Ghost was looking through the materials. Her eyes scanned the shelves and pots. Anything that might help them with their journey out of the forest. There must be something around here that I can use. She soon came across a strange metal rod. It was a bit heavy to lift by herself. Ghost also noticed that it seemed to be made out of gold. A few diamonds were embedded into it.

Ghost picked it up. She ran her fingers against it. Aside from the vacant spaces were other diamonds were to be, this might work as something to steer Treesong with. Ghost looked around once more. She soon spotted some silk and thick cloth high above her. She put the rod down. Ghost pulled at it. She let out a few cursed words. Then, the cloth gave way. Burying her underneath a pile of clothes.

"Oh Thra!" She grunted as she struggled. "Who stacks clothes like this?! Amein has a horrible job of !" A random piece of cloth wrapped tightly against her wings. It was almost impossible to move them. She couldn't even see her own hands in the self made darkness. "Uh…anyone there? Help?"

Soft rustling resounded around Ghost. She wiggled a bit to see if she could get her wings free of their binding. Ghost couldn't explain it, but this felt very familiar to her. She continued for a moment until a Podling hand pulled her out of the rubble. Ghost was now face to face with SkekEkt.

The silent Podling was now accompanied by Hup and Deet. Hup simply laughed at the sight. Deet gave a small apologetic smile. SkekEkt ignored the duo and lightly patted Ghost on her head.

Ghost felt heat crawl into her cheeks. She instantly remembered the story of how SkekEkt first met her. As well as earning the nickname. She looked him squarely in the eye. "This was how we became close? Huh?"

Something scuttled across the floor. A flash of silver white draped over Ghost's shoulder. The strange head of the creature giving silent bleats. Head flailing about. Deet, Hup and SkekEkt flinched away in shock. Lazul, covered by the strange creature, gave no reaction. The Djinn merely shifted out of the cloak and sat on Ghost's head.

Ghost stared at it. "Oh! I've completely forgotten about you." She patted its head. "Don't worry. You're safe for now." An idea came to Ghost. "Can you find anything we can use here?" She was only met with silence. "Well…I gave it a shot."

Deet looked at the ground. She soon found some fabric scattered across the floor. She picked up a few. She tugged at them. Some are more resistant. Some were on the verge of forming a tear. Her eyes sparkled as she was deep in thought.

As for SkekEkt, he noticed sparkling cloth on the ground. He picked it up. He shivered the moment he lifted it. It felt light. As if he was holding a cloud instead of something woven together by hand. His body felt as if light had shine through for the first time since his rise to power. Strangely enough, he didn't feel worthy of it. He looked at Ghost. He could see her wearing this to a gala once this nightmare was over. Even his stubby fingers made him feel shame.

Ghost turned to Deet then to SkekEkt. The fabrics were quite colorful. Her own fingers twitched at wanting to touch them. She shook that feeling. Right now, they need to leave as soon as possible. I just hope SkekMal will find us once he calms down. "What do you think, Deet?"

Deet held up at least five cloths that she felt were strong. "We can used these. They seem strong and durable." She rubbed her face against it. "On top of that. They're really soft." She handed it to Ghost.

Ghost took it. They were each a different color: Turquoise, Green, Yellow, Silver and Red. She lightly traced against them. They were smooth. No signs of tearing in them. Preserved to perfection. A smile went to her face.

"I wouldn't recommend it."

The group turned to see Frostcrystal looking at them with discontent in her eyes. Her arms were crossed. Ears nearly flattened. "Those normally belong to royals from each of the clans. It's to signify a sense of status."

Deet shook her head. "Maybe it doesn't have to be that way. I remember the vision Brea had. If anything, it could signify some sort of unity." She began tying the cloths together. "If we can get some good knots and see how far Treesong's neck stretches, we could see how much we'll need and steer."

Hup tapped his chin. Then, he shrugged. "Worth shot."

