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)

1. Chapter 1

Guess who's back, everyone? It's me! I've been really busy these past few months working on this fic amid other real life things and assorted projects, and now I can finally share the fruits of my labor! I really hope you all enjoy this just as much as the first CHS... But first, time to reply to some reviews! In general, I'd like to thank everyone for all the kind words regarding the first CHS's ending and the story as a whole, and I'm glad you all enjoyed it! Now, for specifics:

GreenSwitch: First of all, I'm glad to see that you picked up on the whole "There's no Evil Purple Dragon or anything similar because that was technically Dark Spyro" thing - I was wondering if someone would notice that! And I actually didn't notice that most of the rejects were based on the Forgotten Eight until you pointed it out, what a funny coincidence! And as for Chop Chop and Hex, if them flirting with each other throughout their journey to get the Skull Mask wasn't evidence enough, then well, there's your answer~

Soundstorm27: I know I took a little while with this, writing this out took me a lot of time and I was pretty busy in real life, but I hope it was worth the wait! As for your suggestions, well, you'll just have to wait and see what happens!

Note: If this fic has been featured in a Youtube video, it has been featured without the permission of the original author, please notify me so that I can take it down. To any youtubers who use my writing in their videos without my permission: you do not have the rights to use my writing for your content farms and cheap clicks, and I will not hesitate to file copyright strikes against you.

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The sound of shouts, concerned questions, and the never-ending rhythm of archaeological tools chipping away at the rough, firm stone resounded against a clear, cloudless blue sky that beat down heat from the sun above in spite of the cool the middle of autumn should have brought. Down below, a team of archaeologists worked away at a dig site, one coated in firm layers of hard stone that sealed away the ancient treasures and remnants of a time long forgotten in the bowels of history below its depths. The archaeologists worked hard in spite of the heat that beat down their backs and forced sweat across their brows, or the aching exhaustion that ran through their bodies and begged for a rest, or even the limited time the day held, the lion of a deadline imposed over them!

Well, all but one, that is.

Slunk against a rocky wall with a water bottle that dripped with fresh, cold water in hand was a man, his skin slightly tanned from the hours spent baking in the sun and his dark hair glazed with dust. The clothes he wore had been coated in a thin layer of must and dirt in some parts from all the work he had been through, while the faint breezes that occasionally blew through their sight tickled his short, bushy, beard. With one last pant, he closed his mouth, then opened it again to release a massive sigh as he sunk further down against his rocky seat.

"Hey boss, I found something!" Cried another archaeologist as they brandished a calcified vase for all to see!

The other archaeologists gasped as they dropped their tools to gawk at the newly-uncovered vase, but the tired archaeologist could only sigh. His browns eyes glazed over where his fellow archaeologists all huddled together and marveled over the vase found, or towards where they had stored all the other relics they had unearthed—the piles of crude toys, furniture, and rusted coins whose aesthetics reflected the times left buried, and then he sighed again.

"Talk about lucky," The archaeologist scoffed. He took another swig from his water bottle and let out a refreshed gasp for air as the water went down, then grunted as he wiped off his mouth. "I've been busting my ass out here all day, and I still haven't found anything other than rocks." The man grunted as he pushed himself off the ground and dusted the dirt from his pants. For a moment he cast a glance back at the cheering team of archaeologists before him, and a snarl cast across his face without him even thinking. "Look at 'em, acting all smug. They're probably already preparing their speeches for the museum interviews!"

The man placed his water bottle aside, stood tall, then grabbed his tools and dug away once more, the earth chipping away underneath the weight of his shovel. "But whatever, I've taken a long-enough breather. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll find some dead kid's toy or—"—the man grunted and slipped backwards as his grip on his shovel unsteadied—"SOMETHINGGGGGGGGGGG!"

The man yowled as his head conked against the stone and collapsed back on the hard, rocky ground, then wheezed and pushed himself up. A cursory glaze over his arms confirmed he achieved nothing but bruises and thin scratches from his impromptu fall, but just before he could pull himself to full height, his eyes fell on something amid the rocks and piles of dirt! It was of a lighter color, yet seemed to have a much more solid shape than the average stone! Could it be? A grin stretched from ear to ear as the man pushed aside the dirt, his mind wild with imagination as the shape became more and more solid! Whatever could have been hidden by this quite literally underfoot discovery? An ancient monarch's tomb? A box of treasures long-forgotten to the ages? Perhaps ancient records that contained historical discoveries for the ages! Oh, his heart throbbed at the very prospect! And his grin only stretched wider as he finally tossed the last of the dirt aside and unveiled… A toy?

Well, that's what it looked like, at least. It seemed to be some kind of crude toy covered in dirt and stone that quickly crumbled away and fell to the ground as the man lifted it out of the earth, its true appearance that of a chunky, horned creature made entirely of wood, frozen with an arm outstretched as it stood on a round pedestal comprised of leaves. But, it wasn't the only one, either! A look down below showed several other slivers and indicators of more strange objects, so the man cleared the dirt away and found not one, not two, but seven more of these strange toys! A crude idol of sorts that vaguely resembled a robot with a wheel for legs stuck to a pedestal of what seemed like gears, a thin woman with pointed ears and blank eyes wielding what the man believed were katanas who stood on a round glyph of sorts that was decorated with archaeological symbols, a giant whale wielding an anchor far too modern in appearance for this age, a monster made entirely of magmatic rock with flames emerging from its hands and head, a guardian made of rock who clasped tight a large hammer, an eye with wings seated on a large suit of armor and gigantic bee with massive wings and stingers all laid in the dirt! But, none of this could be right! These looked far too pristine for a site as ancient as this, with advancements in technology that were much too forward for this era! This was anachronism upon anachronism! What was going on here?

"Hey, everyone!" The man cried as he stood tall and waved the rest of his team over to the sight of the strange toys, "I've found something really strange!"

The soft, bubbling chatter of the approaching archaeology team rang in the man's ears, but it was little more than background noise to him as he glazed over the toys again and rubbed his beard.

"Just what are you?"

§

Long, long ago, before there were the Swap Force or the Trap Masters or all the other groups of Skylanders we've come to know today, there were the Elder Elementals, one of the most legendary groups of heroes in Skylands' folklore, the one who serve as the ancestors for every group of heroes we've come to know today. Their heroism, compassion, sense of justice and determination lifted Skylands from the depths of tyranny, and its their example that has shaped the very core and foundation of the Skylanders themselves… But, all that can come later. Rather, let's focuses on when their story began.

Thousands of years into the past, the Arkeyan Empire ruled over all Skylands with an iron fist, both literally and metaphorically. Once upon a time, they were just incredibly technologically gifted humans who spent their days farming and creating in peace, but that all changed when one of their own was approached by one of the Ancients. This Ancient, left vengeful against his own kind for facilitating that Ancient's exile, gifted them with not only the secrets of the Magic Element, but the Eternal Magic Source itself! Using the power granted to them by both their experiments with the Eternal Magic Source and their own highly advanced technology, they'd conquer lands, driving out those who lived there in order to transform these worlds into outposts and factories, assuming they didn't force their native populations to build countless monuments to Arkeyan rule. They were tyrants who lusted for power and control, and no matter what, it seemed like it was impossible to stop them—they were far too numerous and powerful.

The other Ancients were horrified at what the Arkeyans had done to Skylands, to the world they created, but there was so little they could do. They already exerted most of their power fighting off the Ultimate Evil prior, and there was no way they'd be able to combat the entire empire in their current shape! So, they devised a plan. They lured the rebellious Ancient into a trap, stole part of their magic essence and sealed them away, then the remaining Ancients used the last of their magic to christen champions who would fight against the tyrannical Arkeyan king and all of his forces. These champions were blessed with not only the powers of light and darkness, the very elements that keep all Skylands in balance, but the very magic essence of their element's Ancient, which gave them godlike power in their own right. As the Ancients gave up their life force and faded away, they blessed their new champions with new titles, and a new moniker by which all Skylands would soon know them as…

The Elder Elementals, guardians of all Skylands!

For years, the Elder Elementals fought valiantly and tirelessly alongside the free magicians, the ones we know as the portal masters of old, to protect Skylands from Arkeyan tyranny and liberate those who were held captive by Arkeyan rule. But, like any freedom fighter who had been fighting for some time, soon they grew weary. They had been fighting for ages, and yet no matter what they did, no matter what awful Arkeyan concoctions they took down, the Arkeyan Empire would bounce back with tenfold more to replace what they had lost! How could they possibly bring an end to this cruel empire's control over Skylands? This question plagued our heroes' minds for ages, then finally they drew to a conclusion—they would storm Arkus, capital of the Arkeyan Empire, take down the Arkeyan King and destroy the iron fist by which he ruled Skylands!

So for many moons, they carefully planned and plotted, and now, it had all come to fruition on this very day! Within the heart of Arkus's base, the Elder Elementals and the ancient portal masters crept throughout the shadows of Arkus's strongholds, their footsteps light and their appearances shielded from prying Arkeyans eyes by the shadows cast on the walls. Their hearts were tense and their jaws were clenched as tip-toed through the stronghold. Would they be found out and stopped? Would they make it through to their objective in time? It was hard to tell, but nonetheless they swallowed their fear and proceeded straight into the throne room. The hidden treasure of Arkus, the place where the Arkeyan King lazed about while his armies conquered Skylands…

And hopefully, his final resting place.

That throne room was where they had all thought he'd rest, but, as they lights went up, they found that the throne room was completely empty! There were no robots to be seen, no servants that dashed to and fro, and most of all, the king himself was absent! What was going on? The Elder Elementals and ancient portal masters alike whipped their heads around in tense fear, but as they did, the head of the ancient portal masters turned their head around and gasped! For right then and there, their eyes had locked on an Arkeyan spy device!

"IT'S A TRICK!" They cried as they summoned their staff. "THEY KNEW WE WERE COMING!"

And right as they said this, the entire room whirred and spun into life! Screeching robot noises raged like burning flames as Arkeyan robots swooped into the room, sirens at full volume and bright red lights like blood dyed the stronghold a deep crimson. They were under attack, and it was time for them to fight! They had to protect their city, their emperor from the force that had tried to tear them down at the very root! But, unfortunately for them, that force was as unstoppable as they were mighty! The strongest of the ancient portal masters' ranks had banded together with the Elder Elementals, and together they cut down Arkeyan forces without breaking a sweat! Mechanical carnage in the form of halved robot corpses that sparked with magic static and exploded into gnashers that coated the room in smoke was strayed about the fields. And yet, the sight of the dead robots that choked out the room around didn't make them relent! In fact, they fought harder than before!

Above the skies, a tanned person with reddish-brown eyes and messy ginger hair dressed in trousers, sandals, a long jacket, and a wheel pendant all colored in shades of red spun around the room, propelled by flames that jetted out of their sandals' soles! Though the bandages wrapped around their hands turned slightly singed from the flames that spewed from their palms, they hardly cared as they cast their flames on a fleet of Arkeyan warriors! They just flew back as their flames fell over the robots, and then smirked as the robots screeched in pain while the flames melted and mangled their own bodies! The flames melted away their metal feet and hardened their metal till the robots were fastened hard to the floor, veritable sitting ducks waiting for the hunter's shots! And sure enough, a string of large, shiny purple orbs slammed right into their back and blew them to bits! As the robots' mangled, melting corpses collapsed onto the floor and exploded, the orbs' caster, a large, elven woman with blue skin, glowing white eyes, and fiery red hair tied into a ponytail, just smirked as she floated over their dead robotic bodies.

"They just don't make these robots like they used to, do they?" Asked the elf. "I recall your grandparents being quite the challenge back in the day!"

She smirked as she brushed off the purple and blue armor that covered her body, then the large, pink bottle that was strapped to her back. But as she did, she took no notice to how a large, monstrous robot crept up behind her and lifted up its hand cannon…

However, somebody else did! A scream pierced the air as a gigantic laser of bright purple energy slammed right into the robot's side and sliced it clean in half, then as it exploded and cast cyan smoke over the room, another figure emerged! A human with skin dark as the radiant night sky and only further accentuated by their vibrant purple locs all styled into the shape of a star with a long, flowing ribbon in its center like a shooting star's trail, sparkling purple lips and bright purple eyes floated out from the mist, their layered purple gowns and the purple wheel pendant they wore completely unscathed by the wreckage!

"Ninjini, are you alright?" The human asked as they floated up to the elf.

Ninjini, in response, nodded and stretched out a palm for the human to rest in. "Thankfully. You saved my skin back there!" Ninjini affirmed as she and the human smiled at each other once again, then lifted their eyes back to the battlefield. "Now, if you ask me, these tin cans look like they're begging for a fight!"—Ninjini raised a brow at the human—"Why don't we grant their wish?"

"Gladly!"

Ninjini and the human both dashed across the battlefield as they shot their blasts towards a fleet of Arkeyan copters, but behind them another fight ensued!

A large ent with massive horns made entirely of bark stormed across the battlefield with surprising speed despite his massive size, all while he held up an arm and shot bright, harsh blasts of green light that wove through and blew up the rows of robots that had just filed in! He lowered his arm as the smoke filtered in from the robots' demise, then grunted as something blindsided him and pushed him across the floor! He dug his heels in and cracked the tile floor below him as he locked arms with his assaulter, a gigantic red Arkeyan Ultron, and the two of them locked in a stalemate! Their hands gripped each others' forearms so tight that it cracked them both, and their legs trembled as each tried to outmatch the other! The ent clenched his teeth as he tried to push back against the Ultron. But, ultimately the Ultron won out! The ent relented for a single moment, and that slight shift in power was all the Ultron needed to slam him forward and pin him against the wall! The wall's ornamented walls cracked and crumbled as the ent struggled against his Ultron captor's grip, but it was no use! The sudden blow had weakened him, and he was in no position where he could break free! And with him taken captive, the Ultron just fired up its eyes and shot a trio of lasers right into the ent's chest! The ent screamed in utter agony as the lasers' searing heat carved into his bark and burned it away to reveal fleshy phloem that burned and pulsed under the weight of the lasers! Sap-like sweat crept down his face as he panted, gasped in pain and tried to squirm out… Then another laser shot through and completely obliterated the robot!

