Tree Rex gritted his teeth, and closed his eyes the best he could as the wind lashed against his bark. His whole body crumpled underneath the weight of the winds, or at least, it felt like it. It was hard to tell when his eyes stung so badly that just opening them was a trial in and of itself. He could only faintly hear everyone's shouting over the howls of the wind, and the awful stench of something or other numbed his face. He tried his hardest to push forward, moving his body inch by inch. The wind slammed into him and knocked him back as he pulled himself from the wall—though at least, the pain shocked him enough that his eyes shot wide open, and it shoed the others were in no better shape than he was!

All around him, they laid pinned to the stone walls. They shouted and cried out as they tried to push against the wind, just to get blown back and pinned to where they started! Crusher got the furthest, for he was able to at least take a few steps forward. The wind blew harder and smashed him into into the walls, leaving thin cracks in his skin! Crusher screamed out as he laid within the crater his impact left in the wall, and Tree Rex cringed. The sound rang in his eardrums as he turned around.

Another howling sound came over the wind, but it didn't sound like the prior cries of the winds that blew. No, it sounded a bit heavier, as if something was coming! Tree Rex grunted, lifted his head, and gasped as a group of large, brown, blurry things with faint points rode the wind. They came closer into view by the second. Wait, those things, they were barrels, and spiked ones at that!

Tree Rex gasped. He banged his head, and then his hands and feet against the wall. His eyes and the solar core embedded into his hand glowed green as the power of life itself bubbled in his sap, and a shrieking noise overpowered the wind as the floor below glowed green.

A barrier of tall wooden trees flew in front of them right as the barrels came their closest, and the barrels smashed into the trees. The trees' trunks snapped with the barrels. The splintered remains of the barrels intertwined with the tree's halved trunks as they smashed against the wall, and left behind large splinters that pinned Tree Rex and his group right to their spots! A few of the splinters scratched against Tree Rex's own skin, so sharp that they were even able to break bark!

Tree Rex wiggled his fingers, attempting to get some grasp of the splinters so he could yank them out. The oppressive wind continued to blow over him, and pressed him tight to the wall with only the most limited of movement available. Another faint soaring, flying noise rang over the air, and Tree Rex popped an eye open only to wince. Even more debris, this time in all sorts of large bodies, hurtled towards him, and this time there was definitely no escape!

Grunting and shouting came from beside him as everyone else struggled to pull themselves from both the wind and the splinters' tight grip, yet their struggles proved as futile as before!

Tree Rex tried to push further with no luck, so he glanced aside while the others struggled against the grip. The debris grew closer and closer with every push, thrust, every futile attempt to break free! The others continued to struggle…

But, among them, Crusher managed to lean further than the rest! Did he break free? Tree Rex glanced down to find a pile of smashed splinters underneath. No, he was free to begin with! Those splinters couldn't pin him in the first place with him being made of stone!

Crusher seemed just as shocked as Tree Rex himself was. He glanced down at his body with wide eyes for a moment, but soon he grunted and pushed himself off the walls. His body slid against the floor for a moment, but it seemed as though the weight of his stone form was enough to keep him on the ground! He stood dumbstruck as he glanced over his body, but a barrel slammed into his chest and splintered, Crusher grunted as he skidded back, but quickly regained his footing and yanked his hammer back from the wall.

"Time to crush this!" Crusher cried as he slammed his hammer into the ground!

A booming echo resounded through the hall, and dulled the flow of wind for a moment as cracks formed in the ground. They splintered further, growing deeper as loud rumbles burst from within. A whole row of pillars burst out from them! The debris crashed into the pillars, and rendered it little more than harmless specks of garbage as it fell to the floor. Most importantly, the wind's flow was disrupted! No longer did it beat down with its fierce, oppressive lashes, but the disruption from the pillars left it little more than a gentle breeze.

The wall behind Tree Rex heated up, and he grunted as his back burned like he was set on fire. The splinters around him turned red and burned to ashes in seconds, and he leapt off and caught his breath while the heat faded.

