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)

3. Chapter 3

Dragon of the Ecplising Moon: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

Greenswitch - Freeshadow: Ooh, lots to comment on here! First of all, yep, Bouncer did mean something when he called Tree Rex babe - he's dating Tree Rex and Ninjini! They're in a polycule, just like Terrafin, Eruptor and Slam Bam are! And I will say that I do have plans for that stuff, but can't say much because of spoilers - but I will say that this is going to have quite a few changes from the main plot just like the first CHS did! (And they actually were called free magicians in the story scroll I referenced it from, even double-checked with a couple playthroughs to be sure! Though to be fair, I also saw things online say that and had to make sure I didn't misremember)

Twinightatom892: Ha, I remember that part! Funny he says that when Whirlwind exists! And I'm glad to hear it, honestly, I'm glad to be back!

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The sun shone high in the sky, a rare source of warmth amid the chills of autumn, while the Dread-Yacht steered across the skies and creaked with every stroke of its oars. It had traveled long and hard, across miles upon miles of open sky, vast clouds and the occasional Cloud Crab that streaked through the heavens and shrieked as it crossed the sun… And yet, its destination laid no closer in sight than before, or so it seemed. The journey was long and tedious as Flynn steered away the wheel, but the tension on deck came from a reason far beyond their anticipated destination or all the trials it would hold. The Dread-Yacht's passengers had all curled together in a circle at the heart of the deck, all eyes laid on the center of their little huddle. There, a pile of colorful cards laid on a table between Chihiro, Spyro, Cynder and Whirlwind, who stood silent as they held decks of cards in their hands and paws. Their eyes, icy cold, shot discerning looks between each other as if they were calculating the next move everyone on the table was prepared to make and their own in turn. Chills tensed the air around, and not just because of the tiny snow clouds that flitted from Whirlwind's wings and vanished in puffs of glittery snow!

Whirlwind's eyes tensed, and her claws gripped for one card while her horn flashed in a shade of blue, then her brows tensed up as she drew her paw back. It was a slight, simple gesture, one that seemingly went unnoticed by most—except for Chihiro, who raised her brows before she fixed her eyes on her own deck.

Spyro hummed as he laid a yellow card with a two drawn on its surface and drew back.

"Alright, I've moved," Spyro proclaimed while he nudged Chihiro with his wings. "Your turn, Chi."

Chihiro chuckled, then waved her fingers over her deck. Only two cards laid in her possession, but what was she going to pick? That was the question that surely laid on everyone's minds as everyone looked towards her, but Chihiro wasn't tense at all as she bounced her hand to card to card, then smiled so slyly, so thinly as she peered up at Whirlwind with her fluttering wings, then dropped her hand over one card.

"I change it to green!" Chihiro proclaimed as she slammed down a card with a colorful wheel drawn on it and leaned back in her seat, the smuggest of expressions on her face as she crossed her arms and nodded. "Un!"

Spyro and Cynder both winced and glanced at each other, while Whirlwind just groaned and buried her face into her paws.

"Sorry, Whirlybird~" Chihiro leaned back in her chair, rocked back and forth by the push of her leg as she waved her final card in the air. "Your tells are a little too obvious~!"

Whirlwind said nothing in response. Instead, she just grumbled under her breath as she drew a card from a neatly-kept stack and held her head.

"Your turn, Cynder," Whirlwind moaned as she shielded her face with her wing.

Cynder clutched her muzzle, and if she weren't a reptile surely sweat would be covering her brow. But, she was, so she only twitched her tail as she shielded her gaze away from Chihiro's own, her cards clutched close to her chest. With a wince, she dropped a card with a green two into the pile.

"Spyro, your turn," Cynder said as she turned her head away.

Spyro glanced down at the two cards in his paws, then his eyes turned to Chihiro and narrowed just a little bit. Their eyes were fixed on each other, the friends turned to chilling enemies as they sat at the card table, the site of their battlefield with their cards as their weapons! With them so close in pursuit of the goal, who would win?

Surely, that was the question on everyone's minds as they spectated, mouths closed tight and fingers twitchy with anticipation.

"Alright, alright, place your bets!" Trigger Happy cried as he hopped up between Stealth Elf and Gill Grunt, an empty golden pot in his furry hands. "Who's gonna win? Spyro, the daring purple dragon and leader to us all?"—Trigger Happy gestured over towards Chihiro—"or Chihiro Hatsuki, the portal master who stares death in the face and laughs?"

While Trigger Happy hopped around and collected everyone's bets, Terrafin and Eruptor just rolled their eyes at him and fixed their gaze back on the table.

"Un!" Spyro cried as he laid down a card with a blue two on it. "How about that, Chi?"

And now, the tension had really started to boil! They both had only one card left, just one card away from seizing victory with both hands! Spyro and Chihiro both glared down at their single cards in their hands, their fingers clutched tight around it…

"So, who d'you think's gonna win?" Eruptor asked as he nudged Terrafin's shoulder, "Spyro seems pretty confident right now…"

"I don't know about that," Terrafin replied as he crossed his arms. A smirk crossed Terrafin's lips and he narrowed his eyes. "Chi seems like she's got a trick up her sleeve."

Spyro leaned back in his seat, then grinned and raised a brow at Chihiro. "So, do you give up?"

Chihiro just chuckled and leaned forward, her card drawn like a sword. "Well, all I have to say to that is…"

SLAM! Chihiro slapped her card onto the haphazard pile of cards, right over where Spyro's card laid, to unveil a green two!

"I CHANGE IT BACK TO GREEN!"

A sharp gasp left Spyro's mouth as his card fell out of his paws, and a hearty round of applause and cheers came from all around! Well, save for Trigger Happy who just groaned as he pushed the pot towards a smirking Gill Grunt, but it did little to damper the mood.

And Chihiro only drank in it as she laid a foot on the table and bowed. "Thank you, thank you," Chihiro cheered as she stood up and puffed out her chest. "Once again, the champion of Un-Deux-Trois reigns supreme!"

Spyro chuckled as he cleaned the cards off the table and stacked them into his paws. "I'll get you someday, Chi, I swear!" Spyro cried as he stuck out his tongue, a playful smirk on his face. "Now, how about I shuffle for this game?"

"Fine by me!" Chihiro plopped back down in her seat and leaned over. "Hey, who wants to join us for the next round?"

A couple of hands, paws and the likes raised among the audience, then retracted as the faint sound of cheering echoed in the distance! And not cheering from them, either, but from a faint distance, one that slowly grew louder the further the Dread-Yacht flew. Had they finally arrived?… Either way, the crowds dispersed from their spot around the table and leaned over the Dread-Yacht's side as they peered across the skies.

"Hey, hey, what's all that cheering coming from?" Chihiro asked as she squeezed into a spot between Whirlwind and Stealth Elf and leaned over the railing. "Are we here?"

Right as Chihiro asked, a large blimp with a waving banner that had "Welcome to Rumbletown!" tied to its end whizzed past, tailed by a flurry of hot air balloons in a smorgasbord of colors and shapes that rushed towards the docks!

"Well, that answers my question."

For a place dubbed Rumbletown, though, the outer sights seemed a bit big and hefty, quite unlike a name that brought to mind chaos and wreckage! The entire island was covered in villages walled off with hard stone and towers that scraped the sky, occasionally accented by the stray cavern or grassy area. But more than anything, the whole place was decked to the nines in anticipation of what could only be some kind of game or ceremony! Banners and balloons were tied to buildings, roofs had been painted to carry messages for people, some encouraging and some less so, murals of gladiators had been scribbled on the walls… It was like the entire island was in celebration! And if that didn't seal it, then the docks certainly did! Blimps, airships, balloons and even large aerial steeds rested at their rickety wooden stands, all choked and crowded in together with such volume that you couldn't move an elbow without bumping into someone! And just outside of it all, balloon pilots bickered and spat with each other as they tried to squeeze into parking spots, then screamed and flew away as a ship chased after them with cannons at the ready!

"Man, parking sure is serious business here, isn't it?" Chihiro remarked as she tilted her head, "then again, I suppose it's pretty big business on Earth, too…"

"Alright," Flynn remarked, a frown on his face as he swung around the docks. "Let's find this Ermit guy and get out of here—I don't like the looks of this place."

"That is, if we can even park!" Cali remarked with a sigh. "This place is more cramped than a tin of sardines!"

"You've got that right," Chihiro scoffed as she pressed her face against the railing. "It'll be midnight before we find a place to park!"

And Chihiro wasn't exaggerating, either! Practically every dock was completely packed with all sorts of aircraft, and they had to have passed at least seven docks by this point! And in spite of that they did little to block out the island's entrance, which was jam-packed with Skylandians in all shapes, species and sizes donning foam fingers, caps, mock jersies and other sports gear as they shuffled through the island's paths.

"Just what are they here for?" Chihiro remarked as she rested her arm against the side of the Dread-Yacht, then jolted back as the whole ship shuddered!

The Dread-Yacht clunked and shifted as it finally squeezed into a spot between a rainbow blimp and a sleeping green dragon donning a harness, while its bridge shifted out and hit the docks.

"Man, what in Skylands could have this place so packed?" Flynn asked as he walked up to Chihiro and the others. He grunted as he drew a map out of his pocket and glazed it over, then stowed it away. "I don't think I've seen a crowd that large!"—Flynn smirked and crossed his arms—"one that didn't gather to see me, anyways."

Cali just rolled her eyes, but nonetheless drew down the bridge with her hands in her pockets. "We can worry about the fuss another time," Cali said as she trailed down the drawbridge. "For now, we need to find Ermit."

But just before Cali could trail down, Chihiro pulled her right back!

"Hold it!" Chihiro cried as everyone zipped to a stop. Cali eyed Chihiro as Chihiro let go, and Chihiro only cleared her throat. "Don't you all remember what Hugo said? If we all go out there like we normally do, they'll make a big fuss of us all coming! Having Skylanders come all the way out here would probably be a pretty big deal!"

Chihiro clapped her hands, then grinned as clothes made of magic popped onto everyone's bodies! Gigantic hats and sunglasses, bulky jackets and scarves, even face masks and gloves! Whatever the attire, though, it did well to mask anything about them that could've been particularly notable! Amid the massive swathes of sparkly cyan fabric, you could barely make out who was who!

"There!" Chihiro cried as she wiped her now-gloved hands. "Now we should be able to sneak around without anyone noticing us!"

So, everyone departed the Dread-Yacht and followed Cali across the bridges. Beside them, the cliffsides all donned banners with pictures of famous sports teams bearing their equipment and holding trophies, or hopefuls dressed in armor vying for fancy prizes… And at the end, a banner of a muscular drow sitting on a throne, a smirk on his face as he overlooked a crowd of beaten gladiators.

"'Rumbletown's 50th Annual Gladiator Games?'" Spyro read as he lifted up the bottom of the banner. "So there's a tournament going on here?"

"Duh!" cried a snooty voice from ahead. "What do you think all this is for?"

Spyro perked a brow, then turned around to find himself face to face with a drow! And a very tired-looking drow at that. They slurped the cup of ramen in their hands like an energy drink, and their eyes were baggy as they pulled a clipboard from a saddlebag laid over stained, torn referee clothes that looked like they had seen better days.

"Alright, do you have any tickets?" The drow asked.

"Tickets?" Spyro flew back and tilted his head. "We're not even here for the games!"

"And just what are they, anyways?" Cali asked as she pushed through and walked up beside Spyro.

The drow blinked, then cackled and leaned back, one hand on their gut and the other swinging their cup around.

"Excuse me, I must be really tired!" The drow proclaimed as they leaned forward and smirked. "Did you just tell me that you've never heard of Rumbletown's Gladiator Games, the biggest attraction in all Rumbletown where hopefuls and fans come from all across the Outlands to duke it out and watch their favorite athletes duke it out?"

Cali rapidly blinked, then shook her head. "Er, no, I haven't heard of Rumbletown's Gladiator Games, the biggest attraction in all Rumbletown where hopefuls and fans come from all across the Outlands to duke it out and watch their favorite athletes duke it out."

The drow blinked again, then sighed and shook their head. "Either you're living under a rock, or that secret prize the organizer planned out wasn't as newsworthy as he thought… Then again, he isn't the brightest tool in the shed." The drow lifted their head and gestured towards Spyro and Cali. "Anyways, tickets, please?"

A faint roar of an angry crowd drew in the distance, and Chihiro jolted up as her eyes fell on the back, where a massive cloud of dust from which blasts of fire and strained shouts echoed! She winced, then immediately turned forward and shoved her way through her own merry band.

"A-actually, like my friend said, we're not here for the games!" Chihiro cried as she pushed herself between Spyro and Cali. "We came here to visit someone, and we should really be going now!"

And with that, Chihiro stormed past the drow with the others hot on her heels! Their faint cries of shock could be heard in the distance, just barely over the sound of the Elder Elementals' thunderous footsteps, but Chihiro didn't care as she drew to a stop. Rather, she had a bigger question in mind.

"Just where exactly is this Ermit guy, anyways?"

Chihiro paused and rubbed her chin, but the slow rumbles of the world around kept her from thinking it over! There weren't any of the Elder Elementals' trademark shadows to be found, and yet the rumbles only got louder and louder. That could only mean one thing—a stampede! Chihiro turned around, but she had reacted just a tad too late! A swarm of eager spectators had swept her up in their grip and carried her away from the spot! She grunted as she tried to squeeze herself out, but it was no use. No matter how much she squirmed and thrust against them, their tightly-packed crowds reflected it like a shield, keeping her stuck to the spot!

"Hey, lemme go!" Chihiro cried as she tried to press and push her way out of her captors' grip! But, they were hooting and hollering cheers so loudly, she couldn't be heard!

Chihiro grunted, then clenched her eyes shut and tried to teleport away… But she couldn't! The crowds' cheers and how tightly they squeezed around her had overwhelmed her senses, and she couldn't focus at all between the way the shouts rattled her ears and numbed her head! Her head melted into her skull as she popped her eyes open and panted, all while a small glimpse of the crowds around her became visible! The spectators were causing a ruckus around, and unfortunately, it seemed as though the others got caught up as well!

Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy had been caught in the middle of an argument between what appeared to be two rival teams' fanbases, Spyro was getting carried off by a particularly rowdy group, and Stealth Elf struggled to escape as she teleported from spot to spot, while the others just screamed as they were tossed to and fro the crowds! Even the Elder Elementals struggled plenty, as Tree Rex struggled to wade through the crowds while he held the others on his shoulders and grappled for Bouncer as the crowds swept him away! Eye popped off of Brawl and floated in front of the spectators only to get knocked back into Swarm, Thumpback was sent surfing through rowdy passerby, while Hot Head and Crusher bounced and danced around as they tried their hardest not to step on the scurrying passerby! Ninjini couldn't be seen anywhere amid their ranks, but against all this chaos, it was hard to tell!

Chihiro winced and shut her eyes, then somebody jabbed their shoulder into her back and popped them back open! Chihiro cried in pain as she wormed away from that person, when a twinkle hit the air and purple magic wafted over her face! Chihiro blinked as the sparkles cascaded down on her face, and in that moment the entire world around her turned purple! Chihiro gasped and instinctively shut her eyes, but as she did, her body started to loosen up, almost as if the crowds around her had dispersed! Her feet hit solid ground and turned a little numb from the shock, but she stabilized her footing just as she opened her eyes… And found herself on solid land, just among a rare spot of empty land between two particularly large crowds!

Beside her, shiny purple silhouettes sparkled into existence, then popped into bursts of light and unveiled the rest of her group one-by-one! They all seemed pretty disoriented, some moreso than others as they spun around or fell on their rumps while their eyes spun in their heads. But, aside of a few small scratches and bruises, they all seemed alright! Just who got them out of there, though? Another pop sounded off next to Chihiro's feet, and she peered down to find a familiar blue and pink bottle by her feet! Smoke the color of cotton candy poured out from the bottle's lip and formed into a gigantic cloud, then with a whoosh it dispersed and revealed a grinning Ninjini!

"Phew, that was close!" Ninjini remarked as she knelt down to Chihiro's height, "I've never seen a crowd that furious before!"—Ninjini tilted her head and grinned as she flicked her ears—"everyone alright?"

"Thanks to you!" Spyro remarked as he flew up to Ninjini. Spyro winced as his wings locked up and dropped him on the ground, then he rubbed his shoulder and forced a smile. "A little sore, but it's nothing to worry about,"—Spyro turned back to the others and lifted his head—"say, does anybody know where we're supposed to find this Ermit guy?"

"Hugo gave me a map to his place before we left," Flynn remarked as he pulled a white scroll from his pocket and unrolled it, "kinda weird that a hermit would have a house, but…"

"STORMY SPEARS FOR THE WIN!"

"NO WAY, THE CANOPY CLIMBERS ARE THE REAL SHOO-INS HERE!"

"EXCUSE ME, YOU MEAN THE CUBE DUNGEON CLUB!"

Flynn winced and ducked as a spear flew over his head and stabbed into the ground between them all, then winced and rolled the map back up. "Actually, first we should probably get out of this place!"

Chihiro winced and side-stepped a rotten tomato just before it could bean her in the head, then leaped aside and clung to Ninjini's bottle as another slew of dying fruit torpedoed ahead.

"Agreed."

Chihiro beamed up at Ninjini, who in turn smiled and laid out a hand towards Chihiro. Her gaze was so warm and welcoming, Chihiro climbed over her fingers and pulled herself onto Ninjini's palm without thinking, then smiled as Flynn, Cali and the Skylanders did the same.

"Alright, everyone!" Ninjini shouted as she pushed the group onto her shoulders and held out her free palm. "Hold onto me, alright?"—Ninjini grinned as she gently nudged Chihiro with her cheek—"and Chihiro, give me a bit of help with this!"

"Just leave it to me!" Chihiro replied as she pumped a fist!

As her hands glowed cyan, Chihiro slapped them down on Ninjini's shoulder while the other Elder Elementals laid their hands on Ninjini's open palm, and in a flash of sparkling purple and cyan light, they all completely vanished!

The light dropped them off at a smaller town far enough that the jeers, cheers and cries of the rampant crowds were only a faint whisper in the wind, and it only served to add to the eerie atmosphere of the town itself. All the houses' lights were out, their doors had been boarded and notes just barely clung to their doors before being carried away by the breeze. No signs of life existed other than a few stray mice the scurried to and fro or the occasional tumbleweed that bounced around… It was practically a ghost town, completely unalike the lively sights of earlier.

Chills ran down a couple spines as Chihiro, the Skylanders, Flynn and Cali left their spot on Ninjini's shoulder via a quick teleport, then they clutched their weapons as they walked down the loose cobblestones paths. Though the houses were completely abandoned, something was still wrong, like something would jump out and strike at any moment! The rustling of leaves kept everyone frozen in place for a few moments as all eyes turned to a nearby rose bush… Then they all sighed as a dragonbunny hopped out and scampered away.

"Just where is everyone, anyways?" Chihiro asked as she spun her pendant's crystal back and forth.

"Probably at those games back there," Stealth Elf remarked as she flicked her ears. "Man, I get liking sports, but this is ridiculous!"

"You're telling me," Cynder scoffed, "I don't think I've seen crowds that angry before in my life!"

Sighs and shaking heads formed all around the crowds as they passed by, but Flynn didn't pay them much mind as he whipped out the map and unfurled it once more. He frowned for a moment as he stopped his walking and shoved his face in the map's, peered up and over it a couple times… Then grinned and stowed it away!

"We're here!" Flynn cried as he bolted towards a small brown house near the end of the path, "The map says his house is right this way!" Flynn fixed his collar and cleared his throat, then dashed right through the path and straight towards the house. "Now, mister hermity dude!" Flynn proclaimed as he slammed the door right open. "I, the great Captain Flynn, have come here to save—OWCH!"

Right in the middle of Flynn's grand speech, the door swung back and slammed him right in the face! He winced for a moment, then lifted his head and blinked as he peered inside.

"You?"

