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)

17. Chapter 17

"If there's anywhere the high priest would be," Havîn explained as she took Spyro in paw, "It'd be in his gardens—he always loved the plants there."

Spyro nodded, his gaze still a bit leery as it traveled the worn paths alongside him and Havîn.

The thought of that incident with the Odivia still rang in his mind, the tension, the attacks, the sudden anger the crowds fell into… But yet, none of that bothered him nearly as much as those crowds, cheering on him and Chihiro like they were watching a sports game. His stomach tied in knots as their shouts and chants pounded in his ears once more, drums that didn't stop beating, and he on instinct pressed a paw loaded with a healing spell towards his stomach before he could throw up. Just what was it about romance that freaked him out so much? After all, it didn't freak him out when Gill Grunt talked about his girlfriend or when the other Skylanders talked about their relationships—so why was it that when he was at the center of the conversation, the topic of romance was even more daunting than his dangerous foes?

He wasn't sure, but just thinking about it left his stomach churning so he settled it with another healing spell and flew forward.

Sparkly, lavender petals fluttered past him, dancing on the chill underworld breezes while their bodies flashed in and out of visibility and finally faded as they landed near where Spyro's tail dragged on the ground. He flicked them away with his tail, barely even noticing their presence as they brushed against him and disappeared, then lifted his head and gasped.

Now, by all means, the Underworld was hardly habitable to anything that wasn't undead…

And yet, there before him stood a garden so breathtaking that it glowed in his presence! Thick, blooming wisteria plants flanked the entrance with their shimmering petals and lush blooms and occasionally blew in the soft, cold winds and scattered petals along the cobblestone floors. In the distance a collection of willow and cherry blossom trees filled with glowing blooms gathered against some kind of clear pond, and flowers of all kinds lined the pathways around, yet were careful not to choke out the teal grass. The faint sound of wind chimes carried on the breeze as it swirled through and brought the scent of fresh flowers and spring days to Spyro's snout, but between the breezes and the chimes, he could vaguely make out the sound of someone humming a tune as well!

The pond stayed tranquil as ever, nor did the blossoms shudder or flee, and the wind remained soft as it blew through. If not for the trademark glows of a ghastly presence, Spyro would've almost thought he had somehow made it back to the realm of the living!

"It's impressive, right?" Havîn asked as she floated up to Spyro and chuckled. "I never would've believed you if you said something like this could still bloom in the Underworld, but the head priest proved me wrong! He's tended to this garden for as long as anyone could remember—it's his pride and joy!"

The sound of humming picked up again, this time coming close enough that Spyro could make out the tune a bit better. It was soft and slow, and he couldn't quite put a name to the song… But, something about it sounded just a bit melancholy, enough that his face fell from hearing it. But, judging by the raised brows of Havîn behind him, it seemed like maybe that was a good thing?

"That humming, that's his voice!" Havîn cried as she gripped Spyro by the paw and floated off. "Come on! Follow that song!"

The two of them practically glided along the stone pathways as Havîn tailed that humming, its sound growing louder and louder with every patch of flowers they passed. The sound melded with soft breezes and the occasional chime of ghastly spell bells to give it an almost somber tone. As the humming grew its loudest, Spyro's eyes peeled away from a patch of paling yellow roses and towards the heart of the garden—and sure enough, there floated the source of the humming!

At the edge of a large pond lined with sober-looking flowers stood a humanoid ghost, one with pale chartreuse ectoplasmic skin and long, deep green hair the color of forest leaves at night that stretched well beyond his face and down his back. His body was thin, but Spyro could barely tell thanks to the massive bulk of the pink, cherry blossom-print robes and cape he donned, and to his side sat a similarly-colored round hat. Something shiny and kind of wet dripped down the bridge of his long, aquiline nose and onto the petals of the flowers he tended to, rustling them a bit while he gasped and tended to them. And as he did, it gave Spyro a better look at his minty green eyes, which had a tiny bit of a red tint to them. Had he been crying?

Spyro had wanted to muse on that, but before he could, Havîn let go of his paw and rushed right towards the ghost.

"Head priest Bihar!" she cried, her worry straining her voice. "There you are!"

The humming stop, replaced by a soft noise from Bihar as he turned from the plants he tended to… And in that moment, the soft smile he held immediately faded, replaced by a sour frown.

"I have a feeling I know why you're here," he said before Havîn could even explain, his voice gentle but icy-cold. "The ritual failed, didn't it?"

"Of course it did! Only you and the high priestess could ever pull it off!" Havîn clasped her hands, eyes wide with worry as she gazed into those of Bihar's.

"And now we've got a big problem on our hands! The Odivia's rampaging all across the streets, and it's spreading hate and anger throughout the lands! The main street's already filled with rioting and fighting, and if we don't put a stop to it soon, only the Ancients know what will happen!"

A petal dropped from one of the plants Bihar tended to, and he winced as he drew back. For a moment, it almost seemed like a pang of tension or fear crossed over him, but then he scowled and turned back to his plants.

"Well, Zivistan should've expected this!" Bihar spat, raising his voice while his scowl grew tenser. "If she hadn't insisted on gallivanting off and doing as she pleased because she grew tired of her duties, we wouldn't be in this situation right now! To think, she'd act so selfish…"

Bihar reached for his plants once more, but before he could even brush his fingers against their leaves, Havîn snatched up his hands! The sudden movement brought his eyes to hears, which now welled with tiny tears as her mouth twisted into a pleading frown.

"Please, high priest! Please try to make up with her!" Havîn pleaded, releasing his hands and falling to the ground as she lowered her head. "We won't be able to seal the Odivia away without you! We, we tried our best to find someone else who could help, but…"

A cold gaze fell on Spyro, and he shuddered a bit as he turned to find that Bihar's eyes were now fixed on him, regarding him with a sort of curiosity—or maybe judgment? His face was so cold, it was hard for Spyro to really tell. But, either way Bihar just scoffed and turned away from both him and Havîn, instead regarding the plants he tended to prior with maybe a bit more force than before.

"It's no use, Havîn, and we both know this. She's too stubborn and selfish to listen, even in a situation like this! She made her choice when she decided she'd rather run off than attend to the temple!" Bihar gritted his teeth, and he gripped the flowers' leaves with such force that they crinkled a bit underneath his grip. With a gasp he released them, watching the plants with a bit of fear at his own actions before he shook his head, then got up and floated off. "You're a smart girl, Havîn, and I'm sure you'll be able to do something—"

"Don't just abandon your own duties because you're mad at her!"

"I swear, I'm not! But without a partner, there's no means by which the ritual can be completed! And she refuses to reconcile, so I don't believe I am of any use to you."

"But, high priest—"

The arguing faded into the background as Spyro glided over to one particular patch of flowers and glazed them down. The renaissance vines were as healthy as an undead plant could be, their stems and branches curling around the posts in tandem with ghost grapes, and at their base, death caps cropped up in circles around them, creating a surprisingly stunning sight with their rich, deep purples paired with the gentle cream colors. To their side, rows of hydrosiums and lilies stretched around the rim of the pond, and even more wild flowers in an entire rainbow of colors and more species than Spyro could name bloomed! Though their colors were paler and their bodies transparent like all dead plants were, they were still incredibly bright and full of… Well, as much life as ghost flowers could have, enough that they looked like projections of the actual thing with their ghastly glows. They brought with them a rich, floral scent, fresh and crisp like the rest of the garden was.

"I have to admit, this is a pretty nice garden," Spyro remarked as he flew up, "I didn't think something like this could even grow in the Underworld."

A soft chuckle came from behind, and Spyro turned around to find that Bihar had pushed past Havîn and floated up to him, the scorning look of pain and anger on his face replaced with a happier one. But, it was a sad kind of happiness, an almost forlorn look that came with bittersweet melancholy, and it didn't exactly relent as he glanced over at the garden, and the garden in turned seemed to droop a bit. The flowers and trees' colors all faded, growing paler and duller as if it was a reflection of Bihar's own heart in the moment, proud and yet so sad.

"It definitely took a lot of work—cultivating plants is already an incredibly strenuous task back in the living realm, to say nothing of cultivating ghost ones!" Bihar explained, clasping his hands together as he took a seat next to Spyro. "But, I tried my best, and being a Life Elemental in my living years probably helped as well."

A small sigh came from Bihar, paired with a small, sad smile as he held his head.

"But, if you think this is impressive, you should've seen the garden that rested at my old temple back when I was alive—it was so beautiful, so full of life and color, it was like I had captured a tiny piece of the Great Forest within that one garden! The sights, the sounds of the birds and the crickets as they sang, the colors and the fresh smells… And when the vernal season came, it was so full of life! The sprouts would peek their way from the ground, the flowers would awaken from the slumbers with even more vibrancy than the last time they bloomed, and the wild animals would all awaken from their slumbers and bring themselves back into the world with such bright eyes, such hope and youth!"

Bihar sighed again, and his smile fell. "Even with all my hard work, I could never truly capture the beauty it held. Just describing it is beyond even my capabilities… Oh, I'd do anything to see such beautiful, lively blooms and sprouts like those again!"

"Then why not just go and see them?"

Bihar jerked his head up, and his smile turned to an enraged, shocked scowl, as if Spyro had suggested he commit a murder or something! Spyro jumped back a bit on instant, and Bihar just sighed and shook his head, his anger dispersing with the shake.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Bihar's tone was soft, and just a tiny bit of bitter, too. His foggy tail brushed against a few of the flowers, and he only sighed as their petals popped off and floated down to the ground. "My duties as high priest are far more important than my own personal desires and wants, and I understand that… Unlike someone I know."

"Someone… You mean the high priestess?"

Bihar only scoffed and craned his head aside. "She'd been slacking on her duties much more often than usual. During cleaning hours I'd find her listlessly staring off, and she constantly fumbled over her own words and steps during the rituals. Even her magic seemed like it'd been disrupted, so I asked her if perhaps something was bothering her…"

"And audaciously enough, she said she was tired of being the high priestess! She keeps insisting that she doesn't want to spend the rest of her afterlife stuck in the temple, tending to the gods' spaces and performing the sacred rituals, that she wants to run around Skylands and see the sights! The audacity of it all!"

Bihar scoffed, and Spyro let off a soft, tiny wince.

"But, you've got Havîn and Payiz, right? Surely there's plenty of other priests who could help take care of duties…"

"Havîn and Payiz are only apprentices, and not to mention the only ones we have. They're years away from being able to fully helm temple duties. Not to mention, according to tradition only we, the high priest and priestess can… Well, could, perform the sacred sealing ritual that would block off the Odivia. Even if we—she wished, she couldn't abandon her position, or our entire homeland would be thrown into anarchy!" Bihar added another scoff as he glanced aside. "But, she decided that her own selfish desires to abandon our town were more important than its own safety and her duties."

Spyro hummed, placing a paw to his chin as he folded his wings. The icy look Bihar gave him showed he was dealing with a bit of a time bomb here, but he did need to get them to reconcile. Just what should he tell him, exactly? Just insisting that he was wrong would send him in a rage—and if what he said was right, then he did have a point about all this. They had responsibilities only they could uphold, and just running off was irresponsible, yet it seemed as though there were a few pieces missing to this puzzle… Spyro winced, drawing his wings over his back as he glanced back at Bihar.

Bihar's eyes softened a little, and he had opted towards staring out at the pond, the smoke from his tail curling up and floating off in sad little wisps. That icy look had melted, replaced with something almost wistful as he gazed out at the pond. A cherry blossom from above floated in his lap as he sat, and he lifted it into his palms and brushed its petals with a soft, gentle touch like spring. That sort of sad fondness reminded Spyro of something Bihar said, what was it again?

Oh, I'd do anything to see such beautiful, lively blooms and sprouts like those again.

"That's it!" Spyro whispered, his eyes lighting up as he turned to Bihar.

"What is it, now?"

Spyro cleared his throat, then turned back to Bihar. "You know, even though you talk about all that and resent her for running off… Deep down, you understand how she feels, don't you?"

The cherry blossom slipped from Bihar's hands, and his eyes fluttered as he drew back from Spyro. "What exactly are you talking about?! I—"

"You can deny it, but I know that look in your eyes, not to mention everything you said." Spyro stretched out a wing towards the gardens, and the colors brightened a bit, almost as if they were taking his cues. "And just look at this garden! You said it yourself, you made this to replicate the gardens from your old home, right?" A cautious nod came from Bihar, and Spyro gave him a small, knowing grin in turn. "You wouldn't have put all this work into growing it if you didn't care about it or want to see them again. And even you admitted that you missed it, too, so I bet she feels the same way."

"Are you comparing me to her?! I can assure you, I'm not nearly as selfish—"

"Never said that. But, what I am saying is—" Spyro drew out a paw, "—maybe you should try talking to her again, and this time, be a bit more honest with yourself, too."

Bihar winced, his teeth gritting together as his eyes' glow faded and brightened. His hands twitched, unsure if they wanted to move or stay… But finally, they reached out and took Spyro's paw.

"Alright, I'll try again."

Spyro only nodded, then a small gasp came from behind and he turned around to find Havîn, smile and eyes wide and hands clasped in glee.

"Thanks the ancients, you finally got through to him!" she cried as she took Spyro's other paw. "Come on, let's get back to the temple—I'm sure the high priestess is on her way!"

Bihar winced a little at the words, but Spyro paid him no mind. He just stretched his wings a little, flicked them twice, and the faint tingling sensation of magic raced through his veins with a kind of comforting, familiar embrace. So, Spyro closes his eyes and have the magic do the work.

A whooshing noise came next, paired with the faint numb feeling that came from after a teleportation spell, and when Spyro opened his eyes, he had arrived back at the temple's front! Thankfully, it still stood strong with the shield sparkling as it wrapped the temple in its barrier… Though, it seemed oddly empty—had Chihiro not arrived yet?

Spyro left the group first, flying up to the temple door and pushing it open to find that Nemir was the only one inside, his eyes a bit glassy as he fiddled with some small, shiny orbs as they rolled around his hand.

"Nemir!" Spyro called. When Nemir poked his head up and glanced at him, Spyro waved back. "Did Chi and the others come back yet?"

A couple of footsteps gently padded up from behind Spyro, and Nemir grinned.

"It seems as though they have."

Spyro raised a brow, then turned around—and sure enough, Chihiro stood with that trademark grin of hers and a wave, Payiz by her side. Spyro beamed and a waved back, but a soft cough brought his attention to their group's side.

He glanced over, and a second, older ghost stood beside them, undoubtedly the high priestess Zivistan that Bihar mentioned. She was taller, and with her risen cheekbones and long jawline she looked a good bit older compared to Payiz. Her long, wavy black hair wavered and fluttered the same way the whitish-blue cloud of mist that made up her feet did, and her cherry red eyes dimmed as she glanced from side to side. She dressed in long, flowing robes like Bihar's, but hers were colored in deep grays and blacks and printed with white snowflakes rather than the springlike pink cherry blossoms of Bihar's. A kind of cold, sad aura rang around her—or was it a sort of awkwardness stemming from coming back here after what was undoubtedly a failed ritual?

A soft gasp came from behind Spyro, and before he could even turn around, Bihar had pushed past him with an alertness he hadn't displayed before! Bihar's own eyes brightened with shock as he laid eyes on the high priestess—and she, in turn, awkwardly looked away—but, Bihar quickly floated up to her. His own light dimmed as he sputtered a little and she stumbled over her own mumbled, soft words in turn.

Spyro backed away, and Payiz and Chihiro quickly followed him as he made his way further into the temple. It was probably best that he didn't eavesdrop on their conversation, after all, it seemed like things were awkward enough as it was. But, at the same time, nagging, worrisome curiosity egged at Spyro, so he pushed the temple door until it was only open to just a tiny sliver of a crack, just barely enough that he could make some sense of what they were saying to each other.

"Bihar, I…" whispered a ghostly, soft voice probably belonging to the high priestess,

"Zivistan!" Bihar gasped, before drawing back a bit. "You, you really came."

Zivistan only nodded and clasped her hands. He gaze backed away from Bihar's, but quickly drew back to him.

"That child and Zin, they convinced me—or rather, gave me the courage to explain." Zivistan said at last, her voice so soft and whisperlike Spyro almost couldn't hear it.

"I know it's selfish of me to do this, but, but ever since I was a girl in the land of the living, all I've ever done is tended to the temples and work for other's sake! I was never able to decide anything for myself. I was set to train as a priestess the moment I could speak, I've spent my whole life caring for the temples, and in death I was sent to tend to them here as well… But never once have I gotten to choose!"

"Neither did I. We were both chosen to tend to the temples the moment we arrived in the Underworld," Bihar scoffed—and though his tone tried to stay neutral, a hint of scorn found its way into his voice.

Zivistan sighed, then ran a hand through her hair as she lifted her head. "Now, it never bothered me because I genuinely love the temples and caring for the community… But, well…"

Zivistan's voice started to waver also as if she was going to cry, but with a gasp of air she collected herself.

"… A few years ago, word reached the temple that the village where I had grown up had been completely destroyed in a terrible storm. I, I had wanted so badly to at least visit it one last time and pay homage to the place where I lived and grew, but, my duties at the temple kept me so busy that even now I don't have the time… The trip there is so long, and we have so much to do as the head priests, and you surely would've been upset with me if I left all the work to you…"

Bihar's spirit trembled, and the light in his body faded just a bit.

"I, I didn't know," he whispered, his volume just barely loud enough that Spyro could hear.

"But, after all that, it had me thinking—just how much of my life have a lost to my duties? I couldn't even visit my own childhood home's ruins because of it, and surely there's so much else I missed on because I was so focused…" Zivistan shook her head, and even though she was so far away, it seemed like the air around had grown colder. "But, you wouldn't understand, not at all! You're practically married to the temple—just the suggestion that maybe it's time we left and named successors had him fuming! After all, you insisted that I was being too selfish for wanting to leave, that I was a fool for not devoting myself wholeheartedly to it!"

And this time, Bihar didn't even have any words to defend himself with—he just turned his head, not able to even look at her anymore. Surely, that argument they had was playing back in his head, stabbing at him with every single word he had said in his rage.

"But, as the head priests, we can't abandon the temple," Bihar whimpered. "It's our responsibility to helm most of the temple's rites, from offerings to ceremonies…" Bihar winced and clasped his hands as he turned his view from Zivistan almost in shame. "And of course, the Odivia's sealing ritual, even though that's been getting weaker lately…"

Zivistan glanced over at Bihar, and Bihar in turn shied away from his view—but, Zivistan just sighed.

"It's alright, Bihar, you don't need to hide it from me—I'm aware the sealing spells have been getting weaker over the years. Only a strong, unwavering love can produce a truly powerful spell, and it's no exaggeration to say things have been tense between us these past few years… Surely, that must be why the Odivia's been able to get as powerful as it was. Those weakened sealing spells must have allowed it to feed off of stray hate and grow even stronger than before..."

And hearing this, Bihar's body trembled, its light flickered even further as he clutched his robes in hard realization.

"Zivistan, I'm sorry for acting the way I did earlier!" Bihar spat out!

Spyro raised a brow, then creaked open the door just a teensy bit more, enough that he caught a glimpse of Bihar kneeling down in front of Zivistan! Bihar's own glow dimmed in shame, but Zivistan's brightened in shock, bringing out her icy blue complexion as she took him in.

"I, I was so caught up in my own worries, I didn't stop to listen to you or understand how you felt, and I said all those awful things, too… I, I'm not fit to call myself your partner, ignoring your feelings the way I did, and somehow, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Zivistan blinked for just a moment, and a small, sad smile crossed her felt as she knelt down and cupped her hands around Bihar's face.

"Oh, Bihar…" She whispered back as she lifted him back to full height. "The truth is, I haven't exactly been honest with my feelings either. I, should've confined in you more instead of making assumptions like I did."

"And I'll be happy to listen."

The conversation devolved into whispers and soft, understanding nods and glances, all so quiet and bare that Spyro couldn't really make much out of the conversation. He leaned in to get a better volume, and a soft weight pressed itself against his back just enough that it brought his attention around the temple, where Chihiro leaned against him while Havîn and Payiz peered over her shoulders, all with wide-eyed, anticipating glances as they tried to sneak their own glimpses out the cracks. Guess they hadn't heard things like Spyro did, so he just smiled and gave them a toes-up…

"And that's why I think we should step down and travel Skylands together before we fade!" Zivistan proclaimed.

And just hearing that sent Spyro's scales on edge! A gasp came from the open gaps, and Spyro peered outside to see that Bihar had broken from his and Zivistan's embrace, his glow quivering as he floated away from her. And Zivistan, in turn, floated back, her eyes growing wide and their glow brighter as if she hadn't anticipated his reaction.

"Zivistan, I, I understand where you're coming from, and I understand how you feel," Bihar said, his voice quivering with quelled anger and hesitance, "but, you know I can't do that—WE can't do that! Reprieves are one thing, but to completely abandon the temple just isn't realistic!"

"I know you're concerned, but Mem and Zin are already coming so far in their training, it won't be long before they can take over the position themselves!" Zivistan brushed forward, and her own smile turned a little bit weary as she reached out her hands. "Besides, you said it yourself—there's so many things in the living realms that you miss! Don't you want to see them one more time, before we pass onto the afterlife, before they themselves are no more?"

Zivistan reached out to grab Bihar's hands, and he immediately drew them back—ooh, not a good sign.

"It's not just them I'm worried about, Zivistan!" Bihar's voice raised a little, but he cleared his throat and quickly hung his head. "What about the Odivia's sealing ritual? Only a high priest and a high priestess with a strong love for each other can perform it! Without us, nobody will be able to stop it from turning the town into a battleground! That's why we need to repair our relationship and properly perform the sealing ritual!"

And hearing this, Zivistan floated back, her eyes narrowing. "So that's why you wanted to make amends? Just to perform that ritual?"

"Zivistan, that's not true, I—"

"I gave you a chance because I thought you'd be willing to understand my side of things, but it seems that all you care about is the temple! Are you unable to look after yourself or anything else?!"

