Despite the judge's demands for silence, the jury still rang with angered, undignified mutters and whispers that they carried solely between themselves. Though, the dirty looks they shot at Double Trouble and Voodood clearly showed the target of this anger.

"So? What's your conclusion?" Double Trouble said as he crossed his arms. "Are you going to stop hoarding the Quicksilver and the Eternal Magic Source like selfish children and let them be put in their proper place?" Double Trouble whipped out his staff and shook it in the judge's face. "Or are you going to keep them to yourselves and let the rest of Skylands suffer, just like you—"

The judge slammed his fist so hard against the podium that it completely cracked and crumbled underneath the judge's mighty blow.

"WHEN I SAID SILENCE, THAT ESPECIALLY INCLUDED YOU!" the judge exclaimed as he floated away from the destroyed podium and glared down Double Trouble, all while his red-hot, furious gaze only grew in anger as Double Trouble and Voodood refused to relent.

Thick, choking silence echoed throughout the courtroom with the judge's screams and the jury's whispers, but finally, the very shaky Weapon Master lurched up from the ground, stepped forward and raised a quaking hand.

"Er," the Weapon Master trembled as he tried to force a steely face, though the flickering red of his eyes betrayed his true feelings. "Have you come to a verdict?"

"Have I come to a verdict? HAVE I COME TO A VERDICT?" the judge screamed as he loomed over Double Trouble and Voodood, now seemingly much larger than before. "OH, I'VE COME TO A VERDICT, ALRIGHT!"

The judge jabbed a large finger in Voodood and Double Trouble's faces.

"THESE LESSER BEINGS RUN THROUGH OUR VAULT, HAVE THE AUDACITY TO FACE US DESPITE THEIR LOWER STATUS, THEN SPEND THEIR TIME BLABBING SUCH BLASPHEMY ABOUT THE GREAT ARKEYAN EMPIRE TO THEIR FACES AND DEMANDING OUR PRECIOUS SECRETS IN SPITE OF ALL THEIR INSOLENCE!"

The judge snarled as he punched his hands together. "QUITE FRANKLY, THE ONLY THING THEY DESERVE IS DEATH!"

The moment the judge said this, it was like something activated in the previously reserved jury! They all hooted and hollered as they tore down the benches, stampeded into the center of the courtroom, and completely swarmed the Weapon Master, Double Trouble and Voodood!

"YES, FINALLY! I WAS GETTING SICK OF HEARING THEIR YAP!"

"DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!"

"KILL ALL THOSE WHO DEFY OUR GREAT EMPIRE!"

Double Trouble and Voodood immediately brandished their weapons, but even they were a bit hesitant to attack first. They stepped back and shot each other wary glances as the entire angry jury closed in on them, for the jury was much bigger and surely much more powerful than the two of them alone!

"Er, your honor, with all due respect," the Weapon Master snarled as he backed up further. "Perhaps maybe you should think your verdict over?"

"SILENCE YOUR FOOLISHNESS!" the judge cried.

In one swift movement, the judge summoned a sword and tossed it right at the Weapon Master! The Weapon Master gasped, hastily leaped out of the way, and winced as the sword hit a member of the jury right between the eyes!

"YOU DARE TO INSINUATE THAT SOMEONE SUCH AS YOURSELF KNOWS HOW TO DO MY JOB BETTER THAN I? FOOLISH!" The judge swept his arms aside as he stormed up to the Weapon Master and shoved his face in the Weapon Master's own. "THESE FOUL COMMONERS HAVE DISRESPECTED OUR MIGHTY EMPIRE, OUR GREAT KING, AND THE ANCIENT WHO BLESSED US ALL WITH IT IN OUR OWN QUARTERS! THEIR PUNISHMENT IS WELL DESERVED!"

The judge growled, swung his arms right into the Weapon Master's chest, and tossed the Weapon Master down on the ground! The Weapon Master grunted as he collapsed, and looked back up at the judge with faded, shocked eyes, but the judge only huffed and crossed his arms behind his back as he turned around.

"Wait, I know those eyes. You were the one who betrayed our ranks, who abandoned your purpose all in favor of those awful Elder Elementals and their hogwash, correct?" The judge scoffed as he floated back. "Why should I listen to a faulty machine who couldn't even do its job right?"