The others caught up with him quickly enough, and jaws dropped as their eyes fell on the insides of the house! It was completely turn up and disheveled, with furniture splintered and halved, papers torn and scattered, decorations fallen from their spots and dirty tracks printed everywhere! It was like a herd of bulls had torn through it!

Flynn blinked for a few moment, then turned to the door and swung it back and forth. "That's strange, the door's completely unlocked!" Flynn remarked as he stepped back and rubbed his chin. "Doesn't this hermit dude know anything about basic safety?"

"Well, he was pretty frantic when he called us earlier," Spyro said as he flew inside and rubbed his chin. "And I could've sworn I heard other voices at the end of that transmission we got…" Spyro dropped down to the floor and widened his eyes. "Wait, don't tell me he's been kidnapped?!"

"Kidnapped?" Gill Grunt echoed. He clenched his teeth as he stepped inside, then tugged on the straps of his wetsuit.

"That makes our job a lot harder," Eruptor grumbled as he crossed his arms. "Who knows who took him, or where he even is! How are we gonna find him now?!"

Spyro hummed, then lowered his head and lifted a scrap of brown fabric from the floor. "Actually, I have an idea," Spyro said.

Spyro breathed in and out, then lowered his head and closed his eyes as a purple glow surrounded both him and the scrap of fabric. It flashed in and out for a few moments, then as its glow finally faded, Spyro released the fabric scrap—but instead of falling, it floated in the air! The scrap hovered in place for a few moments, then folded itself into the shape of an arrow and flew outside the house!

"Looks like the homing spell worked! That means he must still be on this island!" Spyro cried as he dashed outside. "Come on, everyone!"

"Follow that arrow!" Trigger Happy cried as he dashed outside!

And so, everyone dashed out and tailed Spyro as he chased after the arrow, which soared through the sky as it lead them all back down the path… Then a massive screech froze everyone in place! The arrow's spell let up and it dropped back down onto the path as a simple cloth scrap, while everyone else grimaced and covered their ears!

"Testing, testing, one two three," remarked a gruff voice over grainy static, the kind that came with poor radio transmissions. "Is this thing on?"

Immediately, blue orbs manifested all across the way and formed into grainy screens! They were pretty simple and primitive compared to the stuff Chihiro had seen elsewhere, but the Elder Elementals were entranced! A few of them had crowded around and gazed at the screen in awe as a bulky drow's face popped up on it—the same one who was on that one banner, in fact!

However, Spyro just gasped as he flew up to an adjacent orb.

"Wait a second, I know this voice! I heard it on that transmission!" He proclaimed!

"Brock the Arena King's here to announce that registration is still open for the gladiator games!" Brock proclaimed as he leaned back in his throne and smirked. "Don't miss out on your chance to brawl, battle, and win tons of amazing prizes!"

The screens blipped for a moment, and it cycled through a series of images—a huge pile of meat that could probably scrape the sky balanced on a platter, a giant pile of gold, a chest full of shiny jewels… Then finally, it cycled back to the king!

"But that's not all!" Brock smirked and left his seat, the camera taken with him. "We've got a special prize this year!"

The faint sounds of banging and screaming echoed from the screens, while the view shifted over to a dungeon cell! There, kept locked tight behind a cell was some kind of pale-skinned dwarf with long pointed ears, beady black eyes and a large nose with a silver nose ring in it! He had a bushy gray beard and wore a brown cloak with thin, dark brown stripes running down its cloth alongside warmer brown shoes and gloves, and he didn't seem particularly happy as he clutched the bars of his cell.

"I'm telling you!" The dwarf cried as he pounded on the bars. "The Skylanders are coming for me, I swear!"

He didn't seem particularly remarkable, but a gasp from Spyro showed that this guy must have been important!

"That voice, I heard it on the transmission! That has to be Ermit!" Spyro cried as he flew up to the screen. "But what's he doing in there?"

Back on the screen, Brock rolled his eyes and groaned, then banged his fist on the bars and snarled. "Pipe down, ya little shrimp!"

Ermit winced and stumbled backwards, while Brock chuckled and turned back around to face the screens.

"Also, we've got this little weirdo here!" Brock exclaimed as he gestured to the bars. "If you win you could…"—Brock shrugged—"I dunno, eat him or something?"

"Let me out of here, for the love of the Ancients!" Ermit cried as he resorted to banging on the bars with a cup. "Kaos is back, and I have to warn the Skylanders!"

Brock just cackled and crossed his arms. "See, he even tells jokes, too! He can be your personal jester or something!" Brock then smirked. "Point is, be sure to sign up before it's too late!"

And now, it was everyone else's turn to widen their eyes! So that was where Ermit was—he really had been kidnapped! But what for?… Oh, there wasn't time to worry about that right now! The screens all shut off in that moment and the lights vanished into sparkles, but the light show was hardly a relief to everyone as they all just glazed over the space where it once laid with twisted frowns.

"We have to get Ermit back!" Whirlwind cried as she flew up to the others. "But how?"

"Something about this doesn't entirely feel right," Spyro said. "With that transmission we got ending out of nowhere, and him showing Ermit off and all, it's almost like that guy was trying to lure us here!"

"But why?" Cali asked as she glanced over.

Spyro frowned, then lowered his head. "If I had to guess, he'd want us to enter that tournament to get him." Spyro gulped, then glazed down at the coliseum before him as he bit his lip. "But, I'm not sure if that's a good idea. If he's baiting us in there like this, he probably doesn't have the best intentions…"

"But if we don't get in there, who knows what'll happen to Ermit?" Whirlwind retorted as she flew closer to Spyro.

"And with all those people there for that tournament, crashing the party would be pretty hard, especially if they recognized us," Chihiro remarked as she rubbed the sleeve of her disguise's coat. She frowned as she ran her fingers over its fabric, then she peered down and gasped. "Wait, recognizing us, that's it!" All eyes turned to Chihiro, and she grinned as she held her arm up. "As long as we're in disguise, they won't be able to recognize us!"

Chihiro stepped forward and smirked as she crossed her arms.

"So, everyone… How do you feel about being actual, real-life gladiators?"

The others frowned and stared her down, but Spyro just flew up beside her.

"Wait, so you're saying we should join those games?"

"Yep!" Chihiro beamed and nodded in affirmation. "As long as we're in disguise, they won't think anything of us actually participating—it's the perfect way to blend in!" Chihiro turned back to the rest of the crowd. "And while we're doing our thing and keeping that Brock guy occupied, we'll have another group go in and rescue Ermit!"

Everyone seemed a bit hesitant at first as they glanced at each other and whispered, most of all Spyro who frowned and swished his tail as he peered between the others and Chihiro. But finally, everyone else nodded and grinned as they stepped forward. Spyro's eyes lit up at the sight, and he himself grinned in affirmation.

"Alright, guess we'll do it!" Spyro remarked as he ushered everyone in for a huddle.

"Now, here's the plan…"

§

Cheers and pounding feet echoed through the inside of the arena as spectators and gladiator hopefuls alike crowded within the coliseum's dark inside, the air ripe with sweat and ambition. A few spectators had holed up in front of the concessions stands, some had gathered together to place bets or chat before the matches… And of course, plenty of gladiator teams had lined up at the desk, preparing to register!

And within the registration lines, Chihiro herself stood with finicky hands that toyed and teased her pendant underneath the cloak she donned as she tired to ignore the massive, hulking gladiators around her with muscles that would make a bodybuilder sob into their pillow from sheer envy! These guys all looked super tough and way more prepared for this than she was—would this really work? Chihiro bit her lip at first, but then shook it off. As long as she had her magic, she had nothing to worry about! After all, she had faced gigantic monsters and the toughest of foes, even Kaos himself, and won! Something like a little gladiator game would be nothing, right?

"Next!" Cried the very tired drow at the register.

Oh, that was her cue! Chihiro dashed up to the table and grinned, while the drow just cocked a brow at her.

"Ticket line is at the other booth, kid," the drow remarked.

Chihiro winced, then shook her head. "Actually, I'm not here to spectate!" Chihiro corrected as she slammed her hands on the table, "I'm here to compete!"

"You? Compete?"

The drow glazed Chihiro over for a moment, then guffawed so hard they fell out of their seat! The drow grunted as they sat back up with a noticeable bump on their head, but shook it off and grinned.

"Are you sure you're thinking straight, kid? You, competing with all these tough gladiators? In your dreams!"

Chihiro gritted her teeth and bit back the urge to raise her voice. Okay, now she really had to compete—who did this guy think they were, talking to her like that?! Did they have no idea who she was? Chihiro Hatsuki, portal master and guardian of all Skylands, the one who sent Kaos running home with his tail between his legs? She was half-tempted to bring that up, but she couldn't blow her cover and risk the entire mission… Not that it wouldn't have been satisfying!

"I'm certain." Chihiro hissed as she shot the drow a glare. She pressed her hands against the desk and leaned forward, enough to glare down the drow—but in that moment, her glasses slipped from her face! She gasped and swiped them up just before they could hit the desk, but as she hastily fixed them, the drow at the counter gave her an odd, kind of inquisitive look as they hummed. Something about the way their blank eyes stared right at her bored into Chihiro's soul, so she quickly fixed her glasses and coughed into her hand. "I mean it."

The drow hummed, and a thin, almost kind of knowing smirk crossed their face. "Well, it's your funeral." The drow pushed a paper towards Chihiro and dropped a feather pen with an ink-tipped quill beside her. "Just sign here, list your team name and teammates, and you're good to go."

Chihiro huffed, then lifted the pen from the table and scribbled away. For a moment she almost dropped in her real name out of habit, but hastily shook her head and dropped in an alias.

"Champions of Skylands, member number one, Hitomi Yougetsu…" Chihiro whispered at a low enough volume that only she could hear. She smiled, then nodded as she scribbled the name onto the sheet. "Yeah, that's good enough." Chihiro twiddled her pen back and forth, then scribbled it across the rest of the paper. "Titan of Life, Golden Cheat, Midnight Dragoness…" Chihiro winced and twiddled the pen further as she gritted her teeth. "Er, uh… Elf Ninja…" Chihiro grimaced as her eyes drifted from side to side. "Pete…"

Chihiro lifted the pen from the paper, and took a moment of pause to make a glance back at the rest of the team behind her. She had Tree Rex, Spyro, Cynder, Trigger Happy, and Stealth Elf with her—enough to fill out a full team roster. She and Spyro had taken the time to pick up info from the locals on how many team members they needed for the gladiator matches just before they entered, and with their pool of abilities, surely they were prepped for anything these games could throw at them! And if things went south, Flynn, Cali and the others would be in the audience, just in case. But, that wouldn't be a problem! After all, the other Elder Elementals would've probably broken Ermit out by then, and then they could skedaddle! It was the perfect plan!

Chihiro grinned, then signed away and pushed the paper back to the drow.

The drow picked it up and glazed it over for a few moments before they stashed it away in a box. "Alright, you're all set." Their hand drifted into a nearby box, then they grabbed something out and dropped it in front of Chihiro with that thin smirk returning to their face. "Here's your proof of registration, just show it to the guards when the games begin and they'll take you to the locker rooms."

Chihiro nodded, then lifted her proof and lifted it up in the faint light. It was a small wheel with Ancient Skylandian runes engraved around its body, which was made of a translucent red crystal of some kind. Now that she thought about it, it kind of reminded her of the wheel she picked up at the Junkyard Isles—heck, it even had that kind of strange and magical feeling her first wheel held, the kind that left her hand shaking just from holding it! Whatever it was, Chihiro stowed it away and grinned as she skipped back to where the rest of her group was waiting.

"We're in!" Chihiro chirped as she held up her wheel for all to see—and not a moment too soon! The familiar chimes of the announcement system sparked ahead, and her eyes turned to the top!

"Attention! The gladiatorial games will begin soon!" Proclaimed the voice over the speaker. "All teams head to the locker rooms in an orderly manner…"

"Seems like that's our cue," Spyro remarked as he took flight. "Come on!"

So, Spyro, Chihiro, Tree Rex, Cynder, Stealth Elf, Trigger Happy all filed in line with other teams of bulky, highly-trained gladiators, hands twitching and weapons at the ready from anticipation not helped by the slow pace of the lines! It went at the speed of molasses as the guards checked registration and ushered teams away one by one, and it only put Chihiro further on edge. So, she withdrew her wheel and ran her fingers across the runes engraved on its surface.

"Hey, you!" Cried a tough voice. "Are you coming or not?"

Chihiro winced and perked her head up, then gasped and shook it—because the line had cleared, and the drow at the front didn't look particularly keen on waiting! So, Chihiro skipped up and held out her wheel for them to see.

"Here's our proof of registration," Chihiro explained as she handed the wheel off. As the drow frowned and examined it, she couldn't help but frown as well—after all, they kept whispering between each other as they examined it, almost as if there was something going on! And for that matter, wasn't that drow at the registration booth acting kind of suspicious too, what with the weird looks and the smirks? Chihiro's frown twisted, and she crossed her arms as her eyes fell on the whispering drow. "Is there something wrong with it?"

The drow just grinned and shook their heads as they handed the wheel back to Chihiro. "Not at all! In fact, it's the opposite!" The drow explained. "You get the special locker rooms!"

"Special?" Chihiro tilted her head and frowned. "What do you mean, special?"

"GUARDS! ESCORT THESE GLADIATORS TO THE SPECIAL ROOMS!"

With a single snap of the drow's fingers, more tall, muscular drow guards appeared practically out of thin air behind Chihiro, Spyro, Cynder, Stealth Elf and Trigger Happy, then cracked their knuckles and pushed them all away! Grunts and groans came from everyone around as the bulky drow guards shoved them all into a damp, dimly-lit room with a surprising amount of force as they shouted! Tree Rex just barely squeezed himself in right before the doors slammed behind them and locked tight as they all got up, so with a shrug they all stumbled through the locker rooms.

Water dripped from the ceilings while they passed by rows and rows of dented lockers, then finally took a seat at some rickety old benches… The legs of which immediately gave out and crashed the moment they sat down. For a special locker room, the stuff here sure was low-quality.

Chihiro scoffed, then scuffed her shoes against the stone floors and frowned. Without even thinking, she recalled the sneers and tough looks of the competing teams she had seen before, and a strange feeling crept down her spine and chilled it to the core. Something about this didn't really seem right, like she was walking right into a trap—had she really made the right call? Were they somehow able to see right through her disguises and knew who she really was? Did this place just have a bad feeling to it? Were these gladiator games tougher than they looked? She wasn't sure, so she just curled up to Tree Rex while he sat behind her. His mossy legs were nice and soft, almost like a natural blanket, and it almost made her kind of sleepy. Say, she couldn't help but wonder what the other teams were doing right now. Last-minute training, perhaps? Were they ribbing and joking with each other, or gushing about what they'd do with their prizes? Or perhaps they sat in nervous anticipation, much like Chihiro did now? Well, she could worry about all that another time—for now, she just cuddled up to Tree Rex and drifted off.

"Hey, what's this?" Stealth Elf asked as she lifted a half-drenched pamphlet from the floor and shook it dry. "'Your Intro to the Rumbletown Gladiator Games?'"

Chihiro peeked up and pulled herself from Tree Rex, then curled around Stealth Elf, as did all the others who peered over her shoulder. Stealth Elf shot them a glare and leaped from the broken bench, then turned around and cleared her throat.

"'Rumbletown's gladiator games are a time-honored tradition spanning back to the days of the town's beginning, where teams of gladiators fight their way through grueling trials in the name of glory, honor, and most of all, prizes beyond imagination!'" Despite the excited tone of the words on the page, Stealth Elf droned like she was a teacher reading off of a textbook. With a hum, Stealth Elf flipped the pamphlet's pages and narrowed her eyes. "'The three preliminary rounds, which consist of jousting, team battle and a free-for-all brawl, see teams fighting to the best of their ability for an audience with the Arena King and a shot at victory!'"

Well, at least they knew what was in store for them now! But, Chihiro still felt a little uneasy—those gladiator games sounded pretty tough from what Stealth Elf had read, and they'd have to beat all of them if they wanted to free Ermit… To say nothing of that Arena King dude! Whoever he was, surely he wasn't going to bring an easy fight. But, Chihiro took in a breath. After all, she had faced foes like this in her sleep! Surely, something like this was nothing to worry about at all, right?

"Champions of Skylands, we're ready for you!" Cried a voice from across the locker room!

"Oh hey, our team name! That's our cue, everyone!" Chihiro chirped as she hopped to her feet and snapped her suspenders underneath her magic cloak. "Let's get going!"

So, they all nodded and scrambled towards a trio of faint white lights in the distance, ones that glowed brighter and brighter while a few bulky silhouettes formed in the distance. Then as they nearly closed in on the lights, the silhouettes raised their palms and stopped them all in their tracks, now revealed to be armed, muscular drow guards!

"Hold it!" The drow cried as they pushed Chihiro back into Tree Rex's leg, "Where do you all think you're going?"

"Uh, to the games?" Chihiro remarked as she popped off and brushed herself off. "Didn't you say we were ready?"

The drow in the center scoffed and crossed their arms. "You're not going in just yet!" The drow proclaimed. "We're taking you to the prep rooms first!"

"Oh, alright!" Chihiro nodded and turned around. "Just let us make sure we have everything together, we'll be there in—"

"Who said you get to wait?"

Chihiro blinked and tilted her head, and in that moment, something yanked her off the ground! Before she knew it, one of those drow guys had grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and dragged her away, with Spyro, Cynder, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf in hand! And while they were dragged away, Tree Rex was hoarded behind them as the drow raised their weapons!

"Geez!" Chihiro hissed as she turned around and avoided the blades that the drow withdrew. "Security here isn't exactly careless, are they?"

Feet scuffed against the cold, stone floor below as Chihiro cringed and pulled her cloak's hood over her head in some attempt to ignore the awful, screeching noises as the drow carried her further and further away… Then finally, Chihiro grunted as the drow guard tossed her, Spyro, Trigger Happy, Cynder and Stealth onto the cold, stone floors, then pushed herself up and shook her head. Her body had turned numb from being carried along for so long, but the feeling returned as she stood up and grappled for the bars nearby as an anchor. Chihiro frowned and ran her hand over the chilly steel bars that lined the stone walls around her, then winced and drew her hand back from the shock of cold. The faint sound of mumbled apologies and cracking wood came from behind as Tree Rex awkwardly tried to squeeze his way through the halls, and she couldn't help but cringe at the sight of him and the drow were squished so hard they almost popped as Tree Rex finally popped out of the hallway's entrance—so, she just turned back to the others as they got off the ground.

"Come on," the drow guard scoffed. They shot Spyro, Cynder, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf a glare as the four of them staggered up and regained their senses, then snorted and turned away. "The prep room is right this way."

Chihiro winced, but nonetheless obliged as she trekked up the stairs with a grimace. So there were three rounds to these preliminaries, but which of them would they end up in? The jousting? The free for all battle or the team battle? She wasn't sure… But hey, as long as she had magic, she'd be fine! Well, that was the adage she had repeated to herself, and yet that weird, bubbling feeling like butterflies in her stomach still wouldn't rest. Heck, it was like the more she said that, the worse she felt! So, she just turned her attention back to the stairs and tried to avoid the nagging voice in her head. After a few more hops, Chihiro hit the top of the stairs and was greeted by warm, red light that bathed the otherwise-empty stone room before them. Oddly enough, it seemed pretty sparse compared to what she had seen on TV in sports games and stuff—there were no benches, no lockers, not even a vending machine! And for that matter, they were the only ones here, too! Where were the other teams?

"Now, before we begin, we've gotta ensure that everyone gets a fair shot," the drow guard said as they pulled something out of their pocket. "First, if you've got any weapons, we'll have you drop those off here."

Chihiro winced and cast a wary glance at Spyro, who in turn shared it with the others. It might've seemed reasonable at first glance, but, between them being shuffled away by themselves and the odd feelings they were all surely getting about this, and now the relenting of weapons… Something about it felt suspicious. But, they did need to get Ermit back, so…

"Fine, we'll do it," Chihiro relented as she, Tree Rex, Cynder and Spyro stepped back while Stealth Elf and Trigger Happy went to hand in their weapons.