Bihar's light flared with rage, burning like the sun as he pushed forward. "Of course I do! Our duties as high priests protect everyone in this village! Or have you gotten so caught up in feeling sorry for yourself that you've forgotten about that?"

"And why do you say that?!"

"Just look at your shameless display! Abandoning all our duties and dumping them on someone else…"

The arguing only grew louder, and Spyro winced as he drew back from the door. He had really thought for a moment that things were working out, but seeing Bihar and Zivistan before him, but flaring with light as they argued… Oh, god. He glanced behind to see Havîn and Payiz crestfallen and Chihiro awkwardly shuffling herself away from the sights, and he himself just frowned back as he went to close the door.

But, as his paws gripped the side of the door, something like a low growl rumbled, shaking the area and loosening his grip!

Spyro released the door on instinct, and the surprise loss of balance tossed him on his back, right onto the cold floors of the temple!

The door flung wide open before him, giving him a full view to Bihar and Zivistan's argument. But now, the rumbles drowned their words out, the ground below them shuddering as something like a monster's roar rang out and pounded against the barrier! The barrier's glow shone above them, and yet they still argued without a care.

Payiz winced and floated out a little, turning her head to glance outside as the rumbles grew louder, stronger, more like a monster's sounds than quaking earth. She lifted her head, then, a sharp, shrill scream left her and she rushed inside, clinging to Havîn while her ghastly form flickered in fear.

"THE ODIVIA!" Havîn cried as she herself backed away. "It's huge!"

Just that one cry was enough to break Bihar and Zivistan from their fight, their ghostly forms' light fading as they turned away and glanced up above to the barrier, as did everyone else…

And what greeted them all but the sight of the Odivia? It was now tall as a building as it roared and rampaged about, and its twisted cries rang in the air as it slashed at buildings and downed them, cackling with red as its glow grew brighter.

Bihar and Zivistan only watched in terror, but a pair of soft gasps brought their attention back to the temple door. Their eyes locked on Havîn and Payiz in that instant, then they glanced back at each other and sighed. Zivistan held her head in shame as she clutched her robes, and Bihar only let off a soft, disappointed sigh.

"I, I'm sorry," Bihar whispered. His voice was weak, hesitant, as if he didn't want to admit the words he was just about to say.

"But I don't believe we'll be able to reconcile."

Bihar's words hung in the air, leaving it as cold as the broken, hesitant voice he said them with. Their best shot at stopping that thing was him and Zivistan, but after that argument, it was clear things between the two of them were tense enough that they wouldn't be able to resolve it in time to stop that thing—if they'd even reconcile at all.

Payiz trembled, collapsing to her ectoplasmic knees as she scratched at her head.

"Now what are we going to do?!" Payiz cried. "If the high priest and priestess can't perform the ritual, that thing'll tear the whole place to pieces! But, nobody else here could possibly ever perform it, oh, what are we gonna do, what are we gonna do? We'll meet our second deaths before we know it, and, and…"

Bihar and Zivistan both turned away from each other, sharing equally-pained glances as they grappled at the fabric of their clothes, and as Spyro watched them, he couldn't help but wince.

He turned his gaze to Chihiro next, who glanced at him with a tiny bit of worry as she squeezed her hands the way she always did when she was nervous. She was probably beating herself up for not being able to finish that ritual, he knew it—but, he didn't exactly blame her. Truth is, the thought of them doing this ritual left him sick to his stomach, and being put under all that pressure snapped something in him. If anything, he was the one who should be taking responsibility for that! But, he figured that wasn't what she needed to hear, so he just flew over and placed a paw on her hands.

The two glanced at each other with a kind of understanding at first, but a soft hum from behind brought their attention to Havîn. She continued to hum as she examined a scroll she had seemingly pulled out of nowhere, her eyes narrowed as she skimmed the text written on its aged parchment.

"Actually, I think we're not entirely out of hope just yet!" Havîn cried.

Payiz blinked, turning her head around to face Havîn while tears of mist streamed down her face.

"Havîn, I, I know you're trying to lift our spirits right now," Payiz said as she floated over to Havîn, "but, I think you might be underestimating the severity of the situation at hand right now—" Payiz gestured back outside. "That thing's as tall as a building, and the only people who can perform the ritual to seal it are having relationship problems!"

"But do we need them, specifically?"

"Don't you remember what happened earlier? Not any couple can just do it!"

Spyro and Chihiro both winced and glanced away, but a light chuckle from Havîn eased the tension.

"That's not quite what I meant, Payiz," Havîn said as she pushed the scroll towards Payiz. "Take a look at this."

Payiz tilted her head as she glanced over the scroll. "The first account of the very first sealing ritual?"

"Well, I was reading it over, and I noticed something. It says that the Odivia is repelled and sealed away by a ritual performed with strong love, but, it never specified what kind of love, specifically." Havîn drew a hand over the text and narrowed her eyes. "Now, I imagine the reason the first high priest and priestess used their own romantic love as fuel was because the village was so small at time, they were feasibly the only ones who could combat it. But, lots of beings live here now, and not to mention, there's lots of forms love can come in—romantic, quasiplatonic, platonic… There's people who've never felt an ounce of romantic love in their lives, but their love for their friends and family and the things they do is the strongest there is!"

"So?…"

"So what I'm getting at is… Why do we need to use that specific version of the ritual to seal it away? Why does it need to be romantic love between a man and a woman that seals it away?"

Huh, somehow, Spyro hadn't really thought of that before—even though now that Havîn brought it up, it seemed like a kind of obvious conclusion to draw.

He glanced around the room, where Payiz hung her head in contemplation while Nemir himself bent down and glanced over the paper.

"It does only say that this beast is weak to love," Nemir remarked, rubbing his chin as he glanced over the paper. "It never specified it has to be romantic love…"

"Exactly!" Havîn cried as she rolled the scroll back up and stashed it away.

Havîn beckoned to the others to come, so Spyro and Chihiro drew over and huddled in. A warm and cold presence came as Bihar and Zivistan floated in next. And with them all gathered, Havîn cleared her throat.

"So, here's what I'm proposing…" Havîn said. She cleared her throat, and her light faded for a moment, but when she drew her breath her voice turned clear and serious.

"I believe that if we modify the ritual to harness the power of love in all its forms, we'll be able to put the Odivia to rest! First, we'll lead the Odivia back here and have a couple perform the ritual, and make sure it's weak. It'll likely flee back to town to try and feast on the townsfolks' hatred, but, we've got instructions on how to make purification talismans in the scripts—with a little extra juice, we'll be able to break the townsfolk out of the Odivia's spell, and get their help to break the spell!"

Havîn took a breath and floated. "I know this sounds very risky, but we don't have many options. It's either this, or let the Odivia rampage."

The cold, piercing winds of silence rang through the air, but finally it was Bihar who took a breath and floated forward.

"This all sounds nice in theory, but you're missing one key element here, Havîn," Bihar said as he crossed his arms. "We'll need to find a new couple to perform the ritual, and with its size, surely the Odivia has most of this town underneath its grip. Where will we find one on such short notice?"

Havîn frowned, her head lowering as she mumbled in contemplation. "I, well..."

"Actually, I have an idea," Payiz proclaimed as she floated forward.

She swept up to Havîn's side and took Havîn's hand in hers, then raised them both high. The sudden grip brought a pink flush to Havîn's face, and yet Payiz remained serious as ever.

"I nominate myself and Havîn to lead the ritual's dance!"

Payiz's proclamation rang loud and clear through the temple grounds, but as she turned to Havîn, her head lowered and she flushed.

"Havîn, I, I, ever since we started training together... I, I've always admired you more than anything! How diligent you are, how you're always so quick thinking and how you've always been there for me no matter what... I love everything about you! I want to stay by your side for the rest of my time on Skylands, and not just as a fellow priestess! I... I wish to be your..."

Payiz's words turned to mumbles as her face flushed pink, but Havîn only chuckled and lifted her head.

"You don't need to say any more," Havîn whispered. "The truth is, I've felt the same way. I'd be more than happy to be your partner... And your lover, if you'll take me!"

Payiz gasped, and only hastily nodded. Both she and Havîn drew closer, but another roar from the Odivia above drew them apart, their eyes trained on the skies with worry before they shook their heads.

"Actually, we'll finish this later! For now, we need to stop the Odivia!"

Payiz and Havîn floated back to the temple, everyone else trailing behind them... But as they floated up to the doors, the two of them squeezed their hands tight.

§

Dej passed forward in the dark tunnel they trailed through, and Luz warily followed him. Their footsteps were the only things to guide them as they passed through, and only faint passes of light illuminated the tunnel as they moved into the next stretch, while a warm red and gold light burned from the end of the tunnel. Some idle chatter echoed from within, and Dej halted right in front of Luz before pushing himself aside and shushing the others.

Luz himself, meanwhile, just resigned himself to flattening against the walls, an ear perked up as he listened. He didn't exactly enjoy the idea of meandering about, but maybe, just maybe, whatever they were talking about could give him some insight into where their leader was—and in turn, where Fintster was.

"So, why does this dude want us to find this Oracle guy, anyways?" asked a kind of hoarse voice from the other side. A silhouette of someone waving a half-eaten chicken leg stretched in shadows along the tunnel's side, and that voice gulped. "Isn't he just a legend?"

"That's what I thought, but the queen seems pretty dead-set on it," replied another, shriller voice as they stifled a chuckle. "I heard from some of the palace guards that this guy got so banged up, he had to send his butler to do the negotiations for all this! But I bet he's just a chicken."

"Like this?"

The hoarse voice waved their chicken leg around as they made some squawking, cawing noises that vaguely sounded like an awful imitation of a chicken. But, it seemed it was good enough that the two voices bellowed into shrill, gut-busting laughter, their shadows falling over and flailing their legs while their cackles echoed around the room.

The laughter died, and one of the shadows propped up. "Well, whoever this guy is, I gotta admit, his little collection of Arkeyan robots has given us quite the upper hand!" The shrill voice proclaimed before chuckling. "I wouldn't mind keeping a few of these babies myself!"

"Wait, an outsider providing Arkeyan robots? One who was so beat up he couldn't even meet them in person?" Dej whispered. He lowered his head, black curls framing his face as he rubbed a hand along his chin as he hummed with curiosity, then lifted them up and winced.

"You don't think Arkilles is behind this, would you?"

"Eye wouldn't be surprised," Eye replied, flying off of Brawl and meeting Dej eye to eye. "He's not exactly one to give up easily."

Luz grimaced and pushed himself a little further, perking his ear up to get a better listen.

"For that matter, what's with that weird pendant the commander's been wearing?"

"Not sure. I heard the commander scored it from some dig site or something?"

Luz's eyes leaped up in shock, his ghostly body now chill as a winter wind. So that cyclops had Fintster in his clutches this whole time! Just the thought of his brother, weak and powerless in that cyclops commander's grip left Luz's blood boiling and his heart cold, a raging winter storm and a burning wildfire of emotion both burning in his chest all at once, but he stilled himself. Stepping forward, Luz poked around the corner and turned himself invisible with a snap of his fingers.

His eyes turned towards the owners of the voices, two cyclopes in cruddy armor who sat at a table and shared drinks, and Luz's scowl grew wider, deeper with rage. They idly chatted about this commander and how stronger he grew with Fintster in his grasp, how he controlled the shadows with just his fingertips… And Fintster just wanted so badly to jump in, to cry out that those powers were Fintster's, not their stupid commander's! That commander of theirs had his older brother and was using him for every ounce of power he could while Fintster suffered! But, Luz couldn't risk blowing cover, so he just sat, eyes glaring with heat that he hoped burned into their hearts and souls.

"Anyways, where'd you say the commander went?" asked the cyclops with the screechy voice.

Luz gasped, and crawled in further, being careful not to ram himself on the assorted weapons and armor pieces haphazardly scattered along the base's floor. Even if he was a ghost, he couldn't risk making a fuss.

"Dunno exactly," replied the other cyclops, "I just know he went on ahead cause something was wrong with that pendant or something. He was muttering about how something was messing with it…"

"And that's all I needed to know," Luz whispered.

Staggering to a stand, Luz gripped his shield, then swung it up and smashed it right atop the first cyclops's head! The cyclops wailed in pain for only a moment before slumping out of his chair and falling at Luz's feet, and the other one screamed in turn—but only for a moment. Luz flung his shield right at the second cyclops's face and knocked him right into the back of his chair in turn, and the second cyclops fell straight on the floor with a bruised face and lolling tongue.

"What, what cute little birdies…" the second cyclops mumbled as his eye ran circles in his face.

Luz only huffed as he turned visible with another snap, then turned his gaze to the closed doors ahead. He made his way over, preparing to open it, but the doors opened for him instead!

"Ugh, what was that noise?" groaned a tinier cyclops decked to the nines in armor as he stumbled in. "Don't tell me…"

The cyclops lifted his head, eye focused on Luz for only a second before he screamed!

"Intruder!" The cyclops wailed as he jumped back!

Luz grunted and rushed for him, swinging his shield as the cyclops screamed—but the cyclops was so small that he ducked right underneath Luz's swing! He growled as the cyclops slid between his legs and rushed away, and Luz in turn changed his pace, dashing after the cyclops as he yanked his shield off his gauntlets and yanked his arm back, preparing a swing.

"I knew we shouldn't have made Quick Draw the guard!" the cyclops wailed as he ran with his head ducked. "All that idiot cares about is Skystones!"

The cyclops wailed and screamed as Luz's shield swung right ahead and ducked his head even further as he ran… Right for the other hallway, right where everyone else was!

Luz gasped, and with a single jump he lightstepped forward, going from a full sprint to just inches behind the cyclops in seconds, and he yanked the cyclops up by the foot in that instant. Or at least, he tried. The lightstepping spell ended as the dark of the halls reached them, and both Luz and the cyclops planted face-first on the floor.

The cyclops lifted his head first, groaning as his eye fell on the others… And he screamed yet again!

"Even more intruders! How did these guys even get here?!" The cyclops cried! The cyclops grunted as he tried to push himself up, though the massive weight of his armor pinned him down to the ground. "Gotta, gotta get up and warn the others! I've, I've gotta… Urgh…"

The cyclops groaned as his stick-like arms trembled like shaking leaves underneath the few gaps in his armor. "Why's, why's this armor so heavy…"

Luz grunted and reached out further, ready to throw a blast at the cyclops—but before he could, a massive breeze slammed against him and the cyclops went flying overhead! Luz turned around as the clamor of denting metal came from behind, and the next thing he knew, that cyclops he reached for was now embedded in the wall behind him.

And a glance ahead showed Vaayu in the front, drawing his hands back. The others glared at him, and Vaayu only scratched his head.

"Sorry," Vaayu said. "I panicked."

The whoosh of the sliding doors opening sounded once more, and Luz on instinct jumped back to his feet.

Ahead of him, the doors laid open while cyclopes poured out from the ranks in droves, all dressed in shiny red and gold armor and some with Arkeyan weaponry or robots at their side… But they all looked pretty angry, going by the scowls on their faces.

"Well, looks like Quick Draw was slacking off again," groaned the cyclops that headed the group as he withdrew a mace crackling with electricity.

The cyclops banged the mace against the palm of his armor, its electricity bouncing off and crackling like embers, then he growled and set his eye right on Luz.

"Sorry, but this is as far as you go!" The cyclops hefted up his mace, and its lightning sparked and crackled like it was itching for a fight. "The commander didn't want any unexpected visitors!"

That commander again! Just hearing this, just the sight of his smug face as he held Fintster in his grip flashed back in his mind, and Luz's rage seized him. His vision turned red as he swept his shield off the ground, and he screamed as he charged forward! The whole world burned red like summer heat as he lightstepped forward and raised his shield, then a grunt came and some screams and screeching sounds rang with the blood in his ears…

And when he came to, he was facing all these cyclopes.

The one helming their group now laid on the floor, his mace's staff dented firmly in half and its sparks weak. He only groaned a little as blood trickled from his mouth, and a massive bruise showed from underneath his disheveled helmet.

The cyclops helming the group groaned a little more as he turned to the other cyclopes, and the cyclopes in turn just gasped before turning their eyes towards Luz!

Their momentary shock turned to rage as they raised their weapons and swarmed Luz, their weapons jabbing and swinging for him with such fury he could barely see them. Luz's body moved on its own, swinging around his shield and bashing it against their weapons, but there were so many of these guys and he was in such a fury that he could barely comprehend what was around him! All he heard was the furious buzzing of an angry crowd's shouts, all he saw were their forms blurring together in a blobby formation that jabbed and poked at him with sparks of color.

One of those sparks rammed into his chest, and Luz flung back into the crowds the next, hacking and head spinning as they smacked him onto the floor. Something else slammed into his back next and his face smashed into the floor, his rage replaced with swelling, burning pain as he coughed further. The blood rushed to his head from his ears, leaving the whole room spinning around him as those red and gold blobs all closed in on him…

And then, a shrill, sharp sound came as they thinned out! A few screams came to Luz over the ringing in his ears, and something golden orange streaked above him and knocked down those red and gold blobs!

A wave of icy cold water washed over Luz next, dampening his ghostly form but waking his mind back up, and Luz gasped for whatever air he could as his eyes cleared. A glance aside showed those blobs—no, cyclopes, now drenched and washed up on the side of the ground, while the long trail of water stretched across the floor lead his eyes to Gill Grunt!

"We'll handle these tin cans!" Gill Grunt proclaimed as he hefted up his cannon and brought it to his narrowed eye. "Just get to your brother!"

Luz's eyes flickered for a moment, but he ultimately nodded and rushed away, his body moving on its own once more before his mind could even comprehend what was going on.

His feet rushed before he could even plan his steps, piloting his body towards an oncoming wave of cyclopes who all growled and shouted as they lifted up their swords and maces and readied their guns… But Luz just smacked his shield, then flung it out as light formed at its core. A bright aurora of light burst forth, and its waves crashed down in a colorful flare that burned away the whole room in its light, leaving only the unconscious cyclopes in its wake as it faded.

Luz hopped over one, bolting forward so fast that the entire world around him blurred, or maybe that was his mind fading away and growing numb from the adrenaline and the anxiety all at once. Either way, everything blurred out as Luz's head grew heavy, even though its only thought was on one thing.

Find Finster, get him out of here, find him right now…

Those words repeated in Luz's head, the one thing propelling him forward as the ground beat and chimed underneath his feet, the metal pinging underneath his footsteps. His breath grew heavy as he took another step, expecting the chime of light metal.

But, it didn't arrive.

Instead, his foot landed on little more than empty air, and he only barely caught himself in time to pull back before he toppled over. His blurry vision cleared some as the churning of gears of pulling of chains rang in his ears, and what greeted him were boxes. A whole bunch of boxes, all pulled up and dropped down in a slow, mechanical motion by large chains. They looked big enough to fit at least maybe two or three particularly small beings, and they could probably hold him. But, or the other hand, the way they rattled and shuddered every time the chains moved didn't really inspire a lot of confidence in how stable they were. Not to mention how slow those chains were going… They chugged up and down at a snail's pace, so slow that there would be no way Luz would get there before word reached that commander of his base being crashed.

Luz's eyes drifted down to the left, where the boxes descend, and then to the right where the boxes ascended to the next floor, their individual boxes forming a sort of zig-zag pattern as they trailed up and down.

If I just lightstep from box to box, Luz thought as he clutched his chin, I could probably get up there in seconds!

That is, if they were even stable enough for that. The boxes rattled as Luz glanced them over, as if they were mocking him, taunting him with their instability. They clunked and rattled as if they were going to slip over with the slightest upset—and lightstepping was far from slight.

Hey, Luz! You wanted to see how we pick the apples around here, right?

Luz shook his head, and the world around him shifted!

Everything around him grew bigger, eclipsing his form with their height as a cool breeze rushed in his hair. The sights of the metal fortress traded off in favor of wide-open fields filled with tall apple trees, but one in particular, the tallest of the bunch with crisp red apples and lush green leaves and tons of shaking branches, stood right before him…

And in front of that tree stood Fintster, the same kid Fintster that had haunted him this entire trip. He chuckled and waved at Luz one more time, then he turned around and gripped hard into the grooves in the tree's bark, climbing up with surprising speed before he reached out for one of the branches and flipped on! The branch rustled underneath his weight, and Fintster cried out as he flailed his arms, his footsteps stumbling back and near slipping from the branch.

"Be careful, Fintster!" Luz cried, rushing forward—but stopping immediately as laughter came to his ears.

"I'm fine, Luz!" Fintster cried back. Regaining his footing, he turned up to the next branch and chuckled. "I've done this like a billion times!"

Fintster hupped as he hopped onto the next branch and the branch afterwards in a zig-zagging pattern. Each one he stayed on for only moments, just enough time to pluck an apple or two from the branches' stems, then he disappeared into the canopy of leaves for a few moments…

And then Fintster disappeared, and the world returned back to normal. Once again he was back in the present day, still stuck in front of the churning boxes as they moved so slowly and shakily. But wait, that tree's branches were just like that—thin and weak, just barely able to hold the weight of one person! And Fintster moved so nimbly and quickly on them, so quickly that he could get what he needed without even worrying about falling.

"And that's what I'm going to do!" Luz cried.

The light boiled in his blood, warming his entire body as he leaped onto one of the boxes—but what he heard wasn't the clang of its metal, but the rustling of tree leaves and the creaking of its branches!

Once again, he found himself back in his childhood fields, standing atop the branch. He glanced down at how it creaked underneath him, and the mighty fall that laid below, and Luz immediately squeaked and hopped off to the next branch. The apples below shuddered a little, and he plucked one off before hopping up a bit.

Fintster's laughter echoed from the canopy of leaves above, and Luz himself just chuckled as he hopped up, traveling branch to branch. The breeze blew in his hair, tickling his face along with the leaves, and Luz couldn't help but laugh along with Fintster as he chased him up the tree, snatching apple after apple along the way.

"Wait for me, Fintster!" Luz called, his voice tinged with youthful cheer.