The judge summoned another bolt of lightning and shot it right in the Weapon Master's chest! The Weapon Master let out a distorted, mechanical scream as he slammed into the wall with such force that it left a gigantic dent in its metal surface, yet he slunk down and collapsed on the floor as the light in his eyes faded out.

Double Trouble and Voodood gasped and ran up to the Weapon Master's unconscious side, but the jury hollered and yelled in sheer ecstasy as the judge extended his arms and made a simple thumbs down signal.

"I PROCLAIM THE DEFENDANTS GUILTY AS CHARGED! JURY, EXECUTE THE PUNISHMENT!"

The jury members all stormed towards the Weapon Master, Double Trouble and Voodood! Double Trouble gasped as they all leaped in for the kill, but before they could strike the killing blow, Double Trouble whipped his staff around and teleported himself, Voodood and the Weapon Master out of the fray!

As they all reappeared just outside of the Arkeyan dogpile, Double Trouble turned to Voodood and joined hands with him immediately. They spoke no words, and yet both of them perfectly understood what needed to be done. Double Trouble waved his staff and levitated them off the ground!

"Axe first," Voodood cried as he readied his ax. He shot towards one of the Arkeyan jurors right as they all got up and recuperated. "QUESTIONS LATER!"

Once he drew close enough, Voodood swung his ax back and slashed through the juror's head, but all it did was leave a particularly nasty scratch! Voodood gasped and floated back as the juror quickly shook it off, and it swatted Voodood away like an annoying fly!

"VOODOOD!" Double Trouble cried.

He swung his staff and shot out a blast of magic that turned into a magical cushion which caught Voodood in midair! Double Trouble spun around as Voodood floated down to the ground, teleported into the fray and summoned an entire swarm of floating clones! With one swipe of his staff, they all shot towards the other jurors and exploded, but even their explosions did little more than leave magical dust on their armor!

"I JUST HAD THAT POLISHED!" cried one of the jurors as they slammed their hand into Double Trouble and blew him away!

The spell's effects lifted from Double Trouble's body as he crashed down onto the floor, and Voodood quickly joined him with another grunt. As the jurors cackled above them, the two of them grunted and pulled themselves up.

"I don't think anything we can do will stop these guys," Double Trouble panted as he sat up and grabbed his staff tight. "I say it's time for Plan B!"

"What was Plan B?" Voodood whispered as he pushed himself off the ground.

Double Trouble grabbed Voodood's hand and dashed away. "We let them take out each other!"

The jurors all clamored and chased after Double Trouble and Voodood, but right as they hit a wall, Double Trouble just teleported away and wove between the jurors' tightly-packed ranks! One of the jurors tried to chase after them, but before it could snatch them, it conked into one of its fellow jurors!

"Hey, that hurt!" cried the second juror as it waved a fist at the first. "Watch where you're going!"

"You need to watch where you're standing!" the first juror retorted as they waved a fist. "I almost had them!"

"You two, knock it off!" scolded a third. "They're escaping!"

"BE QUIET! WE'RE HAVING A DISCUSSION!"

Double Trouble smirked as the jurors bickered among themselves; it seemed as though they were on the brink of fighting among each other instead of him! He turned his eyes back to the door ahead, for surely, this would be their ticket out of this place! They just had to get out of this kangaroo court and gather their bearings, and then they could finally get the—

CRASH! went the ceiling as it opened up and dumped an entire army of Ultrons and knights on the ground!

Double Trouble floated back and pulled Voodood backwards with him, grimaced and clenched his staff. "Well, so much for that," he whispered as he held his staff close.

Double Trouble let go of Voodood's hand as he swiped and spun his staff around, and summoned an array of magic spheres, storms and every other magic spell in his book! Even a few of his clones appeared and exploded among the fray! Sweat poured down his face as he fought back, but as he swung and cast spells, his body ached and forced him to take a breather. Why now, of all times? He was almost out of here; he didn't have the time to get fatigued!

An Orcish war cry sounded off beside Double Trouble as Voodood tried ax against mace once more, for he locked deep in combat with another Arkeyan knight! While he fought, he didn't notice that a second knight was ready to strike!

Double Trouble whipped out his staff, and shot a magic blast that burrowed straight through the knight's chest for a few moments! The knight flew back, sparked for a few moments, and exploded into bits and gnashers—but the explosion was so mighty that it blew Voodood forward! Double Trouble gasped and went to grab Voodood away, yet he was too slow! Just as he grabbed Voodood, the Arkeyan knight Voodood fought smacked them both in the gut with its mace and tossed them backwards!

