Nobody in the village once parted from their everyday activities despite the bright flash of purple light that appeared. It was almost as if they didn't notice it at all, as a matter of fact! No eyelashes batted and no words spoke, even as the light grew brighter before it formed into the silhouettes of Tree Rex, Crusher, and Hot Head, who landed in the village with a thud.

"So, this is where we're supposed to regroup?" 'Enehana asked as they slid off of Crusher's shoulder and levitated down.

"Yes, indeed," Sihiri added as she floated down from Tree Rex's palm. "This is my home village" — Sihiri frowned and clutched her skirts as she landed on the ground — "or, at least, I suppose it's an estimation of what it was once like."

"Charmin' little place!" Jorden chirped as he landed beside 'Enehana. He crossed his arms and whistled as he examined a spear with a violet jade tip that rested to a building's side, but soon grinned as his eyes fell on other weapons adorned with jewelry. Typical Jorden, always one to get distracted by the rocks.

"It really is," Inochi said as she floated down beside Sihiri. She slipped her arm close, and intertwined it with Sihiri's own arm as she leaned closer. "I could see myself settling down and starting a nice garden here with you."

Sihiri chuckled as she leaned her head closer to Inochi's. "Funny, I had the very same thought."

Sihiri trailed off. It was true that she always dreamed of bringing Inochi back home with her after the war, settling down with her wife, and introducing her to all her friends and family—but, she knew she couldn't do that. She didn't even know if her village was still around anymore, and even if it was, the time changed so much.

There was no doubt in her mind that everyone she once knew was long gone, and everything there would have radically changed beyond what she knew. To think, this illusory world was all that remained of her home, the place where she spent her youth playing in the rivers and running around with the other children. Sihiri wanted to cry again, but before she could, a hand soft like a rose petal brushed against her shoulder.

"I wonder if the others are back yet," Inochi wondered out loud as she gazed up at the clear sky. "I do hope they're alright, wherever they are."

Yes, Sihiri had to wonder that as well. She glanced up at the clear blue sky, but as she did, its bright colors turned dark while an airship passed right over her! Something leaped out from the side, and she pulled herself and Inochi back as that thing landed right in the heart of the village and quaked the earth!

"Sorry for the wait, everyone!" Luz shouted as he turned Sihiri's eyes to the skies once more. "Did you miss us?"

The airship passed right as Luz finished talking, and unveiled that sure enough, Luz stood right underneath with Bouncer, Swarm, Eye-Brawl, and Fintster all gathered around him! They mostly looked no worse for wear than before, save for Swarm, who was covered in bruises and a few burns while his wings and antennae stood crooked. Just what happened to him while they were gone?

"Luz, there you are!" Sihiri called as she floated over. "Are you alright?"

"Right as sunlight!" Luz proclaimed as he stretched his arms to the sky. "We had a couple little bumps in the road, but everything's alright now!"

"I beg to differ," Swarm grumbled behind Luz as he attempted to straighten out an antenna. "I didn't know sports could be that extreme. My wings still hurt…"

Inochi chuckled, floated up to Swarm, and laid a hand on his leg as she reached the closest. The green light that sparkled around her flared its brightest, crawled up her body and across Swarm's leg, and finally his body as well! The bumps and bruises all flattened themselves back into his carapace as the light crawled, and his injuries disappeared with one last flash!

Sihiri's eyes drifted to the harbors in the distance as ships came and left like the wind. She recognized a few of the boats that docked and sailed off, but amid them, she thought she saw something like a pirate ship! What would pirates be doing here?

She narrowed her eyes and glared it down, yet she didn't need to for long. A purple glow much larger than the one she made manifested right before her! Sihiri strayed back a little as the glow spread around them.

The glow faded with a pop and a strong torrent of purple sparkles, and unveiled none other than Ninjini! A wide smile stretched across her face as Thumpback flanked her side, while below her, Vatra, Vaayu, Dej, and Nemir all crowded around their feet (or, well, lack thereof in Ninjini's case, but nonetheless).

"We're back, everyone!" Vatra panted as he wiped sweat from his brow. "Is that all of us?"

Sihiri did a quick glance around, counted the heads around her and nodded. "It should be," she replied. "So, that begets our next step…"

"Figuring out how to get out of this place," Luz finished for her as he stepped up.

Well, that was easier said than done. After all, the Oracle didn't tell them a thing about the trial to begin with, much less how to make their way out! Just what exactly were they supposed to do to make it out of here? That seemed to be the question on everyone's minds as they mused with hands to their chins, flames flickered, and eyes sparked.