Stealth Elf reluctantly tossed her blades and other ninja weapons inside, while Trigger Happy threw in his pistols… But as they passed on, Trigger Happy seemed oddly uncomfortable. His lips were puckered and he was sweating hard as he skirted past the drow guard without even so much as a glance back!

The drow guard, in response, grabbed Trigger Happy by the floor and yanked him off, complete with Trigger Happy squeaking like a dog's squeaky toy. "I said all of it, buddy!"

Trigger Happy whimpered and drooped his ears, then sighed as his arms and legs went limp.

"Fiiiiiiineeeeeeeee."

So, with twice a cheetah's speed, Trigger Happy dug through his fur and whipped out all sorts of golden weaponry! Gatling guns, pistols, cauldrons, gigantic coins, solid gold missiles… And the pile only grew more and more by the second, much to the shock of everyone around!

Spyro, Tree Rex, Cynder, Stealth Elf and Chihiro's jaws all dropped as the golden weaponry pile continued to amass, while Stealth Elf rapidly blinked.

"Just how many weapons was he holding?" Stealth Elf asked as she scratched her head.

"Forget that, how can you even hold all that stuff in the first place, Trig?" Chihiro asked back.

But, Trigger Happy completely ignored her question! Instead, he just glared down the guard and crossed his arms, a large pout on his face as he kicked his stubby little legs at nothing.

"Now can I go?" Trigger Happy asked.

"Are you sure that was all of it?" The guard asked with a quirked brow. While Trigger Happy glared him down yet again, he snarled and squeezed Trigger Happy a little tighter. "Really sure?"

"Fine, fine, fine!" Trigger Happy wailed as he struggled to escape, "I have one more!"

Trigger Happy grunted and dug through the back of his fur, then tossed a tiny golden pistol onto the already massive pile of golden weaponry… And the whole thing completely toppled over on him and the guard! Trigger Happy giggled as he popped out of the pile, but the drow guard only groaned.

"You're clear to go," The guard moaned as they flicked an ear towards the door at the end. "Entryway's over there…"

The drow guard groaned again as he sank into the golden depths of Trigger Happy's entire weapons catalog, but Trigger Happy just giggled and hopped into Chihiro's arms! He sat snug in her grip as Chihiro and the others drew away from the pile and towards the white light of the door ahead. And more importantly, whatever was waiting for them…

They passed through the white light of the doorway, and the first thing they were met with was rousing cheers and cries mixed with the rhythmic stomping of feet! Though they seemingly came from a coliseum a few miles away, they were so loud, so strong that they sounded like they were just nearby! And what they cheered for wasn't very reassuring, either—though their voices all melded into one and made it hard to discern exactly, all of them cried out for blood and violence and death. Lovely crowd, wasn't it?

Cynder winced as the drow walked up to their fellow guard and whispered something in the guards ear that made them both smirk, but reluctantly trailed after them along with the rest.

As they all walked down the dirt path, Chihiro frowned and stepped just a few inches closer to the guards, then perked up her ear. They were whispering about something, but just what was it? Something about the way they smirked and giggled about what they talked about didn't exactly ease her nerves any, either.

"You already placed your bets for this match?" One guard asked to the other.

"You bet I did! I'm telling ya, I'm gonna rake in the gold this time!" The other guard whispered back, while a small smirk crossed their face. "Then again, this time I knew this was gonna be a really one-sided fight."

A one-sided fight? Oh boy, that did not bode well—Chihiro winced and drew back as she clutched Trigger Happy tighter, and judging by the frown on his face, it seemed as though he shared her worries. Or maybe he was just upset about not having his guns. Maybe a little of both.

Either way, Chihiro didn't have much time to mull over the things she just heard, because they had drawn to a stop in front of the arena's open gates! The drow guards who had escorted them all both smirked, then walked aside and gestured towards the gate, which had a smaller drow who held a box full of strange bracelets with a smirk on their face.

"Come on," remarked a drow guard as they pushed Cynder's shoulder, "you're up."

Cynder winced as she turned up to the drow, who in return sat the box down and slipped the bracelets from Cynder's front legs.

"These power-nullifying bracelets will disable any fancy magic powers and such that any of you may have for the games' duration," the drow explained as they clicked their own bracelets onto Cynder's legs and withdrew a few more pairs from the box. They snickered for a moment, but their laughter silenced itself thanks to a jab from one of the guards. "You know, just, just making things fair and all!"

Chihiro raised a brow at the drow, then reluctantly snagged a pair of bracelets from the drow and put them on. The cold metal of the bracelets hugged her wrists and gave her a bit of a cold, uncomfortable shock, but she gritted her teeth and bared it. Behind her, Spyro, Tree Rex, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf all put on their bracelets, and a faint glow surrounded them… Well, all save for Tree Rex, whose own glow was much brighter as he shrank back down to the others' size! They all gasped as they basked in Tree Rex's smaller stature, but they didn't get much time to remark on it as the guards pushed and shoved against them!

"Go in," the guards said in tandem. "This is your stop, Skylanders!"

Chihiro shot Spyro a wide-eyed look, then she let Trigger Happy jump from her arms as she turned to the guards.

"Wait, Skylanders?!" Chihiro cried. "What are you talking about?!"

But, no response came from the guards—instead, Chihiro, Spyro, Cynder, Trigger Happy, Stealth Elf and Tree Rex were all pushed right into the arena and tossed straight onto its dirt floors! The chants and shouts of the crowds around grew even louder and more overwhelming as she pushed herself off the floor and glanced of the stone arena around her, then she gasped and jumped up as silver bars slammed over the arena's entrance! Guess they really were serious about this! The sound of gnashing teeth and jeers turned Chihiro's attention to the front, where a whole host of muscular gladiators blocked off the way ahead while they rode their steeds! So they must have been slotted in the jousting porting first… But more importantly, their competition looked tough! They were all super muscular, armed with tough armor, shiny weapons and strong-looking steeds—but hey, wait a second, something was up here!

"None of these guys are wearing these bracelets!" Chihiro cried as she held up her arm as proof. "What's going on here?! This isn't fair at all!"

"That's the point, kid!" Jeered a gruff voice from above—but more importantly, it was a familiar gruff voice!

Chihiro craned her head up, and there above her sat that very same Arena King guy from those announcement screens! He held a chicken leg in hand and gleefully tore its meat to pieces with his fangs, while a smirk crossed his face as he looked down at all the gladiators from his throne.

"Wait a second, you're that guy from the announcements!" Spyro cried as he jumped to all four paws. "What's going on here?! What'd you do to Ermit?"

Brock just chuckled as he gulped down another bite of his chicken leg and twirled around its bone.

"It's simple, ya see!" Brock pounded a fist down on his throne, and his snide smile faded away immediately in favor of a frown. "These gladiator games have been getting too squeaky-clean lately! We've been needing a good bloodbath! And with the games' fiftieth anniversary comin' up, Brock needed to get something that'll really get the crowds goin'!" Brock frowned and rubbed his chin. "Brock was really stumped, but then Brock caught that hermit calling for ya!" Brock leaned back in his throne and crossed his legs, his earlier confusion replaced with a snide smile. "So Brock thought, with Brock's big, gigantic brain…"—Brock's eyes narrowed while his smirk widened—"how's about Brock use that hermity dude to lure the Skylanders here and get 'em to fight Brock's gladiators here?"

The crowds cheered and stomped harder in response, and Brock just chuckled.

"It was perfect! Gettin' some Skylanders in these games to get torn up by gladiators was just the thing Brock needed to get the crowds rollin' in!"

Chihiro growled as the cheers continued, then she slapped her hand around her bracelet and dug her fingers underneath its ring.

"Not a chance, buddy!" Chihiro cried as she tugged at the bracelet. "Once we get these weird bracelets off, you're gonna be—"—Chihiro yipped as a bolt of electricity zapped her—"TOAST!"

Chihiro whimpered and leaned on Spyro, while above her Brock broke into cackles.

"Brock wouldn't do that if Brock were ya," Brock smirked. "Those little bracelets have lil' lightning creatures in them! You take them off, and they'll zap ya to death!"

Chihiro grimaced and peered down at the one open slot in the bracelet, where a creature made of solid electricity with lightning bolts limbs and arms and glowing red eyes giggled and stuck its tongue out at her. She knew she had a bad feeling about this… She really needed to trust her gut more.

Brock chuckled as he leaped from his throne and waved his arms in the air, all as he drank in the cheers of the crowd. "Pipe down, all of ya!" Brock cried as he banged his fists together. "Save your breath for when the Skylanders here get shredded!"

With a few claps of his hands, the crowds all came to a close, and he flexed his pecs as he rested his arms on his hip. Brock smirked a bit more, then cleared his throat.

"Alright, for the first round, you're all gonna be jousting!" Brock explained as he trailed back to his throne. "Use your weapons and your steeds to knock your opponents out, and the last team standing wins!"—Brock smirked and pressed his fist against his face as he sat back down—"and remember, try not to die!"

A couple of skinnier drow sounded off their trumpets as the audience cheered, but Chihiro was far from content!

"But wait, what about us?!" Chihiro exclaimed as she waved her arms. "We don't have any of that!"

The trumpets all came to a close, and Brock groaned. "Technicalities, technicalities!" Brock replied. "You're all Skylanders, Brock's sure you can do just fine without 'em!"

"Not without our powers or weapons!" Stealth Elf retorted as she walked up beside Chihiro and pointed a finger at Brock. "This isn't fair at all!"

"Yeah!" Cynder, Tree Rex and Trigger Happy chimed in as they glared at Brock.

"Of course it isn't fair, it's a gladiator game!" Brock scoffed, then leaned back in his seat and waved a hand. "Now, let the games begin!"

The cheers and trumpet music sounded off once more, and all the gladiators cheered as they ran in for the kill! Chihiro and the others all gulped and looked towards each other, completely helpless compared to their opponents' massive power… And with no other options, they all screamed and made a break for it! The sound of crashing hooves and clashing weapons like thunder trailed behind them as they dashed back to the gates and yanked on them in some futile hope of getting out—but they were locked tight! And no amount of pulling and pushing was getting them out of here! She gritted her teeth, and turned her eyes to the crowds. They had said during their planning that were anything to go wrong, Flynn and Cali would hang in the crowds and call for backup, and yet the two of them were nowhere to be seen! So much for that.

"Come on, come on!" Chihiro cried as she rammed against the bars, then winced and stumbled back. "There's gotta be some way out of this!"

"Yeah, there is!" Cried a nasally voice behind her while the shing of metal pierced the air. "Death!"

Chihrio turned around, then winced and clutched her teeth as a lance's blade sat right between her eyes! She backed up closer to the gate's metal without even taking her eyes off of the blade's point, and sweat crawled down her back as she pressed her back against the bars with the blade still fixed on her!

Beside her, Spyro, Cynder, and Trigger Happy all joined her as the other gladiators' weapons closed in on them, and all seemed pretty hopeless… But while they were at their wits' end, all wide eyes and shaky looks towards one another, Stealth Elf didn't relent at all! She just stood silent as a troll gladiator dressed in armor charged towards her with a lance in hand and a bull steed that was coming in fast!

"Stealthie, look out!" Trigger Happy cried, before he yelped and ducked underneath a sword that nearly skewered his forehead.

But, Stealth Elf didn't even notice his cries at all! She just stood perfectly still and silent as the troll gladiator came in closer and closer, then as they jabbed their lance forward, she leaped up and landed right on top of the lance!

"Didn't see me coming, did you?" Stealth Elf remarked. She chuckled a bit as her blank eyes fell on the troll's bulging eyes and gaping jaw, then she jumped onto the troll's head and leaped off, "Catch me if you can~!"

The gladiator grunted as they fell off of their steed, then snarled and pushed themself up as they waved their lance in the air!

"After that elf!"

And in response, the crowd of gladiators went wild! They screamed and yelled as they all charged after Stealth Elf, Chihiro and everyone else completely forgotten in their minds! Their hasty trampling kicked up clouds of dirt and dust all across the arena and choked out the sights for all, a thick fog that completely shielded the chaos's effects from all… Well, save for a handful of gladiators who collapsed on the ground and got trampled in the wake! They all groaned as they laid with twitchy limbs and marks all over their armor, while their weapons all fell out of their hands and onto the ground.

"Look everyone, we've got a chance!" Chihiro cried as she pointed to the ground. "They've dropped their weapons!"—Chihiro snatched a lance off of the ground, then grinned and held it up for them all to see—"let's get them before they get a chance to recover!"

Cynder, Spyro and Trigger Happy all grinned, then they dashed forward and dove underneath the cover of the dust and dirt! Spyro and Cynder swept underneath Chihiro and Trigger Happy's legs, then dropped the two of them on their backs as Chihiro and Trigger Happy snatched an extra couple weapons off the ground! As Spyro and Cynder took flight, Trigger Happy whistled as loud as he could!

"Hey, everyone! Over here!" Trigger Happy cried!

The dust clouds cleared in an instant, and the gladiators who had been brawling with each other pulled away and fixed their gaze on Spyro and Cynder… Who just grinned and flew in the air with an armed and dangerous Chihiro and Trigger Happy on their backs! Their faces radiated with a new confidence, because they knew full well the tables had been turned now. Now, the real fight could begin!

"Come and get us!" Chihiro cried as she beckoned with a free hand!

Several gladiators snarled as Chihiro smirked back at them, then waved their weapons in the air and screamed as they charged forward! A frost elf manning a large polar bear with massive teeth was the first to strike as they swatted the air with their club, but Spyro flew around their back and kicked them off! As the elf screamed and tumbled to the ground, a skeleton atop a slobbering mutticus leaped forward and snapped at Spyro, who jolted backwards as the mutticus nearly bit his face off! Spyro grimaced as the mutticus stopped for a breather, then he charged forward and knocked both ride and rider onto their backs! While the skeleton crashed and split into a pile of bones, Spyro grinned and panted, then Chihiro grabbed his shoulders and pivoted him left!

"Look out!" Chihiro cried as she buried her head into his shoulders!

Spyro instinctively flew off, and with good timing, too! A cyclops on a cyclops mammoth had steamrolled the ground ahead, and instead of hitting Spyro and Chihiro, he just slammed into an identical cyclops and knocked that one off of their steed! While the second cyclops collapsed on the ground, the first one just turned back around! Their mammoth scraped the ground as it prepared to charge once more, like a bull waiting to strike! But before it could run, Chihiro and Spyro charged forward, and Chihiro knocked the cyclops off the mammoth with a single smack of her lance. Chihiro grinned and turned around as the cyclops fell to the ground while its confused mammoth sniffed it, then a formidable gust snapped at her back! Chihiro yipped and clung to Spyro as the wind blew at her back and nearly knocked them both down, then turned around and grinned.

Behind her, Cynder zipped from gladiator to gladiator and knocked them off their steeds with slashes from her claws and strikes from her tail! But while she did the heavy lifting, Trigger Happy hung from her head, one arm wrapped around her horn as he spun the dial on the lance he had obtained! His eyes were narrowed, and he stuck his tongue out as the lance shifted to a sword, a spear, a club, a guitar… And finally, a gun! As it shifted into a shiny bronze and silver gun, Trigger Happy's eyes lit up and he swung back onto Cynder's back!

"Now this is more my speed!" Trigger Happy giggled as he propped himself up on Cynder's head and took aim. "Eat metal, suckers!"

Trigger Happy pulled the trigger, and a wave of silver coins spun out from his gun in a massive wave that washed over the other gladiators! They all grunted and screamed as they were nailed square in the head by the coins, while the ones who spared screamed and ran off! As they fled from Trigger Happy's wake, he just chuckled and blew the smoke from his barrel!

And at the center of it all, Tree Rex had kicked a person off of their two-headed dragon steed! Tree Rex hopped onto the dragon's back and cracked its reins, then winced as the original rider faceplanted onto the ground.

"Sorry! It's for the greater good, I promise!" Tree Rex shouted down as he cracked the reins a second time!

The dragon flung its heads to the skies and screeched as it reeled back, and Tree Rex clung to its necks like his life depended on it! His wooden teeth chattered and sent bark shavings everywhere as the dragon flew higher and higher with every flap of its mighty wings, then it lowered its heads and screeched as it sent twin blasts of flames and ice crashing down on the arena floors!

Spyro, Chihiro, Cynder, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf all screamed and dashed away, as did a handful of the gladiators… Yet, nobody was quick enough to escape the blow that followed! The fire and ice combined in a massive explosion that engulfed the arena in a bath of flames and frost, and when the mist it left behind had cleared, everyone was down for the count! Most of the gladiators were either encased in ice or hacked out smoke as they shook the flames and ashes from their bodies, and even the front rows of the audience were coated in soot and frost!

Chihiro groaned as she and Spyro popped off the wall and dusted the frozen soot from their arms, while beside them Trigger Happy crashed down and bounced off of the floor! Frost dusted his fur, but he didn't seem any worse for wear as he grinned and gave a thumbs up!

And just ahead, amid all the unconscious and afflicted gladiators, Cynder lifted Stealth Elf from the ground while Tree Rex crashed down on the ground and pushed himself up. They were frozen in places, sore with sunburns in others… But they were the last ones standing—they had won!

"So much for your bloodbath, huh?" Chihiro remarked as she and Spyro ran up beside Cynder, though their eyes were all fixed on Brock. "We're not going down that easy, Brock!"

Chihiro grinned and turned to the audience, then gasped and steered Spyro out the way as a tomato hurtled straight for them! Chihiro winced as the tomato splattered on the ground beside her, then yelped and jumped off Spyro's back as even more tomatoes came hurtling in! The two of them dashed across the arena grounds as the tomatoes shot after them in a line, all set of a chorus of booing from the crowds above!

"I didn't pay for this!" Cried one patron as they lobbed tomatoes. "I wanted blood, I wanted action, not a bunch of chaos and running around!"

"YEAH!" Affirmed the crowds as they shook their fists!

"I was told this year'd have more violence than before, but not a single person's gotten skewered! There's barely been any scratching!" Shouted another, "I want my money back!

"YEAH!" The crowd cried as they went back to lobbing more tomatoes!

Chihiro winced and ducked underneath a particularly large tomato, then turned around and scoffed as it splattered behind her.

"Geez, talk about a tough crowd!" Chihiro groaned as she side-stepped another tomato without even looking back. "Personally, I thought I was doing pretty well!"

"Forget about them!" Stealth Elf cried as she chopped down a cyclops guard before he could get back up. "The gate's down! We can go back and get out weapons!"

Chihiro perked up her brows, then turned around and grinned—because Stealth Elf was right! The gate behind them had completely let up, surely because of her victory, and with the crowd in utter chaos they had they perfect distraction!

"Come on, everyone!" Chihiro cried as she dashed for the gate, "Let's get back and get our stuff before anyone notices!"

"WRONG ANSWER!" Brock screamed, his volume so loud it shook the entire arena!

Everyone winced and turned back to Brock, who only frowned as he got up from his throne and stepped forward. His scowl grew deeper by the moment as he strode up to the balcony's tip, and his fists clenched so tight that his veins practically popped out of his body! Geez, they had won, right? Why was he stopping them?

"You may have won, but Brock'd hardly call it earned!" Brock cried as he gestured to the crowds. "That was one of the most boring fights Brock'd seen in Brock's life! And the crowd thinks so too!"—Brock's lips twitched, then they lowered enough to bear his fangs—"If anything…" Brock extended his fist, then turned it down and made a thumbs down sign. "Brock would call that a loss!"

Brock retracted his thumb and groaned. "But, ya were the last team standing, so Brock guesses this means ya get to pass to the next round!"

