The faint sound of pattering echoed in the area as the floors below grew warmer. Soon, they shot up masses of sharp spears so thick and tightly-bound that the floor was impossible to see! The spears stood tall like trees, but a sharp, whooshing sound came from below and they all trembled as they retracted into the now iced-over floors. The ice of the floors covered it in an almost crystalline sheet; cracks formed over it from where the spears broke through, and its surface glistened in a whole array of colors as Luz's group crossed over.

"So, that's what you've missed these past couple thousand years!" Luz finished as he stretched his arms out. "I know, I know, kind of a lot to take in and all, but—"

Luz turned to Fintster, and his face immediately fell as Fintster stopped in his tracks. Even though his bangs covered his eyes from view, the way Fintster held his head low and his back slouched told Luz enough. He knew this would be a lot to process, but he didn't think Fintster would be this shocked by how much time had gone by! Sure, a lot had changed, but…

Oh, right. Surely, he was probably thinking of their family members, all likely long dead and gone by now. Luz got so caught up in how happy he was to have his brother back that he completely forgot for just a moment that they were all each other had now.

Luz's chest tightened up a little bit, and his eyes stung with tears, but he quickly shook it off and forced a smile as he squeezed Fintster's hand. A soft grunt came from Fintster as he lifted his head and turned to Luz, and he squeezed Luz's hand back with a smile. There was a lot to take in and process and they both knew it, but they had each other. That had to count for something.

The path ended soon after, and all that laid before them was a large, kind of rickety-looking wooden platform. Light poured from the opening above it, and the faint sound of cheering crowds rumbled from the other side. What was it that would await them? Luz wasn't sure, yet he gulped and boarded the platform with Fintster in hand, and the others following behind them.

The platform creaked from the added weight as they all boarded, and the faint groan of churning gears rumbled within the building as the platform creaked up. With every inch, the light grew brighter and the cheering grew louder, while the faint scents of desert dust rang in the air.

And then, as the light hit its brightest, the platform raised its highest and locked itself into a dusty arena floor.

The coliseum they stood in now was lined to the brims with cheering armies of both cyclopes and Arkeyan robots alike, and over on its balcony laid two thrones with two cyclopes decked in crowns and regal garb atop. One of them was short with chartreuse skin and a single blue eye, and was decked in armor.

To that one's right laid a taller cyclops—but considering that this one had three brown eyes with plump lashes, Luz wasn't entirely sure if they should even be called a cyclops. A pair of amber horns and a crown rested atop this cyclops's head, and she wore an elaborate, queenly-looking red and gold dress while her red-clawed hands clutched a scepter tight…

But the moment her eyes laid on Luz's team, the scepter slipped from her hands and she jumped from her seat.

"SKYLANDERS?" the cyclops screeched. Her voice was shrill and aged, and reminded Luz a bit of a meaner version of the old ladies from his hometown. "HOW DID THE SKYLANDERS FIND US?"

"Oh, I knew this was a bad idea," moaned the cyclops still sitting on the throne as he buried his face in his hands. "I knew causing such a ruckus would get the Skylanders to find us! The last thing I wanted was to see them again…"

The other, queenly-looking cyclops growled and snapped her head around. "Quiet, Pipsqueak!" the cyclops queen snapped. "The last thing I need is your moaning and groaning!"

"Hey, uh, not to interrupt your little argument," Luz said as he stepped forward. "But do you and the Skylanders have history or something?"

"History? Oh, I've got history with them, alright!" the cyclops queen snapped again, turned around, and bore all her fangs as she met Luz's gaze. "They're the reason my collection's gone! I used to have the most wonderful zoo in all Skylands, you know! It had all the rarest creatures you could find in Skylands, some even extinct save for my specimens! It took me my entire reign and all the deals I could muster just to collect it, but then some blowhard storm titan from your ranks came waltzing in and freed them all…"

Luz blinked, and rubbed his eyes as the cyclops queen before him paced around and ranted something about missing collections.

"Wait a second, storm titan?" Terrafin whispered to Eruptor behind him. "Was this the same lady Lightning Rod tangoed with?"

"Dear, please, calm down!" Pipsqueak cried from his throne as he gestured out. "Remember, we still have the arena battle!"

The cyclops queen stopped mid-step, and a wicked grin spread across her face.

