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)

21. Ancient's Hearth

A small update before we get into the chapter itself - though it is still a work in progress, I now have a Neocities! This is going to serve as a backup/supplementary to my existing fic uploads here just in case this site goes under or otherwise becomes completely unusable in the future, and I plan to use it to host some other creations of mine and fun little extras for the fics themselves. I've already mirrored the first installment of Chihiro Hatsuki's Skylanders to there, and I'm going to slowly work on mirroring Here Come the Giants there as well when I get the chance! You can find it at tilde-creates dot neocities dot org.

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The dark of night crept into the room as cricket chirps sang from the outside world. The only smells were the smells of the herbal remedies and medicines of the infirmary Spyro laid in, and the only sounds besides those of the crickets were the snoring of his allies. Nobody lurked among the halls but his own shadows as they danced in the moon's turns, and nobody laid awake but Spyro himself as he curled up in his infirmary bed and gazed at the ceiling. A peaceful night like this was normally perfect for getting some much-needed rest before the extremely important mission briefing that waited for him tomorrow. Yet, Spyro could not bring himself to sleep.

Terrafin's words from a few nights ago rang around in his head still, spinning in circles as Spyro tried to wrap himself around their meaning.

"So, that whole trial was to show us what we needed to prevent?" Spyro repeated.

It sounded like a solid theory, yet it was the most difficult one for Spyro to accept. Every time he thought of that trial, of the cold, metallic hell that Skylands became, of Arkilles as he crowed over the Skylanders from his throne, of all the friends he lost because of his own failure… Of how he lost Chihiro, he locked up. He knew he needed to look those memories straight in the face if he was ever going to try and devise a way to beat Arkilles, yet every time, he pushed them aside while knots formed in his stomach. Sure, the other Skylanders seemed perfectly confident in what Terrafin theorized, and they knew well what they had to do—so why did he worry himself still?

That memory of losing Chihiro came back to him, of the fear that shimmered in her eyes as she tried to hold back Arkilles' assault, of the strength she held nonetheless, of her last words. They all rang in his head, and with them came back every feeling he felt—the terror, the shock, and the adrenaline as he wanted so badly to save her, but didn't get the chance. She died right before his eyes, his portal master, the one closest to him…

Oh, so that was it. He wasn't just scared of losing his friends; he was scared of losing her! That was one problem solved, but now Spyro fell upon another one—trying to figure out how to tell her this. Spyro turned on his side, glanced over at where Chihiro slept all bundled up in the hospital blankets, and he almost wasn't sure if he should start a conversation. She was probably sleeping, and the dragons gods knew she needed the rest. But, something egged at his heart still, so he took in a breath.

"Hey, Chi," Spyro whispered at a voice just loud enough for her and only her to hear, "you awake?"

A slow, small groan came from Chihiro as she turned around and smiled.

"Only if you are," she teased as she stuck her tongue out. "Couldn't really get any sleep cause I was thinking about tomorrow. My head's still pounding just thinking about it!"

"That makes two of us, then." Spyro slipped out of bed and gently tugged on her hand. "You up for a midnight walk? I, kinda have some things on my mind that I need to talk about."

Chihiro softly grunted out a "mm-hmm," slipped out of bed and stretched. Thankfully, she seemed to have recovered fast from the Mechanizers' spell; she looked just as she did before the ambush, and one could hardly tell there was anything amiss from a quick glance. But, the concern that rang in her brown eyes showed that she seemed to have something on her mind as well. She held a hand out to him, and he took her in paw as they crept down the infirmary halls with footsteps small enough that they wouldn't wake anyone else.

"So, Golden Boy," Chihiro whispered. She bit her lip for a moment, almost as if she wasn't sure she wanted to say her piece, but breathed out and sighed. "There's something that's been bugging me ever since we left that trial."

Spyro's wings tensed and flattened against his back. "Yes?"

"When I came out, you, you seemed so upset. Did something happen?"

Getting right to the point, weren't they? Spyro sighed, flew up and pushed the infirmary doors open. The cool midnight air flooded in, and the two of them popped outside as they planted on the grass. The air was crisp, just as fallish nights were supposed to be, but its cool wind was less comforting and more like a whip lashing against Spyro's scales. Those memories flashed back again and again, those false memories, but still memories nonetheless. Spyro saw her last moments in that simulation on loop, those last words she said as she looked back at him with a smile, the fires that engulfed her before he even had time to grab her back, the sheer, utter hopelessness he felt as he lost her right before his very eyes. His throat tightened, and breath became scarce, but Spyro gasped for air and she grabbed him tight.

That's right, he reminded himself. Chihiro's not dead, she's right here with me. I, I can prevent this. No, I will.

Chihiro squeezed him once and withdrew. For once, those gentle brown eyes of hers rang with pain and concern. Most would have guessed that she might've still been a little weak from the spell she just survived, but Spyro knew better.

"Spyro," Chihiro asked at last. "What did you see in that trial?"

Spyro gulped and bit his lip. His wings trembled for a moment, yet stabilized as he took a breath.

"I, I failed, we all did," he croaked out. "We didn't manage to stop Arkilles, and he took over all of Skylands and turned everyone—all the other Skylanders, all our friends… Everyone in Skylands into part of his army, and I couldn't do anything!" Spyro's claws dug into the dirt, and those stinging, burning tears jabbed at his eyes. "I could only watch, and everything we tried only made things worse! I wasn't able to save anyone, and he just took over all of Skylands!"

Spyro gulped back his pain, and turned to Chihiro as he wrapped his wings around his body. "And, I, I, I lost you. You died right before my eyes—" a few hiccups came from Spyro as the words lodged in his throat, barely able to choke out "—and I couldn't do a thing about it."

"Oh, Spyro."

Chihiro blinked and that concern in her eyes grew. It finally dawned on her just why he'd clung to her so, why everything happened. Spyro lifted his head, and something pinned him down to the ground, something warm and soft and familiar. He drank in Chihiro's embrace, the soft, welcoming feeling of her sweater, and the way her hair brushed against his scales. He wrapped his claws tighter around her, next his wings, and buried his face in her shoulder as he tried to stifle his tears. He never realized how badly he'd yearned to hold her closer after everything that happened, how badly he'd missed her even when she was right there.

"I won't let that happen," she promised, and her tone turned grave serious as she gripped him tighter. "Nobody's dying, not me, not you, not anyone! The only one who's heading to their grave is Arkilles!"

"I know you wouldn't!" Spyro croaked. "But, but..."

The tears streamed down, and Spyro further buried himself in Chihiro's grip. It was late, nobody was around, and for once, it felt alright to be so vulnerable, so, so alright. All those complicated feelings he'd held since he left that trial room bubbled up to the surface as hot tears that poured down his face, ran down his chin and stained her clothes, but she didn't mind. She held him closer and let him pour out all those feelings as one.

"I don't wanna lose you, Chi. I don't even wanna think about it!" Spyro pulled back from Chihiro's grip, and sniffled as he wiped his tears with his wings. "That, that whole trial made me realize that you're more important to me than anything. If I lost you, I, I don't know what I'd do with myself!"

Chihiro stood back with her mouth agape and stunned. She didn't know what to say, and Spyro instinctively drew back—but she placed a hand on his paw as if she urged him to draw closer. He scooted closer, until they were but a hair's breadth away from each other, and they watched the starry night sky.

"I love you, Spyro," Chihiro croaked out as her own voice swelled with pain, "more than anything. I know I can't promise anything, and everything probably feels kinda empty right now, but I know I can say that. I don't know what's gonna be waiting for us at Arkus, but when we get this planned out and figure out what the Oracle was trying to help us prevent, we won't have to worry about that anymore!" Chihiro squeezed Spyro's paw. "I'm not gonna let what you saw in there happen no matter what!"

Spyro smiled and nestled himself closer to Chihiro. Even though she didn't quite know what she was saying, she still held herself with such confidence. Somehow, that eased Spyro's pain a bit. That was just one of the things Spyro loved about her. Everything—from her smile, to her compassion, to how she never gave up—he loved every little bit of her, and just like she vowed to him, he vowed in his heart that he wouldn't let anything take her away from him.

So they sat, so, so close under the starry night sky which seemed to twinkle just for them in that very moment. It seemed like a moment that would last for eternity, but a small yawn escaped from Chihiro, and Spyro remembered the briefing tomorrow afternoon. As much as they both wanted to stay out here forever, they did have important matters to attend to.

"It's gettin' kinda late, so we'd better get some sleep before the briefing tomorrow."

Spyro nodded, and the two of them parted from their embrace though Spyro desperately wished he could have held her for just a bit longer. They left the bitter chills of the outdoor world for the warmth and comfort of inside as they both stumbled into the living room of the infirmary they called their temporary base. They both yawned without realizing, and laughed the first laughter they managed that night when they realized.

Chihiro stumbled over to one of the couches and curled up, and Spyro, he gently hopped beside her. His wings wrapped around Chihiro like a blanket, and her arms wrapped around him in turn. For a moment, the world, and all the pain they endured, stopped, and it was just the two of them wrapped in each other's embrace. For another moment, it felt like everything was right and nothing could possibly go wrong. It was only them as they dozed off in each other's arms the way they would when they were too tired to head back to their quarters, and too sentimental to want to be away from each other for even one second.

Spyro could barely keep his eyes open anymore (he supposed all the crying finally did him in), so he tucked his head under her chin, and let them close with the rhythm of her heartbeat as his lullaby.

"I love you," he barely even whispered, and didn't even expect a response as he finally dozed off.

"I love you too."

§

The next afternoon, Spyro stood tall and at the head of a table in one of the spare infirmary rooms. The staff was kind enough to lend it out for their briefing, and good thing, too—this place must have been a storage room or something because it was big enough to house everyone in their ranks. Spyro, Chihiro and Tree Rex sat at the end of the room; Spyro to Chihiro's left and Tree Rex to her right, and the rest of their ranks sat in a crowd in front of them. To the back laid a magical blackboard hung on the wall, all fresh and clean and just begging to be used. Though there was no heating in the room itself, it wasn't needed—the anticipation that swelled was more than enough to get everyone fired up!

Even Spyro's own heart swelled with a new vigor as he glanced back at Chihiro. She smiled back at him with that eager sparkle in her eyes, and they both shared a nod as they turned to the anticipating crowds.

"Alright, Arkus game plan, take two," Chihiro proclaimed as she clapped her hands. "Golden Boy, Tree Rex and I spent most of the morning outlining things, and hopefully, this plan should be just what we need! Now, to start us off—" Chihiro slid aside and nodded at Spyro "—Gold!"

Spyro nodded, crafted a magical stick of chalk with a snap of his claws, and drew away on the blackboard before him.

"Now, I've poured over what we all saw in the Oracle's trial with the rest of the team," Spyro started, "and there's three key points I've taken away from it."

Spyro laid the chalk on the blackboard's base and tapped the blackboard with his wing.

"First, there's a good chance Arkilles will get to Arkus and find the Iron Fist before we do. Second, Arkilles can and will do anything to stop us, up to and including stealing away our powers or killing anyone in his wake, and three, the only thing that can really stop him is…" Spyro grimaced for a second. "Kaos taking back his body from Arkilles's possession."

"So, that being said." Chihiro rapped her knuckles against the blackboard, and it cleared itself before a new step of illustrations manifested on its surface. "I've come up with a plan to take that guy out, should the need arise!"

Chihiro crafted a magical baton, and pointed to an illustration of what seemed to be the Machine Ghost's mechanical body dragging the Dread-Yacht along.

"So, first, once we get the Machine Ghost's body all fixed up, we'll have him keep Arkilles occupied. With him being as big as he is, he'll totally be able to keep Arkilles in check!" Chihiro moved her baton over to the next drawing, which showed a crudely-drawn Tree Rex knocking Arkilles over. "We'll have the Machine Ghost keeps him preoccupied while we bait Kaos to take his body back. Arkilles will obviously try to fight Kaos once he's back in action, and while they're busy fighting over Kaos's body, the Elder Elementals will tear off the Iron Fist of Arkus just like they did the last time!" Chihiro tapped her baton a few times on the last illustration, which showed a tearful Arkilles fleeing Kaos' unconscious body. "With him back down to normal, we'll exorcise Arkilles from Kaos' body, wipe him out, and take Kaos in!"

Chihiro beamed and withdrew her baton as she turned back to the audience. "Any questions?"

'Enehana shot up a robotic hand, and Chihiro raised a brow.

"Yes?"

"This sounds good in theory," they stated as they toyed with the knobs on their hands, "but you're forgetting one thing. Arkus was the heart of the Arkeyan Empire and had the most forces of any place there! Chances are, it'll be packed to the gills with guards! How are we going to work around that?"

"Don't worry, we thought of that too," Spyro proclaimed. "We'll have the Machine Ghost drag us to Arkus and pretend he kidnapped us for Arkilles! Knowing him, he'll want to get us out of the picture personally, so he'll take us straight to where he is with no interference."

"And we'll discuss our backup plan soon enough just in case things go up the forest," Tree Rex reassured. He chuckled and scratched his horns. "At least, I think that's how the saying goes."

'Enehana hummed, but finally nodded and lowered their hand. "Sounds fair enough to me." they affirmed. "Trust me, I'll be more than ready to scrap some Arkeyans!"

"You bet!" Jorden affirmed as he playfully rustled 'Enehana's hair. "I've been sharpening my favorite pickax just for this!"

The other ancient portal masters all cried out in affirmation as they discussed all their personal favorite plans and ways for how they were going to take out the Arkeyans, but everyone else in the room seemed much less enthused. The Skylanders shared a few worried aside glances, and at the front of the helm, Tree Rex and Spyro winced. They exchanged a glance along the lines of "Who's going to tell them?", but ultimately, it was Tree Rex who broke the news.

"Actually," Tree Rex perked up, "I think it would be best for you to sit this out."

The crowds of cheering subsided, and Vatra raised a brow and stood.

"And exactly why is that, Tree Rex?" Vatra said, and his words crackled with small flames, as if he challenged the statement. "Last I checked, we held our own against the Arkeyans perfectly fine—"

"Back when you were still alive," Spyro interjected. He sighed and shook his head. "Look, in my vision of how that fight went in the trial, you were the first to fall, and even outside of this, you all have some pretty glaring weak points." Spyro pointed a claw towards Vatra's pendant. "I'm not letting anybody die on this mission, first or second time."

Vatra huffed. For a moment, his fiery eyes raged as if he wanted to challenge Spyro. He clutched his pendant and glanced over it, but finally sighed and conceded as he sat back to the floor.

"I suppose you're right," Vatra admitted. "Fine, we'll stay behind and watch over things."

"I understand," Sihiri added, "and besides, someone will need to keep an eye on things at home base, just in case they plan anything."

The others mumbled in agreement as Spyro sighed. He hated leaving anybody out, but he didn't want to take any chances, what with their death being what incited the losing battle. Speaking of not taking any chances...

"Anyways, our backup plan looked something like this." Spyro took the magic chalk once more as he wiped the board and drew away. "If something falls through and we can't get to Arkus in one clean sweep, we'll have the Machine Ghost tear a path for us by keeping the guards occupied. Meanwhile, our team will take a few of the hidden passageways within Arkus to make our way to Arkilles, and keep him occupied until the Machine Ghost can make it through and knock him down!"

Spyro withdrew the chalk and tapped a claw against the blackboard, which now bore an elaborate map of Arkus with tons of secret spaces marked.

"Our guys on the inside gave up this map of all the hidden shortcuts to Arkus back when we first took down Arkilles," Tree Rex explained as he tapped the blackboard next. "We'll follow this map to get to Arkilles pronto, and we'll weaken him enough for the rest of you to deal the finishing blows!"

"And for that matter, exactly how are you going to knock him down long enough to take down the Iron Fist?" Sihiri asked. She raised to her full stature and frowned as she crafted a visage of Arkilles' robotic form with magic. "Arkilles was extremely powerful back when he still held the Iron Fist initially, and that was without a free magician's body! Surely, possessing that man would give him more of an upper hand."

Hmm, Spyro hadn't really factored that in, but it seemed particularly obvious a problem.

"Well," Spyro started as he cleared his throat. "The obvious way would be to exorcise Arkilles from Kaos' body immediately instead of trying to get Kaos out of there, and taking him down then, but we'd still need to weaken him enough to get a clean shot in. I'm sure he'd probably have some kind of protection in."

A few mumbles of discontent rose from the crowd as they mumbled about plans, and Spyro grimaced. Geez, there was so much he needed to factor in, and so much he didn't know. Sure, the Oracle's knowledge helped him some, but there was still so much knowledge he lacked: how well Arkilles mastered Kaos' powers, how the Iron Fist would build them up, how Arkilles implemented any sort of extra protections. It was already bad enough that Kaos getting himself possessed threw a massive monkey wrench into Spyro's plans, but now he had to plan around a circumstance he barely understood! Spyro grimaced, but shook his head and steeled himself. He'd worked with plenty of unknowns before, and he got around them just fine.

"Well—"

CRASH! The ground rumbled as something smashed down outside, and the infirmary halls stormed with stampeding crowds and shouting patrons so loud that they could be heard crystal-clear from within the insulated walls. Whatever that was, it didn't sound good to Spyro's ears, and the others seem to agree as they leaped from their seats.

"Actually, briefing temporarily dismissed!" Chihiro shouted as she vaulted over the table and raced for the door. "I've gotta see what's going on out there!"

The others seemed to agree as they flooded out the door, and Spyro winced as he himself flew behind them and brought up the rear. Everyone else stormed down the halls—hero and civilian alike—by the time he got out, but he did catch the eye of one particularly tiny ent in a nurse's robes.

"Hey, what's all the commotion about?" Spyro asked.

"Beats me," the ent said with a voice draped in a notable Southern Skylandian accent. "Heard someone say 'round the bend that a balloon crashed and brought some strange folk with it?"

Wait, balloon crash? Strange beings? That did not exactly bode well, and after all the unpleasant surprises Spyro dealt with thus far, he was not looking for another one. He flapped his wings, zipped down the hallways, and passed corridors and corners alike until the warmth of sunlight brushed over him. Worried and confused chatter rang out from the villagers, and when Spyro opened his eyes, he found himself in the heart of Ancient's Hearth once more.

The Skylanders interspersed with the villagers as the crowds parted away, and unveiled a hot air balloon that rested in the center of the plaza. It was a bit worn for wear, but in surprisingly good condition for such a mighty crash. The balloonist, a birdperson in pilot's clothing, mumbled something to a few stragglers in the group as they gestured to a being beside them—wait a second!

"Glumshanks?" Spyro exclaimed as he reeled back. "What's he doing here?"

Sure enough, it was none other than Glumshanks who stood beside the balloonist! He sort of shied away from all the attention the townsfolk gave him and shuffled off to the shield, but as he did, he caught sight of Spyro and gasped!

"The Skylanders?" he cried.

"Is, do you know him guy?" sputtered a kobold sorcerer as they glanced at Spyro.

"Know him?" Spyro huffed as steam burst from his nostrils. "That guy works with one of our worst enemies! He's been trying to conquer Skylands for a while now, and he's always getting in our hair!"

"So he's a spy?"

The kobold gasped, whipped out their staff, and motioned for another kobold nearby to follow them. The two dashed into the crowds, disappeared right before Spyro's eyes, and reappeared moments later as they shot out blasts of magic and caught Glumshanks in their grip!

"I don't know what you or your buddies have planned," the kobold shouted as they and their friend dragged Glumshanks down the way, "but I'm gonna find out!"

Spyro grimaced as he followed the two kobolds back down the street—and judging by the resounding footsteps behind him, he wasn't the only one. A glance behind showed that the rest of his party followed suit, and they all shared in Spyro's befuddlement at just what was going on here. They all slipped into the door of a nearby house as the kobolds leaped inside, and crowded around as they came to a stop.

Those two kobold sorcerers tossed Glumshanks into the chair, and a bunch of magical ropes strapped him tight there with a snap of their claws.

"Hey, uh, I know this was kind of a shock," Glumshanks sputtered as he shimmied against the ropes, "but is all of this really necessary?"

"Silence!" hissed one kobold as she waved her staff in front of Glumshanks. "Until we figure out if you're a spy or not, you don't speak a word, capeesh?"

"But, how would you—"

The kobold waved her wand, and a burst of magic hit Glumshanks square in the forehead! He yelped as it swirled around in a cloudy, sparkle, lavender vortex, spiraled out from his head next, and formed into a flickering screen. A faint, garbled noise echoed from the screen as static coursed through its surface, Soon, the message cleared and broadcasted Arkilles in what seemed like a robot's control room! Was this Glumshanks' memory?

"I knew you were plotting something!" Arkilles hissed from within the transmission. "I may be new to this time period, but if you thought you could fool the emperor-king with the most assassination attempts in Arkeyan history, you'd be quite mistaken!"

"I don't know anything about ghosts or Arkeyan emperors, but I won't stand by while you control Lord Kaos' body!" the memory's Glumshanks shouted with a surprising amount of rage. "Release him this instant!"

