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)

8. Chapter 8

Ohma flame: Honestly, I'd be impressed as well! Flynn sure seemed happy about all that extra horsepower...

GreenSwitch - FreeShadow: Yes, he did! In fact, the whole crux of that plot was inspired by me realizing "Hey, didn't Gill Grunt's backstory mention that she was kidnapped by pirates, which are the main antagonists of that level?" And Solavita's crew members aren't genies so much as they are mindless, soulless zombies—I gave them similar bottle designs to sort of tip off that they were done by the same person, but Ninjini is very much so the only soul inhabiting her body, no fragments of corpse pirate witches here! (Though, I do have a plan for Scarlet! You'll just have to wait and see what it is~)

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The cool breeze ran through Chihiro's hair and caressed her cheeks as she leaned against the ship's rails, while beside her Tree Rex shuddered as that same chilly breeze hit him. The wilikin hummed their songs in the distance as they sailed the ship through vast seas of endless sky and puffy clouds that rained snow down like, well, rain, onto the chain of snow-coated islands below them, while around them their songs were mixed with idle chat from the rest of their crew. Around her, Thumpback was regaling tales of his past fishing trips to several wilikin children who had stowed away onboard and Ermit, who listened with only half an ear as he shot glares at the clouds that passed by, while Swarm laid on his back beside Thumpback and counted the snowflakes that fell from the clouds. Eye shuddered and hopped over to where Eruptor sat on the ground as the wind chills passed by, as did Cynder, Whirlwind and Terrafin while they held their hands and paws out… Not that Eruptor was pleased with this, judging by the scowl he shot Eye as Eye joined him.

"Do I look like a campfire to you?" Eruptor scoffed as he crossed his arms. The warm light from his lava veins provided him with an equally-warm glow, though the frown on his face gave it a bit of an angry edge.

"Hush it, Eruptor," Cynder snarled as she glared right back at him. "This ship doesn't have any heating and it's freezing cold around here!"

Eruptor and Cynder both shot glares at each other, but Chihiro only giggled as she witnessed the whole thing. Seems like things were getting pretty chilly—she'd have to whip up some coats and scarves for everyone soon. But, for now, she just glazed over the masses of peach, pink and blue skies coated with the fall of snowflakes that glistened like diamonds in the night. She wasn't sure when they'd find this robot, as all the islands they passed were practically identical. And, she did need something to pass the time… So, she hopped up to Tree Rex and leaned against his leg. Chills shot through her body from the cool temperature of his legs, but their fuzzy, mossy textures were pleasant enough that she didn't entirely mind.

"Hey, Tree Rex!" Chihiro called. Tree Rex perked up and leaned down at her with a brow raised, and she giggled as she spun around and sat down. "I've been wondering something."

"And what might that be, Chihiro?" Tree Rex asked as he gently nuzzled her head with his finger.

Chihiro giggled, then grasped Tree Rex's finger and swung from it like a tree branch. "Ever since you all came here, I've been meaning to ask." Chihiro came to a stop and dropped down as she shoved her hands in her pockets. "What really happened during your final battle with that Arkilles dude?" Chihiro coughed into her hand and turned away from Tree Rex's piqued gaze. "Of course, I want to know entirely for historical accuracy reason!" Chihiro chuckled, and that wide grin of hers returned to her face as she turned back and punched the air. "Was that battle really as big and fancy as all the books say?"

Tree Rex himself chuckled in response, but before he opened his mouth, Thumpback jumped in and leaned against Tree Rex.

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to regale you. I do love a good story and all!" Thumpback remarked as he stroked his chin. He cleared his throat, and crossed his legs so that Chihiro could climb up on his knee and sit oh so attentively, eyes wide and all.

"Thanks to our allies within, so to speak, we were able to locate the capital of the Arkeyan empire itself, Arkus. We had all traveled long and far to stop him, fighting so many of their forces along the way, and soon we were faced with the lowest of the low, Arkilles himself."

§

"We'll see about that!" Arkilles cried! His eyes glowed in tandem with the bright power core that resided in his fist, a piercing glare hot as the oppressive sun itself and held with the fury of a king. "After all, I have the power of the entire Arkeyan Empire in my palm!"

Arkilles swung his mighty fist down on the ground, and the earth splintered underneath the weight of his bearings! The ground cracked and crumbled away, broken and splintered as those who laid on the ground fled with all the strength they carried in their bodies. The world around turned red, red, so red that it brought to mind blood from the wounds of a slain army, and the pounding screech of their alarms rang in all ears, the true sign of a dying battle. Thumpback himself snarled and glared down Arkilles, his anchor clutched tight in hands worn and calloused from many days at sea. In all his years where he had rested on Skylands, he had faced many formidable foes—from cloud crabs and sky-orcas, rivaling pirates and the most massive and most powerful of the Arkeyans' armies, and yet none of them chilled his heart the way the sight of Arkilles did. His own giant size was completely dwarfed by the massive height of Arkilles' own body, and in that moment, Thumpback wondered, was this was the common felt in the presence of a god? The utter smallness, the shrinking, humbling feeling that brought to light that in the grand scheme of Skylands' existence, he was little more than yet another speck in existence? That in the presence of Arkilles, whose eyes cracked with lightning red with the blood of those he had crushed underneath his own berth, he was no more than a minor pest? That even with his powers, Thumpback was no more important than any others who resisted his conquest? Thumpback himself had never thought much of it, for even his own status as an Elder Elemental kept him from inflating his own importance. He fought hard to protect Skylands as all his other allies did, for the same reasons they all did—to prevent the Arkeyans' tyranny and to ensure a brighter future for all those they oppressed. But, as Thumpback stood silent, only able to gaze dumbfounded as the lights in Arkilles' eyes grew brighter, he had finally come to realize just how daunting a task this was. They were smaller, and weaker, and less armed compared to his might…

"He's preparing a laser blast!" Cried one of the magicians beside Thumpback as she thrust out her staff and spun it around. "Get back!"

A sharp wail echoed around the room, a cry like death itself, as bright hot streaks of red lasers fired right down from Arkilles' eyes and burned the room around! The cracks that had formed in the ground were set ablaze with fire and melted several of the robot soldiers around, all collateral damage in the grand scheme of Arkilles' ploy to defeat them! Thumpback himself was pushed out of the way by Brawl as one of these lasers crashed before him, and his bones ached as he crashed into a pile of rubble left behind from the earlier battle. Bouncer and Eye swung forward in front of Thumpback as another laser carved through the marble and reduced it to rubble right before Thumpback's eyes, drowning the shouts around in an ocean of screeching and crashing and calamity. Bouncer and Eye shots streaks of hot light from their own eyes, a pair of reds and one streak of silver intertwined as their lasers shot into the ones Arkilles himself shot, and they both pressed into each other in a battle of lights! The deep reds and cool silvers of their lights pressed against each other, a battle akin to many. A fisherman fighting for a fish's reel as the fish futilely fought for its own freedom, two people who fought for the insurance of their own survival, leaders who waged wars for the sake of territory, resources, their own kingdoms survival. What did they all have in common? They all fought furiously, determined, and poignantly for their own sakes, with all their might for the things they dream of, they wish for, they desire! The imagery struck Thumpback's mind as he witnessed Bouncer and Eye straining, screaming, as they pushed forward and brightened their own lights. And yet, Arkilles simply shot one more blast and blew them off the surface of the area! Bouncer collapsed on a pile, parts of his chest melted away and circuitry exposed as he slammed against a wall and collapsed into a pile of rubble. Tree Rex gasped and lifted Bouncer from the ground, cradling his companion, his dying soldier while Bouncer coughed out sparks and oily quicksilver for blood, the flecks rained down against his broken, twisted chest while he sputtered and failed to make words.

"Augh, my eye!" Eye wailed as Brawl caught him and stroked his top. Eye's wings had wrapped around his body, which burned and pulsed with a throbbing red glow. "It burns!"

One of the magicians flew up and winced as she laid her hand on Eye's body and slowly rubbed away the coarse, burning red of his injuries, then the ceiling rumbled and all three were swept away in a massive collision of rubble! Chunks of the ceiling like hellfire from above crashed down and smashed away, blocking off the armies from their enemies and burying all underneath their crushing weight. The end had come, and his judgment would come soon! Thumpback's own body, twisted and aching with pain as he could barely seat himself upright, cried out for mercy, and he himself could only close his eyes and hope that the afterlife would be kind...

§

"Geez, Thumper, you're way too dramatic!" Swarm shouted as he flew down beside Tree Rex. "Can't you tell a single story without going into all those spiels?"—Swarm gestured to where Chihiro nodded off in Thumpback's lap—"you're gonna make Chihiro fall asleep if you keep rambling like that!"

"What?" Chihiro exclaimed as she jolted her head up and whipped around. "No, nope, I totally wasn't sleeping, no, not at all!"

Thumpback's eyes turned a little wider as he pulled himself out of his story and turned to Swarm. "Then how would you put it, Swarm? As I recall, that battle lasted for ages!"

Swarm just rubbed his puffed-out chest and smirked. "I'll take care of that!"

§

Rocks poured down from the ceiling as it rumbled, and cracks had formed in its intricate marble and metal surface! Swarm winced as he swept two of the magicians, one bearing a shield and another bearing a sword, into his arms just before a particularly large chunk of marble could knock them out, and as it crumbled to bits before them, Swarm scoffed.

"What am I doing, just standing around here?" Swarm demanded.

His brilliant eyes shimmered in the little light provided, and that same light reflected off his sleek body and highlighted its muscles in a way that made him look ultra-strong—just as strong as Arkilles seemed, even! Those bright, shiny eyes of his zeroed in on where Arkilles held back his chest and cackled like the supervillain he was, all high and snide and haughty. It was a disgusting sight, but it wouldn't last for long!

"I've gotta stop him!" Swarm cried as he flew up, while his snarl turned to a wide smile. "Super Swarm, to the rescue!"

"And don't forget about us!" The two magicians cried in tandem as they floated out of Swarm's arms and sat on his shoulders.

A twinkle shone in sword-bearing magician's eye beneath the thick black hair that masked it, and he turned to the shield-bearing magician as that twinkle glowed bright. "You know, Swarm, brother," The sword magician remarked as he drew his sword and raised it to the ceiling, "I think I have the perfect way to get this hardhead's eyes off of us!"

The shield magician perked his brows, and that same twinkle shone in his golden brown eyes. "Why, I think I may have had the same idea, brother!" He remarked as he drew his shield.

The two of them nodded and leaped off of Swarm's shoulders, then they zipped across and flew around each other while trails of light and darkness spiraled behind them. They were so in-sync, it was almost kinda creepy—but then again, that could be said of the eerily connected way that they always held themselves with.

"Swarm, see if you can catch Great King Arkie's attention!" The magicians cried in sync. "We've got an idea!"

"I heard you the first time!" Swarm buzzed, but nonetheless he flitted up to Arkilles and drew his barbed arms. "But I've got just the thing!"

In front of Swarm, Arkilles continued to cackled as he shot down laser beams and sent everyone screaming and running for the hills, all while flames burned down from the spots that had been warmed by the lasers! His robotic laugh dripped with pride as he held his hands up, so snide and so full of twisted confidence. Well, not for long!

"Ha! Ha, ha!" Arkilles cackled, and the robotic filter that covered his voice only served to make him sound even more twisted than usual. "I, Arkilles, am all powerful! Nobody can beat my ultra powerful eye lasers of doom!"

"No body, huh?" Swarm remarked as he flew up right in Arkilles' face. "What about no bee?"

Arkilles gasped, then he growled as he swung his fist and tried to swat Swarm away! But, the great, mighty Swarm wouldn't go down so easily—he just zipped away and rubbed his chin!

"Huh, that sounded better in my head," Swarm remarked as he zipped away from Arkilles' blows and the crumbling ceiling all at once. A tough task for most, but Swarm wasn't like the rest!

"Argh, stand still, stupid gnat!" Arkilles cried as continued to fruitlessly swat Swarm, who dodged every blow still. "Get out of my sight!"

Swarm giggled as he leaped right above Arkilles' fist and did a split right on top of it, then chuckled as he pressed his hands down on its surface and stood upside-down.

"Alright, you asked!"

With another laugh, Swarm spun around and completely dissolved into a swarm of buzzing bees! The bees all buzzed even louder as they turned their sharp as knives stingers right on Arkilles, who only gulped as he drew back.

"Uh oh," was all Arkilles said as the bees sprung forward and jabbed their stingers into Arkilles' metal body! His metal dented and caved underneath the stingers' might, while he just fruitlessly flailed his arms and ran around in circles!

"Noooooooooooooooo! Not bees! Anything but bees!" Arkilles wailed like a terrified child. "I'm allergic to bees!"

Swarm's own bee swarm just buzzed with laughter as they jabbed away, while bright bursts of golden light and smoky shadows cackled as they flew right past him! Swarm gasped, then his swarm drew away and formed into a vague shape of his own body as they transformed back into him! Swarm panted as he buzzed in place, while before him Arkilles reeled and held his head. Arkilles' armor was cracked in some placed, lined with bumps in the others… Swarm had really did a number on him! Arkilles groaned as he lifted his head, his eyes so cracked that red light seeped through the cracks, then he growled once more as he glared at Swarm.

"You'll pay for that!" Arkilles cried as the red light that came from his cracked eyes glowed even brighter. "Once I fry you with my ultra-powerful eye lasers of doom, you'll be nothing more than a grilled bug!"

Arkilles screamed as his cracked eyes glowed like suns, but just before he could fire, a bright yellow laser shot right into his left eye and completely cracked it! Arkilles' screams came not from anger, but pain as he held the injured side of his head, while above him the shield magician hovered and chuckled as he drew back a glowing shield.

"Your turn, brother!" The shield magician shouted as he waved to Arkilles' other side.

"Gladly, brother!" The sword magician shouted back! He grinned as he drew his sword up, and with a couple slashes, ripples of darkness shot through the air and shattered Arkilles' other eye!

"AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! MY EYES!" Arkilles wailed as he shielded his broken eyes with his massive, mechanical fists!

The magicians both cackled as they gazed upon Arkilles, left so helpless as he covered his eyes—but while they laughed in the air, Arkilles snatched them and yanked them back to him! Their eyes popped out of their heads as Arklilles' massive head gazed upon them, and they both squirmed as they tried to escape his grip. But, he just squeezed them tighter and they screamed in pain!

"How about we play a game of pop the magicians, huh?" Arkilles remarked as he squeezed them!

Swarm gasped, then leaped into action!

"Oh no you don't, Arkilles!" Swarm cried as his body glowed with a bright power. "Time for me to bring the sting!"

As Swarm called out, the bright, golden light enveloped his body, and he grew twice his already-gigantic size! With his new height, he completely towered over Arkilles, who now looked very nervous indeed! Quicksilver oil crept down Arkilles' head as he released the magicians, and he only gulped as he came in Swarm's presence.

"Oh no, not the almighty Swarm!"

Swarm let out a haughty laugh that shook the room around, and with a single slice from Swarm's barbs, Arkilles was cut in half! Arkilles mechanical wails resounded around the room as he exploded in a fury of flame, while everyone cheered as they surrounded Swarm!

"Swarm, you're our hero!" They all cried at once!

§

Swarm clasped his fists and shook them in the air. "Thank you, thank you!" Swarm cried.

But, while Chihiro's eyes sparkled as Swarm basked in his imaginary glory, Thumpback and Eye both sighed as they shot him glares—and though Brawl didn't have a face, the way he crossed his arms was enough to show his displeasure!

Swarm grinned as he lowered his fists, then tilted his head and twitched his antenna as he gazed back at the others. "Wait, what's with that look, guys?"

"That isn't how we defeated Arkilles and you know it, Swarm," Eye remarked as he plopped back on top of Brawl and crossed his wings.

"Is that true?" Chihiro asked as she tilted her own head.

Swarm's eyes grew wider, then a soft blush came over his face as he chuckled and scratched his head. "Er, well, I, may have embellished the details just a little bit…"

Tree Rex, Eye, and Thumpback all sighed and shook their heads, while Chihiro just turned her gaze back up to Tree Rex and Eye-Brawl.

"So, if that wasn't how you defeated Arkilles, then, how did you?"