Chihiro frowned, then squeaked and fell to her knees as the whole ground around her rumbled and shuddered! Spyro, Cynder, Trigger Happy, Stealth Elf and Tree Rex all grunted and collapsed around her as the ground rumbled further, while in the stands the arena patrons all screamed and dove underneath their benches… But no earthquake came! Rather, a gigantic white hand leaped out from the open arena door and snatched them all up! They all screamed as the hand hung in midair, and their screams only grew louder as it was yanked back and retracted into the darkness of the arena depths! And as they disappeared and their screams with them, the gates behind them retracted to a close.

§

"Popcorn balls! Fresh popcorn balls right here!" Cali cried as she waved a box full of buttery popcorn balls in the air, all while she donned a bright cyan vendor's outfit. "Get 'em while they're fresh!"

"Soda, we've got soda here!" Shouted Flynn as he barged forward while carrying a box full of soda cups, his own trademark pilot outfit traded out for one similar to Cali's. "Nothin' better to cool down from a fiery battle than the best sodas in all Skylands!"

"And if you've got a big sweet tooth, we've got jumbo snacks right here!" Bouncer exclaimed as he wheeled in with a gigantic cardboard box full of cotton candy sticks in his arms, all while the other Elder Elementals followed behind him with giant boxes of snacks at the ready. "Cotton candy, candy apples, swirl sticks and more! All for the sugar monster in you!"

Bouncer chuckled as he wheeled backwards, then frowned as his eyes scanned over the selection of candy that he held in this strange cardboard box now, or maybe the gigantic striped shirt that he wore over his mechanical body—with his eyes being little more than blank plates of glass, it was kind of hard to tell.

"Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea? I mean, a sweets vendor seems pretty suspicious," Crusher remarked as he tilted the candy box in his hands. "Besides, what if someone asks me about this? I'm a rock golem, the only thing I need to eat is rocks! I don't know a thing about sweets!"—Crusher chuckled and scratched his head—"well, unless they're rock candy."

A faint ringing like that of an alarm system started dully blaring from Bouncer's head, and he zipped over to Crusher and shushed him!

"Keep it down, man!" Bouncer hissed as his optics fell down on the crowds. "We already stick out like sore thumbs in this place! One wrong move, and we're as good as dead!"

Bouncer winced, as did Flynn and Cali and all the others as they scanned the crowds—hopefully, nobody had heard that little remark…

Grumbles and chatters echoed from the crowds around in time with the clacking of footsteps against stone, and nobody particularly paid any mind to them! A few patrons cast odd glances at them before shuffling off to the stands or licked their lips as they got pulled away, but not a single strange remark came from anybody around! As far as they were concerned, what they saw were just ordinary vendors selling their wares!

Cali and Flynn both frowned as they eyed the crowds around them, then as the crowds passed on, they both breathed sighs of relief as they wiped the sweat from their faces, then turned to each other and grinned!

"Phew, looks like these magic disguises work!" Cali remarked as she wiped her hands. "Now we can actually get around this place without the guards breathing down our necks!"

"A shame, really, I came up with some of the best slogans for these sodas!" Flynn remarked as he eyed the box of sodas in his arms. Flynn grinned and wiggled his fingers, then lifted one and raised a brow. "Speaking of sodas, all these wandering around and looking cool is making me parched!"—Flynn drew the soda closer to his lips as he licked them—"I could really go for a drink right now…"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Flynn!"

Flynn chuckled to himself as he prepared to sip, but before he could even get a drop, Cali slapped the soda right out of his hands! Flynn gasped as his soda slipped away from his reach, but Cali grabbed him back by the sleeve just before he could pursue it further! And despite his tugging and shoving, her grip just wouldn't relent! Flynn could only watch as the flying soda slammed straight into a drow guard and splashed them with cola, and his face drooped into a low, despondent frown.

"My soda!" Flynn cried as he turned back to Cali and crossed his arms. "What was that for, Cali?! Can't a guy get a drink?"

Flynn flicked his ears as a groan came over from behind, and turned around as his eyes fell back on the drow guard his soda had splattered on! The drow groaned as soda dripped down from their armor, but as they hustled over to a nearby food stand and wiped it off with some napkins, they screamed and jumped in the air, now stiff and straight as a board while sparks flew off of them! As they dropped back down to the ground, their footing was light as they stumbled to and fro amid the coliseum floors, while their eyes drooped open and shut as they barely kept their grip on their napkins!

"You, you know what?" The drow panted as they fell to their knees, their head bobbing from side to side. "This, this job is such a pain… I haven't had a good break in ages…" The drow moaned as they fell to the floor and curled on their side. "Maybe I should take a little nap…"

A soft snore came from the drow guard as they rested their head on their arms like it was a pillow, no care taken to the fact that they were still soaked to the bone!

"That's why," Cali explained as she walked up beside Flynn and placed her hands on her hips. She nudged the box Flynn carried, then shot him a glare as he raised his brows. "Those sodas are actually sleeping potions! Heck, all the food we have here is weaponry just in case we run into any trouble! Didn't you hear me when I said that at the briefing?"

Flynn rapidly blinked as his eyes fell on Cali, then the box of sodas he still carried in his arms. A low chuckle came from his throat, and Flynn just carefully removed the soda box from around his person and placed it on a nearby stand.

"Actually, yeah, I'm not as thirsty as I thought," Flynn remarked.

Eye, meanwhile, hummed as he popped off of Brawl and floated down to the sleeping drow who happily snoozed away at the job. His gaze fixed on a piece of paper that rested in the Drow's pocket, and Eye lifted himself up and flapped his wings a little more furiously than before.

"Now, my little brothers—bring that paper to my line of sight!" Eye proclaimed!

With one last flap, a bunch of tiny eyeballs phased through the ground and bounced against it like bouncing beans! They all giggled as they surrounded the drow and yanked the map from their pocket, then blew it straight to Eye, who attempted to grab it… But, it just unfolded and slammed right into his face instead!

"Oh, right, I don't have hands," Eye groaned as he fell to the ground!

Cali stepped over and claimed the map from Eye's face, then frowned as she smoothed out its creases and laid it against the wall. It was a bit drenched from the sleeping potion's ambush, but thankfully, all the writing on it was still legible enough that a proper map could be made from it—a field of coliseums, each marked with text bearing their names and the activities that took place there and all of which were scattered around the town… Yet, they all lead to one specific arena, a large, golden one with a small segment marked with some tiny, barely-readable writing.

Cali grumbled something to herself as she pulled a microscope from her pocket and held it up to the map, oblivious to how everyone knelt down and peered over her shoulder.

"What's it say, Cali?" Flynn asked as he leaned further over Cali's shoulder. "Is it a buried treasure map? A guide to a secret hideout?"—Flynn's eyes sparkled and a wide grin spread across his face—"no, don't tell me, it's a secret ninja commando base!"

Cali nudged Flynn away with her shoulder and groaned as she leaned in closer to the map. But, the moment she finally got a read on what it said, she herself bore just as wide a grin as Flynn himself had! She hastily yanked the map from the wall, then brandished it for everyone to see!

"Even better!" Cali proclaimed as she pushed the map up for further emphasis. "It's a security map of the entire town!" Cali pointed back to the marked corner of the golden arena. "It looks like this is where Ermit is being kept…"—Cali drew her finger down across the map—"And apparently, there isn't a single guard manning the area outside the arenas! This'll be perfect!"

Cali's grin spread to everyone around, and it only made hers wider as she straightened up the map and handed it over to Ninjini. "Ninjini, think you can make a replica of this?"

"In my sleep!" Ninjini remarked.

She merely snapped her fingers, and in moments a magical, purple giant-sized replica of the map landed in her hands, then rolled itself up and tucked into her belt right beside all her other little trinkets.

"Well, we got what we came for!" Bouncer proclaimed as he wheeled away. "Now come on, let's scramble! We need to get to those games and get a piece of the action!"

"You mean get this Ermit fellow back, right?" Crusher asked as he strode up to Bouncer and nudged his arm. "Right?"

All eyes and a couple of coughs fell on Bouncer, and he just chuckled as he twiddled his fingers. "I mean, yeah, totally, that's definitely what I meant."

Ninjini just chuckled as she ran a hand across Bouncer's chin, a smile on his face as he let out a few shaky giggles at the touch of her hand, then she spun around and cracked her knuckles.

"We'll have plenty of time to watch the games when we bust Ermit out of there!" Ninjini remarked. "After all, with this lack of security out here, we'll be able to get in and get him out in no time at all!"

"Have who in and out?"

Ninjini's eyes went wide, and sweat crept down her brow as she turned her eyes down to the floor, where a drow clad in armor and security getup raised a brow at her! It clutched a spear tight in its hand, and its security badge flashed against its chest as it drew closer to Ninjini. Its ears flicked as if it was prompting her to make her next move, and Ninjini just chuckled as she floated backwards!

"I, I, mean, get them in and out!" Ninjini replied as she held up the box of lollipops in her hands. "I was just saying, these lollipops are gonna be such a hit that we'll have them all in everyone's hands and out of ours in seconds!" Ninjini leaned down so that she was near the drow's face and winked. "After all, our secret recipe just can't be beat!"

The drow hummed, but the way their brows raised showed that they weren't exactly fooled! They just frowned further, then pulled a clipboard from behind their back and skimmed it over.

"I don't recall any sweets salespeople signing on to cater here," the drow flipped another page. "Where's your license?"

"L-License?" More sweat crept down Ninjini's face as she leaned back up and scratched her head. "Why, just what are you talking about?"

"You need a license to cater here at these games! We've had to tighten up on regulations ever since some weirdos tried to poison their least favorite team with radioactive popcorn…" The drow shook their head and held out a hand. "But that's beside the point. Where's your license?"

Ninjini forced a grin as she cast a side-glance back, and even with her eyes being completely blank, anyone could tell that she was beckoning for a diversion! She shifted her hand down below and reached it out like she was grabbing for something, and behind her Cali hustled up and nudged her own box of popcorn balls towards Ninjini! Ninjini gripped the box of popcorn balls tight, then smirked as she held it behind her back.

"Oh, I've got your license right here!"

The drow grunted and lifted their head, then screamed and dashed off as an entire rain of popcorn balls came down from above courtesy of Ninjini! The popcorn balls all smashed against the ground and exploded, and the scent of buttered popcorn flooded the arena as a misty yellow haze shielded everyone from view! Coughs came from all around as people shouted out in confusion or remarked on the faint scent of butter, but it meant little to Ninjini, who only frowned as she turned around.

"Hurry, everyone!" Ninjini cried as she held out her hand. "Grab onto me, I'll get us out of here before the haze lets up!"

Everyone else nodded as their laid their hands on Ninjini's own or clutched people who did, and in a flash of purple light Ninjini whisked them out to the mouth of coliseum! Purple sparkles floated down around them as their feet hit the ground, and everyone paused their own breath as shouting and the faint scents of butter lingered out from the open coliseum doors.

"I knew those popcorn bombs would come in handy!" Cali cried as she pounded a fist against her hand. "Good thing I stocked up on them before we left!" Cali took Flynn's hand in her own, oblivious to how his cheeks turned hot and pink as she did, then patted Bouncer's wheel. "Flynn and I are gonna head to the arena and see how the others are doing!"—Cali turned around, then waved as she dashed up the hills and into the horizons—"we'll leave Ermit to you!"

"Got it!" Ninjini cried back as she gave Cali a thumbs up!

The other Elder Elementals all huddled around Ninjini, and she unfurled her magical copy of the map Cali had snagged. Though its blue, translucent surface was a teensy bit harder to glean from against the bright afternoon light, all its details were still legible enough that they could be drawn from. And more importantly, the king's arena was still marked with its shiny gold exterior!

"So, going by this map, this king's arena is near the end of the island," Ninjini explained as she drew her finger around the map. "Most of the security seems like its going to be consolidated around here—"—Ninjini tapped the mouth of the arena, where a copious amount of tiny circles had been drawn, then she drew a half-circle towards the back—"But, they've left the back door completely unguarded!" Ninjini grinned as she tapped the back. "We'll just take a path through the back way, then—"

"Hey, where'd they go?" Cried a voice from the coliseum's open door.

"I think they went outside, I can hear voices!" Cried another, shriller one!

"Quick, get 'em before they ruin the games!"

"Actually, babe, we'll save the planning for later!" Bouncer cried as he rolled up the map. "Looks like security found us!"

Coughing and hacking came from the open mouth of the coliseum as a swarm of drow soldiers poured out and fanned away the yellow, buttery haze that lurked out from the open entrance, but the moment they laid their eyes on the Elder Elementals, their fits were completely forgotten! They cried out as they brandished their swords and spears, and their cries grew into screams as they charged right after them!

Ninjini raised her brow, but her cool composition hadn't been lost! She just tucked her map back into her belt, then swung around and snapped her fingers!

"Sorry, everyone, we'd love to play with you, but we've got business of our own to attend too!" Ninjini shouted as a purple glow surrounded her. "So I'm gonna have to make this quick!"

And right as Ninjini said this, she waved her hands and crafted a whole ring of purple orbs! The other Elder Elementals backed away as the orbs all floated in the air, sparkling and shining in radiant shades of purple against the light, then they all crashed on the ground and exploded in massive plumes of purple smoke! The drow all cried out in shock and screamed as the smoke engulfed the whole area, and as an oncoming chilly breeze cleared it away, their cries faded... For they were all laid sprawled and pained across the grass, save for a few who had dodged the onslaught who stood with wide eyes as they gazed over their fallen, bruised teammates!

"Oh dear, and here I meant to go easy on you," Ninjini remarked as she drew back. "My bad!"

The drow helming the charge stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over their own feet as they clutched their spear with trembling hands. "Alright, Plan B!" They cried as they turned tail and ran off. "We need to get reinforcements! Quick, everyone, to the King's Arena!"

The other drow all cried in agreement as they chased after their leader, and Ninjini gasped!

"If they get there, then our cover's blown!" Ninjini cried as she glowed with a purple light. "After them!"

Ninjini teleported away in an instant, reappeared at a field just a few feet ahead of where the drow ran and drew her wishblades... Then lowered them as she found nothing but grass! All that could be heard was the whistling of wind and birds, nothing like the screams of the drow guards she had heard before. The ground shuddered, grass popping from the ground as the other Elder Elementals raced up the hill and gasped.

"They disappeared!" Cried Hot Head!

All seven of them mumbled among themselves as they gestured and waved towards the places where the drow guards once ran… But then, Ninjini's fell on the ground, and she gasped as she pointed to the trails of footsteps embedded into the ground!

"They didn't disappear, they're just invisible!" Ninjini cried as she bolted across the pathway of gigantic footsteps. "After them!"

The Elder Elementals cried out as they made haste once more, and ahead of them the sound of screaming came as faint figures flickered in and out of the light.

"And here I thought that invisibility spell would buy us more time!" One drow cried, their form barely able to be seen as they slid underneath a branch. "We'll need to find somewhere to hide!"

"But where?!" Another retorted as he gestured towards the path ahead. "There's nothing but grass here!"

And unfortunately for those drow, their comrade was right! The whole path ahead was open fields of wavy green grass with the occasional patch of jungle or house scattered around! And while the sight was pretty, especially with the scent of freshly-cut grass that accompanied it, it wasn't exactly good for hiding from angry crowds! There were no large cliffs or caverns or other convenient escape spots to be seen for as far as the eye could see and more!

"Wait, over there!" Another drow cried. "Get to that Elemental Gate!"

The drow all screamed and ran so fast that they kicked up ground and dirt into a thick, dusty cloud that blocked them from all views—including Ninjini's!

Ninjini tensed her brows, then cringed and coughed as the dust kicked up! As the sound of warbling came from around her, she popped her eyes open with a purple glow, then narrowed them as she turned her head over to the sound's source. She frowned as her eyes fell on a gate with thick, leafy vines for sides that all wrapped around a green disc which bore the Life Element's signature, with flowers bloomed around its base and grass much richer in color there compared to the rest of the area, then her eyes' glow faded in tandem with the cloud vanishing. Ninjini gasped and floated back as a bright green shine came from the gate, then its vines sank into the ground as its central disc vanished and unveiled a path coated from top to bottom in plantlife! But far more importantly, the drow all cried out as they rushed in, their forms now visible under the coat of dirt and dust they were covered in! She went to bolt after them, but just as quickly as the drow entered, the gate rose and sealed itself up once more!

"An Elemental Gate?" Ninjini gasped. She flew over a little bit then frowned and tilted her head as she tried to sneak a closer look.

"That's not gonna work, Ninjini!" Crusher shouted. "It's a Life Element Gate, and Tree Rex isn't—"

A bright glow came from the gate, and both Ninjini and Crusher gasped and drew back as the gate drew down and opened itself up once more.

"Here?"

Ninjini, however, just dashed up to it and waved everyone over. "In here, everyone! Quickly, before those guards escape!"

Crusher winced as he examined the gate's open path, but with everyone else quick to run inside, he himself had no choice but to follow after. All of them rushed right into the gate's pathway just before its doors rose and it locked itself up once again, then all of them sighed and sat down. Around the ground were footsteps and faint trails of dust, yet no sign of the drow guards to be found— the whole area was completely vacant of life. It was just them and the trees and flowers, all in a quiet harmony.

"Come on, everyone," Ninjini panted as she laid down against the trunk of a mighty oak tree, then shook her head and flew off. "They're so small, they couldn't have gotten far."

Ninjini turned towards Crusher as he clutched his hammer and turned his head from side to side, then floated over and ran her fingers across Crusher's shoulders. "Crusher, is something wrong?"

Crusher shuddered a bit, then held his hammer close like a teddy bear as he turned to Ninjini. "Something about this place doesn't feel right," Crusher remarked as he wrung the hammer's handle. "Why did that gate open for us if nobody here is a Life Elemental?"

Ninjini lifted her hand from Crusher's shoulders and frowned.

"True, that does feel a little suspicious," Ninjini remarked as she brushed her fingers against the closed gate. "Maybe it just got the wrong paint job?"

Ninjini lifted her hand from the gate, but no reaction came from it. She hummed, then planted her hand back on it… But once again, it refused to open!

"Looks like this thing has us locked in," Ninjini remarked as she placed her hand on her chest. "But if none of us can open it here, then why'd it open for us in the first place?"

"Exactly! Something about this place is off," Crusher proclaimed as he gestured to the area ahead, "and besides, this place hardly looks like a Life Element area to begin with! Just look over there!"

Everyone turned their eyes to the path ahead, and immediately met it with concerned frowns and whispers. Crusher was right—the path ahead was many things, but it was everything but lively and natural! The foliage and trees of before had been replaced with a full assortment of elemental decor, from pathways made of warm, glowing volcanic rock, statues of gears and crystals, sparkly lavender fog from which fireworks and glowing orbs of yellow light and more leaped out, clouds that swept past the candy-colored skies and poured down torrents of water… Even the stray ghost or two leaped from the hazy mist ahead and giggled as they flew off! And yet, nothing about it was trademark of the Life Element—but in that case, why was it locked behind a Life Element gate?

"Something about this smells fishy," Thumpback remarked as he stood up and wielded his anchor, "and I'm not talking the good kind of fish."

Thumpback pushed past Ninjini and Crusher as his eyes fell back onto the Elemental Gate, and he lifted up his anchor… Then lowered it as the gate itself warbled and shifted in appearance!

It vines were trapped and obscured in thick, solid blocks of ice as the verdant greens of spring that its disc reflected changed to cold, deep blues reminiscent of ocean waves! The area before it, in turn, was wiped clean of foliage by flooding waves of cold, salty water as the path underneath turned to the grainy sands of a beach! No longer was the opening area that of the Life Element—rather, it donned the energies of the Water Element!

Thumpback winced, but forced a smile nonetheless. "Now I'm more in my element!" He cried as he raised his anchor. "I'll have this gate open in no time!"

Thumpback shouted out as he swung his anchor high above his head, then slammed it right into the gate… But it just bounced off like it was a rubber ball! Thumpback gawked, then grunted as the anchor swung right back into him and slammed him right in the face! As he stumbled backwards and fell into Brawl's arms, Thumpback just groaned.

