere else!"
Chihiro then gazed around the hub, her eyes amazed at all the tall stone buildings that surrounded them and the crowd of creatures that bustled through while they worked on day-to-day activities. Even with a population so small, it seemed so busy and full of life, just like home!
"On the far left is the Mess Hall." Spyro pointed to a large, white stone building shaped like a dome. "That's where we eat, obviously, and it's got enough food to feed an army! Which is, kind of necessary given how many people stay here. We've already been there once, so I'm not gonna talk about it too much."
"We have?" Chihiro tilted her head as she walked in front of Spyro.
"Yes, last night. Remember?" Spyro gave her a slightly unnerved look, "You made me take you there because you had late night snack cravings?"
"Oh!" Chihiro gave Spyro a cheerful smile, completely ignorant to the sigh he breathed, "Yeah, I remember that!"
"Anyway." Spyro regained his composure and coughed into his paw, "Right next to that is Eon's Citadel,"—Spyro then pointed to a large, worn tower made out of salmon-colored bricks and a spring green roof, with a huge, gaping hole in the front where an entrance should've been—"At least, what USED to be Eon's Citadel. That was where Master Eon lived while he was still with us."
Spyro's voice faltered as he looked back down at his paws and gently nudged at the dirt underneath him.
"I guess nobody's really had the time to fix it?" Chihiro cast Spyro a glance and watched as he nodded sadly—but she didn't let that dampen her mood.
"Well, I'm gonna check it out, bye!"
Chihiro stood around for only a second, then spun around and darted off in the Citadel's direction without a second thought.
"HEY! CHIHIRO! GET BACK HERE, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO STAY WITH ME!"
§
Whirlwind bit her lip as she looked out the side of the balloon, her front paws clutched ever so tightly the side of the basket, like the slightly release would send her spiraling down the endless blue skies.
"Something up, Whirlybird?" Warnado asked as he gently patted Whirlwind on the back.
Whirlwind jumped in place and turned around.
"Warnado! Don't sneak up on me like that!" She scolded.
Warnado quickly scrambled away from Whirlwind with an almost fearful kind of tension, only to release this tension as Whirlwind breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sorry for snapping, Warnado. I'm fine, don't worry about me." Whirlwind's voice turned somewhat pained as she looked back over the side of the basket.
Warnado seemed to ponder something as he gave Whirlwind a suspicious, cocked-eye look. After a few moments of staring, Warnado shrugged, withdrew into his shell and contently snored while his shell was more than happy to amplify the acoustics of his snoring.
Whirlwind frowned a bit as she stared at the passing clouds and tried her hardest to block out Warnado's snoring. Ever since she stepped into Flynn's basket she had been irate and moody, but she wasn't entirely sure if it was the pressure of the mission or the usual safety concerns that came with flying on Flynn's balloon. Maybe it was a little bit of both, who knew? Certainly not her.
"Attention passengers, this is your absolutely dashing Captain Flynn speaking," Flynn crooned, a smug smile on his face like always, "We appear to have reached our destination, so—HOLY ENCHILADAS LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT TORNADO!"
"WHAT?!" Whirlwind and Warnado shouted in unison as they popped out of their minds.
They both ran over to where Flynn was piloting to find a huge, powerful tornado! It had to have been twice the size of Master Eon's citadel, maybe even more than that, and its winds howled so loudly that not even the loudest noise one could think of could drown it out.
"Whoa! That's some twister!" Warnado shouted while his eyes grew wide as dinner plates.
"That's not a twister, that's a tornado," Whirlwind replied as she gave him a dark, correcting look.
"Whirlwind, they're the same thing!"
"No they aren't, there's a clear difference in intent when someone said 'tornado' versus when they say 'twister,' it's really—"
"Whirlwind, I'm the tornado expert here, don't argue with me on this, they mean exactly—"
Both of them were quickly snapped out of their argument as a strong gust of wind sent them tumbling away and caused them and Flynn to be tossed along with the balloon. As the balloon was blown to what could only be the eye of the storm, Whirlwind shook her head and gave Flynn an enraged glare.
"DON'T LOOK AT ME!" Flynn exclaimed as he gave her a helpless stare, "THESE TWISTERS—"
"TORNADOES!" Whirlwind shot back.
Flynn quickly shook his head, stood tall and immediately went back to pressing buttons and flipping switches on the balloons control panel. He sweated out buckets as he worked, and for a moment his best pilot facade melted into the winds.
"Potato, potatoh, right now I need to figure out how I'm gonna get outta this storm!" Flynn exclaimed as he looked more genuinely nervous than anyone had even seem him in their lives.