Beside him, the others freed themselves from the wall and gathered behind the pillars. Vatra came first, bearing a stern look as warm light faded from his skin—that heat wave was probably his doing, then—but 'Enehana quickly dragged him behind the nearest pillar. The two of them huddled behind the pillar, but yelped as part of it broke off and nearly crashed onto them. That is, were it not for Tree Rex sliding in and catching the broken slab just in time!

Tree Rex poked around the pillar to where Crusher knelt to the ground. Crusher strained as hard as he could while his normally-green crystals turned brown from the glow of Earth Element magic. It seemed as though he did all in his power to keep those pillars up, yet it was barely enough. Whatever powered these winds had some strong Air Element magic behind it. There was no other explanation for how it could blow away such powerful Earth magic so quickly!

"Looks like Crushy boy could use some extra juice," Jorden cried as he rushed out from underneath Tree Rex, "and I've got just the thing!"

Jorden chuckled as he tossed a pickax in the air, and zapped it with a bolt of brown magic. The pickax in tandem turned large and crystalline before it crashed back into the ground, just inches ahead of Jorden himself! The light burst in shades of brown and gold as even more pillars jumped up, and the ones Crusher made found themselves enveloped in a shiny, bronze glow. Their stone surfaces turned as shiny as the light as their cracks sealed up, but that glow faded just as quickly as it came. The strength it gave remained as the pillars stood tall, the winds lowering around them.

Crusher lifted his head as the wind stopped blowing. With his job relieved, he turned around and crowded behind the pillars. He joined them at Tree Rex's side as he knelt to meet the smaller members of the group.

"Seems as though there's no going ahead until we turn off that fan," Glumshanks mused.

Vatra beside him scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Quite obviously," he hissed through gritted teeth.

"So, how do we turn this darn thing off, then?" Jorden cried, turning to Glumshanks. "You, troll fellow! You work for this guy, do you know?"

"I, I'm afraid not," Glumshanks replied. He shook his head before he turned to the fan. "This fan must have bee a pretty recent installation. Even I wasn't told about it!" Glumshanks frowned and rubbed his chin. "Then again, Lord Kaos apparently decided that he didn't need me to handle the business aspects of things anymore, so he's been doing all that himself lately. I only seem to stumble upon these things after they're put in…"

"Well, that's our first option out." Vatra scoffed. "What do we do now?"

"If you ask me, we'll just have to get closer and shut that windy thingie down!" Jorden cried, and stumbled out from behind the pillar he hid behind. "That seems like the obvious choice to me!"

Tree Rex shuffled out from behind Jorden, but both of them screamed as the fan's winds smacked into them and knocked them back into the wall once more! The wind scratched against their faces, leaving Tree Rex dizzy and numb. Jorden certainly felt the same as they both shuffled behind the pillars' safety once more. The harsh whipping of wind relented, and they both fell down and scattered into the group's ranks once again.

"Something tells me we're not walking," Tree Rex panted. He leaned against Bouncer's side as he groan and slunk down to his knees.

Beside him, Jorden hummed. His eyes not once left Crusher while the wind just faintly rustled his hair. That's right, Crusher hadn't been affected at all. Crusher's body was too rock-solid and heavy to be moved, even with the power of the fan's winds! If only they had something to keep them weighted to the floor like Crusher did.

Crusher hummed as he glanced down at Jorden, and smiles crossed both their faces, as though they knew exactly what the other thought! They both turned around and beckoned for the others, and Tree Rex could've swore that just a hint of warm bronze shined in their eyes as they did.

"C'mere, everyone!" Jorden cried as the others crowded around him and Crusher. "We've got a plan!"

With everyone crowded tightly around him and Crusher, Jorden smiled and nodded. That bronze glint in his dark eyes glowed brighter as he waved his hands. Bronze glows soon shone off of everyone's bodies, their light sparkling and glinting off of the gems on Crusher and Jorden's body!