"Oh yes, that's right!" she cried. She laid a hand on the balcony, tapped her fingers against its rim, and her angry expression turning to something sickeningly wicked. "I almost forgot my little deal! Some strange man claiming to be an envoy for a reincarnated Arkeyan king happened to have a little deal with me, you see…"

SHING! All around them, sharp saw blades raised from the ground and shone under the midday sun, almost as if it emphasized the sharp cut of their spikes and blades. Luz glanced back at one and winced, and only turned back as the cyclops queen cackled.

"He was an odd sort, but his lord promised me the finest, most rare fauna in all of Skylands if I helped him get this Oracle and dispose of you—and I'd really like to restart my collection!"

A pathetic-sounded whistle blew in the air, and all at once, the cyclopes and Arkeyans alike cheered as they rushed out of the stands and leaped into the fray! Their armor clunked and creaked as their feet planted on the ground, and they all beamed as they withdrew maces, flails, swords, and more! The gates in the coliseum walls opened next, and the sounds of warped gnashing and growled echoed out as gigantic chompies flew out from their tunnels—literally! Torn, warped wings made of withered leaves barely propelled them up as their half-gooey green bodies hovered above the arena floors, splattered and reformed as they hit the ground!

"For the king and queen!" a cyclops at the front cried as they raised their flail.

"FOR THE KING AND QUEEN!" echoed the other soldiers as they flooded in, charging as one battalion of an army!

Luz snarled, withdrew his shield and held it up—just one shot could take the first row out at least, he was sure. But, before Luz could even spin his shield, Fintster leaped past and grinned!

"Let me handle these guys!" Fintster cried as he cracked his ghostly knuckles. "I may have just woken up, but I'm sure I’ve still got it!"

The mutant chompies roared as they charged for Fintster, their gooey bodies jiggling with every step they took. Fintster stayed still, silent, not even moving as they came their closest—but then, his whole body melted into the shadows! The chompies stumbled to a stop and growled as they loomed over the shadow where Fintster once resided.

Luz gave his shield a couple quick spins and shot a string of light beams that sniped the chompies' eyes. They squealed and stumbled back as goop burst from their eyestalks, and while they reeled back, their shadows stretched out behind them. One more step, and out from the shadows leaped Fintster! He swung out a hand and lifted the shadows from the ground as sharp blades, slicing the chompies in half!

Their remains splattered across the floor, shuddered and reformed as a forest of regular-sized, but still gooey chompies that leaped out.

Fintster sighed and crossed his arms. "Sure are stubborn, aren't they?" Fintster remarked, before he held out his hand and waved it in circles. "Luckily, I have just the trick for garden-variety pests."

An orb of flickering blue smoke formed in front of the chompies; it bubbled, pulsed, and warped as it grew and stretched out. The sounds of blowing, churning winds came out as Fintster leaned aside. The winds grew with every size of the orb, grew stronger, and even pulled the chompies towards its vortex heart!

"The rest of you might want to step back!"

The vortex grew its largest, and turned to a swirling black hole as it sucked the chompies in with a single breath! The chompies lodged and stuck together. They squealed and thrashed as the black hole tilted upwards and spat the chompies over the horizons! The glowing goo from their bodies rained down and splattered across a few of the cyclops soldiers' heads as they disappeared.

The cyclopes only blinked as they craned their heads up and watched the chompies disappear, but still, they shook their heads and charged in!

A few cyclopes swung their swords dangerously close as they rushed towards Fintster, and Luz leaped out as he yanked out his shield! Their swords clanged and bounced back, but even more cyclopes rushed in from the back and jabbed with their knives and flails!

Fintster grimaced, summoned a cloudy sword of solid darkness, and leaped back as he parried their blows. Fintster pushed away with every strike, or every clang that came as Luz covered blows with his shield. As he did, even more cyclopes soldiers rushed in! Fintster growled, stomped his foot, and the shadows that lined the arena shuddered and leaped up, turning to a dark, churning mist!

The mist coated the battlefield in thick, eye-searing smoke with Luz and Fintster in its eye! The smoke swept out them, wrapped around the cyclopes soldiers like a blanket, and shot out in a short, but powerful snap that flung them into the walls! The coliseum walls cracked and dented as cyclops after cyclops smashed into its aged brick. While most just fell on their faces and groaned, a few others staggered up and raised their weapons as they charged back in!

