Boomer, Trigger Happy, and Snuckles walked through a series of rusty metal bridges that hung suspended over warm metal floors. The only light came from overhead lamps, bright and red and menacing, and everything felt like kind that felt tense and foreboding feeling; as if one was about ready to walk into danger. But, it didn't bother any of them a bit as they went on their merry way. Though, now that Boomer looked back, Snuckles did seem like he was itching to get out of this place right this second. Must be the excitement from his first mission!

"I'm, I'm going to scout ahead!" Snuckles proclaimed. "With my secret agent skills, I'm sure I can scout out the way in no time!"

Snuckles whimpered a little bit, pushed past Trigger Happy and bolted down the bridges.

"You want us to come with you?" Boomer asked as he waved towards Snuckles.

"No, no, no! It's, um, it's totally fine!" Snuckles shook like a ruptured bomb, but still made a wide smile. "I can handle it a-ok!" Snuckles looked aside as he tugged on his collar. "That's what I became a secret agent for…"

Boomer and Trigger Happy watched Snuckles run away with a shrug, and jumped to the next bridge as the prior one began to creak like it was about ready to collapse. They wiped the sweat from their brows in relief, turned around to check on Snuckles as he bolted down the bridges with frightening (or maybe just frightened?) speed, and gasped as they caught a fleet of trolls walk out from the doors! Worse yet, the trolls and Snuckles were right on a collision course!

"Snuckles, look out!" Boomer exclaimed as he waved his arms as if trying to send a signal.

"Trolls coming in west of the chicken coop!" Trigger Happy cried as he jumped up and down. "Fly away, fly away!"

Thankfully, it seemed that Snuckles heeded their warning! For a moment, Snuckles stopped and seemingly caught sight of the oncoming trolls. He stood still at first and seemed to mutter something under his breath, and… He screamed his lungs out and charged head on right at the trolls!

Boomer and Trigger Happy just watched with eyes wide and mouth gaped open in shock, as did the trolls that Snuckles targeted, but then, the two of them cringed as Snuckles bounced off one troll's armor and ran back down the bridges sobbing!

"Welp," Boomer said as he stretched his arms then snagged some bombs out of his backpack. "Guess it's time for the pros to take the reins!"

Trigger Happy tittered as he whipped out his pistols and shot off a round of gold coins towards a troll covered in steel armor! However, at the last moment, the troll whipped out a shield and bounced those coins right back towards Trigger Happy! Trigger Happy squeaked and ran as his own coins chased after him, only for them to bean him on the head in rapid succession and knock him on his face.

"Yeah," Trigger Happy groaned as he stumbled back up with a noticeable metal grid mark now printed on his face, "that didn't work…"

The troll held its head high as it laughed at Trigger Happy's failure, but while it gloated, its shield had fallen down without it even realizing! Trigger Happy, on the other hand, was more than quick to notice as he jumped back to his feet and conked the troll in the head with a gigantic pot of gold!

"That's what you get for acting all high and mighty!" Trigger Happy proclaimed as the troll stumbled about and fall unconscious.

The other trolls in the platoon stampeded over their fallen comrade in some attempt to mow down Trigger Happy, but Trigger Happy just whipped out his guns and shot gigantic golden coins back at them!

"Hey, don't leave me out of the fun!" Boomer exclaimed as he jumped up and clasped his fists tight.

As he fell down, Boomer hit the ground with a mighty pound that shook the floors like an earthquake! The trolls that Trigger Happy beat up flew through the air, right in time for Boomer to toss his bombs right at them! These bombs exploded the moment they were within the trolls' breath, and sent those troll crashing into each other or slamming into the other platforms!

While the trolls slid down walls and fainted, Trigger Happy and Boomer turned towards each other and shared a high five. Snuckles, on the other hand, seemed far from relieved as he laid on his knees and clung tight to the bridge. While his whole body shook, his eyes were shut tight in what seemed to be fear…

"Don't worry, kiddo!" Boomer shouted as he turned back and ushered for Snuckles to come forwards. "We took care of those guys!"