"Tree Rex, hang on!" Cried a mechanical voice as the sound of zooming wheels screeched against the battlefield's hard floors, "I'm coming!"

Tree Rex grunted as he lurched off of the wall and held a hand over his burning chest. As he fell to his knees and panted, a gold and red Arkeyan robot with glowing eyes and a single wheel for legs zoomed over and lifted Tree Rex back to his feet. The robot winced as his eyes fell on Tree Rex's wounded chest and the sap that bled from its wounds, then leaned Tree Rex against his shoulder and turned to the battlefield.

"We need healing over here, stat!" The robot cried as he tried to plug the bleeding wounds with his own hand, "Tree Rex got beat up bad!"

"Did someone say healing?" Asked a voice akin to the sound of leaves rustling through the wind on a spring day!

A burst of green light manifested out of nowhere, and from it popped a tall, pale-skinned person with a body round and slightly curved like an apple, pink eyes and white hair styled in the shapes of roses! They were dressed in a pink and green kimono with flowers and leaves and other natural things printed on its fabric, and though it covered most of their body, it didn't mask their neck, where a pendant with a shiny green wheel rested against their collarbone. They had a gentle smile on her face, but that quickly faded as their eyes fell on Tree Rex.

"Oh dear, you must have really gotten yourself battered up, haven't you?" The person asked as they floated up to Tree Rex's bleeding chest. "Let me see the wounds."

Bouncer and Tree Rex lifted their hands, and the person cringed as they fell witness to the full extent of Tree Rex's injuries.

"That's a nasty blow indeed! But, it's nothing I can't fix!" The person's hands glowed green as they floated up and placed those glowing hands on Tree Rex's chest. "This'll sting for a little bit, alright?"

The person hummed as the green glow that surrounded their hands seeped into the holes in Tree Rex's chest, then as they floated away, his injuries completely healed themselves! His flesh's burns faded away while the broken bark melded together to cover his chest, and even the cracks in his arms sealed themselves up like they had never existed! Tree Rex grinned and flexed as he pulled away from Bouncer's grip.

"Thanks a lot!" Tree Rex said as he smiled and nodded towards the person, then cracked his knuckles. "Now it's time I showed these guys why they should be afraid of the bark!"

Tree Rex smirked as he bolted forward, but before he disappeared from view, he took one last glance at Bouncer. "Bouncer, you help the others, I'm good here!"

"Right!" Bouncer cried as he zoomed away!

Dust and smoke kicked up from the flames his wheel sparked as he screeched against the floor, his eyes peeled for any sort of danger. Then finally, he found what he was looking for! Just across from Bouncer himself, a gigantic rock golem grunted as he swung down his hammer on a group of robots and smashed them to pieces, then grunted as another swarm of copters zapped him in the back!

"Ready, aim…" Bouncer whispered as he whipped out his hands and formed guns with his fingers. A smirk crossed his face as his fingertips glowed with a bright orange light, then he flew back as large orange comets burst from his fingertips. "FIRE!"

The comets shrieked like hot metal as they soared forward and bowled down the copters, now reduced to flaming masses of melted metal within the comets' grip! The golem, meanwhile, turned around and gawked as the copters fell, but not at the ones Bouncer took down! Rather, right in front of him, a much larger copter slammed into the ground and tossed broken tile everywhere! Its bent propeller fell off its top as the door completely popped out, and out from the open space popped two humans!

The first was chubby and with medium brown skin that had a warm, sunny undertone to it, one accented by their warm golden brown eyes and spiky blonde hair down to the golden and white robes and armor they wore and the yellow wheel pendant that hung from their neck! Beside them, a taller and thinner person with slightly lighter skin walked up and laid a hand on the first person's shoulders. The second person's hair was longer and ink black, their bangs so thick it masked their eyes while the back of their hair stretched down to their knees and curved at the end. As opposed to the regal and detailed armor and gowns the first person wore, the second person just donned a simple tunic with a belt slung around the waist, tight boots and a dark blue wheel pendant that bounced against their chest as they laughed.

"That copter never knew what hit it, right lil' sib?" The second person asked as they nudged the first person's head!

The first person just laughed in response, their cheeks dimpled as they guffawed with their sibling, but the two siblings' laughter was brought to a cease by the sound of groaning and flames bursting to life!

Behind them, a tall and slightly muscular person with warm, dark brown skin and black hair streaked with lightning bolt-shaped shocks of sky blue who donned a sky blue shirt with golden markings and half a side cut off to unveil their left arm, puffy trousers with a string of tight belts wrapped around the waist, and a pendant with a sky blue wheel hanging from their neck glared down the broken and battered copter, which had burst into flames! With a groan they waved his arms and extinguished the flames with a mighty gust of wind, then shot a glare back at the other two humans.

"I swear to the Ancients," the person groaned as they stormed up to the siblings. "You two destroy everything you touch!"

The two siblings, however, just chuckled to each other and winked.

"Well, isn't that a good thing in a situation like this?" The blonde-haired sibling asked as they summoned a shield of solid light.

"After all," the black-haired sibling said as they summoned a sword made of solid darkness and shot a glance to the fights that occurred, "I'd say there's a lot of destroying to be done here!"

The black and blue-haired person sighed, then clenched their teeth as they held out their hands.

"There's no lie there," they muttered under their breath as clouds formed around their hands and solidified into twin gauntlets! They took a step forward and went to swing…

"HAILLLLLLLLLL TO THE WHALEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

But a mighty cry shook the room around and turned all eyes to the front, where a tidal wave stormed in!

All three people down below jolted up and leaped for shelter as the tidal wave flooded in, but the robots they were about to fight weren't as fortunate! They got slammed full force with the brunt of the wave and short-circuited on the spot, then as they sparked and shuddered where they stood, a massive anchor swung into them and tore them to bits! The anchor swung into the hands of a massive blue whale with barnacle-coated arms as the robots exploded into smoke and fried bits, but the anchor withstood no such damage!

"Hey, what are you three doing standing around?" Cried out a regal, powerful voice as someone climbed up the whale's shoulder. "We've still got a battle to fight here!"

That person, who had tanned skin, black hair and brown eyes and wore silver, red, purple and gold robes reminiscent of a king's garb, an image only intensified by the golden crown dotted with rubies, amethysts and diamonds atop their head, stood on the whale's shoulder and held a hand against the side of the whale's head to steady themself. The silver wheel pendant they wore rested cold and still against their neck as they balled their hand into a fist, and a silver aura glowered around them.

The other three gasped as they basked in the newfound person's aura, then grinned and launched into the fray! And not just them, either. The entire room had been renewed by this person's sudden appearance, and a new fighting strength had fallen into the room—for they had brought reinforcements!

A large creature made entirely of lava and fire slicked down a group of robots with shiny oil and set them alight, and while the robots panicked, a person with warm light brown skin and short, choppy brown hair dressed in patchwork clothes and an orange wheel pendant flicked out glowing, gloved orange hands! The orange glow spread to the panicking robots, and their fear was forgotten as they rammed into each other and wrestled to the death!

Next to them, a massive suit of black and gold armor with a winged eyeball for a head split in two as they glared down several massive Weapon Masters! The suit punched the Weapon Masters down before they could fight, while the ones who escaped the suit's wrath were corralled into the pile by the lasers the eyeball shot! And once they were all gathered together, a massive stone pillar exploded from the ground and rammed the Weapon Masters in the ceiling!

While the stone pillar tunneled back into the ground, a person with deathly pale skin, black eyes and messy brown hair covered in dust marks who wore worn armor smirked and stepped back, the brown wheel pendant they donned shiny against the light. They smirked and wiped their nose as the pillar disappeared and the earth closed up with it, then they peered up and gave a thumbs up to a gigantic bee! The gigantic bee, in response, nodded and zipped forward!

As the gigantic bee jumped from side to side, it zapped robots with the massive stingers on its arms, while a person with pale skin, wavy black hair and deep blue eyes donning puffy blue clothes and a blue wheel pendant leaped forward and fed massive streams of water into the wounded robots's gaping panels! The robots exploded on the spot, while the person just grinned as they landed feet-first on a stream and flew across the battlefield!

And from the safety of a burnt, wounded robot corpse, a pale-skinned child with soft sky blue hair and bright silver eyes who donned a worn, blue, horned helmet with noticeable cracks in its surface, a baby blue jacket, blue trousers and a white wheel pendant beamed and giggled as they drank in the action! Their eyes sparkled as the fighting raged on, as if they were watching a show rather than a deadly battle! Then finally, they leaped from the dead robot they hid behind and pumped a fist!

"Alright!" The child cried as their eyes glowed a bright white. "Enough watching, I'm gonna wipe the floor with these bolt buckets, too—"—the child smirked as they turned their eyes on a group of quaking Arkeyan gladiators, then summoned a sword and leaped forward—"—and you're first!"

Well, that's what the child claimed, but instead of striking down the gladiators, the child just slammed face-first in the floor! They grunted as their sword vanished into thin air, then they whimpered and shuddered as they pushed themself off the ground. With a sniffle, they wiped their tears as the gladiators pointed and cackled at them, then they flung out a hand and shot a beam of light that completely evaporated the gladiators' heads! The child's smirk returned as they jumped to their feet and crossed their arms… Then they squeaked and leaped in the air, but not by choice!

Rather, a massive red and gold robot had stepped into the room, one so big its head nearly scratched the ceiling and every step it took rumbled the world around! Its head bore a crown-like crest, and from its one arm hung a massive fist with a power core that glowed like the sun, and its presence was so demanding, all eyes locked on it immediately!

The Arkeyans that once warred immediately knelt down and bowed in the large robot's presence, yet the Elder Elementals and the ancient portal masters alike couldn't bring themselves to smile. They all scowled and backed away, some of them readying attacks and weapons just to be safe, but their shared expressions of distaste carried all the words they didn't say. This was the guy they were looking for.

This was the Arkeyan King, Arkilles himself.

Arkilles broke into cackles that shook the entire world around, from the crumbling ceilings to the broken floors. "Well, well, look who came to visit!" Arkilles cackled, his voice masked under a blanket of filters and amplifiers that turned it robotic and menacing. "The Ancients' chosen ones and the magicians! I'm so glad you came to your own funeral!" Arkilles cracked his mechanical knuckles as his eyes glowed red. "It saves me the trouble of having to pick you up!"

"Oh, we're not dying anytime tonight, Arkilles!" The purple-haired woman vowed as she took a step forward and pointed a finger directly at Arkilles' face!

The Elder Elementals and ancient portal masters all stepped forwards and joined her with cries of affirmation, of vows to win and rebuttals, but Arkilles wasn't intimidated in the slightest! He just cackled and stroked his chin, then leaned forward while the power core on his glowed even brighter!

"We'll see about that!" Arkilles cried!

And so, everyone broke out into screams as they leaped into action…

§

"And then, Tree Rex was like, 'BAM,' 'POW' 'WHAM!' and Ninjini slashed Arkilles up with her swords, and Arkilles was like 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!'"

"Chihiro, I think you can stop now," chuckled a purple and gold dragon who laid on the floor with a grin.

The dragon turned to a pale-skinned child with short black hair and brown eyes decked out in monochrome clothes and a sparkling crystal pendant who raised a brow as she pulled herself up from a dramatic bow, her mouth twisted into a slight frown.

"But Spyro, I was just getting to the good part!" Chihiro turned her head around and beamed. "Right, Wrecking Ball?"

"I don't think he's gonna answer you." Spyro pointed towards a small straw nest in the center of the simple purple stone room they sat in, where a large sky blue grub worm snored peacefully as he slept in a nest.

"Wrecking Ball's been asleep for a half hour now."

Chihiro blinked for a few moments, then let out a soft giggle. She crept over to his nest with the slightest, quietest of footsteps, only a tiny bit of pause taken to close the storybook she had been reading from, then smiled and knelt down next to Wrecking Ball. For a moment she rubbed his back as he twitched and snored, then she drew a lavender blanket over Wrecking Ball and pushed herself up.

"Sweet dreams, Wrecks," Chihiro whispered as she tip-toed back to Spyro.

The two of them shared a gentle smile with each other, while Chihiro just scuffed her boot against the floor. "Y'know, I know it's technically s'posed to be night and all, but, for some reason, I just don't feel like sleeping," Chihiro remarked. "How 'bout you, Golden Boy?"

Spyro clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Me neither, to be honest. Are you up for a midnight walk?"

"Sure thing!"

The two of them shared a chuckle, then took hand in paw as they teleported out of Wrecking Ball's quarters in the Magic Sanctuary and right to the teleporter that lead back to the portal building! They both took a step on and were whisked back to the room in the portal building where all the Sanctuaries' teleporters, then strode out the door and down the halls. The portal building felt a lot lonelier and bigger than usual at this time of night, the one where everyone was sound asleep save for the unlucky few who got shafted into the night shift, but even they were well away from here. As far as the world was concerned, it was just the two of them trailing through the halls and towards the door that would bring them to the heart of Ancient's Peak.

With a simple push of the door, moonlight poured into the dark halls of the portal building, but that was of no concern to Spyro and Chihiro as they rushed outside! The gentle light of the moon cascaded over the empty heart of Ancient's Peak, the only source of light aside from the moon being the gentle glow of the rebuilt Core of Light. The other buildings were all just barely visible against the dark, their silhouette faint against the blue night sky and all its shining stars… It was so peaceful, yet such a strange sight compared to how busy and lively it was during the day.