Frostcrystal sighed. "Fine. I know a tool you could use." She raised a forefinger at them, shaking it like she was scolding a childling. "But you're going to have to move slowly when you walk on the neck."

Deet tilted her head. "Is a Forest Saurio's neck that delicate?"

Frostcrystal nodded. She waved them over. "Follow me." Then, she turned her attention to SkekSo. She grabbed The Emperor by the robe. His hiss was met by her growl. "Come. Broken beak." She pulled him along as he flailed uselessly.

Ghost sighed. She shook her head. She knew SkekSo was always stubborn as well as fearful. Now he had to deal with an equally ferocious Canimoon.

SkekEkt followed her sigh. He wrapped up the cloth he held and tucked it away. He didn't think a cloth so sparkly should act as makeshift rope. Now, he just had to make the measurements when Lazul and the strange moving wool will get off of Ghost.

—-(Outside)-

Treesong laid on her stomach. She watched as several creatures were exiting a window. They balanced between her back and the crook of her neck. She didn't seem to mind this strange event. She tilted her head. A coo rippled from her throat.

Rian nearly slipped as he put a foot down. "Tell me why we're here again?" He sighed. He bumped into Deet as leaned forward. "Sorry."

Frostcrystal stared squarely at the group. Her arms folded behind her back. Ears upward. Tail flicked to one side. Eyes trained on the group. "All of you will be in a situation where one of you is going to man the reins in case someone is occupied for legitimate reasons."

SkekOk raised a brow. "Such as?"

"Anything that could kill us at any moment. That are part of Thra or back in my homeland." Frostcrystal extended her arms. She briefly rotated to the surrounding woods. "Like we've just witnessed earlier in what might've been a week."

"That's…." Gurjin bit his lip. "Kind of hard to argue with." Everyone else nodded in agreement. Mother Aughra merely sighed and shook her head.

Frostcrystal moved over to Treesong's head. Her paws moved around the creature with ease. She knelt down as best as she could. She stroked around the neck and frills. A smile went across her face as Treesong let out joyous coos. Some honking followed as well.

Everyone chuckled at the sight. They even found the twitching to the frills to be the most amusing thing they've seen in a long time.

Frostcrystal gracefully walked over to the group. To even show more of her agility, she cartwheeled and landed in front of SkekSo. Her lips were drawn to a snarl when he hissed at her. She cleared her throat before she continued. "Because of what I did, Treesong can trust me since I've shown to her that I won't hurt her." She leaped down from the neck. She turned to the group. "Now, the rest of you try."

"Who wants to go first?" Deet asked. Her voice was a bit chipper than normal.

Rian stared at her in confusion. "Don't you want to go first?"

Deet shook her head. "Ghost and I already had some bonding with Treesong. I think everyone else should have at least a turn before the two of us."

Ghost nodded. It was true since Treesong listened to Deet as well as Ghost's commands. She watched the others. Each one held an apprehensive expression. Then, her eyes laid on SkekTek.

The Scientist stared down the creature's neck. His mechanical claws touching together. Behind him, Orchid was close by. Her head drooped, no doubt thinking about the other Arathim. SkekTek turned his head briefly. His eyes locked with Orchid's. It seemed it was like that for an eternity. "I'll do it."

SkekSo snorted. "You?" He put his hands to his hips. "Getting bolder by the minute."

SkekTek waved him off. He began to clamber along the neck. Nova fluttered close by. The Starbird makes sure that his rider doesn't fall off. He placed his claws along the frills. He made a few soft noises and clicks.

Gurjin stared at this in pure perplexity. "What is he doing?"

Ghost leaned forward. "He normally does that when it comes to feeding time or if there are creatures in the walls. He's trying to show he isn't a threat." She smiled as SkekTek talked to Treesong in his soothing voice. Nostalgia waved in her as she recalled the times he would soothe her whenever she had a fever-induced nightmare.