"Hmm, compelling argument." Arkilles hummed and hawed as he rubbed his chin in mock contemplation. "But, I will have to decline! I am afraid I'm too close to my conquest to relent from having a body! That would be quite inconvenient, you see~" Arkilles spun around and tapped away at the control panel. "I'll just have to come up with a fitting punishment for you when I'm emperor-king of the Arkeyan empire once more. For now—" Arkilles turned his head up "—computer! How are my fleets?"

The screen flickered out and another visage took its place. No longer did Arkilles stand within the control room; no, it seemed as though he stood on an open hangar while the winds blasted and blustered around him. Yet, he stood perfectly still in the heart of it all! That smug smile on his face disappeared, and a scowl took its place instead.

"Oh, don't give me that look, Grabbleshanks!" Arkilles crooned from within the memory's confines. He stopped to seemingly pat Glumshanks' back, and he smirked as he drew back. "This was probably the kindest thing I could do to you, after you betrayed me so!"

"I don't serve you, I serve Lord Kaos!" Glumshanks protested with a weary strain. "Please, just get out of his body already!"

"Ugh, I do hate dragging things on." Arkilles rolled his eyes and clapped his hands. "Have a nice trip!"

The sound of a rope snapping hit the air, and Glumshanks' screams resounded next as the memory's view of Arkilles and the hangar grew further and further while the skies above grew wider and wider…

And once again, the memory faded. This time, it swapped to a memory of that balloonist talking to Glumshanks about catching him in their balloon or something, but that was of no concern to Spyro.

"So we were right!" Spyro shouted. "Arkilles is already on his way to Arkus! We have to get moving!"

The others seemed to agree, for they turned tail and went back to prepare. They all poured out of the room, or at least went to, but the sound of a chair bumping against something turned them around. They looked back as one, and all eyes latched onto Glumshanks as he struggled to follow after them from where he sat.

"Please," Glumshanks begged, "I know you Skylanders don't have much reason to trust me—" Glumshanks glanced aside "—and to be frank, I don't really entirely trust you, either—"

Glumshanks shook his head and turned back to them with pleading eyes. "But, let me help you!"

Those five last words stopped everyone dead in their tracks. Glumshanks? Help them? Were they hearing things right? Spyro and Chihiro looked at each other with raised brows, turned their attention back to Glumshanks, and Glumshanks winced as his ears flopped over his head.

"I, I can't stand the thought of that ghost holding Lord Kaos hostage in his own body for the rest of his life. I want to save him, but there's nothing I can do on my own to stop him. But you, you're strong enough to tackle him head-on! If we work together, we can stop that ghost and I can get Lord Kaos back! I, I'm not entirely sure how these bargains go, but I think that's a win for both of us."

"And how exactly would you be able to help?" Spyro questioned as he stepped forward.

Glumshanks gulped.

"Well, that ghost told me everything about his plans, since he made me take charge of all the preparations. I know every step of what he plans to do once he reaches Arkus, every security measure he plans to install, everything!"

Glumshanks' ears perked up, and he shimmied through the ropes until he somehow managed to dig through his pockets. "I also have this." Glumshanks shimmied a little more, and pulled out a potion vial filled with sparkling water. "This is an exorcism potion of the highest caliber that the spellbooks Lord Kaos owned had to offer. Now, I'm not entirely sure if I got the recipe right, but..."

Sihiri frowned, claimed the bottle from Glumshanks' hands, and swirled it around in her own.

"This does resonate with strong magic," Sihiri determined, "and if used properly, it should exorcise spirits from anything it touches."

"See?" Glumshanks beamed. "I can help you, so, please? Please let me join you?"

Spyro frowned. He'd never seen Glumshanks this desperate to work with his worst enemies before, and truth be told, he wasn't convinced. True, desperate times called for desperate measures, but something still felt fishy. A few murmurs rose behind him, and Spyro glanced back to where the others mumbled among themselves. Their raised brows, clenched fists, and scowls all showed that they shared in Spyro's suspicion.

"Do you really think that he's telling the truth?"

"Doubt it! This is Glumshanks we're talking about..."

"I don't know. I know this feels strange, but what if he really has that info?"

"I have a hard time believing that. This troll's pulled the wool over our eyes one time..."

Spyro frowned, but finally steeled himself as he turned back to Glumshanks.

"Alright, tell me this." Spyro straightened his posture and flared his wings, just to give a more imposing stature. "If you know so much about Arkilles' plans, surely you know how he found out we were headed to Arkus, right?"

Glumshanks frowned. "There's a tracker in the Conquertron he has. It keeps tabs on all his active fleets, so he found yours while he was registering his armies for his trip, and sent his forces out by tracing your coordinates using that."

"A tracker?" 'Enehana exclaimed. They groaned and buried their head in their hands. "I should've checked for that before we took flight!" 'Enehana sighed, straightened themself up and turned around. "I'll go and remove that before we take off again."

'Enehana rushed themself out the room, and Spyro watched them leave before he bit his lip. If Glumshanks knew something like that and imparted it so quickly, it did seem like having him around could really fill the gaps in their knowledge. Not to mention, he seemed sincere enough. Spyro still didn't like a thing about this, but well, beggars can't be choosy, he supposed.

"Fine, you can come along and help us," Spyro admitted as his brow tensed, and he pointed a claw straight at Glumshanks' chest, "but, try anything funny, and I'll personally toss you off the side of the island."

"I won't, I promise," Glumshanks sputtered.

The others seemed to back away, but Spyro only swept around and left the room. He wasn't quite sure what came over him when he spat that threat out, but perhaps it was the tension of the mission at work. Whatever, now that he had the extra knowledge, he supposed it was back to planning. A small beeping sound rang in the air, and Spyro glanced back to where the kobolds spat out something as they warily untied Glumshanks. Spyro couldn't really tell where that beeping came from, for it was too faint to clearly trace it, but it almost sounded like it came from Glumshanks!

He almost went to investigate...

"Spyro, hurry up!" Chihiro cried. "We've gotta hurry up and overhaul our plans!"

But, he shook it off and followed after Chihiro. He could worry about strange sounds later; for now, he needed to focus on getting his plans together and getting to Arkus before Arkilles did.

§A few hours later...§

The revised planning session ended some time back, yet the memories from it refused to leave Chihiro's head—but given the urgency of the situation, she could probably be forgiven for her worries. Glumshanks did keep up his word and give them plenty of info, but it wasn't any sort of good news. In fact, it still rattled in her brain as she thought back, and her heart seemed to pulse faster with every word that she recalled.

"That ghost has gotten a lot stronger since he last ran into you," Glumshanks explained in Chihiro's memories. "He's spent practically every waking moment testing his magic and studying everything the modern day has to offer. I'd say he's almost as powerful as Lord Kaos is!"

"Do you know anything in particular he might've studied?" Sihiri asked from the crowds. "Anything that could give us the upper hand?"

Glumshanks frowned. "I can't think of anything in particular—he's dabbled in just about everything I can think of." Glumshanks stroked his chin. "But, I do believe he offhandedly mentioned something to me about wanting books on magical repression—sealing spells, no-sells, anything of that variety that I could find."

Spyro and Tree Rex shared a worried look before Spyro turned back to Glumshanks, and Chihiro understood why. Tree Rex had told her stories of his exploits when traveling got particularly tedious, and the one thing he never seemed to miss was just how powerful Arkilles was with the Iron Fist. After all, the Iron Fist could create Arkeyans at the snap of a finger, synthesize magic and technology alike to bolster the wearer's existing powers, and make them as strong as the strongest of Arkeyans! If he had all that, on top of already possessing the body and powers of a portal master and gaining full mastery of it, they all had a tough fight waiting for them if he got it first.

"How close is he to Arkus right now?" Tree Rex questioned next. "You said you knew which route he took, correct?"

"He did briefly discuss them, yes." Glumshanks' ear twitched. "I think I overheard that it would take him about a quarter-week to get there, maybe earlier if flight traffic was good."

"And what exactly does he plan to do when he comes back to Arkus?" Spyro asked. Though he tried to keep his cool, the worry in his heart seeped into his straining words.

Glumshanks scratched his head. "Do you want the long version, or the brief version?"

"Tell us everything."

"Alright, if you say so." Glumshanks heaved a sigh. "His first step was, obviously, to reclaim the Iron Fist and use it to restart his armies. Supposedly, according to him, every single Arkeyan in Arkus is tied to the Iron Fist, and there were a lot of Arkeyans in Arkus—it would be just the boost our forces needed. The second was to send his armies out across Skylands and begin reclaiming the empire he lost, and after that, he was going to get a new wig for Lord Kaos to cover up his bald head, have at least a thousand new portraits of himself made, mark every single Skylander as an enemy of the Neo-Arkeyan empire, have his tailors craft a new set of robes for his grand re-appearance as Emperor-King of the Neo-Arkeyan Empire, get turkey added to the minions' cafeteria and banish all chicken within it to the furthest reaches of Skylands..."

Chihiro kind of blanked out after that, but the general message lingered with her. Arkilles was en route to Arkus, and was likely quite a ways ahead of them at that. God, if only she didn't have to spend so much time resting! If she'd recovered faster... No, Chihiro shook her head and steeled herself. There was no use complaining about what-ifs at this point. Right now, every second was crucial in making sure they got back on their feet and got to Arkus as quickly as they could, and that was why she was here now.

She stood in front of a repair hanger/parking garage that was as big as a shopping mall, maybe even bigger. The owners were kind enough to lend them some space there while they repaired their vehicles, and it was definitely needed. From what she heard from Flynn during her recovery, the vehicles all had a number done on them, and they needed to be repaired as quickly as possible if they were going to beat Arkilles to Arkus.

Chihiro hummed a tune as she swung right through the garage's open doors. All around her, the sounds of turning gears, banging metal, and other noises of mechanical repair sang in a chorus—a loud, screechy, obnoxious chorus. Within the garage itself were plenty of Ancient's Hearth mechanics who bent fenders back into their proper places, smoothed out bumps in broken balloons, mended the broken mechanics of ships, and did all sorts of other fancy mechanical stuff. The smell of oil reeked in the air, and between the overwhelming scent and noise, Chihiro could barely stand it! Her head swelled and throbbed as everything started to grate on her nerves, so she winced and covered her ears as she darted through the garage.

She passed by mabu tightening bolts and kangarats adjusting bulbs on strange machines she didn't recognize, rounded a corner, and sure enough, she found what she looked for! The Dread-Yacht laid up to the side of the biggest, emptiest part of the garage, and Flynn, 'Enehana and Trigger Happy positioned themselves on pully-suspended platforms as they cleaned up different parts of the ship. To its side, the Machine Ghost's body laid propped up like a doll as Bouncer welded broken panels back onto its arms, and Varonis' banged-up helicopter sat between the two. With how small it seemed compared to the other devices, the helicopter looked more like a toy than anything!

Chihiro chuckled at the sight and waved a hand.

"Hey!" Chihiro shouted over the din of repairs and machine breakdowns alike. "How're repairs coming along?"

A clunk and a sputter sounded from the Dread-Yacht as it shuddered, and out popped Flynn from one of the Dread-Yacht's many panels and components! Smoke churned out from the mechanical insides as Flynn opened his mouth but went to speak—however, another voice interluded as he spoke.

"Give me back my wrench!" Ermit cried as he chased the Machine Ghost across the garage!

"I am afraid I cannot do that, sir," the Machine Ghost droned with a smile on its face and a wrench in hand. "It is against the warranty for this brand of Arkeyan War Machine to repair it with outside help. If you wish to make repairs, you must take it to an Arkeyan-certified repair garage in your nearby location."

"Oh, what cares about the stinking warranty?" Ermit shook his fist at the Machine Ghost as he stumbled over a pile of spare parts and made chase once more. "Give me back that wrench so I can fix your Ancients-forsaken body!"

The two of them ran circles around Chihiro, so many circles that her head spun just trying to keep track, and made off across the garage. The scene itself was a bit amusing, yet Chihiro's heart sank a little at the sight. The Machine Ghost may have been back in spirit, but in heart, he was no different that any other Arkeyan now.

Her heart twanged, and Chihiro just stepped away before she hopped over to where Flynn worked on the Dread-Yacht. "Anyways," Chihiro sighed and peered up at Flynn. "Flynn, how're repairs coming along again?"

"Well, we've been working all day on this baby and her little buddies," Flynn beamed as he twisted a bolt, "and thanks to my expert mechanic skills, we've gotten way ahead of schedule, I'm sure. Unfortunately she's still gotta few more things we need to fix under the hood before she's ship-shape!"

As if to affirm Flynn's point, something rattled from the other side of the Dread-Yacht as thick, black smoke churned out and wafted up to the ceiling! 'Enehana coughed and hacked as they pulled away from the backside of the Dread-Yacht, and their orange glow dimmed for just a moment.

"I swear, it's like every time I fix one thing, something else breaks!" they lamented. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say this ship was cursed or something!"

"Excuse you, the Dread-Yacht isn't cursed!" Flynn waved his wrench offhandedly. "She might be a little run-down, but she's just as awesome as me! There's no way she'd be cursed!"

"Actually, I do sense an immense amount of cursed energy coming from that ship," the Machine Ghost interrupted midway through his game of chase with Ermit. He casually moved the wrench out of Ermit's way as he grappled for it, and tilted his head in the ship's direction. "In fact, my analysis shows that the chance of this ship having some kind of curse or other corrupt magic placed on it is a 69.9999999..."

"Well, you need to get your scanners checked!" Flynn planted his free hand against the Dread-Yacht's side. He beamed with completely obliviousness to how several panels popped off behind him, and instead stroked the Dread-Yacht's side with pride. "She's just had a string of bad luck like everyone does! Even I, the greatest pilot in all Skylands, have had strings of bad days, and that doesn't mean I'm cursed!"

Chihiro smiled and rolled her eyes as Flynn went back to work. It was quite an amusing sight to see Flynn and 'Enehana bicker, yet still she turned her gaze to Bouncer.

"Anyways, you got any idea of when you can get these up and running again?" Chihiro asked.

"Hmm, probably about a day if we keep focus on repairs, I think," Bouncer mused as he rubbed his fingers against his chin. "Between all three of these things, we're gonna have a lot of repairing to do."

"And that's an understatement," 'Enehana sighed. "The panels need replaced, and so does the radio and the communications systems, the fenders have to be un-bended, the headlights' bulbs are shattered, the weaponry's all offline, the splatter-splashes are out of splashing fluid, the in-flight peanuts are all stale, the disco-tronic had the wrong colors, the blinker fluid needs replenished, the muffler bearings need polishing..."

'Enehana's lists of repairs grew more absurd and abstract the longer they went on, and all this noise ground Chihiro's gears again, so she only nodded and skedaddled. The smells of fresh air replaced that of oil and machinery as Chihiro passed out of the garage's boundaries, and her ears first took hold on the sound of brawling in the distance. Chihiro quirked a brow, and followed the sound until she reached the outskirts of town, well past the hustle and bustle of historical town life.

Outside, the Skylanders broke off into duos to spar in a field of nothing but grass and dirt. Good thing they were getting some extra training in, for Chihiro was sure they'd all need it come their trip to Arkus. Not only did they have to gather their strength back from resting in bed for the past several days, but she was sure a good spar would help the worries that rang through them, too. They all seemed pretty tense when 'Enehana practically banished them from the garage because their attempts to help repair their vehicles apparently did more harm than good. She wasn't sure why, considering she knew precious little about machines and just animated anything she needed repairs for—but then again, she had a feeling that Trigger Happy's attempt to replace the helicopter's thrusters with golden bottle rockets probably wasn't very sound...

Chihiro gasped and ducked as Spyro and Cynder swooped overhead of her and off to the battlegrounds. As they disappeared, she beamed and took a seat.

"This is gonna be good!" Chihiro chirped as she whipped out a box of magic popcorn!

Back at the battlefield, Spyro and Cynder traded blows of fire and lightning as they tried to knock each other out of the skies, but neither party managed their task before they reached the dirt plot where their battle resided. Cynder leaped into the ground as soon as she reached the area, and completely disappeared from view as she melted into the near-identical masses of shadows. Spyro simply planted himself on the ground after her, and breathed in as his eyes switched to a deep, almost black shade of cobalt. He breathed out, leaped into the shadows, and back out as Cynder flew out from the shade! She yelled out as she hurtled in midair, but quickly caught herself and zipped to the left before Spyro could nail her with a blast of fire. Cynder's paws hit the ground, and she zipped away as another rain of fire cascaded down after her. She moved so swift, so fast, that the entire world shuddered around her! In fact, shadowy streaks laid where she ran, and hovered all bubbly and cloudy with ominous faces formed in their black.

Spyro shot a glance at the shadows and narrowed his eyes, almost like he thought of something, but yelped as a blast of black lightning knocked him clean out of the skies! He collapsed on his side with a grunt, and looked up to find it was now Cynder who flew over him with a stern glance.

"Careful, Spyro!" she hissed. "You really need to focus on your enemy!"

Spyro snarled.

"Oh, I'll focus alright!" he shouted as his eyes flashed an azure blue. "Focus on this!"

Cynder shot out another blast of lightning, but with a flap of Spyro's wings, a burst of wind slammed into the lightning bolts and tossed them back at Cynder! She gasped, zipped away, and left another streak of shadowy presences in her wake. Spyro's head slowly craned around the entire arena as he shot blast after blast of concentrated wind, bolt after bolt of lightning, everything Air Element that he could throw at her, yet Cynder dodged each one! She zipped and zapped away just before the attacks could even land, and with each move, another string of shadows bubbled underfoot until they all formed a grid around the arena!

Cynder snarled as took to the air and struck back! She yanked her jaws open and zapped Spyro with volts of shadowy lightning, but he gulped and jumped away! The lightning singed the place where he once stood, yet he barely had time to reflect on it as another lightning bolt hurtled right for him! He skidded left and right, back and forth, and jumped in and out of the air as the blows came from every angle Cynder could manage.

A bolt came dead-on for Spyro, and he teleported up! The winds swirled around him as he reappeared, and his eyes shifted to a bright, striking indigo as he held his paws out. Magic sparkled and shimmered at his clawtips and a snarl crossed his faced.

"Time to finish this!" Spyro shouted. "Alright, Cynder, prepare yourself! This is gonna be a..."

But Cynder was nowhere to be seen!

"Blast?"

Spyro lowered his paws and scanned over the battlefield for any trace of Cynder, but she completely disappeared. All he spied were the shadowy trails on the floor thhat sparked and crackled with angry electricity as they slowly morphed into ghost-like shapes—and a particularly dragon-shaped shadow!

Spyro gasped, and flapped his wings as his eyes changed to a shimmering yellow shade. "Looks like I'd better shed some light on this!"

The sun burned down, and heated the world around as its beams grew brilliant and bursting with energy under Spyro's command. The light hit the electrical ghosts, and they swelled and bubbled up before they all exploded! The sound of thousands of lightning volts rang in the air as lightning burst out from one string of ghosts to the other, and trapped Spyro in an electrical cage as he screamed! The static clung to him as he spiraled down and out of the skies, and he grunted as he crashed onto the ground.

"Got a little fried there, Spyro?" Cynder teased as Spyro's shadow slunk out from underneath him.

The shadow morphed and warbled as it slimmed in size, formed into a three-dimensional shape, and melted away to unveil Cynder! Lightning sparked at her lips as she loomed over Spyro, flared her wings as the shadows slid out, and wrapped around her once more!

Spyro winced and nudged himself across the ground, but found he couldn't leap up—the ghosts' remains clung to him, wrapped around his limbs, and claimed his wings next as they pinned him down to the ground. Before him, Cynder flapped her wings, clothed herself in shadows, and dashed forward at lightning speed; surely, she was more than ready to take him out of the ring!

Spyro screwed his eyes shut as the impact came, but he didn't move! His scales turned tough as rock, and they only knocked Cynder back instead! She yelped as she fell on her back, popped open an eye, and found Spyro laid still on the ground before her and decidedly NOT out of the ring.

Cynder sighed, stood up and flapped her wings. "Alright, take five."

The shadowy remains slunk away from Spyro and disappeared into Cynder's own shadow. She walked over and nudged Spyro back up, and he in turn groaned as his eyes flashed green and he planted a claw on his chest. A green glow enveloped him as he removed the scuffs and scratches from his scales, and with a paw placed on Cynder's shoulder, the glow did the same for her as well.

"That new move could probably use a little tweaking," Cynder remarked, "but it's definitely coming along."

"I'd say it is," Spyro groaned. "The ghosts keeping your opponent pinned down was a nice touch."

"Good, though it might help to have something keep them grounded. I wish it could charge up faster, though. That was supposed to get bigger than it did before it exploded."

"Maybe try hiding the light sources around? The shadows could probably boost their power."

"I'll try that next battle." Cynder flicked a wing. "Speaking of battles, you seemed really distracted, Spyro. Normally, you would've noticed what I was planning right before I even started!"

"I did?" Spyro tilted his head.

"Definitely did, Golden Boy," Chihiro interrupted as she banished her now empty box of magic popcorn and joined Spyro and Cynder on the battlefield. "You had this weird look on your face like there was something else on your mind the whole time. Like this!"

Chihiro crossed her arms and forced the most deep in thought look she could, and Spyro got a small chuckle out of her exaggerated display.

"Well, I did have something else on my mind." Spyro gulped, forced a smile, and scratched his horns. "I'm still a little wary about what Glumshanks is doing."