Luz and Fintster took hand in hand, and with one stride, the power of light and shadows propelled them until they were inches away from the cyclopes! The soldiers backed away in quaint shock. Their moment of hesitation was long enough that Luz and Fintster bashed them back with shield and blunt sword, and the two of them turned back.

Above them, the other spectators grabbed their weapons and ran down the steps in a hasty charge. Luz and Fintster turned their gaze down to where the rest of the group readied their weapons.

"Take care of the rest!" Luz said as he pushed his shield and knocked the cyclops on the ground. "We'll get to the heads!"

Despite the distance, it seemed as though their words reached, for Gill Grunt and Whirlwind immediately took to the skies!

They hovered in front of the stands and momentarily brought the crowds to a halt, a few stumbling back to avoid the sudden interruption. Whirlwind flapped her wings, brought storm clouds front and center, and their lightning leaped into the crowds! The shock sent bursts of yellow light crackling into the air as robots short-circuited and cyclopes squealed.

Above the sound of their cries, the sound of gushing water came in the air! Right beside Whirlwind, Gill Grunt fired up his hose and doused the crowds. The lighting using the water as a current to travel from one to the next with heightened speed!

A couple cyclopes fell flat on their faces into the arena. Terrafin leaped into the ground as they got up and stumbled about; he swam through it with rapid speed, carved up the earth and ruptured the surface! The cyclopes flew left and right, launched into the air from the rapid speed of Terrafin's strikes, and a few flung back into the bleachers!

The flying cyclopes rammed into a few Arkeyans in the stands that lobbed shiny grenades in the air, knocking them back and their grenades forward! A group of lava blobs slammed into the grenades as they flew. The shot whole explosions of fiery, warm colors for all to see!

The cyclops queen and Pipsqueak both squealed and shielded their eyes as the flames burned.

The cyclops queen scowled as the lights faded. "Pipsqueak!" she shrieked. "Up the stakes! We can't have these Skylanders foil my perfect collection again!"

"Yes, dear," Pipsqueak groaned. He pulled out a console, groaned and pressed a few buttons. "Whatever you say, dear…"

The sounds of clicking and clanking rang in the air. It turned all eyes away from the battles and onto the saw blades that lined the area. With a few shudders, the saw blades twitched and rattled, and off like a rocket they shot. They smashed into each other, let out sounds of shrieking, scraping metal, and changed course as they sawed halves into the torn battlefield instead!

Luz dropped the cyclops he bashed in and leaped away as one saw blade nearly tore him in half. Fintster hopped away from the same. Everyone else, friend and foe alike, broke into shouting fits and pained cries as they danced around the saw blades' ballroom! They narrowly avoided the saw blades’ sharp surfaces as they carved away at the floor.

Judging by the pounding, rattling footsteps that struck the ground, it seemed as though the big guys had just as much trouble as the little ones! The ground shook before their feet as Eye-Brawl stumbled backwards. He tried his best to avoid the saw blades that danced around his feet, turned around right as a shadow cast over him—but not before a particularly large robot body slammed him into the stands!

Parts of the bleachers caved in underneath him, and crumbled to bits as the robots who laid in the stands flattened underneath Brawl's might. Brawl grunted and stumbled up; he kicked out a few of the saw blades as he came to full height. Shouts came from underneath as the others scrambled to avoid him, but he just tottered around and flattened saw blade after saw blade while the larger robots laughed in his face.

But, as he finally regained his footing, Brawl swung out from underneath Eye. He slugged one robot in the face and knocked it back into the stands! Seas of greens, golds, and reds poured over the stands as the spectators fled from the wreckage.

The robot creaked as it pushed itself back up, and while it struggled, Brawl punched his fists together and slammed them into the ground! The earth cracked underneath his blows, and from the cracks shot up bony brambles that ripped through the floor, tossing earth and stone wherever they went. The saw blades flew in the air as the brambles tore apart their trenches. Soon, all the brambles consolidated into several large skewers that smashed right through the robot's joints and chest.