Yet, it was a welcome sight for Spyro and Chihiro, who ran up to the cliffs that loomed over the beach and took a seat. Though their eyes were fixed on the stars, they still nudged closer and closer to each other, while Spyro laid his head on Chihiro's shoulder. It was just the two of them alone in the night, so peaceful and serene, and for a moment it seemed time had come to a stop.

"You know," Chihiro remarked as she craned her head further up towards the sky, "I still have a hard time believing it's been a whole year since we first met!"

"Me too," Spyro remarked as he glanced back at the Core of Light. "It doesn't feel like it was all that long ago that we first met in your backyard and started fixing the Core!"—Spyro turned his head back to Chihiro and wagged his tail—"and fixing the Core feels like it happened yesterday!" Spyro stood up and stretched. "But, I'm still so glad we managed to fix it… Not to mention all the headway we've made restoring Skylands since!" Spyro opened a paw and counted off his toes. "Most parts of Skylands have gotten back on their feet, we reclaimed Kaos's old fortress and took back all the evil artifacts he had stored there…"

"I know, Spyro, I was there!" Chihiro chuckled as she nudged his shoulder with her own, then shuddered, "I think that greeble machine still haunts my nightmares." Chihiro cleared her throat and twiddled her feet. "You know, I had thought things would slow down now that Kaos's gone, but I think we've been even busier than before!"

"No kidding, what with all those supply and repair jobs." Spyro's tail dragged back and forth across the grass as he sighed. "And with a good bit of our forces missing in action, we've been pretty understaffed! Heck, I think I heard Master Eon talk about reopening Skylanders Academy and training up some new recruits because of all this work the other day."

Spyro smiled and shook his head. "But enough about all this—how's the hunt for Kaos?"

Now, it was Chihiro's turn to sigh and shake her head, her black hair bouncing against her shoulders as she hummed.

"Haven't had much luck, I'm afraid. Since nothing we have can track him, I've had to do things the old-fashioned way." Chihiro admitted, "I've been searching as much as I can between school and stuff over here, but unfortunately, the Earth's a pretty big place and I'm only one person—"—Chihiro's dour expression turned to a smile as she fished her phone out of her pocket—"—but you know, I've had a lot of fun globetrotting!"

Chihiro's phone lit up the moment she flipped it open, and with a few button presses brought to sight a photo gallery with her in all sorts of places that she quickly flicked through.

"Here I am at the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, the Iguazu Falls in Brazil, this really fancy castle in Spain, going dog sledding in Finland and visiting the Sydney Opera House…" Chihiro's mouth watered as she flipped through the next couple photos, all captured of her eating in restaurants with wide smiles on her face. "Eating stroopwaffels and krokets in the Netherlands, Canadian-style breakfast, rosol and mizeria in Poland…"

A soft laugh from Spyro broke Chihiro out of her food-induced trance, and she immediately shook her head and stowed her phone away with a giggle of her own.

"But, no Kaos to be found."

"Well, sounds like you've been having fun, at least," Spyro remarked. He sighed and folded his wings close to his back as he lifted his head up towards the night sky. "I'd help too, but, you know, can't exactly go there without ending up still as a statue… Literally."

"It's alright Golden Boy, I know you're working as hard as you can here." Chihiro held her head and ruffled her hair. "But man, it sure would be nice to have a few extra portal masters around. I could definitely use a couple extra hands on deck!"

The soft twinkle of light pulled Chihiro's attention to the sky, then she gasped and jumped to full height.

"A shooting star! And I know just what to wish for!" Chihiro clasped her hands tight and hung her head. "Please let me find Kaos, please let me find Kaos, please," Chihiro popped an eye open and sighed as the shooting star vanished from view. "Darn, wasn't fast enough."

Chihiro plopped back down on the grass and kicked her feet together. "But you know, speaking of Earth, they're coming out with a new Skylanders game soon, too!" Chihiro clasped her hands into fists and bounced them up and down as her eyes sparkled in the moonlight. "And get this, it's all about the Elder Elementals and them coming back to Skylands! Can you believe it?"

"Huh, forgot those games were a thing." Spyro quirked a brow. "You know, it still weirds me out that all this is a game back there."

Chihiro giggled. "Yeah, I can understand that. It feels a little strange now, seeing people talk about it all like it's just a game when I lived through the real thing."

Spyro giggled as well, then yelped as Chihiro sprung forward and tackled him into a tight hug! Though shocked at first, he just giggled and embraced her hugs, his wings wrapped around her back as she nuzzled into his shoulder. Though they stood still and frozen in time for what felt like forever, ultimately Chihiro broke the hug and smiled back as she clasped her crystal pendant in her hands.

"I'd better get back home," Chihiro whispered, though the look in her eyes seemed wistful as if she wanted to stay just a moment longer. "See you later, Golden Boy!"

"See you later, Chi."

Chihiro chuckled and gripped her crystal a bit tighter, the warmth of Spyro's words a lingering thought in her mind that soon vanished for thoughts of the Earth.

"Crystal, take me back to Earth!" Chihiro proclaimed!

A flash of bright blue light enveloped her in its grip as she spoke, its body swirled around her until it completely masked her from view, then in a flash it completely vanished and took Chihiro with it! All that was left were a couple of pastel cyan sparkles that trickled onto the ground where she once stood like stardust…

§

A soft groan uttered from Chihiro's lips as her bleary eyes propped themselves open, the sights of the world around her so fuzzy from the residual dizziness that always came with warping between worlds. She rubbed her eyes clear as her head started to straighten itself out, and the sights around sharpened and unveiled themselves at last! She had found herself in a bedroom with lavender walls, cream-colored carpet floors, a closet to the side and a bedstand and bed to her right. Yep, this was her room, alright!

"Good thing I landed right here, too!" Chihiro remarked as she fell backwards and flopped onto her bed with a content sigh. "Working all night has me exhausted!"—Chihiro giggled as she turned on her side and clutched her blanket—"I can't wait to get some sleep."

So, Chihiro closed her eyes and went to get a few winks, then screamed as bright sunlight beamed into her room and burned against her tired eyes! Chihiro winced as she leaped off the bed, then stumbled over to her curtains and shut them over the window in a groggy haze. It was so bright out, it couldn't possibly still be morning, could it? Chihiro moaned and slid her phone out of her pocket, then fumbled it open and sighed. Nope, right there on her screen showed that it was still the morning of October 20th, 2012, and maybe only a few minutes had passed since she had left.

"Geez, I always forget about the jet lag," Chihiro groaned as she closed her phone and placed it back in her pocket, "I don't think I ever understood why they said time flies until I started going to—"

SLAM!

Chihiro yelped as the door to her bedroom burst open, then immediately stuffed her pendant into her shirt and whipped back around. There in her doorway stood a pale-skinned boy maybe about a foot shorter than she was, with sparkling blue eyes that had folds like hers and a nose much like her own, short blond hair with spiky bangs… Oh, phew, it was just Mamoru. He had dressed in a burgundy tank top over a white shirt with a light red collar and stripes on the sleeves and blue shorts, and he seemed awfully enthusiastic about something judging by how his eyes sparkled and the wide smile on his face. However, Chihiro couldn't exactly bring herself to share in his enthusiasm.

"Sheesh, Mamoru!" Chihiro snapped as she crossed her arms. "Didn't I tell you to knock before coming into my room?"

"I did, but you didn't answer!" Mamoru scoffed and puffed his cheeks, then shook his head. "Oh, forget that. There's something on TV that Mom and Dad want you to see!"

Something on TV? Her interest piqued, Chihiro quirked an eyebrow, then followed Mamoru out her bedroom, down the halls and out to the living room, where her father and mother sat on the couch, dressed in their work clothes. But that didn't strike her interest so much as what the news broadcast on TV showed!

There, a guy in archaeologist getup was talking with a newscaster dressed in orange, all while the archaeologist held up what seemed like a figure of the Elder Elemental Tree Rex, stuck to a large base of leaves and covered in streaks of dust! Down below, the ticker on the news screen rambled something about finding Skylanders figures buried and calcified in an archaeological dig site from some thousand years or so ago.

"There you are, Chihiro!" Her father remarked as he watched her with a twinkle in his eye. "Can you believe it? This archaeologist says he found figures from that game you like so much at their dig site!"

"Finding toys like that, buried in the Earth along with old pottery and scrolls," Chihiro's mother chuckled. "That's not something you'd see everyday!"

Chihiro, however, just placed her hands in her pockets and stepped back with a brow raised. She wasn't sure why, but a strange feeling beat in her heart as the broadcast continued. Something about that figure felt a bit different, something unlike the ones that were advertised with the game. And for that matter, she was sure amid the other voices, she heard something like groaning!

"Hey, mom, turn up the volume!" Chihiro said!

The volume on the TV raised, and the broadcast grew clearer!

"So, tell us about your strange discovery!" The reporter prompted as they pushed their microphone towards the archaeologist.

The archaeologist, in response, just frowned and shrugged as he waved the Tree Rex figure around.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure about it myself! I found these and a few other figures at the dig site we've been working at for the past week," the archaeologist explained. "Apparently they're called 'Skylanders Giants,' but whatever they are, they've had us completely baffled! They were buried deep in a site we were excavating from, so there's no possibility this could be a prank, but we have no clue how such modern…"

Urgh, ugh, groaned a third, gruffer voice unlike that of those on-screen, but too faint to be from anybody else around. Whe, where am I? This, this isn't Arkus…

Chihiro's head jittered, then she shook it and rapidly blinked as she fixed her eyes on the broadcast again. That voice, could it have been from that Tree Rex figure? Was that no ordinary figure, but the actual Tree Rex? But, that was impossible, right?! There was no way the Elder Elementals could possibly be here on Earth, not when they had perished thousands of years ago! Chihiro's head spun from all the questions, so she shook them aside and focused on the news broadcast once again.

What, what happened to me? That voice asked once more. Either I ended up someplace really big, or I got really small… And why can't I move? Where is everyone?

Right here! Cried another, more mechanical-sounding voice, Tree Rex, can you see me?

So that was Tree Rex's voice! But, what about that other one?

Bouncer, is that you? Tree Rex called. Where are you? I can't see you anywhere!

Turns your eyes down here! Cried another voice with a notable Transylvanian accent. We're all in this strange box!

Chihiro turned her attention down to the space that sat between the reporter and archaeologist, then her brows leaped up her forehead and her eyes went wide! There was a box sitting between them, and figurines of the other Elder Elementals all sat still as statues and stuck to pedestals within! With all those voices talking around, there was no doubt that those were the Elder Elementals, but just to make sure…

"Hey! Mom, Dad, Mamoru?" Chihiro asked as she turned back where the rest of her family sat on the couch. "Did you hear those weird voices too?"

"What weird voices?" Chihiro's mother asked.

Chihiro pulled her hands out of her pockets and gestured around. "You know, that weird and really gruff voice, and the robot-sounding one, and the one with the Transylvanian accent?" Chihiro waved towards the TV. "They were all asking a bunch of weird questions about being small and where they are and stuff?"

In response, Chihiro's father and mother both frowned and looked at each other, then shook their heads.

"I didn't hear anything like that," Chihiro's father replied as he peered back at Chihiro.

"Neither did I," Chihiro's mother affirmed as she raised a brow at Chihiro, "are you sure you weren't just hearing things?"

Chihiro turned her gaze to Mamoru, but he just hummed and scratched his head.

"I don't know, I thought I heard a weird voice saying weird stuff on there, too…" Mamoru said before he smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "But, I think I might've just imagined it."

Wait, could Mamoru had heard those voices too? But how? As far as she knew, he wasn't a portal master! But, her parents didn't seem to hear anything… Yet, she knew for a fact that the voices had to belong to the Elder Elementals, so only a portal master could hear them, right?! Ugh, this was all so confusing, if only there was some way she could figure this out for sure!

"Hi, yes, coming through!" said a man as he pushed between the reporter and archaeologist!

He was dressed in fancy blue work clothes with an id tag that had some company's name written on it as part of a fancy black and white logo hanging from his neck. Wait, hold on a second—Chihiro's gaze focused on the name tag, then she hummed and rubbed her chin. Wasn't that the name of the company that made the Skylanders game? Either way, the camera panned away as the man cleared his throat and straightened his tie, then gave a very forced-looking smile towards the camera as he waved.

"Well, whatever the thoughts and theories, we'll find out for certain soon enough!" The man proclaimed. "We will be holding a demonstration showcasing these figures in action with our brand-new game, Skylanders Giants, which is set to release tomorrow! This demonstration will be held at this location…"

As the location was given, Mamoru's eyes lit up. "Hey, that's not that far from here!" He remarked.

Well, looks like Chihiro's wishes had been granted! All she had to do was get to that presentation and see if she could get close enough to the Elder Elemental figures, and then she'd know for sure! Now, there was only the issue of getting there, seeing as how she couldn't just run off in broad daylight without her parents noticing. So, she turned to her mom and clasped her hands together.

"Can I go, Mom?" Chihiro asked as she bowed her head and shook her clasped hands. "Please, please, please?"

Chihiro's mother, however, just frowned and scratched her head.

"I don't know, Chihiro," her mother remarked with a frown, "I wasn't really planning on going anywhere today, and it seems like it's getting pretty crowded over there…"

Chihiro winced and took a glance back at the TV, where sure enough a decently-sized crowd had formed, and it was only getting bigger by the moment! And her mom really hated crowds, to boot. Chihiro had to find some other way to convince her mom, but how?

"Actually, I wanna see it too!" Mamoru chimed in as he jumped forward and nudged mom's shoulder. "Can we go, Mom? Can we, can we?"

Chihiro's mother sighed, then yanked herself off the couch. "Well, I guess. Just let me get ready first."

