Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders: Here Come the Giants!

by Tilde-Heart

The past and present collide when an ancient evil from the bowels of Skylands' history is awakened by Kaos as he attempts to restore his empire of evil! Now, Chihiro and the Skylanders must team up with the heroes of Skylands' distant past in order to bring a stop to the revival of the Arkeyan Empire! (Canon-divergent retelling of Skylanders Giants)

18. Chapter 18

Been a while since I last updated, huh? I know it's been two whole years, but I'm back at last! College has been seriously putting me through the ringer, and I've been battling a nasty case of on and off writer's block, but this fic is back with some new chapters at last! Now, without further adieu, the chapter you've all been waiting two whole years for! Hopefully, this extra-long one was worth the wait!

Also, as a fun fact: today also marks the fifth anniversary of when CHS's first installment was published online! Figured today would be a fitting day to bring the series back off hiatus because of that~

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The searing light from the door faded, and yet a strange, tingly feeling remained as all around groaned and rubbed their faces. Their eyes opened, and a blurry, faintly blue and gold-colored room met them, though it was little more than blobs of color to them. The soft sound of whistling breezes echoed through the room even though there shouldn't have been any wind, and it was as warm as a pleasant summer day inside. Even though it seemed a little eerie, something about this room comforted them enough that everyone let themselves rest; their shoulders slumped, and their weapons stowed away as their vision cleared and unveiled the room's contents.

Those blue and yellow blurs and blobs sharpened into a proper room, one that held a shiny gold floor with pale blue light spewing from its cracks. Streams of clear magic poured from the sidelines and left ripples around marbled blue walls decorated with golden arches in the vague shapes of doors. A large hole laid in the center of the floor, and a geyser of blue magic poured out from it to obscure the bottom it held below—if there was even a bottom to it at all. It was a pretty sight, but it brought one question.

"Alright, did we make it?" Chihiro asked as she stepped forward with her hands on her hips and her eyes glanced around. "'Cause I'm not seeing an oracle anywhere around here."

"Well maybe he's just getting himself ready!" Flynn chuckled as he brushed off his shoulder and puffed out his chest. "Surely a super smart dude like him knows having Skylands' best and bravest pilot in his quarters is quite the occasion!"

Eruptor scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Maybe we took a turn in that weird voidy place? I couldn't make heads of tails of where we were going there."

Raising a brow, Chihiro turned around and shrugged. "I thought it was pretty straightforward, well, when my brain wasn't spinning around in my skull, anyways. Besides, it didn't seem like there's anywhere else."

"I can assure you, this is the Oracle's residence," the high priest interrupted as she stepped forward. "Just be patient, he will arrive any moment."

Chihiro frowned and tilted her head. "I don't know, did he know we were coming?" she whispered as she stumbled over and peered into the floor's gigantic hole. "Maybe I should drop him a line."

"Oh, I can reassure you that I am well aware of your presence, heroes of Skylands!"

A chuckle echoed from within the chamber's heart, one that reverberated and echoed, but not with volume. It was tranquil, almost alien in sound. More importantly, though, it was alarming enough that Chihiro stumbled back!

She lifted her head and gasped as the light from the floor grew brighter, but soon faded enough that some kind of silhouette—one round and bumpy with long tentacles, and another, longer stalk of some kind emerging from its top—formed into the pillar! The silhouette pressed forward as a single blue eye stalk with a yellow and red eye inside of it poked through the pillar and peered down on Chihiro. A round blue body covered with cyan and purple bumps and paired with a slightly-smiling mouth emerged next, and a series of tentacles like a squid's with green undersides came last as the light faded entirely. Though odd in appearance, a kind of strange aura radiated from this being, as if the power and knowledge of entire generations wrapped itself into one existence and shone from them like sunlight.

The strange being chuckled and nodded towards Chihiro, yet lifted themself up as she stepped backwards and bowed.

"I am Octavius Cloptimus, the Oracle of Skylands' beyond," the being said as he stretched out a tentacle towards Chihiro, "I have watched over Skylands since its infancy. I've seen empires rise and fall, civilizations fall to their destruction and rise from the ashes, the births, lives and deaths of quintillions, and from it, I have learned almost everything there is to know about Skylands and more."

Chihiro hastily nodded and raised her mouth open, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. She just stood there, eyes wide in awe as the only part of her body that could move, and behind her, the others shared in her awe. In a slow wave they fell to their knees, or whatever they could, as they bowed towards the Oracle, or at least offered him a respectful nod or backed away in sheer awe. All but Nemir, that was, who merely strode up by Chihiro's side and gave the Oracle a curt nod.

"Ah, wise Oracle Octavius, it has been quite some time since I have last consulted you," Nemir said with a tone like he was talking to an old friend and not a near-deity. "When I first came to you for guidance, I was as green as the spring shoots, a young man still grappling with the burdens and responsibilities of kinghood. I'm not sure I'd be the man I am today if not for the wisdom you gave me."

The Oracle chuckled. "Ah, good king Nemir, the wisest king Molekin Mountain has ever know in its generations. It truly is a pleasure being in your presence again." The Oracle smiled, shook his head, and tsked as he did. "But, you needn't thank me. I merely offered you knowledge, but it was your studiousness and vigilance that turned it to wisdom. If anything, you should take pride in yourself for your hard work."

"Oh, my." Nemir chuckled and took a step back as he glanced aside. "To hear that from someone like you—"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, you're smart and you like to toot your own horn," Flynn butted in as he barged through. Crossing his arms, Flynn quirked a brow towards the Oracle. "But, are you really as all-knowing as you say you are?"

Nemir clenched his teeth and shot daggers at Flynn with a look as if he was about ready to launch himself into a rant! The Oracle's laughter stopped him before he could curse Flynn out, though. He relented a little as the Oracle smiled at him, and stepped backwards a bit, though he still shot quite a few nasty glares at Flynn as he did.

"Do not fret, Nemir," the Oracle said as if he knew exactly what Nemir was thinking in that moment, "for I understand beings will have their doubts about me." The Oracle moved towards Flynn as he floated down just a bit until they were somewhat eye-level. "To begin with, I know the names of all of you who stand in this room now." The Oracle's eye peered down. "Of course we have you, Flynn Lightcycle, and the young portal master Chihiro Hatsuki, who hails from a world far away from where we call home, as well as my acquaintance Nemir…"

The Oracle's eye moved to the back.

"To your back, we have the Elder Elementals. BB-12, the star roboto-ball player; Fatimah, the master of magic; Essex, the stalwart whale; Etna, the tamer of flames; Eben, the shaper of the earth; Ochiul and Armura, who together form a most legendary duo; Tree Rex, the guardian of life; and none other than Prince Abejape, youngest son of the ancient Hymenopteran bloodline and the prince of the skies."

The Oracle moved his eye down below to where the rest of the ancient portal masters resided as the Elder Elementals gasped and glanced at each other.

"Of course, we can't forget the portal masters that fought valiantly alongside you, either. Sihiri, who gave up her peaceful life to protect the ones she loved; Vatra and Vaayu, who fight to save the innocent lives they weren't able to save before; Luz and Fintster, the brothers who fought for the safety of their family; Inochi, who wishes to protect the natural world's harmony; 'Enehana, who uses their vast wisdom to protect those from the very things they made; Jorden, a humble woman with a heart as strong as his muscle; Dej, the traveler who fought Arkeyan tyranny every step of his journey."

The ancient portal masters in turn just shied away from view—some of them whispered in timid shock, others blushed and played down their accomplishments, and a few just basked. But, their surprise downplayed itself as the Oracle's eye moved to the Skylanders.

"And the heroes of today, the Skylanders. Trigger Happy, a gremlin with a past as enigmatic and chaotic as he himself; Spyro, the young hero of prophecy with a legacy stretching across worlds; Gilligan, a name quite fitting for his marine background; Vesuvius, a lava monster who's weaponized his species' explosive disposition for the better of all; Finnley, both a fighter and a lover; Cynder, who fights to atone for atrocities committed when she was not in control of herself; Shizuka, the elven ninja who seeks the secrets of her past; and Celeste, the hybrid who controls the weather at her wills."

The Oracle passed by the Skylanders' stunned glances, and his eye set on where Cali and the high priest laid. "And lastly, we have California Jane, one of the most famous adventurers of her time, and Aikaterine, current high priest of Molekin Mountain." The Oracle chuckled and turned his eye back to Flynn. "Does that put your worries to rest, Flynn?"

Flynn hummed and flicked his ear as he glanced back up at the Oracle. "I mean, you can read about some guy's achievements in any book, and I'm sure my achievements as bravest, best, and not to mention humblest pilot of all Skylands have reached quite a few ears. But, how can we know you know all this stuff you say you do? Do you really know everything there is to know about everything?"

"Alright, so I see that you require a bit more evidence of me." The Oracle nodded and cleared his throat. "Well, if you wish to know evidence of my all-knowing knowledge, how about I list off a few facts about you?"

"Go for it, buddy! I'm sure everyone'll love hearing about my adventures!"

A smirk formed on Flynn's face as the Oracle cleared his throat.

"Very well then," the Oracle began, oblivious to the smug look on Flynn's face. "Flynn Lightcycle, you make up songs about your adventures to sing in the shower, you sleep with your favorite wrench at night…"

Flynn popped his eyes wide, and for a moment, it seemed as though his normally sunset orange fur turned a bright scarlet instead! His ears twitched as a couple chuckles came from the back of the room, and he clenched his teeth and stormed up.

"And though you claim to be saving yourself for all your admiring followers alike, in truth, the reason you've never entered a relationship is because you've been nursing feelings for a Mabu named—"

"Alright, alright, I get it!" Flynn shouted as he thrust himself in front of the Oracle and frantically waved his hands. "You're all-knowing and stuff, you can stop now!"

"Very well then."

Flynn coughed into his scarf and shuffled away, and behind him, Nemir stifled a laugh of his own, almost like he was relishing in Flynn's brush with the Oracle's skills. This mattered little to Chihiro, though, as she took her position to the front once more.

"If that's out of the way," Chihiro began. She took a breath in and out. "Then—"

"I am also aware of why you have come to consult me," the Oracle said as he swirled around. "The final Arkeyan emperor-king, Arkilles, is seeking a way to Arkus as a means to revive his empire and plunge Skylands into the depths of tyranny once more. You wish to stop him, but with no map to guide you, you're at a loss as to what to do next."

Chihiro's eyes fluttered and she rapidly nodded. "So, you can help us, then?"

"After all, wise Oracle, you know everything about Skylands' past," Nemir added as he stepped in. His teasing looks from earlier traded hands for a more serious one as he clasped his incorporeal hands. "Surely, you understand the grave danger that lies within Arkus's walls, and what it would do to Skylands to have him take his empire back once more?"

"Indeed I do, Nemir," the Oracle nodded. "Getting the information is of little trouble for me, and I can easily help you with this problem. But—" The Oracle's eye narrowed as he glanced among their ranks "I sense something else is troubling you as well. Some of you are grappling with the fact that your present is now the past, others are troubled by the resurgence of such strong foes, and one of you has been shaken by recent events and is trying to find themself amid all of it."

Chihiro winced, glanced, and grabbed her vest almost on instinct. "How, how did he know?" she whispered.

She glanced back up at the Oracle, but he just chuckled and spun around.

"I know almost-all, after all." The Oracle spun around once more. "So, in light of this, I propose a little test to earn this information."

"A test?" Flynn spat back and snarled as he crossed his arms. "Why d'you need to test us for this, anyways? You just know what's gonna happen since you know all and stuff!"

"I'm with Flynn on this," Cali added from the sidelines as she stepped forward from the crowd. "If you know all that there is in Skylands, why do you need to test us?"

Just before Cali could break from the crowds, however, the high priest grabbed her by the wrist and tsked.

"Do not question the Oracle, young one!" the high priest scolded. "If the Oracle sets you up to a test then surely it's for the best! That's the adage we've adhered by for generations, and he's never failed us in that regard!"

The Oracle glanced to where the high priest released Cali's wrist and glanced away.

"Thank you for your confidence, Aikaterine, but they do deserve some insight as well," the Oracle said. He held a tentacle to himself and cleared his throat once more. "You see, I have a bit of a plight myself, one I wish for you to aid me in."

"A plight? What kind of problems would you have?" Flynn scoffed. "You know everything!"

"Correction—I know almost everything. I know all there is to know about the past, and to some extent, the present as well." For the first time since they first saw him, the Oracle's face fell and he shook. "However, the future's ever-twining threads are an enigma to me, an ever-churning fog I cannot pierce."

The Oracle smiled once more and clasped his tentacles, and that eerie aura of power radiated from him once more. "So, I wish for you to help me with a test. I will send you all through several trials, and attempt to predict the decisions you will make. If I do this, the data I get will surely aid my attempts in scrying the future, and if you complete these trials, I will give you the information you seek."

"Alright, what kind of trials are we looking at, then?" Spyro asked as he flew up from the back of the group. "Fights? Time trials? Obstacle courses?"

"I am afraid I cannot tell you the exact contents, or else it will bias the data." The Oracle shook his head, but a smile remained on his face still. "That being said, I will assure you that if things grow too dangerous, I will bring you back here, safe as I can. And it will be very safe, as this entire dimension bends to my will and wishes."

Spyro frowned and beckoned for Chihiro, Flynn, and Nemir to join him as he flew to the back of the group. By the time the three of themarrived, Spyro already huddled in with the rest of the group, all squeezed tight as they spoke in barely-heard whispers and glanced between themselves and the Oracle. A few arms jabs, a few feet shuffled, but aside of their mouths and these small movements, it seemed as though they were stiff as statues—perhaps fitting considering what laid ahead of them.

"I don't know if I trust this guy," Eruptor whispered as he shuffled in closer. "I know he's an all-knowing and all-powerful oracle guy and stuff, but—" Eruptor shuddered, and the lava that bubbled from his veins popped some bubbles and crackled like fireworks "—he gives me the creeps!"

"I'm with Ruptor on this one—something about him doesn't seem quite right," Terrafin added.

"Listen, I know he's strange," Spyro whispered as he came in closer, "but, like it or not, he's our best bet in stopping Arkilles or Kaos or whoever he is now! It's not like we can storm his front gates and steal back the map again! If we wanna get to Arkus before he does, we'll have to do it!"

"But still, how do we know he isn't lying to us? You can't exactly trust weird overly-powerful deity dudes!" Cynder snapped. "How do we know he isn't setting us up for something?"

"He seems trustworthy enough to me," Stealth Elf added. "If he were acting suspicious, I would've seen through it in an instant!"

"And he knows so much, he could've easily hid it from you!"

"Yeah, Cynder's right!"

Spyro winced and craned his head towards Tree Rex's group. "Well, what do you all think?"

"I'll start by saying that the Oracle is almost akin to an Ancient in power," Nemir said as he stepped forward and held out his hand. "If he had wished, we'd be zapped to ashes the moment we stepped foot in his realm. But, he hasn't, and he has not steered anyone wrong before. I trust that he has no ill intent."

"And if Nemir believes him, I do as well," Sihiri chimed in.

The other ancient portal masters nodded, and the Elder Elementals did as well while they stood above the Skylanders. Though, Cali and Flynn still grimaced a little, as if they weren't exactly sure themselves. Their hesitance stewed a bit of unrest in the Skylanders as they shuffled around, but their unease ceased as Spyro turned to the Oracle.

"Alright, Oracle," Spyro asked. "What exactly will you do if things go south?"

"It is simple, really," the Oracle said as he clapped his tentacles and summoned a blue light underneath him. "This realm is a realm entirely of my making and control, and I can do with it as I please. In the event that something should happen to you and you need to retreat—" the Oracle clapped his tentacles again, and the light faded "—I will summon you back here, and use my powers to heal you of all injury."

Spyro frowned and flapped his wings as he turned to Chihiro. "Chi, what do you think?"

Chihiro hummed and rubbed her chin. "Well, we do need that information on Arkus, and it's not like we'll be able to get it anywhere else—not easily, anyways," she started while a more pensive look crossed her face, "and this guy's so smart and powerful, I believe that he has complete control over this domain. Plus, he was able to tell something was bugging us, so maybe whatever knowledge he has will help us there, too!" Chihiro smiled and banged a fist against her palm. "I think we should do it!"

The Skylanders glimpsed and glanced around the room, but reluctantly nodded as they caught sight of Chihiro's smile, and next Spyro's as he beamed back at her. If their leaders seemed to have full confidence in this, surely they should as well, right? That seemed to be the prevailing opinion, and besides, the Elder Elementals and ancient portal masters had them outnumbered anyways, so they joined Spyro and Chihiro.

"Alright, we'll go for the time being," Cynder reluctantly said at last as she trailed out of the group. Her eyes narrowed, and a shock of lightning flashed in them as she glanced at the Oracle. "But make no mistake, I'll personally shock you to death if you are planning some trick!"

"I will hold you to that promise," the Oracle said before he swept out of the way.

The Oracle clapped his tentacles, and the hole in the floor sealed up while the three decorative spaces ahead all warbled, shifted, and became proper doors right before their eyes! One was red and gold and covered in ancient-seeming runes and carvings, the second was a periwinkle color and embedded with gems in the colors of all Skylands' elements, the third was a sleek, shiny white and coated in luminescent rainbow glitter, but each one came with an eerie feeling akin to that of what the Oracle himself radiated. Was it the mystery of the trials itself that propelled this feeling? Or was it the mystical feeling this strange dimension held? Whatever it was, it billowed from the doors like smoke from a fire and spread across the rooms as it chilled the warm feeling of its surface.

"The Elder Elementals and the ancient portal masters will take the first door," the Oracle said as he gestured to the red and gold door, "the Skylanders will take the second…"

The two groups spread in lines towards the doors, and Chihiro trailed after Spyro as he headed towards his door. But, a soft push from the Oracle's tentacle froze her in place! Not from magic, but from simple shock, as chills ran down her spine for a moment before she shook them off and turned to the Oracle.

"You don't go with them, Master Chihiro," the Oracle said as he nudged Chihiro towards the white door. "This one is for you."

Chihiro nodded, turned around, and shuddered for a moment more as she reached out to the door and ran her fingers against it. It had no lock or knob, but the surface was light enough that a gentle push flung it open, and sent rainbow and white light pouring out from the doorway! The same light came from the other two groups' doors as they gasped in shock, yet otherwise they stood silent, as if they judged the path before them one last time.

Finally, it was the Elder Elementals and the ancient portal masters who left, for they waved farewell to their companions as they entered the door. The Skylanders went next and waved to them for a moment before they nodded to each other and entered. They all left, and Chihiro just gulped and raced inside. The doors all slammed shut behind them, and the sound echoed in a shaky reverberation around the room with only the Oracle, Flynn, Cali, and the high priest left to watch. The eerie silence of the room came once more, forit seemed a lot lonelier without the company. Flynn and Cali both glanced at each other, nextthe doors as they winced, but it was Cali who stepped up first.

"So," Cali began as she raised her hand, "what exactly are we supposed to do?"

"Nothing," the Oracle said as he waved his tentacles. A console formed before him, and he beckoned for them to come. "You will wait here while your friends attend to their trials. But, since you are not attending, I may explain the purpose of these trials to you."

As the three of them drew forward, the Oracle chuckled and pulled up one screen of the console. There, the Elder Elementals and ancient portal masters walked through an endless white void in crystal-clear quality, a sight that seemingly amused the Oracle as he raised his brow. The light around them brightened and flooded in the screen until it was little more than a glowing square. The light brushed against his face, and the Oracle glanced back down at Flynn, Cali, and the high priest for a moment before he quickly turned his attention to the console.

"You see, the nature of these trials is as such that…"

§

Luz groaned and rubbed his eyes as beams of sunlight poured over him. The sun was bright and harsh, way harsher than Luz remembered it being, and he waved his hand to try and dim it a bit; he just wanted to sleep, dang it! Every bone in his body ached, his whole body grew heavy and cumbersome, and he didn't know why. Wait, heavy? Since when did he feel heavy? As a ghost, he was as light and nimble as a feather and able to float with ease! In fact, he could do it right now… If he wasn't so tired and if the sun wasn't shining so harshly. He waved his hand again, but in turn, the sun shone even brighter, almost as if it was scolding or taunting him!

"Alright, alright, geez!" Luz shouted out as he pushed himself up while the feeling of thick cloth hit his body as he did "I'm getting—" Luz opened his eyes, and his face fell "—up?"

Luz's eyes fluttered again, and he clutched that thick cloth as he sat up in utter, stunned silence. He laid in a simple room with a single bed, some clothes hung on a windowsill to dry, and only a few tapestries hung from shelves for decoration. Actually, judging by the thickness and the animal fur textures they had on closer examination, those tapestries seemed more like blankets? The roof was thatched with straw and left mottled dots of sunlight to pop through its tiny gaps, yet it was the warmth of the outside world that poured in and heated the adobe floors and bed around him. Just how did Luz get in this place? He wasn't sure, and even if this furry blanket was comfortable, he didn't exactly feel comfortable staying here.

"Just, where was I, anyway?" Luz asked as he stumbled out of bed and rubbed his eyes.

He was sure that he wassomewhere else, with someone else, no, some other people, there was more, he was sure… Or were there? Every time he tried to think about what happened, his head spun and he started to lose his footing, like something locked away his memories and threw away the key! He frowned and glimpsed down at himself, but wait, something else was wrong too!

"Wait, I have a body again?"

That wasn't right—everyone had a body, right? And yet, the sight of Luz's own flesh left him trembling, as if something about it was eerily wrong. He still wore his clothing, at least! At least, he thought these were his clothes, yet the style felt wrong in a way he couldn't name. He stood in a strange place he couldn't quite remember, he couldn't remember a thing, and the sight of his own body left him shaking! Just what was going on here?

Well, whatever it was, the first step to finding that out was getting out! He stormed towards the open gap in the wall that he assumed was a doorway, but before he could leave, he ran into someone and fell on the floor! The armor chestplate he wore cushioned the blow, but the surprise left him stunned still.

"There you are, Luz! I thought you were going to sleep for an eternity!"

There before Luz stood a woman tall and skinny like a vine with flowing golden hair as long as she was tall. Her skin was the same shade of brown that Luz's was, but while Luz's nose was large and round, hers was long and thin, and her lips were a bit larger compared to his own. Her face was angular and sharp unlike his round and chubby one. She wore a long and loose white dress with golden triangle patterns weaved into it, and her arms crossed as she tapped her foot and revealed the golden sandals she wore.

"Come on, the sun isn't going to shine forever!" the woman shouted as she bent down just slightly and urged Luz from the floor. "You've got a big day ahead of you, so—"

Just as the woman reached out towards Luz, however, he panicked and pushed her hand away! He hadn't really meant to, but it moved by itself. After all, he was in a strange place with a woman he didn't recognize standing right before him! It was normal that he'd freak out! Luz winced and glanced back up at the woman. He expected scorn, yet that wasn't what greeted him when she stared; no, she seemed concerned, almost, as she fell to her knees and patted his face!

Luz grunted, rolled backwards, and hit the wall once more. "Wait, who are you?" Luz spat at last. His hands grappled at the air around him, as if he reached for something—but what it was, he wasn't certain. "What is this place?"

"Luz, are you sure you're feeling alright?" the woman asked in turn as she stepped forward. "How do you not even recognize your own mother?"

Mother? So this woman was his mother? Something about that didn't feel quite right, and just the sight at her sent a feeling of uneasiness down Luz's spine. But, he couldn't quite recall anything else, so he was in no position to question things, either. Luz hummed for a minute, shook his head, and stood.

The woman swept forward and clasped Luz's face in her hands once more. "Luz, are you entirely certain that you feel alright? The—"

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Luz spat out with maybe a little more aggression than he intended. Luz forced a smile as the woman glanced at him, and held a hand to her face. "I'm just kinda tired."

The woman frowned for a moment, but shook her head and turned away nonetheless. "In that case, there's food waiting for you on the table. Come with me."

The woman rounded the corner and disappeared once more, but Luz didn't follow her just yet. He frowned, rubbed his chin again, and glanced over his room. Was it really his room? Was this really his home, and was she really his mother? He tried to think, tried to recall something, but a sharp pain hit his skull and he fell to his knees the moment he thought even the slightest. He frantically rubbed his head as if that would somehow whisk the pain away, and thankfully, its surge faded quickly. Luz's arms fell limp at his sides as he panted with the faint remnants of pain stung against his skull, and beads of sweat crossed his nose.

As his breathing slowed, Luz pushed himself up, dusted off his clothes, and sighed as he passed through the door. "Well, no use questioning it," Luz mumbled as he walked into the next room, his head held down the entire time. "Might as well go eat."

Luz lifted his head for a moment as sunbeams stretched into the room ahead from its open door, and revealed a simple table filled with meats, berries and loaves of bread where his mother sat. To her side sat a man more like Luz in facial features, but his skin was a shade or two lighter, his body was more bulky compared to Luz's fat, and his hair was short, carefully groomed, and a deep brown the color of rich earth, as opposed to Luz's mop of messy golden hair. He donned a loose shirt and pair of pants, his mustache twitched as he ate a slice of bread and some berries, and a sort of warm feeling like summer sunlight radiated from him. Something in Luz's gut told him this was his father, yet that premonition still didn't feel right to Luz.

Luz glanced down at himself and frowned deeper. There was a long, loose white shirt and pants draped over him, but Luz wasn't really sure he was wearing this before. Was he? His head spun again, so he shook off the dizziness and stumbled over to the table. He scraped a few berries, grabbed some meat, and nibbled away as his parents talked about some big battle or some nosy neighbors or something. A flask of water rested to his side and he sipped it down in turn, but he couldn't quite manage more than a few sips before he laid it down along with his barely-eaten meal. He wasn't sure why, but he just wasn't particularly hungry today. Strange, the food itself looked appealing enough, and yet just the sight of it left him sick to his stomach.

"Luz, is something bothering you?" his father asked.

Luz shook his head and smiled. "Nothing, father."

Luz's father raised a bushy brown eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?" his father asked. "You've been staring at that food like it's rotted before your eyes!"

"I'm just tired, that's all."

Luz's father gulped down another slice of bread and raised a brow. "Well, if you say so. Speaking of, weren't you and your friends going to do something today? What were their names?"

He had friends? Luz wanted to say something, but at the same time, he couldn't quite recall their names, either. When he thought of friends, he thought of some vague figures—humans and those non-human alike—but, just that thought and his head spun! So, Luz only nodded in agreement and fixed his eyes on his food as he took small bites of it once more in hopes that it would keep his father's attention off of him.

"So, did you hear about what the Arkeyans did to Gandones?" Luz's mother asked.

"Oh, I heard alright! Those poor people, they didn't even stand a chance! The Arkeyans razed their entire village to the ground before they could even fight back…"

Hearing that, Luz raised a brow. He barely smelled smoke, yet nothing around him burned, while faint cries and shouts rang in his ears. Except, the only ones here were him and his parents, and nothing outside seemed like it would've elicited those smells and sounds! But, something about it felt like it was happening right here!

"I swear, they just can't be stopped! Some of the elders in the village fear they'll take the entire peninsula at this rate…"

"The elders? Like the ones who took us away when the Arkeyans attacked?" Luz piped up at last.

But wait, when did that happen? Luz wasn't entirely sure, and yet, something in his gut told him it had! He could vaguely recall wandering through the village and the woods at night while joined by the other children and their town's elders as the sounds of war raged behind them. Yet, the confused look in his parents' faces showed they were just as clueless as he was!

"Luz, what are you talking about? The Arkeyans are no threat to us," his mother said. She smiled at him, and her gaze turning warm and sickeningly sweet like honey. "You have nothing to worry about. We've fended them off plenty of times before, and we'll do so again if we have to."

Luz soured as he heard that. Her tone was condescending, the kind of tone parents took when they had to pretend to care about things, but you knew for a fact that they didn't take them as seriously as you swore they were, and he hated it. Didn't she remember the fight? How she whisked him away with the rest of the kids in the middle of the night with just a sack of rations to his name? The early-morning arguments? The battle he knew she didn't survive? He wanted to argue back, but he didn't remember it all that well either. It only came to him in brief flashes as fickle as the sunlight while it passed through the trees. Every time a memory came to him, it slipped just as quickly and left a searing headache in its place.

So he bit his lip, steeled himself and glared back down at his mother. "But, how do you know that? How do you know they aren't just gonna run up in the middle of the night and catch you off-guard? How do you know something won't happen?" Luz spat, and his words grew more intense as he did. He barely noticed the raising of his voice, or the tears that flowed down his cheeks in tiny drops, or how his hands pounded against the table. "How do you know I won't lose you?"

That sickeningly sweet look on his mother's face was gone, replaced by wide-eyed concern. She reached out a hand, but Luz's father stopped her, and instead it was him who reached out to Luz. Though, Luz's mother's eyes still didn't quite leave him as she wrung parts of her golden hair.

"Luz, is that why you're acting so strange? Are you worried about the Arkeyans?" his father asked as he brushed away Luz's tears with his worn, callused thumb. "I know it's normal to be worried when you hear about things like this, but I promise you, we're perfectly safe. Our village's defenses are the strongest there are, and we've warded off Arkeyan threats more times than I can count! We'll be—"

"But, don't you remember?" Luz spat out at last. "Don't you remember when they tore our village down? When they attacked us and you had to send me away when I was little? And, and I…"

His parents just blinked as they saw this. His father's hand drew back from him, and the hairs of his mustache twitched as he sat by the table. They hadn't spoken a word, but the bewildered look in their eyes confirmed what Luz figured—they didn't remember. In fact, it almost seemed like to them, it never even happened!

"Luz, did you have a bad dream when you were sleeping? Are you sure you aren't confused?" his mother asked. "Nothing like that ever happened! We've been living perfectly safe and sound in this village for years. Not once have you ever left the forest!"

"Your mother's right, maybe you just had a bad dream," his father chimed in. "If it's bothering you that much, we can contact the priestess and she can help you interpret it—"

But Luz just stood up and took one last bite of his breakfast before he stormed for the door. "No, actually, I think I'm going to go out," Luz said with not even a glance back at his parents.

Figures, they probably wouldn't remember—but surely, when he went outside and saw the village's remains, they would recall at last, and maybe he'd finally figure out what was going on with his memories, and why he felt so strange, and why his head kept hurting whenever he tried to think about it.

The light hit his face the moment he stepped out of the house, and the first thing he expected was ruin and dead bodies strewn about like fallen leaves, but what greeted him instead was the picture of idle paradise! The streets warmed pleasantly under the sunlight, the trees' leaves rustled in gentle breezes carried by the blue skies, and the houses all stood as tall as they always did (did they?). Children ran to and fro, and their laughter rang in Luz's ears as they played together and alone on the streets while their parents sat by and chatted with each other. A few of the village elders laid together underneath an aged tree as they fed the birds, a few lovey-dovey couples wandered around…

But, this wasn't right! This whole village was razed to the ground, just like the one his father talked about! Luz couldn't remember much, but he knew that was the case. He could recall the flames, the sounds of weapons and war cries, of how he ran through the forest and out of the village, of the, the… Another thing came to him, something with glinting, glowing eyes filled with malice and something sharp in its possession, but the thought was so distant! He reached for it, grappled for it like it was just out of reach and gone further by the second, and a sharp pain snapped into Luz's shoulder as it shook him out of his thoughts.

"Hey Luz, what's gotten into you?" asked someone to his front. "You didn't forget what we were gonna do today, right?"

Luz shook his head again, and when he lifted it he found a trio of people, all about his age by a simple glimpse, dressed in clothes similar to the ones he wore. They all smiled at him like they knew him, so he figured they might've been the friends his parents talked about, but he couldn't quite recall who they were, or where he saw them before. Then again, he saw the girl, and the vague flash of a memory came back to him—that of a crying girl cradling a doll in her arms as she wailed out for her parents. He glimpsed towards the boy standing beside her, and the taller boy that towered over them both, and in their faces, he saw two brothers, one elder and wiser who tried to keep his scared little brother from running back home…

That sharp glaring face popped back into Luz's memory, and on instinct he stumbled back! The laughter of children and chatter of adults drowned out in favor of sharp, creaking metal that rang in his ears like the mocking calls of vultures, and he could just barely see something drawn from the shadows in his mind's eye. A blade? An ax? What was it, what was it? He could smell the smoke, feel the fire, hear the screams and metal creaks, as if he was right back into the heart of the fray! Luz fell to his knees, clutched his head as it throbbed in agony, and he groaned and whimpered as he dug into his scalp like that would somehow relieve the awful pain he was in.

"Luis, what's he doing?" the girl shouted as she turned to the older boy.

"I don't know, Lana!" Luis shouted back. His teeth gritted, and he latched onto Luz's shoulders and shook him back and forth. "Come on, Luz, snap out of it!"

"I, I can't!" Luz just barely spat out. His words slurred together from his pain as he groaned. "I, I can hear it, the, the fighting, and the…"

"What fighting? Luz, what are you talking about?" the younger boy asked.

"The village, the Arkeyans, they…"

Luis's mouth slanted into something like a quizzical frown and he scoffed.

"Oh, so that's what this is about."

Luis breathed in and out as he knelt before Luz, and slapped both his hands against the sides of Luz's head! The sharp pains hit Luz so hard that his train of thought completely disappeared, and he only sat dumbfounded as he started at Luis, who held a smug, smug look on his face.

"Yeah, I should've figured that's what you were worrying 'bout," Luis said before he stretched himself back to full height and walked away. He beckoned for the others as he walked, and Lana as well as that other boy both joined his side. "C'mon, Luz, let me show you something."

Still a bit stunned by all this, Luz only nodded and pulled himself back up as he trailed after them. Whatever he recalled completely disappeared into the depths of his memory, and yet he still couldn't quite feel at ease. As they passed out of the village, he glanced at every avenue, for he sought out something he couldn't quite name. Escape routes? Places where potential enemies could strike? He wasn't sure, but as they approached the forest, that strange feeling of adrenaline and panic rushed through him once more.

"The forest? What're we coming here for, again?" the younger boy asked.

He, in turn, was met with a gentle strike up the head by Luis. "Don't you remember, Lope?" Luis scolded. "We're going to show Luz that thing!"

"Oh, that thing!"

"What's that thing?" Luz asked.

Luis just chuckled and winked as he turned back to Luz. "You'll see."

Luz gulped. He had no idea what they were talking about, and he wasn't particularly fond of this forest, either, but he was still shaken enough that he couldn't find it in him to protest, so he just nodded and trailed along. The forest's thickets of trees blocked out most of the sunlight, and only speckles and dapples poked through the few gaps in that thickly-woven canopy of leaves. The sounds of wild animals blended together to become loud and echoing, or maybe that was just Luz's imagination running wild with panic at the sights. Every animal's call sounded like a battle cry, every cracked branch and footstep a weapon's swing, every odd noise the sound of someone coming to kill. Something in his head stirred and brought an obnoxious throbbing pain, and Luz just massaged his temples as he lowered his head.

"Are you sure about this, Luis? The elders told us never to go deep into the forest unless we were accompanied by someone else!" Lana cried.

"C'mon Lana, don't be a killjoy," Luis chuckled back as he turned to the side, parted a thick bush's leaves, and crawled within the space he created. "'Sides, we'll only be here for a few moments. Just gotta put Luz's mind at ease, and then we'll go back and pick berries or whatever."