Tree Rex, in response, just cleared his massive throat and sat down.

"Ah yes, I remember it quite well," Tree Rex remarked. He rubbed his throat, and a small nod came to him. "Well, you see, it actually happened a little something like this…"

§

"Augh!" Cried the magicians' leader as she crashed into a pile of rocky rubble! She stood back up and swayed from side to side as she bared her staff, but alas, despite her show of determination she could only collapse.

Around her, the other magicians all writhed in pain and laid still on the floor, their bodies grave with injury as they heaved shallow breaths with all the might they had. They all fought their hardest, and yet, it still wasn't enough! Above them, Arkilles cackled as he brushed away their combined attack like it was little more than a fly, and though his eyes had been rid of their glass, they still shone bright as morning stars while they trained on the weakened magicians! His cackles filled the room with dread as he lifted his fist, and his massive cape fluttered in the wind as he turned it down.

"I'll give you credit, you did fight pretty hard," Arkilles remarked as he twisted his fist around and let out low chuckles. "But, it wasn't hard enough!"—Arkilles raised his fist as it glowed, then he shot it down and pointed towards the injured portal masters—"minions, finish them!"

The sound of clunking metal and shuffling feet echoed from the halls as masses of Arkeyan robots poured out from the halls, all armed with glowing rifles that were pointed right at the magicians! They were charged and ready, and with the magicians in such a weakened state, there was no way they could fight back! They could only groan as they lifted their heads and faced their laser-borne death.

"Say hello to your precious Ancients for me, stage magicians!"

The rifles shrieked as they charged further, their glow pulsing and fading with every cycle, and the magicians just stood silent still. A few of them held their heads or turned away, and some pounded their fists against the ground. It was like all hope had been lost… And yet, a tiny pair of feet dashed through the wreckage and screamed.

"Leave them alone!" Cried a young voice as a burst of magic shot from the crowds!

This tiny little ball of magic ricocheted off the robots' head and disappeared in a flash, but it was enough to make the robots lower their weapons and crane their heads around in confusion. Though they scanned the battlefields below, nothing could be seen save for one tiny little child, with their pale skin, torn clothes, scarred and scratched up body and soft, sky blue hair! Their silver eyes were puffy and filled with tears as they flung their arms in front of their fellow magicians, and though their legs were trembling so hard they seemed like they would collapse, they still stood tall in front of the opposition.

"Le, leave," The child sputtered between sniffles and sobs. They lowered their head for a moment as they wiped away their tears, but they still turned to the Arkeyans and faced them nonetheless. "LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE!"

"Varonis, what, what are you doing?!" Demanded one of the magicians between sputters and coughs. His dark hair fluttered over his face, but between its strands, worry cleared showed in his sky blue eyes. "Get out of here! Those things will kill you!"

"No! I'm not gonna do that, Vaayu!" Varonic cried as they turned back to the portal master. "I'm not leaving you behind!" Varonis gulped. "You told me that as free magicians, it's our duty to protect Skylands and all inside it from the Arkeyans' evil, even if it means we die!"

So, Varonis turned back to the Arkeyans, and a hint of courage shone in the child's teary, swollen eyes as they faced the masses of Arkeyan armies once more.

"SO THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA DO!"

Arkilles only chuckled as he glanced down at Varonis, and a hint of amusement shone in his broken eyes.

"My, my, the kid thinks they can play the hero! Give them a round of applause!" Arkilles cackled as he clapped his hands.

The robots all turned to each other, then shrugged and dropped their weapons as they clapped alongside Arkilles, but Arkilles just scowled and screeched so hard it nearly blew everyone off their feet!

"I DIDN'T MEAN IT LITERALLY, YOU BUFFOONS! TAKE UP YOUR ARMS!"

The robots all whirred and beeped as they scrambled to yank their weapons from the floors, then they cocked their rifles and pointed them all out once more. Their weaponry had fully charged once more, and with a single pull of the trigger, anyone in the line of fire would be toast!

"Now, minions!" Arkilles cried as he pointed to the magicians. "Show them what we do to heroes around here!"

"YES SIR!" The robots all chimed as they readied their weaponry. "Three, two, one…"

Varonis only gulped as their arms joined their legs in shuddering with fury, but they still stood tall and waved their hands as the robots prepared to fire. Bursts of cyan magic sparkled and shone from their palms, but disappeared just as quickly as they appeared! All that was left was for them to stand still and face the robots as their guns' barrels shuddered with light.

"FIRE!" The robots cried!

Varonic only screamed and prepared to cast a shield as laser bursts came straight for them, their eyes screwed shut as they surely prepared for the end. Yet just before the laser came, a gigantic purple shield sprung between him and the robots! The robots' laser blows slammed into the shield and reflected back at them, tearing them to bits as they exploded upon contact! Varonis's eyes fluttered open as shadows cast above them, while something lifted them from the floor! They finally lifted their head, then they gasped and grinned as Ninjini lifted them into her palms—she had come to save them all! But more than her, the other seven Elder Elementals flanked her from behind, all with smiles on their faces and weapons clasped tight!

"Are you alright, Varonis?" Ninjini asked.

Varonis furiously nodded, but their grin fell as their eyes drifted down to where the other magicians laid sprawled against the floor. Arkilles' haughty laughter drained the color from his face, and in response Ninjini lowered her hand and let Varonis tend back to their fellow magicians.

"Well, well, look who's here!" Arkilles remarked. "Come to save the day again, Minor Elementals?"

"More than that, Arkilles!" Tree Rex bellowed as he pounded his fists together. "Your reign of terror ends now! We're not going to let you bring any more harm to Skylands!"

"My, such confidence!" Arkilles called as he waved his glowing fist around. "But, I wonder—will you still act so high and mighty when you face my CONQUERTRONS?"

The entire world rumbled around them as the halls below were smashed to bits, and out from their rubble came massive, humanoid machines! They were taller than buildings and towers, and their eyes glowed with a menacing yellow light as they flanked Arkilles on each end! They leaned down and put themselves in fighting positions, and with a single snap of Arkilles' fingers, they were off like rockets!

"Their legs are their weak spots!" Ninjini cried. "Aim for those!"

Ninjini summoned her wishblades as she burst forward, then she tossed them out and zapped them with purple magic bolts! A bright purple glow surrounded the wishblades as they zipped around on their own and sliced the first few Conquertrons' legs in half, while the Conquertrons themselves just flew into the air and crashed back down!

Just before they hit the ground, however, an anchor's chain wrapped around them and swung them around! In the center of the storm, sweat poured down Thumpback's body as he strained and swung his anchor around, then finally he released and sent them crashing back into the rest! The pile of Conquertrons twitched and strained as they rested on the ground and sent clouds of dust floating around, then a burst of flames shot forward and set them alight! Strained, screeching beeps and whirs came from them as they flames ate away, and with one single laser blast, they all exploded to bits!

Smoke and fire covered the room while Arkilles broke into a coughing fit, and under the smoke's cover, the Elder Elementals all charged forward! Crusher nodded and swerved away from the rest of the group as they burst through the smoke, a bright glow of light around their bodies as their signal! They all stood tall as Arkilles fanned the smoke from his face, then growled as his eyes fell on them!

Arkilles lurched forward and went to stomp Tree Rex, but Tree Rex just ran aside and disappeared in a murky, shadowy smoke that burst from his solar cannon! Arkilles gasped, then pounded his foot around and dented the floors as he sought out Tree Rex, but in spite of Tree Rex's laughter, he just couldn't find Tree Rex!

"Where are you, you overgrown twig?!" Arkilles demanded as he continued to stomp. "I demand you show yourself this instant!"

But while Arkilles was fixed on Tree Rex, Crusher was the one he really should've worried about! From behind, Crusher sneaked out of the shadows, his hammer clutched tight in his hands, then he leaped up and slammed his hammer right into the back of Arkilles' leg!

Arkilles wailed in pain as he fell to his knees, his hands pressed against the floor as he pushed himself up, when a bright glow from below caught his attention! He snarled as his eyes fell on Eye's glowing eye, then he swung his hand and grappled for Eye—but Eye just popped off and zapped Arkilles right in the face! Arkilles reeled backwards and slammed into the wall, while Eye just floated back as Ninjini zipped ahead of him! Ninjini shouted out as she slammed a magic orb into Arkilles' chest and knocked him aside, while Arkilles growled and leaned up to his feet. Sparks flew from the injured wiring in his leg, but he hardly cared as he raised a glowing fist and shot a storm of lasers right at her! Ninjini only chuckled and teleported away, while the lasers phased right through the cloud of smoke she left behind and blew up a part of the ceiling! Arkilles clenched his fist as rocks and marble crumbled down, then a POP from the side showed Ninjini's return! She giggled and waved at Arkilles as she hovered next to a wall, but Arkilles only screamed as he slung a punch at her. Except it never landed! She disappeared at just the right moment, and he just lodged his glowing fist into the wall! Arkilles grunted as he tried to yank it out, while Ninjini teleported back onto the ground.

"Tree Rex, Swarm, now!" Ninjini cried!

"On it, Jeannie!" Swarm cried in the distance!

The sound of buzzing resounded across the floor as Swarm zipped forward with Tree Rex hanging from his arms! Swarm grunted as he zipped past another portion of crumbling ceiling, and snarled as his eyes fell on Arkilles. He swung his arms back and forth, then...

"Jump for it, boss!"

With a grunt, Swarm tossed Tree Rex right for Arkilles! Arkilles paused and turned around as Tree Rex's screams hit the air, and just in time for Tree Rex to punch his head clean off! Arkilles's head went spinning across the fields and slammed right into the wall, and without a head to guide it, the body just slunk backwards and severed itself from its glowing, dislodged fist as it collapsed on the ground!

A low, decidedly unrobotic groan echoed from within the hollow body as a red and gold glow came from it, while it slowly shrunk down until it was no bigger than an average person! A pop of red and gold sparkles came and unveiled Arkilles once more—the true Arkilles. His snow white skin was covered in bruises and bloody cuts, his hair was disheveled and his clothes were tattered… His kingly image had been torn to shreds, and all that remained was a sad, sad shell of a man.

The Elder Elementals all snarled as they surrounded Arkilles with weapons raised, but Arkilles only gritted his teeth and pounded his bloody, bruised fist into the floor! He glared up at Tree Rex, and despite his eyes both being bruised, he still found it in him to muster a look of defiance in his blood red eyes.

"I, I, I—" Arkilles croaked, before he hacked out blood and collapsed on the floor!

While Arkilles coughed and hacked, Tree Rex only held up a glowing solar cannon and snarled.

"Your reign ends here, Arkilles," was all he said as he prepared to fire… When a shriek and a bright flash of light caught his attention!

All eyes turned around to where the Fist of Arkus laid lodged in the wall, except it had grown unstable! Sparks flew from its interior and it glowed with a bright, harsh light akin to the sun itself! Massive winds whipped around the interior as the light glowed bright, then it expanded in a full on rift! Arkilles had been forgotten in all the Elder Elementals' minds as they scrambled for something to cling to, but it was too late! The winds whipped them right off the ground, and in that instance a bright flash of light drowned out everything else as they were sucked in…

§

"And that's how Arkilles was defeated," Tree Rex explained as he patted Chihiro's head.

Chihiro giggled as Tree Rex lifted his hand, then hummed as she rubbed her chin.

"I'm guessing that rift must've been what took you all to Earth," Chihiro remarked as she pulled her wheels from her pocket and levitated them around. "But, that leaves me with one last question."

"And that is?" Tree Rex raised a brow.

"What exactly happened to your portal masters?"

Tree Rex, in response, just sighed and held his head. "I'm not sure—all I remembered was that bright flash of light, and then, nothing. I hadn't seen anything else." A small frown crossed Tree Rex's face. "But if I had to guess, at this point they're probably long dead…"

A sparkle of light caught Tree Rex's eyes, and he frowned as he turned back to where Chihiro toyed with her miniature wheel collection! She giggled as they spun in place and bounced in midair, then the show ended and they dropped into her lap as she peered up at Tree Rex.

"Say, Chihiro," Tree Rex remarked. "Where did you get those wheels?"

"Oh, these?" Chihiro lifted the purple wheel up to her eye and grinned as it shone in the light. "I've been finding them all across Skylands ever since we started running around here!" Chihiro hummed as she turned around the wheel, while its purple color grew even more brilliant in the sunlight, "I don't know why, but it felt like they were calling to me. So, I've been keeping them safe!"

Tree Rex grinned.

"I'm not surprised," he said as he examined the other wheels that Chihiro held. "Back in our times, our portal masters used these wheels as their symbol!"

"Really?" Chihiro's eyes sparkled with awe, and she lowered the wheel down to her chest.

"Indeed! It was a subtle way for them to show those around just who they were without drawing Arkeyan attention—they had our motto engraved on their crystal, so anyone who saw them would know they were safe." Tree Rex frowned and rubbed his chin. "And now that I think about it, I think they had another purpose too, but I can't quite remember what it was."

"Attention, friends!" Cried the wilikin who piloted their ship. "We have now arrived at our destination!"

Another burst of cold flurries came from the side and covered everyone in thin coats of snow as the ship docked, and everyone shuddered as they shook the snow from their bodies. Yeah, they had definitely arrived—for right past them were endless miles of snow and ice as far as the eye can see! Its paths were clean and free of tracks, which allotted them to sparkle bright in the sunlight above. It was a pretty sight, but it wouldn't last for long. They had to get going, after all!

As everyone else broke away from huddling for warmth or whatever else they were doing, Chihiro waved her hands and crafted magic effigies of all sorts of warm winter clothes! Fluffy hats topped with pom-poms, cozy scarves and puffy jackets all came to her in a snap, and she donned a few before she passed the remaining pile off to Terrafin.

"Be sure to bundle up, everyone! Don't want anybody catching a cold and all!" Chihiro shouted as she waved back to them.

Chihiro grinned as she drummed her gloved fingers against the ship's railing, but her grin faded as Ermit walked up beside her. "Hey, Ermit, by the way." Chihiro holstered her elbows on the railing and pressed her hands against her face. "Where is this giant robot of yours, anyways?"

"Well, last I recall, I parked it at the end of the island," Ermit replied as he scratched his beard. "Sure hope nobody's messed with it since I've been gone."

CRASH!

A massive avalanche poured down in the distance, and everyone leaned over the railing as the sight of something large, gold and blue crept over the horizon—a giant Arkeyan robot! Its squeaking joints echoed as it lifted its arm and pounded down mountains of snow like they were made of clouds, then it lifted itself up and jiggled as if it was laughing while the avalanches collapsed below its mighty stature! But more importantly, judging by the reaction of Ermit, all wide eyes and tight, cringing teeth, that was definitely his robot!

"Yeah, it definitely wasn't doing that when I left it here!" Ermit cried. "Heck, it didn't even move at all! What's gotten into the thing?!"—Ermit's ears flattened as he shot an aside glare—"Don't tell me that he's behind all this."

Chihiro quirked a brow, but as she scanned over the area, her own eyes fell on something odd. Hung from a wall of ice was a flag of an ice ogre with a mohawk and two large blue eyes dressed in attire covered in gems proudly puffing out his chest. And he wasn't just there, either—the ice sculptures and snowmen littered around the area all bore his face, his flags hung from every fixture they could, and even banners strung across snow-covered buildings bore it! And that face seemed awfully familiar, too!

"Hey, Rupty!" Chihiro called as she waved Eruptor over. "Come look at this!"

Eruptor squeezed himself between Chihiro and Ermit, and Chihiro pointed a finger towards the various ice ogre-themed decorations.

"Don't those faces seem familiar to you?"

Eruptor tapped his hand against his chin, then his lava burned brighter as his brows raised. "They do!" Eruptor cried as he waved his hand towards the statues. "It's that Noodles guy!"

"Knew it!" Chihiro cried. "And something tells me that robot going wild with these around is no coincidence,"—Chihiro heaved a foot over the ship's railing—"I'd better go—"

"Wait a second!" Ermit cried as he pulled Chihiro back by her jacket. Chihiro yelped as Ermit pulled her back to his side, and he only scoffed as he gestured back to the various flags and statues. "Just who is this Noodles guy, anyways?"