As he flicked an ominous-looking red switch on the panel, Flynn clasped his sweaty hands onto the balloon's steering wheel. As he clutched the wheel as hard as he could, the propeller started spinning even faster than before!
"BRACE YOURSELVES FOR IMPACT!"
The balloon darted away at the speed of light as Flynn wove through the seemingly endless fields of huge tornadoes. The wind was howling at their backs, lashed against the side of the balloon like whips and tried its hardest to tear the balloon to bits! It was anybody's worst nightmare!
Meanwhile, Whirlwind and Warnado had completely forgotten about their conflict and were now clinging to the basket like their lives depended on it—which it kinda did, to be honest.
With heavy breaths, Flynn's eyes narrowed as he focused on his target—a large, stone platform seemingly untouched by the storms, for it stood strong even throughout the raging winds. Flynn pushed the wheel forward and sent the balloon into overdrive! He beelined towards the platform with completely shut eyes as he braced himself for the landing.
Whirlwind and Warnado both peered up from the bottom of the basket, saw what they were heading towards at high speed, then immediately ducked back down and covered their heads.
And as the platform got closer and closer, they all started screaming.
You'd scream too, if you were barreling towards a heavy stone platform in a field of tornadoes.
As he gulped in, Flynn flew upwards just slightly and barreled headfirst onto the platform! The basket skid along while sparks crackled from the basket's bottom due to the tension. Then, Flynn receded the steering wheel and brought the balloon to a halt, while Whirlwind and Warnado shakily stood up.
"We made it," Flynn gasped before his shocked look turned to a smile and he pumped his fist in the air, "WE MADE IT!"
"I have to admit, you really pulled through Flynn! For a moment, I thought we weren't going to make it!" Whirlwind said as she dusted herself off and smiled directly at Flynn.
"Of course! I'm the absolute best pilot in all of Skylands! Was there ever any doubt?" Flynn chuckled and rubbed his fist against his broad chest.
Whirlwind and Warnado both gave each other aside glances and awkward smiles before they coughed into their paws.
"Let's agree to spare his feelings this time," Warnado whispered through clenched teeth to Whirlwind before he watched as she nodded in agreement.
"Anyways." Flynn stretched and turned around, "All we gotta do is find this Eternal Air Source thingie and—YOWZA! THAT'S TWISTER'S HUGE!"
Whirlwind and Warnado both whipped their heads around to find that right next to them was a humongous, barely-contained tornado that was probably twice the size of the ones they had faced earlier. Its winds roared like dragons, and all sorts of things were caught in its grasp—chunks of buildings, wooden carts, even the occasional sheep that baaed for mercy as it was swung about in the storm.
"That thing's huge!" exclaimed Warnado.
But, Whirlwind paid only half a thought to the tornado as she looked aside and placed a paw on her chin.
"Now, if I were Kaos, where would I hide one of the main sources of elemental power and one of the few things keeping my enemies from bringing about my ultimate downfall?" Whirlwind pondered as she frowned and sternly examined the area around her.
She then pointed towards a large castle that was just straight across from them on an isolated island that was seemingly inaccessible.
"How about… There!"
Warnado and Flynn squinted and tried their hardest to get a better view of the island while Whirlwind nodded.
"And what gives you that idea?" Warnado asked.
"If there's one thing we all know about Kaos." Whirlwind sneered, "It's that his pride is his greatest weakness. I wouldn't put it above him to showcase the Air Source in a big fancy castle so he could brag about it."
Both of them nodded and muttered.
"Yeah, that sounds like Kaos."
"Yup, Baldy wouldn't really be above that."
"Now the question is," Whirlwind asked as she stretched her front paw against her chin, "How do we get there?"
Flynn examined the tornado for mere minutes before he looked over and saw an extended part of the pathway that seemed to have been broken off. He then pressed a fist against his chin and thought for mere moments, the gears furiously a'turn in his mind before it finally clicked.
"Guys, guys," Flynn said as he nudged Whirlwind and Warnado's shoulders, "Take a look at the tornado!"
All of them looked at the tornado, with Whirlwind and Warnado looking more confused to contrast Flynn's energy.
"What's so different about it? All I see are wooden planks, sheep, bridge pieces—" Whirlwind was quickly cut off as Flynn threw an arm across her face in excitement.
"That's it! See that broken off part of the path over there?" Flynn pointed at the broken-off pathway.
"Yes?…" Whirlwind gave him a realizing stare, "Are you saying that there's supposed to be a bridge here?"
"Exactly! You're almost as much of a genius as I am. ALMOST."
Whirlwind just glared down Flynn, but once again he was completely oblivious.