"I'm telling you, Luis! If they find out we're here, we'll be in a ton of trouble for sure!" Lana scoffed and turned aside. "You agree with me, right, Lo—"

But Lope already disappeared, as he tailed after Luis while they both crawled through the thicket! Only the back of his shoes showed as they grew further in the distance, their appearances hidden by the shadows. They almost looked like soldiers crawling through a trench in the heat of battle, in fact…

Lana stomped her foot and steamed with rage, but finally she hitched up her skirts and crawled in. "If you two get me lectured for an entire sundown because of this, I'm never forgiving you!"

Luz whimpered, and wondered if he should follow or just stay where he was. They were doing this for him, so he just fell to his belly and crawled through the hole. The bushes' branches snapped back into place the moment he exited as their tips stung his soles, and for a moment, he wished he had his shield again. But wait, since when did he have a shield? He wasn't sure, so he just crawled through and tailed the sight of Lana as she crawled ahead of him. The rustling of the leaves turned louder as he did, like the charge of an army as their branches rustled and slapped in his face, and he grunted as he pushed them away. The paths were long and winding, or at least, they felt that way with how slow he went and all the curves and crosses he had to follow, and he almost lost sight of Lana a few times.

Eventually he barely made out Luis and Lope arguing near the front, so Luz poked his way around and found a pathway with sparse foliage near its end that brimmed with light. Surely, that had to be the exit, so he crawled out after Lana herself popped out, and grunted as he pushed himself up. But, it was pointless, as the sights he saw left him falling to his knees not long after! There before him was a small campsite inhabited by corpses of robots dressed in red and gold armor that laid strewn about with severed body parts half-buried in the dirt! They were no bigger than a person, maybe even shorter than them, and there couldn't have been more than four or five. For that matter, they looked pretty run-down too, for their armor was rusted and dented while the lights in their broken eyes flickered and flashed. Yet, just seeing them was enough to stop Luz's heart!

"Arkeyans?" Luz spat out.

Luis, Lope, and Lana all shushed him in that moment, but Luz just grabbed Luis by the shirt.

"What are you thinking? There's Arkeyans here! The Arkeyans know we're here! They'll kill us!" Luz hissed as he thrust his face in Luis's. "Then, they'll find the rest of them and kill them too! They'll tear the whole village to pieces! We need to go find the others and warn them before—"

Luz trailed off, and his face softened as he glanced at the sickening sight of that twisted smile on Luis's face. His grip loosened, and Luis only laughed as he removed Luz's hand from his shirt and pushed him away. His hand drifted to his pockets, and another sick laugh came from him as he gripped something and drew it out.

"Luz, what're you freaking out about? Did you sleep through the battle or something?" Luis said as he stuck his hands in his pockets. "Those run-down tin cans are all that's left of the Arkeyans after the army drove them back!"

Lana and Lope both laughed about the Arkeyans' failed battle beside Luz, and yet Luz couldn't bring himself to smile. In fact, he wasn't even entirely sure if they were smiling and cheering or screaming and crying—for the whole world started to shift. Flames spread around the forest while the skies turned dark as night, lit only by the firelight and the half-broken lamps that laid strewn along the forest floor. The screams and cries drowned out the cheers, aided by an army's stomping and slashing and screams of war, and the whole area choked with the burning scents of thick smoke and strong fires.

In that moment, Luz was eight years old again and clutching that sack of rations his parents gave him as he hid in the forest, and before him, Luis, Lope and Lana all stood with those same looks of terror he held. They were tired, scared, worried, alone and there was a beast crawling up ahead of them, a beast with shiny red and gold armor and a sharp ax that Luz couldn't fight against no matter what! On instinct, something in him called for something—a harsh beam of sunlight to burn it away, a shield to behead it with, anything—but he couldn't. He only stood there, eyes wide in horror and his breath as fast as the rapid beats of his heart. The most he could do was stumble backwards, but his legs shook so badly that he collapsed soon after! His sack spilled, and he struggled to even push himself up!

"Luz, is something wrong?" Lana called as she knelt down and pushed him up. "Are you feeling alright?"

Luz lifted his head, and the world shifted back to the present. Now, the present, teenaged Lana looking him in the eye as Luis and Lope stood beside her. They both said something about him collapsing out of nowhere, about how scared and nervous he looked, but Luz could barely discern. One moment they were in the present, and the next, he saw them as children, helpless lambs in the wake of the wolf that leered over them and prepared to pounce! Luz just sputtered, for he wanted to scream, to tell them to run, but he couldn't. The words stuck in his throat, trapped in a thick syrup and unable to move, and he only watched as the beast leaped over them and swung with its blade shrieking as it launched right for Luz himself! But, it stopped—its blade froze just inches from his face, and the whole world around him followed. The beast disappeared right before his eyes, and it was in that moment that Luz realized.

"This isn't real!" Luz finally cried at last, screaming out the words at the top of his lungs. He pushed away Lana's hands as she gasped, and in that moment, he scrambled to his feet, panted, and shuddered as he steadied his footing. "This village was destroyed years ago! Mom, dad, the elders, you… None of you are even alive anymore! There's nothing here but ruins anymore!"

Luz shuddered, and he lifted his head to where Luis, Lope and Lana all glanced at him with eyes stunned with the same shock Luz himself held. The ones that were supposedly his friends, but he knew the truth now. They were merely just the ones he ran away with, the ones who might not have been as lucky as he was.

"Luis, Lope, Lana, if those are even really your names, I don't, I don't know you! I never did! Because all of this isn't real!"

"Luz, calm down! What are you talking about?" Lana asked.

"Yeah, did you hit your head or something?" Luis shouted. "What do you mean, none of this is real?"

But, Luz just turned around and ran off. The forest shifted around him as he did; the brambles and bushes he crawled under to arrive here pushed themselves away and formed a dirt path for Luz to run across. His stomach churned like he was going to throw up, his head was as light as light itself, and it struggled to stay upright as he stumbled around and tried to keep footing as he ran away. But, when all your memories flooded back to you at once, it was hard to keep focus—his whole brain flooded, not able to discern anything other than what poured from what he remembered.

They leaked from his eyes as tears, slipped from his mouth as choked sputters, those memories. The battle with the Arkeyans, running away from home, meeting Fintster and finding his family, becoming one of the free magicians, the battle with Arkus, and then, and then what? Everything after that was blank, a silence so loud it was numbing and yet tranquil all the same, enough that he fell to his knees in reprieve. He remember pirates he saw from the yellow-tinted glaze of his wheel pendant, of a child like his younger siblings with chestnut eyes and a warm smile, strange new beings wearing things and talking about things completely new, of riding in a robot… Yes, that was it! He awakened from that long slumber, and Arkilles was revived and they had to stop him, and…

"Luz, there you are!" Lope called from behind.

Luz turned around, and there before him, Lope ran up the path with Luis and Lana behind. Even with all this, they were still chasing after him? Stubborn.

"That's it, we need to take you to see the priestess or something," Lope said as he reached out a hand. "Come on, we'll get whatever it is that's bugging you fixed, and then maybe we can go—"

Lope's fingers brushed against Luz's, and some kind of strange heat burned against it until it glowed with a bright golden yellow like the sun! The glow spread to the rest of Luz's body in rapid time. It covered his legs and his chest and engulfed his face so quickly that he only had moments to catch the shouts and terrified look that Lope, Luis and Lana bore before a blanketing yellow and the screech of harsh light drowned them out!

A strange, tingling feeling ran through Luz, and he went unconscious for a moment, a faint blink, but surfaced again and his heavy and cumbersome body was now light as a feather! He peered down, and no longer did he wear the robes and clothes of his village; no, he dressed in his armor once more, and his shield attached comfortably to his arm as it should. His body was only somewhat visible and brimmed with golden light like a ghost, yet his wheel pendant sat against his chest, solid as ever. Yes, this was him, the real him, the Luz who lost his first home and fought for his second, the Luz who called himself a free magician!

"Luz!" Lana screamed and looked like she was about to faint as she held her hands to her mouth.

Luis stood dumbfounded, eyes wide and lashes fluttering fast as he stumbled back a few steps, then his legs gave out and he collapsed… And Lope, he just sputtered and drew back his hand before quickly shaking his head.

"Alright, that's it, we have to take you to see the priestess!" Lope spat as he grappled for Luz's half-solid hand in some faint attempt to pull him away. "I don't know what's going on, but—"

"I'm sorry," Luz said.

"What?"

Luz heaved a sigh, drew back and stood up.

"I'm sorry," Luz repeated in a louder voice and adjusted his shield with a click as he did. He glimpsed at the shocked, terrified looks of Lope, Luis and Lana one more time with a frown, and they frowned in turn. "Maybe if things had turned out better, we probably could've been friends and did all this… But it didn't. This village isn't really my home—it hasn't been for years!"

Though he knew they called for him, Luz ran down the beaten path while the warmth of light flooded into his veins as he ran. Its warmth grew brighter, warmer, enough that it shimmered in his eyes as he leaped, and before he knew it, he was back at the mouth of the forest, and his friends' shouts and calls for him were nothing more than faint whispers in the wind. Ah, lightstepping, how he missed it. While it was a relief to have his powers back at last, however, it was only temporary. Luz turned ahead as the village disintegrated and blew away right before his eyes, and he only scoffed. Now he remember what was going on—they'd consulted that Oracle for the way to Arkus, and he put them up to this test! He remember the white light, the sudden dizziness as it grew brighter, and the shouts of everyone as they disappeared one by one. So this was his trial? Being stuck in some weird guess of what his life would've been like if the Arkeyans never attacked?

Luz only smirked. "Heh, he needs to try harder if he wants me to forget about my family," Luz remarked. He felt a bit proud of himself for a moment, but, his face fell all the same. "But, waking up was probably the easy part. Now for the hard part."

Luz bit his lip as the ground before him formed a beaten path straight through the ground where the village once laid. "Figuring out where everyone else is."

Luz took a breath in and strode down the path, shield by his side and clothes fluttering in the wind; this was probably as good a place to start as any, so might as well cross it.

§

Luz frowned and toyed with his shield as he glanced ahead.

"Alright, I'm no expert," he remarked to only himself. "But I'm pretty sure there wasn't a town this close to my old village, and definitely not one that looked like this."

There before Luz stood a village with buildings made entirely of stone—not the warm adobe bricks the houses of his hometown were made from, or even the carefully-constructed bricks and stone used to make the houses from his and Fintster's old home, but simple stone buildings that looked akin to if a child's sandcastles were made of stone. They were solid and paved so tight that not a crack could be seen, and windows and doors sat carved into their surfaces and lined with clothes and flora. Most of them were medium-sized with roofs made of stone bricks, and each one laid painted by the wear of rain and weather but still strong nonetheless.

This place had the same trademarks of a village, all lush plantlife blooming everywhere one looked and tons of beings running around, but it was a far cry from the quaintness and tightness of Luz's village, or at least the illusion of it. Whereas only humans lived in his old hometown, Luz could spy a few harpies, centaurs, elves, and more running along amid the humans, all dressed in tunics and dresses much tighter than the clothing those of his village wore but still loose enough to flow in wind. Some wore veils and jewelry, others donned sandals and simpler headgear, some even wore armor, too—but it was all way more elaborate compared to what the people back home wore!

Everything was so lively and bustled with such volume that Luz could barely take it! Even though he traveled all across Skylands with the free magicians, he was a simple village boy at heart, and the sights and sounds of all these big towns and cities never ceased to overwhelm him. The smell of fresh bread tickled his nose, and he turned around to find that the path he took was gone, and replaced by what seemed like the edge of the island! Guess the terrain shifting was part of the trial, so he shrugged it off.

"Now, this definitely isn't where Fintster and I grew up," Luz remarked as he walked ahead with head down and chin in hand, "so that means someone else is here, but who? Can't be Inochi, she never told us where she used to live, but it doesn't look like this place, I just know it. Dej ran all across Skylands, so it's maybe him, and Sihiri's old village didn't look anything like this…"

Something hard bumped into Luz and sent him off balance for a bit, but he quickly collected himself just before he hit the ground. "Hey, watch where you're going!" Luz shouted on impulse.

He lifted his head in expectance of some gangly stranger, but gulped as he found a bulky, imposing drow dressed in armor before him.

"I could say the same to you—shouldn't a kid your age be in school right now, or helping your family with their work?" the drow asked, their voice deep and ruminating.

Crap, this guy could probably snap me in half just by speaking! Luz winced as he grabbed his shield, but then released his grip. Wait, did he say school?

"Say, I've never seen clothes quite like yours before," the drow added as they leaned down while their gaze turned more quizzical. "Are you from across the sea?"

"Actually, thanks! I know just where I need to go!"

Luz ran aside of the drow and clutched his shield, and beamed widely as he glanced over the buildings. The buildings ahead all seemed like identical stretches of huts and houses, save for one taller, larger one that was more square in shape with several rooms where people talking rang from the open windows. That looked enough like a school building to him, so Luz turned himself invisible with a snap of his fingers and slipped through the open doors.

The whole building was simple, and filled with open stone rooms and halls where beings passed to and fro and the sounds of lessons taught and people mocking their teachers in hushed whispers sounded from the cracks in the stone. Luz wasn't quite concerned with that. He slipped between a troll and a dwarf who peddled stone tablets, peeked into one room to catch a glimpse of some kids who gossiped together, another to see a few goblins who caused a ruckus while the tired snake who taught them tried to get them to shut up, peeked in the room adjacent to that to find… Bingo!

"Now, class," said Vatra as he clasped his hands, "today, I'll regale you on the history of how our town came to be…"

At least, Luz thought that was Vatra.

Sure, he had that same messy mop of hair, same wiry frame and skin tone, and those same scars under his chest from whatever thing he did to reduce it was called. Aside of that, though, it was like this was an entirely different person! The Vatra he knew was a grump who was always storming around with eyes practically sunk into their bags and filled with the tired look that made him seem way older than he actually was. This man, however, brimmed with joy and his eyes sparkled as students in all species crowded around him while he chuckled. The bandages that Vatra wore around his hands to hide the scars from how his flames burned them were gone too, and revealed perfectly normal hands underneath. Instead of Vatra's usual clothes, he wore a long crimson robe, a white cape accented with strings of red throughout that rested over his shoulders, and a simple pair of red and white boots. Well, simple in style, but the stuff all looked rich and sleek unlike the worn clothes Vatra usually wore. Even his fashion sense was fancier!

Luz raised a brow, slipped into the classroom and tried to take a seat behind the group just to spy in and figure out if this was Vatra. But as he walked, his foot brushed against a pebble and rolled it away! Luz winced and turned to the crowd of students, and most of them seemed like they didn't notice, thankfully. Well, all except for one elf who whimpered as their ears twitched.

"Teacher!" cried the elf. "I think someone's trying to sneak out!"

Maybe-Vatra raised a brow and interrupted some ancient story about a king or something crossing a strange land as he scanned over his students. For a moment, he lingered a little too long on where Luz stood, and Luz was almost certain he saw that sharp, burning look that Vatra always shot him when he was causing trouble.

Maybe-Vatra just smiled and shook his head. "Everyone's all hear and accounted for, Ehrendil," maybe-Vatra said as he leaned back a little. "Now, as I was saying…"

"But, I thought I heard footsteps, and a rock moved around, and I keep hearing breathing and stuff!"

"Ehrendil, for as long as I've been your teacher, not once has anyone slipped in or out of my classes without notice." Maybe-Vatra turned back to the rest of the group. "Isn't that right, class?"

A few of the other kids chuckled or turned away as they blushed in embarrassment. Luz remembered that all too well.

"That's right. Nobody will bother my classes, or I, Vatra, would have to rescind my honor as a teacher!"

Wait—Vatra! That name rattled around in Luz's skull for a few moments like a lightning bolt that hit his brain. No doubts about it, he definitely had the right guy now! So, all that was left to do was wake him up!

"Alright, Vatra!" Luz called. He made himself visible with a stomp of his foot, and all eyes turned on him as he appeared. "Class is over, let's get going!"

Well, Luz hoped just the sight of him would bring Vatra back to his senses. But, Vatra just seemed even more confused as he placed down the stone tablets he drew just moments earlier. The students all gossiped around him, but with a wave of Vatra's hand, they fell silent and instead opted to watch Vatra as he strode, swift and graceful as always, towards Luz.

"Excuse me, I don't believe I've ever seen you before," Vatra said. He fixed his cape as he smiled at Luz with a kind of distant friendliness. "Are you one of the new students? If that's the case—"

"Vats, don't you remember me?" Luz raised a brow. "It's me, Luz! Fellow free magician? That kid you scooped up from the tiny little town in the middle of nowhere? Your self proclaimed pain in the a—"

Vatra immediately shushed Luz with a burning hot glare that screamed "not in front of the kids", but only for a moment as his warm gaze turned colder. Even though he wasn't quite as welcoming, Luz could tell from the way his eyes bounced between Luz and his class that something threw him off balance. Had he remembered and just tried to hide it? Or maybe he really didn't quite recall and need a little more jostling?

"Vatra, don't play dumb with me! You're a free magician and this is all just a big test by some oracle dude!" Luz knit his brows as he held a finger between him and Vatra. "Now wake up and let's get going! We've gotta find the others and—"

"Look, I have no idea what you're talking about! I'm not some free magician, much less an ordinary one! I'm just a teacher!" That's what Vatra claimed, but he avoided Luz's gaze for a moment and pursed his lips. It was almost like he knew something Luz didn't. "If you have no further business here, please go. I have a class to teach."

Vatra hissed and turned his back to Luz, but Luz wasn't gonna give up just yet!

"Looks like I'll have to do this the old-fashioned way."

"Hey, teacher!" perked up one of the kidsm the elf who nearly busted Luz just moments earlier. "Who's that guy?"

"It's nobody," Vatra said, "now let's—"

Luz slid in and bumped his elbow against Vatra's. "Aw, nobody? What're talkin about, Vats? We're the best of buddies, remember?"

"Wait, you're one of the teacher's friends?" asked a centaur foal as they peered up at Luz with curious eyes.

Luz beamed and nodded as he knelt down to the kids' height and gave the widest grin he could muster. "You bet I am! I'm one of his buddies from the free magicians! We spend all this time fighting bad guys and protecting Skylands from evil!"

"Like the Arkeyan Empire?" asked a harpy in the back of the group. "My moms say they're all really bad guys who want to hurt lots of people!"

"You bet we do!" Luz proclaimed as he jumped to full height. Beside him, Vatra started to fume, and Luz only gave him the most snide smile he could as he nudged Vatra once more. "In fact, Vats here's fought more Arkeyans than I can count! He's blown 'em up, burned them to bits, heck, he once melted an entire Arkeyan war machine singlehandedly with his eyes blindfolded! Guy's one of our best!"

The kids all gasped, all wide-eyed as they glanced from Vatra to Luz and back again; seems like Luz had them all hook, line and sinker! Vatra opened his mouth to protest, but Luz already dropped down onto the floor and sat cross-legged as he cleared his throat.

"In fact, you wanna hear some of those stories?"

"YES!" the students all cried at once.

Luz took a breath, cleared his mind, and regaled the stories—every single one he could remember. From the day he met Vatra, when they blew up that robot that stormed his town, the fights against countless armies and tools of war, the stealth missions and rescue operations; every one he could think of, he spun a tale of, and he emphasized everything he could of Vatra's heroics! With each tale he told, the kids' eyes grew wider, their smiles more eager, and at the end, they'd all glance at Vatra like they looked at their hero! Surely, he'd have to acknowledge Luz now!

"Of course, don't take my word for it!" Luz proclaimed as he stood up and gestured towards Vatra. "You can ask the many himself, right here and now!"

A shrill gasp came from every student in the room, and all at once they flooded Vatra, clung to his clothes and tugged on his cape.

"Is it true, teacher? Did you really blow up a huge Arkeyan robot all by yourself?"

"Did you, huh?"

"If you're fighting all these robots, why are you teaching other people?"

Vatra sputtered, stepped back as the crowds grew more intense with their questions, and he shook his head.

"Everyone, calm down! I have no idea what you're talking about!" Vatra cried as he shot a glare at Luz. "I'm not a magician, I've never seen this boy in my life, and I've certainly never fought an Arkeyan single-handedly with the power of fire and nothing more! Now please, calm down!"

Luz slunk around the back of the room, picked up the stone tablets and eyeballed them. "I don't know, these tablets certainly say otherwise," Luz said as he handed them off to Vatra. "Take a look, Vats—you're the main character!"

Vatra turned his ire-filled eye towards Luz as the tablets made their way into his hand.

"I still have no idea what you're saying!" Vatra peered down at the tablets. "These are just ordinary history tablets, not—"

Vatra's eyes went wide. The tablets in his hand must have changed shape and text, for they now documented every mission he'd been on! From fighting Arkeyans in Nearon, rescuing fellow rebels in the City of Fire, or backing people up in Tillydrone, it was all there! Vatra's breath grew faster as he shuffled through each tablet, mumbled under his breath about how incorrect this was and how he could've sworn he brought the right ones, but then, he dropped them! The students gasped as the tablets crumbled to rocky bits before his feet, and Vatra himself fell to his knees and joined them as he clutched his head.

"This, this isn't right, this can't be right! This isn't real!" Vatra shouted. His voice strained with denial and fear all the same. "I, I'm not some hero, I'm only a teacher! I'd never fight in a war, I don't even know how to disassemble a robot or cast a spell! I'm not a magician, I'm not, I'm not—"

"Teacher, your hands!"

Vatra gasped, pulled his hands from his head, and screamed as he found flames bursting from his fingertips! The flames spread from there to the rest of his body quickly enough, and even his screams muffled as the flames ate up his head and left him in the vague shape of a person!

The students all screamed and backed away, and the elf girl ran off.

"I'm getting the other teachers! He needs help!" she cried.

Before she ran, Luz gently pulled her back so her wide, blank eyes met his. "Don't worry," Luz said as he knelt down and spoke in his best kid-soothing voice, the same he'd use for his kid siblings after they woke up from bad dreams. "He'll be fine, watch."

The students all turned to Vatra right as the flames disappeared, and Vatra himself just stared wide-eyed in the same position he'd been in when the flames engulfed him—hands held aimlessly in front of his body, head hung low. Now, he was the Vatra Luz know. His body was ghastly and clothed in his sparkling pendant and the worn clothes he normally donned, and of course, his singed bandages. The students all shrieked and cried out, and Vatra immediately flung his arms out. He seemed for a moment like he was going to console them, but the sight of arms barely visible startled him enough that he could only gasp!

"Well, looks like I was right," Luz said with a shrug. "C'mon, Vats, we've gotta get going!"

Luz reached out a hand for Vatra's, but Vatra just yanked it away! Vatra's eyes fell to his ghostly body, and he looked the most terrified Luz had ever seen him as he patted down his chest.

"What, what happened to me? I'm, I'm not a ghost, am I?" Vatra sputtered as beads of smoky sweat came down his face. "This, this has to be a dream, a very, very, strange dream—"

Well, he seemed like he was still confused, but, with the tone he took, it was obvious—Vatra was in denial. Luz had to admit, he'd never seen Vatra this in denial before, but, well, he couldn't blame him.

So instead, Luz took Vatra aside to the back of the classroom. "Your students seem like good kids," Luz remarked as he glanced back to the crowd of students that watched Luz and Vatra in wonder.

Vatra finally steadied himself, and his eyes trailed over to one of the students in particular—a halfling kid who gleefully swayed back and forth in his seat while oblivious to all the chaos surrounding him. Luz didn't know much about Vatra's old life, but he knew Vatra was a teacher, and he knew that he had a student he lost who became his entire reason for fighting against the Arkeyans. Was that the one?

"They were," Vatra finally said at last with a solemn nod. "If it were my choice, I'd stay here forever. I could see them grow up, watch them learn and grow and become the best they could be…"

"But we can't."

Vatra just sighed. His eyes drifted from Luz and down to his feet, and the unspoken truth resonated between them. In the end, this was only an illusion. Vatra could never really do that, even if he did stubbornly choose to stay. Like it or not, he had a job to do, and whichever route he chose, he'd just end up pulled from his fantasy and forced to do it anyways.

"Well, class, I recede," Vatra proclaimed as he lifted up his hands. "My friend Luz here is right—I'm one of the free magicians, and it's time for me to leave and help the others."

A string of gasps ran through the class, and their eyes watered as they all crowded around Vatra! They clung to his clothes, buried their faces in his chests, and some even sobbed as they held him tight and pleaded for him to stay!

"Don't go, teacher!"

"Please don't leave just yet!"

"I don't want you to leave!"

Vatra glanced over to where that halfling kid tugged on the skirt of his tunic, and for a moment, his outfit flickered between his outfit of today and his teaching garb of yesteryear. Vatra cleared his throat and knelt down. The students all stopped and curled around him, their eyes still wide with tears, and in turn he smiled and wiped away each one.

"Class, do you know why I'm leaving?" he asked.

A few of the children mumbled and whispered, but most of them just glanced away. Finally, it was the halfling who shook their head and tugged at Vatra's pants.

"Why do you have to leave, teacher?" The halfling asked in turn.

Vatra sighed, and gently placed a hand on the halfling's shoulder as he glanced around.

"Ludo, do you remember the stories I'd tell you in class? Of how our ancestors fought against wicked people and scary monsters to protect their families?" When a group of nodding heads met him, Vatra frowned. "There's a lot of bad being out there, some even worse than the ones in those stories. I'm leaving to fight them, so that they don't hurt other beings, so that they can't come here and hurt you!"

"So you're like the heroes of those stories!" piped up the centaur foal.

Vatra giggled. His laughter was light, but still with a bit of pain. "I guess that's one way you could put it," Vatra cleared his throat. "Remember, I'm doing this to protect you, and our village, and someday, when I come back, I'll be sure to teach you again. So while I'm gone, be extra good. You take care of each other and listen to your elders for me, alright?"

"Okay!" The students all cheered at once!

Vatra stood and nodded, but still he trailed out of the classroom with Luz. Though, he sneaked just one glance behind, just to catch his students smiling and waving goodbye before he had to leave. The world around him shifted, the village and the school folded in on each other and left nothing but grassy plains and a beaten path behind, but Vatra didn't even look back. No, he just gulped it down and carried on as he followed the path down while Luz quietly walked behind him. The air around him turned stiff with simmering heat, and for a moment, Luz could almost see Vatra's veins glowing and warming before they faded.

"Now, the question is," Vatra remarked as they crossed over a hill. "Who exactly do we look for next, and where?"

Luz hummed as he held his hand over his eyes and shielded it from the harsh sunlight. "Not an expert, but I'd say that village ahead is probably a good starting point."

Vatra's eyes followed Luz's down to a small village at the end of a path just on the hill's other side, and he only nodded as he slid down the hill and stormed ahead. Luz followed behind him, but frowned as they passed through the village. He glanced aside as two people with dark skin dressed in loose, flowing trousers and robes with colorful patterns stitched into them passed him by on an ox-driven cart. That same dark skin and the loose clothing reminded Luz a little bit of someone—could this be where she is?

Luz couldn't help but grin ashe and Vatra passed through the village's heart and walked down pathways where people tended to crops and sold their wares. This whole place felt a lot more like home compared to Vatra's old town with its small, cozy atmosphere, its huts tightly knit, and its people active and cheerful. Kids ran along and played with their pets, men talked about the harvest as they passed Luz by, others draped in the scent of sweet perfumes as they walked arm in arm with their lovers…

Luz coughed as someone with a particularly strong flowery perfume strode right past him, and peered ahead as idle chatter with a familiar tone reached his ears. His attention fell to a few people who sat underneath a tree and talked with each other, and Luz almost passed them by at first—but as his sights fell on one person with bright purple hair crafted into a star's shape who dressed in a silky purple dress, he narrowed his eyes.

"Wait a second," he whispered before he nudged Vatra's elbow. "Hey, Vats, look over there!" Luz pointed to the people sitting under the tree. "Doesn't that lady kind of look like Sihiri?"

Vatra gritted his teeth, but the moment his eyes fell on maybe-Sihiri, that brief flash of anger was completely forgotten!

"It does! But, why isn't she a ghost?"

That was true—though this person had Sihiri's attire and appearance, she was still all flesh and bone. Had she not broken out of the trial yet?

"Well, whatever, we can worry about the details later," Luz said with a shrug, "for now, let's just get her and get outta this place!"

So, Luz charged forward and waved with only partial attention paid to Vatra as he shouted at Luz to wait.

"Hey, Sihiri!" Luz shouted as he waved and jumped up and down. "Over here!"

Maybe-Sihiri perked up her head and turned away from her conversation, and though she was super far away, Luz just barely made out how she gasped and floated over! Seems like she recognize him, at least, so he prepared to run over. But right before he did, a familiarly hot hand gripped his elbow and he winced.

"Luz, what are you doing?" Vatra hissed. "We can't just go calling out to random strangers and—"

"Luz, Vatra, what a surprise!" Sihiri called as she floated over and landed down in front of you. "I'd never expect you two to pay a visit! What brings you here?"

Yep, that was definitely Sihiri all right, so Luz cleared his throat. "Well, we came here to pick you up!" Luz said. "We went into this trial thing by this oracle dude, and then we all lost our memories and got trapped in this weird place where—"

"Sihiri!" cried a deeper voice from behind. One of the people who'd sat with her earlier, someone with skin like hers and deep violet hair styled into a short collection of braids who donned purple robes similar to the ones those men Luz passed in the village wore, stopped short behind Sihiri, frowned, and raised one of their thick black eyebrows as they glanced at Luz and Vatra. "Who exactly are these two?"

"Oh, pardon my manners," Sihiri chuckled as she turned to the man. "Sadiq, these two are Vatra and Luz, a few friends of mine from far away from here. They'd apparently come to visit!"

"We didn't come to visit, we came to get you out of here!" Vatra protested.

But, Sihiri grabbed him by the hand before he could talk further and floated away. "If you two were coming, you should've told me beforehand! I could've arranged a nice trip for all of us!" Sihiri chuckled as she took Luz's hand in her other free one. "But no matter, I still have plenty of time to show you all around the village! Oh, there's so much to see, I don't even know where to start! But, I'll try…"

A purple glow surrounded Sihiri, and before Luz even knew it, he'd dropped off near fields rich in vegetables and wheat and tended to by care with farmers of all kinds!

"These fields are the village's pride and joy! Beings come from all across Skylands for our crops! We've grown practically every fruit and vegetable in the local area here!"

Luz opened his mouth, but once again she teleported off! This time, she fell in front of a tree with leaves painted in a rainbow's colors, and a statue of what appeared to be a person embedded in the back and wrapped in its embrace. At least, Luz thought it a person, but it was so eroded and entangled so thickly that it was hard to tell.

"This statue is dedicated to our mother goddess, the one who watches over our village and ensures our success every year. We have a special festival next week to honor her, and it's one of the liveliest times in the village! I do hope you plan to stay long enough for it…"

"Sihiri, we're not—"

Luz started to protest, but it was fruitless. Another pop, and Luz was back in the heart of the village and a little dizzier to boot. The moment Sihiri let go of his hand, he stumbled over his own two feet, nearly tripped, and knocked into a box of fruit if he hadn't immediately steadied himself. But, he did, so he just glanced at where Sihiri stood with a pensive look.

"Ah, where to take you next? There's a few moments around this place, and I could take you down to the ports, or—"

"Sihiri, I'll say this as gently as I can," Vatra said from where he leaned on Sihiri as his legs trembled, "but, none of this is real. It's only an illusion created by the Oracle! This village, all these surroundings, they're all constructs!"

Sihiri's eyes grew a little wider, and her body seemed to flicker between solid and transparent, but then, it quickly stabilized and she only laughed. "Those seem like good choices, but there's so much more, too! The forests are beautiful at this time, and there's the caves—"

"Sihiri, didn't you hear me?" Vatra turned around and placed himself right in Sihiri's face. "None of these forests and caves are real! Now, we can't dawdle, we have to get out of here and find the others—"

"Oh, it'd be silly of me to not show you my house, wouldn't it?" Sihiri pushed past Vatra and hummed. "Why, you could even meet my family, too! They can be a little much, but I—"

"Aren't you listening to him? This is all FAKE!" Luz shouted out!

He hadn't even meant to, really, but something in him grew so impatient that he tossed himself in Sihiri's way with face fuming and everything. After all, she was their leader and the smartest of the bunch; how could she be this deep in denial?

"So why haven't you realized it yet? All of this, these towns and houses and people, they're all just a test! You're the magic lady, you know more about spells and stuff than anyone else! So why can't you just wake up and realize?"

"Luz!" Vatra shouted in a scolding tone as he pulled Luz back.

It seemed like he was going to chew Luz out for a second, but Sihiri laughed, and the both of them only turned to watch her. Her hand was to her face, and it brushed against her sparkly purple lips as she laughed to her heart's content. As her laughter faded, a kind of sadness came from her eyes, one just barely there. They all must have noticed, for she turned away from their glance as she did.

"Luz, I was the strongest magic user of us all, the one even the most powerful mages of our group turned to when they needed advanced magic. Only Ninjini surpassed me, and that was with the powers of an Elder Elemental. I know magic like I know the very blood that runs through my veins," Sihiri said. There was a kind of tense, but teasing tone in her voice, one that tensed a bit more as her eyelids lowered and her smile faded.

"Do you think I haven't realized this is all fake yet?"

Luz stumbled backwards and out of Vatra's grip. "Well, I mean, you were all caught up in all this stuff, so I thought—"

"That I hadn't realized? No, I'm completely aware this is all an illusion and nothing more." Her gaze turned colder, and Sihiri placed her hands behind her back and smiled a clearly forced smile. "Is this really such a bad thing? It may only be for a short, fleeting moment, but we can have the lives we never got to have because of the war!" Sihiri's voice cracked just a tiny bit, and for a moment, Luz almost thought he could see tears in her eyes. "We can live peacefully with all our old friends, family, lovers, and we don't have to worry about a thing! No conflict, no battles, no war and strife… What's so awful about that?"

Luz frowned and lowered his head. Being honest, he didn't really know if he could give Sihiri an answer to that. He knew they couldn't stay here forever, they had a job to do and all, but something in his gut told him arguing with Sihiri about this wasn't the best idea. So, he just stood there, just as lost as she was while she turned away and bit her lip like she was trying her hardest not to cry.

"Sihiri, I—" Vatra started, but Sihiri ran off before he could even reach out for her!

"Apologies, I have somewhere I need to be!"

Sihiri spat out her words so fast that Luz only barely heard her, but nonetheless he followed after—or at least, he tried to. Vatra flung his arm in front of Luz and shot him a glare that screamed "stay right here and don't move" before Vatra himself took a step forward, ran after Sihiri and called for her.

Luz wasn't content to just stick around. That wasn't his style, so he charged the light in his body and turned invisible once more as he tailed after the sight of Vatra and Sihiri's footsteps in the earth. The two of them ran well past the village, into a forest, and past thickets of obnoxiously tightly-packed leaves that Luz tried his hardest not to rustle. He just bit his lip as the leaves sang and moved with every step he took, and as he reached an area where they thinned, Luz met with a cavern where Vatra lingered outside for moments and ducked down!

When Luz was certain he wasn't caught, he poked his head out right as Vatra slunk into the cavern, and Luz himself crawled out of the thickets and tip-toed through the caves. He stayed careful not to make a sound as he crept just inches from Vatra's coattails. Luz clenched his brows as some faint noise hit his ears, and when Vatra parted, Luz pressed himself against the walls and glanced inside.