Treesong lifted her head slightly. SkekTek wobbled but managed to regain some of his balance. The two creatures that aren't of Thra stared at each other for a moment. A voiceless conversation traded between one another. Then, Treesong licked SkekTek's face.

"Blegh!" SkekTek said. He couldn't hold back his laughter as Treesong continued licking him. "Haha! Stop it! Stop! You're going to make me fall." He managed to push Treesong's head away and walked down the neck. The others laughed but he didn't seem to care.

Orchid hugged him. "You did wonderfully." She flinched upon realizing what she had done. She broke away just as quickly. Her fingers fiddled together. She cleared her throat. "I'll go next."

With grace, Orchid went up and down Treesong's neck. Each step took care. Even the frills were barely disturbed by her weight. She was able to reach Treesong's face. She giggled as Treesong kissed her as well. Even as far as receiving a nuzzle. She went back to the group.

One by one, with the exception of Ghost, the rest were able to walk up Treesong's neck. There was only SkekMal they had to wait for and SkekAyuk and SkekLach were dangerously close to falling off. SkekSo was the only one that didn't have a chance to do it. However, the Emperor only took a step before Treesong let out a low growl.

SkekSo flinched. "What in Thra?" He gave Frostcrystal a puzzled look. "Did you put her up to this?" He pointed a claw at Treesong.

Frostcrystal gave a smug expression. She shook her head. "No. I guess you just have the one person that always kisses your scrawny rear everywhere you go. Your power has no effect here. Even your "Crystal'' rejects you now."

SkekSo scoffed. "I guess a mongrel like you thinks herself an expert of royalty. Though I shouldn't expect anything less from a reject."

Ghost's heart skipped a beat. Lazul's arms tightened on her back. SkekSo must've overheard the conversation! This is going to end badly. She quickly pushed SkekSo. His thin frame barely showed any resistance. Either it was from mere shock or simply because he's weaker than he lets anyone believe. "Just get a move on! There's no time to fight over this."

SkekSo opened his beak to protest, but he clamped it shut. He nervously looked at Treesong. The Forest Saurio's nostrils flared in agitation. He gathered whatever courage he could and walked. His steps slow. His claws breezed the frills but his response was a shutter. As he got closer to the head, he was met by a stomp. He tried to balance himself as best as he could. His arms waved wildly. Then, another stomp came. He fell off. His body landed on the ground with a thud.

SkekVar was the quickest to respond. He went over to Treesong's leg and slid down. He rushed over to help SkekSo up. "Are you ok, Emperor?"

SkekSo tugged his arm away from him. "I'm fine, SkekVar." He groaned as he got onto his feet. He rubbed his rump. "Can this day get any worse?"

As if to answer his question, a twisted branch appeared. Thorns wrapped around his leg. SkekSo cried out in pain. He clawed at it as best as he could. Upon doing so, he smelled something. Something…sickly sweet. It almost made him feel dizzy.

"Emperor!" SkekVar frantically went through his belt. He recalled taking something from the house that was remotely close to a weapon. He soon felt a sheath of a short sword that was big as Hup. He swung at the weapon with all his might. Cutting the plant. He picked up the Emperor. To his shock, Spark was running towards him. Her arms frantically waved.

Spark was with them in a matter of minutes. She could only let out a few muteless screams. Her eyes were wide with fear. Her claws gripped SkekVar's. She kept pointing to Treesong. Then, to the brush.

SkekVar grunted. "What are you whining about-" He gaped as more plants began to slither towards them. He immediately dragged SkekSo away from it. His muscles screamed with each effort. He didn't mind Spark grabbing the other end. He was able to get closer to Treesong's leg. He was soon met with exploding briar. It flung him and Sparks back. SkekSo flung into another direction.