"Now, as an expert, I can safely say that if we were to stop the tornado, the bridge would fall back into place and we'd be able to get that Eternal Source thingamabob!"
"I'm not so sure, Flynn." Whirlwind frowned as she gaze over the tornado, "First off, how do we stop a twenty foot or higher tornado, anyway? And how do we know that the bridge pieces won't crumble immediately, or fall out of reach?"
"Do you have any better ideas?" Warnado asked as he nudged next to Whirlwind.
"No," Whirlwind admitted.
Her mind still racked with thoughts, Whirlwind stretched her legs when she heard a clank and whipped her head to the right. She immediately noticed something ahead—a drow soldier clad in gray and red armor who was sneaking a peek at the group—and narrowed her eyes.
"Skylanders!" Exclaimed the soldier, "I have to go warn the captain!"
"Not on my watch you don't!" Whirlwind shouted as she vaulted over the balloon's basket and chased after the soldier at lightning-fast speeds.
"Whirlwind! Wait up!" Warnado immediately shouted as he conjured up a tornado of his own and sped after her.
Flynn just looked at them and shrugged.
"I'll just stay here and make sure the tornado doesn't fly away!" Flynn said then smirked as he said, "After all, I don't wanna steal the thunder from up-and-coming heroes. If I joined in, the whole mission would be over in an instant!"
Flynn smiled to himself and hummed a tune as he kept a fixed eye on the tornado.
§
The drow soldier ran as far as he could. In fact, he had ran so far that he had gotten to near the end of the pathway, a distance so far that he likely felt comfortable enough to catch a breath.
"Hah… hah… I think I… finally lost them…" the soldier panted, his back bent over and his hands on his knees.
The sounds of pattering feet and rippling winds quickly caused the soldier to jolt back to life, however.
"And where do you think you're going?" Whirlwind asked as she bowed down and flared her wings.
The drow soldier jumped up and scrambled to escape. But he was out of luck, for every which way he turned there was nothing but blank paths and blocked off walls!
"Nowhere you're following!" The soldier sprinted forwards with all his energy, as if he was hoping to find some more luck if he retraced his steps.
"Get him!"
Whirlwind and Warnado followed him in hot pursuit—after all, Skylanders don't give up that easily! The chase dragging on for what seemed like hours as they navigated pathway after pathway, jumped over wall after wall, until they all reached a stopping point—a large stone wall that the soldier could never dream of climbing.
"You're cornered, spear-ears," Warnado hissed, the rippling winds around him seemingly bent to his power, "Ready to give in?"
The soldier turned back and forth in anxiety, before he froze in place as if he had been hit by realization.
"Not yet!" The soldier exclaimed before he whistle underneath his mask, "COME ON OUT, BOYS!"
Then, a group of at least seven other drow soldier all identical to the one Whirlwind and Warnado had been chasing all leaped over the stone wall and circled around the original drow soldier! They all brandished shiny, sharp silver spears and intimidating looks, the venom in their stare felt by everyone around.
"Now would you look at that?" Sneered one of the soldiers up front, "Skylanders! In our humble little fortress—Lord Kaos would surely be pleased with me if I brought some back to him!"
"Really?" Whirlwind questioned, a dark look on her face as she flared her wings and her horn began to glow in all sorts of colors.
"Really."
Everyone around gave each other dark stares and took battle stances.
"Let's dance, spear-ears."
Warnado retraced into his shell and spun straight into the crowd of soldiers, which sent them flying before they even had a chance to react! The survivors tried to stagger up and get out of the way, but it was no use—Warnado was far too fast for them to safely evade! Or anyone else for that matter.
"Hey, Warnado, look out!" Whirlwind exclaimed as she just barely scampered out of Warnado's path of destruction!
The clamor Warnado caused was now a perfect distraction! The drow soldier Whirlwind was talking to earlier straightened his spear and charged after Whirlwind. However, Whirlwind was too alert for his tricks! She spun out of the way and kept doing so every time he struck, until she finally saw an opening as he relaxed his grip for a moment. She then shot the spear out of his hand with a brilliant rainbow beam.
As the weapon shot out of the soldier's aching hand and slid across the bridge before it finally clanged onto the bricks, he shook his hand with a pained yowl. As he looked down at his aching hands, he eyes widened the moment he realized that his spear was missing. He was about to race off and grab it, but Whirlwind beat him to the punch—she ran over, stepped on the spear, and shot him in the chest with another rainbow beam! Whirlwind gave a triumphant gaze as the drow soldier skidded across the bridge and fell unconscious. Whirlwind then smiled and turned around to face Warnado.
Warnado, meanwhile, carelessly spun tornadoes around, tornadoes filled to their brims with drow soldiers that were sent off the bridge and onto a small island underneath them!