The cavern itself was mostly dark save from the light that poured from its end, but it was short, and it sung the songs of rushing waters, and, sobbing? Yes, someone cried inside, and it was Sihiri as she sat in the heart of a small room with plants and flowers on its ceiling and a babbling pool to her right. The sights around Luz didn't concern him as much as Sihiri—he'd never seen her cry before. Even as their allies fell in droves, even as places they protected fell to Arkeyan rule just days or weeks after their hard work, even when they were too late to save anyone, Sihiri never cried. She just steeled herself and moved forward. Heck, even when they confronted Arkilles, she always kept face. It felt almost wrong to see her so upset like this, and for a momentm Luz wondered if he really should have left her be, but Luz instinctively pressed himself back to the wall as Vatra stepped in.

"There you are, Sihiri!" Vatra called as he stepped into the light.

Sihiri gasped for a moment and wiped her tears away, but when she opened her eyes and saw only Vatra, she just sniffled.

"Oh, it's, it's just you, Vatra," Sihiri croaked, her voice weak and soft. "I, I'm sorry you have to—"

"Sihiri, it's alright."

Vatra knelt down before Sihiri, propped himself up with one leg, and wiped her tears away. "Don't mind what Luz said earlier. He's just a boy, and a stubborn one at that. He couldn't understand."

Speak for yourself, Luz scoffed in the back of his mind as his incident with Vatra played back again.

"But, I suppose he was trying to get at something," Sihiri replied. She sniffled a little more, then wiped away her tears again. "I know this is all an illusion, and I shouldn't stay here long, but… But…"

A few strained sobs came from Sihiri, and before Luz knew it, she buried herself into Vatra's arms and sobbed into his chest in strained, pain-filled cries. She barely kept a grip on him, but he just leaned down slightly so that she could lean into him and cry her heart out.

"I, I'm tired of fighting, I'm tired of being strong, I'm tired of all this war!" Sihiri wailed. "I know I need to be strong, I know that everyone's counting on me, but, what am I even fighting for? I had to leave my home, my friends and family, everyone I loved behind without even telling them, and just when I thought this war was over and I could finally see them, all this happened! They're all dead and I'm the only one who survived, and I'll never see them again! They probably even didn't know what happened! They probably think I just abandoned them on a whim!"

Sihiri's sobbing grew louder, more strained as she curled closer into Vatra's body, and if he weren't a ghost, she probably couldn't even be seen.

"I, I promised myself on the day I left that, when all this was over, I'd come home and see them again, and I couldn't even fulfill that! What's going to be left for all of us once this is over? Ten thousand years have passed, and we're just a figment of the past to everyone here!" Sihiri turned away and showed a face so pained and eyes tinged a bit red from her crying. "It's selfish and childish of me to be this upset, I know. I need to be the leader everyone needs, to protect Skylands and fight for everyone, but, but, it just isn't fair!"

"You're right, it isn't fair," Vatra said as his own voice started to crack. He gently pushed Sihiri closer into his grip, and though his head hung, Luz could tell he was upset too. Maybe he still thought of his students and of the home he lost too. "It wasn't fair for any of us, but especially for you. Sihiri, you gave up so much to lead us—your home, the people you loved, the life you wanted… If any of us deserved to go home to a peaceful life, to survive all of this, it was you!" Vatra's head sunk a little lower, and it almost seemed like he was shaking. "But, it just didn't happen. I wish I could give you an answer, but, I'm just as lost as you are."

Vatra himself started to shake and sniffle, but his own cries steeled as Sihiri reached up an arm and wiped off his face.

"Please, don't feel bad, Vatra." Sihiri croaked. "I wish I knew why all this happened. I thought we'd all live happily after the war, I thought we'd finally be relieved… But, it didn't."

The two of them just laid there and slunk down in morbid silence as they sulked. Ancients, Luz just hated it! Even though he didn't know much about what Vatra and Sihiri were like before this Arkeyan nonsense and all this war stuff, even though he didn't really know what they went through, it wasn't right that they were stuck sulking like this! They were always the ones who led the group, the ones who always talked about the future they'd have when the Arkeyans were gone, the ones who fought their hardest for any of that! It was just wrong to see them so beaten down and defeated!

"Alright, I don't understand any of this future and fate and destiny stuff," Luz said as he stormed in while his invisibility spell lifted in the light, "but, I don't think it's right to just give up right here!"

Vatra and Sihiri both jerked their heads up, and the moment they turned to Luz, Vatra started to seethe!

"Luz! I told you to stay behind! Were you listening in on us this entire time!" Vatra hissed as steam burned from his hair the same way it did whenever he got angry. "Besides, what would you understand of something like this?"

"Not much, I'll admit." Luz crossed his arms and shook his head. "But, we didn't really know what was ahead of us back during the war either, did we?"

Vatra almost seemed like he was gonna argue again, but then, Sihiri drew back, and the steam disappeared as she sat by him and wiped her face.

Luz took this as a sign to continue and cleared his throat.

"After all, we've never known what was ahead of us back then, but every time something bad happened, we always found a way around it! It didn't matter if it was some fancy new machine or some Arkeyan trap or some lost battle! We always made it through, all because of you two! You never gave up, no matter what! And you know what? Sure, we may have ended up dead, and stuck ten thousand years in the future, and have all this weird nonsense going on, but we'll find some way out of it too! And once we do, we'll make our own path! We'll do all the things we wanted and even more!"

Luz grinned and pointed over to Vatra. "Vatra'll get to be a teacher again," then, Luz moved his finger to Sihiri, "and Sihiri, I'm sure there's something about all your old friends and stuff out there! We'll find out what happened to all of them, and I'll bet that once they found out what you did for everyone, they'd be the proudest they'd ever be of you!" Luz chuckled and ruffled his hair. "I'm not sure what Fintster 'n I will do, but we'll figure that out too! And so will everyone else, because—"

"And how can you be so certain things will work out?" Vatra asked, his eyes oddly cold.

Luz smiled and shook his head. "I'm not. But, that's never stopped us before, and it won't stop us now. Things might be harder, things might be really different now, but, we'll find a way around it, just like we always have!" Luz sat down and shrugged. "Besides, if we just sat around and sulked about everything and gave up, then we're basically just making that what'll happen to us, right?"

Vatra and Sihiri both sat in stunned silence, and Luz bit his lip in turn—had he made things better or worse? He wasn't sure, so he just sat, but beside him, Sihiri wiped her eyes and chuckled.

"When did you get so wise, Luz?" Sihiri asked as she leaned forward and ruffled his hair.

"I'm just cool like that."

Sihiri chuckled again and stood up. "Luz has a point—if we give up right now, then we're basically fulfilling our own prophecies," she said. "Come, let's find the others and leave."

Vatra and Luz both nodded as they stood up and joined hands with Sihiri. A purple light came over them as her body slowly faded and became the ghostly presence they all were before purple light spread to them and whisked them away. They were even lighter than they already were, but the weight soon returned and they opened their eyes.

Once again, they were back in Sihiri's village, but the path ahead where Sihiri once laughed and talked with her friends held three paths instead of one. Three paths, three of them, and one glance around showed what the obvious plan was.

"We'll split up," Sihiri proclaimed as she floated down the center path, "and regroup back here once we get the others back."

"Understood," Vatra replied as he took the leftmost path. "When we meet again, it'll be as a team."

"You bet!" Luz chirped, saluting the others as he took the rightmost path. "Stay safe, alright?"

With their vows proclaimed to the winds, the three of them parted ways down the beaten paths.

§

A soft clunk came from the airship's hull as it docked near the islandside, and with another louder one, its drawbridge lowered and clattered as it hit the ground. All sorts of beings—humans, elves, trolls, and more that Luz couldn't quite put a name to—all poured out from the docks, talked amid themselves, or hurried to their destination, but they were all so tightly packed that their hurried movements jostled Luz around like a leaf caught within a tornado! He shouted out as a green arm jabbed into his cheek, and again as someone's hand hit his face!

"Hey, watch it!" Luz shouted as the person rushed off ahead.

"Sorry!"

Luz barely heard their apology as they disappeared within the masses of parting crowds before him. Soon, they spread out and grew fainter and fainter to the eye. Luz just sighed and made his way down the drawbridge as his eyes scanned the area around. There was no denying that he was back home; the masses of tall buildings made of stone both raw and paved and the shopkeeps who peddled wares while others walked along and talked confirmed this. So, his next order of business was finding his place, and then, finding Fintster.

"Now, if I recall correctly," Luz mumbled as his feet hit cobblestone and he stumbled on forward. "Our house should be right…"

"Luz! You're home!"

Luz gasped a little as a weight, not one large enough to disturb himm but big enough to be noticed, clung to Luz's chest. He looked down, and then, he gasped, and his undead heart almost stopped for a second at the sight. Those big brown eyes, that round nose and warm brown skin, dressed in those baby blue and mint green robes, that had to be! Luz gasped, and just barely bit back tears as he fell to his knees and swept the child into a tight hug.

"Pepi!" Luz croaked out as he held his little brother the tightest he could. His tears started to fall, but he quickly wiped them away and hugged him even tighter. "You're, you're here!"

"'Course I am!" Pepi chirped as he hugged Luz back. "I've been waiting for you to come home allllllll day now!" Pepi stretched his arms to skies, just to really twist the knife in Luz's heart, but he chuckled and hugged him again. "And let me tell you, it was really, really, really hard! It was so boring! Fintster's been super busy while you were gone, an—"

"Pepi, slow down!" called another voice from behind that was strained with exhaustion. "Don't, don't run so fast, I, I can't keep up."

"Fintster, get up! Luz's back!" shouted Pepi as he turned behind.

"Wait, Luz is back?"

When Luz turned away and followed Pepi's gaze, there in the heart of the passing crowds stood three kids—there stood Gerdie in her favorite dress, and her golden brown hair still rife with flyaways she could never get to stay down, and her blue eyes so wide that they stood like jewels against the night. There stood Eurybiades who dressed in that same mud-stained cloak they loved so much, their big gold eyes wide with wonder, and streaks of their green hair stuck up like fresh grass, and behind them, there stood Fintster. He was bundled so thick that he could barely stand or be seen, but his dark bangs still cascaded over his face the way they usually did, and his nose poked over the scarf he wore as he carried a bunch of sacks in his arms.

"Luz, there you are!" Fintster shouted as he ran over with his sacks precariously balanced in his grip. "I was wondering why you'd been gone for so long! Where'd you go?" Fintster shook his head before Luz could answer. "Actually, we can save that for when we get home—it's Wardiya's birthday today, so we've been busy getting everything together! Come on, you can help!"

A pair of sacks found their way into his arms before Luz even knew it, and Fintster already walked off! But wait, his hair—Luz had to narrow his eyes to see it, but it kind of looked like it flickered in and out like a light switch! Had Fintster broken the illusion too, or was he still grappling with everything?

"Hey, Fintster! You do know what's going on, right?" Luz shouted as he ran up beside Fintster and heaved the sacks up.

"Of course, what's more important than our baby sister's birthday?" Fintster replied with not even a turn away from where he stood at a fruit stand. "Now, let's see, what's the best fruit here for sweet cakes? Starberries are a bit tart, but they've got a really nice aroma when they're baked…"

"Not that, Fintster! The test!" Luz pushed himself closer to Fintster, and jostled whatever was in these sacks he was suddenly saddled with in the process. "Remember, we met the Oracle and he set us up to this test, and—"

"Hey Luz! Where'd you go, huh, huh?" Pepi asked as he tugged at the back of Luz's tunic. "Did you go somewhere near, or far? What were the people like? Were they people?"

Luz grimaced, turned back to Pepi and knelt down. "I'll tell you in a little bit, Pepi, but I need to talk to Fintster about something really important right now, so—"

The sound of coins clinking against wood caught Luz's ears, and he looked up right as Fintster grabbed another sack filled with what Luz could only assume was fruit from a stallkeeper.

"Keep the change, alright?" Fintster said as he hoisted up the sack. The shopkeep nodded, and Fintster nodded in turn before handing it off to Gerdie.

"Gerdie, you're the most careful of us all, so you hold onto these, alright?" Fintster said. "Be super careful! These berries are really delicate—if they hit the floor, they'll splatter!"

"Got it!" Gerdie chirped as she cradled the sack.

Luz's face fell, and for a moment, he began to understand why Vatra and Sihiri were so hesitant to leave. He hadn't cared much for the place he could barely call his childhood home, but seeing his little sister smile like that, seeing his baby sibs crowd around Fintster and clamor about where they were gonna go next, seeing the streets he'd traveled so many times on errand runs, doing deliveries with Fintster, and taking his siblings out to play… It left his heart aching. He never realized how homesick he was until he saw the streets he knew like the back of his hand, until he saw the family he hadn't seen in a literal eternity, and by the Ancients, it left his heart in an ache. For a moment, a part of him just wanted to forget everything and run around with his siblings just like he used to.

"Hey, Luz, you look really weird right now!" Pepi shouted. "You're all flickery and buzzy and stuff!"

Huh? Luz peered down at himself, and gasped as his hand slowly solidified and his attire shifted—but not to the same robes he wore at his old village, no. Instead, it was the same clothes he wore when he lived with Gramps, that favorite tunic of his and the pants that were just loose and comfy enough to fit. They shifted between that and his robes and armor like a flickering light, went in one minute and out the next, while his body glowed and faded like it wasn't sure if it wanted to manifest or not. He gasped in a sort of trance as it flickered, but clenched his teeth as he found that Gerdie, Pepi, and Eurybiades watched him with wide, almost terrified eyes. They look about ready to scream, but then…

"Hey, you three!" Fintster shouted as he pushed them away. "I think there's a honey candy stand over there, why don't you go pick some up?"

"Candy, yay!" Eurybiades and Pepi cheered as they ran away.

"Hey, wait up, you two!" Gerdie shouted. She clutched the sack Fintster gave her close to her chest as she ran. "Don't go too far! You might get lost!"

With them off in the distance, Fintster nudged his head like he wanted to tell Luz something. Luz placed the sacks down as Fintster did the same, and Fintster grabbed hold of Luz's hand as he dragged them into an alleyway, one well-lit just enough to show no danger lurking in its corridors but dark enough to hide them! The touch of Fintster's hand snapped Luz's body back into its senses, and it returned to its ghostly state once more. It happened fast enough that Luz only barely took sight of his surroundings, and all he could do was lean down against the walls as he glanced up at Fintster. But, in this darkness, it seemed like underneath the masses of clothing, Fintster was almost… Sparkling?

"Careful there, Luz, you almost forgot yourself for a moment," Fintster chuckled.

Luz slowly blinked. He still couldn't comprehend just what Fintster alluded too, but quickly shook his head as the realization set in.

"So, you know the truth, don't you?"

Fintster only slowly nodded. His hands trembled as he slipped off his gloves, reached for his coat, and unbuttoned it one button by one. The gloves slipped right as the coat itself slipped open, and sure enough, Fintster was little more than a spirit dressed in the same outfit he wore on the day of his death, and his body radiated with deep blue sparkles like night stars.

"Of course I knew, I figured it out the moment I woke up in my old bedroom!" Fintster sighed and fidgeted with his collar. "I, I know this is all fake and stuff, but, I, I just wanna be with Gramps and the others, just one more time. We can break out and find the others quickly enough, I'm sure, but once this is over, I'll never get to see them again!" Fintster chuckled. "So, I guess I'm just savoring it while it lasts."

So that's why he was dressed up—he probably didn't want anybody noticing the truth! Luz frowned and peered down at his own body as Fintster buttoned up his coat. Luz's light slowly flickered as it cycled between his clothes once more. He knew he had his duties, and he knew he'd probably be a huge hypocrite for getting on the others' cases about it, but Ancients, Fintster was right. He did want to see his family one more time! He wanted to play with his kid siblings, and hear Gramps' stories and run around the town just one more time! Luz bit his lip just slightly, not sure how else to respond, but finally, he slowly, reluctantly nodded. Yet, neither of them went back out just yet. They both stood in silence, and their bodies flickered in and out of existence while their attire shifting like the changing seasons.

"Fintster, Luz, there you are!" Gerdie cried as the sound of footsteps drew closer.

Fintster and Luz both jolted up from the sudden noise, and their bodies returned to their normal, ghostly states right as Gerdie ran into the alleyway! Her hair stood up even more than normally as she still precariously clutched the sack Fintster gave her, though now her grip on it slipped some and she had to adjust it before all the fruit spilled out. Her eyes were wide, and her face was pale as a sheet while she panted while sweat crawled down her forehead the whole time. Just what happened?

"It's Eury!" Gerdie cried. "They ran off!"

"Eurybiades ran off?" Fintster and Luz both shouted in turn before they exchanged panicked glances. Eury was barely even six! They couldn't even put on their own clothes yet! If they wandered off and got lost…

Gerdie whimpered and stepped back, but quickly wiped away her tears as Fintster knelt down in front of her.

"Where did they go?" Fintster asked.

Gerdie winced and shook her head. "I don't know!" Gerdie's voice started to crack, and her lips trembled as she lowered her head. "I, I just turned away for one minute, and when I turned around they were gone!" A few choked sobs came from Gerdie, and tears dripped down from her face to the sack. "I, I'm sorry, I, I know I should've been watching them, but—"

"It's alright, Gerdie, it's alright," Luz said as he wiped away her tears. "They probably couldn't have gone far, come on! If we start now, we'll find them!"

Gerdie nodded between her tears, but still couldn't bring herself to lift her head as she, Luz and Fintster ran out of the alleyway. Instead, she just clutched the sack closer to her face. Just the sight of her in tears wrenched Luz's heart—the sight of his little sister upset like this was bad enough, but after their sibling went missing, after he hadn't seen them for ages…

"Luz, Fintster!" Pepi cried as he ran up to them, "Eury's—"

"We know," Fintster said as he grabbed Gerdie by the shoulder. "Gerdie and I will check downtown by the docks. Luz, you take Pepi and head over to where the forest is!"

"Right!" Luz shouted back. He grabbed Pepi by the hand, and ran off west in one swift motion. "We'll meet back here when we find them!"

Pepi and Luz bolted down the streets with their sights blurred around even as the others around turned to watch. But, Luz wasn't concerned about the looks they gave him, or what the path ahead entailed. No, his body moved on its own, and his legs pumped and ran the fastest they could as he and Pepi shouted at the top of their lungs, shouted for only one name.

"Eury! Eurybiades!" Luz cried as he looked around. "Eury, where are you?"

"Eury! Eury!" Pepi cried beside him. "Eury, it's your big brothers! You can come out now!"

A sudden wave of exhaustion came over Luz, and he slowed to a stop as he slouched over. Only his head lifted up as he scanned the area for some trace of Eurybiades. But, they weren't lingering amid the shopkeeps, or hiding behind the alleyways' assorted garbage, or even playing with some of the other town kids as they ran down the streets! Then again, he could hardly make heads or tails of anything, much less any sights of his own little sibling!

A firm hand patted Luz's shoulder as Luz pulled himself up to see a big, burly man dressed in red stained clothes, and his heart almost stopped. When he caught sight of the man's twitching black mustache, though, Luz breathed a sigh. It was just the vegetable vendor, and his clothes were likely stained from preparing tomatoes. Luz could never forget the curious face of that man who always supplied them with fresh legumes in exchange for the apples and other fruits they grew.

"Luz, fancy seeing you in town again!" he boomed. His voice was deep, but warm enough that it relaxed some of the tension in Luz's head. "You've been gone for an awfully long time, you know, we—"

"Sorry, Mister Faivish, I can't talk now!" Luz shouted back before he cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "Eurybiades ran off, and we can't find them anywhere, and, and—"

"Wait, little Eury ran off?" Mister Faivish raised a brow and brushed his fingers underneath his bushy mustache as he glanced aside. "That would explain why I thought I saw a kid who looked like them running into the woods. Thought I was just seeing things after chopping too many mushrooms!"

"Wait, did you say they ran into the woods?"

Luz clenched his teeth so tight they almost snapped, and his eyes barely focused on the thick collection of trees and bushes that made up the mouth to the woods.

"The big scary woods?" Pepi cried out. "The ones we're never supposed to go to because there's big scary monsters and mean people and stuff in there?" Pepi dashed ahead with Luz's hand still in his grip, and when Luz didn't move, he grunted and tugged away. "Come on Luz, we've gotta go and find them! Or else they'll get eaten by a monster, or snatched by a kidnapper, or maybe an Arkeyan will find them and—"

"Arkeyans?" Mister Faivish chuckled. He stopped his sentence as Luz glanced at him, and his smile faded in a way that his mustache drooped over his mouth and near-completely covered it. "Now I wouldn't worry about them, little one. We're so far away that they wouldn't even dare to dream of coming here!"

"Thank you, Mister Faivish," was all Luz said before he ran off with Pepi still clutched close behind.

Even though he was a ghost now, Luz could've sworn he heard his heart pounding in his ears as he ran. Little Eury, who couldn't even put on their clothes right, always got lost on the fields, and still had to have a lantern lit while they slept because they always said there were monsters under their bed, in a forest like that? The forest known for being filled with wild animals and other beasts? The ones that the over-eager types always prowled around and looked for suckers to capture for Ancients-knew-what? A forest where Arkeyan soldiers could prowl around and easily jump out and cleave someone's head open? Even if that wasn't an issue, that forest was so big and things were so dark! It could be ages before he found them, well, unless he lightsteppped—that would give him plenty of speed, but Pepi might not be able to handle it, and he didn't want Pepi getting lost either.

"Luz?" Pepi called as something tugged on his sleeve. Pepi frowned and tilted his head as Luz glanced down. "What's wrong?"

Luz frowned back. "Well, there's a way we could go through the forest faster, but, we'll be going really, really, fast. I'm not sure you could handle it—"

"I can, I can!" Pepi tugged again on Luz's sleeve and shoved his face into Luz's. "We've gotta go really fast if we have to find Eury, right? So I'll take it! Even if it makes me really, really sick!"

Luz chuckled and lifted up Pepi. "Hold on tight, alright?"

Pepi nodded in turn, and clung the tightest he could to Luz as Luz himself breathed in. The light flooded in Luz's veins once again, and his blood shrieked and boiled within his ghostly body while it beamed out in a bright, yellow shine. Pepi himself gasped in awe, but Luz barely even heard him as he drew forward and sprung across the forest floor, his body a lamp that glistened in the dark of the forest's night as he flew ahead! Luz didn't lift his head up from the ground, even though Pepi shrieked with glee (hopefully it was glee) beside him. Instead, with the light his body gave off, he scanned the wet, slightly muddy ground for tracks, scraps of cloth… Anything that showed where they went. But, there was nothing on the ground aside of muddy puddles and leaves, so Luz sprinted again, and bounced from one path to the other until his eyes laid on a trail of tiny, most definitely human footprints!

"A trail!" Luz shouted as he landed on the ground and drove to a sharp stop. "Looks likes a fresh one too—that's gotta be Eury!"

Beside him, Pepi burst into laughter and tugged on the collar of Luz's tunic. "Let's do that again!" he cried.

"Not now, Pepi, we've gotta find Eury first." Luz gently let down Pepi and walked off, yet clasped his hand tight around Pepi's as he left. "Follow me."

Pepi just nodded, and the two of them walked in silence with the soft padding of their footsteps the only sound as they walked ahead. Thin trails of light poured over the ground as Luz followed the footsteps, and they brushed his face with streaks of warmth in the otherwise-cold forest. The sounds of wind whistling around him grew louder as the light grew wider with every step he took, but, the light glowed its brightest and the tracks disappeared underneath as soft grass stretched over and cushioned Luz's step! The breeze carried a slightly floral air to it, and on their winds they carried the sound of a small child's laughter, a familiar one!

Luz yanked his head up and expected a scene straight out of his nightmares, but what he found was Eurybiades as they sat in the heart of a soft meadow and laughed as they picked the flowers from the ground. Their clothes were streaked with a bit more mud than normal, and a few leaves poked from their hair, but thank the Ancients, they were alright! They laughed as they clutched the flowers they collected close, and when they turned around and saw Luz, their smile grew even wider.

"Luz!" Eurybiades called as they stumbled over their own feet while they ran the fastest they could. As they grew closer, they beamed and thrust their bouquet up to Luz. "Luz, Luz, look what I found—"

"Eury, you're not supposed to run off like that!" Luz scolded.

Eurybiades stopped short as Luz swept them in his arms, and the moment their face met Luz's, they whimpered and hid away in the bouquet they picked. Looks like they knew they were in trouble.

"Do you have any idea how worried we were? Gerdie and Fintster are running all town looking for you! What if you got hurt and we didn't know? You—"

A small sniffle came from Eurybiades, just loud enough that it stilled Luz's scolding, and Eurybiades hid their face behind the flowers. "I, I'm sorry, Luz," Eurybiades whimpered. "I, I just thought Diya'd like some nice flowers cause she liked the ones in the flower man's shop, and I remember hearing Gramps say the forest had some really pretty flowers, so…"

Luz pursed his lips, smiled, and let Eurybiades down. "Alright, if it's for Diya, it's fine. Just tell us before you go off to get them on your own next time, right?"

Luz gently nudged his hand towards Eurybiades's face and wiped away their tears, and Eurybiades chuckled and beamed up back at Luz with a gentle smile. Luz himself nearly cried at the sight—it had been a long time since he saw his kid sibling smile at him like that, and he was almost completely unprepared. But, he merely cleared his throat and took both Pepi and Eurybiades by the hands, turned down the trail and left.

Luckily, his lightstepping left behind faint trails of light just strong enough to act as markers, and after a few twists and turns, he found himself at the mouth of the forest once more, at the very edge of the line where the town ended and the wilderness began. The crowds within town mostly parted at this point, and only a few spare vendors who tried to get some last-minute patrons in, or packed it up for the day remaining… Alongside Fintster and Gerdie, who still ran about town and called for Eury with voices strained!

"We found them!" Pepi shouted as he jumped up and waved!

Fintster and Gerdie both froze in their steps, and only their heads moved to meet where Luz stood with both Eurybiades and Pepi in hand. When they finally caught sight, however, both of them heaved heavy sighs.

"Thank goodness," Fintster panted with breath strained from shouting and calling so much. He strode up to Luz, but it was Eurybiades he knelt down towards, and he hummed as he examined Eurybiades's bouquet between the strands of his thick bangs. "Y'know, I bet Diya will love these flowers!"

"I know! That's why I picked 'em!" Eurybiades chirped back before their face fell and they glanced aside. "And, I'm sorry for running off and scaring you…"

"It's alright, Eury, what matters is that you're okay." Fintster chuckled and ruffled Eurybiades's hair, stood up, and stretched. "Anyways, let's get home before it gets too dark. We've got a party to plan and all!"

Fintster's suggestion was met with a rousing group of cheers, and once more they all strode down the path home. The sun began to set as they made their way back home, for their shadows stretched along the cobblestone paths as they walked and bobbed like bubbles in churning waves as they passed by stalls and cottages and more. They only made a brief stop to recollect their groceries, groceries they kept gripped with care like the wind would blow them away if they slipped even a tiny bit. But, they didn't, even as they reached the other side of the town's outskirts where things grew a little breezier and a little chillier.

The dim candlelight from the windows formed a path ahead, yet Fintster didn't lead them inside. Rather, he motioned for them to stay quiet and crept around the back, past the gardens and orchards and into the house itself! The warm smell of fresh-baked bread was the first thing to greet them when Fintster opened the door, and then, and then, it was their grandfather, his skin wrinkled with age but his eyes spry and lively.

"There you all are!" Gramps whispered before shuffling off to Fintster. "Did you get everything we need?"

Luz himself bit back tears at the sight—the last time Luz saw Gramps, it was when he was still in recovery and barely able to even speak to them as they headed off to fight in the war. Just the sight of him again in good health, with that same warm smile Luz remembered… Luz could barely keep himself together. The most he could do was force a smile, even though he wanted so badly to bury himself in his grandfather's arms again, and nod.

"Sure did, Gramps!" Fintster said as he placed his groceries on the countertop. "The rest of you, keep Diya busy. Luz and I will take care of the cooking!"

"But, I wanted to—" Pepi started, but Gerdie simply shushed him and ushered him out of the kitchen.

Eurybiades toddled behind them, and their grandfather was quick to follow—though not before he shot one last glance and wink at Luz and Fintster. Now, it was just Luz and Fintster alone in this warm, warm kitchen that was perfectly prepped for baking. They had all the ingredients, and they knew their sister was waiting, but the emptiness put a little bit of hesitance in them.

"So, what were we making?" Luz asked.

"Sweetcakes and berries topped with honey and sugar," Fintster replied as he turned to a sack with an almost cold motion and peered through its contents. "We'll start with the cakes first, since those'll take longer."

So, Fintster stoked the fire within their clay oven and the baking began. They carefully prepared the cake batter, sprinkled their fruit and spices into the flour and dampened it with olive oil before they rolled it into balls with a kind of monotony. Luz himself got a bit lost in thought as he baked, for his eyes drifted back to the open door while the sounds of his siblings' laughter rang through and lingered there as he kneaded. Soon, he couldn't even feel the soft texture of the dough underneath his hands, and instead only the hard clay and wood of the countertops…

"Luz, the cake! You're kneading it too much!" Fintster cried.

Luz gasped, and he glanced back down at the kneaded dough underneath his hands. He poked it a little, but it didn't bend or flex with his single poke—no, it was tight and tough and barely budged like a rock.

"Crap, you're right!" Luz spat.

"Don't worry about it. We'll just leave it be for now." Fintster grabbed another ball of dough and dropped it in Luz's palms. "Take this one instead."

Luz nodded and kneaded away once more, but this time it was Fintster he glanced at as he worked away. Though Fintster's eyes hid, a sense of uneasiness came from him, the same uneasiness that ruminated in Luz's heart as he worked away. Did Fintster feel the same way Luz did, perhaps? Well, it didn't hurt to ask.

"This doesn't feel right to you either, does it?" Luz asked at last.

Fintster stopped in his tracks upon hearing that single question. His dough-stained hands lifted from the cake he kneaded for a moment, and his lips pursed in an almost contemplative matter. But, he just sighed and went back to kneading as he nodded.

"I mean, I'm glad to see everyone and be home again, but—" Fintster bit his lip "—it's just, wrong. Seeing them again when I know really, they're all long gone by now, I mean. It just, it's like I'm just standing with a bunch of people dressed up like them."

Luz nodded and put away a kneaded ball of dough before he grabbed another. Fintster explained it better than Luz every could; it was like there were a bunch of actors hired to pretend to be his Gramps and his sibs, and he was pushed on stage and forced to play along with the act. It all felt so real, and he wanted to believe he was truly back home, truly with his family with not a worry or care to be had, but nothing about it felt truly right. There was just the one little feeling of it being off, that nagging feeling in the back of his mind that reminded him that everyone he knew and loved was dead save for Fintster as he stood beside Luz now.

"Say, what do you think happened to everyone?" Luz asked as he diverted his eyes to the cakes.

Fintster's shoulders slumped. "Well, I'm not sure I can say. I hadn't heard a word from home after we left, but I hope everyone got to at least lead happy and healthy lives while we were gone." Fintster stopped for a moment and drew back his hands. "I know I'm probably wrong, but I want to believe they were at least all happy and got to do everything they wanted, and that all that fighting we did amounted to something for them."

Luz just slightly nodded as he lost himself in thought once more. What did become of his siblings? Did they get married and have families of their own? Did they do the things they always dreamed of, whatever those might be? Would they have even recognized Luz and Fintster if they did manage to come back? Which, actually, brought Luz to another thing…

"Hey, Fintster—when we finish all this, what are we gonna do?"

It was an odd question, admittedly. After all, Luz fought so long that he almost couldn't even envision a world where Arkeyans didn't rule and they weren't constantly fighting by the skins of their teeth, and clearly, Fintster felt the same as he himself drew away from the dough.

"Well, if we had survived the battle back them, I would've said we'd go back home to Gramps and help out at the orchard again, obviously."

"But, it's gone now."

They both sighed and glanced down at the cakes they prepared. That's right, what were they going to do when all this was over? Would they pass on like the vengeful ghosts of legends and exorcisms who finally got their last wishes and needs perfected? Would they wander Skylands, stranded in a time and place like travelers trapped in a foreign land? Would they arrive home to a place that hadn't even been their home in years? Luz didn't know, and just the thought of it left his head spinning. All this stuff about futures and stuff was so complicated, even more so when he was supposed to be dead!

"Then, I guess I don't know," Fintster sighed.

Luz only nodded in quiet agreement as he peeled himself away from the countertops and towards the door. He just barely heard the sounds of fire crackling and the cakes shoved into the oven behind him, but he didn't care. He just stepped towards the rim of the door and clasped around, for he just wanted one peek, one tiny look at his family, even if he knew it would break him in half.

"Y'know, I was so sure I was gonna get out and fight the Arkeyans again when I first woke up, and I was so sure I'd get out of here in a jiffy, too," Luz admitted, and his fingers squeezed the doorframe as he peered out. "But…"

Those sounds of laughter and Gramps' storytelling rang in the air as Luz peered around to where his siblings laughed and played in the family room. Gramps sat in his chair as the younger kids chased each other around while Gerdie scolded them, and a few of the older ones just laughed as they worked on what were probably Wardiya's birthday presents. They smiled so wide, laughed so hard, and even if it was fake, just the sight tore at Luz's heart from being so far out of reach.

"It, it, it just isn't fair!" Luz wailed. His face strained as he turned around and buried himself in Fintster's grip. Hot tears poured down his chest as he pushed himself closer into the cold fabric of Fintster's tunic, and he squeezed Fintster even tighter. "I just wanted to come home and see Gramps again, I wanted to see the others again, I wanted to be by their sides when they all grew up, I wanted to pick the apples again and celebrate the harvest with everyone, but, but…"

Luz's form flickered and glowed a bit brighter. Heck, it almost became solid before Fintster brushed a hand against his face. Something cold and wet hit Luz's arm—a tear, maybe? He lifted his head and found that small, thin streams of tears ran down Fintster's face and dripped like the way a rooftop's corners poured after a storm. Luz gasped, but quickly pursed his lips. There had only been three times prior in Luz's life that he saw Fintster cry. The first was when they were kids, and Fintster fell out of a tree and fractured his arm, and though he tried his hardest to pretend he was okay, he broke down in sobs by the time the medic came in; the second, when Gramps got injured and they decided to leave to train with the free magicians; and the third was the night that they died fighting Arkilles. Every time Luz saw it, it just left him stunned into silence.

"I know," Fintster croaked as he knelt down and cuddled Luz closer. "I promise, I know."

So, Luz just wiped away Fintster's tears and they hugged each other tight, for their own tears and choked, stifled sobs were buried by the sound of burning fire as it crackled and popped—wait, fire! The cakes! They quickly broke away as if of one mind, and Fintster rushed towards the oven as he hastily yanked out the cakes before he left them atop the stovetop. Thankfully, the cakes themselves were perfectly fine, save for the cake Luz over-kneaded that seemed to have a hard, crusty top. They'd be perfect to eat with a little bit of time to cool!

Fintster waved his hand, and a cloud of darkness engulfed the cakes and vanished as quickly as it came. He poked one of the smaller cakes, turned to Luz, and beamed as he motioned for Luz to bring the toppings in. So, Luz brought out some jars of honey and what remained of the fruit they bought, and they both quickly prepared the cakes. They doused them in honey and carefully arranged slices of fruit and tart berries along their tops until Gramps' famous sweetcakes were made!

"How about we just enjoy this last night with them?" Fintster said as he levitated the cakes onto a large clay plate, lifted up the plate, and turned around. "Just for tonight?"