Its limbs collapsed onto the ground, its body next as it keeled over. With a clap of Ninjini's hands and a flutter of Swarm's wings, the robot's body broke to bits and burst up from an explosion of purple lightning! It soared over the skies before the broken parts rained down over the coliseum! From the ground, a burst of freezing water shot off and drenched the parts. They froze in midair and found themselves coated in a solid sheet of ice!

The Arkeyan robots down below ran off as the parts smashed through the cyclopes soldiers' helmets. They all scrambled like headless chickens in their attempts to escape, but as they ran, the winds roared. It lifted the saw blades from their place in the air, and shot them right at the robot soldiers! The Arkeyan robots split in half and collapsed as the saws ran past them. Their severed halves exploded. and coated the entire arena in a thick layer of minty green mist!

Pipsqueak and the cyclops queen hacked their lungs out as the smoke faded. They glared down at where Luz's team lorded over them with the smuggest of smiles on their faces, and the tattered, gored-up remains of their soldiers around them.

"Alright, so you took care of a few foot soldiers. That's no feat! Stop looking so proud of yourselves!" the cyclops queen shrieked as she stumbled up the edge of the balcony and waved her staff. "I'll just bring in some more reinforcements!" The cyclops queen's staff sparked, and she waved it around as the gem in its center glowed. "Guards, deal with these pests!"

The staff glowed its brightest as the queen waved it in circles, yet, no new guards came. The entire arena still laid quiet and devoid of conflict.

The cyclops queen winced at the sight. "Alright, guards!" the cyclops queen cried as she waved her staff further. "Come here!"

Nope, still no guards. The cyclops queen gritted her teeth together, growled and shook her staff.

"WHERE ARE YOU USELESS GUARDS?"

"Er, dear…" Pipsqueak groaned as he raised a hand. "I think we may be out of guards."

The cyclops queen growled, and went to raise her voice for a moment/but as she glanced around the room, she found (surely to her irritation) that Pipsqueak was correct! The stands were plucked clean of guards organic and robot, who instead laid around the floor. Between the smoking remains of the broken Arkeyan robots, and the unconscious or fleeing cyclops guards, her ranks thinned till they were nearly nothing!

"It seems as though you're correct," the cyclops queen groaned as she jabbed her staff down at the arena floor.

Pipsqueak frantically nodded as he stumbled out of his throne. "Then, then, well, it looks like I'll have to fight them!" Pipsqueak sputtered. He yanked a thin, worn-looking ax from the side of his throne, and stumbled for the edge of the balcony. "I, I'll have those Skylanders gone in a jiffy!"

Well, that's what Pipsqueak said as he jumped off the balcony and into the arena, but his looks didn't quite match up. He quaked so badly that it looked like he was made of gelatin, and sweat poured in pools down his body as he clutched his ax! He squealed out shaky cries of war as he spun and stumbled about; he flailed his ax just as haphazardly as he ran.

Fintster and Luz took one look at each other and shrugged. Fintster waltzed over and flicked Pipsqueak's forehead, and in response, Pipsqueak completely dropped his ax.

"Ow, that hurt!" Pipsqueak wailed as he ran back into the hollow halls of the arena. "Uncle, uncle!"

While Pipsqueak disappeared down the halls, and the cyclops queen groaned as he buried her face in her hands.

"Well, I guess the old saying is true," the cyclops queen said as she grabbed her staff and leaped into the battlegrounds. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!"

The moment the cyclops queen touched the battleground, she held her scepter to the heavens and waved it around! The light from the scepter pulsed and spread across the arena with every wave of her staff.

First, it banished the stands and stalls in favor of open fields of dirt littered with weapons. Next, the city disappeared in favor empty plains… With one last wave, flags of war cropped up from the ground, and the arena turned into a proper battleground!

The cyclops queen lowered her staff and whistled. She grinned as a pair of huge, magical, purple knights rushed up to her with inhuman speed and weapons in hand.

"Well, now what?" the cyclops queen sneered. "Aren't you just quivering in your boots at the sight of my magic?"

Luz and Fintster both drew back, and in turn the knights rushed forward—but so did Swarm and Eye-Brawl above them! The three of them immediately rushed to shoulder the knight's blows, and only faint flares of light pulsed from their bodies as a signal to move.

Luz and Fintster stumbled their way through the massive gaps in the knights' legs. The shadows cast over them and shielded them from view as the battle raged before them. The shouts and clashing of weapons and magic only barely registered in Luz's mind as he turned his gaze back on the cyclops queen, who only stood idle as they came close…

But, she jolted back and flung her staff!