With one last hop, Luz launched himself into the tree canopy…

And exited on the top of the platform. Luz's eyes fluttered, and he glanced back to find the rattling boxes before him, still churning away as always. But, the ringing sound of his and Fintster's laughter stayed in his ears still, and he turned ahead. For just a moment, he saw him and Fintster as kids, carrying as many apples as their arms could carry while they laughed and talked and ate. Yes, he remembered that day all too well…

"Man, I just know the harvest today's gonna be great! I'll have to tell Gramps!" Fintster chuckled between bites of apple.

Luz chuckled back, but his smile faded as he glanced back at the armfuls of apples he carried. They were all nice and crisp, true, but something egged at him a little…

"Why do you need these many apples, anyways?" Luz asked.

"Well, for one, we're the main farmers for this entire place! The whole town gets their fruits and veggies from us." Fintster kicked open the door and hopped in. "But, you'll see the other reason when you get inside."

Fintster disappeared within the door's dark crevices, and Luz gulped as he followed Fintster inside. The whole hall was darker at first, lit only by the faint light of a distant lantern. But then, Luz passed closer to the light and found Fintster's form before him, saying something he couldn't quite make out. The sounds of cheering and shouts and questions from what seemed like other kids' voices drowned out Fintster's own, so Luz crept in closer…

And the moment he entered the room, he was met with tons and tons of kids, all surrounding him in the center of a round sitting room! Most of them looked to be around his age, others younger and a tiny few slightly older, but none any older than Fintster was. They all wore simple tunic and dressers and trousers like Fintster did, some more worn than others, but they all looked at Fintster with equal attention—and now, Luz as well.

"Hey, who's that?" Asked a smaller kid at the front of the group.

Fintster turned around and chuckled. "There you are, Luz, I was just talking about you!"

Fintster cleared his throat, then turned back to the crowd of kids.

"Luz, these are my little sibs!"

"Your, your siblings?" Luz asked, turning to the group and Fintster in short, quick motions. "You, you sure have a lot… And they all look so different."

"Yeah, we get that a lot." Fintster chuckled again, but his smile seemed to have dimmed, turning down slightly.

"You see, my Gramps takes in kids who lost their homes and families, one way or another." Fintster lifted his head, turning back to the kids.

"Wardiya was the only one who survived when her family got really sick, Pepi was an orphan all his life before we found him, Eurybiades was living in this really awful place where they could barely take care of themselves and their parents abandoned them… And Gramps just couldn't bear to see 'em like that, so he took them under his wing."

"Now what's all this racket?" An elderly voice shouted, "Fintster, is that you?"

The stairs at the back of the room creaked, and Luz turned his attention to them right as someone crept down. That someone was an old man, all wrinkles and white hairs dressed in well-worn robes with the railing in one hand and a cane in the other. His movements were slow as he crossover down the steps and turned to the group, but the moment he laid eyes on Fintster, he picked up the pace!

"Fintster, there you are, my boy!" The old man cried as he made his way through the swarms of kids. "Did you get the market runs taken care of?"

"Just like you asked, Gramps!" Fintster replied, nodding his head. He parted away, and with a chuckle he nudged an elbow towards Luz. "Also picked up a new kid on the way!"

"I was wondering who this little sprout with you was."

Gramps chuckled a bit, then leaned down as Fintster moved away, giving Luz a face to face look with him at light. His deep brown, almost black eyes shone with twinkles like stars in a night sky, and his smile was visible even in spite of his thick, bushy beard and mustache—in fact, that smile of his reminded Luz of Fintster, almost. A family resemblance, he thought that was called? Either way, he gave Luz sort of a warm feeling, enough that Luz just smiled right back at him.

"So, what's your story, little one?"

Luz winced and backed away, his heart pounding a bit faster. The memories started to spill in, the crashing of machinery and the sounds of war, and Luz's head pounded… Then Fintster stepped right in.

"I found him in the alleys when I was coming home. He said he had to flee his old village because of the Arkeyans, and he lost his family and home and has nowhere to go," Fintster said. His voice was serious and clear as he addressed Gramps. "So, I was hoping we could take him in…"

"Is that so…"

And then Luz's memory faded, and he clutched his shield tighter. He couldn't dwell on the past, not when Fintster needed him. He pressed forward into the halls ahead as they grew cold even for this fortress's standards, and the rooms around him dimmed while the lights overhead grew sparser with every step Luz took. A whisper brushed into his ear, and on instinct Luz pushed his shield forward…

But all that met him were thick, dark churning clouds that blocked the way ahead! What did they hold—a secret trap door? A long drop? A dead end? An ambush? Whatever it was, the way they churned and bubbled didn't make it seem good.

Luz's legs locked up, his body next as he trembled a bit. Just the sight imposed over him all the possibilities of what they held, and most of them weren't good. That mysterious, unknowing dark, what did it hold? Luz brushed his fingers against the rim of his shield, and bit his lip.

Those clouds, they reminded him a little of the ones Fintster would make whenever they needed a convenient out—a fear inducing mist that would leave anyone within quaking in their boots! Surely, that commander would have made it, and that meant Fintster was close!

"Hey, Fintster, do you remember when we were little, and I used to be scared of doing the midnight chores because I was scared of the dark?" Luz asked as he lifted his shield. "But then, you showed me there was nothing to be scared of at night."

Gripping his shield tight, Luz spun it around a few times, and the shield in turn screeched as a bright burst of light beamed out! It's golden path stretched along the mist, clearing it out to reveal a perfect hallway ahead!

"I just need to shed some light on things!"

Luz clenched his teeth and rushed forward, even as the mist lapped at his heels and tangled around his feet! Their cold grip faded and grew around him, but Luz just flung his shield around, scaring off the mist with his light beam! The beams unveiled near-identical paths of metal floors and walls… But no sign of any other rooms, nor anything else! So Luz turned his light ahead, and found nothing but a dead end!

Luz narrowed his eyes and snarled as he drew his light back, then turned it back on the clouds. "I know you're there!" Luz cried as he flung his light aside. "Give me my brother back!"

A low rumble sounded and Luz turned his light to the left, but the mist cleared and he found nothing. A cackle sounded next, and Luz brandished his shield to his back—but right as he did, the shadows moved once more! The cackles grew louder, crawling up the back of his neck and leaving chills in his ghostly body as they brushed against him with an icy touch.

"Oh, here to play the hero, are we?" The commander asked. The shadows masked his voice a bit, turning it deeper and much more ominous—but Luz could tell from that sickening confidence. "You're awfully stubborn to have come all the way here… But I'm afraid your little trip stops now!"

A shriek sounded from behind and Luz turned around quickly, but not quickly enough. Something cold and hard sucker-punched him right in the face, knocking him back into the mist! The cold clouds seeped into him, leaving him coughing from both their smoke and the blow while something yanked him up and smashed him into the ground! Luz gasped, shielding the blow with his shield right before he made contact, but it didn't do much to stop the stinging, numbing aches that came from hitting the cold as ice steel grounds.

Luz gritted his teeth, then turned himself onto his back and yanked up his shield. Its light had dimmed some, enough that it wasn't exactly a functional flashlight anymore, and definitely not of use against this guy as he bounced within the shadows. After all, he moved so fast, and the clouds were so thick he could barely make out their shapes! His whole head pounded as another blow knocked him into the wall, and Luz lost enough consciousness that he phased through it for a moment before yanking himself up.

"And remember, Luz, if you see something weird or scary in the fields at night, just shed a little light on it!"

Luz grunted, then gripped onto his shield. "Shed… A little light…" Luz whimpered, grabbing his shield and turning it the best he could with his aching, tired arms. The clicks of his shield came slowly, but their familiar sound revived him, giving him enough energy that he flung it right in front. "That's right!"

Golden sparks sputtered and spurted from the shield's core as its light gathered, and in a flash its light shot out in one huge flashbang, bathing the entire room in solid gold! The cyclops commander shrieked underneath the shriek of the shield's light, then both faded…

And the clouds were gone! All that remained was that cyclops commander, unconscious with a hand around Fintster's wheel as he laid on the floor!

Luz gasped, then jumped to his fast and practically tripped over them as he dashed to the commander's front. He collapsed over the commander in an instant, practically crushing the commander's hand in his own as he grunted and dug his fingers into the commander's own. His fingertips brushed against the cool crystal of Fintster's wheel, and Luz grunted further as he pulled and tore against the commander's hand—but the commander's death grip wouldn't budge, no matter how hard he pulled! Luz leaned forward and panted, his hand slipping just slightly for a moment…

And a cold, cobalt glow brushed against Luz's face.

He glanced down at the commander, and the first thing that met him was a blast of energy directly to his chest! He slammed back into the walls, and a heavy ache entered his body as he slunk down. His ghostly body cried out, begged him to move, but he was so tired that all he could do was look up as the commander got back to his feet and chuckled.

"Got you~" the commander crooned as he stepped forward. He held up Fintster's glowing wheel, and his already-snide smile grew thinner and smugger.

Luz snarled and pushed himself up a leg… And he immediately fell to his knees, hacking and coughing! A throbbing feeling came from his side, and he glanced to find a stream of sparkling, solid white magic pouring out from him—wait, his magic energy! Luz grunted and patched the wound with his hand, yet the throbbing feeling grew stronger, forcing him on the floor. His shield slipped from his grip and rolled down to the commander's feet, and the commander just chuckled as he kicked it out of Luz's way.

"I'd stay there if I were you," the commander sneered as he flicked the pendant. Its glow flickered for a moment, and the commander sneered. "It seems to me like you're in no condition to fight."

Luz pushed himself up just to collapse again, and the room chilled around him in turn, turning colder as his body ached further. Those dark misty clouds swirled up again, taking the form of massive beasts tall enough that their heads nearly hit the ceiling, and they all had their eyes on him!

"I knew this thing would be powerful, but I didn't think it would be strong!" The commander proclaimed, his snide voice oozing with spine-chilling glee. "I knew there was something special about this strange little wheel! I had the right idea, snatching it up when I did!"

Luz's head grew heavier, the rage and pain both forcing him down even though he wanted to fight so, so badly. He wanted to get up, to grab his shield and blast away those monsters, to do anything! But, he couldn't even move a muscle. All he could do was lay there as that smug commander laughed in his face, as those monster closed in on him.

"Give… Give back… Fintster…" Luz croaked.

He reached forward in a sluggish crawl, the world around him growing blurrier as the monsters came in and the commander laughed…

And then, it went completely dark.

Luz groaned, opening his eyes as he rubbed his throbbing head. He couldn't quite recall what had happened, or even what was going on now. His head hurt so badly, and the rushing of blood to it melded with the screaming and sounds of crashing and destruction that echoed from those around. Wait, screaming? Luz shook his head, the blood relenting slightly enough that he could make out terrified screams, and his vision cleared to show that he was back in his home village…

But, no, it was nothing like it should've been!

The whole place was in shambles, buildings set alight and the smells of smoke, blood and oil in the air. In front of him, people he only barely recognized fled in horror, clutching their belongings or younger family members while others tried to pull people from the wreckage. Some flash of red and gold burst forward, and the screech of metal rang in the air as some knight-looking thing wielding a mace slammed into an aged elf's gut, knocking them on the ground. Wait, red and gold—those were Arkeyan colors! Had Arkeyans stormed the town?

"Luz, we've gotta go!" Fintster cried as he raced in front of Luz, sweat pouring down his face. He grabbed Luz's hand with surprising strength, yanking Luz right off the floor and onto his feet. "The Arkeyans are here!"

The Arkeyans were here. The Arkeyans were here. The Arkeyans were here.

Those words cawed in Luz's mind as Fintster dragged him down the streets, down to the alleys where their Gramps and the rest of their siblings huddled in the safety of the darkness. The younger kids' eyes were all red and full of tears, but not a single wail came from them as they clung to the older kids. And the older ones, they tried their hardest to keep a strong face, some smiling and reassuring the younger kids with shaky voices while others bit their lips the hardest they could to keep from crying.

"Don't cry, Eury," Gerdie cooed as she cradled them in her arms. "The Elder Elementals will be here any moment now! They'll save us!"

"The Elder Elementals?" Luz asked, turning to Fintster.

"They're the ones fighting against the Arkeyans!" Fintster proclaimed, his voice raising with glee. "They'll send those Arkeyans home crying to their stupid emperor in no time—"

"Fintster, keep it down! They'll find us!" Gerdie scolded as she got up. "Now that's everyone's here, we need to hurry and get to the safe houses before they find us!"

The faint scent of smoke and screaming rose in the air, yet the screams around Luz warped slightly, sounding familiar in a blood-chilling way. The smell of burnt grass mingled with the smoke, and for a moment Luz recalled his old village, the screams and the forest and the battles and, and everything! He fell to his knees, the world around him warping back into the sights of his old, ruined home. His eyes stung from the smoke that filtered in front of him, or so he thought, but then his face turned damp and he realized he was crying.

Why, why did they come back? Why were they taking his home away from his again? He already lost his home and his family once, and now he would lose them all again, all because of these Arkeyans! Without even thinking Luz collapsed, his whole head numbing as he fell down and sobbed...

"Luz, look out!"

Something pushed Luz back onto the cobblestones, his head hitting the ground and knocking him back into reality. Once again he was in the alleyways, now on his back as he pushed himself up.

But, everyone else had strung themselves out of their little group, all eyes staring in horror of what laid in the center.

Gramps laid in a slump to the side, blood staining his clothes while tears in its fabric revealed that bruises on his old, wrinkled skin. His breathing turned shallow as blood trickled from his mouth, and he shuddered and groaned with every pained breath he took, as if just breathing was taking all his effort! A couple of the older kids rushed to Gramps' side and shouted at each other as they tried to hoist him up, and one turned to Luz, shouting something at him. What was it they were shouting about? Luz's head was so numb from the shock of what laid in the center that he couldn't even hear.

And in the center of it all, laid an Arkeyan robot dressed in red and gold knight's armor, its eyes glowing as blood red as the blood that stained the round mace it held. Low, shaking sounds almost like breathing came from it as it stepped forward and raised its mace, its eyes fixed on Luz and Fintster…

And yet, Luz could only stand there, frozen in fear. His whole body locked up as the robot drew closer and closer, raising its mace by the second. Visions of that other robot, the same one that sent Luz into hiding flashed back to him, taking the place of the robot that stood before him now, and Luz's breathing grew shallow. It was coming, that thing that had destroyed his old home, who killed everyone else, it was coming for him to finish the job! He wanted to scream, to cry and run away, but he couldn't! All he did was sit and stare as the mace swung down…

But it didn't hit. Instead, the clang of metal sounded and brought Luz back to reality, where Fintster stood in front of him, breathing heavily as he clutched a dented, dulled metal bar. The robot had stumbled back in what seemed like shock, its own mace unharmed by the blow but seemingly taken aback by the fact that someone was willing to fight. However, it knelt forward and a low, husky growl came from it, and with a running start it went back towards Fintster and Luz!

Fintster grunted and swung his bar once more, knocking the side of the robot's head. The robot stumbled back and its grip on its mace's handle slipped a little, but it quickly caught it back and swung at Fintster once more, and Fintster in turn swept underneath it before slamming the robot in the chest.

"Everyone, run!" Fintster cried. "Get Gramps to the safe houses, I'll keep this guy distracted!"

"Fintster, what are you doing?!" cried one of their brothers. "You can't take that guy!"

Fintster jumped away as the mace slammed into the ground and ducked as it swung a second time. "I might not be able to take him, but I can distract him!"

Fintster ducked down, but instead of fighting, he ran! He sprinted down the darker parts of the alleyway, and in turn the robot made chase after him, its own metal clanking drowning out the sound of his footsteps…

And then, Fintster was gone, and Luz was alone. The whole world around him blurred around him, dissolved even, and he could only sit there.

His older brother, the one who had swept him off the streets that day, the one who was always by his side when he was scared and worried, the one who always laughed with him over dumb jokes as they ran errands and did chores, who always looked out for him…

He was gone. He was distant, growing further away from the second. His family, they were all gone but him, and his own consciousness slowly faded as the image of Fintster grew more distant.

But, then Fintster turned around and cried out…

"Luz!"

And just like that, Luz sprung back awake! Before he could even really comprehend what had happened, he lightstepped away, springing over the paws of a large, shadowy monster that lunged for him and landing right where his shield laid. Sweeping his shield off the ground, Luz flung it up and shielded another blow from the monster's paws! A numbing, stinging feeling ached from his side, but Luz pushed it aside as he sprung up once more, propelling himself right above the monster. The monster gawked up at him, and Luz just flicked off his shield, shooting it like a disc aimed right for the monster's neck!

The shield slashed right through the monster's neck in a clean cut, but as it fell to the ground in a mass of melting shadows, the shield just spun forward, aiming right for the second monster! The second monster roared and batted at it, and in turn the shield swerved underneath its paws before jutting up, slashing its body in half!
The shield returned to Luz with only slight specks of darkness staining its exterior, and Luz flicked them off as he glared at the cyclops commander—or more accurately, the pendant of Fintster's that rested on his neck. The pendant's glow dimmed a bit, and Luz just stepped forward in turn.

"You, what do you think you're doing?!" the commander cried as he backed away. "You're in no condition to fight, not with injuries like that!"

A sharp pain came from Luz's side and he limped down a little, but quickly forced himself back to full height and closed his eyes…

And in that moment, Luz was back in the alleyways, all small and frightened as that robot chased Fintster further and further into the dark of the alleyways. Fintster, his older brother, he was going to die! He may have acted tough, but he couldn't take on an Arkeyan soldier like that! He, he was going to lose his older brother, and then he'd lose his family and his home again, just like before!

Luz fell to his knees and sobbed, but right as he did, a clatter sounded from behind him. His crying spell forgotten, Luz turned aside right as a sharp, metal disc dropped down from a pile of metal garbage and rolled in front of him. It was a bit rusted in some places, dulled in others—but its rim was shiny and sharp, enough to easily cut a wooden block! Or perhaps, perhaps even… An Arkeyan soldier?

Luz gasped, then flipped the disc over and grabbed it by a leather strap on its inner side. This, this was a weapon!

He had a weapon, but he, he didn't know how to fight…

But that didn't matter. Hoisting the disc up like a shield, Luz ran as fast as his shaking legs could carry him into the alleyway, guided only by the clanking footsteps of the Arkeyan soldier and the mocking shouts of Fintster ahead of him.

The dark passage started to rise, and from the minimal light ahead, Luz could just barely spy a shape of red and gold! With the shadows as his shield, Luz sprung forward and screamed as he bashed the disc right against the Arkeyan soldier's head! The Arkeyan soldier stumbled forward from the blow, exposing a metallic neck, and Luz slashed the sharp rim of the disc against the exposed neck! Sparks flew out from the gash as Luz collapsed, and he just barely spotted more sparks vomiting out in front of the soldier as it jolted and spewed out garbled, mechanical noises.

The soldier collapsed on its front, and all that met Luz was Fintster, his mouth dropped in shock as the pipe he held slipped from his grip.

"Luz, what are you doing?!" Fintster cried as he rushed forward and grabbed Luz by the shoulders. "You shouldn't follow me, you need to go to the safe houses! These guys, they'll kill you!"

"And if I didn't, they would've killed you!" Luz cried back. He thrust out of Fintster's grip and hoisted his disc in front of him like a shield, a barrier between the two. "I already lost my first family and my first home to these guys, and I'm not letting them take my big brother from me, or anyone else in my family, either!"

And hearing this, Fintster just stood aghast, his jaw clenching with his fist. He and Luz just stood each other off in quiet, tense silence… Then Fintster just chuckled and knelt down.

"Alright then—we'll protect our family together!" Fintster cried.

Snatching his pipe from the ground, Fintster hoisted it over his shoulder and turned ahead, where the flames of war and the ravaging of the town laid barren before them.

"Come on, Luz! We'll keep these guys busy!"

"Alright, Fintster!"

Luz breathed in, the memories of Arkeyan soldiers and burning flames fading to the present.

Before him, the commander yowled as he yanked Fintster's pendant from his neck and held it up as high as he could, and its own wheel grew completely obscured by the thick masses of shadows that churned from it. The shadows leaped out, growing bigger and thicker as they formed into the shapes of massive dragons, of hulking beasts and winged monsters, all of which blocked off the world ahead as they yowled and cried for Luz…

And Luz cried back as he sprung forward and rushed ahead, leaping up and slashing through a dragon's chest with a quick slice! A faint flash came to him, of him slashing through an Arkeyan robot with that worn metal disc, and he jumped up as the dragon snapped its head down after him! Another memory came to him of Fintster leaping up and bashing down on that same robot with his pipe, and Luz sprung himself forward, shooting faster with the power of light so that he tackled right into the dragon's head! His shield smashed into it first, ramming its head in and shooting a beam of light that slashed right through the dragon's body, and it erupted into plumes of cobalt smoke next.

The other monsters growled as they closed in, and that ache in Luz's side throbbed a little harder, forcing Luz's eyes shut as he cringed…

Luz bit his lip, his eyes drifting down to where one of the Arkeyan soldiers had grazed his side and left a stinging cut on his chest, but he shook his head and turned it up towards the Arkeyans that circled him. He stepped back, and the Arkeyans raised their weapons, fully ready to swing—then a harsh creak sounded, and one toppled over on its own feet!

"Try picking on someone your own size!" Fintster cried.

All eyes turned to where Fintster stood behind the downed Arkeyan, and the other robots sprung for him, leaping over Fintster the way a lion leaped over prey…

And in that moment, Luz grunted and flung his disc forward! The disc warbled as it flew through the air, whipping up currents that propelled it forward with even further speed! The speed and power melded together as it burst into the Arkeyans, slashing through their necks and beheading them in a blink before the disc itself twisted around and returned to Luz's side!

He snatched it out of the air right as the beheaded bodies collapsed on the ground, their heads falling after them and denting as they hit the floor.

"That was awesome, Luz!" Fintster cried as he hopped over the bodies. "You hit them like it was nothing!"