Luz nodded as he followed Fintster out of the kitchen and into the family room. Even though Fintster hadn't called out yet, the sweet scent of honey and berries caught everyone's noses, and subsequently, their attention as they grinned.

"Cake's done!" Eurybiades cheered as they stumbled for Fintster. "I want one, I want one!"

"You'll get yours soon enough, Eury," Gramps chuckled as he stopped Eurybiades before they could topple Fintster over. "Come now, everyone—take your seats at the table!"

Everyone laughed as they ran off and took their seats at the table, yet their talking was still loud and joyous as before. Just the sound it, and just the moment where he sat at the table with them and had dinner together just like old times, it tore at Luz's heart, but he tried his best to quell his tears and sit still. But, as Gramps left and came back moments later while the familiar creak of Wardiya's wheeled chair echoed down the halls, Luz bit his lip just to keep from crying.

Out from the hall's shadows came Gramps as he carted out Wardiya who sat in her chair, but it had been so long that Luz almost couldn't recognize her. Her warm brown skin shone in the overhead light, and her long, deep brown hair had flowers braided into it while a flower crown made of the same flowers Eury picked rested atop her head. She wore her favorite dress, the yellow one printed with colorful zig-zags of dark blue like mountains that stood tall in front of a sunrise, and a soft, pleasant smile rested underneath the long bridge of her nose.

"Happy birthday, Diya!" all of Luz and Fintster's siblings cried at once as they rushed to shower her in hugs and well wishes and all sorts of presents—fancy dolls and new clothes, sewing kits and soft plush toys…

The whole thing happened so fast that Luz barely even comprehended it. He just stood silent at the table as Wardiya thanked everyone for her presents and ate the sweetcakes and other birthday snacks Fintster and the others gathered with glee. The warm bubbles of conversation echoed around as the rest of his siblings talked all about the presents they got Wardiya or asked for seconds, yet something about it felt just a tiny bit off. Maybe it was the blithe, almost glassy looks in their eyes, or the way they smiled just a little too widely, but whenever Luz saw them, all he remembered was that this was all…

It was all fake. These weren't really his family members who sat at the table before him, he wasn't really in his house! This was all an illusion, and just being here left him in a cold, clammy sweat with hands trembling and throat swelling and all. All of a sudden, he itched to run outside, to break free and get out like there was some sort of danger! Sweat fell across his face as his throat seized up, and he turned away—

"So Luz, how was your trip?" Wardiya asked with her voice soft and sweet as always. "You sure look like you've changed a lot! In fact, I've never seen an outfit like that anywhere!"

With those two questions asked, all eyes fell on Luz as his siblings flung forward and bombarded him with all sorts of questions about his looks and his travels and everything else they could manage! Their beady eyes bore into his soul as they crowded around him and trapped him tight so he couldn't leave—but he couldn't tell them to stop, either. He locked up just from how he had them all here and circled around him, and his throat tightened so badly that he could barely squeeze out the tight breaths he did! His head throbbed as they grew closer and closer, and his vision blurred…

"Hey, everyone, calm down!" Fintster scolded as he pulled one of their youngest sisters away from the mob. "Luz just got back from his trip this evening, remember? He's really tired right now, and slamming him with all these questions isn't helping!" Fintster pulled a few more of the younger ones from the pile and held them under his arms. "Besides, isn't it about time for bed?"

The younger kids all moaned and griped as they crowded away from Luz, but Finster only tsked.

"No buts!" Fintster proclaimed over the sea of protests. "I'm sure Gramps has a big day for everyone planned, and you need to get your sleep!"

Wardiya yawned, rubbed her eyes, and nodded, but her head bobbed up and down and struggled to stay up with how tired she was. It wasn't until Gramps chuckled and laid a hand on her shoulder that she lifted her head at last and laughed faintly along with him.

"It seems even the birthday girl has had her fill of birthday fun," Gramps chuckled. "Wardiya, would you like me to take you to bed?"

"I'll be fine, Gramps, I can wheel myself back," Wardiya whispered back. "Besides, you've gotta get that extra-special bedtime story you promised us for tonight ready!"

"Did I say that?" Gramps asked as he scratched his head. Gramps smiled as the kids erupted into a crowd of eager cheers and shouts. "It seems I did! Come along, everyone, I'm sure you're all excited to hear tonight's story! It's all about your great-grandfather's most famous battle during the war against the Malevolent One…"

Gramps didn't even get to finish. The kids already flooded past him, yet some of the older ones took pause for moments to clean the table of utensils and dishes and put them aside before they flooded out to their bedrooms. Though Luz was a little glad they weren't suffocating him anymore, a part of him ached as he saw them disappear under the darker halls that led back to their bedchambers—as if they weren't coming back.

Luz gulped and glanced over at Fintster, who had Eurybiades and Pepi clung tight to his tunic as they tugged on it and tried to drag him into the bedchambers with them.

"C'mon, Fintster, you're gonna help Gramps tell the story too, right?" Pepi asked.

"Yeah, yeah! You always make it way better!" Eurybiades chimed in. "Like when he was telling us about the dragon, and you were all, all…"

Eurybiades made a mocking imitation of a dragon's roar, and Fintster himself laughed—though, it didn't sound very happy for a laugh. He almost looked as if he was going to say yes, but then he took one look at Luz, and shook his head before drawing away.

"Sorry, everyone, but Luz and I have to go," Fintster said. "We've got some important out of town business to take care of for the farm for a while, and we need to leave right now!"

The kids stopped in their tracks and turned their attention to Fintster and Luz with cold, somber eyes. A few of them sniffled, but most just stared in a bit of tired disbelief.

"But, but, Luz, you just got back!" Pepi pleaded, and his lower lip wobbled as he tugged on Fintster's tunic once more. "And you have to go too, Fintster?"

Eurybiades sniffled, and for a moment, it looked like they were going to burst into tears.

Luckily, Gramps swept them in his arms and patted their back. "Now, now, everyone, we all know Luz and Fintster are doing their part to help too," Gramps chided. "I'm not as spry as I used to be, and they've been helping us a lot by taking care of the out of town business for us. Besides, they won't be gone forever, right?"

Luz and Fintster forced smiles and nodded. Just like when they left home to join the free magicians, they knew it was a lie to say they'd be back—but, they couldn't tell the truth either, not when this would probably be the last time they saw their family. So, they just stood with those fake smiles plastered on their faces as Eurybiades nodded and clung to Gramps' cloak.

"Now everyone, be sure to tell them goodbye before you go to bed!"

A chorus of goodbyes rang out from Luz and Fintster's siblings, but Luz and Fintster couldn't even reply. They just kept forcing their smiles, kept nodding and waving as they made their way to the back door and opened it once more. They stepped forward and released it once more as the cool night air hit their faces, and let it fall behind them to muffle the sickening sound of their siblings' voices with its closure.

The world around them slept with the night. The town streets ahead laid void of passerby save for the odd drunk, and the flicker of candlelight in windows was the only thing that illuminated the dark paths before them. The faint whistles of wind were the only sounds, and the winds themselves carried cool, crisp scents on the breezes as they sang in a way that seemingly urged Luz and Fintster to move, but, they couldn't.

Here they were, back at their home for what would probably be the last time! Luz knew he had to leave, but a part of him just wanted to go back home and curl up in bed, to joke and tease his siblings as they all listened to his Gramps' stories with bated breath, to wake up to the scent of berries over the wind and the light of a new day with his family instead of fighting Arkeyans yet again! He took a glimpse at the door and a lump formed in his throat, a lump so big that he had to turn around and close his eyes just to make it go away.

Just as he did, the door opened. The creaking sound brought Luz and Fintster's attention back to the door, which closed itself behind Gramps as he stepped out with a wry look in his eyes.

"You boys are going off with those free magicians again, aren't you?" Gramps asked. He only chuckled as Luz and Fintster stood silent. "I knew it, those looks on your faces when you left told me all I needed."

Fintster opened his mouth and went to speak—but his words caught in his throat and left him to only choke out strained noises as Gramps approached. Beside him, Luz shuffled away and couldn't even making Gramps' gaze. Neither of them really wanted to say they were leaving, even if he confirmed it.

"I know you were trying to spare the younger ones' feelings, but don't worry about everything," Gramps said. He firmly laid a hand on both Luz and Fintster's shoulders, and his smile grew wide as his eyes twinkled in the moonlight. "You know, we're all the proudest we could be of you boys, fighting out there for all our sakes, and we always will be, even if some of them don't want to say it out loud."

Luz blinked once, and then twice. His face turned numb as he met his grandfather eye to eye, the grandfather he left behind ages ago and hadn't seen in millennia, and saw nothing but a beam of pride that confirmed the very words he spoke. With that single look, Luz's crashing waves of emotion seized him as he pushed himself into Gramps' arms and sobbed as loudly as he could with not a care to what anyone thought! He wanted to cry that it wasn't fair that any of this happened—that his home was taken away, that he died the way he did, that he never even got to keep his promise… But, in his sobbing haze, he couldn't make any words, so he just cried out all his feelings. Another, shriller voice came as Fintster followed him, and the both of them clung as close to Gramps as they could while he only chuckled and drew them into a hug.

"Now, now, you two, there's no need to cry! You'll be back home before you know it!" Gramps chuckled as he drew back and let them wipe their eyes. "Now, that's better. You can't go off fighting the Arkeyans all teary-eyed and snot-nosed!"

Both Luz and Fintster whimpered and nodded as they rubbed their faces.

"Go out there and show those Arkeyans what our family is made of, just like your great-grandpa did when he fought the Malevolent One! Alright?"

Fintster nodded. "We will, I promise."

The words he croaked out barely sounded sincere, and more like a desperate plea for him to be right, but Gramps accepted them nonetheless. He waved goodbye as the two of them walked off, and they didn't stop even as they grew so far that he soon became a speck in the distance. With more steps, their own childhood town, the one with the orchards they played and harvested in, and the house where they ate and slept, shared stories and memories with their siblings and grandfather in, and the streets they called their own, those too soon vanished.

Before they knew it, they wandered into the cold woods that barred off their humble little town from the rest of the island. The winds carried not sweet scents, but the howls of wild animals and the rustling of tree leaves. The crisp, cold area smelled a bit of wild herbs and flowers mingled with damp earth, and the soft ground below their feet buckled slightly with every step they took. A few eyes glinted in the dark before they disappeared so quickly that they could almost pass for illusions, but every time Luz caught sight of them, his heart raced just a bit faster.

He reached for his shield as a branch cracked, and yanked it off as a few footsteps padded off in the distance. Behind him, a whoosh of energy showed that Fintster was just as on guard as Luz was, for a sword of darkness manifested in his hands, and his teeth clenched so tight that they almost snapped. Surely, this tension wasn't good for either of them, but it was hard not to feel on edge at a place and time like this.

"Hey, Fintster," Luz whispered. His voice was still a bit hoarse from crying so much earlier, and it made talking almost painful. "Who do you think we'll find next?"

Fintster just clenched the hilt of his sword with trembling, clammy hands. A rustling sound echoed around them and shook the bushes around, and Fintster leaped back. "Stay back! I'm warning you!" he cried.

Luz shone a light into the bushes where the rustling was loudest, and only a dragonbunny hopped out and twitched its nose before hopping away. Fintster lowered his sword and sighed as they moved on, though the tension hardly dropped between either of them.

In fact, it seemed to grow even worse as they wandered into the deeper parts of the woods, where trails of thin mist twisted through the thickets of trees and bushes. The mist smelled vaguely sweet, almost like honey, but its minty blue coloration seemed more reminiscent of a recent storm. The mist only grew thicker as they wandered forward. Soon it laid a blanket over the forest floor and obscured it from view as its sweet scent grew thick and tiring. Even though it was soft and thin, to wade through it felt impossible with how it covered the forest and turned it into a maze with no foreseeable exit. Cracking sticks and the creaking of trees unseen moaned from its misty veil, as if something wandered in the woods ahead of them!

Fintster clenched his teeth as he summoned a second sword. He turned to Luz and nodded as Luz raised his shield. Both their legs trembled as they stepped back while before them the noises grew louder and louder. The snapping twigs cracked in a rhythm like footsteps—surely, whatever was making these noises came in fast! A large shadow formed in the curtain of mist, and both Luz and Fintster shot blasts of light and darkness into the mist and nailed the creature straight on the head! It yowled in pain and fell down to its knees as it clutched its head. That shrill, young voice it cried with, it was familiar!

"Geez, guys!" whined that same voice. "Can't you take a little joke?"

The sound of buzzing wings echoed through the air as the mist cleared, and Luz shone a light ahead to find Swarm knelt down before them! A small welt formed on his head where Luz and Fintster struck, and a pout rested on his face as he lowered himself.

"That's no way to greet your good old buddy Swarm, you know!" Swarm snipped.

"Well, maybe save the pranks for when we're not in a monster-ridden forest at night!" Fintster snipped. A bit of anger rose in his hoarse voice, but he quickly cleared his throat. "Sorry, it's just, I…"

Swarm seemed to get the message as he gently ruffled Fintster's hair with his fingertip. Fintster forced a smile as Swarm lifted his finger and smiled back, and the two shared a nod of understanding.

"Anyways, what've you been up to, anyways?"

"What have I been up to?" Swarm's smile stretched from antenna to antenna, and his eyes shone giddy with glee in the dappled moonlight. "I've been traveling all around Skylands! Sure I got kicked out of my old place again, but who needs some stuffy old palace when I've seen the biggest ball of corn in all Skylands, all these ancient ruins, and cool arenas, and old temples, and even more! Where do I even begin? The leaning temple gardens of the Southern Skylands? The gigantic sports stadium in Westmouth? Oh, no maybe—"

Swarm cleared his throat. "But, I'm getting off track. While I was looking around, I found out where Eye-Brawl went!"

Luz and Finster gasped, exchanged glances with each other, and turned to Swarm.

"Where are they?"

"Well, it turns out those two are the kings of some fancy kingdom near the Etherlands, can you believe it? My folks were talking about going on some fancy royal business meeting for them…"

"Then we'll tag along!" Fintster proclaimed. "With all three of us, surely we'll be able to get them back!"

"And I'm happy to take you,"—Swarm waggled a finger—"but, there's this really cool sports game I've been dying to go to…"

Fintster groaned and buried his head in his hands. "Swarm, now's not the time for games! We need to find the others and get back to that Oracle guy, not wander around watching sports games!"

"I know you think it'll be a waste, but it'll be worth your time!"

"Why's that?"

"Well—" Swarm uneasily grinned and twiddled his thumbs "—you'll just have to see when we get there!"

"Swarm!"

Luz flinched a little at the stern tone Fintster took, and again as Fintster turned to him and nudged him a little in the same way Fintster always did when he wanted Luz to back him up. On one hand, Fintster did have a point—finding the rest of their team was the priority—but, on the other hand, Luz took one glimpse at the look in Swarm's eyes and saw a little twinkle of eagerness, as if there was something he hadn't let on. Swarm winked back at Luz, and Luz nodded. Plus, getting to go to a game while they were here would be nice.

"I'm with Swarm on this one," Luz said as he gave Fintster an apologetic shrug. "Besides, the Etherlands aren't that far from here, I think. What harm would it do to go to one little game?"

"It's decided!" Swarm proclaimed. He swept both Luz and Fintster in his palms before Fintster could protest, raised to his full height, and buzzed his wings. "Off to the games we go!"

Swarm leaped from the ground, and the trees all swayed back as he vaulted into the air! The morning sunrise shone through in brilliant shades of orange and gold mixed with streaks of rosy pink now that they left the forest's canopy. Luz didn't really get much time to appreciate it, for that one little vault sprang them halfway across the island! The fields below blurred into a dizzying mass as they sped across at lightning speed, and just the sight at the world around left Luz so dizzy that he crumpled into a ball beside Fintster in Swarm's hands. The air shrieked around them as it rang in Luz's ears, and forced him to cover them in some faint hope of relief from that awful din, but soon it relented. Didn't it kind of feel like they were losing altitude? Luz uncuffed his hands from his ears and looked up, but Swarm just folded his hand over them.

"Actually, we might be in for a rough landing!" Swarm cried. "Look out—"

Swarm grunted as he slammed face-first into the ground, and Luz and Fintster bumped around in his hands like bouncing balls until they finally fell on their backs with a groan. The hands around them unfolded, and they stumbled out to find Swarm planted into the giant trail his landing forged in the earth.

Swarm groaned and flicked his crooked antennae as he pushed himself off the ground. "Yeah, think I might need to adjust my angle for that one," Swarm grunted as he shook his head. As he lifted his gaze, however, a smile stretched across his face. "But, it worked!"

Luz and Fintster turned around as Swarm pointed ahead, and found a giant coliseum made of starch white brick right before them! Flags in all colors with all sorts of emblems on them hung from the many gaps in its body while smaller ones lined the top's rim, and the sounds of cheering and shouting rumbled from within.

"Welcome to the Athennial Coliseum, the biggest coliseum there is, and host to the biggest Roboto-Ball match of the season!"

Roboto-Ball? Luz's eyes fluttered as he turned to Fintster, who seemed to have the same inkling of an idea that Luz did going by his gaping mouth. Luz stumbled forward to pry Swarm, but guards in shiny armor immediately swarmed them all as he walked! Luz immediately flung up his hands, as did Fintster and Swarm, and the guards snarled back at them.

"So you're the ones who caused all that ruckus!" hissed one guard as they pushed a spear against Swarm's chest. "What business do you have here? Entry closed an hour ago!"

"I, I'm here to see a buddy of mine!" Swarm sputtered. "He's one of the players for the game, and I wanted to wish him luck before the—"

"Likely story!" The guard poked his spear closed to Swarm's chest. "I'll bet'cher here to sabotage the game! We get all sorts of troublemakers and riff-raff like you running around with that excuse all that time! Always saying they're here to see their buddies, then they slip 'em sleeping potions and knock out the star players! But NOT THIS TIME!"

Swarm jumped back, and his wings hackled while his brows dug into his eyes. "I, I'm telling you, I don't mean any harm, I swear on my family's name—"

"BRING OUT THE BIG GUNS, BOYS!"

Rumbling growled from the coliseum, but not the kind that came with the audience's cheers. No, even more guards rolled out giant cannons, and with a flick of the fuses, they shot sleek, fast cannonballs right towards Swarm! Swarm gasped, dissipated into a swarm of bees, and scattered to the fourteen winds the moment the cannonballs flew! The cannonballs that once aimed for him veered well over the guards' head, and swung for a silver and bronze robot who strolled out to the fields instead! The cannonballs smacked him in quick succession, dented in the back of his head, and the robot groaned as he collapsed to the ground with a mighty thud while the cannonballs dropped beside him.

The guards all gasped as they rushed off towards the unconscious robot, and Luz and Fintster were now completely forgotten in their minds as they surrounded the robot and examined him. Their mumbles of panic only barely registered to Luz, and the buzzing of bees completely drowned them out as Swarm's, swarm, returned to his side and reformed back into Swarm himself.

"Quick, while they're distracted!" Swarm hissed. "Into the coliseum!"

Swarm swept Luz and Fintster into his hands, and with a clap of Luz's hands, they turned completely invisible as Swarm made haste for the coliseum entrance! He lifted off and darted into a particularly large door on the coliseum's side, and darkness blanketed them all as the invisibility spell wore off for moments…

"Hey, where did the intruders go?"

Luz frantically clapped his hands and reapplied it! The three of them turned invisible once more as the guards stampeded right in front of them and rounded a corner to a room with light and conversation billowing out of it.

"Hey, what's the fire, buddies?"

Wait, that was Bouncer's voice! At least, Luz thought that was Bouncer's voice, but it was hard to really get a good sense of things with the acoustics of the hall's gigantic, empty walls. He squirmed a little out of Swarm's grip in an attempt to get a better glimpse or notion, but moved a little too fast and slipped right out of Swarm's hands!

His face planted into a puffy cloud right before he hit the floor, and he floated up right as Bouncer rolled into view! A large number sixteen was painted on his chest, and his eyes flickered with a bit of concern, but it was Bouncer alright! Luz beamed and tried to float closer, but in that moment he glimpsed down and gasped—for his invisibility spell wore off in his excitement!

"Hey, what're you guys doin' back here?" Bouncer chuckled as he wheeled closer to Swarm with a bit of a curious look. "You're a little lost if you're looking for the bleachers."

Swarm flinched, but Luz couldn't tell if he, too, realized they were visible once more, or if he was taken aback by how Bouncer didn't seem to recognize him—but nevertheless, he smiled.

"Well, er, I—"

"Ah, actually, before that, you wouldn't have happened to see a guy named Robo-G around here, would you? Tall, all titanium and bronze, like me but less handsome?" Bouncer stifled a laugh. "I kid, I kid, but the game's about to start and the guy's completely hightailed it, too!" Bouncer's smile faltered, and he turned back to where the roars of the crowd echoed from the halls. "It's my last big game of the season, too. I'd hate to miss out!"

Wait, titanium and bronze? Tall robot? That sounded an awful lot like the robot that the guards knocked out! Luz and Fintster exchanged worried glances as they turned to Bouncer with that almost expecting glint in his eyes.

"Well…" Luz began.

"Hey, there's those intruders!"

Swarm flinched, and in a fit of haste, he completely dissolved into a swarm of bees and raced off the side!

Luz and Fintster fell from his hands as Bouncer scooped them up in his, dropped them on the floor, and rushed off.

"Hey man! Wait up!"

A roar of fear came from the crowds at the end of the hall, and Luz and Fintster immediately rushed through the halls. They followed the bright, stark white light at the end of the hallway to find themselves within a gigantic stadium! That wasn't an understatement—the playing field had to have been as long and wide as three or four islands combined! The walls stretched well past them all, and made Luz and Fintster ants in the wake of such a mighty stadium with its pillars brushing against the heavens and its flags flying high. Around them, spectators of all kinds were little more than blurry spots in the distance, yet raised quite a roar from their spots, as did the gigantic robots with numbers painted on their backs who were presumably the other players.

As for why they were panicking, Luz presumed it probably had something to with the gigantic swarm of bees in the heart of the field that slowly morphed back into Swarm.

"Phew!" Swarm cried as he reformed at last and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Close one! Good thing I got out there—"

"And came here!" Bouncer interrupted! He wheeled up and patted Swarm on the back with such force that Swarm hacked, but Bouncer didn't seem to notice based on the giddy grin on his face. "What you did right now was amazing! You've gotta play for us—with a guy like you on our team, we're sure to win!"

"Huh?"

Before Swarm could even protest, Bouncer grabbed him by the arm and dragged him back to the lefthand side of the field! The two stood in a triangular formation with the rest of Bouncer's team as a robot in black and white robes flew out and tapped on a microphone. Though, while Bouncer eagerly jimmied from side to side, the way Swarm's antennae and wings twitched showed he seemed to have some reservations about this.

"Alright, it seems as though the blue team has found a substitute at the last minute!" the robot proclaimed in a smooth, charismatic voice. "In that case, the game will now begin!"

A shrill, ringing noise rang in the air and forced Luz and Fintster to cover their ears for a moment, but the rumbling of the coliseum as the players all raced off drowned it out soon enough! Their eyes set on a gigantic blue and gold ball in the heart of the stadium as the players rushed to and fro, snatched the ball, and tossed it towards gigantic, open nets in the back parts of the coliseum. A few of the players rammed into each other and dented their metal as they spat over the ball, but in the heat of the moment, the ball shone red and exploded! The burst of flames engulfed them both for moments before another robot flew out, dumped a waterfall of fluffy stuff on them, and left them charred and smoking as they rested under a mountain of the fluffy mass. The other players just didn't notice! A new ball popped out from the center of the coliseum, and they went back to running and playing like before as security wheeled out the burnt robots on giant stretchers.

Luz and Fintster just couldn't even smile, even though the robot in the black and white tunic gleefully narrated the whole thing with the gusto and bravado of a storyteller telling an epic. They cringed with every explosion, every dent, every screech of tearing metal. But most of all, they could barely stand the sight of Swarm's playing! Now, Bouncer navigated the fields like a pro! Swarm, on the other hand, left with a bump on his head and a black eye seemingly everywhere he went! He tried to flee one way and a robot jabbed him in the back, he went the other and got squeezed between two particularly burly robots, heck, he even tried to disappear into his swarm of bees only to get pushed to the ground and run over before he could even move!

"Owch! Hey, watch it! I'm right down—"

Luz and Fintster both clenched their teeth as Swarm howled in agony from another large robot stomping him down.

"I don't think I can watch this anymore," Fintster winced as he turned around.

Luz almost echoed his sentiment as he went to cover his eyes, but right before he did, Bouncer leaped in and snatched the ball! Luz gasped as Bouncer rolled off with a cheetah's speed and the ball kept close to him as he kicked it.

"Would you look at that, folks?" the black and white-clothed robot cried. "BB-12's stolen the ball at the last minute, and he's making a beeline for the enemy's goal! Oh, but what's this?" the robot leaned further and dramatically gasped as he leaned back up. "The ball's getting ready to explode! Will he make it in time?"

The crowd rumbled with fearful chatter as the ball's blue and gold surface turned a deep, hot crimson, and Luz bit his lip.

"Bouncer, look out!" Luz cried.

Bouncer's head swiveled around, and a glimpse of something familiar shone in his optics. Bouncer rushed forward, slammed his whole leg into the giant ball, and knocked it right into the enemy's goal! The ball exploded into a fiery burst and set the net alight with it—but around Bouncer, the crowds only cheered while robots came out to extinguish the flames.

"And would you look at that, a flaming goal to end the final round!" the announcer robot cried. "The blue team wins the game!"

The crowd erupted into roars of joy as Bouncer wheeled out and puffed his chest out in pride, and both teams swarmed him and cheered! It seemed even his opponents couldn't resist congratulating him on how well he played and asking him what his secrets were. At least, from what Luz could make of the conversation anyways, as their voices soon melded into one while Bouncer pushed past them and towards Swarm.

Bouncer hoisted Swarm up with one arm, and both of them came up to Luz and Fintster next. "Well, that was my curtain call," Bouncer said as he opened up a hand. "Now come on. Don't we have some teammates to find?"

Luz and Fintster both gasped, nodded and climbed, and a bright light shone around them! They all gasped as the white, sparkly flash burst around them for moments, and when it faded, the entire coliseum went with it! All that remained now were endless plains and forest that just begged to be explored.

"Where to next, Swarm?" Fintster asked as he leaned against Bouncer's metallic finger.

Swarm frowned and scratched his head. "Well, thing is, I got bumped around so much, I forgot!" Swarm chuckled, but when the others' glares met him, he gulped. "I'm just kidding, I swear! See, just go over this way…"

Swarm flew off to the side where the village's buildings tapered off, and it seemed like the rest of the foliage did as well as Bouncer followed with Luz and Fintster in tow. The grass shriveled up, the trees went from mighty and full of lush leaves to withered husks with sad faces seemingly embedded in their grooves, and even the air turned cold and dead around them.

The endless plains of dead nature stretched on forever, but soon enough, the mouth of a large gate stretched before them with its cold, gray stone walls stretched so high that only the tip of a mighty palace poked beyond it. The walls blocked off sights, smells and sounds alike from within the kingdom, but the drawbridge with aged wood soon opened and unveiled a quaint village with all sorts of underwordly beings that rushed about its worn dirt paths! Zombies and vampires carried around baskets of undead treats while werewolf pups and ghost children wove between the adults' legs as they played. The air smelled cold and almost sweet despite the presence of death everywhere one looked, and gave the village an almost welcoming presence that beckoned for them to enter.

So they did, with Luz and Fintster almost masked by Swarm and Bouncer as they made their way through the streets. A couple of the patrons stopped and gasped, and their whispers rang in Luz's ears as they gossiped with excitement at the sights of the living. Luz didn't linger much on their words; he just trailed after Swarm as they left the village behind, past all the creatures and beasts and towards that palace that loomed over them all.

Luz had to admit, the palace seemed even more impressive the closer he got to it. The black bricks absorbed what little light poked in from the foggy overhead sky and gave it a jewel-like shine, and flags with intricate designs of eyes and knights flew like mighty banners in a battlefield's wind. The onyx fencing glistened while renaissance vines curled around it with about as much life as an undead plant could spare, and Luz almost wanted to reach out and touch it, but before he could, a bony spear flew in front of him.

"Halt!" cried an eyeball with an emerald green iris who sat in knight's armor. "What business do you have with the kings?"

"Lemme handle this one," Swarm mumbled. He stepped out in front of the group, straightened his crooked antennae, and cleared his throat. "I am Prince Abejape of the Hymenopteran clan of warrior-wasps, and I have come—"

"A prince?" the guard scoffed as if he barely held back his laughter. "You seem a little roughed up for a prince."

Dumbfounded, Swarm stopped short and took a glimpse at his battered carapace with a chuckle. "Well, I had a bit of a rough time getting here—"

"And how do I know you're not lying about your status to get into the palace and assassinate the kings?" The guard scowled and thrust his spear a little closer to Swarm, even though he really only reached Swarm's leg. "I'm sure a prince coming for an important meeting would take better care of his—"

"Calm down, brother," demanded a voice with a distinct Siebenbardese accent. "There's no need to be so hostile to our esteemed guests!"

The guard withdrew his spear and stood aside with almost record speed, and before him the gates creaked open. The world pounded underfoot as large shadows cast over the ground, and out from the gates came Eye and Brawl! The two of them were dressed in a king's capes and crowns with bands like the kind couples wore around Eye's wing and Brawl's finger, but it was definitely them!

Eye popped atop the vacancy in Brawl's head and cleared his nonexistent throat. "Apologies for the trouble," Eye said as Brawl extended a hand to Swarm below him. "My younger brother takes his job very seriously."

"I'm the older twin," the guard hissed.

Luz and Fintster both chuckled to each other. They'd seen that kind of attitude among the twins back home plenty of times.

"Nevertheless, come in! We have much to discuss."

So, Luz and Fintster followed Swarm and Bouncer into the palace gardens. The town before them soon became little more than a speck in the distance as they hiked up long, tiresome hills of smooth gray stone paths and undead floral gardens, and up to the palace at last.

It was perhaps even more impressive in person than it was from the distance! The black stone that made up its walls was iridescent underneath what little light peeked in, and reflected shades of purple and blue amid its onyx exterior. Its cony roofs pierced the heavens like arrows, and flags that bore what Luz could only assume was Eye-Brawl's royal crest hung from every one of the hundreds of windows carved into the castle walls. The faintest echoes of talking servants and other nobles rang out from the windows and fluttered the flags, and something sweet like berries trailed out along with it—fresh cooking from the chefs, perhaps?

"Come, come in! Our cooks have prepared the finest of feasts for your arrival," Eye said as Brawl pushed the door opened and beckoned for them to come forth.

Luz and Fintster both grinned, and Luz's mouth watered at the thought. A feast! He hadn't even thought about food since he left home, but now that the thought came to him, he started to realize just how hungry he was.

"The thought is appreciated," Swarm said as he entered, "but I'd like to get straight to the point if it's alright with you."

That hungry feeling disappeared right then and there. Luz raised an eyebrow and followed Swarm in, as did Fintster and Bouncer. The doors slowly creaked to a close behind them, and to their front, Swarm and Eye-Brawl stood face to face with arms behind their backs and tense pleasantries written on their faces.

"As I'm sure you're aware, the Arkeyan Empire has been expanding its reach across Skylands," Swarm began.

Eye nodded. "Yes, it's quite worrisome to say the least. Every day, news reaches the kingdom of another island that fell to Arkeyan tyranny. Though our armies are strong, I can't imagine how they'll fare against the strength of the Arkeyans."

"Which is why we were especially glad to hear from you," Brawl signed. "The Hymenopteran Kingdom has stood since the beginning of Skylands, and its warriors are second to none. With our two kingdoms as allies in arms, surely both of us can rest easy."

"Oh, that's where you're wrong, I'm afraid. I have not come here as an ambassador of my family. I've come out of my own will and wishes."

Swarm raised a brow, and Brawl tensed as he stepped back.

"If that's the case, then why have you come? Did you not say that you were here to discuss allying with us?"

"That I did." Swarm nodded. "But perhaps not the alliance you think of. You see, with the Arkeyans expanding their reach, would it not be proactive to fight back against their reach?"

"That, that's utter nonsense!" Eye popped off of Brawl in shock, but quickly cleared his throat and dropped back down. "The Arkeyans have their hands in every corner of Skylands! Our armies, as impressive as they are, don't even hold a candle to the Arkeyans in terms of sheer numbers and raw power!"

"But you wouldn't be alone."

"We wouldn't?"

Swarm frowned and steepled his fingers. "In my travels across Skylands, I have had the pleasure of meeting many who banded together to rise against the Arkeyans' oppressive reign. Helmed by magicians with powers of legend and those blessed by the Ancients themselves, these kingdoms have gathered together under one banner to combat the Arkeyans' reign of terror."

Eye hummed in an almost contemplative way as he rubbed his wing against his round body. "Go on."

"I have been working with them to dismantle the Arkeyans' reign, and we've already had the pleasure of liberating many from their terror! Though the Arkeyans fight, every day we fight harder—and to great results! We've already torn down some of the largest Arkeyan strongholds, like that of the monument in Mabupotamia or the Arkeyan factories in Wavemeet!"

"Mabupotamia? Wavemeet? I remember those places!" Bouncer whispered and a small chuckle escaped him. "Eye-Brawl and I personally gave the head of that Wavemeet factory a piece of our minds!"

"Wait a second," Fintster whispered and parted his bangs for a moment to study Eye-Brawl and the pensive look he held. "Does that mean?"

"Thus, I am asking you to ally under our banner, and join us in liberating Skylands from the cruelty of Arkilles!"

Eye hummed, popped off of Brawl, and flew around him. The two hunched over and Eye whispered something so soft that Luz couldn't hear, but he didn't need to! Brawl's signing was enough to key him in on the conversation!

"Wavemeet and Mabupotamia, those names sound familiar," Brawl signed, "and yet, I don't believe we've ever been there. Something's strange about this prince, Ochiul." Brawl rested his hands for a moment as Eye whispered back and nodded, almost as if he was hesitant to speak. "Do you think we should continue this meeting? I can have the guards escort him out if you think necessary."

Luz tensed for a moment as both Eye and Brawl stood motionless save for the flapping of Eye's wings. Would they remember? Would they just toss them all out? Luz held his breath, as he didn't want to key them in on anything, but when Eye shook his head, that breath escaped and Luz practically deflated with relief.

Eye popped back on top of Brawl, and both of them turned to meet Swarm's expectant gaze.

"You pose quite the offer, young prince," Eye replied at last, and he turned down a little as he added, "but I do hold one concern—what will become of our kingdom should we ally ourselves with you?"

"Fret not," Swarm replied as he held out a hand, "for the Elder Elementals will ensure the safety of your kingdom, Eye-Brawl."

Eye shuddered, and a bright flash of silver light burst around him and Brawl! Their royal garbs fell to the ground, and all that was left was Eye-Brawl, with all the dents in Brawl's armor from battle and the same aura of wear and age that came from the years of fighting. Luz knew it in his heart, even though they didn't say a word and just looked themselves over in a sort of stunned haze—they were back!

"Thank the Ancients that worked," Swarm groaned as he finally sat down. "I wasn't sure how long I could keep that up! I don't know how Mom and Dad ever did it."

Eye-Brawl chuckled, and that laughter spread to Bouncer as well as they both helped Swarm up. Swarm leaned between the two of them as he groaned, favored his left side, and leaned on Bouncer while he slouched over.