A bolt of magic burst from the jewel on its top, and Luz and Fintster both parted. They jumped aside while the bolt of magic shot right between them. Luz leaped to the brighter side and tumbled down, and beside him, Fintster leaped into the knights' shadows and skidded forward. A thin stream of shadows parted from the larger knight as he did.

The cyclops queen grumbled as she hoisted up her staff. She turned it on Luz once more, but as she fired it up, a shadow cast over her! Fintster's screams rang in the air, and she turned up right as he leaped out of the shadows with his sword in hand. She just swung around in turn and flicked her staff!

A bright flare of light burst out, ate up Fintster in its bright, blinding light, and a pained scream of his echoed from the light as he collapsed. Fintster grunted as he landed on his side. His sword melted away in his grip as he landed, but he quickly rolled away and jumped to his feet.

"Well," Fintster panted, turning his head down to the shadow of his on the ground. "Guess I'll have to try something different!"

With a leap forward, a cloak of black descended upon Fintster, and he himself disappeared from view! A thin shadow streaked along the ground where he once laid. It zipped across the floor in shark, jerky movements as it aimed for the cyclops queen!

The cyclops queen backed away, waved her staff and held it as high as she could. The gem on its top glowed its brightest, encompassing the entire battlefield in its harsh light.

Fintster immediately leaped out of his shadows and stumbled back to his feet. Though his bangs masked his eyes, the clenched frown on his face grew tighter as he summoned a sword of shadow that just melted in the harsh light. He cried out as a laser sniped his chest and knocked him down.

"Sorry, boy, your little shadow tricks aren't going to work here!" the cyclops queen sneered. "Looks like taking me on solo was a bad idea!"

The cyclops queen raised her staff once more and turned it on Luz. Her sneer grew at a sickening rate as the light charged at its tip. It shimmered and gleamed, pulsed like a heartbeat—but before it could shoot, a golden laser sniped it right out of her hand!

"You've got one thing wrong there, queenie!"

The cyclops queen gasped as the staff rolled by her skirt on the floor, and yanked her head around to find that Fintster was alone no longer! Luz leaned down beside him and helped him to his feet now. Luz sneered back at the cyclops queen as Fintster rose.

"He's not alone!" Luz cried as he held up his shield.

Luz and Fintster both chuckled at each other as Fintster finally stood tall, and Luz withdrew his shield.

"So, bro, how about we hit her with our good ol' combo special?" Luz smirked.

Fintster smiled and summoned a ball of darkness with a flick of his hand. "Sounds like a plan to me!"

The cyclops queen's lips twitched as she collected her staff. "I'd like to see you try!" she screeched.

Luz and Fintster rushed forward in tandem, and the dust kicked up behind them as they raised their weapons. Right before they struck, the cyclops queen waved her staff and a string of large, purple eyes cropped up around her! Like a wall around her they stood; their pupils charged with light as Luz and Fintster backed away.

The frontmost eye shrieked as it shot off a bright purple laser! Luz and Fintster jumped away right before the laser struck, but in the moment they took to float, a shriek of light came from behind Fintster! He only just turned around as the cyclops queen teleported behind him, and she whacked him in the gut with her staff.

The cyclops queen smirked and shot for Luz as Fintster fell to the ground! Luz yanked up her shield and knocked her back, gripped its rim and spun away—but as she flew away, the cyclops queen waved her staff once more! The tip of its top grew cloudy like a storm as it crackled with golden lightning, and as she flicked it, a bolt of cloudy darkness shot out and exploded around Luz!

Luz winced as the light surrounding his shield faded away and banged its rim. "Hey, who turned out the lights?" he cried.

A bolt of thunder leaped out and zapped Luz in the back. He cried out as he fell right beside Fintster on the hard, worn earth, and the two of them coughed before the familiar crack of thunder sounded above them! They both rolled away right before a gigantic thunderbolt singed the earth where they once laid, and winced as they glanced at each other.

"With powers like that, it's gonna be a lot harder to knock her down!" Luz whispered to Fintster. "She'll just make things super bright or dark and ruin our attacks!"