Tree Rex turned down at himself as a bright, bronze light came from him. It completely enveloped his body; it slunk around and slid this way and that as it formed something more solid and heavy. Could light even be heavy? Tree Rex hadn't known what to think of that question, but it seemed as though it could, for it weighed down even him as it formed some kind of chestplate over his body. It paired with arm and leg guards… The light glimmered as it grew a bit heavier, and with one last flash, an entire set of knight's armor made of heavy, solid rock formed on his body! The weight was a sudden gain, so sudden that Tree Rex stumbled forward and had to catch himself with his hand. Judging from the looks around as everyone else shouted and stumbled about—save for Glumshanks, who just fell on his back—the others seemed just as taken aback.

Jorden chuckled as he showed off his own armor, which grew significantly more bulky, and ushered everyone away as he crept away from the pillar. He stepped out from its safety, and on instinct Tree Rex went to cry out. But, aside of a tiny bit of dragging, Jorden wasn't blown away at all! Jorden raced off for the next pillar as the breeze whipped around him.

Tree Rex raised a brow and shuffled out from behind the pillars. The winds howled and lashed against him as harshly as they did before, but against the armor, they barely even laid a scratch! He trudged along the floor, and his eyes latched onto the next pillar ahead. The added weight of the armor was cumbersome, and his movements were slow as sap still. Still, it was an improvement compared to being pinned to the wall by the raging winds.

Tree Rex trudged along, stepping in big strides for extra distance. With every labored step the pillar inched that much closer in, and with one more step, Tree Rex reached for its safety—but stopped mid-step. The sounds of incoming garbage came in! He turned around and smashed his fist against a barrel that flew in, and glanced down as its splintered wood and thick, peach-colored liquid blew in the wind.

"Incoming!" Hot Head cried over the roaring winds.

A full fleet of barrels flew in next. Their direction was low, and aimed towards where Vatra, Jorden, Glumshanks and 'Enehana all trudged behind them!

Vatra jumped out first, and pumped his fists as flames burst from his knuckles—but the flames petered out with another howl of the winds! He quickly drew back, just barely escaping the wrath of a barrel as it flew past. The winds roared once more and caught his attention, turning his gaze to where even more barrels flew in!

"Lemme handle this!" Jorden cried.

Jorden stomped on the floor, and the ground rumbled underneath his foot! Fissures and cracks formed within the marble, and glittered like diamonds. Entire spiky rows of sparkling gems shot up from the cracks, smashing through the barrels before they could even come in! Their contents splattered across the floor as the wind swept them away with the shattered remains of their barrels. The crystals in turn slunk back into the ground while it sealed its fissures away.

Vatra drew back his arms as the crystals drew back, but as he did, some more of that thick peach-colored liquid splattered, slipping into his gaping mouth! He blinked as the taste settled in, but quickly found himself hacking and gagging. Whatever flavor that was, it must not have been very tasty.

"Ugh, disgusting!" Vatra cried as he wiped his mouth. "What kind of drink is this anyways?" A broken piece of a barrel splattered with more of that peach liquid flew towards Vatra, and he snatched it out of the air before he glazed it over with a raised brow. "Sand flavored? Exactly what's delectable about sand, of all things?"

"I don't know, but I don't think that green stuff's any better!" 'Enehana cried as they raced in front of Vatra with what seemed like some kind of mechanical contraption in hand. "Get behind me!"

Vatra dropped the shard, turned around and ducked behind 'Enehana as a stream of glowing green liquid soared in on the winds. Jorden and Glumshanks both quickly joined him.

With all three behind them, 'Enehana grunted and flicked down the contraption, popping it open in a single motion. Its top unveiled itself as an umbrella made of cobbled-together metal and machine parts. Though it seemed haphazard, it didn't even melt a bit as the glowing liquid splattered against its front! While the rest flew backwards, 'Enehana trudged over to the pillar's safety in slow, large steps, their umbrella still held tight in front of them.

Tree Rex had to admit, he forgot just how long it took those much smaller than him to cross large terrains like this. By the time they arrived, not only had he taken shelter behind the pillar, but Crusher, Hot Head, and Bouncer were all huddled together by him. They watched with intent eyes as 'Enehana's group trudged closer behind the pillar, and when their group finally arrived, they all collapsed into panting fits.

Tree Rex swept them into his palm as a sort of rest stop, and peered out towards the path ahead. The next pillar stood a good deal away from where they rest now, completely unaffected by the onslaught of harsh wind and flying junk. They would certainly be affected if they tried to trudge there, so he scanned to the left-hand side for some more pillars. He did find one, true, but it was even further than the last!