Spyro tossed a glance back to town. If one looked closely, they could just barely spot Glumshanks making his way about town. Those two kobold sorcerers who nabbed him before now flanked him like bodyguards—but not for Glumshanks himself. Until they set off, it seemed as though those two were just as suspicious of Glumshanks as the rest were. After all, they refused to let Glumshanks out of their sights ever since he stepped foot in town!

"I'm still not entirely sure I trust that Glumshanks was telling us the truth."

"Don't blame you," Cynder replied. Her teeth poked out of her jaw, and her brow furrowed. "Something about this feels a little fishy."

"I mean, yeah," Chihiro added with a frown, "it's a little weird how he ended up here and all." Chihiro turned another glance at Glumshanks as he forlornly glanced over a black robe displayed at a shopkeeper's stand, and turned her look back to Spyro. "But, I don't think him wanting to help us is too fishy. You told me before that he cares a lot about Kaos, right?"

"Don't know why he does, but yes," Spyro nodded.

"So obviously, he wouldn't want to help Arkilles keep Kaos' body and all that!"

"But that's the thing! Glumshanks wouldn't betray Kaos for anything, and that includes working with his worst enemies—that's us, in case you've forgotten." Spyro sighed, and his tail twitched as he turned away in contemplation. "Either he's really desperate, something's not right here, or maybe both."

Spyro hummed in contemplation, but a loud blast from aside knocked him straight out of it! He ducked as a shower of water and golden coins flew right between his horns, and peered up at the other field.

Down and back on the fields, Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy stood locked in a standstill. Gill Grunt's finger glued itself to the trigger of his cannon as he blasted a massive stream of water at Trigger Happy, who return it with a massive blast of golden light from his guns! The earth around them turned wet and muddy and churned from the aftermaths of earlier strikes, and the mud did little for Gill Grunt's footing as he skidded backwards from Trigger Happy's blow.

"Sorry, Spy!" Gill Grunt shouted over his shoulder. "Trig's giving me a run for my money here!"

"That's my job!" Trigger Happy cackled over the screech of his golden blast, somehow. "Giving everyone a run for their money!"

The two blasts screeched and pushed against each other, both locked in slight pushes and tugs-of-war, but then, steam started to burst from Gill Grunt's blast! It started in thin curls that could barely be caught in the afternoon light, but soon, they billowed into massive clouds as the blast evaporated Gill Grunt's water! Gill Grunt pushed further back into the mud, and he snarled as the golden blast imposed itself further and further over his own. The tension laid thick in the air as the battle raged, and only one question laid on everyone's minds—would Trigger Happy win? It seemed likely.

The blast came closer and close, yet Gill Grunt just smirked and clicked his cannon's trigger! He hopped back as the cannon bubbled, shuddered, and popped out a trio of gigantic starfish! The starfish sliced through the blast and evaporated it to sparkles of light, and came in for Trigger Happy next. He squealed and tried to run off, but they ran so fast that they nailed him right in the back and exploded. Trigger Happy bounced across the battlefield, squeaked like a dog's chew toy as he did, but finally groaned and scratched his ears as he came to a stop.

"Not fair!" Trigger Happy moaned.

A gurgling, watery shadow cast over him as his eyes went even wider than they normally were, and he peered up and gulped.

"DEFINITELY NOT FAIR!"

There before him laid a massive Leviathan made out of crystal-clear blue water, all of which spilled from Gill Grunt's jetpack! He smirked as he pointed down at Trigger Happy, and the Leviathan roared and crashed down upon him in a mighty wave. The waters dissipated into ocean waves as they spilled out across the fields and off the island, and out from them spun a very waterlogged Trigger Happy, who coughed out water and unclogged his ears.

"No fair, I want a big monster friend too!" Trigger Happy whined. He yanked his guns form the ground, shook the water out of them, and pouted. "But I just have you guys!"

Trigger Happy jostled his guns as he lifted them up like puppets.

"But Trigger Happy!" he mimed in a voice even higher than his own as he jimmied one. "We've been with you through thick and thin!"

"Are we not good enough?" he mimed the second one saying.

Trigger Happy's lips wobbled as he glanced down at his guns, and hugged them tight. "Of course you are! You're the best guns in all of Skylands!"

Everyone else rolled their eyes and smiled as Trigger Happy mimed out a dramatic play of sorts with his guns, but neither focused too much.

Gill Grunt jimmied his jetpack a bit as he joined the others, and his grin vanished immediately.

"Anyways, something up, Spy?" Gill Grunt asked. "You look like you've got something bugging you, lil' buddy!"

"We were just saying that something doesn't feel right about how Glumshanks showed up here," Spyro recounted. "I don't know what, but this feels like some kind of trick."

"Yeah, that's been bugging me, too," Gill Grunt admitted. "It seems like it's sound enough, but, how did he just coincidentally show up right here, anyways?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's not right!" Trigger Happy squealed as he hopped over. He held up his guns, mimed with them once more, and his brows scrunched up. "I'll bet he's probably planning some secret super-big ambush for Kaos! He's probably got a bunch of circus hippos, and blast-o-trons, and a bunch of other creepy guys just hiding in the underbelly of the island, waiting to catch us off-guard! And then, while we're distracted, he's gonna sneak into the town and steal and the sweets and treasure..."

Trigger Happy burst into another hyperactive spiel, and once again, the others rolled their eyes. True, there was something fishy about this, but somehow, Glumshanks launching an elaborate plan to steal all the sweets in town to present them to Kaos after destroying his favorite cocoa mug and needing to earn back his favor (or whatever it was that Trigger Happy rambled about now—they all lost the plot five sentences ago), seemed a bit unlikely.

"Even if it is suspicious though, we can't exactly be picky," Spyro said. "Given that he worked with Arkilles, Glumshanks probably knows a ton about his plans, and we do kind of need that info. So I'm not going to toss him out... Yet."

"I'm not so sure that's a wise idea," Tree Rex's voice boomed.

A shadow cast over them all, and Chihiro looked up to find Tree Rex standing over them! She waved up and smiled as he sat down, but Tree Rex seemed a bit too dour and lost in thought to smile back.

"Arkilles never took kindly to traitors," Tree Rex explained as he glanced over the battlefield. "If he found that someone even slightly thought of betraying him, he would have them executed on the spot! For him to just let a traitor go..."

Ugh, that definitely didn't sound good. Chihiro winced and laid against Tree Rex's leg, for now she felt that there was something going on here, too, and she really didn't like it. Everyone else's dour frowns showed that they felt the same way, but none of them seemed to have any ideas of what to do.

"We'll go interrogate him again later," Spyro said, "just to be safe. We still need to cross-reference some stuff about Arkus just to be safe, anyways."

The others just gave him a slight nod, for that was the best they could offer at the moment. Grunts and shouts echoed over from the battlefield, and they all glanced over as the sparring matches raged on, but in particular, Terrafin and Stealth Elf's match drew all eyes to them!

Terrafin punched through double after double of Stealth Elf, and each one vanished into sparkly green smoke as they burst. Their laughter rang on the wind, but Terrafin hardly seemed distracted as he punched and jabbed over and over.

"Hey, Chi!" Terrafin shouted in-between punches. "When, are we, gonna, leave?"

"Bouncer said it would probably take another day before—"

POOF! Even more doubles of Stealth Elf cropped up, enough that they almost choked Terrafin out of view, and Chihiro shook her head.

"Actually, Chi, hold that thought!"

Three of the doubles dashed for Terrafin at once, and he dove underground as he wove between their feet! The doubles sputtered and stumbled as his fin wove between them, and the earth rumbled and cracked all around. He dashed forward as he swam in circles in the heart of the battlefield, and all at once, the doubles circled around and sprang for him—but something else sprang for them first! Chattering noises screeched out from the cracks in the earth, and an entire wave of miniature sharks burst out from the cracks as they chomped down on the doubles!

One by one, they all disappeared into puffs of green smoke as the sharks made the doubles their meal. All but one double, that is! This one particular Stealth Elf yelped and yanked the shark from her arm, and Terrafin smirked—for that was definitely the real deal! He sprang forward and punched her right in the gut, or at least, he tried.

Rather, she quickly blocked it with both arms, and intercepted another jab with her palm! They traded punches and blocks with such a fervor that they were little more than blurs to the naked eye, but finally, she slipped under, grabbed his arm as he punched, and flipped herself right onto his arm!

"You work fast, Terrafin," Stealth Elf smirked, "but not fast enough!"

The sudden spring caught Terrafin off-guard for a second, and in that second, Stealth Elf yanked a dagger from her slacks and slashed his right across the carapace! Terrafin shouted out, covered the wound as she flipped off, and they both landed with feet on the ground. Curiously, Terrafin's stance seemed a little more wobbly than usual, for he stumbled a bit before he finally took his place. Stealth Elf launched forward and withdrew her daggers, which glinted with a purple tint in the afternoon sun, and sliced!

Terrafin perked up and gripped the blades before they could slash him, yanked them right out of her hands, and tossed them into a nearby tree! The blades lodged themselves into its trunk with a wobble, and Terrafin smirked and cracked his knuckles.

"What'cha gonna do without your fancy knives?" Terrafin hissed.

"This!"

The two traded fisticuffs once more—punch for blocks, jab for dodge, palm strike for haymaker. Once again, they grew blurry to the normal eye as they bounced and fought across the battlefield, and for a moment, they seemed evenly matched. It took a second more for Terrafin to withdraw his hands and prepare the next blow, and Stealth Elf flipped backwards as a green glow surrounded her.

"Hey, get back here!" Terrafin shouted as he rushed after her with heavy, labored breaths. "I wasn't done with you yet!"

"Oh, I'm not running!" Stealth Elf sneered as she made one last flip. "But you'd better!"

A plume of green smoke burst around Stealth Elf, and she emerged as a massive, glowing green tiger! She growled as she lunged forward for Terrafin in one fast, fell swoop, and for once, she was so fast that he barely caught sight! In moments, she was at his face with jaws yanked open wide, and Terrafin jumped to latch onto them and keep them from crunching down on his skull. He grunted as sweat poured down his body, for it took all his strength to keep her jaws from closing in, and his breathing grew even heavier as his arms trembled. His head bobbed up and down like it weighed too much for the rest of his body to support. A slow groan came from him, and his arms' trembling grew furious as the jaws slowly creaked in on him...

Terrafin gasped, and he stumbled back and collapsed as they snapped tight on the air!

Stealth Elf purred, flipped back to normal, and yanked a satchel from her slacks.

"Poisoned blades, gets 'em every time," she remarked as she untied the sacks' bonds and poured its contents over Terrafin.

Terrafin sputtered as the powder cascaded over him, and flipped right back to his feet. His wounds vanished, and a new vigor showed in his face.

"Bravo!" Chihiro proclaimed. "I almost couldn't tell who was gonna win there for a second!" Chihiro cleared her throat and turned to Terrafin. "Anyways, Bouncer said we've probably still got a day or so before we can shove off. Apparently, they've still got a lot of repairs to do."

"Well, they'd better hurry up! I've been itching to give that ghost a piece of my mind all day!" Terrafin scoffed.

Chihiro just shrugged as shouts rose behind her. "Well, not a whole lot I can do about maintenance time, I'm afraid. I'd help, but they were very insistent on..."

Those shouts and cries of battle grew louder, and Chihiro glanced back to where the last match ran—Whirlwind and Eruptor's! Whirlwind flew up high in the sky while clouds made of solid ice swirled around her, and Eruptor ran circles around her as he lobbed lava blasts her way! Every time he did, the ice clouds shielded the blow and melted into nothingness, and Whirlwind winced with every disappearance.

"Ooh, this is gonna be a tough one!" Chihiro remarked as she rubbed her hands. "Eruptor's got the advantage here as a Fire Elemental, so Whirlwind's definitely in a bad spot."

Whirlwind winced and flicked her wings as more of those ice-cold clouds circled around her like shields. Her horn and wings alike sparked and frizzed as Eruptor lobbed more lava blobs, but with one last flap, her horn shot a beam off into the space above Eruptor! A loud roar of thunder shouted, and Eruptor sputtered and stumbled back as something wispy and gray formed over his head—a storm cloud!

The storm cloud poured down on Eruptor, and he yelped and shielded his head with his hands.

"Hey, watch the magma!" he shouted as he waved the cloud off to little avail. "I'm not waterproof!"

Eruptor leaped up and waved the cloud off the best he could, yet even more clouds popped up and rained down on him! He screamed as he tried to run off, and the storm clouds followed as he turned tail! His screams echoed across the land and stirred the grass as he bolted off.

"Somebody stop these things!"

"Gladly!" Whirlwind smirked as she flapped her now rainbow-tinted wings.

A shriek of power came from her wingtips, and a gigantic, prismatic shockwave burst in all directions. The light dyed the earth in faint rainbow shades, and Everyone else leaped out of the way as the rainbow lightning pulsed across the grounds. Well, everyone but Eruptor! The rainbow shockwaves slammed right into his back, knocked him face-first on the ground, and he groaned as the stormclouds disappeared.

"Seems like my forecast was right—today did call for a chance of victory... For me," Whirlwind giggled as she and Terrafin helped Eruptor back onto his feet.

"With all this training we've gotten in, we'll probably be prepared for anything that Arkilles guy throws at us, anyways!" Chihiro proclaimed. "Do you worst, Arkilles!"

The Skylanders all cheered as well, but Tree Rex didn't quite seem as eager to get into the festivities. He just grimaced and looked aside, as if there was something he wanted to say but couldn't, so he just sat there and frowned. A few footsteps pattered in the grass behind him, and he turned around and gasped as Varonis leaped on his leg!

"That was awesome!" Varonis cried as they kicked their legs against Tree Rex's. "I wanna do that too!"

Chihiro perked up and turned around. "Varonis, when did you get here?"

"Well, I came here because Gigantus told me to get Tree Rex for something, but then I saw you guys fighting and it was so cool!" Varonis squealed with delight and punched their fists together. "You were all fighting, and did all these cool attacks, and you blasted each other and, and, it was awesome! I wanna do it too!"

"Then why don't we practice a little?" Chihiro offered as she summoned a sword. "You said you wanted to try swordfighting, right?"

"Really?"

Varonis gasped, leaped off of Tree Rex's leg, and jumped on the battlefield as Chihiro walked up behind them. They summoned a sword, and Chihiro gently moved their shoulders.

"First, move your legs so that they're just as far apart as your shoulders are, and move your foot like this..."

§

Sihiri found herself breathless as she wandered through the Eastern Stronghold. No, it was Ancient's Hearth now, as she kept reminding herself. Though, it was hard for her to believe that this was the same place she once visited so often, for like every part of Skylands, so much changed here in the past millennia!

Gone were the rickety buildings and the passageways to their underground hideouts, and in their place laid a town that wouldn't have looked out of place in the many peaceful towns she passed by in her years. Houses and shops lined the streets as all sorts of beings went about their day, and the whole area bustled with the sounds of beings buying, selling and going to and fro among the town while children played and parents laughed at their antics. There were no longer guardposts stationed at every corner to watch for Arkeyan activity, or barrier spells placed at every corner, but wide open skies and peaceful trees that swayed in the breeze that took away their leaves. No longer did everyone run in hushed whispers and fearful steps, but they held themselves up with pride as they conversed and worked away. So much of it was so peaceful, so happy!

Sihiri had to admit, for all the changes that made her heart ache, this was not one of them. She'd always dreamed of a day where the strongholds were no longer needed as strongholds, but could be places where those of Skylands survived and thrived. To see that dream realized even well into the present day eased the pain in her heart.

A few of the locals glanced back and forth as Sihiri and the other free magicians passed them by, and turned to each other in excited, hushed whispers.

"Are those the ancient portal masters Gigantus was talking about?"

"To think, they're still kicking even in the present day!"

"It must be a miracle!"

Well, peaceful for the most part, anyways. Sihiri chuckled, but it wasn't a joyous one. It was a sad, kind of awkward chuckle, the kind one made when they choked back their emotions they didn't really want to show, when the conversation grew thin and tense. She really did stick out in the modern day, but to have that highlighted by the locals raised her skin. Sure, she was used to being at the center of attention as a free magician and noted enemy of the Arkeyan empire, but this kind of attention egged at her in a way she wasn't sure of.

"Alright, folks, easy there!" Jorden cried as a couple of townies swarmed him with pens and boards at the ready. "I've gotten my fair share of admirers and all, but this is a little much!"

A few cheers came from the crowd as they circled around him, and Jorden chuckled. "But, I guess an autograph or two wouldn't hurt! You know, why don't I tell you some of my old war stories, while we're at it?"

The crowd cheered, and they all planted themselves around Jorden as he took the boards and signed.

"Now, even before I found out I had all this fancy magic 'n stuff, I always had a hand in the free magicians' dealins. See, my miner buddies and I, we never liked those Arkeyans any more than they did, so I told 'em, 'Hey! We hate the Arkeyans, they hate the Arkeyans, why don't we help 'em out and give 'em some of the fancy minerals they need for their stuff?'" Jorden chuckled and handed the board back to its owner before moving on to the next. "But of course, the Arkeyans caught wind'a that, and lemme tell ya, when they found out we were minin' all those fancy crystals and stuff for the free magicians, they were madder than a hog that got its feed taken away!"

The conversation trailed off a bit to Sihiri's ears, for she knew the story Jorden gleefully spoke of as he signed autographs well. After all, he recounted the story of how he awakened his powers as a free magicians and sent the Arkeyans running away before they could make an example of him and his mining crew—how could she forget the day that such a master of the Earth Element joined their ranks? Sihiri had to admit, though, that it was a bit amusing to see how well he took to his newfound celebrity status.

But, she grew a bit listless, so she glanced over to the outskirts of the village. Over there, the buildings and decorations mostly made way for worn, dead trees with curled branches that gave them a somewhat creepy air and thickets of leaves and bramble that rang of the natural world's whims—all except for one. A round, polished building stood out amid the vast, untamed nature, and though it got a paint job since she last saw it, she definitely recognized it!

"This building will be our new stronghold's base of operations!" Adamah cried out as he presented it to Sihiri so long ago. "With a base like this, we'll finally have a place for us to stay. No more running all across Skylands!"

"But are you sure it's going to be safe?" a much younger Sihiri asked.

"Of course it will!" Chayah insisted behind Sihiri as her deep brown eyes sparkled. "This part of Skylands is so remote, and our defenses are as strong as they could be! There's no way the Arkeyans could ever take it down!"

That memory lingered in Sihiri's mind, and then, a visage, a much grimmer one. The land laid barren in flames, and corpses both organic and robotic littered the ground as fallen leaves did. But, in the heart of it all stood Adamah and Chayah, both battered, and weak, and down on their knees as they glared down an Arkeyan official.

"We'll never bow to you!" Chayah hissed through gritted teeth.

"It doesn't matter how much you destroy!" Adamah affirmed. "No matter how many times you tear us down, no matter how many you kill, we will always fight! We won't rest until Arkilles' head is on a platter and the Arkeyan Empire is no more!"

A beam of magic shot through them, but Sihiri shook her head and she was back in the present day. Now, Chayah, and Adamah, and every other relic of history was gone. That, that was only how she could have assumed Chayah and Adamah's death went; she wasn't present for the initial fall of the Eastern Stronghold, after all. However it happened, she hoped that it was quick and painless for them, for she couldn't bear the thought of them in pain.

Her pendant clinked against her, and Sihiri mindlessly twirled it around. That's right, it was the fall of the Eastern Stronghold that gave them the wake-up call they needed to create these pendants, wasn't it? After all, it was among the worst losses they saw, and they needed SOMETHING to strike back against Arkilles. Now, those pendants were what ensured that she'd be around to stay in the Eastern Stronghold another day. It was funny how fate worked out, yet it didn't quite lift Sihiri's heart.

She sighed and turned back to the building once more. Something about it seemed to draw her in even more than the sights of the town around her, so she drifted off and away from the crowds. The chatter of town life became little more than background noise, and even the birds' songs numbed in her mind. Instead, she just drew back to the building. It was as if something in it called her; perhaps it was the lull of reassurance that her old friends would be waiting there, or how they would all be eager to celebrate her victory over Arkilles, and wish her well before she returned to her home village to live out her days in peace. Her hands trembled as she planted them against the doors, so smooth and unlike the worn wood once used to build them, but finally she pushed it aside.

When she entered, she found not the old stronghold headquarters bustling with life, but an eerily peaceful relic of history—or rather, relics! Old monuments, and paintings, and clay bowls stood on pedestals in a pristine gold room, each one with plaques written in the modern Common tongue. Sihiri briefly cast a spell on one plaque and read it; she found that the stack of bowls atop it belonged to an ancient mabu commune that well predated her own birth, or even that of her ancestors. My, to be so old that even ancient history predates you was hardly a thought Sihiri would have entertained, but now here she was.

Sihiri traipsed through the rooms and exhibits with not a sound, for instead, she drank in all the ancient history she never would have known of otherwise. Weaponry from the first war against The Malevolence, fossilized remnants of creatures that died out before she even got to see them, carefully-preserved scrolls containing merchants' trade records to letters exchanged between neighboring royals, even just mundane things like furniture, toys, and lovingly-written letters to family and friends where both sender and recipient long since passed... Everything was given equal priority and significance. To think, a day where the records of kings and commoners alike were placed in equal display!