"Well, maybe we just have to think our way out?" Ninjini suggested. "After all, this is a magical illusion, so perhaps it's sustained by our belief in it!"

Sihiri hummed and stroked her chin. "Well, this world seems to change based on our wishes and desires. After all, it led us all to each other because we desired it, so maybe, if we desire to leave, it'll let us out!"

"So we just have to think really hard about leaving this place?" Luz remarked, before he crossed his arms and beamed. "Alright, I can do that!"

A few small hums came from their group as they thought their hardest about home. No, they couldn't really call the present-day Skylands their true home, could they?

Whenever Sihiri thought about it, all she thought about was her time, the one she so desperately longed to returned to, but she couldn't return there, and that regret wouldn't break her free of this trial. So, Sihiri pushed her longings to the side.

She envisioned the Oracle's home in the present day, from the marbled blues and golds to the somewhat chilling feeling that ran down her spine with every step she took in the presence of such a powerful being. She could so clearly taste the clean, crisp air with a hint of something sweet on her tongue, and feel the cool flooring underneath her feet…

The chills overtook her and she opened her eyes, but, what she found was nothing new. She was still stuck in her village! A light breeze passed her and the others by. The confused looks they held, and the murmurs that came from them showed they were just as befuddled as she was.

"I suppose just willing our way out isn't going to work," Vatra spoke at last as he crossed his arms. "What next?"

Vatra tapped his feet against the soft earth and heated it with his footsteps. Around him, the rest of her group muttered thoughts under their breath and racked their own brains.

Sihiri, for her part, just glimpsed over the familiar pathways of her childhood village. She resisted the longing tugs at her heart to run around and catch up with her friends, her family, and even the neighbors she barely knew out of passing. The regrets ate away at her, but she bit back the urge to run off and immerse herself in the illusion—wait, that was it! Surely, that had to be it!

"I think I might know what we need to do!" Sihiri cried at last. She cleared her throat as the others raised their brows and directed their gazes at her. "This realm recreates our pasts, and gave us to chance to lead the lives we never had and fix our regrets, correct? Surely to escape it, all we'd have to do is let go of that baggage, or at least, convince it we have."

"Well, worth a shot," Dej remarked as he shrugged his shoulders. "Personally, I'd say I'm pretty regret-free."

The others mumbled in agreement, some more enthusiastically than others, and Sihiri eagerly glanced around. No, they still remained stuck in the village with no sight of change to be seen, something that caused all faces to fall.

"It doesn't seem like that worked, either," Vatra said.

"But, why?" Sihiri whispered.

She didn't understand. Surely they'd all taken this time to remedy their ills, to fix their regrets, to see the ones they loved one last time before the crushing weight of the present day called them back to reality.

She knew that while these pains and heartaches couldn't be fixed in a day, surely at least regaining their memories would convince this strange trial that they were fine! It should convince them to send them back to the present day, where they were no more real than the tall fables braggers told, where they were forgotten along with everything they knew, and all they once loved became mere writing in parchment…

Oh.

It seemed as though one of them had a harder time letting go: Sihiri herself.

She, she knew she couldn't stay here, that it was all little more than an illusion, and none of this was truly part of the place she called her home. Even though it was all fake, a part of her just didn't want to say goodbye, not yet! There was so much to do, so many people she wanted to talk to one more time, so many places she so desperately wanted to see!

Skylands couldn't wait forever, though Arkilles was surely finding some way to Arkus for every moment she spent here. Still, what good was there fighting for a world she knew she could never call home the way she used too?

Sihiri bit her lip. No, that was just selfishness talking! Even if the Skylands she found herself in now was hardly the place she called home, it still needed protection from the Arkeyans. She vowed to protect all from the Arkeyans' tyranny no matter what, and she was by no means going to rescind that vow.

So, she just had to push aside her doubts…

"MONSTER!"

A shrill cry over the horizon shattered Sihiri's concentration, and the fierce shaking of the ground underneath her took her balance next. She fell to her knees and collapsed entirely as her whole body shuddered so fiercely. A few of her old friends passed her by with panicked looks, and she tried to reach out—but they were in such a panic that they didn't even notice her! Sadiq came by next, and that was enough to get her to shout…

"What's happening?"

That one cry of hers caught Sadiq's attention, and he paused his panic to help her off the ground.

"Sihiri, what are you doing?" he demanded. "You need to flee! There's a monster attacking the village!"

"A monster?" What kind of monster?"

"That kind!"

