"HEY CYNDER!" cried a somewhat raspy voice as the door to Cynder's infirmary room flew open. "Look who's here to visit~?"

Cynder groaned as the sudden noise roused her from nap that day, and her bleary eyes fixed on the black and gray dragon that resided in the doorway. She clicked her tongue a bit, and narrowed her eyes as she lifted her head just slightly off of her bed.

"It's the reapers of the end," Cynder moaned as she yanked to meet the dragon's eyes, only for a sharp rip to sound off. Whoops, looks like she tore her pillow with her horns again. Cynder laid up, shook feathers from her horns, and winced as she examined the torn pillow.

"Oh, don't worry about that! Good ol' Dark'll let Chi know you need new pillows." the figure, a black and silver-colored clone of Spyro, flitted over to Cynder and laid a tray full of food on her bed. "For now, lunch!"

Cynder frowned as she examined the food tray on her bed, which only contained a simple bowl of soup and some grilled sandwiches. "This soup wouldn't happen to have zombie garlic in it, would it Dark?"

Dark only belted out a strained laugh and scratched the back of his neck as Cynder raised an eyebrow at him. "Of course, you asked and all!" Dark giggled again. "Sorry about accidentally dropping that entire onion in your soup the last time, by the way. Honest mistake, I swear."

"Eh, it's alright. Turns out the stuff really gives this soup the punch it needed."

Dark let out a few chuckles, yet his chuckles disappeared into nothingness as he attempted to make a small, genuine smile. "Feeling better, anyways?"

"I'll feel better when we finally get the Eternal Undead Source out of Kaos's grubby hands." Cynder scowled while electricity crackled at her paws. "With the kind of stuff that thing could do, who knows how far ahead it's gotten him?"

Cynder heaved heavy, angry pants as her wings began to twitch. The bandages around those wings loosened slightly to unveil scales that, while no longer bubbling and burning like they were when she came in those nights ago, were still raw and unhealed enough to show the lavender cartilage and flesh underneath and make Dark shudder.

"If his stupid clones hadn't tripped us up, we would've had it by now and I wouldn't be laced up in this stupid infirmary!" Cynder snarled for moments as her fangs shot out of her mouth, yet she sighed and retracted them as she fixed her bandages. "But, I guess there isn't much I can do about it now. Seems like I'll just have to wait until you guys find it."

"And we will, Cyn!" Dark exclaimed as he balled his front paws into fists. "I swear on my—" Dark frowned and swished his tail "—well, noticeable lack of light."

Cynder let out a kind of forced, sardonic chuckle, and as she poked her sandwiches, she swooshed her tail with little mind paid to the pillow feathers she scattered everywhere. "Well, thanks for the food, at least." Cynder only made a small nod as she turned to Dark. "Seems like outside of our medical staff, you've been the only regular visitor I've had!"

"Of course! If I was you, I'd hate being all busted up and locked down!" Dark snickered an aside snicker. "Especially when I could be drawing mustaches on Hugo when he's sleeping…"

Dark winced as Cynder shot him an ever-familiar glare.

"I'm joking! I wasn't actually planning to draw mustaches on Hugo's face during his afternoon nap and I definitely did not have a stash of permanent glitter markers saved up for that exact occasion."

Cynder chuckled, but it was soft and low, the kind of way one would chuckle when they almost didn't want to admit they found something funny.

"He's not here right now, Dark, but your secret's safe with me." Cynder took a quick swig of her soup, laid the bowl down and frowned as someone knocked at the door.

"Dark!" called a deep, kind of raspy voice from the other side of Cynder's door. "Come on, we were supposed to leave for patrols ten minutes ago! Eruptor's already losing his temper!"

"Alright, alright, I'm coming, Sunburn!" Dark called before he turned around and groaned. "Well, guess I've gotta leave."

Cynder just made a nod and went back to her food. "Sunburn's right, you should get back to work… Well, see you later, I guess?"

"You bet!" Dark replied with an utterly cheesy grin. "Be sure to get better soon, Cyn!"

Cynder's mouth twitched into what kind of seemed like a smile.

"I will, I will."