Double Trouble and Voodood both cried out as they tumbled across the floor, winced as they sat back up and glazed over the crowds around them. To their front, the infuriated judges and jury closed them in, and to their back, knights and Ultrons and other robots finished the circle! The Arkeyans all readied their attacks, but Double Trouble was so worn that he couldn't possibly fight back. Even his staff fizzled out like it was completely done for.

Voodood didn't exactly seem to be in a better position, for he leaned down and held the side that got injured earlier. His ax clattered to the marble floors, and he was so pained that all he could do was collapse down and lean closer to Double Trouble! Double Trouble gasped and held Voodood close, but winced as something loomed over them both.

Above them, the judge whipped out a massive, sharp cleaver that surely had both their names on it! Double Trouble snarled, and held Voodood tighter as the judge only sneered down. If this was how they went down, Double Trouble was not going down crying and begging!

"This will be extremely satisfying," the judge crooned as he licked his mechanical lips, and swung down the cleaver in one massive, slow motion, "JUSTICE IS SERVED!"

Double Trouble gritted his teeth and shielded Voodood as they both closed their eyes, fully prepared for the end. What came next wasn't the cutting of flesh or the metallic stench of drawn blood, no! It was a firm SHING, like the cleaver stopped in mid-transit!

"WHAT YOU SERVE NOW IS NO LONGER JUSTICE, YOUR HONOR!" cried what sounded like the Weapon Master!

Double Trouble popped an eye open, and sure enough, the Weapon Master saved them! He floated between Double Trouble, Voodood, and the judge, all while his many arms held the cleaver tight with all the strength his trembling body could muster! Though he grunted and growled as the cleaver tried to fight against his grasp, finally the Weapon Master grabbed complete hold of the cleaver and tossed it aside!

"WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" the judge demanded as he stepped back with a gaping jaw, one that soon turned to a massive glower as his eyes flashed red. "DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE BETRAYING MY JUDGMENT AND OUR GREAT EMPIRE FOR SUCH FILTH YET AGAIN?"

"It's bold of you to assume there's anything left to betray!" The Weapon Master's own eyes glowed red in tandem with his low scowl as he lowered his arms. "Everything you fought for was built on lies and slander! The empire you fought for wasn't a paradise, it was a tyrant's playground! Your beloved empire caused the suffering of thousands, the deaths of thousands more… All so that accursed man could get drunk with power!"

The Weapon Master shuddered, his eyes bleary as he looked down at his quaking hands, but he steadied himself with a shake of his head, and clenched his hands into fists once more.

"To believe, I was created for such an atrocious, unworthy cause." The Weapon Master scowled as he turned back to the judge. "But, I refuse to fight for it! The day I left our empire, I vowed to never turn my blades on the innocent ever again. You, however, are far from innocent!"

The Weapon Master turned back down to Double Trouble and Voodood and held out his hands. "Now, to bring an end to this!" the Weapon Master cried. "Please, lend me your aid!"

Double Trouble grinned and held Voodood's hand once more as the Weapon Master looked down at them and nodded with such determined, set eyes. With his free hand, Double Trouble waved his staff, and though it sparkled and crackled for a little while, its power soon returned! Thanks to a bright glow from the staff's end, all three of them disappeared in a magic wave that not only healed their injuries, but gave them all some serious power as well!

Double Trouble grinned as the energy seeped through his veins, and made him want to burst if he stood around any longer; the way Voodood and the Weapon Master flexed and examined themselves showed they felt the same! With that new power in their veins, the three of them turned back to the massive Arkeyan armies and readied their weapons. Now, the real fight began!

The Weapon Master tangoed with the jurors, and tore through them one by one as he slashed them away with massive swords and pushed them into the walls, but he wasn't the only one doing some heavy lifting! Voodood gashed through the small Arkeyan robots with his shiny, sharp ax, and as they exploded, Double Trouble zapped away the gnashers they left behind and used them as effectual mines that blew down the other robots! The robotic carnage piled throughout the room as they razed through the Arkeyan forces, and as the last of the robots fell to the siege, Double Trouble and Voodood turned their attention back to the door once more.