Luz blinked, then chuckled and glanced down at the disc. Even though he didn't know the first thing about fighting, the moment he picked up that disc, it was like he was one of those super-fancy soldiers, out fighting with the best! He wasn't sure how or why, but it was like the disc was a part of him, bending to his will.

And for that matter, Fintster fought super well with that pipe, like he was a knight riding into battle with that as his sword! They both grinned as they loomed over the broken robots they had dispatched…

And then, the ground shook, and they turned around…

And Luz growled as his eyes narrowed, fixed on the commander with no care for the melting, dispatched corpses of the shadowy beasts he had summoned. The commandersputtered out pleas and half-hearted warnings as he dangled the pendant in front of Luz like some kind of taunt… And Luz only screamed as he rushed forward!

The commander threw out his hands, and blasts of solid darkness came forward, but Luz only tossed them off with flings of his shield. The ground below him shuddered, turning shaky and unstable as his vision blurred and his footing slipped. He stumbled down for a few moments, then pushed himself back up.

The ground below him shook, and Luz dropped his shield in an instant, cowering by Fintster's side as he glanced at the massive shadow that cast over the town, and the beast that cast it.

Before him laid the biggest Arkeyan robot he had seen, as tall as two large houses stacked atop one another—no, even bigger than that! Its red and gold metal shone with polish against the flames around it while its eyes glowed white with a tranquil fury, and its whole body shook the ground with every step, every movement! It smashed through houses and tore down the mightiest trees with only a sway of its hand, as if to demand respect for its presence.

"What is that thing, Fintster?" Luz whimpered as he clutched Fintster's tunic.

Fintster quivered a bit, yet his shaking subsided as he realized Luz was clinging to him. "I don't know," Fintster whispered back as he thrust himself closer to Luz, putting his body in front of Luz's own. "I've never seen a robot that big!"

The ground shuddered underneath as the robot stomped, and Luz and Fintster separated as the tremors knocked them both back. The shadows grew as the robot stomped further and further towards them, and Luz and Fintster just scrambled back to each other in turn. They both embraced each other, preparing for the end…

And a warm heat brushed across their back, but not a painful one. No, this one was welcoming, gentle in its touch as it swept them off the ground!

Luz opened his eyes, and found himself staring at a tall, kind of grizzled and tanned man with tired eyes and fiery red hair! His burgundy cloak fluttered in the breeze as he dashed off with such speed that a trail of flames burned behind him, but quickly extinguished as he came to a stop.

"You two get to safety," the man said as he dropped them behind some boxes well out of the robot's sight. He tapped his heels and flames ignited, eating away at the bandages wrapped around his sandals. "Just leave the fighting to the adults."

And like a comet he was off, the sizzling trail of fire stretching behind him and lighting up the darker depths of the alleyways as he ran!

Luz blinked a bit as he crept out of the boxes' safety, just in time to catch the flames as they extinguished. He knew that man told him to stay hidden, but his curiosity got the better of him—and a couple of footsteps from behind showed that Fintster was intrigued as well.

The two of them crept back through the alleyways, following the ashy trails left behind by the man's footsteps, and once again they were at the mouth of the alleyway. Propping themselves behind some stray barrels, their eyes peeked over the barrels' rims…

And what they saw was beyond explanation! That mighty titan of a robot, the one that lorded itself over the village and crushed it like sand just moments earlier… It was being held back!

All sorts of mighty titans, from a burly ent to a golem made of solid lava and fire fought it off like nothing else! Their flames and beams of light stripped away the solid metal of the robot, tilting it off-balance while comets of bright, solid light in all sorts of the colors smashed into the robot's other leg! It tilted back and stumbled a bit, quaking the earth once more… But with the energy of the fight, Luz barely even noticed!

"Who are these people?" Luz gasped, his voice barely even a whisper. "How can they fight like this?"

"It's the Elder Elementals! I knew it!" Fintster cried, smile wide as he shook his fists. "Go get 'em!"

So these were the Elder Elementals Fintster was talking about? Luz gasped, then glanced back to where their fight continued.

The world grew unbearably hot from the flames and the burning lights that danced along the fields, and yet Luz didn't even break a sweat as he watched. The way they fought with blows strong and swift, the remnants of their magic eating away at the robot's armor like it was mere kindling and slashing through it like leaves! That Leviathan of a robot, the one that towered over the ground and shook the entire world with just its footsteps, it had collapsed to the ground with a mighty thud and laid slunk over, its eyes dulling while sparks shone from its chest in a flurry!

Some shout of some kind came from the ent as they crowded around the robot's front, weapons drawn and ready to fire. They lifted them up, but lowered as the sparks flying from the robot's chest burst out in a fiery fury, backing away as the light from the robot's chest grew thicker, brighter, almost like a sun…

A sharp, cracking sound, one so loud it practically blew out Luz's eardrums burst next, and world around grew bright, so bright that the heat burned into him. He and Fintster cowered behind the barrels—not that it mattered, as some strong blast lashed against him next, smashing the barrels to splintered bits and blasting them across the alleyway.

The hard stone tore at Luz as he tumbled across, leaving him sore, aching and barely able to register his own existence one moment, then only able to cower and shudder so furiously he was sure his body was going to come apart the next. But somehow, the pain subsided enough that he could stand up, just barely.

The world shuddered and spun around him as he stumbled through the alleyways' depths once more, his ears ringing so badly he couldn't hear a thing and his vision so, so, blurry, enough that all he could make out was the shadows on the walls.

His vision cleared just a little as he found himself back at the alleyway's gaping mouth, enough that he could at least make out the faint shapes of those Elder Elementals and some smaller figures stumbling and running about as that massive robot stood back up and stomped once more, shaking the world and knocking Luz back on the ground…

A sharp blast knocked the side of Luz's head, and what he hit next was cold, hard steel he nearly phased through if not for his pendant knocking against the floors. He grunted as he pushed himself up, his head throbbing and pounding—but not enough that it blocked out the goading laughter of the commander.

"What did I tell you?" the commander crooned as he summoned another blast of darkness and stroked it like a precious gem. "You're far too weak to even dream of getting your brother back!"

Luz gritted his teeth, wanting to cry in protest—but he head had numbed again, his blood rushing so quickly into his ears that he could only barely make out the sights and sounds around him. That throbbing feeling in his side returned, and this time it spread from his hip to his chest, washing over him in a strong, numbing wave. He fell to his knees as the cyclops strode closer to him… Or maybe he was still far away, and the way his vision warped made that cyclops seem closer.

The commander drew closer, raising a hand charged with darkness, and as he did, that cobalt glow beaming from his chest faded just a little, while a pained whimper hit the air, from a voice Luz recognized all too well…

And Luz sprung to his feet, finding himself safe in the alleyways once more. Before him, those Elder Elementals and those strange people still fought against the robot, but their attacks were shaky, disoriented, constantly missing as they stumbled about or hazily scattered out of the robot's way. The robot slammed the ground with a searing hot laser, and a blow of fire from the Elements' group meant for its head swerved aside!

Luz cringed, but a soft hum from beside him drew his attention to Fintster, who seemed almost contemplative as he watched the battle, so transfixed that he even parted his bangs to reveal his deep brown eyes.

"Fintster, what're you thinking about?" Luz whispered.

Fintster hummed again, then held out a hand and pointed towards the robot's shoulder. "Look over there—that's robot smoking and stuff!"

Luz peered up to where Fintster pointed, and found that Fintster was right! The space between the robot's shoulder and neck was clouded by thick plumes of gray smoke, ones that billowed out into the skies and were only barely disguised by the smoke and fire from the destruction it caused all around it. But, that wasn't the only part! Its other shoulder was smoking as well, and so were the spaces between its knees! The smoke there may have been thinner, but it was there!

"You see it, right?"

When Luz nodded, Fintster chuckled. "I'll bet that big attack that robot did took a huge toll on it! Those parts are probably its weak points now!"

"So if it gets hit there…"

"It'll do a whole lotta hurt!"

Fintster chuckled a bit more, but his smile faded. "But, that robot's so busy attacking, I don't think the Elder Elementals know that yet…" Fintster grinned and snatched Luz's hand. "So we're gonna help them!"

Luz blinked, then shook his head and yanked his hand from Fintster's. "Us?!" Luz cried, his gaze snapping from him and Fintster to the lumbering, colossal robot before them that was giving even the Elder Elementals a run for their gold in a state of almost disbelief. "But how?! That thing'd squash us!"

"We don't have to fight it—we'll just distract it a little! If we get its attention, the Elder Elementals will realize its weak spots in no time!"

"But how would we even get to it? There's no way it'd spot us all the way down here!"

Fintster blinked, then frowned and rubbed his chin. "You do have a point… Maybe, if we climbed the rooftops, then…"

A strong, cool breeze blew across Fintster and Luz, leaving them both shuddering. But, something cold, here? When everything was burning up? Where would that even be coming from? The breeze blew again, and Luz turned to find a collection of winds so solid that their azure light shone against the flames. Their own winds roared like lions, propelling themselves up in the skies. Now that Luz thought about it, he swore he saw one of those humans with the Elder Elementals flying around the skies like a bird with that same glow. Did that person make this?

"A wind current, perfect!" Fintster cried. Snatching Luz's hand with one hand and gripping his makeshift sword with the other, Fintster turned to Luz with the utmost of steel seriousness.

"I've heard of wind currents like those—they're magic ones that can take you super high up! The Elder Elementals would use them all the time when they fight… So that's what we'll use!"

Luz bit his lip, glancing over at the robot as it shook the earth once more. By all accounts, he should've ran off, should've taken cover, should've trusted every instinct in his gut to run. But, being with his brother like this, seeing the confidence in Fintster's eyes and having him safe in his grasp, it was like all that fear went away!

So, Luz nodded, and the two of them

ran. Even though their bodies still ached in places and begged to rest, the pain they felt only barely registered in their minds as they bolted over towards the air current! The ground rumbled below them, tossing their steps off-balance and leaving them stumbling, but their small size meant these little fumbles were hardly a concern—the robot didn't even see them, instead focused on fighting the Elder Elementals.

The cry of lasers shot and shouts of pain and frantic orders barked rang in the air, and Luz only barely glimpsed behind at the ongoing battle before the lash of cool winds grew closer! He turned around, and the air currents roared their loudest as he and Fintster came within inches of them! They two of them bent down and leaped in…

And before they knew it, the winds launched them right into the air! Luz's head spun at the feeling—nothing underfoot, nothing around but his brother, the entire town eclipsed underneath them as the fires spread. Luz's head spun at the sight, but a quick hand squeeze from Fintster brought him back to his senses.

Thus, Luz turned his attention to that robot, the one that now rested just a few feet below them. The robot itself hadn't noticed them yet, nor did it notice the growing amounts of smoke or even the few sparks of flame that burst form its joints. It was still too preoccupied with the Elder Elementals, still so set on bashing them in and burning them to a crisp!

"If we just shoot down and hit it from here, that'll distract it for sure!" Fintster cried. He grinned, then turned to Luz. "You ready, Luz?"

Luz gulped, then slowly, hesitantly nodded. "Ready when you are."

The two of them nodded and leaned down, their eyes locking on the robot as it swung its fist. They breathed in, out…

And with a single pump of their theirs legs, they shot off like rockets!

They flew so fast that the winds burned and lashed at them, stinging Luz's face and numbing his whole body—but, not once did he let go of Fintster's hand. They came in closer, shooting towards the robot as it slowly turned around and creaked, and Luz only raised up his disc like a makeshift shield. The closer they came in, the bigger and scarier that robot looked, looming over them the way a lion loomed over hapless lambs, and as the robot stepped forward, raising its hand to strike, Luz gulped and held up his makeshift shield. It was all happening so fast, between them rushing in and the robot coming to kill, and he didn't know what to do!

But, he knew one thing—he wanted to protect everyone. He wanted to protect his home, his family, in the way he couldn't do back then! And even though the rest of his body was going numb, he could still just barely feel Fintster's hand in his, and that tight grip showed him that Fintster felt the very same way he did!

"We're not scared of you!" Luz cried as he raised his shield, eyes narrowing and focusing on the burning, bright light that emitted from the robot's eyes. "Come on! Hit us with all you've got!"

"Yeah!" Fintster cried beside him. "We're not gonna let you ruin our home!"

The robot only whirred, its eyes burning their brightest as the laser light gathered together and shot out right for Luz! Luz held his shield up the best he could, hoping somehow it would dampen the blow.

But the blow never came.

The light split as it hit his shield, instead wrapping around him and embracing him like warm sunlight. Not once did his body burn or melt underneath its blanket, nor did he himself ache—it was just as comfortable to him as sleeping outside in the aestival season! Something cold brushed against his hand, and when he turned aside, he found that Fintster was gone. Instead, a large cloak of shadows draped over him, hiding everything but the hand he gripped Luz with from view!

Their light and darkness merged together as they came in closer to the robot, and both boys cried out as they pivoted aside and slammed right into the robot! The light and darkness consolidated in the front, ramming into the sparking, smoking shoulder joint and exploding, booming across the area and flinging Luz and Fintster back!

The echoing boom had blown out Luz's ears, and the dizzying fall numbed his eyes and his head… But as he and Fintster collapsed, Luz just smiled.

For right before him, the goliath of a robot that once towered over their village had stumbled backwards and collapsed onto the ground!

Luz shook his head, the heat fading from his face and his senses clearing as he stood back up. Before him, the cyclops commander slammed into the end of the halls, slinking down and panting heavily as he tried to stand. Luz grunted, grabbing his shield—just one more blow, that would be enough to knock this guy out and take back Fintster. He grunted as he ran his fingers against the shield's spiky rim, and the numbness spread to Luz's head, pushing him to the floor once more!

Luz hacked, his coughs rattling his body as he struggled to stand, and another cackled rang from the commander as he stood. Luz growled, wanting to stand so badly, to do anything. But he was pinned, for his body was too numb and the world around him spun as he aimlessly patted around, trying to get a grip on his shield.

"Well, looks like you're down for the count!" the commander sneered as he drew closer. "Not surprised—this is what happens when kids like you try to play hero—you get burned!"

The commander cackled, his laughter ringing in Luz's ears, and Luz only gritted his teeth. Though his whole body felt like it was fading away and about to give out on him, seeing his brother fading as he laid imprisoned on that commander's neck, seeing this commander goad over him… The pits of anger burned within him, and Luz finally pushed himself up and snatched his shield from the ground.

"Give… Him… Back…" Luz hissed.

The commander raised his brow. "What was that again?"

Luz hissed out hot air and slammed his shield into the ground, tearing through the metal floors. The air around him heated up, burning up further as Luz planted his hands on his shield and spun it with every ounce of strength he had left. The familiar shriek of his shield as its light charged up grew shriller, faster, higher with every labored, pained spin, and as it glowed so bright that its light spilled over its rim, Luz fell to his knees and panted.

"GIVE. BACK. MY. BROTHER!"

Luz slammed his whole weight into the shield, and every bit of light charged into its heart vomited out, shooting all across the room and coating it entirely in hot, harsh light! The commander's pained screams only barely registered above the shriek of light, and amid the blinding white and yellow, Luz barely caught that commander's shape collapsing…

And Fintster's wheel falling from his neck and rolling away! Luz gasped, stumbling out from his shield and running forward, then collapsing on the ground right as he met with Fintster's wheel and snatched it off the ground as quickly as he could!

He gasped as he brought the wheel to his eyes, and then he himself groaned and collapsed.

The wheel slipped from Luz's hands, rolling for a moment before collapsing right in front of him… And it was so, so dark, only the faintest cobalt light pulsing from it in slow, faint beats like a dying heartbeat. Surely, all that attacking must have drained Fintster dry of all his magic energy. He was probably barely hanging on.

And though Luz didn't look back at himself, he knew he was in the same position. Half of his body laid crushed together, the other half spilling out of him and the whole world blobby and unrecognizable. He could barely keep his eyes open, and just breathing squeezed his chest so badly that his ribs dug into him. He, he was dying for good, wasn't he? They, they both were, weren't they?

Luz whimpered, but forced himself to crawl closer, just enough to shield Fintster. Just those little crawls took so much energy that he completely collapsed, but at least he and his brother were together again.

"Hey… Hey, Fintster…" Luz croaked, his voice so weak and horse it was barely a whisper. "It's me, your, your lil' brother Luz…"

Luz sniffled, and his head collapsed, falling to the floor.

"Hey, do you remember that day? The one where those Arkeyans came to… To our place?" Luz gently brushed his finger around Fintster's wheel. "I, I bet you were thinking about it too, huh?"

Luz sniffled, and his head throbbed enough that it forced his eyes shut…

And he opened them once more, finding himself in the safe houses' halls. The distinct scent of herbal medicine and blood reeked in the air, and he had to cover his nose so he wouldn't pass out—then he removed his hands, his eyes now laying on the bandages wrapped around his arms. A small cough came from beside him, and he found a similarly-bandaged Fintster hacking as he fanned away dust.

"Man, those nurses gave us an earful, didn't they?" Fintster scoffed as he crossed his arms. "If we hadn't knocked that thing out, they probably wouldn't be standing here still!"

"Yeah, but, that was really dangerous," Luz replied, crossed his arms. "If that windy guy hadn't caught up before we fell, we could've died!"

"But we didn't!"

Luz rolled his eyes, feeling that Fintster was being a bit obstinate—but with the somber air of the area around, Luz himself wasn't exactly in the mood to protest. Instead, he just peered into the room beside him, wincing at the sights within.

Amid others, his Gramps laid bandaged from head to toe in a bed, and all his siblings choked out the room as they surrounded Gramps' bed. The oldest ones offered Gramps food and water he rejected with only a raise of his hands, and they only held their heads as they left it on the stands. His Gramps, he looked like a ghost, all wrapped in white and so small-looking without those baggy robes he always wore. And he might've become one for real, if they hadn't intervened!

No, Luz reminded himself as he bit his lip. If those Arkeyans hadn't come here in the first place, if they hadn't torn the whole place down, none of this would happen! Nobody would have to rebuild, everyone would be alright, and, and…

A hand rested on Luz's shoulder, and he peered up to find Fintster, who now stared at him with a sort of somber tone.

"Hey, Luz…" Fintster started. "What do you think those magicians meant?"

Luz blinked, rubbing eyes that stung with unshed tears. "Meant by what?"

"When they said that we were like them… What do you think they meant by that?"

Oh, right—Luz only barely remembered how those humans that were with the Elder Elementals saying something like that before they brought Luz and Fintster to the safe houses.

"Those boys… Could they be like us?"

He was sure that the lady with the purple hair had said that, actually—but what did she mean? Were they also people who had lost things to the Arkeyans? Or did they mean something else? And for that matter, Luz still wasn't sure what was going on with that weird attack he and Fintster did to that robot. He was glad they pulled it off, but, how did they even do it in the first place? They weren't magical, not like them!

"Luz, Fintster!" called a voice from within the room, a familiar, aged voice they knew well!

Luz and Fintster shot one glance at each other, then gulped and entered their Gramps' room.

Getting closer now, Luz got a better glimpse of his Gramps, spying the bloody cuts and nasty bruises underneath his Gramps' bandages, and he nearly passed out. But, in spite of that, his Gramps just smiled and laughed with that same, hearty laugh he always had.

"What's with that face, Luz? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Gramps chuckled.

Gramps continued laughing… And yet, Luz couldn't find any of this funny! He sniffled a bit, trying to hide his tears so badly, but then Fintster burst forward crying and Luz completely broke! The two of them rushed right to their Gramps' side and hugged him tight, sobbing their eyes out just from seeing him.

A couple of the younger kids started sobbing behind them, and the older ones panicked as they tried to hold back their own tears and comforted them, or scolded Luz and Fintster for crying so much. But, Luz didn't care! Everything that had happened today had finally set in, and he could barely keep himself together! He nearly lost his home again, he nearly lost his family again, he fought a bunch of those weird Arkeyans and may or may not have weird powers and it was just too much! It was all he could do just to hold Gramps and sob his eyes out, his tears staining the blankets and Gramps' robes.

A wheeze came from Gramps, and Luz immediately jumped back as Gramps coughed again. Had, had he hurt him? Luz gasped and covered his mouth, but when Gramps cleared his throat and smiled back at him.

"Don't worry about me, Luz, just a bit of a cough," Gramps said. His smile turned somber as he folded his bruised, wrinkled hands, and then he pursed his lips.

"What you boys was really dangerous. You know that, right?"

Luz gulped, a lump forming in his throat and keeping him from speaking—but he didn't need too.

"Of course it was, Gramps!" Fintster shouted back, his voice straining and cracking as the tears poured down his cheeks. He sniffled a bit, taking a moment to clean the tears from his face. "But I had too! If, if, if I didn't, then—"

"I'm not mad at you two, you know."

That single sentence shocked both Luz and Fintster into silence, the two of them glimpsing back at each other and then at their Gramps. He, he wasn't mad at them? But, they were sure just then they were gonna receive an earful…

"Hey, why don't the rest of you go help out around here a little?" Gramps said, turning to the rest of the kids. "I'd like to talk with Luz and Fintster alone."

The older kids nodded and herded the entire group out of the room in hushed whispers, their torn robes and clothing forming a mottled sea of color as they flooded out the doorway…

But soon, even the last of the kids had left, closing the door behind them so that is really was just Luz, Fintster and Gramps. The room had turned deathly silent, its cold quiet grabbing Luz by the throat and choking him so badly that he could barely breath through his snotty tears.

"Come on, take a seat, you two."

Luz and Fintster both nodded as they took a seat by Gramps' bedside on some stray stools. They both gulped as they watched him, expecting his tranquility to melt into anger any minute now—but, it didn't. Gramps just laid there, that same smile on his face as he watched Luz and Fintster.

"So, boys, what had happened back there?"

Luz opened his mouth, but not a single word came out—he found himself gasping and grappling for air instead, not a single word slipping. He tried to say something, anything, but all those memories raced back to him, flooding his senses and washing him away. So, he just went silent, burying his face in his hands and sniffling as his head spun instead, only to lift it up as Fintster rubbed his back.