"But so can we, remember?" Fintster remarked as he ruffled Luz's hair. "Have you forgotten what our elements can do?"

Luz winced, and glanced over to where the cyclops queen floated down before he turned to Fintster.

"I know, but we'll need to get her distracted long enough to do it! How're we gonna do that?"

The world around warbled, and the illusion of a battlefield wavered for a moment as Pipsqueak stumbled through and panted. He fell to his knees with strained gasps. Pipsqueak lifted his head, gasped and jabbed his hand ahead.

"Dear, look out!"

The cyclops queen gasped and teleported away as an arrow of ice screeched for her. The moment she reappeared, she ground her teeth and turned to Pipsqueak.

"Pipsqueak! Don't distract me!" the cyclops queen screeched as she shot a bolt of magic down into the fight. Another arrow, one made of lightning, shot for her and she blasted it away. "In case you haven't realized, I'm out here fighting because you were too much of a coward to fight back!"

Pipsqueak sputtered, stumbled backwards, and yelped as the magic flashed before he twiddled his fingers. "But dear, I, I'm awful at fighting…"

"Then why did you jump in there in the first place?"

The two’s insults and arguments crossing the air in time with the cyclops queen's retaliations against the others' attacks behind her! The flares of bright light melded with shouts of anger and pleas of ignorance… The whole time, Pipsqueak and the cyclops queen completely held each other's attention. Their eyes moved not from each other as the cyclops queen fought back!

Luz and Fintster both gasped, glanced at the cyclops queen, and then back at each other before they beamed!

Fintster flicked out his hand and summoned a sword, and with his other, he locked hands with Luz. The two of them held their hands out as both darkness and light crackled around them. It formed into a swirling orb of golden sunlight and murky darkness marbled together at their palms, and with a simple push of their hands, the orb shot up into the sky and blocked the sun!

Spinning shadows and light cast over the battlefield, and flickered around while those around froze and glimpsed up. Even the cyclops queen broke from her fights and arguments! Her eyes squinted as she craned her head up to glare at the orb.

"What is that?" she asked as she squinted and shaded her eyes with her hand.

Luz and Fintster slammed their sword and shield together, and it rang out across the battlefield like a gong. The single little shock wave shook the orb so much that it ruptured!

The skies around turned dark and light in rapid, flickering, dizzying succession, and the cyclops queen gasped as she rushed away! She held out her staff and flicked it, and in turn its top shone bright—but the shadows and light continued to flicker! They raged like a storm as she flicked her staff in succession. She rubbed her staff, clouded its top with darkness, and flicked it again. However, the light shone over her, and she shrieked as she shielded her eyes!

"Are things alright over there, dear?" Pipsqueak called from the back.

"What do you think?" the cyclops queen shrieked as she turned back to Pipsqueak.

The shadows and light flashed once more, and as the light set over them once more, the cyclops queen snarled and turned her eyes on Luz and Fintster.

"You!" she shrieked as she waved her staff. "How dare you mess with the light? That's my power!"

The cyclops queen shot off her staff, and this time, it charged with a luminous violet light that leaped out and spread! The light bubbled as it took the shape of suits of armor armed with swords and shields. Like a commander leading the charge, she flicked her staff and sent them dashing towards Luz and Fintster!

The knights' bodies rattled as they charged for Luz and Fintster, and Luz and Fintster in turn charged right forward! Luz sped forward first as he lifted up his shield and shouldered the blows of several knights' swords. He tossed the swords off and set down his shield! It charged with light in a few short spins, and Luz thrust it out as it shot a wave beam of light that sliced the front rows of knights in half!

Another wave of knights charged in as the first wave’s top and bottom halves separated and evaporated into nothingness.

Fintster sprinted to them first, and summoned another sword of darkness as he ran right in front of Luz. He hunched over and panted as he slashed his swords, and waves of darkness pulsed out, completely dicing up the soldiers! The knights faded into magic dust as the shadows cast over the arena turned to bright, harsh light—bright, harsh light with the cyclops queen in its heart!

Luz and Fintster cried out as they charged for the cyclops queen, and she in turn grunted as she waved her staff and summoned an eye-shaped barrier! The barrier's pupil charged with light and shot its laser. This time, as the laser struck, Luz yanked out his shield and shouldered the blow! The light swarmed into the center of Luz's shield and sparked as it glowed within, and with a single spin, it shot that light right back at the cyclops queen!