"The doorway that leads to the Quicksilver reserves!" the Weapon Master proclaimed as he hovered beside them. "Quick, go to it while there's a lull in the fight! I'll buy you time!"

Double Trouble and Voodood both grunted as they dashed forward, their eyes fixed on their target at last. As they drew closer to the halls, the ones that gradiated from gold and red to silver and blue, both their hearts beat in sync from sheer anticipation! Finally, they could get what they came here for!

"DON'T YOU DARE MOVE ANY FURTHER!" the judge cried!

The judge snarled as he slammed his fist against a suspicious dent in the wall, and out of nowhere, massive, spiraling golden gates slammed down in front of the door! Double Trouble and Voodood leaned back right before they could get skewered, and turned back as the judge slunk out from the crowds of mechanical corpses and closed in on the two of them.

"You pests are stubborn, I'll give you that," the judge said as he cracked his knuckles, "but even the most stubborn pests will be exterminated sooner or later!" The judge grinned as he summoned his cleaver once more. "THIS IS THE END FOR YOU, COMMONER SCUM!"

"Not if I have anything to say about that!" the Weapon Master cried!

He tackled straight into the judge, and pinned the judge against one of the walls with such force that it completely dented and cracked the walls. The cleaver the judge once held slid out of his hand and skidded against the floor.

"You will not lay a hand on them!"

The Weapon Master pushed the judge further into the wall, but while the Weapon Master gave his best, the judge seemed hardly concerned as he grabbed onto the Weapon Master's arms in exchange! The two of them locked in a tight-knit wrestling match, where both parties were so stubborn that neither could be moved!

"Hah, what a sad sop you are!" the judge cried as he pushed back against the Weapon Master. "You were created to serve a powerful empire birthed by one of the Ancients themselves, but you heard those sob stories from those accursed Elder Elements and left? Why would you abandon the mighty Arkeyan Empire for some common worms?"

"THE MIGHTY ARKEYAN EMPIRE IS NO MORE, YOU FOOL!"

The Weapon Master leaned his head back, smashed it into the judge's head, and pushed the judge back as he released and heaved heavy breaths.

"Or rather…" The Weapon Master knelt down and pressed his hands against the floor in pattering motions, almost like he searched for something. "Or rather, it will be no more when I'm through!"

The judge let out a horrified gasp. "What nonsense are you spewing?"

The Weapon Master pursed his lips, clasped one of his hands and hid that hand behind his back.

"The Arkeyan Empire has been gone for thousands of years. Our cities are no more than ruins lost to sand's times, and all that remains is these vaults. These times have changed!" The Weapon Master stood back to full height as his eyes glowed red. "In such a short time, I've been show that in those thousands of years, the world has grown and discovered all sorts of amazing magic and powerful beings, ones put at risk by this ongoing threat the outside world holds…"

The Weapon Master slowly drew that hidden hand out from behind his back.

"And I will not let my homeland's tyranny hamper them! What I believed in was an era of progress, of wonderful discoveries and knowledge, not an empire built on blood and innocents' backs!"

The judge snarled as he balled his hands into fists and got ready to attack, but before he could, he gasped and relented. The Weapon Master balled straight towards him, and unveiled nothing other than the very cleaver the judge held!

"AND IF THE ARKEYAN EMPIRE'S REMNANTS NEED TO DIE FOR THEIR ERA'S SURVIVAL, SO BE IT!"

In one swift, almost invisible blow, the Weapon Master rushed forward and sliced the judge clean in half with the very cleaver the judge once wielded! The judge let out some kind of distorted, garbled nonsense as the light in his eyes faded. His top half completely slid off the bottom half, and both halves collapsed on the floor as they spilled out dulled Quicksilver oil!

The Weapon Master scoffed as he flicked the cleaver and scattered that Quicksilver blood across the floor, turned back to the gates and slashed them open in another swift blow! He snarled as the gates fell apart, but that snarl softened as he gazed back down at Double Trouble and Voodood.

"Now," the Weapon Master said as he held a lower hand out to the two of them, "shall we obtain the Quicksilver?"

Double Trouble just blinked with such sheer awe that he couldn't even move as he tried to process everything that had just happened. Finally, Voodood pulled him ahead and seated them both on the Weapon Master's hand.