Treesong let out a bellowing scream. Everyone frantically clung onto her frills. SkekLach fell off at the base of the neck. SkekOk was barely able to reach the nearest window. Frostcrystal tried to call Amein but was hit by a bramble before being snatched away. Deet and Hup had strong hands belonging to the shy Grunak pulling them in. Rian helped Gurjin, Naia and Kylan crawl back inside. Ghost slipped off after she pushed Orchid and SkekTek into the house.

Mother Aughra clung on for dear life. Her injured arm made it difficult to grip it. She looked to at Shield. "I can't control them. They're not listening to a word I say!" She swatted one vine branch away. "Can't you do something about this?!"

Shield grunted. "Wish I could but I'm still learning." His eyes lit up. "Wait! I can split these plants into a wall. Then, I can locate the source."

Mother Aughra grimaced. "Very well. Just make sure we don't get tangled in our own web."

Shield nodded. His eyes glowed green. He began to concentrate on the trees and bushes nearest to them. He reached into them with all his mind. He formed thorns of his own. Twisting and grind resounded. Then, he felt something. It was an opposing presence north of their location. There was no emotion in its manipulation of the plants. As if all life was sucked out of it. He pushed into it. Hoping that it would make this madness stop. He was met with a shriek. Shield got ready to do it again.

"Stop!"

Shield felt something push him hard. His legs lost their footing as he tumbled off. "By Thra!" He cursed. "Not agaaaaaaiiiinnnnn!"

—-(Sometime later, SkekLach)-

SkekLach let out a loud groan. "Ohhhhh!" He placed his talons on his head. He rubbed it slowly as throbbing pain set in. "This is so much worse than my fever." His world spun for a moment as he got up. Once it stopped, The Collector noticed something felt wet in his hand. He lowered it down. Blood decorated his claws. He let out another frustrated growl. "Just my luck!"

He got onto his feet. SkekLach felt his back ache but it didn't seem to hurt as much. SkekLach looked around. He was surrounded by warped trees and endless underbrush. Most of it was so tall, the suns were barely able to leak out their light. Any visible path was nowhere to be seen.

SkekLach swallowed hard. This was the first time he ever felt this alone. Especially after when he and his fellow Skeksis came into being. He shivered as he recalled Lazul's comment on a split soul. Am I a broken soul? SkekLach shook that dark thought out as best as he could. He needed to find the others. That is if they're still around.

"SkekOk! Ghost!" He projected his voice as loud as he could. "Anybody? Anyone? Please call out if you can hear me! Otherwise I'd be a fool!"

A hush filled the woods. Even a simple scurry of a Fizzgig wasn't enough to ease his concerns. The forest only got darker as the day went on.

SkekLach sighed. "Great. Just great. Now what?" He jumped as a loud snap answered his question. He whipped his head around only to receive a burst of pain. After a wave went away he looked, there was no one there. "Hello?" He turned to the other direction. Then, he saw a large shape duck behind a massive tree trunk. He gulped. "Ok…I seem to have two options. 1. Wait here until something eats me or…2. I walk with a bleeding head until I can find help."

Heavy breathing filled the air. Footsteps coming towards him. Closer and closer. A pair of purple orbs stared in his direction. Claws stretched out.

SkekLach gulped. He backed away slowly as he could. "Well…That answers my question." His foot soon bumped into something smooth and cool. He turned around to see the conch shell on the ground. To his surprise, it was fully intact. He picked up. His hands trembled slightly. Tears began to blur his vision as memories of traveling with Ghost for the first time entered his mind.

He jumped as a raspy voice heard behind him. "Wai….ting…."

—-(SkekMal, earlier)-

"Are you insane?!" SkekMal marched around in the armor. It felt weird having a living creature being his armor. True, he did carry a "life charm" as Lazul and Frostcrystal would call it. However, he now has a crazed Djinn that could kill him and an angry Starbird at his back. "I have no time for bonding. I need to exact vengeance for my kind."

"That's one of the reasons why I'm here," Magin said. She rolled her red eyes. "You're bloodthirsty to an extent. As well as a sense of honor that I can't help but respect."