"But that doesn't make sense!" Thumpback moaned as his anchor fell at his feet. "It was a Water Element gate, so why didn't it open for me?"

The gate warbled against, and its disc changed hue from its cool ocean blues to a bright, fiery crimson instead! The frozen sides of the gate melted away to reveal hot, pulsing volcanic rock that heated the area around by several degrees with its very existence, and the melted water turned to steam as it hit the sands, which in turn grew harder and warmer as they shifted to pathways of hot volcanic rock! Everyone shouted out as the heat seeped into the feet and sent them bouncing on their toes—well, everyone except Hot Head, who just grinned as he held out his hands.

"A little heat can't beat me!" Hot Head cried as flames sparked and crackled from his open palms. "I'm already on fire!"

FWOOM! Bright columns of flames burst from Hot Head's palms and slammed right into the surface of the gate… But as they extinguished, the gate stood tall and warbled once more! Its disc's turned to a sky blue while bolts of crackling lightning replaced the molten rock that flanked its sides, and the paths below turned to thick, fluffy white clouds!

Hot Head grunted as he stumbled back, and his eyes fluttered as everyone else stood up beside him.

"It seems like this thing's element changes with everything we throw at it!" Ninjini remarked as she floated up and tilted her head. "Obviously, just attacking it individually isn't going to break it open…"—Ninjini's hands crackled with purple magic as she clasped them into fists—"but maybe a group attack will!"

Ninjini lifted her fists, then popped them open and sent purple orbs out from her palms! The orbs expanded in size and sparkled even brighter as they floated in a ring around Ninjini herself, but she didn't send them out to fight. She just turned back to the others and grinned as they raised their own weapons, then turned back to the gate.

"On my word, we shoot!"

The shrill shriek of charging energy echoed around the area as everyone's bodies glowed with bright light, from Bouncer's eyes as they charged with lasers to the coral gauntlets on Thumpback's arms as bright blue light spewed from their open tips! The light filtered out from their bodies as they stepped forward, and at the head of the charge, Ninjini smirked.

"NOW!"

The orbs that surrounded Ninjini shot forward as a bright purple light surrounded them, while rockets, spurts of water, flames, crystals and more burst out and tailed behind them! The combined attack slammed right into the surface of the disc with so much force that rainbow-colored smoke exploded from the surface and coated the entire area in a thick smog, so thick that the Elder Elementals all broke into coughing fits… But as they fanned away the smoke, the sound of rustling leaves came from around them and the scent of freshly-cut grass filtered through the air! It couldn't be, could it?

Swarm fanned away the last of the smoke with his wings, and as it cleared away everyone's faces fell—for in front of them, the gate had switched back to a Life Element Gate and stood strong as before!

"Well, that's definitely not concerning in the slightest," Ninjini sighed as the glow in her hands faded, then her eyes popped wide. "Wait a second, those drow! I almost forgot!" Ninjini turned around and lifted her head, then summoned a wishblade and pointed it to the skies. "We have to find them before they—"

"Actually, hold that thought, Jeannie!" Swarm cried as he flew backwards and lifted his barb cannons. "I'm getting some really bad vibes from these bushes here!"

Ninjini raised her brow, then her own eyes fell on the bushes as she summoned a second wishblade. The bushes before her rustled and shuddered with fury as a strange, malevolent energy seeped from their leaves in a smog—yet, nothing identifying could be make from out the leaves! No tails or claws or eyes could be seen, no sounds of footsteps or growling, nothing! And whether that was better or worse, nobody was certain… So, they just warily raised their weapons on the bushes as their shuddering grew more furious, so furious that the leaves popped right off of the bushes—then, something leaped out! Ninjini's wishblades shot from her hands and sliced the thing to bites, and it fell to the ground as its true identity was revealed. It was nothing more than a dark purple and rainbow blob, but even though it had been segmented, its sliced halves just formed into more blobs that plopped down on the ground and slid around with a cheetah's speed!

An amazing amount of malevolent energy radiated from their presence as they circled around the Elder Elementals, while Eye just spun around and shot lasers right down on them—but, all that did was sear the blobs and send smoke flying from their bodies! They were completely fine!

"Ugh," Eye groaned as he stopped and sank into Brawl's headless top. "No more, my eye's spinning…"

"Just what are those things?" Brawl signed before he gestured back down to the blobs. "I've never seen anything that small house so much malevolent energy before!"

"I don't know, Brawl Star," Swarm cried as he raised his stingers towards the still-rustling bushes. "But there's more coming in at twelve o'clock!"

Eye and Brawl both whipped their heads around as even more blobs screeched out from the bushes, and Brawl immediately punched them away! The blobs let out pained squeaks as they split apart and collapsed on the ground… Then the blobs that circled around the Elder Elementals slammed right into the fallen blobs and completely ate them up! The combined blobs screeched to a stop, and Ninjini and Bouncer immediately turned their weapons on them.

But, they didn't even flinch! Their surfaces bubbled and expanded as screeches popped out from their popping bubbles, while the rainbow veins that stroke through their dark purple bodies glowed even brighter as they were dyed emerald in color! Their screeches grew louder and vaguely formed words as two more blobs leaped out from the first, then they all grew even larger and started to take on some kind of shape—an arm emerged from one side, a leg from the other… Then, finally they completely exploded and sent flecks of their gunk flying everywhere as something, no, someone emerged from their gunky interior! Three identical people, all completely identical to Stealth Elf in shape, but with blank eyes and bodies made entirely of that strange dark purple and green energy! Twisted Life Element energy exuded from their bodies as the trees around them wilted, and that twisted feeling was only exacerbated by the glares they shot the Elder Elementals and the twisted daggers they held in their hands, all of which pulsed with that same sickening glow!

"That elf ninja girl?!" Hot Head cried. "But how?!"

"They're not her, they have to be clones of some kind!" Ninjini reasoned as she summoned a new pair of wishblades. "But, what're they doing here?"

Whatever their purpose, the Stealth Elf clones didn't feel like elaborating—they just raised their daggers and shrieked as they charged towards the Elder Elementals!

"Silent but deadly!" They all cried as one shrieky, twisted voice as they slashed against the Elder Elementals' legs!

The Elder Elementals all cringed as the attacks came in at first, all eyes shut in preparation for their blows… But then, they popped open and frowned. Though those strange clones were slashing and bashing and throwing all they could at them, they were far too small to do any substantial damage! Their slices just chipped and grazed against the Elder Elementals' legs, not a single drop of blood or wide cut to be given!

"Hey, hey, stop that!" Hot Head chuckled as one clone fruitlessly slashed its blades against his legs. "That tickles!"

"Y-yeah!" Swarm guffawed! He knelt down and grinned as he loomed over the clone who had tried to slash at him beforehand. "You really think those things are gonna hurt us?"

One particular clone grunted as it smacked its blades against Bouncer's tire in some futile attempt of popping it, yet no matter how hard it tried, the tire just wouldn't pop! Instead, the back of its blade just flew right back into its face and beaned it between the eyes! As the clone stumbled backwards and groaned, the other two flipped back and flattened their ears. Their eyes narrowed as all three of them glared down the Elder Elementals, and they all shouted out squeaky, angry cries!

"Sorry 'bout that, elfies!" Swarm remarked as he shrugged his shoulders. "We're just a little too big for you, it seems!"

Swarm grinned as he leaned forward and prepared to stomp, then lowered his foot as the clones bubbled and shifted back into shapeless blobs! Their veins of green magic glowed even brighter as limbs popped out from the blobs, then once again flecks of their strange sustenance splattered everywhere as bazookas leaped out from their tops! The bazookas landed onto the clones' shoulders as their transformation ceased, and they emerged not as Stealth Elf, but as creatures that resembled thick bamboo stalks with limbs and those same blank eyes!

"Locked and loaded!" The clones all cackled in a slightly deeper but still twisted voice as they fixed their bazookas on the Elder Elementals!

Swarm just crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "I already told you, you're way too small to face us!" Swarm scoffed as he waved his hand around. "Whaddya think those are gonna do? Sting us?"

The clones growled, then pulled the triggers and fired out a storm of mortars from their bazookas that exploded just before they hit the air! Thick green clouds of smoky spores formed around the Elder Elementals, and they all fell to their knees as they hacked and coughed! The fog was so thick that they couldn't even see a thing, but it cleared up soon as the spores exploded and sent flames bursting everywhere!

Swarm fell on his side as the spores exploded, then hacked again as he pushed himself up. "Yeah, spoke too soon!" A snarl crossed his face, and Swarm jumped back to his feet with a thud as he splayed out his wings. "But lucky for me, I've got just the thing to blow you away!"

Swarm's wings buzzed as they flapped at speeds so fast they were complete blurs, and from them emerged fast, tough breezes that completely blew the clouds away! Only tiny puffs of green spore clouds remained as the fog completely disappeared, and even those disappeared as the terrain shifted back to the aesthetics of the Air Element!

Clouds formed underneath the clones' feet and swept them off their balance while nimbus clouds shot out from Swarm's wings and hurtled towards the clones, all amplified by the increased Air Element energy… But while the clouds wrapped tight around two of them, one clone just launched a mortar and shot it right towards Swarm, all at such a fast speed that it pierced right through Swarm's winds and slammed him right in the chest! Swarm grunted as he slammed right into the gate behind him, and the whole world shuddered as the heat in the area raised! Swarm's eyes popped wide as his body turned to a burning reddish tinge, then he yowled and leaped right in the air as flames burst from his chest! His wings kept him straddled in place as he blew off his burning body, and the other Elder Elementals were quick to join him as they leaped in the air and bounced around the floors while the ground glowed with heat!

Underneath them, the gate behind became scorching hot as it shifted to the Fire Element's energies, and in tandem with it the floor hardened and turned back to molten lava! The clouds that had kept the other clones captive completely vanished and dropped them on the ground!

The clones chuckled to each other as they reveled in the heat of the area, then their eyes popped as they fell on a string of small volcanoes that emerged from the molten hot ground! Their grins grew wider as they loaded their bazookas and fixed them on the volcanoes, and with a pull of the trigger their mortars shot out and landed right into the volcanoes' mouth! The volcanoes shuddered and bubbled as explosions rang out from their insides, then spewed out hot fire and rock as they were blow to bits! The flames blew bits of the floor wide open and sent molten magma spewing everywhere, while the heat became so high that the whole area was dyed in a red tint!

A particularly large molten rock crashed down from the skies above and hurtled right towards Thumpback, who gasped and blew it back with a stream of water from his blowhole! The blowhole blast was at least able to cool the flames that surrounded the rock, but the sheer amount of heat evaporated it before it could blow the rock back! Thumpback grunted as the rock smashed into his head and knocked him down, while Hot Head collapsed right beside him and gasped.

"Thumpback!" Hot Head cried as he shook Thumpback's arm. "Speak to me!"

"Urgh, too hot…" Thumpback groaned as he flopped on his side. "Completely… Beached…"

Hot Head winced, then scratched his neck as tiny pebbles burst from his forehead and rained down on the ground. "You're telling me! I'm made of lava, and even this place is too hot for me!"

Hot Head's eyes turned back on the gate, then he flung out his hand and shot a blast of fire right towards the gate.

"I'd better cool it a little!"

The flames slammed right into the surface of the gate, and it rang like a bell as it shifted with the terrain around! Cool, rushing water poured in as the molten lava floors changed to cool sand, and steam floated into the skies as the temperature cooled around them!

The Elder Elementals all panted as they landed in shallow pools of water, and they breathed a sigh of relief as the heat finally vanished. Crusher and Swarm paused for a moment as they lifted Thumpback from the waves, then everyone flinched and turned away as Thumpback shook the water from his head.

"Much better," Thumpback remarked as he stretched his arms to the sky. "Cool waves like these are just what I need! In fact, it feels just like all those days I had fishing out at sea!" Thumpback smiled as his arms fell to his sides, then he clasped them together as he took a breath. "The smell of salt water tickling my nose, the cool breezes against my face, the gentle caw of seagulls flying in the skies…"

SWOOSH! A bright blue glow came from ahead, and the sound of fierce, rushing water made the entire path quake and shudder underneath its wrath!

Bouncer perked his head up, then turned back and winced. "Would gigantic tidal waves happen to be a part of that, too?"

Thumpback, in response, just hummed and scratched his chin.

"Not normally, the seas were usually as tranquil as a sleeping seal. But you know, there was this one time, when I—"

"Forget the fish tales, Thumper!" Swarm cried as he pushed Thumpback around and jabbed a finger at the path ahead. "The tide's coming in!"

Thumpback blinked and rubbed his eyes, then drew back and gasped as bubbly, warbling cackles hit the air!

Right ahead, a massive tidal wave as tall as an entire tower and well past the Elder Elementals in its owl height was rolling in fast, and at its top were none other than the clones! Their emerald veins had changed to a sapphire color as their forms shifted into that of a water dragon bearing a harness with tanks atop its back, and they all cackled as their waves came crashing forward!

"Oh no you don't!" Bouncer cried as he pulled back his arms with a click. "You're not washing us up anytime soon!"

"Agreed!" Thumpback cried as he yanked up his anchor and spun it like a lasso. "In fact, I'd say it's time this wave crashed!"

Bouncer screamed and wheeled back, sand and water kicked up and splashed around him as he fired off his fists! The two fists slammed right through the wave and created two large gaps in its waves, gaps that were only made larger by a slash of Thumpback's anchor! The sheer massive gap disrupted the wave until it completely fell apart! The water all crashed down, and the clones skittered in midair before they smashed right into the ground and splattered! Their essence splattered into a mass of shiny, colorful spheres that scattered around like grains in the drenched sands, still radiant with their malevolent energy but stagnant for the time being. They shuddered as Ninjini loomed over them and snarled, yet they remained perfectly stagnant still.

"Now, let's finish this," Ninjini said as she lifted up glowing purple hands. "A purification spell ought to do the trick…"

Ninjini closed her eyes and hummed as the lights around her hands glowed brighter, brighter, and brightest, and with a flick of her wrists she shot lasers right into the sands… But before they struck, the spheres all scattered from the sight of her blast! It dug into the sands and created a small hole as the spheres flew around Ninjini, who only gasped as they floated around her!

"Now what?!" Ninjini cried as she drew her wishblades!

The spheres all cackled as they swirled around Ninjini, and their cackles grew deeper and more warped as they amassed into each other! That dark purple, gooey shell coated around them and split into a trio once more as bright red veins of magic seared through them like the cracks in an eggshell! The trio of eggs cracked and splintered as their lights grew brighter, then finally the eggs exploded and out from them the clones popped out some cross of a dragon and a phoenix! Their bright white eyes were filled with flames while their dark purple bodies pulsed with flaming hot energy from their bright red veins, and they all cackled and stuck their tongues out at Ninjini before they zipped right off!

"Hey, get back here!" Ninjini cried as she sped after the clones… Then gasped and jumped back as a large purple block dislodged itself from the ground and shot up just inches away from her!

As the block disappeared into the heavens, never to be seen again, Ninjini winced and turned back to the beginning while cries of shock came from behind. The terrain around her had shifted to sparkly, purple stone pathways imbued with ancient power while the skies were dyed in a sparkly pinkish-purple hue, and mist from their clouds strung about the ground. But more than that, the power of the Magic Element may have rang strong and true in the clear air, yet despite being in her element, Ninjini just grimaced as the ground quaked below her! She gasped and jumped away as another block disappeared before her, then all the ones around leaped off in a square sequence, until the only one left was the one Ninjini herself stood on! She jumped off the block just before it fell into the deep blue below, then floated up and zipped off as the ground around her crumbled and shot away! Ninjini frowned as she turned away, and her frown grew deeper as the other Elder Elementals zipped after her!

"Hurry!" She cried. "This whole place is falling apart at the seams!"

"No kidding!" Bouncer cried back as he zipped past a block that nearly smacked him in the chest. "I don't know who put this place together, but they could really use some design lessons!"

Bouncer grunted as he ducked underneath another block while the ground below him zipped and crumbled away, all while he grew closer and closer to Ninjini… But just before he could make the final stretched, the ground between them completely crumbled away! He and Ninjini stretched out their hands as far as they could reach, but only their fingers could brush against each other before Bouncer and the rest of the Elder Elementals could collapse into the blue depths of the world below! Swarm and Eye were quick to zip up and land on the ground as it finally stabilized, but everyone else was falling further down by the second!

Ninjini grimaced and clutched the side of the broken path even tighter, so tight that the fractured stone remains dug into her palms, and small breaths left her lips as her eyes scanned what remained of the area. She had to do something, and fast—but what? Her eyes fell on a group of trees with long vines draped around their branches, and her eyes lit up! Ninjini snapped her fingers, and the vines all snapped right off the tree's branches and dove down into the depths! A faint snap and bounce were heard as the vines started to strain and fray, but as they grew thinner and thinner, Ninjini just gripped them tight with glowing hands. The glow from her hands seeped into the vines, and in response they puffed up and swung across the skies, all while the screams of her fellow Elder Elementals pierced the airs and shook the clouds! Ninjini clapped her hands, and the vines immediately snapped right back and pulled the others onto the stabilized bridge! The vines unraveled as they came in for their crash landing, and while they seemed awfully dizzy going by their groans and their shaking limbs… They were alive!

Swarm chuckled as he lifted Bouncer and Crusher back to their feet, while Eye beamed as he popped right atop Brawl's head! Thumpback and Hot Head collected themselves soon afterwards, and with everyone back on their feet, Ninjini turned her eyes back down to the ground.

"Looks like those clones thought they got away," Ninjini remarked, then sniffed as smoke wafted over her nose. She peered down, and a smirk crossed her lips. "But, what they didn't know is that they left a trail!"

Everyone's eyes fell down to where Ninjini's had rested, and smiles crossed their own faces as the burning flames that streaked across the floor came into view! But, also around them were more footsteps, and faint trails of dirt that has been left singed from the flames... Wait, footsteps, just like the ones those drow guards left behind when they fled!

"As long as we follow the flames, we should be able to track them down," Ninjini remarked, "and hopefully, maybe find a way towards where those drow went on the way!"

Ninjini floated off the ground and zipped down the trail of flames as everyone raced after her, and she couldn't help but spin in the air as the gentle warmth of firelight brushed against her face! She hummed a tune to herself, eyes shut as she basked in the flames' warmth… But the sound of rushing leaves popped her eyes back open once again and she gasped as a gigantic tree shot up right before her eyes! Ninjini corkscrewed out of its way just before she could smack into it, but as she pulled herself up, something zipped right past her and nearly knocked her right off course! She just barely stopped herself from crashing right into a second tree as a big yellow and brown blur zipped right past her and tore a second tree right in half as it crashed through it, while behind it Bouncer veered away just before the cleaved top of the tree could smash right into him!

"Swarm!" Bouncer cried as he hopped over a branch and sped ahead. "Watch where you're speeding over there!"

Another song of rustling leaves came from nowhere, and Bouncer gasped as a string of trees popped up before him in rampant succession! He swerved past one only for yet another to crop up before him, and before he knew it he was zig-zagging through the entire field! Behind him, Hot Head, Eye-Brawl and Thumpback panted as they bolted forward, and Eye jumped off of Brawl's head just before a branch could slam right into him!

Hot Head grunted as he slid underneath one particular branch on a slick of oil, then turned his gaze back to the front and screamed as another tree popped up right before his eyes! Unable to speed down or swerve, Hot Head smashed right into it and grunted as he spat chipped bark out, but the sound of more rustling proved he wasn't done yet! An entire row of trees shot up right before him, and he only screamed as he flung his hands in front of the trees and spewed out bright orange flames that burnt the trees to a crisp! As their ashy remains crumbled before him, Hot Head turned around and grinned… But the sound of rushing, roaring waves shook the smile right from his face! He turned around, then screamed and skated away as a massive wave crashed in!

"Here comes the wave!" Bellowed a deep voice!