The cyclops queen gawked as it shot right for her. It moved at such a speed that it sniped her out of the air before she could even react! The cyclops queen groaned as she collapsed to the ground, and her staff's gem shattered as it fell beside her.

"Ugh, maybe Pipsqueak did have the right idea," she moaned as she got up a rubbed her head. Turning tail, the cyclops queen floated off the ground as she bolted off. "It looks like I have no choice but to retreat!"

"Dear, wait for me!" Pipsqueak cried as he stumbled after her.

The two of them turned tail and ran off, and Luz and Fintster in turn tailed after them, but, Luz and Fintster stopped as a large shadow shaped like knight's armor cast over the arena!

"But don't worry, I'll leave you all some little friends to play with!"

The ground rumbled as the larger knights crashed down onto the arena. Their landing crumbled weaker parts of the coliseum stands, and kicked up massive clouds of dust that blocked off most of the world around. Though, beneath their dusty forms, one could barely spy the cyclops queen and Pipsqueak as they made their way to the exit!

Luz growled as he eyed the knights and took a step forward. The knights in turn moved to cover the exit, and knocked Luz off his feet with the mighty quakes of their footsteps. Luz’s eyes laid on the knights, so still and steadfast as they blocked the entrance, and he gripped his shield as he charged forward. He yelled out as he eyed the exit between the knight's legs, smiled as the knights laid unmoving before him…

But the knights swung their axes right as he moved to slide through! Luz teleported back to the main group in a flash of light, and panted as he leaned against Fintster's side.

"Alright, change of plans!" Luz proclaimed. "Get the suits out of here!"

Luz and Fintster clasped their hands together and pointed out their fingers. They shot out a twisting bolt of light and darkness that separated into two as it slammed right into the knights! The darkened parts of the beam exploded into a thick field of darkness that clouded the knights' views, but the light seeped right into their bodies and shone through their joints.

"The glowing parts are their weak points!" Luz shouted. "Go after those!"

With a nod, the entire group split off in two halves as they shot towards the knights! Vaayu, Luz, Swarm, Gill Grunt and Whirlwind tackled towards the first one as Vaayu launched himself into the air with a single leap, and Whirlwind and Gill Grunt flew after him!

Within their sights, the dark mist clouding the knight's vision began to clear, but the spotlights that streamed out of its joints shone bright still. The knight jerked from side to side as the mist finally dissipated, and the moment it turned its vision on Vaayu's group, it yanked its ax from the ground and charged forward!

Whirlwind dashed forward and flapped her wings, and the skies above the knight clouded as a torrent of rain downpoured onto its armored body! Patches of rust and corrosion spread like a rash across its armor, and they only spread further as a mighty stream of water shot out and splashed across the knight! The rust bit away at its body, disintegrating it in rapid time.

The storm grew stronger with a clap from Swarm, and the rain and rust fell further! The knight's hand rusted away, and its ax fell to the ground—a sign Swarm and Vaayu took as their cue!

They leaped up into the skies, and Swarm's barbs and eyes flashed sky blue while Vaayu waved his arm and summoned an entire battalion of lightning-charged spears. With a wave of Vaayu and Swarm's hands, the entire armada shot into the knight's joints, shattering its already weak and rusted body! The knight fell backwards as its joints’ rusted, shattered remains fluttered in the winds. Swarm turned to little more than a golden blur as he struck forward, and he slashed the knight's arms and legs right off of its decaying body!

Left limbless, the knight descended with a clatter, and shook the entire arena ground as its body dissipated! Swarm floated down in front of it with the smuggest of grins as he lorded over the dying knight, but quickly backed away as the clatter of clashing swords sounded beside him.

To his left, Ninjini sparred with the second knight, and shielded the blows from its own ax with her wishblades! The ax clattered as it bounced off the wishblades' surface. Ninjini leapt forward as the knight lingered, and slashed a giant gap right through the knight's chest! Sparks of lightning and magic shone from the gaping, gut-bearing gap in the knights' chest as Ninjini planted her hands on it, and she encased it in a magic glow that pushed it back!