SkekMal snorted. "I'd admire your flattery, but would you explain why I have his words stuck in my head?" He pointed to the red Starbird. Pyruon perched on his shoulder, staring at him with a skulking expression.

"Well. You seem to have something in common." She moved an arm to rub at her eye. "When it comes to bonding with a Starbird, they require to have something in common. Sometimes the quality of an individual brings out their capability to talk."

SkekMal sighed. What I could possibly have anything in common with this bird? He glanced at the bird. He was only met with a cold shoulder. Fine…Be that way.

A rustle sounded on SkekMal's left. He immediately held up his sword. He aimed it at the unknown source. His armor began to grow sharper as well. Another rustle to the south. He turned to it. Nothing there. He let out a low growl. "Did you see that?"

"See it?" Magin's eye glowed a blood red light. "I felt a very unpleasant presence nearby. And it reeks of decaying Earth Magic."

Suddenly, the earth rumbled. Branches from the trees stretched out. Vines and brambles burst out of the ground like angry snakes. SkekMal was barely able to dodge one of them. He could see Pyruon flying close by. He could feel a string of curses that matched the mood he was in.

Suddenly, a bellow vibrated out. A familiar Forest Saurio came rushing at them. The ground vibrated with every step. All the creatures of Thra scattered to get out of the way. Several small figures fell off her back. Including a small white shape.

"Ghost!" SkekMal ran forward. He dodged the leg with a small window of time. He leaped onto a trunk. It collapsed the moment he leapt off. He swung his sword, cutting down the brush that came at him. He loomed over Ghost.

The White Gelfling had landed on the roots of one of the elder trees. Her head seemed to leak out some blood but most of the injuries were minor thanks to Lazul's arms and the silver-white cloak wrapped around her. To his relief, she was still breathing. He lowered his blade. His claws on his shoulder. "Ghost! Ghost!"

—-(Ghost)-

Ghost's world spun for a bit. She had little time to regain her balance so she fell straight to the earth. Something both soft and firm wrapped around her. A harsh voice filled with concern dragged her back into existence.

Her vision blurred for a moment. Then, it focused on a face she's never seen before. A pair of green eyes stared at her. Alert and concern. "Wha-huh? Who are you?"

SkekMal gave an annoyed growl. "Snap out of it! We have no time to lie about."

Ghost's eyes snapped open as recognition entered her. "SkekMal." She clutched her head as a sharp pain went into her mind. "Oh! That was a terrible mistake." She felt the earth rumble around her. Ghost saw a tree branch lunge toward her. She was barely able to get away if SkekMal hadn't helped her.

Ghost couldn't help but be surprised at what he was wearing. Dark, spiky armor with a red jewel sitting in the center of his helmet. She looked up at him. However, a slight shift in his arms made her realize that this is the second time that he's held her. She tried her best to fight back her blushing. "Where did you get that armor? It's not like you to grab anything from the house."

SkekMal jumped over a log. His eyes were focused on the path that had yet to be destroyed by plants. "There's no time for questions. Right now we need to find cover." He continued slashing against the attacking plants.

Suddenly, the red orb moved. Ghost soon realized it was a red eye. The metal on the armor rippled, spikes almost ready to pierce her. It seemed that one arm was starting to become visible. It's the Black Briar! She tried her best not to squirm in fear as she saw it stare down at her.

"Oooooo! So this is the Gelfling you have a crush on?! She's absolutely adorable!"

Ghost felt her world jolt for a moment just as SkekMal landed hard into a ravine. Her face smacked into his with a jarring crack. She grunted in pain. Her hand covered her nose as blood began to seep out. "Thra!" She cursed. Ghost looked up and realized that her face was so close to the mask, she could see a pair of green eyes looking right back at her.

"You're bleeding," SkekMal said. His voice was still gruff but it betrayed a sense of tenderness she's never seen before. He set her down onto the ground. A piece of his armor melted away to let some of the fabric from his robe hang out. He took one of his blade and cut it. He handed it to Ghost.