Chihiro scoffed and stuffed her hands into her pockets. "Noodles was one of Kaos's cronies back in the day. He and his ice ogres trapped an island in an eternal winter before, and we nearly got frozen alive trying to stop him!" Chihiro's eyes tensed, and she leaped onto the ship's railing once more. "And something tells me he's up to something here too!" With a grunt, Chihiro leaped right off the side of the ship and flipped down onto the land below! Snow burst from the ground and cascaded back down as she landed, but she only scoffed. "And whatever it is, we're gonna stop it—cause I have a sneaking suspicion it's nothing good!"

Chihiro leaped out of the ground and manifested snowshoes onto her shoes with a snap of her fingers, then prepared to run forward… But, a sudden, bright glow from her pocket stopped her! Chihiro whipped around right as this pocket glow shuddered and rumbled, then she gasped as her wheels burst out from her pocket! They hovered right before her as their glow became even brighter, almost enchanting and zipped right off before her eyes!

"Actually, change of plans!" Chihiro cried as she tailed them towards a large, icy cavern entrance. "The rest of you, take care of Noodles! I've gotta see where these wheels are going!"

"Chi, wait up!" Terrafin cried as he shuffled past the others and dashed down the ship's drawbridge, only a moment of pause taken to fix his scarf!

Eruptor, Cynder and Whirlwind all tailed after her, and the others only paused and peered over the deck as they dashed closer to the caverns.

§

Tree Rex frowned as he stepped off the ship, while ahead of him Chihiro and the Skylanders slowly disappeared into the distance.

"Well," Tree Rex remarked as he drew his hands away from the rails, "I suppose that finding this Noodles person is our job now."

"That's your job, you mean!" Ermit scoffed as he strode off and huddled beside a few barrels. "I'm not running around in all that snow, and especially not when there's evil ice ogres about!"—Ermit grinned as one of the barrels heated up and held his hands closer to its warmth—"I'm staying here where it's nice and safe!"

Tree Rex sighed and shook his head while Ermit cowered, then stomped his way down the drawbridge. Eye-Brawl and Thumpback leaped off the boat and tossed snow off the ground while Swarm flew off and hovered down below them, and they all crossed the snowy land with a single nod. They were completely silent with stoic frowns to match as they passed by the masses of snow and icy and frost-covered mountains and buildings, all sights that seemingly blended together… Then, Tree Rex hit something cool and slick and slid off!

"Whoa-whoa-whoa!" Tree Rex cried as he slid across the slick flooring and smashed right into the side of a marble building! The building cracked behind him as Tree Rex's head spun, then he groaned as he pushed it up.

Before him, the endless slopes and slicks of ice and snow had made way some, traded off in favor of carefully-crafted marble buildings colored in sleek, pearly shades of blues and whites, melded with the warmth of shiny gold. Large pagodas and homes shimmered while the snow dusted their roofs like glitter, and tall pillars with all sorts of drawings depicting events long past carved on their surfaces stood beside these buildings. The floors were made of a strong tile and shimmered with light in rainbow colors, and the snow glistened against its light like pastel jewels, a perfect lightshow in the day! Even those statues of that strange Noodles person glistened amid the shine of the sun and radiated as if they were made of crystal or diamonds rather than ice. Winter chills burst through crystal windchimes and sent pleasant tunes through the air—for such a cold place, the sight of it warmed Tree Rex's heart!

So, he just stood up and marveled in its beauty. He hadn't seen a place quite as beautiful as this since he last went to the free magicians' Northern Base while they were plotting an attack on the Arkeyans' Winter Stronghold. In fact, the sights around here felt just like it, with their crystalline aesthetics and bright shine!

"Boss, you alright?" Swarm asked as he flew in and crossed his arms. "You took a pretty nasty slip there!" Swarm paused, and his eyes grew and shrank as he smirked. "In fact, you could almost say it was…"—Swarm snapped his fingers—"hard as ice!"

The wind spun past Swarm, and his antenna sunk at the lack of reception. "Geez, tough crowd."

But, while Swarm scoffed, Tree Rex just chuckled and laid a hand on Swarm's shoulder. "Ah, don't mind me, Swarm," Tree Rex said as he turned Swarm around and gestured towards the area. "I was just thinking, this place seemed almost familiar…"

"Hello?"

Tree Rex smiled and inhaled the cold air, but amid their howls he was sure he heard something like a soft voice, almost? He turned his head aside, but couldn't seem to find anything! He must have just been hearing things!

"Hello?"

Wait, no he wasn't! Tree Rex turned right, but still couldn't find any source for that strange, soft voice!

"Did you hear something, Swarm?"

Swarm's antenna perked up as he turned back to Tree Rex. "Now that you mention it, it almost sounded like someone was calling for me!"

"Tree Rex, Swarm!" Cried a pair of voices in the distance!

Tree Rex and Swarm both turned around, and behind them Thumpback and Eye-Brawl slid in, and with much more elegance than Tree Rex himself did to boot!

"There you two are!" Eye remarked. "Eye was wondering when I'd spot you!"

"Ah, don't mind us," Tree Rex remarked as he scratched at his horns. "We were just admiring the scenery."

Eye chuckled. "Ah, don't mind that. More importantly!" Eye popped off of Brawl, then fluttered down between Swarm and Tree Rex's legs. "Who's this ghastly little ghost that's lingering around you?"

Wait, a ghost? Tree Rex hadn't seen any ghosts when he came in here! A bone-chilling breeze whipped around his legs, and he peered down with a shudder to find that sure enough, a thin, blue ghost with a gear planted firm on their chest flickered in and out of existence with every blink as they floated between him and Swarm! Tree Rex wanted to ask this ghost just when they got here, but the ghost completely ignored Tree Rex as he floated up to Eye and grinned!

"You're the first one to actually notice my presence," the ghost said as he clasped his hands. "Thank you. Everyone else just ignores me."

The thick blue mist that wrapped around the ghost thinned a little as he turned around and sighed, and Tree Rex himself just bowed his head as the ghost flickered once more. The poor thing, just the sight of him seemed so lonely, so Tree Rex scooped the ghost into his hands and grinned as he held the ghost up to his eyes. A soft gasp came from the ghost, but his initial shock softened as he sat down.

"And who might you be, little ghost?" Tree Rex asked. "You don't seem very fit for the weather around here!"

"I could say the same of you," the ghost chuckled back, and a twinkle shone in his blank white eyes before he turned around. "But you are right, I'm not quite accustomed to this weather. Normally I'd brave it out in the robot I call my home…"

Another crash sounded in the distance, and all eyes turned to where that robot suit had smashed off a glacial cliff! Cold white smoke burst from it as it slid down and disappeared into the clouds below, but the robot only cackled as it pumped its fist in the air! Tree Rex couldn't help but wince at the sight, yet below him the ghost only sighed.

"But then, that awful Noodles stormed my home and kicked me out! And that's not even the worst of it—ever since he took over that robot, he's spent all their time making a mess of this island! All their wanton destruction's left this island in disarray." The ghost curled up into a ball as he leaned against Tree Rex's fingers. "And I can't even stop it. They won't listen to a word I say!"

"Well lucky for you, you've got help!" Tree Rex chimed in.

The ghost gasped and perked up his head, and Tree Rex only winked in response.

"See, we came here to stop that Noodles guy, too!" Swarm added as he leaned against Tree Rex's shoulder and winked. "Once we're through with him, he won't ever think of touching your robot again!"

"Really?" The ghost asked.

Nods came from all around, and normally, any average person would be ecstatic to hear it! But, the ghost didn't seem quite as happy. Rather, he seemed more wary than anything, hands pressed together and all as he peered back up at Tree Rex.

"But are you sure? Those ice ogres placed a lot of obstacles along the way…" The ghost frowned as he drummed his ghastly fingers against their face while his face disappeared and reappeared with every phase. "It was a miracle I managed to get here unscathed!"

"Don't worry about it, buddy!" Thumpback shouted as he rubbed the ghost's head. He grinned as he adjusted his anchor's position on his shoulder, then spun around and strode off. "Whatever they have in store for us, I'm sure it'll be nothing!"

Thumpback whistled, then grunted as he slammed into something cold and icy and stumbled back! He shook his head and sent water droplets that quickly froze into icy chips out his blowhole, then lifted his head and grimaced, a dour look met by his reflection in the icy object he slammed into.

"Okay, I stand corrected."

Above them, a massive block of ice completely block off the way ahead! It was so tall that it stretched well into the clouds and past the heavens, and it seemed perfectly solid. Thumpback's collision hadn't even put a dent in it, and just its presence seemed to chill the area around.

Tree Rex frowned, then backed up and leaned in as he charged forward—but the moment he hit the ice, it completely chilled him to the bone! A cold, numbing feeling rattled his bones as he stumbled backwards while the world around him turned blurry and spun in circles, then something pulled him back to his feet as his vision cleared. Eye and Swarm both frowned and raised their brows at Tree Rex, and Tree Rex himself just giggled.

"Well, it was worth a shot," Tree Rex remarked.

"Brute force doesn't seem to be the answer to this problem," Eye remarked as he flew off and glared at the ice block. "Perhaps we need to put a little heat on it!"

Eye flew back, and with a slight tilt of his round body, a gigantic laser burst from his corner and seared into the block! Its bright, silvery blue light burned and reflected in the block itself, while white smoke drifted off from the laser's body and disappeared amid the cool skies. Surely, something of that intensity would work, right? The laser reflected back and zapped Eye into Brawl's arms, while all eyes turned to the block to find that aside of a few thin wisps of smoke that blew off of its surface, the ice block had been left perfectly untouched! Not a single sign of melting or other damage rested on its surface, and it sparkled like a pristine diamond still. It probably would've been pretty if it hadn't blocked their way, but for now, it was a nuisance.

"What're we gonna do now, boss?" Swarm asked as he turned to Tree Rex.

Tree Rex just sighed and crossed his arms as he racked his brain. Normally, he would've called upon Hot Head's flames to melt it down, or on Ninjini to levitate the block out of their way, but neither of them were here at the moment. A faint recollection of the battle that separated them flitted into Tree Rex's mind, but he shook his head and dispelled the thought. His main priority was on this ice block for now, but how to move it? Even with all four of them on deck, it seemed far too heavy for them to just lift and toss away! But surely, there had to be some other way out!

"When did these crystals get here?" Asked the ghost, his voice still faint as ever.

Tree Rex tilted his head, then turned back to one of those chilly pagodas, where the ghost fiddled with a massive, laser-spewing crystal that had planted in its heart. The laser it cast was bright and solid, enough that one burst had completely melted the ice around the pillar it shot at and revealed clear stone underneath! Tree Rex skimmed across the area, where a few other crystals of similar power and stature laid, then his eyes turned back to the block. He grinned as he pounded a fist into his hand—that was it!

"There's your answer!" Tree Rex cried as he manned the crystal. "Move all these crystals so that they're facing the block, stat!"

Swarm, Eye-Brawl and Thumpback all nodded, then dashed across the land and grunted as they heaved and pushed the crystals around! The crystals' lasers all locked on a single spot in the heart of the block, and Tree Rex himself grinned as he twisted his own and joined in. Their combined laser blast heated the bottom of the crystal into a clear, lightless white, but it still wasn't enough to melt it. So, Tree Rex joined up with the others and nodded.

"Just what are you planning?" The ghost asked as he floated up to Tree Rex and placed a hand to his face.

Tree Rex just grinned. "You'll see!"

Tree Rex thrust out his solar cannon, while beside him Swarm placed his arm barbs together, Eye popped off of Brawl's top, and Thumpback yanked his jaw wide open. Tree Rex closed his eyes, and the thought of warm, bubbling, bright light came to mind as his blood heated and broiled within his body. A warm feeling mixed with a sharp, shrieking sound came from around him, then he yanked his eyes open to find a world tinted blue!

"Fire!" Tree Rex cried!

The screech of fast light came from all around as that bright, blue light turned white and completely masked Tree Rex's vision, but the massive smash that followed showed him all he needed to know! His vision cleared, and a massive hole had formed right in the center of the ice block's lower half while green light faded from his solar cannon! And with its foundation damaged, the block itself teetered left and smashed a hole in the side of the bridge as it fell right over!

"That's the power of the Light Element for you," Tree Rex remarked as he crossed his arms, while a soft round of applause echoed from below.

"Bravo, bravo!" The ghost cheered. Then, a loud horn sounded off and sent him fritzing in and out of existence!

The horn sounds grew even louder, so loud that everyone covered their ears just to avoid the noise. But, though their ears were covered, their eyes were wide open enough to see something round and white rumbling in from the distance! It was so far away it couldn't quite be discerned, but the bumpy texture it showed as it came closer kind of looked like… Snow? The white orbs came to a screeching halt right at the beginning of the broken bridge, and sure enough they were giant snowballs! Or so it seemed. They shuddered as they came in for a stop, then out from the snowballs' tops popped smaller snowballs with angry faces made of coal and carrots and silver and blue armor over their heads. These weren't any ordinary snowballs—they were snowwarriors!

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!" Cried the snowwarrior in the center as sticks emerged from its snowy face and formed angry eyebrows over their shiny coal eyes. "All intruders will face our mighty, chilly wrath!"—The snowwarrior shuffled to the smaller snowwarrior on its left and flailed around—"ready the arms!"

"Understood, captain!" The snowwarrior cried as it shuffled back around!

Tree Rex raised a brow, but beside him Swarm only cackled!

"Oh how scary, they sent out a bunch of snowpeople!" Swarm chuckled as he pointed at the snowwarriors and waved his fingers around. "What'cha gonna do, pelt us with snowballs?"

The snowwarriors' stick arms sunk back into their bodies, and out from them came sleek, silver cannons! The cannons loaded back with a single click, and the stick eyebrows the snowwarriors held transformers into miniature logs!

"FIREEEEEEEE!" Cried the head snowwarrior!

And right as it shouted this, an entire barrage of snowballs came flying out and headed straight—but with how hard they were, it was like being pelted with gigantic chunks of hail or ice instead! Tree Rex grunted as several of the snowballs hit his chest and he flung his arms in front of his aching torso, while beside him Thumpback grunted as he fell on his back! Thumpback tried to push himself up, but another snowball smacked him right in the snout and knocked him back down. And beside Thumpback, Eye-Brawl wasn't much better! Eye hit the skies as he flitted away in a panic from the mass of snowballs that came his way, while Brawl just squeaked and cowered with his hands over his nonexistent head!

Swarm, meanwhile, wove between the waves of snowballs and clenched his teeth. "Me and my big mouth!" Swarm cried! He narrowly ducked under another assault of snowballs, yet one still pelted him right in the face! He grunted and held his sore face as the snow slid right off, then grunted.

"You might be pretty good at hitting a big target, but how about a smaller one?" Swarm cried as he pounded his arms together. "Or better yet, an entire swarm of them?"

The snowwarriors all paused for a moment and turned around, then they leaned back and squeaked as Swarm disappeared into an entire swarm of angry, buzzing bees! The bees' buzzing turned high and screechy as they swarmed and dashed around the snowwarriors' heads, while the snowwarriors themselves could only flail their cannons to little avail! One shot off a couple snowballs, but the bees just zipped out of the way and dashed off! The snowwarriors all frowned and turned back around as the sound of soft, slow buzzing sounded beside them… And the moment their eyes fell on the swarm of bees behind them, they screamed! The bees had taken the shape of Swarm once more, and in their moment of fright he reformed and laid his barbs' sights right on them!

"Prepare to buzz!" Swarm cried, while thundering stormclouds wrapped around his barbs!

Swarm jumped back right as the barbs fired, then split in three and sniped off the heads of each snowwarrior! Snow, tattered hats and coal lumps tossed in the air and thunked against the ground as the snowwariors' bodies liberated themselves of their cannons arms, then stood still as ice. The bodies shuddered for a moment and rocked back and forth, and out from them popped three wide-eyed, teeth-chattering ice ogres!

"They're tougher than we thought!" The ogres cried as they leaped out of their snowy bodies and dashed between Swarm's legs. "We've gotta warn Commander Noodles!"

"Hey, I didn't say you could buzz off!" Swarm cried as he zipped after them!