"Okay!" Mamoru cried as he jumped off the couch and dashed downstairs!

And as Mamoru got his shoes on, Chihiro grinned and followed him down, all while making a mental note to do him a solid later—because he really saved her there! Now she could finally figure out whether these figures were the real deal or not! And as she slid on her boots, Chihiro frowned and pressed a hand against her shirt, enough to feel the pendant still tucked underneath it. Hopefully, she'd be able to get to them soon.

§

As their mother's car came to a stop, Chihiro and Mamoru tossed the car door open and bolted outside so fast that it was like they had been set on fire! Mamoru's eyes were wide with excitement as he hit the grass and dashed into the crowds set up in front of the open space between the library and the pharmacy, but Chihiro was far more nervous as she dashed after him and wove between the crowds.

"Hurry up, Mom! It's gonna be over by the time we get there!" Mamoru cried as he waved back to their mother. "You're going too slow!"

"Mamoru, calm down!" Mom scolded as she stumbled out the car. With a sigh, she closed the car door behind her. "The presentation hasn't even started yet, see?"

Chihiro stopped in her tracks and frowned. Unfortunately, she couldn't exactly tell, seeing as how the crowd had choked out most of the sights! A good bit of it was parents with excitable kids tugging on their clothes and gushing about how excited they were, some lingering passerby who drew into the crowd, entranced by its massive size and whatever flashy displays were laid out above, plus an odd film crew or two… But there were so many of them, they had completely blocked the presentation itself out!

Chihiro jumped up and down in some attempt to catch a better look, but it was fruitless! She was far too short! Chihiro grunted as she hit the ground, then bent down and prepared to jump—but right before she sprung up, someone tapped her on the shoulder!

"C'mon, Chi!" Mamoru shouted as he grabbed her by the hand and dragged her away from the crowds. "There's a free spot over here!"

The two of them dispersed from the crowds and towards the sidewalks that lead out to the streets between the display's resting place and the various shops that lined the other side of the road, and sure enough, Mamoru was right! There was an actual view of the presentation! There at the very end of the crowds stood a platform with orange and yellow banner decorating its top and TV displays bearing the menu for Skylanders Giants on their screens, all paired with cardboard mockups of all the characters new and old that were supposed to come with the game. But, the largest screen of all belonged to a massive TV hung from the heart of the display, with that archaeologist and employee from the news report placed right in front of it!

"Testing, testing, one, two, three…" The employee mumbled as he tapped his microphone, then cleared his throat and beamed.

"Welcome, welcome one and all! Thank you for coming to our pre-release presentation on Skylanders Giants! In case you were unaware, Skylanders is our hit new video game series where toys come to life before your very eyes, and it all has to do with…"

While the employee prattled further and further on, Chihiro and Mamoru crept further up the sidewalk, until they were just a few feet away from the stage itself! Now that she was closer, they both could get a better view at that archaeologist dude, and judging from the glare he shot that employee in the midst of the employee's never-ending speech, he didn't seem particularly amused with all the theatrics.

The employee gulped as the glare pierced him like a dagger, then cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. "O-of course, we're not here just to advertise our new game, nope, not at all!" The employee claimed as he yanked the Tree Rex figure and waved it around.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Tree Rex cried from within the man's grasp. My head's spinning!

Chihiro gasped, then stepped back as Tree Rex's voice entered her mind once more.

"I knew it, I knew heard him speaking! This has to be the actual Tree Rex!" Chihiro whispered as her eyes fell on the box. "And if he's real, then surely those have to be the other Elder Elementals in there!"

What's with all these lights?

Why's everything so big?

How'd we get here? Are we even in Skylands still?

Chihiro rubbed her chin as the chatter faded out. "Well, that solves one problem, but how am I going to get them out of here?" Chihiro frowned, then crept closer to the stage, until she had left Mamoru behind and fell amid the masses at the head of the crowd instead. "Maybe if I got close enough while everyone was distracted and used my magic, then I could make a distraction and sneak them out!" Chihiro whispered to herself with a smile. "Sounds good to me, I just need to find the perfect opportunity."

Chihiro let a low chuckle, just low enough that nobody could hear her, then lifted her head back to the stage as the employee continued to prattle.

"Today, we're here to showcase these mysterious Skylanders Giants figures that were found at a dig site just a few days ago! These characters are the ancient heroes of Skylands, the Giants!" The employee grabbed all the other Elder Elementals' figurines out and laid them in front of the box one by one. "And if you want one of these enigmatic ancients of legend for your own, you can just head on down to wherever Skylanders toys are sold and pick one up for only fifteen ninety-nine…"

Chihiro smiled, then shoved a hand in her pocket far enough that its cyan glow would be masked from the public.

The employee got another glare from the archaeologist, then coughed again and hastily pressed a button on the controller he held in his other hand. The screens around them all faded to black for a few moments, then they lit in shining blue as a single message flashed onto its screens.

"Please place a Skylander on the portal."

And that had definitely caught everyone's attention! Soft whispers came from the crowd as all eyes fell on the screens, and Chihiro clasped her hand tighter.

"This kinda feels wrong, stealing them like this," Chihiro whispered, then shook her head. "But, if I'm gonna get them home safe, I'm gonna have to do it."

The employee carried on with another spiel and lowered the Tree Rex figure over the portal display that had been set up as Chihiro slid her hand out of her pocket, all so slow and tense that time came to a crawl. Chihiro lifted her hand out just as Tree Rex hit the portal… And an error message flashed onto the screens! The employee gasped as his eyes fell on the repeated message decrying an error with the figure, then chuckled as he removed Tree Rex from the portal, while Chihiro hastily hid her hand once more.

"Well, that's quite odd," the employee remarked as he rubbed Tree Rex's base off with his shirt and placed Tree Rex back on the portal. "Let's try this again!"

And so, Tree Rex hit the portal once more and the screens all glowed with the Life Element's symbol for a few moments, then once again, the error messages flashed onto the screens! The employee winced, then took Tree Rex off and placed him back on to similar results yet again!

The crowds grew irate as they mumbled and scorned, with a few even trailing off back to the parking lots, and in response the employee gasped.

"No, don't go!" The employee pleaded as he tossed Tree Rex back into the box. "We, we're just having a couple technical difficulties here! Nothing to worry about!"—The employee yanked Bouncer off the stand and put him on the portal—"Maybe this one will work!"

Bouncer, in fact, didn't work at all! The same lag and error screens showed once again, and the angered crowds grew even louder in their displeasure! So, the employee switched Bouncer off for Thumpback, then Ninjini and Hot Head and every other Elder Elemental on hand… But none of them worked at all!

"Talk about a waste of time!" Cried one member of the crowd.

"I'm going home!" Shouted another.

"Something tells me I shouldn't get this game," mumbled a third.

The crowds dispersed, and a few even stopped to pelt stray fruit and veggies at the disgruntled employee! As the employee dodged a tomato, he winced while sweat poured down his brow, then grunted and wiped a banana off his forehead as that slapped him head-on!

"There has to be some good explanation for this!" The employee grumbled as he checked the display, "maybe something's wrong with this portal…"

And as the employee bent down to check and everyone made their leave, Chihiro grinned and shot out her hand.

"Finally, a chance!" Chihiro whispered as her hand glowed bright. "I'll just send out a magic smoke bomb real quick, then slip out the Elder Elementals and teleport them back to my room before anyone notices…"

"Chihiro? Chihiro? Where'd you go?" Her mother called amid the crowd. "We're going home, everyone else is leaving!"

Wait a second. Chihiro's hand flopped down to her side while the enchantment lifted from her veins, and her eyes glazed back down to the crowds. Above the crowds, her mother's familiar hairbun weaved through the masses of people as her mother drew closer to her! Chihiro narrowed her eyes, then they jumped open and wide as her mother walked up to her side!

"Chihiro, there you are!" Her mother asked. "Didn't you hear me say we were going home?"

Chihiro winced, turned around and found herself face to face with her mom, then shook off her moment of fear. So, she tried to yank her hand away once more and frowned.

"Let me go, mom!" Chihiro demanded, "I've gotta do something!"

"What's there to do, Chihiro?" Her mother sighed, her voice a bit more irate than normal. "Mamoru's already waiting in the car! Come on, now!"

But while Chihiro tried to thrust her way out of her mother's grip, she didn't notice that she was far from the only portal master in the area!

As a parent dragged their crying child away from the crowds, a toy-sized Kaos marveled the stage with a grin on his face and a toy-sized Glumshanks held tight to his back with a rubber band! His clothes were torn and his head was covered in bruises and scuffs, and all over he looked as if he had seen better days, but he still scuffled and shuffled through the crowds much larger than he was with a determined step!

"I knew it, Glumshanks!" Kaos cried, "I knew I felt a portal's presence here!" Another cackle came from Kaos as he pumped a fist in the air. "Once I get on that, I can definitely get back to Skylands!"

Are you sure about that though, Lord Kaos? Glumshanks asked, still completely motionless from his position on Kaos's back. I mean, there's a lot of people here. What would happen if someone spotted us? And that's not even mentioning any problems with the portal!

"Oh, there's nothing to worry about, Glumshanks! Those puny earthworms are so caught up in their own simple-minded business, they won't even notice…"

"Let go of me, mom! I can't leave, not just yet!"

Kaos's ears perked up, and Glumshanks' question was completely forgotten as Kaos peered over to where a few news reporters cleared out and unveiled none other than Chihiro, who stood firm as she pulled away from her mother's grip! Kaos's eyes practically popped out of his head at the sight!

"The portal-poster?! What's she doing here?!" Kaos cried as he stumbled back. He blinked, then shook his head and smirked. "Actually, nevermind that! Now's the perfect time to get my revenge!"—Kaos let out a low cackle, and purple magic lit up at his fingertips—"I'll just blow her sky-high with one magic blast…"

Actually, I'd think twice about that, Lord Kaos! Glumshanks added in. If she finds us, you know for a fact that she'll stop us and take us in!

Kaos paused, and he grumbled under his breath as his palms' light faded away. "For once in your life, you do make a good point, Glumshanks."

And with a crowd like this, one wrong move and the whole place would dissolve into complete and utter chaos! Not that it wouldn't be appropriate for you, Lord Kaos, but—

Chihiro's eyes popped wide, then she paused and lowered her hands. "Wait a second, that voice I just heard…"

"Chihiro, are you even listening to me?" Her mother asked.

But, Chihiro just turned back to the crowds and narrowed her eyes, then gasped as a black cloth fluttered against the grasp! Her hand slipped from her mother's grip, and she dashed through the dispersing crowds as she trailed the black cloth's path.

"Actually, all this can wait!" She whispered as she pushed past a pair of newscasters. "I've gotta stop Kaos!"

Chihiro grunted as she popped past the newscasters, and her eyes fell on the grasses below, where Kaos's back could faintly be seen as he struggled to jump for the stage. Chihiro frowned as she caught a glimpse of her mother shuffling through the crowds, then cast out her hand and zapped Kaos in the back! Kaos, in turn, screamed as he stood stiff and tall as a board before falling over, then she rolled forward and yanked him off the ground!

"I've got you now, Kaos!" Chihiro cried as she squeezed him tight and dove back into the crowds' sanctuary. "And this time, you're not going anywhere!"

The spell wore off with a pop, then Kaos's eyes fluttered open right as she loosened her grip and trapped him in magical ropes! Kaos grunted as he struggled against the ropes for moments, then his gaze turned up to Chihiro and his jaw dropped completely!

"The, the portal-poster!" Kaos cried as he thrust against the ropes. "And here I thought I'd actually have a good day for a change!"

"Sorry buddy, but your bad days aren't ending here!" Chihiro cried! Her voice turned icy-cold, and her hand flared with magic once more. "Cause I'm making sure you never go back to Skylands again!"

Chihiro's hand shrieked with magic as she got ready to cast the spell—

"Chihiro!" Her mother called, and from an awfully close distance!

—then she gasped and the magic faded! Chihiro yanked her head back and forth, but not a trace of her mother could be found between the fleeing crowds! She winced and closed her hand, but, it was completely empty! Chihiro took a glimpse down at her hand and gasped as she found it completely vacated!

Down across the ground, Kaos had completely freed himself of the ropes that kept him bound, and he was already making his grand escape!

"See you, portal-poster!" He cried in the distance!

Chihiro grunted, then jumped forward and went to make chase! Well, she would've, had something not grabbed onto her wrist and held her back! Chihiro tugged against the grip, but it was so tight that she couldn't break free!

"Chihiro, what do you think you're doing?!" Her mother hissed from behind. "I told you, we're leaving!"

Chihiro winced, then turned her eyes back to the crowds… And gasped as Kaos climbed onto the stage! Chihiro's hand slipped out of her mother's grip with a quick yank, but Chihiro just dove back into the crowds and took shelter among the masses of leaving people! There was no way she was going to let Kaos get close to that portal! Chihiro thrust out her hand, then narrowed her eyes and shot a bolt of lightning right at Kaos! The lightning bolt zapped him right at his heels and tossed him right on top of the stage, where he fell flat on his face!

Kaos grunted and rubbed his face as he sat back up, all while he mumbled some very strong expletives underneath his breath… But, he quickly forgot his pain as he found himself atop the stage at last! Kaos chuckled, then leaped to his feet and crept closer to the display—and the portal! Though, the employee didn't seem to notice this as he were far more focused on fixing the game setup. In fact, he didn't even notice Kaos walk right up to him and wave his arms in the employee's face! Kaos however, just smirked and charged up purple light in his palms.

"And just to be sure that nobody interferes with my return," Kaos cried as he shot a lightning bolt at the employee. "Take that!"