She passed them by to find displays of handwoven tapestries, statues, and worn old paintings crafted in the years of peace with a smile, passed onto the next room and stopped short.

This room, with its red and gold decorations, was surely a monument to the years of Arkeyan war! A familiar ache rang in Sihiri's bones, and a part of her screamed at her to run and leave, but another, bigger part of her forced her to stay. Her mind shut off as she wandered through the exhibits of fragmented skulls and circuitry from ruined Arkeyan robots, paintings depicting scarily accurate renditions of old battles, and even a book filled with letters written by those who survived Arkeyan conquest. More than that, like everything before, they were perfectly preserved! The letters' parchment was hardly worn or brittle, and the metal shone as if it was first forged.

Sihiri passed by an old crystal pickax with a familiar engraving on the handle and chuckled. Well, guess she knew what became of Jorden's second-favorite pickax, at least. She glanced over at one painting recreating the fight for liberation of Glimmerward. Yes, that was one of her first battles as a member of the free magicians, was it not? The painting seemed to capture it perfectly, with her adolescent self blasting off Arkeyans with spells she just learned and calling upon magic that seemed so foreign to her at the time. She caught sight of the plaque beside the painting, and changed it over to Ancient Common with a wave of her hand.

"'The Great Battle of Glimmerward, said to be one of the most decisive battles in the free magicians' stage of the Arkeyan War, was notable for being the first battle of which Sihiri, the heralded leader of the free magicians, fought in. Sihiri would go on to be well-renowned in Skylands' history as both a wise leader and a courageous freedom fighter, with records stating that she won over a hundred battles against the Arkeyans..."

Was it really over one hundred? They all sort of blended together in Sihiri's mind after a while. More than that, to think that she was remembered with such honor! She would suppose that would be a comfort to anyone else, but to her, she couldn't help but feel a twang of pain at another reminder of her existence as little more than a note in history to modern Skylands. She winced and turned away, but when she caught sight of what laid beside her, her undead heart stopped for a moment.

There on an entire wall laid more of her friends', her teammates', her allies' wheel pendants, all perfectly preserved to the best of the keeper's abilities. Some were pieced together from fragments that shown in thin cracks which glistened underneath the building's lights, others had only halved pieces to remember them by, but they all laid in that gigantic wall, kept snug and safe. Their colors shone, and Sihiri recalled each one: a peach one with a slight shine that belonged to Thestor, one with a particularly yellow shade of green that once housed Fionn's soul, an onyx one with barely any shine that Apollina wore with pride... No, they were all gone. Sihiri felt not an ounce of magic radiate from their crystals, for if they hadn't perished in battle, surely the passage of time swept them away.

And yet, and yet, she so desperately wanted to reach her hands through, cast a spell, and hope that perhaps their souls would leap from their pendants and embrace her the way her old allies did in the days of wartime. Her hands trembled, and her fingers brushed against the glass. A purple glow shimmered from her fingertips, and her arms and legs alike trembled as she went to cast her spell yet stopped. No, she knew they weren't in there, she couldn't kid herself.

Sihiri fell to her knees, and looked up at this massive display of all she lost. Here she was, a relic of the past confronted with yet another reminder of how out of place and alone she truly was in the modern day, left behind by a cold and uncaring clock. She wanted so badly to see their faces, to hear their voices, to hope that her little group was far from the only survivors of this mess. But, no, she was only bargaining with herself and she knew it. Her hand dragged against the glass the same way her heart sank to her feet—cold and slow and dreadful. Her eyes stung, and so badly did she want to cry, to pour her heart out with all her uncertainties and fears, but she knew there would be nobody to listen in this cold, unfeeling room. Still, yet, her heart yearned to just call their names one last time, and so she raised her voice...

"A visitor!"

A soft, shrill voice brought Sihiri back to full height, and she turned around as a bespectacled fox in a suit scurried out from one of the rooms.

"My goodness, please pardon the rudeness! I wasn't expecting visitors today, you see," the fox sputtered before she shook her head. "Ah, no, I can't possibly linger on that!" The fox spun out and stretched her arms to the ceiling. "Welcome to Ancient's Hearth's Living History museum, the largest collection of history in all of the Eastern Skylands! Here, we preserve the past and bring it back to life—"

Sihiri blinked, a bit taken aback by the fox's sudden spiel. This fox went on and on about the various parts of Skylands' history that this museum contained, how each relic was carefully repaired and tended to with only the utmost of attention, and while impressive, Sihiri had to admit that it was quite a lot to take in.

"You must have quite a lot of dedication to run a place like this," Sihiri remarked.

"Why, of course I'm dedicated!" the fox exclaimed. "Knowing your history is the most important part of not repeating its past mistakes! That's why I've devoted my life's work to preserving as much of Skylands' history for future generations to learn from!"

"That is true," Sihiri mused, "but why, exactly, do you devote yourself to this period of time, so?"

"You mean, why am I so passionate about the Arkeyan era?"

The fox frowned for a bit, and a tearful look glazed her eyes for a moment, but she smiled and shook her head.

"Follow me, dear patron."

All was quiet save for footsteps clacking against the marble as the fox led Sihiri to one particular part of the museum. As they passed by relics of ancient towns and carefully-preserved Arkeyan body parts, the dim lights of the museum slowly warmed and brightened, and a sort of gentleness covered the room.

"Now, don't get me wrong, I'm no Arkeyan Revivalist. Far from it, actually, I'm glad those hunks of junk are buried in the ground," the curator explained, "but the Elder Elementals and their portal masters are my biggest inspiration for what I do! They fought so hard to protect the beings of Skylands from the tyranny of the Arkeyan Empire, especially how they preserved and fought to protect everyone even when it seemed like a better tomorrow was impossible!

"They are the reasons the heroes of today became who they are, to say nothing of the groundwork they laid for the formation of modern institutions like the Skylanders, and thus, it is of utmost importance that those of Skylands know everything they can about them! So, I made a point of documenting everything I could about their lives and stories!" The fox parted ways and beamed with a bow. "This, I'd say, is my crown jewel."

The lights brightened like that of a new dawn, and Sihiri gasped and faltered back—but, given the sight before her, she could hardly be faulted for her shock.

There in front of her was a massive marble statue of her, and all the free magicians and Elder Elementals alike, all posed with elegance and courage. She led the helm with an orb of magic in her upraised palm. Iittle Varonis clung to her gown, and Inochi embraced her with the kindest of looks and flowers growing around her. The Elder Elementals stood to the back and posed with weapons and arms raised as parts of their bodies glimmered with light, the same way they always did when they channeled the Light Element. At the front, the rest of the free magicians flanked behind Sihiri with powers raised, from Luz and Fintster standing side by side with their sword and shield, Vatra's flames curling at his fingers, Nemir communing with the ghosts of their fallen allies, Dej wielding a crossbow, and Vaayu soaring in the winds. But most of all, it looked like them right down to the letter! From the cracks in Brawl's armor, to the grooves in Tree Rex's bark, to even the colors of Sihiri's own gown and the age in her face—it was almost as if she stared in a mirror.

"Before I commissioned this statue, I spent months pouring through every account I could of the free magicians' battles to make sure that everything was done right down to the letter! No detail of their appearance was to be shunted, no matter how small! Now, I wouldn't say this is absolutely, entirely accurate—I can't time travel and all—but I would say this is probably the most lifelike recreation of these heralded heroes that Skylands has to offer!" The fox cleared her throat. "Of course, they don't deserve any less for everything they've done for Skylands."

Sihiri blinked, and for a moment, she struggled to find the words to say. To think, somebody admired her so much to do something like this, to keep every minute detail of their fight alive for those that followed after. She wasn't entirely sure if she was grateful or stunned, so she just stood in silence.

"You must truly admire them to put this much dedication into preserving their legacy," was all she could muster.

"Of course! Their story means more to me than you could even imagine!" the fox exclaimed with an almost awestruck look. Her gaze faltered, and she smiled as she brushed her hands against the velvet ropes that protected the statue. "When I was a girl, my homeland was conquered in the aftermath of Hektore's rampage. I grew up in filth and squalor, as did everyone I loved until they no longer existed. Some disappeared and never came back, others were blasted to bits simply for walking in a way that his enforcers disliked, and others perished from famine and sicknesses they were unable to cure. I was lucky to leave the land in my adulthood, but it hardly felt deserved."

The fox's smile disappeared for a moment, and it seemed as though she was going to cry as her lips wobbled.

"Every day, I wondered, 'Why me? Why was I the only one to live while everyone I loved withered away? Why couldn't I have died and been with them?, and it was agonizing just trying to find the will to get out of bed everyday."

The fox sighed, and smiled as she glanced up at the statue.

"But, when I began my studies in my new homeland, I learned the stories of the Elder Elementals and the portal masters who fought against the Arkeyans' tyranny. I saw my old home in everything I read about the Arkeyan conquest, and every story I heard of their fight inspired me! Even when things seemed completely hopeless, and freedom from the Arkeyans was little more than a pipe dream, the Elder Elements still fought their hardest to stop the Arkeyans! When the Eastern Stronghold fell, when the Arkeyans conquered the lands they'd just saved, even when they arrived too late to fight for anyone... They still refused to give in."

Tears dripped down from the fox's face, and she sniffled and wiped them away.

"To think that heroes like that fought for a land much like my own brought me a peace I'd never known before. More than that, they inspired me! Their stories told me that no matter how fruitless a fight it seems, no matter how long it takes, there will always be a way to forge a better tomorrow! Most of all, though—" the fox turned to Sihiri with a kind smile "—they taught me that sometimes, you can't just sit around and wait for a hero to save you. Sometimes, you need to be that hero! That's why I became a historian. I wanted to preserve all these stories so that others could learn from them, and use their knowledge to fight against all the dictators and tyrants and villains of the future! It's because of them that I found my life's purpose!"

The fox's eyes shimmered with such hope and inspiration that Sihiri barely even remembered how sad she, no, how sad the both of them were just moments ago. She'd always thought of her standing as little more than a page in a history book to be a curse, but perhaps, if what she did could inspire others well into the present day, maybe that wasn't quite a bad thing? Perhaps, if those stories inspired others so, enough that they were so dedicated to preserving them for others, perhaps, just perhaps, Sihiri had a space in the modern day after all? Sihiri still wasn't entirely certain, but something in her heart lifted in awe, and she just nodded as she looked back at this statue and its reflection of her, so wise and powerful and heroic.

"It might sound silly, but I'd always wished I could travel back in time just so I could meet them, and thank them for everything they did for me. Of course, I'd ask them so many questions, too!"

Sihiri chuckled, and whispered a few soft, small words that slipped out without her even thinking.

"Thank you, and you're welcome."

The fox's ears flicked, and she turned back to Sihiri. "Ah, excuse me, did you happen to say something?"

"Ah, it's nothing."

So, the two basked in the statue and its glory, and the fox managed a small chuckle.

"You know, you look an awful lot like the free magicians' leader, Sihiri! Was she perhaps a..."

But by then, Sihiri herself left, yet the historian's words rang true in her heart. The doors of the museum closed behind her, and once again she stood out in Ancient's Hearth: once the site of the free magicians' eastern stronghold, now a living monument of Skylands' history. Most of all, though, it was evidence, a testament that something, some little piece of them, could have carried on into the modern day.

"Sihiri, where did you go?" Vatra shouted as he rushed up to her, but quickly shook his head. "Oh, nevermind. We have a bit of a situation!"

A jolt of fear struck Sihiri's heart. "Is it the Arkeyans?"

"No." Vatra heaved a bemused sigh, the kind that people give when they're completely, utterly exasperated and have no idea what else to do. "It's the villagers. I, just come see for yourself."

§

Back in the heart of Ancient's Hearth, crowds of villagers raised their voices in adoring cheer... Maybe a little too adoring cheer, actually, for they completely blocked off the square as they crowded around the Elder Elementals! The shops laid vacated, for the town itself stood to a halt to greet the Elder Elementals and pelt them with all sorts of shouts, and questions, and curiosities. The Elder Elementals, for their part, laid squeezed together as tight as they could, and awkwardly shuffled around and clearly tried not to accidentally squish anyone.

"Is it true that you can tell your age by counting the rings on your bark, Tree Rex?"

"Did you really fight for a whole century before you became a team, Eye-Brawl?"

"Hey, hey, Swarm, I heard that you're the fastest flier of them all! Can you show me?"

"I planted fifty trees in my neighborhood because of you, Tree Rex!"

"You're all even cooler in the flesh!"

The crowd packed in tighter, and Tree Rex winced and held up his hands.

"Now, now, everyone! I do appreciate the enthusiasm," Tree Rex said, "but we really need to get back to our base..."

"Ah, let 'em cheer, boss!" Swarm chirped. He flexed his arms and wings alike, and the wide beam on his face only grew wider as the crowd cheered for him. "It's not every day that they get to see living legends like us in-person!"

Swarm's wings buzzed with a happy tune, but as he scanned over the admiring crowds, his eyes locked on a little, honey-yellow bee girl and she locked eyes on him! Now that Swarm looked at her, he could seem a bit of a resemblance—the girl's stripes mirrored Swarm's perfectly, and her eyes were a solid, milky white. Her round wings buzzed as her antenna perked up, and she immediately zipped up to Swarm's face.

"Wait, are you really Swarm, Elder Elemental of the Air Element, real identity Prince Abejape, the five thousandth son of the Hymenopteran clan's tenth generation?" the girl gasped with a voice as shrill and buzzing as her wings.

Swarm nodded. "Sure thing!"

The bee girl gasped and fluttered back. "This is the perfect opportunity! I have so much I want to ask you, to tell you—" the bee girl's antenna flicked up and she shook her head "—wait, where are my manners?"

The bee girl cleared her throat, bowed in midair and stood up straight.

"I am Honey Buzzwell, and the Hymenopteran clan are my ancestors!"

"Ancestors? Oh, so that means you're like, my great-great-great-great... Niece or something?" Swarm's antenna flicked. "I can see the resemblance."

"Likewise." Honey chuckled as she sat on Swarm's shoulder. "You see, I came here as part of my personal project to research my family lineage! I've traced back so much, from the reign of Queen Ambrosia to the wars between her great-grandchildren, and the pollen famines that led to the original kingdom's fall..."

"Wait, the kingdom's gone?"

Swarm's expression faltered, as did Honey's. Seemingly, she knew she probably said the wrong thing.

"But you know, there's one thing in my ancestry hunt that I'm most proud of," Honey buzzed as she flitted away.

She zipped around the corner, and zipped back moments later with an old, wooden chest plated with metal in honeycomb patterns dragged behind her. She pulled it with all her strength, for it was probably three times as big as she was. The symbol of a bee rested on an elegant flower laid carved into the chest's top, and Swarm perked a brow. Wait, he recognized that symbol! That was his family's royal emblem!

"I found this chest during my adventures in the former Hymnopteran Kingdom!" Honey proclaimed. She dropped down, unlocked it, and her wings buzzed with excitement. "This chest belonged to Queen Ambrosia, the two thousand and twelfth daughter of the Hymenopteran royal family!"

"Wait, that belonged to Amby?" Swarm gasped.

Honey's wings buzzed as if to affirm this; she pulled out a worn, but others surprisingly well-preserved piece of paper and unfolded it.

"Inside this chest were tons of letters Ambrosia wrote, but never got to send, and get this, they were mostly addressed to you! Here, let me read one."

Ambrosia—no, Honey cleared her throat and glanced down at the paper.

"'To my dearest baby brother Abejape, tell me, how are you? I suppose we are fine. The hive is buzzing with energy as it always is, and the warriors are ever-diligent in scouting for Arkeyans as they normally are. Our siblings are still bursting with energy, and some have even had children of their own since you left the hive. Oh, I do hope you can spare a moment to visit sometime, even if it's probably not feasible with your size, for they are all so, so eager to meet you after hearing of your accolades in the fight against the Arkeyans. They're far from the only ones rooting for you, however. Mother prays for your safety by the Honey Pool every morning, and Father couldn't possibly be prouder of you! He won't stop talking about you every single time word reaches of another fallen Arkeyan stronghold, or another settlement liberated!

"'I have been quite busy in my own right. I've come of the age to begin my studies to join the royal counsel, and lessons have taken up the hours we used to spend hiding among the flowers and playing our little games. I remember how small you once were, and how you'd always toddle along after the rest of us…'"

Swarm's antenna drooped, and a small frown etched across his face. For a moment, Honey no longer stood before him as she read off the letter. No, in her place, Swarm saw Ambrosia dressed in the robes and amber jewelry of his royal family. Even though she was likely long dead now, a pang rang in Swarm's heat as if she was still alive.

"'I know a reply would be unrealistic for your position, and I wouldn't dare compromise your safety, so all I wish is that you remain safe and well as you fight the Arkeyans.

Love, your big sister Ambrosia.

P.S. I'm not mad about the tiara anymore.'"

Honey cleared her throat and folded up the letter, but for a moment, Swarm wished she didn't. He wanted to keep the illusion that his sister, that the rest of his family, was still alive, and well, and waiting for him to come home so they could all congratulate him, so they could tell him how proud they were! But, the letter closed, and Honey stowed it away as another reminder that the past passed him by, and his family as he knew it was no more.

"Of course, that was just one of the many letters she wrote! Now, which one should I—"

"Actually," Swarm asked as he knelt down and brushed a finger against the chest, "would it be alright if I hung on to this for a while?"

Honey blinked as she flitted away from the chest, nodded and closed it up.

"Of course!" she chirped as she handed it over to Swarm. "She wrote these letters for you, after all! It's only right that they get to their intended recipient."

Honey heaved the chest into Swarm's palm with every ounce of strength she had, and Swarm nodded as he cradled it like a precious gem.

"Thanks a lot."

The crowds started to rage once more, and Swarm backed up as the more hyperactive villagers crowded around the other Elder Elementals' legs. They rang with cheers and excited cries of questions and love alike, and Tree Rex winced as he waded through the crowds.

"Now, everyone, I really appreciate the support, but I do seriously need to get out of here, and you're kind of choking my branches," Tree Rex sputtered while he struggled to keep balance, "so, I'd really appreciate it if you—"

More cheers rose from the crowds, and Tree Rex just winced.

"Now, everyone," Gigantus bellowed as he swept into the streets, "I know it's exciting to see the Elder Elementals in the flesh, but they do have important business to attend to. It would be wise to let them pass."

"Yeah!" Chihiro chirped as she popped out from behind Gigantus. "We've got a mission to plan!"

A few disappointed sighs came from the crowd, but nonetheless, they parted ways. The sea of colors shifted out until a path formed, and the Elder Elementals made their leave one by one as the crowds cheered them on.

"Yes, keep it going, keep it going," Spyro proclaimed as he flew out from behind Gigantus and ushered the crowds. "Try not to crowd too much!"

One particular vampire glanced at Spyro and raised a brow. "So, are you guys like the Elder Elementals' entourage or something?" they asked.

"Entourage?" Spyro echoed. "No, we're the Skylanders!"

"Oh, Skylanders. Nice."

The vampire shrugged and moved aside, but Spyro couldn't help but raise a brow.

"Feels weird not to be the center of attention for once, huh, Golden Boy?" Chihiro chirped as she popped up beside Spyro. She glanced over to where Tree Rex and Swarm stood, smiled and waved them down. "Hey, over here! We're finalizing our mission plans, so we need you all ASAP!"

Swarm nodded and flitted past the crowds. As he did, he glanced back over to where Glumshanks slipped up beside Chihiro and whispered to her. Swarm raised a brow, and with a snap of his fingers, raised the volume on the winds for him and him alone.

"Is it just me," Glumshanks asked, "or have you heard a strange beeping noise?"

"Beeping?" Chihiro whispered back with a shake of her head. "No, can't say I have."

"Strange..."

The two frowned, and something in Swarm's heart stirred. Something about this seemed strange, and it laid in the back of his mind as he buzzed back off to his temporary base of operations.

§

That night, as all became peaceful once more, Gigantus smiled and stirred a pot of creamy stew about as big as he himself was. Ah, he always liked nighttime vigils—while most tended to fear the mysteries the dark brought, he always found himself completely at peace underneath the starry night sky and the cool breezes of autumn. Of course, this time, the nighttime vigil was far from peaceful and quiet, not that Gigantus minded.

"And that was how I'd stopped Nefarion's forces from invading Ancient's Hearth and taking our portal masters with them," Gigantus said as he filled a nearby stone bowl with soup, and passed it to Swarm behind him. "It took every ounce of my strength, and the locals' as well, but we drove back Nefarion so badly that he never touched the land again!"

"Man, that Nefarion guy sounds even worse than Arkilles!" Hot Head rumbled as he sloppily slurped down his stew, much to the disdain of Crusher beside him. "If I were around when he was reigning, I would've burned him to a crisp!"

"I'm sure you would've, Hot Head." Gigantus chuckled a sort of wistful chuckle. Truthfully, Gigantus wasn't entirely sure if even the Elder Elementals could have tackled him with that Mask of Power that Nefarion held. But, they weren't around then, and who was Gigantus to doubt his greatest inspirations?

"The fact that you arranged that battle all on your own, though," Thumpback whistled in between sips of stew. "I'm impressed, Gigantus!"