Sadiq pointed over the horizon, and Sihiri gasped at the sight. The birds cawed and flew off in a frightful fit as a giant silhouette of vaguely humanoid shape cast itself over the village.

The silhouette stepped into the light to reveal a massive, metallic body of red and gold paint! Its eyes glowed with malevolence even under the bright sun, and it raised its fists as its metal body creaked with wear. In spite of said wear, it bore an air of malice as it rang with metallic cries. There was no doubt about it! An Arkeyan Conquertron came to the village!

"But, how? Why?" Sihiri gasped. "What would the Arkeyans want with this place?"

"The same thing they always want!" Vatra spat out. Sihiri assumed she'd spoken too softly for him to hear, but she supposed not. "New stomping grounds or resources!"

A screeching noise raised in the air as Sihiri covered her ears, yet, the action hardly muffled the noise. The screeching dulled as visions of blood flashed in the Conquerton's glass eyes, and it raised to its highest as its footsteps shook the ground below.

"I have arrived on the behalf of the illustrious Emperor-King Arkilles!" the Conquertron bellowed. Its robotic voice boomed so loud that houses, trees, and statues shuddered in its wake. "He has graciously decided to bless your village with the opportunity to join our growing kingdom! Thus, we request your immediate and unconditional surrender to the glory of the Arkeyan Empire!"

Those words twisted and turned in Sihiri's stomach with a sickening kind of anger, but the sudden arrival of the Conquertron put her so on-edge that she could barely move. She only stood and watched as people fled.

Warriors raced through the fleeing crowds, and cried calls to battle as they flung themselves at the Conquertron. Those weapons the warriors held would do nothing against a Conquertron, much less one of the stature that stood before them!

Sihiri couldn't bring herself to warn them. Something (fear? Shock?) took control of her body, and she only watched in horror as the warriors futilely slashed, slammed, and flung themselves against the Conquertron as it stood motionless with not an injury sustained.

The Conquertron creaked as it lowered its hand, and it sent the warriors flying like they were little more than pesky bugs with a single swipe! Screams barely rose over the raging roars of the wind as they crashed by Sihiri’s feet with bloody cuts and dented armor.

One woman in particular fell by Sihiri with a body covered in gashes and a helmet dented in. She cried out as her javelin rolled from her hands, yet all she could do was clutch her bruised body. This single sight rallied Sihiri from her nerves, and she immediately rushed down and helped the woman back to her feet.

The woman still shuddered and bit her lip as she leaned into Sihiri's grip, but not for long. Inochi rushed to the woman's side, and laid her hands on the woman's injuries. The cuts healed themselves so quickly that it was as if they never existed in the first place, and the trembling stopped enough that the woman managed to stand on her own.

"I, I've never seen such a machine before," the woman gasped. Her eyes fell on the Conquertron as it rampaged and shook off attacks with not even a thought paid. "What kind of demon is that?"

"Not a demon," Sihiri said at last as her hand formed a fist without her thinking. "An Arkeyan."

"An, Arkeyan?"

The woman pursed her lips, and her eyes wandered as she ran this new word in her mind. She knelt down, gripped her javelin once more, and a certain fire burned in her eyes as she pushed herself back to full stance.

"Whatever these Arkeyans may be, I will not allow them to devastate our homeland!"

The woman let out a cry of war as she raced for the Conquertron with her javelin raised, but Sihiri grabbed her by the shoulder before she could run further. The woman stopped, shook off the initial surprise, and thrust against Sihiri's grip in a fight to move forward, yet Sihiri refused to let her go.

"Your weapons won't do anything against something of that stature!" Sihiri proclaimed. "Just look at how your allies are faring!"

More soldiers collapsed before them as the Conquertron struck another blow. A few bodies rolled across the ground at such a speed that they were akin to rag dolls that fluttered and bounced as children tossed them in the air for simple amusement. Another soldier indented the ground nearby. When the dust cleared, he gasped for air as his bloodied, bruised body laid half-dead in the crater he formed. He cried out something (a name? A plea? A wish?) and then, he fell limp as the dented club in his hands fell beside him.

"You need to leave!" Sihiri proclaimed.

"But if I don't fight, if, if WE don't fight, then who will?"

It was not the woman's question that pierced Sihiri's heart, but the fearful look in her eyes that Sihiri understood all too well. It was one that haunted her every time she saw her own reflection, one of vulnerability and resignation alike—and it was a look that twisted her stomach in knots. Sihiri froze, but a gentle, soft hand brushed against hers, and that frozen spell thawed.