"So, what do we do now?" Bouncer asked. "Dunno where everyone else went, unfortunately."

"And I'm beat," Swarm moaned.

"Actually," Luz piped up. "I met with Sihiri and Vatra earlier, and we split up to find the others! We were supposed to meet back up at Sihiri's old village, so why don't we go back there?"

Bouncer cast a glance at Eye-Brawl, who nodded in agreement.

"In that case, I'll arrange for an airship, and we'll head there," Eye-Brawl said. "Hopefully, they wouldn't have had too much trouble."

§

Within the depths of a massive forest, only the sounds of loving laughter rang out as Inochi and Sihiri ran hand in hand together. The flower petals cascaded around them like a rain of love, the kind of strong love they held for each other as they moved to leap and spin around the forest. The soft serenade of its winds and the gentle warmth of the sunlight filtered through the trees, and cast the perfectly romantic scene for the perfectly romantic moment! Their laughter grew so loud and so passionate that their faces hurt from it as they spun through the fields, and the flowers petals spun and danced with them as they did, but finally, they collapsed on the ground and landed on a massive pile of flowers below them, a soft, downy bed for them to rest on as they embraced.

Sihiri herself chuckled as she leaned on her side and met with the honey-like gaze of Inochi and her sweet, sappy smile, and before she knew it, Inochi sprung forward and sneaked a kiss right on the lips! It was sweet like honeysuckle, and its taste seeped into Sihiri's own mouth as she reciprocated, so sweet Sihiri just couldn't bring herself to break it. So, she wrapped her arms around Inochi, and buried herself in Inochi's soft, warm body as the petals cascaded and brushed around her. It was a simple moment, and yet it felt like an eternity, as if time itself stopped around just the two of them. She almost didn't want to let go, and yet Inochi quickly parted the kiss and sat up. Inochi seemed so radiant in that moment as her pink eyes sparkled with the sunlight and her soft cheeks dimpled with pink so that they brought to mind round, plump peaches. A soft giggle came from her, so sweet and infectious that it spread to Sihiri as well, and they both laughed along with the winds and the faint birdsong as they laid together with not a care in the world.

"Alright, my village shouldn't be far from here," Inochi said as she took Sihiri by the hand. "Come on, I'll show you."

Sihiri nodded a bit hesitantly as she took Inochi's hand in her own, but when the soft feeling of Inochi's fingers like the petals of a fresh flower brushed against Sihiri's own hand, her grip faded and she melted into Inochi's instead. Though she felt it was a bit loose, her hand not once slipped from Inochi's as Inochi lead her down the forest pathway while Inochi's geta clacked against the earth below her, and the long, white shirt and green pants she wore fluttered in the winds.

"You know, it's funny," Inochi remarked as they wandered on. She held a hand to her face, and a sort of lackadaisical smile came across her. "We've just met, and yet it feels like I've known you for a lifetime!"

Sihiri's eyes sparkled even more as Inochi turned to her with that eager look in her pink eyes.

"Clearly, this must be the red string of fate at work! You and I were destined to be lovers, I'm sure of it!"

Sihiri's face fell in that moment. For a moment, she really thought that Inochi had remembered, but, she supposed it wouldn't have been nearly that easy. Sihiri had to admit, it felt a little strange that her own wife didn't recognize her even considering the circumstances.

"Well, er, you see," Sihiri started before she quickly stopped herself. Should she really try and bring up the truth right now? After all, to Inochi she was no different than a stranger, and surely if a total stranger came up to Sihiri herself and talked about all this, she would think they were making fun of her!

"Anyways, here we are!"

Well, guess there was no time for that. Sihiri turned around and gasped as Inochi grabbed her by the hand, and raced into the heart of a small village comprised of thatched, triangular huts where beings went to and fro. They were mostly human, though Sihiri was sure she spotted a few animal people amid their ranks, and they all donned similar clothing to what Inochi herself wore—simple kimonos and yukata with geta and other sandals clad on their feet. Regardless of appearance, they all had one thing in common, and it was that they were busy as busy could be. Whether they carted materials, made food, or ran around and talked as they ran errands of some kind, none of them had a moment to rest!

"And who might this be, Inochi?" asked a grizzled voice from behind them.

Inochi beamed and turned around to face an older person, one muscular and grizzled with tanned skin and visible stubble. They donned a long tunic and a headband around their forehead, and frowned as they scratched their chin with one hand while the other idly clutched a hammer. Their pink eyes were perhaps the busiest part of their body as they rapidly dashed between Inochi and Sihiri as Inochi beamed with pride.

"This is my new wife, Sihiri!" Inochi proclaimed as she brought Sihiri closer to her. "I met her just outside the village outskirts today, and she agreed to marry me! Can you believe it?"

The person just scoffed. "Marrying a person you just met? Inochi, only a fool would do that! You don't even know her!"

"And you're just upset that I got a wife before you did!" Inochi huffed and her cheeks puffed for a moment before she linked her arm with Sihiri's and moved off. "Don't pay any mind to him, he's always a grouch." Inochi remarked as she stuck up her nose. "Anyways, just follow me. There's something here that I absolutely must show you!"

"Inochi, there you are!" shouted an elderly woman in long robes decorated with floral patterns. "Where might you be going on this fine afternoon?"

Inochi stopped right in her steps, withdrew her arm from Sihiri's, and bowed towards the woman.

"Just showing my lovely new wife around the town, Miss Himiko," Inochi beamed before she gently nudged Sihiri. "I've only just met her, but I can tell she's a keeper!" Inochi clasped her hands and a dreamy tone sneaked into her voice. "She appreciates plants, and she's so beautiful and has this sweet, sweet laugh…"

Inochi gushed about Sihiri with fervor as she rambled on to this Miss Himiko, and all the compliments got to Sihiri a little bit. She had to admit, it was a little embarrassing to be praised this much, especially to a total stranger. More than that, it seemed strange that it came from Inochi, who was always so humble, and subdued, and not the kind of woman to go into lengthy rambles and trade snips with random people on the street. She certainly was quite the spitfire back into the day, wasn't she? Whatever happened to her, it must've really taken its toll on Inochi. Whatever that was—Sihiri never pressed Inochi too much about her past back when she arrived at their base curled up in Tree Rex's palm.

They all had a lot of baggage and things they lost to Arkeyan rule, and Sihiri was never one for reopening those old wounds. Family, friends, homes, and Sihiri lost them all as well. She knew well how much it hurt to leave behind your home, all your friends, and your family as well. For a moment, her mind wandered back to the illusion of her old village, the place where she spent her days playing in the river with her brothers and wandering around town with the older girls as they taught her about all the things she'd get to do at their age, and her heart ached a second more. A part of her yearned to go back there, but—

"Sihiri, dear, is something bothering you?" Inochi asked with a hint of worry in her rosy pink eyes as she tilted her head.

Sihiri's eyes fluttered and she shook her head. "No, it's nothing, I just had something on my mind."

Sihiri drew her gaze back from Inochi in hopes that maybe she'd just leave the topic be as she always did when Sihiri said this, but a warm hand grabbed hers, and Sihiri looked up to see Inochi's eyes sparkling with worry.

"Don't try and lie to me!" Inochi huffed. "You're my wife, and I'd be an awful wife to you if I just ignored you while you're clearly in a sorrowful state of mind!"

Sihiri clasped her hands and gulped while a tremor crawled up her spine. Sihiri almost forgot that this Inochi was nothing like the patient and reserved woman she knew! Surely, she was going to keep prying, but what would Sihiri say? She couldn't just explain this was all an illusion out of the blue! Inochi's eyes locked on hers, and the heat gathered in Sihiri's cheeks while her mind wandered about and looked for an explanation.

"Now, Inochi," butted in Miss Himiko as she pushed herself between Sihiri and Inochi, "if she doesn't want to press the issue, you should leave it be. An important part of being in a relationship is understanding your partner's feelings—forcing them to talk when they don't want to will only hurt you both."

Inochi withdrew as she apologetically bowed her head to Miss Himiko, turned, and did the same for Sihiri. Sihiri, for her part, just stepped back and nodded as a sort of pardon. It felt strange to be treated with the kind of formality typically saved for a stranger by her own wife, but, as it stood, her own wife barely even remembered her.

"Please pardon our Inochi, she's always been quite overeager," Miss Himiko said. "I'm sure she wants to be the best lover for you she can be."

"It's alright, dear," Sihiri sputtered out at last. "You're only trying to help."

Inochi stood to full height, and gave one of the gentle smiles Sihiri remembered so well as she took Sihiri in hand. "At least let me get you something to eat. I'm sure you've probably traveled a long ways! You must be starving!"

Sihiri's stomach growled as if to affirm this, and Sihiri only chuckled and nodded. She hadn't even thought of food since all this began, but now it was like a ravenous beast opened up in her stomach that the topic came up! She hadn't even realized she was this hungry!

Inochi took this as a sign of affirmation and giggled as she led Sihiri away to another building, one where the scent of freshly-prepared fish and rice spilled out from the door. They stepped inside, and the scent grew stronger, but hardly unpleasant, as Sihiri found herself within a simple building where a few others gathered around to feast on freshly-made balls of hot rice filled with all sorts of fillings Sihiri could barely guess from the sights, or meals of fish and vegetables rich with the aroma of herbs.

"This place has some of the best fish there is!" Inochi proclaimed as she practically dragged Sihiri to the back of the room. "I'm pretty sure the whole village has eaten here at least once!"

As they drew to a stop, Sihiri peered up at a grizzly, burly-looking man who sat at the back of the room and tended to a pot of soup that brimmed with the very same aroma Sihiri smelled throughout the entire building. He cast a glance up at Inochi first, but raised a brow as his eyes turned to Sihiri.

"And who might this be?" the man asked with a voice as tough and grizzled as his looks.

Inochi gently nudged Sihiri forward and beamed with pride. "My lovely wife~"

"Finally got'cherself a wife, huh?" The chef chuckled as he tended to the fish and rice he cooked. "Better make this a couple's special, then!"

The smell of herbs grew stronger, and Sihiri's mouth watered as he pulled together bowls of fish, rice and that same delicious-smelling soup on one tray before he pushed it in Inochi's arms. Sihiri tried her best to keep her composure as she glanced it over, but, she couldn't stop herself from drooling, just a bit.

"Hey, you—" the chef said as he gestured to Sihiri. "You better take care of her, alright? Inochi's one of the most important people in this village!"

"Oh, I'm not that important!" Inochi retorted. "All I do is tend to the Great Tree and the temple gardens! There's plenty of others like me."

"Hardly! The Great Tree is what watches over our entire village. If not for you, who knows what we'd do—especially with that sickness overtaking the gardens…" The chef winced, and a hint of fear broke through his tough looks. "All the other shrine maidens gave up hope."

Inochi huffed. "Well, then they're just quitters! This pestilence may be stubborn, but I'm sure with enough care and cleansing it'll fade out, just like all the other illnesses that befell the sacred gardens!"

Pestilence? Sacred gardens? Shrine maiden? Sihiri blinked and took in all the information as Inochi turned around and urged for Sihiri to follow. Not once had Inochi shared an ounce of her past with Sihiri herself, even in all the time they'd known each other, and now Sihiri felt as though Inochi's entire life story unfolded right before her eyes!

Even as they sat down and ate, Sihiri barely even tasted her meal—something about this felt hollow, almost. She almost felt like she invader Inochi's privacy by learning about her life like this, and with Inochi herself none the wiser, to boot! Sihiri almost wanted to just break the spell and tell her now, but as she looked up and saw Inochi vigorously eating with the widest smile on her face, something in Sihiri stopped her. Inochi seemed so happy and full of energy, so unlike the quiet and reserved woman Sihiri knew as her wife. Even if it was an illusion, surely she was so happy to be back at her old home. Sihiri didn't want to ruin that for her, not right now.

So, they ate in moderate silence, and as they finished, Inochi lifted herself from her spot and beckoned for Sihiri to follow, which Sihiri did. Inochi led her past the village and through a forest with thick carpets of leaves and vines, ones so thick that Sihiri had to lift up her skirts so they wouldn't get caught. Right ahead of her, Inochi wove through them without a single thought! In fact, she was so fast that Sihiri hardly kept her pace, and stumbled over her own feet as she followed Inochi through the forest paths.

"Now, I'm not supposed to bring those outside the temple here without reason—sacred grounds and all," Inochi whispered at last. "But, I believe I can make an exception for my future wife—" Inochi chuckled and turned around as she planted a finger on Sihiri's lips "—as long as you don't tell anyone, of course."

Sihiri just barely nodded, and Inochi giggled as she took Sihiri by the hand. They walked through the forest as the blankets of plantlife parted, and passed underneath a large arc painted in a striking shade of crimson right as the plantlife around grew more pleasant and organized, as if it was shaped by living hands and not just a product of the wild forest.

It wasn't until Sihiri saw the beam of pride on Inochi's face that she realized they now stood on temple grounds. Now that she saw it, Sihiri could hardly believe her eyes! There before her laid some of the most vibrant flowers she had ever seen, in species she had only ever heard of in tales or seen in passing in written records, and they fluttered and bowed within her presence. Something about them shone underneath the dappled sunlight that peeked in from the mighty trees which coated the skies above, and the flowers bathed in the light like precious gemstones. Their leaves were crisp and rich in a green coloration, and the grassy path underneath stretched its blades up as if not to be outshone by the other foliage's splendor. This wasn't just the one patch—these floral barriers were lamps that stretched and twisted along with the lengthy path as they soaked in the sunlight and shone like guiding lights.

"I've never seen anything like this," Sihiri gasped as she turned to Inochi, "and you tended to this all by yourself?"

"Oh, don't be so amazed. It's hardly work for me when I love it so!" Inochi chuckled. She strode along the path while her geta clacked underneath unseen stone as she did. "When our ancestors came to this forest seeking sanctuary from The Malevolence, it was the spirit of the Great Tree that protected us and brought this forest to life so that we could live in peace. The spirits give us everything we need, and we care for them in turn! We owe them our entire lives and more—what I'm doing hardly compares…"

Inochi's eyes drifted off to the path, and she frowned as she knelt in front of a particular flower patch. By Sihiri's standards, the glistening blue bellflowers that swayed in faint dance seemed healthy and hardly worrisome. Yet, the way Inochi glanced at them with tight, concerned brows and an equally-concerned frown seemed to suggest otherwise.

"Is something the matter with these flowers, dear?" Sihiri asked as she knelt beside Inochi. "They seem healthy to me."

Inochi winced as she ran her finger against a bellflower. "They are, and that's the problem! This patch of flowers was afflicted by the pestilence for days now, and it barely survived—for it to make a full recovery, even with the best care, would have taken at least a week!" Inochi pursed her lips and took a moment to examine the glittery blue pollen that rubbed off on her hands. "But it's perfectly fine now, as if nothing had happened."

Inochi drew back up, and her frown quivered even more as she glazed over the rest of the gardens. She looked so unnerved by the sights, almost as if her memories were surfacing—would now be a good time to tell her the truth?

"I, I have to see the Great Tree!" Inochi cried!

"Inochi, wait!"

But, it was already too late—Inochi was off on her way, and her clothes fluttered in the wind with only faint tremors as they grew further and further away.

Sihiri winced and hitched up her skirts as she ran in chase. The soft pound of her footsteps thumped against the earth as she rushed past the rows of sparkling, thriving plants. Though she thought they were beautiful in the moment, chills came over Sihiri whenever she glimpsed at them thanks to Inochi's unease. So, Sihiri gulped and teleported ahead towards an opening among the trees that brimmed with verdant light. A shrill scream hit the air as Sihiri passed through the gate, and she jumped back without thinking. Her eyes fluttered, and they traced the grotto she entered for any sign of Inochi before they finally landed on the grotto's heart.

There, Inochi laid sprawled out as she shuddered, while before her stood a tree so tall and bulky it towered well over most of the others in the forest. It shined with a brilliant green light that flickered through the forest like fireflies, and its rich brown bark with patches of red raised almost like armor pushed out from its heart and over its branches. Its top laid stripped of any leaves, and instead, all that remained were two branches with rounded ends almost like horns.

"The Great Tree! What happened to it?" Inochi cried. She forced herself off the ground as she stumbled towards the tree, planted herself against its bark, and frowned as she closed her eyes. Her hands traveled across the grooves in the tree's bark, and with a sigh she drew back. "It doesn't seem as though the Great Tree 's ill, but how could it have changed so greatly?"

"Now that I think about it," Sihiri ruminated as she approached the tree, "it almost reminds me of Tree Rex."

"Tree Rex? What's that?"

Inochi turned to Sihiri with wide, teary eyes now full of confusion, and Sihiri clenched her teeth. In her moment of contemplation, Sihiri completely forgot that Inochi didn't have her memories!

"Er, it, it's nothing! Forget I said anything!" Sihiri cried. She went back a step, and forced a smile as Inochi frowned further. "I was just thinking out loud."

Inochi only turned away from Sihiri and hummed with her eyes now fixed back on the tree once more. "Tree Rex," Inochi whispered as she laid a hand on the tree's trunk. "That name, it sounds familiar."

The wind whistled as it carried away the tree's leaves, and Sihiri could've sworn that the grass below rustled underneath Inochi's feet. In fact, it shuddered and trembled as if the wind would carry it away, too! Yet, Inochi's attention laid directly on the tree as she clenched her hand into a fist. She stood perfectly still like the tree itself, so stoic that Sihiri couldn't possibly make out what she was feeling—confusion? Worry? Sorrow?

A tremble came from Inochi as Sihiri finally reached out her hand, next a scream as Inochi fell to her knees and buried her head in her hands! Her body flickered like a dying light as she shuddered and babbled out panicked nonsense while she clawed at her own face.

"Inochi!"

Sihiri fell to her knees and nudged Inochi's back, but in one moment, her body flickered and Sihiri's hands fell through!

"It's wrong, this is wrong, it's all wrong!" Inochi wailed! Choked sobs fell from her as she curled into herself. "This, this, this isn't real, it, it's not—"

"Inochi, please!" Sihiri cried back. She shook Inochi's shoulders with a bit more urgency, and her own arms shook as she did. "What, what's wrong, I—"

The sound of ravenous growling came as the speckled light from above dimmed, and Sihiri turned her attention away from Inochi for just a moment's time. Glints of light burst from the shadows cast over the grotto's entrance as the growling grew louder, gruffer even! Sihiri rose from her spot as the magic gathered in her hands, ready to strike, but the beasts who lurked in the dark struck first!

Mutated monsters made of twisted roots and dead flowers rose from the dark and squawked as they sprung forward! Their eyes set for Sihiri and Inochi, and Sihiri readied a charge of magic as she lifted her hands—but they all planted on their faces with one loud sob from Inochi! They stumbled back up, barely able to stand on the roots that made up their feet as she cried. Their shoulders slouched as they finally stabilized, and their thorny hands curled in as their expressions fell. Their eyes drooped in sorrow as they fell to their knees and cried with her, as all their desire to fight withered away with their own thinning bodies.

Their roots and petals dissipated away into thin scraps that flew off with a passing breeze, and with them went the entire grotto. That one breeze turned the trees thin and withered with lifelessness, the grass gave way to hard, dead earth, and even the sky stood gray and lifeless, a still portrait never to be finished. All time slowed, and all that remained was Sihiri, Inochi, and that tree that still stood strong in the dead earth behind them.

Inochi curled into herself, and the thick fabric of her robes only partially muffled her sobs. "This is wrong, this was all wrong! The pestilence never went away, it never went away this fast!" Inochi wailed. "It, it never went away at all!"

Sihiri reached out for Inochi, but a glaring green light emerged then and stopped her. In a flash, that green light completely engulfed Inochi in its jaws. Flares of leaves spewed out as the light shined, and died just as quickly as it came to reveal Inochi's true, incorporeal form. Now she was the ghost of herself she truly was, dressed in the same kimono she wore on the day of her death and still in a shuddering fit as she laid behind the tree's trunk. Her sobs still echoed out, but they were quieter now, barely even heard over the sounds of howling winds that seemed to cry for her.

"Oh, dear," Sihiri whispered as she fell to her knees beside Inochi.

Inochi shuddered beside her, and Sihiri wanted so badly to reach out, to say just the right thing—yet, no words came to mind. Everything she could have said would probably ring hollow, so hollow to Inochi. How do you express your condolences to someone who failed something they cherished with all their heart? So, Sihiri only nudged closer and wrapped her arms around Inochi's ghostly form, and the chills of her sorrows bled into Sihiri's own spirit as the worlds finally came to her.

"It wasn't your fault. You did everything you could for them, I'm sure."

Inochi forced herself back up, her eyes red as she wiped away her tears and forced herself up straight. Even after crying so much, she still sat with a readied composure, even through the sorrow that rang in her teary eyes betrayed her true feelings. She always forced herself to stay strong and calm, even in such harsh situations…

"I understand what you're trying to say, dear," Inochi whispered, and her voice stood inches away from cracking despite her calm composure, "but, I'm afraid you're wrong. It was my duty as the shrine maiden to care for them, but I couldn't even recognize what had happened! If I weren't so simple-minded, if I wasn't so stubborn about protecting this forest myself, I would have realized!"

"Would have realized what?"

Inochi brushed her geta against the dead ground and grabbed a heavily-wilted leaf from the floor.

"This was all the Arkeyans' doing."

The leaf crumpled into tiny bits and disappeared along the trail of a winter breeze. It left Inochi's hand empty—and yet, she did not draw it back. She just stood frozen and clammy as she gazed into the distance of withering trees that once made up the forest grotto.

"They installed factories outside the forest and pumped their waste here for generations, right underneath our noses! I thought it was just an ordinary sickness, that surely with the right care it would go away, and everyone there believed every word I said about it! I was so foolish, I didn't even realize how their toxic mess mutated the forest into a monster's den!" Inochi's arms trembled next, and she bit her lips before she could burst into tears. "I, I was so stupid! Everyone put so much faith in my abilities, and I couldn't even see the real reason the sacred gardens we all relied upon were dying! In the end, we all had to flee our home because of my foolishness!"

Sihiri took a glimpse at Inochi, but Inochi only turned her head away. "I, I never deserved the kindness the free magicians brought me, not when I failed my duties so."

Sihiri hummed for a moment, and gently laid a hand on Inochi's lap.

"I don't think that's the case."

That single sentence brought Inochi's eyes to meet Sihiri once more, and Sihiri drew closer. "You cared for these gardens more than anything, and you did everything you could to save them! The blame lies at the Arkeyans' feet for poisoning them with such ills, not you for trying your hardest to help the gardens and beings you cared for so! How could you be at fault for doing all in your power to tackle an issue beyond your control?"

A single tear crawled down Inochi's face, and Sihiri wiped it away.

"I don't fault you for not telling me this—I'm sure it's quite a heavy burden to bear. But, please don't blame yourself. After everything you've done, both then and now, I think you can ease your guilt."

Inochi's gaze softened, and she only gave Sihiri a curt nod before drawing into her grip. The two sat, arms wrapped tight and their ghostly forms warm with love as they watched over the ruins. Though everything around was so cold and lifeless, it wasn't sorrow or grief Sihiri and Inochi felt. Instead, an odd sort of peace washed over Sihiri, as if the world rolled from her shoulders.

"I always wished I could've taken you here before it was ruined," Inochi whispered. "It truly was one of the most beautiful places in Skylands—nothing else could have compared."

"It truly was, from what I did get to see," Sihiri remarked back before chuckling as she tucked a strand of silver hair behind Inochi's ear. "What surprised me more was how outspoken you were! I never would have thought you were such a spitfire back then!"

A crimson blush dusted Inochi's cheeks. "Oh, I didn't say anything embarrassing then, did I?"

Her rosy pink eyes drifted away from Sihiri as she turned her head, and even then she covered her face with her sleeve. "The village elders always scolded me for being so brash and sharp-tongued back then. If I wasn't the shrine maiden, they would have probably been a lot harsher, I'm sure. Looking back, I can't help but flinch at how embarrassing I was." Inochi's gaze turned coy as she raised a brow. "That is, unless you liked that~"

Sihiri chuckled—ah, Inochi's teasing made her heart flutter.

"Well, if I had to pick," Sihiri crooned as she drew forward and lifted Inochi's head. That crimson blush turned strong as Sihiri and Inochi sat face to face, and Sihiri let out a teasing chuckle as she ran her fingers down Inochi's cheekbones and stopped at her chin. "I'd say I like the present you just as much~"

Sihiri stole a kiss in that moment, one ripe with passion that she melted into just as much as Inochi did. The sweet taste of spring fruits lingered on her lips as she drew back, and when she opened her eyes, all she saw was Inochi. Inochi, with those gentle pink eyes like the fresh roses of the vernal season, with her silvery hair and the soft hands she held Sihiri so close with, with the kind heart who fought so hard so that all life could thrive, who held her the closest in the coldest, longest nights and harshest of days when all Sihiri wanted to do was give up…

Her wife, Inochi, stood right beside her once more, and in that moment, Sihiri vowed to herself that she wouldn't lose her again.

"I suppose it's time we found the others," Inochi said as she stood up and stretched. Her eyes turned back to the gigantic tree behind them, and with a solemn stance, she rapped on its trunk and added with a bit of pain, "come on, Tree Rex, it's time to leave."

The ground shifted and rumbled and cracked around the tree's trunk as it stretched and shifted out. Its branches become more like arms, and the top of its trunk turned heavy and bulky as a sort of face pushed forward and brought the horn-like branches with it. A pair of legs with mossy pants drew out from the earth next, and a low grumble like that of a tired person waking from a long slumber rumbled in the tree's throat as it rubbed its eyes.

"I haven't had such a nice and peaceful nap in a long, long time," Tree Rex mused as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

His eyes opened at last, and his face fell as the sights of the dead earth that once made up the forest greeted him. For a moment his fingers trembled, but he clenched them and only heaved a sigh.

"I'm glad I could rest here for one moment more." Tree Rex bowed his head, and his thick, wooden lips trembled as if he was going to cry too—but, he shook it off and smiled as he knelt down to Sihiri and Inochi. "Come on, let's find our friends."

Sihiri and Inochi crawled into the palm of Tree Rex's hand, and as he got up and lumbered, the two of them crawled up to his fingertips and peered down at the world below. The trees withered and crumbled to bits from the sheer might of Tree Rex's footsteps, and their splintered fragments littered the otherwise-bland, dead plains until they reached Inochi's village. As they did, Tree Rex halted with urgency and nearly tossed back Sihiri from how quickly he jerked. She crawled back up, and beside her, Inochi covered her mouth and forced back tears.

The village that was once so full of life was now little more than ruins. All the houses and buildings were broken and battered from a lack of repair, and their tapestries laid tattered and fluttered only faintly in the breeze, while broken pottery and weapons were corpses on the battlefield and stained with blood both red and green as they laid broken on the floor. No sounds came but the wind, and even the air was sterile compared to the fresh scents of food and nature that once blew through the village air.

Sihiri wrapped her hand tight around Inochi's, squeezed it, and forced Inochi back into reality as Tree Rex passed the village by with his head hung low. Yet, he still caught one last glimpse as he reached the village outskirts, just in time for the wind to blow it away along with the rest of the village's ruins. The place where Inochi was born and raised, where Tree Rex was planted generations before the birth of her or Sihiri's first ancestors, the place they called home, truly was no more, and all that remained was the endless plains of cold, dead rock under overcast skies.

"I suppose we should think about where the others might be," Sihiri remarked as she toyed with one of her locs. "But, where to start?"

Tree Rex let out a low hum, the same kind he made when he was deep in thought, and scratched his horn with his free hand. "When Inochi and I first left the village," he said at last, "we stumbled on this little mining town near some caves."

"A mining town, you say?" Sihiri echoed as she turned around to meet Tree Rex's gaze. "If mining's their specialty, surely Crusher or Jorden would be there!"

"That's as good a place to start as any," Inochi said with a shrug. Surely, the sights of her old village weighed on her mind still.

Tree Rex nodded and forged ahead. His pace picked up as the skies cleared and sun poured down from the heavens in stretches of warmth, until soon enough, a large cave etched into the side of a mighty cliff peeked over the hills. More than that, so did houses, and signs, and even faint mumbles and talking rose in the air! Tree Rex skidded to a stop right in front of the cavern, knelt down, and laid his hand on the ground. He knelt down even further as Sihiri and Inochi hopped out of his palms, and frowned as he gingerly plucked one of the signs from the ground to bring it close to his face.

"'Mining work here,'" Tree Rex read with his voice slow as he scanned over every word, "'do not… enter… unless authorized magical personnel…'"

"I suppose I count as authorized magical personnel," Sihiri remarked with a shrug. "I do know magic like the back of my hand!"

Inochi and Tree Rex stifled their laughter, and Sihiri chuckled as she floated inside the caves. Inochi and Tree Rex's footsteps followed behind her with Tree Rex's loud and booming ones masking the soft clack of Inochi's geta, and Sihiri took it as a sign to move forward.

The darker parts of the cave gave way to soft light as she rounded the cavern's corner, and the whole world bloomed with the bright light of lanterns strung along the cavern's top! Miners in all shapes and sizes worked away, from bulky trolls and elves who slammed hammers and pickaxes into the walls to human and mabu sorcerers who used magic to push carts of shiny crystals down the rails. Aside of their work, they stayed completely silent with a steely sort of seriousness in their eyes and bodies as they worked away.

Sihiri eyed an elf who examined a scroll and floated towards them; they seemed like they were in charge of things here, so surely they'd probably have the answers she wanted. Just before she could open her mouth, however, a large quake rumbled through the cavern, shook the lanterns, and knocked most of the miners off their feet! The scroll-holding elf jumped to their feet and scurried off, and Sihiri followed them down the way to where… Yes! Crusher was there! He still wore his helmet and brandished his beloved hammer tall, but his sash of rock traded off for gigantic armor somewhat akin to the gear the other miners wore. He knelt in the heart of a messy circle filled with the shards of glowing indigo crystals, and lifted one up so that the green of his eyes reflected in its shiny surface.

"Can confirm, these are Tzo Crystals!" Crusher said at last. His deep voice ruminated with joy as he lowered the crystal for the elf to view. "That glow is their trademark—only Tzo Crystals glow like that after being pulverized!"

"Thanks the Ancients!" cried another voice with an undiscernible accent Sihiri recognized. "That's the last batch of 'em we needed!"

Out from the shadows came Jorden, who dressed in worn and stained miner's clothes, but sill held an unshakable smile on his face! He lifted two of the larger crystals over his shoulder with a grunt, and behind him, a few burly draconics followed as they lifted crystals from the ground. They all poured the crystals into a minecart and caught their breath, but only Jorden stopped to beam up at Crusher.

"Gotta hand it to ya, buddy! We'd be more lost than lambs if it weren't for your help!" Jorden proclaimed. "With all that fancy rock-spotting knowledge ya got, we're not only way ahead of schedule, but our benefactors will get all the rocks they need!"

"Oh, it's nothing!" Crusher replied. "Crushing rocks is what I do!"

"Excuse me, I was wondering something."

A couple of firm footsteps shook the earth, and Sihiri turned around right as Tree Rex wandered in! He barely fit underneath the caverns, and had the duck underneath so that his horns didn't push through the ceiling. An awkward grin laid plastered on his face as he waved.

"You a new miner here, buddy?" Jorden asked as he walked up to Tree Rex. "Sure look burly enough for the part!"

"Actually, I wanted to know—who exactly are these benefactors you're getting these crystals for?"

Crusher and Jorden both exchanged worried glances as Jorden pulled something vaguely like a scanner from his pocket and held it in front of Tree Rex. The scanner let out a few dull tones, and a red flash glowed from its surface. Jorden nodded and put it away as he motioned for Tree Rex to huddle forward. So, Tree Rex knelt down and huddled together, though even then, their voices were loud enough that Sihiri caught wind of their conversation regardless.

"See, we're getting' these for the free magicians!" Jorden explained. "We've been put in charge'a minin' some new crystals for them to use with some new weapons sure to kick Arkeyan keister!"

"Is that so?" Tree Rex chuckled. "And how far along is the progress?"

"Way ahead of schedule!" Jorden beamed with pride as he pounded his fist against his chest. "Those fancy laser zapper thingies will be messin' with those Arkeyans in no time!"

"Well, that's good! You're among the free magicians right now!"

Both Crusher and Jorden's eyes widened as they heard this, and the two traded frantic glances with each other and then the rest of the mine.

"Wait, they're here already?" Crusher cried. "We need to get these shipped out!"

Tree Rex blinked and raised his hands. "Wait, no, that's not what I meant—"

"C'mon, buddy! Get those carts movin'!" Jorden cried as he rushed towards a cart and pushed it off. "We've gotta get these crystals shipped out!"

Just like that, both Crusher and Jorden stormed off with a surprising amount of speed till they were only blurs in the distance. So much for sparking their memory that way. Tree Rex sighed and scratched his horns, and Sihiri in turn frowned and rested her hand in her chin. Her fingers drummed against her arm, and she lifted her head as a presence found its way near here.

"Was that Crusher and Jorden I just passed?" Inochi asked as she floated up to Sihiri. "Did they regain their memory?"

"Yes and no," Sihiri sighed. "I've forgotten they're both a bit… Literal-minded."

Inochi and Sihiri both sighed, but an explosion boomed out as Sihiri went to wrack her brain! The sound rang so loud that Sihiri's ears rang even though she covered them, and she fell to her knees as the caverns rattled! A couple of rocks fell from the ceiling, and Sihiri jumped up, but vines burst out and gripped the rocks before she could block them off.

"The sound came from over there!" Tree Rex cried as he pointed towards the righthand side of the caverns.

Tree Rex stormed off, and Sihiri and Inochi floated off in urgency. The caverns rumbled as smaller explosions shook their walls, and ahead of them, an entire crowd of miners pushed and shoved each other aside as they stampeded through the caverns with sweat poured down their faces.

"A monster!" cried one miner as they stumbled over their own feet and held up the back of the crowds as they ran. "There's a monster here!"

Smoke flooded the caverns with such speed that Sihiri fell into a coughing fit, and the walls heated up as agonized groans rumbled through the caves! The loose stones below Sihiri shuddered as a hoarse scream shook the caves once more, and with it, the smoke and heat grew so intense that Sihiri fell to her knees. Even as a ghost, this was all so intense that she grappled for breath! Her coughing fit grew stronger as the smoke stung her eyes, but the clouds turned a minty green and Sihiri's aches disappeared with their fading plumes.

A firm but gentle hand brought Sihiri back to her feet, and when her eyes met Inochi's, the two nodded and rushed deeper into the caves. The heat rose with every inch they passed, and the screams grew louder, rougher, so much that they rattled the caves and even shattered a few sections! The heat itself grew dizzying as they stretched further, but relented as they finally passed into an open chamber in the caverns…

There within stood Hot Head, who cried in agony as flames burned from every opening and vein in his body! His eyes were puffy with pain as he groaned and slammed a flaming arm into a large stalagmite, and completely shattered it before he moved on to the next!

While he screamed and thrashed away, Tree Rex, Crusher and Jorden all stood around him with stances tense as they prepared to fight. A group of miners warily raised their hammers and pickaxes as they stood shaky and sweaty in the corner of the room, and to the other corner, another group shouted out as they helped up a limping elf and hobbled away.

"Hot Head!" Sihiri and Inochi cried out in tandem as they rushed up to Tree Rex.

A volley of flames burst overhead, and Tree Rex ducked just before he caught fire. He knelt down closer to Sihiri and Inochi, and winced as he gazed over to where Hot Head screamed and spewed fire at every angle.