"I, I'll start," Fintster croaked out, his voice trembling and quiet. "Well, after you all ran off, I got that robot to follow me, and…"

And Luz only gulped as Fintster recalled everything that had happened prior—the fights, that giant robot and the Elder Elementals showing up, them going on and knocking that robot down… It honestly felt surreal, hearing all that coming from Fintster like it was fact. It felt like some tall tale, really. Two kids fighting off a whole swarm of Arkeyan robots like nothing, calling upon the power of light and darkness itself just to topple an Arkeyan the size of a building like a meager castle of sand. And yet, it all happened, the memories playing back in Luz's head with every word Fintster spoke—and their Gramps seemed equally stunned, going by how his brows raised.

"And, after the Elder Elementals beat up that robot, that man that rescued us took us here—and, well, you know the rest," Fintster finished.

"… My, you boys went through quite a lot, then," Gramps said at last, his voice a bit shakier than normal.

"I, I still can't believe we even did all that, Gramps!" Fintster cried, leaning forward. He nearly fell out of his stool, but leaned right back and quickly regained his seating. "We just fought those things like nothing, and all that weird light and darkness stuff came out of nowhere, and, and… They…"

"They what?"

Fintster gulped and turned his head away. "They, I heard some of those magicians saying weird things when that man was taking us here, saying that we were like them, and I have no idea what it means and, and, and…"

Fintster's words turned to strained gasps as tears streamed down his face, but the streams shut off as Gramps chuckled and wiped them away.

"Luz, Fintster, remember those bedtime stories I'd tell the kids?" Gramps asked.

"The ones about those really powerful magicians who would protect Skylands from evil way, way, long ago?" Luz asked at last.

Gramps beamed and turned his attention to Luz. "That's right, Luz."

Drawing his hand away from Fintster, Gramps sat upright with his hands laid on his blanket.

"You see, even today, there's a lot of people born with magic power unlike anything other. We don't know why… But if you ask me, I think people like them are given that kind of power to protect those weaker than them, to help protect those that can't protect themselves from harm. If you ask me, what you boys did today was what those magicians do—they go around, protecting others from the Arkeyans when they don't have the strength to fight back themselves."

And Luz and Fintster both blinked, turning to each other with stunned silence. It was true—they did all this to protect their home and their family, just like how the Elder Elementals always went around protecting others from the Arkeyans. So did that mean that strange power that came to them was the same as the powers they held, too? They weren't sure… But, the look Fintster had in his eyes told Luz that he was entranced by this the same way Luz himself was.

Luz's consciousness came back to him at last, just enough to glimpse at Fintster's wheel. Fintster's light was barely there, just a tiny flicker that occasionally danced like candlelight to show he was still there. He, he wasn't gonna last much longer, was he? Luz's brother was dying for good right before his eyes, and he couldn't do a damn thing about it! He could barely even move, his head was throbbing so badly that he could barely process the world around him… There was no way he'd be able to get help at this rate, so he just sniffled and crawled over. Grasping Fintster's wheel in his hands, Luz sniffled and clutched Fintster close to his chest.

"Guess we weren't able to keep our promise to Gramps and the rest of them after all, huh, Fintster?" Luz asked.

His vision turned spotty again, so Luz collapsed as a single memory flickered back into his mind.

"You're out of your minds, do you realize that?!" Gerdie cried. "Running off to join the free magicians?! Do you realize the kind of danger they get in?! You'll get yourselves killed!"

"Yeah!" Pepi protested as he clung to Fintster's cloak. "We almost lost Gramps already, we can't lose you too!"

"I don't wan' you to leave!" cried Eurydias, tears and snot streaming down their face as they hugged Luz's leg. "Please, please stay!"

Luz and Fintster both backed away as their siblings all swarmed around them, their tears and cries and shouts of protest ringing in their ears. Luz himself tried to raise his voice, but it seemed like every time he spoke a word, they all crowded him out! Beside him, Fintster attempted to peel Pepi from his cloak, but to little success as a few of their other siblings attached themselves to him.

"Everyone, calm down!" Fintster shouted. "I know this is a little sudden, but—"

"But what!?" Gerdie shouted. "You must've gotten hit in the head or something if you think you're big heroes now 'cause you fought a few robots!" Gerdie's voice cracked, and tears streamed down her face as she clutched her dress. "I, if you die, I, I'll…"

"Everyone, calm down, now."

Their Gramps' voice rang loud and clear throughout the air, and the shouts drew to a close as all their siblings parted in time for Gramps to walk in. Though he still leaned into the wooden cane the medics gave him while he recovered and looked a lot smaller as a result, his presence still commandeered respect from all of them. His eyes fell on Luz and Fintster, and the siblings that clung to them released their grip.

"Luz and Fintster have already made up their minds, stopping them won't do any good," Gramps said. "If they want to join the free magicians, that's their choice.

"But, but Gramps!" Wardiya cried. "They, they—"

"They know what they're getting into." Gramps turned his eye to Wardiya and silenced her with a single glance, then smiled as he turned to Luz and Fintster. "Isn't that right?"

Fintster gulped and nodded.

"Ever since those Arkeyans attacked, I've been thinking…" Fintster said. "We all thought we'd be safe from them and we were too far away for them to get us, but then they came here and nearly took everything from us!" Fintster stepped forward and slammed a hand on his chest. "I, I don't wanna leave you all either, but, I don't want that to happen ever again!"

His siblings backed away, their eyes wide, and Luz cleared his throat.

"Gramps told us that people like us have these special powers so that we can protect people who can't protect themselves," Luz said. "And as long as those Arkeyans are still running around, none of you are gonna be safe! So, we're gonna go out there and fight them so they'll never hurt any of you ever again!"

And with that their entire crowd of siblings fell silent, eyes turning away and sniffles from the ground.

"But, but, I don't want you to go…" sniffled Eurybiades.

Fintster sighed, then fell to his knees. "Hey, Eury, come here."

Eurybiades nodded, warily stumbling over and hugging Fintster tight. A few sniffles came from them, and Fintster just shushed and hugged them.

"Luz and I are gonna be gone for a while, but, think of it like us going on a trip. We'll be gone, but once the Arkeyans are all gone, we'll come right back home!"

"You promise?"

"I do—" Fintster smiled and turned up to Luz "—and so does Luz. Right?"

Luz smiled and nodded. "You bet! Once the Arkeyan empire falls, we'll come right back home!" Luz proclaimed, a smile crossing his face. "And while we're gone, if you ever hear about the free magicians fighting the Arkeyans and stuff, just remember that's us, fighting for you all!"

Eurybiades nodded and drew away, rubbing their tears from their face as they forced a smile. "O-okay."

Gerdie only huffed and crossed her arms. "You, you better not die out there, or else I'll never forgive you, you got that?"

With their siblings' voices rising in a crowd of goodbyes and well wishes, Luz and Fintster nodded and made their leave. Even though everyone was calling out for them, wishing them well and promising all these things… Neither of them could find the words to say. It felt almost wrong, hollow even to promise they'd come back alive, cause truthfully, Luz had no idea if they would, nor did Fintster. The free magicians got into all sorts of dangerous stuff, and they didn't always end with a surprise person saving the day—and they'd been fighting the Arkeyans for years. Who's to say if he and Fintster would come back home alive, if the Arkeyans would fall?

It felt wrong to say anything, and it almost made Luz want to change his mind. But then, he remembered his old village being razed to the ground, he remembered the screams of his neighbors, he remembered his Gramps getting hurt and his siblings crying and screams…

And right in that moment, Luz's mind was made.

Luz gripped Fintster's hand and the two of them trailed out to the town outskirts, where the stone paths and houses made way for rick, thick forest. Gramps had always told them not to go there by themselves, saying there were always monsters and stuff lurking there, but now, he didn't even say a peep. Had they grown up, in his eyes?

"I'm telling you!" cried a voice, a deep, smooth one filled with rage. "I don't care how talented they are, they're only boys! We can't get children involved in this!"

"Our ranks are lower than ever, Vatra!" cried another voice, one Luz recognized as belonging to the man who saved him and Fintster. "Our magicians have been dropping like flies, we need to take on new apprentices if we'll ever have any hope of keeping up efforts! And you saw those boys, they took down a Conquertron with a single blow!"

"A half-broken Conquertron, Vaayu! I don't care what you say—"

Passing a few bushes, Luz's eyes fell on where those two men from before stood. The two of them were deep in conversation, their eyes tense as they shouted back and forth while a muscular man clad in blue awkwardly looked away. It sounded like they were talking about Luz and Fintster, and Luz honestly considered shying away from how angry he seemed to make them—but Fintster cleared his throat, and Luz forced himself to look at them.

"Uh, hello?" Fintster started.

The two men's brows raised, and both of them gasped as they looked down to find Luz and Fintster! The windy man (Vaayu? Is that what that guy said his name was?) beamed the moment he laid eyes on Luz and Fintster… But, the other man with him, the one clad in red, seemed less than pleased.

"Ah, you're the boys from the other day!" The windy man said as he knelt down to their height. "It looks like the stars have—"

"I already told you, Vaayu!" the man dressed in red shouted as he pushed the windy man out of the way.

The man dressed in red crossed his arms as he loomed down over Luz and Fintster. "I don't know what nonsense he put in your heads, but you boys need to head back home. We're not taking kids into our ranks!"

Luz relented a bit as the man's fiery gaze burned in him, but Fintster didn't budge a bit. Figures, he was always the one handling errands and stuff, so he probably had a lot more experience talking with the adults.

"With all due respect, mister," Fintster said, putting on his best respectful "talking to the adults" voice, "my brother have already made up our mind—we're going to fight those Arkeyans, no matter what!

"Yeah!" Luz shouted. "We, we almost lost our home and our family, and I don't ever want that to happen again! If I have to fight Arkeyans for the rest of my life to keep them safe, I'll do it! In fact, I'll do anything! I'll clean, I'll fight… Whatever it takes to keep those guys from hurting anyone else!"

"Yeah!" Fintster cried. "We'll do whatever it is you need us to do if you take us in! And if you won't take us in, we'll just find someone else who will. We'll even do it ourselves if we have too!"

"Gotta admit, the kids have spirit," the man in blue said with an approving nod.

"I told you, Vatra," the windy man said as he got back to his feet. "These boys are just what we've been looking for! You said it yourself—we need to take on new apprentices if we want any hope at defeating the Arkeyans, and two prospective ones have practically fallen into our lap!"

Vatra frowned, a low, contemplative hum rumbling in his throat for moments as he scanned down Luz and Fintster. Finally, after a few moments that seemed like an eternity, he sighed and went down to his knees. He laid a hand on Luz and Fintster's shoulders as he looked down in the eye, and that burning feeling he gave off seemed… Sad, almost.

"I'll only say this—what we do isn't just some game. These Arkeyans are ruthless, bloodthirsty, and above all power-hungry tyrants. They won't hesitate to hurt you or even end your lives just because you're children, and as much as I hate to say it, we won't always be able to guarantee your safety. Do you understand this?"

Both Luz and Fintster nodded, and Vatra lifted himself to full height.

"Come, follow us, then," Vatra said, beckoning for them as he turned around. "We'll take you back to our strongholds and discuss things further there."

Glancing at each other with a feeling Luz couldn't discern, Luz and Fintster both nodded as they followed Vatra down the forest path, sneaking one last glance at their ruined hometown before them. The place were they grew up, the place where they spent all their time, still half in ruins and ashes from the days prior… It wasn't the best picture to leave it on. But, they both knew—once the Arkeyans were gone, it'd be the most beautiful place in the world, if only because they'd come back victorious, knowing they had succeeded. At least, they hope that would be the case…

But Luz knew it wasn't. He was half-dazed and barely had a grip on his thoughts, but before he knew it he had rambled off everything to Fintster—waking up in Skylands, meeting that strange kid and learning of Arkilles's revival… And now, this.

"Well, I know it's hard to believe all that time passed and all, but… It looks like they're all right. Ten thousand years went and passed, and now, we've just got each other," Luz croaked, every word he said a knife in his throat. His whole body burned as if it was going to evaporate, and he only sniffled as he clutched Fintster's wheel. "Everyone else probably died a long, long time ago… And I guess we'll be joining them soon."

Luz sniffled, his tears dripping down on Fintster's dimming wheel.

"Hey, Fintster… What do you think the afterlife's like? Do, do you think everyone's gonna be there, waiting for us? Do you think they'll be happy to see us? Or, will they hate us for leaving and never coming back?"

Luz's voice cracked, his words lodging in his throat and making even crying a hoarse pain that burned away at his ghostly body. But just the sight, of his brother dying before him without even getting a chance to break free, of losing the only family he had left… This, this was too much! Before he knew it, Luz collapsed, his head planting to the floor as he sobbed his eyes out! The waterfalls of tears burned against his face, eating away at his skin as he curled around Fintster, shielding him in his dying moments.

"I, I'm sorry, Fintster! I'm, I'm a terrible brother! I couldn't protect you when we died, I couldn't protect you now, and now we're dying, and, and, and it's all my fault! I, I said I'd protect you, I'd protect our family, but in the end I was too much of a failure to do anything!"

Luz's voice cracked as he sobbed, his tears clouding his vision as his throat strained. His whole body burned, ached, numbed, but it couldn't have been as bad as the pain Fintster was enduring right now! The world started to darken, and his head grew so, so heavy that even just keeping it on his shoulders felt unbearable. The rest of his body had numbed so badly it was like it wasn't there at all, and Luz could just barely see Fintster still.

"I, if we really do go to the afterlife, Fintster, please, make sure our family's there. I, I don't deserve to see them…"

That unrelenting heaviness in Luz's head lightened at last, and he could barely speak anymore. Is this what death felt like? He barely even remembered the first time he died, it all happened so quickly—so he guessed this is what dying was like, then. Luz just closed his eyes, letting his consciousness fade away…

But something warm brushed against him, a familiar, warm embrace he had known too well!

"Hey, what's all this about dying, Luz? You sure know how to make a fuss!"

Wait, that voice! Luz popped his eyes open…

And there before him knelt Fintster! Fintster, he, he was alive! Well, he was a ghost, but he was alive! His brother was here right before him, his brown skin free of cuts and bruises, his black bangs cascading over his eyes and his long nose while the rest of his hair trailed down his back. He was gangly as ever, but his cobalt tunic with its white and black-crossed belt and his black and white boots still stuck firmly to him with no cuts. Even his pendant, once dim like a dying heartbeat, sparkled with brilliant cobalt life! He smiled as he knelt before Luz and ruffled his hair, the same way he always did…

"FINTSTER!" Luz wailed, flinging himself into Fintster's arms!

Fintster grunted and nearly toppled over, but collected himself long enough to wrap Luz into his arms. Just the feeling of his brother's hug, so warm and welcoming, it melted Luz down and he broke down sobbing before he knew it, burying himself into Fintster's chest as he sobbed—sobbed tears of joy to have the brother he nearly lost back, tears of relief that all this amounted to something, tears just to cry now that it was all over…

"Hey, calm down, Luz," Fintster whispered, though his own voice cracked a bit and betrayed his own relief. "It's okay, it's okay. I may not know what's going on, but we're together, and that's what matters, alright?"

Luz just whimpered, shakily nodding his head before he held his brother tighter. He wanted to say something, anything, but after all this, he just couldn't find the words, so, he just opted to hug Fintster as tight as he could and cry his eyes out till he was satisfied.

"Looks like we arrived just in time!" proclaimed Ninjini's voice from behind him.

The surprise voice was the only thing that broke Luz's concentration, and he turned around to find the rest of his team behind him! They were covered in scratches and reeked of oil—but, aside of that, they were alive and fine! Dej and Vaayu's eyes grew wide the moment they saw Fintster, but neither of them said a thing. They just backed away as Ninjini floated over to Luz.

"You two were barely hanging on," Ninjini explained as she knelt down. "If I hadn't got to you when I did, you would've been done for, I'm sure!"

"Ninjini?" Fintster asked, breaking from Luz's grip and standing up. "Where, where are we? What's going on here, anyways? One minute we all fighting Arkilles, then the next I black out and Luz says a ton of time passed, and…"

"We'll get you caught up on the way." Ninjini turned around a bit, motioning for Fintster and Luz to follow you. "While we were fighting those goons back there, we found out where the head of this operation is, and now we're going to stop 'em!"

Luz blinked, then wiped away his tears and nodded. "Whaddya say, Fintster?" Luz finally asked at last as he grabbed Fintster's hand. Luz cracked a smile, and a kind of bravery swelled in him, just like the very day they awakened their powers.

"Feels like bashing some bad guys' heads in, just like old times?"

Fintster frowned for a moment, and in the next… He smiled. His sword of darkness came to him with a flick of his hand, and with the other he squeezed Luz's hand right back!

"You bet!"

And laughing together for what felt like the first time in an eternity, Luz and Fintster raised their weapons to the skies and rushed forward, racing past the others' ranks and out the door.

"Follow us, everyone! We're gonna beat those guys' heads in!"

"Luz, Fintster, wait!" Vaayu called from behind. "You don't even know where you're supposed to go!"

But, neither of them cared—they just turned to each other and laughed, their smiles brimming with confidence as they held each other tight.

§

The chilling airs of the temple grew even colder as its inhabitants worked away in near-silence, only their whispering heard amid the howling winds of the outer world and the chimes that came from within the temple. Havîn and Payiz laid in the heart of the room, dressed in Bihar and Zivistan's robes as they danced together in chilling silence.

But, Bihar and Zivistan watched not, for they laid on the other side of the temple's floor. Their ghostly bodies flared with a little bit more light than usually and they diligently shaped talismans out of worn, cracked clay and painted warding sigils on yellowed paper. Their completed creations surrounded them both, forming a sort of wall around them as they laid the creations aside… Then, Bihar and Zivistan both sighed and raised from their spots, their eyes turning to where Spyro, Chihiro and Nemir crafted even more talismans in silence behind them.

"We're ready over here," Bihar proclaimed.

Though his voice was only a whisper, within the tense, chilling silence of the room it spoke volumes, enough that everyone else shuddered just from hearing it.

Havîn and Payiz both broke from their dance routine and floated over, eyes idly drifting over the army of clay talismans and paper sigils that reeked of fresh ink. Havîn lifted up one, but quickly placed it down as Chihiro hopped over and examined the collection as well. Chihiro hummed, ignoring the wary glances Havîn gave her as she bent down and examined the talismans with an almost quizzical glance, then she leaned up and clapped her hands.

"Dunno about you, but I'd say we've got plenty of these little guys!" Chihiro remarked, before glancing back to Spyro and beckoning him over with a wave of her hand. "C'mon, Golden Boy, let's get these little guys juiced up!"

Spyro nodded and flew over, capturing Chihiro's hand in his paw in one swift motion and squeezing it the next. A soft, shimmering purple glow came from their entwined hand and paw, it's thin streams spreading out across the room and tinting the walls in purple hues before they seeped into the talismans! The talismans pulsed with a purple glow that quickly faded, but their ghastly surfaces retained their indigo and violet colors as they rested.

"This should buff them up enough," Chihiro said as she bent over and plucked one from the ground, then spun it around between her fingers. "Just in case."

Bihar winced as he turned his attention to Havîn and Payiz. His mouth twisted into an uncertain frown, almost as if there was something he wanted to say—was he going to object at the last minute? Did he have doubts? Well, they all did, but the flickers and wilting lights in his eyes suggested he had extra reservations. And beside him, Zivistan tugged on her arm, her own light flickering as she frowned.

"Are you two ready?" Bihar asked at last, turning his sight to Havîn and Payiz.

Havîn and Payiz said no words. They glanced at each other, their bodies flickering and wavering as they stared… But then, Payiz smiled and held Havîn close, and a sort of peace fell over her circle as she buried her face in Payiz's chest and squeezed her tight.

"Yes, we are," Havîn and Payiz both said in unison.

Bihar's tense aura stabilized a bit, and he nodded as he knelt down and lifted a cloudy purple glass ball from the floor. "In that case, I'd say we should make our leave then."

A few shaky, tense nods came from their entire party as they stepped out in pairs—Bihar and Zivistan first, Havîn and Payiz next…

And then, Spyro and Chihiro. But, neither Spyro or Chihiro moved a step as they reached the open temple doors, their bodies frozen as they locked eyes on the barrier as it flickered and shone before them.

A faint pang of pain hit the back of Chihiro's head as her encounters with the Odivia came back to her, and then she glanced at Spyro. Like it or not, they were taking a huge risk with this—they were the last line of defense, and if they fell, who would be left? And as she stared into Spyro's golden eyes, her heart clenched just a bit and her mind recalled how quickly the Odivia brought everyone around to hate and scorn each other. Would it make her and Spyro hate each other too? She couldn't bear the thought of seeing him and only having anger and rage fill her! Those memories flooded again, and before she knew it tight breaths sped out of her…

But then, Spyro placed his paws on her hand. Her whole head cleared as a warm feeling emerged from his paws, and he just smiled and peered up at her.

"Soothing spell," he whispered as he folded his toes around her palm, "to clear the nerves."

That tense, tight feeling that captured Chihiro faded, and she smiled as she took him by the paw and led him down the pathway to the temple. A warbling sound came from above as they ran down, and the two of them glanced up to find the barrier's light fading, its colors growing paler and clearer… and then, it completely disappeared!

At the foot of the hill, Havîn, Payiz, Bihar and Zivistan had all gathered. They all huddled together around Bihar, the others' own expressions tense as they glanced down at the cloudy purple orb that Bihar held. Bihar raised the arm with the orb, and the others drew back as the arm reached its highest, the orb's colors growing radiant as it brushed against the little light the underworld provided…

And with one swift swing, Bihar slammed the orb right against the ground! Its glass casing shattered, and he rushed away as its contents spilled out over the floor, the thick clouds of violet smoke cascading in a blanket of fog that shrouded the entrance from view.