As the two of them passed through the halls, Double Trouble rubbed his eyes and fiddled with the feathers on his staff from sheer boredom, but he turned his gaze ahead and gasped! There, among the sparkling, silver walls carved with intricate blue markings, were vast waterways and canals that poured out shining, silver liquid which glowed like diamonds! Not only was it beautiful, but it radiated with such a powerful magic essence that Double Trouble shuddered from just its presence. Yes, this was definitely the Quicksilver they sought.

"Please, take as much as you desire," the Weapon Master said as he lowered his hand and allowed Voodood and Double Trouble to jump off. "We no longer have any need for it!"

Double Trouble giggled and hopped off; he teleported over to one of the canals and magicked up a bottle. With a pop, he uncorked the bottle and swiped up a good bit of Quicksilver, just enough that he supposed would be good for the Core. He almost wanted to take back some more for his experiments and magic spells, but that was quickly forgotten as conversation pricked his ears.

"Though I wasn't able to bring a stop to the Arkeyan Empire back then," the Weapon Master admitted as he bowed to Voodood, "I'm glad that I could at least help you along now. This time of yours seems quite wonderful, and I hope that I will be able to witness the further wonders it has to bring."

But as the Weapon Master bowed, Voodood just smiled and patted his shoulder.

"I'm glad to hear it," Voodood replied with a warm, gentle smile. "Once we finish the Core of Light, there's a lot we could tell you about. Plenty of things have happened in these past ten thousand years, after all."

Double Trouble smiled and waved the bottle high. "I got the Quicksilver!" Double Trouble proclaimed. "Time to get back home!"

The Weapon Master nodded as Double Trouble floated back over to where he and Voodood sat, but as Double Trouble arrived, the Weapon Master pulled out a small, red and gold disk and pressed it into Voodood's hands.

"This disk contains the location of the Eternal Magic Source," the Weapon Master explained. "When used in tandem with my Chain of Eternity, it will take you directly to its vaults!"

Both Double Trouble and Voodood grinned with sheer glee, but Voodood was the first to steady himself as he coughed and bowed his head.

"Thank you for everything," Voodood said as he looked back up at the Weapon Master with a look of genuine joy in his eyes. "This will serve Skylands for years to come."

"Think nothing of it!" The Weapon Master started to glow as he gave Voodood a small, but just as genuine smile. "If anything, I should be the one thanking you for letting me finish what I started!" The Weapon Master's glow became brighter as he shook his head. "But I digress. You should return this to the Core of Light."

In a flash of light, the three of them returned back to the very stone platform where they started, yet they didn't linger for long. In moments, the Weapon Master cast out the chain once more, and all three of them made their way back to Ancient's Peak…

§

The light faded in a massive vortex around Chihiro, and before she knew it, she was back in the mission simulator room once again! Chihiro blinked and rubbed her eyes as the last of the lights drifted away, and the door opened with a slow, sleek hiss. Though a part of her was almost terrified to know the results, so scared that her legs were practically jelly, the other part of her was more curious than anything! So, Chihiro stepped out of the mission simulator while thin steam caressed the floor below and vanished underneath her feet, cleared her throat and grinned as four pairs of eyes fell on her.

"So," Chihiro spat out at last as she shoved her hands in her pockets, paused and took a breath, "did I pass?"

"Well, all I have to say is," Master Eon said as he floated over and paused for a bit, all while his light faded in and out. He stood stagnant for a short while, but finally his colors changed to a soft, warm yellow.

"Congratulations, young Chihiro."

Chihiro let out a shrill, gleeful gasp as her eyes sparkled with that same kind of joy that filtered into her voice. Her head was fuzzy and kind of strange as if she was dreaming, but no, she wasn't! After all this time, she passed! She'd passed all of her portal master exams! Chihiro stood there for a few moments, but finally she broke into hapless laughter as she grabbed Master Eon and wrapped him in a tight hug!

The two of them laughed together as she spun around, and finally, she let him go and bolted towards Hugo, Whirlwind and Drobot.

"So, so? Did you see me down there? Was I super cool?" Chihiro asked as she bounced between giving the three of them tight hugs, and practically smashing her faces into theirs from sheer excitement!

"You bet we did, Chi!" Whirlwind chirped as she flew up and hugged Chihiro right back. "You were amazing!"

"Affirmative," Drobot whirred as his eyes projected a holograph of a hundred percent mark, "you passed with flying colors, after all!"