Tree Rex, Eye-Brawl, Thumpback and the ghost all dashed right after Swarm, the snow tracked underneath their feet as they dashed down the cold marble of the path below them. They all panted as their eyes fell just above Swarm's shoulder, where one could faintly spot that trio of ice ogres dashing right towards another snowy island that acted as the foot of small, snow-covered mountains. Behind them, the Elder Elementals and the ghost charged forward…

But then, the ogres hit the snow and stomped their feet! A shriek came from above as shadows cast themselves on the segment of path that stood between the ogres and the Elder Elementals, and down over it came massive hunks of ice! The ice blocks crashed down in sequence and completely barred the way ahead off, their ice so thick and cold that it was completely chilled through. Mist came from underneath their solid white bodies as the Elder Elementals backed off, while in the skies the faint laughter and footsteps of ice ogres echoed.

Swarm's lip twitched slightly, and his wings buzzed like a cicada's as he smashed his barbs into the ice's surface like a chisel—but, that wasn't quite a bright idea. His eyes turned wide as his barb snapped in half, then he screamed and yanked his hand back from the unbroken block!

"Owch! Owch owch owch!" Swarm wailed as he rubbed his broken barb, his eyes welled with small tears from the pain. He winced as he leaned the broken barb against the ice blocks before him, then breathed a sigh of relief as the chill numbed his wound.

"Looks like we're not getting through there anytime soon," Thumpback said as he rubbed his massive chins. "Guess we'll have to go back."

"Or, we could take the other way?" The ghost suggested.

All eyes turned down to him, and the ghost just smiled as he pushed open part of the path's railing like it was a gate's door. As the door slid open, a path of shiny silver stretched out before him, and he floated over and ushered for the Elder Elementals to come.

Tree Rex, however, just frowned as he peered down the path ahead. "That might work for you, but I think it's a little small for us," Tree Rex remarked as he scratched his horns.

The ghost hummed as he examined the bridge below, then sighed and floated back over to Tree Rex's side. "Well, I suppose you're right there," he admitted.

Thumpback, however, just continued to rub his chin as his tiny eyes fixed on the gigantic ice blocks that blocked the way off. A low, rumbling hum came from him, the same kind of hum he always made if something caught his eye. Perhaps he had an idea?

"Swarm, can you scout the tops of these blocks for any gaps?" Thumpback asked.

"Odd request, but sure!" Swarm replied. His wings flitted a bit, then he zipped up and away. "If you need an eye in the skies, leave it to me!"

Swarm buzzed above the blocks and hummed as he zipped from block to block, then nodded and zipped back to Thumpback.

"There's a few!" Swarm replied as he landed back down and held out his hands. "They're about this big, and there's one between each of those blocks…"

"Perfect."

Thumpback smiled, then whipped out his anchor and spun it around like a lasso! Snow from the clouds whipped around his anchor and chilled it, then thick, dark clouds seeped out from his claws and sank into the anchor itself until it had grown so cold that frost formed around its metal!

"Drop anchor!" Thumpback cried as he tossed the anchor above the blocks!

The anchor soared over and landed just across the blocks, then Thumpback just turned back and winked as he gripped its chain tighter. His feet planted against the side of the ice blocks, and he hiked up the side of the ice block like it was a mountain! As he finally reached the top, he sat down on the side and waved back down.

"How about a little hike, fellas?"

Tree Rex and Brawl just chuckled, but beside him Swarm and Eye shrugged as they flew back up in the air.

"Well, personally, eye'd prefer a little flight," Eye remarked as he swept around the blocks and flitted off. "We'll see you on the other side!"

Tree Rex, however, just swept the ghost off of the path and placed the ghost on his shoulder.

"Hang on, little buddy!" Tree Rex remarked.

Tree Rex approached the anchor, then gently lifted its chain off the side of the ice block and shuddered as its cold seeped into his own body. He winced a little, but he just gripped the anchor tight and held it tighter as he slammed into the block below him and hiked up. Funny, people always talked about climbing trees, and now a tree was climbing! Tree Rex couldn't help but chuckle at the irony as he reached the top, then beamed and waved down at Brawl. Brawl, however, just held a hand to his nonexistent face as he stood beside the chain. So, Tree Rex knelt down and pressed a hand down on the icy-cool chain, then turned back to Brawl and craned his head up. Brawl lifted himself up, gripped onto the chain and hastily skittered up the block. His feet skidded a little on the ice, and Brawl yipped as he clung to Tree Rex and crawled onto the top.

Thumpback just chuckled as he yanked his iced-over anchor from the other side, and with its body in his hands, the ice melted away and revealed the anchor's normal self! Thumpback leaped across the blocks and hupped with Tree Rex and Brawl close behind, then all three of them flipped over and landed at the very end of the path! Snow leaped up from underneath their feet and coated their arms, and while they brushed off their arms, Eye flew over and popped back on Brawl's head!

"Good news, guys!" Swarm proclaimed as he buzzed in front of them and waved. "Scouted the place out, and it looks like it's abandoned!"—Swarm turned up and gestured to the robot, which lurched over the mountaintops ahead—"and that robot's down too!"

"That's great news!" Tree Rex proclaimed. He grinned, and his smile made its way to the ghost as well while Tree Rex turned to him. "We'll be able to get your home back in no time!"

"Thank goodness!" The ghost proclaimed. A chill rushed through his body, and he shuddered as he phased in and out, "I'm getting tired of all this cold and snow…"

"That's what you think!"

The ground rumbled below Tree Rex's feet and unsteadied him a little, so he leaned against the ice block behind him and snarled as he lifted his head! Up above him, a quartet of large, white snowballs rolled around the rim of a large bowl of ice, then spun forward and slammed down in front of him! The balls shuddered as their heads popped up and revealed the faces of very angry snowwarriors, and ones much bigger than the last batch to boot. They matched Tree Rex in size, and that was saying something!

Tree Rex's lip twitched, then he gently scooped the ghost off of his shoulder and placed the ghost down on the ground, far away from where the conflict resided. The ghost winced as he floated backwards, and Tree Rex himself quickly lifted his head.

"Let us take care of these guys," Tree Rex whispered, and he forced a smile before he snarled and turned back to the snowwarriors.

"You're not getting anywhere near our commander!" The head snowwarrior cried as it rocked back and forth with such fury that its head nearly popped off of its body. It hopped around, and its stick arms flailed as all its fellow snowwarriors turned to face it.

"Warriors!"

The snowwarriors all hopped around their commander and saluted, but their commander just hopped back around and turned their stick arms onto Tree Rex, Swarm, Thumpback and Eye-Brawl!

"To arms!"

The snowwarriors cried out in affirmation, while their arms rescinded back into their bodies and popped out with weapons made of snow right in their hands! Their axes, staffs and swords glistened in the light as the snowwarriors screamed to the heavens and hopped ahead, then with a single swing they sent a flurry of snow Tree Rex's way! Tree Rex yanked out his solar cannon in response and sent a wave of solar energy that melted their snow blasts the moment they hit, but the snowwarriors and their weapons still remained! Their snow shone bright as ever as they leaped for Tree Rex, but before they could strike Thumpback wrapped his anchor around them and tossed them back! They grunted as they slammed against the icy stone of the mountains before them, but their snowy bodies didn't break a bit!

"For beings made of snow, these guys are tough as rock!" Tree Rex cried.

"You bet we are!" One snowwarrior proclaimed as they brandished their ax, "Commander Noodles didn't make us his personal guard for nothing!"

The snowwarrior screamed as they hopped forward and slung their ax at Thumpback, and Thumpback responded by tandem by brandishing his anchor in turn! The ax clanged as it flew back a moment but the snowwarrior yanked it out of the air and slashed again! Thumpback clutched his anchor in his arms and chilled it with just a touch, until it turned to a solid icy sheet over a heart of metal! It was so icy-cold that frost formed in places over its ice, a low temperature so chilling it would have been painful to the touch for most. But with Thumpback's thick layers of blubber, the anchor became his perfect shield! He threw it up and blocked another blow from the ax, then yanked the anchor by its frosty chain and swung it around! The snowwarrior hopped away from Thumpback's blow and tossed the ax right towards Thumpback, who in response pulled his anchor back and blocked off the ax just in time! The ax flew backwards and hit the snowwarrior right in the head, and if not for the helmet it was wearing, which had been frozen to such a point that the ax bounced off, it probably would've been split right open! The snowwarrior's coal mouth formed a frown as the ax landed back in its hands, and it screamed as it hopped towards Thumpback with the ax raised!

Thumpback himself yanked his anchor back, and the barnacles on his arms glowed with a bright shine, one that spread to his anchor and melted away all the ice and frost that covered in a steaming puddle at his feet! A shout from above lifted his attention back to the oncoming snowwarrior, and Thumpback just tossed his anchor into the center of the puddle and whipped it around! A swirling, furious whirlpool that bubbled and cackled at his feet formed as he spun, and Thumpback grunted as he spun his anchor further, just as the snowwarrior lunged for him! Thumpback stepped back right as the snowwarrior lost its air, and grinned as the snowwarrior fell in and screamed! The snowwarrior flailed its arms, its ax liberated from its hands as it spun in circles within the whirlpool's grip, then Thumpback yanked out his anchor, tossed the helpless snowwarrior in the air, swung his anchor around and slashed it to bits! Its ax and armor was left scratched and broken while parts of the snow around its body exploded in puffy patches, then one last swing tossed it into the fray! Thumpback smiled as the anchor flew backwards and landed in his hands, then ducked aside a large ax made of pure snow flew overhead! He lifted his head, then winced and ran off as another barrage of snowy axes flew off from the distance!

And in the center of the fray, Tree Rex grunted and smacked away another barrage of snowy axes! Before him, a snowwarrior cackled as it whipped out another round of axes and tossed them away, and in response Tree Rex whipped out his solar cannon and shot a bright flare of light right towards them! The snowwarrior screamed and hit the deck as the light blast shot right for it, then lifted its head and grunted. The light blast crashed into a small cliff behind it and caused it to cave in, but the snowwarrior was more concerned with its axes—or what was left of them, anyways! The light had completely melted the axes, and all that was left was Tree Rex! In the snowwarrior's moment of stupor, Tree Rex pounded the ground and shot a shockwave towards the snowwarrior, who screamed and spun around as the shockwave ran through it! As the snowwarrior sputtered and spun around, Tree Rex charged forward and smacked it away, then turned around as the sound of sputtering caught his ears.

A snowwarrior that wielded a staff smirked and pointed its staff's head right towards Eye-Brawl, and in response Eye and Brawl both popped off and glared it down! The snowwarrior gulped as Eye flew around and glared at its back, chills sent down its already quite chilly spine as it hopped between both Brawl and Eye… Then, it smacked its staff's base against the ground as stick eyebrows emerged from its face!

"You're not the only one who can split yourself up, you know!" The snowwarrior cried as its body glistened like a diamond!

A shining rainbow of magic burst from its snowy body, and the body flickered as it split into a whole ring of snowwarriors! The bodies all shone their brightest as they solidified and plopped down on the snow, and they all cackled in tandem as they hopped closer around Eye and Brawl, until the two of them were placed back to back in the circle of snowy soldiers with staffs pointed towards them at every angle!

Brawl winced and twiddled his fingers, but Eye just scoff and held himself high.

"And you're not the only one who can call for backup, either!" Eye cried! He lowered his body, and his wings flapped as furiously as they could. "ARISE, MY LITTLE BROTHERS!"

The snowwarriors all gasped and hopped away as the ground below them rumbled and popped, then a whole swarm of tiny, flying eyeballs burst from the ground and slammed right into the snowwarriors! The effigies all grunted and vanished in puffs of light as smacked the eyeballs away with its staff!

"Back, back!" The snowwarrior cried as it tossed away the miniature eyeballs. "Stay away from me, you weird, slimy things!" A shadow cast over the snowwarrior, and it peered up and gulped as Brawl knelt down to face it. "Oh no."

With a flick of Brawl's finger, the snowwarrior went flying! Brawl wiped his hands as the snowwarrior flew into the distance, then flung his arms across his chest as Swarm zipped past! Swarm flew with such speed that he kicked up snow in both Eye and Brawl's faces, but slowed himself just a minute and waved back with a wary grin.

"Sorry 'bout that! I've got a little something on my tail!" Swarm cried!

His eyes popped open as a cry hit the airs, then he dodged out of the way as a bomb made of snow soared right for him! Swarm slipped away as the bomb hit the ground and exploded in a massive, spiky ice formation, then scoffed as he turned back to the snowwarrior who tossed it. The snowwarrior shouted out as it whipped out even more icy bombs, but Swarm just turned tail and flew off!

"Get back here!" The snowwarrior panted as it hopped after Swarm, lobbing bombs the entire way. "These bombs aren't infinite, you know!"

Swarm swerved out of the way of one bomb and corkscrewed away from another, then zipped right up the side of a cliff as he drew inches from smashing right into it! The bomb that had trailed him there slammed into the side of the cliff and bounced right back for the snowwarrior, who screamed and turned around as the bomb flew right for it. Just as it hopped off, however, the bomb exploded by its base and tossed it away! Swarm grinned and seated himself back on the snow, then held a hand over his eyes, a shield from the harsh light of the snow that allowed him to gaze over the snowwarrior! Swarm smirked as the snowwarrior crashed into the pile of its fallen comrades, then lifted his hand and placed it on his hip.

In front of him, the snowwarriors all groaned as they collapsed in the heaps of snow, while the snow around their own bodies rejoined it and left tired, exhausted ice ogres in its wake! The ice ogres craned their heads up and closed their eyes as the snows' chills rendered them unconscious…

But behind them, Tree Rex just smiled and lifted the ghost back from the ground.

"That should be taken care of," Tree Rex said as he placed the ghost back on his shoulder. A small chill like a cool breeze brushed against his shoulder as the ghost laid down, but it was more pleasant compared to the bone-chilling colds that brushed around Tree Rex—so, he just smiled. "We'll get your robot back in no time!"

"What's this about getting back a robot?" Cried a booming voice from above!

Tree Rex lifted his head, then gasped as his eyes fell on the top of a large, icy cliff! Ice and snow fell down from the cliff and crashed into the ground as a figure leaped onto the ground, then cackled and stepped into the light. But, as the figure did, Tree Rex gasped—that face, those clothes, that hair! It all matched those statues and banners he had seen plastered across the island. There was no doubt about it.

The one who stood in front of him now, a smirk on his face and a cackle bubbling from his mouth, was none other than Noodles!

§

"Hey, get back here!" Chihiro cried as the cold, fluffy snow kicked up underneath her feet, while her hands stretched and grappled after the wheels that floated away right before her eyes. Their glow pulsed and faded as they rounded the corner and disappeared, but its faint streaks glowed against the icy cavern walls!

So, Chihiro just rounded the corner and dashed back down, while the wheels flew off faster than ever! Their light had enveloped them and transformed them into miniature shooting stars, while their light reflected against the walls and snow and colored them in a rainbow of purples and reds and greens and yellows… Which honestly would have been a pretty sight if they weren't getting past Chihiro by the second! The snow kicked up and the light show faded as she dashed after the wheels, then leaped forward and swiped at the yellow one!

"Gotcha!" Chihiro cried as her finger hooked into its center!

She beamed as she pulled it down, but it just wiggled out of her finger and tailed back after the other wheels! Behind it, Chihiro sputtered as she lost her balance and fell face-first into the snow, but she just pushed herself up and spat fluffy white snow out of her mouth as their light faded from the open halls. She growled as her fingers dug into the snow, then she sprung back to her feet!

"Get back here!" Chihiro cried as she sprinted back down the halls. "Where do you think you're taking me, anyways?!"

Chihiro bolted down the corner and down the halls, while the colorful flashes of light that crossed the walls drew her closer and closer to the wheels' presence! She slid down a small, icy hill, and as the snow hit her feet, she lifted her head to find herself in a wide room with glassy ice walls and a snowy ceiling and floor, with several open mouths to halls ahead placed. And in the center of it all, her wheels stood bright as ever! They stood idle for a moment, then the moment they caught sight of her, they bent over… Almost as if they were bowing or nodding? Whatever they were doing, they immediately stopped and zipped right through the left path! Chihiro jolted up, then dashed right down the path after them!