However, the employee just ducked underneath the bolt, which hit the TV displays instead! But while the employee didn't notice this sudden attack, the rest of the crowd certainly did—because the burst of magic that came from Kaos's bolt seeped into the TVs and displayed crackling static on the big screens! They all stopped in their tracks and chattered among themselves, their voices now with a hint of intrigue.

"Huh, what's everyone staring at?" Kaos asked as he stood back up. Kaos craned his head back up to the screens, then gasped. "And what's going on with those things?"

The employee frowned and pulled himself away from the game setup.

"It is finally fixed?" He asked himself as he turned up to the screens, then raised his brows and turned down Kaos. "Wait a second, was that toy one of the ones I was supposed to promote?"

Kaos gulped as the employee locked eyes on him and went to grab him, but before the employee could, Kaos thrust out his hand and shot him with a magic blast! The employee screamed as the blast hit him straight in the chest and tossed him on the floor, then he groaned and collapsed unconscious!

"As for the rest of you earth-worms…" Kaos grumbled as he floated off the platform, all while a purple glow surrounded him, "I'll make you all learn to fear the almighty Lord Kaos!"

Kaos glowed a brighter purple, and in response the winds around him kicked up and gusted into the crowds! While everyone was clinging to their hats and trying not to get blown off their feet, however, the skies turned a bright purple, and clouds charged with electricity brewed over and blocked off the sun! Everyone took a peek up, and several faces turned pale as sheets!

"What's going on with the sky?" Someone asked as they scratched their head… Then they screamed as a lightning bolt slammed down on the stand and knocked out all of the TVs at once!

"That's it, I'm getting out of here!"

"I'm scared!"

"What's going on?!"

The crowd's shouts and the pounding stampede of their footsteps blocked off the sound of anything else as they fled the scene!

"See, now there's a storm coming!" Her mother cried. "We really need to go—"

CRACK! A purple lightning bolt crashed down right beside Chihiro's mother, while Chihiro herself slipped away and disappeared into the fleeing crowds! Chihiro winced as she jumped out of one person's way just before she could get bowled over, then turned her attention to the stage, where the Elder Elementals' figures had been knocked over and laid face-first on the stage!

Chihiro rushed forward and leaped onto the stage, then shuffled behind the stand their box was placed on. Shielded from the prying eyes of others, Chihiro yanked Tree Rex from the ground! A smile fell over her face as she ran her fingers over the woody textures of his figure, then she shook her head and reached for Bouncer!

Wait a second, who are you? Tree Rex asked from within Chihiro's hand. Are you that strange other voice I've been hearing?

Chihiro paused for a moment, then chuckled as she reached back out for Bouncer.

"Probably!" Chihiro replied from the confines of her mind as she collected Bouncer and laid him in her lap. "Name's Chihiro Hatsuki, and I'm a Portal Master!"

Portal Master?

"I'm what you guys would have called a free magician in your time." Chihiro grabbed Swarm and Hot Head and stacked them over Bouncer. "It's a long story, but once I get you to my place—"

A sharp cracked perked Chihiro up, then she turned her attention back to the skies, where the storm above raged strong at ever! Its purple glow grew so bright it almost enveloped its clouds as a faint aura of magic radiated from it, and just the very sight raised goosebumps down her back! Chihiro clenched her teeth, then she yanked the box off the stand and stuffed the Elder Elementals inside it with a snap of her fingers and a burst of magic.

"Actually, give me a moment!"

Chihiro shot out her hand and tossed a bright cyan magic sphere right at Kaos, who seemed so absorbed in his own spell that he surely hadn't the mind to notice… But right before it made contact, Kaos whipped around and zapped the sphere with a gigantic purple lightning bolt! The sphere and lightning bolt collided in a bright flash that whisked them backstage, far from any prying eyes!

Lord Kaos, what's going on? Glumshanks cried from his place on Kaos's back!

But, Kaos just completely ignored Glumshanks' cries, his eyes fixed on Chihiro instead. "You just don't give up, do you, portal-poster?" Kaos cackled as his hands glowed bright.

Chihiro flung her hands in front of her body. "I could say the same about you, Kaos!" Chihiro cried. "Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. You can come with me…" Chihiro squeaked and jumped in the air as a magic orb exploded below her feet. "Alright, hard way it is!"

Chihiro snarled and shot another sphere—but right as she did, Kaos shot yet another lightning bolt to combat it! Her sphere fizzled out immediately as the lightning bolt pierced right through it, and Chihiro rolled aside just before the lightning bolt got her next! She fell on her side and winced as the lightning bolt slammed into the ground and left a nice, sizzling mark behind, then turned her attention back to Kaos with a scowl, with that awful, smug look of his digging right back into her chest. Chihiro grunted, then swung her hands forward and summoned a mass of energy spheres that screeched straight towards Kaos! Kaos grinned and flew around the first few, then grunted himself as one slammed into him at full force and tumbled aside. But, he didn't seem any worse for wear as he shook it off and zapped the others down with a snap of his fingers! So, Chihiro flung out her palms and shifted her hands into magical laser cannons, then punched them forward and shot lasers right towards him. But, he just dodged each one! Each laser just slipped and grazed past his ugly shiny bald head that reflected the purple light of the area around, or his tattered clothes, or even Glumshanks as he sat and screamed on Kaos's back!

"Geez, guy's so small he can just dodge everything I throw at him!" Chihiro winced as she drew back her hands. The cannons around her hands vanished, but their blue glow lingered on Chihiro's skin. "Maybe I should try something a little more active!"

Chihiro snapped her glowing fingers, and their glow faded as bright spheres of cyan energy leaped from her palms and shot after Kaos! Kaos grinned and leaped out of their way right as they came for him, but what he didn't realize was they had had looped back around and went right back after him! He turned around, then screamed as they slammed into him and tossed him into the earth! While the ground dented underneath the force of his crash, Kaos staggered back up and groaned. He straightened his robes for a few moments, then jumped up and leaped out of the way as Chihiro dove right for him! He cackled as he flew in the air while the purple glow returned to his body, but Chihiro just leaped right for him! He swept left as she grappled for him, then teleported away! As he reappeared, Chihiro bolted forward while a blue glow shone off of her body, fully prepared to teleport.

"I don't know if you should be so worried about me," Kaos crooned as he steepled his fingers. "After all, those people over there seem like they're in a lot of trouble!"

This simple sentence stopped Chihiro in her tracks, and her gaze and glow loosened as she poked around the stage and turned her attention back to the fleeing crowds. There, people screamed and ran for cover as purple lightning crackled down from the skies and slammed into the ground full-force! Purple fire lit up from the singed ground and shot fireworks of purple magic blasts everywhere they burned, and others were nearly shocked to death where they stood by the bolts! It was chaos abound! In fact, amid the crowds she could even spy her own mother fleeing in panic as she cried Chihiro's own name!

"Mom!" Chihiro gasped as she wrapped her hands around the stage! Her head throbbed as she bit her lip, sweat creeping down her brow. What was Chihiro supposed to do? Her mother might get hurt, killed even if Chihiro didn't stop this soon!

A cackle sounded off and Chihiro turned her gaze backstage, and a scowl crossed her face as Kaos dashed towards the stage and cackled, his laughter a sickening sound that rang well even across the lightning and screaming. He even jumped up and clacked his feet together as he made his grand getaway!

"That coward! Dragging innocent people to this so he can make a getaway…" Chihiro snarled and flung out a lightning-charged hand. "Well, he's not getting away with it!"

A rocket made of solid electricity burned at Chihiro's palm, then it zipped right off and slammed right behind Kaos's feet! A massive burst of electricity shot off and completely enveloped the area around him, and as for Kaos, he and Glumshanks just screamed as loud as they could as the force of the blow swept him off his feet and tossed him towards the skies! Kaos grappled for the ground as he flew further and further away, but by then it was too late! He just disappeared into the cloudy stratosphere, never to be see again!

Chihiro snarled and balled her hand into a fist as he disappeared, then she dashed back around the stage's other way and grimaced. The whole place had been struck in parts, with purple singe marks the scattered remnants of lightning strikes and magic blows! Chihiro's eyes drifted down to her feet where the box with the Elder Elementals inside still rested, then she knelt down and pulled it up. A quick glaze over showed that they were, thankfully, left unsinged and unharmed by the storms rolling around. Chihiro smiled as she clutched the box, while ahead of her, the employee grumbled something under his breath as he pushed himself off the ground and rubbed his head.

"Wha, what happened?" he grumbled. The employee rubbed his head as he sat up, then screamed as the singed parts of the stage burst with purple fire!

While he joined the fleeing crowds in making a grand escape, Chihiro just gritted her teeth, then shook her head and whisked the Elder Elementals away to a space in a back alley safe from magic attacks with a snap of her fingers.

"I can take care of them in a little bit. For now, I've gotta stop this storm!"

Chihiro fell to her knees and pressed her palms against the wooden floor.

"If this is a magic storm, then I bet a no-sell spell would work for something like this."

Chihiro took a breath in, then screamed and collapsed as a burst of purple flame slapped her in the back! Chihiro sat up and rubbed her back, and in that moment a gust of strong wind captured her in her moment of weakness and slammed her into the back of the stage! Chihiro grunted in pain as she tried to stagger up, but the creak of something falling off its balance turned her attention above her. Then, she screamed and teleported away as one of the gigantic TVs crashed down towards her! With a single blink, Chihiro reappeared by the stage right as the TV crashed. She poked her head around the corner, where the passerby continued to scream and flee.

But among them was none other than her mother, who talked to Mamoru as they stood in the heart of the chaos!

"Mamoru, what are you doing?!" Chihiro's mother cried as she knelt down. "I told you to stay in the car!"

"But, you were taking so long!" Mamoru retorted, "I was wondering what was going on, so I came to see!"

Just then, a trio of lightning bolts struck around them! Both Chihiro's mother and Mamoru collapsed to their knees as Chihiro's mother gripped Mamoru tight and shielded him with her body, then both of them caught their breath as the lightning faded. Just as they stood up, however, bright purple flames burst from the singed spots the lightning left behind!

"Mom! Mamoru!" Chihiro cried as she gripped the stage! Her eyes were wide with panic as her hands trembled, but she shook her head and held out her hand nonetheless.

Her focus fixed on the two of them, Chihiro snapped her fingers and closed her eyes. A whoosh of magic popped her eyes open, and when she popped them open they had disappeared in a flash of cyan! Chihiro summoned a crystal ball made of cyan magic and waved it over, then grinned as it showed a display of her mother and Mamoru safe in the parking lot! And with that taken care of, Chihiro could finally tame the storm! Chihiro whisked away the crystal ball and fell to her knees. She breathed in and out as the magic in her veins grew stronger, then she shot her eyes open with a cyan filter took over her vision.

"Now," Chihiro whispered, her voice strained from all the power that went into her spell. "Stop this storm!"

Chihiro clenched her teeth as the magic in her body surged and cast out over the ground, seeped into the cracks and fed into the remnants of the storm… Then she gasped as the storms and flames grew stronger! The glow around her faltered for a moment, but she just closed her eyes and dug her hands into the earth!

"NOW, STOP THIS STORM!" Chihiro cried at the top of the her lungs!

A bright cyan explosion of magic burst from her body as she screamed, then it washed over the world around and cleansed the spells! The skies returned to their normal overcast form, the wreckage of the storm had been repaired good as new, and even the TV that had fallen had been repaired and propped back up!

Chihiro panted shallow breaths, then staggered back to full height and leaned against the side of the stage! Her legs felt like they were gonna give out on her from all the strength she had to call on, but she did it! She had stopped the storm!

"Thank goodness," Chihiro panted as she wiped sweat from her brow, "I almost thought that wasn't gonna work."

Chihiro's eyes trailed back to where the Elder Elementals laid, then she skipped over, knelt down and retrieved Tree Rex from the box.

"Looks like you guys are fine." Chihiro smiled and rotated Tree Rex in her hand. "Good thing, too, because I have a lot I wanna talk about with you!"

Yep, you really are a free magician! Tree Rex remarked. Only someone like that could pull off a spell that powerful… But, just what was with that storm? And who was that bald guy you were fighting?

"I'll… Explain… Later…" Chihiro panted as she gripped Tree Rex tight and reached for the other Elder Elementals. "For now, let's get you guys somewhere—"—Chihiro gasped and jolted backwards as the box was yanked from the ground—"Safe?!"

"That's it, these things have got to be cursed!" The archaeologist proclaimed as he tucked the box under his arm and stormed off, "I'm dumping them in the trash where they belong! They're somebody else's problem now!"

Chihiro gasped, then stumbled after the archaeologist and grappled for the box, but someone else grabbed her shoulder before she could snatch it! Chihiro yipped and hid Tree Rex behind her back as her capturer turned her around to reveal that it was none other than Mamoru!

"There you are, Chihiro!" Mamoru cried. "What happened to you? There was this weird storm going on, and Mom and I nearly got zapped, then there was this big flash of light and we appeared in the car and—"

"Chihiro, just where were you? Are you alright?" Mom demanded as she stormed up beside Mamoru. "You had me worried sick, running off in the middle of the storm like that!"

Chihiro winced, then freed herself from Mamoru's grip. Geez, talk about no respect. Chihiro made a sour frown, but it quickly softened the moment she saw the look of worry in her mother's eyes. But, she couldn't entirely fault them for not knowing, considering that they had no idea about all this portal master stuff.

"I, I'm fine! When the storm started, I went to the library!" Chihiro exclaimed as she clasped her free hand. "Yeah, I went to the library and hid there until the storm calmed down!"

Mom sighed, but at the very least she seemed a little less mad with her frown vanishing and her brows loosening up. "Well, I'm glad to hear you're alright. Just don't run off like that again, okay?"

"… Understood, Mom."