"Everything else is a good deal away from here, it seems," Tree Rex said as his fingers curled around Vatra, 'Enehana, Jorden, and Glumshanks in his palm. "You stay in here, we'll carry you the rest—"

Tree Rex gasped, and his throat choked itself in as his head hung low. Something smashed right into his back, something hard like stone but sleek like metal, and next thing he knew, he flew backwards! The weight of his stone armor ensured that he didn't go for a very far trip, sliding across the floor and just barely grazing a pillar behind him…

Wait, the others! He opened his palm, and thankfully they themselves were intact. They now laid sprawled against the grooves of Tree Rex's palm with dizzy expressions. Tree Rex breathed a sigh of relief, but pushed his head up as a shout came from ahead!

Ahead of him, a large, shiny black steel ball rolled down the pathway before it smashed into Crusher and knocked him right beside Tree Rex! Crusher's teeth cringed together as he slammed into the pillar. He shuddered and pushed himself onto his knees. A few cracks formed in his stone body, but they sealed themselves away with a glimmer of brown light, and Crusher regained the strength to sit up and glance at Tree Rex.

"Take them for me," Tree Rex said as he dropped Vatra, 'Enehana, Jorden, and Glumshanks into Crusher's palms. "I'm gonna try something!"

Tree Rex grunted and pushed himself up, leaving him eye-level with an oncoming steel ball! The winds whipped at him, and his steps were slow and labored as ever, but nonetheless he trudged forward. He held his arms out as the ball came in faster and faster by the second. It smashed into him, and his bark creaked and ached like it was going to break—but, it, and he himself, stayed perfectly intact as the force of the ball's landing pushed Tree Rex back.

A furious wind lashed at Tree Rex's back while he held the ball the best he could. He spun once, twice, and on his third spin, Tree Rex grunted and swung the ball right back into the air!

"Come get some!"

Tree Rex's cry barely sounded over the roars of the wind, but its message sent nonetheless as the ball flew across the field and slammed right into another oncoming one! That second ball in turn flew towards that gigantic fan while the first fell down and rolled away. The wind added onto the second ball's flight, and pushed it further and further, until it slammed right into the fan! A monstrous creaking noise shook the hallways as the fan dented in on itself. Its blades turned crooked, but the wind was still as strong as ever! Though, now, it carried with it something that sounded like a pained, labored groan, but that didn't matter.

Tree Rex grunted and narrowed his eyes, focusing on the next steel ball coming in. One or two more, and that should leave the machine little more than scrap metal. As he focused, a warm light brushed against his cheek and turned his attention to his shoulder, where a person's silhouette began to form.

"Tree Rex, stop!" Vatra cried right as he teleported onto Tree Rex's shoulder. He grunted, gripped the grooves in Tree Rex's bark the best he could, and turned back to him. "Don't destroy that machine!"

Tree Rex gasped and ducked down right as the steel ball came in for him.

Wincing as it grazed over his back, Tree Rex's gaze turned back to Vatra. "What are you talking about? We won't be able to move an inch until that machine's done for!"

Vatra grunted as he climbed back onto Tree Rex's shoulder. "Well, find another way, then!" Vatra grunted as he flipped back atop Tree Rex's shoulder. He panted for a moment, but regained his grip quickly. "When that machine dented, I heard something crying out in pain" — Vatra lifted his head, his fiery eyes not breaking from where the dented fan rumbled — "between that and that strong magic, I think they're using someone to power it!"

Using a living being to power a machine like this? Tree Rex clenched his teeth and turned back to the machine, where a strong magic presence, one Tree Rex hadn't really noticed before, wafted from its metal. That trace, it undeniably had to be that of a living being's magic essence! If they destroyed the machine…

"I understand."

Tree Rex raised to full height the best he could and cleared his throat.

"Everyone, don't hurt that machine! There's someone trapped inside it—"

Tree Rex trudged forward as his solar cannon glowed. He shot it out and cast a beam of hot, solar energy that melted right through the oncoming trash and steel balls. As the goop rained down around him, Tree Rex scoffed and charged forward.