"Wait for me!"

A faint scream and rumble shook flakes of snow down from the ceiling, but Chihiro barely even noticed the noise or the chills that came over her head as she buttoned her magic coat tighter and bolted after the wheels! The wheels spun and danced in the air right before her eyes, but as she sprinted forward and reached for them, they just flew out of her grip! Her fingers barely brushed against their cold crystal surface before she hit the ground once more, but she just bounced right up again. She grappled out for the yellow one, but it just zipped away and giggled right at her!

Chihiro's cheeks puffed as she dashed right after it, while around her the walls grew shinier as the lights glowed brighter. She took another step… And promptly lost her footing as she spun across the floor! She screamed as she finally tumbled over herself and rolled into an icy wall, then groaned as she staggered up and caught her reflection in the—floor?! Chihiro raised a brow as she lifted her head up, where the snowy floors of before had been replaced by miles and miles of ice as far as the eye could see! The faint glow of those wheels' shine reflected in the walls above and floors below as faint flashes that quickly disappeared from the eye, but nonetheless indicated their crossing.

She had to get them! Well, she tried to, but the moment she sprung forward, she slipped again and her legs split! Chihiro groaned and stood up once more, her arms held outstretched so she didn't fall, then she took a few steps forward and slid right into a wall. Owch. So, she tried to stand up and walk once more, but she just tumbled over her own feet and rolled right back to the beginning of the icy fields! Chihiro groaned as she pulled her head out of the snow that barred the two entryways and shook it off, then sighed and frowned as her cold breath flew across the field.

"Didn't I do something like this before?" Chihiro remarked as she tapped her face.

The faintest memory slipped into her mind, and a small smile crossed her face. Yes, she actually did do something like this before! Slam Bam had taught her how to skate, all the way back when they went to Vindlevale that one time! She could still just vaguely recall what he had taught her back then—hopefully, what she recalled was right. Chihiro held her arms out as she stood back up, and with a pair of stomps her shoes transformed into ice skates! Her equipment set, Chihiro leaned forward and let the ice take her. The floor screeched underneath her feet as she slid forward, and she bent down and strode across the ice while her blades scratched across its surface.

"Now go like this," Chihiro whispered to herself as she slid around a corner and bent down underneath an overhead icicle. Her eyes narrowed as she zipped down the hill and across the field, then she swerved around a large ice formation. "And then do this…"

A large, icy ramp fell before Chihiro's eyes, and she only pushed further! The ramp came closer and closer, but she just took one last stride and dashed up in the blink of an eye! Flecks of ice and snow sparkled around her like diamonds as she pirouetted in the air, then slammed back down and skated off! The faint pulses of yellow and purple, red and green from ahead grew brighter as she skated forward, then she grinned and leaped forward with one last stride! The yellow wheel paused in midair and turned around right as she loomed over it, and she snatched it up in one single grasp.

"AND YOU'VE GOT YOUR WHEEL!"

The yellow wheel's glow grew bright as it pressed and pushed against her hand, but Chihiro just summoned a bag made of magic and whistled as she stuffed it inside! The wheel pushed the bag in every direction as it tried to escape, but Chihiro just closed it tight and tied it to her pants. One down, three to go! The red, green and purple wheels' lights flared like a siren, and she drew in to its call! Chihiro leaned forward and skated forward, while the ceiling above her slowly started to rumble—not enough to draw her attention at first, but when the icicles above broke off and crashed into the floor, that definitely changed! Chihiro gasped and ducked as shattered icicles bits flew above her, then she turned her head up as the ceiling's groans sent more icicles crashing down. Chihiro yelped and skidded away just before one could slice her in half, then skated off as the rumbles grew more intense and sent not just ice, but massive mounds of snow crashing down to the ground—and right in front of the way ahead, to boot!

She stopped so short that she fell right on her rump as the snow piles blocked the way ahead, then she scrambled backwards as the snow shook. Fanged, snarling faces formed in their fluffy white exteriors as legs formed underneath them, then they swayed side to side as arms popped out from their sides, and finally their faces popped out and roared! Chihiro gasped and scrambled back further, but while they roared and stomped, she just barely caught the sight of colorful glows floating down the halls! Wait, the wheels—they were escaping!

"Sorry guys, I'd love to play," Chihiro cried as she jumped back to her feet and skated underneath them, "but I've got wheels to catch!"

With one last pirouette, Chihiro leaped away from the ice and onto soft, fluffy snow, while her skates disappeared and turned back to regular shoes! She panted out fluffy, cold white clouds as she dashed down the halls, while behind her roars shook the caverns around her and cracked the smaller icicles that hung from the ceiling to bits! Chihiro cast one glance aside as the icicles' fragments rained down, but the sight of large shadows creeping across the wheels turned her back up front. Those monsters were catching up, she had to hurry! So as she ran, Chihiro tapped her heels together and gained a burst of speed! She squealed with glee as she ran with such furry that a flurry of snow kicked up behind her, and in front of her, the rest of the wheels glowed as they floated down the halls! She had them in her sights!

"Alright, now's my chance!" Chihiro cried! She leaped forward, and her eyes grew wider as the glows grew closer and brighter. "I've got you—"

PLOP!

"Now?!"

A massive blob of snow dropped in front of Chihiro and leaped from the ground as its impact blew her back into the snow, then it snarled as it grew a body and limbs and glared Chihiro down! Chihiro snarled back right at it as she readied a sphere, but her spheres disappeared into sparkles as furious stomping and growling echoed from behind her! She gulped as she staggered back up, and lifted her head right as the snow monsters she had abandoned caught right back up with her! All around her, their growls and snarls sounded as they sharpened their icy claws against the walls.

"All of you guys against one, huh?" Chihiro remarked as she summoned a sword and clutched its handle tight. "I've dealt with worse!"

Chihiro held her sword high as she zeroed in on one monster's kneecaps—one clean blow, and the whole thing would go tumbling down! So, she cried out as she rushed forward and prepared to cut it down… But at the last moment, her cries were joined by a chorus! Chihiro stopped mid-slice and turned right around, as did the monsters as they lifted their heads to the back of the hall! As they watched dumbfounded, a massive snowball round the corner, bounced off one wall and soared right over their head!

The snowball smashed right into the monster Chihiro was prepared to slice down and blew it to bits as it crashed down on the floor, while the snow that surrounded it exploded in all directions to reveal its true contents—Eruptor, Terrafin, Cynder and Whirlwind! Their heads spun around as they groaned and forced themselves up, while Chihiro just beamed and tossed away her word.

"Everyone, you're here!" She cried! Chihiro giggled as she bounded forward and tackled Eruptor and Terrafin in a tight hug, then grinned as they shook off their dizziness and sat back up. "What're you doing in that giant snowball, anyways?"

"Well, we were looking for you," Cynder remarked as she flew around and pulled Chihiro away. "Just what were you doing running off like that, anyways?"

"Beats me!" Chihiro shrugged as she peered back up at Cynder. "Those wheels I was carrying just started glowing and flew off into this cave! I've been tailing them, but—"

Chihiro raised her brow as a low sizzle came from below her, then she lifted up the bag around her belt… Except it was hot to the touch! Chihiro squealed and dropped in, and in response it burst into sparkles while the wheel that was inside sparkled and dashed off! Chihiro gasped, yanked herself out of Cynder's grip and dashed after it, then scrambled right back as one of the snow monsters jumped right in front of her! The remaining snow monsters growled as they blocked off the ways ahead, their icy hands balled into fists while sharp icicle fangs lined their mouths. They snarled as they leaned closer towards Chihiro, Eruptor, Terrafin, Cynder and Whirlwind… And yet, the five of them didn't seem worried at all!

"Actually, I think we can save the explanations for later," Whirlwind remarked as her horn flared with rainbow light. "We've got bigger problems right now!"

"You've got that right!" Terrafin spat as he glared down the gigantic snow monsters before him.

Chihiro chuckled, then summoned another sword and rose it to the ceiling. "Skylanders!" She cried as she swung down her sword. "ATTACK!"

"Right!" Eruptor, Terrafin, Cynder and Whirlwind all called back in tandem!

Eruptor sprung in front of the second snow monster, then clapped his hands and sent lava spewing over the cold floors! The lava evaporated the snow and ice below into thin streams of steam, while the snow monsters only hooted and squealed as it stumbled back from the lava's hot touch. And with it distracted, Eruptor just nodded back to Terrafin, who sprung above Eruptor and socked the monster right in the chest! The monster cried out in pain as it crashed into the floor below and collapsed into a mound of snow, while Terrafin just fell down and beamed back at Eruptor… Then, the ground ahead shuddered as the remaining snow leaped up and formed an even larger snow monster! The snow monster yanked its head forward and roared so hard that it not only blew Eruptor and Terrafin back, but spat icicles right towards them! And in the heat of the moment, Eruptor hacked out a storm of fireballs! The fireballs slammed into the icicles in the center of the fleet one by one, and they all burst into a massive steam clouds!

Cynder and Whirlwind, meanwhile, slid out of the way as the icicles slipped past them and stabbed the monster behind them in the chest, then shot forward as electricity crackled around them. The two of them spun around each other faster and faster as the lightning crackled, then as they drew towards the monster, they formed into one big lightning bolt that stabbed the monster right in the chest! The monster groaned and collapsed into snow as Whirlwind and Cynder split apart, then smirked as they shook snow from their bodies.

Behind them, Chihiro laid her eyes on the snow monster before her, who only wailed in pain as it tried to yank the giant icicles from its chest. It was completely immobilized, only able to squeal as its trembling hands fruitlessly tugged on the icicle that stabbed it.

"Now, how's about we finish this with a bang?" Chihiro asked.

She held a hand out, and in response a giant cannon made of magic formed beside her! With a giggle, she snapped her fingers and crafted a match, then struck it against the cannon's fuse and whisked it away as she plugged her ears.

"FIRE!"

The cannon shot out a cannonball with a bang, and the cannonball slammed right through the snow monster with an even louder one! The snow monster screeched as the cannonball shot right through its chest, and its face melted away as it groaned and collapsed into the snow below!

Chihiro just chuckled as the cannon vanished beside her. "That was easy," she remarked… Then, her face fell as she tapped her foot. "A little too easy…"

The ground quaked and rumbled as the snow bounced around it in tandem, and Chihiro only gulped.

"And something tells me it isn't over yet!"

Growls and roars echoed through the halls as snow monsters sprung up from the ground, all so massive that they completely blocked the ways around once more! Their very presence was so cold that mist formed around the area, and even the lava Eruptor had sent out chilled and turned to icy-cold rock underneath their feet!

Everyone winced, then steadied themselves as they leaped forward and faced the monsters once more! Terrafin dug through the snow and shot through a row with a massive punch, Cynder dashed through another row, Eruptor and Whirlwind combated a group with both fireballs and stormclouds, and Chihiro even dashed below and cut them down with her sword! The monsters all groaned and collapsed into snow around them, and for a moment they all took a breather… But, the roars sounded off once more and the monsters leaped back up again!

"There's no stopping these guys!" Eruptor cried. "Every time we knock them down, they just get back up again!"

"Guess there's only one thing we can do!" Chihiro shouted as she backed up.

"And that is?" Everyone else asked as they turned to her.

Chihiro gulped, then vanquished her sword and down between two monsters' legs.

"BOOK IT!"

With a flick of her hands, a toboggan big enough for five manifested in front of Chihiro, and she quickly jumped on and snatched the reins.

"Hop on!" Chihiro cried as she turned back to the others.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Eruptor cried as he hopped on.

Terrafin, Cynder and Whirlwind were quick to follow, and all of them clung tight to each other as Chihiro snapped the reins and sent the toboggan sliding down the halls! The monsters stampeded behind them, but the five of them just clenched their teeth as they clutched each other tight. That is, until a large icicle fell from the ceiling and shattered beside them!

Chihiro swerved out of the way just in time, but in her haste to escape, she didn't notice the rocky ramp that laid before her! She turned around right as the toboggan hit the ramp, and all five of them went flying and screaming as the toboggan jumped off! They all quickly crashed down on the toboggan and groaned as they sat up and clutched each other one more… Then screamed as their eyes fell on an icy floor full of pits before them!

"Chihiro, Chihiro, turn right!" Eruptor cried as he jabbed his hands at the floor!

Chihiro clenched her teeth as she pulled the toboggan to the right, then screamed and swerved left just before she could fall into another pit! She sighed and wiped the frozen icicles of sweat from her face, and in the moment her eyes popped open, they fell on another pit coming in dangerously close! She screamed and twisted the toboggan to the left, just barely brushing against the rim of the pit and sending everyone behind her screaming as they clung to the toboggan for dear life, but as they regained their seats, they all grunted and slammed into Chihiro, who herself had stopped a bit short as she swerved out of a wall's way!

"Give me that!" Eruptor snipped as he yanked the reins from Chihiro's hands (or at least, yanked them the best he could given his lack of fingers), "I'll handle the steering from here!"

Eruptor pulled the reins away as another pit came in sight, but despite all the pulling and prodding and yanking he did, the toboggan wouldn't even budge. It just slid further and further down across the icy floors, kicking up fluffy clouds of mist and snow as it zipped straight for the holes! Eruptor screamed and pulled even more frantically, and yet the reins just slipped from his round hands! Eruptor blinked, then he and Chihiro screamed and clung to each other as the toboggan nearly dipped into the pit!

But before it could, Terrafin burst forward and yanked the reins! The toboggan slipped right and skirted around the pit as Eruptor and Chihiro drew back from each other, and both of them breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll take things from here," Terrafin grunted as he squeezed himself between Chihiro and Eruptor, the reins held tight in his grip. "You just sit tight!"

Terrafin snarled, his fangs packed tight as his eyes fell on the masses of pits and holes that had been tightly squeezed together! He hastily yanked the reins this way and that as the toboggan bumped and rattled with every side and tiny hole it hit! In the back, Cynder and Whirlwind both let out jilted screams that vibrated as the back of the toboggan bumped and shuddered with every hole it hit, and finally Cynder snarled as she jumped up and pushed Terrafin away.

"Who in Skylands taught you how to steer?!" Cynder snapped as she flung her tailfin in Terrafin's face, pushing him away as she yanked the reins up. "You're not supposed to run over every hole you can!"

Cynder flicked her tail against as she prepared to make another smart remark, then grunted as the toboggan started to tip over. She flung forward and grunted, forced to cling to the front of the toboggan, while Terrafin slipped back into his place and yanked the reins from Cynder as he tilted the toboggan back onto solid ground! The toboggan slid down once more, and Cynder and Terrafin both shot glares at each other.

"And you're supposed to look where you're going!" Terrafin shot back as he fixed his eyes on the path ahead and swerved past another pit. "Just let me take care of this!"

Cynder scoffed as Terrafin slipped past another hole, then gasped and yanked the reins away! Terrafin shouted out as she pushed him aside in her attempt to steer away, and Terrafin just pushed back before he could slip off the toboggan!

"Hey, watch it!" Terrafin shouted as he pulled back the reins and barely slid past another hole as he glared down Cynder.

"You nearly drove us right into that hole!" Cynder shouted back as she pulled the reins!

Chihiro, Eruptor and Whirlwind all cried out as the toboggan slid left, but another yank from Terrafin slid right! The two of them shouted and groaned as the toboggan slipped left and right amid Terrafin and Cynder's squabbling and shouting! Chihiro herself groaned and leaned on Eruptor, his eyes spinning around in her head as the fighting rang in her ears. The screech of the toboggan sledding against the ice was hardly a footnote in her mind as she shook her head, then groaned and lifted herself up to be met with her own reflection in an oncoming wall of ice! Chihiro quickly yanked the reins away from Terrafin and Cynder and veered off, then sighed as the toboggan slipped down the ice.

"From now on," Chihiro panted as she squished herself between Terrafin and Cynder and hung her head, "just let me drive."

The two of them both scoffed, but nonetheless shuffled apart and let Chihiro take the reins.