Dark flew out and closed the door to Cynder's infirmary room. With a sigh, he turned around to find that sure enough, Sunburn was waiting for him outside the way! After all, it was hard to miss Sunburn, with a body so warm one could feel the heat from a mile away, his sunlight yellow crest, or the red-hot look in his eyes; oh, and the amalgamation of avian features like beaks, feathers and talons on an otherwise draconic figure was hard to miss, too.

"So, what were doing again?" Dark asked as he plopped onto the ground and followed Sunburn down the halls.

"Chihiro says Master Eon and Hugo think they found a lead on the Eternal Undead Source at the Wyvern's Roost." Sunburn stopped for a moment and flicked his wings, which sent scorching vermilion feathers across the halls. "So, the three of us are going there to follow up—" Sunburn looked down at Dark and raised an eyebrow "—and I'm guessing you were bugging Cynder again?"

"Well, of course!" Dark frowned and toyed with his claws. "I mean, she's pretty lonely there and all. Somebody's gotta keep her from getting stir-crazy and cranky!"

"She's always cranky, Dark—" Sunburn stretched off a talon and counted his toes, "—and cold, and short-tempered, and she can't take a joke. I don't know what you see in her!"

"Hey, Cynder can be nice!" Dark pouted and shoved his face in Sunburn's, giggled and turned away. "In her own way." Dark frowned and shook his head. "Anyways, we should get back there before Eruptor blows his top."

The conversation went dead as they flew up to the infirmary's doors and pushed them open.

§

"Alright, so there was the sudden outbreaks of fainting spells in the molekin campsites, the crop failures in the mabu fields," Chihiro remarked as she strung along paper scraps across a worn corkboard and scribbled down notes, "and there were a couple of skeletal beast sightings in the United Dragon Kingdoms…"

"JUST WHERE ARE THEY?" Eruptor boomed as he stormed back and forth across the portal room, with momentary pause taken to shake his rotund fists at the ceiling. "It's been thirty minutes! Sunburn and Dark Spyro should've been here by now!"

Chihiro winced as Eruptor stomped across the floor, and for a moment her head spun again, but she quickly shook it off as she pushed herself towards the corkboard. "Don't worry about them, Eruptor." Chihiro's eyes fixed on her corkboard still as she waved a hand towards Eruptor. "I'm sure they'll be here any second now…"

"SORRY WE'RE LATE!" Dark Spyro exclaimed as he slammed the portal room's doors open, "KINDA LOST TRACK OF TIME!"

"And there they are." Chihiro smiled and turned around while Dark Spyro and Sunburn flew inside, though it was a kind of forced smile, admittedly. "Took you guys long enough."

"Hey, where's Eruptor, anyways?" Dark remarked as he flew up to Chihiro and looked around. "But the way, Cynder's pillow got torn up and she needs a new—" Dark froze for a minute as he examined Chihiro's corkboard "—woah, what is this thing?"

"Master Eon and Hugo gave me this." Chihiro turned around and waved a pen in the air. "They've been using this to document any possible leads on where Kaos took the Eternal Undead Source, and—" Chihiro sighed as she looked back at the corkboard "—they've been doing a lot of documenting…"

Chihiro frowned as she drew the button of her pen across the corkboard's surface. She was in the middle of something before Dark Spyro barged in, but the moment they started talking it had completely slipped her mind!

"Now, where was I?"

"Uh, Chi?" Dark said as he waved a paw in front of Chihiro's face. "We've still got a mission to go on, just saying!"

"Oh, right, that!" Chihiro shook her head and ruffled her hair. "I almost forgot. Just let me check those patrol notes from the Missionator…"

Chihiro hummed as she yanked a paper list from the table and skimmed it over.

"You guys were going to the Chicken Coop—wait no, I sent that one already." Chihiro shook her head and looked again. "Let's see, you, Sunburn and Eruptor are headed for Wyvern's Roost." Chihiro frowned and folded up her list as she looked over the area around her. "Where is Eruptor, anyways?"

As Chihiro and Dark both frowned and looked around, the portal room's doors slowly creaked shut, and revealed that behind them was Eruptor with a decently-sized, door-shaped mark on his face.

"Right here," Eruptor seethed through gritted teeth as he crossed his arms.

