"Looks like I've found it," Chihiro said to herself as she brushed a hand against the object before her.

This object was a giant, round iron birdcage—or rather, fishcage—with a rusted golden lock planted on the door outside. Inside, a sunset orange gillperson who wore blue rubber trousers and a light blue shirt stared at her with wide, pleading eyes, as if they hoped she was the savior they waited for.

"Don't worry, I'll have you out in a jiffy!"

Chihiro beamed as the gillperson smiled, but quickly turned away and looked at the open fields. "Now, to get the guys over here." Chihiro stuck her fingers in her mouth and whistled. "Whammy, Zapster, over here!"

Her waving continued for a few more moments until she saw two fuzzy figures walk in from the distance—figures she immediately recognized as Wham-Shell and Zap.

"You found it! Rad!" Zap gurgled as he slid toward Chihiro's side and looked upon the cage, only for his smile to twist into a frown. "Okay, not so rad. Who would be freaky enough to do something like this?"

"Kaos," Wham-Shell whispered, the name ashes in his mouth as he turned to Zap and Chihiro with urgency in his eyes. "Now, we need to find the key. Search the entire island if you have to."

With a grunt and a nod, the trio parted ways, and their party split in three different directions with one objective shared in their minds.

"Knowing how the trolls are, they probably wouldn't have tossed it too far!" Chihiro shouted as she walked forward.

But before she could continue on, something snagged her foot and she landed face-first in a puddle of murky water! After she coughed out the dirty water, Chihiro summoned up a towel and dried off her hair as she looked backwards.

"What on Earth?"

Chihiro’s eyes glazed over an oil puddle with a noticeable streak across its body and a small glimmer just barely visible from within its oily depths! Chihiro crawled over to the shimmer and dove her handle into the oil, only to grasp something slender and hard. After she shook she oil off, she looked back down and beamed—because there in her hands was a rusty golden key!

"Got it!" Chihiro beamed and immediately made a break for the cage, only to catch her feet on the oil and slide right into it instead! Chihiro reeled back and looked over the cage one more time. "Ouch, that was smart."

Chihiro picked up the key that had fallen towards the oil slicked ground in the collision and pushed it into the lock with a click. She was about ready to turn it when…

"There she is!" shouted a raspy voice from out of nowhere!

Chihiro jolted and swerved her head around to find that something had found her, or shall we say, somethings? There, surrounding her in a circle around the cage, was an entire armada of trolls or what it seemed like from her eyes! They were all scowls and warts and oily hair, and each one was either beefed up with muscle or wielded dangerous-looking guns and bombs and other sorts of weapons—but they all shared one common factor, and that was their sheer anger. Worst of all, right at the front of the group was the same warty, green-skinned troll Chihiro tricked into giving her the cage's location! He now stared her in the eye with his gun cocked and ready for shooting.

"Looks like the tables have been turned," the troll sneered with a proud look in his eyes, "Lord Kaos sure will be happy when I turn you in."

Chihiro trembled as she scrambled backwards, only to bump into the cage! Her breath was heavy as the trolls all closed in on her, ready to strike, only for her to sneer.

"Look over there! A flying pig!" Chihiro exclaimed as she pointed to the smoky skies.

"A FLYING PIG?" All the trolls shouted at once as they turned around with their eyes trained to the murky skies.

Chihiro created an energy sphere with an eager smile stretched across her lips, and tossed it straight at the troll who lead the group! As he fell to the floor with a thud, all the trolls turned back around—but what faced them as an eager-looking Chihiro who was now surrounded by explosive magic energy spheres! The trolls screamed and cried out as the energy spheres shot themselves at the trolls and exploded, which lit their battlefield in a bright cyan; quite frankly, it was a welcome change of color among the murky greens and grays. Soon enough, Chihiro's own shouts of war intermingled with her opponents', and the commotion so great it would've attracted the attention of everyone around!

Including…

"Whoa, Whamster, check this out!" Zap shouted with his orange eyes fastened tightly on the scene before them as he nudged Wham-Shell's shoulder.

"Just how important is it, Zap?" Wham-Shell asked as he turned around. "I'm trying to find the key, in case you couldn't—"

Wham-Shell rendered speechless for only moments as he watched the scene before him and bit his lip.

There, practically begging to be observed, was a repeated giant flare of cyan light that radiated with magic energy. Over the explosions one could just barely hear the sound of war—which included a cheery, youthful voice that they surely both recognized…

"CHIHIRO?" Wham-Shell exclaimed as he saw a familiar childlike figure jump back from an explosion and shoot off a mechanical laser gun into the smoke.

"Look at her, she's awesome!" Zap said as his eyes widened from sheer excitement. "Just look at her go!"

"This isn't the time to sit around and watch!" Wham-Shell shuddered for a few moments, grabbed Zap by the paw and dashed off. "She'll get killed taking on those things by herself!"

Chihiro, meanwhile, jumped on top of a troll footsoldier and stomped them into the ground. With an overeager cackle, she snapped her fingers as an entire array of magic spheres spun around her person.