As the last tornado fell off, Whirlwind and Warnado both nodded in unison, flew over the wall and continued on their journey…
§
Chihiro hummed a song to herself as she paraded onward, occasionally stopping to take in the sights and sounds of the area around her.
Currently, she was inside a room with crimson-colored walls and various wooden bookshelves filled to their brim with books of all kinds scattered around the room. In the center of the room was a round wooden chair with several blue cushions glued onto it and round wheels attached to its end, though right now it couldn't be sat in as it was covered in rocks and debris from the battle. The same could be said for the wooden sitting table in front of it, which was also covered in piles of stone and dust. Across from the display an unlit brick fireplace rested, dust and rocks covering the place where the fire should have been.
"This place sure is a dump," Chihiro remarked as she spun around and walked over towards an open door to her righthand side, "I'm sure it was pretty cozy back before the battle, though."
As she peered into the hallway, she found that the lights were all off and the hallway was covered in a blanket of darkness, a blanket so dark one could only barely make out the wooden floors and stone walls.
"Now I wonder what's down here?" Chihiro whipped her head left and right and then hopped inside.
As she walked through, however, she found that she could barely navigate through the darkness and ended up bumping in what seemed to be a side-table.
"OWCH!" Chihiro rubbed her aching elbow as something rolled off of the table and fell onto her foot, "DOUBLE OWCH!"
Chihiro whimpered and tried to fight back tears as she bent down and picked up the object that had landed on her—a small, round lantern!
"Wow, that's oddly convenient." Chihiro examined the lantern with a piqued curiosity, "Now how do you turn it on?"
"CHIHIRO!" Spyro shouted as the sound of his wing flaps echoed through the hallway, then sat down and panted before he looked up at her and frowned deeply, "Don't run off like that!"
Chihiro, however, paid no mind to his words—she was far more concerned with the lantern she had found.
"Do you know how to turn this on?" She asked as she practically flung the lantern in his face.
"Ah, uh," Spyro sputtered before he shook his head, "Wait, how would I know?!"
As if by magic (Which it probably was), the lantern lit up with a brilliant yellow and orange flame!
Chihiro giggled as she held the lantern out in front of her and basked in its light.
"Wanna go spelunking, golden boy?" Chihiro asked, a light twinkled in her eyes that was only amplified by the flames of the lantern.
Spyro sighed and looked down at the path before him.
"I dunno, Chihiro, I've never been in that part of Master Eon's Citadel befo—"
Spyro was cut off by a sudden yank as Chihiro grabbed him and ran down the hallway.
"I'LL TAKE THAT AS A YES!"
The hallway seemed to span on forever as they ran, the stone walls and wooden floors all blended into one as Chihiro grew exhausted from boredom. When she finally came to a stop, they were surrounded by new scenery at last—three round, wooden doors fixed in front of a white stone wall.
"Now, which one should I take?" Chihiro asked herself before she looked at the leftmost door and jiggled its sleek brown doorknob—then watched as the door immediately opened with a creak!
Chihiro let out a cheery squeak as she looked down at Spyro with a mischievous smile before she ran off, while Spyro only sighed and quickly flew after her.
§
Whirlwind and Warnado, meanwhile, were both still on the hunt for as way to get the tornado out of the way, and so far, their journey was far from fruitful.
"You think this'll actually work?" Warnado asked Whirlwind.
Whirlwind shrugged and gave him a frown.
"I don't know," Whirlwind muttered as she looked back down at her paws, "After all, we have barely anything to go on—just a wild guess from Flynn, of all people!
And if he's wrong, then what are we gonna do? There's no way to take down this tornado—"
"That's what you think," said a voice behind Whirlwind and Warnado.
The two of them shook their heads and turned around to find two drow guards dress in red and gold armor! The two soldiers leaned up against a giant, shiny golden pylon that was probably about the height of a short tower.
"But we would never tell you that this pylon settles the storm if it's lowered," said the first guard.
"Yeah, we never would, and we never will!" shouted the second guard.
Whirlwind and Warnado gave them blank looks, before Warnado burst into laughter. Whirlwind herself couldn't help but make a soft chuckle that she masked with her paw.
"Dude, you already told us!" Warnado shouted between bellowing laughs.
The two guards panicked and sputtered out nonsense as they glared down each other before they brandished shiny, sharp golden spears in Whirlwind and Warnado's direction.
"Well then, we can't have you going around blabbing our secret now, can we?" The guards remarked in unison.
Whirlwind and Warnado both nodded to each other and quickly took battle stances! They stood strong and spread out wide, as if to make themselves seem like the most powerful things in the entire area.