"—and we're getting them out!"

Behind him, pounding footsteps thudded against the wind as Hot Head and Crusher ran up beside him. A mechanical whir came next as Bouncer wheeled up to Tree Rex's left and winked.

Their ranks parted with a nod, and Tree Rex lifted up his solar cannon. Curiously, even though it just discharged, a residual warmth tinged its top in a slightly reddish hue, nothing like the warm greens and yellows it usually had. He turned to his shoulder, and Tree Rex met with Vatra, who glanced at him and nodded while his ghastly body glowed with warm light. Tree Rex nodded in turn as he changed his focus to where the path ahead laid. A mound of trash came in for Tree Rex, and he prepared to fire…

But right before he could, a giant stone pillar leaped up in front of him and shouldered the blow! Even more pillars cropped up like weeds. They scattered in short gaps and intervals along the path, and the marble turned brown from the warm light they cast! Behind one to the left, Crusher laid with hands planted to the floor and crystals glowing brown, and a smaller, duller brown light shone behind him.

Tree Rex smiled, hopped from that pillar to the next, and poked out as he held out his solar cannon towards an oncoming steel ball. The solar energy within charged at a rapid pace, and burned bright orange before it fired off and pierced the heart of the ball! Its heat melted right through and left little more than a hollow rim in its wake. It shot across the path, melting away the oncoming trash and metal in Tree Rex's path! With that cleared, he poked out from the pillar, hopped over the mostly-melted steel ball, and crept towards another pillar. A screech came from behind, and he ducked as another steel ball flew right between his horns and slammed into an oncoming steel ball!

The two balls both dented as they flew forward, and melted into warm goop as a plume of flames ate them up! Their metallic liquid poured onto the floor, diverting into thin streams that streaked around Tree Rex's feet. As they faded altogether, Tree Rex gingerly tiptoed over them and turned behind one of the pillars.

Bouncer and Hot Head both beamed at him. It was a smile he returned for moments before a large thud alerted them all to Crusher's presence. With the group gathered together, they crept out from behind the pillar and glanced ahead at the machine, which now laid only inches from them. It rattled and shuddered while the howls of its winds grew more twisted. More than that, something that sounded akin to panting, or labored breathing, rumbled from within its depths in a voice that sounded almost alive!

They all traded glances of confirmed suspicion, but another, much closer and louder rumble turned their attention to the place ahead. There, some large, square tube just barely poked out of the ceiling, and shuddered as it vomited out another mass of garbage, one much larger than the last! A few winces came as the garbage mass formed into a rolling ball that sped right past them. Judging by the rattling sounds that came from the tube once more, it seemed like that wasn't the end of it!

"If we're gonna get any further, we'll need that tube sealed up!" Glumshanks shouted.

"I'll handle this!" 'Enehana cried in turn, leaping forward and slamming their hands on the floor!

They shouted out as they lumbered back up. Their hands turned a bronze in color from the orange light that burst from around them. They punched out their hands, and shot the light right as the tube spat out an oncoming garbage storm! The light beams pierced through the garbage, but not once did it break or bend—no, it stuck together, and solidified the trash into a thick wall that completely blocked the fan from view. Only faint breezes spilled out from the tiny gaps in the trash wall, and they barely reached across the halls before they petered out. It seemed as though it was the perfect blockade…

But then, something spat out of the ceiling. It was something so tiny it could barely be seen, yet, just its force was enough to completely unclog the trash wall and send it all over the halls!

Jorden grunted and punched into the pillar beside them all, and the pillar stretched and bent before it formed a stone dome around the whole group! The pungent scent of trash floated in the air as the sounds of rushing garbage and roaring wind poured in over the dam, but soon, the noise stopped.

The trash spilled over the dam in a mighty current, and left behind a stream so deep and large that it would've swept Jorden, Vatra, 'Enehana, and Glumshanks away if Tree Rex hadn't swept them away in his hand as the current hit! Tree Rex smiled for a moment as he placed the four of them on his shoulder before he turned to the current.