"We will."

The woman stared at Sihiri like she grew an extra head, and truthfully, Sihiri couldn't blame her. The people of her home never knew her as anything other than a girl with a gift for magic beyond most of her peers, but never one to take up the mantle and fight for her own…

Now, however? She was a warrior, a leader, and most importantly, she was far from alone.

"Tree Rex!" Sihiri called. She craned her head to meet his face, and then to meet the rest of her group. "Everyone, to my side!"

They all formed in a quick huddle. The Elder Elementals towered over the rest almost as living shields, and Sihiri pushed herself into the center.

"'Enehana, do you recognize what kind of model that Conquertron is?" was the first thing Sihiri asked.

'Enehana cast a glance behind their group and turned back without a moment of hesitation. "Mark 12.5," they spat out. "They're sturdy for a model of that generation, but they sap up a lot of energy compared to the newer ones. Run them for too long, and they completely break down!"

"Just what I wanted to hear."

Sihiri turned her attention back to the group, and they all curled together as they spoke of a plan in hushed whispers. A warmth bubbled in Sihiri's chest as the plan finalized itself with ease, and everyone broke away with a shared understanding in their eyes. The world shook around them as the armies cried out and fought a losing battle while the Conquertron shook the world around them, but, Sihiri would not be swayed. and neither would her allies.

Instead, they broke into their groups one by one, and the world thundered underneath them as the Elder Elementals raced into action!

Inochi left Sihiri's side to tend to the wounded, and Sihiri joined her post-haste. One by one, they rushed to the injured and lifted them up as Inochi healed them; Sihiri brought them back to their feet while the vernal glows of Inochi's magic brushed against the warriors' skin.

"You need to go," Sihiri insisted as she pushed one soldier back to his feet. "The safe houses should be close by. Just let us handle things from here!"

The soldier turned to Sihiri as if he wanted to protest, but Tree Rex's towering shadow eclipsed them all. The soldier merely nodded in slight awe at the sight, and t off to the safe houses. He took only a moment to lean one of his less sturdy allies against his own body for support. Their figures disappeared into the distance as the other healed soldiers made their ways to safety, almost like specks of light that vanished as quickly as one saw them.

A small laugh rumbled from above as Tree Rex watched them leave, and he turned back to where Ninjini hovered beside him. The two raised their hands. A flood of green and purple light burst out from their palms, intertwined, and formed into a barrier of glowing, tightly-woven vines that wrapped itself around the village as a wall between it and the Conquertron.

Now, the village would surely be safe, so Sihiri nodded and followed Inochi to the safe houses.

§

The Conquertron fumbled as the vines nearly caught its foot. A confused string of mechanical noises uttered from its mouth as it latched onto the vines and tugged at them. Despite its mighty stature, its attempts to tear the barrier were futile. No matter how much it pulled and tugged at the vines, the vines stayed firm with no fraying, and bounced back with every push and pull made against them. The Conquertron's eyes glowed with rage, or perhaps the charge of a laser beam…

"Hey, tin can!"

A string of stingers and mechanical bullets sniped the Conquertron in the back of its head, and its body groaned as it turned to find Swarm and Bouncer behind it. Luz and Fintster sat on their shoulders as they all sneered, and Swarm's stingers glowed with light as blue as the skies as he locked and prepared to load.

The Conquertron said not a word, and instead lumbered for them; its body slowed and creaked with every labored step it took, but it quickly picked up the pace as it slugged a punch towards Swarm. Swarm zipped out of the way. His sneer grew wider as the Conquertron labored just to draw its arm back.

"Gotta be faster than that if you wanna hit me!" Swarm chirped. His wings hummed with a sort of excitement he only held in battle as he zipped back away. "Now, catch me if you can!"

Swarm's childish jeers were enough to earn the Conquertron's ire, for its eyes flashed red and it creaked after him in long strides. Blades of grass leaped from the earth as the Conquertron closed in on Swarm just enough to throw another punch—but Bouncer swept in and took the brunt of the blow! His metal arms creaked and dented just slightly under the weight, but the pain was far from enough to shake him.

He tossed back the strike and seared the Conquertron's chest with bright, burning lasers. Heat burned from the Conquertron's chest in a red blaze, and it clumsily stumbled away just to break free. For a moment, it turned to Bouncer…

"Forgetting someone?"

Swarm chuckled as he zipped right behind the Conquertron, and it turned its punch at him instead! Swarm zipped right away before the blow could connect, and all the Conquertron punched was thin air. It craned its head to find Swarm, but Bouncer zoomed in front of it and it changed gears!