"Yeah, they're yesterday's funnies!" Trigger Happy chimed in as he hopped along. "Now come on! We've still gotta find that Golden Gear thingie!"

As he heard this, Snuckles winced and opened his eyes, and breathed a sigh of relief as he caught sight of the unconscious trolls. "Coming, Skylanders!" Snuckles shouted back. He winced again as he pulled himself back to his feet, but jogged back up to Boomer and Trigger Happy with a small chuckle.

Their party now reunited, the three of them all passed through the door with only a moment of pause taken to push some unconscious trolls out of the door's way. The hallways that followed were devoid of any sort of light, but they seemed straightforward enough that they could just keep walking until the familiar whir of an opening door showed they had reached the end! The door buzzed open to unveil another small, mechanical room full of hissing pipes and stray bombs, with the door to the next way over blocked by yet another lock puzzle!

Boomer immediately made a beeline towards the lock puzzle, but before he could even fish one measly stick of dynamite from his backpack, Snuckles pushed him out of the way.

"I'll take care of this!" Snuckles proclaimed as he dug through his pocket.

"You sure, Snuckles?" Boomer asked as he flicked his ears then made a wide smile. "I could just blow it up real quick!"

"No need!" Snuckles smiled, though the way his legs shook like fresh gelatin made his confidence seem less true. "I shouldn't make you do all the work when this is my mission!"

So, Snuckles hummed as he pulled out an assortment of tools and began sticking them in the lock puzzle's keyhole. But, well…

"Nope," Snuckles remarked as he pulled out one that vaguely looked like a screwdriver, "not that one!" Snuckles grabbed another that resembled a lock picking tool and stuck it in, but frowned as it only jiggled the lock slightly. "Or that one!"

Snuckles fished out a large handful of tools from his pockets as he gritted his teeth, and stared down the lock puzzle with a frustrated glint in his eyes. But, while he squared off with the lock puzzle, Trigger Happy and Boomer turned their attention to… Other things.

"Nope!"

Boomer precariously stacked several unlit dynamite sticks into an impressive pyramid, only for the pyramid to completely fall apart as Trigger Happy took out one of the bottom sticks.

"Not that one!"

Boomer and Trigger Happy played rock paper scissors, and Boomer groaned as Trigger Happy beat him once again.

"Nada!"

Boomer applauded Trigger Happy as Trigger Happy juggled a bunch of golden coins, right as Trigger Happy lost his rhythm and dropped each coin on his head in rapid succession. Finally, they grew so bored that they were both about ready to fall asleep, yawns and dozing off and all, when the sound of a lock puzzle hitting the ground woke them straight up! They looked up, and sure enough Snuckles stood proud with some kind of skeleton key-looking thing in his hands and the cracked lock puzzle by the feet, all in front of a wide-open door!

"Hey, good job, Snuckles!" Boomer chirped with a quick clap of his hands. "You finally got it!"

"Oh, it was nothing!" Snuckles chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head.

The gate and its puzzle long forgotten in his mind, Boomer marched up the steel platforms with Trigger Happy and Snuckles close behind him. For some odd reason, he found the metal clanking sounds that the platforms made under his feet quite charming despite the circumstances. Was it nostalgia, perhaps? Yeah, he was pretty sure that was it—after all, he hadn't been here in quite some time! Man, the place hadn't changed a bit! Well, except for the metallic suspension bridges hoisted above bubbling pools of lava that threatened to bubble or erupt completely at any moment he could see a little ways off. Boomer was pretty sure that was new.

As they watched the magma bubble and pop down below them, Snuckles shuddered once more.

"We should probably make this quick!" Snuckles shouted with a noticeable trill in his voice, "Don't wanna get caught in the lava and all! He, he…"

Trigger Happy and Boomer headed Snuckles' words as they tip-toed across the suspension bridges as fast as they could, but they all cried out and ducked as a rocket zoomed in their general direction! Their chests pressed against the hot metal as the three of them grunted, and they pulled themselves up as the sound of cackling echoed throughout the room, mingled with the sound of creaking metal and popping lava bubbles.