Ghost took it. The cloth smelled of sweat and earth, but it was better than smelling rot. She pressed it tenderly on her nose. She flinched from the pain but it was only temporary. Ghost watched as SkekMal shouted at the Black Briar. Her eyes took in every curve of the plating. The spikes that jutted out along the limbs. His tail whistled with every movement. Even the helmet made him look regal. Far more regal than the Emperor himself. Her cheeks glowed once more.

Lazul crawled up from his usual spot and was now on top of Ghost's head. He watched for a moment. His expression was still unreadable. Then, he spoke. "Ah. Black Briar…I see that you've finally acquired a partner."

Maglin turned her red eye towards Lazul. It sparkled for a moment. Then, the rest of the armor rippled as if the illusion was wearing off. "Blue Mist! I was wondering where you've vanished!"

Lazul showed no reaction to her. One of his arms held the cloth to Ghost's nose. "I go by another name now. It's Lazul."

Maglin was twisting around, blocking SkekMal's view. "Me too! Me too!" She pointed to the red Starbird that had now grown to be the same height as SkekMal. "Pyruon gave me the name Maglin. I love it so much!"

SkekMal pushed Maglin up in the original position. His lip pulled up into a snarl. "Could you both please stop?! I have a good mind in slicing you in two if not for this!" He pointed at the plants. He straightened at the sight before him. "Oh…This can't be good."

Ghost followed his gaze. A thick curtain of green and brown stood before her. Light was barely able to leak out of the canopy. Branches of trees twisted into massive knots. Debris was scattered along the forest floor. A heavy silence filled the sky. Even Treesong's roars have stopped. The entire woods had turned into a twilight hour.

Ghost formed a fist in her hand. Her breathing began to hitch. Crawling panic reached her core. She recalled SkekSo, SkekVar and Spark running away. Some of the others had fallen off. Treesong was still in a panicked daze. The Forest Saurio could crush the others. These thoughts made her breathing hard. Her heart thundered. The entire world around her blurred. She tried to take a step but she felt something pull her down into a seating position.

"Calm down." SkekMal's fierce but firm voice entered her ears. The warmth of his breath felt against her skin. Even though the blood was clogging her broken nose, she was able to smell a nice blend of an earthy musk with rain coming off of The Hunter. The armor pressed through her clothing, a pressure that assured her more than harm.

Ghost soon felt her anxiety vanish. Her vision returned to normal. Her hands were shaking as she looked down. "Not again…" She mumbled under her breath. She slowly looked at SkekMal. An apologetic expression on her face. "I wish you didn't see that."

SkekMal merely shrugged. "I've seen worse. Chamberlain and Collector were the biggest whiners of the bunch." He gave a dark chuckle at the memory. Upon seeing Ghost's expression, he cleared his throat. "Right now, we need to find somewhere safe at the moment."

At the mention of the name, Ghost stared into the wall of thorns before them. She took a deep breath. "I saw him fall off…I hope he's not injured." She slowly got up. Her legs were a bit more firm than last time. She felt the pelt wiggle. Soon, the eyeless head appeared on her shoulder. Ghost gave a sad smile. Her head nestled into it. She noticed something and pointed to it. "That seems like an ideal place to start."

SkekMal lowered himself down. His armor rippled slightly as they made the spikes part to allow Ghost to climb on. Maglin couldn't help but beam as she watched Ghost get on top. It didn't take long for SkekMal to jump from one place to the next.

Ghost felt the air rush around her as the two went further up in the trees. A few branches smacked her nose, however the sensation felt numb at that point. Leaves got stuck in her hair. The light grew brighter as they went up. Finally, she soon came across sunlight. The view before her was a true nightmare. More branches twisted outward like wooden spears. Thorns scattered around. She let out a silent prayer to Thra in hopes that everyone would be ok.