Bihar floated backwards, one hand clutching something in his pocket as his eyes narrowed. The smoke spread further, leaving an eye-watering, burning smell in the air as it spread, and yet there was no sign of the Odivia! The air chilled above them, and Bihar backed away and squeezed his hand tighter.

The ground rumbled, bouncing tiny rocks off the floor as it shook with a mighty fear! The temple itself shook slightly as a roar echoed in the air, then the skies turned purple… Or did they? No, their color hadn't changed—something had leaped forward and choked out the skies with its purple fur!

The Odivia roared, shaking the ground as it pounced on the clouds of malice and blew back everyone around with its landing! It stretched out a long, frog-like tongue and wrapped it right around the clouds before eating them up, and as it licked its lips, its eyes flashed and it launched itself for Havîn and Payiz!

"Girls, now!" Both Bihar and Zivistan cried!

Havîn and Payiz gasped, then held each other right and spun away as the Odivia landed! A large, dull thud came from the ground as the Odivia crashed down and cast up wispy purple smoke, and it growled and flicked its tail as it laid eyes on Havîn and Payiz. Havîn and Payiz clutched each other tight in turn, both their hands trembling…

But right as the Odivia growled, Payiz pulled Havîn aside in a series of spins and pirouettes! The two of them twirled around the Odivia, embracing each other so tightly as they spun! The Odivia's eyes spun around in its head as it traced their movements, waiting for a moment to pounce.

And finally, as their spinning slowed a bit, the Odivia charged forward and swiped for them! Its sharp, jagged claws slashed for them, and a bright barrier of pink and orange light burst forward and blew its paw back! The Odivia wailed and suckled on its now-burning paw, and Havîn and Payiz in turn smiled at each other as they drew to a stop.

The shield faded, and the Odivia in turn roared and charged forward—and this time, Havîn drew herself in front of Payiz, brandishing a talisman like a sword! The Odivia reeled back, and in that moment Havîn swept forward and danced with Payiz, the two holding each other close as they twirled and spun and leaped in the air with the passion of a couple that had loved each other for eternity! They embraced each other with soft, tender touches as they danced, laughed with pure elation as they glowed underneath the warm light of their magic dance, and with every moment that passed, they grew even more passionate! Their movements became sharper, stronger, their dance moves spreading bursts of orange and pink light with every fierce spin and leap!

And the Odivia skittered back, whimpering like a puppy as the swirls of magic surrounded it! They lashed at its hide like whips, leaving the Odivia to cower as magic bled from its wounds! It hid underneath its massive paws as it made itself as small as it could, as if it was trying to hide from the lashes! But, the magic shot and slashed and snapped at its back, and its yowls of pain grew strained and small with each cry as it grew smaller!

Payiz turned away a bit from Havîn and gasped with glee. "It's working!" she cried as she turned back to Havîn. "Keep dancing!"

Havîn just chuckled and squeezed Payiz's hand. She pushed herself in Payiz's face, and Payiz in turn blushed as her eyes grew wider.

"You don't have to tell me," Havîn crooned.

She planted a small, quick kiss on Payiz's face, and Payiz gasped as an explosion of orange and pink magic burst from their spot! The dust scattered all across the floor as the two of them spun away, and left behind the Odivia, small as a house and whimpering as its body bled with magic!

Chihiro gasped, not able to make a single word. The bright lights, the swift, elegant dances, they all captivated her, stilling her heart as she watched in amazement. A tiny, tiny part of her wanted to jump in there and dance again, but another part of her pulled her back, crying not to, reminding her of her past failures. Her heart throbbed against her chest like it was gonna break free…

But when she turned to Spyro, who beamed and cheered with all he had, with that look in his golden eyes that was just as captivated by the scene as she was, everything melted away. The Odivia had disappeared, and so had everyone else—it was just the two of them and the dance floor, and it was crying out for them to jump on!

So, Chihiro smiled and gripped Spyro's paw in hers! He gasped and turned to her, but his momentary surprise faded as she leaned up and whispered one thing.

"Can I have this dance?"

Spyro squeezed her hand back, and gently pressed his head against her shoulder. "Gladly."

So the two of them swung onto the dance floor, their movements small at first—they just stepped in sync, hopping and twirled from side to side with short, sharp movements, then they clapped their hands together and met each other face to face. Hearts pressed together and hand clasped in paw, the two of them spun away, the momentary blast of an attack fading away as they spun and leaped in the air! Chihiro landed on the ground, and with a tap of her foot the floor lit up in shades of purple and white, green and black, and even some stunning, milky silvers!

The colors shone in brilliance against the oranges and pink magic blasts that bombed against the Odivia's back! The Odivia cried out as it shrank another size, now drowning underneath the light Chihiro had created. And the light in turn grew brilliant, shining so bright that the Odivia's form could barely be made out!

Chihiro smiled, then pulled out her and Spyro's clasped hand and paw. "Let's say we finish this with style, Golden Boy," Chihiro suggested, raising a brow as she turned to Spyro.

"Just my thoughts, Chi," Spyro said.

The two of them squeezed each other tight, and the magic that burst from the floor leaped out, swirling around their arms. A cannon formed as their light enveloped their arms and swirled, its colors growing brighter by the second as they lifted their arms and focused their gaze on the Odivia. The Odivia in turn whimpered, closing its eyes and covering its face with its paws as it cowered away them.

"Alright, beast of foul hatred!" Chihiro cried. "Prepare yourself!"

Spyro chuckled and gained a confident sneer. "You're about to be hit with…"

The light surrounding Spyro and Chihiro shrieked as it grew brighter and glowed brighter, its color flaring their brightest!

"THE MAGICAL ALLEGIANCE DOUBLE DECKER SPECIAL!"

The blast shrieked as it funneled out, painting the world in bright, harsh shades of purple, white and green as it formed into a laser and smashed right into the Odivia's side! The wind rose around Spyro and Chihiro, and yet they stood steadfast as their laser's light pushed into the Odivia's side and knocked it into the air! Their own light faded, and Spyro and Chihiro gasped, stepping back as the Odivia flew in the skies before them…

Then, a bright orange and pink burst sniped it right out of the skies! The Odivia crashed landed onto the ground, growing as small as it was when Spyro and Chihiro first nearly defeated it before bouncing off like a rubber ball.

Behind it, Havîn and Payiz drew back from each other as if they had drawn out of a long, passionate kiss, their eyes fluttering and faces flushed pink. They craned their heads around slowly, movements slow and hazy as if they barely comprehended the world around them. The cry of the Odivia sounded behind them, and they turned around and gasped with glee!

There before them laid the Odivia, small and scraggly and wailing out in strained, pained cries and yelps! Its body twitched, but it didn't even try to push itself up—or maybe with how much magic it lost, and how much magic it was still losing from the bleeding gashes and holes in its body, it couldn't.

"The Odivia! It's weak!" Bihar cried! His eyes fluttered and jaw dropped for a moment as if he almost couldn't believe his eyes, but he quickly shook his head and turned to Zivistayn. "The seal, quickly!"

Bihar fumbled as he held out his hands while Zivistan floated to his side. The two of them gripped each other's shaky hands, showing each other weary glances for a moment before they thrust them out and chanted in some kind of ancient Skylandian tongue. Their hands shuddered as they spoke while a flare of light slowly formed from their fingertips…

And as they chanted, the Odivia growled and staggered up! It shot them one glare and flashed its teeth, and as they wavered a bit, the Odivia snarled and rushed off! For its weakened state, it flew with incredibly spry speed, leaving trails of purple dust in its wake!

Bihar and Zivistan's hands slipped out, and they nearly collapsed on the floor had Nemir not jumped in and propped them up. Their eyes grew wide as they only watched the Odivia sprint off. Beside them Havîn and Payiz gasped, their own colors fading for a moment before they reeled back.

"After it!" Spyro and Chihiro cried in tandem as they ran off.

Tracking the trail of purple smoke, their group stumbled back through the winding twists and alleyways that brought them to the temple. The sounds of angered shouting rose in the air as they ran, a sound that left the others with worried looks as they passed back into the broad open…

And what did they arrive to but the burning eyes of the entire underworld populace! Their faces were red with rage as they turned around, shouting and teeth gnashing as they crept onto Chihiro's group and her group in turn backed away.

A particularly large growl rang from the back, and Chihiro lifted her head to find the Odivia, snarling with an almost smug look as if to mock them! It rested in the back of the swarming crowds, the hatred radiating from their bodies and feeding back into the Odivia as it grew in size and strength once again!

"Dang, I should've known it'd do something like this!" Chihiro cried.

"But what're we gonna do?" Payiz shouted, eyes wide with panic as she glanced around in short, sharp bursts. "We can't hurt any of them, and there's to many to fight, but, but, if they don't break out, we'll—"

Payiz screamed as one of the ghosts lunged for her, but before it struck, Havîn flew in front of Payiz and held a talisman in front of them both!

The talisman repelled the ghost like a shield, pushing it back into the crowds and knocking it on its back… Then it groaned and lifted its head, its eyes turning from red to a milky white!

Havîn breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to Payiz and smiled.

"Don't worry, Payiz, we planned for this, remember?" Havîn whispered, now holding up the talisman and shaking it just a little. "What do you think we made all those talismans for?"

Payiz smiled and nodded, and both she and Havîn turned serious as they turned to Spyro and Chihiro.

"Can you two get the rest of the talismans back from the temple?"

"Already on it!" Spyro shouted as he gripped Chihiro's hand.

The two of them nodded and teleported away, then teleported back in a flash with arms filled to the brim with talismans!

Havîn and Payiz grinned, pulled a few talismans from the pile and clasped them together. Their heads nuzzled against each other as they held them, and the pink and orange glow that permeated from their bodies seeped into the talismans, shading them in warm hues.

The two of them beamed as the talismans' light bathed their faces, yet it only lasted a moment—a few more members of the enraged crowds leaped out at them in that instant, and their joy broke! Havîn cried out and flung the talismans right at the enraged ghosts, smacking them right in the face before they could strike!

The talismans' warm light glowed, feeding into the ghosts' bodies before the talismans dropped on the ground and left several confused, but normal ghosts in their wake!

"It worked!" Chihiro cried!

Chihiro nudged into Spyro and grinned as the bright light of their dance flared again, spreading into the talismans that the two of them held. They flared in violets and silvers, greens and rich blacks, but only for moments as Chihiro rushed forward and flung the entire pile of talismans right into the crowds! Their light flared, shining like an aurora as their magic descended upon the masses, while the cries of the crowds dulled into mumbles and confused shouts!

The Odivia snarled, backing away as it bore its fangs at the encroaching aurora—but as the light shone, it whimpered and skittered back! The aurora glowed brighter, bearing its colors as a bright, shining banner, a shield to protect those behind… And yet that didn't stop the crowds of ghosts from gasping and screaming in panic!

"The Odivia!" cried one ghost. "What's it doing here?!"

"Everyone, flee, quickly!" shouted another ghost.

The screams of the crowd rose as they flooded towards the back, their lights flickering and glowing in fear as they piled backwards—and the distinct cries and growls of the Odivia behind them only stoked their fear! They practically mushed together as they held up the back of the room, nearly squeezing out Spyro and Chihiro as the stampede snatched them up. The shield of magic strained above the crowds as they pushed their way for the exit…

And the sound of a single whistle brought them back to the front! All their eyes rested on Havîn and Payiz as the mob of ghosts parted away, leaving behind a very frazzled Spyro and Chihiro.

"Listen up, everyone!" Havîn cried as she took center stage, floating in front of the crowds and holding out her hands. "I know you're all worried right now, but calm down! Flying around in a panic isn't going to do anything!"

"What are you blabbering about?! Don't you see the Odivia's right there?!" cried a ghostly woman who flew out of the crowds.

Another thunk sounded off as the Odivia charged against the shield and bounced back, and the ghost woman cringed. "That thing was supposed to be sealed away by the high priest and priestess! What's it doing here?"

Payiz and Havîn both exchanged worried glances, eyes tense and teeth clenched, but it was Payiz who flew out and addressed the crowds next.

"There's… There's been a few changes in the ritual this year," Payiz explained. "The high priest and priestess have found themselves unable to do the ritual this year—"

A wave of gasps and shouts came over the crowd, eyes wide as they turned to each other, so Havîn cleared her throat and jumped in.

"But don't worry, we've got a plan!" Havîn proclaimed. "We'll all harness the power of our love and use it to fight back against the Odivia!"

"Harness the power… Of our love?" asked a ghost in the crowds as they raised their brows. "Did I hear that correctly?"

"Yep!" Havîn grinned. "Surely a lot of you have someone or something you love a lot, right? Friends, family, lovers…"

Hearing this, a couple of the ghosts grinned and turned around—a few took each other in hand, a couple nuzzled their heads together, a parent beamed down at their wide-eyed and grinning children… One ghost smiled and rubbed the head of a ghostly dog that followed behind him, and beside him an aged, spectral woman smiled and lifted up a loaf of fresh-baked bread.

Havîn's grinned stretched wider as the crowds mumbled and their worried glances turned to smiles. "The Odivia's weak to love, so just take that love and show it however you can!" Havîn proclaimed.

The crowds shuffled a little, and a tiny ghost dressed in black shuffled through and gulped as they raised their hand. "And if we don't have anything or anyone we love?" they asked, their voice soft and quivering.

Chihiro shook her head, then smiled and grabbed a pile of talismans from the floor.

"Then take these talismans, find anyone still under the Odivia's curse and free them!" Chihiro proclaimed as she shoved the talismans into the ghost's arms. "We'll need as much help as we can get!"

The ghost made a tiny smile and nodded, but their relief was short-lived—the Odivia roared as it scratched against the shield, and this time, it seemed to work! The shield's colors quivered and faded before brightening with every blow, except now thin, white cracks stretched along its surface! And with every blow the cracks grew, spreading further and glimmering, trembling with the Odivia's cries!

"Alright everyone," Payiz cried as she took Havîn in hand and squeezed her hand tight, "it's go time!"

With one last strike, the barrier shattered and the Odivia sprung forward! Its roars grew as it pounced forward, straining with anger as it set its eyes on Havîn and Payiz.

The crowds around them screeched in fear and scattered, but Havîn and Payiz only nodded and held each other tight. Squeezing their hands together, the two of them spun out of the Odivia's way, the ground shaking as its paws slammed against the ground! Their hands quivered for a moment, and Payiz only squeezed them tighter as she leaned forward and kissed Havîn!

Havîn's eyes grew wide, but she quickly melted into the kiss and gripped Payiz tight. The orange and pink lights of before glowed from their body like a dawny sunrise, their colors painting the world around in warm shades! The light grew brighter, and the Odivia screeched and stumbled back as it shielded its eyes from the light!

The crowd of ghosts stopped in their tracks, eyes and jaws wide as they gazed in awe of the sights—the simple power of two girls' unyielding love for each other fighting back a beast of pure hatred, one that lurked in the corners and loomed over their town like a beast ready to strike! A few ghosts just stood and blinked, perhaps unable to process whatever was occurring… But a couple others grinned and jumped in!

An older couple of two men was the first to start, holding each other in hand and dancing together like the ruined square was the finest ballroom! As they danced and laughed like they were still young and had just fallen in love, rainbow light wafted off of them and bolted towards the Odivia, sniping it in its eye! The Odivia screeched and slammed back into the wall as it clawed at its smoking eye, then a bolt of white light sniped the other one!

The Odivia covered its eyes with its paws as it wailed, and the ghostly couple turned to the back to find that a few younger ghosts wearing matching bracelets grinned as they held hands clasped tight to the skies! The ghosts folded their hands together and grinned, but their eyes quickly trailed off as a younger ghost giggled and floated off.

"Baba, baba!" cried the ghost as they pointed to the wailing Odivia with childlike glee. "I wanna do it, too!"

An older, slightly aged ghost gasped and flew out of the crowds, scooping the child in their arms with fear in their eyes. "That thing's dangerous!" The older ghost cried. "Don't run after it like that!"

A bright white glow surrounded the two ghosts and leaped out, striking right for the Odivia's neck! The Odivia's screams quelled at last as the bolt severed a hole in its neck, and it collapsed right before the startled parent and their child! The parent gasped and floated back, holding their child close, and the light only grew brighter, stronger as it laid stuck in the Odivia's neck!

The Odivia choked again as it collapsed, and the older ghost couple chuckled and waved the rest of the crowds over.

"Come now, everyone!" cried one of the ghosts as he smiled a smile emphasized by his many wrinkles. "This beast poses no harm to us—our love is much stronger!"

Hearing this, the crowds smiled and flooded out—not in fear, but love! Couples floated out and danced with each other, kissing with passion and embracing with tender joy, then groups of friends cheered and laughed and bounced around as they quipped and recounted old stories! A few even joined in with parents, children and siblings, older family members tossing the younger ones in the air and snuggling them tight while the younger ones laughed with childlike glee! Some even grabbed their pets and snuggled them tight or played games with them as they cheered!

And as they played, as they laughed and showed whatever love they had, the lights around them grew brighter and brighter! The light sprung forward, tearing through the Odivia's pelt while it wrangled and screeched! The Odivia snarled and screwed its eyes shut as it attempted to stand—but then, another burst of colorful light rushed out from the alleyways and slammed into the Odivias other side, knocking it back to the floor!

The faint sounds of panting came out next as another crowd of ghosts holding talismans flooded out, helmed by the same little ghost dressed in black! A few other clutched armfuls of talismans beside them, and even more spread out and joined the crowds' ranks!

"Sorry we're a bit late!" The black-clad ghost cried. "It took a little while, but we got as many from the town as we could!"

Havîn and Payiz broke from their kiss and gasped with glee, their eyes now turning to the Odivia and the bright, colorful lights that burned off its both as it screeched and wailed!

Its legs and tail janked as it banged its head against the floor and clawed at its throat, still trying to sever the bolt of light lodged within—then, a rain of wispy pink flower petals cascaded down in a torrent over the Odivia's back! The petals melted into a pink mass that burned away the Odivia's back, and it screeched, coughing out murky magic substance as it collapsed and struggled to catch its breath.

"Well, well, well," Bihar chuckled as he floated down with a large, empty barrel underneath his arm, "looks like those old flower petals I swept up had some use after all."

The simple pluck of a string came next, and Zivistan floated down with a sitar in arm and eyes closed in concentration. A smile crossed her face as she played its strings, and the simple melody that started grew passionate, rife with emotion as it told a story with no words!

Chihiro herself couldn't help but smile as she sat down and bathed in the music—it reminded her a little bit of something she had heard when she was searching for Kaos in India, and for a moment she was brought back to the streets and the joys she saw. A place brought to life by the passion and fervor for life its people held, then stilled just a bit as people gathered to hear a band play on stage as its singer sang with an entrancing voice. For a moment she pictured herself back in the crowds, watching as the singer spoke of great triumphs, crushing loss, the high and lows of life, while the stage itself came to life with both the performance and the audience's cheers! Even though this song was so much different than the one she heard, the sound was somehow so nostalgic all the same.

But then, the melody changed! The sitar morphed in Zivistan's hands, turning to a shamisen that played a melody a bit like the songs her dad showed her when she was little, then a guitar that played old songs like what she'd hear over the radio at home! With every pluck and stroke of the strings, Zivistan's instrument morphed into another, singing another melody and playing another tune that brought to mind memories from all across the globe!

And her passion, her fervor and the strong love she held for her craft bled into her playing—every careful stroke and perfect note, it left a bright, blue glow burning off of her that burst off and took the form of music notes as it smashed into the Odivia's underside! The blasts smashed the Odivia through the wall, knocking bricks down on its mangled, twisted body as it cried out! The light severed through its neck finally faded, and the magic substance that oozed from its body gushed out, splattering across the floors and shooting off mist!

Zivistan smiled and stowed away her musical instrument, and beside her Bihar chuckled.

"I never knew you were so adept at so many musical stylings," he remarked.

"I've been practicing," Zivistan replied.

And while all this unfolded around them, Spyro and Chihiro just sat together, clutching each other and only able to watch. So many people rushed and danced around them, the lights grew brighter and painted the area around in all sorts of bright, overwhelming colors, the cries of festivities around welled up and bubbled…

And yet, something about it didn't leave Chihiro quite as overwhelmed as it normally would've. Maybe it was the sight of the Odivia dying before her, or maybe it was feeling Spyro close to her, his wings and scales wrapped around her tight as her grounding force. But whatever it was, it kept her grounded, a bit numb but grounded nonetheless. She couldn't speak, so she just watched in total, utter, amazed silence.

And beside her, Spyro just sat next to her, curled close with his head rested against her shoulder. His eyes sparkled with all the color of the rainbow reflected in them, and a small, quaint smile found its way on his face. If not for the raging cries of the Odivia, it almost felt like a perfect, picturesque scene.

Lifting herself from the ground, Chihiro smiled and held out a hand to Spyro. She couldn't bring herself to speak, but he understood her without a word—taking hand in paw, the two of them held each other close and danced. It wasn't anything fancy, just a faint recreation of those ballroom dances Chihiro always saw in movies with a few spins and twirls tossed in. But as they stepped in sync, holding each other tight, that glow from before burst from below, slipping out from their shadows and underneath the Odivia's body!

The milky white lights came first, flanked by a rim of shadows with a silvery outer glow. Purple and green smoke wafted out of the shadowy rim, forming strands that wove together and smashed down on the Odivia! The smoky net dug into its body, pinning it down to the light as it squealed and thrashed with what little energy it had remaining, even as it was bleeding out… Then, a bright pillar of light burst from the circle and engulfed the Odivia in its light!

The pillar faded as the Odivia shrieked, and when the light shone its last, the Odivia collapsed to the ground! Its body bubbled and glowed with the remains of love's light, and it laid so pained that it couldn't even bring itself to move or shriek… It just groaned, that magic substance trickling from its jaw as it laid slack and barely alive.

"It's almost done for!" Havîn cried before turning to Payiz. "The seal, quickly!"