There across from them, armed with an over-sized handheld rocket launcher, was none other than a rocket imp!

"Yeah, they definitely didn't have these things back when I worked here!" Boomer exclaimed with a scowl as he watched the giggling imp.

Boomer rummaged through his backpack and tossed a bomb at the imp, but the imp was quick to intercept it with a pair of twin rockets! Not only did the first one slam straight into the bomb and create an explosion that shook the bridges below it, but the second hurtled straight towards Boomer, Trigger Happy and Snuckles!

They all screamed as they raced next to the bridges' railing and hung on for dear life despite the heat! Even though the rocket zoomed past them, it still made the bridges swing like playground equipment—and worse yet, nobody could get a good shot in!

Boomer tried launching a few dynamite sticks, but the swinging threw off his aim and tossed them into the lava! The same thing happened to the bombs he threw, and the swinging was so intense that he had to practically wrap his entire body around to railing to keep from falling down below!

Trigger Happy, meanwhile, licked his lips as he held a gun in one hand while the other clutched the rails tight. But, the moment he clicked the trigger, the bridges veered left and the gun swung out of his hand! It just fired one measly golden coin against the ceiling before it fell into the lava, never to be seen again!

"Dangit!" Trigger Happy exclaimed as his gun sunk, but his frustration quickly faded as he ruffled through his fur. "Good thing there's more where that came from—"

Trigger Happy screamed and latched back onto the bridges as they swung again, turned around and ducked as more rockets came down and shook the bridges.

"This doesn't look good," Snuckles winced as he flattened himself against the railing and bit his nails. "If even the Skylanders are having trouble, then what are we gonna do?"

Boomer gritted his teeth as he clutched his slowly-boiling metallic hands against the railing, yet cast a glance back at Snuckles, who just breathed in and out then gulped. Just what was that kid planning?

"Hopefully, third time's the charm!" Snuckles exclaimed as he let go of the railing and charged down the bridges, his arm swung like windmills the entire time. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Snuckles charged with gusto, which was impressive given that his eyes were entirely shut! But, the imp seemed less than impressed as it clicked the rocket launcher's trigger and sent a rocket flying towards Snuckles! Snuckles blinked his eyes opened and ducked right before the missile could slam into him. He breathed a sigh of relief as the missile passed over his back, but screamed as the suspension bridges swung and sent him tumbling down towards the lava!

"Snuckles!" Boomer shouted as he raced over and grabbed Snuckles just before he could fall into the lava, only to tumble backwards himself as the bridge lurched the other way!

This sudden change of direction sent Boomer rolling before it slammed his back right into the railing! Boomer shouted as he lost his grip, and looked up as a scream resonated throughout the room!

There, Snuckles flew in the air alongside several of Boomer's unlit bombs, all while he screamed and flailed like he was trying to swim in the air…

"Wait, now's my chance!" Snuckles exclaimed as he turned himself towards the unlit bombs that flew with him.

Snuckles grabbed a bomb and flung it towards the imp, his eyes narrowed as he watched the bomb soar down with a path set for the imp's head. Before it could conk that stupid imp, the imp saw the bomb quick enough to use its rocket launcher as a shield! Instead, the bomb just clogged up the mouth of its rocket launcher!

"Aw, rats!" Snuckles moaned as he slammed down on the now-stable bridge's platform face-first. "Double rats!"

The imp smirked as it clicked the trigger of its rocket launcher, but this time, no rockets came! Instead, the rocket launcher just made a bunch of weird noises. The imp scowled as it patted and pounded on the rocket launcher in some attempt to unclog it, its eyes completely focused on that and nothing more…

"Lucky!" Trigger Happy shouted with sparkling eyes.

While the imp fiddled with its rocket launcher, Trigger Happy whipped out his pistols and shot the imp right into a nearby wall with a giant golden coin! The golden coin peeled off of the wall with a THUNK, and in the process unveiled a very dizzy, completely unarmed imp that now stuck to a wall like a particularly stubborn pancake.