At the head of the wave, Thumpback just grinned as he surfed its top on a surfboard of coral! The wave bubbled and wavered and it slunk down to Hot Head's side, then with a stomp from Thumpback, another coral surfboard popped out from the wave and slid underneath Hot Head's feet! Hot Head sputtered and stumbled in place as the surfboard below him slid up to the top of the wave, but the moment he laid eyes on Thumpback, he grinned and stabilized himself! Thumpback smirked back, then stomped his foot a couple more time and sent even more coral surfboards down to the ground! The boards swept down and returned with Bouncer, Swarm, Crusher, Ninjini and Eye-Brawl in a matter of seconds, and with good timing, too—the wave was raging even faster than before, and everything below was getting swept up in its wake! The trees and stones from below were uprooted and washed away in the wave's waters, and the ground below had been completely obscured by a deep blue yonder—it was nothing but water from here on out!

So, they all just stuck tight to their boards as the wave pushed forward, then crashed down and dropped them back on the ground! A shallow pool formed by their feet as the water slowly drained out and left the surroundings shiny and drenched, with uprooted trees, displaced statues and stones and more scattered around in a haphazard mishmash! Yet, with everything around made of stark white stone with no decorations added whatsoever, the mess added a bit of charm to the place.

"Somehow, I doubt those things could have survived that," Ninjini remarked as she floated off. "Let's see if we can find an exit…"

The air turned warm, and the scent of distant smoke filtered right through the air! Ninjini paused as its flames crackled, then shook her head and drew forward… But another deep cackle and a whoosh stopped her in her tracks! The scent of smoke and fire grew more pungent and overwhelming as something dashed past her, and Ninjini instinctively summoned her orbs and changed her gaze to her side. Yet, there was nothing before her by a trail of flames!

Another cackle sounded out, and Bouncer raised his fists while Crusher wrung his hammer! Flames burst and popped all over the area as the other raised their own weapons, while the sounds of shouting, cackling and burning flames crackled in the air and swirled around them at a dizzying rate, all so fast that nobody could really tell where they came from! Every cackle came from a different angle than the last, every flame popped out at a different source—just where were they coming from?

A powerful gust of wind blew past Ninjini, and she snarled as she held out her hands. Her eyes fixed on a pile of displaced trees, the leaves of which rustled as embers popped out from their gaps, and she clasped her hands tight… Then, she shouted out as one of those phoenix-dragon clones leaped right for her and shot a column of flames right for her! Ninjini immediately thrust her hands forward and sent her orb right through the flames, their shiny purple surface not tainted by the fires at all as they hurtled right for the clone—but it just flew off! The clone cackled as it zipped right off while its other two companions teleported behind it in bursts of fire and joined in its laughter… Then squawked as the orbs slammed them from the back and tore holes through their chests!

"Homing orbs, never once have they failed me," Ninjini smirked as the clones collapsed by her feet and exploded into spheres!

The spheres laid dormant at Ninjini's mist trail, but quickly shuddered and leaped back into the air! Their bodies expanded like balloons as a rainbow glow radiated from them, then they all swirled together and let out a demonic caw as they reformed and transformed back into their phoenix-dragon forms! Yet, now they were much bigger, almost the size of the Elder Elementals themselves, and a new power radiated off of their bodies! The clones all cawed and screeched as they zipped right for Ninjini, who only summoned her wishblades and prepared to strike… Then gasped as they bubbled and transformed right before her eyes!

One morphed into a skeletal knight bearing a sword and shield as it struck for Ninjini, but she immediately countered its blow and tossed it onto the ground! The clone jumped back to its feet as Bouncer and Swarm rushed behind Ninjini, but she just brandished her swords and snarled.

"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" Ninjini cried as she pointed her wishblades at the skeleton knight.

The knight remained silent, its only reaction being to draw its sword and pointed it back at Ninjini's blades! Beside it, screeches sounded off as its friends morphed into the forms of an elven archer and what appeared to be a clone identical to Eruptor as they chased after the other Elder Elementals, then the knight turned its eyes back to a shocked Ninjini, Bouncer and Swarm! While they gazed away, the knight just scoffed and plunged its sword into the ground!

"Slice and dice!" It cried as it yanked its sword out!

The ground ruptured and shuddered as a massive wave of bony brambles decked in thorns tore through the stone and screeched right towards Ninjini and Bouncer, but the two of them immediately turned around and snarled! Bouncer held out his palms and shot off a fleet of rockets that completely shattered the brambles just before they could strike, and as their shattered remains floated in the air, Ninjini's wishblades diced them into tiny bits and flew back into Ninjini's hands! Bouncer and Ninjini both turned and smirked at each other… When a cry from below caught their attention!

Behind them, a fraction of brambles slunk back while Swarm fell to his knees and hacked, one arm crossed over his chest as he covered a bloody gash in his chest. Scratches covered his arms and legs, and holes had been torn in his wings! Pained coughs came from him and both his hands planted on the ground in some strained attempt to keep his trembling body from collapsing, oblivious to how the brambles loomed further and further over him. The brambles fused and twisted together as they formed into a bony spear, and an aura of death crossed them as they struck down and aimed for Swarm's back!

Ninjini gasped, then teleported forward and sent a gigantic magic beam shooting right for the spear as she appeared in front of Swarm! The brambles evaporated to dust as the laser caught them in its heat and blew away, but Ninjini completely ignored it as she lifted Swarm onto her shoulder and pressed a hand to his chest. Swarm hacked again as he tried to pull away from her grip, a look of defiance in his eyes, but another sting of pain sent him crumpling again.

"Easy there, Swarm," Ninjini whispered as she rubbed a glowing hand over his chest. "You're not going anywhere all banged up like that."

The light from Ninjini's hand spread across Swarm's body, and its glow faded as the wounds around his body cleaned themselves and sealed away! His injuries had faded as if they were never there to begin with, and Swarm's hacking came to a cease as he finally swept away from Ninjini's grip and grinned.

"Thanks, Jeannie!" Swarm shouted as he grinned back at Ninjini. Swarm glared down the knight that still glared him and Ninjini down, and he cracked his knuckles as a furious buzz came from his wings. "Time I showed that creepy clone that when you mess with a bee…"

Swarm let go of his fists, then narrowed his eyes as he shot out his hands and flew forward.

"YOU GET STUNG!"

Swarm thrust his hands forward, and a massive array of stinger blades shot from his arms and right for the knight! The extra air added to their speed and sent them to the knight in minutes, and the knight only gasped as it flung its shield in front of its body! The shield glowed and grew in size until it completely dwarfed the knight and shielded it from view, while the stingers just harmlessly stuck into its surface! The knight heaved up the shield and cast the stingers aside, then its shield shrank back to its normal size while the knight raised its sword and charged right for Swarm! The sword grew massive as it leaped for Swarm and sliced, but Swarm just flew right out of its way!

Swarm smirked as the knight crashed back down on the ground, then crossed his arms and scoffed. "You'll have to be faster than that if you wanna catch me!" Swarm cried!

His eyes fell down to the battlefield, then to a giant tombstone that had been washed up by Thumpback's wave and smirked. Swarm flitted down to the tombstone, then lifted it from the ground with a grunt and strained as he smacked it right on the knight! The knight gasped as it lifted its own shield and tried to push back against the tombstone with all its might, its shield increased in size with every push… But despite everything, it wasn't as mighty as the tombstone! Its sheer weight had finally overwhelmed the knight and smashed it flat like a pancake! Its spheres seeped out from underneath the tombstone as Swarm wiped his hands and whistled, then Swarm cried out and ducked as a stream of fire flew overhead! The flames' embers popped and crackled over his head as he lifted it up and turned around to where Hot Head and the Eruptor clone had engaged in a heated battle—literally!

The two of them cast flames and magma at each other from their burning palms, while around them volcanoes exploded out from the ground and sent lava and magma raining around everywhere! Behind Hot Head, Thumpback and Eye-Brawl were forced to duck as chunks of magmatic rock crashed into the ground and spewed magma everywhere! But, Hot Head remained completely oblivious, for his eyes were fixed on shooting flames at the Eruptor clone as it continually blocked its blows with its own magma blobs!

A geyser of water shot out from Thumpback's blowhole and rained down on the arena, and Thumpback only crossed his arms and sighed as the rain drenched the flames that surrounded him and Eye-Brawl.

"Eye don't know about you, but I say it's getting a little too hot in here!" Eye cried as he wiped his face with his wing. "My eye can barely take it!"

"Oh, it's not just you! All this heat is making everyone a little too hot headed," Thumpback replied as he narrowed his eyes and set them on the Eruptor clone. "Especially that clone over that! I'd say it needs to cool down a little!"

Thumpback clapped his hands, and not only did a massive rain spew from his blowhole, but from the coral gauntlets on his arms as well! The whole area was soaked in a thick shower, and in response the cold stone territory had shifted! The stone grounds below softened as they transformed into sand, and pools of water formed around everyone's feet as the whole area chilled a couple degrees! The rain shower came to a cease, and a new, cool energy poured through the room… The energy of the Water Element!

Steam burst from the Eruptor clone's body as it screeched and stumbled backwards in the pools of water that straddled its lower half, and it frantically stomped its feet while volcanoes emerged from the waters! The volcanoes hissed as hot steam spewed out their cracked mouths and coated the area in a thick mist, and for a moment all was completely obscured!

Thumpback and Hot Head both cried out and swerved their heads around as they tried to make some sense of the world beyond the mist… But just then, a massive gust blew all the steam away! And at the center of it all was Eye, who had popped off of Brawl and flapped his wings as furiously as he could alongside a whole troop of smaller flying eyeballs!

"Keep blowing all this smog away, my little brothers!" Eye cried as he flew out from the group. "I'll try and gun down that—"—Eye whipped back around and gasped—"—clone?!"

Eye swung back and forth, but the clone was absolutely nowhere to be found! In the confusion of the steam, it had managed to completely escape from view! But, one of those underwater volcanoes it had erected looked awfully stuffed as it pumped up and down. The volcano shuddered as a low growl came from it, and Eye snarled as a bright silver laser formed at his pupil, its light stagnant but bright as the volcano pulsed and shuddered even further while Thumpback and Hot Head crept up behind him… Then finally, a loud cry came out as the volcano erupted and the Eruptor clone leaped right from its bellows! The Eruptor clone cackled and puffed out its chest as it floated in the air, then screamed as a massive silver laser shot it right in the chest and tossed it back! As the clone flew back through the air, a burst of fire shot it back even further, then an anchor shot forward and sliced it clean in half!

As the Eruptor clone burst into a shower of glowing spheres, a rain of flaming arrows shot forward and pierced them right before they could hit the ground! The spheres where sent flying away as that elven archer clone dashed away while flames burst from its footsteps, flames that were quickly extinguished as Crusher chased after it!

"Hey, get back here!" Crusher cried as he swung his hammer towards the archer only for it to sweep underneath his blow and dash off!

Crusher grimaced as he stopped in front of a part of the ground where holes had been bored into its remaining stone, right as the elven archer dove into one hole and popped out the other! The archer stuck its tongue out and wiggled its fingers at Crusher, who snarled and went to splatter it with its hammer… But just before he could crush it, it disappeared back into the hole and popped out another one! Crusher heaved up his hammer and went to smash it again, but it disappeared once more and popped out yet another! Crusher grimaced and stepped back as the archer continually popped in and out of all the holes, and squeezed his hammer's grip even tighter.

"Just my luck, getting the fast one," Crusher grumbled as his eyes glowed brighter. "But let's see how fast you are when you're stone!"

Crusher growled, and a bright green laser shone down from his eyes and seared into the holes! The already hard as stone exteriors turned gray and rock-solid as the laser burned against them, while the elven archer just peered out and tilted its head as it examined the frozen holes… Then, the laser shot right into it and it screamed as it turned to a stone-still statue! Now frozen still, all it took was one swing of Crusher's hammer to smash it to bits!

The petrification wore off as the elven archer exploded into a mass of glowing spheres, and once again the Elder Elementals gathered together as their eyes fell on the battlefield littered with tiny glowing lights. The lights all shuddered as they swirled together and formed one big rainbow hurricane—but as they started to craft a solid form, Ninjini slid forward and held out her hands!

"Oh no you don't!" Ninjini cried as she zapped the hurricane with a bolt of purple magic. "You've caused us enough trouble for one day!"

A bright purple flash came from the hurricane's form, and as it faded, it unveiled a lavender bubble with the formless spheres still trapped inside! They laid idle as Ninjini floated up to the bubble and rubbed a hand against it, while a bright purple light flooded the bubble for moments—but as it faded, nothing had changed! The spheres still laid there still as ever, much to Ninjini's shock as she drew back.

"Strange, that's the strongest purification spell I know! How could it have failed?" Ninjini asked. She hummed as her eyes fell on the spheres' bright rainbow glow, and placed a chin on her hand. "Perhaps something's powering them enough to resist it…"

Bouncer frowned as he wheeled out from behind Ninjini, then gently nudged Ninjini's back.

"Something like that machine over there?" Bouncer suggested.

Ninjini frowned and pulled herself away from the bubble, while her eyes fell on a strange tube lodged into the ground in the distance. A mighty whir like an engine using every bit of power it held in its grasp sounded over the horizon, and its call drew Ninjini, Bouncer and Swarm in to its area.

The three of them leaned down to examine to tube, and frowns fell on all faces—at a close up view, this tube seemed pretty run down! Its metal was rusted and broken in several different places, while others were "repaired" with alloys that barely held up against its grip judging by the rumbles and sparks that came from them as they clattered and shook. The glass panel that made up its front was almost completely shattered save for a few bits to unveil loose wires and sparking machinery inside! The only thing that seemed relatively stable was a stainless steel panel off to the machine's side, which was completely intact aside from a layer of glitter dust that covered it.

Ninjini wiped off the panel, then raised a brow as she glazed over its lettering. With a snap of her fingers, the letters shifted in appearance and she leaned in closer.

"'Evil clone generating machine of doom, property of Castle Blackthorne,'" Ninjini read. "Yep, seems like this is the ticket!"

So, Ninjini magically lifted the tube off and tossed it right in the air, then sent a trio of magic orbs right after it! The magic orbs were joined by a trio of rockets and a fleet of stinging blades, all of which stabbed right through the machine and blew it to bits! Smoke and fire burst from the machine's parts as it crashed back down to the ground in pieces, then it exploded in a burst of warm fire!

Ninjini, Bouncer and Swarm all smirked at each other, then turned around as a popping sound caught their ears! Across from them, the bubble had popped wide open and the spheres fell back down. But as they did, they grew much smaller and their glow faded, until they were little more than minuscule specks that disappeared in the blink of an eye!

A whoosh came from up ahead, everyone turned around and grinned as a warp manifested on the ground below! One by one they hopped on and were whisked away in flashes of light…

Then when they reappeared, they found themselves at the back of a massive coliseum lined with flags and banners at every angle! Cheering crowds and triumphant music echoed from within the coliseum's windows, while the faint smells of blood and popcorn wafted out. It all seemed so imposing and powerful, and if its other aesthetic didn't sell in that feeling, then the gigantic pillars with crowns atop their tops and banners with "King's Arena" written on them served to hammer it in!

"Here's the place!" Ninjini cried as she floated ahead, her head swerving from side to side. "It seems like those drow are nowhere to be found! We'd best get Ermit and get out of here!"

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"

Everyone jolted and froze in their places as the leaves rustled around them, then out from the bushes and leaves that surrounded the arena rolled hundreds of drow soldiers clad in armor! But not just from there, either—they leaped out from underneath statues and out of houses, parachuted down from the skies and tossed off disguises that resembled flagpoles and potted plants as they completely surrounded the Elder Elementals and turned their weapons on them.

The Elder Elementals all winced and backed away from the masses of spears, cannons, swords and more aimed right at their bodies, while a chorus of snide cackles lifted their heads.

"Well, well, I knew salvaging that banged-up castle when it crashed down would be worth it! Looks like those weird minions gave me just the diversion I needed!" remarked a voice as none other than one of the very drow guards who had pursed them to begin with stepped out from the crowds. "And now, we've finally caught you, intruders!"

§

Chihiro winced and ducked her head underneath the quite cramped ceiling, and just barely avoided slamming right into Tree Rex's back as they shuffled up the halls, their eyes forced to drift away from the massive pile of split, cracked lumber and stone they left behind from when they fell through the break room's ceiling just moments earlier. While these stone halls were quite intricate with their carvings of past battles and victors, and they seemed quite pretty… They were so small, even more so than the halls from before—it was a miracle those super-bulky guards could even fit inside. The walls seemingly pressed and squeezed against her, and there was barely any room to walk up the stairs. In front of her, Tree Rex had to awkwardly bend down so his horns didn't scrape the ceiling, and behind her Chihiro could just barely pick up on the faint whispers of a petty argument between Cynder and Trigger Happy as they pushed against each other with occasional intervention from Spyro and Stealth Elf—seems like nobody was enjoying this. Hopefully, the battle wouldn't be nearly as bad as the journey.

"Alright, just pass right through here and you'll be en route to the arena," the drow guard in front of them said as they pushed open the door.

Tree Rex hummed a tune as he squeezed through the door, while Chihiro winced and turned back to where Cynder and Trigger Happy argued, then the door, then finally shrugged and passed through. The sound of those two's bickering grew even louder then before, and Chihiro couldn't help but wince further as she peered back to see Cynder, with her teeth unveiled and snarled as Trigger Happy hovered a finger between her eyes.

"Trigger Happy, if you don't get your finger out of my face—"

"But why? I'm not running into you or anything!" Trigger Happy replied. "See? I'm not even touching you!"

Cynder snarled, but Trigger Happy just gleefully kept waving his finger in Cynder's face, the smuggest of grins on his own!

"Trigger Happy…"

Spyro, Tree Rex and Stealth Elf all gulped and stepped back, then cast wary glances at each other as their eyes turned on Cynder and Trigger Happy.

"I'm not touching you, not touching you, not touching you!" Trigger Happy waved his finger in circles around Cynder, then hopped back and forth in front of her all while Cynder's snarl grew even wider. "Still not touching you~"

"Are you two gonna knock that off?" One drow guard asked. "Or will you—"

Cynder shot a glare back at the drow guard, and even though she had been robbed of her powers, Chihiro could've sworn that lightning cracked in the air around Cynder! The drow guard gulped and quivered in place like they had seen the Ancients themselves return to Skylands, but Cynder turned back to Trigger Happy and grabbed him by the shoulders, then yanked him right in front of her face as her snarl unveiled rows of sharp pearly white fangs!

"Let it be known that if you don't knock this off right this instance I will shred you like a pile of wet paper!" Cynder hissed as she squeezed her paws further into Trigger Happy's arms. "Now get your furry little fingers out of my face!"

Trigger Happy, however, just whimpered! His eyes went all wide and watery as he struggled his way from Cynder's grasp, though she kept him tight enough that he couldn't quite break free.

"I'm telling on you!" Trigger Happy exclaimed.

Spyro forced a smile as he flew up and pushed Cynder and Trigger Happy away from each other, but before he could say anything Trigger Happy wailed and leaped into his arms!

"SPYROOOOOOOOOOOOO! CYNDER'S BEING MEAN TO ME!"

Spyro winced as Trigger Happy nearly knocked him out of the skies, then held up Trigger Happy before he placed Trigger Happy on the ground. "Now, you two," Spyro said as he lifted his head and crossed his front legs, "if you're itching for a fight, save it for when we get to the next arena match."

Cynder and Trigger Happy both scoffed and turned around, then Cynder folded her wings and strode ahead. "… He started it."

Chihiro only sighed and buried her head in her hands—if the arena itself didn't kill them all, then something in her gut told her all this tension would! But as she turned her gaze back to the path ahead, the sight of a large marble building covered in flags and banners caught her eye and she sighed in relief. Guess she wouldn't have to worry about that for much longer, considering the arena was just up ahead.

"Anyways…" The drow beside her remarked as they strode off, "the arena battle will begin shortly. Just follow me!"

