"Now, if we just take this one hall, we should be at Mortalannis's final resting place!" T-Bone proclaimed as he strutted down the halls, then frowned and tapped his bony hands together.

Hex paused as her eyes drifted over the many murals that lined the dusty, long-abandoned halls. They all depicted famous events in Skylandian history, from artistic renditions of Skylands' birth, to the Elder Elementals' fight against the Arkeyans, even a rendition of King Nefarion's castle being completely iced over! Goodness, now that was a blast of nostalgia.

"I spy with my little eye," T-Bone said as he tapped Hex's shoulder, "somebody admiring the paintings!"

Hex paid no attention to T-Bone, her mind instead focused on the intricate details of each painting.

"Fancy, right? Mortalannis really liked his history." T-Bone walked ahead and motioned for Hex and Chop Chop to follow. "In fact, guy was all about studying the past to serve the future or something like that. There wasn't a day where he was without all those dusty old tombs!" T-Bone paused and coughed into his hand. "'Scuse me, tomes!"

"That reminds me," Chop Chop said as he made a steely nod of his head. "Tell me, what became of Mortalannis after he resigned his crown? The news was quite a fright to all of us back then…"

"Your guess is as good as mine, buddy!" T-Bone shrugged his shoulders and whistled. "Even since we parted graves, I've just been kinda doin' my thing! Lemme tell you, getting that message from him was a real bone-rattler!"

T-Bone paused before he yanked his head off his body and tossed it like a ball. "Lesse here, just gotta jog the old noggin a bit and—" T-Bone reattached his head and smiled "—AHA! The room we're looking for should be somewhere down this way… I think?"

T-Bone hummed a jaunty tune as he marched on, while Hex and Chop Chop only shrugged and followed along. Soon enough, T-Bone's little march led them straight into a minimalist stone room in oddly pristine condition compared to the rest of the crypt. The floors were neatly kept and free of grime or spiders, and the only decorations seemed to be piles of scrolls that looked like they hadn't been touched in centuries!

"Here it is, Mortalannis's personal study, and where his skull mask now rests in peace!" T-Bone stretched his arms wide, then frowned and stroked his chin. "Y'know, kinda redundant to have a skull mask when we're all skulls." As T-bone stroked his chin, his eyes glazed all around the room. "Say… Where is the skull mask? I could've sworn on my grave that it was—"

"Right in front of you?" Hex suggested as she floated next to T-Bone and pointed ahead of him.

Sure enough, seated in front of them was none other than a carved mask that vaguely resembled a face, with dull white pearls for eyes and pointed apparitions on all end. It would seem goofy to most, but for an undead king, it seemed fitting enough.

"Oh, there it is!" T-Bone chuckled as he picked up the skull mask. "It was right in front of my face, too!" T-Bone chuckled as he turned back to Hex and Chop Chop. "Sure wonder where Mortalannis is, though. He's never late for anything, at least, he wasn't in the time I knew him—"

"LOOK OUT!" Chop Chop exclaimed as he smacked the mask straight out of T-Bone's hands in one swift movement!

T-Bone huffed and jumped back. "Hey! What was that for? You could've broken the—" T-Bone looked down at the mask, screamed and jumped back "—MASK!"

Greenish-blue mist leaked from every pore of the skull mask, almost as if it got ready to explode, or perhaps release something? The mist grew thicker and thicker, much like a cloud, while T-Bone, Hex and Chop Chop all got ready to run, just in case. But, instead of exploding, a ghostly face similar to the mask in appearance formed from the mist instead!

"WHO DARES AWAKEN I, Mortalannis?" Mortalannis demanded, his face fixed into a harsh expression as he looked over the trio, but it softened as his eyes fell on T-Bone. "T-Bone, my loyal servant! You received my message!"

"Sure did, Morty! And I've got a thing to ask ya," T-Bone chuckled and scratched his head, then gestured back to Hex and Chop Chop. "You see, well, these two here need to borrow your skull mask for a while—and by a while, I mean for the rest of all eternity?"

"Do they?" Mortalannis's eyes went over to Chop Chop and Hex, who both bowed in his presence.

"Indeed, your highness," Hex affirmed. "Are you familiar with the Core of Light?"

Mortalannis nodded. "The device constructed by the heroes of old to protect all of Skylands from the Ultimate Evil?"

"Indeed. You see, a force of great evil has destroyed it and scattered its components to the furthest reaches of Skylands. We've been trying to reconstruct it, but because of the Eternal Undead Source's potent undead energy we need to find a new vessel for it."