With their foe completely incapacitated at this point, Trigger Happy, Boomer and Snuckles all dashed across the bridges, and once they were on safe, stable floors, they all stopped to catch their breath.

"So much for knocking out that imp," Snuckles sighed as he slunk against a metal wall, but jolted up as Boomer patted him on the shoulder.

"Good job, Snucks!" Boomer praised.

Snuckles looked up at Boomer with sparkling eyes. "I did a good job?"

"You bet!" Boomer nodded and beamed. "If it wasn't for your quick thinking, we might not've stopped that imp!"

"Let's give the mabu a round of backpats, everyone!" Trigger Happy shouted as he jumped up and drummed his fists on Snuckles' back.

Snuckles chuckled, and stood tall and proud as he pointed to the path ahead.

"Follow me, Skylanders! I'll lead the way!"

Boomer and Trigger Happy chuckled with each other as well, a smile of genuine glee shared between them, then raced behind Snuckles! However, this time it was Snuckles who had the lead above them! While they trailed their way through the paths, he already arrived at the gates to an open dirt field in front of a warehouse!

"Could this be?" Snuckles whispered as he pulled out his map and gasped. "It is! This is the place where the Golden Gear is!"

Snuckles stowed away the map and went to run forward, but before he cold get even a mile in, a mine popped out of the blue! Snuckles immediately screamed and ran back to safety, then curled up and shuddered as the mine exploded behind him.

"Of course it wouldn't be that easy," Snuckles bemoaned as he sat back down on the floor.

Snuckles sighed as Boomer and Trigger Happy finally caught up with him, though neither of them seemed particularly discouraged. Rather, Boomer and Trigger Happy seemed fairly contemplative as they examined the fields—especially Boomer as he hummed.

"Ah, yes, the good old minefield!" Boomer remarked as he examined the field before them. "I remember this from the olden days…"

"You do?" Snuckles prompted as he looked up towards Boomer.

"Yep! They put this baby in here to keep people from getting their most secret wares, and for BOOM parties during the holidays!" Boomer chuckled and rolled his eyes. "But then they forget where the mines were, so they made a map!"

"They did?" Snuckles smiled as he jumped back to his feet.

Boomer chuckled and scratched his head. "Well, yeah, but then they tore it up and scattered the pieces so nobody could get in, and nobody's found the pieces to this day!"

Snuckles, surprisingly enough, didn't seem discouraged upon hearing this! Instead, he just pumped his fist to the skies.

"Then we'll just have to find them ourselves!"

Boomer and Trigger Happy just beamed and applauded Snuckles' enthusiasm.

"That's what I like to hear!" Boomer proclaimed as he and Trigger Happy hurried after Snuckles.

§

Chihiro's hands trembled further, but she wasn't entirely sure if it was from her nerves or the chilly breezes that flew through the forest every so often. The forest lightened up a bit here, just enough that it made the winds grow a bit stronger, and oh how she loathed it. A light sweater and an equally-light vest were far from ideal cold weather clothing, even if they did provide a bit of insulation. Normally she'd magic herself up a coat and be on her way, but, she wasn't entirely sure if that would fall under no using magic on artifacts, so she refrained.

Besides, she was far too unfocused for spellcasting anyways! All she could think about was how she ran out of luck! She had no idea what the other things on this darn list were, and even if she did, she got herself ridiculously lost. Even her own footprints lead her around in circles!

"Why does this happen to me?" Chihiro moaned as she banged her head against the paper map she held in her hand. "I mean, how'd I even end up here in the first place? I'm completely lost, have no idea what I'm doing, and it's all because…"

For a moment, Chihiro thought she caught a glimpse of Kaos, all flared with magic and ready to kill, right before her eyes—but no, he wasn't here. It was all just her imagination, here to remind her of her failures yet again. So, she had jumped back and nearly stumbled over a rock for nothing, yay!

Why am I so messed up over this, anyways? Chihiro thought as she traced her map's creases. It's not like anything else bad happened after that, we still got the mission done! In the end, my slip-up didn't even matter!