The ride itself was quiet as Chihiro steered the toboggan down the cool, icy floors below, which were now thankfully free of pits! Instead, the crystal clear ice floors had been dusted with a thin coat of frost that glistened like diamond dust, while the walls were crystallized and reflected them as they passed by on the toboggan in all sorts of shiny pastel colors! Clear, crisp, cold wind flew in from small holes and cracks within the walls and brought not just a pleasant breeze, but a cool chime as well! The whole area sparkled and twinkled while the reflections fragmented and morphed, almost like a hall of mirrors at a carnival, and the tension from earlier completely melted away as everyone admired their reflection in the mirrors… Well, everyone save for Eruptor, who sulked as he laid on his back. Poor guy probably got so dizzy from earlier that his stomach was in knots!

Chihiro shrugged as she peered back down at him, then lifted up her head and grinned as her reflection slipped from mirror to mirror. But, as she passed by one, brighter, richer flashes of color burst in the mirrors! Red and greens, some purple and yellows too, ones that were far brighter and clearer than what the mirrors had to offer! Chihiro gasped as a twinkling sound hit her ears, then she turned her head around to find those wheels hovering right beside her!

"There you are!" Chihiro cried! She leaned forward and snapped for them, but the wheels just spun around and zipped off right before her eyes!

The wheels twinkled and left behind a trail of sparkles as they rounded the corner, and Chihiro just scoffed and tossed the reins in Terrafin's arms!

"Actually, you take the reins, Fin!" Chihiro cried as she leaped off the toboggan and smacked her feet together, "I'm getting those wheels!"

Chihiro's boots glowed as she hit the ground, and a magic snowboard formed right underneath her feet! The icy floors glowed cyan as Chihiro leaned forward and skated down the way, the faint flashes of red and green light her guide as she pursued them down the halls! The wheels came just a bit closer in view, enough that Chihiro could catch glimpses and slivers of their crystal amid the light, so she leaned in and prepared to jump! But, as she pressed forward, her legs bent over a little too quickly and she fell over her own feet! A nasty chill hit her bones and sharp twinges of pain fell over her body as she crashed face-first into the floor, then tumbled over and rolled down the hall! Her arms numbed from the cold as the ice slammed against her body, and she screamed as the world around her spun, dizzying and spiraling and barely coherent aside from the flashes of color! She slammed into a wall and rolled off the left while the world grew darker… Then something yanked her by her back and pulled her into a smooth, strong grip!

"You alright, Chi?" Terrafin asked.

Chihiro shook her head, and though the world around her still blurred and danced, she could barely make out Terrafin's face! Chihiro weakly nodded, her head still spinning too badly to talk, and she just crawled over to a reddish blur that she guessed was Eruptor and leaned against him. The warmth from his body unfroze her numb, cold body, and her head finally cleared enough to catch a glimpse of the path ahead!

Except, something was wrong—the lights, they were completely gone! Had the wheels finally shaken them? Well, that wasn't much of a concern to Chihiro, because a massive icy ramp had formed in the stretch ahead!

Terrafin grunted as he tried to steer away, but they had come in so fast and so soon that he didn't get a chance! The toboggan dashed up the ramp and leaped up as everyone onboard screamed, then it dipped down and crashed like a comet towards a thin, icy floor! The toboggan came in so fast that it completely smashed through the floor, its body reduced to sparkly, crystalline shards as the toboggan vanished in puffs of sparkles and painted them in shades of blue!

And with the toboggan gone, Chihiro, Terrafin, Eruptor, Cynder and Whirlwind could only scream and tumble down into the dark abyss below! The screams echoed, ruminating around the chamber as they sank into the realms below… And as they disappeared, only silence rang.

§

Tree Rex, Thumpback, Eye-Brawl and Swarm all gasped as Noodles leaped down before them, their eyes wide as they fluttered open and shut. This Noodles person had finally shown himself at last, with his icy blue eyes fixed on them! His green skin and tall, black mohawk had been tinged with patches of frost, and snow covered the dark blue, amber-encrusted sash and gloves he wore, though it was notably absent from his black snow pants and blue boots. He grinned a grin that showed all his sharp, white fangs as he crossed his arms, but, that was far from the most notable thing about him!

No, it was that he, he, he was… Small! When they had heard word of this awful person known as Noodles, they had expected a giant, a titan even, but he was no bigger than the average cyclops! And with him being so demure in size, his haughtiness seemed hardly threatening as he glared down Tree Rex and uncrossed his arms.

"Well, well, look what we have here!" Noodles cried as he hopped down from his cliffside position and glared down the quartet. "Some intruders poking around where they don't belong!"

Noodles leaped down from the cliff and grinned as he crossed his arms. He barely even reached their ankles, and yet he still carried himself with an air of confidence as he stood them down. He was either very full of himself, very dumb, or maybe just a little bit of both.

"You may have been able to get past my defenses, but there's no way you'll get my robot! Noodles, the great and powerful evil ice lord—" Noodles paused mid-rant and turned around with a frown. "Wait, what's with those looks?"

Tree Rex, Thumpback, Eye-Brawl and Swarm all blinked as they faced down Noodles, then Swarm burst into utter, hapless laughter! He slapped his knees and clutched his chest, then wiped away his tears with a grin.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just," Swarm cackled. "You're just this little guy and you're acting like you can beat us?"—Swarm cleared his throat and smirked—"I mean, there's four of us, and we're all way bigger and more powerful than you are! There's no way!"

Eye and Tree Rex both reluctantly nodded.

"That's kind of a haughty way of putting it, but it's true," Eye remarked.

"At our size, being threatened by something so small is like having a kitten hiss at us," Tree Rex remarked. He cleared his throat, and his eyes narrowed. "But, that's of no matter right now!"—Tree Rex shoved a finger right in Noodles' face and snarled—"give that ghost his home back and leave this place! You have no business tearing it apart this way!"

Swarm, Thumpback and Eye-Brawl all nodded in tandem, and Noodles only gulped as he stepped back. It seemed as though it finally clicked for a moment how unevenly matched they were as his legs started to tremble… But then, he grinned!

"It's true, you guys are pretty big," Noodles remarked as he turned around. "But, Noodles has a robot that's even bigger than you guys!"—Noodles dashed off with a grin—"and once Noodles gets in it, you'll all be flatter than icecakes!"

"He's running away!" The ghost cried. "Quickly, before he gets in the robot!"

Noodles cackled as he dashed up the ramp across the mountains, and Tree Rex only snarled as he bolted off. Thumpback and Brawl sprung forward behind him while Swarm and Eye flew on both sides, and all their eyes were fixed tight on Noodles and sent chills down his spine. He turned back around as their pounding footsteps shook the area, then he screamed as he turned forward and frantically whistled!

"Snowballs cannons, start!" Noodles cried as he dashed ahead!

While Noodles fled the scene, parts of the icy wall beside them all shuddered and completely vanished! Gigantic cannons made of ice popped from their vacancies and hovered above the path, then shuddered as they fired off rounds of massive snowballs—all of which had their sights set on Tree Rex, Thumpback, Eye-Brawl and Swarm!

They all gasped and ducked as the snowballs sprung forward, then bolted down underneath their massive onslaught of snow, but the cannons just swiveled around and started shooting down below! The five of them all sprung back and flattened themselves against the walls as a row of snowballs shot forward, then bounced off the wall as another one hurtled straight for them! They ducked under another blast, leaped above a second, practically twisted themselves into a pretzel as a third came!

One snowball smacked Swarm right in the face, and he snarled as he wiped it off. "That's it!" Swarm cried as thunderclouds formed around his barbs, "I've had enough of this!"—Swarm thrust his arms forward and set his electrically-charged barbs on the cannons ahead—"I didn't come here to play dodgeball!"

Swarm slid backwards as barbs shot off from his arms and slammed right through the snowballs, which exploded into snow as the barbs sliced clean through them and slammed into the cannons! The cannons frizzed and sparked as the electricity fried their insides, then puffs of smoke popped out of their bellows as they slunk down!

"I spy an opportunity!" Eye cried as he zipped forward!

Eye glowed with a light so bright that he looked little more than a glowing orb with wings, then he flew back as a massive laser came from his center and completely obliterated the cannons! Their fried remains crashed down onto the icy path below and rolled down the mountain, while Eye just turned around and hummed… Then cried out as something shot him in the back!

Eye hurtled right into Brawl's arms, his body sore and chilly and as he moaned in pain, and beside him Thumpback just withdrew his anchor and frowned. At the end of the rope, another snowball cannon gleefully fired snowballs away with all sorts of gusto. But, as the snowballs flew, Thumpback just charged ahead and swung his anchor forward! The snowballs broke to bits under the might of his anchor's metal, then the anchor slammed into the cannon's base and wrapped tight around it! With one pull from Thumpback, the anchor yanked the cannon off the mountain's side and released!

The anchor slid back into Thumpback's hands as the cannon bounced off the side of the mountain, and he sprung forward once more with everyone tailed close behind him. Just above the horizons, his eyes fell on Noodles, who hastily skated up the side of an icy bowl… And leaped right up to where the robot sat idle! Thumpback's eyes popped up at the very sight, and he quickly turned back to the others.

"He's almost there!" Thumpback cried as he hit the top and leaped into the ice bowl. "We have to—"—Thumpback's legs skittered and tapped against the sleek ice, and he screamed as he slid down the side—"hurry!"

Thumpback screamed as he slid and slipped across the ice bowl, his arms held out as he tried to steady himself, but to no use! He just rolled around the bowl, then finally slid across the bowl and leaped right onto the other side!

"Thumpback!" Tree Rex cried as he bolted forward, "Don't worry, I'll get—"—Tree Rex slipped forward and fell on his chest—"YOUUUUUUUUUU!"

Tree Rex's screams quickly joined Thumpback's as they both spun in large circles around the rim of the ice bowl, while the ghost only floated onto a snowy platform and winced.

"Calm down, everyone!" The ghost cried, though even his loudest voice was barely a whisper over the winds. "Just stand up and bend down, you should stop then!"

But, Thumpback and Tree Rex didn't even hear him! They just continue to scream and slide around the ice bowl, while the ghost just sighed and shook his head.

"Well, I tried to tell them."

Swarm and Eye both cast worried glances at each other, then Swarm hovered in the air and zipped down to the bowl.

"You take care of that Noodles guy!" Swarm shouted as he dashed down to the bowl, "I'll get everyone else!"

"Aye-aye!" Eye cried as he zipped off.

Swarm buzzed as he floated down and grappled for Thumpback's hand right as Thumpback slid underfoot, but Thumpback quickly jumped back up as Tree Rex crashed into him and yanked Swarm down by the foot! Swarm screamed as both he and Tree Rex slid across one end of the ice bowl, then leaped up the rim and slid back across as they fell back down!

Brawl gently tapped his foot against the ice, then slid down and held his hands behind his back as he skated across the bowl! He carried himself with grace as he glided across the ice… But he planted face-first into the ice as Swarm and Tree Rex crashed into him! They all screamed as one blow from Thumpback slammed into them all and pushed them across the bowl and right onto the snow! They all groaned and spit out snow as they staggered up, their bodies covered in burns and throbbing red spots from all the slipping and sliding they did against the harsh cold of the ice.

"Is everyone alright?" The ghost asked as he floated before Tree Rex.

"Maybe," Tree Rex panted back as he shook snow off of his head.

"I don't think I'm made for ice skating," Swarm remarked as his eyes spun around in his head.

"This reminds me of when I caught the two-faced ballerinafish in the middle of a storm," Thumpback groaned. "No, this was much worse."

They all just groaned as they finally gave out and collapsed back onto the floor. But, their pain was forgotten as a snow-covered Eye crashed right before them! Brawl gasped and swept Eye up in his arms, while a firm cackle echoed from across the way!

All eyes turned to the end of the platform, where Noodles grinned as he climbed into the chest of the robot and disappeared as the door closed behind him! The robot's eyes flashed bright as the robot heaved itself up, and those cackles grew louder and more booming, enough to send snow flying all across the area! Though Tree Rex, Thumpback, Eye-Brawl, Swarm and ghost clung to the ground in some attempt to keep from being blown back into the bowl, Noodles hardly cared!

"Now you're really in for it!" Noodles cried, his voice amplified and robotic thanks to the robot's filters. "You're all gonna get crushed!"

"We'll see about that!" Tree Rex cried as he leaped to his feet.

Thumpback and Swarm popped up beside Tree Rex and snarled, while Brawl just popped Eye onto his head and stormed up. Tree Rex cast a glance back, then squeezed his fist. The ghost flitted away and winced, but a smile from Tree Rex eased his fears enough to take sanctuary down in the ice bowl.

"Everyone, get into the robot suit dismantle formation!" Tree Rex cried as he turned his attention to the robot.

"Right!" Thumpback, Swarm and Eye-Brawl cried back!

Tree Rex cried out as he charged forward while bright light and churning green smoke alike swirled at the tip of his solar cannon, and beside him Swarm and Eye flew off while Thumpback and Brawl charged at the robot's eyes! They all screamed as they leaped forward and prepared to fight…

But Noodles just sighed and smashed his fists down onto a pair of snowy cliffs that flanked their sides! The cliffs rumbled as their icy halves smashed off and crashed into the ground, which trembled as their shattered remains crashed down below in an icy avalanche!

Brawl, Thumpback and Tree Rex stopped mid-strike and turned around, then charged out of the way as the first avalanche stormed through and coated the ground below in a thick mass of ice, but the second one stormed through and swept them up in its grasp before they even noticed! As the second avalanche settled, they all groaned and popped their heads out of the snow, then leaped into the air as Noodles slammed his fist onto the ground!

They all screamed as they flew forward, but as the robot's hand flew above them, Tree Rex latched onto its finger and flipped himself onto the hand's base! He cried out as he stormed up the robot's arm, then flung out his solar cannon and sent blasts of thick green smog and bright sunlight right across its chest! The robot cried in pain as it flailed its arm and tossed him back to the ground, but it didn't dislodge the searing bursts Tree Rex had planted in its chest any!

Swarm grinned as he hovered in front of the robot, then held out all three of his stingers and sent out a barrage of barbs that slammed right into the bursts and detonated them! Swarm flew away and cackled as the bursts exploded into bright green lights and smog, but the robot only cried in pain and stumbled backwards! As he did, a bright laser shot out from the robot's head and slammed into an icy cliff!

A part of the cliff crashed down onto the ground and fell aside as the rest of it crumbled, and Eye-Brawl and Thumpback just perked up. The two of them dashed up to the ice chunk and grunted as they lifted it up, then flung it straight into the robot's chest! The robot screamed and reeled back as the ice shattered and dented its already burning chest, but it quickly regained its balance and leaned forward.

"You think messing with Noodles' robot is funny, huh?!" Noodles cried as he flailed his arms. "Well, Noodles'll show you funny!"

The robot screeched as its eyes glowed brighter, and massive lasers shot out from its eyes and carved into the icy platform below! Thick cracks formed as entire chunks of the ice collapsed underfoot and crashed to bits, while white smoke leaped up from the cliff and coated the rest in a thick fog!

Swarm, Eye-Brawl and Thumpback all jumped back as a massive crack formed underneath them and sent part of the platform crashing down, but as the platform fell, Tree Rex slipped down and went falling with it! His hand latched onto the side of the cliff at the last minute, but it was so cold and slick, he could barely keep his grip! He only gulped as his eyes fell on the shattered ice miles underneath him, then he grunted as he swung up and grappled for the cliff with his other hand!

"Boss!" Swarm cried! He immediately fell to his knees and strained as he tried to pull Tree Rex up… But even with all his might, he could barely yank Tree Rex up!

So, Thumpback and Eye-Brawl lined up behind Swarm and pulled along with him! The three of them all grunted as they pulled Tree Rex back onto the platform, while Tree Rex just groaned and staggered up. The four of them smiled as Tree Rex stood to full height, when a massive shriek sounded from aside! They turned around, then screamed as a laser crashed below their feet and shot them into the cliff behind! A crack sounded behind them as they popped off of the cliff and collapsed onto the ground, and they all groaned as they laid cold and sprawled. Though they tried to push themselves up, the weariness of battle and the chills of the area around had sapped all their strength, and they could only lay on the ground. The most they could force themselves to do was glare at Noodles while he loomed over them.

"That's what you get for trying to challenge the great evil ice lord!" Noodles boomed. "Now, let's get this over with!"