Gigantus' stones rattled, and he chuckled and placed his own bowl to the side. "Oh, it was nothing. I just did what needed to be done. The beings of Ancient's Hearth rely on me to protect them, and I don't want to let them down." Gigantus prepared a few more bowls of stew and handed them off to Bouncer. "Pass these to the others, please?"

Gigantus breathed in the cold, chilly night as as the stew passed hands, and the stars shone bright as ever. The chills of midnight seemed to be warmer than he expected, or perhaps it just felt that way with company beside him? Yes, that sounded likely. Normally, Gigantus never had company during his vigils—unlike him, most residents of Skylands needed sleep—much less the company of his oldest heroes, who were now back in Skylands after so long. Funny, he always recalled how he followed after them, and now they sat in a circle and talked as equals. Time truly did change things between them, didn't it?

"It sure is quiet out here," Ninjini remarked as she glanced back into the forest.

"It usually is," Gigantus affirmed, and his smile fell as he took a glance to the outer wilds himself, "but, I can never be too cautious. After everything that happened before, I swore that no harm would fall to the people of Ancient's Hearth under my watch ever again."

Tree Rex placed his bowl to the side, though he hadn't touched it in the slightest.

"The time really has changed you, Gigantus," Tree Rex remarked. "I remember when you first formed, and you always followed me around like a puppy, but now look at you!" Tree Rex held out a hand and smiled. "You're almost as old as we are, and you're talking the part, too!"

"At least, as old as we might've been if we weren't trapped on Earth," Crusher mused.

Crusher's words chilled the air around them, and Gigantus couldn't help but check the fires to make sure they hadn't weakened. But no, they burned bright as ever—it was the air of conversation that brought the world around to a stilling cold. It was true, for Tree Rex mentioned to him in passing that seemingly, being trapped on that strange island known as "Earth" kept them in a sort of magical stasis which left them no different than how they were when they first left Skylands. Gigantus wondered, what would they have been like, were they allowed to become old and gray? Would he have sat by the fire with them as Crusher's stones weakened with age, as the color in Ninjini's hair and Bouncer's metal faded, as Eye's eyesight shortened?

"It's quite strange, really thinking about it," Eye affirmed. "The world around us has changed beyond recognition, yet here we are, the same as we ever were."

Brawl placed his bowl down to sign, and though the dim light made it hard for Gigantus to read his words, he could tell that Brawl affirmed Eye's statement.

"Can't say I disagree." Gigantus took a sip of stew, the last in the bowl, and placed it aside. Gigantus glanced back at the village, all peaceful as its residents retired for the night, save for maybe the odd drunk stumbling home from the bar.

"Golems do age far more slowly than most of those here at Ancient's Hearth. I've seen those who passed peacefully in the rebuilding period after the Arkeyans' fall, those we lost to Nefarion's persecution of the portal masters, and even those who went to war during the War of Kingdoms and returned in coffins and urns, if they even returned at all. I've known entire families and generations from cradle to grave, and even the ones who passed for more mundane reasons leave me feeling as if I was a relic of times long past."

Gigantus picked up the stew pot's ladle. "Anybody want seconds? There's plenty to go around." Gigantus chuckled as the others shook their head. "More for me, then."

Gigantus refilled his bowl of stew and took another sip.

"Ahh, that's the stuff! The Milllock family's recipe never ceases to comfort the old stones on a cold night like this." Gigantus placed his bowl aside and raised a mossy brow. "Anyways, what was being banished to Earth like? Was this... Planet, you said it was, any different than Skylands?"

"I wish I could give you a fun answer, rocky buddy," Swarm replied with a bit more disinterest than he usually held. He offhandedly toyed with the latch on the chest Honey gave him, and another sigh escaped his lips. "But, we were unconscious the whole time. Didn't wake up and get to see the sights until Chi found us."

"We did end up in some giant metal monster, though!" Tree Rex added.

"Yeah, and nearly got turned into tomorrow's scrap heap, too!" Bouncer jumped in as his optics flickered with disgust. "I can still smell that nasty place!"

"Oh, eye have some thoughts about that, all right!" Eye exclaimed. "That place made my eye water so badly! If I wasn't frozen as a figure, eye probably would've cried so hard it would wash the whole place away!"

He went into a very vivid spiel about being trapped in a gigantic metal monster fulled with putrid trash, getting trapped in a land with even more of it, and occasionally the others joined in. All except Tree Rex, Gigantus noticed; Tree Rex was normally one of the first to enthrall others with his stories of adventure and war, but here he seemed almost apathetic as he took a sip of his stew and sat down. For that matter, he seemed fairly quiet when Gigantus recounted everything they missed in the past ten thousand years as well. Was something bothering him? Wouldn't hurt to ask.

"Tree Rex," Gigantus interrupted. "Is something bothering you?"

"Ah, just dealing with an upset stomach, that's all," Tree Rex said. He immediately perked up and scratched his horns, and though he tried to smile, it seemed weak, almost frail an attempt. "I'm not using to eating actual food since I can produce my own."

"Is that all?"

Tree Rex frowned and scratched at the moss that curled around his knees.

"And perhaps, I was thinking, somewhat."

Eye's rousing story came to a screeching halt, and the others all turned to watch him as well. A few placed their bowls down as they did, and Gigantus himself wondered if maybe he asked the wrong question.

"Even though we defeated the Arkeyan Empire, and stopped their reign of terror across Skylands, so much suffering happened afterwards. Skylands suffered so greatly, and we stood unable to protect it. So, I wonder, were our efforts really for naught? Are we destined to watch Skylands suffer endlessly despite our best efforts?"

Beside him, Swarm shied away as he cradled the chest Honey gave him in his hands. Gigantus offhandedly heard their conversation, and he wondered if perhaps she'd imparted her known of the Hymenopteran clan's fall to him. Or perhaps, he'd read all the letters his long-late sister had sent? Gigantus only met Ambrosia once, when she privately visited the land to ask about Swarm's status, and he remembered the heartbroken look on her face when he informed her of his presumed passing. Now, as Gigantus watched Swarm sulk, he could definitely see the resemblance between them. They both seemed so heartbroken to have lost the family they cherished so, and surely, Swarm missed out on much as well. By his species' standards, he was barely an adult when he was anointed an Elder Elemental; he'd devoted so much of his young life to fighting to protect all he cared for, yet he lost everything anyways.

Really, they all did, Gigantus was sure of it. After all, he'd mused on the question as he fought so much as well. The younger him would have insisted that this wasn't the way the Elder Elementals, the hope of all Skylands, should talk. But, he was older now, and he knew of the grief and confusion they carried.

"I've mused on that question quite often myself," Gigantus admitted. "There were times when all seemed hopeless, when we'd work so hard just to see our efforts wiped away in seconds, when the rebuilding seemed much less viable than just calling it quits..."

The smell of smoke and sound of screams wafted in the air as the Eastern Stronghold's fall reflected in his mind, but Gigantus dismissed it with a shake of the head and a sip of stew.

"But, after seeing how well Ancient's Hearth has thrived in the present day, I believe it was more than worth it. It was those actions, all those falls that paved the way for the town to become what it is today."

"And if that weren't the case?"

Gigantus addressed Tree Rex directly as the question left his mouth, and he only smiled.

"Then I still would have fought, if only for the hope of everyone who lived here and relied on me to fight for them. Fighting for a better future is always ideal, but it's the beings of the present who need us to protect them the most. A future can always be changed, but the present is what's here and now." Gigantus eyed the small fraction of stew still in the pot. "I believe that all our allies who fell in battle, the ones who fought when it still seemed like the Arkeyans would triumph endlessly, they all thought the same way." Gigantus lifted his head and smiled back at Tree Rex. "Of course, I may just be thinking out loud about the things you taught me."

Tree Rex blinked. "I taught you that?"

Gigantus nodded, and all the words he'd been desperate to say since that day bubbled in his chest. Finally, he could say everything he'd wanted to say, and over the warmth and sentiment of firelight, he couldn't help but feel like his tongue was a bit looser than normal.

"The day the Eastern Stronghold first felt, I almost considered completely giving up. I'd lost family, friends, and the place I'd called home. Despite my vows to protect it, I could only watch as the Arkeyans reduced it to ashes before my eyes. Part of me wished I had died by Arkeyan hands right then and there, for what point was there in going on when I lost so much?" Gigantus's leaves rustled, and a few fell off in tone with his dour mood. "But, you told me that even when things seemed hopeless, there was always a semblance of a chance that the Arkeyans could be stopped, and you would not give up until that became reality. After that, I vowed that if you wouldn't give up, I wouldn't as well! The day you rescued me from their clutches and brought me home meant more to me than you might even realize."

Tree Rex sat in silence and basked in the cold air as his wooden lips pursed.

"Ah, yes, I remember that day." Tree Rex brushed his hand against the grass and finally glanced back at Ancient's Hearth. "When I came back here with you that day, Ancient's Hearth was nothing but ashes and corpses, and now look at it! It's one of the most peaceful places I've ever seen." A small smile cracked across Tree Rex's lips. "Perhaps, maybe, the passage of time brought some good with it as well."

The air lightened and warmed once more, and for a moment, they all enjoyed inner in a peaceful, quiet vigil. No sounds occurred but that of sipping stew and small murmurs of appreciation for the pleasant night—and then, footsteps? Gigantus' leaves rustled the way they always did when he felt something amiss, and turned aside.

The sound of panting came next, and out from the shadows and into the light emerged... That troll that came here earlier today? Yes, that lanky troll ran up to them and fell to his knees as he caught his breath in desperate gasps. Chihiro, that young portal master, joined him afterwards.

"Chihiro!" Tree Rex called as he urgently placed his bowl of stew away. "Is something wrong?"

"Er, uh, well," the troll sputtered as he finally sat up. "You see, funny story, well, I kind of heard a strange noise, and—"

"Just spit it out already, Glumshanks!" Chihiro snapped.

Tree Rex seemed a bit taken aback by the harshness of her tone. Was she normally not this irate?

Glumshanks sputtered some more as he turned to Chihiro. "But, just look at them! They're all big, and they're going to be so angry that they'll probably squash me where I stand! You don't have to be a genius to know angering them is a bad idea!"

"If you don't do it, I'll do it for you!"

Glumshanks gulped, shakily stood and scuffed his feet against the grass.

"What's the issue?" Tree Rex demanded as his voice turned cold.

Glumshanks gulped, finally held out his hand, and brought up a small, round, cracked thing. A small beeping sound rang in the air, and at a very annoying pitch, too.

"I, I found this attached to my back before I went to bed," Glumshanks admitted, "and, well, your tech person examined it, and, er..." Glumshanks gulped as Chihiro shot him another glare. "I think Arkilles might have stuck a tracker on me before he banished me!"

"A tracker?" Gigantus spat.

Glumshanks whimpered and nodded. "If I had to guess, he might have sent me out on purpose because he knew I'd look for help. That way, he could track me and wipe out not just me, but anybody else who might've opposed him."

"And what luck, that meant us," Chihiro sighed. She shook her head and glared back up at Tree Rex. "Anyways, there's a change of plans. We're shoving off ASAP, so we need you guys to—"

The world rumbled, and the rest of Chihiro's words drowned under the sound of shaking ground and shuddering buildings. The pot of stew Gigantus prepared rattled and bounced where it was suspended, and then, something sniped it off its place! The pot bounced around the ground as its contents spilled out over the earth, and the sudden shot forced Gigantus' gaze over to where the shot came from.

"You're too late!" Gigantus cried as his voice strained to be heard over the mighty quakes of the land before. "They're already here!"

§

The world shuddered and shied away as the Arkeyans swarmed in droves. All kinds of them, from gigantic Ultrons, sword and bow-wielding Weapon Masters, and miniature War Machines, to endless throngs of jousters, bombers, skeletal knights, and drill machines flooded the army. They were so fruitful in ranks that they choked out not just the land that stretched outside of Ancient's Hearth, but even the skies as well! Their bodies reeked with the sickening smell of Quicksilver, or perhaps that was the stench of the death they were sure to bring? Whatever it was, Gigantus knew he didn't like it.

"Hey, Rexy!" Chihiro shouted as she summoned a sword and gripped it with sweaty palms. "How many Arkeyans do you think are out there?"

"I'm not sure," Tree Rex replied as the solar core in his hand glowered, "but it's definitely a lot."

Tree Rex gulped and went in for a battle stance, but it was Gigantus who rushed into battle first! He flew from his seat and flung his arms out well in front of him, and though his stones trembled at such a sight, he forced them to stay firm.

"I'll hold the line!" Gigantus shouted as he turned to acknowledge Tree Rex. "You just get to Arkus and stop Arkilles!"

Tree Rex blinked and his jaw slanted. "But, Gigantus!" Tree Rex protested. "There's way too many of them! There's no way you can take them all on yourself!"

"Yeah, man!" Bouncer affirmed. "You might as well be asking for them to shut your circuits down!"

"But what else are we supposed to do?" Gigantus shot back. His stones rattled, and his eyes fell on where Ancient's Hearth sat, still pristine and so unaware of what was to come.

Eye shot a glare at Glumshanks. "Well, they're here for the troll that got us into this mess, correct? Eye say we give them what they want!"

Glumshanks gulped and dove behind Chihiro as Eye's glare grew more intense.

Chihiro, for all her anger, shuffled herself so that she stood square in Eye's way instead.

"We can't leave anyways!" Chihiro cried. "The repairs are nowhere near done! We won't be able to fly off in the state we're in—" Chihiro summoned a second sword and thrust it towards the oncoming crowds "—so I say we stay and protect this place!"

"And I'll see if I can speed the repairs along!" Bouncer shouted as he wheeled back off towards the garage.

Glumshanks sputtered and ran away (coward), but the others all stood tall. The remaining Elder Elementals formed a barrier of sorts over the way to Ancient's Hearth. Below them, Chihiro tapped her wrist, summoned a butterfly of sorts, and whispered to it before she cast it off. Her gaze tensed as her attention focused back on the Arkeyans once more, and Gigantus couldn't help but raise a brow.

"Just what are you doing, child?" Gigantus asked as he turned to Chihiro.

"As portal master and guardian of all that is good, it's my duty to protect this place!" Chihiro proclaimed. She turned her swords onto the crowds, and her eyes narrowed. "So that's what I'm going to do!"

The ground rumbled before anyone could protest further, and the dark of night turned to warm red and gold shades as the Arkeyans closed in. Many of them readied their weapons as their eyes glowered with power, and Gigantus steeled himself in response. Those Arkeyans wouldn't touch Ancient's Hearth again, not as long as he stood guardian of this land. A rumble came from behind, and Gigantus prepared to throw a stone. But, he stopped when he saw not Arkeyan soldiers emerging from the village, but those Skylanders that Chihiro called her friends! The one gremlin from the group seemed to be missing—perhaps he was helping with the repairs as well?

"We got your signal, Chi!" the purple dragon of the group, Spyro, Gigantus believed, called as he flew in. "Came as soon as we could!"

"Good thing, cause it doesn't look like Arkilles is playing around," Chihiro said as she glanced back at the approaching Arkeyans. Her smile faded for a moment, yet quickly returned to full size. "But luckily, neither are we!"

Gigantus nodded, rushed forward, and summoned a gigantic boulder between his palms as he slammed it atop the head of a particularly large Ultron. The metal screeched as the boulder dented it, and Gigantus kicked it back into the crowd. He gripped his boulder and swung it around, denting Arkeyans with every swing as he did.

Beside him, Tree Rex charged forward, blew away the smallest of the Arkeyan soldiers like mere bugs in a mighty breeze's way, but jumped back as a particularly beefy soldier who wielded a broadsword stabbed for his chest. The soldier retrieved its sword and swung once more, but this time, it was Tree Rex who struck first—he cast out a hand and vines spiraled out from his palm! Though small and thin at first, a glow seeped out from his solar cannon and entangled the vines, which turned them big and thick as they tied themselves tight around the soldier.

The vines squeezed, and the soldier's armor dented and split as its sword fell from its hands. A distorted squeal echoed from the robot's damaged voicebox as it twitched and thrashed against the vines, but Tree Rex simply swung around and tossed it like a wrecking ball! The Arkeyans around flew into the sky, and exploded into fiery bits of metal and wiring as the damage grew too great for them!

"Gigantus!" Tree Rex shouted as he tossed the captive soldier to Gigantus. "Catch!"

Gigantus dropped his boulder atop another Ultron and squashed it flat; he yanked the vinebound soldier straight out of the air, and smashed it against the head of a particularly large guard robot! The two robots exploded to smithereens of metal pieces and several wiring, and the flames from their explosion spread across the land as they caught the other armies in their grip! But, they still weren't going down quite fast enough for Gigantus' liking. He smashed his feet against the earth, and the ground rumbled as pillars of earth popped up and skewered the soldiers around in clean halves. One by one, they popped up and receded, but still not quick enough. He pounded his feet again and more pillars emerged, yet they still emerged too slowly, too laboriously! Gigantus gritted his teeth, pounded faster, and this time, an entire collection of pillars burst up with a bronze glow!

Something pounded into the earth beside him, and Gigantus glanced aside to catch Crusher lifting up his hammer with a smile on his face! The ground fissured from the dented segment where Crusher's hammer hit, and the fissures grew, forming gaps in the earth where the Arkeyans laid. A few particularly stubborn Arkeyans clung to the ledges and flung themselves back up, but even they were hardly spared from Crusher's wrath. He snarled, and his eyes flashed an emerald color as they cast their light over the Arkeyan soldiers and turned them to solid stone! Gone were their shiny metals, for hard, gray granite coated them instead, and even that hardly lasted as Crusher smashed them to bits.

"They got pulverized!" Crusher cried.

A platoon of Arkeyans stood trembling as they watched the scene, and Crusher smirked as he shot another flare of light. This one wasn't the emerald green he always used when turning others to stone, but a bright, golden yellow instead! The Arkeyans squealed and flailed, but the light faded and they looked down to find themselves completely unaffected. They puffed their chests and laughed at first, but as they gloated, they hardly took notice of a bulky shadow which formed behind them.

Brawl, however, seemed to notice them well enough, for he jumped out of the shadows and snatched them from the ground. He squeezed them so tight that parts of their armor popped from their bodies, and their bodies crumbled to bits as he smashed them together! He wiped his hands as bits of metal cascaded down to his feet, and below him, a group of spear-wielding Arkeyans yowled and beeped as they charged for him. Yet, they didn't even get a step in before a rain of silver lasers emerged from the skies. The lasers cascaded down on the Arkeyans, zapped holes through their bodies, and corroded the corpses that remained with silvery rust! Angry squeals emerged as the gnashers within them glowed and pulsed like ticking time bombs. They grew bright, brighter, brightest... And a powerful breeze swept their remains off the ground before they exploded!

"Hot Head!" Swarm called as he blew them off. "Do your thing!"

Hot Head turned away from where he melted off an Arkeyan Weapons Master and licked his lips.

"Burn, baby, burn!" he cried as he turned his flames on the Arkeyans' remains!

The explosion that resulted was ferocious as flames in blue and white, red and yellow, coated the battlefield in one large plume! Fire spread across the battlegrounds, and melted away Arkeyan after Arkeyan, no matter how small or large. Weapons clanged to the ground as their metal dripped off in liquid pools, and all that remained were singed, frayed circuits before they exploded and fueled the flames. A rainstorm poured in and doused the clouds before they could get too close to civilization, and from the rain birthed thick, blackish-blue mist that coated the area like a smokescreen!

Some of the Arkeyans trembled as they stumbled out of the flames, but it was hard just to see the ground in front with the mist coating everything around. The Arkeyans clung to their swords as they skittered forward. Their eyes scanned from side to side with spotlights that barely pieced the fog as every bolt in their bodies rattled. Finally, their eyes laid on an ornate, gigantic bottle as the mist cleared. One Arkeyan reached out to touch it...

And the bottle rumbled and sputtered as it shot magic rockets into the skies! The rockets soaked up the mist as they flew up, spun back down and smashed right into the battlefield. Massive plumes of mist even thicker than before spread across the battlefield as the rockets exploded, and once again, nobody could tell friend from foe! The Arkeyans squealed and backed into each other, shouted again, and jumped back as they poked their weapons into shadowy nothing.

"Now, now, what are you pointing your weapons there for?" crooned a sly voice as an elven silhouette formed in the mist. "I'm over here, after all!"

"Or perhaps, I'm here?" the same voice asked from somewhere further down in the battlefield.

"No, I do believe I've come here!"

The Arkeyans whipped their heads around this way and that as the voices echoed in their heads, and formed a sort of chamber where all they heard was the voices as they ran circles around them. The Arkeyans squealed and trembled, finally dashed into the heart of their misty prison, and brawled away. Instead of tearing into flesh, they tore into solid metal—each other's! The smoke cleared, and all that remained was their maimed remains as their heads fell off and weapons slipped from their hands.

"Oh, so close," taunted the bottle as it hopped out of the shadows. It shuddered, and Ninjini emerged from its lip with a chuckle. "I suppose you should watch your surroundings a bit better next time!"