Now, both Bouncer and Swarm circled around the Conquertron, and their combined speed created a buzz that rung in the Conquertron's sensors. Its head spun in its socket as it tried to determine which of the two to aim for, or how to track them when they all moved so fast. Sparks burst from its neck's openings, and its body groaned as its eyes started to flare.

Before it could strike, two orbs—one of solid, blazing light, another of churning darkness—smashed into both sides of its head! The Conquertron let out a noise like a rattling bell as it stumbled back. The light in its eyes faded as it collapsed on its knees with such force that it tossed nearby plant life out of their roots.

The impact shook Luz and Fintster back to form, and the two shared nods with Swarm and Bouncer. The four cornered the Conquertron at every angle, and one by one, launched a massive onslaught! Swarm launched blast after blast of concentrated air and lightning, Bouncer shot fleets of rockets from his shoulders, and Luz and Fintster circled around the Conquertron as they shot off blast after blast of light and shadow alike!

The attacks beat upon the Conquertron with no relenting, and its body creaked and dented underneath the battle's blows. Yet, the Conquertron barely flinched! Its eyes glowed once again as it shot a particularly fiery laser at just an angle between Luz and Swarm that they broke their formation to dash away.

The sudden stop shook Bouncer and Fintster's concentration as well, and the Conquertron took the moment of weakness with gusto. It swiveled its head around, and fired off another laser towards Bouncer, who snatched Fintster from the skies and dashed away as the laser pierced a distant cloud instead.

The Conquertron rose back to full height, and bounded in earth-shattering leaps towards Swarm. It wound up its arm as it ran, and launched a punch straight into Swarm's gut just as Swarm turned around! The blow sent Swarm flying and tumbling. He came to a stop a short distance later, and held his gut as he sucked the air he lost back in. A shadow cast over Swarm, and he winced as the Conquertron loomed over him with another blow aimed straight for the cranium.

"Watch it, buddy!" Bouncer cried as he swung in and punched the Conquertron in the knees.

The blow was barely anything to the Conquertron's solid metal carapace, but it threw the Conquertron off its balance long enough. Bouncer swept Swarm back on his feet and fled with him in tow. The two managed a safe enough distance from the Conquertron, and Swarm wheezed as he clung to Bouncer's body like a crutch.

"We almost had that hunk of junk, too!" Swarm gasped. He gritted his teeth as his wings buzzed with anger. "Just what's taking the others?"

"That's what we'd like to know!" Luz proclaimed as he and Fintster flew back up in bright streaks of light and murky clouds of darkness. The two shed their disguises with a POP, and Luz winced as he glanced back at the Conquertron. "It sure it tough for an old model!"

The Conquertron lurched up. It turned around as if it would make pursuit once more, lifted its leg high, and slammed down into the ground so that the earth cracked underfoot. Another seismic stomp widened the cracks, and the Conquertron launched into a full-blown seismic tantrum! The ground shuddered and cracked further as the Conquertron stomped, but not just that, either!

Bouncer's gears rattled in his head as the shakes shook him to his core. Swarm collapsed as the quakes loosened his grip. The shaking broke Luz and Fintster's concentration next, and the two screamed as they fell right towards a particularly large crack into the island's core!

Bouncer regained control, caught Luz and Fintster before they fell in, and shook his head. "Seismic mode, activate!" Bouncer cried.

His eyes flashed in a few bright beeps, and his body stabilized enough as he leapt off and zoomed across the land. Pebbles from the cracking, shaking earth flung themselves against his metallic body, but Bouncer grit his metal teeth and kept Luz and Fintster close to his core as he zipped around the ground.

The cracks opened further with another mighty stomp, and tossed Bouncer into the air, but he popped a jetpack out of his back as he zapped across the fields. His optics fixed on the Conquertron as he came in for a landing, and he zig-zagged across the land while he dodged cracks and fissures of all sizes.

"Bouncer, Bouncer! Wait!" Swarm panted as he tried to fly behind. He clutched the stomach, winced as his flying turned shaky and uneven, and careened one way and the next as he attempted to follow Bouncer's path.

Bouncer didn't hear. Instead, his optics zeroed in as he prepared another laser blast for the seemingly-unsuspecting Conquertron. The Conquertron, however, craned its head over first and sent another mighty stomp down! It cracked the earth in a jagged shape down Bouncer's path. The sudden shake tossed Bouncer from his focus and the ground, and Luz and Fintster slipped from his grip!