Hugo, meanwhile, broke into shrill, happy sobs as he pulled his glasses from his face and wiped them with his jacket.

"Hugo, are you alright?" Chihiro asked as she jumped from Whirlwind and wiped the tears from his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, everything's just fine, Chihiro, I just, I just," Hugo sputtered and sobbed as he hastily threw his glasses on his face and hugged Chihiro so tight it practically squeezed her out of her own skin. "I'M, I, I CAN'T BELIEVE I'VE FINALLY SEEN THE DAY YOU'VE PASSED ALL YOUR EXAMS! YOU'VE GROWN UP SO MUCH SINCE YOU FIRST STARTED STUDYING! IT FEELS JUST LIKE YESTERDAY WE WERE TEACHING YOU YOUR BASIC SPELLS…" Hugo let out a couple more snotty sobs as he let go of Chihiro and buried his face in his paws. "Is this how parents feel when their kids graduate?"

Chihiro just spun away and giggled as she ruffled her hair. She wasn't entirely sure how to respond to Hugo's sudden crying fit, but she had to presume that it was a good thing, right?

"Don't mind Hugo, young Chihiro. He's just very, very proud of you," Master Eon said as he floated around Chihiro. "In fact, we all are!"

Well, Chihiro didn't need to be told that to know! After all, just seeing everyone so happy in her presence filled her own heart with glee! She turned her gaze back to Master Eon, but he just glowed a startled shade of white.

"Oh, speaking of graduating!" Master Eon exclaimed as he flitted about. "We need to hold your graduation ceremony right now!"

A graduation ceremony? Chihiro gasped as her heart did a backflip in her chest. She'd get a fancy graduation ceremony and everything! Man, graduating was the best!

"Actually, that can wait," Drobot whirred as he twisted a knob on his helmet. "According to my hearing mechanisms, it seems Double Trouble and Voodood have made their return!"

"REALLY?" Everybody else exclaimed at once.

Drobot nodded and zoomed over to the door without a moment wasted. "Come now!"

And so, everybody shook themselves off and bolted after Drobot down the endless fleets of stairs that lead up to the mission simulator room.

But, even with Voodood and Double Trouble's return, Chihiro still couldn't help but fixate on her win! Finally, at last, all her hard work paid off! She was now a true portal at last! Just the very thought made her bubble and burst with so much excitement that she just wanted to bolt out the door and scream!

In fact, that's just what she did as she jumped off the last of the stairs, sprinted towards the portal building's doors and slammed them wide open.

"HEY, WORLD!" Chihiro cried as she bounded outside and leaped practically a foot in the air. "I'M A TRUE PORTAL MASTER NOW!"

As Chihiro floated back down to the ground, the crowd of Skylanders, Flynn, and Cali looked towards Chihiro, all completely silent with excited anticipation. It felt so strange to just blurt that out loud all of a sudden, but it felt so good, too! All the extra attention definitely felt pretty nice, too!

"Chi, is that really true?" Spyro asked as he zipped out from the crowds and grabbed Chihiro's hands.

"You bet!" Hugo exclaimed, his voice still a bit hoarse from crying so much, as he exited the portal building alongside Master Eon, Whirlwind and Drobot. "Chihiro's passed her final portal master with flying colors!"

Everyone around beamed with wide-eyed pride, and their silent excitement became loud as they all yelled out their congratulations!

"CONGRATS, CHI!"

"I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!"

"GO CHIHIRO! WOO-HOO!"

Chihiro let out another soft, breathy gasp without even realizing, and giggled as warmth flushed into her cheeks. "Geez, guys!" Chihiro giggled as she scratched her head. "You're making me blush!"

That did little to discourage the residents of Ancient's Peak as they hooted and hollered out their cheers for Chihiro's success! Though their voices all started to blend into one singular chorus, it was a good chorus, the best kind as a matter of fact! She couldn't help but bask in it forever, at least until Voodood and Double Trouble shifted their way out of the crowds.

"Well," Voodood said as he gave Chihiro a nod of approval and pulled something out from behind his back, "it seems as though we have two causes for celebration today!"

Chihiro shook her head and chirped as she tilted her gaze down to Voodood's hands, but broke out into a smile. After all, there, rested in his grasp, was a flask of that same shiny liquid that was no doubt the Quicksilver that Weapon Master dude talked about!