"What my lady says is correct," Chop Chop added with a firm nod of his head. "Without a vessel, its energies will harm the living residents of our home, and we will not be able to add it back to the Core."

Mortalannis made a contemplative frown as he looked towards Chop Chop and Hex, who in turn seemed just as tense as he did.

"Thus, I humbly request that you let us use your skull mask as the Eternal Undead Source's new vessel." Hex bowed even further. "If you so desire."

Mortalannis hummed a little more and made a firm nod. "For a cause as worthy as that," Mortalannis said at last as he magically lifted the skull mask from the ground and placed it in Hex's hands, "I would be more than happy for you to keep it. Besides, I hold little attachment to my mortal possessions—avarice is the root of all evils…"

"But wisdom is the root of all good," Hex finished as she nodded her head. "Thank you kindly, Your Highness."

"You are more than welcome." Mortalannis then turned his gaze to T-Bone and smiled. "As for you, T-Bone, I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here."

"Well, er, yeah!" T-Bone looked down and counted his fingers. "I mean, we haven't exactly talked in like—" T-Bone frowned as he looked down at his fingers "—one, two, three, FIVE centuries!"

Mortalannis cast a remorseful, almost despondent look aside and sighed.

"After all the time I've spent here, I believe it is now time for me to pass on into the next world." Mortalannis's sorrowful look grew a bit brighter as he looked down at T-Bone. "I wanted to see my most faithful servant one last time before I left."

Gasps and jaw drops resounded all around, but Mortalannis hardly paid any mind to them as he matched T-Bone's line of sight.

"T-Bone, thank you kindly for all your years of service." Mortalannis swirled back up and looked around. "As a reward for your loyalty, I am passing this crypt on to you."

"Wait, really?" T-Bone exclaimed as he looked around the room they sat in while his eyes practically bulged out of his skull. "You're not tickling my funny bone, are you?"

"Hah! That's the sense of humor I missed." Mortalannis shook his head and smiled. "No, I do this in earnest. This crypt, and everything within it, now belongs to you. My only request now is that you use the crypt's contents to serve Skylands as eagerly and faithfully as you served me."

The mist that made up Mortalannis slowly grew duller and thinner, but Mortalannis himself didn't seem to be concerned. Rather, he only closed his eyes and made a peaceful smile.

"Farewell, T-Bone."

T-Bone's jaw gaped as he watched Mortalannis, but nonetheless he shook his skeletal head and smiled back—not a jokey, cheesy kind of smile, but a genuine one.

"Thanks a lot, Morty. See you in that great, big crypt in the sky."

All was silent for a few tender moments, and T-Bone made a wide grin and patted Chop Chop on the shoulder.

"Thanks for all this!" T-Bone said a little more earnestly than his usual tone. "Now, you heard the ghoul!" T-Bone gently nudged the skull mask that was still held tight in Hex's hands. "Let's get this baby in that Core of Light thingie!"

"Indeed," Hex said as she floated out the room, Chop Chop and T-Bone close behind.

"Er—" T-Bone scratched his head as they made their way down the halls "—you wouldn't happen to remember where the entrance is, would you?"

§

Now that the work was done, the fun was in full swing! Colorful lanterns lit up the village as fairies danced, chatted, ate, and drank till their hearts' content! The setting sun painted the area in rich, warm shades of purple, pink, orange, yellow and even more bright, cheerful colors that only served to amplify the merrymaking—and Chihiro loved every bit of it! After all, everybody seemed so joyful and lighthearted, as if they hadn't been this happy in forever; it truly was a sight for sore eyes to see those fairies that were so unhappy before find some peace and happiness.

Chihiro watched a couple fairies play party games with a glass chalice full of pomegranate juice that just burst with flavor in hand, and she couldn't help but feel her heart turn light. Everyone was so happy that it was hard not to smile!

"Chihiro!" Demeter called as she and a couple other fairies waved her over."Come join us!"

Chihiro beamed, ran over and waved as well with no mind taken to the sloshing of her drink. "Coming!"

Chihiro paused and took a breath as she came to a stop. The smell of cool autumn wind intermingled with cinnamon and warm baked goods, and gave the whole area a sense of warmth and safety; the sight her new friends' smiles only added to it!

"Man, to think it's this dark 'lready!" Athena shouted as she leaned over Demeter and tossed a gold chalice filled with deep red liquid to the sky, a noticeable blush on her face. "So, how long're you and your buddies stayin', kid?"