While steam hissed off of Eruptor's body, Sunburn and Dark Spyro both forced laughter as they regrouped.

"Yeah, let's just get this show on the road!" Sunburn exclaimed as he backed away from a seething Eruptor.

So, Dark Spyro, Sunburn, and Eruptor all hopped onto a nearby portal, and vanished off in a flash thanks to a handwave and a little magic on Chihiro's end. Chihiro waved goodbye as they disappeared in a bright pillar of light, but the moment they disappeared, her expression became more solemn.

"And I can't rest, either," Chihiro insisted as she rushed back to her corkboard. "I might as well do the most I can on my last day here."

Yet, Chihiro couldn't really bring herself to focus as she stared at the corkboard with all its lists of mishaps and monsters they needed to tackle. So much additional work, so much harm to others, all brought on by her failures. But, she supposed she wouldn't have to linger on them for much longer once she gave up. Chihiro winced as she glazed over the board a little bit longer, only for the whir of a portal to pull her away from its surface. It took a few more handwaves, but finally, the portal opened and brought forth a groaning Eruptor, who promptly faceplanted on the floor.

"Wyvern rides suck," he groaned as he rolled over and rubbed his stomach. Poor guy, probably got a little too shaken up during the mission—Eruptor did have a pretty sensitive stomach and all.

Chihiro sighed as she glanced him over, turned back to the corkboard and frowned.

"Young Chihiro?" Master Eon called as he floated into the room. "What exactly are you doing?"

Chihiro's eyes shot open with all the panic of a wild animal in a car's headlights, yet she giggled and looked back at her corkboard. "No, nothing, Master Eon!" Chihiro lied as she fiddled with a paper list on the table beside her. "Just the usual looking for that Eternal Undead Source."

Chihiro turned her attention back to the corkboard and winced.

"Actually, nevermind that." Master Eon floated in front of the corkboard and rested on Chihiro's book. "Hugo and I have something important we need to show you. Come!"

Master Eon flew away, but this time, Chihiro wasn't quite as quick to follow. Surely, Master Eon was probably calling her over for that exam he and Hugo discussed earlier, but she really didn't want to go. No, she had to break the news to him right now!

"Whatever it is, Master Eon, can it wait?" Chihiro frowned and adjusted a few pins on her corkboard. "I, well, er…"

Chihiro drummed her fingers against the table. This was supposed to be simple enough! She'd work things out with Master Eon, hang up the mantle, tell everyone goodbye and head back to her ordinary life on Earth after this. It was what she wanted to do, at least, that's what she thought. Why did these words feel so hard to say?

"I, you see!" Chihiro shook her head, "I, I kinda have something I…"

"Nonetheless, I can assure you that this is of utmost importance." Master Eon gently nudged Chihiro and went back to floating along. "You can tell me once we have attended to the task at hand."

So, Chihiro shrugged and reluctantly followed Master Eon out of the portal room. As they passed through the hallways, Chihiro couldn't help but take one more glance back at her makeshift laboratory. A tugging feeling in her heart told her that she needed to just spit it out already; She had to tell him she couldn't be his apprentice anymore and get it over with! But her throat gained a lump so giant that it kept the words from coming out, so nonetheless, she followed him through the halls and out of the portal building. On instinct she felt herself drawn to his study's doors, but Master Eon simply shook back and forth when he saw her walk there.

"We won't be headed there today, young Chihiro," Master Eon informed as he flew towards the training arena instead.

Chihiro frowned, shrugged and ran after Master Eon—who knew a ghost could be so fast? When she finally arrived at the arena's doors, they were creaked open a bit already, and she could faintly hear Hugo's voice from inside the arena itself. Yeah, it was definitely exam time. Chihiro winced and skipped inside as Hugo and Master Eon talked among the arena floor, which was completely cleared of training dummies. While they talked, some kind of boxlike machine with a crude camera lens attached to its front sat between them, the only other being in an otherwise super empty room. It actually kind of reminded her a bit of the projectors her school used to use…

"So, Master Eon, what is all this for, anyways?"

"Why, it's for your next exam, of course!" Master Eon said as he glowed a bit brighter, then floated over to Chihiro. "Hugo, start the projector."