"So why do I care so much that he's so much stronger than I am?"

Chihiro stood silent as the wind blew and took the leaves with it, her grasp on her map slightly looser than before. That was the question that had racked her brain for so long, but still, she found no answer to it.

After all, if strength was the only issue, surely all the training she had done over the past few days would be enough to ease her mind. Yet, no matter how many spells she cast or how strong she got, she still felt that inkling of anxiety and insecurity whenever she thought back to the battle. Was it how he nearly killed her? Well, she had been in her fair share of perilous, near-death situations at this point, and she just shrugged them off after two or three. It comes with the territory of being a hero and all that, she told herself.

So what was it that messed her up? Chihiro stared towards the still bright and blue skies as she pondered, and for a moment it felt like she had completely lost herself in the sights of nature. All was peaceful for a moment, but soon, she yelped and stumbled back as a gust of wind slammed her straight in the face!

"HEY, WATCH IT! I'M TRYING TO THINK HERE!"

Chihiro went to brush the strands of hair stuck in front of her hair away, but as she did, her hand loosened and then lightened! Chihiro chirped as she heard the sound of paper fluttering in the wind, and realized that the wind took her map with it!

Wait, her map! She couldn't let it get away! After all, if she was lost with it, she would be even more lost without it! Chihiro frantically closed her bag, bolted forward and scrambled after the map! When she came in closer view, she leaped after it as high as she could, but the map fluttered jump out of her reach every time she did!

"Hey, come back!" Chihiro demanded as she grappled with a map that kept flying out of her reach!

She leaped and bounded across the grassy floors, frowned and jumped over a rock for extra elevation—or at least, she tried. Instead, she snagged her foot on it and tripped instead.

"OWCH!"

Chihiro bit her lip and rubbed her face as she popped back up, all while her hand flared with magic.

"Actually, if you don't wanna come back, then I'll make you!"

Her hands glittered with magical sparkles, and in a short flash, a giant sticky hand manifested in her palm! Her grasp on it tightened, Chihiro shot out her arm and sent the sticky hand flying…

"HI-YAH!"

But her aim was off by a few inches, and the sticky hand just flew into the air beside the map!

"Hi…" Chihiro clenched her teeth and grimaced. "No?"

With the length of its thread reached, the sticky hand rocketed back and slapped Chihiro in the face! Chihiro groaned as she pulled it off of her face, tossed it into the air and frowned as it vanished with the passing winds.

"I was never good with those things anyways." Chihiro fixed her eyes on the map and dashed off. "Guess I'll have to do this the old-fashioned way!"

Chihiro knelt down, sprinted down the path and jumped after the map to find minimal success. Every time she jumped even slightly closer to it, the breeze taunted her by carrying her map higher and higher, further and further away from her grip! Chihiro grunted as her fifth attempt resulted in another failure, and watched as the map fluttered over a stream with a large boulder beside it.

Wait, she had an idea! Chihiro raced up to the boulder and scrambled up its craggy surface with only a tiny bit of mind paid to the clinking noises she heard beside her. Finally, she reached the top and caught sight of her map as it danced in the breeze!

"Try this on for size!" Chihiro exclaimed as she leaped off the boulder, came within inches of grabbing the map, but only fell and crashed on the ground instead!

Chihiro winced and shrugged off the pain as she staggered back up. A cold purple light glowed against her face, one that raised goosebumps across the rest of her body. Chihiro took a look back down at her bag, and gasped as it glowed a bright, ominous shade of purple!

"Hey, what's going on with this thing?" Chihiro asked as she held up her glowing bag and got ready to open it, only to catch the map while it fluttered away. "Actually, nevermind, I can figure that out later!"

Chihiro slid her bag back over her shoulder as she ran back down the path. While she ran, she looked up to see a giant tree branch right within her reach, grabbed onto it and climbed on its top. Once she was situated, she climbed from one branch to the other, and finally leaped right over her map—but it flew right out of her grasp at the last moment!

"Stupid map!" Chihiro shouted so loud it shook the birds out of their trees.