The drow strode ahead, yet Chihiro couldn't entirely bring herself to follow suit just yet—instead, her eyes turned to the bracelet still slapped tight to her wrist, while that obnoxious little electric creature gleefully bounced back and forth inside its steel confines. If it weren't for that little nuisance, she could've ripped these darn things off and be on her merry way, but with that thing in there, if she tried anything she'd get shocked to death! If only there was some way to just yank them out… But how? Maybe she could yank a water bottle from someone and drench it until it short-circuited? Actually, on second thought that also sounded like a really good way to get electrocuted, so she decided to hold off on that.

"We're here!" The drow cried as they came to a stop in front of a large coliseum!

Chihiro froze in place, then frantically yanked her head and sighed, hands drooped down and all. "Oh joy."

Chihiro perked back up as the drow pushed the doors open and shuffled them all inside, the enthusiasm on the drow guards' faces like that of children the moment they stepped through. As she and the others came inside, they were greeted by the sounds of jeering, angry crowds who booed and crowed, and now that they got a look at it, the stadium had been covered in what seemed like splattered tomatoes. At least, hopefully it was that and not blood. The disgusting metallic scent that flitted through the air seemed to say otherwise, but Chihiro was going to ignore that right now! Behind them all, a shing sounded as gigantic silver bars shot up in front of the door and completely blocked it off—guess they weren't getting out of here anytime soon.

"Alright, alright, so Brock knows the first round was disappointing," cried Brock as he strode across a balcony. "But that was just a warm up! Brock the Arena King promises ya that the second round is gonna be way more interesting!"

The crowd cheered and pumped their fists as Brock finished, but their cheers weren't that of goodwill! Instead, cries for blood and carnage and death echoed from the stands while spectators pounded their feet and clapped their hands, a rhythm that pounded like a drum in Chihiro's ears while her head spun. Chihiro craned her head up to the stands, and a faint wince came about not from the putrid smell of blood/tomatoes or their awful shouts, but from the stunning lack of Flynn and Cali amid the spectators. They still weren't here? Surely they would've found a way to sneak in by now! She didn't want to assume the worst, but the jeering crowds and their shouts set her mind blazing, burning with every possible worst-case scenario that could happen! Then again, she was sure the sight of those crowds would make anyone nervous. Their twisted smiles could only barely be seen from where they sat, and yet the very sight pierced arrows into Chihiro's heart! Her chest tightened at the very sight of all those sneering, jeering faces and their snide looks, so instead she turned to Brock, yet flinched at the similar look he held as he waved his hand.

"Now, the second match is gonna be a team battle! Our finest gladiators will go to bat against the Skylanders here," Brock explained as he pointed down to the arena fields. "Boys, that's your cue!"

A gate made of silver bars cranked open before them all, and out from it rolled five shiny, round balls them leaped out and transformed into trolls as they hit the ground! All the trolls were dressed in color-coordinated armor lined with gold accents, capes and fancy tassels, all the kinds of flashy, showy stuff you'd expect some stage show hero to have rather than a gladiator, and they all had the smuggest grins on their faces as they basked in the crowds!

"A fantastic mind with fantastic muscles to match!" The first troll proclaimed as they flexed, then made an F rune with their arms, "Farley, the F!"

"Outrageous speed and outrageous strength, all wrapped up in one package!" Exclaimed the second troll as they ran in place and punched the air before them, then made an O rune with their arms, "Orson, the O!"

"Radical and righteous, I'll raze you to the ground!" Cried the third as they flipped their hair, slashed the air beside them with their lance, then made an R rune with their arms, "Raquel, the R!"

"The curiosities of magic are my greatest comrades!" Exclaimed the fourth troll as they spun around and glowed, then made a C rune with their arms. "Carl, the C!"

The last troll groaned and shook their head, but lifted it up nonetheless and halfheartedly waved their arms. "Extremely excited to be here and extra excited to support my team," the troll groaned, their voice flat and monotonous as they just barely formed an E rune with their arms. "Ernest, the E."

Chihiro winced, then turned over to Spyro and leaned towards his ear. "Think we should let these guys finish?"

"WE'RE TEAM FORCE!" Cried the trolls as they posed together.

"Seems they already have," Spyro replied as he leaned back towards Chihiro.

Team Force grinned as they held their heads high, and the crowds all cheered and clapped in response! The Team Force members bowed with those same smug grins on their faces, and as they stood back up and waved, one troll came up and rubbed a fist against his chestplate.

"Thank you, thank you!" He cried. "I, Farley, leader of Team Force, thank you all for coming out to support us for our latest match!"—Farley winked and blew a kiss to the audience—"without all our fans, we wouldn't be half the team we are today!"

A couple of audience members cheered and squealed, and some even fainted in their seats as Farley's kiss drifted in their space—but while Farley chuckled as the others smiled, Ernest just grumbled and crossed his arms as he turned away from Farley's view… Though, despite his best efforts to seem uninterested, he still shot glares and mumbled under his breath as he glared back at Farley.

Brock smacked a hand against the balcony's railing, and the ground trembled as the audience's cries drew to a close—or maybe the tremors were so loud that they silenced everything else with their mighty roars. The earth below split open as massive wooden pillars shot up from the ground and blotted out the top of the arena, though from their very tips, massive flags waved and danced in their air. One red, one blue, but both stood tall at the tip of their pillars. Granted, the blue one that marked Chihiro's team seemed like it was barely hanging on from the masses of shaky, barely kept together wood that was tied in place with ropes dangerously close to fraying and rusty metal plates, completely unlike how Team Force's red flag stood tall amid a sleek pillar crafted with fine craftsmanship and full of little nudges and panels and other sorts of secrets… Which in all honesty, was probably symbolic of just how stacked the odds were against them.

"Alright, here's the rules for this round!" Brock cried as he drummed his fingers against his biceps. "Each team has a flag atop their tower, and whoever can get the other team's flag first wins! Now…" Brock grinned and pumped a fist in the air. "LET THE GAMES BEGIN!"

The cannons shot confetti in the air as the trumpets sounded, and the crowds roared as Team Force ran into play!

"I'll get these guys!" Tree Rex cried as he charged ahead and scowled… Then gasped as they rushed past him with such speed that it spun him around! Tree Rex groaned and fell on his rump, but Team Force didn't even notice as they passed him by!

"Alright, team! Formation C-O-E-R-F is GO!" Farley cried as he turned back to the rest of his team.

The other members of Team Force nodded, and all five of them stood silent and tall as they lingered just half a ways away from where Chihiro's own team pillar stood, then bolted back and chased right for them! Just what were they thinking? Chihiro wasn't sure, but she immediately jumped and rushed off towards Team Force's unguarded pillar—cause she certainly didn't want to find out!

"Come on, guys, their flag's unguarded!" Chihiro cried as she waved to the others. "Let's get it!"

Chihiro grinned as everyone else sped after her and bolted towards the pillar, but as they vacated the premise, her eyes immediately fell on where Team Force came hot on their heels!

With a clap of his hands, a whole bundle of magic ropes appeared in Carl's arms, and he immediately tossed them to Orville!

"You know what to do with these!" Carl cried as the ropes landed in Orville's grip!

Orville smirked and nodded, then zipped right past his teammates—and Chihiro as well! A bright green blur surrounded her, Tree Rex, Spyro, Cynder, Stealth Elf and Trigger Happy just before they could reach the pillar, and they were all tossed into the heart of the circle! Just the sight of that green blur rushing around them spun Chihiro's head around… In fact, not just her head, but her chest was kinda tight, like the blood was rushing around it or something because she laid upside down for too long… Wait, that wasn't her blood at all! A purple glow came from below her, and when she peered down at it, those magic ropes Carl held had been tied tight around her chest! And not just hers, either—her entire team had been tied together, all stuck like glue! They all grunted as they shuffled and nudged against each other, but no matter how hard they tried, the ropes were too tight! They stuck firm around their chests, not a single string frayed in their failure to escape!

Team Force's members all grinned and smirked as they loomed over Chihiro, and Chihiro's own attempts to escape came to a quick stop as she glared them down.

Tree Rex grunted. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it—just let me bust these ropes!" Tree Rex cried as he pushed and strained against the ropes… Then finally panted and slunk back down as sap crawled down his forehead.

"You might be all dressed up as Tree Rex, but you sure don't have the strength to match!" Orville sneered.

Tree Rex snarled and gritted his teeth as he glared back at Orville, and Chihiro was sure he probably had some choice words in mind, but he just sighed and hung his head as he turned away. Poor guy, must suck not having his powers.

"Alright, Carl, Orville, you go guard our tower," Farley ordered as he turned back to the two of them. Carl and Orville nodded and ran off, and Farley turned his eyes on Ernest. "Ernest, keep an eye on our friends here to make sure they don't try any funny business." Farley and Raquel both turned around, and the faintest of smiles could be seen on their faces as they made a beeline for Chihiro's tower. "We'll take care of the rest!"

"Hey, that's our flag!" Chihiro cried as she pushed herself up. "Come on everyone, we've gotta stop them—OOF!"

Alas, gravity had taken hold and immediately dropped her back down onto the ground! Chihiro moaned as the earth stung her legs and held her head, and for a moment she glared back at Carl and Orville as they cackled. They were so smug and self assured, laughing to the heavens as they lingered around their tower, and surely Farley and Raquel has those same awful grins on their faces as they made their way towards her own team's flag—she couldn't see them from this distance, but she could hear their awful laughter across the horizon, mixed in with the cheers of the crowd and the snide cackles of their teammates, of Carl and Orville and… Oddly enough, not Ernest. In fact, despite his assignment to watch them, he seemed not the least bit interested! He just turned his back from them and scratched it, all while he yawned and clicked his tongue.

In fact, it seemed like it gave Cynder an idea, judging from the way her eyes narrowed as she glared at him!

"Psst, hey! Hey!" Cynder whisper-hissed as she leaned closer towards Chihiro and Spyro. "Everyone! Look here! I have an idea!"

Everyone else grunted and shuffled around a bit so that their eyes faced Cynder, and she just nudged her head over to where Ernest had changed to laying on his side as he yawned yet again.

"See that guy? He doesn't seem the least bit interested in watching us at all! And something tells me we can use that to our advantage." Cynder narrowed her eyes. "But, we'll need to be perfectly in sync." As everyone nodded, Cynder flicked her wings. "On my mark, we all get up, get back and charge right into that dude!" Cynder whispered.

Everyone nodded, and their eyes all fixed on Ernest, wings twitchy and hands clammy and all!

"One, two, three, four… NOW!"

Right as Cynder cried, everyone jumped up from the floor and scuttled around! Admittedly, running around with so many pairs of legs lead to them scuttling from side to like dizzy crabs, but they quickly found their footing and grinned as they turned to each other, then scurried backwards! The crowds all gasped, and low rumbles of curiosity even came from a few, but nobody seemed to notice what they were doing as they scurried backwards.

"What's this?" Brock cried from the balcony. "Seems like the Skylanders managed to bounce back! Literally! They've bounced up and they're raring to go!"

Carl and Orville both grunted and turned back around just as Chihiro's team rushed off to charge and raised their brows!

"Hey, what do they think they're doing?" Carl asked as he turned to Orville.

"Hmm, I dunno. They can't really do much when they're all charged up like that," Orville chuckled back as his eyes walked down the path… then stopped right where Ernest was. "Except for tackle Ernest!"

The two of them knelt down and prepared to run after them, but alas, they were too late!

Chihiro and the others had already scurried off fast as they could, fast enough that dust clouded everything behind them, and they were just inches away from Ernest! Ernest grunted and turned around, and his mouth dropped open… Right as everyone leaped forward and slammed right into him! Ernest screamed as he flew across the battlefield, and gasps came from the audience as he finally came in for a landing! He cried out in pain as he bounced across the floors like a the worlds most misshapen ball, then finally with one last bounce, he slammed into Raquel right as Raquel hoisted Farley up on his shoulders and knocked all three of them into the tower! They all cried in pain—but not as much as the tower itself!

The tower creaked and groaned, and for a moment it seemed as though it was prepared to completely collapse! That single blow has teetered it sideways and back, its wood creaky as metal plates slunk out from snapping ropes and collapses!

"The tower!" Spyro cried.

"Ernest, Farley, Raquel!" Carl and Orville cried!

With a flick of his arms, magic sticky hands burst out from Carl's hands and yanked away the rest of his teammates just before a particularly large metal plate could squish them like insects, but there was still the tower to take care off!

"We've gotta do something!" Chihiro cried. "Without that tower, we'll be toast!"

"But what?" Stealth Elf hissed as she nudged against the ropes. "With these ropes, we've got our hands tied—literally!"

"Not quite!"

Chihiro grinned, then leaned forward as her eyes fell on the swaying tower. "Everyone, follow my lead and run as fast as you can…" Chihiro drew her foot against the dirt and pushed against the ropes. "NOW!"

And in one smooth sprint, they were all off!

"Oh, oh, the Skylanders are doing it now!" Brock cried as they dashed across the fields and rounded the tower's back. "They're rushing back to defend their tower! But, Brock doesn't know what they're thinkin'! They've got no chance of savin' it with that rope tying them up!"

Chihiro grunted and panted as she pushed back across the tower's back, and a faint hollow thunk came from within. She knew it, this thing was super weak within—no wonder that single attack was enough to knock it out!

"All right, everyone, push!" Chihiro cried!

Everyone grunted as they pushed back against the base of the teetering tower, swept raining down their brows as their feet drug into the dirt… And in a miracle, it started to work! The tower creaked as it fell back into its place! The ropes keeping it tied together were still fraying and collapsed in places alongside rotted wood and haphazard metal panels, but at least it was upright again!

"WHY, THEY PUSHED THE TOWER BACK UP! THE SKYLANDERS SET THEIR TOWER BACK UP!" Brock cried!

The audience gasped in awe, and Chihiro just chuckled. As she did, a pop sounded underneath her, and her body was noticeably less tense, so she lifted her arms—and they came! The ropes, they had disappeared! While everyone else marveled at their banishment, Chihiro turned back around and grinned at where Team Force stood, completely dumbfounded as their jaws dropped… Well, save for Ernest, who just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms as he mouthed something that earned him glares from the rest of his team, but Chihiro couldn't piece together what was said from her distance.

Spyro flew up above them and pushed the flag upright, then dove back down and grinned from horn to horn as he planted in front of Chihiro!

"Alright, everyone! They're distracted!" Spyro cried as he flicked his tail towards their tower. "Get 'em!"

Tree Rex nodded, then leaned forward and helmed the charge as he sped right towards Team Force! Their members broke out of whatever their petty argument they had just in time to catch Tree Rex, but not enough to stop him! He just grinned and tackled Carl into Ernest as he charged towards the tower. But, right as he bowled towards Orville, Orville gasped and zipped right past him! Tree Rex turned his head around while Orville dashed towards the tower, turned his head back to Team Force's tower and clasped his lips… Then grunted as Farley and Raquel tackled him down and pinned him to the ground! Tree Rex shouted out as they pushed his back to the dirt, and shot a glare back at them—but with his diminutive stature, he couldn't do a thing against their combined strength! Though he pushed, it didn't phase them at all!

"Oh how I hate being this small," Tree Rex lamented as his eyes fell over to where Orville was rushing right for the tower!

Spyro and Cynder gasped as he zipped right past them, and Orville laughed to the heavens as his eyes fell on their flag. But, right as he sprinted forward, something snagged him and tripped him back onto the floor! Orville grunted and pushed himself off the ground as a dazed Trigger Happy popped up below him, then Orville snarled, dashed over and kicked Trigger Happy across the battlefield!

Trigger Happy squealed as he flew across the air, eyes wide and arms flailing and all, but he finally came to a stop as he smashed right into Ernest! The two of them slammed right into each other and grunted as they both hit the ground, but while Trigger Happy was quick to recover, Ernest just slowly rose as he gritted his teeth.

"Alright, I've had it!" Ernest cried as an ominous glow surrounded him! His armor started to crack, and his teeth gritted and chipped as he loomed over Trigger Happy. "I'm tired of getting dragged into these stupid tournaments and matches, I'm tired of getting all the work saddled on me, I'm tired of my brothers getting all the glory for it!" Ernest cracked his knuckles. "AND I'M ESPECIALLY TIRED OF THINGS KNOCKING INTO ME!"

Ernest's armor cracked and shattered into a tiny pile of metal shards below his as his body turned muscular and tight, and he doubled in size as that glow became even brighter! Sharp tusks burst from his jaws, and he heaved heavy breathes as a red glow washed over his eyes! Trigger Happy gulped and skittered backwards, but right before he could escape, Ernest yanked him off the ground and slammed him down! He squeaked like a squeaky toy as Ernest slammed him back and forth, and worse yet, he was completely unable to do anything!

The audiences all gasped and cheered as Trigger Happy received the beating of his lifetime, but back at the tower, Chihiro and Stealth Elf just gasped.

"Trigger Happy!" They cried as they both stepped forward and prepared to run.

But right before they did, Carl popped up right in front of them in a puff of smoke!

"Hello there!" Carl chuckled as he yanked a mirror from his pocket and fixed his hair. "Don't mind me, just going to prep up a bit before I pick up that little flag of yours!"

"Yeah? You and what army?" Chihiro spat.

Carl chuckled again, then held his mirror up to the sun. "This one!"

The sunlight hit the mirror, and his reflection immediately fractured within its surface! The reflections all turned to Chihiro and Stealth Elf and smirked, then cackled as the light completely drowned out the reflections while they jumped out from the mirror's surface! A full army of Carl clones had been born from the mirror's reflections, and the magic radiated off of them like the sunlight they were born from as they hovered above the ground and zipped towards them! The clones swirled around and cackled as they surrounded Chihiro and Stealth Elf, and both of them broke into cold sweats. The clones were moving so fast, and they all looked so similar that it was hard to tell them apart! Which one was the real one?

Chihiro wasn't sure, but she had to do something—so, she screamed and punched one right in the face as it hovered in front of her! The clone screamed as it vanished in a puff of faint cyan smoke, but between the clouds she just barely caught Carl floating his way towards the tower! Chihiro dashed right for him, or at least, she tried. But, the moment she stepped forward, the clone formed back into existence with a pop and punched her back! Chihiro grunted and clutched her stomach as she skidded against the dirt, and the burst of pain nearly shut her eyes. Yet, she forced them open long enough to catch sight of the clones as they all cackled and summoned sparkling magic orbs that they cast into the ground! Stealth Elf pulled Chihiro from the ground just before one could blow her up, but another exploded by their feet and tossed them both down as it erupted! They both shouted out as their backs hit warm, hard stone, yet the explosions around them didn't relent! They could only hastily roll away as purple flames and smoke exploded this way and that, with not a safe avenue to be found!

"Geez, talk about an unfair fight!" Chihiro spat as she narrowly dodged another explosion. "These guys have all their fancy powers and stuff, and we're completely defenseless! As long as they've got those powers and stuff, they're unbeatable!"

"No kidding," Stealth Elf spat back. She flinched and ducked underneath another orb as it exploded behind her, then lifted her head just as it took out a few of the clones and gasped as their smoke faded into nothingness. "Wait, that's it! Chihiro, you're a genius!"

Chihiro hacked and pointed to herself. "I am?"

Stealth Elf chuckled, then jumped back to her feet right as a clone shot another round of orbs right towards her! The orbs screeched and glowed like stars as they came in, yet she just leaned forward and tackled right for them! With a single kick, she cast one right into another orb and blew them both to bits, then shot the orb right into the clone! The clone screamed as the orb slammed into it and exploded, but Stealth Elf just chuckled as she hit the floor and crossed her arms. The clone had disappeared in the explosion's flames, and the ones that surrounded it had been engulfed in the fire as well—all that remained was thin wisps of smoke blown away by the wind!

"Oh, now I get it!" Chihiro cried as she turned around and faced another clone with orbs at the ready. "Use their own powers against them!"