Double Trouble grinned and said something as he nudged Voodood in the shoulder and winked, while Voodood just smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Alright, alright, we're getting there," Voodood said before he turned his gaze back to Chihiro. "He says that we need to hurry and add it to the Core. After all—" Voodood turned back to Double Trouble and winked "—he didn't upstage a court case and bring to light an entire empire's tyranny for nothing!"

"Wait, upstage? Tyranny?" Hugo repeated as he rapidly blinked and spun his head. "Just what did you do down there?"

"We can talk about that later."

Chihiro beamed as she took the Quicksilver from Voodood's hands, while Double Trouble pulled out a round, flat device and pressed it in Hugo's paws. Double Trouble said something as he tapped the machine's surface, but Hugo seemed completely lost for words, literally.

"That machine is a map that contains the coordinates to the Eternal Magic Source's location," Voodood explained as he turned to Hugo. "When we're ready, the Weapon Master will take us."

"Oh," Hugo uttered with a nod, yet shook his head as he turned to the Core of Light, "but first, we need to get the Quicksilver in the Core!"

Hugo stashed the device away in his pockets, and everybody crowded around the Core of Light with Chihiro and Hugo at the head of the charge! Chihiro stepped forward, gently uncorked the bottle, and poured the Quicksilver into the Core while Hugo whipped out his book and chanted the incantation for it.

The Quicksilver shone like liquid diamonds in a blue tinted rainbow within the Core's veins, but it finally seeped into the Core! The runes on the Core's based glowed with a silver light as it turned around with a heightened speed and smoother rotation, like a shiny new machine fresh out of the box! More importantly than that, now it truly was almost done!

"All that's left is the Eternal Magic Source!" Hugo proclaimed as he clapped his paws. "But, that can wait for tomorrow!"

"It can?" Chihiro exclaimed as she looked at Hugo like he suggested pigs were flying. "What are you talking about, Hugo? We can't wait, Kaos's probably already looking for—"

"I understand your concern, but we still need to rest and prepare! After all, we've all had a long day!" Hugo wagged a finger as he pulled out the device. "Even if he did, we're the only ones who hold its map! We've got one up over him, so we have plenty of time to prepare."

Chihiro drew back and made a reluctant smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right! I guess this one is our little secret!"

So, everyone grinned and dispersed, while Chihiro herself looked up to the evening dipped skies and pumped a fist like she was punching the setting sun. For a moment, she frowned as she thought she caught something shiny and glowing fly off in the distance. But, she was so happy that she didn't pay it much mind!

"Kaos won't know what hit him!"

§

Kaos grumbled something to himself as he fumbled through the pages of a thick, musty old book propped up on a fancy stand, frowned and twitched his finger as something buzzed into the confines of his evil plotting room. Normally he'd reach for a fly swatter (or just make Glumshanks take care of it), but this, no, this he welcomed with open arms!

"Alright, spy-fly!" Kaos proclaimed as he turned around and clapped his hands. "Show me what you've learned!"

The spy-fly froze in midair, and its shutter swung open as it projected a hologram against the wall; a hologram of that obnoxious mole and that stupid portal poster as they crowded around a strange, flat disc within the mole's hand.

"What are you talking about, Hugo?" the portal poster asked with her obnoxiously snotty voice. "We can't wait, Kaos's probably already looking for—"

"I understand your concern, but we still need to rest and prepare! After all, we've all had a long day!" The mole replied as he shook his finger and pointed to the disc. "Even if he did, we're the only ones who hold its map! We've got one up over him, so we have plenty of time to prepare."

Kaos snarled as the hologram repeated in an endless loop, but that snarl quickly turned an absolutely devilish smile.

"That's what you think, fools!" Kaos cried as he shook a fist at the hologram and turned around.

Kaos packed back and forth as he made giggles of unadulterated evil glee! Finally, he got a lucky break! Not only did he get another chance to bring the Core of Light's construction to a grinding halt, but those Skylosers and their portal poster didn't even know that he knew the truth! All he had to do was snag the Eternal Magic Source and he was good as gold, and he has just the idea on how to do it! Kaos pulled up his sleeve, tapped on his communicator and chuckled as it flared to life with a few beeps.

"Evil Tiki Man, Evil Grub Worm, Evil Orc Warrior!" Kaos called into the communicator's speaker. "I have an important job for you!"