"That's him, alright, but I don't know what happened to him!" Tree Rex whispered. "Whatever it is, he's in so much pain that he can barely think! We've gotta find some way to—"

"How dare you!" Crusher cried as he lifted his hammer and flung himself towards Hot Head. "Crushing rocks is my job, for the sake of the Ancients!"

"All of you, get out of here, quick!" Jorden cried as he followed after Crusher. "I'll keep this overgrown furnace distracted!"

The other miners screamed and cried out as they made their escape, but not Jorden—he rushed headfirst into the fray as he lifted up a sturdy, large rock and tossed it right into Hot Head's knee! The rock shattered upon contact, but the pain it left sent Hot Head yowling! His leg swung, and he kicked Jorden right into the cavern walls.

Jorden screamed as he popped out from the walls, and Crusher growled at the sight as he squeezed his hammer's handle. Crusher slid forward, and with one swift strike, flung the head of his hammer right into Hot Head's chest! Flames spewed from Hot Head's veins as he flew back into a wall, smashed it to bits upon impact, and groaned as he stumbled up—but he collapsed back to the floor with one slam of Crusher's hammer on his head! Hot Head shuddered, and for a moment, he slunk down a bit. Soon he growled, and that growl turned to a roar as his flames erupted brighter than before!

His teeth gnashed while he turned a flaming palm on Crusher, and he screamed as a white bellow of flames burst from his palms and pushed Crusher into the wall behind him! The flames formed a net around Crusher and pinned him to the spot while his hammer slipped to his feet with an earth-shaking thud! Crusher grunted as he pushed against flames that in turn brightened and pushed him back against the wall. His stone turned red-hot underneath the heat of the flames, and sharp cracks came next as the heat split his rocky skin open…

"Wait, you two! Calm down!" Tree Rex cried as he ran into the fray with hands held up and eyes wide with worry. "We're all friends! Don't you remember?"

Hot Head's eyes fluttered, and his mouth gaped open while the flames around him seemed to die. The agony in his voice quelled a bit as he turned his attention to Tree Rex, and for a moment, the pained look in his eyes turned to contemplation.

"What are you talking about?" Crusher groaned as he hobbled up to Tree Rex with his hammer as a makeshift cane. "I don't believe I've ever see you in my life!"

Tree Rex only smiled. "That's where you're wrong. You two are the Elder Elements of Fire and Earth, and my allies! We fought together through thick and thin!"

Sihiri and Inochi both floated up, and held out their hands as they cast an aura of purple and green light which cascaded over Hot Head and Crusher. The magic seeped into their veins and cracks, sealed Crusher's wounds, and calmed the flames that burned from Hot Head's veins, but, neither of them seemed to even notice! Crusher and Hot Head stood transfixed as Tree Rex regaled them with stories of their fights against the Arkeyans, of epic battles where they saved the day, and the small moments they spent laughing and enjoying each other's company alike—and going by the sparkle in their eyes, it almost seemed like it was working!

"And if it weren't for your solid thinking, Crusher, and your firepower, Hot Head, we probably would've lost the battle against the Arkeyans that day! But thanks to you, we halted their invasion and ensured that Irragin would stand another day!" Tree Rex finished. "I have even more stories where that came from—unless you remember them now, of course."

Hot Head blinked and looked down at himself. "Hey, I'm not on fire anymore!" he proclaimed before he gasped and grinned, "and I can talk again! Ancients, I was hurting so bad I could barely think!" Hot Head raised a brow and glimpsed down at Sihiri and Inochi. "Did you two do this?"

Sihiri nodded and floated up. "You are one of our allies, Hot Head!"

"Hey, who're you calling a hot head?"

Sihiri and Inochi both chuckled as Hot Head shot them a glare. Well, Hot Head was more of a fighter than a thinker. He pouted as they both laughed some more, but even that remained for only a moment. As they floated and laughed, Hot Head yelped in shock, and Sihiri opened her eyes right as a gigantic net zoomed out of the caverns with Hot Head held tight in its grips!

"After that net!" Tree Rex cried.

Tree Rex ran off with Crusher shouldered on one arm, and Inochi and Sihiri floated after him with haste. Hot Head's terrified shrieks and screams rang through the walls as they ran, but dulled as they finally exited and found him held within its now silvery-bluish glow and crammed so tightly within its netting that he was practically a ball.

"Lemme out of here!" Hot Head cried as he thrashed and pushed against the net's ropes and cords with little success, as the netting just stretched with him as if it taunted him. "These things are super cold!"

A shrill beep sounded, and the orbs that linked the netting hissed as they split open and poured a silvery, sparkling mist into Hot Head's net prison! Frost formed at his feet as he thrashed some more, but his movements grew sluggish as the frost climbed up his legs and turned them from red to an icy blue.

"Help, so, cold…"

"Hot Head!" Tree Rex cried.

"Hey, what's goin' on here?" Jorden cried as he rushed out of the caverns. "I get knocked out for five seconds, and next thing ah know, everythin's gone off to pasture!"

"Jorden, something's wrong!" Inochi cried as she flew up to Jorden and grabbed him by the shirt with no mind paid to the startled look in his eyes. "Hot Head, he's—"

"Fret not, innocent civilians of this humble town! Your woes will soon be over!"

A shadow cast out from a group of trees, and out from the bushes leaped… 'Enehana? Well, it looked like them, but the patchwork clothing and gadgets they had disappeared! Their goggles were shiny, polished, and sparkled in the sun as they covered 'Enehana's eyes, while a pristine coat and tunic covered the rest of their body. They grinned as they held a remote in one hand and adjusted their goggles with the other, and then brandished their remove to the heavens.

"Thanks to my Instant-Freezer 9000, this foul beast will no longer burn Skylands to its crisps! An icy prison serves as a fitting fate for such a mindless monster that rampages and burns everything it sees to the ground with no thought whatsoever!"

"Wait, freezer?" Hot Head whimpered as he barely struggled against the netting. "That cold's gonna, extinguish…"
"Silence, you flaming fiend!" A scowl formed on 'Enehana's face as they glared at Hot Head and clutched the remote close to their chest. "You've been rampaging about and burning villages to the ground for days now! An icy imprisonment is the kindest thing I can give you after all you've done!"

A puff of cold air burst from Hot Head's mouth as the frost climbed to his waist, and he winced as he gazed towards 'Enehana with weak, pleading eyes. "But, I, I was so hot… So much oil… Couldn't control… Myself…"

"Listen to him, 'Enehana! You two are allies! Don't hurt each other like this!" Tree Rex pleaded.

'Enehana took a glance at Tree Rex and back at where Hot Head sat with wide eyes and a pleading pout, and for a moment, it almost seemed like some kind of realization came over them as they pursed their lips—but, they only scoffed. "I've never talked to that foul beast in my life 'till today! What kind of nonsense are you babbling about?" 'Enehana cried as they reached for their remote's dial. "Anyways, I'd best make this quick. I've got plenty more work to do."

'Enehana's fingers curled around the dial, but right as they went to turn, a blast of magic shot through it and shattered the remote to bits! 'Enehana gasped as the remote's broken bits fell at their feet, and turned their gaze towards Sihiri with her wide eyes and glowing purple hands.

"You! What did you do to my remote?"

All eyes turned to Sihiri, and she winced as heat gathered in her cheeks. "I panicked!" she cried!

A low hiss sounded out from the back as the mist cleared up, and with it, the frost that covered Hot Head as well! His rocky body turned bright and red while the heat brimmed from his lava veins in its warm colors once more. Maybe a little too brightly, at that! The colors turned paler and brighter in color as Hot Head pushed against the netting, and with a roar, his whole body ignited! The flames burned against the nets as his thrashing rolled him backwards and right towards the edge of the cliff!

"Hey, don't try to escape me!" 'Enehana cried as they sprung after Hot Head. "I wasn't done with you yet!"

Hot Head only roared as he slammed his arm back with maybe a little too much force than needed, and the whole cliff shook in response! A sharp crack hit the air and the ground alike as a fissure formed in the cliff's side, and it crumbled and took Hot Head and 'Enehana with it!

"Wait, those two'll get killed falling from that height!" Crusher cried as he stormed off.

Jorden gasped and dashed after Crusher, and Sihiri herself tried to follow—but she came too late, for they both jumped right off the cliff's broken edge!

"Wait, you two!" Inochi cried.

Tree Rex ran off first, stumbled towards the edge of the cliff and reached out. He had no need to, for a gigantic stone pillar shot out from the ether with Crusher at its helm! Hot Head slunk down beside him, and to his right, Jorden made one of his cheesy smiles as he cradled 'Enehana in his arms. 'Enehana, for their part, just sputtered and clutched their arms close.

"Do I happen to know you?" 'Enehana asked as Jorden walked off the platform with them still firmly in his grasp.

"Well, uh, I don' believe I've ever seen you 'round these parts," Jorden admitted, and a soft chuckle came as blush dusted his face. "But'cha know, you've got one'a those really memorable faces! The kind that people look at an' they think, 'Hey, ah know that person, even though I've never seen 'em a day in my life!' and, well, uh—"

"Nevermind, I remember now."

'Enehana planted a kiss on Jorden's cheek, and Jorden's face turned pink as a vernal strawberry as he hooted and hollered with glee!

"A HANDSOME PERSON KISSED ME! IT REALLY HAPPENED!"

Jorden tossed 'Enehana in the air, and 'Enehana laughed with sheer glee as orange light enveloped their body while brown light took hold of Jorden's! As 'Enehana fell down and back into Jorden's arms, their bodies' mass faded, and once again they were ghosts that donned the same clothes they wore on their death's date with the pendants sparkling with glee. Yet, they just looked into each other's eyes and held each other close as they could.

Another pair of lights, this time in brown and red, shone from the side as Crusher and Hot Head marveled them, and when the lights faded, they once again returned to their normal states! Crusher's mining gear fell way to his helmet and sash, and both their bodies bore the cracks and scars of war. But, the smile they shared with each other as they watched Jorden spin around 'Enehana showed that they remembered all, both good and bad.

"Alright, what's going on here?" Crusher asked as he walked up to Tree Rex. "All I remember was going into that trial room, and then…"

"I'm not sure myself," Tree Rex admitted. "I can only presume this is the trial the Oracle laid for us. But why? And what for?"

Crusher and Hot Head traded glances as they scratched their heads, then both shrugged and sighed, while Tree Rex did the same.

"Personally, I think we've had enough excitement for now," Sihiri said as she clapped her hands. "Let's just meet up with the others and go from there."

The echo of her clap rang through the air, and from it, a warp of glistening lavender opened underneath their feet. The light shone its brightest, and in a flash, it wrapped them in its magic and whisked them all away.

§

"Thank you for driving me here, again," Vatra said as he leaned against a wooden barrel and sighed, "I'm sure I'd be hopelessly lost by now if I hadn't gotten your help."

"Think nothing of it. I was on my way there, anyways," said the farmer helming the cart as he cracked the whip. The oxen that helmed the cart cried out as they ran a little faster, and he chuckled a bit. "I have goods to deliver to this village here and some family I need to get acquainted with. How about you?"

Vatra grimaced, and turned just a little further away so that the person driving the cart couldn't meet his gaze. "I'm just visiting a friend to get caught up on old times, that's all."

Vatra should have been able to find Vaayu here, if what he recalled of his conversations with Vaayu and his estimations of this realm were correct. Not that Vatra was looking forward to it, of course.

This realm seems to be indulging us in our biggest wishes, the things we desired the most back when we still warred with the Arkeyans, Vatra mused as he ruffled his hair. And that means that… Ugh… Vaayu will be with her.

Yes, that's right. He'd probably be in the village with his ex-fiance, and he would gush all about her while they did the utterly skin-crawling things couples did. Vatra never particularly cared for romance—he found it repulsive, as a matter of fact— but if he knew how things would play out, that would make his job ten times harder. Vaayu was a romantic by nature, and surely he'd be too caught up in his fantasies of a big fancy house with his wife and their ten children, or perhaps it was twelve children? Vatra never payed much attention to Vaayu's rambling. Either way, it would take Vatra ages to talk him out of it and see reality. He could already see it now, the utterly mawkish couple's banter, and the lengthy, drawn-out kissing, and all the courting rituals that made Vatra want to gag! To say he wasn't looking forward to this was an understatement, in all honesty.

"Here's our stop," the person helming the cart said as he released the reins.

Vatra leaned back, but an abrupt stop of the cart pushed him backwards, knocked his head against the barrel while it in turn knocked back into him, and left him with a nasty surging pain in the back of his skull. Vatra nodded and rubbed the back of his head as he hopped off the cart's side. "Thank you for this."

"No problem."

Vatra sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets as the cart drove into the village. His eyes glimpsed over the village ahead for only a moment, and he instead took another path that spread into a mostly-uninhabited forest thick with trees and plants. He could just barely spy traces of blue light that streaked out from the pathway like sparkling smoke. Yes, that sounded like that lake Vaayu always talked about, so Vatra supposed that was where he was supposed to go.

"Why did I have to get him back?" Vatra grumbled as he pushed away a few tree branches and groaned. "It'll take an eternity just to convince him this is an illusion!"

Oh, Vatra could already see it now. He's stumble up to them all haplessly in love as they made goo-goo eyes and called each other overly-saccharine pet names or talked about how many children they wanted to have, and he'd have to endure the worst hours of his life as he tried to talk some sense to Vaayu. His stomach churned at the very thought, but, he couldn't leave Vaayu stranded in whatever this strange trial was, either. For all his overly foppish nonsense about romance, he was Vatra's ally.

As he heaved another sigh, Vatra grumbled under his breath and braced himself for the worst as he disappeared under the canopy of trees. The vast, looming thickets above him reminded Vatra more of a jungle than a forest, now that he thought about it. Their large leaves blocked off the sun, and the only light that came was an azure glow speckled between the rare gaps in their trunks. The faint sounds of rustling leaves and animal calls echoed from the gaps, sent chills down Vatra's spine, and heated his fingers.

He only laid his eyes on the rough dirt below his feet and carried on. The animal sounds and shaking leaves disappeared soon enough, but what came next sounded like screaming—HUMAN screaming! Vatra sharply inhaled as a piercing, strained cry hit his ears, and without even thinking, his pace sped up and left flaming tracks in the ground as he ran down the path.

The jungle cleared around him the further he ran, and the trees and bushes and flowers made way for an opening with a luminous aqua glow. He passed through, and well, he arrived, and it was bad—but not the way he thought it would be. The pool that was supposedly a sea of sparkling aquamarine in the tiny grotto was polluted by the silvery blood of Arkeyan machinery, and the grass was cut and uprooted in large patches. The places where it wasn't were littered with broken, mechanical body parts and the strewn guts of cable and inner circuitry from the Arkeyan corpses left behind. Trees and bushes laid slashed to slivers, and the air reeked of oil and blood.

But, nothing quite caught Vatra's eyes as what laid in the heart of the grotto, for there sat Vaayu! His hair laid loose and the long tunic and trousers he wore held slashes that reveal shallow cuts. He sobbed as he held the body of a slim elf with emerald green skin and long, dark hair sprawled along their shoulders, and her own dresses and skirts were similarly torn while a bloody patch covered her chest.

"The Arkeyans came here already?" Vatra cried as he stumbled out. In his haste he tripped, but he quickly regained his balance as he sat before Vaayu and went to grab the elf from his arms. "Before anything, we need to get this elf to a medic, all this blood—"

"It's no use! Leave me to my misery!" Vaayu wailed as he clutched the elf's body as close to his chest with no care for how the blood stained him. A few choked sobs escaped him once more, and he knelt his head while the body limped in his grasp. "She, she, she's already dead. I watched her die in front of me, and I couldn't even stop them!"

Vaayu wailed as he cradled the elf's body closer once more, as if holding her would somehow bring her back to life, and in that moment, another memory came to Vatra's mind. He recalled a schoolhouse left broken and disarrayed, blood streaked across the walls, and terrified screams from students and faculty alike. Vatra's heart sped up, even though nothing remained in that ghostly body of his, and for a moment, he was back at the school where he taught, in the disarrayed classroom where he shared so many lessons, and only able to watch his other students cradle the bloodied body of—no, he, he couldn't worry about that right now. Though the memories bit at his heels, Vatra only knelt down and laid a hand on Vaayu's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," was all he could bring himself to say.

Vaayu trembled, and Vatra wondered if maybe his sympathies were the wrong thing to bring. Vaayu only stood with his lover's body cradled snugly in his arms while he scowled. The winds rose around him, and his teeth gritted while shadows came over his eyes.

"Surely, they're probably headed for the village!" Vaayu cried as he ran off. "I have to warn them, before it's too late!"

"Vaayu!"

Vatra panted as he ran after Vaayu, but the winds boosted Vaayu's footsteps, and it wasn't long before he had left Vatra far behind him. Perhaps he already realized the true nature of this trial and called upon his powers once more? Vatra wasn't sure, but nevertheless he followed. The sunlight shone harsh as Vatra left the forest and trekked up the pathway to the village, and thankfully, Vaayu was there before him. The weight from his lover's body must have worn him down, or maybe it was that time spent fighting Arkeyans that wore down Vaayu, but either way, he now hunched over and grunted as he struggled to make his way up the path. He struggled so badly, and yet he still fought his way up the path.

Vatra swept in front of him and placed his hands underneath the elf's body. "Here, let me help you—"

"Don't worry about me! Warn the village!" Vaayu spat. "The Arkeyans will arrive any second now!"

Vatra drew back as the sight of Vaayu with such determination and seriousness in his eyes sent a shock to his system. Obediently, Vatra left Vaayu's side and sprinted up the path, and the village with its baked brick houses and its small populace who went to and fro about their ordinary lives came closer and closer into view. He skidded to a stop with such speed that flames erupted behind him! Their heat crept against his back and gone moments later, but, the burning feeling of all the villagers' eyes on him and their confused whispers kept the feeling well enough.

"Everyone, listen to me!" Vatra cried as his voice strained and his head lifted. "The Arkeyans are coming for your village!"

Those two sentences seemed to be more than enough, thankfully, as he couldn't find any more to say. Some villagers dropped the baskets they held, others exchanged worried glances, and of course, the gossip among the townsfolk grew louder and even more worried than before.

"The Arkeyans, here? That can't be!"

"Look at that person, he's clearly an outsider! What reason would you have to believe him? The Arkeyans wouldn't come all the way out here!"

"But they've been conquering more and more territories here…"

The gossip and fearful cries grew louder by the second until a large, powerful throat cleared and caught everyone's attention.

"Fear not, everyone!" cried a particularly muscular person dressed in armor as they made their way out of the crowds. "Our defenses are strong, and we have allies we can call upon. We are not weak in the face of the Arkeyans! We'll set our armies and meet them before they can even step foot in the village!"

Vatra wasn't quite sure who this person was, exactly, but judging by the proud, tall way they held themself and the relief that shone in the villagers' eyes, their words must have carried some weight. The worries and gossip amid the crowd slowly dissipated, and most slunk away from the crowds to attend to their duties once more while others in armor made their way to this person's side.

The heavily armored person only turned to Vatra. "Thank you for your warnings, kind stranger," they said as they gave Vatra a curt nod. "We must make our preparations, so I am afraid this is where we part."

The armored platoon marched past Vatra with urgent speed, but Vatra cared for them no longer—he had to find Vaayu. At first, he eyed the paths behind to see if Vaayu had caught up, but the sound of Vaayu's pained voice reached the air, and Vatra's attention instead turned to a single house nearby. Sure enough, Vaayu stood in the doorway and argued with an elven man dressed in clothes similar to his, but with a skintone more akin to that of Vaayu's elven lover.

"Why didn't you protect her?" the man demanded as he slammed a bulky hand against the doorframe. "You were her spouse, correct? It was your duty to keep her safe, and you still have the gall to deliver her bloodied body to our doorstep? When you couldn't fill your own duties?"

Vatra expected Vaayu to fight back, but instead Vaayu just stood with his head hung low in shame. He took the shouts as the accusations and insults sunk into his skins. His arms trembled, next his legs, and finally Vaayu fell to his knees and bowed at the elven man's feet! The sheer suddenness drew the man back with shock as a few other elves poked their heads through the doorway to witness Vaayu, who shuddered and choked back sobs.

"I truly, truly cannot apologize enough!" Vaayu cried at last. "I can't make any excuses for myself. Even though I fought with all my life, I still wasn't able to save hers! I should have been the one to die in her place!"

The pain in Vaayu's statements reached their ears, and all at once, their faces fell with his. A few stifled sobs, but it was the man who finally held his head and slipped out sobbing with him. The others followed as they held their heads and cried along—surely, they all mourned the loss of her.

"The Arkeyans will likely make their attack on the village soon," Vatra said as he stepped forth at last. "If you'd like to prepare funeral rites, I'd advise you do it as soon as you can."

"We should contact the funerary," said an aged elven woman with a wrinkled face and thin frame as she touched the man's shoulders. "We'll need to make sure she's laid to rest as soon as possible."

Not a word came from the grieving family as they rose from their mourning; they merely nodded and drifted off into the darker corners of their house. Only the man stopped to close the door, and as it creaked to a close, his blank eyes shone with what could only be sympathy or grief, but it was a fleeting feeling, for the door slammed shut.

"I believe it's time we left them alone," Vatra said. He knelt down and gently nudged Vaayu's shoulders. "Come, the rest of the village is already preparing for battle. You should probably head home—"

"NO!" Vaayu screamed!

He jolted up and slapped at Vatra's hand with such sudden rage that Vatra flinched back, and his blue eyes filled with some kind of righteous rage as he stared down Vatra.

"I, I, I want to fight. They took my love from me, and I will not stand by and let them take anything else!" Vaayu gulped and cleared his throat. "Apologies, I shouldn't have lashed out like that at a stranger. I, I'll take you to my home, but we'll be leaving as soon as the sounds of war begin."

Huh, roping someone who was a total stranger to him at present into fighting for a village not even close to home? Vatra would remark that this didn't quite feel like something this Vaayu did, but something in Vaayu's stance, in his speech, felt a bit like the Vaayu Vatra knew. It was almost as if his memories slumbered within him and stirred in that moment.

Vatra stood silent and only gave him a curt nod and smile. That was all Vaayu needed, so the two of them walked down the endless stretches of dirt roads and clay houses until they found themselves at a particular small and dome-shaped home. It was barely enough to fit a family of threem and nothing like the extravagance of his lover's home. Vaayu pushed open the door and disappeared inside, so Vatra did the same.

The house's inside wasn't very remarkable, with only the bare minimum of furnishings—worn and dusty cushions laid on the floor rather than any form of tables or chairs, and a few blankets laid atop a wooden stool. No scent lingered in the air, and not a single personal memento laid in sight. Vaayu seemed to recognize the sparseness of it all, as he only sighed.

"Forgive me if it's somewhat messy. I normally don't get much company, or have much," he explained as he took a seat on one of the cushions. "My parents passed some years ago, and I don't have any other family to speak of. I've been living by myself for so long."

"I, I'm sorry to hear that," Vatra said. His tone stayed guarded as he sat down on the seat adjacent to Vaayu's.

The two of them only sat in silence as the warm-toned sunlight that poured through the windows and tinted everything in shades of marigold and crimson slowly faded, all in turn as the sun sank over the horizon. It dusted against Vaayu's dark hair and gave it an almost brownish tint before it disappeared, and with the fading light, Vaayu's mood seemed to fade as well. His shoulders slunk over with his head, and he seemed almost like he was going to curl in on himself and sob if not for Vatra's presence. He forced a smile as he pulled himself up, and he finally took a breath as the last of the sunlight faded while the world turned to cobalt.

"It's strange, really. I'm certain I've never met you once in my entire life," Vaayu said at last, "and yet something about you seems familiar, like an old friend I could say anything to."

That's more true than you realize, Vatra thought, but something in him kept him from saying it out loud—was it perhaps that gut feeling that now wasn't the time to bring things up? Perhaps, so instead Vatra asked only one thing.

"What happened down at that lake? What exactly could those Arkeyans be after?"

Vaayu's lips trembled, and he lowered his head while his arms followed. For a moment, he seemed to open his mouth as if some words would magically come out, but all that came were faint mumbles and pained noises. Vaayu's hands shook with fear and fury, and for a moment, Vatra wondered if maybe he should change the subject.

"It was me," Vaayu croaked out at last before Vatra could even reach out. "They, they wanted me."

Vatra only blinked, for the suddenness of this phrase took him aback. The Arkeyans wanted him? Vatra's heart sank, for he knew all too well; they wanted powerful magicians for their armies as the rebellions grew in numbers, and like all things the Arkeyans desired, they'd take them by force if they so desired. Surely he meant that…

"It wasn't her fault, it really wasn't." Vaayu's voice cracked, and his head slumped in what seemed like either sorrow or shame—it was hard to tell. "They lied to her, they told her that our home would be safe, that we'd be some of the most heralded figures in the Arkeyan Empire if I joined them! They, they promised her so much—" Vaayu's hands trembled, and this time clenched into a tight fist "—but, they only stabbed us both in the back! In the end, it was all just a lie! They, they, they…"

Vaayu's breath strained, and the sweat dripped down onto the floor. Vatra could barely see how Vaayu's face seemed to lose its color underneath the faint glimpse of the moonlight, and Vaayu's eyes shrank as he clutched his chest. His breathing turned from strained and slow to quick and shrill, and he collapsed to the floor as he hyperventilated! Vaayu shrieked, and Vatra immediately went to his side and hoisted him up. Vatra hushed him though Vaayu fought against his grip, and emitted a warmth from his palms, a gentle one that seemed to ease Vaayu's panic. Vaayu's breathing slowed back to a reasonable pace, and he peered up at Vatra with worry still as his lips trembled.

"The village, surely they'll—"

"We won't let them. They won't have this village, not as long as I stand."

Vatra's words seemed to ease Vaayu's worries some, so he broke away and gazed out the window with not a word spoken. Vatra, too, couldn't bring himself to break the silence either. Pangs of guilt tugged at his heart, perhaps for how he didn't realize in his annoyance that Vaayu, too, lost someone he cared deeply for to Arkeyan hands. For all his annoyance with romance, Vatra couldn't fault him for grieving that loss. So, for that moment, they sat and basked in their grief and solemn sorrow with only the moonlight to watch them. No words spoke, and yet the overwhelming pains of loss went known as their bodies numbed from the single feeling.

For a moment, Vatra almost dozed off as his body ached for rest, but as he closed his eyes and relaxed, the sound of horns burst through the distance! Their cries rang loud, and shook the ground enough that it roused Vatra from his drowsiness.

Vaayu scrambled to his feet with a similar urgency. "Those horns!" Vaayu cried as he made for the door. "Surely the battle's already begun!"

Vatra's head ached from his drowsiness as he stumbled his way out of Vaayu's home. The rousing cries of war greeted him as he opened the door, but the lingering fatigue made it hard for him to distinguish the village anymore. Between the sound of pounding footsteps of soldiers pouring in and crying their defiance, and that of their weapons clashing with the sharp metal of Arkeyan soldiers, the noise was so great that it muddied all his senses! The ground below him violently shuddered, and upset his footing so greatly that it pushed him to his knees while he only watched.

Vatra barely spied Vaayu's shock of blue bobbing through their ranks amid a group of soldiers wielding bows and arrows, and then the rest of Vaayu surfaced as the soldiers moved into position. Vaayu now laid on the ground himself, and his shaking arms barely kept him suspended off the ground as the world around him went to war. His eyes remained locked on a spear-wielding Arkeyan that launched itself towards him—but right before it sprung, a hole burst from its head while a sharp, metallic arrow plunged into the ground beside it! Sparks burst from the newborn holes in the Arkeyan's head as it fell on its side, and Vaayu scrambled away just before its head burst into flames.

"What are you doing down there?" cried someone from the rooftops above where Vatra laid. "Either get up and fight, or get to safety! Don't stand in our way!"

Vatra glanced up to find a bow-wielding soldier who glared not at him, but the fields below—and though he wasn't quite sure if this person talked about him or someone else, he pushed himself to his feet. He'd recovered his senses enough to run to Vaayu's side and lay a hand on him, and Vaayu in turn yanked himself back and flung a hand bursting with cold, sharp winds at Vatra's face, but the winds faded and his expression lowered when he saw Vatra before him.

"How, how did I do that?" Vaayu gasped as he stared back at his hand. He trembled once more, shuddered and fell to his knees. "Oh, what matter does that make? I'm a coward, plain and simple!"

Vaayu's body shuddered once more, and Vatra in turn went to his knees and gently shook Vaayu. "Vaayu, calm down," Vatra whispered. "If you can't fight, you need to get to safety—"

"But, but, I have to!" Vaayu turned to Vatra, and his eyes welled with tears. "After what they did to her, I can't just sit here and watch while they take our home too!"

Vatra tried to speak, but the sound of arrows flying en masse drowned out his voice! Explosions followed soon after, and their warm colors bled out the cool skin of midnight blue. Both Vatra and Vaayu turned to find an entire frontline row of Arkeyan soldiers laid sprawled on the earth with endless guts of wire and machinery where their heads would've been. The sight of the decimated row must have inspired something in the soldiers from Vaayu's village, for they rose their swords and axes with confidence, and practically flung themselves at the oncoming row of Arkeyan soldiers as they slashed through Arkeyan metal and traded blow after blow!

"We, we're winning!" Vaayu gasped as if he almost couldn't believe his eyes.

Screams and the scent of blood rose in the air soon after, and Vaayu winced as someone's arm flew off into the distance—it was hard to tell if it were organic or robotic under the shade of night. He dove into the bushes and shuddered as the war cries turned to desperate, terrified screams, and once again he became a shuddering ball of nerves that only curled up and covered his ears as the world around him raged. He seemed close to bolting off, and yet, he moved not an inch from the bush where he cowered.

Vatra clenched his teeth for a moment, and almost debated if he should try and rouse Vaayu's memories and spirits here. But, the sounds of battle raged on behind him, and as it stood, neither of them would make it out if he kept lingering like this. The flames burst at his feet, ever-eager to fight with him, and Vatra turned tail.

"Find somewhere safe to hide!" Vatra cried as Vaayu left his vision. "I'll hold things down here the best I can!"

The familiar crackle of embers came to his fingertips next, and Vatra raised his hands right as he sprinted towards an ax-wielding Arkeyan soldier. He planted his hands firmly on the sides of its head, and the flames erupted from his palms with that single spark of action right as they enveloped Vatra and whisked him safely away. By the time they disappeared and he landed on solid ground, the headless corpse of that Arkeyan soldier laid sprawled and sparking on the ground. Cries of warning he barely discerned came from behind him, and Vatra turned around just in time to punch away two of the smaller Arkeyans that came for him next. A quick flame from his palm scorched away another, and a rousing kick swept one Arkeyan soldier off its feet in time for a decidedly human one to slash it in half with their sword before they ran off.

The world blurred in Vatra's mind, and all that came to him was the instinct to fight, to set the world around him on fire till the Arkeyans that surrounded him were nothing but burning scrap. The smell of hot, burning fire melded with blood and burning quicksilver as his body propelled itself on its own, latched onto the Arkeyan soldier unfortunate enough to be nearest, and set it alight. With a single fling, its flaming body fell to that of its platoon and took them all in a fiery explosion, and Vatra moved from it to a larger, bulkier one nearby. Cries and shouts of fear that were distinctly organic in nature roused around him, and he shut them out with a single flaming punch into the Arkeyan's chest. Shrill, distorted cries came as it latched onto Vatra's arms and flung him, but he flipped himself back up and dove in again. He cast a burst of heat that burned away its innards, and moved to the next.

Small or mighty, shield-bearer or sword-wielder—it mattered not to Vatra. The Arkeyans fell one by one in his grasp, all as he tried to tune out the cries of war, cheers of victory, or fearful cries of pain that came from all around him. The other soldiers around him hurried away wounded allies or nursed their own injuries as stronger members dueled, and the sight only propelled him forward.

Before Vatra stood a particularly mighty shield-bearing Arkeyan soldier that surely looked for its next target! The shield-bearer's eyes seemed to glow as it laid on an injured soldier who hunched over and hobbled away, or maybe the firelight gave it added malice? Whatever it was, Vatra pushed himself between the two and cast a funnel of fire towards the Arkeyan. The Arkeyan blocked off the flames with its shield, and Vatra thrust forward, but he ached and collapsed instead of growing stronger!

His whole body groaned as he hit the ground, and its ghastly light dimming and brightening like a flickering ember. In the heat of the moment, he hadn't realized he'd used up so much magic energy, but now the adrenaline faded and his aches had returned to him at last. He tried to push himself up, tried to form one more flame, but he could barely even lift a hand, let alone stand.

The Arkeyan, seemingly disinterested with weak prey, turned its attention towards a group of soldiers that raised their bows and fired. Their arrows bounced off of its shield, but the soldiers merely kept firing. Those idiots, what were they doing? A model that strong could reflect even the finest of weaponry! The soldiers kept firing nonetheless as the Arkeyan raised both halves of its shield.

"Don't, shoot!" Vatra cried, his voice hoarse and barely able to scream. "Run!"

The warning itself came too quietly and too slowly, and fell out over the shrieking charge of the robot's shields and that of the warring worlds. The glaring, harsh blue light of the laser charged to its peak, shot in a bright flare that engulfed the soldiers entirely, and left them only ashes to crumble to the ground. A couple of the other soldiers dropped their weapons and fled, but a few stopped and shouted out something that became illegible as the world around Vatra rumbled.

He lifted his head with all the energy he could muster, and amid the burning flames cast around the village entrance (had he made those? He couldn't recall) emerged an entire army of those same shield-bearing robots. They marched, and smaller ones who wielded pistols charged out in front of them. Soon, their ranks flooded the gates and blocked out even the tallest of fires. Vatra could barely even think, yet he could tell that their ranks were too thin to combat an elite Arkeyan army of this level.

Move, damn it! Vatra screamed at himself as he forced his body up a few inches. You, you need to fight! You can't just lay here!

Vatra couldn't bring his body to move even in spite of his cries. It laid weak and sprawled on the ground, too pained and exhausted to even flinch. The most he could do was lift his head as a shadow cast over him—and in that moment, a sudden shock gave him enough energy to clutch his pendant. One of the smaller soldiers aimed its gun straight for his pendant with a murderous glint in its helmet's eyes as it wrapped its finger around the trigger. Vatra clenched his teeth and eyes as he braced himself for the end…

But a cold breeze shook his eyes back open! The cold winds rose, extinguished the fires around the village, and even sent the robots off their balance. Even the heaviest ones, even the strongest ones struggled to keep their footing as the winds grew stronger. Yet, Vatra himself laid unaffected save for the chills that ran down his body, and neither were any of the soldiers on his side.

A growl came from behind, and Vatra turned himself around the best he could to find Vaayu. There he was at the back of the pathways as the winds raged around him. His eyes and body glowed in a bright azure, and as he raised his head, the winds only roared and grew stronger while they lashed against the world around.

"You've stolen my love from me already, and you will steal nothing more!" Vaayu roared, his voice the only thing audible over the roaring, raging winds.

His cries of agony seemed to be the only signal the winds needed to attack—he simply screamed and they lunged forward. They took the shape of raging tornadoes, and tore the robots apart limb for limb as they launched the Arkeyens' severed arms and legs, heads and chests, all across the village grounds. Not once did they take the village soldiers in their grip, or lay their rage on the villager's homes; all their rage laid solely on the Arkeyans' shoulders. The few Arkeyans that remained screeched in robotic-sounded alarm and fled, but even they lasted little. The tornadoes' speed outbested their own, and they found themselves chewed up and spat out of its maws in bits.