"ALRIGHT, WHO WANTS TO GET BEAT DOWN NEXT?" Chihiro shouted as a wide grin stretched across her face and her eyebrows furrowed.

However, she never got the chance to launch an attack—because a giant yellow starfish spun its way through the crowd and sent several enemies flying! Chihiro uttered out a confused chirp, next a shrill squeal as something pulled her down from the troll she stood on. After she pulled out of the fray, Chihiro turned around and smiled, for there in front of her was Wham-Shell!

"Hey guys!" Chihiro chirped as she placed her fists on her hips. "You could've stayed out y'know, I've got the whole thing under control!"

"And miss the party? No way, dude!" Zap shouted back as lightning crackled from his mouth.

In record time, Zap sent trails of lightning bolts barreling after his enemies—lightning bolts that shocked them in rapid successions and made entire lines of trolls fall unconscious!

Wham-Shell, however, gave Chihiro a scorning look. "Chihiro, what were you thinking, taking those things on by yourself?" Wham-Shell demanded, his fangs bared and sharp. "You could've gotten yourself killed!"

"I didn't find them! They found me!" Chihiro sputtered before she crossed her arms. "Besides, I was able to handle it! I was beating them down like it was nothing!"

"You're getting too cocky!" Wham-Shell snarled as he pointed a finger in Chihiro's face, his breath heavy. "Those trolls are too dangerous for a kid like you to face! You might think you have it under control, but what if—"

Before Wham-Shell could even finish scolding Chihiro, several trolls noted their position and launched into an attack! Wham-Shell grunted as one launched itself towards him, but quickly sent it flying with a swing of his mace! More and more trolls tried to attack, but it was fruitless; with every mighty swing of Wham-Shell's mace, they went soaring into the murky skies like baseballs.

"… That happened," Wham-Shell panted as he looked back at Chihiro.

Just then, some giant blur rammed into him and pushed him face-first into the ground! Wham-Shell turned around and struggled to get back up, only for his assaulter—a bulky troll that held a golden Gatling gun—to place their foot on Wham's chest with a sneer on their face as they cocked their gun.

"Thought you could win, huh, Skylander?" the troll smirked.

Wham gave the troll a dark stare, only for his pupils to shrink and his body to tremble. His whole body seemed like it was on lockdown—he could only helplessly stare as the troll cocked his gun and got ready to shoot when…

"Hey, get off'a him, you creep!" Chihiro shouted as she leaped forward and clocked the troll in the face.

The troll fell aback from this and fell off Wham-Shell, before a giant magic sphere flung it off into a nearby wall.

As she panted and watched the troll groan in pain, Chihiro knelt down and gently rubbed a hand on Wham-Shell's head. "You alright, Wham?" Chihiro asked as she gently wrapped an arm around his back. "You just completely froze when—"

"I'm fine, Chihiro," Wham-Shell insisted as he slunk away from Chihiro with his face painted in a troubled stare. "I just got caught off-guard."

Wham-Shell immediately turned around and staggered up, though he was still shaking all over. Clearly something was bothering him more than he wanted to let on.

"Hey, Whammy, somethin' up?" Chihiro playfully nudged him in the arm.

Wham-Shell's eyes darted from Chihiro and back again as his mouth pursed into a cold frown. "Do you still know where the key is?"

"'Course I do." Chihiro pointed to to the iron cage where the key was still safely inserted. "Why'd you ask?"

"Don't we have a gillperson to free?"

Chihiro took a few moments to process this thought when something finally struck her. "Oh, right! Sorry Whammy, gotta go—I've got a gillperson to free!"

Chihiro zoomed off and left only an oily cloud of dust behind her while Wham-Shell heaved a sigh.

"The mission is the biggest priority right now, you can't keep thinking about the past," Wham-Shell reminded himself as his head spun just slightly. "Don't think about it. Just don't think about it..."

"WHAMMY! Aren't you coming?" Chihiro shouted as she stopped in place and tapped her foot, her hands on her hips.

Wham-Shell heaved a sigh and trudged along. "I'm coming, Chihiro."

§

"There ya go, buddy, all free!" Chihiro chirped as she watched the lock with the key twisted inside the keyhole fall to the ground.

This newfound lack of weight flung the cage door open, and the gillperson inside roamed free.

"Thank you!" The gillperson exclaimed as they shook Chihiro's hand. They ran off in a flash, all while they cheered and celebrated their newfound freedom. Just seeing them so happy and free could revitalize anyone's spirits!

"One down, who knows how many to go!" Chihiro gave Zap and Wham-Shell looks that screamed the words she said later, "Ready for a run?"

Chihiro raced off before they gave her an answer! She only left them to watch as a cloud of dust blocked her location.

"Last one there's a Tarclops!" Zap exclaimed as he zipped off on a trail of sea slime with a wide smile stretched across his face.

"Wait up!" Wham-Shell shouted as he chased after the two then shook his head. "Kids."

As Chihiro ran, she paused to look at what seemed to be a crackling bolt of lightning that zipped past her in an instant!