Chihiro winced as her mother pulled her and Mamoru back to the car. But, as they walked back to the parking lot, Chihiro caught a glimpse of the archaeologist tossing the Elder Elementals in a trashcan! Chihiro winced and reached, but she had drained her energy so much that she could barely fight her mom's grip, in spite of the Elementals' cries of shock flooding her head.

"Talk about an awful day," the archaeologist grumbled as he wiped his hands.

"You're telling me," the employee grumbled as he stumbled over and laid an arm on the archaeologist's shoulder. "What'll I tell my boss when I have to explain that the promotion event I suggested turned out to be a bust?"

"So you were using me for advertising!"

Chihiro sighed and averted her eyes as the employee and archaeologist spat, then dragged her feet as she hopped into the car and buckled in. While the car started and drove away, Chihiro curled up in her seat and withdrew Tree Rex from behind her back, her body curled around him so that neither Mamoru or her mother could see him.

What's going on? Tree Rex asked. What happened to the others?

"Long story short, we're gonna need a plan b," Chihiro whispered at a low enough volume that Mamoru and Mom couldn't here. "But don't worry, I've got an idea. I just need to pick some things up from Skylands, then we'll leave tonight. But I promise, I'll definitely save them."

Tree Rex went silent for a moment, almost if he seemed a bit worried, but finally he let out a soft, content grunt. I understand.

Chihiro made a soft nod, then stowed Tree Rex back in her pocket as she glanced outside. Though she had promised him, she sincerely hoped that this would be a promise she could keep.

§

Night had long since fallen in Treasure Lake, and in most parts of this sleepy little town, the title of sleepy town truly befit it. Lights had been turned off in most homes, and no sounds came from the lively forests as the wildlife rested. The only thing to be heard were the faint hoots of owls as they swept across the starry skies or raccoons as they fled from rummaging through people's opened garbage cans. The smell of cool, crisp air lingered through the winds as they rushed through the area and brushed against trees, shook leaves and knocked against people's windows, including the single lit window that rested atop the Hatsukis' household, its faint golden light just barely visible between purple curtains. It was the sole beacon of light, and the indicator that not everything in this town was as sleepy as it seemed! In fact, this one particular room was full of life!

The soft flare of cyan light shone off in the bedroom window for mere moments, then the light faded as none other than Chihiro emerged from a finished warp! Her eyes were narrowed as she clutched a cloth sack tight in her hands, then she upturned it and dumped its contents onto her bed! Down from the sack came a small pile of warp starts and Tree Rex, who fell onto some invisible thing that suspended him over the bed, and the bag followed soon after as Chihiro tossed it on.

"Yep, seems like I've got everything," Chihiro remarked as she grabbed the thing that held Tree Rex and unfurled it. As she draped the object around her body, everything but her head turned invisible to the naked eye—and even that didn't last for long as she drew its hood over her head. "And with everyone asleep right now, I don't think anyone would notice me running off…"

Chihiro slipped one of the warp starts from the pile, then smiled and clasped it tight in her hands while it glowed a bright blue.

Are you sure this will work? Tree Rex asked. The other Elder Elementals could be anywhere by now! It would take us more than a night to search for them with how big this world is…

"Don't worry!" Chihiro beamed as she released the warp start and let it drop back onto her bed, "I thought about that, too!"

Chihiro waved her hands, then summoned a crystal ball made of pure magic and waved a hand around its top. A few pulses of magic flashed around its surface, and a warble sounded off from it as its screen changed to a picture of the Elder Elementals, still frozen as toys and seated inside a trashcan! As it shone clear as day, Chihiro smiled and placed the crystal ball down to Tree Rex's eye level.

"This crystal ball is a tracking device, in essence—it can tell us right where they are at any moment of the day!" Chihiro explained as she lifted up the sack. "With this, finding 'em will be a breeze!"

A creak sounded off from the crystal ball, then Chihiro gasped as the image of a garbage truck slid into view!

"And good thing, 'cause unless we wanna go dumpster diving, we'll need to get them fast!"

Chihiro stuffed the crystal ball into the stack, then yanked a handful of warp starts off the bed and tossed them inside. As the last of the warp starts landed inside her sack, Chihiro shut it tight and slung it across her chest, with it also disappearing underneath her cloak's fabric. With a smile, she slipped the warp start she had activated off her bed and onto the floor, then grabbed hold of Tree Rex.

"You might wanna hold on tight!" Chihiro cried as she hopped onto the warp start, "this might get a liiiiiiitle bumpy!"

How can I hold on? I can't move! Tree Rex retorted… Then screamed as he and Chihiro were engulfed in bright cyan light!

The light completely drowned out all sights and sounds for a few moments with its bright sparkles and shrill shrieks, then finally it vanished and unveiled that the two of them were in Chihiro's bedroom no more! Rather, they had arrived at the same part of the city where the presentation had been held hours earlier. But in the night, it looked like a completely different place! The streets were lit only by the overhead lamps and the bright windows and signs of stores that were still open, and most of the populace came from cars that drove up and down the street—outside of Chihiro herself, there were very few passerby.

"Now," Chihiro said as she stuffed Tree Rex into her sack for safekeeping. "They should be somewhere around here—let me know if you hear them,"—Chihiro tucked her hood just a little further over her face until it was completely masked from view—"I'm going to keep an eye out for any unwelcome guests."

Chihiro frowned as she examined the ball, then strode over to a couple of trashcans near an open strip of green grass, the very place where the presentation was held moments prior. This should be the place, but oddly enough, she couldn't hear any sort of of voices other than her own and Tree Rex's! Chihiro frowned and hummed as she stowed away her crystal ball, then opened the trashcan and magically sifted away some of the trash—but, no sign of the other Elder Elementals was to be found. So, Chihiro placed the lid back over the trashcan and trudged over to the second one, her eyes watery and her nose pained from the scent. Right before she could open it, though, the sound of screaming pierced her mind! Chihiro winced and held her head, as all that noise was so, so overwhelming. But, more importantly, those voices sounded kind of familiar!

There they are! Tree Rex cried from within the safety of Chihiro's bag, I can sense them, they're over there!

Chihiro lifted her head and fixed her gaze on a white and green garbage truck that had stopped on the side of the road while a couple people in green suits emptied garbage cans into the truck's back. Between the splitting headache that had overwhelmed her senses and the sound of cars rushing to and fro, Chihiro could make out a trace of a voice from within the truck itself—but, it was so faint that she couldn't tell the owner.

"But, why would they be in there?" Chihiro asked as she lifted up her crystal ball once more. "The crystal ball said they were in—"

And right as Chihiro went to speak, the crystal ball's reflection warbled and shifted to a different picture, this time one of the other seven Elder Elementals trapped inside a garbage truck amid mounds of assorted trash. Delayed updates, go figure. Chihiro scoffed, then whisked away her crystal ball and tightened her cloak.

"Alright, change of plans!" Chihiro proclaimed as she dashed towards the garbage truck, which as already preparing to leave. "We're gonna have to do a little dumpster diving!"

With one last sprint, Chihiro jumped right towards the garbage truck and went to latch on, but it drove out of reach just before she could! She could only tumble forward and plant face-first on the ground as the truck drove out of view. Seems like this was gonna be a bit harder than she thought.

"Alright, seems like I'm gonna have to go a little faster than I thought…" Chihiro pushed herself back to her feel and tapped her heels against the asphalt. "Luckily, I've got just the thing!"

With one last stomp, wings formed on the heels of her boots and Chihiro's veins swelled with speed and energy, as if standing in the same spot any longer would make her burst! Chihiro leaped forward, then dashed off at such a speed that she was nothing but a blur to the naked eye! The few cars on the road honked their horns and screeched to a stop as she wove between them, but she didn't stop and wave! Rather, she just continued to run until she finally had the garbage truck's back in her sights! Chihiro narrowed her eyes as she drew closer and closer to the truck, which laid completely oblivious to her tailing it, then she leaped forward and clung to the rails on the side! The wind slapped her face with bitter cold breezes and blew her hood off her head so that both it and her hair flapped in the wind's grasp—not to mention, it made the railing icy-cold too, until it was painful to hang on, like it would burn her fingers off if she held on any longer. But, Chihiro just grunted as she climbed higher up on the rails, then finally hopped on top of the truck and clung as tightly as she could to it. Gloves and gauntlets made of magic formed on her arms and eased the pain of cold a little, though clinging so hard caused her hands to go a little sore and achey.

Chihiro loosened her grip a bit, while beside her the horns of a massive truck sounded in the air, a monstrous cry that turned her attention to the side of the road! Chihiro squeaked in shock as a huge truck with a lengthy trailer blazed passed her on the other lane and slammed a massive gust in her face, and on instinct she went to shield herself from the breeze. But, in that moment she threw her arms in front of her face and lost her grip on the truck! Chihiro squealed and latched onto the edge of the truck, but even those she slipped off of and got sent tumbling down onto the road! Just before she could hit the pavement, a blue light surrounded her and she vanished from the outside world.

Inside the truck itself, a blue sphere of light illuminated the inside and brought brief light to its inner stash of old, rotten garbage, then finally it popped and revealed Chihiro! A blue bubble formed a shield around her as she appeared inside the garbage truck, while she herself sighed and grabbed her hood.

"That was close," Chihiro remarked as she fixed her hood back on her head. "I was almost roadkill for a secoonnnNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDD!"

Chihiro grunted as the truck jolted to a stop and sent piles of garbage toppling over and sifted around, then sat back up and rubbed her head.

Jeez! Cried a robotic voice from within the pile. That hurt!

Chihiro yanked her head up, then whipped it around and gasped. "That voice, it sounded like…"

Bouncer! Tree Rex cried. It seemed like it was coming from right there, to the right!

Chihiro snapped her fingers, and in response her bubble shield shrank and tightened around her until it formed into a veritable hazmat suit that tucked itself right under her cloak! Though it did well to shield her from anything toxic about this waste, it didn't shield her from the awful stench the garbage gave off. Chihiro moaned, then snapped her fingers again and summoned a clothespin over her nose.

"Much better," Chihiro sighed, her voice slightly muffled by the clothespin on her nose.

With her nose safe from sensory overload for now, Chihiro trudged over to the pile where she swore she heard the voice, then sifted through. As she pushed through rotted apple cores, banana peels and old wrappers, a hint of shiny gold made its way out of the pile and glistened against the soft glow her magic suit gave off. Chihiro gently yanked the golden object out of the pile, and sure enough it took the figure of a tall gold and red robot with a wheel for a leg!

Finally, I'm out of that place! Bouncer cried. Now I can stretch my wheel… Wait a second, who are you?

Bouncer! Tree Rex called from within Chihiro's sack. Are you alright?

Tree Rex, is that you? Bouncer chuckled. Man, you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice! I'd thought I lost track of you when we all got dumped into that can!

"Save the reunions for when everyone's back, guys," Chihiro said as she raised a brow on Bouncer and whipped out her sack once more. "Bouncer, right? Do you know where everyone else is?"

Er, I think I heard Thumpback and Crusher somewhere around here… Bouncer said. Hey, wait a second, aren't you that person from earlier?

"I'll explain later!" Chihiro dropped Bouncer in the sack and tightened it up once more. "For now, I need to get the rest of you all and get out of here!"

Chihiro frowned as she slung the sack back across her chest, but right as she got up, something stopped her in her tracks. She could've sworn she heard something like muffled voices from outside the truck, and nothing that sounded like the Elder Elementals! That couldn't have been the drivers, could it?

"Alright, Gary, I'm opening this baby up!" Cried one of the voices from outside as the door creaked open!

"Crap!" Chihiro cried.

With another flash of light, Chihiro teleported back on top of the truck, then gasped and slid down on top of the propped-up door! Chihiro quickly steadied herself just as her feet hit its top, then she tucked her cloak around her body and peered over the side of the door. Down below, the truck dumped its waste into a massive chute, which in turn, sent the rest of that garbage through a system of tubes before finally dropping it all across a massive junkyard full of old piles of junk and garbage. Looks like her job just got even harder… Chihiro hopped back onto the top of the truck as the door came to a close, then raised a brow as she peered down below.

"You know, Claire," remarked one garbage worker to the other as he wiped his hands and walked off. "I could've sworn I saw someone climbing up the back of our truck when we were driving here."

"I doubt it—you must've just been seeing things!"

As the two workers walked off, Chihiro just huffed and teleported away once more! One more flash of light, and she was inside the junkyard!

Piles of trash stretched to the heavens and occasionally crumbled downwards onto old cars and trucks that were beyond repair, and Chihiro herself had to jump away before one of them crashed over her! Though it was the middle of an autumn night, a soft, warm feeling mixed with smoke and the crackle of embers wafted on the air, along with… Ugh, the absolutely awful stench of rotten garbage, but ten times as strong as the one in the truck! Even from within the safety of her hazmat suit, Chihiro's eyes watered and her head started to swell from how awful and overwhelming the smell was. She needed to find everyone soon, because she wasn't sure if she could take this awful stench any longer! So, with her cloak as her shield, Chihiro trudged through the dump.

"Hello, Elder Elementals? Sound off if you hear me!" Chihiro cried as she cupped her hands around the mouth. "Olly olly oxen free!"

Hey, everyone! Tree Rex called. It's me, Tree Rex! Where are you all?

Bouncer here! Bouncer cried. What's the team formation?

For a moment, nothing sounded off by the sound of crackling flames, shredding noises in the distance and creaking metal. Then finally, a cough hit the air! And after that cough, the sound of somebody with a much more guttural voice clearing their throat!

Tree Rex, Bouncer, it's Crusher! Cried a voice like gravel, rocky and rough. Thumpback and I are over here!