She looked down and, oh boy, that was going to be one nasty fall! Gravity took hold shortly afterward as Chihiro shot downwards, and the ground closed in tight while perfectly reader to give her a very bumpy landing! Before she could fall, she cast a hand out and created a bouncy, magical mushroom cap to land on instead! Chihiro smiled as she hopped on the mushroom, slid off the cap and made chase once more.

She dodged rocks, leaped over stray branches, jumped, sprinted and climbed all she could, but once again her map continued to stray from her grip.

"Get back here!" Chihiro shouted as her map flipped away from her, but soon lost her balance and conked her head on the ground. "Dangit…"

Chihiro shook off the pain and leaped across some smooth boulders that acted as a makeshift path across the stream her map flew over, but feel to her knees and panted. She hadn't realized just how much she had been running, but now it really started to take its toll. As Chihiro caught her breath, she felt a cold breeze against her back and turned around to find—oh no, not now!

The skies started to dull as their bright blues soon dipping into yellows and pinks that signified the change to sunset. She wasted so much time chasing this map that completely lost track of time! She'd probably never pass at this rate!

"That stupid map," Chihiro croaked as tears stung her eyes, "If that wind hadn't blown it away, I wouldn't be wasting so much time—" Chihiro's voice cracked as she tugged on her sweatpants "—no that's not it, I'm the only one to blame here. After all, if I hadn't got so caught up over that battle and actually studied, I wouldn't…"

Chihiro gasped as the sound of warbling paper caught her ears. Could that be? Chihiro looked up, then beamed and shook her head. Sure enough, it was! Her map finally stopped its voyage! Now, it stuck within the branches of a tall, smooth tree and sat fast and tight.

"Looks like something's finally working out for me after all!"

Chihiro smiled, jumped onto a nearby branch and scrambled up the tree with a hard banging sound a constant soundtrack to her climb. But, those noises weren't enough to bug her right now! Despite the odd purple light that surrounded her, Chihiro kept climbing up the tree. Finally, after one last hop, she found herself the branch the map stuck on! She leaned forward, and frowned as something stopped her as if she was stuck on something. With a few annoyed tugs, however, she quickly broke free!

"Finally!" Chihiro beamed as she grabbed the map and straightened it out. "You caused me a lot of trouble, you know!"

Chihiro hummed to herself as she cleaned the map of leaves and creases, but grimaced as the sound of ripping fabric echoed about.

"Wait, what was that?"

Chihiro looked down, and her eyes widened as she saw her collected artifacts zoom down below!

"CRAP!"

Chihiro immediately cast down a blast of magic and watched as the blast of magic rocketed past the artifacts, before it transformed into a platform! The platform cushioned the artifacts' landing quickly enough, and better yet, it gave Chihiro just enough time to magically mend the bag!

"Phew, close one!" Chihiro sighed as she teleported down while the platform lowered itself to her height. "Any second later and I'd be bringing those things back in pieces!"

Chihiro reached out her hand to collect the artifacts, but hesitantly drew back as she examined at the battery one. Its crack grew bigger, and its glow was much brighter and more concerning than before, given the odd sparkles that emitted from it.

"What's wrong with this one?"

Chihiro frowned as she gently poked the battery artifact, jumped back and yelped as it absorbed the platform's magic and glowed even brighter! As the platform vanished, the other two artifacts dropped down onto the ground, but the glowing one still hovered above. The glowing one sparked, shattered completely and shot out a bunch of magical lightning bolts!

Chihiro screamed as she ducked for cover, and screamed again as another lightning bolt flew right over her. Thankfully it avoided singeing her, but it instead slammed right into the Guardifound! Wait, Hugo said that bad things would happen if those artifacts got hit with magic, right? Why on earth was she remembering this now? The battery artifact's tiny, broken fragments cascaded onto the forest floor, and this time it was the Guardifound that levitated and glowed in the air! As it was absorbed by the glow, she could've sworn she heard it… Growl?

"Yeah, that can't be good," Chihiro gulped as she pressed her back against the floor.