The two tried to regain their focus enough to fly off, but they didn't need to. Swarm zipped in, and despite his uneven flying, snatched Luz and Fintster out of the air as he zoomed off! Swarm chuckled to himself, but before he could make whatever smart remark he planned, a screech hit the air!

Swarm ducked down as a searing white laser narrowly grazed his head. "Dude, watch the antennae!" Swarm sniped as he glared back at the Conquertron.

The Conquertron did not regard Swarm's plea for his antennae with the same grace. Instead, it shot round after round of lasers in every direction Swarm fled, and even some he didn't! It seemed like it anticipated his every move, for though its barrages grew slower by the second, their size more than made up for the lack of speed.

"Surrender now, Elder Elemental!" the Conquertron cried. "You have violated more laws of the Arkeyan Empire than can be counted! Your insurmountable crimes have earned the ire of the Arkeyan Empire!"

"Good!" Swarm bit back. "Add another one to that list while you're at it! I'm never giving in, and neither are my buddies! As long as we stand, we'll never let you conquer this place, or anywhere else in Skylands!"

Swarm gritted his teeth when a sudden blast hit his wings, yet yowled as he finally lost air. He clutched Luz and Fintster close to his chest as he slammed back-first against the ground. He leaped off, but tumbled in large strides towards a massive fissure that nearly split the island in two!

With no control over his path, Swarm screwed his eyes shut and braced himself for a nasty fall—that never happened.

The ground sealed itself shut just as he landed. He laid still on solid ground, but his wings surged with renewed pain from their burns. Swarm blinked, pushed himself off the ground, and let Luz and Fintster slip from his hands as he turned around.

"Wait, what happened? I was sure I was gonna find the bottom of Skylands just a second ago!"

The air chilled around Swarm as a firm, milky mist crept in, and he shuddered as he turned around and tried to make some sense of the sudden change in weather. His wings fluttered as the cold chilled their laser burns. They regained their strength enough for him to blow a breeze that cleared a path through the mist and straight to the Conquertron.

The Conquertron seemed just as baffled as Swarm was. Its whole body creaked and cracked as it moved this way and that, but the mist was so thick that it could barely make heads or tails of its surroundings! More than that, the mist made sure the Conquertron could barely stand its ground, either! Its clouds seeped into the Conquertron's joints and cracked them like frail ice. Those cracks spread to its now-rusted carapace and its cracking eyes.

"Whoever caused this unorthodox change in weather, show yourself immediately!" the Conquertron cried, though its voice grew warped and crackled from the damage to its system. "You are committing unauthorized assault of an Arkeyan official!"

The Conquertron slugged a punch into the mist, but the mist parted and revealed that all it hit was a gigantic block of ice! The ice block shattered and splintered from the impact, and the spears of ice stabbed right into the Conquertron's body! A metallic yelp echoed from the Conquertron. It scratched at the spears and tried to yank them out, but they were stubborn and transfixed to their places; even the mightiest pull it could manage barely dislodged them!

"Hey there, buddy!" cried a familiar, rumbling voice. "You look a little chilly there! Need someone to turn up the heat?"

The Conquertron's head creaked as it turned around, and a voluminous flamethrower burst out of the clouds as it blew the Conquertron back!

Swarm gasped as the flames engulfed the Conquertron until only the faint silhouette of its body emerged from the fires. The familiar whir of Bouncer's wheel pricked his ears as he did. He turned his gaze just slightly, and found Bouncer beside him with a confident smile, as if he never doubted for a second that their not-so-mysterious rescuers would arrive.

The mist thinned enough to split as Crusher and Brawl stumbled over and helped Swarm back to his feet. The mist fully cleared by the time he reached full height, the sun shone once more, and just in time, too! The action finally started!

The screeching, ear-bleeding sound of ripping metal rang out across the island as Thumpback jumped out and beheaded the Conquertron’s mangled body with his anchor. The head flew far, far into the distance with a single swing of that anchor.

A faint denting sound served as the others' alarm, and they all swarmed out in a fury!

Crusher bolted from Swarm's side with a hand tight around his hammer. With a grunt, he slammed it into the ground, and tossed slabs of fissured earth into the air! He slammed them into the Conquertron's body with another swing of his hammer. One by one, they lodged into the Conquertron's melted joints, and pried out its limbs so that they barely hung on!