"Sorry, everyone," Chihiro chuckled as she scratched the back of her head, "but I've gotta get home now!"

A couple of the fairies made disappointed sighs, but Demeter only smiled and ruffled Chihiro's dark hair.

"That's quite alright, Chihiro," Demeter said as a soft, gentle smile crept along her face. "Thanks for the help today!"

"No, thank you!" Chihiro shook her head and gently lifted off Demeter's hand. "All of you taught me a whole lot today!"

"Glad to hear it, kiddo!" Athena exclaimed as she pushed past Demeter and gently ribbed Chihiro's arm. "Be sure to drop us a letter!"

Chihiro beamed, made a firm series of nods and ran off. "Bye everyone! See you later!"

"See you later!"

Chihiro giggled as she stopped and took the last swig out of her pomegranate juice, her eyes now focused on the village's open mouth. Everything after it was slowly painted into cooler, darker shades of purple and blue to signify the coming night, and it felt quite lonely. A part of her wanted to stay in the village's hustle and bustle forever, but she knew she couldn't do that. No, she had to report back to Master Eon!

Chihiro laid her chalice down on a tray for used dishes and ran into the night. With the faint light of scattered lanterns and fireflies as her guide, Chihiro dashed down the woods as the cold night wind caressed her hair. For a minute, it seemed like her peaceful little run would last forever…

But soon enough, she found herself at the village's mouth, which was still noticeable enough despite the decorations. More importantly, the relief team's carriage packed up and got ready to leave! Crap, she had to get going before she was left behind!

"WAIT, WAIT, I'M COMING!" Chihiro shouted as she raced up to where Dione and a few other fairies were packing their belongings up. Thankfully, it didn't seem like they were ready to leave yet. Wait, were they?

"There you are, Chihiro!" Dione remarked as Chihiro jumped on the carriage. "I was wondering where you went!"

Chihiro just giggled and blushed. "I kinda got a bit tied up in partying." Chihiro's eyes went wide with fear. "I'm not too late for the ship, am I?"

"Nope, you're right on time."

Dione chuckled, shook her head, and hopped into the carriage itself she she slammed the door shut.

With all its passengers boarded, Chihiro paused and peered out the window as the carriage rolled down its merry way. Soon enough, the wispy, almost haunted-looking forests and bright lights of Stillhaven became nothing more than a faint shadow in the distance, only partially brought to light by the light of the shining moon. Really, all the sights she saw were so peaceful, from the rolling fields that stretched between Stillhaven, the sights of its neighboring villages in the quiet of night, the massive forests lit with fireflies… It was so tranquil that it almost made her want to fall asleep!

Chihiro's head dozed up and down a couple of times as her vision and mind became fuzzy and blurred. She bonked her head on the window a couple of times in her sleepy haze, but it hardly concerned her. Maybe it was time she got a few winks of rest. Before she could, the carriage jolted to a stop!

"Here's your stop, Chihiro!" Dione remarked as she gently shook Chihiro's shoulders. "The ship should be waiting for us!"

"Wait, you're coming too?" Chihiro mumbled as she shook her sleepy, sleepy head.

Dione only nodded. "Just to report back to your mentor about today! Since I'm sure he'll want to hear the whole story."

Dione and Chihiro left the carriage, waved goodbye, and made their way down the open mouth of the Fairy Kingdom's entrance. Chihiro had to admit, she quite liked Dione. After all, Dione's warmth and wisdom reminded her a lot of her own mother!

That, however, just made Chihiro solemn with thought. Her own mother, who probably waited for her to get back home with bated breath, who was probably worried sick as she pondered Chihiro's own whereabouts. Just how was she doing, no, what was she doing right now? Did she think of Chihiro any? From there, Chihiro couldn't help but wonder: what would she do when the Core of Light was done? After all, she couldn't use portals to return to Earth, so there was a good chance she'd be stuck here in Skylands for the rest of her life, maybe.

But would there be a purpose for her anymore?

As her mind flashed back to memories of her past mistakes, Chihiro's joy and comfort from earlier dissolved into worry and self-loathing. What would she do if she wasn't strong enough to help the Skylanders once the Core was done, or fulfill the role she held as a portal master and protector of Skylands? Would there come a time where she couldn't protect them when they most needed it, and it would ruin their friendship completely? Or worse yet, would she lose them in more than just that sense, would they get killed while she would be too weak to stop it? Would the entirety of Skylands be plunged into ruin and disrepair with her completely helpless to stop it?