"Already?" Chihiro's eyes widened as Hugo toyed with the projector. "More importantly, while all this is going on?"

Chihiro drew to a stop as Master Eon's glow faded in an almost contemplative manner.

"Young Chihiro, while it is true that we have much to deal with at the moment, it is still important that we stick to our regular schedule." Master Eon bobbed up and down. "Routine is of utmost importance in the middle of a crises, after all. Especially when it comes to one's studies."

Chihiro looked aside, frowned and shrugged. "I guess that makes sense."

Chihiro sighed and rubbed her arm as Hugo and Master Eon talked behind her, but their conversation was little more than background noise at this point.

"And, go!" Hugo exclaimed as he pressed a button on the projector.

It whirred a bit like those old-timey film projectors for a few moments, while a couple of blue sparkles gathered around the lens and glowed brighter and brighter. Finally, those sparkles fused together into a giant beam of light! The light beam shot out from the camera's lens, and molded itself into a silhouette of a human body.

"Wh," the silhouette mumbled in a voice strikingly like Master Eon's as its features came to light, "where am I?"

Chihiro blinked a couple of times, unable to comprehend the person before her as they looked around in confusion. They seemed so familiar, but why? Chihiro frowned and examined them further, chin on hand and all, as she tried to piece together why.

This person had pale peach skin vibrant with youth, and bright blue eyes that shone like summer skies. Tufts of short, white hair poked out from a shiny sky blue viking helmet with twin pairs of horns, and their face had a long, square nose. Their jawline was long and rounded, but ended in a square chin decorated with faint white fuzz. They donned a long-sleeved, baby blue cape-jacket that trailed down to their feet, stood pinned together at the top by a dark blue emblem with a white sun carved onto it, and that in turn paired with twin ribbons that circled around the projection's arms and depicted the symbols of Skylands' elements. Under that cape-jacket was a white tunic with blue stitches down the front, brown and dark blue slacks, and light blue leather boots that went up to the knees. Despite their momentary confusion, they carried a sort of noble, regal aura to them, like a king or a knight. Wait a minute!

"That voice, that energy!" Chihiro blinked a few times, and whipped her head right towards Master Eon. "Master Eon, is that you?"

"Close, young Chihiro." Master Eon bobbed then swirled around the room, oblivious to the projection's utter confusion. "This is a mere holographic recreation of what I looked like in my prime." Master Eon chuckled as he examined his holographic self. "I was quite the looker back then, if I do say so myself."

Master Eon shook and returned to Chihiro's side.

"Nevertheless, this is your exam. For the eighth exam, you must battle against your mentor and come out victorious. In the event that the mentor cannot fight, they may appoint someone to act in their steed—" Master Eon laughed slightly awkwardly "—and as you can see, I am in no position to fight."

"Then, why not just ask one of the Skylanders?" Chihiro asked with a shrug.

"I considered that, but you've worked close enough with them to know their fighting styles well." Master Eon bobbed a sagely bob. "I wanted this exam to be something of a challenge." Master Eon shook and glowed a little brighter. "But, all this talking is unnecessary. Let the exam begin!"

Chihiro winced, yet nonetheless nodded and clasped shaky, sweaty palms; might as well get this over with quick. So, Chihiro let out a cry of war, launched herself right at the still-distracted holographic Eon, and got ready to send out a magic blast. Just as she was about to make contact, the holographic Eon whipped around and crafted a magical shield that completely blocked her blow!

"Who are you, child? What are you doing?" the holographic Eon exclaimed with disgust in its voice, disgust that softened into befuddlement as it looked around "Is this the training arena?" The Holographic Eon shook its head. "No, it couldn't be. The training arena wasn't nearly this big last I remember."

Chihiro gasped as she stumbled back, and her sword exploded into light without her even realizing. Wasn't this supposed to be a fighting exam? Why wasn't her opponent actually attacking? This holograph seemed more distracted than thinking about combat. Chihiro looked to her side and found that Master Eon's glow faded slightly, the same way it did when he was concerned. Oh geez, something felt wrong here.

"Master Eon?" Chihiro asked as Master Eon flew towards his holographic self. "What's going on here?"