Vatra and Vaayu emerged from the dust and chaos next. Vatra burned away the Conquertron's left arm, and Vaayu used his winds to fuel the fire. Nemir leaped up beside them as he corroded the right arm's joint until it was so weak and rusted that a single punch from Jorden knocked it down to the ground. At the bottom, Dej froze over the leg joints as he stepped back with a proud grin.

Brawl and Eye jumped into the scene next. One leg laid smashed to bits by Brawl while another melted away under Eye's laser-hot glare.

With no limbs to support it, the Conquertron's body creaked down like a falling tree. A red flame burned from its melted body, all while a beeping or ticking like that of a bomb sounded! The noise quickly quelled as 'Enehana emerged and laid a hand on the Conquertron's side.

The red tint to its scarred, burned body faded as it fell over. A wooden hand punched through its back before it hit the ground, and yanked a glowing power core from its insides. It tossed the power core in the air as a string of blades skewered the core until it was nothing but metallic ribbons and torn wiring!

Tree Rex and Ninjini smiled as the Conquertron collapsed before them with a thud. The Conquertron and all its carnage disappeared with a snap of Ninjini's fingers. The land was still torn up from the battle, all fallen plant life and faint cracks in the earth, but it was at least a little nicer without all that ugly metallic gore.

"The village is safe," was the first thing Tree Rex said as the others crowded around him. "Sihiri and Inochi are tending to the wounded as we speak."

Tree Rex made his way back to the village, and the others followed suit. As they passed through a shimmering barrier, they all craned their heads around in a bit of shock and wonder. Despite the massive battle that once raged outside, the village itself was perfectly unscathed saved for the few remnants of the Conquertron's initial ambush!

Children scurried out from their hiding places and gasped in awe as the Elder Elements passed them by. Their parents joined in a kind of quiet reverence. Soft gossip and gasps of surprise wafted in the airs, but nobody from their team particularly cared to notice.

Instead, Tree Rex guided them all to a particularly large and round building, knelt down and peered inside.

"I'm telling you, you're too injured!" Sihiri protested as she and Inochi held back a particularly passionate young warrior covered in bandages in most places. "You can barely even stand, let alone walk! You're in no shape to fight!"

"But I have to!" the warrior protested. "If I don't, that, that thing—"

"Is no longer a threat to you," Tree Rex interrupted. All eyes inside turned to him and he smiled. "We made sure that the Conquertron won't touch your village again."

"So it's gone?" Inochi asked as she passed by with a bowl of poultice in her hands.

"I personally made sure it was no more than scrap metal."

The warrior in Sihiri's grip slunk down with a gasp, and Sihiri took that as her sign to take him back to his bed while Inochi moved away. With them gone, they unveiled an entire stretch of beds where injured soldiers laid and rested, most injured, but thankfully, they all seemed to be alive and breathing.

Tree Rex drew himself back from the makeshift hospital as the others left to clean up the wreckage, but he didn't stay lonely long. Sihiri and Inochi joined him outside, and not just them. The villagers all withdrew from their hiding spots and crowded around Tree Rex, some with worry and some with amazement.

"Is it true? Is that metal beast gone?" one young girl gasped.

"Indeed, little one," Tree Rex affirmed.

He sat down, and crossed his legs as he recounted the tale of the Conquertron's destruction. The children amid the crowd watched with sparkles in their eyes and awestruck smiles, while the adults clutched their hearts or held their heads in sheer wonder or bafflement at everything that just happened

It was a sight that he often saw in smaller places that never brushed against Arkeyan conquest before, and yet, the sheer shock never failed to amaze him. Tree Rex's tale ended to rousing applause and cheers, but he only smiled and nodded as he glanced back down at Sihiri.

Now, she was joined by a few folks a bit older than her with similar looks to her own. Family or friends, perhaps?

"So this whole time, you were protecting us from those Arkeyans?" one woman gasped. When Sihiri nodded to affirm this, the woman gasped and wrapped Sihiri in a tight hug. "Oh, Sihiri, you're so brave! To think, the girl I'd walked around the village would have grown up to be such a courageous leader."

"It seems the roles have reversed, little sister," chirped Sadiq as he laid a hand on Sihiri's shoulder, "for now you're the one protecting us."

And yet, none of their praise seemed to ease the worry in Sihiri's eyes.

"But, I never told you why I left," Sihiri trembled as tears pricked her eyes. "I, I abandoned you for so long…"

"You had an important reason for it, didn't you? You left to protect us."

Those words broke the dam. Sihiri broke from the woman's grip, and fell into the grasp of Sadiq next. All the while, she sobbed with all the vulnerability of a young girl who'd left her home far earlier than she would have liked.