The tornadoes themselves faded as the night did. Dawn crept upon the village grounds, and unveiled the battle's remains. Scattered weapons and corpses both robotic and organic mingled with blood fresh and dried, and laid in streams over the earth. In spite of the casualties, the village itself stood with little damage. The various houses and structures stood intact with little more than scorching or burn marks, and it seemed the entire village laid in awe. The surviving soldiers gazed listlessly around, and others left their homes to gaze in sheer wonder.

All eyes turned to Vaayu in that moment, and he collapsed.

"What's wrong with him?" cried one person, the voice of which Vatra's recognized as that of the burly elf man from earlier. "What's going on?"

"I, I don't know!" shouted another. "He summoned all these tornadoes and wiped out all those Arkeyans in a second, and then he just collapsed!"

Vatra gritted his teeth, and forced out whatever energy he could to crawl along the grounds until he finally made his way to the crowds surrounding Vaayu, and then through them to Vaayu himself. Before him, Vaayu laid face-first on the ground and practically choked on his own breath as his body flickered from a solid form to that of a ghostly, fading presence. Surely, he overexerted his own magic energy reserves without realizing—and pretty badly, by the looks of it.

Vatra tugged on the pants of one person before him, and feebly lifted his head as they looked down. "He, he needs, magic, quick!" Vatra croaked out before his own body gave out on him.

His head fell to the ground, spots coated his vision, and something rumbled in his ears and kept him from hearing a thing. Amid it all, some others rushed to Vaayu's side and planted their hands on his back, hands that soon glowed as Vaayu's form stabilized before Vatra's blurry eyes. Good, they, seem to have gotten, his message…

Vatra's head grew heavier, so heavier that it weighed his whole body down, and even keeping his eyes open was a struggle. His vision turned black, his body grew numb and limp—but something flooded into his body and filled him with life before his consciousness fully faded, filled him with the energy to stand again. He jumped back to his feet as his vision cleared, and it was Vaayu who met Vatra's gaze.

"You did it," Vatra said with a smile. "If not for you, I'm sure these casualties would have been much more numerous."

Vaayu, however, didn't seem to know how to take those words. He neither smiled or frowned, but just quietly hung his head. Those around him laundered their praises, yet he just turned away as an elven woman—the same one from that house—pushed her way through the crowds and met his gaze. They said no words, but merely pushed away from the crowds.

"I am afraid I have to leave," Vaayu proclaimed at last with his voice wavering just a bit. "I have important matters I need to attend to."

Vaayu and the elf woman dispersed from the crowds and towards the lower ends of the village, and the crowds in turn dispersed among the battlefield to collect their allies' corpses. Vatra himself would have stayed to help, but now that his senses returned, the scents of blood and death and burning oil grew so intense that it sickened him to the point of nearly vomiting. So, he merely followed the trail Vaayu took.

The sights around him were clean, untouched, and completely unlike the burnt and wartorn sights of the village front. In fact, he snatched glimpses of the path behind him just to make sure he hadn't been whisked off to another strange place a few times—but no, he still stood in the same village and walked the same paths he did prior. Though, now the buildings around him made way for more jungles, and he was sure he heard voices coming from down below.

Wait, could those be more Arkeyans? Vatra thought.

His heart skipped a beat at the notion, and he dove into the jungle thickets. He pushed past leaves and dodged thorny vines until he grew closest to the voices' source. What he found was not Arkeyan robots ready to strike, but a group of humans, elves, and more alike that gathered at a riverbed while someone who held a jar spoke. Vatra raised a brow and teleported to one of the less flammable parts of the forest, extinguished the flames with a single stride, and he dove behind the bushes. He probably shouldn't be here, but at the same time…

Wait. Vatra narrowed his eyes, and amid the crowds he spied Vaayu, who bit his lip and seemingly tried his hardest to hold back tears as the person holding the jar droned on. Vatra's eyes turned to the jar-holding person as he opened the jar, turned it upside-down, scattered ashes to the winds and the river waters, and then Vatra realized—so this was the important proceeding Vaayu had to attend. Yes, Vatra definitely shouldn't be here right now.

Vatra teleported away, and found himself back on the village grounds once more while funnels of smoke rose from one of the larger buildings. A few soldiers who held limp bodies passed them by, some followed by mourners both civilian and soldier, and others with only their fellow soldiers as company. It was a grim site, but one Vatra grew accustomed to seeing after years of war and terror, so his heart stirred not. He only crossed his arms and gave a solemn nod to the soldiers as they walked by, though they paid him no mind.

"There you are," Vaayu croaked.

Vatra's brows perked up as he found Vaayu beside him with eyes puffy and burnt from crying. Though he tried to hide them, it was clear that he cried well—it seemed that the funeral was the catalyst for all his emotions to finally sink in.

"I take it you've taken care of everything you needed to?" Vatra asked.

"Almost."

Vaayu turned back to where those elves, his lover's parents, stood with eyes wide in expectancy, and dismissed himself without a word. As he walked up to them, he withdrew something golden that sparkled with the colors of an evening sunset and presented it to them.

"What a beautiful necklace!" the elf woman gasped.

"I intended to give this to her for my proposal," Vaayu explained as he dropped the necklace into the elf man's hands, "but, I hope it can at least be of some use to you in my steed."

Vaayu parted from their side with one last, solemn glance and moved towards Vatra. His eyes, red with grief as they were, still carried themselves with some kind of determination as they locked on Vatra's, and it was enough that Vatra himself shied away slightly under the tension. This was more like the Vaayu he knew, so determined even in the face of hardship.

"Wait a second," the elf man said. "The way you said that makes it sound like you're leaving."

Vayau pursed his lips, his steely determination fading for a moment, but finally he gulped away his fear. "I am."

In turn both the elves drew back with eyes wide as they took in his words with slow blinks. "But, you can't!" the man pleaded. "Who will protect our village without your strength? If not for that power of yours, we would've been razed to the ground! You need to—"

Vaayu laid a hand on the burly hands of the elven man, and only stood silent as the winds rose and enveloped him in their grip for moments before they parted just as quickly. No longer was Vaayu in the realms of living; he returned back to his true, ghostly form as the breezes settled. He wore the same outfit he did on the day of his death, his pendant sparkled against the dawn, and that same light cascaded over him and gave his ghost a warm glow. The elves both gasped and stepped back for moments with wide-eyed gazes as if they were going to flee in panic, but with one smile from Vaayu, they lowered their shoulders and stood in quiet expectancy.

"There's many more places that the Arkeyans will target, not just our homelands," Vaayu explained, "and the thought of others suffering the way I did, the way we did, I just can't bear it! If I have powers as strong as these, the least I can do is use them so that others won't have to suffer the way she did—" Vaayu lowered his head, and his entire self next as he knelt before them "—so I can only apologize, for I cannot stay here in good conscious while others suffer when I know I have the power to help them."

"There is nothing to apologize for."

A firm pat on his shoulders brought Vaayu's attention to the elf man, and the warm smile on the man's face. "Vaayu, go, and protect all Skylands as you have our home."

Vaayu let out a short gasp, and he gave a hasty nod as he jumped to his feet. Once again he moved his attention to Vatra, and with a curt nod, the two of them made their way down the village path. The sound of footsteps rose behind them as more gathered back at the gates so they could cheer their thanks and shout their well wishes and goodbyes to Vaayu.

But, Vaayu held his head high no longer, for with every word he heard, he hid his face while the rest of his body trembled and swayed. The words were more a poison than a pleasure, and it ate away at him until they both walked so far that they could be heard no longer. Vaayu collapsed to his knees, and finally he buried his head in his hands and sobbed, a sob that released that pain that he surely held for millennia.

"Tell me," Vatra asked as he took a seat on a nearby tree stump, "was that how it truly went?"

Vaayu only whimpered and shook his head—no, far from it.

"I, I, I ran away," Vaayu croaked. His voice grew so hoarse enough from crying that Vatra could barely hear it. "I was so scared, I left her body there and ran as far as I could. I, I never knew what became of her, of them all, after that. If I had stayed, perhaps maybe, I could have saved them!" With tears pooled at his knees, he added, "I fought for everyone else, but I couldn't even find the courage to protect my own home! I, I should be ashamed of myself, and yet—"

"And yet, you still found it within you to try and atone for your past decisions," Vatra interrupted. "I'd say you've atoned enough."

While Vaayu lifted himself from his crying spell and turned to Vatra with the shaking vulnerability of a scared child, Vatra only knelt beside him. Vaayu wrapped his arms around Vatra's shoulders, and Vatra pushed them both off the ground. Vaayu leaned against Vatra, and Vatra hobbled them both down the beaten dirt paths while the road ahead changed.

The endless forests and dirt changed to trails of sand that lead to a beach with sparkling waters that glistened under the sun. If there was a beach ahead, Vatra had a good feeling he knew who would be there, well, if there was anyone here. The salty tinge of sea breeze came to him first, next the crashing of waves—but not of the natural ripples and waves of the waters. No, these waves roared like lions as they crashed against the sands and tossed pillars of the beach into the air. A deep voice bellowed with laughter among their cries as it burst through the waves' roars—a voice he knew all too well…

Vatra peeked his way around a skinny palm tree and smiled. Sure enough, Dej laid on the beach and sparred with the waves as though they were living beings. Simple, sea-stained white and blue robes clothed Dej's body, and on closer inspection, the material seemed slightly familiar. Lightweight and waterproof, was that perhaps from Vernalia?

"Alright, take five, everyone," Dej panted as he drew back, and the waves in turn settled before him, "I'd say that was a pretty good session for today!"

"I'd say you've found quite the lovely place to stay," Vaayu remarked as he broke from Vatra's grip at last. His eyes sparkled as he wandered onto the beach, paused a moment to feel the sand underneath him, and his eyes wandered back to the crystalline waters and verdant palm trees that danced in the breeze. "I haven't seen a beach quite this lovely in my entire life!"

Dej's weight shifted, yet that casual air didn't leave as he turned around a chuckled. "Yeah, this place is pre~tty nice, I'd say," he chuckled as he strode back up to Vaayu, and his smile faulted for a moment. "With the Arkeyans conquering everything in sight, it's been a lot harder to find places like this."

A glimpse of hesitation shone in Dej's eyes, and Vatra perked a brow. Perhaps he already started to realize the truth? His undead heart skipped a beat, and Vatra wondered. Perhaps this would be the perfect time to stoke his memories and get them all out of here?

"Which is why I've got get some surfing in before it's too late!"

Just like that, Dej was gone. With one flick of his hand, a surfboard of solid ice manifested in Dej's arms and off he went to coast the ocean waves that in turn buckled and rose as if they bent to his whims. Somehow, Vatra shouldn't have been surprised that this musclebrain was more concerned with his athletic pursuits than the mission at hand, and yet…

"There's just no reasoning with that man," Vaayu remarked as he crossed his arms. "I always said he had nothing but muscles for brains."

Vatra bit his tongue before he could reply, for something else caught his eye across the seas. He lifted handfuls of sand from the ground and heated them till they turned to scorching, malleable glass, molded it into the shape of a telescope, and absorbed the heat until it was as cool as ice. Vatra lifted the telescope to his eye, and his view fell on a ship sailing on the distant sees—one that was too distant to make out anything more than the basics, but he could've sworn he caught glimpses of red and gold over the horizon. Arkeyans? His undead heart beat furiously at the thought, but as the ship came closer into view, it rested.

No, the ship itself was an ordinary pirate ship with a body of wood instead of the sleek, lightweight metals that made up Arkeyan cavalry. A black flag with a skull and crossbones on it fluttered in the wind with pride, the ship itself reeked of stale alcohol and saltwater—a smell disgusting enough that Vatra plugged his nose at the notion—and the rowdy cries of the ship's crew carried over the winds. The ship docked at the beach with a slow creak, and a rusty black anchor leaped over the dock and plunged into the deep blue with a mighty splash.

"Land ho, boys!" cried a pirate captain who cackled with utter glee as pirates swung off the deck by what seemed like the dozen. "Now haul yer booties in gear—we've got booty to find!"

The pirates agreed with rousing cheers as they scrambled across the island, and Vatra in turn teleported behind a rock and hid away. With a wave of his hands, Vaayu and Dej teleported away from their spots as well and dropped behind him, with all three now firmly hidden away from the prying eyes of the pirates. A good thing, too, because they absolutely were prying!

Seadogs and cephalomen and all sorts of other species Vatra didn't quite recognize poured out by the dozen from the ship and scrambled along the once-pristine sands of the beach. They upturned rocks, uprooted trees, and left no nook, cranny or space untouched. A few nearly grazed Vatra's hiding spot, and in that moment, he caught a glimpse of unyielding, lustful greed in the pirate's beady eyes. A horrific sight, that was. Vatra shuddered at the faint recollection, and turned his gaze back to the fronts of the beach.

There, the ship bobbed and rocked as more pirates dismounted from its deck, but among them was a large whale that immediately caught Vatra's eye—and not just because of his size. This whale's blue skin shone underneath the sun like it was freshly wet, and he seemed to not have a care in the world as he hunkered off and sat down on the beach to fish instead.

"Could that be?" Vatra gasped.

He exchanged a choice glance with Vaayu, and Vaayu in turn shared his sentiments as they glanced back at the whale in turn. Yes, that had to be Thumpback! There was no doubt about it! That however, begot the next question. Just how in Skylands were they supposed to catch his attention and stoke his memory with all these pirates running amuck?

Well, thankfully Vatra got the answer to that question as well, for a more decorated pirate dismounted from the boat soon and barked out orders too loud to be heard from Vatra's distance. Whatever those orders were, they were seemingly enough to send the pirates down the island in a massive, throbbing crowd that pulsed and shuddered like a heart. There was a moment of shouting and stampeding, but it fled as quickly as it came, and left only the peaceful sounds of moving waters and the caw of seabirds.

Vatra and Vaayu exchanged glances, took a peek around to make certain none of the pirates chose to linger, and crept along the sands so that they drew closer and closer to the whale. The sound of low humming rumbled from him, and Vatra vaguely recognized the tune as a sea shanty Thumpback would occasionally hum around the base while he polished his beloved anchor. At that point, there was no doubt in Vatra's mind that this was him! Vatra tried to raise his voice and grab Thumpback's attention, but quickly skittered away as Thumpback's massive fishing pole drew back with a vibrant tropical fish latched to its hook. The rod itself swung wildly as the fish thrashed about, but Thumpback swiftly and carefully captured it in his grip. He fiddled with it for a few moments, and the fish dropped from the hook before it took wind and flew back into the ocean, and Thumpback's fishing rod followed it in turn with a modest plunk back into the waves.

The waters stilled, and Vatra cleared his throat. "Hello?" he started, and when Thumpback gave him no response, he said again, "hello?"

Still nothing. Thumpback sat transfixed on the oceans before him, and laid still as a statue as he fished. The only motion came from whatever odd tropical fish happened to catch his line, and he in turn fished it out just to cast it back to sea with the odd ruminations on the species of whatever he caught.

"Hello? Excuse me?" Vaayu said as he waved his arms up and down in some faint hope of catching Thumpback's attention.

Thumpback cast a glance towards Vaayu, and Vaayu himself immediately perked up, but, Thumpback glanced back to the waves just as quickly as he glanced over and transfixed on his fishing once again. So much for that. Vatra and Vaayu both sighed and shook their heads. If there was one thing Thumpback could get engrossed in more than anything, it was fishing.

"That guy seems pretty set on fishing out everything the ocean has to offer," Dej remarked with a whistle.

A sudden presence brushed against Vatra's back, and chills ran up his spine. Dej appeared behind him, seemingly out of nowhere, and Vatra nearly jumped out of his ghostly skin from the surprise! Instead, however, he collected himself as Dej stretched and strode past him.

"Maybe if I messed with the ocean a little bit..."

Dej swirled his hands, and the ocean waves rattled and stirred like shaking teacups in the face of a mighty quake. The shadows and faint glimpses of fish underneath the waves shuddered and darted away as the waves leaped up and down, and Thumpback in turn shuddered and clutched his rod a bit tighter. The rod quaked with the waves in his grip, and Thumpback's brow raised a bit. Was he finally willing to talk?

"Oh, looks like this is a big one!" Thumpback cried.

Well, he talked at least. Dej, Vatra and Vaayu all scrambled away as Thumpback stumbled backwards with his grip held so tightly on his fishing rod that it might've snapped in half were it of less durable material. With one mighty yank, he pulled what looked like a small Leviathan from the waters! The Leviathan landed on the beach's grounds with a mighty slam that tossed the sands up around them all, and Thumpback chuckled as he basked in his catch.

"Well, you're not quite a Leviathan Cloud Crab, but you're still quite the catch," Thumpback said.

He went to move the fish back to the sea, but as he did, a shrill screech caught his ear and he perked up.

"Essex! Ya lousy oaf!"

Vatra, Vaayu and Dej darted behind the Leviathan as the pirate captain stumbled into view, but not one of them resisted peeking their heads just above the Leviathan's still top to catch a glimpse of the scene.

The pirate captain glared down Thumpback with his one remaining eye, and held himself with such an imposing stature despite the fact that Thumpback towered over him. He wagged a finger at Thumpback, and a snarl formed on his face.

"Yer supposed to be lookin' for treasure, not fish!" the pirate captain cried.

"But fish are a treasure, Captain Frightbeard!" Thumpback proclaimed. His small eyes sparkled as he gestured to the ocean. "There's so many tropical fish here that you can't find anywhere else on Skylands! The Iridescent Flyfisher, the Galactic Spiral, and let's not forget the abundant population of—"

"Do ye think I give a rat's booty about FISH? If I wanted to get some fish, I could just yank some out of Davy Jones' Locker!" Captain Frightbeard kicked up the sand with a scoff and shot Thumpback one last glare. "If ye wish to not end up a castaway, stop fiddlin' around with that rod and look fer some actual treasure!"

"... I'll be there soon, Captain Frightbeard."

"Ye best keep that promise."

Captain Frightbeard departed with a scoff, and Thumpback scoffed in turn as he pushed the Leviathan back into the ocean. He knelt down and reached for his rod soon after, but his brows quickly perked as he finally caught sight of Vatra, Vaayu and Dej underneath him.

"Oh, locals! My bad, I didn't notice you!" Thumpback beamed and scratched his head. "Don't mind me. I'm just here for the fishing."

True to his word, Thumpback sat down and tossed his rod to sea once more, and Dej in turn sat beside him.

"We saw your little talk with your boss, you know," Dej remarked as he stretched his toned arms to the sky. "Seems to me like you care more for fishing than treasure hunting, for a pirate."

"Ah, that's true," Thumpback affirmed with not a hint of regret, "I only joined because I figured traveling across Skylands would give me plenty of extra fishing spots, but I didn't realize pirating was actually part of the job."

Ah, just like Thumpback. Vatra thought as he crossed his arms. He always did think about fishing before he thought about anything else.

"Truth is, I've considered just dropping the pirate thing altogether. I don't have the eyes for treasure, and taking things from others just makes me feel bad, you know?"

Though Thumpback's voice was low as to not scare the fish, it did carry with it genuine remorse, and perhaps, an opportunity?

Vatra jumped in, and forced his best, most convincing grin as he glanced towards Thumpback. "You know, you don't have to stay a pirate if you don't want too!" Vatra proclaimed. "There's plenty of better ways to find good fishing spots in Skylands!"

"There are?"

Thumpback glanced down at Vatra, and Vatra took it as the prompt he needed.

"Of course! There's quite a few organizations that travel all across Skylands, and do far less morally questionable things than ransacking islands and stealing from the helpless. There's traveling fishing organizations, true, but also plenty of relief organizations, and perhaps, groups for fighting evil across Skylands?"

"Fighting evil across Skylands? That's a bit of a lofty pursuit," Dej whistled as he leaned in with an intrigued brow picked.

Vatra couldn't quite read Thumpback's expression, but he could maybe discern a hint of curiosity from that glint, and Dej was interested as well! Perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone here.

"Of course!" Vatra steepled his hands and pressed them under his chin, as if he were one of those diplomats that proposed some intriguing plan. "I'm sure you're aware of the Arkeyans and all the trouble they've caused in Skylands recently, correct?"

"We've have spats with them here and there, yes," Thumpback said.

Dej groaned and crossed his arms. He said no words, yet his irritated expressions showed all he needed to say.

"Well, there's plenty of rebellious sorts that dedicate themselves to fighting off Arkeyan influence before it corrupts all Skylands!"

Thumpback's brow raised further as his rod gave a slight tug.

"They've pledged themselves in the Ancients' good name to protect Skylands with the powers they hold..."

The rod tugged a few more times, and Thumpback steeled himself with a purse of his lips.

"And best yet, you'll travel all across Skylands to find all the fishing spots and training areas you desire and keep them safe from Arkeyan corruption! I'm sure you'd be a shoo-in for a recruit with strength and size like yours, and all that experience training your mind and body can surely be put to use amid their ranks! You'd be recruited in a heartbeat! Why, you'd be up there with the Ancient Elementals in Skylands' memory if you did, I'm certain!"

Thumpback sputtered out as his rod continued to tug, and his expression wavered for a moment.

"I, I..."

Vatra eagerly nodded. "You accept?"

"I'VE GOT ANOTHER BIG ONE! HOLD ON!"

Thumpback's sudden shout cleared everyone out once more, and a shadow cast over them as Thumpback pulled an adolescent Leviathan out from the oceans and tossed it on the beach. The impact was so great that sand cascaded over them in a crashing wave, and Vatra found himself drowned in the results. He spat out sand as the waves conceded—all coarse, irritating stuff that got everywhere whether people liked it or not—and had half a mind to blow it away. He didn't need to, however, for Thumpback tossed the Leviathan back into the ocean, and it left with a massive splash of water that washed the sand from Vatra's person.

"That sounds like something I'll have to think about, but for now, please be quiet," Thumpback remarked as he took his seat once more, "I think you're scaring the fish."

"But, don't you remember?" Vaayu sputtered in utter bafflement as he circled around Thumpback. "You're not some fishing pirate! You're Thumpback, one of the Elder Elementals! You're a heralded hero of Skylands and one of our strongest allies!" Vaayu glanced aside. "And perhaps one of our most stubborn as well."

"I think you have the wrong guy. I'm not some big hero or anything. I'm just an ordinary pirate, well, as ordinary as a giant whale could be, anyways."

Thumpback got a small chuckle out of this remark, but Vaayu didn't seem to find it quite as funny. He only pinched his brows and trudged over to where Vatra stood as he huddled together with him. They exchanged a glance, and that said all the words that Vatra would soon utter.

"We need a new plan. This isn't getting us anywhere!"

"But, what?" Vaayu asked.

That was a good question. Vatra cast Thumpback a weary gaze, and then a similar one to Dej, who sat beside Thumpback and watched Thumpback fish with a small child's curiosity. Why did Vatra get the most stubborn members of the group, he had to wonder? Was this another divine punishment from the Ancients for denying his duty? Vatra only sighed and tried to rack his brain, but as he did, his ears pricked up. A whistling, or maybe shrieking sound came from the distance, and Vatra quickly tackled Vaayu to the ground as a cutlass flew towards him like an Arkeyan's light bullets! The cutlass lodged itself in the ground and wiggled in place, but Vatra only barely glimpsed at it before he scanned the beaches for its owner.

"There's people here after all!" cried a particularly hoarse voice.

Vatra lifted his gaze, and found the pirate crews all gathered together with wide eyes, even wider snarls, and all sorts of weapons brandished. Cutlasses and pistols, crossbows and daggers, all the usual rife. He'd dealt with far worse.

"Me bets they're here to steal me treasure!" cried a kelp monster wearing an eyepatch and bandanna as it shuffled to the front.

"Don't ye mean our treasure?" a seadog beside it asked with a wary glance.

The kelp monster stopped shaking its fist to the sky enough to furiously shake its head. "Nevermind that! Make them walk the plank!"

The pirates all cheered in agreement and raced off in a flash! The sand kicked up underneath them as they brandished their weapons, and Vatra in turn raised fists that quickly ignited with crisp flames. The whoosh of wind sounded beside him as Vaayu lifted up and flew off, and Vatra in turn cast his flames!

The pirates raced for him, and as they did, the flames came for them! The fires latched onto their weapons first, next skin and clothes, and soon they found themselves screaming and flailing about like headless cockatrices! The sands heated to a warm red underneath their feet as they cried for some relief. It seemed as though they were mostly finished when a massive downpour of water crashed down from the heavens and completely drenched them! The sudden shower sent them off their balance for a few moments, but where did it come from? There wasn't a cloud in the sky!

A small chuckle and the sound of dripping water came from behind Vatra, and he turned around to find that Dej once again sneaked behind him. However, no longer was he of the living realm. His form turned ghostly once more while his pendant shone from its place on his neck, and his death outfit took its place on the rest of his body. He sneered and rubbed his nose before he strode up and slapped a hand on Vatra's shoulder.

"That sure refreshed my memory!" Dej remarked. "Guess all I needed was a good fight!"

Ah, Dej and his muscles for brains. Vatra tsked and shot him a frustrated glare, but made not a word as he turned his hands on the disoriented pirates while they shook themselves dry. He could probably get a sneak attack in now! Vatra strode forward and shot out a disc of fire, and the winds around it grew violent as he did! They howled and clawed at the world around as they fed into the disc of fire. The disc grew larger, stronger, and raged bright like the sun as it slammed into the ground! A ring of fire morphed from where the disc landed, and the pirates seemed trapped; they glanced for a moment, and a whistle sounded as a particularly large parrot descended from the heavens!

The parrot extinguished the flames with a flap of its wings, narrowed its gaze, and darted straight for Vatra and Dej! Its massive talons pinned them both to Thumpback's leg before they could react, and it cawed over them as if it lorded in its victory. Oh, Vatra never liked birds. The parrot quirked a brow, and raised its wings as something crashed into the sands below—Vaayu! Vaayu groaned and staggered up as the pirates surrounded them.

Above him, the gigantic parrot flew back up with another whistle, and a particularly decorated seadog staggered up.

"Ah, good old Polly! Ye can always count on her to get the job done~" he crooned.

Vatra winced, pressed himself closer to Thumpback's leg, and glanced aside as Vaayu and Dej joined him before he glanced back up at Thumpback. Despite all the chaos, Thumpback was still as stone! Well, if there was any time to try and get him back in his right mind, it would be now.

"Thumpback! Now would be the time to help out here!" Vatra cried, but to no avail.

Thumpback seemed completely transfixed on the waves still while the pirates closed in all around them. Ugh, of all the times for him to be absorbed in his fishing! Vatra had half a mind to curse Thumpback out where he stood, but in his current position, Vatra's concern was more so towards the crowds of pirates that encircled him. He gulped as one pirate pressed a cutlass dangerously close to his neck, and then to his pendant.

"Say, that's a fine crystal yer little necklace's made of!" jeered the pirate. "I bet I could get some nice, shiny gold off of this!"

The cutlass made its way down the pendant's surface, and its tip gently lifted the wheel. A sudden dizziness came over Vatra as the wheel drew closer and closer to the pirate and further and further from him, and spots danced in his vision as the string around it frayed. Vatra gasped for air, for help, for anything—and the feeling stopped. A shadow cast over the ground in his dizzied moments, and a gigantic fish crashed onto the beach as it flattened the pirates where they stood! The cutlass fell to the ground with a helpless clang, and Vatra's consciousness came back soon afterwards.

A small chuckle arose up above, and Thumpback smiled as he got up and tossed his latest catch back into the ocean with only an indent in the sand full of dizzy, sprained pirates as remnant of its existence. He gently pushed the pirates aside, and scowled as the sound of hurried running scuffled across the beach.

"Essex! What in Davy Jones' good name do ye think yer doin'?" Captain Frightbeard demanded as he shook a fist at Thumpback. "With the way yer actin', it's like ye want to get thrown off the ship!"

"I do, actually," Thumpback proclaimed. He cleared his throat, knelt down and glared at Captain Frightbeard with a sort of tranquil anger not usually seen in his small eyes. "In fact, I am leaving your crew, and consider this my letter of resignation."

Thumpback drew back his claws and shot Captain Frightbeard right into the oceans' waters with a single flick! Captain Frightbeard screamed and spat out all sorts of pirate insults as he splashed around in the ocean waves, but it was clear that he was far from an adept swimmer. He sank with every insult he spat and every splash he made, and soon, Captain Frightbeard disappeared under the bobbing waves with his cries now nothing more than bubbles on the ocean's surface.

Thumpback chuckled a low, proud chuckle as he turned back to Vatra, Vaayu and Dej. "I always wanted to do that," Thumpback admitted. He scratched his head and knelt down with a smile. "Sorry for taking so long to get back to you—this place has some good fishing, and I just couldn't resist getting a few throws in."

Fishing? That was what Thumpback ignored them for? Vatra shouldn't have been surprised, and yet he could only shake his head in disbelief. Beside him, Vaayu groaned and Dej sighed as he held his head. Similar sentiments shared, he supposed.

"Anyways, I'm sure you're probably itching to get off this place." Thumpback slung his anchor over his shoulder as he spoke, and with a grunt, he lifted himself and his gaze towards the pirate ship Frightbeard left behind. "I do believe we have more allies we need to find, don't we?"

"Indeed," Vatra replied.

Thumpback drew over to the steering wheel, fiddled with something at the helm, and set the drawbridge out once more. He glanced down as if offering for Vatra, Vaayu and Dej to hop aboard, but only for a moment as he fiddled with a few more ship mechanisms.

"Now, Captain Frightbeard actually had another place he wanted to stop at before this little detour, but I'm sure you wouldn't mind the trip," Thumpback said. "How does a trip to Warê Gihandar-Mirî sound?"

Warê Gihandar-Mirî? That was Nemir's homeland, and surely where he'd currently be! Vatra raced up the drawbridge without a second thought, and Dej and Vaayu followed in similar thought. The two got themselves settled beside Vatra as the drawbridge receded back into the ship, and with a rattle and a switch's flick, the ship's paddles drew into its body as well! Out from their vacant spots came sails that fluttered with the single breeze they caught, and the ship cast itself into the skies with a single stroke of those sails!

The clouds burst as the ship tore through them, but soon, all became peaceful once more. The skies dipped into their evening hues of pinks and orange, golds and reds, and the breezes settled along with the peace of the evening. After how hectic things were prior, the sudden calm was a welcome change for Vatra, who sat down and slunk against one of the stray barrels on the ship. He would've drifted off for a small nap, but the ship jerked down and nearly tossed him off as soon as he did! He grappled for the railing as the winds carried him up, and slammed against the ship's deck as it finally settled. With a groan, he pushed himself up, and turned around to find Vaayu and Dej who recovered from their own collisions with groans and faces buried in hands.

"Here's our stop," Thumpback said as he flicked a switch and sent out the drawbridge once more. "Sorry about the rough parking, by the way. It's been a while since I've steered something as fancy as this."

Vatra only groaned out an insult even he didn't recognize in his surge of pain. He stumbled off the drawbridge and looked up as he touched solid ground at last. Lively conversation swelled in front of him, and the sound of others drew him towards the villages.

Though he'd just been to Warê Gihandar-Mirî, here it looked more like how he remembered seeing it in scrolls and atlases. The colors of the various buildings were striped in violets and silvers and glowed with an eerie light that only grew brighter against the dying light of day, and the faint smell of undead blooms wafted in the air. Perhaps what was most akin to his prior visions of it, however, was that both the living and dead mingled together as one! A skeleton merchant traded idle chatter with an elf at their stand while some ghostly and corporeal children kicked an old ball down the streets. An aged molekin happily nuzzled another molekin's ghost on a bench, and near the end, plenty of living and dead alike crowded and cheered with glee as a certain figure dressed in colorful robes and a monarch's jewels passed through…

Nemir! He looked almost identical to how he did upon death, yet he almost seemed like a completely different person as he greeted the living and undead around him. The wear and tear of age was no longer present with not a wrinkle on his face or a streak of gray in his hair, and he carried himself with a lively step as he passed through. Yet, there was no denying that he still held the sort of eye-catching presence that royalty tends to carry, as all eyes turned to him—Vatra's included.

"My liege! My liege!" cried a voice in the distance.

Vatra raised a brow as someone tall and dressed in ornamental robes swept through the streets with an urgent speed, and shook his head as the person came further into view. There before him laid Ninjini, with her scarlet hair dolled up in an elaborate hairstyle and her usual attire traded for regal purple robes in similar styles to that of what the village's other residents wore. The other villagers all gathered around her with worried looks and chatter, and she cleared her throat.

"High priestess Fatimah, what is the trouble?" Nemir asked as he turned to Ninjini.

"I've received a vision, and it's a fairly important one." Ninjini clasped her hands and pursed her lips for a moment, as if she wasn't sure how to break the news, but gathered her breath. "You and I will soon depart from the lands to go on a grand journey, one that will take us far, far away from here. It's uncertain if we'll ever return home, or that we'll even live to be able to do so!"

The citizens around all gasped, and their cheers of joy turned to cries of worry and sorrow. Faint whispers of the king leaving and fear of what would become of the town reached Vatra's ears, but at his distance, he could barely make out the conversation. Vatra crept forward to try and get a better grip of the conversation, yet Nemir silenced the crowds with a single shush and a motion of his hands—truly a king's power.

"Fret not, everyone," Nemir proclaimed in an authoritative tone, "I know well what the vision means."

Nemir raised a brow and smiled as he turned his gaze to meet Vatra's. Vatra himself glanced away for a moment, as he was uncertain as to whether or not Nemir was truly looking at him, specifically, but when Nemir shifted through to crowds to join Vatra at his side, Vatra was well aware. So, Vatra only nodded and met Nemir's solemn glance with one of his own. Nemir cleared his throat as crowds gathered around him with worried eyes.

"It's true that I will have to depart, for Skylands needs my wisdom as much as you did, and the same is true of high priestess Fatimah." For a moment, Nemir's gaze faltered, but he picked himself back up with a smile. "Fret not. You have all grown splendidly under my watch, and I have no doubt that my advisors will be able to continue my work for me. The wisdom I've passed on to you, you must now pass on to the new generations in my steed. Most of all, however, keep each other safe, so that I can protect Skylands with an easy mind."

The crowds all broke in rousing cheers and sobs of joy, but Nemir quickly turned away and joined Vatra at his side. A chilling wind blew around him, and a swarm of ghosts circled around Nemir only to disappear as fast as they came. What was left behind was Nemir, the true Nemir, with his ghostly form and looks aged by all the bloodshed and war he saw. He sighed as he toyed with his pendant, but swept down the streets nonetheless in a way that implied he wanted Vatra to follow.

"Your subjects seem to hold you in high regard," Vatra remarked as they strode down. "I'm sure you were a fine ruler."

"It's nothing to brag about. I merely did what was best for them," Nemir replied. He laid down his pendant, and both his eyes and his crown seemed a little duller. "I just hope they'll be happy in the time I'm gone. After all, I wasn't able to protect them back then…"

It was strange, hearing Nemir talk about these illusions of subjects as if they were of reality, but Vatra only nodded and continued. If it helped Nemir cope with the loss, well, Vatra supposed it was something he could entertain. Not that he had to entertain it much, however, as they both quickly arrived to where Thumpback had parked. Ninjini already changed back into her regular attire and teleported there, and stood enthralled in riveting conversation with the others when Nemir and Vatra caught her eyes. She waved them over, and Vatra only shared with her a nod as they all boarded the ship and set sail.