Zivistan and Bihar floated forward, and they both exchanged smiles as they laid their hands on Havîn and Payiz's shoulders.

"Would you do us the honor of finishing this?" Bihar asked.

"Gladly," Havîn and Payiz both said in unison.

The two of them held out their clasped hands and closed their eyes, chanting in some kind of ancient Skylandian tongue while their light glowed so slowly, like a meter filling to its top. The light flooded across their fingertips, spreading out to the rest of their hands, and an echoing sound rattled as a beam of light flew out of Havîn and Payiz's hands and slammed right into the Odivia! A seal planted on its face while thelight came over the bubbling, shaking body of the Odivia…

And in one large burst, the Odivia was no more—its body blew to pieces as a rain of colorful lights and sparkles that cascaded all over the town square!

The townsfolk broke from their dance and celebrations, all eyes wide with glee as the lights rained down on them. Lovers shared kisses and tender hugs, family and friends alike embraced each other and cheered, even total strangers wrapped their arms together and celebrated.

And in the center of it all, Havîn and Payiz both cried tears of joy as they held each other tight.

"We did it! It really worked!" They both cried out.

"It certainly did," Bihar remarked. "And now that we know it does, I'm certain this town will be in safe hands."

Havîn and Payiz blinked, drawing back as Bihar and Zivistan nodded towards each other. Bihar took Havîn's hands in his, Zivistan took Payiz's hands in her own, and both of them knelt down, heads bowed in utmost respect as Havîn and Payiz gasped.

"I truly did underestimate you girls," Bihar admitted. "But, where the high priestess and I failed, you succeeded in not only protecting our home, but making the ritual the strongest it's been in generations!" Lifting his head, Bihar smiled up at Havîn. "I, frankly, should have had more faith in your abilities."

"As should have I," Zivistan added as she drifted away. "Thus, we are appointing you two the new high priestesses of the temple—if you so choose. If you agree, the temple and all it watches over will be in your care. Do you understand this?"

Havîn and Payiz both glanced at each other, then nodded with the utmost of serious expressions.

"In that case, once the ceremony ends, we'll begin the processions for your appointment," Bihar said, adding with a chuckle, "and after this, I think I'll pay a visit back to the old gardens back in the living realms. I'd hope they're as beautiful as I remember them being…"

"And I think I might pay a visit to some old haunts of mine," Zivistan remarked.

Bihar and Zivistan glanced at each other, with some kind of not-quite-melacholic, but not overjoyed glace—perhaps they knew this may be the last time they talked? A sort of quite thank you for all the time they spent together prior? Whatever it was, they both nodded and floated away with Havîn and Payiz close behind.

And Chihiro just smiled and flopped on the ground, which felt surprisingly warm despite being in the incredibly chilly underworld! All around her people cheered and ran around and celebrated, but she didn't quite register them—all that came to her was Spyro, who laid beside her with wings wrapped around her… And those words Mem had said earlier.

There are some people who haven't felt an ounce of romantic love in their lives, but they've lead perfectly happy lives all the same!

So there were people who had never fallen in love their whole lives? Somehow, she never thought of the prospect before—but to be fair, she'd never really thought about romance all that much before, either. Something about the concept felt so new and foreign, and yet, something about it eased the anxiety in her heart, the same shivers she felt every time people pushed her and Spyro together as a couple…

Spyro nudged his wing against Chihiro's shoulder, and he smiled and winked at her as she spared him a glance.

"See, Chi? We beat that whole thing just because we cared about each other that much!" Spyro remarked. "It doesn't matter if we're friends or a couple or whatever else."

Chihiro chuckled and sat up. "Well, we had a lot of help," she corrected with a wink. "But yeah—" Chihiro grinned and fell back down on the floor, "—we're partners, and that's that."

Spyro smiled, but his smile quickly faded. "Anyways, I kinda feel like we're forgetting something, but I can't remember what it was…"

"Hmm…"

Chihiro sat up again as a shadow cast over her, and found that Nemir had shown up seemingly out of nowhere, holding a strange conductor-like object made of foggy glass in hand.

"There you two are! Between all the festivities, I almost thought I wouldn't find you," Nemir remarked. "Anyways, the conductor—"

"THE CONDUCTOR!" Spyro and Chihiro both cried, their eyes practically popping out of their skulls. "WE FORGOT ABOUT THE CONDUCTOR!"

Chihiro scrambled back to her feet, but as lucky would have it, her legs were numb and she ended up falling over herself in that moment! Her face hit the cooling floor and she cringed, even more so as Nemir laughed.

But, he gently pushed her up, and gave her that same kind smile as he held out a tube-like device. "Don't worry, I managed to find out while looking for you two," Nemir said. "With this, we should be able to stabilize the semblance's presence."

Spyro and Chihiro both breathed sighs of relief, standing back to their feet as Nemir drew away. The two of them trailed after Nemir as he made his way back to the entrance, but while Spyro went ahead without hesitation, Chihiro lingered on the plaza and faint glows of green and monochrome that came from its floors…

"Chihiro, are you coming?" Spyro called.

Chihiro's eyes fluttered, and she nodded as she ran ahead. "I, I'm coming!"

§

The faint sound of pattering echoed in the area as the floors below grew warmer, then shot up masses of sharp spears so thick and tightly-bound that the floor was impossible to see! The spears stood tall like trees, then a sharp, whooshing sound came from below and they all trembled as they retracted into the now iced-over floors. The ice of the floors covered it in an almost crystalline sheet, cracks formed over it from where the spears had broken through, and its surface glistened in a whole array of colors as Luz's group crossed over.

"So, that's what you've missed these past couple thousand years!" Luz finished as he stretched his arms out. "I know, I know, kind of a lot to take in and all, but—"

Luz turned to Fintster, and his face immediately fell as Fintster stopped in his tracks. Even though his bangs covered his eyes from view, the way Fintster held his head low and his back slouched told Luz enough. He knew this would be a lot to process, but he didn't think Fintster would be this shocked by how much time had gone by! Sure, a lot had changed, but…

Oh, right. Surely, he was probably thinking of their family members, all likely lone dead and gone by now—Luz had gotten so caught up in how happy he was to have his brother back, he completely forgot for just a moment that they were all each other had now. Luz's chest tightened up a little bit, and his eyes started to sting with tears, but Luz quickly shook it off and forced a smile as he squeezed Fintster's hand. A soft grunt came from Fintster as he lifted his head and turned to Luz, and with a smile he squeezed Luz's hand back. There was a lot to take in and process, they both knew it. But, they had each other, and that counted for something.

The path ended soon after, and all that laid before them was a large, kind of rickety-looking wooden platform. Light poured from the opening above it and the faint sound of cheering crowds rumbled from the other side. What was it that would await them? Luz wasn't sure, but he just gulped and boarded the platform with Fintster in hand, and the other following behind them.

The platform creaked from the added weight as they all boarded, and the faint groan of churning gears rumbled within the building as the platform creaked up. With every inch, the light grew brighter and the cheering grew louder, while the faint scents of desert dust rang in the air.

And then, as the light hit its brightest, the platform raised its highest and locked itself into a dusty arena floor. The coliseum they stood in now was lined to the brims with cheering armies of both cyclopes and Arkeyan robots alike, and over on its balcony laid two thrones with two cyclopes decked in crowds and regal garb atop. One of them was short with chartreuse skin and a single blue eye and was decked in armor, and to that one's right laid a taller cyclops—but considering that this one had three brown eyes with plump lashes, Luz wasn't entirely sure if they should even be called a cyclops. A pair of amber horns and a crown rested atop this cyclops's head, and she wore an elaborate, queenly-looking red and gold dress while her red-clawed hands clutched a scepter tight…

But the moment her eyes laid on Luz's team, the scepter slipped from her hands and she jumped from her seat.

"SKYLANDERS?!" The cyclops screeched. Her voice was shrill and aged, reminding Luz a bit of a meaner versions of the old ladies from his hometown. "HOW DID THE SKYLANDERS FIND US?!"

"Oh, I knew this was a bad idea," moaned the cyclops still sitting on the throne as he buried his face in his hands. "I knew causing such a ruckus would get the Skylanders to find us! The last thing I wanted was seeing them again…"

The other, queenly-looking cyclops growled and snapped her head around. "Quiet, Pipsqueak!" the cyclops queen snapped. "The last thing I need is your moaning and groaning!"

"Hey, uh, not to interrupt your little argument," Luz said as he stepped forward. "But do you and the Skylanders have history or something?"

"History? Oh, I've got history with them, alright!" The cyclops queen snapped again, turning around and bearing all her fangs as she met Luz's gaze. "They're the reason my collection's gone! I used to have the most wonderful zoo in all Skylands, you know—all the rarest creatures you could find in Skylands, some even extinct save for my specimens! It took me my entire reign and all the deals I could muster just to collect it, but then some blowhard storm titan from your ranks came waltzing in and freed them all…"

Luz blinked, rubbing his eyes as the cyclops queen before him paced around and ranted something about missing collections.

"Wait a second, storm titan?" Terrafin whispered to Eruptor behind him. "Was this the same lady Lightning Rod tangoed with?"

"Dear, please, calm down!" Pipsqueak cried from his throne as he gestured out. "Remember, we still have the arena battle!"

The cyclops queen stopped mid-step, and a wicked grin spread across her face.

"Oh yes, that's right!" she cried. She laid a hand on the balcony and tapped her fingers against its rim, and her angry expression turning to something sickeningly wicked. "I almost forgot my little deal! Some strange man claiming to be an envoy for a reincarnated Arkeyan king happened to have a little deal with me, you see…"

SHING! All around them, sharp blades raised from the ground and shone under the midday sun, almost as if it emphasized the sharp cut of their spikes and blades. Luz himself glanced back at one and winced, only turning back as the cyclops queen cackled.

"He was an odd sort, but his lord promised me the finest, most rare fauna in all of Skylands if I helped him get this Oracle and disposed of you—and I'd really like to restart my collection!"

A pathetic-sounded whistle blew in the air, and all at once the cyclopes and Arkeyans alike cheered as they rushed out of the stands and leaped into the fray! Their armor clunked and creaked as their feet planted on the ground, and they all beamed as they withdrew maces, flails, swords and more!

The gates in the coliseum walls opened next, and the sounds of warped gnashing and growled echoed out as gigantic chompies flew out from their tunnels—literally! Torn, warped wings made of withered leaves barely propelled them up as their half-gooey green bodies hovered above the arena floors, then splattered and reformed as they hit the ground!

"For the king and queen!" A cyclops at the front cried as they raised their flail.

"FOR THE KING AND QUEEN!" echoed the other soldiers as they flooded in, charging as one battalion of an army!

Luz snarled, withdrawing his shield and holding it up—just one shot could at least take the first row out, he was sure.

But before Luz could even spin his shield, Fintster leaped past and grinned. "Let me handle these guys!" Fintster cried as he cracked his ghostly knuckles. "I may have just woken up, but I'm sure I still got it!"

The mutant chompies roared as they charged for Fintster, their gooey bodies jiggling with every step they took while he stayed still, silent, not even moving as they came their closest… Then, his whole body melted into the shadows! The chompies stumbled to a stop and growled as they loomed over the shadow where Fintster once resided.

And in that moment, Luz gave his shield a couple quick spins and shot a string of light beams that sniped the chompies' eyes. They squealed and stumbled back as goop burst from their eyestalks, and while they reeled back, their shadows stretched out behind them. One more step, and out from the shadows leaped Fintster, who swung out a hand and lifted the shadows from the ground as sharp blades, slicing the chompies in half!

Their remains splattered across the floor, then shuddered and reformed as a forest of regular-sized, but still gooey chompies that leaped out… And Fintster only sighed and crossed his arms.

"Sure are stubborn, aren't they?" Fintster remarked, before holding out his hand and waving it in circles. "Luckily, I have just the trick for garden-variety pests."

An orb of flickering blue smoke formed in front of the chompies, bubbling and pulsing and warping as it grew and stretched out. The sounds of blowing, churning winds came out, and Fintster leaned aside. The winds grew with every size of the orb, growing stronger and even pulling the chompies towards its vortex heart!

"The rest of you might want to step back!"

The vortex grew its largest, turning to a swirling black hole as it sucked the chompies in with a single breath! The chompies lodged and stuck together, squealing and thrashing as the black hole tilted upwards and sputtered as it spat the chompies over the horizons! The glowing goo from their bodies rained down and splattered across a few of the cyclops soldiers' heads as they disappeared, and the cyclopes only blinked as they craned their heads up and watched them disappear…

But shook their heads and charged in!

A few cyclopes swung their swords dangerously close as they rushed towards Fintster, and on instinct Luz leaped out and yanked out his shield! Their swords clanged and bounced back, but from the back even more cyclopes rushed in and jabbed with their knives and flails! Fintster grimaced and summoned a cloudy sword of solid darkness, then leaped back and parried their blows—but with even clang that came as Luz covered blows with his shield or every strike Fintster pushed away, even more cyclopes soldiers rushed in!

Fintster growled and stomped his foot, and in that moment the shadows that lined the arena shuddered and leaped up, turning to a dark, churning mist! The mist coated the battlefield in thick, eye-searing smoke, with Luz and Fintster in its eye! The smoke swept out them, wrapping around the cyclopes soldiers like a blanket and shooting out in a short, but powerful snap that flung them into the walls!

The coliseum walls cracked dented as cyclops after cyclops smashed into its aged brick, but while most just fell on their faces and groaned, a few others staggered up and raised their weapons as they charged back in!

Luz and Fintster took hand in hand, and with one stride, the power of light and shadows propelled them forward, until they were inches away from the cyclopes! The soldiers backed away in quaint shock, their moment of hesitation long enough that Luz and Fintster bashed them back with shield and blunt sword, then the two of them turned back.

Above them, the other spectators grew antsy, grabbing their weapons and running down the steps in a hasty charge, and Luz and Fintster in turn just turned their gaze down to where the rest of the group readied their weapons.

"Take care of the rest!" Luz said as he pushed his shield and knocked the cyclops on the ground. "We'll get to the heads!"

Despite the distance, it seemed as though their words had reached, for Gill Grunt and Whirlwind immediately took to the skies! They hovered in front of the stands and momentarily brought the crowds to a halt, a few stumbling back to avoid the sudden interruption. Whirlwind flapped her wings and brought stormclouds front and center in that moment, and their lightning leaped into the crowds! The shock sent bursts of yellow light crackling into the air as the robots short-circuited and the cyclopes squealed, but above the sound of their cries, the sound of gushing water came in the air! Right beside Whirlwind, Gill Grunt fired up his hose and doused the crowds, with the lighting using the water as a current to travel from one to the next with heightened speed!

A couple cyclopes fell flat on their faces into the arena, and as they got up and stumbled about, Terrafin leaped into the ground and swam through it with rapid speed, carving up the earth and rupturing the surface! The cyclopes flew left and right, launched into the air from the rapid speed of Terrafin's strikes, and a few flung back into the bleachers!

The flying cyclopes rammed into a few Arkeyans in the stands that lobbed shiny grenades in the air, knocking them back and their grenades forward! A group of lava blobs slammed into the grenades as they flew, shooting whole explosions of fiery, warm colors for all to see!

The cyclops queen and Pipsqueak both squealed and shielded their eyes as the flames burned, then as they faded the cyclops queen scowled.

"Pipsqueak!" she shrieked. "Up the stakes! We can't have these Skylanders foil my perfect collection again!"

"Yes, dear," Pipsqueak groaned. He pulled out a console, then groaned and pressed a few buttons. "Whatever you say, dear…"

The sounds of clicking and clanking rang in the air, turning all eyes away from the battles and onto the round blades that lined the area. With a few shudders, the blades twitched and rattled… And off like a rocket they shot, circling around the arena floor with such speed it was hard to keep track of them! The blades smashed into each other and let out sounds of shrieking, scraping metal, then they changed course, sawing halves into the torn battlefield instead!

Luz dropped the cyclops he bashed in and leaped away as one sawblade nearly tore him in half, and Fintster hopped away from the same. Everyone else, friend and foe alike, broke into shouting fits and pained cries as they danced around the sawblades' ballroom, narrowly avoiding their sharp surfaces as they carved away at the floor… And judging by the pounding, rattling footsteps that struck the ground, it seemed as though the bigger guys were having just as much trouble as the little ones!

The ground shook before their feet as Eye-Brawl stumbled backwards, trying his best to avoid the sawblades that danced around his feet, then turned around right as a shadow cast over him—but not before a particularly large robot bodyslammed him into the stands! Part of the bleachers caved in underneath him, crumbling to bits as the robots who laid in the stands flattened underneath Brawl's girth, and Brawl himself up grunted and stumbled up, kicking out a few of the sawblades as he came to full height. Shouts came from underneath as the others scrambled to avoid him as he tottered around, flattening buzzsaw after buzzsaw while the robots laughed in his face…

But as he finally regained his footing, Brawl swung out from underneath Eye and slugged the robot in the face, knocking it back into the stands! Seas of greens and gold and red poured over the stands as the spectators fled from the wreckage, and the robot itself creaked as it pushed itself back up.

And while it struggled, Brawl punched his fists together and slammed them into the ground! The earth cracked underneath his blows, and from the cracks shot up bony brambles that ripped through the floor, tossing earth and stone wherever they went. The buzzsaws flew in the air as the brambles tore apart their trenches, then all the brambles consolidated into several large skewers that smashed right through the robot's joints and chest. Its limbs collapsed onto the ground, its body next as it keeled over.

With a clap of Ninjini's hands and a flutter of Swarm's wings, the robot's body broke to bits and burst up from an explosion of purple lightning, soaring over the skies before the broken parts rained down over the coliseum! And from the ground, a burst of freezing water shot off and drenched the parts, freezing in midair and coating them in a solid sheet of ice!

The robot soldiers down below ran off as the parts smashed through the cyclopes soldiers' helmets, all scrambling like headless chickens in their attempts to escape… But as they ran, the winds roared and lifted the saws from their place in the air, then shot them right at the robot soldiers! The robot soldiers split in half and collapsed as the saws ran past them, while their severed halves exploded and coated the entire arena in a thick layer of minty green mist!

Pipsqueak and the cyclops queen hacked their lungs out as the smoke faded, then their eyes glared down at where Luz's team lorded over them with the smuggest of smiles on their faces and the tattered, gored-up remains of their soldiers around them.

"Alright, so you took care of a few footsoldiers—that's no feat! Stop looking so proud of yourselves!" The cyclops queen shrieked as she stumbled up the edge of the balcony and waved her staff. "I'll just bring in some more reinforcements!" The queen's staff sparked, and she waved it around as the gem in its center glowed. "Guards, deal with these pests!"

The staff glowed its brightest as the queen waved it in circles… And yet, no new guards came. The entire arena still laid quiet and devoid of conflict.

And the cyclops queen winced at the sight. "Alright, guards!" The cyclops queen cried as she waved her staff further. "Come here!"

Nope, still no guards. The queen gritted her teeth together, then growled and shook her staff.

"WHERE ARE YOU USELESS GUARDS?!"

"Er, dear…" Pipsqueak groaned as he raised a hand. "I think we may be out of guards."

The cyclops queen growled, and for a moment went to raise her voice—but as she glanced around the room, she found, surely to her irritation, that Pipsqueak was correct! The stands were plucked clean of guard organic and robot, and instead they all laid around the floor. Between the smoking remains of the broken Arkeyan robots and the unconscious or fleeing cyclops guards, her ranks had thinned till they were nearly nothing!

"It seems as though you're correct," The cyclops queen groaned as she jabbed her staff down at the arena floor.

Pipsqueak frantically nodded as he stumbled out of his throne. "Then, then, well, it looks like I'll have to fight them!" Pipsqueak sputtered. He yanked a thin, worn-looking ax from the side of his throne, then stumbled for the edge of the balcony. "I, I'll have those Skylanders gone in a jiffy!"

Well, that's what Pipsqueak said as he jumped off the balcony and into the arena… But his looks didn't quite match up—he shook all over and so badly that it looked like he was made of gelatin, and sweat poured in pools down his body as he clutched his ax! He squealed out shaky cries of war as he spun and stumbled about, flailing his ax just as haphazardly as he ran.

Fintster and Luz took one look at each other and shrugged, then Fintster waltzed over and flicked Pipsqueak's forehead…

And in response, Pipsqueak completely dropped his ax. "Ow, that hurt!" Pipsqueak wailed as he ran back into the hollow halls of the arena. "Uncle, uncle!"

While Pipsqueak disappeared down the halls, the cyclops queen groaned and buried her face in her hands… But only for a moment.

"Well, I guess the old saying is true," the cyclops queen said as she grabbed her staff and leaped into the battlegrounds. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!"

The moment the cyclops queen touched the battleground, she held her scepter to the heavens and waved it around! The light from the scepter pulsed and spread across the arena with every wave of her staff, first banishing the stands and stalls for open fields of dirt littered with weapons, then the city around for empty plains… With one last wave, flags of war had cropped up from the ground, and the arena had turned into a proper battleground!

The cyclops queen lowered her staff and whistled, then grinned as a pair of huge, magical purple knights rushed up to her with inhuman speed and weapons in hand.

"Well, now what?" The cyclops queen sneered. "Aren't you just quivering in your boots at the sight of my magic?"

Luz and Fintster both drew back, and in turn the knights rushed forward…

But above them, so did Swarm and Eye-Brawl! The three of them immediately rushed to shoulder the knight's blows, with only faint flares of light pulsing from their bodies as a signal to move.

And with this signal taken, Luz and Fintster stumbled their way through the massive gaps in the knights' legs, the shadows casting over them and shielding them from view as the battle raged before them. The shouts and clashing of weapons and magic only barely registered in Luz's mind as he turned his gaze back on the cyclops queen, who only stood idle as they came close…

Then she jolted back and flung her staff!

A bolt of magic burst from the jewel on its top, and Luz and Fintster both parted, jumping aside while the bolt of magic shot right between them. Luz leaped to the brighter side and tumbled down, while beside him Fintster leaped into the knights' shadows and skidded forward, a thin stream of shadows parting from the larger one as he did.