The guards, meanwhile, gripped their spears tight and prepared to charge.
Whirlwind started the battle with rapid-fire rainbows shots from her horn aimed at one of the guards! The rainbows caught him in an eye-searing light and caused the guards to stumble backwards out of shock.
When the light faded, the guards both looked at each other, then themselves, only for the first guard screamed in shock—as his entire body had changed color to a bright, fluorescent neon rainbow! He stared down at himself in shock as the other guard laughed it off before he shot his fellow guard a glare.
"Don't just stand there and laugh at me!" The multi-color guard scolded, "Stop the Sky—"
He never completed his sentence, because Warnado had created a tornado that consumed the two and sent them flying away.
Whirlwind held up her wing and slapped it against Warnado's paw proudly. She then walked over to where the guards were standing and examined the pylon they were guarding.
It was probably very resilient given that it was able to stand the raging winds of the tornado, and something about it resonated with some kind of enchantment Whirlwind could feel in her bones.
"Now, let's see if those guards were telling the truth," Whirlwind said as she held her paw against the pylon.
It was all consistently shiny and smooth until she felt a small button under her paw and pressed it.
It didn't seem to work at first, but slowly, the pylon began descending and descending! Its slows, repetitive motions almost hypnotized those around before finally it finally set itself at the bottom.
Whirlwind opened her eyes and looked out at the tornado, before she smiled like a fool since she knew it had worked!
The tornado had shrunken at least a few feet, and a piece of the bridge fell out of its winds and safely onto the beginning of the bridge!
"Yes!" Whirlwind threw her paw into the air, "One step closer to getting the Eternal Air Source!"—She turned towards Warnado and smiled widely—"Come on, Warnado! This tornado's not going to clear itself! Let's see if we can find more of those pylons!"
And with that said, Whirlwind took to the skies and lead the way ahead while Warnado quickly followed suit.
§
Chihiro roamed the ruins of Eon's Citadel, her heart a'pound with excitement as she bounced from place to place. Each room seemed to carry some kind of mystic air about it, like a magic long untouched and waiting to be rediscovered. At least, it would be if half of it wasn't covered in rubble.
"This place really took a beating, didn't it?" Chihiro remarked as she moved the lantern around in front of her to illuminate the path.
"Yeah, no kidding," Spyro added as he looked around, "This area must have taken a lot of damage from when Kaos attacked,"—Spyro looked down at the pathway before him—"Say, where are we going, anyways?"
This path had split down into several other pathways, each one brimmed with mystery.
Chihiro stopped and placed the lantern by her feet, then rubbed her fist against her lips as she tried to decipher which of the paths in front of her should be next on the tour. There were about three in all, each seemingly identical aside from direction, but none seemed to truly peek her attention. Chihiro sighed as she plopped down on the floor and crossed her legs as she sat, still trying to brainstorm where to go.
"I dunno." Chihiro rubbed her hand against her chin, "Why don't you pick, Spyro?"
Spyro frowned discerningly as his eyes glazed over the paths before them when he heard what sounded like a rumbling noise.
"Do you hear that?" Chihiro asked as she shook her head and looked up the ceiling.
Spyro nodded rapidly before a giant slab of stone slammed down from the ceiling just inches from where they were! Both of them then screamed as they jumped out of the way while the ceiling caved in around them!
As more slabs fell down, Chihiro froze for a moment before her instincts took a hold of her. She grabbed Spyro and pushed him down the middle pathway, which from her gaze seemed to be the most stable. Without a moment to hesitate, she then raced down the leftmost one, lantern in hand, as the ceiling caved in and sealed the entrance behind her.
She moved deeper and deeper into the Citadel until the rumbling quieted and pebbles stopped dropping everywhere she stepped. After she turned around to find complete darkness in the hallways aside from her lantern, Chihiro heaved a sigh of relief and sat down.
"I think I got out of there," Chihiro wheezed as she felt slight relief fall over her, before her mind came to one thought and stopped.
"SPYRO! Oh no, I lost him!" Chihiro panicked as she grabbed her lantern and ran.
"He's gonna kill me for completely abandoning him! If he's even still alive! What am I gonna do?!"
§
Spyro, meanwhile, hit his head as he fell to the floor. As he stood and came to his senses, he noticed that he was enveloped in complete darkness and snapped his claws. A sphere of bright light formed in his paw and then immediately flew towards the sealed entrance.
"Geez, I didn't expect it to be that run-down," Spyro remarked, before his mind shut him down with one realization.
He was alone.
Oh no.
"CHIHIRO!" Spyro exclaimed as his whole body trembled from raw fear.