With a grunt, he took one large step up the stream, but his foot sunk into the garbage like quicksand. He grunted and held out his hands. Vines shot out from his palm, and lashed against the garbage and dam alike before they wrapped into a proper bridge over the stream. Tree Rex tapped the bridge with his foot for a moment, smiled as it proved itself stable enough, and hiked up across the bridge. The ones on his shoulder shouted as they swayed and tumbled back and forth across Tree Rex's shoulder, and behind him, the vines buckled and swayed as Crusher, Hot Head, and Bouncer followed behind.

Tree Rex blasted a path through the garbage, one shallow enough to allot them all walking space, and once again they all trailed behind before they hopped on the platform next to the fan. The garbage stream completely jammed its front, and an odd panel stuck out amid the fan's side. From that panel, a sky blue glow beamed out from the gaps in the panel's rim, one with a strong, fresh feeling like that of a welcome breeze.

As Tree Rex knelt down, Vatra, Glumshanks, Jorden, and 'Enehana all slid down his side. Glumshanks and Vatra rested against Tree Rex's arm and gathered their bearings, but Jorden and 'Enehana rushed right for the panel!

'Enehana and Jorden hummed as 'Enehana pulled open the panel and examined in, Jorden leaning over them. Jorden gasped, and yanked out a shiny, sky blue crystalline wheel from the heart of the panel! With the wheel claimed, 'Enehana turned to a lever and hummed before they pulled down the lever with all their might! They cringed as the machine clunked and whirred once again, and turned back to Jorden.

"Jorden, Crusher, get a barrier up!" 'Enehana cried.

"On it!" Jorden and Crusher both shouted in turn.

Crusher slammed his hammer into the ground while Jorden summoned and slammed down a pickax in turn. A shield of solid rock formed around them, and blocked off the light of the world around as it encased everyone in its dome! They all huddled close as the sound of something sucking in air with all its might came outside, followed by awful, grinding and clunking noises that would make anyone's ears bleed, and finally an explosion so loud that it dented into the barrier, cracking its stone!

Splattering sounds echoed as the stone itself shifted materials. It changed from hard, solid granite (or whatever it was. Tree Rex was never the best at identifying stone) to a shiny, clear material that cast a glance to the outside world. There, the fan laid rendered a smoking hunk of junk with twisted and bent blades, and the trash mush and broken parts rained over the halls!

While the trash rained down and slid off their barrier, everyone huddled close, all centered around Jorden as he plucked out the wheel and held it in his palms. Its light flashed and flickered, brightening and dimming by the second. Something faintly akin to someone panting echoed from its crystal surface.

"A voice?" Vatra gasped, immediately claiming the wheel from Jorden's hands. "It has to be…" Vatra cringed. His teeth gritted tight as the wheel's light faltered for just a second more than normal before he yanked the wheel up. "Does anybody here know any magic? Anything that can get some magic energy into this wheel?"

"I, I know some basic spells!" Glumshanks sputtered as he rushed in and scooped the wheel out of Vatra's hands. "Allow me to try something!"

The wheel continued to pant. Its breathing became a bit more labored and its light duller than normal, enough that Glumshanks folding his hands completely masked it. Glumshanks hummed, and a cyan glow shone from his hands for a moment. Soon, its colors turned deeper, and became a richer shade of blue that brought to mind clear skies as Glumshanks lifted his hands!

The wheel floated out of Glumshanks' palms, and hovered in the center of the group as a lean, thin silhouette shaped itself from the light. That silhouette, its tall body lean with just a hint of muscle, that had to be him! The light continued to form as a thin, sparkly string formed in the center of the wheel. The string rested along the figure's neck as clouds and sky blue light burst out, unveiling the ghost within at last!

"Vaayu!" Tree Rex and Vatra both gasped in turn, their eyes wide and sparkling.

Vaayu smiled as he fell to his knees and panted, only his arms keeping him upright. His skin was still that rich, dark brown shade even after all those years, and his normally-fluffy black hair was thinned and drenched with sweat. Though, its lightning bolt-shaped, sky blue streak still stuck within, even though his body was somewhat transparent and brimmed with sparkly sky blue light thanks to his ghostly state.