Chihiro gasped, then sprinted over to a nearby pile of garbage where brown and blue lights shone and yanked out the lights' sources from a pile of torn candy wrappers and other junk! In one hand, she now held a figurine of a rock golem who wore a helmet and sash embed with gems and clutched a rocky hammer in hand as he stood on a stand of earth and crystal, and in the other, she held a large blue whale who wore trousers with a ship wheel-shaped buckle, had arms covered in barnacles and held an anchor in both hands as he stood on a base of splashing water! No doubt about it, these had to be Crusher and Thumpback! So, Chihiro shimmied her sack open and stashed them away.

But, right as she tied it back up, a scream pierced her mind! Chihiro turned her head up to where a large pile of trash toppled over like a crashing ocean wave, but amid the crashing trash, a bright silver light shone from the pile! Chihiro gasped, then teleported over to the landing sight of the crash and flung out her hands! The trash froze in place while it shone with a bright blue light, then creaked backwards as Chihiro pushed it back in place with magic. Right in that moment, though, the waft of awful garbage stench passed by Chihiro and overwhelmed her once more! Though she tried her best to keep her focus, it flooded her senses and strained her mind… Then finally, Chihiro completely lost focus and the magic faded! A shadow cast over her, and the moment she peered up, she screamed and teleported away—because the trash was coming in for her, and it was coming in fast! A massive crash sounded as the trash swept in across the area, while Chihiro reappeared in the heart of it all.

The screams, though muffled, still sounded off like before. Hopefully whoever was trapped inside didn't have any injuries! Chihiro fells to her knees and dug through the pile, trash tossed amuck in her wake, then as she cleared past some old rusted metal, sparks of silver light shone against the tiny holes and cracks in the pile! Chihiro pushed its trashy covering aside until the light shone bright in her face, then lifted out… Eye-Brawl! His winged eye head shone bright with silver light like a flashlight, while the gold and black armor suit that made up his body stayed tight in Chihiro's hand and stuck to a buried skull.

"Look who eye found!" Chihiro chuckled as she poked Eye-Brawl's chest.

The light faded from Eye-Brawl's eye as he chuckled along with Chihiro's pun, then she smiled and wrangled her sack open.

Eye see you also have a mind for eye puns! Eye-Brawl remarked!

"And not just that!" Chihiro winked as she showed Eye-Brawl the sack's insides. "I've got your buddies right here too!"

Eye-Brawl! The others all called at once as Chihiro dropped him inside.

Chihiro, meanwhile, paused and peered inside the sack while she raised a brow. Tree Rex, Bouncer, Thumpback, Crusher and Eye-Brawl… That was five out of the eight, so where were the other three?

Hey, that was Eye-Brawl, right? Cried another kind of hoarse voice from nearby. Eye-Brawl, where are you?

Hot Head! Cried another voice, one with a notable Spanish accent, I don't know about Eye-Brawl, but Ninjini and I are over here! I don't know why, though, but it kind of feels like we're moving?

Well, that solved her problem! Chihiro jumped to her feet and got ready to run, but the sound of footsteps forced her to roll down behind a gathering of empty, rusted barrels! Chihiro winced, drew her cloak so that it completely covered her body once again, and tucked her hood a little further over her face. With herself perfectly shielded from view, Chihiro peeped over the barrels right as a security guard passed her by with a flashlight in hand.

I'd better hurry! Chihiro thought with a frown. Even if this cloak makes me invisible, if they catch me using magic, then I'm toast!

Mmmm, toast sounds good right about now, remarked that hoarse-sounding voice, and at a surprisingly close volume, too!

Chihiro turned around, and beside her next to a small pile of torn, rotten junk was none other than a golem made entirely of lava with flames pouring from his head and hands! He stood on a base of burning flames, and a soft, red light just barely emerged from his fires—that had to be Hot Head!

We can have some toast when we get back you back home! Chihiro remarked to Hot Head as she lifted him up and dropped him in the sack.

That was six of the eight found—all that was left now were Swarm and Ninjini! So, Chihiro frowned and turned her gaze around the junkyard. Just where in this place were they?

Shrill screams pierced her ears as a bright, warm red light flared up from across the area, while the sound of shredded filtered around Chihiro and blocked out everything else! Chihiro gasped, then dashed to the sound's source right as shredded metal fell down like confetti… But while the sound died, the screams grew louder, and Chihiro could guess why!

There at the end was a large machine with some kind of shredder at the very one, one that tore and munched away the garbage fed to it by a simple conveyor belt that collected piles of garbage and dumped them in a never-ending cycle! And judging by the volume of those screams and the faint sky blue and purple lights that flashed and died like car headlights in the night, Swarm and Ninjini had to be in one of them!

Chihiro gasped, then dashed forward and leaped on the conveyor belt, right between two piles of garbage! Chihiro dug through the one to her left, but found no sort of light in its midst, just garbage and rot, so she tried the one on the right. But it didn't have them, either! The sound of shredding garbage tickled Chihiro's face as sweat fell down her face, so she leaped to the pile ahead and dug through that one, but found nothing! While the trash she tossed off fell into the machine and was tore to bits, Chihiro only winced. That shredder was drawing closer and closer with every second she waited—just where were they?!

"Hey, I think I saw something over here!" Cried a voice from behind Chihiro!

The faint beams of a flashlight trickled down the way, and Chihiro gritted her teeth so hard she was sure they'd snap!

"Swarm, Ninjini!" Chihiro cried as she jumped from pile to pile and tossed the trash away. "Where are you?!"—As the disrupted trash fell into the shredding machine with no sight of them found, Chihiro whimpered and leaped to the next pile—"answer me, quickly!"

Chihiro, what's wrong? Tree Rex shouted. Things are getting really loud in here!

Another loud screech sounded behind Chihiro and shot shredded metal up behind her back, then she grimaced as another pile of trash grew dangerously close to the shredder—and not just that, but her as well! The conveyor belt was trailing faster and faster, and it wouldn't be long before they all met a sharp end! And the sound of footsteps was drawing closer too… If that shredding machine didn't get her, the guards definitely would!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!" Chihiro screamed as she dug her hands into her hood, "I NEED MORE TIME!"

So, Chihiro clapped her hands together, and a string of bright cyan pulse of light spread around her! As the pulses spread across the junkyard, the entire world around slowed while its dull colors drained into grays and blacks and whites. Then finally, everything drew to a complete stop!

"Phew," Chihiro sighed as she stood up and wiped her hazmat suit's panel, "thank goodness for time-stopping spells."

Chihiro turned back around and eyed the next pile en-route for the shredding machine's mouth, which had stopped in mid-air just before it could meet its demise! But, amid the old, broken plastic, wrappers and other junk, Chihiro could vaguely spy the heads of a large bee and a person's ponytailed hair and sleek body… So, she yanked them out and grinned, because there in her hands now were Ninjini and Swarm at last!

"Close one," Chihiro remarked as she stowed them away. "If I had been a second later, you'd be shredded plastic!"

Chihiro smiled as she adjusted her sack's position, then trekked up the conveyor belt. But right as she did, the colors bled back into the world and time started once more! Chihiro yelped and jolted back as the conveyor belt started to move once more, but ended up tripping over her own feet! Pieces of broken metal and plastic tickled her feet as the belt crept forward, while Chihiro peered down and screamed as the wide-open mouth of the machine below her threatened to eat her alive! She clawed back up the belt, but right as she did, a pile of trash crept across the belt and pushed her back down! Chihiro swerved around and clung to the side of the conveyor belt as the trash fell into the mouth and came out a shower of metal and plastic confetti, then she climbed back up the belt and panted as she rested her chest on its rubbery surface.

"Okay, I think I've had enough excitement for one night," Chihiro groaned as she climbed back on top of the belt. "It's high time I got out of—"—Chihiro grunted as something tugged her back—"here?"

Chihiro pushed forward a few more times, but every time she tried to move on, something pulled her back to the machine. Just what was keeping her?! Chihiro turned around, then winced as she realized just what it was—her cloak! Its cape had gotten stuck to the belt! Chihiro gasped and tugged a little faster, a little more, in some hopes of getting unstuck, but the belt still clung to her cage! And worse yet, the machine's sharp mouth were coming in fast, and something told her that cape wasn't strong enough to keep her hanging! Chihiro clenched her teeth as she trudged forward and blasted a trash pile out of her way, but the conveyor belt still kept her held firm! The sounds of shredded metal crept up her back as she drew just inches away from the machine's mouth… Then finally, just as she got ready to slip, she planted her feet on the belt the best she could and burst forward! The stuck part of her cape fluttered in the wind as it tore off her body, but Chihiro paid no mind to it as she teleported away!

Chihiro reappeared in the heart of the dump in a flash of cyan light, then as it exploded and sent sparkles raining down everywhere, she paused and took a peek in her sack. One, two, four, six… Yep, she had gotten all eight of them, and judging by the soft chatter she heard, they were all alright!

"Thank goodness, that was close!" Chihiro panted as she tied up the back, then wrinkled her nose and gagged as the infamous junkyard scent passed by. "That being said, I'm definitely taking a nice, long bath once I get home, and I'd better get you all wiped down too."

Chihiro hummed and gently patted the sack, then the sound of something hitting the ground the hard turned her around… And from the faint light of a dropped flashlight and the overhead lights, Chihiro found herself face-to-face with a trembling security guard! His face was white as a sheet and his trembling legs furiously knocked together as he looked Chihiro in the eye, and Chihiro instinctively drew her cloak over her body.

"A, a, a, a… A GHOST!" The guard cried as he jabbed a finger at Chihiro. "THERE'S A GHOST IN MY JUNKYARD!"

"And that's my cue to leave!" Chihiro cried as she slammed her foot against the ground!

A blue circle formed around the ground below Chihiro's feet, then it completely erupted and captured her in its light. The soft blue enveloped the world around her, then evaporated and dropped her off just outside of the junkyard on a hill next to a tree! Chihiro sighed as she slunk down against the tree trunk.

With a snap of her fingers, Chihiro's cloak leaped from her shoulders and spun around before it sparkled like it just came out from the wash! It landed back on her person in an instant, while her hazmat suit disappeared in a puff of sparkles. Well, that was that taken care of, but she was sure the Elder Elementals needed to get clean too! So, she opened her sack and levitated them out, then manifested a soft, wet cloth and grabbed Bouncer. A soft grunt came from him as she gently washed his figurine form off with the cloth, but otherwise the night was still and silent as she cleaned him of gunk and dirt.

So, who are you, anyways? Bouncer asked between grunts and chuckles from his cleaning session. 'Cause whoever you are, you're no ordinary human, that's for sure!—Bouncer giggled as Chihiro rubbed his head—hey, that tickles!

Huh, Chihiro never knew robots could be ticklish.

You'd be surprised! Bouncer replied with a chuckle of his own.

Are you some kind of wizard? Ninjini asked as Chihiro picked her up and cleaned her off next. Or perhaps… No, you aren't wearing one of those, you couldn't be…

But she is, Ninjini! Tree Rex chimed in as Chihiro moved on to Swarm in silence. Chihiro here is a free magician! Well, they call themselves "Portal Masters" now…

A free magician—er, portal master? I didn't know they were here too! Swarm cried. But, what do you mean, now?

Do you have a portal, too? Thumpback asked.

And for that matter, what is this place? Grumbled Hot Head. This isn't anything like Skylands! Just looking at it gets me hot under the collar!

But you're always hot under the collar, Hot Head! Crusher retorted. It's in your name and everything!

Ah, that's true. Hot Head chuckled.

Questions bubbled to the surface as the Elder Elementals floated around Chihiro, but she just chuckled as she rubbed Eye-Brawl's eye with her cloth.

"Calm down, everyone, I'll answer your questions later!" Chihiro cried. "For now, I need to get you guys back to my place. You need to get somewhere safer…"—Chihiro frowned as she magically whisked away her cloth—"and I have some unfinished business I need to take care!"

WE CAN GO BACK TO SKYLANDS?! They all cried at once.

Cheers sounded all around Chihiro, and her heart bubbled with warmth as she slipped a warp start from her bag and levitated everyone inside!

"Hold on, everyone!" Chihiro cried as she charged the warp start with magic and tossed it onto the ground. "I've got something I need to do, but once I get back, you're going home!"

The warp start flared with magic as it transformed into a functional teleporter, and Chihiro smiled just a bit as its light caressed her face. So, she grabbed her bag, then tossed it onto the warp start and nodded as it vanished within its light. The bag vanished in an instant as the warp start's light faded, and Chihiro turned her gaze to the moon as she clutched her cloak.

"Once I find you, Kaos, you're gonna be in big trouble!"

§Meanwhile, somewhere very far away...§

"THAT STUPID PORTAL-POSTERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

Kaos's screams were so loud that the lights flickered in fear of his awe-inspiring rage while birds flew off in their stupid bird flocks in fury as he crashed face-first into the concrete, then staggered up and spat out a tooth. Oh, he loathed this stupid mudball more than any other place he had been banished too! Once he got back to Skylands and reclaimed his place as ultimate evil overlord, he was definitely going to wipe this miserable little planet off the face of the galaxy! No, the entire universe! That would be far better than using it as a parking lot for all his evil armies' warships like he had initially planned, he was sure of it.

That is, if he could possibly get back to Skylands. The stupid, awful, insidious portal-poster had completely blocked out his only route to Skylands, the one portal he could possibly find, his one ticket out of this awful place, and surely he was going to be stuck here for good! In spite of all his carefulness, in spite of the spells he used to block himself from any sort of tracking device or watchful eye of hers, she still managed to foil his plots! For that matter, this was all her fault in the first place! If she hadn't lead the Skylanders into beating him back then, he would still be in Skylands, conquering and ruling as he should!

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, YOU KNOW!" Kaos screamed to the sky in some vague attempt of reaching her with his words. He clenched his teeth and gnashed them together as bright blue fire formed around his clenched fist, and with a simple flare of his hand dismissed it.

"Ever since she banished me to this stupid place, nothing's gone right! I've been nothing short of miserable, getting stuck on this stupid planet!"