It flew into the back of the stands, shaking the illusion of a battlefield once more as the magic pinned it to the spot despite the strain. While it struggled, Eye shot forward as light poured from his pupil! A silver laser leaped out and slammed into the knight; the laser carved through its body and rusted it up! While Eye rusted it away, Brawl slammed his fist into the ground, and summoned bony brambles that leaped out and twisted around the knight's body, pulling it down to its knees.

"Now! Get it!" Brawl signed.

The rest of the team leaped out and rushed for the knight! Dej summoned a gigantic javelin made of ice and launched it towards the left arm's joint, Fintster shot a massive blast of darkness towards the right, and both joints completely cracked! Below them, Terrafin punched another joint to shards, and Eruptor melted the last one away with the heat of his lava!

The brambles released for a moment as the shattered remains of the knight's joints rained down, allowing the knight to plunge forward…

And then, the brambles ripped through its body and tore whatever they could to bits! They skewered through its chest and came out with mechanical guts, slashed gashes and holes in its limbs, shattered its glass eyeshield—every little bit of the knight was ravaged. Nothing was left but a torn, hollow carcass that fell on its side, and crushed its companion under its own weight as they both fell to the arena's hollow, empty floor.

Luz winced a little, but not from the sight of the broken knights. Instead, he directed his eyes back to the now-open coliseum as the battlefield illusion faded and lightstepped out as fast as he can. He jumped back out, and turned around for only a moment as the battlefield faded completely with an ordinary coliseum left behind.

A puff and a flurry of purple smoke enveloped him next. It sent him into a coughing fit until the smoke cleared, and Ninjini came in with the others close behind. She floated out, summoned a shiny crystal orb, and waved around with a frown.

"I'll scry and see if I can find the high priest," Ninjini spat out. "Hopefully, they—"

"Actually, there's no need!"

The sound of a familiarly cheerful and young voice rang in the air, and Luz lifted his eyes to find… Chihiro! She was back with Spyro and Nemir close in tow, a molekin dressed in fancy, cool-colored robes by their sides, and she proudly held the unconscious, tied-up cyclops queen and Pipsqueak like a prize trophy.

"Chi!" Gill Grunt called. "You're back!"

"Yep!" Chihiro nodded as she waved the cyclops queen and Pipsqueak around. "Ran into these guys chasing the high priest when we were coming back from the Underworld" — a particularly smug smile crossed Chihiro's face as she snickered — "and I gave them the what-for!"

"We've already called on the others to help with cleanup," Spyro explained. "They should be here any moment."

"Alright then, but that leaves one question…" Gill Grunt asked, holding a fin to his chin. "Just what are you two wearing?"

Huh, now that Luz got a look at them that wasn't filled with battle-made adrenaline, he was sure Chihiro wasn't wearing those fancy robes and Spyro wasn't wearing nearly as much jewelry as he currently was when they left for the underworld. Seems they noticed, too, for they both looked down and laughed.

"Well, it's a long story," Chihiro said as she dropped the cyclops queen and Pipsqueak on the ground. Wiping her hands, Chihiro sat down and beamed. "But, I'll start from the beginning."

So, Chihiro and Spyro sat down and regaled a tale from their journey in the underworld. They spoke of festivals, beings of pure hatred and dancing, and other stuff Luz didn't quite hear. He turned back to Nemir and walked forward, but Nemir got one wide-eyed look at him, and Nemir immediately stuffed the device he held in his pockets as he rushed forward.

"Fintster, my boy!" Nemir cried as he flew past Luz and planted his hands firmly on Fintster's shoulders. "You, you're alive…"

"Relatively speaking," Fintster corrected as he took a glance down back at his ghostly body. "But, I'm back. Well, if you could even count being this far ahead in the future back, anyways."

Nemir chuckled, and the familiar whir of an incoming ship brought their attention to the skies. There, the Dread-Yacht parked itself at the side of the island, but, not before taking out a few of the docks along the way. Classic Flynn.

The molekin dressed in fancy, colorful robes—probably the high priest, if Luz had to guess—walked out, and rubbed their claws for a moment before they bowed before Luz.

"Thank you for your aid in saving our village," she said before she lifted herself up. "I was informed that you seek the Oracle's guidance. I would be more than happy to assist you in consulting him."

"In that case," Luz said as he turned and beckoned back at the crowds. "Let's get back to home base! We've got an Oracle to talk to!"