The clone growled as it shot the orbs at Chihiro, but she just leaned up and spiked them like volleyballs! One slammed right into the clone and exploded, but the other sped right through the smoke and fire and beaned Raquel in the head!

Raquel grunted and lifted his head up for a moment, then as the orb landed in his hands, he shrugged and flung it aside!

"Wonder where that came from," Raquel remarked. He grinned and cracked his knuckles, and his eyes turned back to Tree Rex once more. "Anyways—"

KA-BOOM! Purple plumes of smoke poured in and sent Raquel and the audience alike into a coughing fit, and as Raquel fanned away the smoke, Ernest stomped out from the clouds and tossed Trigger Happy aside, his scowl even wider than normal as flames singed his frazzled hair.

"Did you toss that, Raquel?!" Ernest demanded as he stomped his feet.

Raquel gulped and leaned away from Tree Rex, and sweat crawled down his brow as he twiddled his fingers. "N-No, I swear, it just came out of—"—Raquel grunted as Tree Rex slugged him in the face—"oof!"

As Raquel fell down and rubbed his sore face, Tree Rex leaned up and grinning as he pointed to Raquel, a moment taken to shake Farley from his arm.

"He did, actually!" Tree Rex proclaimed. Raquel gasped and frantically shook his head, yet Tree Rex just kept that simple, smug look and nodded. "In fact, I heard him say he was aiming right for you because you were making too much noise! He just couldn't take all that racket..."

Ernest growled a lot, guttural growl that rang in his throat as steam poured from his nose, and he stomped around as he glared down Raquel! Raquel sputtered our some vaguely comprehensible nonsense about it not being his fault, but by then it was too late! Ernest leaped forward and pounded Raquel in the face, all while the audience gasped!

"Whoa, what a turn of events, folks! It seems like Team Force's Raquel and Ernest have forgotten 'bout the enemies and made enemies outta each other!" Brock cried. "Talk about sibling rivalry!"

Farley scowled as he shot one last glare at Tree Rex before he rushed between Raquel and Ernest and held up his hands. "Calm down, you two!" Farley cried as he craned his head between Raquel and Ernest. "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this, now stop fighting with each other and—"

"Hey!" Trigger Happy shouted as he pushed himself up and spat out a tooth. A wide grin spared of several teeth crossed his face, and his blackened eyes narrowed as he pointed to Farley. "Who came up with those goofy costumes anyways? You look like a buncha silly comic book people!"

"GOOFY?!" Farley inhaled, and a deep, wrinkly frown crossed his face as he shook a fist at Trigger Happy. "These costumes aren't goofy in the slightest! They're made with the finest materials we could afford, hand-crafted by me, specifically!"

Farley snarled and gritted his teeth, then grunted as Ernest pinched him right in the mouth and knocked him back into Raquel! The two of them grunted as they slammed each other into the dirt, rubbed their heads and groaned. But, the sound of Ernest's grunts and hollers showed that things weren't done yet! The two of them lifted their heads and screamed as Ernest stood above them and smashed their faces in with his fists!

As Ernest pounded away, Chihiro's attention turned back to the tower and she grimaced.

Spyro and Cynder circled around the tower as Carl and Orville scrambled up, and despite every attempt they made to dash into him and knock him off, the two always skittered or teleported away just in time for them to escape! They could really use some help! She knelt down and prepared to run off… But just before she did, a bright orange blur bounced beside her and scrambled up the tower—wait a minute! Chihiro shook her head and shielded her eyes from the sun as she glanced over the blur.

"That's no blur!" Chihiro cried. "That's Trigger Happy!"

Carl grunted and blinked as he peered down, and in that moment Trigger Happy jumped onto his back and tickled his arms!

"No, no, stop! I'm ticklish!" Carl cried between a helpless laughing fit! His legs kicked into the tower as he writhed and squealed about… and in that moment, he lost his grip and crashed into the ground! And yet, he couldn't even cry in pain—he was still laughing his head off!

"I'm okay!" Carl cackled as he held his sides, oblivious to how Trigger Happy moved his tickling attack down to Carl's pockets.

"Carl!" Orville cried as he peered down.

"Don't worry, you'll be joining him pretty soon!" Cynder shouted!

Orville turned around and grunted, and in that moment both Spyro and Cynder tackled right into him and knocked him off the tower! He could only scream as he crashed down and cracked a huge hole in the ground, one that even Brock and the audience winced at, before he groaned and gave a thumbs up. He panted as he climbed out of the hole while the audience sighed in relief, then collapsed just inches from where Carl and Trigger Happy laid.

Trigger Happy grinned as he yanked Carl's mirror from his pocket, hopped away and grinned as he admired his battered reflection in its surface. "Hmm," Trigger Happy remarked as he rubbed his chin. "Looks kinda beat up!"—Trigger Happy shook his head, and immediately his injuries disappeared as light from the mirror shone over him—"good as new!"

Trigger Happy grinned as he slicked his hair back, then lowered the mirror as footsteps drew close. In front of him, Carl snarled as he staggered back to his feet, and low breaths came from him as purple flames crackled from his palms.

"Nobody tickles me and gets away with it!" Carl cried as he flung out his hands and shot those magic flames towards Trigger Happy. "Take this, you overgrown furball!"

Trigger Happy screamed and held the mirror in front of him as the flames came burning for him… And amazingly, the flames leaped right in! Trigger Happy blinked as he peered in the mirror's glass while it reflected the fragmented, bright flames, and as the metal heated up he turned it back on Carl and grinned as the flames leaped out towards Carl with ten times the heat! Carl screamed as his own flames engulfed him and rushed off, but Trigger Happy only laughed as he bore witness to Carl making an utter fool of himself on the arena ground!

While Carl bounced on his feet and spun around screaming in some attempt to free himself of the flames, Orville just sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Seems like I'm the only one left here!" Orville cried as he stretched his legs and cracked his knuckles. "Luckily, I'll have this finished up in a snap!"

Orville snapped his fingers and grinned as he rushed back to the tower, but right before he could jump back on, Spyro flew in his face and slapped Orville away with his tail!

"Not so fast!" Spyro cried as Orville crashed onto the ground. "You're not going anywhere!"

Orville gritted his teeth as he leaped back off the ground, and his eyes drifted around the tower. "Alright, front might be backed off, but in that case," Orville said, "I'll just take the back way!"

Orville zipped right around the back, then screamed and flew off as Cynder flew out from behind and grinned! The audience oohed and aahed as Orville soared and tried desperately to gain some footing, but a moment too late—he just crashed into his own team's tower, then got punched into the ground by a massive boxing glove! As the boxing glove receded back into the tower itself, Orville just groaned and collapsed.

"Their tower gets a ton of cool defenses and we don't? So not fair!" Trigger Happy cried as he huffed and crossed his arms… Then flicked his ears as the crowd started whispering in awe!

"I can't believe it, those guys knocked out Team Force!" Said one spectator.

"But, Team Force is one of the best newcoming teams!" Cried another.

"Forget them, my bet's on the new guys! I shouldn't have expected any less from actual Skylanders!"

As the audience started to cheer, however, Team Force's members just staggered back up! They wiped the dirt from their faces and scowled as their eyes narrowed, and their ears twitched at the sounds of Chihiro and her team members' names being praised—which only furthered their frowning.

"Alright, you guys haven't won yet! You maybe have pulled the wool over our eyes, but that won't slow us down any!" Farley proclaimed as he pointed towards them and scowled. "TEAM FORCE, CHARGE!"

The crowds screamed and cheered as Team Force's members charged right after Chihiro, Spyro, Cynder, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf, but the five of them just screamed and charged right back into the fray!

Farley immediately dashed for Cynder… But right before he could attack, Tree Rex jumped up behind him and kicked him in the back! Farley grunted as he hit the floor and rolled away, then jumped back to his feet and snarled as he shot a punch at Tree Rex—but Tree Rex just held up his arms and blocked it! Tree Rex slugged Farley and tossed his aside as Farley started to relent, but right as Farley flew off, Raquel slammed forward and body-slammed into Tree Rex! Raquel cackled and puffed out his chest as Tree Rex collapsed to the ground, then grunted as Spyro tackled him right into Farley! Raquel slammed into Farley right as Farley got up and crashed them both into the wall, but while the wall dented and the audience gasped, Spyro just smirked and dusted himself off… Then turned around and tackled right into Carl right as he teleported behind Spyro!

Carl flew into Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf's grip, and they both punched him away! Carl only cried in pain as he slammed into Orville and tackled them both into ground, all while a bunch of dust from their fall kicked up around Ernest. The odds were a tricky lot to cast—on one hand, all of Ernest's teammates were out cold, and all that was left was him against Chihiro, Tree Rex, Spyro, Cynder, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf on their team right now! On the other hand, they were all practically powerless save for the basics, while Ernest was rendered a hulking, howling monster that could strike them all down with a single blow if he chose so! Who would win? Nobody was quite sure, so the spectators just clasped their clammy hands together and bit their lips as their eyes fell on the battlefield.

Ernest heaved as his arms trembled, but despite the way they shook, he still kept a smile on his face as he stood up on both feet and banged his fists against his chest! He yowled as he fell down to all fours and bolted right for Chihiro and Trigger Happy! His screams and howls continued as he came inches within them and leaped, but right as he jumped up, Tree Rex bounded forward and punched him in the face! Ernest yowled as he crashed down and rolled across the floor while Trigger Happy and Chihiro split, then groaned and shook his head before a kick at the back of his head left him hacking out mouthfuls of sand!

Spyro and Cynder both grinned as they flew up and shook their heads, while below them Stealth Elf zipped up and stomped down on his head! Ernest fell back into the sands and groaned as Stealth Elf leaped off, while Stealth Elf just dropped down beside Trigger Happy.

"Take this!" Trigger Happy cackled as he kicked sand into Ernest's eyes!

While Ernest screamed and flailed about, Chihiro chuckled and grabbed Tree Rex by his finger, then ran off with him in tow.

"We're gonna get the flag, just hold down the fort over here!" Chihiro cried as she staggered behind and leaped on Tree Rex's back!

Spyro, Cynder, Stealth Elf and Trigger Happy all nodded as Chihiro and Tree Rex left them in the dust, but the fallen gladiators had a much different reaction! Orville yanked his head from the sand, and in a fit of panic he jumped from his place and grabbed Farley by the shoulders.

"Farley, Farley, wake up! We've got a problem!" Orville cried as he shook Farley so hard that Farley himself turned into a blur!

Farley hastily shook his head, then grabbed back onto Orville's shoulders and steadied himself. "Orville, calm down!" Farley cried. "What's going on?"

Orville, in response, only pointed to where Chihiro and Tree Rex were rushing off to where their tower was. "They're already headed to the tower, we need to stop them!"

"Don't worry about the tower, it's got defenses up the wazoo! Let's just worry about getting their flag!" Farley pushed himself off the ground, and his eyes narrowed. "Alright, boys—"

"But Farley, you said we'd be fine out here and they completely wiped the floor with us! If we're not careful, they'll get our flag!"

"Forget about what I said then, I'm saying we go after them now!"

"But, but—"

"Farley, Orville, forget the arguments!" Carl cried as he jabbed a finger back to where Team Force's tower stood. "They're already getting on the tower!"

Orville and Farley both turned their attention back to the tower, and found that Carl was right! Tree Rex had already jumped onto it and was making his way up as he grabbed onto metal plaques that stuck out from the wood and flipped from plaque to plaque!

Farley gritted his teeth and punched the sand below him with a growl, then quickly jumped to his feet. "Forget the petty arguments! Orville and I will make for the Skylanders' flag, you guys just shake them!" Farley cried.

"Right!" The others cried as they split their separate ways!

The sounds of screamed and crashing came from below as the fight raged on, but Chihiro just winced and clung tighter to Tree Rex's back as the blows flew. Just below, she barely caught sight of Spyro tackling one of Team Force's members off his feet—she could hardly tell which one from the height! The wind blew in her hair and just looking down was enough to give her vertigo, so she just turned around and winced as she buried her face in Tree Rex's shoulder. But then, the crackle of flames sounded off a little too close for comfort, and Chihiro lifted her head and turned back around right as a fireball came screeching for them!

"Tree Rex, go right, go right!" Chihiro cried as she practically squeezed his head off!

Tree Rex hacked from the tightness of Chihiro's squeeze, then shook his head as her grip loosened. "What for, Chihiro…" Tree Rex started as he turned around, then screamed and skittered off as the fireball crashed into the tower!

The fireballs burst into embers and disappeared as Tree Rex hung tight and flipped onto the next plaque, while below them Carl stamped his feet and shook his fist in the air.

"Stand still, will you?!" Carl demanded!

The tower rumbled in response to his shouts, then the panel his fireball had singed popped out and shot a cannonball right at him! Carl screamed and teleported away just before the cannonball could hit him, but right as he breathed his sigh of relief, another one popped out and smacked him right on the head!

As he groaned and collapsed into the sands, Chihiro just snarled. They only got the basic of basics when it came to tower defenses, but they get all the cool fancy stuff? Talk about unfair! Chihiro scoffed, when the sound of panels flipping open came from above and forced her to lift her head up—and with good timing, too! A trio of cannons had emerged from the tower, and they were quickly charging up!

"Tree Rex, look out above!" Chihiro cried, then cringed as a panel flipped open below her feet. "And below!"

Tree Rex grunted and flipped onto the plaque he had clung to, and both he and Chihiro ducked as a massive boxing glove leaped up from below and slammed right into the cannons just before they could fire! Tree Rex leaped away to the next plaque and climbed back up just before the crumbled remains of the cannons could smash the prior platform to bits, and as he hopped from plaque to plaque, Chihiro just gulped and turned her attention down to the battle below.

There, Farley and Orville staggered up from the sands and hunched over as Spyro, Cynder, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf surrounded them, and though they were too far away to have their expressions seen, their body language showed well enough that they were on the ropes, all hunched over and shaky!

"Raquel, Carl, we need backup!" Farley cried. "Hurry!"

Raquel and Carl dashed across the sands and away from their own tower, and Cynder and Spyro both winced as they dashed forward and blocked them off—but right as they did, Ernest burst up from the ground and dashed past them on all fours, hooting and hollering as the glow around him grew bright! He was so fast that he knocked friend and foe alike on their backs as he latched onto the tower and scurried up!

Farley groaned and rubbed his head, but the moment his eyes fell on Ernest he cracked a grin.

"That's it, Ernest! Get that flag!" Farley cried as he pumped a fist!

"Whoa, would ya look at that? Ernest of Team Force made a speedy recovery, and he's makin' a beeline for the Skylanders' flag!"

Tree Rex grimaced and turned around as Ernest climbed up the tower, and in that moment the platform he was holding onto sank back into the tower! He screamed out as his grip slipped, but his other hand dug into the remains of the platform long enough for him to swing up and grab onto a second one! Chihiro cried out and clung to his shoulders as he did, but once he hiked up, she climbed back on his back. Her eyes fell on one of the panels as it slowly started to open, and she crawled closer to his horns.

"Tree Rex, go right!" Chihiro cried.

Tree Rex grunted and flung himself to the right as a flamethrower jumped out from the tower and sent flames spewing, then grabbed onto another platform and yanked himself up.

"Duck!" Chihiro cried. She squeaked and ducked her own head as a large boxing glove narrowly grazed their heads, then shuffled to the left as a panel popped off beside her.

"Left!"

An ice bomb leaped out from the tower and slammed into its surface right as Tree Rex dodged, then Tree Rex leaped for the rocks on a rock wall and scaled it as the shouts and cries around them grew more omnipresent than before. The faint shouts of the rest of their teammates cried out as Tree Rex scaled the wall, and he gritted his teeth as he restrained himself from looking back down. But, while he didn't, Chihiro did! She clung to him tight as she turned back and just barely caught glimpses of Team Force and her own team warring against each other, while back on the tower… Oh no, that Ernest guy was just inches away from the flag! In fact, he was already reaching for it!

"Looks like Team Force and the Skylanders are neck in neck!" Brock cried, then narrowed his eyes and gasped. "But wait, Ernest's almost to the Skylanders flag! In fact, he looks like he's gonna get it!"

"Tree Rex!" Chihiro cried as she turned back to him.

Tree Rex grunted, then heaved himself up the next rock. "Don't worry, Chihiro!" Tree Rex cried as he pulled himself up another few rocks. His eyes fell on the flag that waved above, and he grunted as he reached out for it. "I've almost…"

With one last grunt, Tree Rex yanked the flag off the tower and swung aside.

"Got it!"

The world rumbled, and in an instant the tower sank right back into the ground and dropped them both back off, while across form then Ernest screamed as he planted face-first into the floor! He returned back to normal as he groaned and pushed himself up, and in that moment he was immediately surrounded by the rest of his teammates.

"Look what you did, Ernest!" Farley cried as he gestured to where the towers once stood. "You blew it!"

"I blew it?!" Ernest shot back as he jumped to his feet and pointed a finger in Farley's face. "You were the one who did all the planning! If anything, this is all your fault!"

"Well, if you had just stuck to the plan instead of losing all your marbles, then maybe we'd have won!"

As Team Force's members all bickered with each other, Spyro, Cynder, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf just rolled their eyes and rushed up to meet Chihiro and Tree Rex. The six of them all grinned as they stepped into the center of the arena, the flag still clutched tight in their grip, yet their confidence wavered as eyes fell on the crowds around them. The crowds in turn all just frowned and whispered among each other as they glazed down the unexpected victors… But then, a couple of people started to cheer! Their voices was small and barely carried along the acoustics of the arena, but then those around them started to cheer, and those cheers spread to the people around their seats, and the ones around them. Soon, the entire arena was cheering just for them! The confetti flew down and the trumpets sounded off, and even though they hadn't won the entire game, it really did feel like an earned victory!

"Woo-hoo!"

"Talk about a match!"

"More, more! I wanna see them fight again!"

So, they all grinned and basked in the cheers, but right as they did Farley stumbled in front of them and growled as he pointed at Brock!

"Hold on a minute, you lied to us!" Farley insisted as he stomped his foot.

"Yeah! You said there was no way they'd be able to win!" Orville added.

"You gave them all the awful shoddy stuff and everything, just like you said!" Ernest exclaimed as his brows twitched, and for a moment that glow came from him as he pointed at Brock. "So why'd they win?!"

"Don't tell me you lied to us!" Carl and Raquel demanded in unison!

And in that moment, the crowd's cheers changed to gasps! They all turned around and mumbled to each other as their eyes fell on Brock, who only gulped as he tugged on his collar.

"Er, Brock, uh… NEXT MATCH!" Brock cried as he slammed his hand against the throne. "Time to get to the next match!"

And just like that, the gates behind them yanked open and out came a gigantic mechanical hand! Chihiro turned around and screamed as the hand yanked her, Tree Rex, Spyro, Cynder, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf right off the floor and dragged them out of the arena, and with a single fling they were sent soaring through the skies.

"NOW, THE THIRD ROUND OF THE GLADIATOR GAMES WILL COMMENCE!" Brock screamed as they flew across the skies. "DON'T MISS IT, FOLKS!"

---

Obligatory trivia bits:

- Champions of Skylands, the team name Chihiro and co enter the gladiator games under, is a nod to the fact that Champions was used as a placeholder name for Skylanders in the early development of the Skylanders game! As for individual ones, Chihiro's Hitomi alias was taken from the first CHS, while her Yougetsu alias is derived from am alternate reading of the kanji for her last name (葉月), Tree Rex, Trigger Happy and Stealth Elf's were all their placeholder names, and Spyro's goes back even further to the classic Spyro days - in development for what would eventually become the first Spyro game, Spyro was originally a green dragon called Pete, but they changed this to avoid copyright infringement with Pete's Dragon.
- The Cube Dungeon Club's name is taken from the Cube Dungeon battle arena
- You may remember Team Force from the first CHS, but in case you forgot, they're the troll team that Stump Smash, Camo and Zook faced off with when they were en route to the Eternal Life Source! Suffice to say, they've found a new occupation now that they've left Kaos's ranks.