"I'm not sure, young Chihiro," Master Eon said as he looked holographic Eon in the eye, "this hologram was supposed to be strategic, not sentient!"

"Wait, that's my name! Why are you using my name?" the holographic Eon demanded, its brow furrowed as it poked a finger at the real Master Eon. "There's no possibility that some puny ball of light such as yourself could be me!" Holographic Eon gasped and staggered back as its hand rippled with a couple blue flares of light. "Why is my hand blue?"

Holographic Eon looked down at the rest of its body and screamed as that body rippled with that same shade of blue! "No, why is my entirety blue? Is this some kind of curse?"

"Uh, I hate to interrupt," Chihiro remarked as she looked back between the two Master Eons, "but can we move things along here? I'm pretty sure it's about time for me to portal the Skylanders back."

"Portal?" Holographic Eon echoed as he looked towards Chihiro. "Don't tell me, you're a portal master?"

"Portal master apprentice, unfortunately," Chihiro corrected with a frown and just a hint of bitterness, "but yeah. I'm a portal master apprentice and the current protector of all that is good in the universe, you're a hologram created for my exam—" Chihiro winced and looked aside "—which I really need to get back to cause I have a ton of other things I have to take care of right now, so can we get back to fighting already?"

The holographic Eon just blinked and fell back a few more steps. "This can't be real!"

He was distracted, she had an opening! Chihiro summoned another sword, and rushed towards the holographic Eon without even thinking! When she was about midway there, she jumped in the air and went to swing, but then, she grappled the air and realized she hadn't summoned a sword at all! There was just empty air where she held her hands! Chihiro gasped as she looked down at her empty hands, but her befuddlement stopped short as the holographic Eon grabbed her leg and tossed her aside!

Chihiro only skidded across the training arena's beaten floors, grunted and pulled herself back up. "Owch, that really stung," Chihiro grunted as she dusted off her sleeves and glazed over her hands. Her sword wasn't summoned at all; were all these awful feelings messing with her that much?

"I can't possibly believe this! This has to be a joke!" the Holographic Eon stormed as it gestured towards Master Eon and Chihiro. "This is the current state of Skylands' defenders? An impudent child and a ghost claiming my name?"

"Hey, we're not the only ones here, buddy!" Chihiro spat as she shook a fist at the holographic Eon. "We've got tons of Skylanders here, too!"

"Bah, that's hardly proof of any ability! Any so-called portal master can grab some mabu off the street and say they've recruited a Skylander!"

The Holographic Eon gritted its teeth and stormed its way towards the doors. Chihiro gasped, and her brows clenched while a burst of rage formed in her heart! That's it, that weird hologram could insult her as much as it wanted, but it had no right to insult the Skylanders!

"HEY, YOU KNOCK THAT OFF!" Chihiro squealed as she ran in front of the holographic Eon and snarled. "The Skylanders are some of the greatest heroes I've met! They've been through stuff worse than I can even imagine and still came out kicking! You have no right to say that about them!"

"Then let me see these so-called Skylanders!" the Holographic Eon demanded as it pushed Chihiro aside, and shot a finger towards the training arena's doors.

As they flung open with a loud slam, the Holographic Eon snarled and dashed right ahead. Chihiro winced as she rubbed her head, and blinked as Hugo and Master Eon rushed ahead of her.

"After that holograph!" Master Eon exclaimed as he and Hugo darted out the doors.

"Right!" Chihiro shouted as she jumped back to her feet and followed after them, all while she rubbed her very sore head and wincing. "Stupid hologram…"

By the time they all got back outside, the holographic Eon already gotten a decent enough look at the surroundings and the people within, and unfortunately, it didn't seem impressed. It shot glares towards the equally-confused Skylanders while they all surrounded it and chattered, yet soon those glares turned to a scoff and a turn of its head.

"You call these Skylanders?" the Holographic Eon scoffed. "Even a child could outclass them!"

"Well, can YOU do any better?" Chihiro asked.

"I certainly could!" The Holographic Eon snarled as it looked down an angry Chihiro and a very concerned Hugo and Master Eon. "After all, look at this sorry state! There's barely anyone here, and the forces you have are pitiful!"