Noodles' eyes flashed with brighter light as shrieks came from their panels, then their lights grew brighter and warmer as he charged up another laser blast! Noodles cackled as the Elder Elementals glared him down… Save for Thumpback, who just staggered up and dashed in front of the others!

"Wait, don't do it!" Thumpback cried as he flung his arms in front of the others, limbs still trembling from their injuries but standing nonetheless. "It's not a good idea, I'm telling you!"

"Huh? Says who?" Noodles shot back as his eyes' light glowed even brighter. "Give one good reason why Noodles shouldn't just wipe you off the face of this glacier!"

"Because!" Thumpback placed a hand on his chest, "as a member of Captain Frightbeard's crew, I know where the treasure he buried here is!"

"Treasure?" The light in the robot's face faded completely, but a sparkle still shone as it clapped its hands. "Noodles likes treasure!" Noodles proclaimed. "What kind of treasure is it?"

Thumpback just smiled and cleared his throat.

"Why, a bounty with only the finest treasures you could dream of!" Thumpback proclaimed. "Rare jewels, mountains of gold as far as the eye can see, ancient artifacts and weapons… It had practically anything you could ever imagine! In fact…"

Eye-Brawl, Swarm and Tree Rex raised their brows and frowned as Thumpback continued on his spiel, but Noodles was absolutely enamored! He just bounced up and down and clapped his hands together with every word Thumpback spoke, as if just the very notion made his heart do flips in his chest. Of course, with Noodles being in the robot still, this also caused the entire valley to shake and nearly knocked everyone else off their feet, but Noodles paid it no mind as Thumpback continued to ramble.

"And that's just the things I remembered!" Thumpback proclaimed as he crossed his arms. "For all I know, there could be much more out there!"

"Where is it, where is it?" Noodles begged. "Noodles wants to know where the treasure is!"

"Oh, I'll tell you." Thumpback released his crossed arms. "But, only if you beats me in a fishing contest!"—Thumpback placed a hand on his chest—"and if I win, you'll give us that robot!"

Noodles hummed and placed a hand on his robotic chin, then finally the robot slunk over and fell inactive as Noodles dashed back out of its chest! Noodles paused and hopped over a crack in the fields as he scurried over, then he leaped up and grabbed Thumpback's hand.

"It's a deal!" Noodles cried as he furiously shook the hand, then dashed over to the ice bowl and slid down. "Noodles is going to prepare now!"

As Noodles cheered and disappeared down the bowl, Tree Rex, Swarm and Eye-Brawl frowned. Their strength returned just long enough for them to claw their way out of the snow and crowd around Thumpback, who only hummed as he crossed his arms.

"Hey Thumps, is there really treasure buried here?" Swarm whispered as he flitted up to Thumpback's earhole.

The cool, calm look that Thumpback held faded into a frown, and he only shook his head. "Actually, no—I was just bluffing to buy us time."

Everyone else's eyes popped open, but Thumpback only smiled as he held his anchor.

"But don't worry—I'm sure I'm going to win this. I didn't spend all those years fishing for nothing, after all."

So, they all frowned as they followed Thumpback back down into the ice bowl... Then screamed as they slipped and went sliding once more!

§

Chihiro groaned and brushed the snow off of her head as she finally pulled her cold, almost numb body off the ground. The whole room around her was dark as night and icy-cold, but the faint sound of moaning and groaning and a soft crackle of amber light in the distance showed that she wasn't alone! In fact, that soft, amber light came with a kind of heat, one that drew her in until it glowed brighter and brighter, while a faint shape formed in its light! Chihiro crawled over to where it was brightest, then held up her hands and drank in its heat.

"Eruptor, is that you?" Chihiro asked as the warmth tinged her cheeks rosy with frost.

The source of the amber light groaned, then flipped out of the snowy grounds as the soft snow melted and evaporated into steam on its warm, rocky body—and sure enough, it was Eruptor! His eyes spun around in his skull, but with a pinch of his brow they quickly settled themselves. How that was achieved was uncertain, considering that Eruptor didn't have fingers, but bygones were bygones.

"Think so," Eruptor grumbled with a shudder. "Whatever this place is, whoever owns it needs to turn on the heat!"—Eruptor shuddered once again, then rubbed his shoulders while his amber light grew brighter and warmer—"it's freezing in here!"

"You've got that right." Chihiro turned her eyes up to the never-ending dark of the ceiling, then down to her palms. "How's about I shed some light on this place, too?"

Chihiro clapped her hands, and out from her palms came a bright, warm cyan sphere of light! She nuzzled it against her cheek for a few moments, then bounced it in her hands before tossing it to the ceiling! Its warm light exploded and coated the area around in a cyan tint as it lit the way, and revealed that around them, Terrafin, Cynder and Whirlwind laid in the snow! The three of them groaned as they shook off snow and dizziness and pulled their faces from the snow, tired and trembling from cold. But, they were alive still!

"You all alright?" Chihiro asked as she stood up.

Moans and grumbles came from them as they finally stood on their own feet, but then they all nodded and grinned.

"Yeah, pretty sure we are," Whirlwind remarked as she brushed powdery snow from her wings and peered up. "But where are we, anyways?"

Chihiro frowned, then turned back to the walls around her and grinned. The walls around were made of solid, pure crystal unlike the cold ice of before, and they all shone with a radiant rainbow light that flashed in all sorts of pastel shades, each tinted cyan by the light Chihiro had cast! Their light reflected on the snowy floors and lit it in a rainbow array of color, and the gentle, colorful sparkles gave a kind of tranquil beauty accentuated by the faint chiming sounds and what appeared to be the sound of dripping water. Wait, why would water be dripping in such a cold place—shouldn't it have frozen over? Ah well, it was so pretty that Chihiro couldn't mind it too much.

"It's beautiful here!" Whirlwind remarked as she padded through the snow and admired her rainbow-tinted reflection in one of the crystal walls. "All these colors remind me of the auroras back in Winter Keep."

Eruptor and Terrafin both silently nodded in agreement, and even Cynder, for all her coldness and grump, still cracked a smile.

"It's pretty, I guess," Cynder remarked as she walked between Chihiro and Whirlwind. Her smile faded, and Cynder brushed her wing against Chihiro's arm as she turned to her. "But, we can't stay here forever. We've still got a mission to attend to, you know."

Chihiro sighed and drew her hands away from the cold, but gentle grip of the crystal walls. Cynder was right—they did come here to get that robot back, to say nothing of the whole mission they had ahead of them. But, Chihiro couldn't rest until she got her wheels back! Except that posed another problem. Just where did those wheels go, anyways? Chihiro sighed and slid back down to the snowy floors, when a soft flash of purple light turned her and everyone else's attention aside! Pulses of purple light came from an open mouth carved into the crystals walls. A way out, maybe?

"Well, only one way to find out!" Chihiro remarked as she dashed down the path! The sound of footsteps and flapping wings behind her indicated the others' presence, but she didn't care so much for that as she did the bright, purple lights that shone across the crystal walls around and lit the paths below in shades of indigo and violet!

The light carried with it a semblance of magic, a kind of mesmerizing aura that drew Chihiro across the snowy paths as the lights faded and glowed in time with her own footsteps! She panted as the faint chills wormed their way into her legs and numbed them a bit, then she strode forward… And sank into the snow? Chihiro frowned, then peered down to find a trail of footsteps just her size that were embedded into the snowy paths! She turned aside, and the open mouth that lead back into the room where she fell still shone with its cool rainbow light.

"How did I get back here?" Chihiro asked. She rubbed her chin, then grunted as something hard and warm knocked her into the snow!

Chihiro pushed herself up and grunted as Eruptor rolled into the snow beside her, frowned and turned around as Terrafin, Cynder and Whirlwind ran up beside her, then towards a soft, while light coming from the wall.

"Chihiro, what'd you run off for?" Cynder asked as she flew up to Chihiro.

Chihiro cast a glance at Cynder, but only for a moment before her eyes fell on the walls before her. A single white crystal was embedded amid the shiny purple ones, and it shone with a light unlike the cool purples that the area drank in—it was small and faint, yet carried with it a stronger sense of magic than the others! And suspicious crystals like those were never placed without reason!

"Whatever this place is, it seems like there's no other ways out," Whirlwind remarked as she glanced back at the room where they came from. "Looks like we'll have to retrace our steps—"

"Or do we?" Chihiro chimed in.

Everyone crowded around Chihiro as their eyes fell on the crystal as well, and Chihiro took it as a sign to press the white crystal in—so she did! The crystal groaned and dimmed as it sank into the walls, which glowed like normal for a few moments. Then, the crystalline panels all folded into each other as the wall opened up before them! A fainter purple glow pulsed from within the opening's dark walls and flashed runic symbols unlike anything Chihiro had seen before, nor anyone else, judging from their wide eyes and gaping mouths.

"A secret tunnel!" Whirlwind cried. "But, where does it go?"

"Only one way to find out!" Chihiro chirped as she spun around and kicked up snow, then giggled as she raced down the tunnel.

The bright purple runes flashed and glowed brighter with every step Chihiro took, and the whole place shone with a magic aura much stronger than the tunnels before. From the strange glow of the runes on the walls to the cold, dark purple stones to the eerie dimness, the air of mystery it carried gave Chihiro a sense of belonging. It felt like home, almost—but given her choice to study the Magic Element, maybe it was only natural that she felt that way. Chihiro skidded to a stop as the path below her completely ended, but the runes just gained a steady glow that highlighted a path of lavender snow beneath her. A hill, perhaps? Chihiro giggled, then jumped up and knocked her shoes together to craft a snowboard underneath her feet! The board sloped down and screeched down the hill while snow kicked up around, then it disappeared as it hit the base of the hill.

A shining glow from the room ahead drew Chihiro in, so she passed inside and frowned. The floors below her were made of firm, but not cold stone, and the lighting here was a plain and simple whitish color compared to the fancy multicolor light of before. Even the walls and ceiling were made of simple, unassuming snow compared to the fancy crystals and ice of before. Right in front of her, a mural was painted on the stone walls ahead one that depicted humans donning wheel pendants and all sorts of fancy, ancient-looking garb fighting Arkeyan robots with all the powers of the elements at their disposal. The charge was lead by a woman with deep brown skin dressed in purples, with a purple wheel pendant rested on her neck.

Chihiro frowned, then drew closer to the mural and pressed her fingers against it. Something about it seemed somewhat familiar, but it was on the tip of her tongue and she just couldn't get it off. She drew her fingers further across the mural, and in response the whole area glowed with a lavender tint! She gasped and stumbled back as the purple glow shone down and tinted the area purple, while a few thunks turned her attention back to the front of the room.

"What is this place?" Terrafin remarked as he wiped the snow from his arms while Eruptor, Whirlwind and Cynder came in behind him. Terrafin crossed his arms and hummed. "Doesn't look like there's anything here."

"Well, nothing except for that fancy painting!" Eruptor remarked as he skipped up beside Chihiro and tilted his head. "Yep, that's one fancy painting." Eruptor raised a brow at Chihiro. "Hey Chi, what're you thinking about?"

"Whatever it is, it can wait for later," Cynder remarked as she turned back. "You can look at paintings of old humans all you want when we get out of here and get that robot back." Cynder wrapped her tail around Chihiro's arm. "Now let's go."

Cynder tugged at Chihiro's arm, but Chihiro didn't even budge! She kept eyes steady on the portrait, while an inkling of a feeling bubbled in her mind. Something familiar, something with a bit of an old-fashioned feeling...

"Wait a second, now I know where I recognize that person from!" Chihiro exclaimed as she pointed to the woman in the mural. "She's one of the ancient portal masters! I saw her in that book!"

"Quite correct, young one!" Boomed an echoing voice.

Cynder froze in her tracks, then zipped back up to the mural and snarled. "Just where did that voice come from?" She asked.

"From right here!"

The purple lighting in the room glowed even brighter and tinted the painting in all shades of purple as a warble came from its center, then out from it popped… The purple wheel! It shone even brighter than before as everyone backed away in the presence of its light, while a powerful magic aura radiated from its surface!

"There it is!" Chihiro cried as she basked in the wheel's light and reached out for it. "There's the wheel! I've been looking all over for you!"

Chihiro brushed her fingers out as she went to snatch the wheel, then gasped as a glowing lavender hand reached out from the wheel and grabbed her hand right back! Normally she'd had screamed and jumped back, but something about its presence felt… Calming, familiar almost. So, she just held the hand as the wheel's light morphed into the shape of a person's silhouette, while a sparkly, translucent string formed around the wheel's surface!

A soft chuckle warmed the room as the light faded away from the silhouette, and from it came a person's translucent ghost! It had a sparkly, purple glow of magic aura around it, and it took the form of a thin woman, one with kind purple eyes that brought to mind the very essence of magic itself with their sparkles and cool brown skin, deep and radiant as it drank in the purple light. Her long, purple locs had been carefully braided together to resemble a star in shape, with a bow in its center and more locs like ribbons or a shooting star's trail running down her back, and her eyelids and round, plump lips had been painted with sparkly purple makeup. The wheel pendant rested against her chest, snug tight within the many layers of purple silk and fabric she wore that formed into an elegant gown. She only chuckled as she rubbed her fingers, cold like a ghost but still with the warmth of magic, against Chihiro's own palms, and in that instant a kind of smallness from awe came over Chihiro. This woman, she carried herself with elegance and grace, yet with the same air of confidence that a leader held. She reminded Chihiro of Master Eon, in a sense—wise and calm, but still with a hint of whimsy and mystery to her.

"Thank you for waking me, young one," the woman remarked as she finally let go of Chihiro's hand, "I can't imagine how long I spent sleeping in that pendant, but it must have been quite a while—last I checked, the Northern Base hadn't been this frozen over." The woman's eyes popped up as her eyes fell on everyone's shocked faces, and she just chuckled. "Oh my, how rude of me, I forgot to introduce myself!"

The woman clutched the sides of her skirt as she fell into a curtsy.

"I am Sihiri, leader of the free magicians and guardian of the Magic Element."

Chihiro's eyes fluttered, and she clasped her hands and bowed her head. So she was one of the ancient portal masters! Chihiro had wanted to ask further, but something about being in Sihiri's presence left her a bit small and overwhelmed—guess she kind of understood how everyone else felt when they met the Elder Elementals.

"Excuse me, Miss Sihiri," Whirlwind remarked as she flew up to Sihiri, "just what exactly is going on here? What is this place, and, why were you in that wheel?"

"I'll explain on the way," Sihiri turned back to the mural and ran her hand across the mural's surface. "But first, we need to find the others—I can feel their presence in these caverns."

The mural rumbled as it halved itself and sank into the rest of the wall, while the space that once held it was unveiled to be a room full of pure magic and wonder! The whole room seemingly had no bottom, just endless stretches of sparkly purple and pink skies with puffy, sparkly candy-colored clouds and rainbows that swirled and stretched around the way like windy breezes! Fireworks and strange orbs burst into bright colors on occasion, while cubes and orbs and other shapes with runes and other shapes carved into them spun in endless propulsion. There was no sort of traditional pathway through the area, but some of the purple cubes that had been scattered about were aligned in a way that looked suspiciously like a path. Heck, a few of them even floated in front of them all as if offering a ride!

"Follow me!" Sihiri remarked as she leaped onto one of the cubes and took a seat. "Don't worry, it's perfectly safe. I crafted this room myself, after all."

Sihiri winked back, and Chihiro chuckled—something about how at ease Sihiri seemed eased Chihiro's own tension, so she hopped onto a block and knelt down! Terrafin, Eruptor, Whirlwind and Cynder joined them, and the blocks revved like cars as they soared around the area!

"You see, these pendants were more than just our symbols," Sihiri explained as she held up her wheel pendant, which sparkled as a burst of rainbows flew by her. "Though we may have had the Ancients' gifts at our disposal, the Arkeyans were much mightier than we were, and they had no problems wiping out forces out in droves! Their machines brought the end of many of our allies, and without the magic our bodies provided, we had no means of fighting the Arkeyans from beyond the grave."