Spyro raced over towards the stone and pried them away, but to no avail—they were too big, and he was too small. He then clenched his jaw as his eyes flashed brown, his entire mind focused on moving the stones. However, that didn't work either—they were still too big, and his mind was too unfocused.
"CHIHIRO! ARE YOU THERE?!" Spyro's heart pounded so fast that it could burst and he pounded a clenched paw against the rocks, "ANSWER ME!"
No response.
"Oh no, no, not again," Spyro's breath turned fast and then slow,"Calm down Spyro, panicking won't help the situation any better. Just gotta focus,"—Spyro gnawed on a claw as his mind raced—"Right now, just focus on finding another way to her. If she's still alive…"
And with that, Spyro flew down the pathway as fast as he could, his sphere of light behind him ever so diligently.
§
Whirlwind and Warnado stormed the stronghold in their search for the other pylons, and so far, they didn't have any luck. No matter how hard they looked, the area seemed to be lacking in pylons—just stone walls and wooden barrels for miles upon miles.
"Figures. They disappear right when we need them," Whirlwind muttered, her eyes fixed on her paws as she moved forwards, then gave the space around her a confused look before she turned back to Warnado, "Hey, Warnado, haven't we gone here before?"
Warnado only shrugged.
"I dunno. Everything here looks the same if you ask me," Warnado replied before he turned around and gazed at the pathway they passed.
Whirlwind heaved another sigh and gave the tornado a frustrated look.
"So in other words, we've been walking in circles this whole time, and haven't found a single…" Whirlwind stopped short of her rant the minute she turned around and saw something in front of her before her expression turned to absolute joy.
"Warnado, look!" Whirlwind bolted to Warnado's side, grabbed him and turned him around.
"Whirlwind, what's the big—" Warnado turned around and stopped short with a beam.
There, in front of them, was another golden pylon, standing tall and proud in the storm! Its golden surface glistened in the little light provided, like a beacon of hope for those who had lost their way. However, positioned in front of it was a small platoon of drow guards in identical gray-and-red uniforms, each of whom brandished shiny silver spears. And she meant small—Whirlwind could probably count on both paws how many there were. In fact, the many wooden barrels that flanked the island outnumbered them by far!
"Let me handle these guys." Whirlwind narrowed her eyes.
Her mind grew focused on the storms that raged in her heart, mind and world as she looked over her foes. She hadn't tried something like this many times before, but she hoped it would work… Her eyes didn't move from the pylon as she summoned a trio of storm clouds that surrounded the drow and captured them in a grid of electricity! The clouds shocked the soldiers with such power, such rage, such intensity that all they could do when the clouds dissipated was lie on the ground.
"That was a lot easier than I thought it would be," Whirlwind giggled as she flew forwards and focused her eyes on the pylon.
Warnado, however, turned around and frowned as he tilted his head. He seemed to have said something, but Whirlwind had him and this strange rumbling she heard in the back of her mind as she looked for the pylon's button. Whirlwind ran her paw against its smooth golden surface before she felt something nudge out form its surface. She raised a claw, got ready to press it, and then…
Something scratched her.
Well, not really a scratch, she wasn't sure. It all happened so suddenly—she got ready to press the button, then something leaped out of nowhere and gashed her ear! Whirlwind screamed and reeled back in pain as she held her paw over her ear. Thankfully the cut was shallow enough that there was no blood drawn, but it still hurt like hell.
As she heaved heavy breaths, Whirlwind heard a growling, gnashing sound and turned around to find her attacker—a small, leafy creature with too many sharp teeth than it probably should have and beady eyestalks.
"CHOMPIES!" Whirlwind exclaimed as she growled.
In response to her screams and shouts, the other barrels all burst and more of these awful Chompies spurted out. She should've been more suspicious with it being so unarmed! But well, it was too late for now.
Warnado grimaced as the Chompies growled and slowly circled them both. With a snarl of his mouth, he withdrew into his shell and spun through the crowds, but it was no use—they only jumped onto his shell and chewed on its spikes!
"H-h-hey, stop!" Warnado laughed from within his shell's protection, "That, heh, that tickles!"
Warnado burst into helpless laughter as his spinning drew to a stop and he popped out of his shell. He fell onto his back and rolled around in sheer joy, only to hear growling and pop his eyes open to find the Chompies all surrounded him!
Whirlwind winced as they launched towards Warnado with fangs drawn and ready to bite—but they never got the chance to feed.
In a fit of impulse Whirlwind shot a lightning bolt from her horn and watched as it tossed the Chompies aside—but it did little to deter the rest of the pod. After all, the ones she took out were only four of what? Fifty? As the Chompies enclosed on her, she carefully backed into Warnado's back, only for something to tap her on the shoulder.