The cyclops queen grumbled as she hoisted up her staff and turned it on Luz once more, but as she fired it up, a shadow cast over her! Fintster's screams rang in the air, and she turned up right as he leaped out of the shadows with his sword in hand—and she just swung around in turn and flicked her staff! A bright flare of light burst out and ate up Fintster in its bright, blinding light, then a pained scream of his echoed from the light and he collapsed.

Fintster grunted as he landed on his side, his sword melting away in his grip as he landed, but he quickly rolled away and jumped to his feet.

"Well," Fintster panted, turning his head down to the shadow of his on the ground. "Guess I'll have to try something different!"

With a leap forward, a cloak of black descended upon Fintster, and he himself disappeared from view! A thin shadow streaked along the ground where he once laid, zipping across the floor in shark, jerky movements as it aimed for the cyclops queen! The cyclops queen backed away, then waved her staff and held it as high as she could! The gem on its top glowed its brightest, encompassing the entire battlefield in its harsh light—and Fintster immediately leaped out of his shadows and stumbled back to his feet! Though his bangs masked his eyes, the clenched frown on his face grew tighter as he summoned a sword of shadow only for it to melt in the harsh light, then he cried out as a laser sniped his chest and knocked him down.

"Sorry, boy, your little shadow tricks aren't going to work here!" The cyclops queen sneered. "Looks like taking me on solo was a bad idea!"

The cyclops queen raised her staff once more and turned it on Luz, her sneer growing at a sickening rate as the light charged at its tip. It shimmered and gleamed, pulsing like a heartbeat—but before it could shoot, a golden laser sniped it right out of her hand!

"You've got one thing wrong there, queenie!"

The cyclops queen gasped as the staff rolled by her skirt on the floor, and yanked her head around to find that Fintster was alone no longer! Luz leaned down beside him and helped him to his feet now, but as Fintster rose, Luz sneered back at the cyclops queen.

"He's not alone!" Luz cried as he held up his shield.

Luz and Fintster both chuckled at each other as Fintster finally stood tall, and Luz withdrew his shield.

"So, bro, how about we hit her with our good ol' combo special?" Luz smirked.

Fintster smiled and summoned a ball of darkness with a flick of his hand. "Sounds like a plan to me!"

The cyclops queen's lips twitched as she collected her staff. "I'd like to see you try!" she screeched!

Luz and Fintster rushed forward in tandem, the dust kicking up behind them as they raised their weapons—but right before they struck, the cyclops queen waved her staff and a string of large, purple eyes cropped up around her! Like a wall around her they stood, their pupils charging with light as Luz and Fintster backed away… And the one frontmost shrieked as it shot off a bright purple laser!

The two of them jumped away right before the laser struck, but in the moment they took to float, a shriek of light came from behind Fintster! He only just turned around right as the cyclops queen teleported behind him and whacked him in the gut with her staff.

And as he fell to the ground, she smirked and shot for Luz! Luz yanked up her shield and knocked her back, then gripped its rim and spun away—but as she flew away, the cyclops queen waved her staff once more! The tip of its top grew cloudy like a storm as it crackled with golden lightning, and as she flicked it, a bolt of cloudy darkness shot out and exploded around Luz!

Luz winced as the light surrounding his shield faded away, then banged its rim. "Hey, who turned out the lights?" he cried.

A bolt of thunder leaped out and zapped Luz in the back, and he cried out as he collapsed to the ground!

He fell right beside Fintster on the hard, worn earth, and the two of them coughed before the familiar crack of thunder sounded above them! They both rolled away right before a gigantic thunderbolt singed the earth where they once laid, and winced as they glanced at each other.

"With powers like that, it's gonna be a lot harder to knock her down!" Luz whispered to Fintster. "She'll just make things super bright or dark and ruin our attacks!"

"But so can we, remember?" Fintster remarked as he ruffled Luz's hair. "Have you forgotten what our elements can do?"

Luz winced, and glanced over to where the cyclops queen floated down before he turned to Fintster.

"I know, but we'll need to get her distracted long enough to do it! And how're we gonna do that?"

The world around warbled, and the illusion of a battlefield wavered for a moment as Pipsqueak stumbled through and panted, falling to his knees with strained gasps. He lifted his head, then gasped and jabbed his hand ahead.

"Dear, look out!"

The cyclops queen gasped and teleported away as an arrow of ice screeched for her, and the moment she reappeared, she ground her teeth and turned to Pipsqueak.

"Pipsqueak! Don't distract me!" The cyclops queen screeched as she shot a bolt of magic down into the fight. Another arrow, this one made of lightning, shot for her and she blasted it away. "In case you haven't realized, I'm out here fighting because you were too much of a coward to fight back!"

Pipsqueak sputtered, stumbling backwards and yelping as the magic flashed, then twiddled his fingers. "But dear, I, I'm awful at fighting…"

"Then why did you jump in there in the first place?!"

The two delved into a bickering fit, their insults and arguments crossing the air in time with the cyclops queen's retaliations against the others' attacks behind her! The flares of bright light melded with shouts of anger and pleas of ignorance… The whole time, they completely held each other's attention, eyes not moving from each other as the cyclops queen fought back!

Luz and Fintster both gasped, glancing at the cyclops queen and then back at each other before they beamed!

Fintster flicked out his hand and summoned a sword, and with his other he locked hands with Luz. The two of them held their hands out as both darkness and light crackled around them, forming into a swirling orb of golden sunlight and murky darkness marbled together at their palms… And with a simple push of their hands, the orb shot up into the sky and blocked the sun!

Spinning shadows and light cast over the battlefield, flickering around while those around froze and glimpsed up. Even the cyclops queen broke from her fights and arguments, her eyes squinting as she craned her head up to glare at the orb.

"What is that?" she asked as she squinted and shaded her eyes with her hand.

Luz and Fintster slammed their sword and shield together, and like a gong it rang out across the battlefield. The single little shockwave shook the orb so much that it ruptured!

The skies around turned dark and light in rapid, flickering, dizzying succession, and the cyclops queen gasped as she rushed away! She held out her staff and flicked it, and in turn its top shone bright—but the shadows and light continued to flicker, raging like a storm as she flicked her staff in succession. She rubbed her staff and clouded its top with darkness, then flicked it again. However, the light just shone over her, and she shrieked as she shielded her eyes!

"Are things alright over there, dear?" Pipsqueak called from the back!

"What do you think?!" the cyclops queen shrieked as she turned back to Pipsqueak.

The shadows and light flashed once more, and as the light set over them once more, the cyclops queen snarled and turned her eyes on Luz and Fintster.

"You!" She shrieked as she waved her staff. "How dare you mess with the light? That's my power!"

The cyclops queen shot off her staff, and this time it charged with a luminous violet light that leaped out and spread! The light bubbled as it took the shape of suits of armor armed with swords and shields, and like a commander leading the charge, she flicked her staff and sent them dashing towards Luz and Fintster with a single flick!

The knights' bodies rattled as they charged for Luz and Fintster, and Luz and Fintster in turn charged right forward! Luz sped forward first as he lifted up his shield and shouldered the blows of several knights' swords, then tossed the swords off and set down his shield! He charged it with light in a few short spins, then thrust it out and shot a wave beam of light that sliced the front rows of knights in half!

As their top and bottom halves separated and evaporated into nothingness, another wave of knights charged in. Fintster sprinted to them first, summoning another sword of darkness as he ran right in front of Luz. He hunched over and panted as he slashed his swords, and waves of darkness pulsed out, completely dicing up the soldiers! The knights faded into magic dust, and the shadows cast over the arena turned to bright, harsh light—bright, harsh light with the cyclops queen in its heart!

Luz and Fintster cried out as they charged for the cyclops queen, and she in turn grunted as she waved her staff and summoned an eye-shaped barrier! The barrier's pupil charged with light and shot its laser. But this time, as the laser struck, Luz yanked out his shield and shouldered the blow! The light swarmed into the center of Luz's shield and sparked as it glowed within, then with a single spin it shot that light right back at the Cyclops Queen!

The cyclops queen gawked as it shot right for her, and at such speed that it sniped her out of the air before she could even react! The cyclops queen groaned as she collapsed to the ground, her staff's gem shattering as it fell beside her.

"Ugh, maybe Pipsqueak did have the right idea," she moaned as she got up a rubbed her head. Turning tail, the Cyclops Queen floated off the ground as she bolted off. "It looks like I have no choice but to retreat!"

"Dear, wait for me!" Pipsqueak cried as he stumbled after her.

The two of them turned tail and ran off, and Luz and Fintster in turn tailed after them… But, Luz and Fintster stopped as a large shadow like knight's armor cast over the arena!

"But don't worry, I'll leave you all some little friends to play with!"

The ground rumbled as the larger knights the others fought with crashed down onto the arena, crumbling weaker parts of the coliseum stands and kicking up massive clouds of dust that blocked off most of the world around—though beneath their dusty forms, they could barely spy the Cyclops Queen and Pipsqueak as they made their way to the exit!

Luz growled for a moment as he eyed the knights, and took a step forward. But the knights in turn moved to cover the exit, knocking Luz off his feet with the mighty quakes of their footsteps. Luz growled as his eyes laid on the knights, so still and steadfast as they blocked the entrance, then gripped his shield and charged forward. He yelled out as he eyed the exit between the knight's legs, smiled as the knights laid unmoving before him… But right as he moved to slide through, the knights swung their axes and he shouted out!

In a flash of light Luz teleported back to the main group and panted as he leaned against Fintster's side.

"Alright, change of plans!" Luz proclaimed. "Get the suits out of here!"

Luz and Fintster clasped their hands together and pointed out their fingers, shooting out a twisting bolt of light and darkness that seperated into two as it slammed right into the knights! The darkened parts of the beam exploded into a thick field of darkness that clouded the knights' views, while the light seeped right into their bodies and shone through their joints.

"The glowing parts are their weak points!" Luz shouted. "Go after those!"

With a nod, the entire group splintered, splitting off in two halves as they shot towards the knights!

Vaayu, Luz, Swarm, Gill Grunt and Whirlwind tackled towards the first one, with Vaayu launching himself into the air with a single leap and Whirlwind and Gill Grunt flying after him!

Within their sights, the dark mist clouding the knight's vision had begun to clear, but the spotlights streaming out of its joints shone bright still. It jerked from side to side as the mist finally dissipated, and the moment it turned its vision on Vaayu's group, it yanked its ax from the ground and charged forward!

Whirlwind dashed forward and flapped her wings, and in turn the skies above the knight clouded and a torrent of rain downpoured onto its armored body! Patches of rust and corrosion spread like a rash across its armor, and they only spread further as a mighty stream of water shot out and splashed across the knight! The rust bit away at its body, disintegrating it in rapid time. And as the storm grew stronger with a clap from Swarm, the rain fell further!

The knight's hand rusted away, and its ax fell to the ground—a sign Swarm and Vaayu took as their cue! The two of them leaped up into the skies, and Swarm's barbs and eyes flashed sky blue while Vaayu waved his arm, summoned an entire battalion of lightning-charged spears. With a wave of Vaayu and Swarm's hands, the entire armada shot into the knight's joints, shattering their already weak and rusted bodies! The knight fell backwards as its joints' rusted, shattered remains fluttered in the winds, and Swarm zipped forward, turning to little more than a golden blur as he struck forward and slashed the knight's arms and legs right off of its decaying body!

Left limbless, the knight descended to the arena ground with a clatter, shaking the entire arena ground as its body dissipated! Swarm floated down in front of it with the smuggest of grins as he lorded over the dying knight, but quickly backed away as the clatter of clashing swords sounded beside him.

To his left, Ninjini sparred with the second knight, shielded the blows from its own ax with her wishblades! The ax clattered as it bounced off the wishblades' surface, and in the moment the knight lingered, Ninjini leapt forward and slashed a giant gap right through the knight's chest! Sparks of lightning and magic shone from the gaping, gut-bearing gap in the knights' chest as Ninjini planted her hands on it, encasing it in a magic glow that pushed it back! It flew into the back of the stands, shaking the illusion of a battlefield once more as the magic pinned it to the spot despite the strain.

And while it struggled, Eye shot forward with light pouring from his pupil! A silver laser leaped out next and slammed into the knight, carving through its body and rusting it up! And while Eye rusted it away, Brawl slammed his fist into the ground and summoned bony brambles that leaped out and twisted around the knight's body, pulling it down to its knees.

"Now! Get it!" Brawl signed.

And with that, the rest of the team leaped out and rushed for the knight! Dej and Fintster floated up first and rammed for the knight's exposed joints, with Dej summoning a gigantic javelin made of ice and launching it towards the left arm's joint while Fintster shot a massive blast of darkness towards the right, and the two joints completely cracked! And below them, Terrafin punched another joint to shards and Eruptor melted the last one away with the heat of his lava!

The brambles released for a moment as the shattered remains of the knight's joints rained down, allowing the knight to plunge forward… Then, they completely ravaged the knight, ripping through its body and tearing whatever they could to bits! The brambles skewered through its chest and came out with mechanical guts, slashed gashes and holes in its limbs, shattered its glass eyeshield—every little bit of the robot was ravaged, leaving nothing but a torn, hollow carcass that fell on its side and crushed its companion under its own weight as they both fell to the arena's hollow, empty floor.

Luz winced a little, but not from the sight of the broken knights. Instead he directed his eyes back to the now-open coliseum as the battlefield illusion faded and rushed ahead, lightstepping out as fast as he can.

He jumped back out, turning around for only a moment as the battlefield faded completely and left an ordinary coliseum behind.

A puff and a flurry of purple smoke enveloped him next, sending him into a coughing fit until the smoke cleared and Ninjini came in with the others close behind. She floated out and summoned a shiny crystal orb, then waved around and frowned.

"I'll scry and see if I can find the high priest," Ninjini spat out. "Hopefully, they—"

"Actually, there's no need!"

The sound of a familiarly cheerful and young voice rang in the air, and Luz lifted his eyes to find… Chihiro! She was back with Spyro and Nemir close in tow and a molekin dressed in fancy, cool-colored robes by their side, and proudly held the unconscious, tied-up cyclops queen and Pipsqueak like a prize trophy.

"Chi!" Gill Grunt called. "You're back!"

"Yep!" Chihiro replied, nodding as she waved the cyclops queen and Pipsqueak around. "Ran into these guys chasing the high priest when we were coming back from the Underworld,"—a particularly smug smile crossed Chihiro's face as she snickered—"and I gave them the what-for!"

"We've already called on the others to help with cleanup," Spyro explained. "They should be here any moment."

"Alright then, but that leaves one question…" Gill Grunt asked, holding a fin to his chin. "Just what are you two wearing?"

Huh, now that Luz had gotten a better look at them that wasn't filled with battle-made adrenaline, he was sure Chihiro wasn't wearing those fancy robes and Spyro wasn't wearing nearly as much jewelry as he was currently when they left for the underworld. Seems they noticed, too, because they both looked down and laughed.

"Well, it's a long story," Chihiro said as she dropped the cyclops queen and Pipsqueak on the ground. Wiping her hands, Chihiro sat down and beamed. "But, I'll start from the beginning."

So, Chihiro and Spyro sat down and regaled a tale from their journey in the underworld, talking about festivals and beings of pure hatred and dancing and other stuff Luz didn't quite hear. He turned back to Nemir and walked forward—but Nemir got one wide-eyed look at him, and he immediately stuffed the device he held in his pockets and rushed forward.

"Fintster, my boy!" Nemir cried as he flew past Luz and planted his hands firmly on Fintster's shoulders. "You, you're alive…"

"Relatively speaking," Fintster corrected, taking a glance down back at his ghostly body. "But, I'm back… Well, if you could even count being this far ahead in the future back, anyways…"

Nemir chuckled, and the familiar whir of an incoming ship brought their attention to the skies, where the Dread-Yacht parked itself at the side of the island… But, not before taking out a few of the docks along the way. Classic Flynn.

A bald molekin dressed in fancy, colorful robes—probably the high priest, if Luz had to guess—walked out, the rubbed their claws for a moment before they bowed before Luz.

"Thank you for your aid in saving our village," she said before lifting herself up. "I was informed that you seek the Oracle's guidance. I would be more than happy to assist you in consulting him."

"In that case," Luz said, turning and beckoning back at the crowds. "Let's get back to home base! We've got an Oracle to talk to!"

§

A soft clunk came from the tube as 'Enehana set the device into the semblance's resting place, and with a wave of Nemir's hand, a silver light glistened from the slots in its body. As the device glowed and glistened, both their eyes glanced up from where the device sat to the semblance as it flickered, its smoke faint and barely visible for a moment.

Nemir and 'Enehana both winced… But then, the semblance shone bright as the clouds grew thicker! Nemir and 'Enehana both grinned and glanced at each other, then their eyes went wide as a door slammed open behind them.

"So, is that device workin' or not?" Ermit huffed as he stormed in, his brows knitted tight together.

Nemir chuckled and swept to the side. "See for yourself."

Ermit sat himself between 'Enehana and Nemir, then slowly gasped as the semblance shone brighter while the tiny wisp gathered even more clouds by the second! The clouds fused together in the semblance's heart, expanding and consolidating until it formed into a small, shimmering blue orb surrounded by dark, thick clouds right before Ermit's eyes! He oohed and aahed for a tiny moment, then glanced to his sides as both Nemir and 'Enehana gasped before him. As he took in their wide smiles, he himself nodded a bit, and found a weak smile of his own as he sat and basked in the growing semblance—but once more the door slammed open, and his beard hairs stood on end as his ears jumped up to the top of his head!

"Hey, everyone!" Luz called as all eyes turned on him. He waved a bit for a moment, then gently elbowed Fintster who walked in after him. "We're just about ready to meet that Oracle now, and the high priest says she needs everyone on board!"

"So, you better hurry up and finish what you've got here," Fintster added as he smirked. "After all, don't want you getting left in the dark and all!"

Luz and Fintster both snickered at each other, while behind them Nemir just smiled and shook his head. The two of them propped the door open as Nemir and 'Enehana rose from their seats and joined them, then all four raised their brows at Ermit, as if they were prompting him to join. But, as Ermit just sat and watched the growing semblance, they merely shrugged and left.

As they reached the outside out of the robot's storage, Luz clapped his hands and whisked them away in a flash, their feet hitting the signature warm, slightly worn metal of the Dread-Yacht before the light even faded. They stood amid the others as the high priest preached, not a word spoken but their glances welcoming enough. The high priest beckoned them in, and they consolidated into the group as the high priest cleared her throat.

"Anyways, as I was saying," the high priest explained as she stretched her hands wide, her claws glistening as they spread up to the evening sun. "The Oracle is, in many ways, like a feeling—if we wish to receive his guidance, all we have to do is center our minds around him, and if he feels our cause is worthy, he will heed our prayers and come! Now come, gather together and link hands, and think about nothing but the Oracle!"

Nemir and 'Enehana grabbed hands, linking with Luz and Fintster as they all huddled in close. Around them, the others linked hands the best they could, the Elder Elementals gingerly holding fingers out to the smaller people on board so they didn't crush them and others gripping hands as tightly as they could. All eyes closed, some breathed deepl, and for a moment, a strange feeling, something numbing but not quite in a sickly or anxious way came over the group. Their breathing stilled as their shoulders slumped, but despite how relaxed they all seemed, their grip on each other's hands didn't release any. In fact, it seemed as though they squeezed even harder as the high priest hummed ancient songs in languages long forgotten under her breath.

Then, a cold wind blew through! All at once their eyes opened wide, some stopping to pat their chests just to make sure their hearts were still intact!

Nemir himself helped 'Enehana up as they lost their grip and stumbled forward, then he blinked and turned to his side.

They no longer stood atop the Dread-Yacht, no—in fact, it seemed like they weren't even in Skylands anymore! Instead they stood within some kind of void, painted in sparkly shades of blues and yellows one moments, purples and whites the next, and even more as the world around continually shifted in color. For a moment, some even changed to colors that didn't even seem like colors, rendering the world disorienting enough that keeping balance was a struggle. No smells came from around, not even the breeze could be felt… But, despite the ever-shifting colors and the seeming blankness of the world around, there was one constant. A soft voice, beckoning from the distance at a volume just loud enough to be heard.

"Come… Come here… Come to me…" it whispered, its voice soft and reverberating as the colors shifted once more.

Chihiro blinked, then turned back to the rest of the group. "Did you hear that?" she asked.

"Yes, yes!" the high priest proclaimed as she beamed widely and folded her hands. "That must be the Oracle! Come, follow that voice!"

Consolidating into a solid group, they all crowded forward—but it didn't feel as though they were all in control of their own bodies. No, the droning noises of the voice piloting them forward, pulling them ahead like puppets on strings as they walked. Their eyes tensed for a bit as some cast glances at the world around them, still as ever-changing and infinite as before…

But then, a sharp stop came from the front.

"Wait, I think I see a door over there!" Chihiro cried as she pointed ahead, towards a beam of white light that pierced the rainbows in front of her.

The rainbow of shifting colors brightened and shifted as all eyes followed the white light, and the white light in turn shone brighter, consolidating into a solid, white door! The door shone brighter as they approached, practically begging them to draw forward. As Chihiro reached out a hand towards it, a doorknob formed from its front, and when that knob twisted open, the bright lights of the door leaped forth! The whole world around turned brighter, its bright white light shining over and drowning out the world around as everyone shouted and cried out, then it completely enveloped even them in its grip.

And then, the light faded and they all disappeared as the world returned to its ever-shifting colors.

---

Alright, my backlog's been drained dry, which means it's back to hiatus and writing! As for when I'll come back... Honestly, this time I'm not sure. My college courses are getting a lot more demanding now that I'm in the latter half of my degree, which means I'm gonna be spending a lot more time offline and focusing on that, so I'm not sure if I can give an exact estimate for when I'll return. But, regardless, I'll try my best to get everything planned and written up for you all! Stay safe and well in the meanwhile!