"That's only because—" Master Eon said before a large gust of wind that blew him into Hugo's arms and cut him off.

"In fact, with forces like these, it would be more appropriate for me to guard Skylands!" The Holographic Eon held up its hands. "I'll prove it to you all!"

The holographic Eon slowly chanted a spell, a spell that grew faster by the minute! The faster it chanted, the brighter the light under its feet grew, the more violently the winds blew, the more the ground shook… This couldn't be good! Just then, a gigantic vortex formed under its feet and stormed so intensely that everything drew into it, from buildings to plants to even Chihiro herself!

Chihiro herself shuddered as her feet practically pulled out from under her, yet still managed to secure her place as she clawed her way into the shaken earth. A quick glance on her end showed her that she wasn't the only one, either! It seemed like the entire island's population at the moment drew closer to the vortex and just barely held on for dear life!

"Spyro, Trig!" Chihiro cried as they flew right past her. "Hang on, I'll—"

Too late; they were already sucked into the vortex, and only able to scream as they fruitlessly tried to escape its wrath! Chihiro gasped as Spyro flailed his leg in some attempt to escape, but he was just sucked in as well! This was bad, really bad! That vortex sucked beings in left and right, and with each being it absorbed, its winds only seemed to grow stronger! She needed to do something, anything, but what could she do? She wasn't strong, she wasn't smart, and now she had no magic to boot! What was she supposed to do?

Strained gasps and sobs escaped Chihiro's mouth as the vortex sucked in even more of the surroundings. Once again, she could only watch helplessly as everyone tore apart from her, once again she failed to protect everyone—crap, those winds got stronger! Chihiro winced as she dug further in, and gasped as she caught sight of the infirmary's doors slamming open from the intense storms!

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" Cynder cried as the bed she laid on yanked out of the infirmary, with Hex and Ghost Roaster's own beds in close pursuit!

But, ultimately, Cynder didn't get a chance to find out, for all three of them flew straight into the void just as quickly as they were summoned.

"Cynder!" Chihiro shouted as her eyes went wide. "Hex, Roaster!"

"He'll suck in the whole island at this rate!" Hugo wailed over the rattling winds as he dug further into the ground, though his balance was offset by him clutching Master Eon tight.

"I don't know what that hologram thinks it's doing," Master Eon exclaimed as he poked over Hugo's shoulder and bolted off, "but I am bringing this to an end!"

Master Eon hupped as he zoomed above the ground, and shot towards a chunk of ground pulled away by the vortex! He soared down onto the patch of ground, and started a magic blast as he looked towards the holographic Eon, but the holographic Eon didn’t seem to notice him; it floated high above the vortex as that vortex ate up everything in sight!

As the magic blast incubated, it split into a round of magical, angel-like projectiles, then shot towards the holographic Eon! Chihiro grinned as they drew close, and for a moment, a spark of hope flared in her heart, hope that this mess would come to a close! But, that hope was immediately dashed as the holographic Eon turned around and summoned a shield that shouldered the attack for it!

"You're no match for me!" the holographic Eon snarled as it whisked away its shield. "Don't even try!"

The holographic Eon retracted its snarl, raised its hand and shot out a magic blast that slammed against Master Eon and shot him back into one of the broken ledges without even flinching!

"Master Eon!"

Chihiro snarled as she clawed her way up the ledge, froze and turned around as a familiar, shrill scream hit her ears! She turned around, and there went Hugo and Master Eon as they sucked into the void's waters! Soon enough, those two cries multiplied as everyone else got sucked in as well! Flynn, Cali, Wrecking Ball, Gill Grunt…

"Guys!" Chihiro cried, but her shock faded into determination as she turned around and held out a hand. Like it or not, she was the only one who could do anything now; she had to stop this! "Don't worry, I'm gonna stop—"

Right as she spoke, however, the ledge Chihiro held onto crumbled to bits and dropped her into the eye of the vortex!

"ThiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSS!"

Before Chihiro knew it, the vortex's magic sucked her up and wrapped her inside, its mass so thick and choking that she thought she drowned in the ocean. The air grew so thin that she couldn't breathe, and her head spun from the lack of oxygen. All she could do was close her eyes and black out.