Kaos breathed in and steadied himself before he quite literally burst into flames, but the thought of all the hardship, all the misery and pain he had been dealt since coming here made his blood boil! Such a pathetic situation like this was more befitting of those Skylosers, or that fool Eon, or especially that stupid apprentice! It was completely unfair that he, the ultimate evil overlord of all Skylands, had been dealt this absolutely horrendous hand of cards! (Oh, and he supposed Glumshanks didn't really deserve being trapped here either).

"I've been chewed up by dogs, plucked off the ground by birds and nearly fed to their young, captured by snot-nosed brats, nearly trampled and run over and washed away in storms, forced to trek through freezing snow, heavy torrents and extreme temperatures with nothing but the clothes on my back… After all the awful things I've had to endure because of this, I'm sure I should be allowed to zap her in the face at least once!"

I'm sure you do, Lord Kaos, Glumshanks added from his seat on Kaos's back, where Kaos had kept Glumshanks' frozen form held tight with rubber bands he had found amid old cardboard boxes and tin cans full of garbage.

"You bet I do, Glumshanks!" Kaos shook a fist to the night sky. "Once I find her and get back to normal, I'll make her regret even contemplating the notion of sending me to this awful, insidious dirtball of a planet!"

In that moment, Kaos's rage had completely encapsulated him, his head red-hot and so aflame with anger that he completely lost control of himself! All he could do was shake his fists and shout curses and insults at the skies with the highest volume he could muster! It was childish and completely uncouth of an evil overlord, and these insults were barely legible, but after all the things he had been through, he could be forgiven for being a little less composed.

"TAKE THAT, YOU AWFUL PLANET!" Kaos cried as he shot a cyan lightning bolt from his palms and towards the skies!

The lightning bolt screeched as it shot right towards the sky, its bright light one of the only things setting it apart from the cover of the night… Then right as it disappeared into the skies, a loud thunderclap cried down from above and rain poured down onto the streets! It was as if the Earth itself was retaliating Kaos's remarks, and he wasn't particularly happy with it!

"SHUT UP, YOU STUPID MUDBALL!" Kaos cried! His snarl tempered itself a little, and he dashed towards a building that was barely discernible in the dark of night. He could continue his verbal battles with the planet of his captivity later—for now, he needed some sanctuary.

Kaos grumbled something to himself as he summoned a magical umbrella that shielded him from the massive storm of rain above. With his safety ensured for now, Kaos rifled through the mounds of trash that were sanctioned outside the building. Many a trash pile had been his sanctuary in times of need, with the massive boxes and cans and other storage devices that acted as makeshift bases and shelters. It wasn't exactly the most noble thing, but right now Kaos couldn't exactly afford to be choosy. So, he dove into a particularly large cardboard box that seemed suspiciously fresh compared to the others, then pulled one of its flaps over him and Glumshanks and sat down.

"Once I get back to Skylands and build my evil empire back up again, those Skylosers and Portal Pest will be first in line to taste their evil doom!" Kaos proclaimed! A shadow cast over the rest of his box, but he didn't particularly care as he paced around in a circle like he always did during his moments of evil brilliance.

Uh, Lord Kaos— Glumshanks had said, but Kaos quickly tuned him out. Kaos was on a roll now, and he didn't have time to stop!

"Oh, it'll be perfect! First I'll beat them to a bloody pulp, make them beg for their lives and cower at my throne for mercy! Not that they'll get it, of course!" Kaos giggled and bounced in place, then returned to pacing at a much faster speed. "Then, I'll feed them to my doomsharks! No, I'll toss their bodies in an active volcano! No, even better, I'll bury them alive while shocking them to death!" Kaos clapped his hands. "Yes, yes, that's so devious it sends shudders down my evil spine!"

Lord Kaos—

"Then, I'm completely wipe out Eon's stupid ghost, then I'll take out all their stupid little friends like that mole and their airheaded pilot! And last but not least, I'll pay back the portal-poster herself for everything she put me through! It'll be an ingenious act of evil! She'll be forced to watch all her stupid little friends get plucked off one by one, then—"

LORD KAOS, LOOK OUT!

In that moment, Kaos lifted his head, then gasped! Towered above him was a massive, aged thin man with wrinkly skin and white hair dressed in colorful garb, and he was reaching right for Kaos! Kaos had immediately went to throw an attack and make his leave, but unfortunately, he was too late! The man had snatched him out of his box sanctuary and walked off! Oh, if only Kaos had listened to Glumshanks and not gotten caught up in his monologue of his great evil plan…

"Let me go, you worm!" Kaos cried as he tried to squirm himself free from the man's grip, "I demand you release me, KAOS, the ultimately evil overlord of Skylands!"

The man, however, didn't entertain Kaos's demands at all! He just sighed and gripped Kaos tighter as he wandered over to the building's door and pushed it open!

"I swear," he grumbled, his voice hoarse and tired. "These new toys get fancier by the hour." The man wandered further inside the building as the door closed shut behind him. "When I was a young'in, our toys couldn't even move! Now they've got all these fancy talkin' ones and smart toys and those Sky-something or others with their newfangled games…"

As the man rambled and lamented, however, Kaos just frowned and scanned his surroundings, or what little he could make of them from the dull overhead lighting the occasionally flickered in and out. All around him were rows of white plastic shelves, each with boxes depicting all sorts of fancy toys! Model rockets, dolls, soft plush animals and creatures of all kinds, talking robots and more. But then, they passed by one shelf, and Kaos's blood boiled again! There before him were rows upon rows of those awful Skylosers, all trapped in round plastic containers with orange cardboard backings advertising their very existence! But, why were there so many copies of them? Last time he checked, the Skylanders were completely unable to clone themselves! Most of them, anyways.

"Of course it was just my luck that I ended up working the day that new Skylanders game comes out," the man lamented as he dropped Kaos on a shelf, "I can already hear the screaming kids and the tantrums…"—The man sighed as he trailed away from Kaos—"guess I'd better lock up and get some sleep before the big day."

Oh, so this was all just a game here? That wasn't quite what Kaos would have expected, but at least it explained why there were so many clones of those Skylosers just sitting around and doing nothing! Hey, wait a second—they just sat around and did nothing! He could mock them all he wanted and they couldn't possibly do a thing! Why, this was just the thing he could have desired! They may not have been the real deal, but he couldn't pass up this opportunity! Kaos cackled as he strode past the shelves and weaved through the many copies, then towards a diorama of what he presumed was supposed to be Skylands. There, five figurines of five Skylanders—that stupid walking tree, the idiotic fish, the brainless lava monster who was too queasy for his own good, the elf girl with the shrieky voice, and the gremlin with those strange gold pistols—all stood frozen on pedestals with blank looks on their faces!

"Well, well, look who we have here!" Kaos crooned as he strode in front of the diorama with the smuggest smile on his face. "The Skylosers, completely frozen in there while I'm out here!"

"Drop the hammer!" The ent cried, though oddly enough, his voice seemed a bit more muffled than usual.

Kaos chuckled as he zipped right up to the ent and rapped his fist against the plastic that blocked them off from each other. "Oh, I'm sure you'd absolutely love to do that…" Kaos chuckled as he tapped the glass. "But. You. Can't!"

"Drop the hammer!" The ent repeated.

Kaos just frowned and raised a brow. Did this ent have sap for brains? Kaos had already told him there was no way he could possibly reach him! Or maybe he was just being stubborn like obnoxious trees were.

"Drop the hammer!" The ent repeated a third time while Kaos rolled his eyes.

"Silent but deadly!" The elf cried.

Kaos perked up his ear and shot a glare at the elf, for he had grown quite bored of dealing with the ent's repetition. "Oh ho ho, and don't get me started on you!" Kaos snarled as he zipped up to the elf and pointed a finger between her eyes. "Remember that time when you hit me with that freezepepper powder and I was frozen solid for a week? How does it feel to get a taste of your own medicine?"

"Silent but deadly!"

Kaos snarled and gritted his teeth. Okay, he knew these things were just copies of the Skylanders, but they weren't exactly good copies given that all they did was repeat the same thing! Or perhaps… They were mocking him? Oh, the insidiousness of it all! Kaos scowled, then pounded a fist against the glass while his eyes glowered.

"Quit being coy, you stupid elf!" Kaos demanded. "Throwing your stupid little catchphrases at me isn't going to scare me! Are you forgetting that I can actually attack and you can't?!"

"Silent but deadly!"

Kaos hissed the air through his teeth, then whipped out glowing red hands while the light around his eyes grew so bright it tinted the world around a bit red. The absolute insolence of these stupid statues to stand around act like they could mock him! He was going to make them pay for thinking they could possibly hold something over him, the great Lord Kaos! In fact, even though they were this close to tasting their doom, they were still doing it!

"Born to burn!"

"No gold, no glory!"

"Fear the fish!"

All these catchphrases swirled around Kaos's head the way those baby birds pecked at his skull, all dizzying and infuriating at the same time! The lights at his palms only grew bigger and brighter as his fury grew larger, then he slammed them in front of the diorama.

Lord Kaos, I don't think they can say anything other than that, Glumshanks remarked. You shouldn't really waste your strength…

"SILENCE GLUMSHANKS!" Kaos proclaimed as burst of red magic formed at his palms, "I'LL SHOW THESE STUPID STATUES WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MOCK THE ALMIGHTY LORD KAOS!"

Kaos cackled as he prepared to fire, but right before he did, a bright light shone from within the heart of the diorama! And that light, just the very sight of it sent a magical, haunting chill through Kaos's heart, enough to vanquish his anger and the magic born of it. That light, it couldn't possibly be! Kaos magically cut a hole big enough to let him through into the glass, then hiked over the diorama's mock hills and skies towards—oh sweet Ancients, it was! There, seated in the center of the diorama and shining brightly as it practically begged for him to use it was a, was a, was a…

"A PORTAL!" Kaos cheered as he leaped up and clapped his hands together! Kaos hit the ground feet-first, but his joy was so immeasurable that he couldn't stop himself from bouncing up and down in place. "This is it, Glumshanks!" Kaos shimmied the rubber band off and turned Glumshanks so that good old Glumshanks got a full-view of the portal in all its shining glory. "We can finally go home!"

However, Glumshanks didn't seem nearly as enthusiastic about it as Kaos did! He just sputtered and whimpered a bit as Kaos dragged him towards the portal. What was wrong with him?

Er, Lord Kaos, I don't think this is such a good idea, Glumshanks said at last as Kaos placed his hands on the portal. Aren't Portal Masters not supposed to use portals on themselves? You know, because it disrupts the space-time continuity and all?

"Oh, nonsense, Glumshanks! Do you want to go back home or not?!" Kaos snipped as his hands started to glow. "Now, be quiet and let me focus on making a portal!"

Kaos took a deep breath in and out, then closed his eyes and gripped the side of the portal tight… And a bright flash of red seared against his face! Kaos popped his eyes open, then giggled with glee—for it had worked! The portal had been activated, and though its surface was too murky for him to make out the exact details of where it lead, he knew for a fact that it would take him back to Skylands!

"IT WORKED! IT REALLY WORKED!" Kaos cried! Kaos cackled as he yanked Glumshanks by the arm, then leaped in the portal and sank in without a second thought, "COME ON, GLUMMY, WE'RE GOING—"

THUNK!

"Home?"

Kaos grunted as he peered back down at the portal, but while his lower half had made it through, his top half was completely stuck like he had landed in quickestsand! Urgh, travel delays, they were right up there with Skylanders and trees as some of his most hated things! Kaos groaned as he shifted and turned and squirmed around in some vain attempt to get unstuck, but nothing freed him! And for that matter, a bunch of red static had formed around him and crackled with every move he made! What was all that about?

Kaos growled, then pounded his fist against the portal's surface. "WORK, YOU STUPID THING!"

Kaos pounded a few more times, and in response the static grew louder, shinier and more violent as it evolved from static to full-on lightning bolts! The bolts crackled and snapped as they slammed into everything, from the lights that hung from the ceiling to the displays of fake Skylanders and other toys! They even zapped the portal and made it even more furious, as it started to storm and sent burst of red wind flying around and knocking everything about! Kaos winced as one bolt got very dangerously close to singing his glorious evil head, then blinked as something in his body felt slicker, almost as if he was… Slipping? Kaos took a glimpse down at the portal, then gasped and grinned! Sure enough, all that lightning had unstuck the portal, and he was back on his way down once more! Kaos let out a cackle, then thrust a fist to the skies!

"LOOK OUT, EVERYONE!" Kaos vowed as he sank further and further into the portal, "KAOS IS BACK! AND ONCE I GET MY EMPIRE BACK, NOBODY WHO STANDS IN MY WAY WILL BE SAFE!"—Kaos shook his fist a bit for emphasis—"ESPECIALLY ALL OF YOU SKYLOSERS AND YOUR PORTAL-POSTEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

And just like that, Kaos disappeared into the portal as the world around him turned red and stormy, until his entire vision turned red and sparkly. All of a sudden, his glorious evil head had grown so dizzy and so numb... Perhaps he couldn't be faulted if he took a glorious evil nap on the way there... So, while Glumshanks screamed, Kaos just closed his eyes and let the world turn black.

---

Obligatory trivia notes! First of all, the free magicians thing was actually taken from a story scroll in Spyro's Adventure - specifically the one from the Arkeyan Armory, which mentions that the free magicians of Skylands bound Arkus in an eternal sleep. I've always headcanoned that those free magicians were actually Portal Masters, so I kinda wove that in here! Also, during the fight scene with Arkilles, some eagle-eyed viewers may recognize a few of those magicians! And finally, Gary and Claire, the workers who drove the garbage truck Chihiro and the Elder Elementals rode to the junkyard, were named after the mabu couple from Skylanders Academy.