The battle raged on and on, and the more the sounds of battle raged, the eerier the peace of Ancient's Hearth seemed. It seemed as though the villagers knew this too; they poured out house by house in the dead of night as the warm firelight of battle brushed against their village, and the villagers all stumbled into the streets, some more awake than others.

"Come on, guys! Let's go help the Elder Elementals!" cried a trio of mages who raised their staffs high and rushed into the fray.

"Wait, you can't just rush in like that!" Chihiro cried as she high-tailed it after them. "We're trained professionals! You're not!"

But, the mages didn't even listen as they sneered and readied magic blasts of their own. They rushed down to the edge where the Elder Elementals and Gigantus warred away with the seemingly endless droves of Arkeyans that infiltrated the land, held out their wands, and readied a few spells of their own. Before they could cast, a landslide of stray rocks leaped out from the fray and flew right for them!

Gigantus whipped around and gasped.

"No, go back!" he cried as he rushed towards the mages. "This is too dangerous!"

He strode out forward to catch them, but before he could, several of the larger Arkeyans swept him and knocked him back. Gigantus slid across the dirt as the Arkeyans went to fight, and with the others preoccupied, nobody remained to save the mages!

The three of them forgot their spells, and clung to each other as the rocks came crashing in, perfectly ready to squash them flat. Just as the rocks came in, a massive breeze burst past and sent them flying back into the battlefield. The mages' hats all flew off of their heads as they watched in silent awe, but they yelped as something teleported behind them!

"What are you three doing?" Vatra scolded as he yanked them by the scruffs of their robes. "This is too dangerous for you!"

"Yes, exactly!" Vaayu insisted as he and Whirlwind emerged from the town's edge. "Go back to your homes and hide there until the battle is over. This place is nowhere for civilians!"

This time, it seemed as though the civilians understood, for their crowd cleared out as they rushed back to their homes and hunkered down. So many locked doors sounded off as the clouds cleared out, and soon enough, only the Skylanders and portal masters laid on the battlefield.

"Just what happened here?" Vatra demanded as he turned away from the houses.

"An ambush, that's what!" Chihiro shouted as she teleported beside him. "Arkilles used Glumshanks to find us!"

Vatra scowled. "I ought to give that troll a piece of my mind after this." Vatra shook his head, and embers danced at the tips of his hair while his hands and feet warmed. "But no matter! For now, the Arkeyans are first priority!"

Sihiri knelt down to where Varonis stood beside her and gently pulled them close.

"Varonis, go back to the garage. We'll take care of this," she barely whispered

Varonis seemed to understand as they rushed back away, and while they left, the rest of the ancient portal masters rushed into battle! The light of their ghostly souls and sparkling pendants seemed to flare that much brighter against the fires of battle as they ran; soon enough, they'd disappeared into the chaos of the battlefield.

"Y'know," Spyro remarked as he flattened his wings against his back and walked up to Chihiro, "it's a little strange to be the ones handling crowd control while everyone else does the fighting for once."

Chihiro glanced back to the town, smiled and turned back to Spyro. "Well, then why don't we drop in? After all, they're gonna need all the help they can get to keep those Arkeyans from breaking in!"

Spyro beamed and glanced around to where the other Skylanders smiled and nodded as well.

"Sounds like a plan to me!"

So, they all charged forth and the battle raged even further! Blasts of water blew Arkeyans to the skies before wind currents swept them off the island, eruptions of fire-coated sharks tore through the soldiers in droves, and flares of magic rang like bombs across the battlefield.

The Arkeyans fell all around, yet the victories passed by Gigantus. Instead, the flames enveloped the world around him, and the shouts and cries of victory turned to screams of pain and fear. For a moment, he found himself ten thousand years younger, and in a place he never hoped to see himself in again, but he shook his head and tried to collect himself.

His eyes passed over Vatra and that smaller lava monster as they blew the Arkeyans away with bubbling, broiling magma, but instead, he caught a fire spirit and a magma golem frantically shouting as they burned away Arkeyan soldiers with everything they had. But then, but then, an ax-wielding Arkeyan leaped forward and brandished its ax before they even watched...

Gigantus shook his head, and instead, he saw Terrafin and Jorden tearing open Arkeyans with claws and pickaxes alike! At least, he thought he did; when he blinked again, he saw Chayah shouting out as she tended to a wounded young apprentice while Adamah blasted off Arkeyans to the side. Another warrior struck forward and Gigantus' heart stopped.

"Watch out!" he cried.

The present day returned in the next blink, and a harpoon skewered right through an Arkeyan Rip-Rotor that tried to slash through Terrafin. But, was that really there? The whole world shuddered and shook around Gigantus, and he could barely comprehend what was around him. What time was it? The present, or the past? He couldn't tell anymore, for the grounds below laid in a rainbow of all sorts of blood and carnage as the free magicians fell around him. Arkeyans cleaved through their ranks, wiped them out within even blinking, and slowly their numbers fell. The hundreds of residents that the Eastern Stronghold held fell to eighty, fifty... No, he couldn't stand here and keep count; he had to save them!

Gigantus cried out as he slugged a punch right through a weapon master, and another and another. Metal dented and creaked as quicksilver spilled onto the battlefield, and he went to fight once more before something large and metallic pulled him back. Its hot metal burned against his stones as he gasped and cried out, and his whole body shuddered as he bore witnesses to his failure.

"No, stop!" he wailed. "Please, don't hurt them!"

It was a weak plea, one he knew the Arkeyans wouldn't respect, but he couldn't bear the sight of his home, his friends, his family, all perishing under one red and gold emblem. All around him he saw bloodied corpses rested underfoot as Arkeyans kicked them away, his home as it burned away so brightly that it seemed more like sunrise than midnight, and the pungent reek of blood, and death, and smoke that withered away at his existence. In fact, the smell and the tight squeeze of this warrior rattled his stones; for a moment, his body struggled just to stay in one piece.

Something small that just barely registered rolled against his foot. He looked down, and saw a small, limp body below him.

"No... Conall?"

The corpse shuddered and jerked up as if something reanimated it to life, and it glared up at Gigantus as it dashed off. A few slashing sounds rang in Gigantus' ears as the corpse dashed passed him, and when they faded, his body no longer ached with pressure. He opened his eyes, and felt the brush of his mossy beard against his face. Yes, he was in the present now.

Gigantus growled, plunged his hand right through the chest of the Arkeyan Weapons Master that kept him bound, and ripped out its mechanical heart. The Weapons Master croaked as it collapsed to the ground, and Gigantus snarled as he smashed it right in his hand! A deathly shriek echoed from the Arkeyan Weapons Master, yet the light in its eyes faded as it went limp on the ground.

"You alright there, big guy?" Chihiro asked.

Gigantus looked up, and she now floated in front of him with a pair of magical angel wings spawned from her back, and a pair of swords in hand. She must have saved him in his moment of confusion, didn't she? He warily nodded, and she chirped and smiled back at him.

"Be careful out there! These guys just don't know when to quit!"

Chihiro flew off and disappeared back into the throes of battle, and Gigantus steeled his lips.

Gigantus nodded at last as she flitted out of view, and roared as he tore back into the battlefield. A new vigor found its way into his old stones, for once again he teared, and smashed, and ripped through the Arkeyans around him. Perhaps the energy around inspired him, for it seemed that all around him, his allies did the same!

Spyro flew onto the battlefield as his eyes turned bronze, and crystal spires burst from the ground as they skewered the Arkeyans around him with a flap of his wings! Their metal and wiring spilled out and split open as the crystals burst through their chests. Spyro's eyes flashed ocean blue next, and he cast water into the openings with another wing flick! The water doused the circuitry, and it sparked and squealed as they exploded into bursts of metal and bits of wire! Spyro's eyes turned indigo as he cast a shield around him, and those eyes of his narrowed as the Arkeyans swarmed him once more.

"Passing you the baton, Chi!" Spyro called as he flew up and off!

Explosions burst from behind as he spat out plumes of fire, and below him, Chihiro flew in with a smirk. She sharpened her swords against each other as the Arkeyans rushed in for her. Well, to the best of their ability, anyways, for these Arkeyans were janky in places; sparks burst from their necks and their suspiciously loose limbs bounced and jangled with every movement.

"You know, you guys don't look so hot!" Chihiro quipped as she readied her swords. "I'd better put you out of commission!"

The Arkeyans before her snarled, raised the pistols in their hands, and shot off a round of magic bullets—but with a wave of Chihiro's hand, a shockwave burst forth and stopped the projectiles right in their tracks! The projectiles shuddered and expanded as they laid suspended in midair, and Chihiro bounced from projectile to projectile until she laid just above the Arkeyans. She yowled and leaped forward as she sliced one of the Arkeyans clean in half. The halved corpse of a gnasher flared within the remains, and Chihiro kicked them off just as they exploded into flames!

The Arkeyans' flaming remains hurtled to Sihiri, but she zipped out of the way just as they passed by like flaming comets. Her eyes flashed with a purple glow as she held out her hands, and bolts of magic burst from her fingertips before they slammed into the Arkeyan's burning remnants. The magic dyed their flames purple as they flashed and flew, and Sihiri smiled as she glanced aside at the Arkeyan soldiers that raced for her. Sihiri floated off at lightspeed as the Arkeyans chased her just right to where the magically-charged remains stayed, and she teleported away just as they exploded!

The purple flames turned magenta as they leaped up, and their fiery limbs and wisps brushed against the skies as they illuminated the battlefield in shades of purple and pink. Sihiri teleported back; with a wave of her hands, the fires quelled and molded themselves into bulky beasts. She pointed her finger, and these beasts leaped onto the battlefield and tore the other Arkeyans around her to shreds! Sihiri beamed as the flaming beasts reduced the Arkeyans to heaps of molten metal, yet nodded as a stream of water hosed them all down, monster and molten pile.

Above her, Gill Grunt scanned the battlefield as he readied his harpoon cannon, and raised a brow towards where Dej brawled with a few Arkeyan mace-wielders. He charged up his cannon in their direction. In moments, a gigantic anchor formed in the barrel!

"Anchors away!" Gill Grunt cried as he shot the anchor straight to the ground!

The anchor flew straight towards Dej, but he only smiled and brought it to a screeching halt with the slightest nudge of his pinky finger. He yanked its front next, and its metallic exterior turned icy-cold as frost formed a coat over its body! With a hup and a swing, Dej slammed the anchor into the ground and froze it over all around where he stood.

The Arkeyans that once brawled against him dropped their weapons as they slipped and slid against the ground, but Dej only smirked as he crafted a musket out of ice. He clicked the trigger, and a string of icy spears burst from the musket and nailed the Arkeyans straight in the chest! They vomited out sparks as they exploded, and Dej only skated away as he nailed even more Arkeyans with his icy fury.

One particular spear zipped past Eruptor and he shuddered.

"Is it getting chilly in here?" Eruptor remarked. "Or is it just me?"

A particularly small Arkeyan leaped onto Eruptor's back, and he yelped between hacks of magma globs! The battlefield around turned to a molten mess as the lava collided and spread around, all bubbly and hot and yanking up every Arkeyan in its grip. A shadow cast over as a smooth, deep chuckle sounded.

"Brilliant!" Vatra cried as he thrust out glowing red hands. "Burn them at the stake!"

A burst of red flew into the magma, and it bubbled with an unseen ferocity as the Arkeyans approached them. The Arkeyans turned tail and ran, but the magma just gurgled and chased right after them! It slid around and formed rings around the fleeing Arkeyans, who only backed up and shuddered as they raised their weapons. Not that they got much of a chance to fight, for the magma roared as it erupted into massive pillars. The heat grew so massive that the Arkeyans melted away and exploded! The lava receded as the flames took its place, and their fervor was so great that they spread in plumes and flares along the battlefield. They doused the Arkeyans around in flames and exploded, and as the Arkeyans burst, they fed the flames and sent even more explosions running around!

One burst of flames slammed right into an Arkeyan Brawler that Terrafin fought, but he jumped underground and swam away right as it exploded! He popped up in front of a bulkier warrior and swiped at it with his claws. It went to swing, but he already dove underground and zipped behind it before he body-slammed it right into the ground! It laid flat and twitchy as Terrafin popped back open, and a mighty pickax slammed into it and ripped it open!

A bunch of glistening gems—some red, some blue, some yellow—spilled out of the Arkeyan's chest, and Jorden whistled as he retrieved his prize.

"Now, if I recall correctly..." Jorden started. He tossed the rocks up, slashed them off with his pickax, and sent colorful blasts rocketing across the battlefield.

"The red ones make ya super tough..."

A red blast slammed into Cynder's back as she supervised her ghosts from the air, and a bright glow of power came over her as she zapped the ghosts! They exploded in a furious cage of lightning and took the Arkeyans they surrounded with them. Beside her, a similar glow came over Nemir, and his eyes surged with a youthful energy as he sent out silver blasts of energy. The blasts slammed into nearby Arkeyans and corroded them in seconds, and Nemir drew back as they exploded.

"The blue ones make yer enemies weaker..."

A string of blue blasts slammed into a group of Arkeyans that Stealth Elf sparred with, and their movements turned janky and labored as they drew back. Stealth Elf narrowed her eyes, yelled out and slashed them all open within seconds. A gigantic venus flytrap swallowed them up before they exploded, and with a pat from Inochi, the flytrap turned around and turned the flames onto the Arkeyans before it!

"And the yellow ones give ya a little extra help on the field!"

A group of yellow bursts slammed into the ground, and out from them burst vaguely humanoid figures that nodded and ran across the battlefield. A few in particular laid their eyes on a group of Arkeyans that cornered Vaayu and Whirlwind, and immediately rushed over and punched out their lights! The Arkeyans collapsed, and Whirlwind and Vaayu cast out a combined burst of wind that developed into a miniature tornado and swept the Arkeyans away!

Eruptions of light and darkness exploded across the whole battlefield as the battles raged on. Lights and shadows alike darted across the battlefield as Arkeyans fell in droves, and amid the chaos, Luz and Fintster briefly stepped from their light and dark shields and nodded at each other before they fled.

Gigantus smiled, for despite the battle, it almost seemed as though they would win! The Arkeyans fell in droves around them, and surely, they couldn't have more reinforcements after this, right? A mighty wind sounded off as the sound of helicopters beat in the skies, and Gigantus glanced up.

No, he was wrong.

More Arkeyan copters blotted out the skies as they dropped more Arkeyan soldiers into the battlefield, and around him, his allies started to wear. Though they fought with everything they held, their movements started to slow, to lessen. Surely, they wouldn't hold out much longer; if they kept fighting like this, they would all fall, as would Ancient's Hearth, and to say nothing of who would be left to stop Arkilles!

Gigantus punched away another Arkeyan, and glanced back at where Tree Rex brawled. He took a breath in, out and rushed forward! The earth churned and spiked around him as it skewered the Arkeyans around Tree Rex, and Gigantus himself flew in front of Tree Rex and punched away an Arkeyan.

"Get back to your ship and go!" Gigantus ordered as he turned to Tree Rex. "I'll hold the line here!"

Tree Rex stumbled back, and his jaw fell agape.

"Gigantus, what are you talking about?" Tree Rex gasped. "There's way too many of these things for you to take on yourself!"

"That doesn't matter!"

Gigantus tensed his gaze, but shook his head and smiled. "You're trying to stop Arkilles from taking over again, right? In that case, I can't let this stop you! You need to stop him before he brings the Arkeyan empire back!"

Tree Rex drew back, and his eyes shone with a bit of hesitation still. So, Gigantus smiled back at him.

"I'm not the same golem I was all those years ago." Gigantus' worn smile crossed across his face, and though he lacked eyes, it seemed as though determination shimmered in them nonetheless—at least from how he was sure Tree Rex viewed him, anyways. "When the Eastern Stronghold first fell, I vowed that I would never let it fall again for as long as I stood." Gigantus turned his attention back to the field and grunted. "And never once have I broken that promise!"

The sheer will in Gigantus' voice seemed to convince Tree Rex, who just nodded as Gigantus charged back into the fray.

"Everyone, retreat! Get back to the ships!" Tree Rex called as he motioned to the town.

The others all broke from their fights, some more hesitant than others—but they simply nodded when they saw the solemn look in Tree Rex's eyes. A few of the others left some deterrents for the Arkeyans around in crafted hazards and pits, but others just tossed their trashed Arkeyan foes into the fray and ran off as the explosions hit. Skylander, portal master, and Elder Elemental alike all drove back into Ancient's Hearth until they melded together into one crowd, and only Gigantus laid on the battlefield.

Gigantus' stones rattled, and he held up his trembling hands while the earth around him groaned and shook—yet not from his own power! A blast of power sounded behind him, and when he turned around, a massive barrier completely covered all of Ancient's Hearth! Pillars of ice which burst into frozen tree trunks, volcanic rock formations that shone with magic, sturdy metal panels, thick, frozen clouds charged with electricity, and even stone platforms guarded by skeletal soldiers enveloped the town. A base of solid darkness formed around the entrance and slowly obscured it from view. A light seemed to shimmer around the entire base, and in that moment, Gigantus smiled.

Tree Rex took one last glimpse just before the entrance sealed and only nodded.

"Thank you, Gigantus," he whispered just as the shadows hid his face, "for everything."

§

The footsteps stormed behind Gigantus, and he only lingered on the barrier for a moment. So, they ensured that Ancient's Hearth would be safe before anybody left—ah, they always thought ahead about things like this. Gigantus nodded, even though he was sure nobody remained to acknowledge it, and with his home safe, all he focused on now were the Arkeyans.

His stones rattled and begged him to stop, for they knew that Gigantus could not handle such an intense fight much longer. He wasn't as young and spry as he was when he first fought the Arkeyans, and the wear and tear of years upon years of fighting took its toll on him. Truthfully, it probably was far from a wise decision to hold the line here. but, it was a decision that needed to be made.

He looks out on the ravaged, fiery battlefields, and he saw the dying bodies of all those he failed to protect. He saw the place he called home, the place his creators said took years to build, wiped to ash in a moment; he saw his own creators crying in agony as robotic metal stripped their flesh away; he saw all he failed to stop before, but this time, he would not make such mistakes again. What was it that the free magicians always said? That even if their bodies gave out, even if their souls stopped flickering, they would always defy the Arkeyans' tyranny? Yes, he was certain that was it, and now, he finally, completely understood it with even inch of his being.

The Arkeyans around turned their heads in perfect sync, and all as one, they stormed to Ancient's Hearth and the barrier. Before they could even try to breach it, Gigantus flung out his arms and casts barriers of mossy brick walls.

"Your opponent now is me!" Gigantus screamed with all his might. "So take me on, you rattling bags of bolts!"

Gigantus grunted as he flung out his arms, and sent waves of stones that slammed right into the Arkeyans. They knocked out the first wave, and with a stomp of his foot, the ground shook and opened up fissures just big enough to grab the rest! A few of the armed Arkeyans shot their pistols and magic flares at him, but Gigantus pounded his fist against his chest, and reinforced his stony body so that the bullets just bounced off of him like toy balls. The balls flew back at the Arkeyans, and even bored holes into their chests as they toppled over.

Gigantus slammed his hands into the ground, and vines and trees burst out from the fissures as they trapped the remaining Arkeyans in their grip. The Arkeyans struggled as they choked within the tight grip of tightly-woven vines and claustrophobic tree trunks alike, and Gigantus slugged them out with punch after punch. The robotic remains flew across the skies as shrill beeps and the ugly stench of quicksilver rang in the air, but Gigantus refused to relent. He moved in repetitive motions, punch after punch after punch, but slowly, something weighed him down and his movements grew labored in turn. Something tickled at his stones, and he snarled as several of the smaller Arkeyans crawled up his legs and tried to yank the stones off them. He ripped them off from his body, smashed them together in a swift movement, and tossed their remains back into the crowds. Bursts of fire soared and rattled the earth, and Gigantus' stones rattled with them. They grew loose, as if they struggled to keep themselves together, and Gigantus slouched out to catch his breath for a moment.

CRACK!

A burning surge swelled in his shoulder as something sniped a rock clean off of it, and Gigantus gritted his teeth as he held the wounded shoulder. Vines unfurled from his fingertips and wrapped around the injured area, but quickly shook loose as more pellets burst against his body and chipped away at his rocky skin. He snarled and bound the vines tighter, pounded his fist against his chest to try and sharpen his stones, but that surge of power no longer came to him!

Gigantus slammed his palms against the earth, and the ground rumbled in response, but nothing happened otherwise. The quakes barely rang enough to even dent the Arkeyans' armor! The stones in his body rattled and shuddered, and parts of his limbs felt lighter, as if some slipped from their place. A few small rocks popped out of his arms, and Gigantus winced and leaped back from the ground.

Gigantus flung out his hands as he dug deep into the powers of life within him, and around him, the trees that still stood rattled in response to his silent plea. They uprooted themselves from the ground and slammed against the earth, battered against it like hammers as they flattened whatever Arkeyans laid in their wake. Yet, it hardly dented their ranks! It seemed that for every few he somehow managed to stop, more emerged from the ground or flew in from the skies to fill their ranks! There was no way he would be able to stop them all.

"But I can at least draw them away from Ancient's Hearth," Gigantus gasped. His body rattled with every breath he took, and he clutched his chest as pain swelled from his stone heart. "But, how?"