His ponytail was loose, barely held in place by a gold, round barrette that slipped out for only moments before he fixed it. Sweat dripped down the bridge of his long, round nose and over his cheekbones, curling around his large lips for moments before dripping onto the floor. He still donned his favorite top, the one far too big for him with its silky sky blue fabric printed with flowers, hemmed with the finest of gold fabric over the collar and the sleeves' ends, and blue fabric the color of the ocean at the bottom. Thankfully, the large stitch keeping its left side attached to the right hadn't burst. Vaayu was more attached to that top than life itself. Blue belts in all sorts of shades clung tight around his waist, making his dark blue trousers seem a bit puffier. Though, they weren't puffy enough that they burst over the white and sky blue boots he wore. No, they tucked perfectly inside, the same way a key fit inside a lock.

"Oh, dear Ancients," Vaayu groaned. His voice was husky, but barely with any weight to it as he crawled over and leaned against Vatra's side. "I, I thought that thing was going to suck all the life out of me."

"Thank the Ancients we found you in time," Vatra said. He smiled as he hoisted Vaayu up and leaned Vaayu against his shoulder. "I can't imagine what would've happened if we hadn't!"

"Are you feeling any better, Vaayu?" Tree Rex asked, gently rubbing his finger against Vaayu's back. "Any aches or pains?"

"I'll manage," Vaayu panted. His legs had stopped shuddering, and he grunted as he stood to full height.

"Uh, I hate to interrupt your reunion," Glumshanks said, and stumbled forward as he scratched his head, "but who is this? What’s going on here?"

"This is Vaayu. He's one of us," Vatra explained, "and he's been gone for quite a while."

"Wait, so the Skylanders had moles hiding in here all along?" Glumshanks stumbled backwards, his few hairs standing on end. "Lord Kaos won't be happy when he hears that!"

"What's a Skylander?" Vaayu asked, tilting his head.

Glumshanks blinked and glanced at Vaayu. "Wait, so you don't know who the Skylanders are? Aren't you one of them?"

Vaayu frowned. His foot tapped for moments before he shook his head. "I don't know exactly know what Skylanders are, and I know even less about how I got here." Vaayu stepped forward and held out his hand. "I just awoke within these halls one day, and I've been wandering around ever since. That strange little man caught my eye, so I'd been tailing him—"

"Wait, you mean Kaos?"

Glumshanks thrust himself closer to Vaayu, and a frown started to form on Vaayu’s face.

"Yes, I supposed that might've been his name, but he didn't seem to go by it." Vaayu gently scratched his chin, and his head craned down like he was deep in thought. "Something about the way he acted felt off to me, even more than usual. In fact, it reminded me of someone I was all too familiar with, but just as I came close to discovering his secret" — Vaayu turned back and gestured to the firmly-broken fan — "he found me and trapped me in this Ancients-forsaken thing as its living battery!"

A disappointed sigh came from Glumshanks as he hung his head, but not for long. Jorden pushed him aside just as quickly, and grabbed Vaayu by the hand.

"Wait, you were wanderin' 'round this place, right?" Jorden asked. "Vaayu, could you take us to that Kaos guy?"

"We've actually been tracking him down. We'll fill you in on the way," Vatra added.

Vaayu nodded, knelt to the ground and planted his hands down.

"If I recall correctly, this passageway is directly underneath the way to his room," Vaayu said, and his hands glowed a brighter sky blue as he pressed them down further. "Just need to make a strong enough wind current, and…"

A cold, whipping wind burst throughout the room, and before Tree Rex even knew it, he was lifted off the floor! Beside him, Bouncer and Hot Head shouted out as they twirled around, and the ground below them got further and further and the winds raged harder! Jorden and 'Enehana flew up beside him, followed by Glumshanks as he screamed and clung to Vatra's leg. As another powerful gust blew below him, Tree Rex himself lifted far past them and right towards a large hole in the ceiling!

"And to the next level we go!" Vaayu cried as he passed by Tree Rex.

Tree Rex blinked for a moment, nodded, and made himself as tall and slight as he could. The wind pushed him further up, right into the large tube that once funneled the garbage in the room.