"Wait, isn't that?" Chihiro remarked before she snapped back into reality and ran. "Zap! Wait! For me! Man, this is tiring."

Chihiro collapsed in a heap on the floor as she panted and shuddered. Clearly, she exerted herself a lot in the prior fight.

As he caught up to her, Wham-Shell frowned and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That fight took a lot out of you, didn't it?" Wham-Shell asked, his tone oddly caring despite how irate he had been earlier.

As her shoulders sagged, Chihiro looked up at Wham-Shell and nodded slightly. Wham-Shell managed a small, weak smile as he slid his arm under her shoulder and heaved her back up, but his eyes fixed on her as she caught her breath.

Chihiro leaned on him for a few minutes, slowly regained her footing and let go. Her eyes kept on her feet, Chihiro took small steps towards where Zap was. Then steps turned to a walk, a walk turned into strides, and soon enough Chihiro ran after Zap with pure excitement.

"Zapster! Wait up!" Chihiro shouted as she waved her hand.

Meanwhile, Wham-Shell looked at the long road ahead and smiled. Those kids sure have a lot of spirit, he thought. Even when things look as awful as they do around here, they're still all smiles and vigor. I can't let them outdo me, can I?

Wham-Shell stepped forward, then breathed in the scent of oil and flinched. No, can't think about that right now. With a shake of his head and a slight shudder, he took another step forwards, but felt two giant hands clasp on his shoulders and turned around to find the last thing he hoped to see. There before him with a tight grip on his shoulders was a giant, hairy green troll!

That troll held an ugly smirk, and the only signs of clothing worn were the sleeves to what appeared to be a pair of worn, dusty red overalls, and two giant black and gold gauntlets on their wrists. On that giant troll's shoulder was a smaller, orange troll who wore deep blue trousers and cradled a Gatling gun. A cocky sneer spread across the smaller troll's ugly face as what seemed like an entire armada formed behind him.

"You're coming with me, Skylander," were the only words the small troll said, their voice so twisted with pride that it made Wham-Shell sick.

Not just sick to his stomach, no—Wham-Shell's whole head begin to spin as he felt his hands clam up. Something about that voice seemed familiar, and not in a good way...

"Wait, Joe, don't we know this guy?" the larger troll said as their eyes glazed over the small troll who was presumably Joe.

Joe thought for a good few minutes, and his eyes lit up. "Yeah, Bob!" Joe's sneer grew wider as he glared down Wham-Shell. "It's that lousy excuse of a king who couldn't even save his own kingdom from being blown to bits!"

Wham-Shell only growled in response. His head throbbed with rage and slight panic as he struggled against Bob's grasp.

"Yeah, and he's a Skylander now!" Bob made an awful chuckle. "I'm surprised they even let him in, considering he couldn't even save his own kingdom from us trolls!"

"If they even let him in, I bet these Skylanders won't be able to stop Kaos from conquering Skylands!" Joe crooned as he clearly reveled in Wham-Shell's growing frustration.

Wham-Shell struggled against the larger troll's grip, but he couldn't—his captor was just too strong. But he couldn't let that deter him; he had to get out of here, now!

"Now, to contact Lord Kaos." Bob tapped on the black and gray communicator around his wrist until feedback resounded from it.

"WHAT IS IT, MINION?" Kaos demanded from the other side of his communicator.

"Sir, we've managed to capture a Skylander!" Bob proclaimed as he cringed.

"You? Capture a Skylander?" Kaos cackled so hard that he would've probably started crying. "Don't make me laugh. Oh wait, I just did! Now stop wasting my time and continue drilling!"

"Yes, boss." Bob turned off his communications device before he stared at Wham-Shell and frowned. "Whaddya gonna do with this one, Joe?"

"Eh, I dunno, just tie 'em up and leave him here I guess. If he's as good a Skylander as he was a king, he won't be any problem to us!"

They both broke into a mocking chorus of laughter, a chorus that resonated around Wham-Shell and made his entire body completely lock up. No matter what he did, he couldn't move a muscle—all he could do was drink in the sounds that made his head throb. Everywhere, he was surrounded by laughs that got louder, shrieks that got higher as visions of crumbling buildings and fallen allies cascaded downwards into the depths of the ocean, as every moment that haunted him came back in full force.

Save us, King Neptune!

For Crustacea!

Come on, you can make it! Just a little bit further and we'll be at the infirmary!

No soldier, don't give me that look! You're not dying on me, not here, not now!

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

All these voices and more resonates around his head, and that's when something in Wham-Shell snapped! His heart raced and his head throbbed, his breaths turned faint as he tried desperately to escape, and an overwhelming sense of dread and panic now fell over him. Without even thinking, he grabbed his mace and smacked it straight into Bob's gut, but he didn't even fully register what happened. He didn't even hear what Joe spat into his wrist as he and Bob skidded across the sands, and only barely comprehended the mass of colorful, armed trolls that surrounded him shortly afterwards.

Because in his mind, he was no longer on the island. He was in his old kingdom, on the very day it was destroyed.