Gigantus tried to rattle his head, but there was no use—the pain swelled in his body and messed with his mind as well, so he could barely think! All he could think of was that Ancient's Hearth needed protecting, and there were so many Arkeyans to stop, and how his body ached so, so badly, and he wanted nothing more than to lay down and rest, yet, he could not. That surge of adrenaline raced through him as well, and it told him that he could not rest, not until everything single trace of red and gold was purged from these lands! Still, he pushed himself, tried to think of something, but the throwing of javelins and shooting of guns broke his train of thought and his body.

They flew just inches around him or chipped his chest, and Gigantus tried to slip away. A few javelins sniped leaves off of his branches, or bounced off of his shoulders with stinging pains left behind, and his chest rumbled and seared as he clumsily stepped out of their path. He dodged another bullet as it wove between his tree's branches, and then, something exploded below him! His footing fell as he flew on his back, but the sound of a crashing rockslide burst along with the explosion as another surge of intense pain rocked through him. His vision blurred, and he looked down to the best of his ability to find his legs half in broken piles by what used to be his feet.

Gigantus bit back the pain and cast out another shaky hand. The vines came out slower and thinner this time as they wound around his legs, and tried to reform them to the best of their ability. They swirled around piles of granite and rubble and wound themselves tight, so tight and batched so heavily together that one could barely see the rocks that used to make them, yet eventually formed firm around his waist.

Gigantus stood, but his footing barely kept, and he came to favor his left side as he forced himself back into battle. He slugged his punches and shot his boulders as he did before, but with every movement he made, his whole body shuddered and screamed with pain, screamed for him to stop. The vines loosened around him as his legs struggled to stand; they finally billowed undone as he cleaved an Ultron with a massive boulder, and he frantically tightened them as he swung under their blows.

I'm probably not gonna last much longer, Gigantus thought. Should I...

The thought left a sour taste in his mind, yet Gigantus couldn't deny it—there was a good chance he might have to give in. There was no way he could keep his own in the state he was in, and against all these foes that were much, much stronger than he was. He glanced back over at the armies of Arkeyans that closed in and threw every weapon in their arsenal at him, and he sloppily dodged a few before one sniped another pebble from his shoulder. Gigantus gasped, fell to his loose knees, and clutched his stone heart. He really should give up...

Screaming pierced his ears, and the fall of the Eastern Stronghold laid in his mind. The portal masters and freedom fighters he knew as friends laid strewn and dead across the ruins of their home, the Arkeyans glimmered with pride as they took the corpses for their own, the remainder of his allies fought with their last breaths to defend the stronghold regardless... Even when they were at their end, they refused to give up! That was right, they didn't give in at all!

Gigantus glanced back at Ancient's Hearth, and though he couldn't see past the Elder Elementals' barrier, he knew that surely, they were in there. They worked their hardest to stop Arkilles before he brought the horrors of Arkeyan reign to modern day, and they wouldn't have given up if they were in Gigantus's place! They would have fought to the death if they had to!

"We don't give up on anything, on anyone!" Tree Rex told him so long ago. "We vowed that we would not rest until the Arkeyan Empire met its end, or until we ourselves did. As long as even one being in Skylands needs our protection, we will fight!"

"What am I thinking?" Gigantus spat. "I can't give up now!"

A new fire burned in Gigantus' belly as he staggered up, half from the vigor that suddenly found its way to him, and half from the anger he felt at himself for even entertaining the idea of giving up in the first place. He promised himself all that long ago that as long as he lived, the Eastern Stronghold, Ancient's Hearth would never fall again! He never broke that promise in all his years of existence, and he was not intent on this being the day he did! Gigantus screamed to the heavens, flung himself forward and locked arms with another Ultron. The two wrestled together, and though the Ultron's strength seemed to push him out, ultimately Gigantus flung himself forward and tackled the Ultron to the ground. A burst of sharp stones sprung from the ground to skewer holes all throughout the Ultron, and it exploded in a furious flame that engulfed the smaller soldiers around it!

Gigantus turned to a platoon which frantically pulled their blunderbusses on him, and he punched their heads off right before they even grabbed the triggers! He grabbed their sparking bodies and tossed them into the fray next; as they exploded and took the others with them, Gigantus slammed his fists against the ground and spread not fissures, but moss across the ground. The moss latched onto the first Arkeyans it found and crawled up their legs, their chests, their heads and mouths, until they laid latched in place where they were! With them immobilized, Gigantus summoned a massive boulder, smashed them to bits, and turned for the rest of the squadron.

His head turned red with anger, and everything around him became a blur. All he saw were Arkeyans falling under his might, all he heard was the explosions, screams, and the firing of weaponry as they barely tried to shoot him down, all he felt was the crushing pulse of death as he gripped his boulder tight. For every blow they struck him with, he struck with twice the strength. Though still mighty as ever, the Arkeyans' ranks slowly, slowly thinned out the more he fight, till it seemed as though they finally relented!

One small Arkeyan went to shoot him as Gigantus scowled and stomped it flat. He raised his boulder and went to smash as its teammates turned their guns on him, but a mighty gust blew their weapons away! Something burst out the top of Ancient's Hearth's shield, and Gigantus shielded himself with his slightly-more-stable arm as he glanced up.

Chunks of ice and crystal glimmered like stars in the night as something burst up and flew off—a ship! But more than that, it was the Skylanders' ship! A gigantic blue and gold Arkeyan War Machine followed, and Gigantus was sure he could spy a tiny helicopter flying alongside it. It worked! They escaped!

"Go!" Gigantus screamed, though he knew they couldn't hear him from the distance. "Go, and make those Arkeyans ancient history once more!"

A well of pride and relief alike bubbled in Gigantus' chest, and he smirked as he turned to the Arkeyans. "See? You've lost! Now go back to that miserable man you call your overlord and put yourselves in the scrapper!"

A sound of frazzled beeping echoed and resounded around the Arkeyans for a moment, but in the next moment, their eyes flashed a cool white and they beeped in an eerie unison. Their ranks all pooled together, and marched out of the outer wilds, all perfectly calm and orderly for a group that fought so frantically, and lost so much just moments earlier. Perhaps they'd finally learned to cut their losses and leave?

No, that was nothing like Arkeyan way and Gigantus knew it. They were up to something, surely! An ear-splitting cranking sound came from the woods, and something vaguely cannon-shaped rose well, well above the silhouettes of what forest remained. No, he absolutely was right—those Arkeyans were going to shoot the Elder Elementals, all of them out of the skies! Surely, that was what they planned!

Gigantus gasped and his stone heart stopped for only a moment. Instinct took over as he plowed through the soldiers; he punched, stomped, smashed together whatever he could get his hands on in a frantic haze. The soldiers around broke from their orderly march as he tore through them, and all at once, they placed their weapons on him and fired—but he didn't see. He was so preoccupied with just stopping them that he didn't even notice until something shot into his left side, and his left arm exploded into a pile of stones and rubble. The pain welled and surged through him, throbbed so greatly that it tossed him off his balance, and his right arm went next from another bullet. Then did his vines finally unwind and his left arm collapsed, and Gigantus was left to lie on his back...

But he gritted his teeth and struggled, and the earth responded to his silent plea. It rose, wound around him—the dirt and sand and mud alike—and it molded itself around the gaps where his arms and legs once laid until new arms and legs formed in the old ones' places! A burden dropped from his shoulders, and Gigantus slid forward as he punched the robot that shot his arm off. His fist splattered against its face and quickly reformed, but though it didn't blow the robot's head off like he hoped, the blow did infect its circuits and send it sputtering. Gigantus slid next and bashed together the Arkeyan who took out his other arm, leaped atop the rubble that was once his legs, and slammed his fists down on the ground. The world around fissured and broke as it swallowed the Arkeyans whole, and Gigantus leaped away as he slid deeper into the forest.

The awful cranking sound rang in the skies as all around, and the ground rumbled as even the mightiest trees splintered in half like feeble twigs. The smell of metal rang in the air, and its pungent odor drew Gigantus deeper through the twists and turns of the forest, until he would finally find that cannon and rip it to shreds! The cannon raised to its zenith in the distance, and light spilled from its silhouette to reveal metal paneling. Wait, it was charging already?

Gigantus gasped, slammed his legs together, and formed them into into a dusty tornado as he sped even further into the forest! The grass kicked up around him as the trees seemingly parted to clear the way, and he sped until he reached the forest clearing and the two Arkeyans guarding it. He slammed right through them and tossed them to the skies, and Gigantus collapsed as his legs returned to normal.

The base of the cannon rumbled as light poured from the gaps in its paneling, and it screeched as it charged with energy. The Arkeyans that guarded it, all particularly highly-decorated soldiers armed with swords and axes, all squealed in unison and immediately they rushed into the fray!

Gigantus struggled to push himself off the ground, but when he finally did, two Arkeyans rushed by him and chopped his arms back off! His legs went next, and what remained of his stone body tumbled over the pile of sand and dirt that they once were.

"Well, it's time I tried that trick Crusher showed me," Gigantus gasped.

He closed his eyes, focused, and his vision went blank as his head hit the ground. His body seared as it exploded and spread all across the island. Though he couldn't see anymore, he could feel, and what he felt was surging anger and pain as he slammed into the Arkeyans and knocked them off their feet. It was only then that his stones frantically rolled back to him, and reformed into his chest and head. When he came to, he found the Arkeyans down and on their backs around him, and he breathed in as he formed his arms and legs from the dirt once more.

This time, they felt looser, weaker, as if he could barely sustain them, and he hobbled and stumbled as he rushed back to the cannon's base. With his arms too weak to fight, Gigantus body-slammed into the guards as they rose, and the weight blew them down like a castle of sand. Their limbs and heads flew in all different directions, and his arms and legs gave out as Gigantus himself slammed against the cannon's base. Gigantus grunted and formed another arm to heave himself onto the cannon's base. Just this moment, that was all he needed to climb back on and tear that thing to bits! That was all he—

A gunshot sounded off as something sniped off Gigantus's arm, and he crashed onto the floor. The growing light of the cannon illuminated its higher ranks, a group of even more decorated Arkeyans soldiers who positioned their sniper rifles. They clicked the rifles, and all arms shot straight for Gigantus. The sudden blow dulled his senses, and he could do nothing as their bullets flew into him. He only sat as the bullets chipped off stone from his chest and jaw in chunks. His breathing turned to pained gasps, and he struggled to raise back to his full height. But, he did, and though they snapped the branches from his tree next, Gigantus leaped up and headbutted a sniper!

He took the sniper's place on the platform as he body-slammed into the next sniper, and the next one, and the next. The snipers all fell and crashed to their doom, but Gigantus panted and caught his breath. Something hard and hot slammed into his back, and something else tore a hole right through his chest! His stone heart flew out right before his eyes, collapsed on the ground, and Gigantus himself tumbled to bits next. His body gave out, and only his head remained as it toppled off of the cannon, and fell right next to where his heart landed. The world around him blurred and shifted, but a sizzling sound still caught his ears as his heart crumbled to dust and ashes before him. He could hear something like buzzing and charging, something like laughing, smelled something like smoke...

What, what was happening? All his senses numbed, and he could barely process anything anymore...

...

Yet...

Yet, he still remembered one thing.

He remembered Ancient's Hearth, the smiles of all those he guarded, the Elder Elementals who saved him all those millennia ago, the friends they made. Yes, they were all counting on him, weren't they?

Gigantus gasped, and somehow, one last burst of energy formed within him. Yes, they all were, and he had just enough in him to keep going, just enough to fight back! Gigantus hopped along with all the strength his head could muster, leaped back onto the cannon and slid forward. The Arkeyan sniper flew into the air as Gigantus slid underneath it, and with it gone, he hopped higher onto the cannon's platform. His forehead pressed against the base of the machine, and slowly, its metal paneling rumbled and peeled away until it formed a nice, strong body for him to rest on. His head hopped onto its empty gap, and as it fit snugly within the hole, he surged with strength once more!

A squeal came from below as bullets bounced off his new body, but Gigantus just smirked. He had to admit, Arkeyan metal was incredibly solid even though Tech Element magic didn't work well with his own Earth alignment. With that incompatibility, though, he was sure it wouldn't last long. Gigantus wrapped his arms tight around the cannon's base, and squeezed out every ounce of strength he could muster as he pulled it back. The metal paneling ripped and peeled as the cannon tilted slightly, but not enough to move! It was perfectly stuck!

The cannon glowed its brightest as the platform rumbled—surely, it was going to explode soon! Gigantus grunted and squeezed the cannon even tighter, called upon strength he didn't even knew he had as he pulled, pressed and squeezed. Finally, slowly, it creaked and moved down. The swells of energy within the cannon bubbled at the base, and Gigantus squeezed it tighter as he positioned it just off into the distance.

Down at the base, the cannon bubbled as its energy laid tight and unable to pass further into the cannon with Gigantus squeezing it so tight. The screeching grew louder and shriller the more Gigantus squeezed, blew up like a balloon as it bubbled and inflated the rest of the metal, which now turned red-hot...

There was a blow so loud that it wiped out all noise, a surge of pain, a bright flash of light, and then, nothing.

Gigantus' metal body collapsed along with the remains of his real one, as did the cannon's remains. and that of the Arkeyans that guarded it. Gigantus moaned and lifted his head, the one thing that still laid intact, just up enough to look.

"Ancient's Hearth," he groaned as he raised his eyes. "Is, it, safe?"

The explosion leveled all the trees around, and left only the view to Ancient's Hearth—thankfully, it was perfectly fine! The barrier the Elder Elementals put up stood tall and strong, and not a scratch could be seen! Above Ancient's Hearth itself, Gigantus caught the last traces of the Skylanders' ship and their robots, and a calm washed over him.

But, with that calm came weakness. All that adrenaline and strength that rushed through him disappeared, and his leaves all cascaded and withered around him while his head slowly turned to rubble and dust. Yes, he supposed it was time for him to rest now. His eyes blurred, and he struggled just to keep them open, but he did still. Even though he could barely spot them, Gigantus laid his eyes on Ancient's Hearth, and where the Elder Elementals left. A smile slowly, but surely, crept across his rocky lips. He could see them all as they stood before him, all wide smiles and brimming confidence, and somehow, that put his mind to ease from any remaining tension.

"Ah, you're off to fight the Arkeyans again, aren't you?" Gigantus asked.

"Don't forget to come visit once you've stopped them, alright? I might not be here, but I'm sure the others would be really happy to see you. Swarm, be sure to get caught up with Honey when you come. I'm sure she'd love to pick your brain. Ninjini, the kobold family wouldn't stop talking about how they wanted you to show them some of your tricks. There's an old fishing pond in the forest, Thumpback, and the local caves have stones I've never seen before—but I bet you have, Crusher.

"The old sports folks wanted to hear all about Roboto-Ball from you, Bouncer, and I know how much you love to talk about it. Eye-Brawl, I bet you're going to get that traditional undead wedding you wanted done, just like you told me you'd do when the war ended, right? There's an olden Underworld minister in town, and I'm sure he'd jump at the chance. Hot Head, there's a nice sauna in town, too. It's probably nothing like the ones back home, but I think you'd like it. You could even bring the free magicians, and all those new friends of yours, too."

Their visages faded, and Gigantus found that he could no longer open his eyes. But, that was fine, for he was sure it was time to go to sleep now anyways.

"You know, I always admired how you never gave up, even though it seemed like the Arkeyans' empire would never fall. When I lost the Eastern Stronghold, when I lost Chayah and Adamah, I thought I'd lost everything, but it was you who inspired me to keep going. Now look at me! I've guarded this place for so long, and now it's the place they always dreamed of making.

"I, I think I'm happy now. Even if I don't make it, I'm sure they'll all be able to go on without me, especially now that you're back home. Good luck fighting those Arkeyans, alright? I'm sure you'll stop them, so make us all proud."

Gigantus smiled even though his head turned cold and fuzzy, and every ache in his body came in at once, but he didn't cry or scream. He'd had a good run, but those good runs had to come to an end eventually, right? Surely, Chayah and Adamah were waiting for him to come visit them. Oh, there was so much he wanted to tell them. Surely, they would be so shocked...

But, he was sure they'd be happy, too.

After all, he finally fulfilled the thing they made him for so long ago.

A few small pebbles leaked from Gigantus' eyes, and finally, his mind turned blank. Only a few words resounded in his head, words from two familiar voices that he'd yearned to hear again for so long.

"Gigantus, there you are! We've been waiting for you for so long!"

§

The dawn broke in burning shades of red and gold, just like the corpses and burnt bits of Arkeyans soldiers that laid strewn about the entrance to Ancient's Hearth. For once, the residents of Ancient's Hearth awoke not to birdsong, or cheerful banter, or even the shimmer of gentle morning life, but burning, piercing silence. They did not wake up and bustle about their daily chores as they normally did, but many laid frozen in bed, almost fearful to open their doors and see what became of the world around them. For once, time froze in this quaint little village, and everything was cold and gray despite the colors the sunrise painted the outside.

Finally, a few of the kobolds scurried out of their houses, some less eagerly than others.

Surprisingly, they found was that the damage was minimal! A few houses' walls caved in, some signs laid trampled and broken on the ground, a tree held singe marks on its bark here or there, but otherwise, Ancient's Hearth was just as intact as it was before the battle began. Most expected death and carnage wherever they looked, but the only gore to be found was the maimed remains of Arkeyan soldiers outside. Ancient's Hearth was safe, yet something felt missing in spite of all this, something so important that it called them to hold back from celebrating.

A few of the kobolds splintered off from the ground to mend the damage done, and more civilians peered out of their house in similar awe. And yet, and yet, something still felt wrong in the air.

Finally, it was one tiny child's question that struck the air, and awakened the realization as to what was wrong.

"Where's Gigantus?" the child asked.

"That's right," gasped the kobold heading the investigation party. "He hasn't appeared since the battle last night!"

That sinking feeling struck the kobold's heart again, but they tried their best to ignore it. Surely he was probably just patrolling the outer limits to see if maybe there were any stragglers, right? He'd guarded Ancient's Hearth for millennia; surely, there was no way he could have perished in battle? Surely, surely, surely; that same word repeated over and over again as every scenario, some good and some bad, rattled in the kobold's mind. Torn apart by Arkeyans, victorious and in need of help, converted into one of the Arkeyans' own…

The kobold shuddered and turned back to the rest of their party.

"Come, everyone," the kobold called as their group made their way out of Ancient's Hearth. "Let's search the forest limits. We have to make sure that none of those Arkeyans decided to stick around for extra trouble."

When the kobold group left the town's grounds, the first thing they found was Gigantus's favorite pot, the one a distant ancestor of a neighboring family gave him as thanks for taking them in when they sought refuge. Its cast-iron surface shone strong and firm as ever even though it laid knocked on the ground, and the dried remains of carrots and withered eufirbia petals stood scattered around it. That was the first sign that something was wrong. Gigantus cherished that pot greatly, and he was not one to let food go to waste, especially the stew recipe he loved so.

"Maybe it just got knocked over during the battle?" one kobold suggested as she clung to her staff. She had a weary smile as if she tried to reassure them all, but the way her eyes darted around showed that she was much less confident.

So, they wandered out, and couldn't help but avert their eyes as they did.

The entire outer wilds were ragged and full of carnage. The scattered, littered remains of Arkeyan soldiers, from frayed and burnt wire pieces, to beheaded helmets and broken weapons, all coated the once-grassy fields in a thick paste, and what little could be seen was equally disastrous. Fissures and cracks formed in the earth where it hadn't been churned and disrupted, and they were only barely sealed with solid, cooled volcanic rock. The forests ahead were no more; their trees either burnt away or laid cleaved in half. Though the battle ended long ago, the scents of burnt oil, blood, and death still reeked in the air, and smoke billowed up in parts to hide the skies above.

Nobody could stand to look at it for even a moment, yet they still had to look. After all, if Gigantus was here somewhere, they could bring him home and lay their worries to rest.

"Do you see him anywhere?" another kobold asked to a chorus of shaking heads.

The others dodged the former forest, current battlefield's view as they scanned around for any sight, and finally found sanctuary in a deeper part of the forest thankfully spared from invasion. The lush vegetation and shade from the pine trees was a welcome comfort from the harsh sights of before, and the kobolds all took a breath. One stepped ahead, but stopped as something—a small, smooth, gray pebble—brushed against their foot. They frowned and picked it up, lifted their head and gasped as they saw the trail in front of them.

The remains of battered and smashed Arkeyan soldiers laid strewn about the beaten path as usual, but something else laid interspersed among them. Pebbles! Small, gray pebbles much like the one the kobold found scattered amid the Arkeyan carnage, and they grew larger in size the further the trail persisted. For that matter, the look, feeling, and chips embedded within the pebbles' surface upon further inspection seemed familiar. Too familiar.

A sense of dread came over the kobolds, yet something propelled them to move forward. Their minds blanked as they followed the trail of pebbles and broken metal bits, and the forest darkened and lightened in turns. The pebbles turned to full-sized stones and even a few small boulders; some were even coated in thin layers of moss and dead vines… Just like…

The air chilled around the kobolds, almost as if it warned them of what was to come next, and with another turn they stopped. They glanced at each other, and they all shared the same feeling. They didn't want to go ahead; they absolutely wanted to turn back, for something in their hearts told them that what they would see was the very thing they didn't want to see.