"Whirlybird, I've got an idea!" Warnado whispered, "Can you summon one of your stormclouds?"
Whirlwind frantically nodded and breathed in. Her eyes shut, she thrust her head to the stormy skies and watched as a rumbling thundercloud about the size of a large pillow appeared before her!
Warnado smirked as he spun around and cast out an equally-sized tornado, then popped out of his shell and watched the two forces collided!
In moments, the tornado absorbed the cloud into its winds and turned a churning gray the color of charcoal. Its speeds turned rapid as it circled around the horde of Chompies and spat them out the top of its funnel!
Whirlwind would normally smile as she watched them get tossed off the edge of the path, but she was a bit shaken still from the suddenness of the ambush. All she could do was breath a sigh of relief as they were all cleared out and the tornado vanished with them. Once she was in the clear, Whirlwind slowly walked back to the pylon and whipped her head around, just in case there were any more unwanted surprises. Once she was safe, she returned to the button and gently pressed it. As she heard the whirs of the receding pylon, Whirlwind heaved another relieved sigh.
Warnado, meanwhile, focused his eyes on the storm.
It had dropped in size from twenty to fifteen and now to merely ten feet, and in accordance with its new state of weakness another piece of the bridge fell from its winds and into place.
"Time to get back on the road," Whirlwind said as she turned around and faced Warnado, "Hopefully there won't be any more surprises…"
§
But while Whirlwind and Warnado were in good spirits, Chihiro most certainly was not.
She held the lantern close to her heart as she trailed further and further along in the Citadel, while her legs shook the whole time. She was barely able to walk from all the nerves in her brain, for she had gone quite far in the path and was now way too lost for her own good. The earlier incident played over and over again in her mind, Chihiro ran further while her heart pounded with every step she took.
He hates me now, he's mad at me and he's gonna yell and me and then he'll abandon me and, Chihiro thought before she quickly shook her head and cleared her thoughts, her other hand used to clutch her heart, Calm down, Chihiro, freaking out won't make things any better. Just find a place to hide until he calms down. Then he probably won't hate me! Maybe!
Chihiro stopped short to catch her breath, before she looked up and winced as she realized that she had absolutely no idea where she had gone. Well, she didn't really have an idea beforehand, but now she knew she was definitely too far gone.
If he's still alive…
As she held her lantern in front of her, Chihiro's hands shook so badly that she lost her grip and the lantern fell to her feet. And just her luck, it went out at soon as it hit the ground! Chihiro inhaled sharply as the light went out, then drew back for mere moments as her body shook so badly that she felt like she could barely move again.
"Great going, Hatsuki, you just lost your only light source!" Chihiro whimpered as she rubbed her hands, her voice weakened to a ghost's whisper, "Now what am I gonna do?"
Chihiro sighed and looked down at her hands—or at least, what she could make out to be her hands in this darkness. Her whole body shook as noises that sounded almost like people talking echoed around the room.
"WHO'S THERE?!" Chihiro whipped around to find that the sounds were gone before she grasped her shirt anxiously, "Guess I was just hearing things."
Chihiro fell back down and sighing weakly. She then heaved herself back up and looked around before she carefully moved forward, her arm stretched out as she used her hand to feel around.
"Okay, the wall's right there." Chihiro's hand now pressed against what she presumed was a stone wall, "And obviously, I'm walking on the floor. The whole room seems to be small…"
Chihiro then stopped short as she heard something—the sound of flapping wings, a sound all too familiar to her. Her eyes went wide for a moment and her head whipped back and forth while her heart raced.
"You're just hearing things." Chihiro's breath turning steady as her hands shook once again, "Just hearing things, just hearing things. Just hear—ACK!"
A bright light shone throughout the hallway and caused Chihiro to lose her footing! She fell on her knees, shielded her eyes, then whimpered quietly as she felt the light subside and opened her eyes to find the whole hallway illuminated before her. Chihiro smiled and stood before she whipped her head around and found Spyro, who flew in place about a foot away from her!
"Chihiro, there you are!" Spyro shouted as he shot forwards.
Chihiro inhaled sharply and panicked, then darted back off as she panted heavily with Spyro still in hot pursuit.
"CHIHIRO!" Spyro shouted as he chased after her, the intensity in his voice only an amplifier to her tension.
Chihiro only panicked more and ran until she hit what seemed to be a dead end—there were no doors to be found, and all that was there was a large stone dome with a rickety wooden platform. Chihiro stumbled onto the platform and fell face-first, her breathing intensified as she looked around.
At the same time, Spyro dropped onto the platform and looked Chihiro in the eyes.