§

Nobody in the village once parted from their everyday activities despite the bright flash of purple light that appeared. It was almost as if they didn't notice it at all, as a matter of fact—no eyelashes batted and no words spoke, even as the light grew brighter before it formed into the silhouettes of Tree Rex, Crusher and Hot Head, who in turn landed in the village with a thud.

"So, this is where we're supposed to regroup?" 'Enehana asked as they slid off of Crusher's shoulder and levitated down.

"Yes, indeed," Sihiri added as she herself floated down from Tree Rex's palm. "This is my home village—" Sihiri frowned and clutched her skirts as she landed on the ground "—or, at least, I suppose it's an estimation of what it was once like."

"Charmin' little place!" Jorden chirped as he landed beside 'Enehana. He crossed his arms and whistled as he examined a spear with a violet jade tip that rested to a building's side, and grinned as his eyes fell on other weapons adorned with jewelry. Typical Jorden, always one to get distracted by the rocks.

"It really is," Inochi added as she floated down beside Sihiri, slipped her arm close, and intertwined it with Sihiri's own arm as she leaned closer. "I could see myself settling down and starting a nice garden here with you."

Sihiri chuckled as she leaned her head closer to Inochi's. "Funny, I had the very same thought."

Sihiri trailed off. It was true, for she always dreamed of bringing Inochi back home with her after the war, settling down with her wife and introducing her to all her friends and family. But, she knew she couldn't do that. She didn't even know if her village was still around anymore, and even if it was, the time changed so much—there was no doubt in her mind that everyone she once knew was long gone, and everything there would have radically changed beyond what she knew. To think, this illusion world was all that remained of her home, the place where she spent her youth playing in the rivers and running around with the other children. Sihiri wanted to cry again, but before she could, a hand soft like a rose petal brushed against her shoulder and she found Inochi in her front once more.

"I wonder if the others are back yet," Inochi wondered out loud as she gazed up at the clear sky, "I do hope they're alright, wherever they are."

Yes, Sihiri had to wonder that as well. She glanced up at the clear blue sky, but as she did, its bright colors turned dark while an airship passed right over her! Something leaped out from the side, and she pulled herself and Inochi back as that thing landed right in the heart of the village and quaked the earth!

"Sorry for the wait, everyone!" Luz shouted as he turned Sihiri's eyes to the skies once more. "Did you miss us?"

The airship passed right as Luz finished talking, and unveiled that sure enough, Luz stood right underneath with Bouncer, Swarm, Eye-Brawl and Fintster all gathered around him! They mostly looked no worse for wear than before save for Swarm, who was covered in bruises and a few burns while his wings and antennae stood crooked. Just what happened to him while they were gone?

"Luz, there you are!" Sihiri called as she floated over. "Are you alright?"

"Right as sunlight!" Luz proclaimed as he stretched his arms to the sky. "We had a couple little bumps in the road, but everything's alright now!"

"I beg to differ," Swarm grumbled behind Luz as he attempted to straighten out an antenna. "I didn't know sports could be that extreme. My wings still hurt."

Inochi just chuckled, floated up to Swarm, and laid a hand on his leg as she reached the closest. The green light that sparkled around her flared its brightest, crawled up her body and across Swarm's leg, and finally his body as well! The bumps and bruises all flattened themselves back into his carapace as the light crawled, and his injuries disappeared with one last flash!

Sihiri's eyes instead drifted to the harbors in the distance as ships came and left like the wind. She recognized a few of the boats that docked and sailed off, but amid them, she thought she saw something like a pirate ship! But, what would pirates be doing here?

She narrowed her eyes and glared it down, yet she didn't need to for long as a purple glow much larger than the one she made manifested right before her! Sihiri strayed back a little as the glow spread around them. The glow faded with a pop and a strong torrent of purple sparkles, and unveiled none other than Ninjini! A wide smile stretched across her face as Thumpback flanked her side, while below her, Vatra, Vaayu, Dej and Nemir all crowded around their feet. Or, well, lack thereof in Ninjini's case, but nonetheless.

"We're back, everyone!" Vatra panted as he wiped sweat from his brow. "Is that all of us?"

Sihiri did a quick glance around, counted the heads around her and nodded. "It should be," she replied. "So that begets our next step…"

"Figuring out how to get out of this place," Luz finished for her as he stepped up.

Well, that was easier said than done. After all, the Oracle didn't tell them a thing about the trial to begin with, much less how to make their way out! Just what exactly were they supposed to do to make it out of here? That seemed to be the question on everyone's minds as they mused with their hands to their chins, flames flickered and eyes sparkled.

"Well, maybe we just have to think our way out?" Ninjini suggested. "After all, this is a magical illusion, so perhaps it's being sustained by our belief in it!"

Sihiri hummed and stroked her chin. "Well, this world seems to change based on our wishes and desires. After all, it lead us all to each other," Sihiri said, "so maybe, if we desire to leave, it'll let us out!"

"So we just have to think really hard about leaving this place?" Luz remarked, before crossing his arms and beaming. "Alright, I can do that!"

A few small hums came from their group as they thought their hardest about home. But no, they couldn't really call the present-day Skylands their true home, could they? Whenever Sihiri thought about it, all she could think about was her time, the one she so desperately longed to returned to, but no, they couldn't return there and that regret wouldn't break them free of this trial. So, Sihiri pushed her longings to the side and envisioned the Oracle's home in the present day, from the marbled blues and golds to the somewhat chilling feeling that ran down her spine with every step she took in the presence of such a powerful being. She could so clearly taste the clean, crisp air with a hint of something sweet on her tongue, and feel the cool flooring underneath her feet…

The chills overtook her, and she opened her eyes! But, what she found was nothing new. She was still stuck in her village while a light breeze passed her and the others by, and judging by the confused looks the others held and the murmurs that came from them, they were just as befuddled as she was.

"I suppose just willing our way out isn't going to work," Vatra spoke at last as he crossed his arms. "What next?"

Vatra tapped his feet against the soft earth and heated it with his footsteps, and around Sihiri, the rest of her group muttered thoughts under their breath and racked their own brains. Sihiri, for her part, just glimpsed over the familiar pathways of her childhood village and resisted the longing tugs at her heart to run around and catch up with her friends, her family and even the neighbors she barely knew out of passing. The regrets ate away at her, but she bit back the urge to run off and immerse herself in the illusion—wait, that was it! Surely, that had to be it!

"I think I might know what we need to do!" Sihiri cried at last. Sihiri cleared her throat as the others raised their brows and directed their gazes at her. "This realm recreates our pasts and gave us to chance to lead the lives we never had and fix our regrets, correct? Surely, to escape it, all we'd have to do is let go of that baggage, or at least, convince it we have."

"Well, worth a shot," Dej remarked as he shrugged his shoulders. "Personally, I'd say I'm pretty regret-free."

The others mumbled in agreement, some more enthusiastically than others, and Sihiri eagerly glanced around. But no, they still remained stuck in the village with no sight of change to be seen, something that caused all faces to fall.

"It doesn't seem like that worked, either," Vatra said.

"But, why?" Sihiri whispered.

She didn't understand. Surely they'd all taken this time to remedy their ills, to fix their regrets, to see the ones they loved one last time before the crushing weight of the present day called them back to reality. She knew that while these pains and heartaches couldn't be fixed in a day, surely at least regaining their memories would convince this strange trial that they were fine with returning to the present day where they were no more real than the tall fables braggers told, where they were forgotten along with everything they knew, and all they once loved became mere writing in parchment… Oh.

It seemed as though one of them had a harder time letting go—Sihiri herself. She, she knew she couldn't stay here, that it was all little more than an illusion, and none of this was truly part of the place she called her home. Even though it was all fake, a part of Sihiri just didn't want to say goodbye, not yet! There was so much to do, so many people she wanted to talk to one more time, so many places she so desperately wanted to see! Skylands couldn't wait forever, though, and Arkilles was surely finding some way to Arkus for every moment she spent here. But, what good was there fighting for a world she knew she could never call home the way she used too?

Sihiri bit her lip. No, that was just selfishness talking! Even if the Skylands she found herself was hardly the place she called home, it still needed protection from the Arkeyans. She vowed to protect all from the Arkeyans' tyranny no matter what, and she was by no means going to rescind that vow. So, she just had to push aside her doubts…

"MONSTER!"

A shrill cry over the horizon shattered Sihiri's concentration, and the fierce shaking of the ground underneath her took her balance next. She fell to her knees and collapsed entirely as her whole body shuddered so fiercely. A few of her old friends passed her by with panicked looks, and she tried to reach out—but they were in such a panic that they didn't even notice her! Sadiq came by next, and that was enough to get her to shout…

"What's happening?"

That one cry of hers caught Sadiq's attention, and he paused in his panic for a moment to help her off the ground. "Sihiri, what are you doing?" he demanded. "You need to flee! There's a monster attacking the village?"

"A monster?" What kind of monster?"

"That kind!"

Sadiq pointed over the horizon, and Sihiri gasped at the sight. The birds cawed and flew off in a frightful fit as a giant silhouette of a vaguely humanoid shape cast itself over the village. It stepped into the light to reveal a massive, metallic body of red and gold paint with eyes that glowed with malevolence even under the bright sun, and it raised its fists as its metal body creaked with wear. Yet, in spite of said wear, it bore an air of malice as it rang with metallic cries. There was no doubt about it! An Arkeyan Conquertron came to the village!

"But, how? Why?" Sihiri gasped. "What would the Arkeyans want with this place?"

"The same thing they always want!" Vatra spat out. Sihiri assumed she'd spoken too softly for him to hear, but she supposed not. "New stomping grounds or resources!"

A screeching noise raised in the air as Sihiri covered her ears, and yet, the action hardly muffled the noise. The screeching dulled as visions of blood flashed in the Conquerton's glass eyes, and it raised to its highest as its footsteps shook the ground below.

"I have arrived on the behalf of the illustrious Emperor-King Arkilles!" the Conquertron bellowed with its robotic voice booming so loud that houses and trees and statues shuddered in its wake. "He has graciously decided to bless your village with the opportunity to join our growing kingdom! Thus, we request your immediate and unconditional surrender to the glory of the Arkeyan Empire!"

Those words twisted and turned in Sihiri's stomach with a sickening kind of anger, but the sudden arrival of the Conquertron put her on-edge enough that she could barely move. She could only stand and watch as people fled. Warriors who bore weapons raced through the fleeing crowds and cried calls to war as they flung themselves at the Conquertron. Sihiri's body locked in place and her throat swelled with fear; those weapons the warriors held would do nothing against a Conquertron, much less one of the stature that stood before them, but she couldn't bring herself to warn them. Something in her—fear? Shock?—took control of her body, and she could only watch in horror as they futilely slashed, and slammed, and flung themselves against the Conquertron as it stood motionless with not an injury sustained. The Conquertron creaked and lowered its hand, and it sent a blow that sent the warriors flying like they were little more than pesky bugs with a single swipe!

Screams barely rose over the raging roars of the wind as they crashed by Sihiri feet with bleeding cuts and dented armor. One woman in particular fell by Sihiri's feet with her body covered in gashes and her helmet dented in. She cried out as her javelin rolled from her hands, yet all she could do was clutch her bruised body. This single sight rallied Sihiri from her nerves, and she immediately rushed down and helped the woman back to her feet. The woman still shuddered and bit her lip as she leaned into Sihiri's grip, but not for long, as Inochi rushed to the woman's side and laid her hands on the woman's injuries. The cuts healed themselves so quickly that it was as if they had never existed in the first place, and the trembling stopped enough that the woman managed to stand on her own.

"I, I've never seen such a machine before," the woman gasped. Her eyes fell on the Conquertron as it rampaged and shook off attacks with not even a thought paid to them. "What kind of demon?"

"Not a demon," Sihiri said at last as her hand formed a fist without her thinking. "An Arkeyan."

"An, Arkeyan?"

The woman pursed her lips, and her eyes wandered as she ran this new word in her mind. She knelt down and gripped her javelin once more, and a certain fire burned in her eyes as she pushed herself back to full stance. "Whatever these Arkeyans may be, I will not allow them to devastate our homeland!"

The woman let out a cry of war as she raced for the Conquertron with her javelin raised, but Sihiri grabbed her by the shoulder before she could run further. The woman stopped for a moment, shook off the initial surprise, and thrust against Sihiri's grip in a fight to move forward, yet Sihiri refused to let her go.

"Your weapons won't do anything against something of that stature!" Sihiri proclaimed. "Just look at how your allies are faring!"

More of the soldiers collapsed before them as the Conquertron struck another blow, and a few bodies rolled across the ground at such a speed that it was akin to rag dolls that fluttered and bounced as children tossed them in the air for simple amusement. Another soldier crashed into the ground nearby at such force that it indented the ground, and when the dust cleared, he gasped for air as his bloodied, bruised body laid half-dead in the crater he formed. He cried out something (a name? A plea? A wish?) and then, he slumped down and fell limp within the crater itself as the dented club in his hands fell beside him.

"You need to leave!" Sihiri proclaimed.

"But if I don't fight, if, if WE don't fight, then who will?"

It was not the woman's question that pierced Sihiri's heart, but the fearful look in her eyes that Sihiri understood all too well. It was one that haunted her every time she saw her own reflection, one of vulnerability and resignation alike—and it was a look that twisted her stomach in knots. Sihiri froze for a moment, but a gentle, soft hand brushed against hers, and that frozen spell thawed.

"We will."

The woman stared at Sihiri like she grew an extra head, and truthfully, Sihiri couldn't blame her. The people of her home never knew her as anything other than a girl with a gift for magic beyond most of peers, but never one to take up the mantle and fight for her own…

Now, however? She was a warrior, a leader, and most importantly, she was far from alone.

"Tree Rex!" Sihiri called as she craned her head up to meet his face, and then to meet the rest of her group. "Everyone, to my side!"

They all formed in a quick huddle with the Elder Elementals towering over the rest almost as living shields, and Sihiri pushed herself into the center.

"'Enehana, do you recognize what kind of model that Conquertron is?" was the first thing Sihiri asked.

'Enehana cast a glance behind their group for a moment and turned back without a moment of hesitation. "Mark twelve point five," they spat out. "They're sturdy for a model of that generation, but they sap up a lot of energy compared to the newer ones. Run them for too long, and they completely break down!"

"Just what I wanted to hear."

Sihiri turned her attention back to the group, and they all curled together as they spoke of a plan in hushed whispers. A warmth bubbled in Sihiri's chest as the plan finalized itself with ease, and everyone broke away with a shared understanding in their eyes. The world shook around them as the armies cried out and fought a losing battle while the Conquertron shook the world around them, but, Sihiri would not be swayed and neither would her allies. Instead, they broke into their groups one by one, and the world thundered underneath them as the Elder Elementals raced into action!

Inochi left Sihiri's side to tend to the wounded, and Sihiri joined her post-haste. One by one, they rushed to the injured and lifted them up as Inochi healed them, and Sihiri brought them back to their feet while the vernal glows of Inochi's magic brushed against the warriors' skin.

"You need to go," Sihiri insisted as she pushed one soldier back to his feet. "The safe houses should be close by. Just let us handle things from here!"

The soldier turned to Sihiri as if he wanted to protest, but Tree Rex's towering shadow eclipsed them all. The soldier merely nodded in slight awe at the sight, and trodded off to the safe houses with only a moment taken to lean one of his less sturdy allies against his own body for support. Their figures disappeared into the distance as the other healed soldiers made their ways to safety. They were almost like specks of light that vanished as quickly as one saw them.

A small laugh rumbled from above as Tree Rex watched them leave, and he turned back to where Ninjini hovered beside him. The two raised their hands while a flood of green and purple light burst out from their palms, intertwined, and formed into a barrier of glowing, tightly-woven vines that wrapped itself around the village as a wall between it and the Conquertron.

Now, the village would surely be safe, so Sihiri only nodded and followed Inochi to the safe houses.

§

The Conquertron fumbled for a moment as the vines nearly caught its foot, and a confused string of mechanical noises uttered from its mouth as it latched onto the vines and tugged at them. Despite its mighty stature, its attempts to tear the barrier were futile. No matter how much it pulled and tugged at the vines, the vines themselves stayed firm with no fraying, and bounced back with every push and pull made against them. The Conquertron's eyes glowed with rage, or perhaps the charge of a laser beam…

"Hey, tin can!"

A string of stingers and mechanical bullets sniped the Conquertron in the back of its head, and its body groaned as it turned to find Swarm and Bouncer behind it. Luz and Fintster sat on their shoulders as they all sneered, and Swarm's stingers glowed with a light as blue as the skies as he locked them and prepared to load. The Conquertron said not a word, and instead lumbered for them; its body slowed and creaked with every labored step it took, but it quickly picked up the pace as it slugged a punch towards Swarm. Swarm zipped out of the way, and his sneer grew wider as the Conquertron labored just to draw its arm back.

"Gotta be faster than that if you wanna hit me!" Swarm chirped. His wings hummed with a sort of excitement he only held in battle and he zipped back away. "Now, catch me if you can!"

Swarm's childish jeers were enough to earn the Conquertron's ire, for its eyes flashed red and it creaked after him in long strides. Blades of grass leaped from the earth as the Conquertron closed in on Swarm just enough to throw another punch—but Bouncer swept in and took the brunt of the blow! His metal arms creaked and dented just slightly under the weight, but the pain was far from enough to shake him. He tossed back the strike and seared the Conquertron's chest with bright, burning lasers next. Heat burned from the Conquertron's chest in a red blaze, and it clumsily stumbled away just to break free. For a moment, it turned to Bouncer…

"Forgetting someone?"

Swarm chuckled as he zipped up right behind the Conquertron, and it turned back to aim its punch at him instead! Swarm zipped right away before the blow could connect, and all the Conquertron punched was thin air. It craned its head to find Swarm, but Bouncer zoomed in front of it as it locked eyes on Swarm and it changed gears! Now, both Bouncer and Swarm circled around the Conquertron, and their combined speed created a buzz that rung in the Conquertron's sensors. Its head spun in its socket as it tried to determine which of the two to aim for, or how to track them when they all moved so fast. Sparks burst from its neck's openings, and its body groaned as its eyes started to flare.

Before it could strike, two orbs—one of solid, blazing light, another of churning darkness—smashed into both sides of its head! The Conquertron let out a noise like a rattling bell as it stumbled back, and the light in its eyes faded as it collapsed on its knees with such force that it tossed the nearby plantlife out of their roots.

The impact shook Luz and Fintster back to form, and the two of them shared nods with Swarm and Bouncer. The four cornered the Conquertron at every angle, and one by one, launched a massive onslaught! Swarm launched blast after blast of concentrated air and lightning, Bouncer shot fleets of rockets from his shoulders, and Luz and Fintster circled around the Conquertron still as they shot off blast after blast of light and shadow alike! The attacks beat upon the Conquertron with no relenting, and its body creaked and dented underneath the battle's blows.

Yet, the Conquertron barely flinched! Its eyes glowed once again, and it shot a particularly fiery laser between Luz and Swarm at just an angle that they broke their formation to dash away. The sudden stop shook Bouncer and Fintster's concentration as well, and the Conquertron took the moment of weakness with gusto. It swiveled its head around and fired off another laser towards Bouncer, who snatched Fintster from the skies and dashed away as the laser pierced a distant cloud instead.

The Conquertron rose back to full height at last and bounded in earth-shattering leaps towards Swarm. It wound up its arm as it ran, and the Conquertron launched a punch straight into Swarm's gut just as Swarm turned around to catch him! The blow sent Swarm flying and tumbling across the ground. He finally came to a stop a short distance later, and he held his gut to suck the air he lost back in. A shadow cast over Swarm, and he winced as the Conquertron loomed over him and aimed another blow straight for the cranium.

"Watch it, buddy!" Bouncer cried as he swung in and punched the Conquertron in the knees.

The blow was barely anything to the Conquertron's solid metal carapace, but it threw the Conquertron off its balance long enough for Bouncer to sweep Swarm back on his feet and flee with him in tow. The two managed a safe enough distance from the Conquertron, and Swarm wheezed as he clung to Bouncer's body as a crutch.

"We almost had that hunk of junk, too!" Swarm gasped. He gritted his teeth and his wings buzzed with anger. "Just what's taking the others?"

"That's what we'd like to know!" Luz proclaimed as he and Fintster flew back up in bright streaks of light and murky clouds of darkness. The two shed their disguises with a POP, and Luz winced as he glanced back at the Conquertron. "It sure it tough for an old model!"

The Conquertron lurched up and turned around as if it was going to make pursuit once more, lifted its leg high, and slammed it down into the ground with such force that the earth cracked underfoot! Another seismic stomp widened the cracks, and the Conquertron had launched into a full-blown seismic tantrum! The ground shuddered and cracked further as the Conquertron stomped, and not just that, either!

Bouncer's gears rattled in his head as the shakes shook him to his core, and Swarm collapsed as the quakes loosened his grip. The shaking broke Luz and Fintster's concentration next, and the two screamed as they fell right in the direction of a particularly large crack that opened into the island's core!

Bouncer regained control quickly enough and caught Luz and Fintsterbefore they fell in, winced, and shook his head. "Seismic mode, activate!" Bouncer cried.

His eyes flashed in a few bright beeps, and his body stabilized enough as he leapt off and zoomed across the land. Pebbles from the cracking, shaking earth flung themselves against his metallic body, but Bouncer just grit his metal teeth and kept Luz and Fintster close to his core as he zipped around the ground. The cracks opened further with another mighty stomp and tossed Bouncer into the air, but he popped a jetpack out of his back and zapped across the fields. His optics fixed on the Conquertron as he came in for a landing, and he zig-zagged across the land as he dodged cracks and fissures of all sizes.

"Bouncer, Bouncer! Wait!" Swarm panted as he tried to fly behind. He clutched the stomach and winced as his flying turned shaky and uneven, and he careened one way and the next as he attempted to follow Bouncer's path.

Bouncer didn't hear. Instead, his optics zeroed in as he prepared to fire another laser blast at the seemingly-unsuspecting Conquertron. The Conquertron, however, craned its head over first and sent another mighty stomp down! It cracked the earth in a jagged shape down Bouncer's path; the sudden shake tossed Bouncer from his focus and the ground, and Luz and Fintster slipped from his grip!

The two tried to regain their focus enough to fly off, but they didn't need to. Swarm zipped in right in that moment, and despite his uneven flying, he snatched Luz and Fintster out of the air and zoom off! Swarm chuckled to himself for a moment, but before he could make whatever smart remark he planned, a screech hit the air and he ducked down as a searing white laser narrowly grazed his head!

"Dude, watch the antennae!" Swarm sniped as he glared back at the Conquertron.

The Conquertron did not regard Swarm's plea for his antennae with the same grace, and instead shot round after round of lasers in every direction Swarm fled, and even some of the ones he didn't! It seemed like it anticipated his every move, and though its barrages grew slower by the second, their size more than made up for the lack of speed.

"Surrender now, Elder Elemental!" the Conquertron cried. "You have violated more laws of the Arkeyan Empire than can be counted! Your insurmountable crimes have earned the ire of the Arkeyan Empire!"

"Good!" Swarm bit back. "Add another one to that list while you're at it! I'm never giving in, and neither are my buddies! As long as we stand, we'll never let you conquer this place, or anywhere else in Skylands!"

Swarm gritted his teeth when a sudden blast hit his wings, and he yowled as he finally lost his air. He clutched Luz and Fintster close to his chest as he slammed back-first against the ground and leaped off, but tumbled in large strides towards a massive fissure that nearly split the island in two!

With no control over his path, Swarm just screwed his eyes shut and braced himself for a nasty fall that never happened. The ground sealed itself shut just as he landed, and he laidstill on solid ground, though his wings surged with renewed pain from their burns! Swarm blinked, pushed himself off the ground, and let Luz and Fintster slip from his hands as he turned around.

"Wait, what happened? I was sure I was gonna find the bottom of Skylands just a second ago!"

The air chilled around Swarm as a firm, milky mist crept in, and he shuddered as he turned around and tried to make some sense of the sudden change in weather. His wings fluttered as the cold chilled their laser burns, and they regained their strength enough for him to blow a breeze that cleared a path through the mist and straight to the Conquertron.

The Conquertron, meanwhile, seemed just as baffled as Swarm was. Its whole body creaked and cracked as it moved this way and that, but the mist was so thick that it could barely make heads or tails of its surroundings! More than that, the mist made sure the Conquertron could barely stand its ground, either! Its clouds seeped into the Conquertron's joints and cracked them like frail ice, and those cracks spread to its now-rusting carapace and its cracking eyes.

"Whoever has caused this unorthodox change in weather, show yourself immediately!" the Conquertron cried, though its voice grew warped and crackling from the damage to its system. "You are committing unauthorized assault of an Arkeyan official!"

The Conquertron slugged a punch into the mist, and the mist parted to reveal that all it hit was a gigantic block of ice instead of whatever its target really was! The ice block shattered and splintered from the impact, and the spears of ice stabbed right into the Conquertron's body! A metallic yelp echoed from the Conquertron as it scratched at the spears and tried to yank them out, but they were stubborn and transfixed to their places; even the mightiest pull it could manage barely dislodged them!

"Hey there, buddy!" cried a familiar, rumbling voice. "You look a little chilly there! Need someone to turn up the heat?"

The Conquertron's head creaked as it turned around, and a voluminous flamethrower burst out of the clouds and blew the Conquertron back! Swarm gasped as the flames engulfed the Conquertron until only the faint silhouette of its body emerged from the fires, and the familiar whir of Bouncer's wheel pricked his ears as he did. He turned his gaze just slightly, and found that Bouncer now stood beside him with a confident smile, as if he never doubted for a second that their not-so-mysterious rescuers would arrive.

The mist thinned enough to split from the slightest breeze, and it did indeed part as Crusher and Brawl stumbled over and helped Swarm back to his feet. By the time he finally reached full height, the mist fully cleared as the sun shone once more, and just in time, too! The action finally started! The screeching, ear-bleeding sound of ripping metal rang out across the island as Thumpback jumped out and beheaded the mangled body of the Conquertron with his anchor. The head flew far, far into the distance with a single swing of that anchor; a faint denting sound served as the others' alarm, and they all swarmed out in a fury!

Crusher bolted from Swarm's side first with a hand held tightly around his hammer, and with a grunt, he slammed it into the ground and tossed slabs of the fissured earth into the air! He slammed them into the Conquertron's body with another swing of his hammer, and one by one, they lodged into the Conquertron's melted joints and pried out its limbs so that they barely hung on!

Vatra and Vaayu emerged from the dust and chaos next, and Vatra burned away the Conquertron's left arm while Vaayu used his winds to fuel the fire. Nemir leaped up beside them and corroded the right arm's joint till it was so weak and rusted that a single punch from Jorden knocked it down to the ground, and at the bottom, Dej froze over the leg joints as he stepped back with a proud grin. Brawl and Eye jumped into the scene next, and one leg laid smashed to bits by Brawl while another melted away under Eye's laser-hot glare.

With no limbs to support it, the Conquertron's body creaked down like a falling tree. A red flame burned from its melted body, all while a beeping or ticking like that of a bomb sounded, but it quickly quelled as 'Enehana emerged and laid a hand on the Conquertron's side. The red tint to its scarred, burned body faded as it fell over, but a wooden hand punched through its back before it hit the ground and yanked a glowing power core from its insides. It tossed the power core in the air as a string of blades skewered the core til it was nothing but metallic ribbons and torn wiring!

Tree Rex and Ninjini smiled as the Conquertron collapsed before them with a thud, and the Conquertron and all its carnage disappeared with a snap of Ninjini's fingers. The land was still torn up from the battle with fallen plantlife everywhere and faint cracks in the earth, but it was at least a little nicer without all that ugly metallic gore.

"The village is safe," was the first thing Tree Rex said as the others crowded around him. "Sihiri and Inochi are tending to the wounded as we speak."

Tree Rex turned around and made his way back to the village, and the others followed suit. As they passed through a shimmering barrier, they all craned their heads around in a bit of shock and wonder. Despite the massive battle that once raged outside, the village itself was perfectly unscathed saved for the few remnants of the Conquertron's initial ambush. Children scurried out from their hiding places and gasped in awe as the Elder Elements passed them by, and their parents joined in a kind of quiet reverence. Soft gossip and gasps of surprise wafted in the airs, but nobody particularly cared to notice.

Instead, Tree Rex guided them all to a particularly large and round building, knelt down and peered inside.

"I'm telling you, you're too injured!" Sihiri protested as she and Inochi held back a particularly passionate young warrior covered in bandages in most places. "You can barely even stand, let alone walk! You're in no shape to fight!"

"But I have to!" The warrior protested. "If I don't, that, that thing—"

"Is no longer a threat to you," Tree Rex interrupted. All eyes inside turned to him and he smiled. "We made sure that the Conquertron won't touch your village again."

"So it's gone?" Inochi asked as she passed by with a bowl of poultice in her hands.

"I personally made sure it was no more than scrap metal."

The warrior in Sihiri's grip slunk down with a gasp, and Sihiri took that as her sign to take him back to his bed while Inochi moved away. With them gone, they unveiled an entire stretch of beds where injured soldiers laid and rested, most injured, but thankfully, they all seemed to be alive and breathing.

Tree Rex drew himself back from the makeshift hospital as the others left to clean up the wreckage, but he didn't stay lonely long. Sihiri and Inochi joined him outside, and not just them. The villagers all withdrew from their hiding spots and crowded around Tree Rex, some with worry and some with amazement.

"Is it true? Is that metal beast gone?" one young girl gasped.

"Indeed, little one," Tree Rex affirmed before he sat down and crossed his legs as he recounted the tale of the Conquertron's destruction.

The children amid the crowd watched with sparkles in their eyes and awestruck smiles, while the adults clutched their hearts or held their heads in sheer wonder or bafflement at everything that just happened. It was a sight they often saw in smaller places that never brushed against Arkeyan conquest before, and yet, the sheer shock never seemed to amaze them. Tree Rex's tale ended to rousing applause and cheers, but he only smiled and nodded as he glanced back down at Sihiri, who was now joined by a few folks a bit older than her with similar looks to her own—family or friends, perhaps?

"So this whole time, you were protecting us from those Arkeyans?" one woman gasped. When Sihiri nodded to affirm this, the woman gasped and wrapped Sihiri in a tight hug. "Oh, Sihiri, you're so brave! To think, the girl I'd walked around the village would have grown up to be such a courageous leader, to have protected us all."

"It seems the roles have reversed, little sister," chirped Sadiq as he laid a hand on Sihiri's shoulder, "for now you're the one protecting us."

And yet, none of their praise seemed to ease the worry in Sihiri's eyes. "But, I never told you why I left," Sihiri trembled as tears pricked her eyes. "I, I abandoned you for so long..."

"But you had an important reason for it, didn't you? You left to protect us."

Those words broke the dam. Sihiri broke from the woman's grip and fell into the grasp of Sadiq next, all while she sobbed with all the vulnerability of a young girl who'd left her home far earlier than she would have liked.

"I, I'm so sorry!" she croaked. "I, I wish I could've stayed with you, I wish I could have stayed here and been everything you wanted of me, but, but, it was too dangerous! If the Arkeyans knew there was a mage of my power here, they would've torn our whole village down just to take me! I, I wish I was never given this power, I wish I never had to leave you."

"Oh, Sihiri."

Sadiq welcomed her embrace, and cuddled her close as Sihiri's other friends joined in.

"You have nothing to apologize for."

A small gasp escaped Sihiri, and she peered up to find Sadiq, her friends, everyone from her home smiling back at you.

"It's because of you that we were able to live safe from the Arkeyans. You've done more for us than we could ever imagine!" said the woman who first embraced Sihiri.

Another woman popped up beside her and smiled. "And please, don't ever resent the gifts you were blessed with! It's because of them that you were able to do so much for us!"

"And, no matter how far away you are," Sadiq finished at last, "we will always hold you in our hearts. As long as we stand, your memory will always live with us."

The crowd came to embrace Sihiri, and their cheers and words of encouragement almost masked Sihiri's sobs of... Joy? Grief? Catharsis? Whatever they were, Tree Rex just nodded and turned away, as did the others.

Sihiri needed this moment to herself—this was something she waited ten thousand years for, after all.

The crowd dispersed soon enough, and Sihiri forced a wobbly smile as she wiped away her tears and leaned into Tree Rex's side. The crowd in turn moved away from her and then to the Elder Elementals, all with awe and gratitude in their eyes.

"And, to all of you, we cannot thank you enough for protecting us from that beast!" Sadiq exclaimed.

"Think nothing of it." Tree Rex replied with a curt nod. "We Elder Elementals vowed on our lives that we would protect Skylands from the Arkeyans' cruelty—"

"—and we did the same," Sihiri shakily, but solidly finished.

Mumbles of admiration burst from the crowd, but one wide-eyed child slipped from the crowd with a curious gaze.

"But, what are you gonna do when the Arkeyans are all gone?" the child asked with all the innocence and confidence of youth.

Tree Rex grew solemn and hung his head. The memories of the modern day, of everything they experienced since the day they returned to Skylands, flooded back to them all, and their faces started to crack as they turned away or bit their lips. Even after all this time, they still weren't sure of what they were going to do—if there was anything left for them to do. Everything they knew and cared about was long gone at this point, so what was left for them?

They all got lost in his thoughts for a moment, yet perked up at the faint notion of a parent scolding the child with an embarrassed tone. That parent cleared their throat, and peered up at Tree Rex with only admiration in their deep brown eyes.

"Whatever that may be, as long as you're here to protect us, we will always feel safe, that's for sure!" that parent proclaimed.

"And whatever happens afterwards, we will always be here to welcome you. After all you've done for us, it's the least we can do!" affirmed another villager.

The crowds rose with cheers of agreement, and for a moment, it seemed like there was knowing light in some of their eyes. So, the Elder Elementals and free magicians alike just smiled and stood back to their full height. Something seemed strange as they did—the sun grew bright, so bright that it bleached the village in its light until nothing was left, and grew so hot that they all shielded their eyes from the burning sensation.

They opened those eyes as the sensation faded, and no longer were they in this village. No, they were back in the Oracle's chambers! The Oracle watched them with a knowing smile as he hovered before a panel, and below him, Flynn, Cali and the high priest gasped in awe, as if they weren't expecting anyone to manifest from that trial.

"Welcome back," the Oracle said as he clutched his tentacles. "Do you have any questions about your trial?"

The Elder Elementals and free magicians shared weary, confused looks among themselves, but finally it was Sihiri who stepped up to the plate.

"Was, was that all real?" Sihiri asked. "Was that really what our lives would have been like?"

"Not exactly." The Oracle solemnly nodded. "It was more so an estimated guess based on a mixture of your own pasts and logical conclusions drawn my analysis, or in some cases, a chance for you to make amends for regrets you cannot go back and fix." He turned to float back to his panel, but gave them one last, kind look. "Regardless, I hope it was able to bring you some closure."

Sihiri reluctantly nodded, as did the others, and the Oracle beamed.

"You have all provided me with some very impressive data, but the trials have not yet ended." The Oracle motioned for them to join him at the panel, then turned his eye to the screens. "The rest of your allies should be starting their trials soon."

So, the group crowded around the panel, where they witnessed two screens—one of the Skylanders and one of Chihiro with both parties unconscious as the light enveloped them and the simulation began.