But, they had to find Gigantus, right? So, they passed through into a giant clearing near where the forest ended, and at all once, they stopped and gasped.

There, in the heart of a burnt, grassless clearing and spotlit by the sunshine, was an entire circle of half-broken Arkeyan soldiers. Their remains laid all strewn about in a haphazard means. They still frizzed and sparked on occasion as the light hit them, but they were mangled beyond repair, and it was clear they would fight no more.

No, what shocked the kobolds most was what laid in the heart of the mess.

A pile of assorted-sized stones stood tall as the light shined on it, and a tree with a broken trunk sat at the pile's top. Its top half just barely hung onto the bottom, and its branches stretched down to the pile of withered leaves that gathered at the stone pile's base. But, those stones, they were the same shade as that of Gigantus's, and that tree looked just like his, and those leaves… No, none of them wanted to believe what they saw; they wanted to think that this was all just some sick dream, and they'd wake up to see Gigantus waving for them at the heart of the village again, but, no matter how dizzy and unreal the world around them felt, they knew this was reality.

"No…" was all one kobold could bring herself to croak out as she buried her face in her paws. Tears leaked through the gaps of her fingers, and another kobold only barely held back their tears as they embraced her.

Another's hands trembled as their staff slipped, and even their leader burst into sobs at the sight. Gigantus, who cared for their village so, who was a presence in their lives since before their birth in the way a family member was, who protected them with all his life and then some... Really was gone. He was dead, nothing more than rubble in the wake of the battle that took his life, and no longer would he be with them. No longer would he be present for every birth and funeral, every celebration and festival, or even just on the mundane days and cold nights.

The kobolds' sorrow ate away at their chests, and they so, so desperately wished that this was just some awful dream, but no, this was reality faced before them. Their guardian, their family, was gone.

"How could they?" bawled the kobold girl as she bore a snarl in between all her tears. "How could those Ancients-damned Arkeyans take him from us? How dare they?"

Her wails resounded through the broken trees, and flocks of birds flew off into the distance, as if the sorrow was something even they couldn't possibly bear. All turned colder, coldest, and the kobolds now realized that this chill was that of death. Not just of Gigantus, but of a piece of Ancient's Hearth itself.

The leader wiped his tears and whimpered. They gingerly gathered up the pebbles and broken stones of what was once Gigantus, and piled up as many as they could. When their team members turned to them, they only nodded.

"He deserves a proper burial," was all they said. "Come quickly, we'll have to bury him as soon as we can."

The kobolds, despite their tears and rage, quickly broke from their grief and went to work. They gathered every withered leaf, every chipped stone, every broken branch and dust of what was once a stone, every bit of what was once Gigantus, and brought it to the heart of the clearing. Their grief wove its way into their movements as they slowed despite the urgency, as if they didn't want to accept that this was the end. But, the spell used to make him long since faded, and there was no way it could be cast again. These remains were all that was left of their town's guardian, and all they could do now was ensure him a good sendoff into the afterrealms.

One kobold came back to leave a carefully gathered a pool of pebbles at the base of Gigantus' remains, and the leader snapped their claws. A magical bag formed around Gigantus' remains, and all the kobolds heaved it up as they carried it back to Ancient's Hearth. The weight was heavy, but whether that was from the weight of his stones, or the weight of grief on their hearts, nobody quite knew. So, they held their heads and trudged in silence as they left the forest for Ancient's Hearth once more.

The clouds of smoke changed for sunlight, harsh, red and gold sunlight. Even though warm sun in this season was normally welcome, today it burned and scorched like punishment from the Pits. Why, oh why, did it have to be so bright and sunny on such an awful day? Couldn't it have rained, couldn't the world cry out like they so desperately wanted to? Couldn't Skylands stop for just a moment and grieve their loss with them? Couldn't they be spared even a moment of sympathy?

No, it seemed not. The sunlight still shone by the time they reached Ancient's Hearth, and it seemed everyone in the village finally gathered. That child who asked where Gigantus was stumbled up first, all wide-eyed as they watched the kobolds.

"Did you find him?" the child asked before their mother pulled them away. Surely, she already knew the answer.

The kobolds held their heads, and finally, they gingerly dropped the bag on the ground. They unfurled its knot, and stepped aside as Gigantus's remains spilled out.

"This was all that remained of him," their leader choked out. "Those damn Arkeyans..."

The leader broke into sobs once more, and though they tried so desperately to hide it, no longer could they bear the grief that ate away within them. They wailed to the skies, and soon enough, so did the rest of Ancient's Hearth as well.

The children all rushed up to the stones, and the younger ones stood wide-eyed and confused as they gently rocked them.

"Gigantus, wake up! Why do you look so funny?" one child asked. "This isn't the time to sleep! Everyone's really sad, and they need you to tell them everything's alright!"

But, there was no response, for his soul no longer inhabited the pile of rocks. The kids grew frantic, more desperate, as tears formed in their eyes and they shouted for him once more.

"Wake up! Wake up!"

"Please, get up!"

"Gigantus!"

Finally, one of the older children bit their lip and shouted. "Shut up! He's not coming back!" they wailed. "He's dead!"

The younger children turned to the sobbing boy, and they all seemed confused. Some of them were young enough that death was just something they knew as a trait of their undead neighbors, and surely, they had no clue. But finally, the realization sank in.

"Gigantus is gone? He's not gonna come back?"

The tiniest of the children asked this as they turned to the pile, and perhaps then they finally realized. Their tears welled and they joined in the mourning. Their sobs echoed throughout the village, soon joined by their parents and neighbors, young and old alike...

Instead of birdsong, only sobbing and wails of grief rang through Ancient's Hearth, for they all lost a family member, a friend, a true companion that day. Yet, the skies still wouldn't grieve with them, for the red and gold sun burned down on them like that of the Arkeyans who imposed themselves on the village last night.

The mourning seemed like it would last forever, but it could not. The funeral had to begin, and somebody needed to clean his remains for his burial. So, a few of the undertakers emerged from the crowd, and with the kobolds' help, they gathered up Gigantus's remains once more and whisked them away to the funerary.

All remained quiet in every inch of Ancient's Hearth as they worked. The sounds of commerce, children playing, people talking, or even that of the breeze or the animals no longer came from the outside world; nor did the scents of freshly-cut flowers from the florist, or fresh bread from the baker's. Instead, what remained was cold air that vaguely reeked of smoke and death, and utter silence resounded instead. At least they were allowed that moment of grief.

Some hours later, when the remains were cleaned and the funeral was ready to begin, everyone gathered outside the limits of Ancient's Hearth. They congregated near the place where they buried every member of their community; everyone dressed in their most somber clothes with a torn piece of a black ribbon pinned close to their hearts. Silence rang throughout as one of the village elders took to a podium, and recited an old hymn coined during the height of the Arkeyan's Empire, one that sang of victory and freedom against those that chained them to servitude. Surely, Gigantus would have loved to hear that old song one last time.

"We are gathered today to honor the memory of not just a friend, a family member by bond, but Ancient's Hearth itself." the elder began as he glanced down at the gigantic wooden casket behind him, the one that carried Gigantus' remains.

"Through all its existence, Gigantus has protected Ancient's Hearth through everything. From the reign of the Arkeyans, the reign of Nefarion, through all the tyranny and war Skylands has faced, Gigantus has dutifully protected everyone who came into Ancient's Hearth. It is no exaggeration to say that every being standing here has known him well. He's seen entire family lines from cradle to grave, knew our ancestors just as well as us, and loved us all as his family. I, personally, came to Ancient's Hearth as a child to escape the persecution of portal masters my mother faced under Nefarion, and he welcomed us as if he knew us all his existence. If not for his kindness, I surely would not be standing before you today. Our little town will be all the much poorer with his absence."

The elder kept a solemn face, but his hands trembled as he left the podium and passed on to the next mourner, an elf with short hair and a bulging belly swollen with life.

"My family was descended from those who came to Ancient's Hearth seeking sanctuary after the Arkeyans took away our home. He personally saved my ancestors from the Arkeyans, and did everything he could think of make them feel welcome and safe despite all they lost. Even though we were never related by blood, he was just as much family to use as anybody. He witnessed the birth of every child in our lineage, and every death was one where he stood in the funeral pews. To think, that my child will be the first in my family that he won't get to see..."

The elf covered their face and tried to hide their tears as they left the podium, and soon, more mourners came. Just about everyone of age in Ancient's Hearth took their place at their podium, and all shared their stories of his kindness and courage, of how much they considered him their family... Truly, it was painful to see. For once, everyone knew of just how important he was to the beings of Ancient's Hearth, yet he himself was not there to witness it.

The eulogies came to an end after what seemed like an eternity of somber speak, and they all recited the old prayers coined during the times of Arkeyan rebellion once more.

The mourners all got up, and a few of the stronger members among them went to the podium and lifted up Gigantus' casket. Their heads hung low as they slowly, carefully moved Gigantus' casket to his grave, and as they lowered it inside, it seemed as though the rest of Skylands finally decided to mourn with them. The red and gold dawn turned gray as their hearts, and rain poured down first in sprinkles, next in droves as the pall bearers left and the casket laid still in its grave.

One by one, the mourners all moved from their seats each to place a few scoops of dirt on his grave. It was a catharsis, in a sense, to know that they could be with him one last time. Even though they couldn't have seen him off in his dying moments, they could at least be there to send him off in death. Every single mourner, from the youngest child to the eldest of the elders, all laid a scoop or two in the grave. Even with everyone in Ancient's Hearth helping, it still took quite some time before the casket itself was finally buried, or perhaps, the feeling just came from the grief that ate away at their hearts.

"The Elder Elementals are probably on the way to Arkus now, right?" asked one kobold as they looked up to the rainy skies.

"Yeah, I saw them leave last night," the other kobold beside them replied. "Gigantus fought so hard so they could stop those Arkeyan guys, right?"

"Yes." The kobold raised their head higher, and took in a breath.

"Elder Elementals, if you can hear us, do everything you can to stop those Arkeyans. Please, don't let Gigantus' sacrifice be for naught."

§

Home, sweet, home! That was all Arkilles could think as he wandered through the ruins of what was once the mighty city of Arkus. Sure, the soldiers there were still as stone, but the city whirred with life as it always did, and the lights still shone on all the beauty of Arkeyan majesty. Ah, Arkilles was quite glad that the backup power generators still worked even after all these millennia. Just another marvel of Arkeyan brilliance, he supposed. The lights passed over the ever-regal blue and gold walls made of only the finest jewels and metals, but what Arkilles' own eyes passed over were not that.

Rather, his attention turned to a pile of Arkeyan soldiers slumped on top of each other in complete inactivity. True, the backup power generators worked wonders for all the inner functions of Arkus, but unfortunately, they didn't do much for the Arkeyan armies that relied on the Iron Fist for power. It was a sorrowful sight, really, to find that such proud warriors were reduced to just sitting and gathering dust; they should be fighting, conquering, expanding their mighty empire!

"Oh, my poor, poor subjects," Arkilles crooned, "Fret not, for your illustrious Emperor-King has returned!"

A sort of boyish mischief came over Arkilles, and he couldn't help but zip over and grab the inactive soldiers. He positioned them so that they finally stood, and with a wave of his hands, they all bowed and waved in his presence.

"'Oh, great, illustrious Emperor-King! Please save us from this awful fate those Lesser Elementals have subjugated us to!'' Arkilles' voice mirrored that of his subjects' robotic beeps and tones, though he strained just to make the shrill sound. "'Oh how we do loathe just sitting around here like scrap when we could be conquering Skylands, and spreading the Arkeyan Empire's reaches! Please free us from this hellish prison!'"

Arkilles spun around and clasped his hands. "Oh, how could I say no to such impassioned pleas? I absolutely will save you, my loyal subjects, and then the Arkeyan Empire will rule once more!"

That is, if I can even find the Iron Fist first, Arkilles thought. His expression soured as he crept along the endless stretches of untouched rubble and metal carnage, surely all left over from his fight with the Elder Elementals. Now, if I recall correctly, it should be just around here.

Well, Arkilles hoped that was the case, but the past ten thousand years spent dormant blunted his memory, and the wreckage of what was once his mighty city left it almost unrecognizable. He was uncertain as to what those Lesser Elementals did to the place before they found him, but he was certain that they would pay dearly for it! He wandered through the dusty halls, and coughed as he fanned away the dust and smoke. His eyes stung from the feeling, and the world around him blurred for a moment…

But when it finally clear, oh, it was a sight from the almighty Ancient himself! The Iron Fist of Arkus laid just around the corner, inactive but completely pristine! Curiously, he saw no sight of those Free Magicians' bodies despite him faintly recalling their deaths, but, oh well, perhaps whatever blast the Iron Fist's removal caused burned them to ashes. Besides, he could worry about his enemies just a bit later, for he was too engrossed with his joy over finding the Iron Fist! Why, Arkilles almost considered pinching himself, but he was far too smart to think that this was a dream.

"Why, the Iron Fist of Arkus! It's just as I remember it!" Arkilles cried. His speed picked up, and his body rushed forth for the Iron Fist without his command. "And now, once more, it's—"

"MINE!"

A surging pain rushed through Arkilles' body and spirit, and something pushed him back in his moment of pained delirium. His spirit fell to the floor, and the next thing he knew... Oh, that insolent gnoll! He'd taken back the body's control and cackled at the top of his lungs as he rushed forth!

"Thanks for delivering me straight to the Iron Fist, FOOL!" he cried as he ran. "Once I have all these Arkeyans under my GLORIOUS FIST, all Skylands will be DOOMED! DOOMED, I TELL YOU!"

Arkilles snarled, and his pristine teeth nearly chipped from how angrily he ground them! He yowled out in an admittedly unkingly fashion as he sprung forward and pulled the gnoll back, and the gnoll yipped like a pained chompy as he fell to the ground.

"You're the only fool I see here!" Arkilles spat as he wrangled back control of the body. "That Iron Fist belongs solely to the Arkeyan royal family, and commoner filth like you shan't dare lay even a glance on it!"

"Silence, fool!" that gnoll's sharp, irritating voice rang out as he wrestled against Arkilles' grip. "Need I remind you whose body you're hijacking?"

The body's pace went from a run to a walk, and then a trudge; with every step it took, Arkilles attempted to wrestle back control from that bratty gnoll's grip! One second Arkilles held it in his grips, only for it to be ripped from his hands in the next, and just keeping it for more than a second became a struggle. The body ached with every part of Arkilles' soul as he bit, and clawed ,and tore at the awful little man who originally inhabited this body. The Iron Fist of Arkus inched closer, closer, closest with every single inch Arkilles tried. Arkilles grunted as he pushed back the man (who flung his fist and shouted every curse the modern Common tongue had to offer at Arkilles, he was certain) with one hand, and spent the rest of his strength pushing the body towards the Iron Fist.

Soon, its twisted, mechanical inside came into view, and Arkilles' eyes sparkled at how pristine it looked.

"Ah, clean as ever!" Arkilles cried. "Now, to enter the Iron Fist and—"

"PLUNGE SKYLANDS TO ITS ROBOTIC DOOM!"

That man headbutted Arkilles in the gut, and Arkilles quite unceremoniously fell to the floor. The awful little man stomped on Arkilles' back, and cackled once more just to rub it in his face. Oh, the insolence of it all!

"HAH! Seems the portal-poster's old tricks do come in handy! Won't spare her from her ultimate doom, though~" the little man crooned as he wandered into the Iron Fist. "Now, to take this Iron Fist and rule Skylands with an iron fist!"

He cackled at his awful joke (why would it be so humorous? One would need a physical iron fist to rule Skylands with an iron fist as so many claimed the Arkeyans did), and held out his hand like he applied a glove. Of course, nothing happened, and the man raised a brow. He hemmed and hawed as he paced within the Iron Fist's chamber, and Arkilles himself grunted as he pushed himself up. The earlier attack knocked some of the wind out of him, but not enough to render him powerless.

"Eh? Is this Iron Fist of Arkus a phony?" the little man demanded as he stomped against its flooring. "Why isn't it turning on? IRON FIST, I DEMAND YOU TURN ON AND GRANT ME YOUR ULTIMATE ROBOTIC POWER—Oof!"

The little man fell to the floor within the mindscape as Arkilles leaped up and knocked him back, and Arkilles only offered him a scoff.

"You're doing it all wrong, you insolent pest," Arkilles hissed. He kicked the man back and locked him up in magic ropes, and with pest control applied, he turned back to the Iron Fist. "The Iron Fist of Arkus can only be applied with a special codeword only shared with that of the Arkeyan Royal Family's members."

"A CODEWORD? TELL ME THIS CODEWORD NOW!" the little man screeched as he struggled against the bonds. "NO, WAIT, UNTIE ME FIRST, AND THEN TELL ME THE CODEWORD! I NEED THAT FIST SO I CAN PLUNGE SKYLANDS INTO ITS—"

Arkilles snapped his fingers and blew the little man back into his containment area. Finally, no more screaming in his ears! He breathed in the smell of quicksilver and fresh metal, a welcome smell that eased the homesickness he felt for so long, and smiled as he stretched his arms to the sky.

"CHOMPY!" he called with all his heart.

"Passcode accepted," beeped a voice from within the Iron Fist. "Initiating Iron Fist application process."

The Iron Fist of Arkus stayed stagnant at first, but soon, it burst to life! Its insides all glowed and shuddered in a bright, Arkeyan red and gold, and a stream of plugs and wires shot right for him! But, Arkilles did not cry or panic or protest—this was all part of the process.

The plugs jabbed into every orifice of his borrowed body while the wires wrapped around him, and slowly, his organic body became so much more! Power, magic, and lightning all flowed into his bloodstream as the crackling of electricity and whirring of engines rang in his ears. His body lifted off the ground not by his own power, and soon it stretched, changed! His limbs grew long and metallic, he went from standing at Arkus's lowest parts to towering over the city, and it in turn whirred to life!

The lights burned their brightest as Arkilles felt warm metal instead of flesh, and he lifted his right hand. Sure enough, the Iron Fist of Arkus snugly fit against it, and he smiled as he raised it to the ceiling.

"Arkeyan soldiers, come to me!" Arkilles bellowed in the massive, metallic tone his voice now took. "SWEAR YOUR ALLEGIANCE TO YOUR ILLUSTRIOUS EMPEROR-KING, FOR HE HAS RETURNED!"

Metal whirring like birdsong filled the once cold and empty room as Arkeyan soldiers of every shape and size flooded into the room, and in waves they all fell to their knees and bowed. Oh, all his subjects have returned at last, and once more he towered over them! All truly was right with the world once more!

"WE ARE YOUR HUMBLE SERVANTS, ILLUSTRIOUS EMPEROR-KING," the Arkeyans all bellowed as one. "YOUR WISH IS OUR COMMAND."

"Ah, my faithful subjects! Always a pleasure to see you so eager and willing to serve!" Arkilles crooned. He cleared his throat, and pointed a finger to the outside. "My first command to you, now that I have returned, is to go out and spread the Arkeyan empire's reach to all Skylands! Spare no island, no inch or corner of the land!"

"YOUR WISH IS OUR COMMAND."

The Arkeyans all flooded out, and Arkilles only chuckled as he turned behind to where his throne laid in rubble. He only held out his hand, and in rapid time, the metal clanged and floated as it reassembled into a shiny, pristine throne once more. Oh, how he did miss the power that came with the Iron Fist, and with him now possessing a free magician's body, the possibilities endless! Arkilles cackled once more for good measure as he took a seat in his throne, and a smile crept across his robotic lips.

A beeping sound flared from the Iron Fist, and Arkilles held it open as a transmission screen popped up! There before him laid five Arkeyans clad in the finest of gold armor, and they stood behind many more inactive ones who laid sprawled along the floor.

"Illustrious Emperor-King Arkilles!" a white and gold Arkeyan at the front proclaimed. "We have managed to capture some traitors among the Arkeyan ranks, and—"

"Ah, worry about that later, my Golden Armada! Now is a time for rejoicing!" Arkilles proclaimed. "I have finally returned to the throne after ten thousand years. I know it sounds hard to believe, but ten thousand years have truly passed, yet, Arkus and the Iron Fist laid perfectly pristine and waiting for me! It is truly a blessing of the Ancient!"

Arkilles scowled for a moment. "Those Lesser Elementals and their stage magicians may have tried to stop me with those 'Skylanders' of theirs, and that pathetic troll may have tried to separate my soul from my new body before I could take back the throne, but they all failed! Can you believe it?"

That white and gold Arkeyan seemed to be a little baffled, based on the dialing tone that flashed across its eyes, but nonetheless it knelt.

"Of course, illustrious Emperor-King. Nothing can topple you or the Arkeyan Empire."

"Truly. Now, all I ask of you is to keep Arkus safe as you always have. The Arkeyan Empire will soon be reborn, and what's an empire without its almighty capital?"

"But, illustrious Emperor-King Arkilles!" cried a red and gold robot. "These traitors, they have the f—"

Arkilles ended the transmission before they could finish (whatever issue they had, he was sure the Golden Armada was perfectly capable of tackling it), and stretched back in his throne.

"Oh, it feels good to be home!" Arkilles crooned.