That was all assuming they'd even be able to reconstruct the Core in the first place! With all her shortcomings, surely one of these days, they'd lose a component of the Core, or maybe it would get destroyed and have its pieces scattered again, and somehow, she knew it would be her fault.

Flashes of Kaos's sickening face and vague memories of her near-death encounter with him flashed into her mind again, but Chihiro tried to shake them off. However, they still egged on in the back of her mind—except in her place, she envisioned the Skylanders, she envisioned her friends in the way of his killing blow!

For a moment, Chihiro completely froze and dropped her head, and her whole body went clammy and cold and shaky. No, no, Kaos wasn't here, things were fine, it's just a silly worry; still, what if it came true? If he ended up killing them, the friends she cane to care for the most, there would be nothing she could do. She was nowhere near strong enough to stop him from even killing her! She just barely saved Spyro during those monster attacks, after all, and he still had to spend a night in the infirmary. That monster, while strong, was probably nowhere near as strong as Kaos was!

Chihiro looked down and bit her lip, but lifted her head as Dione gently nudged her shoulder.

"We're here!" Dione whispered as she made a gentle, warm smile that whisked away all of Chihiro's worries.

Chihiro just made a weak smile of her, and looked ahead to find that sure enough, the ship that took her to the kingdom arrived back! Chihiro and Dione both went to step on board, but froze as the sound of another carriage coming to a close sounded behind them!

"Leaving so soon?" teased a voice behind them—Calliope's! She and Mnemosyne came to say goodbye!

"Calliope, Mnemosyne!" Chihiro chirped as she smiled and waved. "You came right in time!"

"Well, we have to say goodbye, of course! It's fairy custom, you know. If you don't bid each other farewell, you'll never see them again!" Mnemosyne informed with a stern look that soon turned into a small smile. "Besides, we wanted to thank you for all your help today."

"Yeah!" Calliope chimed in. "Thanks to you, Stillhaven's finally on the road to recovery!"

Chihiro just blushed and looked aside. "Ah, I can't take credit for all that. It was because of everyone that it got fixed up!"

"But you were the one who insisted we help there, even when everyone else gave up on them!" Calliope looked aside and seemingly hung her head in shame, yet shook her head and looked up. "Including us. So, thank you!"

Chihiro just giggled, grabbed Dione's hand and raced up the ship. "No problem! Now, we need to get going before it's too late!"

And so, Chihiro and Dione boarded the ship and leaned against the railing as the ship took off.

"Goodbye everyone! Thanks for everything!" Chihiro shouted as she waved back to Calliope and Mnemosyne.

"I'll be home in time for dinner, dear!" Dione shouted as she waved to Mnemosyne. "I love you!"

Soon enough, Mnemosyne and Calliope were far from view, and not just them, either. The ship flew far, far away from the Fairy Kingdom until it was no more than a dot in the distance. All that was left were fuzzy, soft clouds and deep blues skies that made Chihiro yawn just by looking at them!

"Man, I sure worked a lot today," Chihiro mumbled before she yawned again, "maybe a little sleep wouldn't hurt…"

Chihiro smiled, curled up and closed her eyes as the ship peacefully drifted into the night. The gentle bobs and waves of the ship became an unsung lullaby that allotted her to quietly drift into the black of sleep…

§

"Chihiro, Chihiro, wake up!"

Chihiro groaned as she lifted her tired head. Wait, was that Hugo's voice calling Chihiro right now? What was he doing in here? He was back at Ancient's Peak, not on the ship, so why would he… Chihiro opened her eyes, and before she knew it, she found herself staring at Hugo and Master Eon! Just behind the ship was the familiar scenery of Ancient's Peak's heart, which bustled with life and excitement as it usually did. That's right, she fell asleep on the ship ride home!

"Huh?" Chihiro exclaimed as she sprung up and whipped her head around. "What'd I miss?"

"Nothing much, young Chihiro," Master Eon chuckled as he gently pushed Chihiro off of the boat, "in fact, you're just in time!"

"Wait, in time for what?"

Chihiro looked left and right, but nothing seemed amiss—had something happened when she was gone?

"Adding this mask to the Core of Light, of course!" Hugo exclaimed as he withdrew an odd-looking mask from his jacket.