Sihiri stopped short as the blocks stopped off at a single platform made of lavender stone, then hopped onto the platform and waved as the block beeped back at her! The block flew backwards, but in the process it slammed right into Eruptor and sent both blocks both spinning! While the passengerless block was quick to recover and went on its merry way, Eruptor just screamed as he spun around and slipped off! His round hands clung to the side of the block as best they could, but even he got flung back and slammed right into Terrafin!

The two of them screamed as they fell down into the abyss… Then Sihiri snapped her fingers and they stopped in midair! A bright, sparkly purplish-pink glow surrounded them as they floated in midair and landed beside Sihiri, who only grinned. A soft blush dusted Terrafin's face as he scratched his head and turned around, while Eruptor only chuckled and rubbed his own.

"That was a pretty nasty fall!" Chihiro remarked as she zipped up and hopped off her own block. "You guys alright?"

Terrafin just chuckled and forced a nod, then he lifted his head as the sound of flapping wings soared above him. Cynder and Whirlwind dashed off ahead, while before him Sihiri just chuckled and trailed down the stone path that spiraled ahead.

"As I was saying," Sihiri explained as Chihiro, Terrafin and Eruptor followed after her. "The Arkeyans were wiping our forces out in droves, and we needed something that could combat this. That was when one of our ranks suggested an idea—what if we had something that contained our magic essence, something that would allow us to harness the full range of our abilities even without our bodies?"

"And what was that, exactly?" Chihiro asked as she pushed herself between Terrafin and Eruptor and trailed up to Sihiri.

Sihiri just chuckled and lifted her pendant by its string. "Take a guess!"

The soft crackle of warmth burst ahead while embers spat out, and though Chihiro immediately jumped back, Sihiri just smiled.

They had reached the end of the platform, and all that stood before them was a door made entirely of warm molten rock! Stagnant lava veins formed through its surface and tiny embers burst out of cracks within the stone, while its whole appearance heated the room by at least ten degrees! And yet, the presence didn't intimidate Sihiri in the slightest, who just held her hand out while it glowed purple!

The door rumbled and sank into the ground below as Cynder and Whirlwind took a seat beside Chihiro, while Terrafin and Eruptor hopped up beside Sihiri right as the door vanished! Out from its open mouth came a massive realm of volcanic rock with entire rivers and waterfalls made of lava that poured like water! Large bookshelves had been carved out of the masses of volcanic rock that made up the room and were stocked to the brims with stone tablets and books, and even sitting areas perfect for an afternoon read had been improvised from the materials surrounding. If not for the oppressive heat, it would have been a pretty cozy area, in all honesty.

"Now, Vatra should be somewhere in here," Sihiri remarked as she stepped in and crossed her arms. "But where?"

Everyone else paused and turned around as they stepped into the room, then reeled back as orange light burst from ahead! A geyser of lava burst from the floor and shattered a stone pillar to bits, and the flecks of lava rained down right over them!

Chihiro gasped and immediately cast a shield around everyone and gulped as the lava smacked and sizzled against it, but Sihiri just downed part of the shield and chuckled as she stepped forward.

"And there he is!"

Out from the diminishing shower flew that bright red crystal wheel, which shone with an aura of heat as a pale red silhouette formed around it! A string dropped around the silhouette's neck as its light burst away in batches of fire, and from it emerged a person! His skin was tanned and slightly red in undertone as if it had been kissed by the sun itself, save for a pair of curved scars on his breasts that were lighter in tone, and his brown eyes were warm and tinted red. His ginger hair was a bit messy and disheveled, but it did little to diminish the pristine look of the rest of his attire, from the trousers, sandals and lengthy jacket drenched in shades of crimson to the pendant that still hung firm from his neck. The only thing not drenched in red were the bandages wrapped around his hands, which were singed black in some places and tinted yellow in others, yet they still stuck tight to his hands. He chuckled as sweat dripped down his long, triangular nose, and as he fixed up his hair and stretched, an aura of warmth burst from him.

"Ah, that was a nice nap!" This man remarked as he let his arms fall down and chuckled, "I can never escape your notice, can I, Sihiri?"

Sihiri chuckled as Vatra brushed a finger against her cheek, so close and intimate. Then, he paused and raised a brow as his eyes fell on Chihiro below him.

"I'm sorry, can I help you?" He asked, and his warm tone became cooler.

"Are you two a couple or something?" Chihiro asked. As Sihiri and Vatra raised their brows, Chihiro stumbled back and chuckled. "I mean, you two were getting so close, and that's what people say couples are supposed to do, right? Get all super close and cuddly and stuff?"—Chihiro jolted up and turned away—"ah, I mean, sorry, I said something super weird, didn't I?"

Vatra, however, just chuckled and knelt down to ruffle Chihiro's hair. "Ah, don't fret, child. No, we're not lovers, just close allies as one would say." Vatra stood up and smiled as he placed his hands in his jacket's pockets. "That strange aura of yours… You're one of us, correct?"

Chihiro blinked, then furiously nodded.

"Yeah, I'm a portal master! That's what you guys are called in our time!"

"Our time?"

Vatra frowned, and Chihiro was the one to laugh as she spun around.

"I can get you up to speed later!" Chihiro replied as she skipped across the molten rock platforms. "But for now, Sihiri was telling me about those pendants of yours! Tell me more!"

Vatra just chuckled as he trailed after Chihiro. "I suppose I'll enthrall you," he remarked as he spun his wheel around his finger.

"We took the pendants we used as our symbols, and infused them with part of our own magic essence. Once activated with a spell, our ghosts would awaken and use the essence inside to fight and thrive until our bodies could be healed and revived!"

Vatra grunted as something pushed against him, and peered down as Chihiro gazed up at him with the widest of grins and brightest of sparkling eyes on her face.

"That's so cool!" Chihiro cried as she bounced up and down. "I've never even thought of doing something like that before! It's like having infinite lives in a video game, but in real life!"

"What's a video game?" Vatra asked, then the soft bubble of lava caught his ear and he pulled Chihiro back. "Actually, hold that thought!"

A massive plume of lava burst from the lava river, but Vatra just snapped his fingers and sent the lava right back into the river! While it gurgled and passed on, Vatra just smiled and waved his hands, and in tandem the river flooded forward and sent massive rock platforms floating before him.

"It's nothing too fancy, I'll admit. Any trained magician can do it as long as they're careful."

Vatra hupped as he hopped across the rock and onto the other side, then strode over to a door made of shiny white and yellow marble and hovered his hand in front of it as the others followed suit. The door buckled and burst into sparkles underneath his presence, and he smiled as he urged for the others to come along with a slight of his hand.

The dull thud of warm stone underfoot turned to the clean sound of clacking marble as everyone left Vatra's realm in favor of one much more shiny and polished! The whole area was made of white marble with golden streaks, all carved into neat little cubbies and towers and pillars that shone just as brightly as the warm light that made up the world around! Pale yellow stone floors lined the area around and formed ramps, platforms and all sorts of nooks and crannies. The whole area seemed simple, yet held so many secrets.

"Luz, Luz!" Vatra called as he stepped into the room. "Where are you? I know you're in here, so come on out!"

"I can feel his presence," Sihiri remarked as she stepped forward and rested a clasped hand on her chest, her head craned back and forth. "But where?"

Chihiro frowned and poked her head between Vatra and Sihiri, then narrowed her eyes. A faint sparkle of golden light came from a cubby in one of the many marble pillars that were scattered amid the area, and at first she thought she might've imagined it. But then, it sparked even brighter!

"There!" Chihiro called as she pointed towards the cubby!

Sihiri and Vatra's eyes fell on the golden spark, and it just giggled as it zipped out and revealed itself to be the yellow wheel.

"You'll have to catch me first!" The wheel chuckled! It laughed as Vatra stumbled forward and tried to yank it out of the air, then zipped right off as he stumbled!

As Vatra regained his balance, Whirlwind flew up and zipped after the wheel. "Just leave it to me!" She cried!

Whirlwind zipped after the wheel as it dove back into the cubby, then popped out of a door in one of the platforms as the wheel dashed off! It hovered above and zipped up and down across a series of ramps while Whirlwind tailed right after it… Then, just as it stopped to catch a breather, Whirlwind burst out from a door in a pillar and snatched it out of thin air!

"Caught you!" Whirlwind cried as she flew back up to Sihiri and Vatra and opened her front paws.

The wheel only sighed as it floated out of Whirlwind's paws, while its light formed a solid silhouette of pale gold, one that matched a person's body.

"Ah, looks like I'm beat!" The wheel remarked as a string formed around the silhouette's neck!

Its light beamed out in all directions, then burst as it revealed a chubby ghost with a golden aura like sunlight! His brown skin had a warm, sunny undertone to it, one that perfectly matches his spiky blonde hair and golden brown eyes, while he donned white and gold robes occasionally accentuated by pieces of armor, from shoulderpads to a chestplate and arm and leg guards! He chuckled and rubbed his round nose, while a youthful smile crossed his face, but it quickly fell the moment he faced Sihiri and Vatra.

"Hey, where's Fintster?" Luz asked as he craned his head around. "And everyone else, for that matter? Heck, how did we end up at the Northern Base? Last I remember, we were fighting in Arkus!"

Vatra paused and rubbed his chin. "That's a good question, actually," he remarked. "I don't remember anything—just a big explosion, and everything going numb and dark."

"Likewise," Sihiri remarked as she turned an eye on Chihiro. "You said that some time had passed, right, young one?"

Chihiro blinked, then sighed and twiddled her fingers.

"Looks like it's my turn to do the explaining," Chihiro said through clenched teeth. She hissed a bit, then sighed as she faced Sihiri, Vatra and Luz. "See… It's been ten thousand years since your big battle with Arkilles. Skylands has changed a lot since you were around last…"

The three of them gave Chihiro frowns, and she just chuckled as she raised a finger.

"But, on the bright side, you did end the Arkeyans' reign of terror!"—Chihiro turned aside and rubbed her hands—"But, on the flipside, you kinda also died, I guess? And got banished to all parts of Skylands, too? I found your wheels scattered all over the place while the Skylanders and the Elder Elementals and some of our buddies went to stop Kaos…"

"Wait, did you say the Elder Elementals?" Sihiri asked. "Are they alive too?"

"Yep!" Chihiro nodded furiously, then her eyes went wide. "And speaking of, I've gotta get back to them!"—Chihiro stormed forward and climbed up a platform—"where's the exit to this place? We've got a mission to do!"

"A mission?"

"Yeah! Long story short, our enemy's trying to bring his empire back, and we need to stop him, but our transportation got stolen by some dude and he's making a whole mess of the place! And I think I kinda left the Elder Elementals to deal with it…"

Sihiri, Vatra and Luz all turned to each other, then nodded.

"Just follow us, we'll show you the way!" Sihiri proclaimed as she stormed ahead. "After all, we've got some friends to reunite with, too!"

"And if someone's causing trouble on our turf, then we've gotta deal with them, right?" Luz remarked with a wink!

Chihiro giggled, then bolted after them with Eruptor, Terrafin, Cynder and Whirlwind hot on her heels! They caught up right as Luz opened a door made of solid ice, and they all dashed forward, only to slip and fall into a heap! Everyone groaned as they sat up and were greeted by their reflections in the icy path below their feet, then jolted up as the door slammed shut behind them.

"Oh dear Ancients," Vatra moaned, "I forgot whose room was after this…"

"Whose is it?" Eruptor asked as he tilted his head, then gasped as the floors started to slide.

"JUST HANG ON!"

The ice that made up the halls turned cooled and slicker, and before they knew it, everyone went sliding down! They screamed as the hall turned into a ramp that dipped down and tossed them up in the air, then zipped down the halls and spun around in place with fury!

"Just what is this thing?" Terrafin shouted as he spun around.

"I'm getting dizzy!" Eruptor cried between hacks.

"I can hear my brain rattling around in my head!" Chihiro whined. "Somebody stop this!"

A whir came from above as parts of the ceiling parted, and Chihiro lifted her head right as cannons emerged from their open slots! She screamed and ducked as one of them shot a giant snowball right at her, then leaped up as another slammed into the ground below!

"Dej did always like to keep our skills sharp!" Sihiri cried as she tossed aside a snowball with magic and slammed it into another oncoming one. "I just wish he had less dangerous ways of doing it!"

"You're telling me!" Eruptor whined as he teetered back and forth between the snowballs that barraged him, "I want off this ride!"

The ceiling whirred further as a part of it collapsed and crumbled to bits, then out from it came a gigantic snowball cannon! The cannon shuddered as it sprung to life, then it shot out a gigantic snowball and completely shattered part of the path ahead! As its icy remains crumbled down into the caverns, everyone only screamed!

"Jump for it!" Vatra cried!

And so, they all did… But their jump was fruitless, as the gap was so big that they only made it about halfway before they collapsed! Everyone screamed and clung to each other as they went falling down, but just before they collapsed, Chihiro shot out her hand and crafted a giant net out of magic! Instead of falling into nothing, they all slammed against the net and bounced right back on course! They all slipped onto paths of ice through a solid tunnel that walled off everything else, and only sighed with relief as they slipped through. At least this time, falling into the abyss was of no concern.

Chihiro groaned and held her head, then lifted it as a twinkle of blue passed her by. She jumped back up to her feet, summoned a magic sticky hand and tossed it right at the glimmer! The sticky hand yanked it out in an instant, then snapped right back and dropped the glowing blue object in her palm—a shiny blue crystal wheel!

"Took you for a little ride, didn't I?" Echoed a chipper voice from the wheel as its blue glow grew brighter.

The blue wheel flew out of Chihiro's palm as its bright glow formed a pale blue silhouette of a person's body, then the glow melted into a torrent of water as a string formed around the silhouette's neck! The silhouette dripped with water as it transformed from a silhouette to a ghost with a chilly blue aura. The ghost was of a muscular person with pale skin and sleek black hair that cascaded down their chiseled jaw in loose curls that brought to mind ocean waves, while their deep blue eyes with epicanthic folds shone with a twinkle. Their wheel pendant sparkled against their bare chest, which was only accentuated by the puffy blue vest that was tied around just enough to cover it while still showcasing their pecs. Dark blue trousers were held around their waist by a tightly-tied baby blue ribbon, and the moment their bare feet hit the ice, the floors transformed to fluffy snow instead.

"Name's Dej," the ghost said as he crossed his arms, "I hope you enjoyed the little ride I set up for you!"

"Enjoy it, my ass!" Vatra spat as he stormed up and shoved a finger in Dej's face, while smoking fumes burned from his ghastly form. "You nearly got us killed!"

Dej, however, just chuckled and pushed away Vatra's hand. "Chill out, Vats!" Dej teased with a single poke of his tongue and a wink, "I just wanted to make sure your skills were still sharp before I caught up with you!"

As Dej walked ahead while Vatra crossed his arms and mumbled, Chihiro looked down at her hands and counted off her fingers.

"I think that green wheel's the only one that's still missing," Chihiro remarked as she lifted her head.

"That must be Inochi," Sihiri remarked as she clasped her hands against her heart and chuckled. A soft giggle escaped her lips, and she seemed a little more coy as she wrung her hands together. "Oh, I can't wait to see her again…" Sihiri lifted her head. "Her room, actually, shouldn't be that far."

"In fact, it's right here!" Luz called from the end of the tunnel.

Everyone dashed down, and Luz only grinned and made a peace sign as he presented them with a door made of flower-covered vines.

"Knowing her, she's probably off tending to her flowers or something." Luz waved his hands in front of the door while its vines peeled away. "Bet this place is still sparkly-clean as ever, she's a real stickler for that…"

As the door opened up, however, Luz gasped and jumped back—because out from its spilled masses of twisted, overgrown vegetation!

"Stuff?!"

---

- Noodles' increased antagonism in this chapter was actually inspired by the early versions of Giants, where originally he hijacked the Machine Ghost's robot and you'd have to fight him to get it back!
- The parts of the Elder Elementals' bodies that light up when they channel the Light Element are the Lightcore parts of their figures!
- And now that their true nature has been unveiled, I can finally spill on the wheel pendants' inspiration! The free magicians' souls and essence hiding in the wheels was inspired by the Elemental Cubes from Skylanders Ring of Heroes version one, but the wheel design was taken from the Luck-O-Tron wheels!
- Also, there's a bit of a theme to the free magicians' names—if you can figure out what it is, you get brownie points!