"I, I'm so sorry!" she croaked. "I, I wish I could've stayed with you, I wish I could have stayed here, and been everything you wanted of me, but, but, it was too dangerous! If the Arkeyans knew there was a mage of my power here, they would've torn our whole village down just to take me! I, I wish I was never given this power, I wish I never had to leave you."

"Oh, Sihiri."

Sadiq welcomed her embrace, and cuddled her close as Sihiri's other friends joined in.

"You have nothing to apologize for."

A small gasp escaped Sihiri, and she peered up to find Sadiq, her friends, everyone from her home smiling back at her.

"It's because of you that we were able to live safe from the Arkeyans. You've done more for us than we could ever imagine!" said the woman who first embraced Sihiri.

Another woman popped up beside her and smiled. "Please, don't ever resent the gifts you were blessed with! It's because of them that you were able to do so much for us!"

"And, no matter how far away you are," Sadiq finished at last, "we will always hold you in our hearts. As long as we stand, your memory will always live with us."

The crowd came to embrace Sihiri, and their cheers and words of encouragement almost masked Sihiri's sobs of… Joy? Grief? Catharsis?

Whatever they were, Tree Rex nodded and turned away, as did the others.

Sihiri needed this moment to herself. This was something she’d waited ten thousand years for, after all.

The crowd dispersed soon enough, and Sihiri forced a wobbly smile as she wiped away her tears and leaned into Tree Rex's side. The crowd moved away from her, and then to the Elder Elementals, all with awe and gratitude in their eyes.

"And, to all of you, we cannot thank you enough for protecting us from that beast!" Sadiq exclaimed.

"Think nothing of it." Tree Rex replied with a nod. "We Elder Elementals vowed on our lives that we would protect Skylands from the Arkeyans' cruelty—"

"—and we did the same," Sihiri shakily, but solidly finished.

Mumbles of admiration burst from the crowd, but one wide-eyed child slipped out with a curious gaze.

"But, what are you gonna do when the Arkeyans are all gone?" the child asked with all the innocence and confidence of youth.

Tree Rex hung his head. The memories of the modern day, of everything they experienced since the day they returned to Skylands, flooded back to them all, and their faces started to crack as they turned away or bit their lips. Even after all this time, they still weren't sure of what they were going to do—if there was anything left for them to do. Everything they knew and cared about was long gone at this point, so what was left for them?

They all got lost in thought for a moment, yet perked up at the faint notion of a parent scolding the child with an embarrassed tone. That parent cleared their throat, and peered up at Tree Rex with only admiration in their deep brown eyes.

"Whatever that may be, as long as you're here to protect us, we will always feel safe, that's for sure!" that parent proclaimed.

"And whatever happens afterwards, we will always be here to welcome you. After all you've done for us, it's the least we can do!" affirmed another villager.

The crowds rose with cheers of agreement. For a moment, it seemed like there was knowing light in some of their eyes.

So, the Elder Elementals and free magicians alike just smiled and stood back to their full height.

Something seemed strange as they did. The sun grew bright, so bright that it bleached the village in its light until nothing was left, and grew so hot that they all shielded their eyes from the burning sensation.

They opened those eyes as the sensation faded, and no longer were they in this village. No, they were back in the Oracle's chambers!

The Oracle watched them with a knowing smile as he hovered before a panel. Below him, Flynn, Cali and the high priest gasped in awe, as if they didn’t expect anyone to manifest from that trial.

"Welcome back," the Oracle said as he clutched his tentacles. "Do you have any questions about your trial?"

The Elder Elementals and free magicians shared weary, confused looks among themselves, but finally, it was Sihiri who stepped up to the plate.

"Was, was that all real?" Sihiri asked. "Was that really what our lives would have been like?"

"Not exactly." The Oracle solemnly nodded. "It was more so an estimated guess based on a mixture of your own pasts, logical conclusions drawn my analysis, or in some cases, a chance for you to make amends for regrets you cannot go back and fix." He turned to float back to his panel, but gave them one last, kind look. "Regardless, I hope it was able to bring you some closure."

Sihiri reluctantly nodded, as did the others, and the Oracle beamed.

"You have all provided me with some very impressive data, but the trials have not yet ended." The Oracle motioned for them to join him at the panel, and turned his eye to the screens. "The rest of your allies should start their trials soon."

So, the group crowded around the panel, where they witnessed two screens: one of the Skylanders, and one of Chihiro. Both parties laid unconscious as the light enveloped them, and the simulation began.