"Chihiro, I was looking all over for you—" Spyro heard a creaking sound and stopped in their tracks as they both froze in panic.
"Did you hear that?" Chihiro trilled at last, her eyes teary with fear as she shook in her place.
She then looked back and forth before she looked down at her feet and inhaled sharply. The floor underneath them seemed almost ready to buckle, the wooden boards bent under their weight.
"SPYRO, GET OUT!"
It all happened in the blink of a moment—Chihiro pushed Spyro out of the way as the floor cracked under their wait, and all she could do was scream as she fell into the hole's abyss.
Spyro, meanwhile, rolled onto the more stable stone floor and shook his head as he took all of five seconds to realize what happened.
"CHIHIRO!"
Spyro dove after her without a second of hesitation, and with that, they both fell deeper and deeper down the hole…
§
Whirlwind and Warnado walked down an elaborate blue stone pathway while the winds blew furiously. Their hearts pounded slightly faster than usual, and every step they took was taken with a fearful caution. Occasionally, they would look back and forth, just to make sure that there weren't any more unpleasant surprises waiting for them.
Whirlwind then took a deep breath and looked up towards the path ahead before her eyes widened and she forgot about everything she was thinking of earlier.
"There it is!" Whirlwind shouted.
Warnado swerved his head around and accidentally gave himself a crick in the neck in the process. After that short moment of pain, Warnado focused his attention on Whirlwind's target.
It was another pylon! Also guarded, this time a little more abundantly, by drow!
Whirlwind and Warnado both gave the pylon cautious stares as they warmed up for battle. Whirlwind flapped her wings softly and Warnado stretched out his legs, the anticipation so great it almost could have killed then.
"TWISTS OF FURY!" Whirlwind exclaimed as her wings pounded and the battle finally began.
She darted into the heart of the drow and cast several storm clouds and shocking the soldiers until they fell unconscious.
"SKYLANDERS!" Exclaimed several of the soldiers as rushed into battle, tossed their spears at Whirlwind and charged at her with weaponry of all kinds.
Whirlwind whipped her head around, quickly stopped casting her clouds and instead tried her best to avoid the oncoming artillery. At first, things weren't too bad—the drow soldiers had awful aim, and most of them missed her by a mile. However, right as she was feeling confident, a golden, circular blade appeared seemingly out of nowhere, grazed her shoulder, and sent her crashing back into the ground!
"WHIRLWIND!" Warnado exclaimed as he pushed his way through the drow soldiers he fought.
However, it was fruitless—the drow soldiers seemed to pile in more than before, as if they were infinite in numbers. As another group of soldiers surrounded Whirlwind and pointed at her with their spears, Whirlwind whimpered and tried to get up. But, the drow soldiers prodded her with their spears and forced her to lay back down.
"Well, well, look what we've got here," cackled a voice laced with venom, "Skylanders, on our fine evening! What's the occasion?"
Whirlwind moaned and lifted up her head as she looked back and forth in some kind of weak attempt to find the voice's owner.
"Up here, featherball," hissed the voice's owner with all manner of irritation.
Whirlwind weakly looked up and found that loomed over everyone else on a stone platform was a slender drow witch with pale green skin. She was adorned with black and purple robes and held two golden, circular blades in her hands—one of which was dripping with crimson blood.
Whirlwind gasped and looked down as her shoulder, which now bled slowly. As she quickly covered the shoulder with her paw, she glazed over to her opposite side.
Come on, Warnado's gotta be here somewhere… Whirlwind thought while her eyes made panicked glances back and forth—but between all the soldiers, she couldn't make him out at all.
That is, until she hear a familiar shout resonate from across the battlefield.
"LET ME GO!"
A small crowd of drow soldiers grabbed the bottom of Warnado's shell and heaved him up, his body tied in coarse, itchy ropes and unable to move a muscle.
"WARNADO!" Whirlwind tried to get up once more, but was once again pushed back down the soldiers surrounding her.
The drow witch standing on the platform smirked and clapped her hands, a large, wicked smile on her face.
"Minions! Drop the turtle next to the dragon," The drow witch commanded as she pointed to the space next to Whirlwind.
The soldiers complied even faster than immediately as they tossed Warnado next to Whirlwind while the soldiers that surrounded her cleared out. Warnado landed on the ground with a large thump, then groaned as he looked over at Whirlwind.
Whirlwind grimaced as she continued to cover up the cut on her shoulder, which bled much more excessively and stained her fur with crimson. She was breathing heavily, and though she tried to look strong, it was clear that she was in no position to fight the hordes of enemies around them.
The drow general sneered and clasped her hands while she looked over Whirlwind and Warnado with the most malicious look in her eyes.
"Give up yet, Skylanders?"