"Oh, forgot about that!" Chihiro chuckled, glazed over the skull mask and hummed. "Kinda weird-looking, isn't it?"

"It may be weird looking, true—" Hugo left the ship with Master Eon and Chihiro close behind "—but, it'll get the job done. Now come on!"

As they all hopped off the ship, Hugo pulled Chihiro over to where the Core of Light was before she could even get a word in with Master Eon! However, a quick peek back showed that Dione already filled him in. Guess that was one less thing for her to worry about!

So, Hugo shoved the mask in an unsuspecting Chihiro's grasp while he fished out his book. A knowing crowd started to form all around them, as if this was routine for them at this point. Hugo paid no attention to them as he grabbed the book and chanted from the writing on its pages. As he spoke those magic words, the mask rumbled, and it leaped out of Chihiro's arms as it flew into a hole within the elaborate golden frame in the Core! The mask glowed for a moment, but the glow settled as it hovered in place.

While everyone else cheered at the mask's inclusion, Chihiro just looked back on Dione and Master Eon's conversation. She couldn't really make out what they were saying, so all she had to go on were the gestures and motions they made. Hopefully it was a good one…

"Come forward, young Chihiro," Master Eon said as he turned to Chihiro and bobbed his ghostly form. "After all, we need to discuss the results of your latest exam."

Chihiro just bit her lip as hesitation gripped her heart. What if she failed and had to take it over again? After all, she did screw up a lot! But, she might as well face the music, so she reluctantly drew closer to Master Eon and looked down at her feet.

"Now." Master Eon's glow turned a bit duller and more serious. "It was incredibly irresponsible and thoughtless of you to prioritize finishing the exam over the well-being of those you were supposed to help…"

Chihiro winced and stepped back as she braced herself for the prospect of yet another failure, but then, Master Eon's glow became bright enough to make her lift her head out of curiosity.

"But, the fact that you were not only able to recognize your mistakes, but properly apologize and make amends for them is commendable. With your help, Stillhaven has been set on the proper path to recovery, so… You pass!"

Chihiro beamed as Master Eon gently patted her head, and breathed a sigh of relief. So she had passed after all! What a relief!

"Well, as fun as this is, I can't stay here for long," Dione said. "Still got a lot of work to do back home and all!"

Chihiro nodded, grabbed Dione's hand and shook it nice and firm. "Thanks for letting me work with you, Miss Dione!" Chihiro beamed.

"It was my pleasure." Dione returned Chihiro's shake, flitted off and waved. "Goodbye, portal masters!"

"Farewell! Safe travels!" Chihiro and Master Eon shouted back.

Dione flew back to the ship and disappeared into the night's dark depths, and soon enough, everybody else dispersed back into the safety of the buildings they were assigned as well—everyone but Master Eon and Chihiro. Instead, the two of them just stood and took in the cool and calm of the autumn night, with its soft breeze and twinkling stars that seemed a little more magical than usual.

"You know, Master Eon, you were right! Being a leader is a lot different than I expected," Chihiro said as she looked up at the sky, "but, I don't mind!" Chihiro thrust her fist to the skies. "I'm gonna work harder, and be an even better leader for everyone!"

"Well, if that's what you truly believe," Master Eon chuckled, followed by a gentle, affirming bob, "I'd say you have the start of a great leader already!"

Chihiro grinned as she watched Master Eon flit away—surely, it was probably time for him to sleep and all—but she couldn't bring herself to go to bed yet. So instead, she just watched the Core of Light as it spun and worked in its unfinished glory. Normally she'd be so happy to see it so far, but now, something about it made her feel a pit form in her heart…

Though maybe that was just her dread over how she'd easily lose her friends to forces of evil in the blink of an eye speaking; no, that wasn't entirely true. After all, as long as she did perfectly on everything, and was the strongest and best at every mission and exam and test she took, she'd still be able to protect them from whatever could take them away from her, right? Yeah, that's right! As long as she was the top of the pack, nothing could stand in her way! Not Kaos, not any villain in Skylands, not even her own struggles!

That's right! I'll be the strongest, smartest portal master they've ever seen! After all, if I'm gonna stop Kaos and protect everyone, I'll need to be the best I can be! Chihiro clenched her fist and held it against her chest.

As the moonlight danced over the grass, she made a vow to nobody but herself, with only whatever divine being resided over Skylands as her witness.

I'll be the one who defeats Kaos and keep my friends safe from him, no matter what! As long as the Skylanders have me, they'll never have to worry about him ever again!